Come Let Us Share

2008-01-04T07:13:00.000-08:00

This year we attended FOSS.IN/2007 and there were new zeal to go with as we demonstrated Ajuby- Open Source Application Builder, there. It was really exciting as loads of folks were showing there keen interest in knowing more about Ajuby. Here are few of the captured moments:

1. Ajuby in FOSS.IN BOF

2. Pasting the BOF on the clipboard

3. Giving the demo to the folks

4. Explaining passionately

5. Demostrating on the laptop

6. Debating with the Sun Microsystem guy

7. Took quick time to grab coffee

8. The future innovators

Spreading knowledge through Moodle.

2006-01-25T00:30:00.000-08:00

Many of the Institutions, Universities and the Companies are using moodle based architecture to spread the knowledge. Currently there are more than 8000 sites from 146 countries which are based on Moodle.
The graph also shows that rate of Moodle adoption has increased amongst the Universities and the learning Institutions.

music

2006-01-18T02:49:00.000-08:00

You will have start loving misic

2006-01-02T23:26:00.000-08:00

Monday, July 04, 2005

Coke Addiction And The Six Cs Of Super-Rich

And ‘too much money’ is exactly what you need to have if you’re planning to snort some of the ‘white stuff.’

C FOR... CASH

At last check, cocaine was being sold for anywhere between Rs 3000-5000 per gram. A regular user who’s been snorting for a year would require a daily fix of at least 2 grams — Rs 10,000. ‘‘I was an unwelcome guest inside the washroom of a well-known lounge bar recently,’’ says Kartik Verma, a banker. ‘‘And of course, money is no bar at all. What is... ... 10 grand to someone who has a turnover in crores? Cocaine is the habit of the super-rich,’’ says a party animal who’s ‘‘tried it once.’’ Bollywood insiders speak of a star son and a star daughter who do drugs regularly on the party circuit, and a big star who is known to throw parties where alcohol is passe and cocaine is openly passed around for the guests.

C FOR... CHARLIE

Coke, Charlie, C, White Horse — these are some of the common names for cocaine. Crack is an adulterated form of cocaine which is called so because of the sound it makes when it is smoked. ‘‘You have to be introduced to the pusher by someone who’s already in the coke circle,’’ says in insider on the circuit. ‘‘There’s generally a code word that you need to give before the dealer will talk shop.’’

C FOR... COOL QUOTIENT

Snorting up is more of a lifestyle trend than anything else in the metros. Check out the scene in a washroom in a city nightspot, post a fashion even: ‘‘If you’re doing it, do it right girl,’’ laughs a stylist. She’s teaching an upcoming model how to snort up — both are in one cubicle and the giggling doesn’t seem to stop. The model, having managed to do it right has finally arrived!

C FOR... CELEBRITY

This comes close on the heels of fashion choreographer Prasad Bidapa getting caught at the Dubai airport for alleged possession of drugs. Film industry insiders say the use of drugs is a done thing in Bollywood. Alcohol is a thing of the past. It’s cocaine and designer drugs that have been... .. the in thing for years now. The ‘inner circle’ is treated to the best drugs money can buy. But most are not addicts. It is just another way of bonding,’’ says a prominent film-maker.

C FOR... CURE?

Cocaine stimulates the reward-centre in one’s brain — otherwise stimulated by good work, great sex and the like — with an insistence that is unmatched. All other drugs fail in comparison — which is the basis of the chemical dependence on coke. Repeated use leads to a higher level of tolerance that requires larger doses of the substance to pacify the psychological addiction.’’

C FOR... CRIME

Many had to be sent home in police vans as they were too high to walk or drive. Police sources in Mumbai say that several film personalities host parties at their bungalows and farm houses, where cocaine is available freely to the guests. ‘‘We have just heard about such parties. But we have never been able to nab a drug user. Many times, we have gatecrashed into a party. But the addicts are smarter and they dispose off the cocaine when they see the cops,’’ a deputy commissioner stated. ‘‘If a small quantity of drug is found on a person and if the court is convinced that the narcotic was meant for personal consumption, the accused can be jailed for upto a year. But in most cases the person is awarded a sentence for a couple of months. If the accused pleads before court that he wishes to be rehabilitated in a deaddiction centre even that sentence is waived.’’ For drug peddling or trafficking, a person can be jailed for upto 10-20 years and pay a fine of Rs One lakh or upwards. Repeat convicts in trafficking cases face a death sentence, he adds.

(With inputs from Somit Sen, Meena, Farida and Aneesh — Mumbai; Vinita A Shetty — Bangalore)

Friday, July 01, 2005

How to prepare for your web conference.

Basic Presentation Skills

Here are few guidelines which I found very helpful in conducting a web conference. Usually there is a lot that can be quickly gained or quickly lost from a presentation. A little bit of guidance goes a long way toward making a highly effective presentation.

The following guidelines are intended for general presentations. These guidelines can be applied to face-to face meetings, web presentations, and desktop video meetings.

Basic Guidelines For Designing Your Presentation

List and prioritize the top three goals that you want to accomplish with your audience. It's not enough just to talk at them. You may think you know what you want to accomplish in your presentation, but if you're not clear with yourself and others, it is very easy - too easy - for your audience to completely miss the point of your presentation.
Be really clear about who your audience is and about why is it important for them to be in the meeting. Members of your audience will want to know right away why they were the ones chosen to be in your presentation. Be sure that your presentation makes this clear to them right away. This will help you clarify your invitation list and design your invitation to them.
List the major points of information that you want to convey to your audience. When you're done making that list, then ask yourself, "If everyone in the audience understands all of those points, then will I have achieved the goal that I set for this meeting?"
Be clear about the tone that you want to set for your presentation, for example, hopefulness, celebration, warning, teamwork, etc. Consciously identifying the tone to yourself can help you cultivate that mood to your audience.
Design a brief opening (about 5-10% of your total time presentation time) that:

a. Presents your goals for the presentation.
b. Clarifies the benefits of the presentation to the audience.
c. Explains the overall layout of your presentation.
Prepare the body of your presentation (about 70-80% of your presentation time).
Design a brief closing (about 5-10% of your presentation time) that summarizes the key points from your presentation.
Design time for questions and answers (about 10% of the time of your presentation).

Basic Guidelines About Presentation Materials

If you plan to use a PowerPoint presentation as part of your meeting, then be sure to carefully review your presentation sequence before the web conference meeting, your objective is to synchronize your audio conference presentation with your PowerPoint slide presentation.
Use a consistent layout, or organization of colors and images, on your visuals.
If you use PowerPoint, a good rule to follow is to allocate one image for every 3-5 minutes of your presentation. Include 5-8 lines of bulleted phrases on each image.
If you provide supplemental information during your presentation, then your audience will very likely read that information during your presentation, rather than listening and following you. Therefore,send out this information after you have completed your presentation. Or, send it out at the beginning of your presentation and ask them not to read it until you have completed your presentation.

Basic Guidelines About Your Delivery

If you're speaking using desktop video conferencing along with your web presentation then try to accomplish eye contact with the web camera throughout your delivery. Look up from your materials, or notes, every 5-10 seconds, to look into the audience.
Speak a little bit louder and a little bit slower than you normally would do with a friend. A good way to practice these guidelines is to speak along with a news anchor when you're watching television.
Vary the volume and rate of your speech. A monotone voice is absolutely toxic to keeping the attention of an audience.
Keep your hands relatively still, that is, not waving in front of you which can be distracting to the viewer.

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

India Heading Towards The Broader Adoption Of Open Source Software

The President of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, in one of the speech during the opening ceremony of International Institute of Information Technology in the University city of Pune, India said "We were discussing the future challenges in information technology, including the issues related to software security, I made a point that we look for open-source codes so that we can easily introduce the users built security algorithms. Our discussions became difficult, since our views were different." This was the in the context to the conversation he had with the Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

Microsoft has become an increasingly harsh critic of the open-source model, in which the underlying code for software is freely shared for users to modify and distribute, saying the approach is risky and undermines innovation. The open-source Linux operating system has become a growing threat to the dominance of Microsoft's Windows.

Kalam said open-source software offers developing nations such as India the best opportunity to modernize.

"The most unfortunate thing is that India still seems to believe in proprietary solutions," he said in the speech. "Further spread of IT, which is influencing the daily life of individuals, would have a devastating effect on the lives of society due to any small shift in the business practice involving these proprietary solutions. It is precisely for these reasons open-source software needs to be built, which would be cost-effective for the entire society. In India, open-source code software will have to come and stay in a big way for the benefit of our billion people."

Monday, June 27, 2005

Secret #7: Tracking

Now each letter campaign you send out gives you the ability to precisely track what your return on investment is. This way you know to the penny if your marketing is working or not. Unlike many other forms of advertising you do to just get your "name out", direct mail gives you an easy way to track your returns.

Subtracting your expenses (cost of postage, printing, and list rental) from how much business your direct mail campaign brought you gives you your profits.

You must keep track of each and every prospect calling from your letter and responding to your specific offer (secret # 4).

That's why you'll want to assign unique priority codes, extension numbers for each promotion. Each letter you send should have a unique code. Then you will be able to credit that letter with the inquiry or sale. So you know what works and what does not.

Many times I'll use a priority code at the top of the letter. When prospects call in your staff should be trained to ask for the priority code.

Or if you do face-to-face business, an easy way is require people to bring the letter with them/or present it to your staff in order to get the special offer.

Tracking is critical or else you'll still be flying blind. Now you can track your revenues and results from each mailing. Plus, you get a clear handle on where your business is coming from and which
promotions are working.

Adding direct mail to your marketing is a surefire way to produce immediate results for your business. And by applying these seven little-known secrets, your next mailing can't help but be more profitable and successful.

Secret #6: Testing

With direct mail you have the precision to test any offer on a small group before mailing on a massive scale. Even if you think you have the greatest idea in the world for a letter, you can still test it to a few names, instead of mailing to 50,000 people. Then if you get a good response you can move on to mail a higher number of pieces because with a high probability you know it will work again. Depending on how many names you have on your list. You can even test with as little as a few hundred -- but you won't get a statistically valid response. However, you will get an indication of the letter's success. Once you've created a letter that works well this is called your "control" and now you can use testing to see if you can do better.

Here's how:

On your next mailing you change only one element like the headline, offer, pricing, etc. and then you split your list in half. One half gets letter#1 (your control) and the other half gets letter#2 (the test) then see which one does better.

Secret #5: Continuous Mailings

Why do people believe they can send out one mailing, one time, and all of a sudden become bombarded with new customers? It's ridiculous to believe any one shot mailing is going to uncover *everybody* interested in your service or product.

Think about your own life. You've probably received some offers that you were interested in but you never acted on. Perhaps you put it aside for a phone call or maybe one of your kids came running in and distracted you, or any number of other reasons. Your prospects are the same way. To overcome this, you've got to create a plan for multiple contacts. Also, this way you can take advantage of the "moving parade of life". You are not selling to a standing army, but rather a moving parade of prospects. People will move in and out of different needs and wants as they go through changes in their life.

Secret #4: No offer = No Response

Without an offer, your letter is doomed. It is not enough just to send out a mailing hoping people will call if they're interested. You've got to tell people exactly what next step they should take, and if you don't, your mailing has failed.

The best type of offer is something that is non-threatening and completely irresistible. If you can offer anything for free this works best. Such as a free educational report, tape, seminar, consultation, service, etc. Try to come up with such an irresistible offer that anyone would be foolish not to take advantage of it. Plus by making a compelling offer you can then keep track of how many people responded to your mailing.

Secret # 3:A Letter Means Action

Brochures and self-mailers do not work. What do you do when you get a brochure in the mail? Most people will either toss it out or file it away. Hardly anyone gives it more than just a casual glance on the way to the circular file.

What you need is an action device, and that's what a letter will give you. You need to take advantage of the greatest benefit direct mail has for you - personalized, intimate conversations.

A letter allows you to "talk" one-on-one to your prospect. That means you should use "I" and "me" and "you" freely in your letter. Don't use the corporate sounding "we".

Remember just one person is reading your letter at once. So don't write in the plural, even if your mailing is going out to thousands and thousands of people. Just sit down and write the same way you'd talk to a friend over dinner explaining the advantages and benefits of the product or service you're offering.

Start your letter with a compelling, benefit-driven headline. Prospects will decide to continue reading by the headline. If your headline fails to capture their attention and keep them engaged, your letter will quickly end up in the trash.

The most common mistake you can make is to put your company name, big and bold on top of the letter. This is the worst thing you can possibly do. You see, every person is concerned with one thing: *What's in it for me?*

Your company name does not show what, if any, benefits, the prospect will get from your letter. So put your company name at the bottom of the page where it belongs.

Saturday, June 25, 2005

Secret #2:   How To Get Your Letter Opened and Most Importantly, Read

The first thing you need to do is to get your letter delivered. I know this sounds silly, but it's more difficult than you think. Many consultants will tell you to save money by using 'bulk-mail' postage or as its now called 'standard rate'. Bulk rate is the dumpster rate. After taking the proper steps to get the best list, don't blow it by being cheap on the postage.

In fact, the Post Office freely admits that 20%-30% of all bulk mail gets thrown out for various reasons. The reason is simple; when your mailman's sack gets heavy, which letters do you think he would dare not deliver? That's right - bulk mail.
So if something looks like it's junk mail it is more likely to get tossed.

So in order to get your mailings respected (by the post office and your recipient) all your mailings should go out first class and use a real "live" stamp. That also means don't use mailing labels or even worse than that, is a "postage indicia".

All these smack of "junk mail". The closer you can make your envelope look like personal correspondence the better since people sort their mail over the trash can. That means you only have only a split-second for them to decide if they'll open your letter or not.

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Direct Mail Secrets To Create A Stampede Of New Business

Secret #1: Your List Is The First And Foremost

Here are few excellent tips for writing an effective Business Letter from Yanik Silver

Your mailing list is essential to your success.Well as silly as this sounds, many people will make this same mistake. You cannot just pick a random resident list of nearby Zip codes to your office. What you need to do is consider who your ideal customer would be and then find a way to target your message directly to them.

With direct mail, you're given the opportunity to use laser-beam, pinpoint accuracy to specifically target your message.

There are two major types of lists available.

1. The first kind of list is simply compiled information, taken from directories, phone books, motor vehicle records, etc.

Probably the most common way of using a compiled list is to buy a geographic list, like all the residents around a 5 mile radius of your office. Usually this will not yield the greatest results.

Another way is to segment a compiled list is by demographics (that's the fancy term for age, sex, income, whatever). This is a little better way to target.

But there is an even better way is to combine them using "Geo/Demo" characteristics.

You can pick certain geographic areas and certain demographic characteristics that you desire. Think of your ideal prospect, the more you know about them the better targeted lists you can purchase.

For most people a good starting point is to comb through your customer records to find common characteristics, like region, age, etc. Or if you sell business to business then you should try to look for common industries or SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) codes that a majority of your business comes from. Your goal is try to *clone* your best customers!

2. The second type (and much more valuable) is called a direct response list. These are lists of people who have bought or responded to direct marketing.

In some cases it will make more sense for you to buy a mail order list. The people on this list have bought something from direct response methods (mail, print ads, infomercials, etc.).

This kind of list is the most specific you can get.

What you want is a "starving crowd," somebody who has expressed an interest in looking better. Somebody who has paid money. And that's exactly who you can find using direct response lists.

But there's one more list that almost everyone forgets. It's literally a gold-mine lying at your feet. And that's your *own* list!

If you have not put all your customer's names and addresses into a database you're overlooking an incredible source of added business. This list will be the most powerful list and responsive list you can use for any offers because these people already trust you and like doing business with you.

This is critically important. Especially if you're in a business that typically doesn't keep their customer names and addresses because you're missing an incredible amount of money.

Friday, June 17, 2005

Telephone Manners and Etiquette

Through experience, you'll develop your own telephone style. You'll also find customers and prospects responding positively when you and your employees smile, listen and show personal interest!

The following tips will help you use your "telephone tool" to its fullest:

Smile when you're on the phone; your customers will hear it!

Answer the phone pleasantly and maintain a pleasant demeanor while on the phone.

When you place a call that you know might be lengthy, ask if it's a good time to talk before you dive into your spiel.

Know what you want to say before making an important call. Practice the words out loud until they feel comfortable.

Don't read from a script during a call. Instead either memorize your script as an actor would or use "thought starters" such as a word or two on index cards to guide you from one idea to another.

Make a telephone appointment when you want to have a focused, longer (15 or more minutes) conversation with someone who is normally busy.

Don't do things such as open mail, flip through the newspaper or do paperwork while on the phone. The person you're talking with will know you're distracted.

Listen and respond to the person on the other end of the line. When you focus on them rather than on what you're going to say next, the phone call becomes much more conversational.

When you're doing a lot of telephone work, energize yourself after every hour.

Evaluate Your Telephone Voice

Your voice is your personality over the telephone. It makes an immediate impression that can portray you as friendly or distant, confident or timid, spontaneous or mechanical, relaxed or nervous.

So, how do you come across over the phone? Evaluate the following attributes:

Pitch - The more inflection you use, the more interesting your tone of voice is. The pitch of your voice is an index of confidence and poise.

Volume - Is it too soft or too loud? Often when people are tired or upset their voices tend to fade, and they will be asked to "speak up." Be sure to speak loud enough to be heard, but not so loud that you sound forced.

Rate - If you speak too slowly you'll likely lose the attention of the listener. Conversely, your listener won't be able to follow you if you speak too rapidly. In either case, your message won't get through.

Quality - The quality of your voice is its most distinctive and individual characteristic. This is where the essence of warmth, understanding and "likability" come into play. Being angry, upset or in a hurry negatively affects your vocal quality.

Articulation - The price of poor articulation is high, particularly in business. You must enunciate or pronounce your words very clearly or your listeners will misunderstand you. Faulty articulation and incorrect word pronunciation give your listener the impression that you are sloppy, careless and lack knowledge.

Got Into The Blogging World

Hi friends,
This is my first blog. Its not very long time that I've started blogging, but from the first day I've been feeling that blogging has improved my communication skill. Blogging helps me a lot in learning new things. There are many things which blogging makes me acquainted with, it is really very exciting to learn new things while blogging. The blogging is the best way to develope your conversational skill and it also teaches you how to present yourself in the midst of different kind of gatherings. It also makes you aware of new things, technologies, ideas, strategies and many more things which are really very nourishing for the personality development. When I started to blog, I found it really very hard to blog. After few days I found that I was getting fond of blogging. I was very much excited to go through the blogs once a day. Everytime when I went through it, I found something new and exciting. Sometimes I came across some of the facts which I didn't knew before. It was blogging through which I came to know some of new things. I think that blogging is one of the technique through which the knowledge of reading and writing can be improved and developed. I think that the blogging is like a big tree of knowledge where the fruits are different posts and each and every fruit has got its own taste and you will like the taste of every fruit because every fruit has different taste, that is, different kind of knowledge. Well if you find that this post needs to be modified then the suggestions will be gratefuly acknowledged.

posted by Moses Paik | 3:20 AM | 0 comments

2005-10-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Do You Have It InYou?------------EXECUTIVE PRESENCE

If you think it may be lacking, or if you’d like to increase your credibility and confidence, consider the following tips:

Be Aware That Gestures and Mannerisms Either Support or Sabotage What You Say
Become Conscious of What Your Body Language Says When You’re in Front of a Group
Add Volume to Increase Authority
Lower the Pitch to Increase Credibility
Identify Vocal Qualities That May Detract From an Overall Positive Impression

If you want to be more EXECUTIVE then click here.

2005-10-19T05:53:00.000-07:00

Seven Questions Employees Should Ask Before Joining a Startup

Going to join a start-up, get prepared by the following queries:

1. If you are receiving employee options, what is the number of fully-diluted outstanding shares?
2.Has there ever been a down round, a flat round, or a CEO change?
3.What is the burn rate and how much cash is in the bank now?
4.What is the plan for exit strategy and its timeframe?
5.Could you meet the CEO, the founder(s), and those on the management team?
6.Are there plans in the next six months to hire anyone along the chain-in-command between your position and the CEO?
7.How many employees did/does/will the company have six month ago, now, six months from now, a year from now?

These questions are erupting in your mind, if yes, then click here to get the answers.

2005-08-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

Parliament attack: Death for Afzal, 10 years for Shaukat Guru

In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence of Mohammed Afzal in the Parliament attack case, but condoned the death sentence of Shaukat Hussain Guru and passed the order of 10 years rigourous imprisonment.

The court upheld the Delhi high court judgement of acquitting S A R Geelani and Afsan Guru, wife of Shaukat Guru.

Justice P V Reddy and Justice P V Neolkar absolved Shaukat Guru of charges under the Terror Act, but sentenced him to for concealment of the conspiracy of the attack on Parliament.

2005-08-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

Death toll in Maharashtra 942

The death toll in Maharashtra rose to 942 with Mumbai accounting for 436 deaths, Navi Mumbai 60, Thane 206, Raigad 136, Ratnagiri 18, Sindhudurg seven, Kolhapur 11, Parbhani six, Nanded nine, Yavatmal 10, Satara four, Beed seven, Aurangabad seven, Jalna two, Hingoli one, Wardha two, Pune seven, Nasik one, Bhandara five, Washim two and Amravati five.

In Vidarbha region, there was also a let up in rainfall and water level receded in Vainganga river in Bhandara. In Nasik, incessant rains since Monday night disrupted normal life and the civic body issued notices to residents of old houses in Kazi Gadhi locality, facing threat of collapse due to heavy rains.

2005-08-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

43 injured in Air France crash in Toronto

There were no fatalities in the Air France jet crash at Toronto airport, although 43 people were injured, authorities said. Authorities increased the toll to 43 after initially reporting 22 injuries.

Airport official Steve Shaw confirmed that no one died in Tuesday's accident, speaking to reporters shortly after an Air France A-340 jet arriving from Paris crash-landed at Toronto's Pearson International Airport during a storm. Forty-three people were taken to area hospitals, but their injuries were minor, Shaw said.

The plane was apparently struck by lightning while braking on the runway, according to a French source close to the investigation. Shaw added that the circumstances surrounding the crash are the subject of an ongoing Canadian-French investigation.

2005-07-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

ONGC platform fire toll reaches 8

The death toll in Wednesday's devastating fire at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation platform off Mumbai coast has risen to eight.

About 20 to 25 people are still missing and the navy and coast guard are assisting the ONGC's relief teams to locate them.

Six more employees have been located trapped under the debris of the oil platform and rescue teams are trying to get them out.

"Altogether 348 employees have been rescued. The company has put up the names of the rescued employees and the dead on our Website," an official said.

2005-07-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

The hottest things on the Net!
They are the hottest new things on the Net. And they are catching on like wildfire. The disruptive technology which powers them could dramatically alter the way we read, listen, express ourselves and even do business.
Wiki, Podcasting and Google Earth are things that are challenging the time-tested and established institutions such as newspapers, radio encyclopaedia and the Atlas.
Wiki
For decades these were the bibles for checking out word meanings and references. Instead, get on to the Net and go to Wikipedia --  a free encyclopaedia where content is created by Net enthusiasts across the globe.
Wikipedia's English version, that took off four years ago, already has an amazing over 640,000 articles ranging on topics from the Taj Mahal to the London tube. 
Podcasting
Welcome to podcasting. It is simply a pre recorded radio or audio show, or an audioblog that can be downloaded at leisure and heard on the computer, an MP3 digital player and, of course, on the Apple iPod. The podcast listeners' global market is estimated to be 6 million. And 29 per cent of iPod users around the world have downloaded MP3 files.  (There are 8,000 podcast stations around the world).
But will it be a big market in India? Says Trehan: "It might not emerge as large as in the west, but it will be significant. . ."
Google Earth
Still not content, you could peep into the famous Macy's store on Thirty Fourth Street.
Dreaming? Well, no. The new world view is a reality, thanks to Google Earth -- Google's new satellite imagery based mapping product which combines 3D buildings and terrains with mapping capability. All this is combined with the power of Google search.
Competition in these areas is bound to come. But for Net users studying geography or publishing their works will never be the same again.

2005-07-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

Wipro staffer threatens client, sacked

In the second case in less than four months, another employee from Wipro took to scare-mongering, issuing an online threat to a client from the company's Noida facility three days ago. "We cannot reveal the nature of the threat or the client it was made to, but we have taken prompt action," said a Wipro spokesperson, adding that the person was a BPO staff member.  
  
    Following a complaint by the client, Wipro BPO officials informed the Delhi police. The Wipro staffer was identified and forced to resign from his post. "We took less than 24 hours to know who did it and we did not take it lightly," said the spokesperson. Errant staffers have been dogging Wipro for some time. In March 2005, a Wipro employee from Bangalore had created a bomb hoax triggering panic in the city. Police had to evacuate scores of employees from the Wipro Technologies office on MG Road.

2005-07-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Future of the mini
Wearing a mini is no longer seen as being daring. It is more of making a statement. If you have the figure and believe you are ‘in’ with the latest trends, an exciting mini is the best way to grab attention. As designer Puja Nayyar puts it, “the mini will never go out of style. It’s as classic as blue jeans.”

We’ve all seen the pleated, the floral and the wispy itsy bitsy variety. Then there’s been the standard denim look. How does one reinvent this stylish and sexy outfit? Can a denim mini look different? Let’s take a look at the future of the mini. Here are basic guidelines that can ensure you don’t make a fashion faux pas in your mini. If your legs are too thin or full of cellulite, avoid the mini. Always cross your legs when you sit and maintain your posture. The golden rule is to wear a mini with a sexy pair of stilettos. Strappy heels and wedges are another chic option. A mini should fit the body comfortably without bagging or straining. Pleats and gathers add bulk and will make you look heavier, so choose flat front styles. Dark and muted colours will make your bottom half look slim, light or bright colours will make your bottom half look larger. With our complete low down on how you could innovate with the mini, go out and stun the world! 

2005-07-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

Indo-US nuclear treaty: A good deal
Commentaries in the India press have both praised and panned the Manmohan Singh-George W Bush statement at the end of the Indian prime minister's visit to Washington, DC two days ago. These were to be expected. They reveal a clear adherence to the ideology of our political parties. Though the Left parties are critical as expected, it is unlikely that they will withdraw support to the government in power over this issue.
Setting polemics aside, the statement deserves to be welcomed for a number of reasons. 
First, it opens many doors for generation of a significantly higher percentage of electricity generation with nuclear power reactors than the present very low percentage of about 2.5%. Second, the prospect of reducing our energy production deficit through building and commissioning more power reactors (based on low enrichment uranium and unit size of 1,000 Mwe or more) in a short period (now about 4 years compared to seven or eight years earlier) brightens up very considerably.
Third, the spiraling price of oil would upset the kwh cost of distributed electricity from non-nuclear plants and customers, both industrial and non-industrial, may not be assumed to be forever docile. Fourth, there is a finite probability of disruptions in assured fuel supply over the lifetime of coal or oil plants due to factors beyond the producer's control. Generally, such disruptions in nuclear facilities are overplayed while those in non-nuclear plants are underplayed. 
Fifth, the pace of building nuclear power plants with foreign assistance has been poor due to a twisted interpretation of 'self reliance' and the price being paid for 'indigenisation'. This price increases by the day. An important fact or factor seems to be missed by critics who perceive this development in Indo-US relations as a Faustian bargain. Nuclear majors in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) like Germany, Canada, France and Russia have not been able to make their presence felt much in India mainly due to the position held by the US that nuclear cooperation with non-NPT countries should be actively discouraged.

2005-07-24T21:20:00.000-07:00

British police fear there may have been a fifth suicide bomber
The British police suspect that a fifth bomber was involved in last week's attempted suicide attacks at underground trains and a bus in London, believed to have been carried out by four men, a report said on Monday.
With the discovery of a suspect package, appeared to be packed with explosives, nails and bolts, in northwest London on Saturday morning, police now fear that a fifth bomber was at large, The Times reported.

2005-07-22T03:46:00.000-07:00

MOST VALUABLE GLOBAL BRANDS

Coca-Cola - $67.5bn (US)

Microsoft - $59.9bn (US)

IBM - $53.4bn (US)

General Electric - $50bn (US)

Intel - $35.6bn (US)

Nokia - $26.5bn (Finland)

Disney - $26.4bn (US)

McDonald's - $26bn (US)

Toyota - $24.8bn (Japan)

Marlboro - $21.1bn (US)

Source: Interbrand

2005-07-22T03:42:00.000-07:00

      Coca-Cola still world's top brand

Coca-Cola has been named the world's top brand for a fourth consecutive year in a survey by consultancy Interbrand. It estimated that Coca-Cola's brand was worth $67.5bn (£39bn; 55bn euros). US firms dominated the top 10 and made up more than half of the those listed. The biggest non-US company was Finnish mobile phone group Nokia at number six, valued at $26.5bn. Only five UK names made it into the top 100, with banking group HSBC ranked the highest at 29 and worth $10.1bn.

2005-07-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

Sania in Cincinnati Open quarters

Sania Mirza beat Kristiana Brandi of Puerto Rico in the second round of the USD 170,000 WTA Western and Southern Financial Group Women's Open tennis in Cincinnati on Thursday.
She now joins No.1 seed Patty Schnyder and No.4 seed Daniela Hantuchova in the final eight.
In the doubles event, Sania and Ukrainian Yuliana Fedak ousted qualifiers Sybille Bammer of Austria and Jewel Peterson of the US 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 in the first round.
They next face local pair Angela Haynes and Bethanie Mattek who stunned the fourth seeds, Israeli teenager Shahar Peer and Russian Alina Jidkova.

2005-07-20T21:37:00.000-07:00

No question of violating NPT

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today refuted the allegation that India has in any way violated the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. In an interview to CNN's Wolf Blitzer at 1700 EDT today, Singh cut down the assumption that India was being rewarded despite violating the NPT, saying 'India was never a signatory to the NPT so there's no question of violating it." 
 
He said that India had had nuclear capability but had decided not to test during the NPT formulation. "Our nuclear tests were a response to the reckless proliferation in the region, from North Korea to the A Q Khan phenomenon and others," he said. "Besides, we have had an impeccable record of non-proliferation, and the world must acknowledge our exemplary behavior, our weapons are under complete civilian rules." 

"I am not an astrologer but I hope and pray it doesn't happen," Singh said. "The security of assets in Pakistan does worry us and we hope a workable solution can be found," he said. At the same time, he called for Pakistan to shut down its terrorism infrastructure, saying there was evidence that such camps were still operational. 
 
In response to a question on whether he trusted President Musharraf to follow through on his promises, Singh quoted one of the greatest American presidents, Ronald Reagan. 
 
'I do trust, but as President Reagan said 'Trust and verify.' I trust the territory won't be used to fan terrorism in India but there are some worries on that front, the infrastructure is still intact.' 
 
Singh also added that he was convinced that Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda were active in Pakistan. 'There is no doubt that Osama is in the border area, the North Western Frontier Province, the al Qaeda element is quite active there.'
 
'It is in our vested interest to see a strong, stable, secular democracy in Pakistan,' he said, pointing out not one of the 150 million-strong Indian Muslim population has been a part of al Qaeda or the Taliban regime. 
 
'It is because we are a secular democracy and Muslim in India participate fully in the mainstream, and India is a country where anyone is free to practise their religion without fear or favor.'
 
Singh, a noted economist himself, refused to raise to Blitzer's bait of Americans losing jobs to India, saying that one had to look at the 'holistic picture… it's not a one-way street, US enterprises also benefit and become more competitive in the long term."

2005-07-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

4 killed in Srinagar blast

Four people, three army men and a civilian, were killed and 15 people were injured on Wednesday morning in a suicide attack in Srinagar's Sonwar area. The suicide bomber rammed his car on a passing army jeep, causing a massive explosion. Army and paramilitary forces have surrounded the area.
The blast occurred just outside Burnhall School and anxious parents thronged the school to find out if their wards are safe. 
Further details are awaited.

2005-07-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

No change in policy on LoC: Bush

US President George Bush on Monday told the joint press conference with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that there has been no change in America's policy on Jammu and Kashmir and reiterated the policy laid down by President Clinton that the sanctity of the Line of Control will be maintained. However, he did not elaborate, but went on to applaud Dr Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for forging ahead with the peace process and spoke about the strength of character of the prime minister.

2005-07-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

Ayodhya attack: 4 JK men held

A breakthrough has been achieved in the July 5 attack near the makeshift Ram temple at Ayodhya as security agencies nabbed some persons in this connection. Informed sources said that it was now confirmed that Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Tayiba was behind the attack.

The militants who attempted to carry out the suicide attack near the makeshift temple were speaking Sindhi or Baloch dialects, the sources said. During the 10-day investigation into the case, which sent ripples across the country, the security agencies found that some of the militants had originated from Jammu and Kashmir, they said.

During the investigation it was found that the militants had stayed in Akbarpur for four days before carrying out the attack, the sources said. Nearly four to five people had been picked up from Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly providing logistical support to the militants, they said.

About the involvement of Rehan Alam, the driver of the militants' vehicle in during the attack, the sources said one of his relatives was working in a Gulf country, which could have been the reason behind his frequent visits there.

The Uttar Pradesh police have been continuously informed with intelligence inputs about the concentration of Pakistanis in Akbarpur, from where the attackers had travelled to Faizabad and its adjoining districts. Six heavily armed terrorists made an unsuccessful bid to storm the high-security makeshift Ram temple at Ayodhya on July 5 but were killed by the security forces before they could strike at the shrine.

2005-07-06T01:09:00.000-07:00

Joining a call centre? Think twice

There can be times when a bird in the hand is not better than two in the bush.

When money talks

While I do realise there are no guarantees either way, I understand frustration. The fact that you can earn a lot of money right away tends to influence a lot of young people I know. Many decide against pursuing higher studies. Others, decide to leave a prospective career for a job which may pay more today, but may not be a good idea in the long run.

Why would you not want to wear designer jeans as opposed to cheaper, unbranded ones?

Who does not want to go to expensive restaurants instead of making excuses to friends because you do not have enough money to spend?

Who would not want to buy a new camera phone as soon as it is out in the market instead of using the same old phone that mom had been using for two years before she gave it to you?

Who wants to slog for a measly salary in the hope of bigger things in the future when one's friends are living it up today?

These reasons are understandable, but are not entirely valid. They are short term and tend to be myopic.

Of course, there are lots of practical reasons for changing your profession.

Five valid reasons to join a call centre

i. You have a degree, but do not specialise in any particular profession.

So you join a call center as a representative, a job which may offer prospects of promotion if you do well.

ii. Your family has an immediate economic need that necessitates your going to work and this job is available.

iii. Though you have specialised in one particular profession, you find there is not much scope there. It could also be that finding a job in that area is very difficult.

iv. It also happens, sometimes, that what caught your interest at one time no longer excites you. You may have had some reasons for pursuing a particular course but those reasons are no longer valid, and you are no longer interested in doing that kind of work.

v. Another reason could be that you aren't the ambitious type and are satisfied with a nine-to-five job that gives you a decent salary.

These are all realistic reasons and, under the circumstances, your choice is justifiable.

2005-07-04T03:22:00.000-07:00

And ‘too much money’ is exactly what you need to have if you’re planning to snort some of the ‘white stuff.’

C FOR... CASH

C FOR... CHARLIE

C FOR... COOL QUOTIENT

C FOR... CELEBRITY

C FOR... CURE?

C FOR... CRIME

(With inputs from Somit Sen, Meena, Farida and Aneesh — Mumbai; Vinita A Shetty — Bangalore)

2005-07-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

Basic Presentation Skills

The following guidelines are intended for general presentations. These guidelines can be applied to face-to face meetings, web presentations, and desktop video meetings.

Basic Guidelines For Designing Your Presentation

List and prioritize the top three goals that you want to accomplish with your audience. It's not enough just to talk at them. You may think you know what you want to accomplish in your presentation, but if you're not clear with yourself and others, it is very easy - too easy - for your audience to completely miss the point of your presentation.
Be really clear about who your audience is and about why is it important for them to be in the meeting. Members of your audience will want to know right away why they were the ones chosen to be in your presentation. Be sure that your presentation makes this clear to them right away. This will help you clarify your invitation list and design your invitation to them.
List the major points of information that you want to convey to your audience. When you're done making that list, then ask yourself, "If everyone in the audience understands all of those points, then will I have achieved the goal that I set for this meeting?"
Be clear about the tone that you want to set for your presentation, for example, hopefulness, celebration, warning, teamwork, etc. Consciously identifying the tone to yourself can help you cultivate that mood to your audience.
Design a brief opening (about 5-10% of your total time presentation time) that:

a. Presents your goals for the presentation.
b. Clarifies the benefits of the presentation to the audience.
c. Explains the overall layout of your presentation.
Prepare the body of your presentation (about 70-80% of your presentation time).
Design a brief closing (about 5-10% of your presentation time) that summarizes the key points from your presentation.
Design time for questions and answers (about 10% of the time of your presentation).

Basic Guidelines About Presentation Materials

If you plan to use a PowerPoint presentation as part of your meeting, then be sure to carefully review your presentation sequence before the web conference meeting, your objective is to synchronize your audio conference presentation with your PowerPoint slide presentation.
Use a consistent layout, or organization of colors and images, on your visuals.
If you use PowerPoint, a good rule to follow is to allocate one image for every 3-5 minutes of your presentation. Include 5-8 lines of bulleted phrases on each image.
If you provide supplemental information during your presentation, then your audience will very likely read that information during your presentation, rather than listening and following you. Therefore,send out this information after you have completed your presentation. Or, send it out at the beginning of your presentation and ask them not to read it until you have completed your presentation.

Basic Guidelines About Your Delivery

If you're speaking using desktop video conferencing along with your web presentation then try to accomplish eye contact with the web camera throughout your delivery. Look up from your materials, or notes, every 5-10 seconds, to look into the audience.
Speak a little bit louder and a little bit slower than you normally would do with a friend. A good way to practice these guidelines is to speak along with a news anchor when you're watching television.
Vary the volume and rate of your speech. A monotone voice is absolutely toxic to keeping the attention of an audience.
Keep your hands relatively still, that is, not waving in front of you which can be distracting to the viewer.

2005-06-29T02:52:00.000-07:00

Kalam said open-source software offers developing nations such as India the best opportunity to modernize.

2005-06-28T03:52:00.000-07:00

Laptop vs Desktop

Laptop computers, on the other hand, are small, battery-powered, lightweight (1-3 kg) and ideal for those who require portability, such as business people who travel or university students who could then easily move from a dorm room to a library to a lecture hall to a cafe. With a DVD player, laptops can also be used as portable entertainment systems.

Desktop computers usually come with a vertical chassis, referred to as a tower, which typically sits on the floor under a desk. A monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers are all attached to the tower separately.

Unlike a desktop setup, all accessories are integrated into the laptop (mouse, keyboard, speakers, etc) but external ones may be attached, as well. The prices for these accessories are about the same for both laptop and desktop PCs.

Similarities

Any computer - desktop or laptop - has the following basic components.

* Processor (the main engine of the computer)

* Memory (where the software 'brains' of the computer as well as data are stored - as long as the computer is powered ON)

* Mass Storage (where user files, application software, etc. are stored permanently - meaning, they are there regardless of whether the computer is ON or OFF)

* Removable storage (used to transfer files in and out of the computer on a need basis)

Differences

The difference really is in the way each of these components is designed and implemented. The constraints placed in the implementation of these components in a laptop are driven by the most desired characteristics, which are:

* It should be small - smaller the better.

* It should be light - lighter the better.

* It should be powered by a battery.

* The battery should last a long time. After all, who wants a laptop that would not run even for 5 minutes without needing to be plugged into a power outlet.

* It should not generate too much heat - you don't want to burn your lap, would you?

* It should allow the user to use floppy disks or CDs or other forms of 'removable' media so that files can be transferred in and out of the computer.

Conclusion

The above components are packed together in a laptop tighter than in a desktop, making laptops less rugged than desktops from a physical handling standpoint.

Surprisingly, most laptops available in the market these days offer just about all the above.

Cost Evaluation

Desktop computers are less expensive than laptop computers. The price difference is because a laptop's components are much smaller, usually more expensive to manufacture, and more time-consuming to build into the final product. Prices range from Rs. 45,000 for entry-level ones to over Rs. 1.5 lakh for snazzier versions.