2009's fastest cars under $100,000

Speed-obsessed drivers used to have to shell out big bucks for high performance. Want to go zero to 60 mph in 2.46 seconds? That'll be $1.5 million for a Bugatti Veyron, please.
Today, however, consumers see speed as more of a right than a privilege. Many automakers agree and, while they're not delivering the same sort of performance as one finds in the Veyron, several models can get to 60 nearly as fast--without costing more than $100,000.

"Every generation of performance autos gets a little bit better," explains Mike Omotoso, senior manager of Global Powertrain Forecasting at J.D. Power & Associates. "Only supercars used to go 0-60 in less than four seconds. Now 3.5 to four seconds is just the price of admission in this segment."

And the performance segment is broadening. It's not just angular, low-riding sports cars that make up the speed category. Many are now big, bold power sedans. Longtime luxury manufacturers are even keeping up with the sports-car makers, so those in the market for a new car can stop dreaming when it comes to speed and start deciding which package they want it wrapped in.

Behind the numbers To find the fastest 2009 cars under $100,000, we looked simply at automaker-provided data models that reach 60 mph the fastest. Unfortunately, there is no standardized form of measurement of 0-to-60 time across the auto industry. The data can vary due to a number of factors--such as the type of tire, road surface, weather conditions, etc.--and all manufacturers have their own testing facilities. Nevertheless, across the manufacturer-provided information, the results were varied: sports cars, muscle cars and high-powered luxury cars. Where 2009 data was not yet available, we used data from the 2008 model.
The top of our list belongs to a curvy speed machine: the 2009 Nissan GT-R R35. Born of the legendary Nissan Skyline GT-R models dating back to 1969, the 2009 GT-R officially drops the Skyline name. At 480 horsepower, it hits the 60 mph mark in 3.3 seconds and tops out at 193 mph.

This car is the fastest in the pack, but it doesn't necessarily make a statement--it might even get through a city commute without straining too many necks because, while it's sporty, it doesn't stand out the way other performance cars do.

Lotus, a British manufacturer of performance cars since the 1950s, does stand out, however, and uses a lightweight advantage to get two models onto our list: the Lotus Elise SC and the Lotus Exige S 240.
"[Some companies] are getting better performance by using lighter materials," says Omotoso. "Lighter cars go faster and get better fuel economy." Lotus models couple middleweight engines with light frames and aerodynamic designs to create cars that get stellar performance without the soaring prices of high-end engines.

Both cars cost a pretty penny--the S 240 clocks in at about $65,000 while its little brother costs about $10,000 less. But both reach the 60 mph mark quickly and both, with their sleek designs, definitely make a statement.

American Classics, Updated If a Lotus is a little too bold to satisfy one's need for speed, there are always the updated American classics that serve more or less the same purpose.
"There's still room for the good old American muscle car," says Omotoso, who believes enthusiasts for timeless American favorites will exist for years to come. "People are demanding cars that remind them of their youth. These cars need interior and exterior touches of nostalgia to remind this audience of the original versions."

Cars that fit the bill are the Corvette Z06, which hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, as well as two modified Ford Mustangs. For those more interested in buying American and big performance, but don't care as much about nostalgia, there's the Dodge Viper, which reaches its heart-pounding 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds with the second most powerful engine on our list.
Speed Meets Comfort But speed also comes in some surprising packages, particularly luxury models that don't--on first appearance--look as though they pack quite the same punch. But they do.

Mercedes-Benz has three 2009 models on our list. The C63 AMG, Mercedes-Benz's base-level performance sedan, sports one of the weaker engines on our list, but with a 0 to 60 mph of 4.3 seconds, it's doubtful any driver would notice. Matching its speed and power, believe it or not, is a wagon--the E63 AMG. It may not have the cool factor of a Corvette but keeping pace with one is pretty cool in its own right. A Cadillac, the 2009 CTS-V, also makes the list after getting an upgrade. (So much for the old-man image.) Despite its large and heavy styling, the CTS-V hits 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 191 mph.

So with the category of speedy cars expanding, could they eventually muscle out demand for cars that cost five or 10 times as much? Omotoso doubts it.
"People know names like Ferrari, and there are enough millionaires there's always going to be a demand for those cars. They're a combination of performance and heritage, and a Ferrari customer isn't the same as a Corvette customer."

Or a luxury sedan customer, for that matter. But with the performance market expanding, they can at least all keep pace with one another.

Saina bags World junior badminton crown

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal became the first Indian to clinch the World Junior Badminton Championship after a straight games victory in the final in Pune on Sunday.
The top seed got the better of ninth seeded Japanese Sayaka Sato 21-9, 21-18 in a match that lasted just 25 minutes.

"It is a great feeling to win it this time. The last time, in 2006, I had lost in the final, but I am happy that I clinched the title this time," Saina, who reached the quarter-finals of the Beijing Olympics , said after the match.

"I never thought that I would play so well. The first game was easier, but in the second game she was playing good smashes, but I was successful in catching her on the net. I played my backhands well, and so, overall, I am satisfied with my performance. It was an okay sort of a match."

"However, I reckon my semi-final match against Chinese Shixian Wang as the toughest in the tournament," she added.

With the Commonwealth youth gold and the World Junior title in her kitty, the world number 11 has now set her eyes on the China and Hong Kong Opens later this month.

"I am next playing China Open and Hong Kong Open this month and I am confident of doing well there as well," the National champion said.

National coach Pullela Gopichand said Saina played like a champion all through the tournament.
"She played like a champion. It is good to see her wining convincingly through out the tournament. She has really done well, hats off to her," Gopichand said.

Dhoni retains golden touch in Tests

Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] is destiny's favourite child. And he is very happily married to Lady Luck.

How else do you explain the fact that everything he touches turns to gold. He first substituted for Anil Kumble [Images] (as Test captain) against South Africa [Images] in the Kanpur Test and led India to a comprehensive eight-wicket win inside three days.
A second opportunity came his way in Mohali and he has ensured himself a 320-run thrashing of Australia [Images]. And here we won't even

mention his ODIs or T20 exploits.

Don't agree with . Here's a second point of view then.

He has given the term "leading from the front" a whole new meaning.
Captaincy at a young age can be a burden and can affect your performance as a player. Not in Dhoni's case though. He celebrated wearing the captain's armband for a second time by contributing 92 and 68 not out with the bat-- a performance that won him the man-of-the-match award.

Don't agree with ? Here's the third and final point of view.
The 27-year-old has his head firmly on his shoulder and has not let success distract him as is usually the case with the young Indian cricketers. Dhoni is aware of the fact that both "performance" and "luck" are variable factors and would pose a problem for him at some stage. And that is precisely what keeps him rooted.

Still, do not agree with ? Then just hear from the horse's mouth.
"When you play one or two matches, records do happen," said Dhoni, when queried about his second successive triumph as Test captain. "But it is about doing it over a longer period of time." The captain was in fact surprised that the Aussies succumbed so meekly.
"Honestly speaking, we have not seen this before," he admitted. "I mean in their first innings, they were 22 for two wickets after 13 overs and I was so surprised that I told Rahul (Dravid) that you don't see things like that very often

"And maybe you won't see that again for a long time." Dhoni did admit, however, that India was the better side.
"I don't believe in comparisons but we did most things right," he explained. "We had only four bowlers and to their credit, they shared the responsibility well." But doesn't his captaincy deserved some credit as well?

"There's not too much pressure of being a captain," admitted Dhoni. "We have to take care of certain things on the ground and channel our efforts in the right direction." And what about his own batting?

"It was a perfect scenario for me to just go out and play my natural game," reasoned Dhoni. "We got a good start, the track was placid and the ball old. It was just the perfect occasion for my sort of batting.
"I have realized that I should play my natural game, play to my strengths. In between, I was not playing my game but thinking of the scenario." Another thing he has realised happens to be the fact that the hallmark of a good captain is to have faith in his players.
"I believe in every guy who is part of the side," he asserted. "Every player comes to this level after putting in a lot of effort."

The Mohali Test was memorable on many grounds-- Sachin's record, Amit Mishra's performance on debut and his own batting. But what was it that Dhoni himself like the most?
"Sourav getting 102 was special," blurted Dhoni, without thinking even for a moment. "Since it is his last series, he was playing without any pressure. And that is how one wants to see him play."
With almost everything going to perfection he definitely has reasons to expect more. But Dhoni believes caution is the best way to propagate aggression.

"They are a strong side," he warned. "It is just that we are doing our job well now. So we don't have to worry about the opposition as much. But they will come back strong for sure."

Successful, and still not complacent, that's Mahendra Singh Dhoni for you. Now you have to believe!!!

After Google, Motorola readies Android phone

As the wireless world awaits the Oct. 22 debut of the first phone based on the Google-backed Android software, engineers at Motorola are hard at work on their own Android handset. Motorola's version will boast an iPhone-like touch screen, a slide-out qwerty keyboard, and a host of social-network-friendly features, BusinessWeek.com has learned.
Motorola has been showing spec sheets and images of the phone to carriers around the world in the past two months and is likely to introduce the handset in the U.S. sometime in the second quarter of 2009, according to people familiar with Motorola's plans.

Building a phone based on the highly anticipated Android operating system is part of Motorola's effort to revive a loss-making handset division that has forfeited market share amid a drought of bestselling phones. Motorola stock, which on Oct. 17 rose a penny to 5.62, is hovering near a 16-year low.

The phone will appear among a new class of social smartphones designed to make it easy for users to connect quickly and easily to mobile social networks such as Facebook and News Corp.'s MySpace. Such phones let users message in-network friends directly from phone contact lists, for example. A Facebook representative declined to comment on the company's work with Motorola. MySpace.com didn't respond to a request for comment.

Motorola declined to elaborate on its plans, but said in a statement: "We're excited about the innovation possibilities on Android and look forward to delivering great products in partnership with Google" and the community of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance that are working on the Android operating system.

Mobile networking wave
In the next year, social networking phones are expected to be a hit with the 16- to 34-year-old crowd, analysts say. According to consultancy Informa, the number of mobile social-networking users will rise from 2.3 per cent of global cell-phone users at the end of 2007 to as many as 23 per cent of all mobile users by the end of 2012.
The Android handset will feature a touch screen about the size of those on Apple's iPhone, people familiar with the phone say. While it takes some of the design cues from Krave ZN4, the first touch-screen phone from Motorola launched with Verizon Wireless on Oct. 14, it's not certain whether the Android phone screen will feature Krave's distinctive and interactive clear flip screen.

Like the world's first Android phone, from HTC, Motorola's Android-based device will offer a slide-out Qwerty keyboard. People who've seen the pictures and spec sheets for the device say it looks like a higher-end version of the HTC phone, called the T-Mobile G1. But it's expected to sell for less, at prices similar to the Krave, which is available for $150 with a two-year contract. After carrier subsidies, the G1 will retail for $180 with a two-year contract.

Slow off the mark
Motorola's new phone likely won't be ready to launch in the US until the second quarter of next year, say people who are familiar with it. And it may not be available in Europe until the third quarter of 2009. Many analysts have been expecting Motorola to roll out an Android phone in December or January.

Any delay gives competing Android phones a chance to gain traction. London-based INQ will unveil its social-networking phone, INQ1, in Britain and Australia in about a month. The slider phone, which integrates Facebook features into its address book and camera, is expected to enter the U.S. market next year.

And Nokia, the world's largest cell-phone maker, has already begun adding connectivity to its media-sharing site Ovi in some of its higher-end phones. "The sooner [Motorola] comes out with a social phone the better," says John Jackson, an analyst with the Yankee Group. "The more you wait, the more distance gets put between you and the rest of the world."
In the handset business, a best-selling product can reverse a company's fortunes quickly, as Motorola has seen first with its popular StarTAC, and then with the Razr line of devices. "Motorola still has global carrier and distribution relationships" to rival those of most competing players, says Jackson.

Motorola also has a relationship with industry innovator Apple, and may be able to offer iTunes downloads for upcoming phones, says Moe Tanabian, principal at researcher IBB Consulting. Music downloads may appeal to the same category of consumers that is expected to buy social phones.

Good people
The Android project is getting a lot of attention and support directly from Motorola's new co-chief executive officer, Sanjay Jha. The Android phone - likely one of a series of Android handsets Motorola is cooking up - is the brainchild of people who joined Motorola via its 2006 acquisition of Good Technology.

Good specialised in enterprise wireless messaging, data access, and security software used in such products as Motorola's Q line of smartphones. The project is headed by Rick Osterloh, vice-president and general manager for Android products and formerly Good's vice-president of marketing and product management.

Motorola is looking to add staff to its Android project in California, where the Good team is based. Applicants are invited to work on a "social smart phone." One posting for a software engineer on job board Monster.com reads: "We are a new start-up division within Motorola with strong executive level sponsorship, a 50M+ budget for our Android platform. Our new CEO, Sanjay Jha, has been in the forefront of the formation of the Android Open Handset Alliance!"

Injury almost pushed me into depression: Sania

Forced to stay away from courts for almost half the season, a fit again Sania Mirza is eyeing a comeback at January's Classic tennis tournament in Hong Kong and revealed that she almost sunk into depression while struggling to recover from a wrist injury.

The Indian ace has been out of action since the Beijing Olympics, where her wrist injury flared up again and she had to concede her first round singles match.
Sharing the trauma she faced when she ran out of options to get her wrist healed, she said it was difficult to cope with the situation at that time.

"It was scary. It was career threatening. I was almost going through depression. I think the post-injury period is more difficult to cope with and I am happy to be back. But I never doubted that I cannot make a comeback ," Sania, who is in Capital for the treatment, said.

Sania said she was keen to make a comeback but was not in a hurry. She confirmed that she will play a team tournament in Hong Kong in January before resuming her Tour activities.
"It is a big honour to represent Asia. It is great to be a part of such a large field, where you have players like (Jelena) Jankovic and (Maria) Sharapova. But we still have two-and-a-half months to go and it is very long period in tennis," she said after spending about an hour on the DLTA courts, practicing with Radhika Tulpule.

Talking about the next season, she said she was approaching it cautiously

India to be a developed nation by 2028: Blackberry founder

James Laurence Balsillie, founder and co-chief executive officer of Research in Motion, feels that in the next 20 years, India will reach the developed nation status with $20,000 per capita income in terms of purchasing power parity.

"I am impressed by the breathtaking transformation underway in India," he said, that has made India "the world's fourth-largest economy in purchasing-power terms, growing at 6 to 8 percent," Balsillie said. He was the keynote speaker at Canada-India Business Council Diwali dinner October 7 at Toronto's Marriott hotel.

India, he added, would "reach developed nation status [$20,000 per capita income in terms of purchasing power parity] in 2028."



Blackberry users in India are growing rapidly 'and we anticipate having millions of customers more before long,' Balsillie said.



He called the Blackberry 'an essential tool' for business that is 'profoundly empowering and democratic' as it allows 'millions of people in India to leapfrog legacy, technology and transit straight into the 21st century.'



Few countries, he said, 'are making that transition as dramatically as India.'
People the world over, he said, "respect India's incredibly rich heritage, [and] are deeply impressed by the pace of its current achievements. Indian scriptures, literature, and philosophy are read for their profound insights into human nature and social relations. Indian mathematics, from the concept of zero to the development of the decimal system, underlie modern science."



Balsillie also lauded the success of Indian businesses -- like Mittal Steel, Tata Motors , Infosys , the Mahindra Group, the Jindal Group, etc -- and "the growing impact in the world markets of Indian entrepreneurs."



He reeled off statistics and information about India, where "average literacy rates are rising, and the percentage of people living below the poverty line has been cut in half in one generation. All this progress is being made in. . . the world's most populous democracy. . . [that has] strong governance institutions, an engaged civil society, an irreverent press, a respected judiciary, vigorous Opposition parties and numerous ethnic groups and languages."



Indians, he said, are "playing increasingly prominent roles in Canada's economy and politics, including at the highest levels."



The Indian Diaspora, he said, "is a source of extraordinary benefit to Canada, in terms of talent, family and business contacts, and worldliness."



He called Indo-Canadians "crucial to Canada's openness to the world and to our success."
Balsillie is involved in establishing think tanks like the Centre for International Governance and the Balsillie School of International Affairs for which he has brought in Professor Ramesh Thakur from Tokyo as the director.



CIGI and Balsillie School will work with the Canadian International Council, the Asia-Pacific Foundation and the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute.



Balsillie suggested "the establishment of a permanent Canadian education presence in India, in order to recruit Indian students to undergraduate and graduate programs across Canada; an annual high-level policy dialogue that brings together business leaders, academic experts and government officials' exposure of Canadians to visiting Indian business and institutional leaders;" and the creation of "a young scholars program to facilitate and manage a regular and structured exchange of the best and brightest of our two countries emerging academic talent."



He also floated the idea of annual CIC fellowships by the C-IBC for the study of contemporary India.
"The world is changing faster than many people can comprehend," he concluded, "and a dynamic India [is] a major agent of that change."



He, however, admitted that this change "is uneven, with far more progress evident in economic governance than in political governance, where it is badly needed. The world's capacity to understand and manage change needs urgent upgrading."



"We are what we think, all that we are arises with our thoughts, with our thoughts we make the world," he said, quoting from the Buddhist scripture Dhamapada. "May the festival of lights [Diwali] illuminate our thoughts," he added.



RIM, inventor and maker of Blackberry phones, works with five telecom service provider partners in India -- Bharti, Airtel, Vodafone Essar, Reliance Communications , BPL Mobile and Tata Communications. Balsillie was in India two weeks ago with his wife Heidi.



Besides his meetings with Indian business leaders and CEOs, Mr and Mrs Balsillie also visited a number of historic Hindu temples, and the Mahatma Gandhi Museum in Delhi and in Mumbai.

All about India's moon mission

AIndia's first Moon mission, Chandrayaan is all set to add a golden chapter to India's space endeavour when it takes off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on October 22.
Here's all that you wanted to know about India's first Moon mission

What is Chandrayaan-1?
Chandrayaan-1 is a scientific investigation -- by spacecraft -- of the Moon. The name Chandrayaan means Chandra (Moon), Yaan (vehicle). Chandrayaan-1 is the first Indian planetary science and exploration mission.
When, and from where, Chandrayaan-1 will be launched?
Chandrayaan-1 will be launched on October 22, 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota (SHAR).

How long will it take Chandrayaan-1 to get to Moon?
It will take about 5? days for Chandrayaan-1 to get to the Moon.
How close to Moon will Chandrayaan-1 come while orbiting the Moon?
Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft will be in a 100 km polar orbit around the Moon.

What are Chandrayaan' s scientific goals?
The Chandrayaan-1 mission is aimed at high-resolution remote sensing of the Lunar surface in visible, near Infrared, low energy X-rays and high-energy X-ray regions.
Specific scientific goals are:

To prepare a three-dimensional atlas (with a high spatial and altitude resolution of 5-10m) of both near and far side of the moon.

To conduct chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface for distribution of elements such as Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon, Calcium, Iron and Titanium with a spatial resolution of about 20 km and high atomic number elements such as Radon, Uranium & Thorium with a spatial resolution of about 40 km.

By simultaneous photo geological and chemical mapping we will be able to identify different geological units, which will test the hypothesis for the origin and early evolutionary history of the moon and help in determining the nature of the lunar crust.

What are the basic components of the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft?
The basic components of the chandrayaan-1 spacecraft are:
The scientific payloads: the instruments that will gather science data.
The solar array that provides power to the spacecraft. Chandrayaan also carries a battery that stores the power generated by the solar array and feeds it to other systems.
The thrusters perform fuel burns to change the spacecraft's trajectory and attitude.
The various functional requirements of the spacecraft such as Attitude and Orbit Control, Command processing, House keeping telemetry, Sensor data processing, Thermal management, payload data handling operation, duel gimbaled data transmission antenna pointing, onboard mission management etc would be taken care by the Bus Management Unit (BMU).
The spacecraft also carries two star sensors and inertial reference unit based on miniaturized gyros providing absolute attitude.

What are the scientific instruments onboard Chandrayaan-1?

There are altogether eleven scientific instruments onboard Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. Five of them are Indian and other six are from European Space Agency (3), NASA (2) and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1) selected through ISRO Announcement of Opportunity (AO). Two of the ESA instruments have Indian collaboration.

What type of propulsion system will Chandrayaan-1 use? How much propellant will it carry?
Chandrayaan-1 will use bipropellant integrated propulsion system. The propulsion system consists of a unified bi-propellant system for orbit raising and attitude control.
It consists of one 440N engine and eight numbers of 22N thrusters, mounted on the negative roll face of the spacecraft. Two tanks each with a capacity of 390 liter are used for storing fuel and oxidizer.

How will mission controllers communicate with the spacecraft?
If the spacecraft encounters a problem, it can establish contact with controllers on Earth through the Deep Space Network.

Can the team fix the spacecraft from Earth?
If a component on the spacecraft fails, controllers on Earth can instruct Chandrayaan to bring a backup online. If the spacecraft points in the wrong direction, its attitude can be corrected. If the spacecraft deviates from the desired trajectory, a controlled burn (thruster firing) can be performed to put it back on track.
Most minor problems can be corrected from Earth with existing onboard instruction systems.

How is the spacecraft powered?
The spacecraft is mainly powered by its solar array, which includes one solar panel covering a total area of 2.15 X 1.8 square meters, generating 700W power. The panels are made of materials rated to withstand extreme temperatures -- 119 degree C to minus 165 degree C.
The power produced by the solar array is stored in a Lithium-ion battery, and then distributed from the battery to the spacecraft subsystems. The power system is designed to support various phases of the mission. The power will supplement the mission with equal efficiency in both noon/midnight and dawn/dusk orbits.
The power system consists of power generation, energy storage and power conditioning elements. 36AH Li-Ion battery powers the spacecraft during orbital and lunar eclipses. Power electronics system controls the solar array power to supply the load and charge the batteries.

What is the total budget for realising Chandrayaan-1 mission?
The budgetary estimate for realising the proposed Indian lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 stands at Rs. 386 crore (about $76 million). This includes Rs 53 crore (about $11 million) for Payload development, Rs. 83 crore (about $17 million) for Spacecraft Bus, Rs 100 crore ($20 million) towards establishment of Deep Space Network, Rs 100 crore ($20 million) for PSLV launch vehicle and Rs 50 crore ($10 million) for scientific data centre, external network support and programme management expenses.

What other missions are scheduled to study Moon?
The first leap in Lunar observation was made by Galileo Galilei who used his new invention the telescope to observe mountains and craters on the lunar surface.
The first man-made object to reach the Moon was the unmanned Soviet probe Luna 2 in September 1959. Luna 9 was the first probe to soft land on the Moon in February 1966 and transmit pictures from the Lunar surface.
The first robotic lunar rover to land on the Moon was the Soviet Lunokhod 1 in November 1970.
Humans first landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. The first man to walk on the lunar surface was Neil Armstrong, commander of the American mission Apollo 11. The last man to walk on the Moon was in December 1972 by Eugene Cernan during Apollo 17 mission.
Moon samples have been brought back to Earth by three Russian Luna missions (16, 20, and 24) and the US Apollo missions 11, 12 and 14 through 17.
The European Space Agency has launched European spacecraft Smart1 on September 27 2003 to explore the Moon, survey the lunar environment and create an X-ray map of the Moon.
Japan has two planned lunar missions, LUNAR-A and Selene.
India plans to launch a lunar orbiter for simultanious chemical and mineralogical study of the lunar surface. The People's Republic of China has also expressed ambitious plans for exploring the Moon (Change series).
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) of USA is designed to map the surface of the Moon and characterize future landing sites in terms of terrain roughness, usable resources, and radiation environment with the ultimate goal of facilitating the return of humans to the Moon.

Thanks http://specials.rediff.com/news/2008/oct/17sli1.htm

Saina Nehwal wins CYG badminton gold

Saina Nehwal went through some anxious moments before winning the girls' singles gold in the third Commonwealth Youth Games, at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, in Pune, on Friday.

India's top woman shuttler and Beijing Olympics quarter-finalist was made to sweat by 15-year-old Sikki Reddy before posting a 23-21, 22-20 victory on the fifth and penultimate day of the Games.

The bronze medal went to Panuga Riou of England , who beat Malaysia's Tiffany Currier Chase 18-21, 21-16, 21-16.

However, Sikki did get an opportunity to lay her hands on gold. She partnered P C Thulasi to beat Mary Alexandra Bruce and Shan Michelle Li Man of Canada in the doubles final.

In the men's singles top seed Guru Sai Dutt endured a tough challenge from countryman Aditya Prakash before prevailing 21-18, 20-22, 21-18.

Martin Campbell of Scotland won the bronze medal.

It needed a string of unforced errors from Sikki to enable Saina pocket the first game after she was down 17-18. Saina capitalised on her opponent's errors to take the lead at 20-18.

Sikki bounced back to level scores at 21-21 but then the India No 1 drew on all her experience to close the game with a spectacular smash.

The second game was no different as each time Saina tried to put Sikki on the mat, she would bounce back.

Saina extended her lead to 6-2 before Sikki closed down the gap to 8-5. Some errors by the Hyderabadi ace saw Sikki back on level terms at 9-9 before the 15-year-old opened up a two-point lead.

With the game oscillating from one to the other, it was Saina's turn to forge ahead. She was just two points away from victory at 19-13 when her opponent won four consecutive points as the crowd egged her own.

However, an overhead smash helped Saina stretch her lead and when Sikki's shot went beyond the line, the match was all over.

Saina lauded her opponent, who also trains at the Gopichand Academy.

"Sikki has been playing very well recently... She is giving a tough fight to all the players. She can go well from here," she said.

Domestic airlines CEOs to discuss bailout package

Hyderabad: India first-ever civil aviation exhibition and conference, India Aviation-2008 is taking place at the old Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad.

The four-day event from October 15-18 is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Federation of Indian Chambers and Industry (FICCI).

With the aviation industry facing a difficult time due to the ongoing global financial crisis and high fuel prices difficult time for the industry, the CEO's of domestic airlines will be meeting on Wednesday morning to discuss a bailout package with the Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.

The sector is staring down at losses of over Rs 4000 crore and want a financial bailout of about Rs 5000 crore, which could be a mix of soft loans and decrease in high aviation turbine fuel (ATF) taxes to a uniform four per cent across the country.
The air show itself has participation from all aircraft manufacturers including Airbus which has brought its A380, the world’s largest aircraft.

More than 200 exhibitors from leading aviation and allied industries from around the world are taking part in the show.

Amitabh Bachchan is recovering

Amitabh Bachchan, who was admitted to the Lilavati hospital on his birthday last week for treatment of abdominal pain, is on the road to recovery, a hospital spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"Big B [Images] is definitely improving and the doctors are happy with this. He is in constant conversation with his family who have been besides him throughout," the spokesperson said.

The Bollywood icon has thanked his fans for their good wishes and prayers, the spokesperson added. The hospital has, however, declined to comment on reports that Bachchan is likely to be discharged on Tuesday.

Aussie media pick on Sourav, call him serial offender

Melbourne: Intentionally or inadvertently, Sourav Ganguly continues to rub Australians the wrong way and the media in Australia poured vitriol on the former India skipper, accusing him of indulging in delaying tactics to ensure the Bangalore Test ended in a draw.

The popular belief here is that Australia were destined to win the Bangalore Test but the existing light rule, coupled with Ganguly's delaying tactics, denied Ricky Ponting's men victory in the first of the four-match Test series.

A member of the 'National Nine News' sports team took a potshot at anyone and everyone but was particularly harsh on Ganguly, whom he described as a "serial offender".

"Serial offender Sourav Ganguly firstly persuaded the umpires to go off. Then when play resumed, Ganguly made Australia's fielders and partner VVS Laxman wait an eternity because he'd apparently 'forgotten to put his thigh pad on'.

"Please! Can't you be timed out in this game?" he wrote.

According to him, the spectators were the obvious losers in the entire exercise.

"The players got something out of it. Pedantic officials got their moment of the glory. But billions of fans and more importantly – the game itself – got nothing out of this farcical finish in Bangalore," he remarked.

Criticising umpire Asad Rauf and Rudy Koertzen, the writer said, "With the match in the balance, a crucial hour's play on the final day was lost, with not one, but two stoppages for bad light – when at times the sun was shining! Umpires strutted about like Emperor Penguins, holding out their light metres – a device that like performance enhancing drugs should be banned."

Don't change job unless you have valid reason

This is not the time to switch jobs, unless you have a compelling reason to do so. India Inc is slowing down on recruitments as the Indian economy loses steam.

Aviation, BPO and financial services, which went on a hiring spree during the economic boom, seem to have developed cold feet. Fresh recruitment in manufacturing and infrastructure has also hit a rough patch, according to industry experts.

Aviation, which is passing through a major crisis after oil prices rose to a record $145 a barrel, seem to have lost its yen for talent. Expats, who came rushing to India with the onset of low-cost airlines, have left their jobs.

Retrenchment seems to be the new buzzword in the sector. Budget carrier Go Air has cut 400 jobs in the last six months.

Deccan has frozen recruitment and is reviewing its business plans due to the sudden increase in jet fuel prices."We don't want to hire people and then lay them off as done by some airlines," said Hitesh Patel, Executive Vice-President, Kingfisher Airlines, which controls budget airline Deccan.
In the next few days, employee salaries will also see a reduction. "We are moving away from fixed costs to variable costs.

Since January, we have frozen fresh recruitment and cut manpower by 30 per cent as we withdrew from several sectors," said Edgrado Badiali, CEO, Go Air. Aviation training schools, which mushroomed in anticipation of the boom, are eyeing jobs for their students in the Middle
East where the industry is still growing.

The story is the same in other sectors. "The slowdown in the job market is really happening.
ITeS, infrastructure, industrial manufacturing, banking and BPOs that were well recruiting last year, have taken a hit," says James Agrawal, consulting director and amp; head, BTI Consultants. Companies like IBM, TCS and Patni Computers have slashed jobs in their software and BPO operations.

"A 30 per cent hike in salary is the least you can expect when changing jobs. Last year, it was a minimum 50 per cent.

The job scenario also depends on the position you are joining at, it is easier in the junior level," says Shrikant Rege, CEO-India, American Express Bank Ltd.

A first glimpse of Miss Universe 2008

The new Miss Universe was crowned in the Vietnamese city of Nha Trang earlier today. Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza vied with beauties from 79 other countries to take home the title.
Miss Universe 2007, Riyo Mori (Miss Japan [Images]) presented the crown to the 22-year-old stunner as the crowd in attendance applauded and a television audience close to one billion looked on.

Dayana is the 57th winner of the annual pageant, which sees beautiful young women from all over the globe compete against each other in a swimwear round, an eveningwear round and a question-and-answer session with the judges. With each successive turn on stage, a few contestants are eliminated.

"I am excited. I cried a lot. I am really glad I made it," an excited Dayana told reporters shortly after her triumphant win. She will soon take off on a year-long tour of the globe as an ambassador for humanitarian issues.

As for the other four finalists who made it to the last round, they were ranked as follows:
First runner-up: Miss Columbia, Taliana VargasSecond runner-up: Miss Dominican Republic, Marianne Cruz Gonzalez Third runner-up: Miss Russia [Images], Vera Krasova Fourth runner-up: Miss Mexico, Elsia Najera

The Best National Costume Award went to Miss Thailand, Gavintra Photijak and Miss El Salvador, Rebeca Moreno, was voted Miss Congeniality.

Kuselan Music Review

What started out as a simple venture in remaking a simple story from Malayalam to Tamil has now turned into a massive exercise of glitz, glamour and superstars.

The Malayalam hit Kadha Parayumbol has morphed into the Tamil version Kuselan, and with the larger than life persona of Rajnikanth [Images], under the aegis of K Balachander's Kavithalaya and Seven Arts, even the music being a hit isn't far off.
Tuned by G V Prakash Kumar, with the lyrics penned by Vaali, Pa Vijay and others, it is interesting to see if Kuselan touts an aural fare on par with the rest of the movie's stature.
The much talked about Cinema Cinema...begins with a blast of Omen-like chorus and music, which then segues into a catchy tune that extols the virtues of cinema. Shankar Mahadevan's [Images] voice lifts off with characteristic fluidity, alternating between feathery-smooth and strong. Vaali is on his home-ground here, as he weaves the magical world of cinema into words.

The musical medley reminds you of the instrumental piece in Veerapandi Kottaiyie, but it does bring about a sense of magnificence, which makes you want to see how it might be picturised.
The second half of the song is full of the superstar and his many merits. And then it's back to the ominous choral effects, and the virtues of the superstar again. It's catchy, and certainly will become a national anthem for Rajni fanatics!

Hariharan's [Images] voice starts softly, sweetly, and with gentle rhythm in Sollamma, Sollamma. Sujatha's voice joins Hariharan's seamlessly. You can see traces of A R Rahman's style -- a la Mudhalvan, but melodious nevertheless. As it moves from plain romantic to sorrow-tinged tones, you wait for more such fare. More choral notes and clear tones of flute follow. And then there's a section on the children singing -- Ranjani and Pooja -- presumably about their parents. The second half is all about the travails of raising a family on meager resources; Pa Vijay's words are slightly idealistic, but simple.

Om Zaarare begins with a medley of voices and instruments, which then segues into Daler Mehndi's [Images] characteristic Punjabi tones; strong and throbbing. Then there's Sadhana Sargam, adding to the mix. The beat is interesting -- and again, with the lyrics peppered with the names of the superstar's movies such as Chandramukhi and Ejamaan, this one too is sung in his praise. The use of violins is neat.

Chitra's voice comes as a welcome respite even if it's so shrill that you're tempted to wince. Daler's pronunciation is passable -- and when he says Paayum Puli and Annamalai, you're pleasantly surprised. Guitars make a pleasant interlude and then there's some disco-esque music as well.

But you get the feeling that the composer has fumbled around for the perfect note to segue into the next section -- which happens to have a classical base complete with flutes and thavil. This is also the longest number, clocking at seven minutes of a queer mixture of the old and the new.
Chaaral starts with the soothing sounds of rain, and crickets and thunder. Shreya Ghosal's voice begins with musical notes. This one is full of beats and rhythms that remind of the pop band of yore, ABBA in places.

Dr Kridhaya's lyrics indicate a trip down memory lane. A guitar interlude segues into violins, and again, you're conscious of the music-director's attempts to travel down a different lane. With flute interludes blending with guitar strings, you are assailed with classical dance beats and then it's slap-bang into a mix of English and chaste Tamil. The number ends with, appropriately enough, a clap of thunder.

Perinba has more Punjabi beats and a jig-along rhythm that leave you in no doubt of superstar's status again. Rendered by Kailesh Kher and Prasanna V V, this one is plain, simple and retreats into almost rustic simplicity. With harmonica interludes, this is a nice number to listen once. Yuga Bharathy's lyrics will make Rajni fans do a joyous jig.

You can't help but notice that G V Prakash Kumar's music has shades of his famous uncle's work, but that's only to be expected.

Kuselan promises some interesting fare, and manages to deliver some of it.

Friends all set to hit the big screen

Television's most beloved pals, Friends, might be there for you on the 70mm screen sooner than you think.

The highly anticipated film production of the famous television series has finally been given the go-ahead, according to reports.

The cast are said to have agreed to the project after witnessing the box office success of Sex and the City, another hit television series given the movie treatment.

Rumours of a reunion for the six Friends stars -- Jennifer Aniston [Images], Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc -- have been around ever since the show ended in 2004.

The cast is now reported to have signed up for a movie version, produced by Warner Bros, with filming scheduled to start within the next 18 months. 'Jennifer, Courtney and the rest of the cast are keen to reprise their roles, under the right circumstances. The success of Sex And The City has really got their wheels spinning about how a Friends film could be just as big, if done right,' the Telegraph quoted a source, as saying.

'Timing and the script are really important, but now that Courteney and Jen both have production companies, they can potentially get very involved in those decisions,' the source added.

Cox has made no secret of her desire to get the gang back together for one last outing, but Aniston has been reluctant.

The source said: 'As the biggest star of the Friends franchise, Jennifer can't help but look at what's happened with Sarah Jessica Parker [Images] and the Sex and the City film and be a little jealous. What's held back a Friends movie so far is that people were worried that Jennifer had simply become too famous to play Rachel again.

'But the truth is that Jennifer is finally willing to do it, and she'd love to work with that whole team of actors and producers again. She says she and Courteney have already talked this summer about what they want out of a Friends movie, and if deals can be made with them, everything else can fall into place rather quickly.'

Yoga: Challenge yourself with the lotus pose

The lotus pose or padmasana is a great pose with which to continue one's learning curve in yoga. Since it's so importantly connected with mental and spiritual benefits, this pose is one worth cultivating. It may also be used as an additional prop to other poses one can already do. This column is directed at those who already practice yoga and can do the lotus pose with ease, holding it for longer.

The lotus pose which came naturally to Indians just a few generations ago, has today become a difficult asana or pose. This is largely due to lifestyle changes: the westernised toilet in place of the Indian-style one, the use of the chair rather than the floor on which to seat oneself, the reduced use of legs for various activities combined with gadgets that discourage the use of our legs. The main culprit being a largely sedentary lifestyle and the choice of rest or reclining as the most preferred way to unwind.

Read about Shilpa's Yoga. Click here.

In such a scenario, unfortunately, the lotus pose is not just difficult but also aggravates existing problems in those who attempt it late in life. Such problems include knee pain, lower backache, hip pain and arthritic problems. However, if you already have a healthy yoga practice and enjoy flexibility, this pose is worth cultivating.

It enhances mental focus by redirecting the flow of blood, that drains towards the lower limbs, by pushing it upwards to the torso and the spine. The digestive tract, often referred to as the 'second brain' because of its close link and reactions to our emotional selves, is serviced as well as the brain.

Shameem Akthar, yoga acharya trained with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, Kerala, shows you how to up the ante in your yoga practice with the lotus pose and its five variations.

Point to note:
If sitting or holding the lotus for long, when you release the legs, wriggle the toes lightly, shuffle the legs up and down, to restore blood circulation back in them, before either standing or moving about.

Some of these poses are advanced poses and meant only for those who already have a thriving yoga practice.

Catch more of Shameem's yoga writings and about her upcoming workshops at jaisivananda.blogspot.com

Harmony Foundation recently published Shameem Akthar's book, Yoga for Silvers. To place an order, please write to: anita.rosario@harmonyindia.org

This article only attempts to enthuse readers towards yoga practice and complement your existing practice. Yoga is best learnt under the personal guidance of a teacher.

Check it out by clicking Next below
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How reliable are lie-detectors in whodunnits?

A video of the stamp scam kingpin, Abdul Karim Telgi, undergoing a narco-analysis test shocked India a few years ago.

However, today, it's become almost standard police procedure to use basic lie-detector tests and narco-analysis when investigating high-profile criminal cases, like the ongoing probe into the Noida double murders, the Nithari case last year to the 7/11 blasts in Mumbai.

But here's what's worrying. Clinical psychiatrists across the world have raised questions about their reliability.

NIMHANS Clinical Psychologist, Dr C R Chandrashekhar says, "If a person is admant about not telling you the truth, he will give you false information even in the narco-analysis test. Then the test does not mean anything."

A NIMHANS study on some 300 criminals who underwent narco-analysis found that in nearly four out of 10 cases, people get away with lying even when in a trance-like-state induced by the "truth serum" of Sodium Pentothal. Thus, these tests are reliable only in 61 per cent of the cases

The amount of truth serum administered in each case also has a role to play. Even if 5 mg lower than the required dosage is administered, then the person undergoing the test may be in his senses and cheat.

The Indian Psychiatric Society considers narco-analysis to be a pseudo-science.

They find that one in two people can be made to believe events that never happened, and so even in the subconscious state, their brains recognise and register these lies as the truth.

Narco-analysis findings are also not admissible in court, but the police say they need these tests, to provide vital leads.

Former Chief Anti-Terrorist Squad, K P S Raghuvanshi says, "Narco-analysis is used in high profile cases because there is so much public hue and cry and public attention, and so it is critical to arrive at a conclusion correctly and quickly. When we're blank and making no headway, 61 per cent is a big percentage. During investigations of national importance like terrorism charges, it is important to be doubly sure and get a lead."

As criminals get more sophisticated, especially when it comes to white-collar crimes, police are increasingly looking to forensics to help them keep up to date. But the big question is, will forensic tests get advanced enough to prove dependable? One will have to wait and watch.

Toshiba KDDI W51T - Review

KDDI W51T – a 3-megaixel camera and a rotating display

Here comes another product by the Japanese operator produced by Toshiba. KDDI W51T is a stylish clamshell with the rotating display, which enables you to snap and view photos more comfortably. Besides there is a 3-megapixel camera.


Its internal display has a 2.6” diagonal, QVGA resolution, 262K colors. The external OLED display is a monochrome one, 96x39 pixels, 0.8” diagonal. It is designed to display service info, for example, on the network signal level and incoming SMS. There is an expansion slot for microSD cards.

Measuring 51x103x21 mm it weighs 142 g. Battery life in CDMA 1X networks makes up about 290 hours standby and 220 minutes in the talk mode. The model is available in 3 color solutions

Planning to buy Digital Camera?

Check out the latest models

Sony announces HVL-F58AM flagship flash unit

Sony has announced the new HVL-F58AM flagship flash unit. The new model replaces the former HVL-F56AM model, and features a new Quick Shift Bounce system. The flash head can pivot 90 degrees left and right on a horizontal axis in addition to the conventional up and down. It offers a higher degree of flexibility for external lighting control and is compatible will all existing models as well as Sony's upcoming flagship camera that will be unveiled later this year

E3's whiter than white following firmware fix

Olympus has issued updated firmware for its flagship DSLR, the E3. The latest firmware, V1.2, makes an update to improve the consistency of the camera's auto white balance. As usual, owners can download this latest update through Olympus's Master or Studio software



Canon launches EOS 1000D / Rebel XS



Canon has announced the EOS 1000D, a new entry-level DSLR that slots into the model lineup beneath the 450D. The 10 megapixel digital camera, known as the Digital Rebel XS in the US, takes many of the new features of its big brother and presents them in a lighter, less expensive format that Canon hopes will re-shape the market in the same way as the first Rebel (300D) did. No word yet from Canon US about their intentions.



FujiFilm firmware puts F100fd in the pink



FujiFilm has released a firmware update for its F100fd compact camera. The update is a response the 'pink banding' issue that has been the subject of heated discussion on the FujiFilm Talk forum. FujiFilm says the modification will "reduce" the pinkish colored banding reported by some users.
FujiFilm's description of the firmware states it will: "Reduce 'pinkish-colored band' which may be rarely found in the left side edge of image when the image is shot at ISO 400 or shot without flash on 'NATURAL & FLASH MODE'."
Users can download the firmware and find more information about uploading it to their cameras by clicking here.

For more review click here.

Modern Saying

Got to read some funny quotes. Enjoy reading.

Just for laugh!!! No offence please.


You love someone,
You marry someone else !
The one you marry
becomes your spouse !
And the one you loved
becomes **********
the password of your mail id !!
---------------
There's only one perfect child
in the world and every mother has it.
There's only one perfect wife
in the world and every neighbour has it.
---------------
Three dreams of a man:
To be as handsome as his mother thinks.
To be as rich as his child believes.
To have as many women as his wife suspects...
---------------
Husband and wife are like liver and kidney.
Husband is the liver and the wife is the kidney.
If the liver fails, the kidney fails.
If the kidney fails .........
the liver manages with other kidney !!
---------------
Generation Next Motto:
Neither will I marry
Nor I will allow my children to marry !!
------------------
What's the difference between
Drug and Wine ?
Drug is like a girlfriend that comes
with an expiry date.
Wine is like a wife,
The older it gets, longer the chatter !
---------------
The Japanese have produced a camera
that has such .. such a fast shutter speed that
it is capable of taking a picture of a woman
with her mouth shut!!!