Patience is probably your only pal if you are using the Internet on the go. With data cards falling to speeds under 10 kbps, there may be times when it takes all your self control to stop from chucking that laptop out of the window. Here are some tips for those suffering form this bandwidth withdrawal syndrome on the go. 1) Go for the right browser First, get a browser that will help you save bandwidth. Mozilla Firefox, for instance, works on compression techniques that will load Web pages much faster. Second, advertisements, especially Flash-based ones, are a major bandwidth hog. Kill these and you will end up saving a considerable amount of bandwidth. For this, Firefox comes with a couple of good add-ons such as Adblocker and Flashblocker. Also tweak your Explorer’s setting to disable images when not required and you will see the pages loading much quicker. For this you could use another Firefox extension called Imglikeopera Extension. This will load images from cachethis saves images on your PC, so they don’t require to be summoned from the respective websites -- thus saving bandwidth. While on the topic of images, while sending pictures, make sure you are not transferring high-resolution ones. Use a photo editor programme like Microsoft Image Resizer to shrink pictures before you send them via email or upload them on a website. 2)Go for offline browsing Webaroo (www.webaroo. com) is another interesting application for the bandwidth starved. This is an offline browsing programme that basically downloads pages from sites that you frequently visit on to your hard disk, thus making them locally available. The latest version, Webaroo 2, also lets you download videos from YouTube, Metacafe, Google Videos and other sites as well as download Flickr Photos by user, group and... (1970 more chars)
In Christopher Guest’s witty canine mockumentary Best In Show, there is a line of dialogue that tells you everything you need to know about the world’s biggest coffee chain. "We met at Starbucks," says a woman character of her current romance. "Not the same Starbucks, but we saw each other at different Starbucks across the street from each other." Not many companies are so instantly recognisable that their brand names can be dropped straight into a movie without introduction. Indeed, there is probably only one: Starbucks. But, quite possibly, not any more. For the first time since it was founded in Seattle in 1971, the company that introduced the double mint mocha decaf skim latte to the world is on the retreat. Its stock price has been hammered. Its key founder has been hauled back to restore the old magic. It is experimenting with new products to revive flagging sales. And, most significantly, it has announced that 600 of its American shops are to close, the first major cull since it was founded. For the first time, people are starting to ask if the caffeine empire is about to fall. If so, it will be as good a symbol as any of the closing of an era of capitalist exuberance. You could have an interesting debate about which was the most iconic business of the last couple of decades. Microsoft was the richest, and Apple probably the coolest. But, for an exercise in pure marketing, for the chutzpah involved in turning frothy milk and hot air into one of the most powerful brands in the world, it would be hard to beat Starbucks. But like many companies before it, Starbucks has grown too big for its own good. In 2000, Howard Schultz had stepped aside from day-to-day management of the chain. But in January this year, he was re-appointed chief executive after customer traffic in established Starbucks outlets was reported to have fallen for the first time ever and the stock price dived. So what went wrong? One problem is that the chain simply became too ... (577 more chars)
World's top 10 consumers of oil July 24, 2008 Oil, or black gold, is the single most important commodity in the world today. Scientists say that the world's oil reserves could run dry over the next 30 to 50 years, crippling the world's economy. Which means that new oil reserves will have to be found, or alternative sources of energy will have to be developed, or the consumption of oil will have to drastically reduced. The globe uses up almost 82 million barrels of oil every day, or 30 billion barrels per year, and the consumption is constantly growing by the day, with economies like India and China growing at breakneck speed. 1. United States The United States of America is the single largest consumer of oil. It uses as much as 20.73 million barrels per day! 2. China A fast growing China is the world's second largest user of oil. The world's most populous nation uses 6.534 million barrels per day. 3. Japan Japan is the third largest consumer of oil. The Asian nation consumes 5.578 million barrels per day. 4. Germany Germany is the fourth biggest consumer of oil in the world. It uses 2.650 million barrels per day. 5. Russia Russia is the fifth largest consumer of oil. It uses 2.500 million barrels per day. 6. India India is the sixth largest consumer of oil. It burns up 2.450 million barrels per day. 7. Canada Canada is the world's seventh largest consumer of oil. It uses 2.294 million barrels per day. 8. South Korea South Korea is the world's eighth largest consumer of oil. It uses up 2.149 million barrels of oil per day. 9. Brazil Brazil is the ninth largest user of oil. It guzzles 2.100 million barrels per day. 10. France France is the world's tenth largest consumer of oil. It devours 1.970 million barrels per day.
What are the pros and cons & Benefits for India in the nuclear deal ? Ans. Nuclear Agreement between India - USA :MUST READ BY EVERY INDIAN There are lot of talks about 1 2 3 Agreement between India & USA and it almost led to the topple of Central Government. In this mail I am trying to explain the commercial & technical aspects relating to this Agreement which I have read and sharing with you. What is 123 Agreement? This is called 123 Agreement because this comes under USA's Atomic Power Act Section 123. Let's see how India's (Indians?) Sovereinty & Independence are pledged... (1) After this Agreement USA will supply all fuel, machinery / equipment & technology to India for producing Nuclear Power. (2) All these days from about 22 Nuclear Power Plants, India is producing power as well as Atom. It's a high security / secret that from where which is produced, how much is produced, where it is supplied, what research is being done with that, etc. to anybody. But if we sign this Agreement, we have to disclose these secrets and also agree to 14 of our Nuclear Power Plants to be under the scanner of International Atomic Power Organisation. (3) The fuel utilised to produce Atomic Power can be recycled for reuse and this plant will be under direct supervision of IAPO. If India does nuclear test, this agreement gets cancelled. But (1) USA will take back all the machinery / equipments / technology supplied to India thus far. (2) Those 14 plants will continue to be under scanner irrespective of the status of the agreement. On the other hand, if any of the commitments given by USA is breached by them, then there is no clause for cancelling this agreement. The agreement is apparently like this... USA can either hug India or slap India. India will not ask why are we hugged or why are we slapped. On the other hand, India cannot hug or slap USA for breach of agreement. This is only capsule so that easy to read and d... (5440 more chars)
When the US celebrates its Independence Day on July 4 this year, Shillong will also have something to cheer about. That day, the newest Indian Institute of Management (IIM) will open its doors for the first time. Christened Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM), it will begin its first academic session with 71 students. RGIIM-S, which currently operates out of the Mayurbhanj Complex in Nongthymmai in uptown Shillong, will move to a new 120-acre campus in Mawdiangdiang, 20 km from the city centre, in about two years. “This new IIM will benefit the region in terms of human resource development, and enable a larger number of students to wear the IIM tag,” says Ashoke K. Dutta, the new Director of RGIIM Shillong, who is an alumnus of IIM Calcutta and has worked for more than 30 years in the corporate world and in Indian media houses. RGIIM-S, which will begin with the regular Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management this year and later include a Fellowship Programme in Management and Management Development Programmes, attracted nearly 10,000 applicants for 60 seats that it had originally planned to open with. “But seeing the response, we increased our intake to 71 students,” says a proud Dutta. RGIIM-S Chairman Rathin Dutta says the credit for the huge response is not entirely theirs. “The state government has been extremely supportive in getting RGIIMS up in a record time,” he adds. RGIIM-S, which is starting with a ninemember faculty, will beef it up as it introduces more courses and increases its student intake to 120 in the third year and 180 in the sixth year. Then, to ensure RGIIM-S’s relevance to the region, Ashoke Dutta has proposed a special centre for short-term certificate courses exclusively for students from the North East. “Given the highly competitive nature of selection for the IIMs, we fear that a sufficient number of students may not make it to RGIIM-S from within the region. So, we ... (1022 more chars)
Jai [Imran Khan] and Aditi [Genelia] are buddies. In fact, they hang out with their group of friends, but have eyes for each other only. Their friends know that Jai and Aditi are perfect for each other. Their parents know this as well. Everybody knows this. But the couple doesn't. So when do they realize its love? Don't expect fireworks or melodrama in this prem kahani . It's an extremely simple, uncomplicated tale that never goes over the top. The bonding amongst friends is well established. So is the relationship that Ratna Pathak Shah shares with her deceased husband's portrait [reminds you of Ashok Saraf-Priya Tendulkar relationship in the popular comedy show HUM PAANCH]. Besides, the two [popular] songs that come in the initial reels -- 'Kabhi Kabhi' and 'Pappu Can't Dance' -- only spice up the proceedings. The arrival of the 'third angle' in this love story [Manjari Phadnis] is perfect. Everything is faultless in the first hour. But the second hour lets you down. The Ayaz-Genelia relationship is, again, well developed, but the second hour gets a tad lengthy. But what looks completely out of place in this light and breezy entertainer is the Rajput connection and how it saves the lead man from the cop [Paresh Rawal]. This track irritates! Also, the climax, set in an airport, is beaten to death. There's no novelty in it, since we've seen the same ending in film after film. Abbas Tyrewala has the makings of a fine director. A.R. Rahman's music is already a rage and the two songs at the start are superb compositions. Cinematography is excellent. Every member of the cast stands out, but the film belongs to Imran and Genelia. Imran has been presented as the boy-next-door and that works in his favor. He has screen presence and acts very well for a first timer. Most importantly, he looks the part. Genelia adds freshness to her scenes. What makes you take to Genelia is her spontaneity. Also, the mi... (1090 more chars)
According to the Ayurvedavatarana (the "descent of Ayurveda"), ayurveda first came into being when the Hindu deity Brahma had a revelation,after which he woke up and created the Universe. I thought we should have something lighter than Liquidation for a lazy Sunday afternoon brunch.So here goes a late Saturday night post for a late Sunday morning read. Medical tourism - the phenomenon in which hospitals in emerging markets offer "sun, sand and surgery" at low prices to patients from North America and Europe - is gaining in popularity. While India lags behind countries like Thailand as a result of airport infrastructure and other bottlenecks, health care providers such as Apollo Hospitals are expanding at 10% a year. India especially seems to be a hot spot for medical tourism due to the following reasons- Hospitals in India cost up to 5 times cheaper for North-Americans and up to 3 times as cheaper for affluent South Asians such as Singaporeans. India as such is a popular tourist destination.It is as diverse as an entire continent (be it in terms of climate,landscapes,languages,food,culture or religion) and lighter on the pocket than most! It offers several traditional and authentic forms of medicine and cure such as ayurveda. We have several Indians as practicing doctors in the west .Westeners have on that count some familiarity and association with Indian doctors.
The new iPhone hasn't even landed in stores yet, but already pundits are grumbling about the revised iPhone, based on demos and published specs, about what the new model has failed to fix since the first-gen device. Yes, we get 3G and GPS, a way to connect to Exchange, and the new app store, but what about everything else? Forbes' Brian Caulfield outlines seven (actually eight) iPhone disappointments, and most of these observations are spot on. Some highlights (get his full list here). The cost - I've written about the value proposition of iPhone 3G already, and sure enough it'll cost you an extra $160 or so over the next two years vs. the original iPhone. Worth it? It's debatable, but I can't blame people for not being happy about the service price hike. The camera - Forbes notes that there's still no flash and no video recording on the device. I'll add the camera resolution: We're going to see 8 megapixel cell phone cameras in the U.S. this year, and the iPhone is still stuck with a puny 2MP model? Many early rumors also had expected the iPhone 3G to include a forward-facing camera for videoconferencing use. Naturally that didn't happen either. The battery - Not replaceable. Again. On the other hand, this shouldn't be a surprise considering that Apple is now actually making laptops without replaceable batteries, too. No MMS - Again, the lack thereof. It just makes no sense. Apple is basically right that you don't need MMS to send pictures on a device that has a full email client, but the problem comes when users of other phones send you a photo via MMS: You simply can't view it on the iPhone. It's a ludicrous limitation on what should be the most advanced phone on the planet. I'll add a few of my own complaints to Caulfield's list: No live TV - That YouTube feature was fun last year, but now it's grown tiresome and old. Live TV is coming to all manner of handsets now as part of the standard data p... (459 more chars)
All credit goes to the author-Freek Vermeulens Freek Vermeulen is Associate Professor of Strategic and International Management at London Business School. Some time ago, I interviewed a guy called Farooq Chaudhry, a founder and producer of the Akram Khan Dance Company, which is a small but extremely innovative (and extremely successful) contemporary dance company. Farooq had several interesting things to say about creating an organization that excels in delivering continuing, successful innovation. One of them stuck to my mind: “In order to be truly innovative, you have to forget about your customer.” What? I don’t know much about marketing (and would prefer to keep it that way), but don’t these people always go on and on about “customer- focus”, “client-driven innovation”, “the customer always comes first”, and so on? So I asked, “Farooq, do you perhaps mean that you should only have the customer in the back of your mind?” “No, no, I mean, customers – just forget about them altogether”. Ok… what (on earth!) did Farooq Chaudhry mean? After all, this is one of the most innovative companies of its kind, since...well, like ever? According to him, if you want to be truly innovative, you have to purposely not try to give the customer what he wants. Because, as he argued, if you set out to develop what you think the customer will like, you end up satisfying existingneeds and tastes; you follow the customer rather than lead the customer. True innovation, according to him, is about changing the tastes of customers and giving them something that they have never seen or even imagined before. Getting lucky – fortune favours the prepared firm Once upon a time, there was a plumber, named Geoffrey Ward, who lived in London. One day a local government official told him he would have to vacate his workshop and offi... (2954 more chars)
After more than four years of alliance, the Indian government and its communist allies appear closer than ever to a split over a civilian nuclear deal with the United States, which could spark early general elections. If the split happens -- and many think it is a matter of weeks -- the government will quickly need to find another party to provide it with a parliamentary majority, or face the risk of early elections before scheduled May, 2009 polls. It is possible India will soon enter months of political uncertainty and electioneering, putting in jeopardy the chances of tough and decisive measures from the government to deal with record inflation, rising rates and signs of a slowing economy. After years of communists blocking market reforms from financial sector liberalisation to privatisation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may have put his foot down over the nuclear deal, determined to leave office with some sort of legacy. Frustrated from months of delays, Singh knows time is running out for the deal to be approved before President George W. Bush leaves office. Singh sees the deal giving India access to U.S. nuclear fuel and technology and allowing closer trade and diplomatic ties with Washington. Communists see India becoming a pawn of Washington and have threatened to withdraw support if the pact goes ahead. "The division between the government and the communists is wider than ever and unlikely to be bridged," said Pran Chopra, a political analyst. The pessimism follows Wednesday's meeting between the two sides. Party leaders left grim-faced after fruitless talks. "Dead End" was the Times of India headline. "Countdown Begins For Early Polls" said the Mail Today. The prime minister is reported to want the government to go ahead with the deal before he heads to a G8 summit in Japan on July 7 and meets Bush, the man whom he shook hands with at the White House in 2005 over the agreement. Congress leaders are still publicly optimistic. "We are very... (2443 more chars)
North Korea has finally given a 6 month due account of its nuclear programme to China, which contains the Korea's plutonium enrichment efforts. This handover comes under the global efforts which offer North Korea many diplomatic, political, safety and economic benefits/advantages/incentives. I've summed up a few: US will remove North Korea from their list of 'states sponsoring terrorism' : a big move that will make them trustworthy and reputable in world affairs. Nuclear Weapons, weapons grade material or any other reactors North Korea may have piled or built have to be disarmed according to the deal. This will make all its neighbors be on better terms with each other and make cordial relations with South Korea and Japan and other countries close-by. There were some rumors that North Korea is dumping their nuclear reactors policy for a exchange of food aid (I saw that on CNN channel) but couldn't really believe it. Furtheron, news is rife that North Korea is facing a serious 'famine' or food crisis. Being one of the most 'closed-mouth' country in the world, no one really nows the scenario inside North Korea, but international observers have analyzed that the country faces a shortage of more than 1 million tonnes of grain (thats huge !!!) which it has to feed to its population.Though there is no inside information, North Koreans have always looked less-nourished than their opulent over-the-wall neighbors South Korea. Countries like South Korea have committed or in the process of giving 50,000 tonnes of corn and US is known to have promised half a million tonnes of grain. Thats it for external contributions as of now. Rising deaths from rural areas and greater awareness have led their leader Kim Jong-il to give remedies to this food crisis as 'high priority'. Otherwise soon North Korea will face a famine that it last saw in the mid 1990s when famine/food crisis claimed a million lives th... (123 more chars)
For almost 30 years the U.S. has been at the fore of a global fight to deny India access to Nuclear power technology, because it developed nuclear weapons and tested them.(Cruel Hypocrisy really,considering that the U.S. were among the earliest nations to develop nuclear weapons and test them) Now after nearly three decades India have been offered a golden opportunity to emerge out of their nuclear seclusion and be at par with the top nations of the world in terms of nuclear energy output. At present nuclear power production in India accounts for only a measly 3% of the total generation of 120,000 MW. Large scale nuclear power production would also mean less dependence on traditional sources of non-renewable fuel such as coal,oil and petroleum. Abundant nuclear power production would obviously lead to a fall in fuel and electricity prices.It especially holds relevance as a promising new alternative in the face of price rise and fall in oil output. The fruits of total privatisation are seen in the telecom sector. Gone are the days when a cellphone was an item of luxury beyond the reach of the common man. The nuclear deal could mean a similar privatisation in the energy. According to a report in Bloomberg,multinationals such as Westinghouse,Rosatom,GE and Areva have expressed a keen interest in operating a nuclear power plant in India,should the government encourage private investment. Indian companies such as Tata power and Reliance Energy are more than eagerly open to such a proposition. But how does the U.S benefit from the deal? A valid question. The U.S. would be supplying India with both nuclear technology and reactors,should the deal progress beyond endless chatter and talks. The U.S.A. is projected to mint over $150 billion of the deal. That precisely is what the Left is worried about. The deal would mean that India is completely dependent on the U.S. for supply of technology and reactors. This places India in a vulnera... (604 more chars)
I s suppressing inflation the answer to an underlying problem, or is it better to bring the problem to the surface as the first step towards addressing its causes and effects? Everyone who is shocked by the 11 per cent rate of inflation (as measured by the wholesale price index) for the week ending June 7, needs to figure out whether the problem is the figure of 11 per cent (the highest in 13 years. . .) or the ways to address macro-economic policy in an inherently inflationary situation. Everyone -- from the stock markets to political parties to even economic commentators -- is reacting as though a new problem has cropped up, when all that has happened is that an underlying problem has been brought to the surface. If the government had continued to suppress fuel prices instead of raising them in the week of June 7, the inflation rate would have continued to be in single digits -- but that would hardly have helped matters. Admittedly, the 11 per cent figure is way above the comfort zone (which, until the current inflationary bout, used to be considered as having an upper limit of 5 per cent). But the only way to address the problem of rising commodity (including oil) prices is to make consumers pay the full cost. This will help contain demand as consumers adjust to the higher prices, and thus bring about the required re-balancing of supply and demand. Indeed, the shock value of the 11 per cent figure means that the government will simply not raise fuel prices further, irrespective of its cost. This is hardly a sensible way to go. If the government made a mistake, it was in not anticipating the sudden jump in the inflation rate, and preparing the ground before the news broke. As it happens, most forecasts of inflation had been on whether it would tip over into double-digits or stay below 10 per cent. The additional 1 per cent in the inflation rate, taking it to 11 per cent, should in fact have been anticipated. As indicated by the sharp increa... (2753 more chars)
All the new Indian Institutes of Technology, of them three founded overnight, do not seem to have excited too many students. As Day I of counselling took off at the IITs on Tuesday for the other backward classes (OBC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, there were hardly any takers for the new campuses. In all, the IITs have shortlisted 1,134 OBC candidates, of them, many were counselled at the Mumbai and Chennai campus . Despite the fact that the six new IITs have full 27% OBC reservation and they also offer popular streams such as computer science, electronics and mechanical engineering, students were not keen on joining the new club. OBC student Nitin Rai, who has an all-India rank of 7,200, waited in a queue at IIT-Bombay to submit his choice of campus and streams. “I am opting for civil engineering in IIT-B ,’’ he said. Though Rai figures in the general merit list, he has been given an OBC rank because of reservation that is applicable in all IITs from the coming academic session. Rai’s OBC rank is as low 1,042, but he has not applied to any of the new IITs. “I don’t know anything about the new IITs. I don’t want to take a risk,’’ said the 18-year-old from Bhopal. As Rai figures pretty low even among the OBC candidates , he has filled all the 216 choices, the maximum number of permutation and combinations of institute and streams a student is permitted to submit. Each of the existing seven IITs is rolling out 9% OBC reservation this year; each of the six new IITs have set aside 18 seats for OBC candidates as they are implementing the entire 27% reservation. Take Shashank Sah (AIR 6548 and OBC rank 924) for instance. The lad from Bihar is keen on taking up computer science, but with his rank, it is unlikely he will get his choice in any of the old IITs. So he has opted for electronics and communication in IIT-Delhi . Pratik Chaudhari (AIR-1709 and OBC rank 213) from Nashik is keen on taking c... (2512 more chars)
Following up their recent research on India, Goldman Sachs and Co. economists Jim O’Neill and Tushar Poddar have come up with a report on 10 things the country needs to do to achieve a per capita GDP of at least $20,000 (Rs8.58 lakh today) by 2050 (from less than $1,000 now). That target looks difficult when seen in the light of the investment bank’s annual report on Growth Environment Scores , a study where a score from 1 to 10 is assigned to 13 variables that define an economy’s productivity and growth sustainability. In this report, India scores below the other Bric nations (Brazil, Russia, China) and is ranked 110 out of 181 countries studied. However, Poddar and O’Neill say that by undertaking required reforms, India can still reach its 2050 target by increasing “its growth potential by as much as 2.8% per annum”. Edited excerpts: 1. Improve governance. 2. Raise educational achievement. According to our basic indicators, a vast number of India’s young people receive no (or only the most basic) education. A major effort to boost basic education is needed. 3. At the other end of the spectrum, India should also have a more defined plan to raise the number and the quality of top universities. 4. Control inflation. We think a formal adoption of inflation targeting would be a very sensible move.... 5. Introduce a credible fiscal policy. We also believe that India should introduce a more credible medium-term plan for fiscal policy. Targeting low and stable inflation is not easy if fiscal policy is poorly maintained. 6. Liberalize financial markets. 7. Increase trade with neighbours. In terms of international trade, India continues to be much less “open” than many of its other large emerging nation colleagues, especially China... We would recommend that India target a major increase in trade with China, Pakistan and Bangladesh. 8. Increase agricultural productivity. 9. Impro... (328 more chars)
The Indian subsidiary of Yamaha Motors has launced the new 150cc bike YZF R15 in India. Looks of the bike The Yamaha bike YZF R15 has gorgeous looks and will be competent with the 150cc range contenders’ .The bike will come up with a complete black theme and it will be similar to the earlier YZF-R model of Yamaha. The look of the bike has been designed to keep up with the expectations of the rider and it will be truly amazing. It will have a fuel tank to store around 18 to 20 liters. The bike will have rear disc brake and liquid cooling facilities. A delta Box frame will be present and various accessories like the riding gear and R1 style instrument console is also present in the bike. The headlights have the “2-eye” multi-reflector design that is found in the YZF-R kind of bikes. Engine and Power of the Bike Some of the specialties of the bike are new and for the first time the Yamaha bike will using a MotoGP technology .The engine of the bike will be a 4 stroke 150cc engine with SOHC and has a single-cylinder with a fuel-injected engine. The bike will be equipped with forged aluminum pistons in the engine, a Delta box frame and 6 speed gear box. The bike will have a power of 15 bhp and has a non FI engine. The silencer in the bike will be unique and bigger than normal. The engine is a 4 stroke one equipped with 5 speed gearbox. Comfort and Ride The bike has an 80/90, 17 inch tubeless tyres in the front and 100/80 17 inch tubeless tyres at the rear. The tyres are made up of imported soft compound that provides better grip to the rider of the bike. The wheelbase will be 1290 mm and minimum ground clearance provided by the bike is 160mm The bike has a disc brake in the front and drum brake at the back and on riding the fuel consumptions is expected to be less than 40 Kmpl. A R1 style instrument and a non digital console are present in the bike. The bike is one of the spor... (1567 more chars)
Days after completing the acquisition of the luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR), India's largest domestic automobile company Tata Motors is exploring the feasibility of launching the two marques in India. The company will be conducting a study on the demand for the models of Jaguar and Land Rover, which are priced between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 70 lakh in the United Kingdom, company officials said today at a conference call for analysts. Prices will double if the models are sold in India through direct imports as completely built-up (CBU) units since they will attract import duties of 114 per cent. The company, however, did not specify the timeframe for the launch but said the numbers derived from the two brands in India may be low. Analysts believe that India is a developing market for luxury automobiles with global luxury brands like Porsche, Mercedes, BMW and Audi already here. Sales of luxury car brands (priced above Rs 40 lakh) in the first five months of 2008 have already exceeded 2007's whole-year numbers. The launch of JLR will certainly be a positive step for Tata Motors, which is increasing its market base internationally even as it explores markets like China and Russia, said analysts who were part of the conference call. In the UK, Jaguar mainly sells four models including X-Type, XF, XJ Series, XK Series, in estate, saloon, open-top and coupe forms. Land Rover sells four models including the Defender, Discovery, Freelander and Range Rover. Ford Credit has committed to finance the two brands in various markets across the world for 12 months. To supplement this, Tata Motors has signed up with financing companies overseas to supply credit once Ford Credit's term is over. Tata Motors paid Ford $2.3 billion for JLR early this year. The company had raised $3 billion in the form of bridge loans from a clutch of banks. The company intends to repay the loan through a Rs 7,200-crore rights issue later this year, the issue price of w... (39 more chars)
By now it is becoming too obvious that the United States is playing the oil game all over again. And this is the desperate gamble of a country whose economy is neck deep in trouble. Given this scenario, managing prices of oil is central to the US economic architecture. Expectedly, this gamble has been played in a great alliance between the US government, US financial sector and the media. The impending collapse of the US dollar on account of the inherent weakness in the US economy caused by its structural weakness as reflected in the sub-prime crisis; The repeated softening of the interest rates in the US that has the potency to kill the US dollar; and How the fall in the US dollar suits the US corporate sector especially its omnipotent financial sector. Naturally, since the past few years, the US financial sector has begun to turn its attention from currency and stock markets to commodity markets. According to The Economist, about $260 billion has been invested into the commodity market -- up nearly 20 times from what it was in 2003. Coinciding with a weak dollar and this speculative interest of the US financial sector, prices of commodities have soared globally. And most of these investments are bets placed by hedge and pension funds, always on the lookout for risky but high-yielding investments. What is indeed interesting to note here is that unlike margin requirements for stocks which are as high as 50 per cent in many markets, the margin requirements for commodities is a mere 5-7 percent. This implies that with an outlay of a mere $260 billion these speculators would be able to take positions of approximately $5 trillion -- yes, $5 trillion! -- in the futures markets. It is estimated that half of these are bets placed on oil. Oil price hike: Govt can't save you: PM Readers may note that oil is internationally traded in New York and London and denominated in US dollar only. Naturally, it has been opin... (7755 more chars)
Hair growth from earlobes is a sure sign of erudition, if conventional hinterland wisdom is to be believed. Lalu Prasad does fit the bill to the T, and if that’s not enough, he doesn’t mind letting his hair down now and then just by blogging. Mr Prasad is learnt to be in talks with the Mumbai-based Digital Media Convergence for starting a blog after news of Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s blog impressed him. The blog, says a senior company executive, would be put up at Mypopcorn.com and the minister would post the blog about twice a week. The blog is expected to start any time this week and Mr Prasad is reportedly very excited about it. In his first blog, the railway minister speaks about the Gurjar issue and its implications on the business of Indian Railways. "Yeh aandolan dishahin ho gaya hai... (This protest has become directionless), says Mr Prasad in his inimitable Bihari Hindi. The minister continues, "No amendments could be made in the Constitution to confer special status to some individuals. Moreover, the Railways has to suffer losses due to the revolution". The blog would post anything and everything the minister has in mind, said a source close to Mr Prasad. Some political experts also say this is a well thought-out strategy and could be used as an agenda for brinkmanship and gaining new voters. The minister would also share his experiences on how he turned around Railways, something for which he had also been invited by one of the best business schools in the world. The posts would be put up on the website in audio-visual as well as transcript format. Source: ET Online
Smaller, low-cost PCs are likely to be at the top of the shopping list for technology buyers gathering in Taipei this week for the world's second largest computer fair, as an economic slowdown in the United States forces consumers to cut back on spending. Shoppers are feeling the pinch from rocketing fuel costs and rising prices, and in the United States the subprime crisis has left lenders less willing to hand over credit, leaving some consumers reluctant to buy new expensive personal computers and gadget heavy mobile phones. Cheaper, low-cost PCs, such as Asustek Computer Inc's Eee computer, aimed at emerging markets and buyers of additional computers, may keep growth on track for many computer and component makers. These PCs, many with longer battery lives and wireless connection features, will share the stage with a line of eco-friendly computers with slimmer, energy-efficient displays and solar power systems, designed to cut power consumption as oil prices soar and consumers seek ways to reduce their environmental impact. "We don't have deep pockets now," said Kevin Chung, manager at Taiwan's Jih Sun Investment Consulting. "We really have to watch closely on the buying interest because that is going to be a signal on how the recovery's strength will be in the second half." Asustek Computer, which makes the runaway success Eee PC, will display new, wider-screen models that allow users to do everything from storing video clips in shock-proof flash memory and surfing the Web in coffee shops. Acer Inc, Taiwan's most famous PC brand, will also test the water by introducing similar low-cost PCs as it expand into fast-growing emerging markets, including China and India. "We will launch a notebook different than the ones we've sold before and targeted at a new consumer segment," an Acer spokeswoman said. Next to Acer's booth, Intel Corp will be promoting its new processors, as the US chip giant sees a big market for ul... (130 more chars)
Picture an office where no meeting is mandatory and employees can come and go as they please as long as they get the job done. "Too good to be true," most cubicle occupants would probably say, but an upcoming book about this results-only work environment is not fiction. In fact, authors Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson pioneered the concept while working at consumer electronics chain Best Buy Co Inc, which now makes the option available to about 3,000 of its 4,000 corporate staffers. In 'Why Work Sucks and How To Fix It', Ressler and Thompson maintain that time — or control over it — heals many corporate wounds. Too often, they say, a company will treat employees like children incapable of working without supervision, while promoting mediocre performers simply because they put in a lot of time at their desks. Meanwhile, the traditional work week of Monday through Friday no longer serves the needs of many customers. In a results-oriented work environment (ROWE), however, a company focuses exclusively on job performance, rather than work schedules or office politics . At Best Buy, productivity has increased, and fewer of the employees that the company wanted to retain have left, although "involuntary" turnover rates have increased as unsatisfactory workers were exposed. Employees can do their jobs at home or in Starbucks, first thing in the morning or in the middle of the night. One of the hallmarks of a ROWE is that a person who goes home at 2pm is not leaving early, while someone who arrives at that time is not late. The book includes the story of an e-learning specialist who typically wakes up without an alarm and does at least some of his work at home in front of the television set. Meanwhile, a dot-com employee has been able to spend more time with her son. "We've perfected ROWE for the office environment today," Ressler said, "but we know that there are elements of it that can be spread ... (439 more chars)
Cricketainment is the buzzword today. With head-turners like SRK, Preity Zinta and Dr Vijay Mallya holding the reigns of IPL teams, the glam-quotient of the game has already skyrocketed. Cheer girls added much drama to the game. And now fashion has dipped their fingers into this hot pie too. India’s biggest money churners — fashion and cricket — have joined hands to celebrate entertainment. Players have been roped in to showcase designerwear at several cities. Recently, the Delhi Daredevil team walked the ramp showcasing creations by fashion designers Rohit Bal and Manoviraj Khosla at Ramola Bachchan’s new restaurant at Saket in Delhi. Sports boys Virendra Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Glenn Mcgrath sashayed down the ramp. Fashion and cricket seems to have come together to create a carnival of sorts. Manoviraj agrees, “Of course. And it works, as each cricketer here is a showstopper in himself. Cricketers too want to look stylish and trendy today.” Fashion guru Prasad Bidapa, however, feels that cricket must get more fashionable than it is today. “Cricket needs a bigger dose of fashion and style. The jerseys need to undergo a revamp. The tracks need to get fitter and the shirts need to get sexier,” he says. One also saw a confident Rahul Dravid and a cool Zaheer Khan at a similar fashion do in Bangalore. Fashion choreographer Sheetal Sharma who has worked with many of these cricketers says, “They were confident and loved walking the ramp. Dhoni was best and Zaheer Khan comes next.” she says. Source: Deccan Chronicle
Explore the facts and figures behind the rising price of food across the globe. Rising oil prices and fears over climate change have seen a massive rise in the use of maize to make bio-fuels, pushing up food prices There will be billions more mouths to feed by 2050, making an increased demand for food a long-term trend Rising prices will improve the trade balance of major food exporters, but major importers stand to see a greater deficit
In Mexico City, mass protests about the cost of tortillas. In West Bengal, disputes over food-rationing. In Senegal, Mauritania, and other parts of Africa, riots over grain prices. And in Yemen, children march in public to call attention to child hunger. This chain of events is in stark contrast to the falling food prices that consumers have come to expect over the past several decades. On February 13, the FAO announced that 36 countries are in crisis as a result of higher food prices and will require external assistance. In many of these countries, food insecurity has been worsened by conflict, floods, or extreme weather. Last month, in Davos and in Addis Ababa, World Bank President Robert Zoellick called for action to tackle hunger and malnutrition in a world of rising food prices. " Hunger and malnutrition are the forgotten Millennium Development Goal. It has gotten less attention, but increased food prices and their threat – not only to people but also to political stability – have made it a matter of urgency to draw the attention it needs ,” he said. While headline news about high food prices is a relatively recent phenomenon, the broader upswing in commodity prices began in 2001. Large structural shifts in the global economy—including growing demand in China and India—have been steadily reflected in commodity price increases, especially of metals and energy. Click graph to enlarge Click graph to enlarge Food prices have increased in response to many factors: higher energy and fertilizer prices; increased demand for biofuels, especially in the U.S. and the European Union; and droughts in Australia and other countries. World grain stocks are at record lows and next year’s prices depend on the success of the next harvest in the northern hemisphere. Wheat prices (US$) have increased by 200 percent, and overall food prices (US$) have risen by 75 percent since the ... (7213 more chars)
Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin, who steered the cellphone operator in a sometimes tempestuous five-year pursuit of growth, will resign at the end of July, the company said today. He will be succeeded by Vittorio A Colao, his 46-year-old deputy chief executive, who said he would continue Sarin’s push to expand into Asia and Africa. Sarin came to Vodafone in July 2003, three years after the company acquired San Francisco-based wireless operator AirTouch Communications, where he had been president. The timing of the announcement surprised some analysts as Sarin had recently solidified his leadership after a rough start. “This is the right time to leave. We are now well-positioned strategically,” he said. Under Sarin, Vodafone nearly doubled the number of customers to 260 million from 133 million in March 2004, primarily by entering relatively untapped markets in India, Turkey and eastern Europe. Shortly after Sarin took over, British investors opposed his bid in 2004 to acquire AT&T Wireless, at the time the third-largest American carrier. The purchase would have made Vodafone, which owns 45 per cent of Verizon Wireless, the largest cellular operator in the US. Instead, AT&T Wireless was bought by Cingular, and the combined company is now the market leader in America. “Shareholders in the UK basically blocked the AT&T Wireless bid. That was certainly a setback and the low point for him over here,” said Mark Newman, an analyst in London at industry research firm Informa Telecoms & Media. “But ironically, the collapse of the AT&T bid proved to be a watershed for the company, and allowed Arun Sarin to really recover and put the company back on track again.” Sarin followed with two large acquisitions, both in merging markets: the $10.7 billion purchase in May 2007 of Hutchison Essar, India’s third-largest operator with 44 million customers, and the 2006 purchase of Telsim Mobil, the Turkish wireless operator, for $4.6 billio... (810 more chars)
The Compaq Notebook is the new hero on ‘Kya aap paanchvi pass se tez hai’ INDIA, Delhi, 22 May, 2008 – With Shah Rukh Khan hosting any show, surprises come really large to keep you glued to your screens. After making KBC 3 the most popular show with his unmatched SRK-isms, he does it yet again with “Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain”. This time around he counts on his Compaq Notebook PC for the big surprise. The Compaq Notebook is Shah Rukh’s new co-host on the show to add the punch and an appealing hi-tech experience. How many lenses does a fly have in a single eye? Which is the largest bone in the human body? Sounds difficult!!! But the portable wonder – gives Shah Rukh all the answers! The cool and handy Compaq Notebook, from which Shah Rukh pulls out interesting questions and facts, has replaced the cumbersome cue cards and huge LCD screens on typical game/reality show's these days - so it actually acts as a realtime interface between the producer and SRK therby giving realtime information to the SRK as the game progresses. Commenting on the innovative brand integration, Shah Rukh Khan said, “Today Notebooks are an integral part of our lives, enabling us to excel in whatever we do. I am very pleased to be associated with Compaq on this new game show as it adds the technical edge for an entertaining experience and makes it stand-out.” He further added, “Use of technology on TV shows has come a long way, from KBC to ‘Kya aap Paanchvi pass se tez hai’. Watch out for some really interesting renditions of technology with the Compaq Notebook that makes the whole show unbelievably exciting and interactive.” According to Shubhodip Pal, Head of Consumer Marketing, Personal Systems Group, Hewlett-Packard India, “Compaq is the No 1 Brand of choice of consumers today – people with a dream, and a determination to ... (569 more chars)
The Compaq Notebook is the new hero on ‘Kya aap paanchvi pass se tez hai’ INDIA, Delhi, 22 May, 2008 – With Shah Rukh Khan hosting any show, surprises come really large to keep you glued to your screens. After making KBC 3 the most popular show with his unmatched SRK-isms, he does it yet again with “Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain”. This time around he counts on his Compaq Notebook PC for the big surprise. The Compaq Notebook is Shah Rukh’s new co-host on the show to add the punch and an appealing hi-tech experience. How many lenses does a fly have in a single eye? Which is the largest bone in the human body? Sounds difficult!!! But the portable wonder – gives Shah Rukh all the answers! The cool and handy Compaq Notebook, from which Shah Rukh pulls out interesting questions and facts, has replaced the cumbersome cue cards and huge LCD screens on typical game/reality show's these days - so it actually acts as a realtime interface between the producer and SRK therby giving realtime information to the SRK as the game progresses. Commenting on the innovative brand integration, Shah Rukh Khan said, “Today Notebooks are an integral part of our lives, enabling us to excel in whatever we do. I am very pleased to be associated with Compaq on this new game show as it adds the technical edge for an entertaining experience and makes it stand-out.” He further added, “Use of technology on TV shows has come a long way, from KBC to ‘Kya aap Paanchvi pass se tez hai’. Watch out for some really interesting renditions of technology with the Compaq Notebook that makes the whole show unbelievably exciting and interactive.” According to Shubhodip Pal, Head of Consumer Marketing, Personal Systems Group, Hewlett-Packard India, “Compaq is the No 1 Brand of choice of consumers today – people with a dream, and a determination to ... (569 more chars)
After waiting 10 years to take over the realms at 10 Downing street at London, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown seems to be in a spot of bother. The timing of his political crowing unfortunately matched the timing of the financial turmoil that has gripped the world. The global downturn is for sure having an impact over Britain’s economy which was not so long back was being directly managed by Mr Brown as the finance minister. The not so effective regulatory framework charted by Mr Brown as finance minister is coming to haunt him at the Prime Minister's office and the polity in Britain is in no mood to ignore the same. Let alone the opposition, some groups in the labor party it self have come out and raised their opinion whic is indeed not very generous towards Mr Brown. This is a consequence of the recent pathetic performance of the Labor party in London which has been christened as the worst ever as they conceded defeat at the hands of the Conservative party. Now the question arises that are we going to see another change in the leadership without the public choosing their leader as was the case with the exit of Mr Blair. Well the answer in this point in time would be a little immature & in our opinion so would be a decision over the same. We at gyangang truly believe that Mr Brown though not as charismatic and ruthless as some of the leaders that Britain has seen in its history, but he must be given a chance for an appropriate period. Taking into perspective the governance period of Mr Brown, its too early to pass a mandate, for or against him. The people in Britian must take into account the global environment that we are all subject to be affected by and also understand that it takes some time for a leader to get into the shoes of a Prime Minister who led from the front for the past 10 years. Good Luck Mr Brown !!!!!
Its been around a week that Noida witnessed the most horrific murder of a young students, Arushi and her domestic help Hemraj. The investigation in the case has been nothing but a travesty of thoughts. There has been absolute muddle as regards to where the investigation is going as the Police Dept has been virtually trailing behind common sense that has been reflected by the opinions and perspectives of common people illustrated through various instruments of mass media. Now when we analyze the fact that the police has been maintaining that they will solve the case as soon as possible, however the level of public scruitiny that has gone into the matter is indeed staggering. In my perspective in spite of all the laxity that has been shown by the police in investigating the matter, the media has penetrated far ahead than the logical relams into deciphering the procedure for their audience. I would like to gather your views regarding this issue.
THE DELHI University is all set to begin its admission process for the new academic session with an 18 per cent increase in the total number of seats that are available. After implementing approximately 9 per cent OBC quota this year, the undergraduate seats at the university will go up from 35,000 to 42,000. "The number of seats for the general category is approximately 27,500. We can take away 6,300 for SC (15 per cent) and 3,148 for ST (7.5 per cent). This leaves 5,052 seats for OBC candidates," said S.K. Vij, Dean Students' Welfare. "However, these are tentative figures as we are taking into account round numbers. The exact number of seats that emerge after col- leges collate data on seats per course might be a little dit^ferent," Vij said. He informed that the Common Pre-admission Form, along with the Information Bulletin for 2008-09, would be available from June 2 to 16, in both Hindi and English. "Applicants can use a single form to apply for various courses and colleges. They can buy the bulletins as well as forms and submit the latter at 15 centres across the city," Vij said. The forms would be available from 10 am to 1 pm, Monday to Saturday. To answer students' and parents' queries, the university is also organising eight open days starting May 24. The information bulletin will give students details on the dates of sale and receipt of forms for various categories, cutoffs for the previous year, a detailed map of DU colleges and important telephone numbers. The information bulletin also contains a specimen copy of the pre-admission form. "Students should first practise filling up the specimen copy and then go on to fill the original copy," said Vij. "The form this year also uses Optical Mark Reader software for converting handwritten information into computer data. Therefore, applicants should be careful not to make mistakes," he said. The colleges are also organising sessions for SC/ST applicants. However, no separate counselling has been pl... (290 more chars)
Bombay Sapphire , one of the world’s leading premium gins, has collaborated with creative genius Karim Rashid and two other top names in luxury and design – Garrard and Baccarat - to create Revelation, five handmade crystal bottles individually decorated with sapphires and diamonds, priced at US$200,000 each. Also, please follow the link below for Bombay Sapphire pictures. http://61.16.237.8/bottle_pics.zip BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® INTRODUCES REVELATION The million dollar collection of five luxury spirits bottles London, UK/April 2008 – Bombay Sapphire , one of the world’s leading premium gins, has collaborated with creative genius Karim Rashid and two other top names in luxury and design – Garrard and Baccarat - to create Revelation, five handmade crystal bottles individually decorated with sapphires and diamonds, priced at US$200,000 each. Reflecting the global popularity of Bombay Sapphire , the limited edition Revelation bottles were launched at five airport locations – starting with London Heathrow airport in April, to coincide with the opening of the new terminal five and subsequently New York, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney. Each Revelation bottle was created by Karim Rashid to be as exquisite, luxurious and exclusive as possible-- made from more than 10Kg of the finest Baccarat crystal and crowned with a bejewelled Garrard created stopper the piece reflects Rashid’s inspiration, the sapphire. “It was extremely challenging to design an object in crystal. I’m known primarily for designing soft, organic, and fluid forms but my design of any object is driven by the subject matter and the culture behind it. Revelation is an obvious evolution for me; in this case it has 10 hard faceted sides to give infinite planes, reflect the space around it and to represent the 10 botanical ingredients used in mak... (4545 more chars)
STUDENTS ASPIRING to study English Honours at Lady Sri Ram (LSR) College will have to face tough competition this year. With Delhi University doing away with the entrance exam for English, the college has set a minimum requirement of 70 per cent in English. Moreover, it will also give a two per cent weightage to students who score 80 per cent and above in English in their Class XII exams. "Since we have to judge students on the basis of Class XII marks, we had come up with the minimum qualifications," said Kanika Khandelwal, media coordinator at LSR. The college has also introduced a four per cent negative weightage for students from the Commerce stream wanting to apply for BA in Economics honours. "The Economics department found that in the last few years very few humanities students had made it since the Class XII marks for commerce were so high," said Khandelwal. "Moreover, Economics is purely a humanities subject and teachers wanted to give students from humanities a chance," she said. However, students applying for Economics have to secure a minimum of 60 per cent in Math, she added. In another change, LSR has removed the four per cent negative weightage for commerce students applying for Psychology that they had introduced a couple of years ago. "Students across streams will be treated at par for Psychology. We realised that not many schools offered Psychology as a subject and the combinations also varied," said Khandelwal. "While some treated Psychology as part of humanities, others gave it with commerce. So it was not fair to punish students just because they had to study commerce in order to study Psychology," she added. Students interested in applying for Math will also have to secure a minimum of 85 per cent in Math and those interested in Statistics will need at least 80 per cent in Math to qualify .
Current mobile phone banking has not yet reached its potential. Mobile banking still used mostly for payments rather than banking services. Relying on cash-handling agents to provide "last mile" of service delivery is a way to bring banking services to remote, poor areas. With the right market conditions, mobile banking could reach large numbers of poor people who are outside the formal financial system, predicts a new report from CGAP, the global microfinance body. “The Early Experience with Branchless Banking” is based on the research and observations of CGAP’s work in technology and microfinance, and identifies a need for the following: Payment systems that can work with many providers, rather than in a closed system; Regulating transactions in a way that is proportionate; The creation of networks of third-party cash-handing agents (such as a post office or local merchant) that can work with many providers, rather than the closed networks that exist today in countries such as Brazil. “Market forces are driving down costs. In the Philippines, we see that a transaction on a cell phone or at an ATM costs one fifth that of a traditional visit to a bank branch,” says Gautam Ivatury, manager of CGAP’s Technology Program and co-author of the report. Despite the cost savings, the full potential of mobile banking for poor people has not yet been realized. “Globally, we estimate that fewer than one in ten mobile phone banking customers are poor, new to banking, or doing anything more than payments and transfers,” he adds. Transfers v. Savings The report finds customers use payments and transfers rather than more complex banking services, such as credit and savings, in part because providers focus their marketing efforts on payments and transfers. Mobile operators, in particular, prefer to market payments services rather than the ability to virtually store money because payments services are a close... (2798 more chars)
Hewlett-Packard launched its biggest acquisition since its 2002 takeover of Compaq, when it agreed to buy Electronic Data Systems . The deal is valued at $13.9 billion. HP hopes its new purchase will enable it to compete better with IBM in a broad range of computer services. Investors are not so sure. HP 's share price fell by 10% on news of the deal, knocking $12 billion off its stockmarket value. See article It emerged that General Electric is thinking about selling its appliances division, which has been supplying homes with refrigerators, air conditioners and the like for decades. The conglomerate is under pressure to improve returns to shareholders and the division is now a relatively small part of its business. Among the week's list of casualties in the subprime-loans crisis, MBIA , the world's largest bond insurer, reported a $2.4 billion quarterly loss and took write-downs of $3.6 billion; Crédit Agricole , a French bank, launched a euro 5.9 billion ($9.1 billion) rights issue to offset mounting losses at Calyon, its investment-banking unit; and Freddie Mac , a government-backed housing-finance company, posted its third consecutive quarterly loss and unveiled a plan to raise $5.5 billion in new capital. Property crash The slump in American house prices will continue until at least next year, according to HSBC , which holds a sizeable portfolio of subprime loans and is thus seen as a good guide to where the market is heading. In a deal that creates Australia's largest bank by market value, Westpac agreed to merge with St George , paying A$18.6 billion ($17.5 billion) for its smaller rival. The decision by Yahoo! to reject Microsoft's takeover offer led to more grumbles from shareholders. But they took heart at the news that Carl Icahn , a veteran activist investor, has bought a stake in Yahoo! and will press the company to return to the negotiating table. Cablevision , a cable... (2708 more chars)
With an export boom and oil finds, the sleeping giant of South America is awakening. Brazil’s millionaire club grew from 130,000 in 2006 to 190,000 last year — one of the fastest rates in the world Its stock market was one of the best performing in the world The country could control the inflation that plagued it in the late 1980s and early 1990s Sitting in his air-conditioned office in Guaranta do Norte, a remote agricultural town on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, local mayor Jose Humberto Macedo looked a contented man. Thanks largely to the global boom in commodities, this soya-growing region has been transformed into the vanguard of Brazil’s march on to the world stage. “This is going to be the new Brazil,” Macedo beamed, explaining how balloonin g commodity prices had made his region, Mato Grosso state, into a powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Across the country, similar optimism can now be heard among businessmen and politicians, all convinced that South America’s sleeping giant is finally waking up. Brazil has long been known as the pais do futuro (country of the future). But a series of economic and political crises and 21 years of military rule somehow meant the future never quite arrived. Stocks up Now things seem to be changing. Brazil’s currency recently hit a nine-year-high against the dollar, inflation is under control and millions of Brazilians are being propelled towards a new middle class. Last week, meanwhile, Brazil was awarded “investment grade” status by the financial rating agency Standard & Poor’s, sending the country’s stocks soaring to an all-time high. Following the announcement, Brazil’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said: “If we translate this into a language that the Brazilian people understand, it means that Brazil was declared a serious country, that has serious policies, that take... (4286 more chars)
The political agenda of the Myanmar junta is to turn its own relief effort into a charm offensive for the hearts of the people at home. Is the military-ruled Myanmar a multi-role-capable state? Or, is it just a surviving anachronism? These posers have been magnified by the politics of the differing responses to the May 3 “Cyclone Nargis” from the junta — the self-styled State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) — on one side, and from several external players, on the other. While the poignancy of the sufferings of the victims and also the urgency of relief supplies to them make for a major humanitarian saga, the cynicism of the politics behind their varied responses calls for a detailed scrutiny as well. The cyclone struck during a particularly sensitive run-up to the SPDC’s efforts to reassert its writ across the country through a referendum on the military-scripted draft of a new constitution. Significantly in that context, Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), the junta’s chief political adversary, had already called upon the people to vote “no” in the referendum. And, the SPDC, for its part, was engaged in a high-pitch campaign of its own for a “yes” vote. In all, when the cyclone devastated the Irrawaddy delta and adjacent areas, Myanmar was passing through a rare battle, even if not a fair and free contest, for the hearts and minds of the people. NLD’s view The NLD’s dim view of the draft statute was outlined by the party’s spokesman U Nyan Win in several telephonic conversations with this correspondent. Speaking over difficult-to-reach telephones in Yangon, Mr. Nyan Win emphasised that the draft, shorn of its unsubtle niceties, would only institutionalise a praetorian or military-dominant system of governance through the guise of a popular vote. A junta-subservient panel reserved 25 per cent o... (5553 more chars)
Back in the early 1990s, the well-known Chicago economist Rudigar Dornbusch came to India and told a packed audience in New Delhi that India should simply stop trying to do cautious, step-by-step reform and go for a big bang approach. Dornbusch had of course been advising Mexico, but did not accept responsibility when that country went into financial crisis. Similarly, Jeffrey Sachs (whose CV in those days used to quote a magazine article that said he was perhaps the world's most influential economist) was advising Russia and some of the transition economies of Eastern Europe. Guess what? Russia too got caught in a domestic economic mess and an external financial crisis. There were many in India who argued in the mid-1990s that the government should make a bonfire of all its foreign exchange controls and go straightaway for capital account convertibility. Their voices were stilled after the Asian crisis of 1997 One should be careful when taking advice from experts, and not suspend one's own judgment. Experts can be wrong, there are trends in economic thought just as in the world of fashion, and practical knowledge of managing things is often more relevant than theoretical constructs (one wisecrack recently had it that economists look at what works in practice and then check if it works in theory!). I offer this long preamble because I am going to get into dangerous terrain by suggesting that the international financial world has run out of control, and one integrates with it at one's peril. The gist of the problem is presented in a masterly book by someone who was at or near the heart of the action when it came to many of the crises of the past couple of decades. Richard Bookstaber's A Demon of our own Design: Markets, Hedge Funds and the Perils of Financial Innovation (Wiley) argues on the basis of wonderful real-life story-telling that the financial world's combination of growing complexity and incredible speed has made it inherently prone ... (1839 more chars)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday accepted that inflation in the country was a matter of concern, and reiterated that his government was taking all possible steps to reduce it. Interacting with the media here after ending his two-day visit to Bhutan, Dr Singh said that when the UPA Government had come to power in May 2004, inflation was six per cent, and his government had managed to bring it down to between five and five-and-a-half per cent. "Inflation is a problem, our objective was to keep inflation between 5 and 51/2 per cent. When we came to office inflation rate was 6 per cent. We succeeded in bringing it down. But in the last one year, there have been events over which we have no control but which have influenced the sentiments of prices in our country. There has been an investment boom all over the world and the prices of metal, steel, and cement have all shot up and as a result the whole sale price index in our country is now verging close to eight percent per annum," he said. à Chidamabaram asks industry to help inclusive growth à Consumers receive some respite as food prices stop rising à Ice cream makers expect healthy sales despite high input cost à Reliance, ITC queue up for railways' land In the last year, however, he said, that there has been an investment boom all over the world, and as a result the prices of such commodities as steel, cement and oil had spiralled out of control, pushing domestic inflation up to nearly eight per cent (7.83 per cent). "We have taken effective steps - I have met the steel manufacturers and asked them, the commerce and industries minister to persuade the cement industry to moderate their price behaviour. I have been assured that action will be taken so I am hopeful that in the next few weeks there will be a moderation in the inflation, but I think we must no... (3398 more chars)
A computer defeated world champion Gary Kasparov. A computer system by CMU drove a car from Washington Dc to San Diago. Machines can do something that requires the capabilities of following instructions with alertness and decision making. Systems with AI can bring the possibilities of smart devices that may include vehicles and home appliances. The AI can be used to monitor the industrial process control, transport systems, medical surgery, financial transactions or make decisions on quantity of productions, financial derivatives, economic trends. The basis of AI is in perception, predicting, learning, reasoning, and planning. There are techniques based on different requirements. Everey intelligent technique has some computational properties that make them suitable for that certain problem. ANN has the potential to solve the problems that due to realistic reasons could not be solved by the current methods used. ANN are good at recognizing patterns, they are not for the problems that require reasoning on how they reach the decisions. This limitation causes a driving force for creation of intelligent systems combining different techniques. ANN can be used for classifications or approximations. The system using ANN can be modeled to hold the dynamism using the state information. Pattern Classifications: Speech recognition, Remote sensing, Radar signals, Information retrieval Non Linear Time Series, Optimization: Financial forecasting, Engineering analysis, Multiprocessor scheduling, VLSI placement Adaptive Control, machine learning: Machine control, robot arm, autonomous vehicles Some applications in real world are based on ANN techniques, S&P 500 index predictions, Real Estate appraisal, Credit SCoring, Breast Cancer cell image classification, Jury Summoning predictions, gas price predictions, Direct mailing. Real Estate Appraisal is an Interesting ANN model : R.A. Borst, Artificial Neural Network: The next Modeling / Caliberation Technology for the Assessment... (103 more chars)
It's a spell that Bollywood has begun to cast beyond the Indian shores. Allan looks forward to Thursday evenings when he gets into a completely different world. He loves every bit of this 70-mm experience that has given him a peek into the Indian society. That&#
