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8/31/2009

Meaning of Rastogi...

Conflicting claims have been made regarding the origin of the Rastogis. Most informants believe that the Rastogis belong to Suryavanshi, a division of Kshattriya Varna(Todd 1925). Their name is thought to be derived from "Rohtas" ('Rohit' meaning sun, 'aas' meaning Vansha). Rohatagi (1953) however, claims them to be descendants of the mythical king 'Harishchandra', who had a son named Rohit from whom the name Rastogi is derived, and the caste is also sometimes known as Rohatagis.

Stiil, another view (Crook 1896) is that they are a subgroup of 'Vaishy Varna', a view probably based on Nesfield's (1885) theory of the occupational basis of the caste system; Rastogis are traditional money lenders(Bankers) and business men.

The most tenable theory is that the Rastogis are the descendants of the mythical king Harishchandra. Some eleven centuries ago they established their rule in the three places, one to the south of Kashi on the banks of river Som, a second in the Punjab to the west of Indraprastha, and a third at Kannauj. Of these, the first extended their kingdom further to the southeast and retained the name of their ancestral prince Rohit in the name of their capital Rohtasgarh. the second who migrated to the Punjab named their kingdom Rohtak also after the prince Rohit, while the people who migrated to Kannauj and ruled upto the fifth century A.D. later became known as Rothari Rajputs.

8/30/2009

How to Pimp Your Windows XP Desktop to Look Like a Cool Mac Desktop

If you use the default Windows desktop, chances are that you could use a “look and feel” overhaul. Apple’s OSX desktop is widely considered to be cleaner and more intuitive. The following instructions will show you how to get that Mac look for your PC by installing some cool, free applications. Some of the instructions may be a tad advanced for some users, but give it a try.

== Steps ==i love to fuck shit up bitch icons by" and uncheck “Show desktop icons”. You should now have a completely clean desktop. Don’t be afraid. You can still access the My Computer, My Documents, and Recycle Bin standbys from Windows Explorer.

  1. Install RKLauncher (Even though Star Dock is better because you can get a mac OS X Leopard (10.5) theme). RKLauncher (also called RKDock) is a free Windows version of the animated Mac taskbar, or “dock.” You can download it here. RKLauncher comes with a pretty cool theme. If you want to make your dock look exactly like a Mac though, try RealDock for RKLaucher, a great clone of the Mac Dock appearance. RKLauncher's official build hasn’t been updated lately, so if you would like something more up-to-date, grab a nightly build from Aqua-Soft. The farther down you go, the newer the build. Another good dock program is ObjectDock by Stardock, you can skin it to be anything you want and it does the animations and everything.
  2. Hide the taskbar. It doesn't make sense to have both ObjectDock/RKDock and the Windows taskbar. Right click a blank space in ObjectDock, go to the settings tab, select behavior then on the box with check marks select “Hide the Windows Taskbar,” and hit OK. RKLauncher should work similarly. This makes the taskbar disappear. You can also just move the taskbar to the front of the screen.
  3. Add Widgets. Widgets are desktop toys to entertain and to inform. Think of them like things you’d put on a real desk: a picture frame, a newspaper to a dancing hula girl! But they’re on your PC desktop, not your real desk. You’ll get it once you see it. They could be a fun addition to your boring computer. Download free widgets from the Yahoo Widgets page. You'll download a widget machine called Yahoo! Widget Engine, which comes with widgets like a picture frame, analog clock, calendar, and weather display. You can get more widgets like RSS news feeds and a dancing hula girl from the widgets gallery. Yahoo! has also released an engine that can help you make your own widgets and is available here. Kludget Engine is also an option for running widgets. It allows you to run Apple's Dashboard widgets on Windows and Linux. It is free and open sourced. Available here
  4. Get Safari for Windows Just Get the new Safari 4, for Windows here, or get Firefox here. You can skin Firefox to look like Safari.
  5. Change your wallpaper to look like Mac OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard. Or you can get a high resolution wallpaper here which won't make your computer mimic a mac desktop but will add a sense of style and a unique touch.
  6. Install Expose from docs.kr. With this program (screen shot shows the 'Windows Vista Flip' move) you can set your Windows to spread out at the stroke of a key! A free download!
  7. Move your buttons. ShellWM is a “titlebar-only” shell replacer. It lets you have the maximize, minimize and close buttons on the left for free. You’ll want to download this theme.
  8. Change your mouse pointers. For the full effect, download a new set of mouse pointers. Save these to your computer (preferably in C:\WINDOWS\Cursors). It may be a good idea to make a folder within this for easier setup.) To setup these cursors, choose Mouse from the Control Panel, click the Pointers tab, and set your new pointers appropriately. For a the best OS pointer, use FLyakiteOS. If you don't feel like changing cursors manually, you can install them all with a simple Mac OS X Mouse Cursors Installer
  9. Keep tweaking and playing. Try customizing all of the applications you downloaded. Whatever suits you!

8/29/2009

End of a bizzare incident today! [Selfwritten]

Although today's day was no different from ordinary.
Since a weekend, so as usual I chilled & relaxed much today.
A few days ago I had a little heated talk with my land lords. Actually the problem began since I came back on 16th August after a long holiday. Every day something or the other. Once they won't open the door at night after 10. Other day they needed room painted & that too urgently. But the problem began when they asked for our room keys for some wood work. They may be right in some ways, but actually never tried to cooperate with us. And moreover never cared for our good's safety or anything, they just want their own motto fulfilled! They really cooperated so less. Demanded more money always. And never fulfilled even basic needs like water. Ha! but still never satisfied!
So when they asked for my room keys, although already refused by me many a times earlier, I got really fumed up! It was my laptop & things I was bothered, though my room mate as usual remained neutral.
The problem was, although I demanded right thing, but was really hard on tone when I refused to them.
I might be high on BP then, or even could be that my resistance to their growing nuisance was reducing.
They told to leave the room this coming 1st of Sep.
I was'nt bothered much. & would have preferred living somewhere else, rather than this hell place, even so expensive!
But two things came to my mind:
1.The rooms are scanty here.
2.I must have watched the tone!

Other people also told the same, that for the 4 months remaining why to roam for a new room.
And more over I wanted to apologize for my wrong tone, Since they were elder to me. May be whatever they done, or how right my point was, I did't had to be harsh, so I should appologise, rest was fine on my part.
So I talked nicely, clarifying, & appologised too.
But then, Volla! revealed their hidden motive!
They were'nt having much problem with what I was feeling sorry(My harsh way of talking), but rather wanted to increase the room rent.
Yeah they wanted more money.LOL.

That's how today ended a bizarre incident!

8/27/2009

Cool Stuff!

In the Spotlight
WoW Phishing
A reader sent in a WoW phishing email she received. Those who fall victim won't just risk having their account compromised - if they fall for the scam they will be giving the criminals ownership of the entire account.


More Topics
New Virus Compromises Delphi Compiler
A new type of file infecting virus has been discovered - one that infects the Delphi compiler and subsequently spreads to any apps compiled post-infection. With lots of Web-enabled apps created in Delphi, this could spell major headaches for Delphi developers and their customers.

Is Apple Making Antivirus?
Rumor has it that Apple's soon-to-be-released Snow Leopard, due out Friday, will feature built-in antimalware protection. There's even an alleged screenshot of the rumored new feature in action.

8/24/2009

Your tech feed


Not your average solar panel: The SRS solar roof tile

Thanks to a system created by SRS Energy and offered exclusively as an upgrade option to customers of US Tile (the largest manufacturer of clay tile in the United States), those wishing to benefit from rooftop solar energy will no longer have to worry about any panels being stuck on the side of the roof and spoiling the aesthetics. The Solé Power Tile system is the first building-integrated photovoltaic roofing product designed to blend in with curved roof tiles commonly found in the Pacific West and Southwest of the United States. Read More



NASA tests eco-friendly rocket fuel

NASA and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) have successfully launched a nine-foot rocket to a height of 1,300ft using an environmentally-friendly propellant made from aluminum powder and water ice. The fuel, called ALICE, has the consistency of toothpaste with a high burn rate and achieved a maximum thrust of 650 pounds during this test. Read More



Boeing Airborne Laser ‘shoots down’ first missile

On August 10, Boeing and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency were finally able to demonstrate that the US$1.1 billion Airborne Laser (ABL) program actually works. The ABL aircraft, a modified Boeing 747-400, took off from Edwards Air Force Base and located, tracked and fired on a target missile. Although a surrogate high-energy laser was used – rather than the megawatt-class laser that will ultimately arm it – instrumentation on the target verified the hit. Read More



Sony delays larger screen OLED TVs?

Those of us eagerly awaiting the arrival of a successor to the Sony XEL-1 OLED TV may have to wait a little longer, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that Sony has delayed development of larger screen OLED TVs. Although Sony had attendees at CES 2009 salivating at prototype 21-inch and 27-inch OLED TVs, according to ‘sources close to the company’ the XEL-1, which was released in late 2007, apparently won’t be getting a bigger brother until 2010 at the earliest. Read More



High definition universal gaming cable for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii

Gamers with more than one high definition console should be able to take full advantage of the new Blaze 3-in-1 component cable, with three connectors that enable you to use a single, high quality cable for Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii. Read More



Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones

After more than 30 years of continual research into noise reduction technology, Bose has released the QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Canceling headphones. Further engineering advancements in active and passive noise reduction technologies have ensured the QC 15 headphones offer more attenuation of unwanted noise in louder environments, across a wider range of frequencies. Read More



Tiny lasers hold key to nano-circuitry

Researchers at Cornell, Purdue and Norfolk State University have reported the successful creation of a 'spaser', a new kind of nanoscale laser that breaks dimensional limits previously thought to be insurmountable, leading the way to significantly faster and more efficient computer processing and data transfer rates. Read More



Digital drink tampering detector

One of the dangers of drinking in unfamiliar territory can be the quality of liquor on offer. Rotgut, the slang term for an inferior alcoholic concoction, can be dangerous to your health, not just your wallet. How big an issue being served rotgut actually is seems to depend as much on where in the world you find yourself as which nightclub or party you're at. Rotgutonix is a new take-anywhere prototype device that analyzes your chosen beverage and lets you know if it's genuine or a nasty pretender. Read More



Portable USB drive and solar charger boosts gadgets on the move

If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that gets a decent amount of sun every year, investing in a solar charger to give portable devices a boost when out and about would be a wise idea and Korean company Zyrus has come up with something tidy and practical enough to hold genuine appeal. Read More



Gorillatorch shines light wherever you need it

Joby, creator of the bendy Gorillapod camera tripod, has announced a hands-free flashlight called the Gorillatorch. Consisting of an LED lamp unit mounted on a Joby flexible tripod, the Gorillatorch’s design lets you twist and bend the legs around to position the light just where you need it. Read More

8/21/2009

Your Tech Feed!


NASA confirms building blocks of life found on comets

Fresh evidence has been revealed to support the theory that life on Earth began in space. NASA’s Stardust probe, a specially-designed comet ‘chaser’, successfully collected particles shed from Comet Wild 2 in 2004, and NASA scientists have since confirmed for the first time that amino acids can indeed be found on these extraterrestrial bodies.Read More



Chevy Volt to go the distance with 230 mpg expected in city driving

We’ve been following the Chevrolet Volt since it was a gleam in GM’s eye and, with the anticipated production date of 2010 rapidly approaching, GM has announced that its extended-range electric vehicle is expected to achieve city fuel economy of at least 230 miles per gallon. Read More



To the Bat Cave ... for a unique home theater experience

Ever wanted to say: “To the Bat Cave …” but felt a bit of joker uttering those words out loud? Well, riddle me this … how does a home entertainment enthusiast 'Down Under' in Melbourne, Australia, get away with saying it? Holy Bat Cave replica Batman, he built his own … sock, biff, pow! Read More



Porsche’s 911 race car for the road – the 911 GT3 RS

Porsche's GT3 RS provides the basis for homologation of the 911 GT3 race cars for Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup championships throughout the world. It is a showcase of Porsche’s road-and-race know-how, and hence a most endearing creature to enthusiasts in that it is essentially a race car for the road. Next year's model will bring increased engine power, reduced weight, slicker gearbox ratios and upgraded body and suspension changes when it goes on sale early in 2010. Read More



Korean electric vehicle solution

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed an electric transport system where the vehicles get their power needs from cables underneath the surface of the road via non-contact magnetic charging. As well as potentially saving Koreans a lot of money by reducing crude oil imports, widespread adoption of the technology also offers the potential of improving air quality in currently polluted cities.Read More



Sakhr's Blackberry app puts spoken word Arabic/English translator in your pocket

Mobile device convergence is accelerating like crazy, with a new breed of smartphones packing enough power to run an impressive range of software. And some of these mobile applications are getting pretty freakin' amazing - take Ray Kurzweil's kReader for Symbian, which allows blind or illiterate folk to point their phone camera at printed words and have them spoken aloud. Sakhr has gone a step further with an Arabic Spoken Translator for Blackberry devices. You speak English or Arabic into your handset, it transcribes, translates and speaks your phrase back in the other language, breaking down the language barrier in one fell swoop. Read More



Cardiac care over Internet with wireless pacemaker

The world’s very first fully implanted pacemaker, in 1958, lasted three hours before the batteries failed. It was replaced by one that lasted two days. Ultimately, Arne Larsson – surgical guinea pig – went on to receive 26 different pacemakers over the next 43 years. Now, a New York woman has become the first person in the world to receive a pacemaker that allows completely wireless monitoring, transmitting clinical data to her doctor each day via the Internet. And, if anything ever goes wrong, the doctor is alerted instantly. Read More



Building circuit boards using DNA scaffolding
There have been a few breakthroughs in recent years that hold the promise of sustainingMoore’s Law for some time to come. These include attaching molecules to silicon andreplacing copper interconnects with graphene. Now IBM are proposing a new way to pack more power and speed into computer chips by using DNA molecules as scaffolding for transistors fabricated with carbon nanotubes and silicon wires. Read More

Lexus Premium Compact Concept at Frankfurt

Lexus, Toyota's premium auto brand, is to show a concept car at Frankfurt next month which will demonstrate “a mix of technical innovation and ground-breaking design that promises to raise the bar in the premium compact segment”. Given that's effectively what Toyota already did with the IQ - which is now in production - we're quite looking forward to seeing what the world's market leader delivers. Read More



Defeating oil stains with water

While it’s true that water and oil don’t mix, water may soon be all a person needs to completely remove any trace of an oil spill - provided the surfaces are coated with newly designed polymer materials that would do away with harsh chemical detergents and solvents. And if you have ever been inconvenienced by fog on your bathroom window, car windshield, or eyeglasses, the same materials can be used as an anti-fog agent with similar eco-friendly benefits. Read More

8/20/2009

The smashing day of Amar's Birthday Party! [Selfwritten]


We were making a plan to go & eat out for the last few days. As my friend Amar's (Neta) Birthday Party was still due. So finally we went to chandigarh. Watched a movie "Kaminey" & had dinner at a good restaurant. The fun & enjoyment of today was great & beyond words!

8/18/2009

18th August' 2009- Bunked class, Went to Chandigarh! [Selfwritten]

Today I managed to woke up!..but late.(still not used to schedule after the long holidays!!) So I smashed up till 9.00AM & got ready some how. Meanwhile Gourav called my room mate Mohit- "Chal chandigarh chalte hai, mausam accha hai, ghumenge, aur books bhi to leni hai!(lame excuse..hehe)"
So but obviously he told-" Aj mai college nahi jaunga!".
I nodded but was determined to go!
I even took pen & register & went donwnstairs for college.
But then I stopped & came back, I thought- "I am late, may be I should go for second lecture straght!"
So I was sitting idle..that about 9.15AM Mohit came & pursuaded me for Chandigarh instead of college(well not that hard although! LOL)
I thought not much important lectures today, so why not bring books!
I had no idea at that time what a bash we would gonna have.
I visited "Sukhna lake" & "Rock Garden" of Chandigarh for the first time!
Above all at Rock garden it rained & made things much merrier!
We did boating in Sukhna lake too.
Rest all roaming, eating & fun!
& yeah got the full set of 7th sem books too.
Greatly enjoyed today!

My poem titled- "Voice of reflection" [Selfwritten]

“Voice of reflection”


•I have been sleeping so long
Singing in dream a melancholic song
Then a sound interrupted me
As if a sunshine touched me
And I woke up to see what’s wrong

•Still hazy I was confused
To recollect myself, my mind refused
Then struggling I woke up
But what I saw, lost my gulp
At the front mirror my eyes mired

•I saw my reflection, but antic was the feel
He looked in my eyes, with enquiring zeal
As if Asking- Have you ever thought of me?
Countless times I’ve been afore thee
But never let my grievance reveal

•What’s mirror image to you, for me
Is a real world, where I live & spree
My world is an image of yours
Full of hatred, anguish & tears
I could elucidate your world better than thee!

•Whenever you feel fading
You come here and start gazing
You look at me, trying to learn yourself
But for me you are amusing to laugh
Like a candle your heart seems melting

•You need to pay attention
Look what has been your creation
Your world is full of jealousy & anger
It is plentiful of hunger
Like a volcano waiting for eruption

•Love has lost its soul
Greed is everybody’s goal
Selfishness is easy to find
Least good things you remind
With all the emptiness you feel whole!

•I have been watching it all
All your deeds big or small
Always waiting for your observation
I am the voice of your reflection,
Always with you with your rise & fall!

-Akshat

Poetic Devices:
Out of the numerous poetic devices I have used for this poem, you might have first noticed the rhyme scheme ie AABBA & the variation of "Dramatic Monologue" in it. Happy reading. :)

8/16/2009

16th August- Way back to college! [Selfwritten]

The day was fine & the journey was great!
I accompanied a friend.
Moreover had laptop on the way!
& on top of all, the weather was like icing on the cake! :)
Delhi got the relief from beating heat only a day before, with few rains.
And today also the climate was so candid.
Cool breez with few droplets...A really soothing climate & that too in a semi-luxury bus!
This was one of those many, good trips way back to college.
Enjoyed & came relaxed to college. A nice trip! :)

8/15/2009

How many G-mail accounts do you have?

Most Gmail users will answer one! Rest will answer 2-3 or little more. But in reality, all Gmail users have infinite Gmail addresses even if they have registered for only one Gmail account!

All these addresses act as aliases to Gmail address you use and can be divided in threecategories as explained below. At the end some smart tips are given to make use of these aliases to get more from your Gmail accounts!


So lets start with aliases now…

#1. googlemail.com alias
Every address@gmail.com have a alias address@googlemail.comby default. So even if you send me mail at rahul286@googlemail.com it will be delivered to the inbox!
Googlemail.com is official domain for Gmail.com service in Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom. More information about this is available on Gmail’s wikipedia page.
This makes your address count: 2

#2. dot [.] alias

Gmail ignores dot [.] character in email address. Means all of the following are same…
• rahul286@gmail.com
• rahul.286@gmail.com
• r.a.h.u.l.2.8.6@gmail.com
• … and all combination of dots
More information about this is available on Gmail’s Help Center.
This will raise your address count considerably. But still you can count them!

#3. Plus [+] alias

Now first look at this example – rahul286+test@gmail.com
Now this is also same as – rahul286@gmail.com
Gmail ignores plus [+] character and anything after that in ID part!
So anything+boldpartisignored@gmail.com is same as anything@gmail.com
What about count now?

#4. Combination of aliases

Yep, you can use above aliases in any possible combination.
Are you still counting?
Now you may be wondering what to do with these virtual infinite email addresses (or aliases). First give your original email address without plus and dots to your friends and other real people only. Now out of aliases I personally recommend to go for plus aliases as they are more readable.

Now comes some tips…

#1. Better Organizing Emails…
First create aliases like below…
• rahul286+social@gmail.com for social networking sites like orkut, facebook, etc
• rahul286+forums@gmail.com for all forums you join on blog
• rahul286+biz@gmail.com for all commercial sites and so on…
Next create labels like social, forums, biz, etc and finally create an individual filter for each alias + label combo!
This may sound a lot of work but once its done, it saves your time forever!

#2. Catching Spammers…

Many websites ask for email addresses. If you suspect the website may spam your inbox in feature, use a Gmail alias instead of real email address.
If you get spam mails targeted to alias in future you may assume website is affiliated with spammers!


Note this method is technically not full proof as website may strip extra characters from email addresses…

There can be more smart usage of this email aliases. If you have one, please let me know!

==>NOTE: The example email ID given above is for reference purpose only. It may or may not be a real one!(Mail me from my profile)

8/11/2009

Poetic devices...

The following poetic devices can be used in both poetry and prose compositions.

The examples given are from personal mask poems composed by Ms. Roderick's ceramics students at Sabino High School (2002-2003).

TermMeaningExample
alliterationrepetition of the initial consonant soundsterrible truths and lullaby lies
assonancerepetition of vowel soundmystery disguised within

consonancerepetition of consonant sounds, but not vowel soundsgloomy woman
imagery

language that evokes sensory images

drip of ruby teardrops (aural/sound)
to wake up where the green grass grows (visual/sight)
lips like cool sweet tea (oral/taste)
streaming through a velvet sky (tactile/touch)
the stench of the underworld (olfactory/smell)


internal rhyme

rhyming that occurs within the line
(rather than at the end)
piece of me emerges
metaphorcomparison of unlike things
(made without using like or as)
I am the "Lone Star"


Personal Mask by Matt Richards
onomatopoeiaa word that imitates the sound it representsBoo! Who?
personificationgiving human qualities or characteristics
to animals or objects
tears of amber fall from my soul

rhymea pattern of words that contains similar sounds
at the end of the line
life for me
is wild and free
rhyme schemea repeated pattern of rhymed words
at the end of the line
lusty eyes (A)
passionate cries (A)
rich blood, (B)
bitter sweat (C)
she/he loves (D)
and dies (A)


Personal Mask By Sandra Hallquist
similea comparison using like or asnotes dance across the page like stars twinkle in the night sky
stanzaa group of poetic lines (also called a verse)Like glistening sun
and moon like day and gloomy night
like pure earth and gentle clouds
transformation - life and death
symbolan object or action that means more
than its literal meaning
always open like a rosebud about to bloom
(a young girl)





8/10/2009

Shinchan Nohara's Family (Heard about his sister?)!


Shinnosuke Nohara (野原しんのすけ Nohara Shinnosuke) / Shin Chan Nohara - Shinnosuke Nohara -- Shin-chan for short -- is the main character, a kindergarten-aged boy whose antics are the basis for the series. It is always stated that he is 5 years old, and loves chocolate biscuits (called 'Chocobee') and an animated superhero named 'Action Kamen' also called "Action Bastard" in the Funimation dubbing. He is strangely attracted to older girls and women, despite his young age. He shares this trait with his father and paternal grandfather, but this will often result in Misae's brutal punishment (see below). Some of his strange activities include dressing up as animals or plants (with appropriate costumes) and taking his pants off anywhere he feels the urge to.

Misae Nohara (野原みさえ Nohara Misae) / Mitsy Nohara (phuuz) / Mitzi Nohara (FUNimation) - Shin-chan's mother. A homemaker who seems to be 29 all the time, she is angered when Shin-chan makes fun of her or mocks her by acting like her, usually about her wrinkles, breast size, butt size, or constipation. The standard retaliation is spanking, screwing fists into Shin-chan's head, pulling cheeks, and even striking his head to produce enormous, but temporary, lumps (sometimes more blows are delivered before the lumps completely disappear and so the lumps pile on top of another). There are special names for these punishments: "genkotsu" means striking the head to produce lumps; "guriguri" means screwing fists into the head. Sometimes these punishments are inflicted on her husband, too. She is sometimes attracted to handsome men like her daughter Himawari. She sets strict limits on her family's expenses but she sometimes splurges on herself.

Hiroshi Nohara (野原ひろし Nohara Hiroshi) / Harry Nohara (phuuz) / Hiro Nohara (FUNimation) - Shin-chan's father. A businessperson, he is the main (and only) income source of the family, with 32 years of mortgage payments left on the house. He is a stereotypical Japanese employee and frequently talks in his sleep, revealing that even in his dreams he is being scolded by his boss. Like his son, he is attracted to pretty women and often gets beat up by his wife Misae for it.

Himawari Nohara (野原ひまわり Nohara Himawari) / Hima Nohara (phuuz) / Hima Nohara (FUNimation) - Shin-chan's younger sister. She is less than one year old and her name means "sunflower". Even though she is still an infant, she displays an obsession towards shiny and branded objects. She is also attracted to young handsome men like her mother.

Shiro (シロ) / Lucky (phuuz) / Whitey (FUNimation) - Shin-chan's dog. Like his name (shiro = white), he is white and fluffy, he sometimes seems to be the only one intelligent enough to see the real situation. He has the ability to roll up to look like a cotton candy. In the Spanish-language versions the dog is called Nevado (literally snow-covered.)

This is a profile of shinchan Nohara's family. A very popular japanese animation series telecasted on Hungama TV in India. I have given it for curious fans of Shinchan. LOL.
But hey wait a minute.
Have you ever heard about Hima Nohara?
Shinchan's little sister. I bet many of you have not!
So this is the main underscore of this post!
The much naughtier sister of Shinchan- Hima Nohara.


8/03/2009

Microsoft, Yahoo in 10-year Web search partnership!

Microsoft, Yahoo in 10-year Web search partnership !!

SAN FRANCISCO/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp and Yahoo Inc inked a 10-year Web search deal to challenge market leader Google Inc but stopped short of combining their display advertising businesses.

The long-expected deal effectively means Microsoft's new Bing search engine will be combined with Yahoo's experience attracting advertisers to pose the first serious threat to Google, if the companies get regulatory approval and can make the partnership work.

Putting an end to 18 months of heated speculation, Microsoft and Yahoo finally struck a deal last Wednesday. According to the Wall Street Journal, the terms provide that Microsoft’s recently launched Bing search engine will be the algorithmic search and paid search platform for Yahoo’s sites, while Yahoo will use its technology and data in other areas of business, including enhancement of display advertising technology. Yahoo will be compensated through a revenue-sharing agreement on traffic generated on Yahoo’s network of both owned and operated as well as its affiliate sites.

As a result of the agreement, Microsoft will capture almost 20% of the global share of the search engine market, a number that gives the software behemoth greater leverage in its battle with Google, which possesses a commanding 61.6% of the global search share.

Though merger talks appear to be stalled for the moment, a potential Microsoft/Yahoo deal would immediately produce a combined competitor with a market share larger than the separate parts, Internet analysts say.

"Overnight, MSN and Yahoo's market share doubles," says Chris Winfield, president of 10e20, a New York firm that helps businesses set up search marketing campaigns. "They still aren't as strong as Google, but they are healthier together than apart."

No matter how you look at it, news that Microsoft is hoping to acquire Yahoo! isn't good news for Google.

Sure, Google remains the best search engine in the world and a profit-generating behemoth. (I actually heard a Google executive from California joke last year in a speech at the University of Michigan that Google AdWords is like "printing money.")

But I have to admit: I was amazed by how many people continue to believe that Google will forever dominate the market. Some people are acting like a Microsoft-Yahoo! merger wouldn't hurt Google at all. And they may be right.

But you're making a mistake if you refuse to recognize the power Yahoo! could generate in a partnership with Microsoft.

Justin Rogers of Ann Arbor-based Dynamic Edge said Google doesn't have much to worry about for now. But he said Yahoo! has "millions and millions" of users who can't be ignored.

"Microsoft has never really done the search engine thing very well, and the online services thing very well, and Yahoo! would bring them a lot of technologies as well as a proven household name attached to those services," Rogers said.

There's no doubt that Google has the best search engine - and Ann Arbor, which hosts Google's AdWords headquarters, clearly has an interest in Google's continued health.

But while Google's market share in search queries is significant, it is by no means insurmountable.

Experts once thought Microsoft would never lose its dominance in the word processing, spreadsheet and digital presentation business. Microsoft had a stranglehold on the market, with estimates of market share above 90 percent.

Now, however, analysts are suggesting that online word processing and spreadsheet programs pose a realistic threat to software stored on your hard drive.

Market share in digital technologies can evaporate.

Google's share in the search business is significantly less than Microsoft's in the word processing market.

According to Internet ratings firm comScore, Google hosted 58.5 percent of searches in January. Yahoo! hosted 22.2, while Microsoft hosted 9.8.

Google's numbers are increasing, but Yahoo! isn't going anywhere.

Yahoo! is a powerful force in online services. In January, Yahoo! hosted more searches than Craigslist, AOL, Amazon, eBay, Fox Interactive Media and Facebook combined.

I'm not biased toward Yahoo! - and in fact I hardly use it at all. I use Google's search engine, Google Documents, GMail, YouTube, GOOG-411 and several other Google services.

But all of these have flaws. YouTube can't make money, Google Documents has few frills, and GMail has a limited amount of storage space - albeit much more than your work account. Yahoo!'s mail client, meanwhile, has unlimited storage space.

Google has more than twice the search queries as Yahoo. But Yahoo! has three times as many e-mail users as Google, according to respected blog Techcrunch. Yahoo! has 254 million e-mail users; GMail has 84 million.

Yahoo! has a broad network of fantasy sports leagues, a variety of online games, a news-producing arm and other services.

If an emboldened Microsoft-Yahoo! team were to, say, successfully acquire Facebook, the media would place a crown of digital relevance on the company's business plan.

Google offers better technology than Yahoo! - for now.

But Microsoft and Yahoo! are not to be ignored.
 
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