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.

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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.