What to Do When Wikipedia Blackouts

Wikipedia has gone dark on today for 24hrs in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) legislation.

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales had advised students to do their homework earlier to avoid the downtime, but that's not your only option.
 If you really must do research tomorrow, here are
Some Wikipedia alternatives.

Encyclopedia Britannica Online

Remember regular encyclopedias? Britannica, formerly the most referenced encyclopedia on earth, offers up expert summaries of a wide range of topics online. Though it's been overshadowed by Wikipedia's crowd-sourced approach in recent years, Encyclopedia Britannica is still one of the most respected reference works in the world.

Scholarpedia


Scholarpedia uses the same software as Wikipedia, MediaWiki, but keeps the philosophy of a more traditional encyclopedia. Scholarpedia is written only by experts and as a result has less breadth but more depth than Wikipedia. Articles on Scholarpedia are better sourced and more stable than the average article on Wikipedia.

Infoplease

Infoplease started as a quiz show back in the 1930's before evolving into a yearly almanac. Now it's a huge online encyclopedia managed by educational publisher Pearson Education. Infoplease's main advanatage over Wikipedia is that it has a much larger selection of multimedia entries and tools.

Citizendium

Citizendium aims for a comfortable middle ground between the "anything goes" world of Wikipedia editing and the more formal inclusion process of traditional encyclopedias. Citizendium does allow for contributions from the public at large, but contributors must use their real names and conform to the site's rules and regulations or they will be banned from editing in the future.

The Free Dictionary Encyclopedia

If you've ever Googled for the definition of a word, you've probably run across Free Dictionary. In addition to dictionary functionality, the Website also offers an encyclopedia section with much longer explanations of over 100,000 people, places, and things.

Wikipedia's offline archives (can't download during blackout)

Consider downloading Wikipedia's offline archives. Wikipedia offers a 1.7GB archive of the entire Website that you can download and consult when the site is down.

Cricket- Sehwag surpasses Tendulkar, scores 219

Sachin Tendulkar stepped on a plane yesterday as the proud owner of the highest individual score in 50-over cricket but will land on Australian soil to find that he has been robbed of the record by his one-time protégé Virender Sehwag.

Sehwag has come a long way since his early days when he was called a ‘Tendulkar-clone’ and the 33-year-old struck a blazing 219 against West Indies to surpass his mentor in his 240th one-day international.

Tendulkar, who hit 200 not out against South Africa in Gwalior in February 2010, was among the first batch of Indian cricketers to leave for the team's Australia tour. Sehwag fiercely cut an Andre Russell delivery for the most memorable of the 25 fours he hit yesterday as Indore's Holkar Cricket Stadium went into a delirium.

One of the few batsmen considered capable of hitting 200 in one-dayers, Sehwag punched the air before hugging batting partner Rohit Sharma. He then took the helmet off to acknowledge the cheers from the hollering fans. One male supporter even managed to sprint on to the ground with a bouquet and tried to present it to a bemused Sehwag before being escorted out.

"Everybody was expecting me to score a double hundred and I think I lived (up to the) expectation," a visibly tired Sehwag said at the innings break, happy to have made the most of the perfect batting conditions. "Whenever I wanted to hit a ball, I hit into the gaps and it went for four. Whenever I wanted to hit a six, I just tried to hit it with a straight bat," said the opener with perhaps the most uncomplicated batting philosophy. "I was telling myself and Gautam Gambhir that if we batted with a little patience, we could score a big one here."

Fortune also favoured the brave opener in his pursuit of the milestone. Sehwag survived a run-out chance when he was on 20 and could have been dismissed on 170 as well but his opposite number Darren Sammy running in from extra cover, dropped an easy catch off Ravi Rampaul. "When Sammy dropped my catch, I thought God is with me and God is telling me 'just bat until the 45th-46th over and you will achieve your 200'," said Sehwag, one of the most devastating batsmen in contemporary cricket.

Sehwag took 41 balls to reach his half-century and needed 28 more to score his 15th ODI century. His 150 came off 112 balls and by the time Kieron Pollard ended his 149-ball batting pyrotechnics studded with seven sixes, Sehwag had entered the record book after a breathtaking knock that left him drained. Sehwag scored his previous highest ODI score of 175 against Bangladesh in the February 19 World Cup match in Dhaka. "I'm very tired because I'm a 33-year-old. I'm an old man and my back and glutes are tight," Sehwag said.

Veteran actor Dev Anand dies of cardiac arrest in London

Dev Anand, the 'Evergreen Romantic Superstar' of Indian cinema, passed away in London on Saturday night following cardiac arrest. He was 88.

Dev Anand, who had come to London for medical check up, was not keeping well for the last few days, family sources said. His son Sunil was with him when he breathed his last. Dev Anand made his debut as an actor in 1946 in Hum Ek Hain. By the time his Ziddi was released in 1947 he was a superstar and has never looked back.

Versatile Dev Anand has given countless hits like Paying Guest, Baazi, Jewel Thief, CID, Johny Mera Naam, Amir Garib, Warrant, Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Des Pardes. For his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema, Dev Anand was honoured with the prestigious the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 2002. He established his film production company Navketan International Films in 1949 and has produced more than 35 movies.

Dev Anand has won two Filmfare Awards - India's equivalent of the Oscars - in 1958 for his performance in the film Kala Paani (Black Water) and in 1966 for his performance in Guide. Guide went on to win Filmfare Awards in five other categories including Best Film and Best Director and was sent as India's entry for the Oscars in the foreign film category that year. He co-produced the English Version of Guide with the Nobel Laureate Pearl S Buck (The Good Earth). In 1993, he received a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and in 1996 he received a Screen Videocon Lifetime Achievement Award.

Of late he was involved in the direction of a new all American film Project Song Of Life - a musical love story which was to be shot in the United States. He was to play the central character in the film which was to have a predominantly American star cast. Dev Anand is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned film director Shekhar Kapur.

Taj Mahal Painting worth Rs 5cr at Trade Fair

A Taj Mahal miniature painting worth rupees 5cr at India International Trade Fair 2011 (IITF 2011) is the major attraction.

A london based business man has offered 5cr rupees to buy this painting.
Rajasthan govt decided Rs 1 crore as the value of the painting. "The value of the painting may even touch Rs 20 crore in some countries. The painting has also been selected for a national award.

The painting is charmed by Taj Mahal's popularity, beauty and the finest art work. This painting of Tajmahal shows everything about it from its foundation to establishment.
Why so Famous?

• Size: 20 X 24 inch painting.
• 4 lakh human figures. (kings, ministers, armies)
• 2 lakh elephants and riders.
• 50 thousand miniature Taj Mahals and other monuments.

To have a good view of the painting lense has been provided which gives the clear view of every small details.  This painting tell the story of the construction of the Taj Mahal. It begins with the burial of Mumtaz Mahal and ends with Shah Jahan, imprisoned at the Red Fort (Agra), looking at the Taj Mahal with his daughter Jahanara through the window. The retelling of this part of Mughal history covers the construction of the Taj - the gathering of stone, the increase in taxes to fund construction as well as the rebellion of Shah Jahan's sons.

This piece of amazing arts has been created by artist Naveen Sharma of Jaipur.

Painter Navin Sharma in the centre

Making of the Painting
It took him more than four years to complete this painting. To plan this painting he took one year.

Sharma began work on the painting in 2006 and finished in October 2010.

For the painting Sharma has used wasli - handmade paper - and a brush he makes himself. "It's made of wood and squirrel hair," he says. He wets the brush with spit and draws attention to the single strand that is longer than the rest and sticks out. "It's with this one hair that I did most of the painting," he explains.


The most noticeable part was that he has no degree or certificate from any school of art and the irony is that a Jaipur professor is doing doctorate (Phd) in his painting.

In coming days this painting will be a subject of learning in school of arts.

The artist is on the way to popularize this painting so that one day it can beat the most famous and the priceless painting of Monalisa. Artist is confident that his hard work, dedication and peoples blessing will help him achieve his goal..

After a successful run at trade fair the painting will go on display in various art galleries across the country. The next destination will be Mumbai where bollywood biggies are expected to have a look of the painting.

Currently painting is in safe custody and the scanned copy is in display at trade fair. Artist has got various offers including 50000 rupees to sell the replica of original painting.

"The painting was completed after consistent hard work and dedication of four years," said Navin Sharma, the painter. "I want to see my painting more beautiful than the famous 'Monalisa'," he said.

A View of Trade Fair (IITF) 2011

Delhi is ready for India International Trade Fair 2011 (IITF 2011). Lakhs of people have already visited this year grand festival and from today it is open for public viewing.
A painting worth of 5crore in Rajasthan Pavilion is the most attracting.

Let us see whats in there. This years major attraction is Thailand Pavilion which is attracting girls.


Whats new in IITF 2011
Focus state: Bihar and Orissa
Theme: “Indian Handicraftsthe Magic of Gifted Hands”
Partner State: Jharkhand and West Bengal

Thailand Pavilion. (specially for girls...)
Special Attraction: ornaments, house decorations, 

Overview of International Pavilion having Afghanistan, Czech Republic.
Special Attraction: Afghani spices, dry fruits, perfumes.

A dance performance from Ministry of Steel.

5 Crore worth Painting.
Major attraction in Rajasthan Pavilion. This painting took 4 years to complete. Has lakhs of Taj Mahal, kings, horses, elephants etc in the painting.

Delhi Pavilion. Decoratives range from 50 to 100.

Andhra Pradesh bamboo hat.

Andhra Pradesh traditional dance performance.

Andhra Pradesh pavilion

Gandhiji in Gujarat Pavilion.

Goa pavilion

Bihar Pavilion

West Bengal Pavilion

Mayawati inaugrates Rs 685-crore park in Noida

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati has inaugurated Rs 685 crore magnum opus Bhim Rao Ambedkar Park dedicated to Dalit leaders in Noida.

With statues of 24 elephants, the symbol of her Bahujan Samaj Party, and of Dalit icons BR Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram and of herself, the 82-acre Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal and Green Garden has been a subject of massive controversy.

Mayawati, in a speech after the inauguration, said the money spent on the Rs 685-crore park came from donations and only "one percent" of state goverment funds were used. She justified the park on the grounds that it honoured Dalit leaders and question. She questioned the memorials and projects named after members of the Nehru Gandhi family.

Thousands of people had gathered since morning to watch Mayawati inaugurate the park on the outskirts of New Delhi, with many political observers saying that it was a move aimed at the assembly elections next year.

Unmindful of the criticism that she has received for the park with some describing ut as monumental folly, Mayawati touched down in a helicopter at 4.50pm in Film City in Noida.

As TV cameras captured the moment, a beaming Mayawati went around the premises. Buddhist monks chanted prayers. Unusually, her parents Ramrati and father Prabhu Dass were with her.

Traffic in and around Noida came to a standstill. Police officials said they had a tough time in controlling the surging crowds.

Bhim Rao Ambedkar Park

The 33 hectare project in Noida's sector has 15 statues of Dalit icons Dr BR Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule and Kanshi Ram. 

Bronze statues of Mayawati have also been erected in Noida. Twenty statues of elephants and fountains with bronze elephants have also been installed in the park.

The UP chief minister, known for her fondness for statues, also has a special police force to protect parks and memorials for Dalit icons. Latest LED tubes, that cost around Rs 4crore, have been installed in the park, to make the structures look more attractive at night.

“The lighting solutions have been provided by foreign firm Philips Gardco. More than 3,000 LED tubes have been installed in the park. Each tube costs Rs 12,000,” said a senior project manager.

In December 2010, vacating its year-long stay, the Supreme Court (SC) had approved resuming construction in the Park, rejecting the Centre's objection that part of its site was on forest land.

The court said construction could start only after the government planted sufficient number of trees on 50% of the Park area to create a buffer zone between the site and adjacent Okhla bird sanctuary.

In addition, the apex court also observed that the area under concrete structures should be brought down from 35% of the project site to 25% because of the Park's proximity to an eco-sensitive zone in the sanctuary.

Meanwhile, everything in the Ambedkar Park exists for a reason. “The boundary stone was specially ordered from Mirzapur, a Naxal-affected district, by Behenji to provide employment to tribals,” said a senior civil engineer, requesting anonymity.

The main structure, christened Dalit Prerna Sthal, houses statues of Dr BR Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and Mayawati.

Azharuddin's son Ayazuddin loses battle for life, laid to rest

Former Indian cricket captain and Lok Sabha member Mohammed Azharuddin's son, Mohammed Ayazuddin, who was critically injured in a motorbike accident five days ago, passed away at a hospital

on Friday.

The 19-year-old was laid to rest on Friday evening at a graveyard in Santosh Nagar after 'Namaz-e- Janaza' at the historic Mecca Masjid in the old city. Hundreds of mourners -- including Azharuddin's relatives, friends and eminent personalities of the city -- joined the burial procession.

Ayazuddin died at 11.51 am due to hypoxic encephalopathy, said a statement from Apollo Hospital where the youngster battled for life since Sunday.

The budding cricketer was critically injured in a motorbike crash at Puppalaguda on Outer Ring Road of Hyderabad on September 11.

Ayazuddin's cousin, Ajmal-ur- Rahman (16), who was pillion riding with him, died a couple of hours after they were taken to hospital. The high-end sports bike skidded off the road when Ayazuddin was riding it at a high speed, according to police.

Ayazuddin's mother, Naureen Azharuddin, his second wife, Sangeeta Bijlani, and other close relatives were at the hospital when the end came.

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy rushed to the hospital and consoled Azharuddin, who was seen fighting
back his tears. State ministers and members of Parliament, including Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, and leaders of ruling Congress party also condoled the former cricketer.

A pall of gloom descended on Azharuddin's house in Banjara Hills, where Ayazuddin's body was brought after autopsy.

Ayazuddin was the youngest of the two sons of Azharuddin from his first wife, Naureen, whom he divorced to
marry former actress Sangeeta Bijlani.

Doctors at Apollo Hospital said Ayazuddin was in critical condition and was put on a ventilator ever since he was shifted to hospital.
They said he was brought with cardiac arrest and had sustained injuries to his kidneys. The doctors later  removed one kidney to stop the bleeding.

According to a medical bulletin late on Thursday, tests conducted on him indicated brain dysfunction. Ayazuddin was a second-year B.Com student at St. Mary's College. He had a good record as a cricketer in
school.

The Hyderabad Cricket Association also condoled the death of Ayazuddin. His friends were shocked over the death. 0Ayazuddin's coach, John Sanjay, said he could not believe that the upcoming cricketer was no  more. "We lost a very promising cricketer. 0He was very disciplined, a talented batsman and used to play like his father," he said.

Azharuddin’s son critical after bike mishap, friend dies

Mohammed Aiyazuddin, son of former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin, was battling for life after he met with an accident while racing his 1000 cc imported Suzuki motorcycle on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Aiyazuddin played for Hyderabad under-19 cricket team. His friend, Ajmal-ur-Rehman, 16, who was riding with him and sustained severe head injuries was declared dead by doctors at the Apollo Hospital, Jubilee hills. Chief Surgeon Dr Mahesh Joshi said that when they were brought to the hospital at 9 am, they had no pulse and not were not respiring on their own.

“In medical terms, they had both gone into a state of cardiac arrest. In spite of our best efforts we could not revive Ajmal. Aiyazuddin has suffered serious injuries on his head, chest and abdomen and is at present undergoing surgery. His condition is very very critical. We are trying our best to resuscitate him,’’ Dr Joshi said. Ajmal-ur-Rehman is son of former Congress Rajya Sabha MP Khalil-ur-Rehman who passed away in January this year.

The accident occurred between 8 and 9 am, near the Narsingi check post on the Outer Ring Road, and police said that the duo were probably racing since early morning on the Shamshabad stretch of the six-lane road where two-wheelers are banned. Narsingi Police Station officials said the bike is brand new and does not have a registration plate yet.

“The helmet that Aiyazuddin was probably wearing was totally crushed. Tire marks at the accident spot indicate that the bike skidded and hit the road divider at a very high speed,’’ a police official said. Azharuddin who is now a Congress MP from Moradabad is in England and is rushing back.

Four Indians among MIT's top 35 innovators

Two Indians and two persons of Indian origin figure among Top 35 Innovators under 35 in the latest list of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Technology Review, the world's oldest Technology Magazine established in 1899.

Ajit Narayanan, Invention Labs, Chennai and Aishwarya Ratan, Yale University, who were part of TR35 India Winners announced in March 2011, have made it to the annual list of people who exemplify the spirit of innovation in business and technology.

The honourees are blazing new paths in a wide range of fields, including medicine, energy, communications, IT, consumer technology, entertainment, and robotics, Cambridge, Massachusetts, based institution announced Wednesday.

Chennai-based Ajit Narayanan, 30, was selected for his work on affordable speech synthesizers He is currently working with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, to improve the quality of the speech synthesis. He also plans to use mobile app stores to distribute a version of his software with about 90 percent of the full Avaz system's functionality.

Answer-sheets can be accessed under RTI: Supreme Court

In a landmark ruling on Tuesday, a Supreme Court bench said students had the right to access their answer-sheets under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The court held that evaluated answer-sheets were covered under the definition of “information” under the RTI Act, 2005. The bench, comprising justice RV Raveendran and justice AK Patnaik, upheld a February 5, 2009 ruling of the Calcutta high court that examination conducting agencies were not exempted under the transparency law from disclosing the answer-sheets.

The verdict will benefit lakhs of students appearing for various examinations, including those conducted by the UPSC, as it gives a student the right to inspect answer-sheets by just applying to the relevant university, council, board or commission.

The court dismissed the arguments of the Calcutta University, West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and CBSE, which contended that students had no right to have access to a disputed answer-sheet as there was a fiduciary relationship between the examiner and the examination conducting agency.

Military aircraft crashes in Morocco, 78 killed

At least 78 people were killed when a Moroccan military aircraft crashed in the south of the country on Tuesday, the army said.
In a news alert carried by the official news agency MAP, the army said three other people were severely wounded in the crash, Morocco's deadliest air disaster in several decades.

Police arrest Mumbai blasts suspect in Kathmandu

A Nepali man, believed to be in his early 40s, has been arrested from capital city Kathmandu on the suspicion that he had links to this month's serial blasts in Mumbai which killed 24 people and injured nearly 150, Nepal's official media said.

Mohammad Zahir, a resident of Sarlahi district in Nepal's Terai plains near the Indian border, was arrested by Nepal Police's anti-terrorism cell on the basis of intelligence reports, the state-run Gorkhapatra daily reported Tuesday.

The man was said to have been conducting suspicious activities from his rented apartment in Baluwatar, an upmarket area in the capital where the official residence of the Prime Minister is located. He was found to have had phone conversations about the Mumbai blasts as well as sent text messages on his mobile phone, the daily said. It said Zahir was arrested last week but the news was kept secret. Currently, he is in police custody.

There were no immediate comments from police authorities. Three serial blasts rocked Mumbai July 13, causing death and destruction in Zaveri Bazaar, a jewellery hub, the Opera House business district and Dadar.

A terrorist group, the Indian Mujahideen, is suspected to have been behind the attacks. With India and Nepal sharing an open border, Indian authorities have often claimed that several groups planning terror attacks in Indian cities had links in Nepal, either smuggling in firearms and hit men from the Himalayan state or providing logistical support from there.

Reformist Darul Uloom VC sacked for praising Modi

Nine members of the committee voted in favour of 60-year-old Vastanvi's removal.

Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi on Sunday became the first Vice-Chancellor of the Darul Uloom Deoband to be sacked by the governing body.

As announced after the February 23 emergency meeting of the governing body, Working Vice-Chancellor Maulana Abul Qasi Banarasi will be elevated to replace Vastanvi.

The Majlis-e-Shoora removed the Mohtamim, after he refused to resign claiming that the reports of the members of a three-member inquiry committee that also looked into his conduct were incomplete.

An agitated-looking Vastanvi himself announced the Shoora’s decision to the large press contingent camped outside the Guest House of the seminary: “I had said that I would resign if the report indicts me. However, the reports presented before the Shoora were incomplete – they only concentrated on what happened outside the Darul Uloom, not on the agitation by students.” He went on to say that some forces had influenced the students, and that Deoband does not belong to any one individual.

“I have not resigned. The Shoora has decided to remove me,” he said. Even as Vastanvi described the decision of the Shoora, students atop the walls of the Darul Uloom began cheering loudly. The anti-Vastanvi slogans soon spread deep into the campus.

Vastanvi said that “5-6” members of the Shoora had implicitly offered him their support, but eight of the 13 present were against him. In the end, Vastanvi could find only four Aye’s.

“I will not be going to court. I do not want to trouble the Darul Uloom. I will continue to be a member of the Shoora,” said Vastanvi. However, he seemed intent on going out with his head held high: “For the seven months that I have been here, I have not been allowed to work. I am not from here, and I have to look after my 200 madrasas and hundreds of other institutions,” he said.

Explosion rocks Government Building in Central Oslo , 2 confirmed dead

Smoke rises from buildings in Oslo, Norway, at the scene of a large explosion which tore apart several buildings.

A loud explosion today shattered windows at the government headquarters in Oslo which includes the Norwegian prime minister’s office, injuring several people.  Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is safe, government spokeswoman Camilla Ryste said.

Norway PM Stoltenberg says the blasts are “very serious,” bit it istoo early to say if terrorists are to be blamed.

There was no claim of responsibility, though NATO member Norway has been the target of threats, if not bombs, before, notably over its involvement in conflicts in Afghanistan and Libya. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was safe, NTB said.

NRK radio said at least two people were killed in an attack that may have brought global political violence to the quiet Scandinavian city.

Images on Norwegian television showed the prime minister’s office and other buildings heavily damaged, sidewalks covered in broken glass and smoke rising from the area.The explosion blew out most of the windows of the 17-storey central government building, cast a huge pall of smoke over the city and scattered shards of metal and other debris for hundreds of meters.

Nearby ministries were also hit, including the oil ministry, which was on fire. Heavy debris littered the streets.

“So far I can confirm that we have received seven people at Oslo University Hospital,” a press officer at the clinic said. “I don’t know how seriously wounded they are.”

Smoke is seen billowing from a damaged building as debris is strewn across the street after an explosion in Oslo, Norway Friday July 22, 2011

Witness Ole Tommy Pedersen was standing at a bus stop about 100 meters from the high-rise at around 3:30 pm (1330GMT) when he saw the blast shatter almost all windows of the 20-floor highrise. He said a cloud of smoke is billowing from the bottom floors.

“I saw three or four injured people being carried out of the building a few minutes later,” Pedersen said. Nearby offices were evacuated including those housing some of Norway’s leading newspapers and news agency NTB.

An AP reporter at the scene saw one person with a bleeding leg being led away from the area.

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was reported to have not been in his office at the time of the blast. Police had sealed off the area, which houses the offices of the prime minister, the finance ministry and the country’s biggest tabloid newspaper Verdens Gang (VG).

NRK radio said at least two people were killed in an attack. AP

Two cabinet ministers said that Stoltenberg had been scheduled to be visiting areas far outside Oslo today. News agency NTB also reported that Stoltenberg was “safe”.

Witnesses said the damage was extensive and that injured victims could be seen.

John Drake, senior risk consultant, at London-based consultancy AKE said: “It may not be too dissimilar to the terrorist attack in Stockholm in December which saw a car bomb and secondary explosion shortly after in the downtown area.”

“That attack was later claimed as reprisal for Sweden’s contribution to the efforts in Afghanistan.”

NATO member Norway has sometimes in the past been threatened by leaders of al Qaeda for its involvement in Afghanistan. But political violence is virtually unknown in a country known for sponsoring the Nobel Peace Prize and mediating in international conflicts, including in the Middle East and Sri Lanka.

It has also taken part the NATO bombing of Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi has threatened to strike back in Europe.

Hummingbirds catch flying bugs with the help of fast-closing beaks

The shape of a hummingbird's beak allows for a "controlled elastic snap" that allows it to snatch up flying insects in a mere fraction of a second —with greater speed and power than could be achieved by jaw muscles alone, says a new study in a forthcoming issue of Journal of Theoretical Biology.

Hummingbird beaks are built to feed on flowers, but hummingbirds can't live on nectar alone. To get enough protein and nutrients they need to eat small insects too, said co- author Gregor Yanega of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham, North Carolina.

"Hummingbirds need the equivalent of 300 fruit flies a day to survive," Yanega said. But how can a long, slender bill so well suited for sipping nectar also be good at catching insects, and often in mid-air? In 2004 in the journal Nature, Yanega and University of Connecticut biologist Margaret Rubega reported that part of the answer lies in the hummingbird's flexible bill.

Using high speed video of three hummingbird species catching fruit flies, the researchers found that the hummingbird's bendy lower beak flexes by as much as 25 degrees when it opens, while also widening at the base to create a larger surface for catching insects. While watching the ultrafast videos, however, Yanega also noticed something else: As soon as the hummingbird's beak is maximally bent, it suddenly springs back to its original position and snaps closed.

"Their beaks snap shut in less than a hundredth of a second," he explained. "It's fast." Yanega teamed up with engineers Matthew Smith and Andy Ruina of Cornell University to unlock the secret to the hummingbird beak's sudden snap.

Armed with data on the length, thickness, and density of the bones and muscles in the hummingbird's head, the researchers developed a mathematical model of the elastic energy in the beak from the time it flexes open to the time it snaps shut. Part of the trick lies in how the hummingbird's beak is built, the authors said. While other insect- eating birds such as swifts and nighthawks have a cartilaginous hinge near the base of their beaks, hummingbird beaks are solid bone. "They're also incredibly thin," Yanega said. "This makes their lower beaks stiff yet springy, like a diving board."

The researchers' mathematical model revealed that the downward bend of the hummingbird's lower beak puts stress on the bone, storing elastic energy which eventually powers its sudden snap closure, explained first author Matthew Smith, now at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

"The extra speed likely leads to greater success in catching insects," Smith said. Known as snap-buckling, the phenomenon is similar to the opening and closing of a snap hair clip, Smith said. "Or, remember those little pop-up toys that consist of a half sphere made of rubber?

When you invert one and set it on a hard surface it will eventually snap back into place and jump off the surface," Smith added. Snap-buckling has also been observed in plants and insects. "The classic example of snap-buckling in plants is the venus flytrap, which uses this trick to catch insects," Smith said. "Cicadas, too, have tiny ribs which they snap-buckle to produce their distinctive song."

This study marks the first time snap-buckling has been observed in vertebrates, the authors added. ### The study will appear in the August 7 issue of Journal of Theoretical Biology, and is also available online at doi:10.1016/ j.jtbi.2011.05.007. CITATION: Smith, M., G. Yanega, and A. Ruina. (2011). "Elastic instability model of rapid beak closure in hummingbirds." Journal of Theoretical Biology 282: 41-51.

The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) is a nonprofit science center dedicated to cross- disciplinary research in evolution. Funded by the National Science Foundation, NESCent is jointly operated by Duke University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University. For more information about research and training opportunities at NESCent, visit www.nescent.org.

After Nano Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Rs 32000

After driving in the world's cheapest car -- Nano, sporting a price tag of $2500, and the cheapest water filter at $21 with Swach, the Tata group has now set its sights on building the world's cheapest house by the end of the year priced at just Rs 32000 (Euro 500)!


What's more, nicknamed the `Euro 500 home', a 20 square metre house works out to less than Rs 32,000 and can be built from scratch in just a week flat.


All one needs is a small piece of land and a kit of parts like doors, windows, roofs made out of different materials.


Currently being pilot-tested in West Bengal, the world's cheapest home is the brainchild of a team of nearly 15 innovators from Tata Steel's Indian and European operations and will be cheaper than the Tata group's own `Nano homes' project promising homes for $7,800 to urban poor that was rolled out a couple of years ago.


"These houses are typically targeted at beneficiaries of the Indira Awaas Yojana, that has an outlay of around Rs 40,000 per house. The challenge is to make it cheaper and more acceptable to rural users because many pre-fab manufacturers have built demo homes across the country but have failed to gain popularity," said Sumitesh Das, who heads Tata Steel's global research programme, on Friday.


"We have already prepared 2-3 different designs based on discussions with users and are gathering more feedback. Hopefully, in the next 6-8 months we should be able to roll it out in the market nationally," explained Das, who was in town to participate in a conference on intellectual property organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.


Apart from the basic version, the company is also working on higher end versions like a 30 square metre home for Euro 700 or higher for homes boasting of facilities like a solar panel on the roof or a veranda.

India Successfully Launches GSAT-12

It was on 15th July, 2011 that the proud nation put another feather on the cap on the launch of GSAT 2011 from the space station at Shriharikota. The launch occurred from the Satish Dhawan space center at 4.48pm when the massive satellite was successfully placed into its elliptical orbit.

“I am extremely happy to state that the PSLV-C17 GSAT12 mission is successful. The launch vehicle injected the satellite very precisely into the intended orbit,” said the most delighted ISRO chairman K.Radhakrishnan. The scientists could not refrain themselves from breaking into cheers seeing one of their most wanted dream come true.

GSAT aims at extending the capacity of INSAT for increased facilities related to medicine, resource mapping and education facilities. Due to the failures in the previous two launches in April and December, 2010, the ISRO team without any further experimentation used PSLV for the most safe transmission medium. The total time mission for GSAT is about eight years with an estimated cost of about Rs.2 crore.

The main reason for the launch was to meet the country’s demand for increased transponders which is a device with a transmitter and receiver that will generate a reply signal on proper electronic interrogation. Pleased and delighted with the success of the launch the ISRO chairman has also declared the team’s future plans for designing reliable GSLV cryogenic stage.

The happy Prime minister greeted the whole ISRO team for their success which in turn promised to keep their determination and dedication alive forever for the country’s sake.

South Korean Lawyer Starts Class-Action Suit Against Apple Inc.

Apple Inc.'s South Korea unit last month paid about $950 to settle a court ruling in a case brought by a South Korean attorney who claimed damages over the disclosure earlier this year that the company's iPhone retained location information about users.

On Thursday, the attorney said he was starting a class-action suit against the company. The attorney, Kim Hyung-seok of Changwon, South Korea, said about 300 people expressed interest in joining the suit and that he hoped to win as much compensation for each of them as he got from Apple.

Apple didn't respond to the original lawsuit. As a result, the administrative court in Changwon ordered Apple to pay Mr. Kim 998,000 won, or about $942, within two weeks.

Apple sent Mr. Kim a check to comply with the court's order, a company spokesman in Seoul said, but made no other statements or acknowledgements in regard to Mr. Kim's claim. The Apple spokesman declined further comment.

Mr. Kim then set up a website to allow other South Koreans to join in a bigger lawsuit against the firm.

"I never agreed that my location can be tracked through iPhone. That means Apple tracked my location information illegally and it was an obvious invasion of privacy," Mr. Kim said in an interview.

Apple's retention of location data flared into a controversy in mid-April when data-safety researchers in the U.S. said iPhones stored months of location information in unencrypted form. Within a month, Apple changed the operation of the phone to retain only seven days worth of location information.

The location system is used in applications such as maps and navigation systems and to confirm user eligibility for features like watching TV broadcasts.

Mr. Kim said he filed his lawsuit soon after hearing news coverage of the finding by the U.S. researchers. Mr. Kim said he wasn't aware of using the location service for any apps.

99% terror attacks stopped: Rahul Gandhi

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that 99% of the terror attacks had been stopped in the country, thanks to various measures, including improved intelligence. Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, a day after serial bombings in Mumbai killed at least 17 people and injured more than 130, the Congress MP called for efforts to stop terrorist attacks in the country.

"It is very difficult to stop any single terrorist attack," he said, adding that 99% of the attacks have been stopped. "We must stop 100% attack." Referring to Wednesday's attack, Gandhi said the response of the government was prompt.

"We are responding to it in a quite organised fashion." Gandhi, the son of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is on a two-day visit to Orissa beginning Wednesday to strengthen the grassroots base of the party.

He returns to New Delhi on Thursday.

CCTVs reveal vital info about Mumbai serial blasts: Maha C.M.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday said that the security cameras installed around the blast sites in Mumbai have given very crucial information and they are being examined and analysed.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister has also said that the state Home Minister RR Patil informed the Cabinet on the investigations in Wednesday's blast.

The Maharashtra Cabinet on Thursday held a special meeting to discuss the fallout of Wednesday's bomb blasts. The state Cabinet discussed about the medical facilities of the injured. Security post 26/11 was also discussed.

Terror struck Mumbai once again on Wednesday when three bomb blasts rocked some of the most crowded places of the city killing at least 17 people and injuring 131 others.

The first blast took place at 6:54 PM at south Mumbai's crowded Zaveri Bazaar. Within a few minutes Opera House and Dadar, too, were hit by powerful explosions.

Wednesday's blasts took place just two days after the fifth anniversary of the Mumbai serial train blasts on July 11, 2006 in which at least 186 people were killed. The blasts also evoked horrific memories of serial
blasts in the past as both Dadar and Zaveri Bazar have been targeted earlier too.