India’s heaviest satellite launched GSAT-10, with a design life of 15 years, is expected to be operational by November

India’s heaviest satellite launched

GSAT-10, with a design life of 15 years, is expected to be operational by November

A rocket carrying two satellites, among  them the GSAT-10, blasts off from Kourou, French Guiana Bangalore: India’s advanced communication satellite GSAT-10 was successfully launched early on Saturday on board Ariane-5 rocket from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana. and will augment telecommunication, Direct-To-Home and radio navigation services. At 3,400kg at lift-off, GSAT-10 is the heaviest built by Bangalore-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation. It was ISRO’s 101st space mission. Arianespace’s heavy lifting Ariane-5 ECA rocket launched GSAT-10 about 30 minutes after the blast off from the European launch pad in South America at 2.48am, prior to which it injected European co-passenger ASTRA 2F into orbit. GSAT-10 is fitted with 30 transponders (12 Ku-band, 12 C-band and six Extended C-Band), which will provide vital augmentation to INSAT/GSAT transponder capacity. It also has a navigation payload – GAGAN (GPS aided Geo Augmented Navigation) -- that would provide improved accuracy of GPS signals (of better than seven metres) to be used by Airports Authority of India for civil aviation requirements. This is the second satellite in INSAT/GSAT constellation with GAGAN payload after GSAT-8, launched in May 2011. GSAT-10 was originally scheduled for a September 22 launch, but was deferred after scientists detected a small glitch — one gram of dust — in the upper part of the rocket. GSAT-10 project director TK Anuradha, department of space additional secretary S Srinivasan and ISRO Satellite Centre director SK Shivakumar were among the ISRO officials who were in French Guiana for the launch. Shivakumar said GSAT-10 would give an impetus to the “communication revolution” in India. ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan was at the space agency’s Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka at the launch, ISRO sources said. “The MCF has already taken command and control of the heavy satellite,” he said minutes after the launch. “By November 2012, we expect to operationalise GSAT-10 and make it available to the user community,” said Radhakrishnan, also secretary, department of space and Space Commission chairman. A rocket carrying two satellites, among them the GSAT-10, blasts off from Kourou, French Guiana —

Photos of BlackBerry’s latest handsets leaked

Less than a couple of months before an official release in the competitive phone market, images of BlackBerry 10 handsets have been leaked online.
The smartphones are expected to revive the struggling company, which has been hit by the advent of Android-based smartphones and the Apple iPhone.
The pictures show both the full-touchscreen devices — the BlackBerry 10 L series and N series. They also show a longawaited BlackBerry 10 phone with a full qwerty keyboard, the UK-based Telegraph reports.

This comes at a time when Canada-based Research In Motion — the parent company — registered a net loss of $235 million for the second quarter this year. However, its sales in India have surged.
BlackBerry phones became popular among high-flying executives due to the push email service, which allows them to access emails just like an SMS.
The company hopes its latest offering — the video of which was posted on video-sharing website Vimeo and images on crackberry.com — will help it regain former glory.

China Miéville’s use of the ampersand in place of ‘and’

Train spotting

Deepanjana Pal

By the time you reach chapter 33 of Railsea, you’ve probably accepted author China Miéville’s use of the ampersand in place of ‘and’ (even at the start of sentences) as an idiosyncrasy. There are odder, more fantastical things that you’ve encountered in the novel, one-third of which is over by now. You’ve met Sham, the young protagonist, and through him been introduced to the large tracts of earth that are considered dangerous and can only be traversed by a looping, tangled network of rails, known as railsea. The predators in Sham’s world are giant, bloodthirsty versions of animals we consider largely harmless, like moles (or “moldywarpes”). You know that here, there are two “layers” of sky and four layers of earth. The railsea is on “flatearth”, the second level, and connects habitable lands (layer three) as well as going off into dangerous, unpeopled terrains. There are ancient stories, blurred by the passage of time, about the beginning of the rails. Now, as far as this civilisation is concerned, the railsea’s eternal continuity is the unshakeable plinth upon which this society rests. Then in chapter 33, Miéville tells the reader that at one time & was written “with several distinct and separate letters”. Then people learnt to ride the railsea and with it came the use of &. “What word better could there be to symbolise the railsea that connects and separates all lands, than ‘&’ itself?... & what better embodies, in the sweep of the pen, the recurred motion of the trains, than ‘&’?” With that, the idiosyncratic suddenly makes sense and you have to doff your cap to Miéville for how elaborately he has imagined Railsea. The novel presents geography and geology differently from the way we know them and in the pages of the novel is a culture that seems familiar but is also unsettlingly unfamiliar. Child labour is rampant but it isn’t abusive. The most unexpected animals are fearsome, like ants and owls. Words have different meanings. For example, when the captain of a train identifies one particular animal as their personal nemesis and decides to hunt it, that quest is called a philosophy. One of the more evocative parts of the book is when Sham is in a place called Manhiki and in Miéville’s descriptions, Sham’s wonderment at this “mongrel place” is mirrored in the reader. “History seemed meaningless here, or at least bewildered. …shops, stalls & hawkers selling bottles & magnets. Flowers & cameras. Illustrations of beasts & angels punishing the hubristic, sneaking out at night & fixing rails, of swirling-winged birds from beyond the world.” Two quests power the novel forward — one, inspired by Moby Dick, is for a white moldywarpe that Sham’s captain, Abacat Naphi; the other is Sham’s own, for a place that he’s seen in a photo where the tangle of railsea distils down to a single rail. It’s not particularly difficult to deduce how these quests conclude, whether or not you’ve read Moby Dick. There’s only one place where train tracks end and only a few possibilities when it comes to hunting an animal. Miéville’s staunch Marxism results in a ludicrous episode near the end. “Big men and women … ape-like, wolf like, fatly feline” — symbolising greedy capitalists — lumber up and ask for money they believe is owed to them from centuries ago. They’re more ridiculous than menacing and are the weakest part of Railsea. It takes a while to settle into the world of Railsea, and not just because it begins with Sham faced with literally a mountain of bloody flesh (his crew has killed a moldywarpe). It’s a gory beginning and one that gives the reader fair warning that the world of Railsea is a brutal one. There seems to be little room for kindness and more delicate emotions here. By the end of the book, on the other hand, a very different expanse faces Sham and the harshness of the reality has been blunted by emotional bonds forged during the course of the journeys across the railsea. Miéville’s novels have a reputation of creating steampunk fantasies that feel almost organic. In comparison to some of Miéville’s more celebrated work, like The City And The City, Railsea is slack and, much like the rails, the plot goes around in circles. But it’s still impressively imagined and Miéville’s inventive use of language makes reading the novel much like going on a treasure hunt. In Railsea, however, the hunt is more engaging than the treasure.

We’re happiest at age 9 or 68

We’re happiest at age 9 or 68

    Nine or 68 years are the exact points in life when we are most likely to throw caution to the wind and put fun first, a new survey has revealed.
The surprising results of the survey, conducted by a sweet brand that polled 2,000 people aged five to 80, show that for most of us it leaves 59 years of toil in between.
Two-thirds of those aged 68 claimed having fun is one of the most important driving forces.
This was a sentiment shared by eight out of 10 of those aged nine – more than any other age in the poll.
“The results cement the idea of a special bond that we so often see between grandparents and grandchildren,” the an international daily quoted psychologist and author Susan Quilliam as saying. “Each is at a stage in their life when they are discovering or – in the grandparents’ case –rediscovering the boundaries by which most of us live our lives,” she added.

Mystery man hands out 100K to strangers

Mystery man hands out 100K to strangers

    A mystery man has been handing out £100,000 of his own money to complete strangers in London. The guy known only as Mr Lucky quit his job when he had too much money and now spends his time looking for 100 people to give £1,000 each to. Mr Lucky has found 94 dogooders so far, and all he asks is for people do something positive with the money, but he never follows up to see if they have spent it wisely. He told a newspaper, “It makes me feel great if I can see joy or excitement but it’s not about that, it’s about the magic that happens when the money is mixed with people’s energy, ideas and love that really excites me.” One lucky recipient, Noelia Roncero, was handed 20 £50 notes by him after she saw a person drop his iPhone in central London and quickly rushed to return it. She said, “I was a little bit tempted to spend the money on myself but I quickly decided to invest in a good cause.”

Local railway Monthly pass new rates

Local railway Monthly pass new rates

सर्व्हिस टॅक्सच्या 'धाडी'मुळे रेल्वेचा एसी प्रवास महाग झाला असतानाच ही धाड आता उपनगरीय लोकलच्या फर्स्ट क्लास प्रवासावरही पडली असून त्यामुळे हा प्रवास १ ऑक्टोबरपासून सुमारे चार टक्क्यांनी महागणार आहे. या टॅक्सधाडीतून सेंकड क्लासचा प्रवास वगळण्यात आल्याने सर्वसामान्य लोकल प्रवाशांना मात्र दिलासा मिळाला आहे. रविवारी मध्यरात्रीनंतर नवे दर अमलात येतील.

फर्स्ट क्लास तिकीट, पासचे नवे दर (अंदाजित रक्कम)

मध्य आणि हार्बर रेल्वे - Central Railway

सीएसटी-भायखळा- तिकीट ४७ रु., मासिक पास २८४ रु., तिमाही ७६६ रु.
सीएसटी-दादर- तिकीट ४७ रु., मासिक पास २८४ रु., तिमाही ७६६ रु.
सीएसटी-कुर्ला- तिकीट ८३ रु., मासिक पास ४४६ रु., तिमाही १२१९ रु.
सीएसटी-घाटकोपर- तिकीट ८३ रु., मासिक पास ४४६ रु., तिमाही १२१९ रु.
सीएसटी-ठाणे- तिकीट ११४ रु., मासिक पास ५९६ रु., तिमाही १६२३ रु.
सीएसटी-डोंबिवली- तिकीट १२५ रु., मासिक पास ८०४ रु. तिमाही २१८४ रु.
सीएसटी-कल्याण- तिकीट १३५ रु., मासिक पास ८८७ रु., तिमाही २४११ रु.
सीएसटी-अंबरनाथ- तिकीट १४० रु., मासिक पास ९५४ रु. तिमाही २५९३ रु.
सीएसटी-वाशी- तिकीट ११९ रु., मासिक पास ९५४ रु., तिमाही २५९३ रु.
सीएसटी - पनवेल - तिकीट १३५ रु ., मासिक पास ९८० रु ., तिमाही २७०७ रु .

पश्चिम रेल्वे - Western Railway

चर्चगेट - दादर - तिकीट ४७ रु ., मासिक पास २८५ रु ., तिमाही ८४० रु .
चर्चगेट - वांद्रे - तिकीट ४७ रु ., मासिक पास २८५ रु ., तिमाही ८४० रु .
चर्चगेट - अंधेरी - तिकीट ८८ रु ., मासिक पास ५१९ रु ., तिमाही १४१६ रु .
चर्चगेट - बोरिवली - तिकीट ११४ रु ., मासिक पास ५९६ रु ., तिमाही १६२३ रु .
चर्चगेट - भाईंदर - तिकीट ११९ रु ., मासिक पास ७३६ रु ., तिमाही १९०० रु .
चर्चगेट - वसई - तिकीट १३५ रु ., मासिक पास ८८७ रु ., तिमाही २४११ रु .
चर्चगेट - विरार - तिकीट १५० रु ., मासिक पास ९३४ रु ., तिमाही २५९३ रु .

Seven basic needs and Vaastu

Seven basic needs and Vaastu

    In ancient scriptures and the Vedas, it is said that we have seven basic needs/luxuries in life. Here is their importance Vaastu-wise. 

Health: If your toilet is in the northeast, chronic diseases and surgeries may follow. Bedrooms in northeast may cause problems in pregnancy and children. Don’t sleep with your head towards north. The North Pole energy disturbs sleep and creates health problems. Now, the southwest corner. Toilets, borewells, water tanks and swimming pools in this direction leads to health issues. Bedrooms here may give you high blood pressure. The east is very sensitive. If it is blocked, you get eye problems, stroke, paralysis and severe headaches/migraines. 

Good Income: People generally say, ‘Hum to gareeb aadmi hai’. Never say it, you are empowering your problem. Facing the north opens up financial opportunities. The water slopes should not be towards the south or southwest. Boost North Pole energy — clear the obstructions from north to south, and accumulate the energy by closing the south. Make your entries from the north, beautify the main entry and remove all obstructions. Place clocks and calendars in the north. 

Good life partner: Apply the law of equality. For example, wherever there is darkness, give an equal amount of light. Balance male and female energies. Give combination in colours. Choose the right direction for the bedroom. 

Name and fame: Enhance your east direction. Keep this direction clean and beautiful. 

Obedient son: Check your building structure. If north is higher than south, the relationship may be in trouble. Also, if the southwestern position is occupied by the son, it makes him dominating. 

Security from enemies: Scan your building’s southeast. Check entry and water sources.  

Spirituality: Use violet shades. Press your index finger and thumb for some time to concentrate on your karmas.

Dr Puneet Chawla

KNOW SOME OF THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO FOLLOW DURING GANESH VISARJAN

Safety comes first

KNOW SOME OF THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO FOLLOW DURING GANESH VISARJAN

    Time has come to bid farewell to our beloved Ganpati Bappa. However, before carrying out the immersion procession, it is necessary to keep some safety measures in mind. To avoid all the possible dangers, here are some simple things that one needs to follow to have a peaceful and safe Ganesh visarjan.
    SAFETY DURING GANESH PROCESSION
Taking out a huge procession where devotees dance wholeheartedly to the loud music, is essential part of visarjan in Mumbai. Without it, the ritual is incomplete. But before starting the procession, it is necessary to plan the route in advance, through which the procession will follow. During the procession, at least four to six people of the group should be given the responsibility to hold the ropes from both the sides, giving direction to the procession, and subsequently guide the road traffic. Make sure that the procession moves ahead easily without giving any trouble to passerby and running vehicles.
    SAFETY WHILE BURSTING CRACKERS Bursting crackers is another essential part of Ganesh visarjan. However, ensure that you lit them in wide and open space. One has to be extra careful if you are lighting it on the roads in the moving traffic area. Be extra careful if kids are around you. Keep them at some distance or tell them to stay with their parents. However, it is advised not to lit crackers on roads to avoid pollution and other accidents.
    KEEP FIRST-AID BOX, WATER AND BISCUITS It is necessary to keep a first-aid box in a van or cart before starting the procession. You will never know when you will find its need. Furthermore, considering the traffic scenario in the city especially during Ganesh visarjan, it takes a really long time to reach the immersion place. Hence, it is ideal to keep several bottles of water and packets of biscuits as well in your van.
    SAFETY AT THE SEA-SHORE As many drowning incidents take place during Ganesh visarjan, one has to be cautious while immersing the idol. It is advised not to go into water if you don’t know swimming. Also, it is responsibility of parents to keep watch on their children, not letting them to go far away as there is a possibility of kids getting lost in the crowd. One should try to immerse eco-friendly Ganesh idols as far possible and should not immerse plastic and thermocol decorative materials. Also, do no litter the beach by throwing garlands, eatables and other things on coast. This will keep our environment safe and clean.

TIPS TO PREVENT HEART PROBLEMS AT A YOUNG AGE

TIPS TO PREVENT HEART PROBLEMS AT A YOUNG AGE

• Exercising, not smoking and eating foods low in saturated fat, reduce the risk of heart disease.

• Stress reduction methods like meditation, yoga or listening to soothing music also help.

• Avoid unhealthy food like fried products, cookies, and red meat. Consume food products prepared by baking, grilling and steaming.

• Your state of mind is an important consideration in the development of heart attack or its recovery. People with a positive attitude tend to do much better than people who view themselves as cardiac cripples.

• Pet owners recover more quickly from heart attacks, probably because of reduced stress levels, and tend to live longer than people without pets. Choose a pet that fits your lifestyle.

• Young women in productive age with heart problems should not take birth-control pills, as they are linked to increased blood-clotting activity.

Nokia cuts Lumia 800, Lumia 900 prices before new models arrive

Struggling phone maker Nokia has knocked 10-15 per cent off the prices of two of its top of the range smartphones, hoping to boost sales before newer models arrive in markets in November.
Nokia has cut the price of the Lumia 800 by around 15 per cent and the Lumia 900 by 10 per cent in Europe, according to device pricing data compiled by British research firm CCS Insight. Nokia declined to comment.
Earlier this month, Nokia launched Lumia 820 and 920, which many see as crucial for the Finnish company's survival. But the newest models will only go on sale in November, leaving the company's sales team struggling with older smartphone models for over a month.

Nokia had already slashed the price of the Lumia 800 by around 15 per cent earlier this month and made smaller cuts for its other Lumia models.
Once the world's biggest mobile phone maker, Nokia fell behind rivals in smartphones and has racked up more than 3 billion euros in operating losses in the last 18 months.
In early 2011, it bet its future on Microsoft's Windows Phone software. Windows accounts for only around 3 percent of global smartphones, while Google's Android platform controls two-thirds of sales and Apple has around a quarter.
Competitive pricing is considered crucial for Nokia to lure back customers, even though pricing does not seem to be an issue for rival Apple. In Belgium, for example, more than 10,000 people have pre-registered for the latest iPhone even before a local price has been set.