Are Social Networking Sites Safe?

This is quite a tricky question. But the answer is no, if you reveal too much about yourself. And the answer is yes, if you manage to play it safe. There have been many instances of people getting harassed and targeted through these sites, though the sites themselves are trying to control it. One such incident happened a few months back. The son a businessman in Mumbai made friends with some people through orkut and after they got so close they decided to hang out and party together. But it was later found that the boy was killed and his car was stolen by his so called orkut friends.

There are also some treacherous and other unnecessary communities in orkut that drive people into many harmful activities. Many people get some lewd comments and abusive scraps from unknown persons. It is also not advisable to use your close up photos in these sites as they can be morphed into other photos and used otherwise.

Recently orkut has introduced features that bar people other than one’s friends from seeing one’s photos and videos and from scrapping or messaging. Will others sites too follow these? It remains to be seen. Some of the popular social networking sites are orkut, facebook, wayn and bigadda.

Sania and Bhupathi on top of Asia

Asian top women tennis player is now our own Sania Mirza. After her tremendous performance in the Australian open, she gained 931 points to move to 29^th position making her Asia’s best. She lost to Venus Williams in the third round of the Australian open. “I am very happy and I think it’s the first time I have become Asia’s first. It’s an honour”, Sania said.

In the mixed doubles category, Sania- Bhupathi reached the finals but lost to a better pair in the finals. But it was the first time an Indian mixed doubles pair reached the finals of a grand slam tournament. This is itself an achievement for India and they too became Asia`s No.1 mixed doubles pair.

Latest ICC cricket rating

India moved up to the second place in the latest ICC test ranking after its stupendous performance in the series down under. Minus the Sydney test the series would have been drawn, but that was not to be. India has now 111 points against Australia’s 141 who occupy the first place consistently.

Mean while, Sehwag scored a brilliant in the fourth test in Adelaide in the second innings after Australia batted as slowly as they could to take initial lead. He scored 151 in the second inning but the irony was that Sachin was awarded the man of the match award even though his contribution in the game was lower than that of Sehwag`s.

The top six teams are:

Australia -141

India - 111

Srilanka -109

S Africa -108

England -107

Pakistan -98

ANNA UNIVERSITY REVALUTION

It has been announced that the last date for applying for revaluation of marks of subjects is 06.02.2008.

Some Revaluation Tricks:

1. Always apply for revaluation with Xerox, especially if you want to clear a paper.
2. Apply for reval even if you have marks below 25 out of 80 as there have been many instances where students have cleared after getting less than 30 out of 80.
3. If you are quite sure of getting marks (for those who have cleared), just apply for revaluation alone and no need to apply for Xerox.

In general to apply, a student can opt for any one of the following two options:

· Apply for Revaluation only with a fee of Rs.400/- per script.

· Apply for Photocopy-cum-Revaluation with a fee of Rs.700/- per script.

ANNA UNIVERSITY RESULTS 2008

hi people,

Here is the link to go directly to the result page of anna university:

RESULT LINK1

The other sites to get you the results are:

LINK2
LINK3
LINK4


To view other sites to see results, CLICK HERE

Sarkozy in India

French President Nicholas Sarkozy has been invited to India as the guest for its Republic Day celebrations. The Indian officials heaved a sigh of relief as he came without her girlfriend Carlo Bruni, as they were unsure whether to treat her as wife of the president or an official. Sarkzoy meanwhile was overwhelmed with India’s red carpet welcome and has asked the prime minister to reciprocate his visit. The French president will preside over the republic day celebrations that will showcase India’s might in the armed forces to the world. Controversial writer Taslima was given the invitation at the behest of the visiting French President, Nicholas Sarkozy, to Paris to award her Prix Simon de Beauvoir, after Indian authorities refused a French proposal to confer the honour on the author in India during Sarkozy's visit. The Prix Simon de Beauvoir is considered one of the best awards for feminist writing the world over.

Ash in ROBOT!!

It is almost certain that Aishwarya Rai is going to act with 'Superstar' Rajnikanth in Shankar`s forthcoming project ROBOT as heroine. Ash herself revealed this to the press during an event to promote lux brand of soaps. She is looking forward to the release of 'Jodhaa Akbar', that stars her with 'Krrish' star Hrithik. The magnum opus directed by Asutosh Gowarikar is to be released on Feb 15. Aishwarya Rai has also worked with Shankar a decade earlier in Jeans that fetched her, her first filmfare award in south. After jeans happened she acted in Rajiv menon directed Kandukonden Kandukonden with Ajith. After this it’s the first time Ash is going to act in a Tamil film. Shankar had earlier approached her to star in his Sivaji, but it was not to be! After so many attempts Rajini has finally succeeded in getting her to star opposite him. Robot that will be released simultaneously in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi will give a big boost to her career that went without a hit last year. Well, everything seems to fall in place for her now! Watch this space for more.

Dasavatharam scenes

Vaaranam Aayiram Trailer

Vellitherai and Pazhani Songs Download

Vellitherai mp3 download:

Kanchip Paanai Meal

Thaiya Thaiya

Uyirile En Uyirile

Vizhiyil En Vizhiyil

Sooriyane

Pazhani mp3 download:

Ellam Valla Iraiva

Innoru Murai

Locku Locku

Thiruvaroor Therae

Yaarum Ennidam

Thaayai Polathaan

Internet Download Manager v5.12

Internet Download Manager (IDM) is a tool to increase download speeds by up to 5 times, resume and schedule downloads. Comprehensive error recovery and resume capability will restart broken or interrupted downloads due to lost connections, network problems, computer shutdowns, or unexpected power outages. Simple graphic user interface makes IDM user friendly and easy to use.

Supports:-
Internet Download Manager supports proxy servers, ftp and http protocols, firewalls, redirects, cookies, authorization, MP3 audio and MPEG video content processing. IDM integrates seamlessly into Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, MSN Explorer, AOL, Opera, Mozilla, Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Firebird, Avant Browser, MyIE2, and all other popular browsers to automatically handle your downloads. You can also drag and drop files, or use Internet Download Manager from command line. Internet Download Manager can dial your modem at the set time, download the files you want, then hang up or even shut down your computer when it's done.

features:-
multilingual support,
zip preview,
download categories,
scheduler pro,
sounds on different events,
HTTPS support,
queue processor,
html help and tutorial,
enhanced virus protection on download completion,
progressive downloading with quotas (useful for connections that use some kind of fair access policy or FAP like Direcway,
Direct PC, Hughes, etc.)

Latest Features:-
FLV grabber to download videos form
youtube
myspace tv
site grabber feature
mms protocol support
Vista support
google video

How to search in google

link: url Shows other pages with links to that url।

related:url same as "what's related" on serps.

site: domain restricts search results to the given domain.
allinurl: shows only pages with all terms in the url.
inurl: like allinurl, but only for the next query word.
allintitle: shows only results with terms in title.
intitle: similar to allintitle, but only for the next word. "intitle:webmasterworld google" finds only pages with webmasterworld in the title, and google anywhere on the page.
cache:url will show the Google version of the passed url.
info:url will show a page containing links to related searches, backlinks, and pages containing the url. This is the same as typing the url into the search box.
spell: will spell check your query and search for it.
stocks: will lookup the search query in a stock index.
filetype: will restrict searches to that filetype. "-filetype:doc" to remove Microsoft word files.
daterange: is supported in Julian date format only. 2452384 is an example of a Julian date.
maps: If you enter a street address, a link to Yahoo Maps and to MapBlast will be presented.
phone: enter anything that looks like a phone number to have a name and address displayed. Same is true for something that looks like an address (include a name and zip code)
site:www.somesite.net "+www.somesite.+net"
(tells you how many pages of your site are indexed by google)
allintext: searches only within text of pages, but not in the links or page title
allinlinks: searches only within links, not text or title

WALT DISNEY TO PRODUCE KAMAL`S NEXT FLICK

U.S film conglomerate Walt Disney has approached 'Ulaganayagan' Kamal Hassan for producing his next venture 'Marmayogi'. Speculation is rife that Kamal will soon fly to United states to begin formal discussions to carry the project forward. Kamal himself will direct Marmayogi and it is believed that the film will cost around 120 crores, which may be even more than the cost to incurred by Robot. If Kamal`s Dasavatharam which is billed as more expensive than sivaji, which was the most expensive film, it seems Marmayogi can do the same to Shankar`s next flick Robot.

It is for this film that Kamal has grown a beard and scripting for the film is on in full speed. The film has storyline representing the seventh century. The shooting of the film is slated to started by july this year. This film is bound to take Kamal places especially with walt disney producing this venture. Walt disney productions have long been searching for a good script to venture into kollywood. Though they have been co-producing a few films in the bollywood, they did not venture into south but Kamal script seemed to have impressed them. In all likelyhood the two superstars of kollywood are sure to take India cinema to the next level.

20 THINGS YOU DONT KNOW ABOUT WINDOWS XP

You've read the reviews and digested the key feature enhancements and operational changes. Now it's time to delve a bit deeper and uncover some of Windows XP's secrets.

1. It boasts how long it can stay up. Whereas previous versions of Windows were coy about how long they went between boots, XP is positively proud of its stamina. Go to the Command Prompt in the Accessories menu from the All Programs start button option, and then type 'systeminfo'. The computer will produce a lot of useful info, including the uptime. If you want to keep these, type 'systeminfo > info.txt'. This creates a file called info.txt you can look at later with Notepad. (Professional Edition only).

2. You can delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin first. Go to the Start menu, select Run... and type 'gpedit.msc'; then select User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it. Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system options, but take care -- some may stop your computer behaving as you wish. (Professional Edition only).

3. You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks of the mouse. Create a new shortcut on your desktop using a right mouse click, and enter 'rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation' in the location field. Give the shortcut a name you like. That's it -- just double click on it and your computer will be locked. And if that's not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.

4. XP hides some system software you might want to remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can tickle it and make it disgorge everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search for the word 'hide' and remove it. You can then go to the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components and there will be your prey, exposed and vulnerable.

5. For those skilled in the art of DOS batch files, XP has a number of interesting new commands. These include 'eventcreate' and 'eventtriggers' for creating and watching system events, 'typeperf' for monitoring performance of various subsystems, and 'schtasks' for handling scheduled tasks. As usual, typing the command name followed by /? will give a list of options -- they're all far too baroque to go into here.

6. XP has IP version 6 support -- the next generation of IP. Unfortunately this is more than your ISP has, so you can only experiment with this on your LAN. Type 'ipv6 install' into Run... (it's OK, it won't ruin your existing network setup) and then 'ipv6 /?' at the command line to find out more. If you don't know what IPv6 is, don't worry and don't bother.

7. You can at last get rid of tasks on the computer from the command line by using 'taskkill /pid' and the task number, or just 'tskill' and the process number. Find that out by typing 'tasklist', which will also tell you a lot about what's going on in your system.

8. XP will treat Zip files like folders, which is nice if you've got a fast machine. On slower machines, you can make XP leave zip files well alone by typing 'regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll' at the command line. If you change your mind later, you can put things back as they were by typing 'regsvr32 zipfldr.dll'.

9. XP has ClearType -- Microsoft's anti-aliasing font display technology -- but doesn't have it enabled by default. It's well worth trying, especially if you were there for DOS and all those years of staring at a screen have given you the eyes of an astigmatic bat. To enable ClearType, right click on the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select ClearType from the second drop-down menu and enable the selection. Expect best results on laptop displays. If you want to use ClearType on the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2.

10. You can use Remote Assistance to help a friend who's using network address translation (NAT) on a home network, but not automatically. Get your pal to email you a Remote Assistance invitation and edit the file. Under the RCTICKET attribute will be a NAT IP address, like 192.168.1.10. Replace this with your chum's real IP address -- they can find this out by going to www.whatismyip.com -- and get them to make sure that they've got port 3389 open on their firewall and forwarded to the errant computer.

11. You can run a program as a different user without logging out and back in again. Right click the icon, select Run As... and enter the user name and password you want to use. This only applies for that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need to have administrative permissions to install a program, which many require. Note that you can have some fun by running programs multiple times on the same system as different users, but this can have unforeseen effects.

12. Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking for auto updates, registering a Passport, using Windows Messenger and so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but if you feel you might slip the bonds of sanity before that point, run Regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced and create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with a value of 0.

13. You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password. Select Run... from the start menu and type 'control userpasswords2', which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.

14. Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to. Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options... and Advanced, go down to the Security area and check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.

15. XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you can't see the LEDs twinkle on your network card. Right click on My Network Places on the desktop, then select Properties. Right click on the description for your LAN or dial-up connection, select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box. You'll now see a tiny network icon on the right of your task bar that glimmers nicely during network traffic.

16. The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides to appear, but you can speed things along by changing the registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay from the default 400 to something a little snappier. Like 0.

17. You can rename loads of files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set of files in a window, then right click on one and rename it. All the other files will be renamed to that name, with individual numbers in brackets to distinguish them. Also, in a folder you can arrange icons in alphabetised groups by View, Arrange Icon By... Show In Groups.

18. Windows Media Player will display the cover art for albums as it plays the tracks -- if it found the picture on the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didn't, or if you have lots of pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy of the cover art in the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg and Windows Media Player will pick it up and display it.

19. Windows key + Break brings up the System Properties dialogue box; Windows key + D brings up the desktop; Windows key + Tab moves through the taskbar buttons.

20. The next release of Windows XP, codenamed Longhorn, is due out late next year or early 2003 and won't be much to write home about. The next big release is codenamed Blackcomb and will be out in 2003/2004.

An ultra slim laptop from apple

Though Apple dropped ‘Computers’ from its name, it is not willing to let go of its original field of operation if the latest product from its stable is anything to go by. The MacBook Air, the ultra portable laptop that CEO Steve Jobs unveiled during his MacWorld convention in San Francisco, is only 3 quarters of an inch thick. True, it does not carry with it the Hype that iPhone generated last year, but it still has caused quite a stir. Think about it, less than an inch thick, without comprising on any of the features! Jobs, brought home the portability point by putting it in a paper envelope. The laptop has, apart from great design, 2 GB Ram, an iSight camera, and the same sort of multi touch touchpad that has made the iPhone so successful. Now, here is one more reason for you to start ululating: it costs just USD 1799. Clearly, another winner from Apple.

Sania storms into the third round in australian open

India’s ace tennis player Sania Mirza kept the hopes of a billion fans alive as she stormed into the third round of Australian Open. She beat Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland in three grueling sets after the latter made a remarkable comeback in the second set.

Sania kept the hopes of a billion fans alive as she served to perfection, winning the second round Australian Open match 6-1, 4-6, 7-5. It was a hard fought battle that saw 31 seeded Sania raising her game up by a level.

In the next round, Sania has the uphill task of taking on eighth-seeded Venus Williams of the USA. The American defeated Camille Pin of France 7-5 6-4 to book a berth in the third round.

Kaalai - Review

This is Tarun Gopi’s second venture after ‘Thimiru’ and has been awaited with a lot of hype. Tarun Gopi, in his second venture ‘Kaalai’, has roped in young and happening Silambarasan and this has triggered the anticipation further. Tarun Gopi has worked out a script that has lot of twists and turns. The director has different threads, cleverly interwoven, to provide an engaging fare on screen. The initial scenes lead you towards a particular direction but a few other avenues open as the film moves on. Tarun keeps on surprising you right from the first scene, when Lal (Deputy Police Commissioner) is introduced as an auto driver. The surprises continue with other characters getting introduced. The confusion over the name Jeeva makes an interesting suspense as to who is against whom and why. Silambarasan is introduced in a typical way with a fight. A song, in which Nila sizzles along with white skinned babes, follows soon to make the introduction complete. Meanwhile the build up to Silambarasan’s character is made with much hype. You are amused to see everyone showing much respect to him as if he is the prince of a kingdom. Later, the mystery is revealed, when the Theni track featuring Seema, the godmother of Teni, is told. Silambarasan is determined to revenge for her death. The killer is the Deputy Commissioner. Incidentally (predictably?) his daughter loves the hero. The first half moves on with deftly playing with the confusion on the name and the second half shows how the all powerful hero completes his mission. Meanwhile you get to see some gals including the beautiful and curvaceous Vedhika dancing around with the Simbu, a smart dancer, in skimpy dresses. Tarun Gopi is successful in narrating the story with speed despite many loopholes and logical weaknesses. The way he has clubbed the various threads is commendable. However, many scenes resemble ‘Thimiru’. The hero coming to the city in the disguise of a student, a girl sending a troupe to catch him, and the fight sequence in bus stand have striking similarities with ‘Thimiru’. Moreover, the narrative is too loud and it lacks finesse. The hunting game becomes redundant after a point. The young director must think new ways of approaching the action films. Silambarasan handles the ‘omnipotent hero’ character with confidence. He works hard in stunt scenes but looks less convincing while taking on the hefty villain in the climax. Dancing is his forte and he hasn’t disappointed in the area. But he must seriously think over doing the stereo type action roles if he wants to develop his career as a multi dimensional hero.

Vedhika announces her arrival as the potential glam girl of 2008. The girl, with a beautiful and innocent face, has the right figure to take up the glamour roles. Seema is quite impressive as the godmother. She has succeeded in bringing out the power wielded by her through her eyes and body language. Lal’s performance is emphatic. But he looks uncomfortable in police dress. Sangeetha stands out in a meaty role with her powerful display of emotions. Music by G.V. Prakash is just above average. A couple of songs featuring Simbu and Vedhika are good.

The judgement: The director has given us an entertaining film but fails to make an impact.

Top 10 most prevalent global malware

Top 10 most prevalent global malware:


1. TROJ_GENERIC

Malware Type: Trojan
This is the Trend Micro generic detection for low-threat Trojans. It also installs itself as a browser helper object (BHO) by creating certain registry keys.

2. WORM_NUWAR.CQ

Malware Type: Worm
This worm arrives as an attachment to mass-mailed email messages. It spreads by attaching a copy of itself to an email message, which it sends using its own Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) engine. Having its own SMTP engine allows it to send messages without using any mailing application, such as MS Outlook.

3. WORM_NYEXEM.E

Malware Type: Worm
This worm propagates by attaching copies of itself to email messages that it sends to target addresses, using its own SMTP engine. Through this SMTP engine, it is able to easily send the email message without using other mailing applications, such as Microsoft Outlook.

4. WORM_NETSKY.DAM

Malware Type: Worm
This is Trend Micro's detection for the damaged samples of WORM_NETSKY variants. It runs on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000 and XP.

5. HTML_NETSKY.P

Malware Type: HTML
This HTML malware arrives as an email with an executable file attachment that is detected by Trend Micro as WORM_NETSKY.P. It exploits a known vulnerability in Internet Explorer versions 5.01 and 5.5 known as the Automatic Execution of Embedded MIME Type. This vulnerability causes Internet Explorer to automatically run executable file attachments in email messages.

6. TROJ_SMALL.EDW

Malware Type: Trojan
This Trojan arrives as a file dropped by other malware like WORM_NUWAR.CQ or as a file downloaded unknowingly by a user when visiting malicious URLs. It may also arrive as a downloaded copy by earlier variants.

It is also spammed via email using subject lines related to specific events. The image below is a sample of the said email message.

7. WORM_RONTKBR.GEN

Malware Type: Worm

This is Trend Micro's detection for unknown and future variants of WORM_RONTOKBRO and WORM_BRONTOK malware programs. It serves as a proactive means of safeguarding against possible attacks of the aforementioned malware.

8. WORM_ANIG.A

Malware Type: Worm

This memory-resident worm propagates by dropping copies of itself in shared network drives. It steals login information and saves the obtained data in a file, which can be retrieved by a remote user. Its keylogger component substitutes the standard Microsoft Graphical Identification and Authentication DLL (MSGINA.DLL) to carry out its information-stealing routine.

9. PE_PARITE.A

Malware Type: Worm
This file infector infects .EXE and .SCR files on an infected system and on remote network shares with read and write access. It makes use of port 30167 in order to access network shares. It stays in memory by injecting itself into EXPLORER.EXE; thus, hiding its running process.

10. WORM_MOFEI.B

Malware Type: Worm
This destructive, memory-resident worm attempts to log on to remote machines using a list of user names. It then drops and executes a copy of itself on the remote machines. It has backdoor capabilities, and may execute commands coming from a remote malicious user. The said routine provides the remote user virtual control over the affected machine, thus compromising system security.

Bhajji hearing after Test series

The appeal hearing of Harbhajan singh will be conducted after the test series, the ICC announced it yesterday. This is of significant importance as the outcome of the hearing may impact the ODI series to be played with australia and sri lanka. Though Team India withdrew its charges against brad hogg, its too late for the australian team to withdraw its charges against harbhajan singh. In the meanwhile harbhajan singh and yuvraj singh were replaced by irfan pathan and sehwag respectively.

State seeks modification to interim order on jallikattu

The Tamil Nadu Government on Sunday moved an urgent application in the Supreme Court seeking a modification to the Friday’s interim order refusing to allow the jallikattu (bull fight) festival in Alanganallur and other places in Tamil Nadu during Pongal holidays. The court had only permitted the rekhla (bullock cart) race.

Jallikattu is a part of pongal festivities since 4000 years and people of tamil nadu cannot imagine pongal day without jallikattu. Following the stay imposed by the supreme court, people in and around madurai and adjoining areas are planning wide spread protests asking for removal of the ban.

Reliance gets nod for fresh GSM spectrum

Reliance Communications, India's second-largest mobile operator, said it has received additional spectrum to start GSM services in 14 circles, it said in a statement issued late on Friday. Reliance Communications mainly runs on the rival CDMA platform but also has services on dominant GSM technology that it is expanding and already has a presence in eight circles. The mobile market in India is booming, with monthly subscriptions for GSM-based mobile operators expanding at about 6 million subscribers a month, thanks to call rates of as low as one US cent, availability of cheap handsets and expansion of networks to smaller towns and rural areas. Reliance Communications had 37.8 million wireless subscribers at end-October. Its shares ended 2.5 percent lower at 793.50 rupees in a broad Mumbai market that rose 1.19 percent on Friday

Osama's son to live with six-times-married granny-bride

Osama Bin Laden's son has applied for a British visa to live with his wife in Britain. Omar bin Laden, 26, who admits attending terror training with the al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan, was interviewed with his wife Jane Felix-Browne, 52, by British Embassy officials in Cairo, where he is currently living.

The couple plans to settle down in Jane's 550,000 pounds villa in Moulton, Cheshire, have a child through a surrogate mother and work as 'peace activists'.

Omar and six-times-married Jane, who changed her name to Zaina Al Sabah bin Laden, have given the Embassy access to their bank accounts to check on the authenticity of their relationship

Secret behind Vikram`s new avatar

We all may be wondering how Chiyaan Vikram suddenly looked so youthful. That was for the film kandasaamy where he plays a robin hood like character. The secret behind his young and charming face is an ayurvedic center in thiruvananthapuram in kerala. This center is frequented by so many celebrities like amitabh bachchan and rajinikanth. Under the course at this center, the person should stay at the center until the completion of the course and no cell phones are allowed and stress is relieved. It was after visiting this center he became so youthful that he is now.

Another Rajini movie?

Apart from Robo and Sultan, the warrior whic is billed as the biggest 3d animation project of indian cinema, Rajni has also committed himself to another film to be directed by P.Vasu and will be produced by Kavithalaya banner owned by K.Balachander. This film is a remake of malayalam film 'Kadha Parayumbol', which stars Mamooty. This film is about the friendship between a superstar and a barber. Pasupathy of Virumaandi fame is to do the role of the barber and Rajni will ofcourse play the superstar. According to the sources, the movie is to be titled 'KUSEYLAN'. Well, kuseylan was the friend of Lord Krishna in mythological stories.

Two heriones for Robo???

Post sivaji, the biggest buzz doing rounds in kollywood is the next film of shankar with Superstar Rajini -- 'ROBO'. Efforts are on to complete the script and to develop it for Rajini. The announcement was made officially by shankar himself in sivaji`s silver jubilee function. This film was to made with SRK, then hrithik, then aamir and then talks of ajith doing the movie was doing rounds. But seeing sivaji`s mass appeal shankar has decided to doing with the BOSS hmimself. We all know that sivaji was made at a budget of 80 crores and made money to the tune of 150 crores. Now that Robo is director shankar`s dream project, this sci-fi flick may cost more than any other indian movie. This movie is expected to take indian cinema to the next level. But shankar, being a perfectionist is bound to make no mistakes and the film may be expected to finish in two years time. Well, this is an usual aspect of shankar. Speculation is also doing rounds that the latest sensation in bollywood Deepika Padukone and sexy nayanthara will be roped in as the heriones of the film. Will rajini get a chance to dance with reigning queens of bollywood and kollywood in the same film? Watch out this space for more!!

Survey: GPS More Desirable in Cell Phones than Internet Access

A new survey from Leo J. Shapiro and Associates has shown that most cellular phone users want GPS in their next handset more than Internet access. The survey sampled 450 Americans and found that 24% want GPS in their next phones and 19% wanted Internet access.

"GPS is displaying a rapid and unusual pattern of diffusion," adds Owen Shapiro, Vice President of LJS. "Our research is finding the purchase and use of GPS-enabled devices is not confined to segments of the population in which 'early adopters' are generally concentrated -- the young, highly educated or affluent. Today's GPS-enabled devices are being widely adopted, including among the middle-aged and elderly. As this breakout unfolds, we expect intensifying marketplace competition among the incumbent and newcomer brands as they race for dominance in this explosively growing market."

Burra Bazaar fire continues in Kolkata

he fire that broke out in Kolkata's Burrabazar, one of the biggest and busiest commercial hubs in eastern India, on Friday is till raging after more than 40 hours. Losses are estimated to run into Rs 200 crore and West Bengal Fire Services Minister has blamed the traders for illegally hoarding flammable material that led to the massive fire. There has been no loss of life with Border Security Force (BSF) jawans helping evacuate people. However, even after pressing 50 fire tenders in service including three from the defence services and one from the Airports Authority of India, the fire c0ontinues to spread. More than 2,500 shops and at least seven multi-storeyed buildings have been gutted so far, which housed mostly wholesale garment and tarpaulin shops. Thousands of shopkeepers, without basic insurance cover, are facing huge losses.

The blaze has spread to the Kashinath commercial complex and the Nandram building where the generator room exploded spreading blaze all over the 13-storey building. Shopkeepers alleged that the authorities were not doing enough to douse the blaze. "Firemen, military and police are doing nothing. They are just standing there. All systems have failed. There is no water and they have no ladder," a group of shopkeepers said. Meanwhile, West Bengal Fire Services Minister Pratim Chatterjee said the buildings were illegal. "The building did not have the permission. I have no idea who gave permission to the building. The situation is very bad and we have asked everyone to evacuate," Chatterjee said.

Rel Power IPO - Invest

Aiming big…Mr Anil Ambani, Chairman.

Reliance Power’s IPO could be attractive for short-term investors seeking to flip the stock on listing and book returns, but not for long-term investors with a conservative risk profile. Given the tremendous interest generated in the market by this IPO, the stock could deliver handsome returns on listing or in the immediate period following that.

Long-term investors may, however, want to note that Reliance Power (RPL) is seeking to raise funds on promise alone; critical parts of most of the planned projects are yet to be tied up. The first generation capacity is expected to come on line two years from now in March 2010 and, again, that will be just 10 per cent of the total capacity that the company is planning to part-fund from this IPO proceeds.

Cash flows and business profits may be possible only from FY 2010-11 and, again, it will be but a trickle to start with. The real money will start flowing only when RPL brings on line its first ultra mega project at Sasan. As per the agreement with the government, the first unit of the Sasan project will be commissioned in mid-2013; it will not be before April 2016 that the entire 3,960 MW will be on stream.

Generating promise

RPL plans to use the IPO proceeds to part-fund capacity adding up to about 7,000 MW through projects of different subsidiaries. All of these, save one (400 MW hydro), are coal-based stations including the 3,960 MW Sasan ultra mega project.

There are a further seven projects adding up to around 21,000 MW in the planning stage, including the 4,000 MW Krishnapatnam ultra mega project. This list consists of a mix of fuels such as gas and hydro. If all these projects are commissioned on schedule, RPL will be a 28,000 MW company in the next decade, about the same size of NTPC now. Of course, over the same period, the latter will have crossed the 50,000 MW mark assuming that its projects stay the course.

Kaalai

Songs Download:

Eppo Nee
Gutka lakadi
kala kala
kutti pissase
vaanthutanda kaala
veeramulla

Vaazhtukkal

Songs Download:

chinna chinna
Enthan vaanamum
Unmela aasapattu
Enthan vaanamum2
kannil vanthathum
pookal rasithathu
Muzhumai nila

Nano versus Maruti 800 - which is the winner?

There is no doubt that the mono-volume design of the Nano is a sure winner over the boxy Maruti 800, which has not been helped by a series of facelifts over the last 2 decades.

Size does matter

The Nano is 3100 mm in length, 8 per cent shorter than the Maruti 800, but the breadth and height of the car tell a different story. The Nano at 1500 mm is 4 per cent wider than the 800 and, at 1600 mm, is 14 per cent taller.

The Tatas also claim the car is 21per cent bigger than an 800 when it comes to inside space.

Who has the power?

The Maruti runs on a 3-cylinder 796 cc engine, bigger and possibly smoother than the 623 cc 2- cylinder heart of the Nano.

The 800 churns out 37 BHP, while the Nano tops at 33 BHP, at 11per cent less power.

Although the Tatas were tightlipped about speeds, the Nano’s top speed is likely to be lower than the Maruti 800’s, which can hit 120 kph, when pushed.

Fuel efficiency

The Tatas say that the Nano will give 20 km/l which is about as much as the Maruti 800 delivers when driven well.

The real test for the Nano would be to match the survivability of the Maruti 800 on Indian roads, but the Tatas will cross that bridge when they launch the car later this ye

Movie Review: Halla Bol is too idealistic

uch like his signature films Ghayal and Damini, the theme of Rajkumar Santoshi's latest Halla Bol is also essentially one man's clash with a corrupt system.

In Halla Bol Ajay Devgan plays Sameer Khan, a shallow Bollywood superstar who's forced to question who he really is when he witnesses a gruesome murder first hand, and realises the culprits will get off scot-free because nobody -- including himself -- will testify.

A scathing comment on society's apathy and indifference towards other people's problems, Halla Bol tends to be too simplistic, too idealistic and in the end too preachy to really make much of an impression.

The film's unarguably well-intended and has its heart in the right place, but it's nothing like any of Santoshi's best films because it's got a severely flawed screenplay, and a narrative that's straight out of the eighties.

Once a master storyteller whose screenplays served as guidebooks for aspiring screenwriters, it is ironically Santoshi's script for Halla Bol that's the root cause of all the problems here. The film's first half is too long and yet when you leave the hall for a breather during interval, you can't help feeling like the story's barely unfolded.

Santoshi takes way too long to establish Ajay Devgan's character, going into elaborate scenes to convey what we've understood in the first ten minutes already. Worse than that, the director takes too many cinematic liberties to get out of tricky screenplay situations, and as a result the film comes off looking way too contrived.

How do you explain that scene in which the protagonist's mentor, Pankaj Kapur, turns up suddenly in a truck, no less, to save the fellow from being crushed by the villain's henchmen under the wheels of another truck?

It's an implausible scene and doesn't fit in this film, in fact it's a scene straight out of the Transformers movie. It's ridiculous how we're expected to believe that a girl who sold a kidney to afford legal fees for fighting the case against her sister's murderers, would suddenly do a volte face in court, even under maximum pressure.

In all fairness, Halla Bol does have its share of dramatic moments that'll instantly remind you of the Santoshi we're all familiar with - that scene in which Vidya Balan, playing Devgan's wife gives the media a fitting reply when her husband's badgered with uncomfortable questions.

Or then that scene in which Ajay Devgan relieves himself on the floor of the corrupt politician's home -- these are clap-traps, and Santoshi knows exactly how and when to use them.

In the end, despite its best intentions, Halla Bol fails to drive its point home, and it's a pity because the film boasts such a brave performance by Ajay Devgan. I say brave because the actor sticks his neck out and takes on a character that few leading stars would have the courage to play.

Ten, perhaps twelve years ago Halla Bol may have connected with an audience raised on a staple diet of melodramatic films, but today, it's just a blast from the past. So I'm going with two out of five and an average rating for all this hullaballo over Halla Bol.

Politics begins for Bharat Ratna award

he country's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, has been dragged into murky politics with various leaders virtually in a race to nominate their own candidates for the top honour.

Now, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has written to the Prime Minister asking for Bharat Ratna for her mentor and Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram, who died in 2006.

Earlier, BJP leader LK Advani had written to PM asking for Bharat Ratna for former PM AB Vajpayee.

CPM veteran Jyoti Basu's name also started doing the rounds for the country's to honour.

But the Left today accused the BJP of playing politics over the award and said it would never accept any government award as a matter of policy.

Taare Zameen Par moves ADVANI

Aamir khan arranged for a special screening of his movie taare zameen par, for some members of the BJP. After the show, aamir said,"for the first time i saw advaniji moved to tears". Mr. Advani too praised aamir for having made such a wonderful film and expressed his gratitude. He said that he saw a good movie in a long time. Atlast!, the sangh parivar praises aamir. We remember that the BJP stalled the screening of his previous movie Fanaa in some parts of India when he supported the Narmada Bachao Andolan.

SRK is B'wood's top tax payer, Akshay second on list

Shah Rukh Khan dribbled away in Chak De India and then danced his way to the box office with Om Shanti Om, and even now King Khan continues to deliver, but this time to the Income Tax Department.

The actor is reportedly the highest income tax payer for the second year in a row with an advance tax payment of Rs 27 crore that makes his income over Rs100 crore.

While SRK tops the list, the man with midas touch who had four successive hits in 2007 - Akshay Kumar comes a far second for having to shell out Rs 7 crore as taxes.

And if you were to put the whole Bachchan khandaan together then Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan along with the Big B emptied out around Rs 7.1 crore as taxes.

The other Khan to figure in this list is - Aamir Khan with Rs 3 crore.

But the one name that stands out in the list is that of singer and music director Himesh Reshammiya, after raking in the moolah for his surprise hit Aap Ka Suroor, Himesh will be shelling out Rs 2.1 crore for the government's coffers this year.

So if you had any doubts about Bollywood booming then we are sure this list would dismiss that altogether.

TALKING TAX: Shah Rukh paid an advance tax of Rs 27 crore, which makes his income over Rs100 crore.

Infy comes out with tremendous numbers

Infosys' Q3 numbers came out today. The company’s Q3 net profit is up 7.1% at Rs 649 crore from Rs 606 crore QoQ. Its Q3 diluted EPS is up at Rs 23.02 from Rs 21.63 QoQ.Its Q3 revenue is up 10.4% at Rs 2,532 crore from Rs 2,294 crore QoQ.

MD of SG Cowen Moshe Katri says that the results are in line with expectation. He finds the company's operating numbers decent. He, in fact, says that the operating margins are higher than expectations.

"Operationally, the numbers are pretty decent. The operating margin numbers are very significant over 29%. They have beaten our expectations by about 70-80 basis points," he says.

He adds that the bottomline miss is largely due to a significant decline in the other income line. Looking ahead, he thinks that even though there is a good demand, the key question will be whether 30-35% growth can be maintained in FY07.

"From a demand perspective they are in very good shape but the question is, will they be able to maintain that 30-35% revenue growth YOY in FY07," he says.

Pawar maintains pullout threat is real

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sharad Pawar has not ruled out pulling out of the Australia series if the racial slur accusation and the three-Test ban on Harbhajan Singh are not lifted. The BCCI Chief said India's option of pulling out of tour is still open.

"BCCI has decided to give full support to Harbhajan Singh and provide legal help to fight it out. Three members of the Board - Arun Jaitley and N Srinivasan, who are noted lawyers - and President elect Shashank Manohar will look after the case," he said.

Pawar is scheduled to meet the International Cricket Council (ICC) President Malcom Speed and other officials in Dubai on January 14.

Pawar has also been empowered by the BCCI to decide on the future course of action after Harbhajan's hearing and the possibility of India pulling out of the One-Day International triangular series if Harbhajan's ban is not revoked is still on.

The BCCI chief said he had asked Sachin Tendulkar, who was Harbhajan's batting partner when the Indian off-spinner is alleged to have racially abused Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, to report what exactly had happened on the ground on Day III play of the second India-Australia Test in Sydney.

"Sachin reported there was tension and provocation, but there was no question of racist comment," he said.

"If Sachin or Sourav or Rahul or Anil say anything, I believe it 100 per cent and accept it," Pawar said.

Pawar said that charges of racism against Harbhajan were "not acceptable".

‘Robot’ and Rajini: a flashback

Did you know that Rajini had agreed to act in ‘Robot’ long ago? Did you know that the project has come a full circle?

Here is a small flashback to recall the incident:

It was 2002 and it was the function held to launch Shankar’s ‘Boys’. Rajini attended the function as the chief guest. Shankar has arranged a demo session to reveal the talents of the boys of the ‘Boys’. Superstar enjoyed the event very much.

When Rajini came to the mike, he said that the news published in some magazines saying that Rajini and Shankar were coming together was true. “It is true. The name of the film is ‘Robot’. If I act in this movie directed by Shankar, it would run for 50 weeks. But it requires 50 crore rupees and two years to make”, said Rajini in his speech.

The dream of Shankar and the desire of superstar have been realized after almost six years. The budget has been doubled and the expectations are manifold.

In the meantime, the film has been associated with too many big names including Kamal Haasan, Vikram, Ajith, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan. The movie has come a full circle with Rajini himself acting in the mega film.

SC refuses to stay Reliance Power IPO

The supreme court today refused to stay the Reliance Power IPO paving way for the country`s largest ever public offering to proceed without any hurdles. The company is a part of the R-ADAG group controlled by Mr. Anil Ambani. This company will undertake power projects in large scale to provid 28000 megawatts. There are eight such projects that the company has in its hand. After the IPO, the promoters stake in the company will come down to 90%. This move will make Anil one of richest man in world and he will surely give his elder brother a tough fight in the wealth front.