Saturday 28 July 2007
Whats the purpose of keeping festoon in our houses?
Decorating the main door of the houses, temples or any other place, where some ritual is performed, with a festoon (Toranam or a string of mango leaves) is part of the Indian culture. Normally, this kind of decoration is done during festivals or celebrations. Though there is a scientific reason behind this festoon decoration, this has become a part of the tradition and majority does not even bother to know the actual reason behind doing so.
Indians use a festoon made of fresh and green mango leaves. However, leaves of other species like Neem are also used for this purpose. Most of us know that the green leaves absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. This helps in keeping the surrounding atmosphere clean and hygienic. Keeping, the aesthetics in view, mango leaves are preferred, since their shape adds to the ambience.
However, all other advantages of having a festoon revolve around this basic reason. According to a theory, the air filled with carbon dioxide, which is lighter than the pure air, gets purified immediately while passing through the festoon. In addition, insects get attracted to the green leaves. This stops the insects from entering the room.
This practice of decorating the main door with the festoon is supported by a strong scientific reasoning and is certainly not a blind belief. Any body, who has minimum knowledge of science, understands the value of green leaves and same is the case with any body who has minimum aesthetic sense.
However, it is said, in the Indian villages, dry mango leaves are used for treating certain ailments. The ash of dry mango leaves is used in the first aid for cuts and fresh wounds. This ash is applied directly on the wound or after mixing it with coconut oil. Dry mango leaves’ ash has the capacity to check the bleeding. The dry leaves in the festoon come handy for providing first aid in such cases.
It is also a scientifically established fact that the green colour keeps a person mentally fresh and even the modern day medicine advises the modern day man, who comes under severe stress during his normal working hours, to spend some time amidst greenery to freshen his mind and soul. A festoon provides this facility at your doorsteps.
Even this is an age-old practice in every house according to the Hindu culture and tradition. Applying Turmeric on the threshold is as important as having bath in every Indian house. Again, every one knows the reason. But the modern Indian has a habit of ridiculing all such practices and branding them as blind beliefs or meaningless practices.
It is beyond doubt that turmeric has anti-septic characters. It is an anti-bacterial too. While the green festoon hanging on the top of the main door frame stops insects and other visible but small flying objects from entering the room, turmeric applied on the door sill stops bacteria or other microscopic organisms from making their way into the house. Turmeric checks every invisible organism.
In addition, the yellow color makes the main door colorful and is an aesthetic combination for the green festoon on the top of the doorframe.
Thursday 26 July 2007
The supplier will support the Advanced Supercomputing Division at Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley and provide computer research to the agency's Center for Computational Sciences at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
The price tag is an estimated maximum value for the deal, based on full uptake of a basic two-year contract and eight one-year options.
'CSC is pleased to expand our relationship with NASA and help advance the agency's mission in pioneering the future of space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research,' said CSC North American Public Sector Civil Division president Tom Anderson.
Under the terms of the multi-year deal, Infosys will handle financial services and process purchasing orders for Philips, and 1,400 staff will transfer over to the supplier. The Bangalore-based IT business will also gain three shared service centres based in India, Poland and Thailand.
'Global corporations require transformation partners like Infosys to enhance their competitiveness in the flat world,' said S. Gopalakrishnan, chief executive at Infosys.
'We are excited to partner with Philips to take their finance and accounting and procurement functions to the next level of transformation.'
Saturday 21 July 2007
Thursday 19 July 2007
Very useful tool please install on your systems.
For those of you who use the Alt+Tab key combination to switch between open windows on your desktop, I am sure you have encountered times when you cannot distinguish one window from the other due to having more than one instance of the same program open. Microsoft became aware of this draw-back after releasing the XP operating system and subsequently released a "Power Toy" to resolve this issue. The Power Toy resolves this issue by replacing the program icons with actual screenshots of your open windows. This way you can locate exactly which window you wish to switch to, which is immensely useful when navigating between several SAP windows at one time.
As you can see in the first example above, it is impossible to differentiate between the IE instances and the SAP instances by looking at the icons. In the subsequent example, the screenshot clearly differentiates the windows.
Here are the instructions to install:
-Copy URL to browser: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/TaskswitchPowertoySetup.exe
-Choose "Run" from pop-up dialog box
-Choose "Run" a second time, this will kick-off the installation of the Power Toy
-Once you get the "Installation Complete" dialog, the toy is successfully installed. No need to reboot your PC.
Wednesday 18 July 2007
TCS results have been announced today and it has done it again showing a good results worldwide! It has made a good profit this quarter, quite high compared to Infy eventhough the rupee value is high!
The BSE/NSE market got a slight tremor when Infy results were out, but this isnt the case happened for the global leader TCS as its profit boosted up the market :)
Its share value was around Rs. 1,120 couple of days back and rose to Rs. 1,155 till now because of its outstanding results!
Report from computer.uk site is given below,
Indian IT services supplier Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has increased first quarter sales 25 per cent to 52 billion rupees (£635m) in what it calls a ‘volatile quarter’. The firm added 54 new clients during the quarter, including a large UK retail bank and airline, as profits rose 37 per cent to 11.8 billion rupees (£144m). The results were achieved despite increasing wages and an appreciating rupee, says chief executive S. Ramadorai.
‘We have maintained profitability by great execution, demand creation and strong financial management,’ he said. ‘Our focus on delivery excellence continues to provide the experience of certainty to our customers.’ TCS says it expects continued customer demand in the banking, financial services, telecom and retail sectors. The company achieved a number of significant contract wins in those sectors, including a range of telecom services in Asia and an application and support services deal for US financial services company.
TCS also says it has maintained the lowest staff attrition in its industry, with first quarter turnover of 11 per cent in IT services and 16 per cent in business process outsourcing.
‘Our ability to nurture talent, upgrade skill levels and match employee aspirations helps our retention rates and deliver certainty to our customers and employees,’ said TCS global head of human resources S. Padmanabham.
Saturday 14 July 2007
Here are the 25 sites which we cant live without, report according to the times.com,
1. Amazon.com [Known Site]
2.BBC.co.uk [Known Site]
3.Citysearch.com [Helps steer you to the right restaurants, bars, nightclubs, hotels and spas in dozens of cities, with editors' picks and user reviews, and a Yellow Pages directory that includes shops and other services.]
4.Craigslist.org [Free classified ads in every category, organized by locale]
5.Del.icio.us [An immensely popular place to share your favorite Web links and see what other people are bookmarking]
6.Digg.com [The leader in social news, where users determine what's important and interesting by submitting it, "digging" it and posting a comment]
7.Ebay.com [Known Site]
8.ESPN.com [Known Site]
9.Facebook.com [This social network is not as popular as MySpace, but it also hasn't been corrupted by marketers and fake friends.]
10.FactCheck.org [The Annenberg Political Fact Check, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, is an independent, nonpartisan effort to cut through the routine spin and dissembling of politicians and other public figures]
11.Flickr.com [More than half a billion images are now posted on Flickr, a superbly designed sharing platform and social network for photo enthusiasts ]
12.Google.com [Search Engine]
13.HowStuffWorks.com [Known Site]
14.The Internet Movie Database [The Internet Movie Database is not just the Net's more extensive directory of films and TV shows of the past, present and future ]
15.YouTube [Known site]
16.Kayak.com [When planning your next trip, make this your first stop]
17.National Geographic.com [There's a ton of great content here — about animals, world adventures, the environment, the sciences, space]
18.Netflix.com [Digital movie downloads are getting easier, but most consumers still prefer their movies on DVD, and those slim red sleeves (with return postage prepaid) are still the best way to get 'em]
19.Technorati.com [This blog search engine now searches for social media too —photos, video and music posted on online sharing sites ]
20.TMZ.com [The best for celebrity and entertainment news]
21.USA.gov [The official Web portal for the U.S. government, with links to every branch, agency and organization involved in federal business, plus reports, guides, reference material and other resources to help you navigate the system]
22.Television WithoutPity.com [Bitingly funny recaps of dozens of popular TV shows, plus forums for further discussion. ]
23.WebMD.com [A big portal packed with information about health and related issues.]
24.Wikipedia.org [Known site]
25.Yahoo.com [Known site]
Please be careful while using your IPODS during the time of lightning.... Yes, reports say that people using the IPODS during the time of lightning face plenty of damage to their health, it causes damage to their ear drums.
Please have a look at the report...
A Canadian jogger suffered wishbone-shaped chest and neck burns, ruptured eardrums and a broken jaw when lightning traveled through his music player's wires. Last summer, a Colorado teen ended up with similar injuries when lightning struck nearby as he was listening to his iPod while mowing the lawn.
Emergency physicians report treating other patients with burns from freak accidents while using personal electronic devices such as beepers, Walkman players and laptop computers outdoors during storms. Michael Utley, a former stockbroker from West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, who survived being struck by lightning while golfing, has tracked 13 cases since 2004 of people hit while talking on cell phones. They are described on his Web site, www.struckbylightning.org.
Contrary to some urban legends and media reports, electronic devices don't attract lightning the way a tall tree or a lightning rod does. "It's going to hit where it's going to hit, but once it contacts metal, the metal conducts the electricity," said Dr. Mary Ann Cooper of the American College of Emergency Physicians and an ER doctor at University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago. When lightning jumps from a nearby object to a person, it often flashes over the skin. But metal in electronic devices -- or metal jewelry or coins in a pocket -- can cause contact burns and exacerbate the damage.
A spokeswoman for Apple Inc., the maker of iPods, declined to comment. Packaging for iPods and some other music players do include warnings against using them in the rain. Lightning strikes can occur even if a storm is many miles away, so lightning safety experts have been pushing the slogan "When thunder roars, go indoors," said Cooper.
Hope this bit of information would be useful for all!
Wednesday 11 July 2007
Our IT services supplier Infosys has seen a sharp rise in first quarter sales, up 40 per cent to $928m (£457m), due to strong performances in the UK and North America.
The Bangalore-based company has added 35 new clients during the quarter, including two European banks, a UK retailer and Canadian telecoms provider. The firm has increased sales forecasts for the year ahead, and expects to grow by up to 30 per cent, to as much as $4bn (£1.8bn).
Infosys says increasing demand for business software and strong growth in areas such as consulting, engineering services and implementation were behind the good results.
‘As clients recognise the strategic imperative of global sourcing in an increasingly flat business world, the demand for large players like Infosys continues to be strong,’ said Infosys chief executive S. Gopalakrishnan. Profits also rose at the company, up from $199m (£98m) for the first three months of last year to $291m (143m) this year.
‘The sharp appreciation of the rupee against all major currencies impacted our operating margins during the quarter,’ said Infosys chief financial officer V. Balakrishnan. ‘However, our robust and flexible operating and financial model enabled us to maintain our net margins while absorbing the impact of appreciating currency, higher wages and visa costs.’
Hmmm!! It may sound good but what about the status of our Indian Investors who have bought its shares in the market??
Infy was going high in the margin of 2020 Rupees yesterday but when the results were announced later today, it was breached down to 1920.50 mark !! why there is so much decline in the share value all of sudden??
well, I could say it becos of weakening in the Dollar Value... Yes, the dollar value has been weakened in the international market whereas Indian Rupees and China's Yuan has been quiet high these days.. Kudos of our Rupee value but this has become a disadvantage for the Indian Investors in the IT companies... The perfect example which i would say is the status of the Infy today's share value.... :)
If we see an advantage in our currency in the overall market, we could also see an tremor in the IT companies share values as well... :)
Saturday 7 July 2007
Lets keep away from technical issues for some time... :-)
BTW, do we know the benefits of Tulsi Plant?? Hereby, i am giving you the 15 benefits of it, may be useful for all to know the medical power of it...
Few lines bout the Tulsi Plant:
The tulsi or holy basil is an important symbol in the Hindu religious tradition and is worshipped in the morning and evening by Hindus at large. The holy basil is also a herbal remedy for a lot of common ailments. Here're top fifteen medicinal uses of tulsi.
So, what are the benefits of it,
1. Healing Power: The tulsi plant has many medicinal properties. The leaves are a nerve tonic and also sharpen memory. They promote the removal of the catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tube. The leaves strengthen the stomach and induce copious perspiration. The seed of the plant are mucilaginous.
2. Fever & Common Cold: The leaves of basil are specific for many fevers. During the rainy season, when malaria and dengue fever are widely prevalent, tender leaves, boiled with tea, act as preventive against theses diseases. In case of acute fevers, a decoction of the leaves boiled with powdered cardamom in half a liter of water and mixed with sugar and milk brings down the temperature. The juice of tulsi leaves can be used to bring down fever. Extract of tulsi leaves in fresh water should be given every 2 to 3 hours. In between one can keep giving sips of cold water. In children, it is every effective in bringing down the temperature.
3. Coughs: Tulsi is an important constituent of many Ayurvedic cough syrups and expectorants. It helps to mobilize mucus in bronchitis and asthma. Chewing tulsi leaves relieves cold and flu.
4. Sore Throat: Water boiled with basil leaves can be taken as drink in case of sore throat. This water can also be used as a gargle.
5. Respiratory Disorder: The herb is useful in the treatment of respiratory system disorder. A decoction of the leaves, with honey and ginger is an effective remedy for bronchitis, asthma, influenza, cough and cold. A decoction of the leaves, cloves and common salt also gives immediate relief in case of influenza. They should be boiled in half a liter of water till only half the water is left and add then taken.
6. Kidney Stone: Basil has strengthening effect on the kidney. In case of renal stone the juice of basil leaves and honey, if taken regularly for 6 months it will expel them via the urinary tract.
7. Heart Disorder: Basil has a beneficial effect in cardiac disease and the weakness resulting from them. It reduces the level of blood cholesterol.
8. Children's Ailments: Common pediatric problems like cough cold, fever, diarrhea and vomiting respond favorably to the juice of basil leaves. If pustules of chicken pox delay their appearance, basil leaves taken with saffron will hasten them.
9. Stress: Basil leaves are regarded as an 'adaptogen' or anti-stress agent. Recent studies have shown that the leaves afford significant protection against stress. Even healthy persons can chew 12 leaves of basil, twice a day, to prevent stress. It purifies blood and helps prevent several common elements.
10. Mouth Infections: The leaves are quit effective for the ulcer and infections in the mouth. A few leaves chewed will cure these conditions.
11. Insect Bites: The herb is a prophylactic or preventive and curative for insect stings or bites. A teaspoonful of the juice of the leaves is taken and is repeated after a few hours. Fresh juice must also be applied to the affected parts. A paste of fresh roots is also effective in case of bites of insects and leeches.
12. Skin Disorders: Applied locally, basil juice is beneficial in the treatment of ringworm and other skin diseases. It has also been tried successfully by some naturopaths in the treatment of leucoderma.
13. Teeth Disorder: The herb is useful in teeth disorders. Its leaves, dried in the sun and powdered, can be used for brushing teeth. It can also be mixed with mustered oil to make a paste and used as toothpaste. This is very good for maintaining dental health, counteracting bad breath and for massaging the gums. It is also useful in pyorrhea and other teeth disorders.
14. Headaches: Basil makes a good medicine for headache. A decoction of the leaves can be given for this disorder. Pounded leaves mixed with sandalwood paste can also be applied on the forehead for getting relief from heat, headache, and for providing coolness in general.
15. Eye Disorders: Basil juice is an effective remedy for sore eyes and night-blindness, which is generally caused by deficiency of vitamin A. Two drops of black basil juice are put into the eyes daily at bedtime.
DISCLAIMER: These are only general guidelines as a first aid. It is always better to see a doctor depending upon the intensity of the case. The views expressed above are entirely those of the author.
Hope you all wud have come to know the POWER OF TULSI plant, isnt it?
meet you all with another excellent topic... :)
Heres one more update reg the RFID usage in Heaththrow airport!!
BAA plans to increase security at the new Heathrow Terminal 5 by using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to check the identity of taxis and taxi drivers entering the terminal to pick up passengers. The UK airports operator said that security at the terminal was paramount, and ensuring that only licensed taxis were allowed to pick up fares would make an important contribution.
The importance of secure access control has been highlighted by last week's attack on Glasgow airport."RFID access and identification systems can help ensure only authorised personnel enter controlled areas. They can also help in emergencies, where the system can identify the location of personnel and track staff working in sensitive areas," said Jeff Woods, global lead analyst on RFID at analyst firm Gartner.
Under the scheme, only licensed taxis carrying authorised drivers will be allowed to pick up passengers from the buffer zone inside the terminal. Cab drivers will have to register to work at the airport via the Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis organisation. The system also aims to reduce passenger waiting times by ensuring the right number of taxis are made available to passengers who request rides.
The software application, provided by Steria, counts the number of taxis and displays waiting times for the next fare on electronic boards for drivers, which enables them to calculate when they need to advance from being parked to the pick-up point, depending on the influx of customers. This ensures that the right number of taxis are allocated to the appropriate terminal at the right time.
BAA said one of the big hurdles was to secure buy-in from taxi drivers. But after consulting with the Heathrow Taxi Trade Partnership, it has shown that the system would lead to greater transparency and more registered taxis being used. The system could also be extended to other modes of commercial transport, including minibuses and coaches, although BAA has no plans to extend this to private vehicles dropping passengers off at the terminal.
Its amazing to know that usage of RFID has been increasing day by day for security reasons all over the world...!
anyways, lets meet again with further update... ;)
Courtesy of computerweekly!!
Thursday 5 July 2007
You would have read my early RFID topic on the same theme, here am just giving you the update on my thread :)
Heathrow will be using the RFID to track the baggage lost and the trial for the same will be done before September. I guess, this is the first time where RFID's are used in the AIRPORT that too for tracking the baggage loss... isnt it? See, how the techies have been improved worldwide.. Its nice to hear that RFID is getting familiarised everywhere :)
Heathrow will become the largest European airport to track passenger baggage using radio frequency identification (RFID) when trials begin in September. Airport operator BAA will install the infrastructure on selected check-in desks to tag bags with RFID chips, which will then be scanned on entry into the baggage system. BAA will compare the read rates of RFID chips with existing barcode readers. ‘This will allow us to compare the success rate of RFID technology against our existing system,’ said a BAA spokeswoman. ‘We will then examine that insight to understand the benefits it offers.’
The International Air Transport Association (Iata) last month announced a plan to detail the cost of RFID infrastructure and how airports should proceed. ‘Such trials are incredibly valuable in building momentum for the introduction of RFID, and we are anxious to see the results,’ said Iata spokesman Lorne Riley. ‘It is particularly welcome because of the volume of passengers and baggage that Heathrow processes.’ RFID could save airports and airlines £400m a year in reduced baggage losses and replacement of existing messaging systems.
A trial of RFID technology at Heathrow could encourage other airports to roll out the infrastructure, says Peter Harrop, chairman at RFID analyst ID TechEx. ‘The funding must come from airports because they are more financially stable than airlines, and if the biggest airport involved can prove the financial case, others will follow,’ he said. ‘Heathrow will benefit from fewer lost bags and better efficiency through automation. But the real benefit comes when every bag is tagged at every airport and airline.’
See you all with another interesting topic...
Tuesday 3 July 2007
Its really nice to hear that our Indian IT market has been rocking the worldwide overall IT industry. The Software and services revenue to reach £25bn for 2007-8.
Our Indian IT software and services market grew by more than 30 per cent during the past year, exceeding forecasts of 27 per cent growth. And new figures from Indian IT trade association Nasscom predict further sales increases of 24 to 27 per cent to reach revenues of nearly $50bn (£25bn) in 2008.
Nasscom’s annual survey showed sales of £19.3bn for the financial year 2006/7, up from £15.15bn in 2005/06 TCS maintained its position as the leading offshore supplier followed by Infosys and Wipro. Software and services exports grew by 33 per cent, reaching revenues of £15.7bn for 2006/07, up from £11.8bn in 2005/06. Business process outsourcing grew by 33.5 per cent £4.2bn.
Nasscom president Kiran Karnik says that India continues to be the preferred destination for global IT sourcing, but there are short- to medium-term challenges that need to be addressed swiftly. ‘Rupee appreciation, suitability of available talent, infrastructure development and sustenance of a positive policy and regulatory environment require timely, consistent and continued effort from all stakeholders including industry, government, academia and Nasscom,’ said Karnik.
**courtesy of computer.uk**