RSS Feed (xml)The high hopes that Bollywood had pinned on Sajid Khan's HOUSEFULL have proved to be right and the bumper opening that the film has taken (apart from the fact that it has sustained decently since the dreaded Monday), means that the film will surely emerge as the second clean hit after Karan Johar's SRK-Kajol starrer, MY NAME IS KHAN.
Beyond doubt, the 'Khiladi' took the bull by the horns and finally managed to give the beleaguered film industry, which had witnessed a sort of carnage with films flopping left and right, a reason to rejoice.
Even the passion of India, cricket, and one of it's most popular form, the T20 ICC World Cup, could not stop the film from getting the huge initial, an excuse given by quite a few makers for their films not doing well (read IPL, where all seem to forget films like ATITHI TUM KAB JAOGE? and LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA doing well despite IPL!).
After HOUSEFULL all eyes are on Anurag Basu's Hrithik Roshan-Barbara Mori starrer, KITES, the trailers of which were screened along with the Sajid Khan directed film (at many cinemas) and received quite warmly. The part where Barbara lisps in Hindi ('Main ulloo ki patthi hoon') saw the audience applauding generously. Hrithik Roshan appears like a Greek God in the trailers and Barbara Mori looks hot and sensuous and the action scenes seem quite amazing.
Also due to the fact that super hero Hrthik Roshan is making an appearance after more than two years, one can rest assured that the film will take a bumper initial and give the much needed relief to the industry which is looking forward to its top heroes to come good in times of crisis.
Post HOUSEFULL will it be double whammy via KITES?
Now you can Google-buy your ebooks
By now, we are pretty convinced that there are four prime contenders who can potentially rule the world, if it comes to that - Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter.
With Apple doing all it can to eliminate competition first in the entertainment industry and now with the iPad in the mobile computing sector, it remained to be seen how Google would hit back.
This week, it decided to.
The head of Google's strategic partner development, Chris Palma, said that the search engine giant would launch a new digital book store to sell ebooks and not just display them. You know what that means, right? Apple, Amazon and other ebook stores would be under direct threat from Google, which came under a lot of flak earlier because of its decision to scan millions of books worldwide and store them on servers for public viewing.
A Wall Street Journal report said the service - Google Editions - would be launched as early as next month or the month after that. The report said: "Google has been discussing its vision for distributing books online for several years and for months has been evangelising about its new service, called Google Editions.
The company is hoping to distinguish Google Editions in the marketplace by allowing users to access books from a broad range of websites using an array of devices, unlike rivals that are focused on proprietary devices and software."
It added: "Users will be able to buy digital copies of books they discover through its book- search service. It will also allow book retailers - even independent shops - to sell Google Editions on their own sites, giving partners the bulk of the revenue. The company would have copies on its servers for works it strikes agreements to sell. It is yet to be decided if the publishers or Google itself will set the price."
Google sues indie label over copyright claims
Last year, Blue Destiny Records, a small blues-oriented music label, sued Google, Microsoft and Rapidshare in Florida. The label claimed that Rapidshare was running "a distribution center for unlawful copies of copyrighted works," and that Google and Microsoft's Bing search engine were helping to prop up the company. The label argued that users can easily find copyrighted songs on file-hosting websites by doing a simple search query.
But in late March, Blue Destiny voluntarily withdrew its lawsuit. Google then asked the company to waive the right to pursue its copyright allegations. According to Google, the label refused, preserving its option to refile its claims.
Now Google has decided that it wants the court battle. The company has filed a 96-page complaint with the California district court, asking for a declaratory judgment that it's not infringing Blue Destiny's copyrights.
Google is showing a bit of hubris in its latest move. By going on the offensive, Google gets to do battle with a much smaller company in the inevitable fight over whether search engines facilitate copyright infringement. Plus, Google gets a more favorable jurisdiction than a Florida court. The Ninth Circuit has been friendly to Google in similar litigation with Perfect 10, an adult entertainment publisher that tried to punish search engines for indexing copyrighted photos.
The decision in the forthcoming Blue Destiny trial -- if it gets to that point -- could mean a lot to copyright owners as well as Google. If Google can win this case and get favorable treatment on appeal, it could go a long way toward clearing a big chunk of its potential copyright liability.
Don't miss the chance
The tug of love between Gordon Brown and David Cameron over Nick Clegg will determine the future of our country after the most exciting, unpredictable General Election in decades produced a hung Parliament.
Mr Brown and Mr Cameron jockey for his approval because voters rewarded no single leader with the 326 seats required to command an overall Commons majority.
Instead power was shared between political parties - which is why Labour and the Conservatives this weekend furiously court the Liberal Democrats. So Mr Clegg faces a big choice: Does he install Cameron in No 10, support Brown or wash his hands and look the other way? The Right-wing media, which smeared Mr Clegg during the campaign and failed miserably to deliver Mr Cameron the Premiership, offers uninvited advice. It is cloaked in the national interest when it is really a brazen attempt to shoehorn their Tory into Downing Street.
We urge Mr Clegg to beware Bullingdon Boys and their allies bearing empty gifts.
He has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure electoral reform - fairer voting which would benefit all free-thinkers.
Mr Brown will do the deal. Mr Cameron will not, whatever his latest spin.
Together Labour and the Lib Dems won 15.4million votes to the 10.7million of the Conservatives.
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Jointly they command 315 MPs to the 306 of the Tories.
The two parties have a mandate, should they avoid ducking the challenge, to change British politics for the better for ever.
Bleating Mr Cameron has no God-given right to be Prime Minister.
Indeed constitutional convention puts the onus on Mr Brown to seek partners.
Of course Mr Clegg will make demands and Labour is under an obligation to consider whatever conditions he seeks to impose.
But Britain is at a crossroads and Mr Clegg would never be forgiven if he abandoned electoral reform to turn sharp Right.
'3 Idiots' bags 14 nominations in IIFA
NEW DELHI: Aamir Khan-starrer "3 Idiots" has bagged maximum number of nominations at the 2010 International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards to be held in Colombo from June 3.
Directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, "3 Idiots" marked its presence in all categories except best supporting actress. It has received 14 nominations including best film, best actor, best director and best actress, among others.
Other films nominated are Saif Ali Khan's "Love Aaj Kal" that has bagged nine nominations, while IIFA brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan-starrer "Paa" and Shahid Kapoor's "Kaminey" both got eight nominations each.
"Colombo marks the second decade of IIFA. The nominees for the Micromax IIFA Awards 2010 are a compilation of the best work from the previous year and the suspense and celebration of these worthy nominations will undoubtedly create another magical IIFA," said Sabbas Joseph, one of the directors of Wizcraft, in a statement.
The nominations were released after voting in March. Results were audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The event will take place June 3-5 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Imran Khan: The Next Superstar in the Making?
Imran has been out of sight for a while but will be seen a lot this year soon. After the recent pictures of the shirtless lad have been released for the movie I Hate Luv Stories, Dharma productions phone has not stopped ringing. His gay fans are totally bowled over and are demanding autographed pictures from the production.
They need not worry as they will get to see the sexy star a lot this year with films like I Hate Luv Stories, Break Ke Baad and Delhi Belly all lined up. The actor gave us a few tit bits about these upcoming films.
I Hate Luv Stories is a romantic comedy set on a backdrop of the film industry. The lovely Sonam Kapoor with whom Imran has longed to work with will finally be seen together in this film. Imran plays the role of an assistant director and Sonam is an assistant designer.
IHLS is now complete and all set to release on the 2nd of July. The promotions of the film will be starting soon while the shirtless pictures of Imran have already made the fans go gaga over him.
About Delhi Belly, Imran says, "Delhi Belly is a film about three guys, there's no romantic track. It's the kind of cinema you haven't seen in India before. For one, it's in English.
That alone makes it different because only a minority speaks the language in our country and that makes it a niche film. I fell madly in love with the script when I read it. I'd have done anything to be a part of this film. It's turned out exactly the way I had visualised. "
About Break Ke Baad all that Imran has to say is that it is not a typical boy meets girl and falls in love kind of a movie. The couple has been in a long term relationship and decides to break-up.
About co-star Deepika, Imran says that she is one of the hardest workers he knows and a thorough professional. With such interesting projects coming up we're sure Imran is the next superstar in the making!
Katrina Kaif learns a few stunts for new movie
Katrina Kaif learns a few stunts for new movie
It’s now common knowledge that Zoya Akhtar’s next directorial venture features an ensemble cast comprising of Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechlin. The working title is reportedly Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara.
Meanwhile, the cast and crew seem to have already begun preparations for this project which goes on floors soon. Katrina, for example, would be doing dirt bike riding and even deep-sea diving in the film. The actress even plans to undergo training in deep-sea diving very soon.
And Kats is not the only one who is planning to learn deep sea diving. Abhay Deol too has begun his underwater training. Since the actor requires to do certain underwater sequences in the film, he thought it’s best to be trained for it.
Raheema is recovering fast: AR Rahman
Mumbai: Even as Raheema Rahman — music composer AR Rahman’s daughter — is in the process of getting discharged from Bandra’s Asian Heart Institute, Rahman has cancelled all his appointments for this month as he plans to stay by his ailing daughter’s side.
Rahman says, “For the past 3 nights, I have been playing a loving father to my daughter. No music, nothing. I want to sincerely thank all my friends and family members for their prayers and good wishes. God has been kind and Raheema is recovering fast.”
“I also want to thank all my friends from the media for their support and understanding of the situation and for respecting our privacy,” he adds.
According to hospital sources, the child has been declared out of danger and will be discharged after a 24-hour medical surveillance.
“The child had been diagnosed with this condition for almost eight years now. It’s a condition when the heart cannot pump the required amount of blood into the body. Hence the patient becomes weak and might even have blackouts as the brain sometimes lacks the required oxygen. It is a congenital defect and she had been suffering from this ailment for quite sometime. The doctors haven’t recommended operation at this stage,” says a source.
Topless, but not in India
Mexican actress Barbara Mori has gone topless for her upcoming film, Kites, opposite Hrithik Roshan. Unfortunately, Indian fans of the actress, won’t get to see the action.
While the film’s Hollywood promo shows a topless Hrithik and Barbara engaged in a passionate lip lock, the Bollywood version is relatively tame, with the topless scene edited out and a mere blink-and-miss smooch between the two.
While director Rakesh Roshan has denied there being any topless scene, saying that he doesn’t make “such films”, his statement contradicts the film’s promos doing the rounds online.
Netizens who’ve seen both the trailers aren’t pleased at such ‘double standards’. Says Sameer Gupta, on YouTube, “We have had actresses flaunting their bare back in earlier Hindi films as well… then why not this time?”
While Ajith40 posted about the Hollywood trailer, “This is awesome… took my breath away,” Neena Sharma, a Hrithik fan, says, “Why such double standards? Then we claim Indian cinema is progressing!”
Vinayak Azad, regional officer, Censor Board, said, “We certify the (Bollywood) version of the film that we’re shown. When I watched the film, there was no topless scene. We don’t necessarily censor a bare back or topless scene, it depends on the situation and the way it is shot.”
Citing a possible reason behind the scene not being there, trade analyst Komal Nahata says, “Kareena Kapoor’s topless scene in Kurbaan fetched the film an A certificate. Kites must be looking for a U/A certificate, keeping in mind Hrithik’s popularity among kids after Koi Mil Gaya and Krissh.”
It's a wonderful afterlife - Movie Review
What's it about: She sees dead people. Not in the Sixth Sense way but on a totally different level. Mrs Sethi's (Shabana) only worry is getting her fairly round daughter Roopi (Goldy) married. So much that she ends up killing those who reject the girl. The ghosts of her victims ask her to let them off purgatory by getting the girl married. Along comes a cop (Sendhil) who's is asked to court Roopi to find leads on the murders.
What's hot: Nothing can ace the natural charm of Bend it like Beckham, but Chadha manages to lace her Afterlife with some genuinely warm moments. Shabana's act of a protective mother who refuses to acknowledge her daughter's weight issues will strike a chord with many. Sally excels as the phirang who tries to exorcise the Indian trapped inside her body by wearing jhumkas. The soundtrack is spectacularly fresh, especially the bhangra version of 'Stayin Alive'. Sendhil appeals even in a role that isn't fleshed out well. Goldy is earnest and likeable.
What's not: Indian curry and chicken tikka have become a part of the changing and accommodating culture of today's England. Even Shilpa Shetty owes her Big Brother victory to the chicken curry tussle that got her sympathy votes. But using food fights to evoke humour just doesn't work. There is so much food wasted in one particular scene (pappads flying like saucers, curry sloshed on heads) that it ends up being a mockery not a gag. After their introduction, the ghosts start losing their charm. We get the fact that it's a no brainer, but then Chadha seems confused whether to let go and risk it all or try and play safe. Shabana Azmi looks tired and hassled (so much for gaining weight), while Jimi is reduced to an extra. But worst of all, it's the lack of a good script that prevents this Afterlife from making a successful transition. The best moments are the gag reels where the cast and crew dance to Stayin' Alive played during the end credits. If only if we had so much fun while watching the film!
What to do: An engaging premise, but a weak script plays spoil sport in making this afterlife wonderful.
Badmaash Company
Story: Shahid Kapoor and his gang of three friends -- Anushka, Vir Das, Chang -- dream of getting rich quick. Obviously, morals don't have much to do in their show-me-the-money schemes and they set up their million dollar company on umpteen crooked deals. So far so good, but soon power corrupts, the law catches up and family values come in conflict. Can the dream run continue?
Movie Review: They are your average friendly neighbourhood guys: the hazaar Cafe Coffee Day dreamers and diviners who hatch a million plots and plans for a zingy future before their cappuccino gets cold. And they all have one thing in common. They all want the good life fast, any which way, and don't mind breaking a few rules here and there. No nine to five stiff-collared jobs for this Badmaash Company who may have been brought up with middle class values, yet they couldn't care less before dumping them in the nearest trash can. Extra baggage for them, all this blah-blah about imandari (honesty) and izzat (respect).
Hence, the importance of Shahid Kapoor and gang who tell their dads to take a chill pill and turn their backs to papa's punctilious way of life, believing it got him nowhere. In a seminal scene of the film, Shahid watches his mom pawn or sell off her jewels -- or something precious--for a couple of thousands which she hides under pallu, as the duo drive off to the hospital to save daddy (Anupam Kher) who's suffered a heart attack. His eyes well up but his face grows hard, with anger and frustration. Ah! the desperation and the drudgery of the middle class existence....After that, it's mission get-rich-quick all the way, as Shahid embarks upon a dangerous journey with his friends to unleash one shady business deal after the other. The foursome christen their badmaash company as Friends and Co. and hop aboard a roller coaster ride that obviously has no disembarkment point. And, when they've done all the stuff that money can do, they realise they aren't the same simpletons any more. More importantly, Shahid's grown into an egotistical, power-hungry maniac who actually believes he's God! Watch out for this neat little sequence which adds punch to the proceedings.
Indeed, Badmaash Company does have a bunch of riveting scenes, although the story does follow a very predictable line of crime and punishment/repentance.Also, what jars most are the repetitive business deals which form a major chunk of the film and say nothing new, other than the fact that the foursome are building their empire on fraud. The film picks up when the cracks begin to appear and the company breaks up due to internal fission. The chemistry between the foursome does have a dash of energy, although most of the time is spent in song and dance.
Badmaash Company may not be as buoyant as Bunty aur Babli, the original badmash couple in recent cinema, but it does make for some merry viewing.
A word about:
Performances: Shahid Kapoor does manage to hold your attention in certain sequences, but essentially it's the ensemble cast of Vir Das, Chang and Anushka that creates most of the drama.
Story: Parmeet Sethi makes his debut, both as director and scriptwriter of the film. The story is interesting, simply because it talks of today's youth and their rush to rise to the top.
Cinematography: Sanjay Kapoor captures middle-class Mumbai with credibility, though goes touristy with Manhattan.
Dialogue: Loads of four letter words, freakin', f'of and the rest: Badmaash Company is peppered with aaj ki bhasha
Music: Music by Pritam. Really? Quite un-Pritam like. No chartbusters.
Styling: Urbane and chic, the foursome pass from chokra style to brando-maniacs, minus hiccups.
Housefull lives up to its title
Sajid Khan had declared that with Housefull, the ‘Housefull’ boards will be back in theatres. And that’s exactly what the Akshay Kumar-Riteish Deshmukh-Arjun Rampal-Lara Dutta-Deepika Padukone-Jiah Khan film has done in single theatres and a few multiplexes across India. Geerish Wankhede, spokesperson, Cinemax said, “We have had maximum shows for any film so far on a single day, 29 to be precise and the shows have had 75 per cent occupancy, which is good.” The film has turned out be the first big hit of 2010 netting over Rs 25 crore over the first weekend, as per trade reports. According to Eros International, which has co-produced the close-to-Rs 50 crore film with Sajid Nadiadwala, it has grossed Rs 48 crore in India and Rs 16 crore overseas taking the total to Rs 64 crore.
When contacted, Khan said he was not surprised with the film’s turnout. “I am happy that I got to make the kind of film I wanted. Audiences are also very happy. There are certain critics who haven’t liked the film but it was not made for them.”
The first big film to be released post IPL, Housefull flooded the screens with maximum prints, i.e 525 and was released in more than 650 digital screens in India. Overseas, the film was released with 260 prints. Says Vinod Mirani, trade analyst and Editor, Box-Office, “It has done excellent business considering that so many prints were released. At some single theatres there was even black-marketing.” Avers Manoj Desai of G7, “We’ve had 100 per cent occupancy in Gaiety and Galaxy over the weekend and have had to display the housefull board.” The last film to have created this kind of frenzy was Aamir Khan film 3 Idiots, informs Desai.
However, Harsha Gangurde of Inox points out that 3 Idiots was in a league of its own. “It had one additional show as it had hit the theatres on Thursday night,” says Gangurde and instead compares Housefull’s opening to Golmaal Returns, reaffirming that the former has had the biggest opening so far this year and “is in a position of its own”. In Big Cinemas, the occupancy has been 52 per cent and it has collected Rs 4.5 crore over the weekend. PVR Cinemas have had a occupancy of 90 per cent and grossed Rs 4 crore. Even the Monday morning shows were housefull in northern India, though the same cannot be said of Mumbai, according to Prakhar Joshi of PVR.
As to whether the euphoria will spill over to the week, there are mixed reports. “There is no question of the film sustaining its weekend business. It can’t, simply because it released in almost all the theatres - wherever there was a empty theatre and they wanted a film, Housefull was released as there was no other film.” Yet another leading exhibitor attributes the bumper opening to the combination of a long lull of films before Housefull and the weekend holidays. Joshi, on the other hand, is hopeful of its continued business as, “The reactions to the film have been fairly good.” The film, though, has reportedly registered a drop from Monday.
procedure with mySQL and PHP
Using Stored procedure with mySQL and PHP
Writing external scripts to perform complex data handling is a tedious affair. The best way to automate tasks straightaway into the server is by using Stored Procedures. It is very useful to make them as flexible as possible, as it facilitates easy identification of any errors and can be used for executing a variety of tasks as well.
What are Stored Procedures?
Stored procedures are set of SQL commands that are stored in the database data server. After the storing of the commands is done, the tasks can be performed or executed continuously, without being repeatedly sent to the server. This also helps in decreasing the traffic in the networks and also reduces the CPU load.
There are many advantages of using stored procedures, which include:
* The functionality is application and platform related.
* Functionality has to be developed only once, and all applications can call the same commands.
* Task execution becomes easier and less complicated.
* Network Traffic reduced to a greater extent.
* Centralization of all commands made possible, which is helpful for various applications that repeatedly call the same set of complicated commands.
* Runs on any kind of environment.
MySQL Stored Procedures
For few years, Oracle and Microsoft SQL servers were having one upper hand over MySQL by having the facility to use the advantage of Stored Procedures. But this advantage has become a thing of the past now. With MySQL 5, you can use Stored Procedures the way you have been utilizing with other servers.
The syntax for using Stored Procedures is as follows:
CREATE
[DEFINER = { user | CURRENT_USER }]
PROCEDURE sp_name ([proc_parameter[,...]])
[characteristic ...] routine_body
CREATE
[DEFINER = { user | CURRENT_USER }]
FUNCTION sp_name ([func_parameter[,...]])
RETURNS type
[characteristic ...] routine_body
proc_parameter:
[ IN | OUT | INOUT ] param_name type
func_parameter:
param_name type
type:
Any valid MySQL data type
characteristic:
LANGUAGE SQL
| [NOT] DETERMINISTIC
| { CONTAINS SQL | NO SQL | READS SQL DATA | MODIFIES SQL DATA }
| SQL SECURITY { DEFINER | INVOKER }
| COMMENT 'string'
routine_body:
Valid SQL procedure statement
Application
MySQL Stored Procedures can be applied in absolutely any place. Right from complex applications to simple procedures, these stored procedures can be utilized in absolutely any place.
Few of the many places that MySQL Stored procedures can be used are:
* When diverse client applications are structured using various languages in different platforms.
* When security is of highest importance, like in financial institutions, the users and applications would have no direct access to the database tables. This provides excellent secured environment.
* When very few database servers service the client machines, thereby providing efficient performance.
Though not as mature as Oracle, DB2 or the SQL Server, the MySQL Stored Procedures is definitely worth a try. If the structure of the database is the same, the same stored procedures can be used for all.
A simple example for MySQL Stored Procedure
To calculate the area of a circle with given radius R, the following commands can be given
delimiter //
create function Area (R double) returns double
deterministic
begin
declare A double;
set A = R * R * pi();
return A;
end
//
delimiter ;
And to call it from php code to display the area of a circle with radius 22cm,
$rs_area = mysql_query(“select Area(22)”);
$area = mysql_result($rs_area,0,0);
echo “The area of the circle with radius 22cm is ”.$area.” sq.cm”;
What is ICICI Securities betting on from the pharma space?
The pharma space has been abuzz after the Glenmark-Sanofi deal. On Monday, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals entered into an agreement with French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis to grant the latter a license for the development and commercialization of novel agents to treat chronic pain.
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Glenmark licensed its chronic pain molecule to Sanofi-Aventis for an upfront payment of USD 20 million (approximately Rs 89 crore), in a cumulative deal of USD 325 million (Rs 1,449 crore).
Commenting on the same, Rajesh Vora of ICICI Securities said the Sanofi deal is good for Glenmark. "The deal has come after a lull of two years for Glenmark and should result in a 22% spike in FY11 EPS," he stated.
According to Vora, investor perception about Glenmark should improve as the company continues to monetise its world-class research and development pipeline.
Today, Par Pharmaceutical has entered into an exclusive licencing agreement with Glenmark Generics for Zetia. Commenting on the same, Vora said the deal with Par Pharma for Zetia is a de-risking strategy for Glenmark.
ICICI Securities has revised Glenmark's target to Rs 379, he added.
He feels the next 18 months is likely to be significantly positive for Dr Reddy's Laboratories.
Vora is also bullish on Ranbaxy. "The company will see a turnaround on the Valtrex generic in the current quarter."
Surat: Parents claim polio drops killed infant
Parents of a two-month-old baby girl claimed that their child on Saturday died within 48 hours of being administered polio vaccine by local civic authorities in Surat.
The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) officials, however, refuted the allegations made by the parents of the baby girl.
Two-months-old Khusbhu of Sriram society at Amroli developed high fever and infection within 24 hours of the polio drops administration, following which she was rushed to a private clinic and later to new civil hospital, where she died after brief treatment.
"After giving drops, health workers gave us tablets and asked us to give it to Khusbhu if she catches fever. We gave her the specified dose, but her condition worsened on Friday morning. We don't know what happened to her suddenly.
The only medicine we gave was the tablet given to us by the health worker," the girl's father Shailesh Limbachia said.
Limbachia alleged that seven more children in their society fell ill after consuming the vaccine.
He alleged the health worker was using outdated vaccines.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Health
and Hospitals) Hemant Desai of SMC denied that vaccines were outdated.
Arrest Made in Times Square Bomb Case
Federal agents and police detectives arrested a Connecticut man, a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan, shortly before midnight Monday for driving a car bomb into Times Square on Saturday evening in what turned out to be an unsuccessful attack, Justice Department officials announced.
The man, Faisal Shahzad, 30, was believed to have recently bought the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder that was found loaded with gasoline, propane, fireworks and fertilizer in the heart of Times Square, a person briefed on the investigation said.
Mr. Shahzad was taken into custody at Kennedy Airport as he tried to board a flight to Dubai, U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in an early morning statement delivered at the Justice Department in Washington. Charges against Mr. Shahzad, who had returned recently from a trip to Pakistan, were not announced.
“Over the course of the day today, we have gathered significant additional evidence that led to tonight’s arrest,” Mr. Holder said an early morning statement delivered at the Justice Department in Washington. “The investigation is ongoing, as are our attempts to gather useful intelligence, and we continue to pursue a number of leads.
“But it’s clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans,” he said.
The authorities began focusing on Mr. Shahzad after they tracked the sport utility vehicle to its previously registered owner in Bridgeport, Conn., who had advertised it for sale on several Web sites. He paid cash, and the sale was handled without any formal paperwork.
The former owner told investigators that it appeared the buyer was of Middle Eastern or Hispanic descent, but could not recall his name. It was unclear how agents from the Joint Terrorist Task Force identified Mr. Shahzad. Federal authorities provided few details on Monday night about the arrest, the suspect or the scope of any conspiracy in the failed attack.
The authorities have been exploring whether the man or others who might have been involved in the attempted bombing had been in contact with people or groups overseas, according to federal officials.
The investigation was shifted on Monday to the control of the international terrorism branch of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, a multiagency group led by the Justice Department, according to two federal officials.
“As we move forward, we will focus on not just holding those responsible for it accountable, but also on obtaining any intelligence about terrorist organizations overseas,” Mr. Holder said.
Officials cautioned that the investigation of possible international contacts did not mean they had established a connection to a known terrorist group..
“It’s a prominent lead that they’re following, the international association,” said a senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation. “But there’s still a lot of information being gathered.”
Mr. Shahzad was set to appear in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday to be formally charged, according to a joint statement issued by the office of the Manhattan United States attorney Preet Bharara, the F.B.I. and the New York Police Department.
The statement said Mr. Shahzad was taken into custody at the airport after he was identified by the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
On Monday, prior to the arrest, there was a sweeping response to the attempted attack in the tourist-packed city-within-a-city of Times Square — including an increased police presence, vehicle inspections and a touch of panic from veteran New Yorkers when a manhole fire flared five blocks from the scene of the failed bombing. Consolidated Edison blamed faulty wiring for the fire.
The recent sale of the Pathfinder began online. An advertisement that appears to be for the vehicle, which had 141,000 miles on the odometer and was listed for sale at $1,300 on at least two Web sites, emphasized that it was in good condition — “CLEAN inside and out!!” — with a recently repaired alternator and a new gas pump, distributor and front tires. “It does have some rust as you can see in the picture,” the seller allowed on NothingButCars.net, “but other than that, it runs great.” The other advertisement appeared on Craigslist.
In Bridgeport, the seller refused to answer questions. “You can’t interview her,” said an unidentified man at the woman’s two-story, white clapboard house. “She already talked to the F.B.I.”
The police earlier on Monday continued sifting through footage from 82 city cameras mounted from 34th Street to 51st Street between Avenue of the Americas and Eighth Avenue, and from untold number of business and tourist cameras.
But investigators appeared to have begun to assign less significance to a man who appeared to be in his 40s who was seen on one video, and it may well be because they were close to arresting the Connecticut man.
The man in the video was seen walking away from the area where the Pathfinder was parked and through Shubert Alley, which runs between 44th and 45th Streets. He looked over his shoulder at least twice and pulled off a shirt, revealing a red T-shirt underneath.
The New York police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, said investigators still wanted to speak to that man, but acknowledged that he might not be connected to the failed bombing. Paul J. Browne, the department’s top spokesman, said the police had stopped looking for additional video in the area that might have tracked the man’s movements.
“It may turn out that he was just somebody in the area, but not connected with the car bomb,” Mr. Browne said.
Before the arrest occurred, the police had said they might release footage of a man running north on Broadway at the time that a fire broke out in the Pathfinder.
The materials found in the Pathfinder were to be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s laboratory in Quantico, Va., for analysis, the police said.
Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary, had said on the “Today” show that it was premature to label any person or group as suspect. “Right now, every lead has to be pursued,” she said. “I caution against premature decisions one way or the other.”
Govt to open doors for IIITs
To be set up under the PPP model, the 20 institutes will offer undergraduate, masters and PhD programmes.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) may soon introduce a Bill in Parliament to facilitate the establishment of 20 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model.
"The IIIT Bill, 2010 is expected to be introduced in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament," said a ministry source familiar with the development.
Last year, the Centre had hoped to set up IIITs with participation from IT companies under the PPP model. The global slowdown, however, affected the revenue of IT firms which backed out. Now that business is once again looking up, the Centre hopes to get the IIIT plan back on track. The IIITs will offer under-graduate, masters and PhD programmes. Each institute will have an intake capacity of about 1,000 students within a period of six to seven years of their functioning.
"The IIITs will be governed by an Act to be modelled on the lines of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Act. These institutes will enjoy autonomy and also have the power to frame their own ordinances and statutes," said the director of an existing IIIT in the north. The IIITs, till date, have been functioning as bodies registered under the Society Registration Act and therefore governed by its regulations and by-laws, he explained.
The PPP model, as envisaged by the HRD Ministry, entails that each Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) would be set up at an investment of Rs 200 crore. Of this amount, 85 per cent will be borne by the Centre (50 per cent or Rs 100 crore) and state governments (35 per cent or Rs 70 crore). The remaining 15 per cent (Rs 30 crore) would be invested by the IT industry.
Land for the institutes will be provided by the states, for a completely integrated campus with science and technology parks. Each institute will specialise on specific area of Information Technology. Each IIIT will be a centre of excellence in that domain.
The idea of IIITs was conceived to develop professional expertise and skilled manpower in information technology (IT) and related areas to meet the challenges being thrown up by the rapid global IT revolution. The MHRD had planned to establish 20 Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in partnership with the IT industry during the 11th five-year plan. However, due to the economic slowdown, the IT industry had expressed its inability to participate in setting up of the institutes.
"The Planning Commission has given an in-principle approval for this. We are, however, waiting for a nod from the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) after which it would be moved to the aCabinet for final nod,'' the director added.
Software body Nasscom had earlier prepared a Detailed Project Report suggesting that the IIITs be set up with an initial investment of Rs 30 crore, of which the government's share should not exceed Rs 14.9 crore while the share of partnering companies should not be less than Rs 15.1 crore.
"We are still awaiting clearance for the draft from the Cabinet. This is a capacity-building exercise for both, the Centre, state and us. The industry has been part of some of the IIITs that are in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Jaipur and they have participated with the state government," said Som Mittal, President, Nasscom.
The government has already set up four IIITs in Gwalior (1997), Allahabad (1999), Kancheepuram (2000) and Jabalpur (2005). Three others have been set up by the state governments in partnership with the private sector in Hyderabad, Kerala and Bangalore.
U.S. physicist visualised the concept of SMS in 1909
Texting may be a boon in today's world, but the idea was visualised more than a century ago.
And, it was a pioneering American physicist who had predicted about the portable messaging service, like the SMS, via a hand-held device in the 'Popular Mechanics' magazine in 1909, its Technology Editor Seth Porges has claimed.
Nikola Tesla, the physicist and a mechanical engineer, whose name lives on at the electric car maker Tesla Motors, saw wireless energy as the only way to make electricity thrive, according to Porges.
Telsa wrote in the magazine that one day it'd be possible to 'transmit wireless messages' all over the world and imagined that such a hand-held device would be simple to use and one day everyone in the world would communicate to friends using it, Porges said.
This would usher in a new era of technology, Telsa wrote in the publication.
Nikola Tesla was able to predict technology which is still in its nascent forms a hundred years later. He talked a lot about his other great passion, which was wireless power.
It has taken a little longer to get off the ground, but work on fascinating wireless conductive transmission is going on right now in research centres at MIT and Intel and other places, The Daily Telegraph quoted Porges as saying.
Porges disclosed Tesla's prediction at a presentation, '108 years of futurism' to industry figures in New York.
The magazine, which has nine international editions that is read by millions, has been trying to imagine how the world will look in future years since it was first published in January 1902.
Airtel launches My Tunes for Delhi subscribers
Bharti Airtel has announced the launch of its new value added service by the name of My Tunes. The service is like a reverse ring tone facility and allows Airtel subscribers in Delhi to listen to songs of their choice while waiting for people to take their call.
Subscribers get to choose from over half a million tracks in more than 23 categories including bollywood, devotional and English rock. The My Tunes service is available at a subscription fee of Rs 15 per week or at 30 paise per minute of use. Subscribers can create a playlist with any number of tracks.
Shashi Arora, chief executive officer, Delhi and NCR, mobile services, Bharti Airtel, said in the company statement, “Starting with the launch of Hello Tunes in 2004, Airtel has led the music on mobile revolution in India. With the My Tunes service, today we are putting the power and freedom of choice in the hands of the customer – the power to choose the content he wishes to consume along with the freedom to enjoy an unlimited music experience on mobile.”
A similar service was recently launched by Idea Cellular and was called PreTones. Tata Docomo too launched such a service by the name of My Song. Both services allow subscribers to listen to content of their choice every time they make a voice call. While the content portfolio that Idea offers includes live cricket, jokes, breaking news, astrology forecasts, movie reviews and bollywood gossip, Tata Docomo offers songs from genres which include bollywood hits, regional, international, classical and funny tunes.
Nokia launches X2 @ Rs 5,000
NEW DELHI: Finnish cellphone maker Nokia has launched a low-priced handset X2 in the Indian market.
The candybar X2 sports a 2.2-inch QVGA screen and weighs 81 grams. The phone packs dual speakers, dedicated music keys, FM stereo and support for up to 16GB of storage via microSD card.
Other key features include Bluetooth 2.1, 3.5mm headphone jack and USB 2.0. The phone runs on Nokia's proprietary S40 OS.
X2 also offers direct access to Facebook from the homescreen and comes with Nokia Messaging for email and Instant Messaging. Other notable feature include instant access to apps from Ovi Store, a 5 megapixel camera and a video recorder.
The phone is priced at Rs 5,000 and is likely to be available from June.
Nokia last week unveiled details of its first phone N8 with new Symbian 3 software, designed to challenge the iPhone and Blackberry at the high-end of the market.
The company cut its profit outlook and delayed the sales launch of Symbian 3 phones until the third quarter, sending its shares sharply lower. "Nokia is reacting to the fire alarm," said Swedbank analyst Jari Honko.
Nokia, which has yet to show the phone to journalists or analysts, is counting on the new software to start clawing back market share lost to the company's new rivals.
However, analysts said the new model and software upgrade at best put Nokia on par with features already available to consumers of Google's Android software, or Sony Ericsson, which has sold a 12-megapixel camera phone since 2009.
"Symbian 3 is evolutionary not revolutionary, but N8, if reliable, is a first step in efforts to make Nokia's high-end phones credible again," said Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight.
The new N8 flagship model will have a 12 megapixel camera, 3.5-inch touchscreen and retail for 370 euros ($493), excluding subsidies and taxes, Nokia said in a press release.
Analysts said it was unclear how much of an impact the phone will have on third-quarter results as it goes on sale only in selected markets during the quarter.
"I believe it will slightly calm the markets. It does not solve all of Nokia's problems, but it is an important first step," said Nordea analyst Sami Sarkamies.
Twitter Intros Official Android App
Twitter has launched its official application for accessing the microblogging site through smartphones running Google's Android operating system.
Twitter for Android makes it possible to share links or photos on the site by clicking the share button in an application and choosing Twitter. In addition, the smartphone app makes it possible to read tweets, the short messages Twitter users broadcast on the site to friends and followers, on a number of different places on an Android phone.
For example, the Twitter timeline can be viewed through the phone's home screen widget and a tweet location can be seen on a map. In addition, tweets can be accessed through the phone's phonebook, on Google Talk, or through any other application that uses Android's QuickContact bar.
Twitter introduced the application Friday and posted screenshots of it on the Twitter blog. The social network said Google would open-source the code used in the application in the near future, making it possible for developers to use the Twitter application programming interfaces in their Android apps.
The Twitter for Android app is available for phones running Android 2.1 or later, which would include Google's Nexus One and the new HTC Droid Incredible. However, the requirement means older phones, and even some new phones, won't be able to use the new application.
The fact that Twitter's app won't run on all Android phones is an indication of the fragmentation that could become a problem for users. Android phones each run the OS differently, whether due to screen size, keyboard configuration, or the version of Android being used.
There are currently four different versions available and it's up to the handset maker and carrier which to choose. Depending on the phone chosen, the user can get Android 1.5, 1.6, 2.0, or 2.1.
Part of the problem is due to Google releasing new core versions of the platform faster than its partners can keep up with their own tweaks and customization. Google is reportedly hoping the problem will eventually go away as the platform matures and fewer updates to the core become necessary.
Our editors take Apple's new platform through its paces, in the office and on the road. Here are their (differing) assessments of what works well and what doesn't. Download the report here (registration required).
Google Chrome: Fastest growing web browser
WHATEVER GOOGLE does it turns out to be a success. The Chrome, Google's browser, outpaced the growth of its rivals. Latest data from Net applications says that Chrome's market share is growing by 0.6% in April. In last 12 months Chrome is the fastet growing browser, in this time period its market share rose from 5 points to 6.7%.
However, market giant, Microsoft's Internet Explorer reported decline in its market share to 59.95%. Same is the case of Firefox, which reported minimal growth, reaching to 23.84%.
Google, in just one and half year, took Chrome to the people, delivering a marketing onslaught in Europe to coincide with the new browser menu. Lately, Chrome's growth is showing some consistency, previously seen in Firefox until Chrome's arrival.
What factor lad to this consistency, whether major technological difference or just aggressive marketing campaign is tough to guess at this point.
If we go by the latest figures, we can easily guess that the Google's Chrome campaign is paying dividends in terms of market share. Chrome is likely to eat into every market players pie, Explorer, which is at the top will definitely loose some share, but biggest threat seems to be looming over Firefox because of lack of any aggressive marketing strategy at tis point.
In this time period, Google is improving Chrome technically, such as extension and book mark sync, which are know available in Windows, Mac and Linux version of web browser.
In other features, the one click access to favorite web application and information sources. Quick scroll function will definitely give some advantage to Chrome.
Google acquires 3D software pioneer to take on Apple
TORONTO: Google on Monday snapped up a top Canadian startup which pioneered a 3D interface technology for Mac and Windows PCs.
Called Canada's hottest software startup, Toronto-based BumpTop has been acquired by the search engine for reportedly between $30 and $45 million, according to reports. However, there were no details of the deal by the two sides.
Set up just three years ago, BumpTop has pioneered touch-screen software that allows use of multiple fingers at a time on a multiple touch screen.
Called 'desktop workspace,' the software allows users to organise pictures, documents and videos much more intuitively. Users can perform many functions with their fingers, including dragging of items into docks, and playing around with photos on desktop.
Though Google has not specified how its will use this pioneering technology, it is certain that it will use touch-screen software in its smart phones based on its Android operating system.
Since its Android operating system is basically geared for touch-screen technology, rather than keyboard technology, Google's mobile market strategy is aimed at taking on Apple's iPhone and iPad that use touch screen technology.
The acquired Toronto company will no longer sell its software independently after May 7.
In a statement on its website Monday, it said, "Today, we have a big announcement to make: we're excited to announce that we've been acquired by Google! This means that BumpTop (for both Windows and Mac) will no longer be available for sale. Additionally, no updates to the products are planned."
The acquisition of BumpTop is the fifth such deal by the Mountain View-based Google within a month as part of its strategy to take on Apple.
Just last week, it had acquired Labpixies that develops social games for mobile services and Facebook. Agnilux, Plink, and Episodic are the other three acquisitions made by Google within a month.
