The Indian Panorama

Month: June 2016

  • ME BEFORE YOU | MOVIE REVIEW

    ME BEFORE YOU | MOVIE REVIEW

    ME BEFORE YOU
    CAST: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McTeer, Charles Dance, Brendan Coyle
    DIRECTION: Thea Sharrock
    GENRE: Romance
    DURATION: 1 hour 30 minutes

    STORY : Louisa (Emilia Clarke) and Will (Sam Claflin ) are poles apart from each other. A bike accident leaves him tied to his wheelchair, coming to terms with his quadriplegic life. She lands the job of being his caretaker. Cupid plays its part but does this love story end in happily-ever-after?

    REVIEW : Jojo Moyes’ tearjerker novel by the same name tells the touching love story of two unlikely people who make the emotional journey from being strangers to soulmates. It is one helluva sappy film but this ballad of love is surprisingly both effective and endearing. The plot is predictable but the striking warmth works as a saving grace. Of course, Lou and Will are meant to fall in love from the first time they meet but the writers don’t let it happen easy. A good part of the first hour is wasted on her boyfriend who must become an ex. You are bound to question why Lou is soft on him in the first place, considering they can barely hold a conversation with each other.

    Like the drill goes, the mundane relationship acts as a perfect prelude to Lou and Will’s impassioned romance. He goes from curt to smitten as she makes him fall in love again. Emilia and Sam’s sensational chemistry is what makes the film work. They give some tender moments, spin magic sans words, just by batting their eyes. Jojo and her director Thea Sharrock keep melodrama in check, despite ample scope for it.

    The only point of contention is the screenplay’s inability to focus better on Will’s sentiments about his injury. Though it is commendable that a British film has taken a rather pragmatic, matured and non religious stand on euthanasia, it is a shame that the film never delves deeper into the debate or makes a convincing case in its favour. Me Before You gets busy whipping up a tragic tale instead of making a point about the delicate issue. It is hard to appreciate a narrative that can only skim the surface but then again Emilia and Sam’s chemistry makes you buy into their cozy world.

  • SOCIAL MEDIA ‘MANUFACTURES’ IMAGES, SAYS JULIANNE MOORE

    SOCIAL MEDIA ‘MANUFACTURES’ IMAGES, SAYS JULIANNE MOORE

    Actress Julianne Moore says beauty nowadays can be heavily manipulated with the help of image filters available on social media. The 55-year-old actress said there is a need to broaden the notion of real beauty, reported US magazine.

    “‘Oh, I put a filter on it. Oh, I stand this way. Oh, I do that. So in fact there’s a deeper understanding that the images that we consume daily are manufactured, and they’re learning it because they’re able to manufacture their images.

    “It’s important to broaden our understanding of what it is we find beautiful and why we find it beautiful,” Moore said.

  • WHAT MADE RENEE ZELLWEGER DISAPPEAR FROM HOLLYWOOD?

    WHAT MADE RENEE ZELLWEGER DISAPPEAR FROM HOLLYWOOD?

    Actress Renee Zellweger, who took a six-year hiatus from Hollywood, says she was ‘fatigued’ and wasn’t taking the time she required to recover between projects. After the movie ‘My Own Love Song’ was released in 2010, Zellweger went off the grid. The 47-year-old has now appeared on the cover of British Vogue’s July issue, reports eonline.com

    “As a creative person, saying no to that wonderful once-in-a-lifetime project is hard. But I was fatigued and wasn’t taking the time I needed to recover between projects, and it caught up with me,” Zellweger, who starred in nearly 20 films between 2000 and 2010, told the magazine. “I got sick of the sound of my own voice: it was time to go away and grow up a bit.”

    During her six-year break, the actress recalled: “I found anonymity, so I could have exchanges with people on a human level and be seen and heard, not be defined by this image that precedes me when I walk into a room. You cannot be a good storyteller if you don’t have life experiences, and you can’t relate to people.”

    Zellweger returns to the big screen this fall in ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby,’ co-starring Patrick Dempsey and Colin Firth.

  • NARGIS FAKHRI HAS STAGE FRIGHT

    NARGIS FAKHRI HAS STAGE FRIGHT

    Before she left for New York to treat and recuperate from her injuries and medical issues, Nargis Fakhri told a daily about how her sense of humour often gets her in trouble. Developed out of a self-defence mechanism during her bachpan ke din, it’s now her second nature. However, her stage fright is keeping her away from going out to explore the idea.

    NARGIS FAKHRIThe lissome lass revealed that she would like to do a stand-up show if an opportunity arises and she would like to call it ‘These People’. Nargis has also revealed that she has already shared the concept to someone expressing her interest in doing this show. “I find human psychology very interesting. I love Russell Peters and I would watch him often because when I first came to India, I didn’t understand the culture. Watching Russell – who was born Indian, but grew up in Toronto – make jokes a cultural thing because he is so western, I could relate to him and what he was saying and just laugh at everything instead of being confused. I think I could probably do a good stand-up back home, similar to his kind of humour,” she has been quoted saying.

    As for her stage fright, she told the daily, “I know I seem confident and outgoing, but it’s a lie. It’s a mask I have to put on before facing the world. On stage, I get very nervous, I sweat, have palpitations, diarrhoea and have even vomited a few times, I can’t breathe. Someday I will get over it.”

    Interestingly, it wasn’t that way always. As the actress elaborated to the daily, “Lot of people made fun of me when I was growing up in New York, so I developed a sense of humour. Kids are mean when they are young. I was chubby then and couldn’t dance well, so everyone made fun of me. Now I can tell people ‘Look at me! I can dance,” she has said.

  • MALLIKA SHERAWAT TAKES YOGA TO FRANCE

    MALLIKA SHERAWAT TAKES YOGA TO FRANCE

    Mallika Sherawat is having a gala time while on a vacation in France. After stunning us with her red carpet appearances at the Cannes Film Festival, looks like the diva decided to stay back and enjoy the sights that France had to offer.

    But while there, Mallika is not compromising on her workout regime. The actress, who is fit as a fiddle, swears by yoga for her impeccably sculpted figure. Staying committed to her routine, the actress practised yoga against the lush background, somewhere in France.

    From the pictures, it is evident that Mallika is quite a pro when it comes to yoga. Not only has she managed to strike a pose perfectly, she also looks calm and composed while doing so.

    Well, Mallika’s picture is all the fitness inspiration we need to begin the week!

  • Housefull 3 | MOVIE REVIEW

    Housefull 3 | MOVIE REVIEW

    London-based, shipping magnate, Batook Patel has three daughters—Gracy (Jacqueline), Sarah (Nargis) and Jenny (Lisa). He won’t let them marry. However, Sandy (Akshay), Bunty (Abhishek) and Teddy (Riteish) fall for these women and their wealth!

    Housefull 3
    CAST: Akshay Kumar @akshaykumar , Abhishek Bachchan @juniorbachchan, Riteish Deshmukh @Riteishd , Jacqueline Fernandez @Asli_Jacqueline , Nargis Fakhri @NargisFakhri , Lisa Haydon @HaydonLisa, Boman Irani @bomanirani and Jackie Shroff
    DIRECTION: Farhad-Sajid
    GENRE: Comedy
    Rating: 3.0

    REVIEW: If you have seen the two earlier installments of this franchise, you already know that is purely a ‘leave-your-brains-behind’ affair. The premise is an insensitive comedy of errors. But unlike Gulzar’s gem Angoor (1982), this one is not about twins. It’s so convoluted, it will make Shakespeare turn in his grave. Sample this. Sandy, who wants to play football in the English Premiere League becomes Sundy (Mr Hyde kinda guy) when his coach makes a racist remark and refers to him as Indian! Ooh; the simple Samaritan becomes aggressive, contorts his face and goes ballistic, till you almost reach out to the screen and say stop- we can’t take this anymore.

    Then there’s Teddy who suffers from a slip-of-the-tongue disorder. So he calls wife- ‘tawaif.’ Is this even funny? Well, if the lowbrow comedy shows on Indian television are anything to go by, guess it is. There is also Bunty the rapper, who does these ‘ma-bahen’ rap that even the goras respond to. Get the drift. Writer-director duo Farhad-Sajid who have the dubious claim of writing the contemporary Golmaal series are on the loose again. What is amateur though is their direction. Housefull3 is an amalgamation of goofball gags and childish jokes. At times, the gags make you choke with anger or with laughter. The boys take turns to play lame, blind and mute. The girls play dumb throughout. The adults, Batook, Urja Nagrik (Jackie) and Pasta (Chunky) scheme and overact. There is no plot in sight.

    The peppy songs—pyar ki maa ki and taang uthake can get you swinging in your seat. There’s also a dictionary that teaches you phrases like– Bahar latakte hain (let’s hang out) Bandook ka beta (Son of a gun) and Thandi dawai le le (take a chill pill), etc. Don’t pull your hair out, there’s lot’s more like this.

    One star in the rating is for Akshay who has mastered this genre. Riteish and Abhishek keep pace with him, as does Jacqueline. So if you just want to LOL—go for it!

  • Honda recalls 784,000 vehicles in Japan over Takata air bags

    Honda recalls 784,000 vehicles in Japan over Takata air bags

    TOKYO (TIP): Japanese automaker Honda is recalling 784,000 vehicles in Japan due to faulty Takata Corp air bag inflators for front passenger seats.

    The recall, announced by Honda Motor Co on Thursday, is the latest of many such recalls over inflators that may explode with too much force.

    This recall covers the Odyssey minivan, Accord sedan, Clarity fuel cell and other models.

    The Tokyo-based manufacturer said the recall was in response to a recent decision by the Japanese government, which followed one last month by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in which Takata agreed to add up to 40 million air bag inflators to an already massive recall.

    Takata has not been able to produce enough replacement parts to keep up with the recalls, which may balloon to more than 100 million globally.

    The expanded recall mainly covers inflators in front passenger air bags that do not have a chemical drying agent known as a desiccant.

    The inflators are responsible for at least 11 deaths worldwide and more than 100 injuries.

    Authorities in Malaysia have begun an investigation into two more recent deaths in cars with Takata air bags that ruptured.

  • Amazon commits $3 billion more for India

    Amazon commits $3 billion more for India

    BENGALURU/MUMBAI (TIP): As the Seattle-based e-commerce juggernaut Amazon closes in on the pole position of the Indian e-commerce market, its founder & CEO Jeff Bezos has announced that his company will pump in an additional$3 billion investment into India, taking its total capital commitment here to $5 billion. Amazon, which recently completed three years of operations in India, has been rapidly gaining market share as it fights out home-grown players like Flipkart and Snapdeal, whose growth has plateaued in contrast.

    Amazon’s intent to invest a blockbuster $3 billion in India puts more pressure on the two local incumbents to raise new financing rounds and gear up with ammunition for a long-haul battle with the world’s largest online retailer. Amazon has taken over the number two slot from Snapdeal in terms of shipments and gross sales, but Flipkart is still the largest e-tailer in the country.

    “Our Amazon.in team is surpassing even our most ambitious planned milestones, and I’m pleased to announce today that we’ll invest an additional $3 billion on top of the$2 billion that we announced in 2014, bringing our total investment in India to over $5 billion,” Bezos, 52, who founded Amazon in 1994, said.

    This investment has no time frame for deployment, a company executive said, but is expected to be ploughed in quick time as the e-tailer builds infrastructure to push its growth in India.

    To put things into perspective, Amazon’s nearest rival, the eight-year-old Bengaluru-based Flipkart has till date raised $3.2 billion from financial investors while online marketplace Snapdeal has racked up around $1.5 billion in risk capital.

    In July 2014, Amazon had allocated $2 billion for India in the e-tailer’s first aggressive move, which kick-started the fierce e-commerce war in India. That had come a day after Flipkart said it had scooped up an eye-popping $1 billion from investors.

    Almost all of that $2 billion has already been used up by Amazon as it’s been discounting heavily, investing in logistics, and weaning away sellers from other players with lucrative programmes.

    Bezos made the latest investment announcement while receiving the US India Business Council’s global leadership award at an event attended by Indian PM Narendra Modi, who is currently visiting the US. “I can assure you, it’s only the beginning and as we say in Amazon, it’s only day one,” he said. He said Amazon has already created about 45,000 jobs in India.

  • VODAFONE TO MERGE NEW ZEALAND UNIT WITH SKY NETWORK IN $2.4 BILLION DEAL

    VODAFONE TO MERGE NEW ZEALAND UNIT WITH SKY NETWORK IN $2.4 BILLION DEAL

    SYDNEY/WELLINGTON (TIP): Vodafone PLC said it was merging its New Zealand unit with the country’s biggest pay-TV firm, Sky Network Television, in a $2.4 billion deal that will enable it to offer customers packages of entertainment, broadband and mobile.

    The biggest deal in New Zealand this year will give Sky Network the chance to expand beyond its traditional satellite broadcast market, which has been shaken up by the arrival of Netflix and Apple Inc’s online content service. Sky’s shares jumped nearly 20%.

    Vodafone said the tie-up would enable it to offer Sky’s sports and entertainment programming to its mobile and fixed-line subscribers who increasingly wanted to access more content and communications from a single provider.

    Under the terms of the deal announced on Thursday, Sky will buy the mobile phone provider for NZ$3.4 billion ($2.4 billion) in total, including NZ$1.3 billion in cash, to be funded through new debt, and the rest in new Sky shares. Vodafone will, however, own 51% of the combined entity after the deal, which is subject to regulatory clearance, the firms said.

    Mobile operators and cable and satellite pay-TV groups in Europe, the United States and elsewhere are scrambling to tie-up so they can offer “quad play” packages of mobile, fixed-line, broadband and TV service.

    “The acquisition, if successful, will secure Sky’s future as a company, transforming it from a one-trick (pay television) entity to a three-trick (mobile, broadband, pay television) integrated force in the New Zealand market,” analysts at Morning Star said in a note.

    “On face value there are both strategic and financial merits in the near term.”

    Analysts had suggested Vodafone should cut its exposure to the mature markets of Australia and New Zealand and instead focus on higher-growth Asia. Last month, Vodafone said developing markets were responsible for its first year of sales growth since 2008.

    Vodafone NZ has more than 2.35 million mobile connections and more than 500,000 fixed-line connections in New Zealand. It said its revenue for the 12 months to end-June was forecast to be NZ$2.0 billion.

    Sky, which has no connection with the European pay-TV company of the same name, has over 830,000 subscribers. Its revenue for the same period is forecast to be NZ$927 million.

    A spokesman for the NZ Commerce Commission said the country’s competition clearance regime requires parties to submit an application for approval if they believe there are competition issues. “Until all the detail is established, no-one can assess what the competition issues will be,” he said.

    The approval process normally takes about 40 days, according to the authority’s website.

    Reflecting the pressure on its business, Sky’s shares have fallen 28% in the last 12 months.

    In New Zealand on Thursday, Sky shares closed up 17%at NZ$5.25, below the NZ$5.40 per share issue price of new stock for Vodafone.

    If the deal succeeds, the new company will be one of New Zealand’s biggest listed companies with annual revenue of about NZ$2.9 billion, the companies said.

    The combined group would be able to generate synergies of about NZ$415 million after integration costs by rationalising some overlapping functions and marketing services more effectively to a bigger customer base, the companies said.

    Vodafone’s shares were trading ex-dividend in London, down 4.3% at 1018 GMT.

    Its New Zealand operation will still not be much more than about 2% of its valuation of the global group after the deal, analysts said.

    Shareholders are scheduled to vote on the deal at a meeting in July.

  • GOVERNMENT RULES OUT CAPPING OF AIRLINE FARES

    GOVERNMENT RULES OUT CAPPING OF AIRLINE FARES

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Capping of airfares in the backdrop of passenger complaints of arbitrary tariff hikes was ruled out by the government on Thursday, which said that competition among the airlines will take care of the problem.

    Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said restricting the air fares will not make good business sense as it could also jeopardise the government’s regional connectivity plan as such a move may discourage airlines to fly on non-profitable routes.

    He, however, said a slew of passenger-centric measures including “time-bound” grievance redressal mechanism would be unveiled very soon, emphasizing that India’s civil aviation market was the fastest growing in domestic passenger travel demand.

    It is expected that the government was going to announce steps to rationalize the ticket cancellation charges and they are likely to be capped around the base fare, as against current exorbitant fees, as part of passenger-friendly initiatives.

    The minister said at least 32 airports built by Airport Authority of India at a cost of at least Rs 3,000 crore over the years were lying “unconnected” and putting any restriction on market-driven fares may jeopardize government’s plan to start flight services to those airports.

    Holding that putting a cap on air fares may have an adverse impact on growth of aviation sector, Raju said his ministry keeps a “continuous tab” on price movements to ensure that the rates are under check.

    His comments come at a time when the government is discussing ways to address issues related to steep fluctuations in airfares, especially during peak seasons and natural calamities. Minister of state for civil aviation Mahesh Sharma last month had announced that capping of fares will be announced soon.

    “These (capping airfares) are complicated problems. They don’t have simplistic solutions … Competition has by and large taken care of the (ticket) rates,” Raju told PTI in an interview.

    “Floors and caps go together. If you just say I will only cap (air ticket prices) then you won’t have any airline. Anyone doing business doesn’t want to make loss,” he said.

    India’s domestic aviation market has clocked a growth rate of 22 per cent in the last one year, the highest for any country.

  • WHATSAPP BETA GETS GIFS SUPPORT AND HINTS AT VIDEO CALLING

    WHATSAPP BETA GETS GIFS SUPPORT AND HINTS AT VIDEO CALLING

    WhatsApp beta users on iOS have started receiving an update that lets them share auto playing GIFs. After the recent update to emojis, the messaging is app seems to have been keeping a keen eye on its competitor Viber’s releases.

    The upcoming feature will add a feature that Slack, Facebook’ Messenger, Viber and the upcoming Hallo already have — ability to share animated photos called GIFs.

    However, it is unclear when the feature will be released to the public and how it will be implemented. For now, on sharing a link to a GIF?shared the autoplaying GIF?instead of just a link in the beta version of WhatsApp on iOS. The GIFs can also be saved to the phone’s gallery (camera roll) or quick instantly besides peek and pop are also supported.

    Besides the GIF feature, WhatsApp has also fixed some bugs besides adding providing hints that the video calling feature is definitely going to make its way the app in the future.

  • NEW SOFTWARE TURNS WEBCAMS INTO EYE-TRACKERS

    NEW SOFTWARE TURNS WEBCAMS INTO EYE-TRACKERS

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Scientists have developed a software that turns computer webcams into eye-trackers, an advance that may help developers optimize content and make websites more user-friendly.

    The software, called WebGazer.js , can infer where on a webpage a user is looking and can be added to any website with just a few lines of code and runs on the user’s browser.

    The user’s permission is required to access the webcam, and no video is shared. Only the location of the user’s gaze is reported back to the website in real time.

    “We see this as a democratization of eye-tracking,” said Alexandra Papoutsaki, a graduate student at Brown University in the US, who led the development of the software.

    “Anyone can add WebGazer to their site and get a much richer set of analytics compared to just tracking clicks or cursor movements,” said Papoutsaki.

    The use of eye tracking for web analytics is not new, but such studies nearly always require standalone eye-tracking devices that often cost tens of thousands of dollars.

    The studies are generally done in a lab setting, with users forced to hold their heads a certain distance from a monitor or wear a headset.

    “We’re using the webcams that are already integrated in users’ computers, which eliminates the cost factor,” Papoutsaki said.

    “And it’s more naturalistic in the sense that we observe people in the real environment instead of in a lab setting,” she said.

    The software employs a face-detection library to locate the user’s face and eyes. It converts the image to black and white to distinguish the whites of the eyes from the iris.

    Having located the iris, the system employs a statistical model that is calibrated by the user’s clicks and cursor movements.

    The model assumes that a user looks at the spot where they click, so each click tells the model what the eye looks like when it’s viewing a particular spot.

    It takes about three clicks to get a reasonable calibration, after which the model can accurately infer the location of the user’s gaze in real time.

  • WHAT KEEPS PLUTO’S ICY ‘HEART’ BEATING

    WHAT KEEPS PLUTO’S ICY ‘HEART’ BEATING

    WASHINGTON (TIP): In a discovery that points to exciting geological activity on a distant cold planet billions of miles from Earth, #NASA scientists have discovered that the icy surface of Pluto’s “heart” is being constantly renewed by a process called convection that replaces older surface ice with fresher material.

    The prime attraction in the photos of Pluto sent by Nasa’s New Horizon spacecraft during its July 2015 flyby was its heart — a large plain informally known as Sputnik Planum .

    Combining computer models with topographic and compositional data gathered by the mission last summer, the scientists showed that the surface of Sputnik Planum is covered with icy, churning, convective “cells” 16 to 48km across, and less than one million years old.

    The findings offer additional insight into the unusual and highly active geology on Pluto and, perhaps, other bodies like it on the outskirts of the solar system.

    “For the first time, we can really determine what these strange welts of the icy surface of Pluto really are,” said lead researcher William McKinnon from Washington University in St Louis.

    “We found evidence that even on a distant cold planet billions of miles from Earth, there is sufficient energy for vigorous geological activity, as long as you have ‘the right stuff,’ meaning something as soft and pliable as solid nitrogen,” noted McKinnon, who is co-investigator on the New Horizons science team.

    The study was published in the journal Nature. McKinnon and colleagues believe the pattern of these cells stems from the slow thermal convection of the nitrogen-dominated ices that fill Sputnik Planum.

    A reservoir that is likely several miles deep in some places, the solid nitrogen is warmed by Pluto’s modest internal heat, becomes buoyant and rises up in great blobs — like a lava lamp — before cooling off and sinking again to renew the cycle.

    The computer models showed that ice need only be a few miles deep for this process to occur, and that the convection cells are very broad.

    These convective surface motions average only a few centimetres a year — about as fast as your fingernails grow — which means cells recycle their surfaces every 500,000 years or so. While slow on human clocks, it is a fast clip on geological timescales, the researchers said.

    “This activity probably helps support Pluto’s atmosphere by continually refreshing the surface of ‘the heart,’” McKinnon said.

    “It wouldn’t surprise us to see this process on other dwarf planets in the Kuiper Belt,” he added.

    New Horizons flew through the Pluto system on July 14, 2015, making the first close observations of Pluto and its family of five moons.

  • CHINA PLANS TO LAUNCH HUBBLE-LIKE SPACE TELESCOPE

    CHINA PLANS TO LAUNCH HUBBLE-LIKE SPACE TELESCOPE

    BEIJING (TIP): China plans to launch an independent optical facility, which will function like the Hubble Space Telescope , along with the construction of a space station in the coming years, scientists said.

    The field of view of the optical cabin will be 300 times as large as that of the Hubble, and the cabin will be connected with the space station, said Gu Yidong , technology consultant of China’s manned space flight project and academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

    The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), built by the Nasa and the European Space Agency, orbits just outside the Earth’s atmosphere, taking extremely high-resolution images of deep space. It was launched in 1990.

    “Currently, China has planned a series of scientific research platforms and facilities for the space station. The optical cabin is the biggest confirmed project so far,” Yidong said.

    The calibre of the telescope is about two metres, and its resolution is near that of the Hubble. The optical cabin will conduct heterochromatic photometry and slitless spectroscopy sky surveys, the ‘People’s Daily’ reported.

    According to Yidong, the cabin will stay in orbit with the space station, and will connect to the station when it needs maintenance or upgrades.

    China’s space station is expected to be completed in 2020.

  • UNIVERSE EXPANDING FASTER THAN EXPECTED: NASA

    UNIVERSE EXPANDING FASTER THAN EXPECTED: NASA

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The universe is expanding 5 to 9 per cent faster than thought, astronomers using Nasa’s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered.

    “This surprising finding may be an important clue to understanding those mysterious parts of the universe that make up 95 per cent of everything and don’t emit light, such as dark energy, dark matter, and dark radiation,” said study leader and Nobel Laureate Adam Riess of the Space Telescope Science Institute and The Johns Hopkins University in the US.

    Researchers made the discovery by refining the universe’s current expansion rate to unprecedented accuracy, reducing the uncertainty to only 2.4 per cent.

    The team made the refinements by developing innovative techniques that improved the precision of distance measurements to faraway galaxies.

    They looked for galaxies containing both Cepheid stars and Type Ia supernovae. Cepheid stars pulsate at rates that correspond to their true brightness, which can be compared with their apparent brightness as seen from Earth to accurately determine their distance.

    Type Ia supernovae, another commonly used cosmic yardstick, are exploding stars that flare with the same brightness and are brilliant enough to be seen from relatively longer distances.

    By measuring about 2,400 Cepheid stars in 19 galaxies and comparing the observed brightness of both types of stars, researchers accurately calculated distances to roughly 300 Type Ia supernovae in far-flung galaxies.

    They compared those distances with the expansion of space as measured by the stretching of light from receding galaxies.

    The team used these two values to calculate how fast the universe expands with time, or the Hubble constant.

    The improved Hubble constant value is 73.2 kilometres per second per megaparsec. A megaparsec equals 3.26 million light-years.

    The new value means the distance between cosmic objects will double in another 9.8 billion years.

    This refined calibration presents a puzzle, however, because it does not quite match the expansion rate predicted for the universe from its trajectory seen shortly after the Big Bang. Measurements of the afterglow from the Big Bang by Nasa’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe and the European Space Agency’s Planck satellite mission yield predictions for the Hubble constant that are 5 per cent and 9 per cent smaller.

    “If we know the initial amounts of stuff in the universe, such as dark energy and dark matter, and we have the physics correct, then you can go from a measurement at the time shortly after the big bang and use that understanding to predict how fast the universe should be expanding today,” said Riess.

    “However, if this discrepancy holds up, it appears we may not have the right understanding, and it changes how big the Hubble constant should be today,” he said.

  • FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH PILL MAY BE JUST TWO YEARS AWAY

    FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH PILL MAY BE JUST TWO YEARS AWAY

    Hang on to your hat as a pill that turns back the clock could be available in just two years.

    According to a McMaster University study, the ‘youth’ pill, which is aimed at reversing the damage done by dementia and other age-related diseases, is based on a blend of thirty vitamins and minerals widely available in health food stores and will be taken as a dietary supplement.

    The scientists said that early tests of the formula, which contains common ingredients such as vitamins B, C and D, folic acid, green tea extract, cod liver oil, have been “dramatic.”

    They believe it could someday slow the progress of catastrophic neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

    In the latest study, mice, which had widespread loss of more than half their brain cells, severely impacting multiple regions of the brain by one year of age – the human equivalent of severe Alzheimer’s disease, were fed with the supplement on small pieces of bagel each day over the course of several months. Their improvement was remarkable.

    Over time, it completely eliminated the severe brain cell loss and abolished cognitive decline.

    Lead author Jennifer Lemon said that they hope that this supplement could offset some very serious illnesses and ultimately improve quality of life .

    The next step is to test the supplement on humans to check for any side effects. This is likely to happen within the next two years, and will first be given to those already suffering from neuro-degenerative diseases.

    The study is published online in the journal Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis.

  • INSUFFICIENT SLEEP MAKES YOU VULNERABLE TO HEART DISEASES

    INSUFFICIENT SLEEP MAKES YOU VULNERABLE TO HEART DISEASES

    Not sleeping sufficiently or at regular intervals may enhance your risk of developing heart diseases, more so if you work in shifts, warn researchers.

    The body’s involuntary processes may malfunction in shift workers and other chronically sleep-deprived people, and may lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to researchers from Northwestern University in the US.

    Insufficient sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances both have been associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes but the cause is unclear.

    To determine the impact of circadian rhythm disturbances on cardiovascular function in sleep-deprived people, researchers studied 26 healthy people, aged 20-39.

    The study participants were restricted to five hours of sleep for eight days (sleep restriction) with either fixed bedtimes (circadian alignment) or bedtimes delayed by 8.5 hours on four of the eight days (circadian misalignment).

    Researchers found sleep restriction combined with delayed bedtimes when compared to sleep restriction without delayed bedtimes was associated with an increased heart rate during the day for both fixed bedtimes and delayed bedtimes groups.

    It was even more so at night when sleep restriction was combined with delayed bedtimes.

    Participants also experienced reduced heart rate variability at night; an increase in 24-hour urinary norepinephrine excretion in the sleep restricted and delayed bedtimes group; and reduced vagal activity related to heart rate variability during deeper sleep phases
    (NREM), researchers said.

    These deeper sleep phases have a restorative effect on cardiovascular function in normal individuals.

    Norepinephrine is a stress hormone that can constrict blood vessels, raise blood pressure and expand the windpipe.

    The vagal nerve’s main effect on the heart is the lowering of heart rate, researchers said.

    “In humans, as in all mammals, almost all physiological and behavioural processes, in particular the sleep-wake cycle, follow a circadian rhythm that is regulated by an internal clock located in the brain,” said Daniela Grimaldi from Northwestern University.

    “When our sleep-wake and feeding cycles are not in tune with the rhythms dictated by our internal clock, circadian misalignment occurs,” said Grimaldi.

    Researchers said insufficient sleep is particularly common in shift workers, who represent 15 percent to 30 percent of the working population in industrialised countries.

    “Our results suggest shift workers, who are chronically exposed to circadian misalignment, might not fully benefit from the restorative cardiovascular effects of nighttime sleep following a shift-work rotation,” said Grimaldi.

  • TRY WORKOUT SANS EQUIPMENT

    TRY WORKOUT SANS EQUIPMENT

    Running late for work? Missed your gym routine too? Working professionals find it difficult to accommodate time as they get busy with work, family and children. We help you with a lowdown on the exercises that can be done at home just before one leaves for work.

    No equipment workout not necessarily means trying anything at random. These workouts have a proper chronology and must be discussed with a trainer before performing them.

    Harsha Salunkhe, a city-based fitness trainer, says, “I suggest home workouts to women. It is a best alternative when on vacation or during busy schedules. I always insist that they should follow the sequence as instructed.”

    Harsha believes that aping Internet videos can be dangerous. She says, “Usually people who are in such exercise videos are really fit; therefore they are at ease while performing a difficult routine, they make it seem very easy. In reality, the situation is different. Many people lack the necessary stamina, and if you try any workout at random, you might end up with a serious injury.

    So, even for a home fitness routine, consult a fitness trainer first.” This workout routine involves common exercises such as jumping jack, squats, push-ups, lunges and plank. Slow jogging and marching are good for warm-up.

    Different combinations and variations of these common exercises make your no equipment workout worthwhile.

    Pick a cardio routine

    Go for cardio workouts. These workouts are best to build body stamina, which helps you to undertake more extensive routines. The workouts can be altered according to your age, strength and stamina.

    Benefits of a no equipment workout The most important benefit: they are cheap. You don’t need to enrol in an expensive gym or buy fancy equipment; all you have to do is remain focused. Another benefit is they are time savers. You can squeeze them in your schedule any time, just before getting ready for office in the morning or before you hit a party in the evening. The variations of the routine keep you entertained.

    No equipment workout routine

    – Warm up for 10 minutes including stretching, marching and jogging

    – 20 body weight squats

    – 10 push ups

    – 20 walking lunges

    – 15 second plank

    – 30 Jumping Jacks

    – Repeat the cycle for four-eight rounds.

    Don’t forget to stretch once you finish. You can increase the number of cycles once your stamina builds. And yes, it’s okay if you can’t get the perfect push-up in the first try. Mid push-ups or stand push-ups against the wall will also do good.es

  • BEDTIME RULES TO SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE

    BEDTIME RULES TO SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE

    Bedtime routine is very important, not only for good sleep but also for a good relationship. And no, it is not only about sex. As a matter of fact, how you handle bedtime is symbolic to your relationship. Staying disconnected with your partner at bedtime can be deterimental to your marriage and before you even realize it, you start living separate lives, despite being under the same roof.

    Go to bed together

    When you are managing stresses of your daily life, you often overlook some of the simple yet important rules of life – going to bed at the same time as your partner. In today’s time, a lot of couples hit the bed at different times – one wants to read a book or watch TV and the other is too sleepy to wait. Time your sleep such that you both go to bed together.

    Ditch electronics

    Facebook, Twitter and Instagram seem to be draining out all the excitement from our personal relationships. And if this was not enough, TV eats up into the remaining time. We are so busy consuming electronics data that we slip into bedtime not realizing that we are missing out on an important aspect – the partner effect. Feel
    his/her presence consciously and avoid all the unnecessary noice.

    Pillow talk

    Ability to reveal your private thoughts to your partner is key to a happy marriage, but it is fast becoming a fading practice. Take control of your relationship and tell him how your day went or if you felt vulnerable about something that happened during the day. Not only does it reduce stress but also makes you feel better connected. It also cuts down the adverse effects of psychological conditions.

    Touch in right places

    It is unfortunate how touching becomes one of the activities that disappear from relationships fastest, making it shift from passionate to compassionate bond. Find out creative ways to touch your partner. Psychologists believe that touching plays a pivotal role in adding passion to relationships.

    Kiss goodnight

    How do you call it a night? Is it a moment that just happens without much planning? Well, do not forget to kiss your partner good night. It involves physical as well as emotional intimacy and helps reignite your relationship. Try this and watch your connection improve drastically.

  • GIVE A QUIRKY TWIST TO YOUR BAR AT HOME

    GIVE A QUIRKY TWIST TO YOUR BAR AT HOME

    Want to move on from the usual brown and black for the bar corner at your place? Use bright neon lights, pop art prints and funky wall art for a quirky look to it, sayexperts.

    1. Use bright neon lights over the bar space to give a retro look that catches attention instantly.

    2. Look for a quirky cabinet with pop art prints, it would not only be a space to stack all the liquor and glasses, but also be a great furniture item that will brighten up the bar.

    3. Find a good stand to place your collectibles if you want to flaunt your collection of wines, whiskeys and stunning glassware.

    4. Not all bright colours are considered quirky. Choose colours wisely and stick more towards reds, yellows, oranges, grass greens and indigos.

    5. Most importantly settle on the coolest bar accessories for your bar like trendy beer mugs, wine glasses, bar mats, shot glasses, and place them beautifully on to the shelves.

    6. You can put lights over the shelves where you have your bar accessories at display.

    7. Use some funky wall arts to display your witty side and add that extra fun to the little corner.

    8. You can use mirror items to give an illusion of a bigger space and you can also place the mirror on the inside of your display cabinet.

    9. An out of the box design for a lamp will be the icing on the cake while you set up the bar platform. Place it in a corner that is hard to miss.

    10. Tissue boxes and wine holders that have an edgy design and in vibrant colours are a must have.

  • Consul General meets with SUNY JFEW Students

    Consul General meets with SUNY JFEW Students

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The Class of 2017 comprising all-women-students from International Relations and Global Affairs Program of the State University of New York had an audience with the Consul General on June 6, 2016 as part of their summer program of meeting influential lady officers in New York. This program was supported by The Jewish Foundation for Education of Women (JFEW). The significance of the event is that it is the first time the Consulate had such a ‘Mentoring Session’ where the Consul General (Mrs.) Riva Ganguly Das spoke about India and shared her experiences as a woman diplomat in the foreign service.

    The JFEW SUNY International Relations and Global Affairs Program aims to prepare female SUNY students for careers in the international relations and global affairs fields. The Program also prepares the students to become leaders through mentoring opportunities and peer networks.

    Speaking on the occasion, Consul General introduced India to the students as a young nation but an old civilization. Even in current times, India is a unique country where civilization, heritage and modernization co-exist in society. She informed the students about the various programs that the Government has initiated to boost economy and growth of the nation and how women enjoy equal rights in all fields including the amendment in India’s constitution to reserve seats for women in local government. Touching on the subject of Jewish integration in Indian society, Consul General Das informed the students that India enjoys the distinction as being the only country that never discriminated against Jewish community and mentioned Government’s every effort to protect many of the synagogues even after mass migration of Jews to Israel. She spoke about her postings outside India and what her role as Consul General in New York entails.

    This was followed by a short film on making of ‘Saree’ – its significance as traditional clothing for women since time immemorial and how it provides jobs to many people thus keeping the handicraft industry thriving. A Q & A session followed.

  • #BAPS Charities Walk Green 2016 Supports The Nature Conservancy

    #BAPS Charities Walk Green 2016 Supports The Nature Conservancy

    Parsippany, NJ – 16 year old Shubh Patel had his laces tied and was ready to go on an early Sunday morning. Shubh was on a mission to fundraise for a cause close to his heart and one that reflects a reality of his time: saving the environment. Reversing the impact of global warming seems like a daunting task in and of itself; however, Shubh was determined to take action and help bring awareness to his local community.

    For the last 8 weeks, Shubh took up the cause of raising funds and awareness to support BAPS Charities Walk Green held on May 22, 2016 in Parsippany, NJ. Inspired by the motto of think globally, act locally, Shubh patel personally raised over $1000. Shubh went door to door on bicycle to pledge donations. He also pledged donation by standing at his father Dipak patel’s convenient store, requesting customers for small donations.

    Recognizing the need to promote environment awareness, this year BAPS Charities Walk Green is supporting The Nature Conservancy and its Plant a Billion Trees campaign to restore 1.6 million acres of land by 2025. The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. With over 1 million members, the organization protects more than 119 million acres of land, thousands of miles of rivers, and operates more than 100 marine conservation projects globally since 1951. In support of this initiative, BAPS Charities walks across North America will contribute to the rejuvenation of dying forests by helping plant over 70,000 trees in the United States.

    This year’s walk brought together over 290 participants between the ages of 10 and 82. The walk launched with a traditional prayer for world peace and an opening speech by Congressman Rep Rodney Frelinghuysen . “Thank you BAPS Charities for the things you do, whole notion of Think globally act locally is important”.

    Akshay Pujara from Parsippany NJ, a participant in the event, said “when it comes to the environment, I do little things like recycle at home and shop with reusable grocery bags. But today, I feel like I am part of a much bigger effort to save the environment. Coming out here today and walking with my father, I couldn’t think of a better way to help raise awareness and contribute to such a great cause”.

    BAPS Charities undertakes many such charitable events throughout the year to support the community. In addition to annual walkathons across over fifty cities in North America, BAPS Charities hosts a variety of programs to support healthy living, environmental awareness and education initiatives.

    ###

    About BAPS Charities
    BAPS Charities is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit international charity organization committed to sincerely serving the world by caring for individuals, families, and communities. It is affiliated with BAPS as an independent charity and social services arm. The 55,000 BAPS volunteers networked in over 3,300 centers around the world provide over 12 million volunteer-hours of service annually.

    Among social service charities, BAPS Charities is a well-respected and trusted name. It has amassed over 50 years of firsthand experience in initiating, managing, and sustaining 160 humanitarian operations throughout the world in such diverse fields as: medical services, environmental services, community services, tribal services, and disaster relief services.

    For additional information on BAPS Charities and its international and local philanthropic activities, please visit www.bapscharities.org.

    CONTACT:
    BAPS North American Headquarters
    Phone: 732-777-1414
    Email: media@na.baps.org
    SOURCE: BAPS Charities

  • OHMKriyaa will hold International Yoga Day on June 16, 2016, in New Jersey

    OHMKriyaa will hold International Yoga Day on June 16, 2016, in New Jersey

    EDISON, NJ (TIP): After a successful launch of OHMkriyaa in November 2015, OHM Group of Companies with Dr. Larra Shah, a renowned Natural Life Science Facilitator, Celebrity Aura Expert and Founder of “Energy Orb” will hold their first major event which will be open to all on Thursday, June 16, 2016, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Royal Albert’s Palace in New Jersey. The doors will open at 6 p.m. for social meet and greet and the program will start at 7 p.m. sharp. Dr. Shah will demonstrate the science of “Mudra Yoga and Mudra Meditation” during this evening session. Dr. Larra fondly also known as “IshvaGuru” is a well-known name in India as a holistic healer, researcher and practitioner in Vedic Therapies and natural medicine. She has designed a holistic module SECRETS TO “THE SEVENTH SENSE” – SEVEN STEPS TO WELLNESS TM for those seeking professional and personal excellence. She has a natural gift to be able to see auras, the past and the future. This gifted lady has also aced her expertise as a Certified Yoga Teacher, Geopathic Stress Healer, and a qualified Feng Shui Expert from renowned F.S.R.C Canada. Dr Larra’s ability to sense energies and read auras has been the guiding light in helping her clients who come from different walks of life including leadingathletes, movie stars and business leaders to help them achieve Success & Happiness andenhance their spiritual or physical journey.

    Having won several awards and accolades including a gold medal in 2016 from the Indian Board for her research on EMR and its effects, Dr. Shah has also hosted her own Television show on one of India’s leading channels Star Plus’ subsidiary Star News. Apart from her academic merits, she’s also authored a best-selling book called ‘Miracle Cards’ which provides guidelines and tips on how to live a more fulfilling life. Her client base includes the who’s who of Bollywood namely Farah Khan, Gauri Khan, Hema Malini, Chitrangda Singh, Meher Jessia, Rohit Behl, Miss Malini, Arjun Rampal to name a few and it certainly also expands into the crème de la crème societies in countries such as USA, Canada, UK, Italy, Belgium, UAE, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, and India.

    Dr. Larra is pioneering “Ohmkriyaa” an American enterprise, a platform for wellness and humanitarian programs. Through Ohmkriyaa’s platform, Dr. Larra provides educational and self-developing programs which offer powerful techniques and tools to eliminate stress and foster abundance and wellbeing. In the high stressed environment and ever changing and high demanding technology era, body and mind need relaxation and rejuvenation practices to live stress free and positive life. Dr. Shah’s various natural therapies can help people effortlessly with complete ease and feel inner happiness.

    For more information about Dr. Larra and her services at Ohmkriyaa, please visit her Web site http://larrashah.com. Dr. Larra can be reached via toll free number in the U.S. at 877-493-5052 or e-mail at larra@ohmkriyaa.com

  • Rashmee throws ‘Roshni’ on amazing Indian achievers in the US

    Rashmee throws ‘Roshni’ on amazing Indian achievers in the US

    This is the story of an Indian woman who is now globally recognized as an award winning poet, author, educator and a celebrated journalist, whose inspirational journey to success could be a role model for many who want to make a mark in the society on their own.
    A native of Jaipur, Dr Rashmee Sharma earned several awards as a journalist and took up teaching, serving as the English department chair at Sikkim. But at a young age Rashmee lost her husband who was in Indian military forces.

    In early 80s, Sharma packed up her two young children and moved to the United States to pursue her Ph.D. in literature. While continuing to publish her features and poetry, Dr. Sharma taught journalism and literature at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she developed the concept that would eventually become her passion.

    Dr Rashmee Sharma (left) and Co-owner of Roshni Media Group Mani Kamboj pose with MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga
    Dr Rashmee Sharma (left) and Co-owner of Roshni Media Group (@RoshniBook) Mani Kamboj pose with MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga

    While teaching there, Rashmee sensed a distinct lack of cultural awareness of amazing South Asian achievers amongst her students. “The genesis of Roshni began about in the early 2000, once I discovered a distinct lack of recorded documentation of profound contribution inspirational role models have made in the US”, said Rashmee. Eventually she became driven to combat these stereotypes and educate Americans regarding the diverse and often stellar contributions of the South Asian community.

    Hilary Clinton receives the book
    Hilary Clinton receives the book

    In a quest to educate people about south Asian contribution she would spend hours in the library to collect documentation. She went on to conduct exhaustive research, digging up press coverage of the world’s foremost thinkers and achievers, and interviewing them.

    After many hours of research and miles of travel, in 2005, Roshni: The Light of South Asia – a coffee table book on valuable contributions of people of Indian origin was first launched in the US featuring over 100 prominent South Asians including Vijay Amrithraj Ashok Amrithraj, and Mira Nair.
    “It’s my hope via Roshni to reach the first and future generations by building a bridge to communicate pride, strength and sacrifice of the first generation immigrants. My intent is also to focus on enlightening and making younger generation proud of our heritage and culture”, she explains.
    It soon became clear that people were looking for more inspirational stories. In 2012 Rashmee released the second book – this time to cover North America including Canada. This offers professional profiles and in-depth interviews with 56 people of Indian origin who have achieved stellar success in the United States and Canada. Roshni, the Light of South Asia: North American Edition features Gov. Nikki Haley, Fareed Zakaria and Salman Rushdie among others. Their third Coffee Table book on Global & Emerging Leaders was launched last year.

    Roshni hosted its first awards gala to recognize remarkable achievements of people of Indian origin. It was organized in May, 2015, in NYC.
    Roshni hosted its first awards gala to recognize remarkable achievements of people of Indian origin. It was organized in May, 2015, in NYC.

    Armed with the wealth of her findings, Rashmee, envisioned creating a first ever comprehensive documentation which is now- 15 years later become a multi-media platform to celebrate diversity- Roshni Media Group. Interestingly while researching and working on her third book on Global and Emerging Leaders, Rashmee interviewed Mani Kamoboj who is an accomplished woman. Rashmee and Mani hit it off instinctively driven by similar passion and objective that lead to becoming partners in Roshni Media Group in 2013. Since then there was no looking back. They have together worked hard to take the next step of recognizing Roshni Honorees in an awards gala which was first organized in May 2015, in NYC.

    Roshni Media Group will also announce the nonprofit organization committed to create Global Autism Awareness.

  • Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos appoints Ragini Srivastava as MWBE Advisory Council Member

    Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos appoints Ragini Srivastava as MWBE Advisory Council Member

    MINEOLA, NY (TIP): Mrs. Ragini Srivastava was appointed a member of the Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos’s MWBE Advisory Council recently.

    The appointment of Mrs. Srivastava is yet another way of the county recognizing the Indian Americans, who are known to be highly successful, and are known for their achievements in education, high per capita income and business.

    The mission of the Council is to assist the county in doubling the participation of the Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises in the contracting process. The advisory council assists the comptroller’s office in monitoring the county’s compliance with MWBE goals and encourage MWBE firms to participate in county contract opportunities.

    Ragini said that by her services she would like to help small businesses explore economic potential and create economic security for other residents of the county. “Being in committee my goal is to motivate and encourage minority women to utilize business benefits through big government incentives. I believe the goals outlined are well matched to my abilities and by different educational workshops and seminars I can assist them in aligning strategic planning in tactical reality”.