I is.....

TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with 'I.'
Raju: I is..
TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, 'I am.'
Raju: All right..... 'I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.'

who discover america.

TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America ..
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
CLASS: Maria.

शांति को बुलाओ

एक हसबैंड अपनी वाइफ से - " शांति को बुलाओ "
वाइफ - "कौन वो हमारे काम वाली बाई"
हसबैंड - " हाँ"
वाइफ - "क्यों ?"
हसबैंड - "डाक्टर ने कहा है की गोली खावो और शांति के साथ सो जावो

All about Glasses and Eyewear

Eyeglasses were first used in Europe in Italy, and some portraits dating from the Middle Ages depict persons wearing eyeglasses. With the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, the demand for eyewear increased and by 1629 was large enough for a charter to be granted to a guild of spectacle makers in England. The first bifocal glasses were made for Benjamin Franklin at his suggestion about 1760. In early times the only eyeglasses having spherical lenses were manufactured to correct nearsightedness and farsightedness. Not until the end of the 19th century did the cylindrical lens for the correction of astigmatism come into common use.

Eyeglasses are lenses or prisms worn in front of the eyes to compensate for various defects of vision. The most common form of eyeglasses consists of a pair of plastic lenses in a metal or plastic frame fitted to the bridge of the nose. The frame is held in place by spring pressure on the nose or by temples, or arms that grip the head or hook around the ears. Eyewear with lenses made of a hard plastic is commonly used for reasons of increased safety and light weight.

Other forms of eyeglasses include those held in place by pressure on the nose, usually called pince-nez (French, "pinch nose"). Single lenses used to correct the sight of one eye, held in place by wedging in the orbit of the eye, are known as monocles. Glasses with a handle rather than temples, occasionally employed for reading, are called lorgnettes.

The lenses of eyeglasses are ground in the form of concave spherical lenses for nearsightedness (myopia), convex spherical lenses for farsightedness (hyperopia), cylindrical lenses for astigmatism, and prisms for defects of convergence. Frequently it is necessary to grind lenses in a combination of these forms to correct several anomalies at once. Bifocal lenses are used to give a different amount of correction for vision at a distance and for close work. The upper part of such lenses is ground for distant vision and the lower part for close vision, so that the user has merely to lower the eyes to read and raise them to look at distant objects. Trifocal glasses are bifocals that are ground with a center lens for intermediate distance.

Glasses are worn to protect the eyes as well as to correct visual defects. The colored glasses, or sunglasses, worn to protect the eyes against the rays of the sun are a familiar example. To protect their eyes from the actinic rays of welding flames, workers wear glasses of a deeper tint. Machinists and other factory workers wear glasses or goggles of great strength to shield their eyes from flying particles of metal, and aviators and racing drivers wear goggles to shield their eyes from the wind. Watertight goggles permit divers to see under water. Ski goggles help skiers with their sight as well.

Today, glasses do more than just correct your vision. They have also become fashion statements. For example, celebrities such as Elton John and Lisa Loeb are known for their ever-present eyewear. Ms. Jacky O. is also known for her signature large sunglasses that many stars now are still imitating, like Nicole Ritchie or Paris Hilton.

Eyewear Design by Frances is an eye clinic that caters to both function and fashion with their array of glasses, goggles, and sunglass collection. They carry designer frames and brand names such as BCBG, Caviar, Cazal, Juicy Couture, Police, Costa del Mar, Jaguar, Jhane Barnes, Lulu Guinness, LaCoste, bebe, Vera Wang, Menezzi, Daniel Swarovski, Jimmy Choo, Marc Jacobs, Nicole Miller, Carrera, Goldfinch, TMX, Alex Nicole, Diva, and many more.

Also, Se Hablo Espanyol.

The Right Way to Choose Eyewear

Glasses are now seen as part of a person's accessories. Today, eyeglasses do more than just help you with your vision—they also need to look good on you.

There is a way of choosing the right frame for you, based on the contour of your face and your complexion. Here are a few notes you should remember when choosing the frame of your eyewear:

Eyewear should complement your best facial feature (such as a blue frame to match blue eyes).

The frame shape should contrast with your face shape. So if you're square faced, avoid frames that are rectangular. If you have a long face, then getting glasses with a fuller frame should suit you more. A rounded face can pull off rectangular frames; while an oval shaped face can complement any frame shape.

The frame size should be in scale with your face size. Getting glasses that look too big on you will even make your face look smaller. Of, course, there is a "Jackie O'" trend with the over-sized sunglasses, but when we're talking about corrective glasses, or even those with no grade, proportionate scaling is still the best way to go.

Skin tone is the prime element in determining what colour of eyewear you should choose. All complexions fall into one of two colour bases — blue (cool) or yellow (warm). A cool complexion has blue or pink undertones, and a warm complexion has a "peaches and cream" or yellow cast. Olive skin is considered cool because it is a mixture of blue and yellow. (In the United States, cool, blue-based complexions are more common than the yellow-based warm complexions. About 60 percent of the population are "cools."

Your eye's color is a secondary consideration for the color of your eyeglasses. For example, blue eyes can range from a cool almost-violet to a pale blue-gray, which is warm. Brown eyes can vary from a light cider shade (warm) through a medium-brown to a cool almost-black. It's always good to choose an eyewear whose color is not too far along your eye color's shade. Of course, sunglasses are a whole new arena since your eyes won't be seen when you're wearing them.

You hair color should also be a consideration when picking the color of your glasses. Strawberry blond, platinum, blue-black, white, salt-and-pepper and "dishwater" brown are cool. Warm hair colors include golden blond, flat black, brown-gold, "carrot" and "dirty" gray. Complement, complement, complement.

Sunglasses provide more leeway when it comes to options. Since they are more accepted as accessories, then you could either play it down or level it up. However, always remember that they also provide protection for your eyes, so getting a good pair of protective sunglasses is always recommended. Make a fashion statement while protecting your eyes.

Brand is an important factor when choosing eyewear. Designer brands are also the most durable brands so investing on a good pair is not so bad. Some of the most trusted brands when it comes to eyewear are BCBG, Caviar, Cazal, Juicy Couture, Police, Costa del Mar, Jaguar, Jhane Barnes, Lulu Guinness, LaCoste, bebe, Vera Wang, Menezzi, Daniel Swarovski, Jimmy Choo, Marc Jacobs, Nicole Miller, Carrera, Goldfinch, TMX, Alex Nicole, and Diva.

Visit Eyewear Designs by Frances for all your eyewear needs. They also provide dive masks, ski goggles, wwim goggles, repairs for glasses and other eyewear. Also, for their non-English speaking customers: Se Hablo Espanol.

Silver Ties Gives You an Elegant Look

Silver ties are creating ripples in the fashion industry. These are the ones that have the maximum gloss. Most of the professionals are seen wearing them and displaying with a quotient of pride. Though they are mostly worn upon silver colour suits, they appear at their best when one prefers wearing a silver tie on a black colour blazer. A dignified look can be instantly received with such a tie. People from any profession like banking, finance, commerce or business, everyone can depend upon these ties without any hesitation. The quality offered will be of top grade with these ties dominating the commercial sales.


There are several designs and patterns that are considered to be trendy. In general, silver ties that have stripes upon them are regarded to be the best selling ones. Such ties are accepted widely by boys with fine prints upon them. As a silver tie will not suit that easily upon all personalities, lucky are those upon whom a tie of maximum sheen matches. Check out the latest fashion reviews and find out what's the actual design and pattern that is mostly in demand. Expect silver ties to be offered for great discounts during seasons. Branded stores are competing to offer best quality ties that are silver in colour.


Silky silver ties are up for grabs of late at most of the stores. As this is the season, it is the best time to own a great collection of silver ties without much of your money being spent. Even grooms can prefer these ties for their wedding. A skinny silver tie will appear perfect when it is worn upon a grey colour shirt and a matching blazer. However, for people who are not that fashion savvy, a black colour suit will always work for them. Look out for the beals and never compromise in terms of quality.

What Women Want When It Comes To Fondling And Kissing

It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out that a woman’s body is every man’s preferred figure to explore. But you have to remember, my dear enthusiastic explorer that there is so much more in a woman’s body than the breast, vagina and butt. And if you want to have a fulfilling intimacy with your lovely lady, you need to know what women want when it comes to caressing and fondling.

Knowing what women want will absolutely turn your love life around for the better. Keep in mind, a happy wife is a happy life, so it really pays to know what women want. Now,let discuss what women want. Let’s start from top to toe, so we won’t miss anything. The head, this may sound pragmatic and non-romantic but there are parts of the head that most girls love to be touched.

The hair for instance, there are more down reaching reasons why a woman spends so much time and money in styling, cutting, coloring and blow-drying her locks, it’s actually a relaxing and great way to relieve stress. So, if you want to give the love of your life that soothing feeling try running your fingers through her hair.

Also give a gentle massage starting from her temple to her nape, it will definitely send shivers to her spines. The ears are also one of the most sensitive parts in the upper area of the body. Softly kissing and even gently biting the earlobes will surely give your woman goose bumps.

But please don’t make a mess out of the situation by lapping your lover’s ear or drilling your tongue inside it. What women want is a man, who would really see her in the eye and look at her adoringly, so if you want to do this try doing this while running your finger to your woman’s face or by letting her face rest in your palm while you look at her straight and while saying how much you adore her.

The lips, of course, everything is not right if you forget to give much kissing on this area. Never let a day pass by without kissing her in the lips. The nape of her neck, what women want is a man, who gives sensual kisses; the nape is the perfect area to put that kiss on.

If you want to get that fire burning try running a smack from her neck to the shoulders. After the nape of her neck try giving attention to the collar bone, this is one feature that makes a woman looks sexy and sensual. Why not show your appreciation by not by passing it, give it a round of touching and try running the tip of your lips on that perfect clavicle line.

The woman’s body is full of mysterious erogenous zones and what do women want is a partner who is willing to give time and effort to discover her sensitive areas.

High School Students! So What Are You Doing This Summer?

When you were in grammar school and junior high, on the first day of school, what did teachers ask you the moment you walked into their classrooms? Remember?

"What did you do this summer?"

Most of the time, your answers were probably pretty predictable: "Just hung out;" "Went to the beach;" "Went to camp;" "Went on a vacation with my parents." Well, now that you're in high school and planning to apply to college in the not-so-far-off future, what you do with your summers can affect your college admissions. The last thing you want colleges to think is that you are a goof-off or couch potato.

Most colleges not only look at your grades and test cores, but they also look at how you spend your time when you're not in school. They want to know what your interests are, what your passions are, and what kind of a person you are as evidenced by what you do. How you spend summer vacations is also of real interest. Carefully choosing your summer activities might help your college applications stand out from other applicants.

Here are the some options that you might consider:

Special Academic Programs

There are a number of special academic programs that are highly regarded by admissions officers. These include Johns Hopkins' Center for Talented Youth (CTY), Duke University's Talent Identification Programs (TIP), Stanford University's Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) and California's California State Summer School in Mathematics & Science (COSMOS). Most of these programs have special applications for their programs, so you need to begin the admission process early.

Hey, don't think of these academic opportunities as a grind. Not only do they offer students academically rich programs, but they are also a lot of fun. Most students come back excited and ready to go again.

If you're an artist, musician, singer, or dancer, there are also wonderful summer programs. Take a look at the Idyllwild Arts Camp in California, the Interlochen program in Michigan, Aspen's Festival and Music School in Colorado, and Tanglewood in Vermont (operated by Boston University). These programs and many more around the country offer you the opportunity to have a wonderful arts experience, develop your skills, and also meet other students who share your passion.

Volunteering

These days, many students volunteer in and outside of school during the school year. However, summer is a time when you can do very special volunteering, even help to change peoples lives or work to save the planet. Some examples of organizations that offer summer volunteer programs are the Audubon Society, City-Year, The Dynamy Program, Global Quest, LeapNow, the National Outdoor Leadership School and Thinking Beyond Borders.

Volunteer programs abound in the United States, but there are also many located outside of the U.S. Some last one or two weeks, and others last most of the summer. Colleges are impressed when you get outside of yourself and do something meaningful on behalf of others or causes.

Summer Language Immersion Programs

It is almost trite to say that we are a part of a global society, but it's true. The peoples of countries other than the US are often fluent in two, three, and even four languages. Most Americans speak English only. So, your becoming bilingual or even trilingual is something that will help you stand out in college applications. Language immersion programs take place in the U.S., but also in other countries. An immersion program usually involves speaking and writing only in the language you're trying to learn. Some of the better-known summer language immersion programs are through Middlebury College pr, American Field Service, Experiment in International Learning, Youth For Understanding, and the Concordia Language Villages.

Programs for First Generation or Under-represented Minorities Who Are Economically or Otherwise Disadvantaged

Many colleges are aware that first generation students (that is, students whose parents did not attend college) and under-represent minority students (that is, students who are African American, Hispanic, or Native American, whose representation at colleges is disproportionately less than their proportion in the general population) have special challenges to face. Therefore, a number of colleges and independent groups have created special summer programs to help students from these groups deal with the challenges they bring to college. Among the programs that are offered are the Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES) at MIT, Questbridge, University of Michigan Summer Bridge program, Telluride Association Summer Programs, and Carnegie Mellon University's Summer Academy for Minority Students.

7 Basic Organizing Tips To Get Rid of Paper Clutter

I love getting thank you notes. I like reading what my friends have to say about the gift or service I have done for them. I like the beauty of the cards and I love getting “good” mail. The fact that my friends took the time to write me a note makes me feel important.

I received a call from a friend a few years ago who told me she was re-reading her thank you notes that she had saved forever. She came across one of mine and she called to tell me about it. It was sweet because I got to chat with her for a minute. At first I thought it was a dumb idea to save thank you notes and then for some reason I foolishly started saving my thank you cards.

As a professional organizer I am always giving ideas and organizing tips to people when I speak and also in my book on what to do with paper that comes into our homes. I’ve decided we must have a love affair with paper because we keep getting mounds and mounds of it and then we have a hard time letting go of even the simplest pieces of paper.

With my thank you notes I had even taken the time to fill up an entire book with cards which I placed in a basket. I filled up the book so I just piled the rest of the note cards I received around the book. About 4 or 5 years ago I actually looked at all of the cards and read some of the sentiments. It dawned on me this week that keeping the cards was just taking up space and they were a dust collector—a collection that never got dusted.

I decided it wasn’t worth it to me to hang on to these cards that were never read and I had no attachment to. I only thought I had an attachment.

I took a deep breath, got out my recycle bin and went to work. I read some of the cards that particularly caught my attention and ooed and awed and I put all but 5 cards in the recycle bin. It was a tad hard but I kept my goal in mind which was to get rid of clutter. Now I wonder why it was even hard to part with them. The five cards I kept I put in my folder in my filing drawer labeled “cards I like”. In that file I found cards there I was able to part with. It feels so good to get rid of clutter.

Do you let clutter live in your home like I did? Is it just there and it is contained so you never really see it? There is such a tremendous difference when you let it go. Somehow that space and the room seems lighter.

Here are 7 fundamental organizing tips to get rid of paper clutter:

1. Round up all the paper you have in your home that you don’t know what to do with and you don’t want.

2. Make a decision to get rid of as much of it as you can. You might make a goal of discarding 50%.

3. Organize into piles of likes to make it easier to sort through and file.

4. Get your name off junk mail lists so you don’t have so much paper coming into your home. You can Google junk mail or unwanted mail and you will get a plethora of places you can sign up to get your name off of lists.

5. Make some goals to get rid of paper clutter. That is how I was able to get rid of my old thank you notes that were just taking up space and creating clutter.

6. Set up a working filing system in a filing cabinet or a plastic banker box if you don’t have a filing cabinet.

7. When you handle paper make a decision right then regarding what you are going to do with it. Don’t put it down without making a decision.

We all know paper can create clutter in our homes and in our lives. By getting rid of paper clutter it frees up our time, space and lives.

Go to Marilyn's website to learn more time-proven methods to get rid of clutter from your home.

How To Effectively Clean Your Own Carpets

Being careful and cleaning your carpets on a regular basis will greatly prolong the life of your carpet. Even though your carpets do not appear to be dirty, a normal carpet cleansing is required. It is recommended you should wash your carpets once every 6 to 12 months. This helps to remove dust mites, pollen, pet dander, including mold. Whether you are cleaning one part of carpet or several, following some easy recommendations will keep your carpet looking great. Start by deciding which kind of carpet cleaning method you want to apply.

Identifying what method work best with your carpet, whether buy a carpet cleaner or you can rent one in your local home improvement shop. Whenever you rent a steam cleaner, the carpet cleaners items will be given. However, if they are not, you can buy them at most retail stores. Be sure to explain what type of carpet you have so that the right cleaning solutions can be recommended. Using the wrong solutions on the carpet can produce disastrous results which may be expensive to repair.

1. Make sure to eliminate all large spills and odors before beginning the cleanup. When blotting up a stain have a white towel. Otherwise, a colored towel may bleed through to your carpet. Use stain remover into the cloth, instead of directly on the stain. Then, blot up the stain.

2. As you have most of the spills eliminated, start shampooing the carpet. It is very important to keep to the carpet cleaner instructions to be able to avoid damage to your carpet.

3. Minimize the quantity of water which is dispersed onto the carpet. Saturating the carpet might cause deterioration of the carpet and padding, which could create molds afterwards. For these reasons, it is very important to quickly extract any water that is sprayed within the carpet.

Once you have created a few passes in the carpet with the carpet cleaner, now let the carpet dry. It is suggested that you allow the carpet dry up overnight before walking on it. If you can, position a fan to the carpet and open any windows.

Generally your carpet will have to get washed by a expert. Therefore be sure to keep in mind, that if your carpet is too poor, call in professional help. While you may cut costs by just doing it yourself, you would also make more damage than a expert will cost if your carpet is in very poor shape.

Taking care of your own carpet may extend the life of your carpet. Through instantly getting rid of spills and cleaning your carpet every six to 12 months, you're ensuring that your carpet might be around for you to enjoy for many years

How To Find The Best Tutor - Finding Online Tutoring Services

It would be great if you could only have to ask your friends for help and not strangers. Somebody you would enjoy hanging around with would make a great tutor if the person really understood the subject. But that probably is not going to happen. No, you are going to have to check with someone who can steer you towards a person who can really help, but not bore you to death in the process. And actually the best place to ask about a tutor can be from the teacher of the class that is giving your problems or your counsellor. Or in some cases the local colleges may have a few names, even the public library can be a good place to check. They often may know about someone that already does tutoring. A lot of times this can be a college student who is really good at the subject. And since he or she wasn’t in high school that long ago then the person will be able to relate to your problems.


Of course you will have to ask your parents for help since tutors do charge. And they may have a few questions to ask to be sure the person is really able to help explain the subject. Then too you have to really feel confident this person is someone you will want to help. It is not going to do any good if you get turned off by everything that he or she says. So in the process of talking to anyone that is located it will be a very important part of the whole process. And you may have a few questions of you own. But if the person is really good at the subject then it should be no problem for him or her to demonstrate it. If for any reason you just can’t cope with that person then it is time to look around some more choices until you find one you really feel is going to work.


And if none of those choices work then you can always get on the internet and check out the search engine for online tutors and tutor web sites. They are all set up to help anyone with a tutor need. Plus they have some really great and interesting ways of making it other than dull. You can check out the main page and it will have all the different ways they can help. That might include a chance to chat on line with one of their tutors. He or she might ask about what problems you are having then suggest ways to help it all make sense. The things they can include in their options may involved some special audio and visual technology that will give it a video game type of reality. That can really keep it from being boring. And they are used to helping students all the time so they are very good at having answers for any questions that might come up. So they are there in ways that won’t make you feel like it is a waste of time. And they do all they can to make it as fun as possible.


Visit our website www.LiftMinds.com to know more about online tutoring services.

Final Decision Letters From College Admissions Offices: What You Need To Know

Once upon a time (aka, just a few years ago), the word was out that the heft of an envelope from a college admissions office was a big hint as to what their admission decision was for you. The bigger the envelope, the better the decision! While a few colleges still send out decisions by regular mail, those days have come and gone. Many, if not most, colleges now simply send out acceptance, deferral, waitlist or denial letters by email.

When Can You Expect To Hear? Unless you are a Rolling Admission, Early Action or Decision applicant, you will hear from college admissions offices sometime during the spring. Some colleges let students know during February and March, but the more competitive colleges send out their decisions in early April.

In the emails or envelopes you receive, there are four categories of responses to your applications, including:

- Acceptance

- Deferred Admission

- Waitlist

- Denial

What do each of those responses mean?

I.

Acceptance An acceptance response is simple and clear: You're in! You've been admitted - we hope to see you in the fall!

II.

Deferred Admission, Regular Application (not Early Applications) Another response a few regular applicants receive is deferred admission. What is that? Some colleges who fill their fall admissions quota quickly or find an applicant a little less qualified than other admits (but still compelling enough), defer a student by giving him/her the option of enrolling during second quarter or semester of freshman year. This is sometimes done for applicants with learning disabilities. Other schools defer a student to sophomore year, providing that he or she takes a year at another college and gets a minimum GPA (often 3.0 or above).

In summary, a deferred admission means that eventually you can go to a college, but you may have to wait awhile or fulfill certain types of conditions before you do.

III.

Waitlist As you know, many airline companies overbook their flights, assuming that some passengers won't show up and there will be other people waiting to fill their seats. In a similar fashion, in order for a college to insure that it will have a full freshman class, an admissions office will sometimes create a waitlist; that is, a list of students to whom admittance might be offered should fewer students than predicted say yes to their admission offers.

Being waitlisted has the effect of saying to an applicant, "You're not admitted right now, but you may be a little later." The number of students that admissions offices admit from waitlists varies from year to year. Some years it is zero and other years it can be in the hundreds.

If you are waitlisted, but still want to attend the college, you should let the admissions office know immediately that you want to remain on the waitlist. Since you can't count on getting off the waitlist, in the meantime you should accept admission to another school by the May 1 deadline. If you should get off a wait list (and that might be any time from early May until right before school starts in the fall), you must then decide if you want to accept the admission offer. If the answer is yes, very quickly accept admission and let the first school to whom you said yes know that you have decided to attend another college.

IV. Denial Then there's the big D: denial of admission. Nobody likes to be rejected, but every year almost every college will have more qualified applicants than they have room for. So, admissions officers deny a number of applicants. Sometimes, denials are given to students who are less qualified than other applicants, but very often denials are given to highly qualified students. You just never know.

What's The Final Step? Once you get the news about your admission from a college, you might still have some choices. For example, if you have been accepted to more than one college, you need to decide on just one college. If you receive a deferral, you must decide if you want to accept the conditions of the deferral. If you are waitlisted, you can accept another admissions offer and mount an acceptance campaign with the college at which you were waitlisted. And if you are denied by a college, it's time to move on with your life and make a good decision about where you want to go to college among the choices you have.

Whatever your decision is, be sure to carefully read the instructions noted in your decision letters and act accordingly within the timeframes that are provided

CHILD

Life is Like An Echo

A little boy came running excitedly to his mother saying: "Mom, there is a boy out there in the woods who is mocking me. Everything I say he says after me. If I say: "Hello," he says: "Hello." When I say "Who are you?" he says: "Who are you?" "So I got mad and jumped over the fence and went into the woods to find him. But he wasn't anywhere. So I yelled, "I'll punch you in the nose." And he said the very same thing, exactly as I had said it." The boy's mother told him, "That is only an echo answering you Billy. If you had said: 'I love you,' it would have said the same to you." There is a similar story about a dog who went into a room full of mirrors. He eventually died of exhaustion trying to fight his mirrored 'enemies.' If he had only wagged his tail once, he would have had all of them wagging their tails in friendship.

Life is like an echo or a mirror: we get out of it what we put in.

FINANCE NEWS

Buy an insurance policy even with a pre-existing illness
While awareness regarding the importance of an individual health insurance policy is now quite widespread, many first-time buyers — particularly older buyers — face a hurdle in the form of pre-existing illness exclusion clause. Health insurers define a pre-existing illness as: ‘Any condition, ailment, injury or related conditions for which the insured had symptoms and/or was diagnosed and/or received medical advice or treatment within 48 months prior to the health policy with the company.’ This article is for those who feel discouraged from buying health insurance because of this clause.

Health policy is a must

Even if certain ailments are not covered, a health cover is a must. Also, pre-existing illness does not always preclude you from buying health insurance. “If an insurance seeker was suffering from an ailment four years before signing up for the policy, and it is not chronic in nature — for instance, if he had injured his leg or had his gall stones removed, there is no cause for concern.

However, if it happens to be an illness that he contracted more than 48 months ago and it has persisted, then he should declare the same,” explains Sanjay Datta, head, health insurance, ICICI Lombard General Insurance. Thereon, the decision of providing the cover, the extent of coverage and the premium to be charged is at the insurance company’s discretion. For instance, a patient suffering from a kidney failure is unlikely to obtain a health cover, but in case of diabetes and hypertension, the insurance company may take a call on the basis of the degree or type of illness.

Supplementing group mediclaim

Since group mediclaim policies typically cover pre-existing illnesses as well, employees may feel tempted to avoid buying an individual cover due to insurance premium. However, it may not be a wise decision. The employer group mediclaim ceases to exist once the individual switches jobs or retires. The former may bank on the group cover offered by new employers, but retirees have no such luxury. Worse still, it would be difficult to obtain an individual cover at that age. Instead, it’s better to buy an individual policy. While group insurance would cover any pre-existing illness, the individual policy will come in handy once the waiting period comes to an end or post-retirement, thus ensuring continuous coverage for the insured. If a separate policy seems unaffordable, you could opt for a top-up plan, which gets triggered only after the basic policy’s (say the group policy) sum insured is exhausted.

Compare the waiting period

Individual mediclaim policies bring pre-existing diseases into the ambit of coverage, post the completion of waiting period. Therefore, apart from the insurance premium being charged by various insurers, you also need to compare the waiting periods stipulated in the policies for covering pre-existing ailments. Some policies specify a waiting period of two years, while in case of some, it could extend to four years. Also, check if certain conditions can be covered upon the payment of an additional premium. For instance, though New India Assurance Company’s individual mediclaim prescribes a waiting period of four years, it offers to cover diabetes and hypertension after two years, if the insured shells out extra premium.

Avoid switching insurers

With an eye on low premium or better terms of coverage, several policyholders look to switch over a different insurer when their policies come up for renewal. However, this could prove to be counter-productive if you are suffering from an illness. “Such policyholders should think twice before looking to move to a different health insurer. It is possible that the new insurance company could start the waiting period all over again,” says Antony Jacob, CEO, Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company. Lack of coverage for a prolonged period could defeat the very purpose of taking a mediclaim policy.

Pakistan, India signal prime ministers may meet

THIMPHU - The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan signalled on Tuesday that their prime ministers would talk this week, a meeting seen as crucial for resuming a peace dialogue and preventing further deterioration in ties.

India halted peace talks with Pakistan after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people were killed and which India has blamed on Pakistan-based militant groups.

"Why not, one always lives in hope," Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said when asked if the two prime ministers would hold talks on the sidelines of a regional summit in Bhutan this week.

"I think talking and engaging is the most sensible way forward."

Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna also hinted that a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani was likely to take place over the next two days.

"It will depend up on what time the prime minister arrives. Let us look forward to it," he said. Singh arrives on Wednesday morning and will stay in the Bhutanese capital until Friday morning. Indian officials say there is a comfortable window of opportunity for a meeting.


SPYING CHARGES

The move came on a day India arrested a junior diplomat posted at its high commission in Islamabad on charges of spying for Pakistan, something that could embarrass New Delhi but was unlikely to affect any chances of talks between the two nations.
"The official is cooperating with our investigations and inquiries," foreign ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.

A meeting between Singh and Gilani is seen as crucial because it would help keep engagement alive between the two nuclear-armed neighbours who have a long tradition of hostility.

The two countries' battle for influence in Afghanistan also has a direct bearing on Western efforts to stabilise a region with 1.8 billion people.

Although Singh and Gilani briefly exchanged pleasantries in Washington this month, a meeting in Thimpu would be their first substantial contact since controversial talks in Egypt in July when the two agreed to delink terrorism from the broader peace process halted by India after the attacks in Mumbai.

That move was slammed by Indian opposition leaders as diluting India's stand that peace talks could only resume when Pakistan acted against the planners of the attack.

The top diplomats of the two countries met in New Delhi in February this year but failed to achieve a breakthrough. That meeting, nonetheless, was seen as a small step towards repairing ties.

The United States has been urging the two sides to reduce tension so that Pakistan can focus on fighting the Taliban on its western border with Afghanistan

Monsoon may start 7-10 days early - expert

"This year the monsoon may hit the Kerala coast a week to ten days ahead of schedule," said P.V. Joseph, a former director at the India Meteorological Department and professor emeritus, department of atmospheric science, at the Cochin University of Science and Technology.

Joseph said the forecast was based on a phenomenon known as "pre-monsoon rain peak" in which the temperature of the Bay of Bengal off the east coast of the subcontinent rises about 40 days before the monsoon and clouds near the equator move north to bring rains on the southern tip of India.

When monsoon rains are delayed, this phenomenon occurs in early May, but this year it was observed in the first half of April, signalling early arrival of rains, he said.

"It is an indicator of coming monsoons. In most of the years, it has come true," said Joseph, who is often consulted by the government's weather office and invited to lecture on monsoon trends by the ministry of earth sciences which funds weather research.

"Last year the pre-monsoon rain peak took place in April and the monsoon arrived earlier," said Joseph, a resident of Cochin, now widely called Kochi, a city in the southwest Indian state of Kerala which hosts a key weather station for monsoon observance.

A senior weather scientist at a government body agreed there is a correlation between the "pre-monsoon rain peak" and the onset of the monsoon, but there may be a gap of up to four days between the forecast based on this phenomenon and the start of rains.

If rains begin before the usual date, it helps early sowing and harvesting of crops such as rice, soybean, and corn and shields them from any dry spell towards the end of the season.

The Indian monsoon, forecast to be normal this year, is keenly watched by traders and analysts as the country, one of the world's top producers and consumers of sugar, wheat, rice and edible oils, counts on rains to irrigate 60 percent of its farms.
The four-month monsoon season usually begins on June 1 with the first showers in Kerala and covers the rest of India and neighbouring countries by July.

Last year, the June-September season, which delivers 75-90 percent of the total rainfall in most parts of India, was the worst since 1972, stoking inflation and making India the world's top buyer of edible oils and a big sugar importer.

But the 2009 season began on a promising note with heavy showers from May 23 as monsoon rains arrived ahead of schedule.

IBM creates world's smallest 3D map

Washington: IBM scientists have created a 3D map of the earth so small that 1,000 of them could fit on a single grain of salt.

They accomplished this through a new, breakthrough technique that uses a tiny, silicon tip with a sharp apex -- 100,000 times smaller than a sharpened pencil point -- to create patterns and structures as small as 15 nanometre at greatly reduced cost and complexity.

A nanometre is a billionth of a metre. This patterning technique opens new prospects for developing nanosized objects in fields such as electronics, future chip technology, medicine, life sciences, and optoelectronics.

To demonstrate the technique's unique capability, the team created several 3D and 2D patterns, using different materials for each one.

A 25-nanometre-high 3D replica of the Matterhorn, a famous Alpine mountain that soars 4,478 metres (14,692 feet) high, was created in molecular glass, representing a scale of 1:5 billion.

Complete 3D map of the world measuring only 22 by 11 micrometre was "written" on a polymer.

At this size, 1,000 world maps could fit on a grain of salt. A kilometre of altitude corresponds to roughly eight nanometre.

It is composed of 500,000 pixels, each measuring 20 square nanometre, and was created in only 2 minutes and 23 seconds.

A 2D nano-sized IBM logo was etched 400-nm-deep into silicon, demonstrating the viability of the technique for typical nanofabrication applications.

The core component of the new technique is a tiny, very sharp silicon tip measuring 500 nanometre in length and only a few nanometres at its apex.

"Advances in nanotechnology are intimately linked to the existence of high-quality methods and tools for producing nanoscale patterns and objects on surfaces," explains physicist Armin Knoll of IBM Research, Zurich.

"With its broad functionality and unique 3D patterning capability, this nanotip-based patterning methodology is a powerful tool for generating very small structures," said Knoll, according to an IBM release.

The tip, similar to the kind used in atomic force microscopes, is attached to a bendable cantilever that controllably scans the surface of the substrate material with the accuracy of one nanometre.

By applying heat and force, the nano-sized tip can remove substrate material based on predefined patterns, thus operating like a "nanomilling" machine with ultra-high precision.

These findings were published in Science and Advanced Materials.

______________ TOP
Now, wristwatches receive mobile phones' text messages
London: Japanese watchmaker Citizen has designed a wristwatch - the i:VIRT M wristwatch that uses Bluetooth to synchronise with mobile phones and receive the text messages. When a user receives a test message on his/her mobile phones, the watch glows and vibrates, reports ANI.

Besides reading the subject line of the message, users can also read up to 70 characters of the text on the watch. The magnification of letters about 1.2 times their original size enables easy reading of messages on the watch. However, at present, the i:VIRT M is priced at 30,000 Yen (209 pounds).

"These watches are good for checking important messages in a casual way, even in conferences or on crowded trains, where users may feel uneasy taking out their mobile phones," a Citizen spokesman told Telegraph.

FINANCE NEWS

Buy an insurance policy even with a pre-existing illness
While awareness regarding the importance of an individual health insurance policy is now quite widespread, many first-time buyers — particularly older buyers — face a hurdle in the form of pre-existing illness exclusion clause. Health insurers define a pre-existing illness as: ‘Any condition, ailment, injury or related conditions for which the insured had symptoms and/or was diagnosed and/or received medical advice or treatment within 48 months prior to the health policy with the company.’ This article is for those who feel discouraged from buying health insurance because of this clause.

Health policy is a must

Even if certain ailments are not covered, a health cover is a must. Also, pre-existing illness does not always preclude you from buying health insurance. “If an insurance seeker was suffering from an ailment four years before signing up for the policy, and it is not chronic in nature — for instance, if he had injured his leg or had his gall stones removed, there is no cause for concern.

However, if it happens to be an illness that he contracted more than 48 months ago and it has persisted, then he should declare the same,” explains Sanjay Datta, head, health insurance, ICICI Lombard General Insurance. Thereon, the decision of providing the cover, the extent of coverage and the premium to be charged is at the insurance company’s discretion. For instance, a patient suffering from a kidney failure is unlikely to obtain a health cover, but in case of diabetes and hypertension, the insurance company may take a call on the basis of the degree or type of illness.

Supplementing group mediclaim

Since group mediclaim policies typically cover pre-existing illnesses as well, employees may feel tempted to avoid buying an individual cover due to insurance premium. However, it may not be a wise decision. The employer group mediclaim ceases to exist once the individual switches jobs or retires. The former may bank on the group cover offered by new employers, but retirees have no such luxury. Worse still, it would be difficult to obtain an individual cover at that age. Instead, it’s better to buy an individual policy. While group insurance would cover any pre-existing illness, the individual policy will come in handy once the waiting period comes to an end or post-retirement, thus ensuring continuous coverage for the insured. If a separate policy seems unaffordable, you could opt for a top-up plan, which gets triggered only after the basic policy’s (say the group policy) sum insured is exhausted.

Compare the waiting period

Individual mediclaim policies bring pre-existing diseases into the ambit of coverage, post the completion of waiting period. Therefore, apart from the insurance premium being charged by various insurers, you also need to compare the waiting periods stipulated in the policies for covering pre-existing ailments. Some policies specify a waiting period of two years, while in case of some, it could extend to four years. Also, check if certain conditions can be covered upon the payment of an additional premium. For instance, though New India Assurance Company’s individual mediclaim prescribes a waiting period of four years, it offers to cover diabetes and hypertension after two years, if the insured shells out extra premium.

Avoid switching insurers

With an eye on low premium or better terms of coverage, several policyholders look to switch over a different insurer when their policies come up for renewal. However, this could prove to be counter-productive if you are suffering from an illness. “Such policyholders should think twice before looking to move to a different health insurer. It is possible that the new insurance company could start the waiting period all over again,” says Antony Jacob, CEO, Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company. Lack of coverage for a prolonged period could defeat the very purpose of taking a mediclaim policy.

Important Herbs for Hair Loss Treatment



Birch:

The oil made from birch tree helps in reducing hair loss and is believed to promote hair growth. This herb is often prescribed to the people who suffer from thinning hair.

India, Afghanistan discuss Taliban, regional security

NEW DELHI - Afghan President Hamid Karzai held talks with Indian leaders on Monday about his efforts to reach out to the Taliban for a negotiated settlement of the nine-year old conflict in his country.

New Delhi fears any Afghan plan to broker a deal with the Taliban will undermine its security and give rival Pakistan greater influence there. Pakistan, one of a handful of countries that recognised the Taliban regime before the U.S. invasion in 2001, is seen as a key player in any plan for reconciliation.

"We discussed... reintegration and reconciling of those elements of the Taliban and others who have accepted the Afghan Constitution, who are not part of al Qaeda, who are not part of any terrorist network," Karzai said after talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Karzai has proposed a plan to reintegrate low-level fighters back into Afghan society and also sought to reconcile with senior insurgents provided they give up weapons.

An immediate breakthrough is unlikely, analysts say, pointing to previous offers to re-integrate fighters that failed to make much progress. The Taliban have also rejected any offer of talks saying foreign forces must first leave Afghanistan.

"The prime minister and I discussed the situation in Afghanistan, the situation in the region and our common struggle against terrorism and extremism," Karzai said reading from a statement.

Karzai will be travelling to Bhutan on Tuesday to attend a regional summit where the prime ministers of India and Pakistan will also be present and could meet, Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said on Monday.

"I am not ruling it out," the state-run Doordarshan channel quoted him as saying in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, of a possible meeting between the leaders of India and Pakistan.

Obama renews vow of "new beginning" with Muslims

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Monday renewed his commitment to a "new beginning" with the Muslim world, vowing no let-up in U.S. efforts to promote Middle East peace, curb militant violence and boost economic development.

Seeking to build on his outreach to Muslims in a speech in Cairo last June, Obama used a U.S.-hosted Muslim business conference to underscore what his administration has done so far and to pledge further work to overcome mistrust.

While Obama has made progress toward mending America's image in the Islamic world, he still faces stiff challenges in his handling of the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the nuclear standoff with Iran and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I knew that this vision would not be fulfilled in a single year, or even several. But I knew we had to begin and that all of us have responsibilities to fulfill," Obama told the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship.

The focus on business development marked the Obama administration's strategy of trying to broaden the conversation with Muslims beyond the "war on terrorism" that dominated the Bush-era approach and alienated many.

But, speaking to an audience of 250 business people from more than 50 countries, Obama also waded into some of the hot-button issues between Washington and the Muslim world that he acknowledged "have often been a source of tension."

Many Muslims are especially disappointed by Obama's failure so far to advance Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking despite promising in his first days in office to make it a high priority.

He assured his audience he would not abandon U.S. diplomatic efforts, which have been stymied by a dispute with Israel over Jewish settlement building and divisions among the Palestinians.

Amkette launches Micro SD card with USB card reader

New Delhi: Amkette has launched a Micro SD card with a USB card reader. The reader is designed with a USB connector and a memory expansion slot that accepts a micro SD card. This mobile-ready reader eliminates the need to carry additional USB transfer cables and the typical wait for Bluetooth technology slow file transfers between phones and PCs. It also replaces your SD card adapter, since the micro SD card fits directly into the reader. When in use the data transfer is as simple as drag and drop.

User can store photos, songs, text messages, video clips, personal information on a micro SD card, then work with it across device platforms seamlessly with the micro SD Card Reader. It is compatible with USB 2.0, SD Specification Version 2.00.It is shock resistant, dust poof, ESD proof and can take extreme temperature (-25 degree Celsius to 85 degree Celsius). It also offers Data Transfer rate up to 12 Mbps.

This Micro SD card with a USB card reader is available in two capacities, 2GB for Rs. 450, 4GB for Rs. 750.

White House releases open source code

Washington: As an effort to have their website on an open platform, White House has released an open source code.

"This code is available for anyone to review, use, or modify. We're excited to see how developers across the world put our work to good use in their own applications," said the White House sources.

The code is part of the Drupal project, which is an open source content management system. The White House said that its coders have added to Drupal functionality in three ways.

The development team has released a scalability module called "Context HTTP Headers", which allows site builders to add metadata content. A second module that addresses scalability is "Akamai" and it allows website to integrate with Content Delivery Network, Akamai.

White House website development team has opened the website to make it more accessible as possible and is committed to meet government accessibility standard, Section 508. As part of that compliance they have developed "Node Embed", which is a management system that embeds the right metadata for images and videos.

BenQ introduces world's slimmest LED monitors in India

Mumbai: BenQ, the LED monitor vendor has come up with the world's three slimmest LED monitors - BenQ V2220, V2420 and V920 LED in India.

"With the launch of the three new V series models spanning HD to full HD, 18.5" wide to 24", the company has lined-up 8 models in the India market," BenQ India's Vice-President (Sales and Product Management), Rajeev Singh, told PTI. "BenQ V series is energy efficient and consumes 44 percent less energy than other LED monitors," Singh said. BenQ V series will be now available pan-India at Rs. 8,999 (V920), Rs. 14,999 (V2220) and Rs. 18,900 for V2420 model.

Currently, the company has a marketshare of 10-12 percent in India in the monitor segment and plans to increase it to 15 percent with the launch these models by this year-end. "Our product is very unique and we expect at least 15 percent market share by end of this year," Singh said.

BenQ India, is a part of the BenQ Corporation. The Taiwan-based company offers products and integrated technologies across platforms.

Microsoft sees record revenue through Windows 7

Seattle: The launch of Windows 7 propelled Microsoft to record third-quarter revenue of $14.5 billion, a 6-percent increase from a year ago, the world's largest software company said Thursday.

Microsoft earned $4 billion in net income, a rise of 35 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago.

"Windows 7 continues to be a growth engine, but we also saw strong growth in other areas like Bing search, Xbox LIVE and our emerging cloud services," chief financial officer Peter Klein said. "Our record third-quarter revenue along with continued rigor on cost management resulted in exceptional earnings-per-share growth."

Windows revenue was up 28 percent, compared with the same quarter a year earlier, driven by strong demand for Windows 7. Microsoft said that more than 10 percent of all PCs worldwide are now running Windows 7, making Windows 7 by far the fastest-selling operating system in history.

World's tiniest, lightest microscope designed



Washington: A miniature lensless microscope, the world's smallest and lightest - weighing only 46 grams - was created by an engineer for telemedicine applications.

The microscope builds on imaging technology known as LUCAS (Lensless Ultra-wide-field Cell monitoring Array platform based on Shadow imaging), which was developed by Aydogan Ozcan, assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Instead of using a lens to magnify objects, LUCAS generates holographic images of microparticles or cells by employing a light-emitting diode to illuminate the objects and a digital sensor array to capture their images.

The technology can be used to image blood samples or other fluids, even in Third World countries.

"This is a very capable and yet cost-effective microscope, shrunk into a very small package," Ozcan said. "Our goal with this project was to develop a device that can be used to improve health outcomes in resource-limited settings," he added.

The lensless microscope, in addition to being far more compact and lightweight than conventional microscopes, also obviates the need for trained technicians to analyse the images produced. Images are analysed by computer so that results are available instantaneously.

Weighing 46 grams, approximately as much as a large egg, the microscope is a self-contained imaging device.

The only external attachments necessary are a USB connection to a smart-phone, PDA or computer, which supplies the microscope with power and allows images to be uploaded for conversion into results and then sent to a hospital.

Samples are loaded using a small chip that can be filled with saliva or a blood smear for health monitoring.

With blood smears, the lensless microscope is capable of accurately identifying cells and particles, including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, a UCLA release said.

The technology has the potential to help monitor diseases like malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis in areas where there are great distances between people in need of health care and the facilities capable of providing it, Ozcan said.

It can even be used to test water quality in the field following a disaster like a hurricane or earthquake.

The findings were published online in Lab on a Chip.

FINANCE NEWS

HDFC Bank at all-time high after Q4 results
MUMBAI: Shares in HDFC Bank, India's No.2 private-sector lender, rose as much as 2.6 percent to a record high of 1,995 rupees after it reported on Saturday quarterly profit rose by a third, beating estimates, bolstered by a pick-up in credit demand.

At 9:17 a.m. (0347 GMT), HDFC Bank was up 2.42 percent at 1,991.50 rupees, while the main stock index was up 0.5 percent.

Mumbai, Delhi neck-and-neck in 3G spectrum auction

New Delhi: India has concluded 76 rounds of spectrum auction for third generation telecom services in the country, with Mumbai giving tough competition to Delhi and attracting bids at around Rs.1,080 crore.

At the end of the 13th day of the auction, which began April 9, the provisional winning price for a nationwide licence stood at Rs.7,900.48 crore, up 125.7 percent from Rs.3,500 crore reserve price fixed by the government.

Though Delhi remained the favourite among bidders, attracting the highest bid at Rs.1,083.27 crore, Mumbai did not lag much in the race, according to data available on the website of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

The country's financial capital received bids at Rs.1,079.93 crore, a jump of nine percent over Rs.989.48 crore bid it attracted Friday. Besides, two additional players were still in the fray for the three available slots in the service area.

As against this, the provisional winning price for Delhi jumped only five percent from Rs.1,030.72 crore it received Friday and only one additional player was in the fray against three slots available.

While Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Orissa managed to attract players, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh did not receive even a single bid, the data showed.

The 3G services will facilitate much faster connectivity than what is available now and enable applications such as Internet TV, video-on-demand, audio-video calls and high-speed data exchange.

Slots for three-four players are available in each of the 22 circles into which the country has been geographically divided for these services.

The government has already given Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) spectrum for 3G services on the condition that they will pay the same licence fee as would be levied on private players after the auction.

Along with the fee that will be eventually paid by the two state-run enterprises for the licences, the government will provisionally get at least Rs.31,964.84 crore from the auction.

This is on the presumption that every available slot gets filled at the provisionally approved price.

The government hopes to rake in Rs.45,000-50,000 crore from the ongoing auctions to award radio frequency spectrum for 3G telecom services and for rolling out broadband wireless internet services.

The bid data, including the winning companies' names, will be made public after the auction's completion and approval by the government. The winning firms will have to deposit the money within 10 days after the auction.

The successful bidders would be allowed to offer 3G services on a commercial basis from Sep 1.

Quality training leads to India's high-tech success

Bangalore: The reason why India is doing so well in the Technology sector is the in-depth training they receive, which helps them to get an advantage over non-Indian employers. Much of the credit goes to the Indian education system. Back in 2002, India claimed to produce 350,000 engineers per year. But this included "diploma engineers" who were not true engineers at all. India actually had only 102,000 real engineering graduates in 2002. This went up to 222,000 in 2006 and may be double that in 2011, reports Economic Times.

However, McKinsey estimates that only 25 percent of Indian engineering graduates are good enough to work for multinationals (and only 15 percent of finance graduates and 10 percent of those with degrees of any kind). Yet in 2007, India's five largest IT services companies added 120,000 engineering jobs, and IBM and Accenture added another 14,000. Pharma R&D companies boomed. And foreign car companies made India an export and R&D hub to capitalize on its engineering skills.

The Infosys Global Education Centre at Mysore trains 13,500 people at a time. For arts and science recruits, TCS provides an additional three months of training. In all, many recruits get four to seven months of training before starting work. This would be impossibly expensive in the West. It is economic in India . Thus, low-cost training has been transformed into an international advantage, giving India a competitive edge in high-tech exports.

Office space rentals in India seen stable in 2010

NEW DELHI - Rents for office space are seen stable in 2010 as increased spending by IT and ITES firms absorbs space put out over the last few quarters, a recent survey by real estate consulting firm C.B. Richard Ellis showed.

The market for commercial space in major Indian cities has seen a boost in demand in the March quarter even as rents remain hobbled by excess supply.

"I don't expect rentals moving up in the near future. The supply is enough, although the market has picked up and office take-up has improved," Anshuman Magazine, Chairman of C.B. Richard Ellis (South Asia) told Reuters.

"It will take time before we see any upward movement in rentals."

The rental values in the central business district of New Delhi appreciated by 4 percent over the previous quarter while remaining flat in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune according to the report.

The study across seven major cities forecast rents to remain stable overall while they may ease up in New Delhi and Bangalore due to supply beating demand.

Telecom, FMCG and pharma companies are also taking up office space, even as the IT-ITES sector which is seeing rising demand continues to be the major occupier.

"Unlike last year, the last quarter of 2009 onwards we have seen demand improving, absorption taking place and there is a momentum in the market," Magazine said.

RBI deputy: monsoon forecast is optimistic

MUMBAI - India's monsoon forecast is optimistic, K.C. Chakrabarty, one of the deputy governors at the Reserve Bank, said on Monday.

The summer monsoon is likely to be normal this year, the government said on Friday, allaying fears over an event crucial to the economic fate of the world's second-most populous nation.

When asked about teaser rates offered by banks Chakrabarty said the central bank has no problem with these rates but banks and customers must understand the risks.

Teaser rates are special lending rates offered by banks to attract customers and are usually well below prevailing market lending rates and have a reset clause after a certain period, usually three years.
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.

Scientists develop laser security for Internet


Bangalore: Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed a new security system for Internet using a special laser that will help in keeping hackers' prying eyes off for good. It is developed using fiber optic and computer technology that transmits binary lock-and-key information in the form of light pulses.

Dr. Jacob Scheue, who came up with this device, said that a shared key code can be unlocked by the sender and receiver, and absolutely nobody else. "Rather than developing the lock or the key, we've developed a system which acts as a type of key bearer. The trick is for those at either end of the fibre optic link to send different laser signals they can distinguish between, but which look identical to an eavesdropper."

Adding to that, he said, "We've already published the theoretical idea and now have developed a preliminary demonstration in my lab. Once both parties have the key they need, they could send information without any chance of detection. We were able to demonstrate that, if it's done right, the system could be absolutely secure. Even with a quantum computer of the future, a hacker couldn't decipher the key."

Apple's new iPad already sold out

Washington: The first run of Apple's latest product, the iPad, has already sold out this weekend and customers who pre-order now will have to wait an extra nine days after the official U.S. launch to get their hands on it.

U.S. customers have been able to order the iPad for two weeks now, and either collect it from the store April 3, or have it delivered. On Saturday, Apple set April 12 as the next date for people to get the iPad.

Hundreds of Apple fans are expected to camp outside the company's shops waiting to get their own copy of the touch screen tablet computer.

Industry observers believe the iPad could well outsell the Apple's iPhone, launched in 2007, of which 1 million had been sold after 74 days on shop shelves.

Prices in the U.S. start at $499. The most advanced model costs $829.

Asus launches 3D gaming notebook in India



Bangalore: After almost four months of its release, Asus G51J 3D has arrived in India, bundled with specially designed 3D glasses and equipped with NVIDIA 3D Vision. ASUS G51J 3D has NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M with 1GB DDR3 video memory.

EAX and CMSS audio technology further enhances in-game immersion, delivering crystal clear sound and compelling environment audio effects through bespoke Altec Lansing speakers. ASUS G51J 3D is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor and 64-bit Windows 7 operating system. A pair of 3D Vision active-shutter glasses coupled with a wide-range infra-red emitter delivers stereoscopic images with clarity, brightness and depth-of-field (DOP) at full resolution without any viewing angle restrictions. The GPU driver and a 120Hz 3D panel render each scene twice, delivering up to 60 images evenly to each eye, amounting to a total of up to 120 images at any given time. Gamers can experience total immersion into their games from what were previously flat 2D worlds, to true-to-life 3D.


"NVIDIA is excited about the world's first 3D Vision notebook coming from ASUS," said Phil Eisler, General Manager of 3D Vision business unit at NVIDIA. "The ASUS G51J 3D notebook will set the standard by which gaming and 3D notebooks will be judged. Congratulations to ASUS for achieving this monumental milestone!"

Complementing the immersive visual effects is EAX Advanced HD 4.0 3D audio technology and CMSS surround sound. EAX Advanced HD 4.0 audio technology enhances in-game environments and scenarios by providing corresponding three dimensional sound effects. It can provide up to 64 additional sound effects from its sound library, and produces ultra-realistic spatial effects for more than 300 supported games. Together with high fidelity Altec Lansing speakers, the ASUS G51J 3D delivers a gaming and multimedia audio experience that no other notebook can match.

The ASUS G51J 3D features four dedicated physical cores working in tandem with the operating system and applications for additional performance. It allows users to utilize and launch multiple applications, and to enjoy high definition multimedia and processor-intensive games effortlessly. It also has a built-in 2 megapixel camera and has 15".6 HD LED backlight screen.

The ASUS G51J 3D will be available at around Rs. 99,000 with a two years warranty.

FINANCE NEWS

FINANCE NEWS
Mandhana Industries' IPO opens on April 27
Mumbai: Mandhana Industries will enter the capital market with an initial public offering (IPO) of 83 lakh equity shares of Rs. 10 each. The issue opens on April 27 and closes on April 29. The company's major business segments include textiles and garments.

Mandhana Industries produces fabrics for the domestic market and garments largely for exports. It has fabric weaving capacity of 18 million meters and fabric processing capacity of 20.4 million meters, at its plants in Tarapur. The company has garment capacity of 3.9 million pieces. The company's revenue growth is at a CAGR of 47 percent driven by increased weaving, dyeing and garment capacities over the past three years.

The price band has been fixed at Rs. 120-130 a share. The company plans to raise up to Rs. 108 crore at the upper end of the price band. The issue will constitute 25.06 percent of the fully diluted post issue paid-up capital of the company. The qualified institutional buyers have been allotted 50 percent of the shares, the high net worth individuals got 15 percent and the retail investors were allotted 35 percent. The issue is open to anchor investors and they will be allotted 12.45 lakh shares.

The issue proceeds will be used to set up a new garment manufacturing facility and also for the expansion of its yarn dyeing and weaving facility at MIDC, Tarapur, Maharashtra. The funds will also be utilized for margin money for its working capital needs and also for general corporate purposes. Edelweiss Capital and Axis Bank are the Book Running Lead Managers to the issue. demand.

3G to reform healthcare sector: Vishal Bali

Bangalore: The deployment of the 3G technology will change the face of healthcare sector in the country, opined Vishal Bali, CEO, Fortis Hospital. The third generation technology will enable video broadcast and data-intensive services telemedicine through wireless communications which will help the doctors to monitor faraway patients.

"3G's high-end applications will take healthcare industry to the next level. Its features like high-speed internet, conferencing, content download, data sharing and transfer will help the industry to combat the slow transfer of big files," said Bali while delivering the keynote address at the seminar on 'Healthcare and Emerging Technologies' organized by Banalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Enabling third generation services will help to implement electronic healthcare records and hospital information systems at a faster pace. This technology is set to substantially change the face of healthcare delivery, Bali said.

According to Bali, IT plays a big in ensuring that medical errors are preventable. It is also the core of minimal invasive surgeries. Hospitals are creating large networks and IT is indispensable facet for connectivity as these medical centers cannot work in isolation.

It is IT which has given place for India on the global map. Our software development capability has been recognized globally and now IT industry should look at the opportunities to increase the efficiency of Indian healthcare targeting hospitals of all sizes to provide innovative and affordable solutions for India from India, said Bali.

Indian American Vinod Khosla tops Forbes 10 greenest billionaires

Washington: Indian American Silicon Valley billionaire Vinod Khosla tops the list of 10 greenest billionaires chosen by Forbes "who are most active in green, sustainable causes and who are working to have the greatest impact."

The leading US business magazine said it found the top ten "are altruistic, yes, but most of them are also very much aiming to turn a profit" and they hail not just from the US but also from Israel, Germany and Canada.

"Khosla-a cofounder of Sun Microsystems and a longtime partner at venture capital powerhouse Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers-has, with fellow billionaire and green business supporter John Doerr, been pouring millions of dollars into green tech companies," Forbes noted.

The magazine put Khosla's net worth at $1.1 billion and Doerr's at $1.7 billion, noting in 2004 Khosla began, though his Khosla Ventures, to fund dozens of innovative companies involved in areas such as sustainable building materials, solar power and advanced biofuels.

Some of these investments Khosla has described as "science experiments" that may or may not succeed, it said.

"I like Vinod's strategy because traditionally VCs don't buy into companies at their early stage. He does, and the science experiment that survives that germ-of-an-idea stage has a good chance it'll be mainstream some day," Forbes quoted Michael Kanellos of Greentech Media as saying.

Ausra, a solar thermal power company backed by Khosla Ventures and Kleiner Perkins, had trouble getting financing and permits for planned solar plants and in 2009 switched its focus to selling equipment for customers that included coal-fired plants.

Now the company is out of Khosla's purview as in February French nuclear giant Areva bought Ausra for an undisclosed sum.

But Khosla has plenty of other green tech bets, including Calera, a company that is developing technology to trap carbon dioxide and capture it in cement, Forbes.

Among others making Forbes greenest billionaires list were Israeli Carnival Cruises heiress Shari Arison, Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and German billionaires Aloys Wobben and Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis.

Nearly everyone wants to be green these days, or so it seems, said Forbes noting more than $200 billion globally will be invested this year in sustainable businesses-a 40 percent increase from 2009.

U.S. hopes to learn from India's job creation schemes

Washington: U.S. Labour Secretary Hilda Solis has lauded India's achievement in reaching out to the masses in remote geographical areas through two "innovative and dynamic" programmes to generate employment and said the US hoped to learn from them.

Praise from Solis came as labour ministers from the world's 20 leading economies, concluded a two-day meeting here Wednesday with a mandate to help create jobs as most industrial nations are grappling with high unemployment rates, even as their economies emerge from a two-year recession.

The G-20 ministers recommended a five-point programme with acceleration to job creation to ensure a sustained recovery and future growth at the top.

The ministers, including Indian Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge later presented their recommendations to President Barack Obama at a meeting at the White House.

Earlier at the conference, Kharge made a detailed presentation on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which guarantees 100 days employment to a member of rural poor family, and the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, a health insurance for very poor families.

Kharge's presentation generated discussion among the labour ministers who wanted to learn more about these two schemes, which had touched the lives of such a large number of beneficiaries, Indian officials said.

They were also interested in learning about how technology was used to reach the rural masses in remote areas. The labour ministers from other countries sought various details about the achievements under these schemes.

Brazilian Labour Minister Carlos Lupi praised India's achievements through such schemes and stated that these initiatives are specially worth replicating for large countries with diverse populations.

Summing up the discussion, US Labour Secretary Solis said the achievement of India is laudable as these schemes had succeeded in reaching the masses in remote geographical areas. The US hoped to learn from these innovative and dynamic programmes in India, he said.

"The G20 leaders asked us ... to help them build the foundation for strong, sustainable, balanced economies that create good jobs for all those who seek to work. They told us to look at the quality of jobs as well as the quantity of jobs."

"At the end of the day, recovering from the crisis and restoring sustained and balanced growth that creates enough good jobs for our people are goals that we cannot accomplish alone in our own countries. In an integrated global economy, we have to work together."

RBI eases accounting rules on infra bonds

MUMBAI - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday took measures to encourage investment by local banks in bonds sold by local infrastructure firms and boost demand for debt to fund new projects.

The RBI said any investment by banks in long-maturity bonds sold by infrastructure companies and within a minimum residual maturity of seven years can be classified under the held-to-maturity category (HTM) category.

Banks are allowed to include up to 25 percent of their investments in the HTM category, exempting them from being marked to market - meaning losses on them do no need to be booked at the end of the financial year.

Last month finance minister Pranab Mukherjee urged a doubling of infrastructure spending to $1 trillion in the five years to 2016/17.

In a separate notification, the central bank removed ceilings on interest rates on rupee export credits, in a move to deregulate banks' interest rates and align them with a new base rate effective from July 1.

It removed the ceilings on interest rates on pre-shipment rupee export credit of up to 270 days and post-shipment rupee export credit of up to 180 days.

The RBI also made it easier for banks to invest in corporate bonds, which are not listed on stock exchanges at the time of their sale.

The central bank said investment of banks in bonds that are due to be listed would be considered the same as investing in a listed security.

MOVIE - "PAATHSHALA"

Producer - Shaira Khan
Director - Milind Ukey
Starring - Nana Patekar, Shahid Kapoor and Ayesha Takia in pivotal roles, along with child artists Swini Khara, Avika Gor, Ali Haji and Dwij Narendra Yadav
REVIEW - Paathshala tackles identifiable issues regarding the education system but while its intent is noble, it fails in its execution. The first half of Paathshala leaves you smiling but the second half leaves you baffled and bored.

Paathshala takes a look at the deterioration of the education system in India. How schools are more commercialized now and how education is being pushed to the background in favour of better amenities is what the film is about.

The first half of the film offers nothing new and can be called cheesy but it still leaves you smiling. You have on-campus romances (one between students and one between teachers, but neither is developed), students falling for teachers (again left untied), the sunshine-spreading teacher, cribbing parents, the wise good-natured peon and an opportunistic and uneducated management guy who works only for money. The film serves as a show reel for Shahid Kapoor, whose role was (thankfully) increased. He is the hero who saves the day every time, whether it is sacrificing his remuneration to pay a student’s fees or encouraging friendship among the students. And he does a good job at it. He is the saving grace of the film and lights up the screen with his boyish good looks, charming smile, lovely hair and restrained and sincere acting. Shahid’s fans will not be disappointed. In some ways, Shahid’s character and acting is reminiscent of Shah Rukh as Aryan in Mohabbatein. Ayesha Takia is adorable as the sweet teacher, Sushant Singh is aptly cast as the caring PE teacher, Anjan Srivastava delivers a heartfelt performance as the peon, Saurabh Shukla is sufficiently greedy and despicable; inspiring hatred for himself and Nana Patekar is absolutely natural and effortless as the stern principal.

In the stretched and mellow dramatic second half of the film, the school is converted into a film set and students are made to audition for reality shows. That episode is meant to demonstrate the pressure and demands on students but is quite a drag and very hard to believe. Making matters worse is the student- teacher strike and relentless media coverage towards the end by which you have stopped caring for the film. You wonder if all that is actually happening! Director Miling Ukey tries to cover every possible issue under the Sun and that's where he loses his grip over the subject.
There are two kind of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group. there is less competition there....

Nourish Your Skin With Natural Cosmetics

it is high time when people have realized the importance of their skin. It is only the skin that forms the interface between the inner organs of the body and the surroundings. Therefore the nourishment of the skin at no cost is ignored. People are taking every painstaking effort to make their skin grow healthy. To make the skin look & feel better, people are driven by nourishing skins. Shine & glow are the factors driving every person for skin nourishment. To make their such dreams come true, the markets are flooded with every possible skin care creams, lotions and many other stuffs.

However, people should know the ingredients involved in the skin nourishing cream which may harm the skin otherwise. Have you ever attempted to know the ingredients that make up these skin care creams & lotions? Probably the answer is no! Indeed to look & feel better is a good idea and the right of everyone but at the same time knowing the underlying ingredients in the cream is a matter of wisdom. Refresh & rejuvenate your skin with something that truly nourishes your skin instead of harming it. Go for some creams that are very close to nature. Go for natural cosmetics.

Available in different varieties in abundance at the cost effective prices these natural cosmetics are wonderful and can do wonder. The natural cosmetics like skin care creams and lotions, shampoos, anti aging are some of them that have done miracle as far as the skin nourishment is concerned. Try herbal cosmetics at least once and you will rely on them with no second thought. The skin care creams and lotions simply pamper the skin & retain lost moisture and essential nutrients. These skin care creams and lotions are made up of: fennel seed, rosemary and many other herbal ingredients. Likewise the natural shampoos restore luster for the non manageable hair. These natural shampoos are made up of: cedarwood, lemongrass and the alike. There are even more to speak about.

The anti aging fight the damage that causes fine lines, sunspots and other signs of aging with the timeless elements of nature. The reliable ingredients that make up for these are: Siris, Albizia, Myrrh and many more. Similarly the hair color, henna give a proper coloring and conditioning to the trendy but healthy hair. Refresh and rejuvenate yourself with the cosmetics that pamper and soothe your skin and are close to the nature. These natural cosmetics determine the hygienic skin quotient of your body and should be used as needed.

The market has paved you a way where you can get into these natural cosmetic products. Be natural and be with the nature. Heal all the skin implications with the natural aid available. The natural cosmetics are a kind of gift to the society at large. When you have to spend money why not on herbal cosmetic products that promise to be worthy about the money you spend on them. These natural cosmetics are skin friendly and do not harm in any way. Trust them. Buy them. Own them. Best of luck!

Information On Pearls

The translucent beauty and the striking appearance lead pearl amongst one of the top jewelry in the world. Undoubtedly, pearl serves to be the most sophisticated and ultimate jewelry for wearers. Because of its so called great beauty and pleasing look, people get prone to add pearl in their jewelry box. Pearl as jewelry has been for years, one of the most treasured and coveted personal items a person can have. The progressive escalating in fame of pearl is being run from ancient times, where pearls were also stitched onto lavish clothing. Although, the use of pearl is not limited to jewelry only as they can be crushed and used in cosmetics, medicines, or in paint formulations. As pearls are found in very rare case so the discovery of cultured pearl took place in order to meet people’s demand and an alternative in the field of jewelry.

If you’re thinking that cultured pearl is a fake pearl then you’re highly mistaken because it’s a real pearl but not a natural pearl. As natural pearl are found in very rare case so need to cope up with the demand of pearl in jewelry market, looking o its great future prospective, the discovery of cultured pearl took place. As the pearl has won the hearts of people of all over the world so gradually, variable options were opened for a buyer to purchase pearl jewelry. Mainly there are two types of pearls namely Natural pearl & Cultured pearl. Cultured pearl can further be divided into two categories saltwater pearl & freshwater pearl. There is no links of chain in the freshwater pearl while saltwater pearl can be divided into two types Akoya Pearl & South Sea Pearl. Well, think a brief idea will clear out the picture in your mind about pearls.

1. Natural Pearl

2. Cultured Pearl: a) Saltwater Pearl – (i) Akoya Pearl (ii) South Sea Pearl

b) Freshwater Pearl

(i) Akoya Pearl – a) Chinese Akoya Pearl

b) Japanese Akoya Pearl

(ii) South Sea Pearl – a) White South Sea Pearl

b) Golden South Sea Pearl

C) Black South Sea Pearl / Tahitian Pearl

Above mentioned is a tree of Pearl which will end up your query to some extent and can help you buying in pearl jewelry. As per the features of each type of pearl and its importance, the price of Pearl is concluded. Natural pearls are much more expensive than cultured pearls. Whole pearls are more valued than blister or mabe pearls. The outstanding beauty, great luster, shape, and size are some few important points that need to be taken care of while buying pearl.

While freaking out in the market for pearls you’ll also come across imitation pearl, fake pearl or synthetic pearl which have also played contributory role in spreading pearl’s popularity. A person who cannot afford to buy real pearl jewelry can opt to purchase synthetic pearl which now-a-days has become the trendy style especially for youngsters to wear on daily basis and also which suits on all types of attires. By conducting some test, difference can be known between fake pearl & natural pearl.

Information On Pearls

The translucent beauty and the striking appearance lead pearl amongst one of the top jewelry in the world. Undoubtedly, pearl serves to be the most sophisticated and ultimate jewelry for wearers. Because of its so called great beauty and pleasing look, people get prone to add pearl in their jewelry box. Pearl as jewelry has been for years, one of the most treasured and coveted personal items a person can have. The progressive escalating in fame of pearl is being run from ancient times, where pearls were also stitched onto lavish clothing. Although, the use of pearl is not limited to jewelry only as they can be crushed and used in cosmetics, medicines, or in paint formulations. As pearls are found in very rare case so the discovery of cultured pearl took place in order to meet people’s demand and an alternative in the field of jewelry.

If you’re thinking that cultured pearl is a fake pearl then you’re highly mistaken because it’s a real pearl but not a natural pearl. As natural pearl are found in very rare case so need to cope up with the demand of pearl in jewelry market, looking o its great future prospective, the discovery of cultured pearl took place. As the pearl has won the hearts of people of all over the world so gradually, variable options were opened for a buyer to purchase pearl jewelry. Mainly there are two types of pearls namely Natural pearl & Cultured pearl. Cultured pearl can further be divided into two categories saltwater pearl & freshwater pearl. There is no links of chain in the freshwater pearl while saltwater pearl can be divided into two types Akoya Pearl & South Sea Pearl. Well, think a brief idea will clear out the picture in your mind about pearls.

1. Natural Pearl

2. Cultured Pearl: a) Saltwater Pearl – (i) Akoya Pearl (ii) South Sea Pearl

b) Freshwater Pearl

(i) Akoya Pearl – a) Chinese Akoya Pearl

b) Japanese Akoya Pearl

(ii) South Sea Pearl – a) White South Sea Pearl

b) Golden South Sea Pearl

C) Black South Sea Pearl / Tahitian Pearl

Above mentioned is a tree of Pearl which will end up your query to some extent and can help you buying in pearl jewelry. As per the features of each type of pearl and its importance, the price of Pearl is concluded. Natural pearls are much more expensive than cultured pearls. Whole pearls are more valued than blister or mabe pearls. The outstanding beauty, great luster, shape, and size are some few important points that need to be taken care of while buying pearl.

While freaking out in the market for pearls you’ll also come across imitation pearl, fake pearl or synthetic pearl which have also played contributory role in spreading pearl’s popularity. A person who cannot afford to buy real pearl jewelry can opt to purchase synthetic pearl which now-a-days has become the trendy style especially for youngsters to wear on daily basis and also which suits on all types of attires. By conducting some test, difference can be known between fake pearl & natural pearl.

Orange Ties Will Make You Look Better

Going to buy a ties for all occasions? It may be difficult to buy a tie with so many features. However, orange ties can match your requirements. People who wear these ties are very few. This is because they do not get along with everyone. Those who appear to be having a great physique with a pleasing personality, for them it works out in the best way. Think of any event and ties in orange colour are for you. Having extra brightness come to them naturally. Hence, enough precautions are taken in maintaining them, they might fade quickly reducing their durability factor. Boys get to show off these ties in style with a majority of them preferring it for parties.


Orange ties are available in all sizes and shapes. On one hand, there are long and skinny ties that increase the gloss of a man's attire, while in the other hand, broad and conventional ties are available with equal ease. Whichever orange ties is preferred, the fact that remains always unchanged is the unique value it adds to your personality. Guys with any kind of background can wear them readily; either college going boys or the ones who have just stepped into the professional looking for a flourishing career ahead. These are the same ties that provide maximum colour combinations when worn for a grand occasion.


The ideal combination that can be considered anytime regardless of the event is an orange tie that is worn gracefully upon a black colour blazer. For fair skinned personalities, the looks can still be enhanced if they wear it on a white blazer. The trick works out equally well as contrasting colours have been chosen. The advantage you get for wearing an orange tie is that it leaves an everlasting impression upon people who look at you. Go for the affordable ties that are offered at branded stores for a cheap rate.

Healthy Weight Loss Tips For Men

Men and weight - a weighty issue

According to latest figures from the National Health Survey in 2007-08, men are more likely to be overweight than women, with 68 percent of men now being classified overweight or obese compared with 55 percent for women.

Unfortunately many overweight men don't recognize their beer gut as a problem, with around 44 percent perceiving themselves as being an 'acceptable weight'.

Being overweight increases the likelihood of many lifestyle problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnoea, many of which are preventable via healthy eating and exercise.

Weight that's around the middle - the apple shape or beer gut that's typical of men's weight distribution - poses another health problem. It puts men at greater risk of heart disease and diabetes than women with their pear shape. This abdominal fat is much more metabolically active than weight on hips and thighs as it enters the main circulation far more quickly and sends up your cholesterol or blood sugars.

On the plus side, abdominal fat is much easier to shift, so once a man makes up his mind to eat less and move more, his weight loss efforts are rewarded much more quickly than most women's.

What weight to aim for?

Use one of these weight measures as a goal for a healthy weight for yourself:

1. Waist circumference

Run a tape measure around your waist at the largest part. Aim for a waist girth that’s less than 102 cm (40 inches) or 95cm (38 inches) if you’re of Asian descent.

2. Body Mass Index (BMI)

Work out your weight in kilograms and your height in metres. Divide your weight by your height squared. Your BMI should be less than 25. This applies to men over 18.

Top 10 diet-wise steps for men

Forget the fads and supplements. Follow the basics and the weight will come off steadily.

1. Aim to halve your alcohol intake. That male beer gut is not a myth – alcohol is a big contributor to kilojoules (calories). Stick to 1 or 2 glasses of red wine a night, trade down to light or low-carb beer, intersperse a mineral water or soft drink when you’re out.

2. Keep portions modest. Unless you’re working out or in training, aim for no more than 200g meat or chicken or 300g fish. Don't go back for seconds.

3. Fill your plate with more vegetables or salad; cut back on potato, pasta and rice. A large baked/boiled potato or a cup of pasta/rice is ample for most men. Easy vegies for men to cook are tomatoes (also good for prostate health), broccoli, peas (frozen as nutritious as fresh), corn cobs, mushrooms and onions (good to barbecue along with the steak).

4. Steer clear of fast food with its super-sizes and artery-clogging saturated and trans fats. Filled rolls eg Subway, plain burgers, BBQ chicken, sushi rolls and Asian stir-fries with vegetables are usually healthier choices (but not always – it depends on the outlet). Say No to chips.

5. Swap white bread for wholegrain; trade in frosted flakes for high-fibre or oats options. These fill you up and stick with you for longer for the same kilojoules.

6. Look for the high-fibre option when you can in breakfast cereals, soups, cracker biscuits, vegetable sticks instead of crackers.

7. Buy fruit you can eat on the run without having to peel like cherries, grapes or blueberries. Or dice up 4 or 5 different fruits and make up tubs of fruit salad to take to work or have ready as a snack when you get hungry.

8. When dining out, skip entree and order fish or steak as your main. Make sure you ask for vegetables or salad. Avoid rich creamy sauces and gravy. Don't feel you have to clean your plate.

9. Don't skip breakfast. A pizza or a danish later in the morning adds more kilojoules than a simple bowl of wholegrain cereal with milk.

10. Get moving. Walk the dog with the kids, find a walking buddy in your street to meet up with twice a week, swim laps or in the ocean, join the local gym. Tip: write in two classes a week into your diary so you don't forget. Notch up 30 minutes of brisk exercise every day.