a2z Information: 2012-08-05

Friday, August 10, 2012

Karnataka to introduce a simplified internet for rural masses

Karnataka government is all set to introduce a simplified internet access system which can be used even by illiterate rural masses to get essential information such as market prices and weather data.

"D-RAX (Data Rural Application Exchange) system", the first of its kind in the country, will be launched on a pilot basis in two zilla panchayats in Shimoga and Ramanagara districts tomorrow, official sources told PTI here today.

One more digital acquisition has been announced -Aegis Group has acquired Communicate 2, a leading performance marketing and search agency in India. With this acquisition, Aegis Media becomes one of the strongest agencies in the digital space in India. Aegis Media's iProspect is the global leader in search and performance marketing, which would join hands with Communicate2. The latter is a specialist performance-marketing agency, which focuses on Search Marketing, Digital Strategy Consulting, Social Media and Digital Content Production. Vivek Bhargava leads the agency that started in 1997 and has offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Pune. The leading clients of the agency include Tata Consultancy Services, Cleartrip, ICICI Lombard, HDFC Bank, Travelocity, Aviva Insurance and American Express.

A new cyber surveillance virus has been found in the Middle East that can spy on financial transactions, email and social networking activity, according to a leading computer security firm, Kaspersky Lab.

Dubbed Gauss, the virus may also be capable of attacking critical infrastructure and was built in the same laboratories as Stuxnet, the computer worm widely believed to have been used by the United States and Israel to attack Iran's nuclear program, Kaspersky Lab said on Thursday.

NASSCOM president Som Mittal has predicted a 11%-14% growth rate for the country's Indian information technology (IT) industry and expressed confidence that foreign companies will continue to outsource projects for better margins. Mittal, who was in Ahmedabad for an awards function, said, Indian companies will continue to grow as they are changing strategies in a dynamic market. Excerpts of an interview with on the sidelines of a function held at Gujarat Technical University.

What makes you project the growth rate when economic conditions are tough in India and abroad?

Fourteen months after starting her own insurance agency, Dawn Berry found herself surrounded by stacks of paper. Her inbox was brimming with more than 500emails that needed to be answered or trashed. And just finding a pen on her cluttered desk became a challenge.

Berry realized she needed to get smarter about managing time and making Provident Insurance Agency in Florissant, Mo., run more smoothly. She hired a productivity coach and saw immediate results. She began completing tasks that would take less than two minutes right away and delegated routine work to her assistant so she could focus on selling. Now, at the end of each day, she has fewer than 50 emails waiting in her inbox. In 2011, by better managing her time, Berry grew her business to a point where she could hire her first full-time employee, making her all the more able to focus on the important aspects of the company. "I have a do-it-now mentality," she says.
If you feel as overwhelmed as Berry did, you may need to rethink how you use your time. Here are seven ways you may be wasting time without even realizing it.
By Jane Porter | Entrepreneur

1. You overload on administrative work.

If you've spent three hours reconciling a bank statement, you're making poor use of your time. Too often, small-business owners waste time on tasks they don't like or aren't even good at. What's more, they often expend energy avoiding such tasks and then spend more time than necessary doing them, says Cathy Sexton, the St. Louis, Mo., productivity coach who helped Berry. "If we just hired it out, it would be less expensive," Sexton says of tasks like bookkeeping and website maintenance. "It's looking at your time and putting a value on it."

Love is a lot more than extravagant chocolates and fun, moon-lit kisses. Yet how do you know when your boyfriend has fallen for you or if he still thinks ‘The One’ is out there waiting for him? These five signs will help you answer that question and will show you whether your boyfriend really loves you or not.

Love is a lot more than extravagant chocolates and fun, moon-lit kisses. Yet how do you know when your boyfriend has fallen for you or if he still thinks ‘The One’ is out there waiting for him? These five signs will help you answer that question and will show you whether your boyfriend really loves you or not.

Super food pomegranate is the elixir of youth

London, Nov 11 (ANI): Daily consumption of pomegranate, the fruit that has been hailed as a super food for centuries, can help you stay young by slowing down the ageing process of DNA, a new study has revealed.

The fruit, now known as the elixir of youth, also plays a role in fighting heart diseases, relieving stress and improving one's sex life.

The study encompassed 60 volunteers, who were given extracts of the whole fruit, including pith, peel and seeds for a month in the form of a capsule.

The researchers kept a check on the activity of chemicals in their bodies and compared it to those who took a placebo.

How a Surf Vacation Led to a New Niche in Women s Swimwear

An investment banker who worked long hours at a London-based firm, Anna Jerstrom found herself with a glut of unused vacation days when 2009 came to a close. She decided to give surfing camp in Costa Rica a go.

That trip changed everything. Jerstrom, who grew up in Sweden, loved the sport so much she quit her job, moved to Costa Rica and became a surfer.

"It was like Blue Crush, without the handsome leading man," she says. "I was super-scared, but I fell in love with surfing."

What Jerstrom did not love was surfing attire for women--namely, ill-fitting bikinis. "You'd be out in the waves, walk out of the water and literally you've lost your bottoms," she says. Though Jerstrom made many of her own clothes, she had no professional experience as a designer. But she did have sketchbooks full of ideas.

India emerges as world s top spam source Report

London, Aug. 9 (ANI): Despite only 5.3 percent of the world's Internet users reportedly living in India, the country has emerged as the top spam sending nation across the globe, a report has revealed.

Asia increased its output and is now responsible for relaying 49.7 percent of all spam captured in SophosLabs's global network of spam traps.

According to Enterprise Innovation, India was accountable for 11.4 percent of the world's spam seen throughout April, May and June.

In terms of share in the global total, other spam-relaying countries are Italy (7 pct), South Korea (6.7 pct), USA (6.2pct), Vietnam (5.8pct), Brazil (4.4pct), Pakistan (3.7pct), China (3.2pct), France (3.1pct), Russia (2.9pct), Poland 2.7pct, and Taiwan (2.6pct).

India envoy raises questions about gun use in US

Washington, Aug 10 (IANS) Echoing President Barack Obama's call for "soul searching" over Sunday's rampage in a Wisconsin gurdwara, Indian ambassador Nirupama Rao has raised questions about the free use of guns in the United States and problems Sikhs have faced in the country whether "in schools or in the workplace".

While as a foreign diplomat she could not take a position on gun control over the incident that left six worshippers dead, people in India did raise questions about why Sikhs should become "collateral damage" in such violent incidents, she said in an interview with National Public Radio Thursday.

"But I wanted to say that in India, you know, when we see violence of this nature and we see Sikhs somehow becoming some kind of collateral damage in many senses, obviously, you know, questions do arise about the use of guns in the United States and why all this should happen," she said.

A new computer virus, dubbed Gauss, has been discovered in the Middle East. Researchers say can it steal banking credentials and hijack login information for social networking sites, email and instant messaging accounts.

Cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab said Gauss is the work of the same "factory" or "factories" that built the Stuxnet worm, which attacked Iran's nuclear program. Here are some key facts about Gauss, according to Kaspersky Lab.

What is its purpose?
Gauss is a surveillance tool. It steals credentials for hacking online banking systems, social networking sites and email accounts; it also gathers information about infected PCs, including Web browsing history, system passwords and the contents of disk drives.

Infosys was selected by India's Department of Post for implementing core banking and insurance solutions in 1,50,000 post offices across the country, as well as installing ATMs. This project estimated at Rs 700 crore, aims to transform India Post into a technology-enabled autonomous entity.

Under this, Infosys will implement and manage its Finacle Core Banking and McCamish Insurance products. It will install around 1,000 ATMs for India Post along with an electronic content management system to manage millions of documents generated as part of India Post's financial operations.

Astronomers have unveiled the largest ever 3D map of the sky, encompassing massive galaxies and distant black holes, based on Sloan Digital Sky SurveyIII (SDSS-III).

The new map pinpoints the locations and distances of over a million galaxies. It covers a total volume equivalent to that of a cube four billion light-years on one side.

"We want to map the largest volume of theuniverse yet, and use that map to understand how the expansion of the universe is accelerating," said Daniel Eisenstein from the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, the director of SDSS-III.

The average internet connection speed in India was 1Mbps in the Jan-March quarter, a growth of 16% quarter-over-quarter. Though the country has registered an increase in average speed, it still ranks 112th globally, says a report by Akamai.

India's year-over-year growth in average internet speed grew more than 20%, but lagged far behind other Asia Pacific countries like South Korea (15.7Mbps) and Japan (10.9). The peak internet speed in the country stood at 6.9Mbps, far behind global leader Hong Kong's 49.3Mbps. Only 1.2% of connections in India have a speed of over 4Mbps, the new standard for broadband. This, however, represents an 85% increase in adoption rate in broadband speed.

Google's Internet search engine is getting more personal by highlighting information drawn from its users' Gmail accounts on its main results page.

The feature announced Wednesday marks Google's latest attempt to deliver data that people are seeking more quickly as it tries to maintain the dominance of its lucrative Internet search engine.

Google Inc. is initially testing the feature with 1 million Gmail users who must sign up to participate.

Samsung took the wraps off a sequel to its popular Galaxy Note smartphone. The Galaxy Note 10.1, which went on sale in Germany and the United Arab Emirates, will soon be launched in other markets. The new Galaxy Note smartphone comes with a host of new features and is twice as wide as its predecessor and nearly the size of a tablet.

Armed with a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and 2GB RAM for enhanced performance, Galaxy Note 10.1 is designed to simplify idea capture, information access, and multi-tasking, making each easier and faster.

10 Things You Should Know About Women

Women are complex, confounding, difficult to fathom, impossible to predict and so on.

While you need a lifetime and more to decipher a woman, you can read this article and get a heads up. We are about to let you in on the 10 things you absolutely need to know about a woman.

1. Women hate being compared

They may ‘jokingly’ ask you how you think they compare to their female friends. They will coax you to answer but you have to hold your ground. No matter what, DO NOT COMPARE. Because no matter what your answer is, you will end up upsetting her.

Clean right, eat right for healthy hair this monsoon

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) Is your hair falling, your scalp itchy and those lustrous locks getting sticky this monsoon? Worry not, experts have a host of suggestions, including simple homemade remedies like vinegar and methi seeds, to keep your hair healthy and sorted.

The problems occur because humidity leads to excessive perspiration and the scalp gets oily.

"Oil and sweat secretions tend to stick to hair and scalp. It also attracts grime and pollutants in the air. To handle all this, one needs to shampoo hair more frequently, especially if hair is oily," renowned beauty expert Shahnaz Husain told IANS.

Her advice is to use shampoos containing herbal extracts like shikakai, reetha, brahmi, amla and henna.

Things Killer Employees Do Before Noon

A recent study published in an American Psychological Association journal, Emotion, suggests that early birds are generally happier than night owls. More than 700 respondents, ranging from ages 17 to 79, were surveyed and asked about their emotional state, health, and preferred time of day. Self-professed "morning people" reported feeling happier and healthier than night owls. Researchers hypothesize that one of the reasons could be because society caters to a morning person's schedule.

It's certainly true that the working world does. Working "9-to-5" is more than an expression, but a standard shift for many Americans. It also stands to reason that those who like rising with the sun are also the most productive employees in the office.

Do you want to be more like them? Then take note of the tasks these high-functioning, productive, and more awake employees have completed before lunch:

By Jada A. Graves | U.S.News & World Report LP

1. They make a work to-do list the day before.
Many swear by having a written to-do list, but not everyone agrees on when you need to compose it. According to Andrew Jensen, a business efficiency consultant with Sozo Firm in Shrewsbury, Pa., the opportune time to plan a day's tasks is the night before. "Some people like to do the to-do schedule in the morning, but then they might have already lost office time writing it out," he says. "It helps to do that to-do schedule the night before. It also will help you sleep better."

3 foods all men should eat

A varied, balanced diet is the cornerstone of healthy living for everyone, yethealthy eating can sometimes mean different things depending on your gender.

While there are some foods we should all be eating more of, men and women also have their own set of dietary requirements as well as their own unique healthconcerns. Here are three foods all men should eat.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes are possibly one of the best "superfoods" around, and the popular fruit has particular benefits for men. Studies have suggested that the lycopene found in tomatoes may reduce risk of colorectal cancer, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease; the leading cause of death in men. Research has also shown that men who frequently eat foods rich in lycopene may drastically reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer.

Many situations and people tend to hurt us, annoy us and be a complete mood spoiler.

In such circumstances it is important to do something you like and lighten up your mood. Below are a few steps to help you do so:

1. Listening to Music

One of the most instant stress relieving techniques could be listening to your favorite music. Music not only calms you down but also acts as an instant mood changer. It can entertain you and divert the mind from the thought that is bothering you.

Infosys faces second case of US visa misuse

Bangalore, Aug 9 (IANS) India's second largest IT company Infosys has been charged for the second time with misuse of US visas.

Satya Dev Tripuraneni, a US citizen and former employee of Infosys in the US, has filed a lawsuit in a California court early this month alleging that though he had brought to the notice of the Infosys management the alleged misuse of visas, no action was taken.

Confirming that the suit has been filed, Infosys Thursday said in a statement in Bangalore that the matter is being investigated.

"Shortly after Tripuraneni filed his complaint with the Infosys whistleblower team, per our policy, the company launched a comprehensive investigation of his allegations," the statement said.

6 signs that a business is failing

No health deteriorates overnight. Sure we have heard of cancer, liver and kidney failure – but there are always some signals. Ignore them, and you are dead.

Similarly there are some signals that you can pick up from a business that warns you about a possible failure in the near future

1. In ability to pay the statutory dues: this could be Service Tax, Income tax, TDS made from vendor/ employee payments. ….When you are running out of cash to make these payments, see what is going wrong asap.

The super seed that’s creating a rage in the United States, chia is the newest wonder food that everybody wants to include in their diets. Find out what makes chia such a must-have!

What is chia?

Chia Seeds

Pronounced ‘kia’, these seeds are derived from a desert plant called the Salvia hispanica, which is a native of Mexico and is also grown in some of the south-western states of the US.

Chia is also the Mayan word for strength and that is just what this super food promises when consumed. Along with improved strength, it also gives a fillip to your energy, increases endurance, helps in weight loss and stabilises blood sugar levels. Phew! No surprises then, why the little seed is gaining such a big reputation.

Us bound Indian students beware

New Delhi, Aug. 9 -- Indian students may need to rely on their own investigations to avoid the web of fraudulent US universities that continues to thicken because of a weak regulatory structure recently slammed by the audit arm of the US Congress.

While the cautionary tale is late for the 450 Indian students of Herguan University in Sunnyvale, California, who are under threat of deportation, prospective students can take heed.

On August 2, Herguan University CEO was arrested for visa fraud. The duped students have to leave the US this week unless they transfer to a legal university, a department of homeland security statement has said.

Good nutrition starts before birth"I credit my mom with modeling the right behaviors," Angela Lemond, Registered Dietitian and Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells Shine. "She cooked a healthy meal every night and that was our only option." Lemond, who specializes in pediatric and family nutrition, says the research is clear that parental behavior and modeling has a significant impact on childhoodobesity.

Can rural India save Indian economy

Rural India is a major part of India's domestic consumption story not just because it has more than 60% of India's population, but because it already has 56% of India's income, 64% of expenditure and 33% of India's savings. The rural share of popular consumer goods and durables ranges from 30% to 60% and sales to rural India are steadily growing. After rural consumption came to the rescue in 2008-09, there is a worrying groundswell of optimism that rural consumers will come to the rescue of Indian economy once again, which is in the midst of a sharp slowdown. However, this optimism may be misplaced.

As the country stares at one of the worst droughts in decades, Indians in rural areas are putting off spending due to concerns about the coming harvest. Already, traders of expensive products like home appliances and two-wheelers are facing the heat of a slowdown. Even dealers of big companies are facing slowdown.

India ranked second in the number ofeducation queries on Google, the search engine major said today.

India was ranked 8th in 2008, and is now behind only to the US, reveals a study titled 'Students on the web' compiled by Google India.

The study was compiled by combining Google search query patterns and an offline research conducted by TNS Australia on behalf of Google India.

Google on Wednesday took another step in its quest to merge the Internet with the real world with Maps and put itself at the heart of mobile gadget lifestyles in the process.

The California technology titan added Poland and the Ukraine to the list of more than 200 countries and regions where people can correct, update, or enhanceGoogle Maps with local insights or expertise.

"Google has been about searching the online world, but most people live in the offline world, the physical world," Google Earth and Maps vice president Brian McClendon told AFP.

Sony's latest Xperia smartphone, named the Xperia Ion, has made its appearance on ecommerce site Snapdeal.com at a price tag of Rs 35,999.
Announced at Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, Sony Xperia Ion features 4.6-inch scratch resistant TFT HD display. The Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich-powered Xperia Ion runs on a 1.5GHz dual-coreQualcomm processor.

It has a 1GB RAM and packs 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. There's a 12.1MP auto-focus camera. The phone has a 1900mAh battery with stand-by time of up to 400 hours. Xperia Ion is available in red and black colours.

Nokia may unveil its smartphones running Windows Phone 8 at Nokia World 2012, which will be held in September.

The information comes from a Bloomberg report which says, “Nokia plans to announce Windows Phone 8-based handsets as early as next month at its Nokia World event -- ahead of an expected Sept. 12 unveiling of the next version of the iPhone -- and have them for sale before the year-end holiday shopping season, said a person with knowledge of the matter, asking not to be identified because the plan isn’t public. Officials at Nokia declined to comment on the timing of its next Windows Phone handsets.”

ICICI Securities Ltd has launched E- Learn, a learning initiative which empowers consumers to make informed investment decisions.

"Lack of knowledge about investing is one of the biggest impediments for entering into the stock markets," said Vineet Arora, EVP and Head of Product & Distribution, ICICI Direct. E-learn aims to help investors overcome this hurdle.

Currently E-learn has two programs,'Gateway to Stock Investing' and 'Gateway to Futures & Options'. Gateway to Stock Investing is designed for beginners in the stock markets who want to get a practical understanding.

India ranked least business friendly Brics nation

Cape Town, Aug 8 (ANI): A World Bank report has placed India at the last spot among Brics countries for ease of doing business.

India (134) was placed after its fellow Brics nations South Africa (34), China (79), Russia (123) and Brazil (127).

The ranking indicated a country's regulations and procedures for international business practices, News24 reports.

Meanwhile, Nils Flaatten, CEO of Western Cape trade and promotion investment agency Wesgro, has warned that while SA leads the Brics nations in terms of investor trust and corporate governance procedures, job creation is crucial to the country's economic growth.

9 things not to ask in a job interview

Asking questions during an interview shows the employer your interest and enthusiasm. Some questions, though, should not be asked during the initial interviews or you might not make it to the next round.

Asking questions during an interview shows the employer your interest and enthusiasm. It helps you pinpoint what the employer is looking for in their next hire and gives you the opportunity to connect it to your experience. Some questions, though, should not be asked during the initial interviews or you might not make it to the next round.

Billionaires have changed the way our world works. They've altered the way we communicate, travel, and live. And along the way, they have made incredible amounts of money for their efforts.

Learning from the 10 billionaires below is not only a good idea if you want to boost your bank account, but also if you want your work to make a difference.

With that in mind, here are 10 lessons from billionaires on earning money, succeeding in business, and finding happiness in life.

By James Clear | U.S.News & World Report LP

1. "You become what you believe. You are where you are today in your life based on everything you have believed." --Oprah Winfrey, net worth of $2.7 billionFirst and foremost, you have to believe that greatness is possible. Many of the world's billionaires have shifted the way our world works, because they believed that they were capable of doing something that was previously impossible. Change is possible. Greatness is possible. But you can't do anything unless you first believe in yourself.

Clone SMS baffles cops,beware of cloning sims

Dolly was cloned but she was only a sheep. Scientists have had no such luck with humans so far. So it is baffling that Delhi resident Swapna Paul has a 'clone'. Swapna has not seen her 'clone' but for the last two years her ' double' has been sending threatening messages to her father on his cellphone.

In a real adaptation of Karthik Calling Karthik , the messages are being sent from Swapna's mobile number, freaking out both father and daughter. Clearly, she didn't send the messages. Who- sent- it? The Delhi Police's cyber cell is working to solve the case, surely one of the toughest assignments they have handled.

No breakthrough has been made but the police have given a clean chit to Indian scientists and suspect that some mischief- seekers have cloned Swapna's mobile phone and shooting the messages.

Facebook opens doors to real money gambling in Britain

By Alexei Oreskovic

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc (FB.O) will allow users in Britain to wager real money on its service, opening its doors to gambling for the first time as revenue growth slows at the world's No. 1 social network.

On Tuesday, Gamesys, an independent gaming company, launched a version of online Bingo for Facebook users in Britain who are at least 18, and which the company said will pay winners real money. Gamesys also announced plans to offer virtual slots gambling on Facebook.

Facebook confirmed that it is partnering with Gamesys to allow gambling on its service.

IndiGo launches Dubai Hyderabad daily flight

Hyderabad, Aug 7 (IANS) IndiGo Airlines Tuesday launched its new daily Dubai-Hyderabad flight with an Airbus-320 aircraft.

The first flight landed at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) from Dubai at 11.05 a.m. and received a traditional water canon salute welcome at the airport in the presence of RGIA and IndiGo Airlines officials.

The new Dubai-Hyderabad flight will be IndiGo Airlines' first international service to Hyderabad, and its first service from Dubai to south India.

INSIGHT , A Greek banker, the Shah and the birth of Libor

By Kirstin Ridley and Huw Jones

LONDON (Reuters) - Minos Zombanakis, born 86 years ago on a Greek island, remembers the birth of the interest rate benchmark now at the heart of a global rigging scandal well.

"I was, more or less, if you excuse the lack of modesty, the one who started the whole thing," he laughs, speaking by telephone from his village among citrus orchards in Crete.

Zombanakis was running the newly-opened London branch of Manufacturer's Hanover, now part of JPMorgan, when the bank organised one of the first syndicated loans pegged to what he dubbed a London interbank offered rate (Libor) in 1969.

The $80 million loan, for the Shah of Iran, embodied the way cross-border financial markets that had been effectively closed since 1929 were being prised open - sowing the seeds for London to flourish as a global financial centre.

Kingfisher cancels more than 30 flights as pilots strike

Beleaguered Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines has cancelled 31 flights from Mumbai and Delhi on Wednesday, following a strike by its employees.

According to a PTI report, a section of the airline’s employees are protesting non-payment of salary.
While 22 flights of the airline were cancelled from Delhi, nine were cancelled from Mumbai, sources close to the newswire added.

Kingfisher Airlines, which has been facing cash crunch for almost a year now, has not paid salary to its staff for the past five months.

Times Business Soultions run online job portal TimesJobs.com has launched a career services portal namedStepAhead. According to the company, StepAhead is a one-stop destination offering a host of services customized for senior, mid and entry levels professionals. StepAhead’s portfolio of premium services range from providing expert advice and analysis of users Resume's strengths and tips on 'how to' make it better with Resume Critique.

The department of telecommunications has selected digital technology company Times Internet to carry out online auction of 2G airwaves.

The e-auction will be for spectrum in 1,800 MHz and 800 MHz bands.

"Online auction is the most transparent method of holding large auctions," Times Internet CEO Satyan Gajwani said, adding, "As a technology leader, we are excited to facilitate this process."

Microsoft has launched a new feature for Office 2013 which is very similar to the Windows Store for Windows 8 apps. Called the new Office Store, it allows third party app developers to create, publish, sell and distribute Microsoft Office related apps. The store is specifically designed for Office 2013 applications.

Few weeks ago Microsoft announced the availability of its Office 2013 productivity suite. In yesterday's Office Store announcement, Microsoft revealed its new features.

The wait for Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet is finally over.

The device, which was first unveiled at Mobile World Congress in February, will be "available globally" this month, Samsung announced on Monday. Initially, the Galaxy Note 10.1 will be available in Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi plus 3G HSPA+ options, but Samsung promised to bring a Wi-Fi plus LTE version to market later this year.

The company did not specify an exact release date or how much it will cost. The Galaxy Note 10.1 is essentially a cross between Samsung's 10-inch tablet and its stylus-packing "phablet," the Galaxy Note. The tablet boasts a 10.1-inch screen and comes with Samsung's S Pen stylus, which lets users "write" on the screen. It will arrive running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and packs a 1.4-GHz quad-core processor alongside 2GB of RAM. It has a 5-megapixel camera on the back as well as a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.

Apparently, if you have better things to do in your life than posting new statuses, or uploading pictures on social networking sites like Facebook, then you can be considered a 'psychopath'.

Facebook has become such an important aspect in people's lives, that increasing number of employers, and even some psychologists, believe people who aren't on social networking sites, could be insane.

German magazine Der Taggspiegel went so far as to point out that accused 'Dark Knight' shooter James Holmes and Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik have common ground in their lack of Facebook profiles.

Kawasaki has unveiled the 2013 Ninja 250R, which gets massive updates all around. The Japanese automaker will start sales of the updated Ninja 250R in global markets by the end of the year.

Many Indians who have tried to expose scams have been mercilessly murdered, deterring many others from speaking out against injustice and corruption. Here's how you can protect your identity without being afraid of speaking out.

Veteran Indian social activist Hazare gestures to his supporters on the first day of his fast against corruption in New Delhi

Thought India may not rank among the world’s 10 most corrupt countries, corruption is rampant in the country and has been one of the major reasons for many economic, political and even social problems in the country. In fact many citizens who have tried to expose scams have been mercilessly murdered, deterring many others from speaking out against injustice and corruption.

But there’s hope – click on the following slides to read how whistle-blowers can protect themselves.

(REUTERS/Adnan Abidi)

Owning a house is every man’s dream. For a select few, just about any house won’t do, as owning the right kind of house that symbolises their wealth, power, and status is elemental. These are the people who lead multinationals, earn big and spend big. They are leaders, decision makers, game changers, and mavericks who inspire. Their house is not just as big as their ego (ahem!); it is as loud and as minimalistic as their persona and is a mirror of their true self. One can be assured that only the very best will be found in their houses – the most expensive drapes, tiles, paintings, gadgets, fittings and so on. While most of us can dream and wish to own a house that big and opulent, what we sure can do is read up on and ogle at the houses of the high and mighty. Get ready for some architectural marvels that can cause some structured orgasms!

1. Antilla

This shouldn’t be a shock. Seriously, Mukesh Ambani has single-handedly changed and captured Mumbai’s skyline. No matter what part of South Mumbai you are in, you will see one column, floor, fixture of Antilla jutting out and mocking at the simple earthling that you are Mr. Reliance is reported to have spent a whopping $2 billion (don’t even bother to change that figure to INR, you will faint) on this 400,000 square feet, 27 floors

There are times in our lives when we feel like things happen to us. But the reality is we happen to those things. In the workplace, as in life, many times we can owe our success--or lack thereof--to our own attitudes and actions.

By shifting our attitudes, we can improve our behaviors; and as a result, perk up our careers. Here are five ways you may be hurting your career, plus suggestions for improving the situation:
By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter | U.S.News & World Report LP

1. You're rude. While it's easy for most to be gracious when our careers sail along smoothly, rough waters can sink a generous attitude quickly. This is not, however, a good enough excuse for insolence. Whether disappointed by an unresponsive recruiter, angry that your last interview fell short of an offer, or upset you were passed over for a promotion, rein in your ire. Resist venting through rude emails, voice mails, or other irreversible actions. Also, be cognizant of how passive-aggressive action--not showing up for appointments or conveniently forgetting to perform a promised follow-up--can radiate as rude. Step up during bad times by being gracious for what is going well in your life and paving a new path toward happiness. Weed out the naysayers and Negative Nellies and surround yourself with encouraging, positive people. Take the reins of your life or fake it until you feel it and soon you will cultivate a genuinely renewed sense of optimism.

5 lies women tell men

The most common lies women tell

We’ve heard the lies that men tell women and now we think it’s about time the ladies came clean too; trust us, they don’t exactly come out smelling of roses. From lying about how many sexual partners they’ve had, to pretending they’re a dress size smaller than they actually are, the females have their fair share of fibs. Here’s the lowdown:

Lies women tell men 1: “I don’t know where it is! I haven’t touched it!”

Whether you’re a man or a woman reading this, you’re probably familiar with the scenario where she tidies up and suddenly his possessions go AWOL. On most of these occasions, the missing item mysteriously appears somewhere obscure, such as in her handbag (what could she possibly want with a beard trimming kit?). When questioned again as to how the missing item got there, she suddenly remembers that she put it there because it was making a mess around the house so she wanted to shove it somewhere out of sight. Men can’t seem to leave anything anywhere without it being swept up and taken elsewhere. If you’re going to move something ladies, at least remember where you moved it to and don’t tell the “I haven’t touched it!” lie to your man. Men know that they need a little help keeping the place clean every now and then, but what’s wrong with putting his things where he can see them? We rest our case. Oh wait, where did that case go? Anyone seen a case?

Standard Chartered sparks scrutiny of India offshoring

By Sumeet Chatterjee and Dena Aubin

MUMBAI/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Offshoring of back-office work to India, a trend among banks and accounting firms, came under new scrutiny with allegations that Standard Chartered Plc moved compliance oversight work dealing with Iranian banking transactions to India to avoid U.S. regulators.

Cost savings, not escaping regulatory oversight, are generally assumed to be the primary goal of sending back-office work to India, where employees are paid far less than in the United States and much of Europe.

New York State's bank regulator accused Standard Chartered on Monday of setting up an offshore regulatory compliance system dealing with Iranian banking transactions that was "a sham" meant to escape U.S. Treasury Department oversight.

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