Now, send a long-distance kiss with 'kissinger'

If you"re missing your partner and fancy a smooch , a new messaging device can help you fulfil your wish.

The device dubbed Kissenger and unveiled at the Designing Interactive Systems conference in Newcastle, UK, in June, lets users send kisses wirelessly to one another. Developed by Singapore-based Lovotics, Kissenger comprises a pair of pressure-sensitive soft plastic lips, which protrude through a smooth plastic casing the size of a large Easter egg.

The lips contain pressure sensors and actuators. When you kiss them, the shape changes you create are transmitted in real time over the net to a receiving Kissenger.

There, the actuators reproduce the mirror image of the pressure patterns you created- magically transmitting your smacker to your partner.

"People have found it a very positive way to improve intimacy in communications with their partners when they are apart," New Scientist quoted Hooman Samani of Lovotics, as saying.

The device is a prototype and Samani said it would not be commercialised until "all the ethical and technical considerations are covered".

Also he has pointed that he’s not interested in sexual uses for it. Source:santabanta.com

Taj Mahal 15th on CNN's '27 places to see before you die' list

The Taj Mahal, which is a white marble mausoleum located in the Indian state of Agra, has made it on to CNN's global "27 places to see before you die" list.

Cornwall's ruined tin mines have also been named among the world's 27 'must see places before you die' by a top US broadcaster.

Perched on the cliff edge near St Just, Penzance, the mines, have been chosen alongside the likes of the Northern Lights, Sydney Harbour and the Taj Mahal as a must-see destination.

The ruins of the structures which once housed the mining machinery are a "dramatic counterpoint" to the rugged rocks and wild seas of Cornwall's north coast, according to the list by CNN.

"The tin mines may be closed, but the ruins of the structures which once housed them near St Just make a thrillingly dramatic counterpoint to the rugged rocks and wild seas of Cornwall's north coast," the Daily Mail quoted CNN as saying.

The mines are among three places in Britain which made the list, just scraping in at number 27.

Witnessing a starling murmuration at Brighton Pier made number two in the list, while the Lake District made it at number 24.

Topping the list is Borobudur at sunrise in Java, Indonesia, with the Brighton starlings a close second.

Third is the Northern Lights in Scandinavia, followed closely by the great migration in East Africa.

The fifth and six spot is filled by the star-filled sky, in New Zealand and the Torres del Paine in Chile.

Morocco's Djemaa el Fna is in seventh place and California's Yosemite peaks is the eight must see place to see before death.

Number nine is Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, the Jungle pyramids in Mexico is number ten and 11 is the electrical storm in Tornado Alley, USA.

The famous Sydney Harbour comes in at 12, with the inside of Thrihnukagigur volcano in Iceland at 13.

Number 14 is Monument Valley in the US and 15 is India's Taj Mahal.

The Kasanka bat migration in Zambia, Carlsbad Cavern in America, Lunar rainbow in Zambia and Shubenacadie tidal bore in Canada take the 16,17,18 and 19 spots.

Cape Tribulation in Australia, Rock Face City of Petra in Jordan, Enrosadira in Italy and Fairy Chimneys in Turkey take up the spots from 20 to 23.

England's Lake District is at 24, with the Sardine run in South Africa at 25.

The last two spaces are filled by the pristine beaches of Islas Cies in Spain and finally, Cornwall's ruined mines come in at 27.

"There are some things you can see around the world that have the potential to give you photo-showing rights for decades," CNN said.

"We haven't got them all - in fact we barely scratched the surface. But we have picked out a few of the scenes that, if you're lucky enough to witness them, will invariably leave you spellbound," it added.

The 27 sites to see before you die are:


1. Borobudur at sunrise - Java (Indonesia)
2. Starling murmuration - Brighton Pier (England)
3. Northern Lights - Scandinavia
4. The great migration - East Africa
5. Star-filled sky - Mackenzie Basin (New Zealand)
6. Torres del Paine - Chile
7. Djmaa el Fna - Marrakech (Morocco)
8. Yosemite peaks - California (United States)
9. Santa Maria Salute - Venice (Italy)
10. Jungle pyramids - Palenque (Mexico)
11. Electrical storm - Tornado Alley (United States)
12. Sydney Harbour - Australia
13. Inside the Thrihnukagigur volcano (Iceland)
14. Monument Valley - United States
15. Taj Mahal - India
16. Kasanka bat migration - Zambia
17. Carlsbad Cavern - New Mexico (United States)
18. Lunar rainbow - Victoria Falls (Zambia)
19. Shubenacadie tidal bore - Canada
20. Cape Tribulation - Australia
21. Rock face city of Petra - Jordan
22. Enrosadira - Dolomites (Italy)
23. Fairy chimneys - Cappadocia (Turkey)
24. Lake District lakes - England
25. Sardine run - South Africa
26. Pristine beaches of Islas Cies - Spain
27. Cornwall's ruined mines - England

Olympics' village stocked with condoms as athletes arrive

Barcelona started the trend of supplying free condoms to the athletes competing for Olympic glory in 1992.

Tales of shenanigans at the living quarters for 10,000 super-fit young men and women have always abounded, and it doesn't look as if London will be any different.

U.S. women's soccer star Hope Solo recently spoke about serious partying at the Beijing Games, and some newly arrived athletes say that they can hardly wait for the actual fun to begin.

"The Olympics is the height of your career, so you might do some things you don't usually do," Fox News quoted British beach volleyball player Shauna Mullin as saying on Wednesday.

Most, like Mullin, will restrain from carried away, aware they're in the international spotlight.

According to the man overseeing the health of the Brazilian team, there's no need to be prudish.

"(Sex) is common at the Olympics. It's necessary. It's natural," Dr. Joao Olyntho Machado Neto said.

"If you are going to be healthy people, why not make sex? ...Brazil is very tolerant with sex as a country. We don't have Victorian minds and we're not religious," Neto said.

Ivory Coast swimmer Kouassi Brou was one of the youngest competitors in Beijing at 16, but now that he's grown up, he is ready for some Olympic love.

"In 2008 I was so young and so shy, so I didn't interact with the women," the 20-year-old Brou said.

"But now I'm a big man. So I can try. I will try.

"If they are beautiful, it's OK," he said.

Thousands of free condoms will be available to the athletes in dispensers around the venue.

Organizers have heard enough about village antics from previous games to know that there will be heavy demand by the sportsmen for contraception.

Solo recalled seeing competitors having sex out in the open in Beijing.

"On the grass, between buildings, people are getting down and dirty," the 2008 gold medalist told ESPN The Magazine recently.

Mullin said that if she witnessed anything racy, she would end up laughing.

"I'm pretty sure if I see it, I'll end up laughing," she said.

Wild parties in athletes' villages are not new. Many of them live in a world where their every move is followed by the media and they're delighted to unwind in the privacy of the village, where the outside world is not permitted. Source:santabanta.com

Man kept wife's private parts locked for four years

A mechanic has been arrested in Indore for reportedly keeping his wife’s genitals locked for four years. The incident only came to light when the victim tried to commit suicide and was rushed to hospital.

Even then, Sohanlal Chouhan, 38, tried to justify his action by saying several women in his family had “strayed” in the past.

His wife, Sitabai, 35, told the police that in early 2008, Chouhan had drilled holes on either side of her genitals after drugging her.

Before leaving for work, Chouhan would insert a small lock in the holes, keeping the keys under his socks. Police have seized two sets of locks and keys apart from a needle reportedly used to make the holes.

"The nurses confirmed the existence of a small lock. It was only after the husband’s arrest that the lock could be opened," said the head constable of Sanyogitaganj police station.

Sitabai, who married Chouhan when she was just 16 years old, has also alleged that Chouhan often misbehaved with their eldest daughter. Source:santabanta.com

Cambodian fathers build sex huts for teenage daughters

Generally sex before marriage is considered a great taboo and the prospect of a teenage girl spending the night with her boyfriend remains highly unlikely.

But in one village in Cambodia, fathers encourage their daughters to have sex: by building special love huts for them.

Members of the Kreung tribe in the northeast of the country believe that girls can be empowered by spending the night with different members of the opposite sex.

And when a girl reaches her early teenage years, or possibly even before, the love hut becomes the place where she meets and get to know boys before deciding on her one true love.

The tribe believes that the ancient practice is the best way for girls to find their future husbands.

They have, however, moved on from their previous tradition of using a cocktail of alcohol and a centipede as a contraceptive, and now use condoms.

Nang Chan, a 17-year-old girl who now lives full time in the love hut in the back garden of her parent's house, believes they offer her, and other girls like her, a sense of empowerment.

"The huts provide us independence and are the best way through which we can explore our true lover," the Daily Mail quoted her as telling Techpuffs.com.

"If I find some special boyfriend and we both love each other, then I'll get intimate with him and have sex in my hut.

"But if I stop loving him and find another boy that I see more attractive, then I'll stop having sex with my previous boyfriend," she said.

Dr Sudeepta Varma, speaking to National Geographic said that love huts might be regarded as taboo, in the western perspective, as parents are usually looked upon as 'protectors' of a woman's virginity, and not promoters of it.

According to villagers, divorce and sexual violence in the community remains non-existent, and young women only engage in relationships with men they feel comfortable with.

Despite the liberal attitudes towards sex between unmarried youngsters, however, couples can only be seen in the day together after they get engaged to be married. Source:santabanta.com

Norma hires security to protect 102ZZZ-cup boobs

The woman with the world's largest natural breasts has spoken about how she employs security to help defend herself against unwanted suitors who 'chase' her.

Annie Hawkins-Turner, from Atlanta, Georgia, who has a bra size of 102ZZZ, told TLC's Strange Sex that she is a 'celebrity in other countries' because of her Guinness World Record-breaking breasts.

Although they attracted ridicule when Hawkins-Turner was a child, her breasts have since helped her develop a career as a self-described 'fantasy model'. She has appeared in 'over 250' self-directed fetish videos.

She told UK breakfast show 'This Morning' last June that she has been bullied ever since childhood and is taunted daily by strangers.

Hawkins-Turner, who now makes a living as a model under the pseudonym Norma Stitz, said that the bullying began when she got her first bra at the age of ten.

"When I go out of my house I have to think about what my day is going to be like and who is going to attack me today," she had said.

"Every day someone teases me that doesn't know me. They make fun of me and there's no reason. I'm human like everybody else.

"I'm just blessed in different ways than other people. It affects my son very badly because people stare," she had said.

Appearing in a trailer for a new season of the reality series, which explores unusual sexual fetishes, the mother-of-two is seen discussing her body pride at length.

"No one looks like me, I'm one in a million. [I'm] always imitated but never duplicated. I do have security because people chase me," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

The 53-year-old's chest weighs eight stone.

She however, said that she has never contemplated undergoing a breast reduction.

"I've never thought about bringing a knife to myself. Why fix something that's not broken?" she said.

Hawkins-Turner, who suffers from gigantomastia, a condition that involves slow, progressive growth of breast tissue, admits that despite her newfound fame, her breasts do create everyday problems.

"When I have to bend over, if I get up the wrong way I'm going to hurt myself. If I stand up for a long period of time, I do get numbness in my shoulders," she said.

Even driving a car has it's own set of problems.

"I'm not going to put on my seat belt because it's too tight across my breasts," she added.

She admitted she was devastated to learn that she couldn't even breastfeed when her children were born, because the size of her chest meant there was no comfortable way to place the baby against her chest.

Sri Lankans name new fish genus for atheist Dawkins

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan scientists have identified a new genus of fresh water fish and named it after the evolutionary biologist and renowned atheist Richard Dawkins.

Lead researcher Rohan Pethiyagoda, 56, said the new genus, named Dawkinsia, comprises nine species that are found only in South Asia and are characterised by long filaments that trail from the dorsal fins of males.

The fish has previously been classified under the genus Puntius, comprising around 120 species of small tropical fish known as barbs.

Pethiyagoda, an ichthyologist and internationally acclaimed conservationist, said extensive studies in India and Sri Lanka showed that the level of diversity among such fish was "much greater than previously suspected".

This was partly the reason that the study group had chosen to name the new genus after the 71-year-old Dawkins, the British author of the anti-religion polemic, "The God Delusion".

"Richard Dawkins has through his writings helped us understand that the universe is far more beautiful and awe-inspiring than any religion has imagined," Pethiyagoda said on Monday.

"We hope that Dawkinsia will serve as a reminder of the elegance and simplicity of evolution, the only rational explanation there is for the unimaginable diversity of life on Earth," he said.

Male Dawkinsia barbs advertise their fitness by growing long fin filaments that make them more attractive to females but also dangerously conspicuous to predators.

"The filaments are rather like the peacock's tail, expensive ornaments that place their owner at greater risk while offering him the reward of being the preferred choice of females," Pethiyagoda said.

The genus re-classification followed an eight-year study of the DNA, bone structures and overall anatomy of Puntius species.

Last week a small crustacean parasite which feeds on fish in the Caribbean was named Gnathia marleyi after reggae musician Bob Marley.

"I named this species, which is truly a natural wonder, after Marley because of my respect and admiration for Marley's music," said Paul Sikkel, a field marine biologist at Arkansas State University. (AFP)

New scarlet snake found in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH: A new species of snake which is scarlet with black and white rings has been discovered in Cambodia's rainforest, conservationists announced on Monday.

The reptile, which has been named the Cambodian Kukri, was found in the southwest Cardamom Mountains, an area under threat from habitat loss, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) said in a statement.

Kukri snakes are so named because their curved rear fangs -- designed to puncture eggs -- are similar in shape to the Nepalese kukri knife, FFI said.

"Most kukri snakes are dull-coloured," said Neang Thy, one of the herpetologists who discovered the new species. "But this one is dark red with black and white rings, making it a beautiful snake." (AFP)

NASA Mars images 'next best thing to being there'

WASHINGTON: The US space agency NASA has recently pieced together a panoramic view from the camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, calling it the "next best thing to being" on the Red Planet.

The full-circle scene fuses together 817 images taken by the mast-mounted panoramic camera (Pancam) on the Opportunity over a four-month period, showing new rover tracks and an old impact crater.

The panorama -- which NASA said in a release was the "next best thing to being there" -- includes the rover's solar arrays and deck in the foreground.

Pancam lead scientist Jim Bell of Arizona State University, Tempe, said the images provide a "spectacularly detailed view of the largest impact crater that we've driven to yet with either rover over the course of the mission."

The panorama was stitched together from component images taken between December 21, 2011, and May 8, 2012, when Opportunity was stationed on an outcrop nicknamed Greeley Haven.

Opportunity completed its 3,000th Martian day on July 2, and the US space agency marked 15 years of robotic presence on the Red Planet.

NASA's Curiosity rover, formally known as the Mars Science Laboratory but nicknamed a "dream machine" by NASA scientists, blasted off from Florida in November and is expected to land in early August.

The most advanced machine ever built with the aim of roaming the surface of Earth's nearest neighbor cost $2.5 billion to construct and launch, carries its own rock-analyzing lab and aims to hunt for signs that life once existed there. (AFP)

New record for serving 2012 Fish heads at one location

SINGAPORE: The Indian Restaurants Association Singapore (IRAS) has created history once again by attempting to serve the most number of curry fish heads in a single dinner.

A dinner was held on a grand ship constructed specifically for this event to create an atmosphere befitting the theme for this year: Seafood.

This grand ship was constructed right in Little India. During the dinner, 2012 people savoured the 2012 fish heads while enjoying a night of premium entertainment.

New York equips phone booths With Wi-Fi

NEW YORK: New York City is committed to making sure the 12,000 phone booths still lining its sidewalks don't become relics.

While the city announced plans to turn some of them into digital kiosks with SmartScreens in April, today it launched a pilot program to provide free public WiFi at public phone booths around the five boroughs.

According to reports, the installion of the "military grade" antenna's that will be connected to each payphone, will be installed for free (average cost of installation is $2,000).

If successful, New York plans to add another 13,000 phone booths hotspots all across the city, blanketing the entire city with free internet access.

Surfing goats ride waves in Orange County

SAN ONOFRE STATE BEACH, Calif: Two goats named Goatee and Pismo are wowing California beachgoers with their surfing skills.

The goats' owner, Dana McGregor, says he taught his goats to surf because he loves to ride the waves and thought they would like it, too.

The goats stood on surfboards and cruised along waves Wednesday at San Onofre State Beach, as bystanders watched in amazement.

Goatee, a nanny goat, and her billy goat, Pismo, even rode waves together. But after a few rides, Goatee swam to shore.

McGregor says he originally got Goatee to eat unwanted foliage on his property.

He began taking the goat to the beach with him, eventually putting her on a surfboard.

McGregor says he started putting Pismo on a board after he was born in March.

1966 Volvo nears 3-million mile mark

NEW YORK: US motorist who bought a Volvo in 1966 and already holds a Guinness World Record is about to pass the 3 million mile (4.8 million kilometre) mark in the nearly 50-year-old Swedish brand car.

Gordon's small, red two-door has well more than two mil-lion miles (3.22 million km) on the odometer, the equivalent of nearly 1,176 times across the globe. The retired schoolteacher from Long Island hopes to reach the three million mile mark by next year. He only has 34,000 miles (54,717 km) to go.

Gordon, 72, drives his Volvo everywhere. He has held the Guinness World Records mark for high mileage vehicle since 2002 and was the first person to hold that record.

"It's just a car I enjoy driving," he said.

Disabled French swimmer spans Europe and Africa

RABAT: Frenchman Philippe Croizon, who has lost all of his limbs, continued his quest to swim between all the continents on Thursday by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, an organiser said.

"He has just reached the rock on the Ciress beach near Tangiers, having swum 14 kilometres (8.7 miles) from Tarifa in five hours and 20 minutes," Anne Bayard, one of the organisers of Croizon's project, told AFP.

Completing the stretch between Tarifa in southern Spain and Tangiers in northern Morocco was the third leg of a challenge Croizon set himself after swimming the English Channel in 2010 to highlight the abilities of disabled people, and to convey a message of peace and solidarity.

His challenge to swim between continents began on May 17, when he crossed from Papua New Guinea to Indonesia.

In June, he swam between Africa and Asia, setting across the Red Sea from Egypt's Taba resort and arriving more than five hours later in the Jordanian port of Aqaba.

In August he plans on swimming between the islands of Big Diomede in Russia and Little Diomede in the United States.

Croizon had to have all four limbs amputated after he suffered an electric shock of more than 20,000 volts in 1994 as he tried to remove a TV antenna from a roof.

He uses flippers attached to prosthetic limbs to accomplish the challenge and is always accompanied by fellow French swimmer Arnaud Chassery. (AFP)

Rampant sex secrets at Olympic village exposed

In the run-up to the 2012 Summer Olympics, which will kick off on 27th July, a new book has revealed just what goes on at Olympic Villages worldwide and no matter which country hosts it, it's always a struggle keeping booze and condoms in strong supply.

According to the anonymously authored expose 'The Secret Olympics', which is written by a former British competitor, organizers supplied 70,000 condoms to athletes at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The stockpile ran out in a week.

While alcohol and drugs are banned at Olympic Villages, competitors often fill water bottles with booze and smuggle in weed and doping agents.

While officials don’t condone such behaviour, they don't condemn it either, and the only thing that matters is that the image of the Olympics remains unsullied.

"What happens in the Village stays in the Village," the New York Post quoted the anonymous author as writing.

Olympic Villages are vast, pre-fab communities, divided into smaller subdivisions by nation.

The United States’ area has a 24-hour McDonald’s, as well as sponsored beer halls – a Budweiser House and a Heineken House.

Everything is free including the unlimited supply of condoms, stamped with sports-specific logos.

Olympians, however, say that the insatiable demand for condoms is a giant practical joke.

"It's a tradition — taking so many that they have to replace them," Todd Lodwick, the 35-year-old-five-time Olympic Nordic combined athlete and a two-time gold medallist, said.

"It's a myth: 'Oh, look at all the sex these Olympians are having!'" he added. Source:http://celebscrash.blogspot.com/

$1m gold and diamond bra on sale in US

A Birmingham store is selling an 18 carat gold bra encrusted with over 500 carats of diamonds for a whopping 1 million dollars.

The blinged-out lingerie, sold at Birmingham Estate and Jewelry Buyers, was created by storeowner Anthony Aubry, who named it after his wife, Rita.

"If you just have that much money, someone would want it to say 'Oh, I have a $1 million bra,' or some people would put it on display at their house or something, and some people, believe it or not, would actually want to wear it," CBS News quoted Aubry as saying.

According to Aubry, the solid gold brasserie took over three months to design and took a crew of workers almost a year to make.

Aubry said that the major difference between his design and the famed Victoria's Secret million-dollar "Fantasy" bras is that the chain store's showpieces have "fabric in them and the diamonds are kind of imbedded into the fabric."

Aubrey's work of art is solid gold - it has 750 grams of it. Source:http://www.santabanta.com

Phone app allows US users to film police activity

NEW YORK: A US civil rights advocacy group has launched a free mobile phone application that allows users to record police activity discreetly, saying it will help boost police force accountability.

The New Jersey branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) explains that "Police Tape," available to the public since Tuesday, "allows people to securely and discreetly record and store interactions with police."

The Android phone application, available for download on the website of the ACLU of New Jersey, is "an essential tool for police accountability," said the office's executive director Deborah Jacobs.

"Too often, incidents of serious misconduct go unreported because citizens don't feel that they will be believed."

Unlike traditional smartphone recording apps, "Police Tape" disappears from the screen once it is launched, minimizing the possibility that police will notice the recorder.

The application allows users to send the file to the ACLU for safe-keeping and analysis.

"Police Tape" also contains legal advice on the rights of citizens confronted by police.

The ACLU of New Jersey website cites several court rulings that recognized citizens' rights to film police activity.

A similar application for iPhone will be available later this summer, the site says. (AFP)

Bride gives birth at wedding in France

ANGERS, France: A bride gave birth only minutes after tying the knot at a townhall wedding in western France, making it more of a "big day" than anticipated, the local mayor told AFP Sunday.

"It did rather shake us up," admitted Jean-Robert Gachet, mayor of Jallais, after hearing that mother and baby were doing well.

Saturday's ceremony at 11:00 am was nearly called off after the heavily pregnant bride had several false alarms, although her due date was July 14.

The bride was "definitely a bit worn out, but we put that down to the stress of the wedding. I tried to hurry it up a bit so that she didn't get too tired," said Gachet.

But only moments after the happy couple said their vows and emerged outside to pose for the traditional photos, while the guests left for the reception, the bride suddenly felt unwell and went back into the townhall.

Emergency services were called, but her waters had already broken and she gave birth to a little boy on the spot at 12:15 pm.

"The cry of the new born boy was an emotional moment! It was a first for us and for the emergency services," Gachet said. (AFP)

Levo digital camera to socialize your smiles

Sky is the limit for technological innovation. The same seems true now for social networking and the devices dedicated for it. From portable devices to mobile phones, all are being developed with the element of socializing well in mind. Now, the same idea finds place in a socially dedicated to it camera called "Levo."

This hi-tech camera comes with advanced features for editing and you can even download apps from outside developers to make the experience worth remembering. Hitting the iron when hot, the Levo has been designed at the perfect time, identifying a new socializing product opportunity that makes use of the ability to download applications for performing tasks on-demand. The aim was to create an easy to use hand-held product for which users never have to think twice before taking it along.

Another user friendly feature of the product is the color of its interface and band could be customized to give it a more personal feel. You can download new apps and effects and capture moments with your applied effects. Editing of the content could be done right on the camera and you can share your precious moments right away. Its touchscreen interface enables easy usability with only one physical button to operate. Via: Jake Amies

Design of mobile handsets evolves with Andigo

For long the aisles of electronic shops have been filled with phones that look almost the same. Most of them have a rectangular shape with a screen on top and menu buttons below. Also, majority of the pieces are daubed with neutral hues. So, an innovation in this product category is a must considering how massive the market is. And, here is a phone that can create a difference. Designed by Poland based Andrzej Kiday, this phone has angular squares jutting out from its four corners. You will get a tighter grip on the handset so that the device does not slip out easily when you are holding it.

The design of the phone and placement of buttons is damn clever. Most mobile phones have a menu and call buttons at the bottom, which reduce the space occupied by the screen. But in this phone, the menu button and other keys have been placed along the sides, so that the screen space is maximized. The edge on the top of the phone embeds the headphone jack, power button and USB mini connector.

On the left side of Andigo is the volume button that can easily be controlled using the thumb. Right next to the volume button is the wrist strap eyelet. The camera lens at the back is encircled by LED flash lights. The right number of LEDs slotted in here ensure that the light emitted is diffused and soft. This mellifluous light is ideal for shooting up close videos.

Moreover, the menu button serves as the shutter for the camera while you are shooting videos. The switch button has not been slotted on the easily accessible areas. This is quite a good idea as it is not accessed frequently and also chances of hitting it accidentally are minimized in this position. The metal casing and robust housing of this phone is really rugged. Clearly, this is a piece that can make a difference.

Look at the camels first and then read the message below.

This is a picture taken from directly above these camels in the desert at sunset. It is considered to be one of the best pictures of the year. When you look closely, you can see that the camels are the little white lines in the picture. The black images you see are just the shadows! Sometimes, our "Problems" seem to be as big as the shadows, but they are little. Have a lovely day!

A GERMAN 16-year-old has solved a mathematical problem posed by Sir Isaac Newton more than 300 years ago.

A GERMAN 16-year-old has become the first person to solve a mathematical problem posed by Sir Isaac Newton more than 300 years ago.

Shouryya Ray worked out how to calculate exactly the path of a projectile under gravity and subject to air resistance, The (London) Sunday Times reported.

The Indian-born teen said he solved the problem that had stumped mathematicians for centuries while working o...n a school project.

Mr Ray won a research award for his efforts and has been labeled a genius by the German media, but he put it down to "curiosity and schoolboy naivety".

"When it was explained to us that the problems had no solutions, I thought to myself, 'well, there's no harm in trying,'" he said.

Mr Ray's family moved to Germany when he was 12 after his engineer father got a job at a technical college. He said his father instilled in him a "hunger for mathematics" and taught him calculus at the age of six.

Mr Ray's father, Subhashis, said his son's mathematical prowess quickly outstripped his own considerable knowledge.

"He never discussed his project with me before it was finished and the mathematics he used are far beyond my reach," he said.

Despite not speaking a word of German when he arrived, Mr Ray will this week sit Germany's high school leaving exams, two years ahead of his peers.

Newton posed the problem, relating to the movement of projectiles through the air, in the 17th century. Mathematicians had only been able to offer partial solutions until now.

If that wasn't enough of an achievement, Mr Ray has also solved a second problem, dealing with the collision of a body with a wall, that was posed in the 19th century.

Both problems Mr Ray resolved are from the field of dynamics and his solutions are expected to contribute to greater precision in areas such as ballistics.

Quartz is a swish mobile phone watch with dual SIM slot

A mobile phone watch is a cool gadget for any swish pad. If you are looking out for one, then here is a piece with a sleek dual SIM touch screen and many useful functions. Its smooth white surface will blend with any type of home. Also, its retail price is just $85, which has been marked down to quite an extent by the online retailer Chinavasion. Basic features of this piece, which makes mobile communication much easier for you, are given below.

The watch has a built in keypad that facilitates when you are dialing numbers. It fits in dual SIM card slots. Such a dual SIM facility is not available on many watch phones. So, if you want to keep your personal and business lines separate, then this piece will come handy. The touch screen gives the watch a swish look. It has a high quality make and browsing through it will be a snap as you can pilot it even with your fingertips.

Plus, the watch many entertainment features, just like the ones you find in most mobile phones nowadays. Enjoy tunes from the built in mp3/mp4 media player. You can watch videos and even the latest flicks on it. Browse through pictures when you have the time. All media files can be uploaded on its miscroSD easily by connecting the USB port with a computer. A tap on the touch screen is enough to make any of these selections.

In fact, this is a really good piece to showcase you family photos or holiday videos to your guests. You don’t have to bother about lugging out a hulky computer that contains all your personal and business information in front of others. Just show off files on this sleek compact machine. Play music through the built in speakers when you are lounging with others or stay tuned with the Bluetooth earpiece set if you are the only one who wants to enjoy the rapture. Via: Chinavasion

Glove One prototype cellphone lets you talk to the hand, literally!

Holding up one’s thumb to the ear with the pinky in close to the mouth and the rest of the fingers folded is in internationally recognized gesture for talking on the phone (or asking someone to give you a call). However, Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based designer Bryan Cera decided to give the gesture a literal avatar and created the Glove One which is basically a cellphone that fits over your hand like a glove and lets you make and receive calls with the same gesture!

The cellphone prototype is an innovative take on handheld communication devices though it does disregard people’s preference for handsfree cellphone usage. Being something of a specialist in re-purposing electronics and custom building circuits, Cera created the wearable mobile phone using a whole lot of modded stuff and a 3D printer and says that using the Glove One allows our emotional bond with our cellphones to be felt a lot more physically.

The Glove One thus helps us understand whether the time we spend using our cellphones each day, the kind of carbon footprint running such busy networks have and how this single piece of technology has stolen our freedom. The glove phone may not be the most comfortable to use personal communication device ever produced but it certainly kicks cellphone-in-a-watch designs to the kerb for sure. Via: Walyou

iPhone Plus takes the iPhone legacy up by a notch

As the iPhone begins to make minds wander, the iPhone 5 is already doing the rounds of the gossip columns. This is not all, for Apple is all set to launch its new version phone later this year, already titled as the iPhone Plus. The concept is pretty unique, and caters to mainly what the users want the phone to have rather than what has been revealed.

If word of mouth is to be believed, the new conceptual phone is believed to be a struck off in terms of the width and the size. iPhone Plus is expected to have a Liquidmetal body, all created without any uncomfortable junctions in between. Giving it company would be a 4.3” retina display with an in cell technology, a double coated alkali-aluminosilicate sheet glass and an A6 Quad Processor. However, what sets it truly apart is the 10 MP rear camera and a front facing 2 MP camera with enhanced capability to shoot pictures.

The truly enthralling feature of the phone is the Pico projector which lets you cast photos and videos on any possible surface, making it a more desirable product rather than a reality. Given the stats, it is possible that Apple may end up compromising on the Home button, making it invisible to the maximum extent possible. However, that remains to be a figment of thought, till the time the new phone is actually unveiled.

If these features are actually a part of the new iPhone legacy, then the people certainly have a lot to look forward to in terms of design, variety and definitely quality. Here's giving it a rest to all varying thoughts, till say October, which seems to be revealing date for the new prototype. Via: Adr

Wow! Almost looks fake huh? Beautiful

This pretty little molten gold beetle has been doing the rounds of the Internet lately, because not only does it look like nothing else on Earth, but it can also completely change colours. And it’s just as pretty when it does.

This is golden tortoise beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata, previously known as Metriona bicolor), a tiny, metallic North American insect that belongs to the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae, which includes flea beetles, asparagus beetles and longhorn beetles. Nicknamed ‘goldenbugs’, golden tortoise beetles grow to around 5.0 to 7.0 mm in length and favour foods such as sweet potato and morning glory.

10,000 regal diamonds on show at Buckingham Palace

LONDON: More than 10,000 diamonds set in works worn by British monarchs for over 250 years will go on show at London's Buckingham Palace this summer to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee.

The exhibition includes a range of the queen's personal jewels, including the Diadem crown that she is seen wearing on many portraits and postage stamps, and other works chosen for their historic and artistic significance.

"This (the Diamond Diadem crown) is a very, very familiar jewel," said exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut.

"It was originally for the coronation of George IV, which took place in 1821, but it's very closely associated with... Queen Elizabeth II.

"She wore it on a journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey for her own coronation in 1953 and she's also worn it to and from the palace of Westminster for every single state opening of her reign since 1952," she added.

Other highlights include items made from the world's largest diamond, the "Cullinan" diamond, named after the owner of the mine in South Africa where it was discovered in 1905.

According to legend, the diamond was so big that mine staff threw it out of the window believing it was an ordinary stone, before identifying it as a gem.

The 10.1 cm stone was offered to King Edward VII as a pledge of loyalty and has produced no fewer than nine major diamonds, 96 small brilliants and nine unpolished fragments.

Several jewels, such as the Delhi Durbar Tiara, Queen Victoria's fringe brooch and the Kokoshnik Tiara, are on display for the first time.

Other more intimate items of the queen will also be on show.

They include the South Africa necklace, which was presented to her on her 21st birthday in 1947 and the Williamson brooch, which incorporates what is believed to be the world's finest discovered pink diamond.

The diamonds, which were acquired by six British monarchs, will be on show from June 30 to July 8 and July 31 to October 7, during the palace's summer opening. (AFP)