India Kicks Off Biggest Head Count

India kicked off the national census of its billion-plus population Thursday with a 2.5 million strong army of census-takers fanning out across the country to conduct what has been billed the world's largest administrative exercise. The census, conducted every 10 years, has a new element this year with the collection of biometric data in which every citizen over the age of 15 will be photographed and fingerprinted, information that will form the base of a new National Population Register of the country's 1.2 billion population.

"It is for the first time in human history that an attempt is being made to identify, count, enumerate and record and eventually issue an identity card to 1.2 billion people," Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said. So far, India has not had a system of issuing a national identity number or card to its citizens.

The collection of biometric data using a combination of fingerprint and facial identification will be linked with another massive exercise launched last year to ensure that every Indian gets assigned a single identity number. President Pratibha Patil marked the start of the 11-month exercise Thursday at her pink sandstone presidential palace, which became the first household to be listed for the first phase of the census known as 'houselisting.
' Over the next six months, census-takers, or 'enumerators,' will travel across more than 630,000 villages and over 5,000 cities in the country to visit every structure that serves as a home to put together a national data base. From skyscrapers to tin shanties, census takers will note details such as the availability of drinking water and electricity, and the type of construction material used for a comprehensive picture of housing stock in India.

The census-takers also plan to include millions of homeless people who sleep on railway platforms, under bridges and in parks. Census-takers are typically government officials, school teachers or other local officials who go home-to-home collecting data on the size of families, marital status, education and work information.

For the first time, they also will count bank account holders and cell phone users. While China, the world's most populous country, also counts its population, its census is carried out by various agencies, including Communist Party units, commune leaders and factory heads, unlike the New Delhi-based Registrar and Census Commission that carries out India's count.
India's census will face a special challenge from left-wing extremists active in 20 of the country's 28 states who have stepped up a campaign of violent attacks on government officials. The census-takers plan to finish their work by February 2011.

The information will be used for government policymaking, planning and budget allocations. This will be India's 15th census being held without interruption at the turn of every decade.

5 Most Mystical Places of the World

The world around us is full of mysteries. There are things we believe in without even knowing about its existence. Science doesn’t always find an answer to all questions and that’s exactly why we still love to watch movies like “Lord of the Rings’ and read ‘Harry Potter’ numerous times. All mysterious things have a charm and the charm lies in the fact that we don’t know everything about it. From old civilizations to some of the cultural practices, mystery has been associated with every part of the world. There are innumerable places in the world which can be called mysterious for some reason or another. Let’s have a look at five of them which make it to the top.

Easter Island

Easter Island is one of the most isolated regions in the world, Easter Island makes to the top of the list. The region is full of giant volcanic rock statues called “moai”. The people of the island were called Rapa Nui and no one knows where they came from and where they vanished. The reason for the carving remains as unknown as the islanders. There have been a lot of research in finding out the stories behind these giant structures but there hasn’t been any concrete answer to this question.

The Pyramids of Giza

The largest and oldest of the three pyramids in Giza Necropolis, the great pyramids of Giza also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops was the tallest man made structure in world for more than 3800 years. The casing stone which originally formed the smooth surface on the great pyramid has worn off and what we actually see the core structure. Egyptian civilization is the said to be the most mysterious and advanced civilization of all times and the great pyramid only adds to the mystery.

The three largest pyramids are Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Kafhre and the Pyramid of Menkaura which are said to be the tombs dedicated for three different Egyptian king.

Stonehenge

Located in the English country of Whltshire, Stonhenge is a one of the most famous prehistoric monuments in the world. What makes this place special is the circular setting of standing stones. The stone monument is believed to be *****ed near 2500 BC though there is no concrete proof the origin. The region lists in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

The construction of the setting is quite impressive in itself considering the labor and time that went in making it. Stonehenge is believed to be a large earthwork constructed about 5000 years ago. The tools used are said to be equivalent to the earth digging and moving.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

This stone circle in Cumbria is an impressive pre historic monument in Britain. The stone circle is said to date back to 3200 BC and is a vision in itself. Not only is it flooded with tourists all around, it has also been a subject among archeologists. Apparently many of the stones of Castlerigg reflect features in the surrounding hills.

38 stones of different shapes and sizes form this circle. Some of the stones are as high as 5 feet. A mystery on how, when and why it was built, the Castlerigg is not a full circle and is flattened on the northeast. Inside the eastern side is a rectangular enclosure of about 10 stones. The purpose of this enclosure remains as mysterious as this whole structure.

Cenote in Mayan Civilization

Deep within the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala, this civilization flourished when Europe was still in the Dark ages. These people were the masters of mathematics and had mapped the heavens. These warriors called Maya had fought the Spanish. The cities were built with utmost perfection without any metal tool. The stone structures found in jungle talks about the genius they were. The Mayas are a mystery in themselves as such great architecture doesn’t seem to belong to that era.

The underground world called Cenote are water bodies which will make a chill rn down your spine if you manage to walk down the narrow stairs that led to this vertical hole. Nothing in the world can be more bizarre than the sight you see when you get used to light under 20 feet.

Amazing Expressions Of Eggs

Earth Hour - Biggest Climate Awareness Campaign Ever

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative
Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet. let’s make 2010 the biggest Earth Hour yet!.
It’s Showtime! Show the world what can be done.

Why get involved?

Put simply, because our future depends on it!

Earth Hour has done a lot to raise awareness of climate change issues. But there’s more to it than switching off lights for one hour once a year. It’s all about giving people a voice on the future of our planet and working together to create a sustainable low carbon future for our planet.

The future can be bright

New economic modeling indicates the world has just five years to initiate a low carbon industrial revolution before runaway climate change becomes almost inevitable. But it can be done, and the long term benefits will be enormous. So now's the time to take a stand and give world leaders the mandate they need to make the right climate deal.

Delhiites gear up for Earth Hour

NEW DELHI: Delhiites are all set to turn off lights for an hour as the clock strikes 8.30 p.m. Saturday to observe Earth Hour, a global climate awareness initiative.

The Earth Hour is a global initiative by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) that aims to send out the message that people are concerned about climate change and that policy makers should make it their foremost priority.

India along with 92 other countries will observe "lights out" between 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. Saturday. All government buildings, private banks and ITC hotels will turn off lights during this time.

Even the India Inc is coming out in full support to promote the Earth Hour.

"It is projected that India will be one of the worst affected as a result of global warming. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and its members not only recognise the gravity of the challenge, but also are committed to tackling it," said Chandrajit Banerjee, CII director general.

"It is with this conviction that CII supports the Earth Hour and requests all businesses and citizens to join the campaign," he added.

Many in the city are planning to have candlelight get-togethers to show their commitment to save power -- and have fun at the same time.

"I will hold a candlelight terrace party and have invited my friends. It is going to be an excited evening," said Nishta Sharma, a Mass Communication student.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has appealed to all residents to join the initiative.

"Delhi was the lead city for Earth Hour 2009 when India joined this global campaign. Several historical buildings, office complexes, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), shopping centres and hotels switched off in support, resulting in close to 750 MW power saving in Delhi alone," Dikshit said.

Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan, the brand ambassador of this initiative, also enthused Delhi to 'act responsibly'.

"As responsible citizens of this planet, it is extremely crucial for us to address the colossal problem of climate change through ensuring responsible action and adopting a sustainable way of life... It is time we take a collective pledge to 'switch on' our minds and take one simple step to switch off the lights from 8.30 to 9.30 p.m.," Bachchan said.

WWF India's Chief Executive Officer Ravi Singh said millions in 4,088 cities, towns and municipalities across 88 countries participated in Earth Hour 2009.

The Earth Hour event takes place a week after the vernal equinox when night and day are of the same duration in both hemispheres.

1 million Euro Diamond Bustier unveiled in Mumbai

Diamond giant ORRA unveiled a dazzling diamond bustier worth 1 million euros, the first of its kind, in Mumbai on March 25. Also on display was a range of other sparkling jewels and designer ensembles by designer Anamika Khanna -- models dazzled on the runway as part of the event, intended to promote Belgo-Indian trade. Take a look.
Model Anjali Lavanya had the honour of modelling the bustier, which is has been entirely created by hand and is studded with Belgian diamonds.

Intended as a Western concept that draws on traditional Indian motifs, the stunning jewelled piece was set off to perfection by a royal gold lehenga. And to ensure that it did turn out to be just perfect, a team of designers and craftsmen worked on it for almost six months.

Spice Mobile S-1200 Mobile Phone Unveiled

Spice Mobiles has launched a new handset dubbed as Spice S-1200. The S-1200 comes with a 12.2 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom, xenon flash, multiple face detection, smile shutter, auto focus, anti-shake and 24 preset capture modes.

The S-1200 features a 2.4 inches display with resolution 320 x 240 pixels, 70 MB internal memory and expandable memory of upto 32GB. The S-1200 also features Bluetooth connectivity, GPRS/EDGE connectivity, FM Radio with scheduled FM recording, audio and video player, USB support, TV-out, photo editor, JAVA Games.

It is powered by 1000mAh battery that gives talk time of up to 3 hours and standby time of up to 150 hours and has a dimensions of 114 x 52 x 16 mm and weighs 130 gram.Spice S-1200 is priced at Rs 14,500.

Alternatives for Those People Who Hates Apple Gadgets

I love them, you love them - most of us love them; I'm talking of electronic devices from Apple Inc. But they're not perfect - every product out there has a flaw or two, which makes us wonder if we can find an alternative. Also, there are some dedicated Apple haters in this world, who simply refuse to accept whatever Apple tries to sell. For such people, we give you our laundry list of alternatives for the most popular product segments in Apple's camp.
1)    iMac - Lenovo Ideacenter A600

The iMac has truly been a pioneer in the All-in-one PC segment.  But is there a Windows-based PC equivalent that is as innovative? We think the Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 can be a decent replacement. It's not too far behind in terms of power when compared to the iMac. It's also got a 21.5-inch full HD screen. The best accessory that comes with this PC is its multi-function remote. It acts as a media center remote, an air mouse (which lets you control the pointer by simply pointing and tilting the remote -- no surface required) and a VOIP phone. You also get a wireless keyboard with a built-in touchpad at the side, which is great to entirely control the A600 from a couch. An ATI Radeon 4650 GPU will ensure that games run at a fair pace. It sells for roughly Rs. 58,000. 

2)    Macbook - Dell Studio XPS 13

The new Macbook has most of the features the Macbook Pro now, and has become quite a value for money option. But white's not your favorite color, eh? More than just the color, the Dell Studio XPS 13 gives you even more VFM. It's got a slightly faster processor, double the amount of RAM and more hard drive space. It has a similar grade NVIDIA GPU as the Macbook's GeForce 9400. It also comes with a backlit keyboard, like the Macbook Pro. No Mac till date comes with an HDMI port though. The XPS has one, so you can hook it up to your LCD TV. There's also an Expresscard slot, should you find its use.

3)    Mac Mini - Dell Zino HD

The Mac Mini was a cute little Macintosh; the cheapest Mac one could buy. While Apple has added more muscle to its internals over the years, there are still a few things amiss. Like the fact that it could possibly never be a good HTPC (Home Theater PC). Enter the Dell Zino HD. Apart from totally ripping off the Mini's square design; Dell did manage to bring in a couple of unique selling points to this PC. First, it's available in a lot more color options with some really radical top covers. You can configure it with an AMD Athlon dual-core processor that's not as fast as the Core 2 Duo on the Mac mini.
But when paired with an entry-level ATI Radeon graphics chip, it's decently powerful to do tasks like HD playback. In every other aspect though, you can tune the Dell Zino HD with double the specs of the Mac Mini. But now for the most effective feature - a Blu-ray reader drive can be swapped in place of a regular DVD drive. And, with that HDMI port at the back, you've got yourself a perfect little HTPC. Even if you top the configuration on Dell's site, it'll cost you as much as the higher-end version of the Mac Mini. If that wasn't enough, you also get an 18.5-inch LCD monitor with the Zino. 

4)    iPhone 3GS - Google Nexus One

There's been a big debate over which one is the best since the Nexus One was released. Ok, let's sort it out once and for all. We think Apple still has the best operating UI and app store ecosystem till date, but the rest of the phone makers have started putting better features into the mix. The Nexus One has a slightly larger, higher-res AMOLED display. It runs Google Android's latest version on a fast processor and has a 5 megapixel camera with an LED flash.
The interface is pretty easy to use in its own respect. Its app store still isn't as populated but it will get better once Android picks up steam (which we're sure it will). Click here to read the entire review of the Nexus One and then be the judge.

5)    iPod Touch - iAudio Cowon S9

The iPod Touch has become more or less a cheaper substitute for people who want to experience the awesome interface of the iPhone, but can't afford one. True, it's more than just a media player - the plethora of applications and internet browsing capabilities are unmatched by any other competitor. But for people looking for an audio-video playback solution should definitely check out the Cowon S9. It offers a gorgeous OLED display, has long battery life and trumps the iPod Touch with its Bluetooth stereo audio capabilities. There's a voice recorder and FM radio too.

The Cowon S9 is a true PMP by the definition. It supports a variety of video formats like XVID and WMV, which will save you the hassle of converting your videos before transferring onto the player. Audio quality is at par with iAudio's high standards.  The initial User Interface had its share of problems, but it's reported that the newer firmware versions have ironed out the bugs. 

6)    iPod Shuffle - Samsung Pebble/Sony Walkman NWZ-B143F/Samsung YP-U5

Apple had a clever marketing strategy when they started selling the iPod Shuffle. "Be surprised by your music" was the slogan that Apple came up with to cover the player's lack of a screen. The newer version looks cute, but irritatingly has no controls on the body; rather they're placed on the earphone wire. So, you can't possibly use it with any other pair of earphones, let alone connect it to a set of speakers.

We say leave the Shuffle aside. There are many better players out there in this segment. If you insist on a screen-less player, we'd rather ask you to check out the Samsung YP-S2 (a.k.a the Pebble). It looks equally cool and has wear-around-the-neck style earphones. It belts out decent audio quality too.

trust us when we say that screen-less MP3 players do tend to get on your nerves after the initial amazement period is over. It hurts when you can't just skip to your favorite tune when you want to, without jumping through the entire playlist. We'd rather reckon you go for a Samsung YP-U5 or a Sony Walkman NWZ-B143F. Both are pen drive shaped players with a screen. Both offer good sound quality and come with extra features like FM radio or a voice recorder. 

7)    iPod Nano - Sony Walkman NWZ-E440

The iPod Nano has become a favored choice of anybody who didn't want to chug around an MP3 player in the shape of a thin brick (we're talking about the iPod Classic). It's gotten better every year, with the recent version bearing much demanded features like FM radio. They even managed to shove in a camera in there!

But an audiophile won't really find true bliss in it. If you have your eyebrows raised, we ask you to look at the Sony Walkman NWZ-E440. Although it doesn't have a cool name like the 'Nano', this Walkman is fairly small and lightweight, has excellent audio quality and good battery life. There's no iPod click-wheel, but large buttons and a simple interface ensure ease of use. It's priced competitively too, which is surprising for a Sony product.