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Grey cells & mobile greetings
While you're busy exchanging greetings on your cell this festive season, a bunch of innovators are working their grey cells overtime to coin all those 'smses.' So, the next time you delete a greeting without so much as reading it or forward it mindlessly, it's their hard work that going waste. All this notwithstanding, these 'dedicated creatives' will go on making sms's and sending them across. And why?
"I like it," puts in Shalini Dhir, who has no qualms in admitting she that creates 3-4 whacky smses on every occasion. "It started with a birthday message that I had to my best friend in Nagpur. That birthday message travelled all the way to America and I couldn't believe my eyes when I received the same 'trademark' message for my birthday a year later. Now, I write a message every festival and occasion, without investing much thought in what would be the fate of the sms." Shalini has designed a special picture message for Karva Chauth: Chal ladki ho jaa taiyaar karkey tu solan singhaar, aaj karna hai piya ka didaar. Iskeley tu maang dollar dus hazaar, which is making rounds in her friend circuit. Some people have all the time in the world. Don't they! Chirag Singh, an arts student, creates whacky, weird and bugging messages for every occasion. This time he has transformed his friend's picture into a Raavan and written below 'You have to die dude. Such are the ways of the world. No pain no gain.' "I love to create whacky messages, which target my friends because I can get away with it." Chirag could not believe himself when he saw the similar message in his 13 years-old sister's friends cell. "So, people do like my messages. I am planning to create an out-of -the-world humorous message for Karva Chauth," he adds. And what if the messages are deleted at the word go. Well, these youngsters don't really care. Offers Simarjyot Ahuja, a student of textile designing from Mohali, who detests people who send forward messages. "I can't stand the site of these messages. It is beyond me to store them in the phone's inbox. So much so, I don't even read them. They are trashed forever." Nevertheless, Simarjyot likes to write the message herself. "It lends a personal touch to the message. And the receiver knows that I genuinely feel whatever I am sending." Agrees Sukhdev Singh Dhanoa, a computer professional, who would rather not send any message than forward one. Personally, I coin my own messages for special occasions. They are simple, readable, they come straight from my heart." Who said an sms is just a compilation of words? They could be direct dil se as well. jasmine@tribunemail.com
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2 b message maker
Wonder what's the flavour of the season on the SMS circuit? Well, messages on peace and amity are doing the rounds and here's what goes into their content… Jasmine Singh
Explains Dheeraj Aggarwal, chief executive officer, Altruist, which offers one such service called 'For You': "We have a creative team that makes all the messages. They look up for quotations, images and wordings, which are then compiled into an sms. After the approval from the operator, they are sent to the customers." Still clueless about how you get them on your phone, well, the word is 'subscribe'. Adds Dheeraj, "We offer an sms alert service, wherein the customers have to pay a monthly rental of Rs 15, and they can choose from the given category of SMSes. It could be jokes, pictures messages or inspiring quotations." So, what's new on the SMS front this season? Says Dheeraj, "The festival greetings or wishes are in line with what's happening these days. Broadly, the flavour of the SMSes this festival season the bombings and other current happenings. So, you would get messages that spread peace or brotherhood as the main crux." In addition to this, he feels that with the handsets becoming better many more features are added to the SMSes to make them more interesting. "Now, you can add a smiley, colours and other symbols to the messages, which was not possible before." At the same time, this CEO also sees these messages as something that are meant to be 'forwarded'. "We would only know the kind of the handset our subscriber has, but we wouldn't have any information on the handset he or she is forwarding the message to. So, we don't know whether the message is delivered in the same form as we have created or differently." This festival season, spread the message of happiness and peace in your own little way. Get a pre-made message and forward it to as many people have you.
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Simply Singapore
Bollywood's King Khan, Shah Rukh, will be the star attraction of the Zee Carnival - a two-day entertainment and lifestyle extravaganza to be held in Singapore next weekend.
Already the SRK fever is catching on. Apart from his fans among the 200,000-strong Indian expatriate community in Singapore, large crowds are also expected from neighbouring Malaysia. His photographs often find their way into the lifestyle sections of newspapers here, while a leading daily newspaper recently carried a two-page interview with him. The noteworthy thing is that not just Indians, also the growing numbers of other Bollywood fans in Singapore flocked to cinemas when Shah Rukh's two recent blockbusters, Om Shanti Om and Chak De! India were released there. At the carnival, Shah Rukh's fans will have a chance to get up close and personal with him. Bollywood's reigning heartthrob will make numerous appearances on both days. Apart from King Khan, the other stars who will make an appearance are mainly from the Zee TV stable, including the host of the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa show Aditya Narayan, the show's singers Raja Hasan and Poonam Jatav, Iqbaal Khan and the singing duo, Sharad and Kirti Kelkar. TV show host and chef Sanjeev Kapoor of Khana Khazana fame will be giving cookery demonstrations. The carnival scheduled for Oct 11 and 12 will be held at Suntec City, a popular exhibition space in the heart of downtown Singapore. It will be preceded by the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conference of overseas Indians, which concludes a day earlier on October 10. |
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Vidya for meaty part
Vidya Balan, who shot to fame and won the best Filmfare Debut award and Face of the Year for the critically acclaimed Bollywood film Parineeta in 2006, talked about her upcoming projects and the current genre of film making at a launch of a jewellery showroom in Pune. "Indian cinema is a lot about experimenting these days and she would like to be cast in a different kind of role."
Skirting many controversies and questions, including those revolving around her career and love life, she said, "I have restricted myself to the roles of substance these days. Her film Lage Raho Munnabhai was a runaway success further established her as a talented actress. While speaking to the media during the show she spoke at length about her criteria of signing a film. "I prefer to go for the roles that are integral to the film and have a lot of substance. There isn't any use of doing a film, story line of which can progress without my role." She also feels that a lot of people are experimenting with different subjects and it is a great time for Indian cinema," said Balan. However, some of her films like Guru, Salaam-e-Ishq and Eklavya, which was also India's official entries to the Oscars in 2007 were not fruitful in furthering her career as an actress but the actress was upbeat about her next film Ishq Kiya. "All my films will release next year. Shooting for the Ishq Kiya will begin shortly," said Balan. With just a few hits in her kitty Vidya Balan is hoping that her upcoming film Ishq Kiya will revive her sagging career. |
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Loving Mum's role
Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor, who is back with her industrialist husband Sunjay Kapur, is this time in the news for judging the fourth season of Nach Baliye. But more than that she prefers to talk about her of motherhood. "Being a mother has been the best experience of her life.Motherhood changed a lot in me. It has made me more responsible and mature as a human being, " says Karisma, who is on a long sabbatical after marriage.
Karisma was at the top of the number game in Bollywood for half a decade churning out hits like Raja Hindustani, Dil To Pagal Hai, Judwaa, Biwi No 1 and critically acclaimed films - Zubeidaa and Fiza. She added that she would soon get back to acting, which is a passion for her. "I started my career at a very early age and have done all types of films and have been lucky enough to experiment with all kinds of roles. Being away from acting has just been a break for me and soon I will be back," said Karisma who started her career at the age of 17 with Prem Qaidi. Commenting upon her role as a judge on Naach Baliye 4, she said: "I have consented to be judge of the show as it will not be too hectic for me. I have to shoot once or twice a week and that will leave ample amount of time to devote to my home and daughter." Karisma thinks the television scene has changed drastically and gap between the small and big screen has been reduced as more and more Bollywood actors are doing TV shows. "Most of my colleagues whom I worked with, have been on television for various shows, be it Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar or others. At the same time, many television actors have also made a mark for themselves on the big screen," the actress said. Karisma is open to similar kind of offers and would also not mind anchoring shows if it suits her taste.As far as acting in films is concerned, Karisma said: "Just wait and watch." The actress was supposed to make a comeback with Lamha. |
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Hollywood's Hissss
After contemplating on a lot of working titles, the Bollywood-Hollywood film starring Mallika Sherawat and Irrfan Khan will now be officially called Hissss. Produced by Vikram Singh & Govind Menon of Split Image Pictures & directed by renowned Hollywood director Jennifer Lynch, the movie has been in news lately for its interesting amalgamation of top technicians of the west and the superstars of our Bollywood industry.
The movie is about the vengeance of naagin, the snake woman when the legend of the naagin has been spreading for over 4000 years ago. Finally in 2009, George States (Jeff Douchette), a ruthless American travels to the jungles of India and captures her mate. She transforms into a stunningly attractive woman (Mallika Sherawat) who has absolutely no clue about contemporary civilisation or the ways of mankind, and ventures into the city in desperate search for her lover with vengeance on her mind and venom in her fangs. What follows is a chase at breakneck speed, with horrifying deaths, narrow escapes and special effects never seen before in India, as Vikram Gupta's (Irrfan Khan) Clarice Starling chases down a beautiful sexy killer more dangerous, powerful and terrifying than Hannibal Lecter. This is India's Werewolf, Vampire, and Hannibal the Cannibal, who has an axe to grind with the villainous human race who has dared to desecrate her environment and capture her mate... Director Jennifer Lynch is the daughter of 4 times Oscar nominee and 2-time Cannes film festival winner, David Lynch. Her last film, Surveillance was screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2008. Jennifer wants to take this ancient myth and transform it into a crackerjack thriller in the tradition of Silence of the Lambs and Predator. Robert Kurtzman has created ground-breaking effects in films like Evil Dead and Spy Kids. Robert Kurtzman is going to completely reinvent the snake woman and cause a revolution in India. — DP
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Bowledand Beautiful
Akram, who is currently co-judging an Indian reality TV show Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina with Sushmita, is totally gaga over the actress.
"I think she is an incredible person. She has really made me comfortable on the show," said Akram. Akram first interacted with Sushmita in Dubai in 2006. "I met her about two years ago in Dubai. We did a telethon for Imran Khan's cancer hospital together for two days in a row and almost three hours live on TV where I got to interact with her," he said. Sushmita was also one of the reasons why he agreed to be on the judging panel of this show. "So far the game is really exciting and fun. It's something very different I was told that Sushmita would be there; so I agreed." The cricketers on the show include S. Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Vinod Kambli, Irfan Pathan, Dinesh Kartik and Nikhil Mehra. In one of the recent episodes, Akram has been seen reciting shayari (Urdu couplets) to flatter the actress, but he has not shaken a leg with her so far. Any plans? "Maybe. In fact, they have tried to make me dance, but I really can't handle that sort of pressure.
—IANS, ANI |
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Going to great lens
Raghu Rai needs no introduction. Nor are we giving any. But that is no excuse to not tell who he is. What would we say? An Indian photographer who won Padmashree, served on the jury thrice at the World Press Photos, etc. We skip all that and move straight to narrate the interaction with him during his workshop organised by the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Academy. A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. His are famous for speaking a million. When the man himself speaks, you bet, there’s pindrop silence and everybody wants to listen. Excerpts:
Even though there’s a wide canvas of things to talk about, it’s hard to get over his work, his subjects. We begin. Anything yet unexplored, that he would like to capture? He smiles, “To me, my country is most important. There’s yet so much in it to freeze. Even five more lives are not sufficient for me to be able to capture it completely. It is large enough to provide a range of experiences and subjects.” No wonder, despite having travelled to half the world, his works remain essentially Indian in spirit and action. And what does he have to say about technology coming into photography? Hasn’t it somewhere diluted art into a profession? He answers, “These are all tools, it depends entirely on how you use them. Those who wish to manipulate did it earlier also and they’ll do it now also.” Couldn’t agree more. Photography is all about moments. Did he ever feel he better live the moment rather than click it? “There are different ways of living. When you express through a medium it’s much more fluent. And capturing the moment, for me, is one way of living and eternalising it.” There’s nothing further to ask, even though we want to. But he still has a lot to share. Narrating a childhood anecdote, he says, “My mom used to often say ‘Je aap na mariye te swarg na jaiye’ I wouldn’t understand it exactly but felt it was something very nice.” And that’s his take on work. One needs to give hundred per cent, dedicate oneself totally. And no he doesn’t quite believe geniuses are born. He says, “It’s a couplet everyone’s heard. If at all, geniuses have to be born, they are born out of their guts.” Then, the perennial question. Given a chance, what should one do? Capture or save? He responds, drawing a clear line, “It’s become a common question nowadays. One needs to think, on the spur of the moment. Can you really save a life? Suppose there’s a Bhopal Gas Tragedy when there’s already everyone at work, then you are a photographer. In such situations, don’t try to become a photographer; otherwise you’ll be neither of them perfectly.” And no, it’s not over for him. When asked about his dream photograph, he clearly answers, “Yet to happen.” We’re sure it’s not over for us also. But for the time being, we don’t want to acknowledge time. Want to talk more. Listen more. Want to continue discussing more. That’s just one of our hazzaron khwahishen. |
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Dance, Devi and devotion
Success comes to those who believe in learning the hard way. And such hard learners are not difficult to find, that is if you believe in yourself. One such believer is Rahul Gupta. Be it the nuances of day-to-day life or the intricate details and expressions of classical dance forms like Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi, Rahul knows his lessons by heart and teaches them with all his heart. He is a reglar feature at the Durga Puja celebrations in city and is ready with his group of 15 to perform at this year’s festivities as well. His area of interest is creative forms like perfoming with the matka or diya.
“I learnt dancing from Kolkata, a haven for artists, but my inspiration has been my mother. She was the one who introduced me to dancing at the age of two,” says Rahul. But life wasn’t hunky-dory for this young artist, who, at the age of 21, learnt Bharatnatyam, kuchipudi, kathak and folk dances like the Bihu, Rajasthani and Haryanavi. “ I faced a lot of criticism from my family, friends and peers. The idea of a guy choosing a career in dancing, that too classical, was unacceptable to my business family,” he says. But Rahul made it a point to not let his determination fade away under the pressures of society. “ Dance for me is a tapasya and I let my work speak for myself.” It sure does speak volumes, as he has been a regular performer at the live classical concerts held in Kolkata and the Red Fort in New Delhi and his students have always won him accolades at national or state competitions. He has been teaching these dance forms in city schools. “ I have students from all age groups, school kids to ladies and even guys who want to learn these traditional dance forms,” says the master who confesses that he dislikes the western influence gripping the young generation today. For someone who eats, drinks and sleeps dance, how easy or difficult is it to have the hip-hop generation connect to classical dance? “Western dances may be visibly appealing but our cultural dance forms are soulful and difficult to perform. I teach two forms—-dance drama and then solo dance. Dance drama is closer to theatre as it involves extensive use of facial expressions and body language,” he says. Though he feels that classical dance forms are gaining popularity with kids. “ I have parents coming to me and specifically asking me to teach their kids Bharatnatyam and other classical forms,” says Rahul. Besides being his passion, dance is also his connection with his spirituality. He considers himself as devdas, or the one devoted to God and masters in spiritual dances. “The peak of my tapasya will be reached when I dance with Lord Krishna, or the krishna raas,” says this devout performer who idolises stalwarts like Birju Maharaj. So what does the future beholds for this young dance worshipper? “I want to open my own dance school where I can teach creative dance forms without any bias of gender, age and class.” And the tapasvi signs off. |
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Labels to lust for
It’s all about the first row. We’ve heard that women can mortgage their husband’s in order to get a front row seat at the leading fashion weeks. Well, no need to part with yours, for the First Row, a special sale concept, brings to Chandigarh an assortment of designer collections right from brand Raghavendra Rathore to Malini Ramani to Shantanu Nikhil.
With such names, we want to know more. What’s first row all about? Paulomi Dhawan, the woman behind the concept, says, “First Row has been just born. It’s a special sale concept where we provide all the high-end brands at accessible prices and give the people a store experience.” As the lady herself likes to call it ‘special prices’, ‘never before prices’. We don’t enquire, how special, but move on. The list actually boasts of the best of names in the industry? You name it and you got it. For the foreign crazy fashionistas, there’s even Valentino. Wait. Valentino? She says, “Whether Indian brand or someone from abroad, we actually cater to aspiring A-listers who want to enjoy the shopping experience and we provide it at affordable prices.” This is for the first time that they’ve come to Chandigarh. Rather, this is for the first time that they’ve gone to any city. As she likes to say, “The place being famous for highest per capita income and people here being fashion conscious.” We like to hear anything good about the city. And also like to hear about top-end brands in the same breath as affordable prices. But are they export-reject, surplus pieces or anything of the sort? She clarifies, “No. Not at all. We give them in the same packaging. All the tags are intact. They are not defected in any way.” Too good to be true. But both good and true. The cynical gets the better of us. And how do they manage to acquire it at cheaper prices? She smiles, “Well, that’s our secret.” That was expected. As long as good clothes, big brands and dream designers are coming our way and at reasonable prices, who’s minding. The exhibition is on at Hotel Mountview till Wednesday. |
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Mobility vs power
Amitpal Singh Grewal
Laptops cannot be used as replacement of a desktop, as a desktop PC is any day more powerful, though not portable. Laptops are the new craze, but it does not mean that you should run right out and get one. There are benefits and drawbacks that must be weighed. Of course, the main benefit of a laptop is the integrated re-chargeable power supply, compact size and portability. This can be a huge benefit, allowing you to take your computer to and from work, on tours, on camping trips, and practically anywhere else, The disadvantages of a laptop are that they haven't got enough room for internal fans to cool and overheating of the main CPU causes the system to get slow, hang, crash or do an unpredicted reboot quiet often. Specially after the creation of dual core CPU for laptops, I would not recommend them for extensive, heavy applications or high-end graphic use, as their screen also gets uncomfortable if used for a prolonged period as it is fixed and has limited viewing options. Moreover, they are very delicate and easy to steal, making them an added responsibility on your shoulder On the other hand, desktops are more sturdy and can run 24/7 without any problem and have no limitation as far as work is concerned. Even if your PC is gaining temperature, one can just fit it with another cooling fan and the problem is solved, while a desktop has higher expansion options. The expansion slots in them allow you to add new hardware to the device. They have multiple upgrade options available to them like a 10000 rpm hard drive or a 21-inch monitor a processor upgrade. In other words, a desktop is pure power and power requires cores and chips. Power requires cooling. Power requires wattage. Large desktop systems have plenty of room for big components, big power supplies, even liquid cooling, if required, and more space after attaching multiple hard drives which will keep your data safe as it sits at one place, After all this, desktops also have their own drawbacks: they are fixed and have to be connected to an AC power outlet via the UPS (Uninterrupted power supply) at all times. So, decide which suits you the best.
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Now, bio computers
Future management of power networks may involve a little more brain power than it does today, if a team of Missouri University of Science and Technology researchers, led by an Indian-origin scientist has their way. The experts’ new project involves literally tapping brain cells grown on networks of electrodes.
The Missouri S&T group, working with researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology plans to use the brainpower to develop a new method for tracking and managing the constantly changing levels of power supply and demand. Led by Dr. Ganesh Kumar Venayagamoorthy, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, the researchers will use living neural networks composed of thousands of brain cells from laboratory rats to control simulated power grids in the lab. From those studies, the researchers hope to create a biologically inspired computer program to manage and control complex power grids in Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria and elsewhere.”We want to develop a totally new architecture than what exists today,” says Venayagamoorthy, who also directs the Real-Time Power and Intelligent Systems Laboratory at Missouri S&T. “Power systems control is very complex and the brain is a very flexible, very adaptable network. The brain is really good at handling uncertainties,” he added. Venayagamoorthy hopes to develop a system that is “inspired by the brain but not a replica. Nobody really understands completely how the brain works.” The Missouri S&T team will work with researchers at Georgia Tech’s Laboratory for Neuroengineering, where the living neural networks have been developed and are housed and studied. A high-bandwidth Internet2 connection will connect those brain cells over 600 miles to Venayagamoorthy’s Real-Time Power and Intelligent Systems Laboratory. Missouri S&T researchers will transmit signals from that lab in Rolla, Mo., to the brain cells in the Atlanta lab, and will train those brain cells to recognize voltage signals and other information from Missouri S&T’s real-time simulator. Venayagamoorthy’s lab is capable of simulating a power grid the size of Nigeria’s, or a portion of the combined New England and New York grid in the United States.
Traditional artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been around for years. Modeled after the brain, they are designed to recognize patterns and learn over time. But they don’t work well with complex systems, Venayagamoorthy said. He added: “As electric power and energy systems get larger and larger, the dynamics become more complicated, and the neural networks have to be scaled up.But as they scale up, they break down. It becomes more difficult for neural networks to learn and change in real time.” — ANI |
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Watch out
Timeless. Remarkable. CK Bold is getting shiny to celebrate the festival season in a limited edition. Housed in a polished PVD gold case, this classic watch is available with a sun-brushed pink gold dial. Finished in mineral glass, the bezel is accented by a polished crown with super luminova black hands. The classic strap comes in rich faux leather alligator with a buckle closure. The exquisite watches are available in gent and chrono sizes. It’s water- resistant up to 100 meters.
Swiss made. The MRP for the Gent is INR 17550
and for the Chrono INR 25200
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Style & substance
The latest in the list of smartphones, N96, is one gizmo every geek had set his eyes on. This latest entry in the N-series from Nokia is jam-packed with handy features and surely leaps ahead of its predecessor, N95. The handset is smart, trendy with dual opening, with quad band, GSM/EDGE and UPnP technology making it as a whole. And what’s the USP? “The only advantage that the iPhone had over other smartphones was its internal memory. Now, Nokia has hit back with N96,” says Harkirat Singh, owner of Bawa Computers-41. For those looking for variations in the smart phones, the Pearl black berry 8100 is one option. The specifics come in the form of a 1.3 mega-pixel digital camera, an expandable memory and multimedia. “It has a memory of 64 MB which can be expanded for music, videos and recording purposes,” informs Harman of a mobile store in Manimajra. With features like voice activated dialling and conference calling, it promises to be a step ahead when it comes to connectivity. Another addition in this category is the Blackberry Pearl Flip 8220. Apart from the above mentioned features, it comes with WiFi connectivity, a media player, an internal QVGA screen, 2 mega pixel cameras as well as a particular feature of assisted mapping application which enables an easy accessibility to GPS via Bluetooth. So for all those super geeks who like to wait, watch and then move on, there are many new innovations waiting to be picked. |
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If you wonder where do you get all kinds of pre-created messages that you can forward to your family, friends and colleagues without investing much thought, then here is what goes into them.
Just a few years back, a laptop didn't fit everyone's budget simply because it was very expensive and a majority of people used to opt for a desktop as it was affordable and more fun. Desktop PCs are like sports cars, where users compare each others' machines and the fastest and most powerful is considered the winner. After the introduction of low-cost laptops, computers became compact and could not be expanded, making the computing experience limited. They became more of business or work machines, which could not be experimented with.
With the ever-evolving technology catching young ones early, the cool world of gadgets and gizmos is happening like never before. We already know how the iPhone has rocked the giz biz like a tsunami. Here’re some of the other stuff in the stores that’s making the geeks go gaga…
The phone has a massive internal memory of 16 GB, which allows a free hand in storage features. “With a capacity like this, it allows you to store more than 3500 songs, the same as Apple iTouch,” says Harkirat. Apart from other features, it also has a video calling concept, users can call and view each other face to face while talking. It has a 5 megapixel camera and video recording, editing and transferring features. “It enables direct net uploads. I can be connected to the world all the time. This phone comes with everything one wants to flaunt, style with substance,” says Vipul Mahajan, a proud owner of one. Sure enough, with its instant Yahoo, WiFi and Google connectivity, you can carry the world in your pocket.
Super skinny 
Smoking pendrive