Month: December 2013

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reveals future plans

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Online book seller Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has revealed his secret to success and future plans of expansion.

Bezos said that the company’s new venture, called Amazon Web Services (AWS), might soon become its biggest business, CBS News reports.

The company’s founder said that to keep track of its massive online orders, Amazon has built a large and sophisticated computing infrastructure, which could be expanded to store data and run websites for thousands of private companies and government agencies on the cloud.

U.S. leaders say intelligence efforts hampered under public scrutiny as terror threat grows in US

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The United States leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees have said the recent revelations and public scrutiny of the NSA and other intelligence networks have damaged their anti-terror efforts, while terror threat in America is growing with time.

Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Mike Rogers said that the U.S. intelligence is fighting about the relevance of its role in the nation and this is adversely affecting their ability to stop terror threats, Fox News reports.

American socialite Jill Kelley returns to public life after Petraeus scandal

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Lebanese-American socialite Jill Kelley is reportedly returning to her public life after last year’s Petraeus scandal that brought her to limelight.

Kelley and her husband were passing out holiday meals at their charity event, Heart for the Homeless, on Thanksgiving, the New York Post reports.

The Tampa, Florida socialite had complained last year to the FBI about anonymous harassing e-mails that led to David Petraeus resignation at the CIA.

Tablets top consumer electronics purchases over holiday weekend

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Nearly 29 percent shoppers, who bought electronics products over the weekend, purchased tablets making them the most popular tech items, according to the Consumer Electronics Association’s Black Friday Survey.

According to the latest survey, 35 percent of all shoppers bought tech devices over the holiday weekend, which included headphones (24 percent), video game hardware (21 percent), smartphones (19 percent) and laptop/notebook computers (17 percent), the Hollywood Reporter revealed.

Now, just tap your smartphone to unlock your home door!

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With the smart technology penetrating every sphere of people’s lives, a new smart lock has been reportedly developed that lets users control their entries and exits from the house at the tap of the smartphone.

UniKey Kevo lock by Kwikset is priced at 219 dollars and because it is smartphone controlled, users can tap once to unlock and tap it twice to lock based on proximity to the programmed Bluetooth key with 30-foot range.

`No-brainer secret code` for launching US nuke missiles revealed!

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The secret code for authorizing the launch of US nuclear missiles and used for nearly 20 years, was a shockingly simple ‘00000000’.

The no-brainer code was in use between 1962 until 1977 when John F Kennedy required the use of Permissive Action Link (PAL) security encoding on nuclear weapons.

According to news.com.au, the Strategic Air Command chose the numbers to make the weapons quick and easy to launch over concern that command centres or communication lines could be destroyed in war and preventing soldiers from launching the missiles.

Etihad Airways ranked `world’s leading airline` for 5th time in row

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UAE carrier Etihad Airways has been reportedly ranked as the world’s leading airline for the fifth consecutive year.

The airline achieved success at this year’s World Travel Awards held on Saturday bagging titles of World’s Leading Airline, World’s Leading First Class, and World’s Leading Airline Cabin Crew, Gulf News reports.

Etihad Airways President and CEO, James Hogan said that it was a huge honour to receive three of the travel industry’s highest accolades, especially as the airline marks 10 years of operations, the report added. (ANI)

Soon, computer display that lets you `feel` things

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From Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect sensors, the technology is being reportedly incorporated into computer systems that could change the way 3D images are viewed and ‘felt’.

The inFORM Dynamic Shape Display is a tabletop covered in miniature white squares that rise up like towers, to turn digital content into physical objects and when used in conjunction with a 3D sensor, can capture’s a person’s physical appearance and reproduce in ‘pixel-like’ blocks.

New app uses happy pictures to transform boring calendar

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To save one the sad part after joining back work after a wonderful vacation, a new app has been reportedly developed that turns the boring smartphone calendar into a visual one filled with photos of good memories.

The visual journaling app LifeCrumbs, by a startup called Tomofun, lets users turn boring or sad moments into one filled with happy pictures.

According to TechCrunch, LifeCrumbs, launched in closed beta in October 2012 before opening to the public last August, lets people record meaningful moments from each day.

Delhi Dec.16 gangrape case: SC issues notice to Centre

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The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Central Government, asking it give its response to a public interest litigation filed by the father of the 23-year-old woman student who was gangraped in a running bus in outer Delhi on December 16, 2012.

The father of the deceased woman has demanded that one of the accused who was declared a juvenile and sent to a remand home for two years for rehabilitation, be treated and punished as an adult. Since the lower courts had not responded to the demand suitably, the father approached the apex court for intervention in the matter.

CBI starts probe into Ratangarh Temple stampede

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started its probe of the October 13 stampede at the Ratangarh Temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Datia District.

About 115 people were killed in the incident.

The Gwalior bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court had ordered a CBI probe into the stampede on November 12 in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that demanded a probe into the incident by a central agency.

The state government has also set up a judicial commission to probe the stampede. (ANI)

NSEL Scam case: Enforcement Directorate attaches assets worth Rs.75 crores

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached an estimated Rs.75 crore worth of assets of a borrower company and its associates in connection with money laundering probe of the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL) scam case.

This is the first attachment order issued by the agency, under Prevention of Money Laundering Act laws.

The NSEL scam is a Rs. 5600 crore fraud, which came to light after NSEL failed to pay out its investors in commodity pair contracts after July 31, 2013.

NSW Premier in India to boost trade ties, to address FICCI

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New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell is on a visit of India and will address captains of Indian industry in a bid to scale up the relationship between his state and India.

O’Farrell will visit Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai to boost trade and investment ties.

He will be meeting leading political and business figures in all three cities, with an ambitious agenda for taking the relationship to the next level. He will address members of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in Delhi this afternoon.

UP Govt., private mill owners reach pact over sugarcane prices

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: The Uttar Pradesh Government and owners of private sugar mills have reached an agreement over the price of sugarcane.

Sugar mills have agreed to pay the farmers the state-advised price of 280 rupees a quintal in two tranches.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani said representatives of the UP Sugar Mills Association have given an undertaking that they will start cane crushing now.

Delhi Assembly polls: Last day of campaigning today

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Campaigning for the December 4 assembly polls in Delhi will end on Monday at 5.30 p.m.

On Sunday, leaders of major parties hit the streets and addressed over 25 rallies and road shows in the national capital.

They included BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal.

The atmosphere was electric at the Virat Cinema ground with approximately 10,000 people chanting Modi”s name as he walked up to the podium to address his final rally.

Gayle embarks on long, bizarre, `sexist` Twitter rant filled with `dating advice`

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West Indies batting sensation Chris Gayle has reportedly embarked on a lengthy, bizarre and almost sexist Twitter posts, which are fast approaching ”outrageous” status.

According to Telegraph.com.au, Gayle, who is a colourful presence both on and off the field, had started out innocently with a tweet about wanting more sleep, although his chatter turned to more interesting issues like the types of women that he prefers.

Growth in 8 core sector industries declines by 0.6 pc in Oct

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Dashing hopes of recovery, the output of eight core sector industries contracted by 0.6 per cent in October due to poor showing by coal, oil and gas sectors.

The decline in output of eight core sector industries — coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement, electricity — follows a robust 8 per cent growth in September.

According to the data released by the government today, the output of eight infrastructure industries in April-October was a mere 2.6 per cent against 6.8 per cent in the same period of the last fiscal.

Gooch tells England batsmen to `treat sledging as compliment` during Ashes

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England batting coach Graham Gooch has advice his batsmen to treat sledging as a compliment as they prepare to face more fire from Australia in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide from Thursday.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Gooch also acknowledged that helping the batsmen deal with verbal goading was part of his job. Gooch also said that there was no denying Mitchell Johnson had a great game in Brisbane with his nine-wicket haul to lead Australia to a 381-run win in the first Test. He also suggested the rowdy Gabba crowd could take some credit for Australia”s win there.

Ravindra Jadeja retains third place in new ICC rankings for top ten ODI bowlers

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Indian bowler Ravindra Jadeja has retained his place in the new ICC rankings for top ten ODI bowlers, which have been issued following the conclusion of the Pakistan-South Africa and the India-West Indies series.

According to The Dawn, Jadeja has retained his number three position in the rankings, while Pakistan”s spin-maestro Saeed Ajmal has been established as the top bowler with West Indies” Sunil Narine closely following on the second. The report mentioned that Ajmal, who was recently named man of the series in South Africa, remained number one bowler by 763 points.

‘Speed’ main factor in Paul Walker car crash

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Police have said that speed was the main factor in the tragic car accident that Paul Walker died in.

The 40-year-old star, who was traveling in a red Porsche with his friend Roger Rodas, reportedly crashed into a lamp post and burst into flames killing both of them, New.com.au reported.

Sheriff’s deputy Peter Gomez have said that investigators are still trying to find out how fast the car was traveling and how it went out of control.

Gomez said that investigations are still on whether the driver was distracted or something in the road prompted him to swerve.

Qadir calls resting Afridi, Hafeez in final Proteas ODI `big mistake`

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Legendary Test leg-spinner Abdul Qadir has said that he was surprised with the resting of Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi in the history-making third and final One-Day International against South Africa in Centurion on Saturday. According to The Nation, keeping in view the uncertainty and trouble of South African batsmen against Afridi and Hafeez, resting them for such an important history-making match was a big mistake, Qadir said.

FIFA launches official iOS, Android apps

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With the 2014 World Cup Final Draw only days away, FIFA has launched official apps for both iOS and Android, according to reports.

According to The Verge, available now, the app provides live score updates for 85 of the world”s top leagues, including MLS in the United States. It offers news, standings, statistics, and photos / video for even more teams, in total, 197 leagues across the globe are included, the report said.

Paul Walker’s friends ‘tried to save him after car crashed’

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Paul Walker’s friend has opened up how he and everyone else present at the scene of the fireball car wreck tried to free the trapped star.

Antonio Holmes told a gossip website that he and his friends desperately tried to put out the raging flames using fire extinguishers and free the ‘Fast and the Furious’ star from his seat belt so he could be pulled out, the Mirror reported.

Mangalyaan crosses Moon’s orbit; travelling 10 lakh km a day

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ISRO’s Mars Orbiter, which was placed in inter-Mars trajectory in the early hours yesterday, has crossed Moon’s orbit and is travelling beyond Earth’s natural satellite.

“The Mars Orbiter spacecraft has crossed the Moon orbit. So technically after crossing our Chandrayaan’s orbit, it is now travelling beyond the Moon. It is crossing around 10,00,000 km per day,” ISRO sources told PTI.

This is the first time an Indian-made object is being sent into deep space, they said.