Aug 31, 2010

Money and fixing in Pakistan Cricket again

The Lord's Test has been a disaster from a Pakistan perspective. It is their heaviest defeat of all time, and they now have an investigation into corruption hanging over them. Somehow this tour has to continue, there is no choice but to go on. But I feel the Pakistan management must temporarily suspend the three people at the heart of these allegations. How will people continue to react calmly if they see Mohammad Amir or Mohammad Asif bowling a no-ball in the Twenty20 international down in Cardiff next Sunday?

With no risk we may as well be a table

IT HAS been another completely average week for the nation's normal people.
In New Zealand, a 21-year-old girl from Kidderminster drowned while bodysurfing down some tempestuous rapids.
In Australia, a British doctor died after his jet ski ploughed into a ship's anchor chain.
From Princess Anne's Gatcombe estate, we heard news of a worker who'd died of chest injuries after his quad bike rolled over.

Ways Meditation Can Change Your Life

We can’t imagine what life would be like without meditation. It has seen us through tough times and many life changes, keeping us sane and grounded and real. Life is challenging enough; we can never know what will arise next and only when our minds are clear and focused can we make the best decisions.
How are you able to deal with the madness and chaos that occurs daily?

Nokia Launches the 5250 Mid-Range Phone

With the proliferation of highly advanced smartphones, it’s amazin how Nokia still continues to produce low-end phones yet possessing some nice, advanced features. One of these phones is the Nokia 5250, a touchscreen phone powered by Symbian and is being geared as a music-centric mobile phone. The Nokia 5250 main feature has got to be its music player which has its own icon on the phone’s homescreen.

Google to unveil ‘priority inbox’ for Gmail

Google is set to unveil a new feature to its Gmail service that aims to separate a user's important emails from the ones that do not get read often. The new feature called "Priority Inbox" will help users focus on messages that matter without having to set up complex rules, Google said in its official blog. The Priority Inbox application splits the inbox into three sections: 'Important and unread', 'Starred' and 'Everything Else'.

Games for your Kids in car headrest

We know that kids these days who have had a taste of modern video games will probably pooh pooh the 8-bit and 16-bit titles of yore, mainly because there are no snazzy 3D graphics to look at. Well, that’s because they have a choice, but bundle them into a car on a 3-day long road trip and see whether they will change their mind or not. Instead of looking out the window and going through their favorite movies time and again, why not “torture”

Slim accent solar light for tricky stairs

If your patio steps are away from any source of light, it can make walking down them tricky for any clumsy relatives you might have visiting.  Thankfully there are these tiny lights that don’t require you to do any wiring to get them up and running.  Just hook them up and they’ll help you make your steps a little safer. They just sit in the very corner of your steps and during the day soak up a little sun.  Then at night they’ll kick on all on their own.

Ramadan Special – Chicken Broast

Instructions
For marination
1 kg Chicken
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp red chillie powder 1 tsp white paper
Salt to taste
For coating
3 eggs (put 2 tbsp chillie sauce and soya sauce and 1 tsp mustared paste in the eggs)

Youths of Pakistan shall take us ahead!

Childhood itself describes the conception of responsibility, loyalty and liberty. The journey from childhood to youth is so much imaginative that one embraces spirit, vigor and aspiration. The golden era of youth expand the sense of aggressiveness and productiveness. One may enjoy the highest degree of self-reliance through determination and devotion. The professionalism contributes toward the personality development and inculcates the spirit of service. The end result of the whole long endeavor appears in occurrence of marvelous achievements. Thus, the dreams come true.

Accessorize your Hair with Style

A pretty hair accessory can pump up even the most flat looking hairstyle. There are several accessories we can choose from, starting from decorated bobby pins and till the headbands. Hair accessories add a soft and glamorous touch to the hair, radiating elegance. It is a very feminine way to create unique hairstyles out of the nothing and to spice up any look. Also, they are appropriate for any occasion, even for everyday use.

Salman vs Amitabh on television

It seems that after Salman left a channel high and dry on Dus Ka Dum, Season 3, they are quite miffed with the actor. The channel is now planning to put their tried-and-tested trump card Kaun Banega Crorepati 4 on air on the same date as the launch of Bigg Boss 3 by a competing channel.This head-on collision between the two channels is a consequence of the fact that the channel that aired Dus Ka Dum is ostensibly wanting to get even with Salman after he crossed over to Bigg Boss.

Death threat for Ram Gopal Varma

Ram Gopal Varma seems to have kicked the hornet’s nest by picking up a controversial theme for his next movie Rakta Charitra, starring Vivek Oberoi as a character modelled on Paritala Ravi, the slain TDP MLA from Anantpur district. The film maker was first sent a legal notice by the family of Paritala’s rival S Obul Reddy, who was also slain, for a negative depiction of Reddy’s character which is played by actor Abhimanyu Singh.

Water way to spend a honeymoon

When it comes to honeymoon destinations, most newlyweds have set aside a nice little bundle for their ultimate getaway. But a unique suite in the Maldives - while offering unbeatable views of the local marine life - is likely to eat up the entire average wedding budget, let alone the honeymoon accommodation costs. Conrad hotels are offering a breathtaking suite at their Maldives Rangali Islands resort,

Shehzad in Chicago for fund raising

Shehzad Roy was recently in Chicago for fund raising under the label of his NGO Zindagi Trust .Shehzad Roy was joined by Bushra Ansari at the event. The Trust aims to provide better learning opportunities for working children while highlighting self-respect of labor.

The Last Exorcism – Movie Review

Eli Roth is a producer on this religion based horror flick, which presupposes it will be gory, bloody, with much upchucking and ultimately, across the board slaughter.  Sure there’s blood in The Last Exorcist, but it’s after the fact, not in the gratuitous spilling.  The chill comes from a different place. Certainly, The Last Exorcism is horrific, but not in the extreme, shocking ways of The Exorcist or Roth’s savagely brutal The Hostel.

Aug 30, 2010

Diaspora eyes launch date in September

An open alternative to Facebook will be launched on 15 September, the developers of the project have said. Diaspora describes itself as a "privacy-aware, personally-controlled" social network. The open-source project made headlines earlier this year when Facebook was forced to simplify its privacy settings,

Remote controlled football boots to play

Whether you call it soccer or football, this is one strange way to burn up some time. You can’t help but love the occasional remote control gadget, but this is probably the strangest I’ve seen. Instead of knocking in those balls with mini players, it uses oversized shoes. I guess either way it’ll do the trick and keep you occupied for a couple of hours.

Puppy Tweets connects you to your pooch

When I first got my pug I wondered a lot if he continued to whine and bark the entire time I was gone as he did when I was first leaving. As a puppy that dog knew exactly how to make me feel horribly guilty.  This Puppy Tweets tag will let you know all sorts of information about your pet throughout the day.  Although instead of just listing the facts, you’ll be viewing incredibly sappy phrases to keep you updated. Every single time your dog moves, barks or naps it’s automatically detected by the tag.
It has a WiFi signal that allows for it to tweet the information. It has over 500 different sickening sweet phrases. Things like “I bark because I miss you.” Yes, they are very serious. You can purchase the quick set for $29.95 in baby blue through X-Treme Geek. You won’t have to pick up any extra batteries either, since the CR2032 button cell battery is included.
When I first got my pug I wondered a lot if he continued to whine and bark the entire time I was gone as he did when I was first leaving. As a puppy that dog knew exactly how to make me feel horribly guilty.  This Puppy Tweets tag will let you know all sorts of information about your pet throughout the day.  Although instead of just listing the facts,

T-Fal multi-functional digital toaster

This toaster is definitely making my toaster look bad. I really thought I was doing pretty good, mine even has buttons for bagels and frozen items.  Sadly it turns out that my shiny metal toaster is getting behind on the times thanks to T-Fal feeling the need to show off.  Not only do they have the buttons I adore, but they also have added an LCD screen.

Kodak Easyshare M590 digital camera

Kodak has introduced its latest Easyshare M590 digital camera which is more than ready to knock your socks off – those who are looking for a consumer class digital camera with pretty intelligent controls without having to fiddle with the knobs and dials found on a DSLR. Of course, a compact digital camera like this might not be able to offer the flexibility of a real DSLR

Aug 27, 2010

Selecting the Best Tiles for your Kitchen

Tiles are very important part of the kitchen Decor, making or marring it completely. One of their best aspects is that they are available in small sizes, enabling you to create wonderful patterns. At the same time, the variety in colors, sizes and materials of kitchen tiles is almost endless. Apart from being used on the floors, tiles also form a part of the walls , backsplash and even countertops. Not only do kitchen tiles look extremely attractive, but are also stain as well as water resistant. The only flaw with them is that the grout needs to be cleaned regularly.

Ramadan Special - Daal Mekhani

Ingredients
1/2 cup of whole Urad Daal (soaked in water for about 8 hours)
1/8 cup of Kidney beans (soaked for about 8 hours)
3/4 tbsp Salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp shredded Ginger
1 Green Chilli (finely chopped)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp mango powder (amchoor)

Summer Jeans Trend for Men

Remember that styles change rapidly, but some styles are here to stay, and classic jeans are one of those fashion trends. Men’s summer trends are always changes, but jeans are never out of men’s summer style. Men’s summer trends this summer is, on the whole, are dressy and elegant.  When it comes to jeans for men’s summer clothes, a bit slimmer fit was big hit on catwalks for this summer.

JVC unveils Picsio pocket cameras

Don’t you just love miniaturization? Just rewind the clock by a few years to find full HD camcorders for the home consumer, you’ll be surprised at their size and price points. Fast forward to today, and you will be able to pick up devices such as JVC’s latest Picsio pocket cameras in the form of the GC-WP10 and GC-FM2 that will come with full HD video recording capability, working great even under low-light conditions. Other hardware specifications include a three-inch touch screen for easy operation and playback viewing,

Kodak’s Pulse digital photo frame

Kodak’s Pulse digital photo frame has grown up, this time round extending its display size to a good 10-inches so that every single generation in your family will need not squint any more whenever they want to see their favorite family moments in your living room. This new 10-inch frame is touted to hit the market this coming fall, retailing for $199.95 – pretty pricey for some people, especially when you consider all it does is loop image after image. Of course, it consumes a whole lot less juice compared to your regular projector, and if budget is your concern,

Oil-absorbing robot to clean up oil spills

Over skimmers were deployed in the Gulf of Mexico during the summer of 2010 to help clean up the Deepwater Horizon leak; however, it is estimated that these skimmers collected only three percent of the surface oil. Researchers at MIT have devised a system, called Seaswarm, consisting of a fleet of vehicles that may make cleaning up future oil spills both less expensive and more efficient than current skimming methods. A robotic prototype created by the researchers could autonomously navigate the ocean surface using cutting edge nanotechnology to collect surface oil and process it on site.

Katrina weeps over break-up with Salman

Katrina Kaif broke down into tears after media quizzed her over her break-up with Salman Khan. Usually discreet and guarded about her relationship with Salman, the actress was extremely hurt by Salman's public announcement of their relationship status. "It was disturbing. Everyone questioned me about a statement made by Salman. I won't be bullied into talking about my personal life. I will take contractual action to ensure limits are not crossed," she said.

Kareena refuses to lose weight for Karan

Kareena Kapoor’s size zero is still chasing her. Recently, she has gained some weight but still carrying the tag of size zero. Buzz is that filmmaker Karan Johar wants Bebo to return to her size zero figure. Karan asked Kareena to lose weight for his next flick, titled, ‘Short Term Shaadi’ starring Imran Khan in the lead but Kareena is not ready to shed her flab for anyone. Bebo added that she is happy with her current weight and won’t lose weight for anyone.
She even added that Karan has not laid before her any such demand. It is also heard that not only weight but Karan wants Kareena to chop her hair also.

Amitabh to romance with Meryl Streep

It seems Big B is lucky in terms of romancing women onscreen even in his 60s. We all have seen him romancing a teenager Jiah Khan in Nishabd and then middle-aged Tabu in Cheeni Kum. Of late the news of him signing a film opposite sexy siren Mallika Sherawat also became the talk of the town but what we are breaking now is the biggest news for him as well as his fans. R Balki, who can make all of us believe that Big B can still romance the women even less than half his age through the box office success Cheeni Kum is now once again set to present him, romancing.

Music Review: Anjaana Anjaani

The greatest love stories are between strangers...! DDLJ fostered these prophecies that are still ringing magic in romantic comedies with its candyfloss textures. Anjaana Anjaani unravels out this bon-voyage of adventurous happening with rich "yuppie" youthful appeal. Director Siddarth Anand, a regular in Yash Raj Films camp contorts his way into Nadiadwala's camp and jesters this entertainer out with his favorite Vishal-Shekhar. It also marks the fourth consequential communion between director-composers duo with a promise to allure youngsters with its funky-licious musical thump.

Aashayein review: Weak script but great acting

Practically every new-age filmmaker wants to attempt a real story on celluloid. Stories which are straight out of life. These stories generally strike a chord with the audience if narrated convincingly and, most importantly, narrated within commercial parameters. Nagesh Kukunoor has been a frontrunner as far as choosing and narrating real stories are concerned. Aashayein, too, seems like 'our' story. Here's a man who suddenly discovers that he has a few months to live. The indomitable spirit of living life to the fullest, under all circumstances, is what you expect from him.

Saif is Johnny Depp of India: Kareena

Actress Kareena Kapoor believes that her boyfriend Saif Ali Khan is not just the hottest Bollywood star, but he is "an international actor", someone "in his own league" and "very different" from all. "Saif is an actor in his own league. He is very different," insisted Kareena. For Bebo, Saif is not only the hottest man in the Bollywood, but is also the biggest star on the firmament. Love sick Bebo believes Saif is nothing less than an international icon and thinks her man is a splitting image of Johnny Depp.

Beautiful Astore valley of Pakistan

Astore valley, adjoining the eastern side of Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), is about 120 km long and 5,092 sq. km in area. The entrance of the valley is located about 60 km southeast of Gilgit with four side-valleys. The valley has more than 100 villages with a total population of 71,666 (Census 1998. Some of which are Chilm, Bubin, Gorikot, Eid Ghah , Fina, Bulen, Chongra and Tari Shing. Chilm is the most beautiful village among all the villages of Astore, because it is the starting point of Deosai, the world's second highest plane.

Exclusive Eid Collection by Gul Ahmed

Gul Ahmed is a household name in Pakistan. As a brand, it represents top quality with the latest styles and has steadily and successfully built its brand value year by year. Gul Ahmed Textile Mills has attained leadership in the domestic and international markets through its premium quality products, brand equity and an unshakable customer loyalty with an expanding network of retail sales with an international distribution system. Over the years, Gul Ahmed has emerged as a complete solution for Home and Fashion.

Fire Stash is a glorified lighter


A lighter is just a lighter, don’t you think so? Perhaps not, as some of the more individualistic folks out there might prefer something a whole lot more different. Case in point, we have the Fire Stash which is actually a lighter but definitely does not look like one. Not only that, with a price tag of just £6.99, you won’t burn a hole in your pocket when bringing this amazing keyring lighter home, as it offers the ultimate convenience for anyone who needs fire instantly.

Aug 26, 2010

Here Comes the Color of Henna

Although mehndi is generally used in many occasions all around Pakistan, the wedding ceremony and Eid specially has become synonymous with this beautiful dye. It is traditional for the bride on their weddings and all the girls for Eid to get together with her female family and friends on Chand raat (the night before Eid) to apply Mehndi. As the patterns used are very intricate and time-consuming, the occasion is filled with fun and laughter. Every girl wants her to be the most beautiful and elaborate than anyone else’s. Pakistani mehndi are fine,

Sony's new translucent mirrors cameras

Sony announced three new camera models on Monday, including two that feature a new translucent mirror technology. The three new cameras are the a55, the a33, and the a560. The a55 and a33 are similar cameras, with the same sized APS-C CMOS sensors (23.5x15.6mm) and design. The higher-end a55 has a larger megapixel count, faster Speed Priority continuous shooting mode, and built-in GPS capability.
What's most notable about these cameras is that both the a55 and a33 will have a translucent mirror that allows light to pass through directly to the camera's sensors,

Panasonic SDR-SW20 Camcorder Review

The Panasonic SDR-SW20 ($399 MSRP) is an extremely compact camcorder designed for underwater use. Eschewing a traditional look and feel, the SDR-SW20 has a rough-textured finish that should make it easier to grip in the undercurrents. Shooting in standard definition with a modest sensor/processor set, the video quality won’t blow you away, but it is a simpler and more compact alternative to buying an underwater housing for the camcorder you already own.

New king of navigation smartphones

Forget mobile device convergence, that's old news. Every smartphone on the market now handles everything from camera and calendar duties to gaming, GPS navigation, web browsing and social media. Differentiation is looking like the name of the game moving forward – offering do-it-all devices that distinguish themselves through a particular focus. Take Sony's reportedly upcoming PSP phone, which takes an Android 3.0 platform and mates it with a dedicated PSP gaming experience. Or this, the Garmin-Asus nüvifone A50,

New social networking cameras from Kodak

Kodak has unveiled a pocket-friendly digital video camera and a 14MP point-and-shoot, both with a special button for tagging movies and snaps for upload to social networking sites or to send via email. The PLAYTOUCH video camera can record up to 1080p high definition video, includes face-tracking technology and a handy HDMI-out port. The svelte EASYSHARE M590 digital camera can also shoot high definition movies, although at the lower resolution of 720p, and benefits from optical image stabilization and a high sensitivity range. Images can also be tagged and sent to the company's PULSE Digital Photo Frame,

Ciclotte exercise bike to lose weight

Exercise equipment generally favors function over form, which is why it is often found gathering dust in the basement or under the bed. The Ciclotte stationary bicycle bucks that trend with an elegant design that anyone would be proud to put on display, which should hopefully increase the chances of using it. It's sexy curves aren't surprising as it derives its distinctive look from the Ciclò – a monowheel prototype bike also designed by Luca Schieppati that is now part of Milan’s Triennale Design Museum permanent collection.
The Ciclotte combines steel, carbon and glass fiber materials in a minimalist design that can hopefully be ignored long enough so you can stop staring at it and actually get on the thing to burn some calories.

Towel warmer for cold, lonely nights

Hot towels are a great way to freshen up whenever the mercury drops, just as with cold towels on a particularly hot day. Well, you might be single and do not have any domestic help back home to provide you with a nice, fresh hot towel at the end of each working day, but at least you are able to fork out $79.95 for the Personal Towel Warmer. This warming bin has enough space to heat up to three average-sized bath towels in five minutes, letting you enjoy a spa-like experience right in the comfort of your own home. It will heat up towels to a soothing 135º F while maintaining that particular temperature for up to 20 minutes,

Canon's printers feature HD movie print function

Canon has recently announced the addition of two new PIXMA multifunction printers, the PIXMA MG8120 and PIXMA MG6120. Both feature intelligent touch technology and a Full HD Movie Print function which allows users to capture individual frames of recorded HD movies taken with compatible HD Canon EOS and PowerShot Digital cameras. The Canon PIXMA MG8120 and MG6120 Wireless Photo AIO printers include a new intelligent touch system that features back-lit touch sensitive buttons and a light guidance system which only illuminates the buttons you need to use to assist users when navigating through menus. Unlike other products that use pressure on the touch surface,

Yahoo’s Time Explorer lets you search future

Earlier this month we took a look at Recorded Future, a company that uses information scoured from thousands of websites, blogs and Twitter accounts to make predictions about the future. Now, Yahoo’s Barcelona research lab has created a similar prototype news search engine called Time Explorer. It creates timelines based on search queries that not only provide a way to check the accuracy of past predictions, but also allows users to view predictions that are yet to occur.

The Practical Implementation of Fasting

Allah Has said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
 O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint. (Quran 2:184)
It is pretty clearly mentioned in the verse above that Fasting coach self-restraint (Taqwaah). The word Taqwaah has been repeatedly used in Quran and the commonest translation done is fear and fright; but in reality it is not about fear and fright. To understand Taqwaah one must consider this example;

Sharing Ramadan with your Neighbors


The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "He is not a believer who eats his fill while his neighbor remains hungry by his side." (Baihaqi). "By Allah, he has no faith (the Prophet [SAW] repeated it three times) whose neighbors are not safe from his wickedness." (Bukhari). Ramadan is a great opportunity to share Islam and more specifically, its values of spirituality, generosity and kindness with others, especially your neighbors. It's a great time to do Dawa. And Dawa is very much needed in the current atmosphere of anger, tension and sadness.

Aug 20, 2010

Pakistan's floods: is the worst still to come?

It is over two weeks since the floods began in Pakistan, and the rains are still falling. Already termed the worst flooding to hit Pakistan for 80 years, this deluge has affected millions of people, and so far over 1,600 have died.  With the impacts of the flooding likely to continue well after the flood waters have retreated , Nature examines the escalating humanitarian disaster.
What is the main cause of the intense rainfall?
It is weather, not climate change that is to blame, according to meteorologists.

Ramadan Special - Almond Shake

Ingredients

Almonds 8-10 soaked in water overnight.
Milk 3-4 glasses.
Ilaichi 3-4
Sugar half a cup. Crushed ice as desired.

Preparation
  • Add the peeled almonds, sugar, ilaichi (only the seeds) and half a glass of milk in a blender.

Ramadan Special – Rich Fries

Ingredients
2 Large Potatoes
Basan (Gram Flour)
Zera (Cumin seed)
Salt and chilly powder Oil for frying

Instruction
  • Cut potatoes in long and square shape then wash and drain all water.

SRK, his kids show off their tattoos

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was having fun time with his kids posing for the camera while wife Gauri was out of town. SRK wrote on his Twitter account, "Just did an on the spot foto gig with kids and me as sci fi meets Twilight meets aliens. Henna design by Ash Kumar and pics by Avinash Gowarikar". He tweeted further, "too much fun...kids look so beautiful..masha allah". Sharing his family moments with his fans on Twitter, he wrote, "and tattooed we wait...for the mothership to land".
Talking about his kids - son Aryan and daughter Suhaana, he tweets - "now to serious business.