Another ground breaking invention from Mr. Mistry is the paradigm-shifting paper laptop, a device that uses a microphone on a piece of paper, that senses a user’s touch, thereby mimicking the movement of a mouse. Pranav Mistry has also invented boarding passes that, instantaneously project the flight schedules on the passes.

Pranav Mistry is currently a research assistant and a PhD candidate at the MIT Media Lab and before joining MIT, he was employed by Microsoft as a UX Researcher. He holds a Masters degree in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT and Master of Design from IIT (Indian Institute of Technology), Mumbai.

Via  TED

Indian cricket is as unpredictable off the field as it is on it and the selection of mercurial (on the borderline of crazy) Sreesanth seems to be another twist in its ever vibrant tale. Announcing the squad for the first two tests against Sri Lanka that will commence at Ahmadabad in less than a week, the selection committee has been anything but decisive in its methods. Announcing the 15-member squad for the first two tests saw the return of Sreesanth and Zaheer Kahn to the Test team while the Tamil Nadu duo of Badrinath and M Vijay made their way into the 15 as well.

What seemed startling though is the fact that the selection committee went in with 3 seamers and two spinners (Harbhajan and Ojha), leaving Dhoni with far few bowling options. So, if he does decide to go in with three pacers and lone spinner on the match day then he has to pick the out of form Ishant Sharma, the guy returning from lay off- Zaheer Khan and the completely unpredictable Sreesanth… Not the way to be stepping in to a test series. With the middle order already packed, and the openers in full fitness, a batting spot seems unlikely for either Vijay or Badrinath.

In short, the selection committee will have some explaining to do if the show flops at Ahmadabad. Even otherwise, the early signs seem to be that the men at the top have been rattled by the Aussie debacle at home and have pinned their hopes on the solid batting lineup to once again save them on home turf!

Rubina Ali, the 9-year old actress who played the young Latika in Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire, will soon publish her autobiography under UK’s Transworld Publishers and Random House Children’s Books. Both publishing houses are divisions of Random House Group Ltd.

Her book will detail her impoverished childhood, as well as her recently earned international fame. To be released in July, the book’s royalties will be split between the little girl and Medecins du Monde, a French medical aid organization.

Along with her young co-stars, Rubina Ali was found by Slumdog director Danny Boyle in the Mumbai slums of India and cast in the movie. For her month’s work on the film, Rubina was paid £500.

Less than a month ago, the shanty where Rubina grew up in was torn down by Mumbai authorities. The incident came less than a week after the demolition of the slum dwelling of her Slumdog co-star Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail.

In April, Rubina’s father denied the allegations that he tried to sell her for $290,000.

The producers of Slumdog Millionaire have reportedly set up trust funds called the Jai Ho Trust for the movie child actors’ education and healthcare, as well as pledged to help in their housing needs.

Rubina Ali is cast in the upcoming Bollywood film Kal Kisne Dekha.

The 9-year old’s autobiographical book is entitled “Slumgirl Dreaming: My Journey to the Stars.”

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Via BBC

The trial for the terror suspect Ajmal Amir Kasab for 26/11 attacks in the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai, has begun today. According to the intelligence information there has been a major conspiracy to kill Kasab, the only surviving member of from the terrorist group.

Kasab who is of Pakistani origin has been providing information regarding the relevant facts and events behind the attacks. However, the mastermind behind such crimes has not been exposed and Kasab and the like are merely their “limbs” to carry out the hideous crimes. Kasab is allegedly the member of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a group that is believed to recruit and train terrorists.

The trial was held under the tight security system. Bomb proof corridor were built due to the intelligence news about the conspiracy hatched “abroad” to kill Kasab. Kasab’s revelation of him being a Pakistani and after much furor from the Pakistani Government, the world now acknowledges this fact. It has also put Pakistan in a difficult spot. The trial has attracted global attention and the security has been doubled for all the right reasons. After all, getting the first LeT member alive is a big deal with the effort to fight terrorism internationally; this could be the only to chance to bust the masterminds behind the global terror.

All metros in India face a dearth of proper safe public transport system. Commuters have no choice but to take risks and avail cheapest, sub standard and highly unsafe mode of transport every day. Every day hundreds are killed in road, train accidents but yet complete overhaul of the system does not figure in any political or administrative agenda.

On one hand there is no decent public transport and on the other hand roads are getting choked with ever increasing number of two and four wheelers. The cities are getting highly polluted as a result too. In fact in big cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai out dated three wheeler autos still rule the roads. Why can’t our cities have affordable sleek bus services? How can even Indian metros dream of becoming Shangai or any other modern city?

There are some lifeline transport services like local trains and metros in some big cities. But they are so inadequate to carry large number of masses. The no of trains, carriage capacity, speed and frequency must go up to handle peak hour crowd. Local trains in Mumbai are packed with more than three times carriage capacity. Compartments are so full that people have to lean out of door. Often they hit poles and die instantly. How many more deaths will it take for an overhaul? Yet another election will be over soon but a daily commuter’s life and risks will remain unchanged.

Via Timesonline

A new trend has been adopted in the advertising circles. Advertisers are using a new technique to reach their target audience and create brand awareness. They are using bunches of hoarding to create greater visibility and larger presence for their brands. 

Many advertisers are using the cluster technique to leverage the maximum from a single brand message. Few advertisers have used two or three adjacent billboards in prime locations of Mumbai city to give out a single brand message. Some have used one for the punch line and the other for the visuals. The larger than life image is created and the scale of the advertisement campaign is portrayed by such cluster hoardings.

A cluster of six billboards is used to communicate the release of the Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire near the Mumbai’s slum, where the parts of the film was shot. Busy locations and traffic signals where the traffic slows considerably are the most preferred locations for cluster hoardings. 

According to KPMG report, outdoor advertising was worth Rs 16 billion in 2008, that is a growth of over 14% in 2007. The outdoor advertisement occupancy has been dropped by 40% in Mumbai and 20% in other cities due to recession. Advertisers are under tremendous pressure to create more brand mileage for less spends. The idea behind this strategy is to garner more eyeballs and create a bigger impact n a short span of time.

Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive Richard Branson invited a passenger to be the food tester in the airline’s catering month. 

The passenger had written a letter to Richard complaining about the standard and quality of food being served. The passenger was travelling from Mumbai to Heathrow on December 7, 2008. He was totally dissatisfied with the food and wrote in the complaint letter that he was served something that looked like the mixture of baaji or curry and custard. The passenger also mentions that he really loves the brand but is surprised that something so petty could bring down its image. 

It was reported that Richard Branson has called the passenger and thanked him for his well written complaint that was taken in good humor. The complaint was taken seriously and he has been invited to the catering house. The passenger can help assist the catering department chose the range of food and beverages to be served in the next flight. 

Although, whether the passenger will oblige is yet to be found out. However, the service of Virgin Atlantic catering to each individual taste and preference is significantly highlighted through this invitation

Via: FoxNews

Indian Home Minister, Shivraj Patil’s resignation has been accepted. The Finance Minister, P Chidambaram is to replace Patel as the new Home Minister.

This was a swift action after the Indian government has been increasingly pressurized for an explanation for lack of safety measure. The resignation was said to be on the grounds of “moral responsibility” for the attacks.

The people of the Indian financial capital have now been protesting that the entire government should resign. Such is the degree of hatred and there has been a rising insecurity among the people.

However, the big question still remains unanswered. Will the stepping down of a Home Minister ensure security to millions of Indians against terror? Or is it just another political gimmick for damage control to pave its path for a smoother election next year.

What India needs is a revamp of its slacked intelligence system. Some experts are even suggesting a separate federal agency to be set up with all the necessary power to stay one step ahead of the terrorists that are on the rise. All that the Indians can expect right now is stringent actions in any form against the government. Although this is be the final solution to fight against the global terror.

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Via: BBC

It’s a SHOCK that has reverberated across the world. The financial capital of India has been attacked, killing innocent lives and creating an atmosphere of fear and chaos everywhere. Each one of us has a story to tell about family and friends caught in the line of terror. I am not in India right now, and that has not stopped me from being glued to the news channels for almost one and a half day now to follow the proceedings of the rescue operation.

I pray that this nightmare, which has been going on for more than 30 hours now, ends soon. It has claimed a lot from the people of India and those visiting the country. Much has been said about the terrorist groups involved in the attacks across Mumbai since 26th November, so I will not dwell into that. I am here to share my fear for the safety of my countrymen.

One thing that has shaken me up from the roots is the picture of the young-terrorist who looks like any regular guy at the age of 20-22, dressed in jeans and a tee carrying a backsack, but the difference is that he is carrying an AK-47. I have always been hopeful that the young generation will bring about a positive change in the world, erasing the errors of the hurtful past that you and me have lived in. But that hope got a major setback as this young man in reference terrorised Mumbai along with many others. It gives me jitters to even try and imagine the workings of the minds of people like him. What must be driving them to commit such heinous crimes against humanity? Because, at this age aren’t we driven to make a career for ourselves, partying our way through to the responsibilities of an adult world?

And this is the world that we shall be brining our children in. Trust me, the scenario is far from encouraging. I was reading Amitabh Bachchan’s blog where even a diplomatic man like him has gone on record to say:

“I am ashamed to say this and not afraid to share this now with the rest of the cyber world, that last night, as the events of the terror attack unfolded in front of me I did something for the first time and one that I had hoped never ever to be in a situation to do.

Before retiring for the night, I pulled out my licensed .32 revolver, loaded it and put it under my pillow. For a very disturbed sleep.”

That is the situation in Mumbai right now. When will the nightmare end?

A day after the gruesome attacks in Mumbai, political analysts and critics have tried to make sense of what happened and why it happened. However, the answers are murky and it definitely wouldn’t be prudent to discuss possibilities that can’t be confirmed. Overnight Mumbai has been turned in to a war zone that has consumed more than a hundred lives.

Yet again, an Islamic terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Kashmir issue and the general sense of alienation among the Muslim youth have contributed to the growing influence of mujahideen and jihad activists. The terrorists succeeded in carrying out the well-planned attack and the motive now has been assumed to be to destabilize the nation’s security and economy.

Terrorist attacks in India have largely been the work of fundamental Islamic organizations. However, a Hindu terrorist attack was reported recently too. Perhaps, religions would always rear their ugly heads and cause many more deaths and destruction. The thesis statement of religions encouraging fundamentalism which in turn cause terrorist attacks have been proved again and again, with tragic consequences.

Overt displays of religious sentiments and practices may perhaps be illegitimated. However, in a country where religion has a strong influence over the masses, such a move would not be found acceptable among anyone except a few educated elite. Religion aside, the global war on terror could have had an effect on the tragic events of last night.

In the end, most terrorist attacks have religion at the back of their minds and instead of attacking any single religion; we must understand that all religions have inadvertently contributed to violence, death and destruction. Most wars have been fought on the basis of religions. Before humanism prevails, many more lives will be lost and destroyed. The only solution to today’s global war on terror is to discourage people from overt expressions of religious behaviors, and advocate equality and humanism amongst the masses.

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Via: TOI