general

Top Real Estate Companies,

2008-06-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

Real estate is a legal term (in some jurisdictions, notably in theUSA UNITED KINGDOM and CANADA, and AUSTRALIA) that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as building, specifically property that is stationary, or fixed in location. Real estate is often considered synonymous with real property (also sometimes called realty), in contrast with personal property (also sometimes called chattel or personalty). However, in some situations the term "real estate" refers to the land and fixture together, as distinguished from "real

property," referring to ownership rights of the land itself.

The terms real estate and real property are used primarily in common law, while civil law jurdistiction refer instead to immovabale property.

Ambuja Realty

Ambuja Realty Group

Promoted as a joint enterprise between West Bengal Housing Board (WBHB) and Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd. (GACL), the Company is now a joint venture between WBHB and Ambuja Housing & Urban Infrastructure Company Ltd

Promoted as a joint enterprise between West Bengal Housing Board (WBHB) and Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd (GACL), Ambuja Realty is now a joint venture between WBHB and Ambuja Housing and Urban Infrastructure Company Ltd. (Consequent upon the divestment of GACL's Stake) both enjoying equal equity participation. The Company was incorporated in the year 1993 to supplement the efforts of the Housing Board to meet the housing demand in West Bengal over all levels of the society.

Over the years the company has developed excellent professional expertise in developing housing and other infrastructure projects in association with WBHB, Asansol - Durgapur Development Authority, Burdwan Zilla Parishad and Sriniketan Shantiniketan Development Authority. Its signature projects are Udoyan, (The Condoville along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass), Utsa and Ujjwala (The condoville at New Town, Rajarhat).

Currently, the Ambuja Realty group is being led by Shri Harshvardhan Neotia under the guidance of group patriarchs Shri Suresh Neotia and Shri Vinod Neotia.

Ambuja Realty Group has undertaken Real Estate development through the following Companies:-

Ambuja Housing And Urban Infrastructure Company Ltd. (AHUICL)
Bengal Ambuja Housing Development Ltd. (BAHDL)
Bengal Ambuja Metro Development Limited (BAMDL)
GGL Hotel & Resort Company Limited (GGL)
Ganapati Parks Limited (GPL)
Ambuja Realty Development Limited (ARDL)
AIPL Ambuja Housing & Urban Infrastructure Ltd. (AAHUIL)
Bhagirathi Neotia Woman & Child Care Centre (BNWCCC)

The West Bengal Housing Board

A premier Government of West Bengal organisation engaged in mass housing in West Bengal, for people from all walks of life.

Ambuja Housing and Urban Infrastructure Company Ltd.

Incorporated in the year 2005 Ambuja Housing And Urban Infrastructure Company Limited has been incorporated for undertaking Real Estate projects. The Company has a capital base of Rs.150 Crores which has been utilised mainly for investments in various Group Companies/Joint Venture Companies. The company has been promoted by the Neotia family.

Bengal Ambuja Housing Development Ltd.

Bengal Ambuja Housing Development Limited is a joint venture with West Bengal Housing Board and Ambuja Housing (WBHB) with equal equity participation by West Bengal Housing Board (WBHB) & Ambuja Housing & Urban Infrastructure Company Ltd. (AHUICL). The Company was incorporated in the year 1993, to sup

plement the efforts of Housing Board to meet the housing demand in West Bengal. It has been the endeavour of the company to provide homes for all sections of the society viz. (Low income group, Middle income group and High income group).

Bengal Ambuja presently is engaged in development of mass scale housing and other infrastructural projects in the state of West Bengal in joint venture with various Government organisations. BAHDL has developed excellent professional expertise over the years in developing housing and other infrastructure projects in association with West Bengal Housing Board, Asansol-Durgapur Development Authority, Burdwan Zilla Parishad & Srineketan Shantineketan Development Authority. BAHDL already has undertaken projects worth Rs. 300 Crores approximately. Further, the Company has entered into a Project Management Ag

reement for development of approx 400 acres of land having a project value of around Rs. 400 crores.

It would be pertinent to mention that Bengal Ambuja Housing Development Ltd. has been the only company in India to be awarded the highest developer grading viz DR1 from ICRA. The aforesaid grading indicates the following

A very strong project execution capacity.
Prospects of execution of real estate projects as per plan are the best
Ability to transfer the ownership as per terms is highest.

The Mission statement of Bengal Ambuja states Home for all-affordable, cost-effective, sensitive to social needs created through systematized process and innovative technology.

Bengal Ambuja Me

tro Development Ltd.

Bengal Ambuja Metro Development Limited is a Joint Venture with Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). The Company was incorporated in the year 1999 for development of a "City Centre" project comprising 5.50 lac sq.ft. (approx) of residential cum commercial complex.

The project is located at DC Block, Sector I, Salt Lake City, Kolkata in the heart of the prime residential area diagonally opposite the 100 acres central green park in Salt Lake. The total cost of the project was Rs.115 Crores vis- a-vis total realisation of Rs.140 Crores approx. BAMDL has also received DRI Rating from ICRA.

GGL Hotel & Reso

rt Company Limited

GGL Hotel & Resort Company Limited is a subsidiary of Ambuja Housing And Urban Infrastructure Company Limited. Currently GGL has a Share Capital of Rs. 33 Crores. It comprises of various projects / business activities viz. Shyamolima, The Ffort Radission, The Club Magna Charta, The Ffort Holiday Klub, Shimana & Surabhi.

Ganapati Parks Limited

Ganapati Parks Limited is a Joint Venture Company between Ambuja group and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), which has constructed and developed a project "Swabhumi-The Heritage Plaza"

on the EM Bypass Kolkata. The theme of the project revolves around the Indian Culture and Heritage, which brings together the cultural diversity of India at a single place.

The project endeavours to provide a compatible environment for recreational and cultural activities to meet the objectives of KMC of providing hygienic civic services and pollution control for the health and welfare of the general society at large on the land which once upon a time was used as dumping ground for garbage and waste materials.

Swabhumi offers round-the-year activities like Soirees, skits, books, music, folk songs, paintings, crafts, pantomimes, events, films, delicacies and artifacts.

Ambu

ja Realty Development Limited

Ambuja Realty Development Limited has been incorporated on 10th October, 2005 to undertake various Real Estate development projects. The Company has been promoted by the Neotia Family. The Family has already infused a capital of Rs.100 Crores into the Company for acquisition of land at various

BhorukaTech Park

super bikes

2008-06-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Bajaj Avenger 200 2007

Bajaj Avenger 200 2007
Category: Cruiser

Specifications:

Engine
Type: 4-stroke, DTS-i oil cooled engine
Displacement: 200cc
Peak power: 17.51 PS (12.88 Kw) @ 8000 rpm
Max torque: 16.78 Nm @ 6000rpm

Suspension

Front: Telescopic (140mm travel)
Rear: Triple rated spring, 5 step adjustable, hydraulic shock absorber, 90mm travel
Wheel Base: 1475 mm
Kerb Weight: 152 Kg (without wind shield)

Tires

Front: 90/90 - 17 49 P
Rear: 130/90 - 15 M/C 66 P

Fuel Tank

Main/Reserve: 14 liters (3.4 liters of reserve)

Frame

Tubular Double cradle with rectangular swing arm

Brakes

Front: Large ventilated disc brake
Rear: Drum brake

Country of origin
India

Bajaj Pulsar150 DTS-i

General information

Model: Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i

Year: 2007

Category: Sport

Rating: 70.7 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and transmission

Displacement: 149.00 ccm (9.09 cubic inches)

Engine type: Single cylinder

Stroke: 4

Power: 14.09 HP (10.3 kW)) @ 8500 RPM

Torque: 12.70 Nm (1.3 kgf-m or 9.4 ft.lbs) @ 6500 RPM

Fuel system: Injection

Valves per cylinder: 1

Starter: Electric & kick

Transmission type

final drive: Chain

Chassis and dimensions

Front suspension: Telescopic

Rear suspension: Triple rate springs

Front brakes: Expanding brake (drum brake)

Rear brakes: Expanding brake (drum brake)

Speed and acceleration

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 7.70 litres (2.03 gallons)

Reserve fuel capacity: 2.30 litres (0.61 gallons)

Further information

Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners.

Honda CBR 1000 RR

Model: Honda CBR 1000 RR

Year: 2008

Category: Sport

Rating: 66.4 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and transmission

Displacement: 999.00 ccm (60.96 cubic inches)

Engine type: In-line four

Stroke: 4

Compression: 12.3:1

Bore x stroke: 76.0 x 55.1 mm (3.0 x 2.2 inches)

Fuel system: Injection. Dual Stage Fuel Injection (DSFI) with 40mm throttle bodies, Denso 12-hole injectors

Valves per cylinder: 4

Fuel control: DOHC

Ignition: Computer-controlled digital transistorized with three-dimensional mapping

Cooling system: Liquid

Gearbox: 6-speed

Transmission type

final drive: Chain

More details Consult a Honda repair manual.

Physical measures

Seat height: 820 mm (32.3 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.

Wheelbase: 1,407 mm (55.4 inches)

Chassis and dimensions

Rake (fork angle): 23.3°

Trail: 96 mm (3.8 inches)

Front suspension: 43mm inverted HMAS cartridge fork with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability

Front suspension travel: 119 mm (4.7 inches)
Rear suspension: Unit Pro-Link HMAS single shock with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability

Rear suspension travel: 137 mm (5.4 inches)

Front tyre dimensions: 120/70-ZR17

Rear tyre dimensions: 190/50-ZR17

Front brakes: Double disc

Front brakes diameter: 320 mm (12.6 inches)

Rear brakes: Single disc

Rear brakes diameter: 220 mm (8.7 inches)

Speed and acceleration

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 17.78 litres (4.70 gallons)

Color options: Red/black, Black/metallic Silver, Pearl Yellow/black, Candy dark red/metallic silver, Black/metallic gray

Comments: Model ID: CBR1000RR

Further information

Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners.
Ask questions Join the 08 Honda CBR 1000 RR discussion group
Insurance, loans, tests Search the web for dealers, loan and insurance costs, tests, customizing, etc.
Related bikes List related bikes for comparison of specs

Honda Crf 2008f 250cc

Put in simple, moto-friendly terms, the CRF230F is a certified blast to ride. Just ask the countless riders, of all skill and experience levels, who´ve ever twisted its throttle and made easy work of the toughest trails.

General information

Model: Honda CRF 230 F

Year: 2008

Category: Enduro / offroad

Rating: Do you know this bike?

Click here to rate it. We miss 2 votes to show the rating.

Engine and transmission

Displacement: 223.00 ccm (13.61 cubic inches)

Engine type: Single cylinder

Stroke: 4

Compression: 9.0:1

Bore x stroke: 65.5 x 66.2 mm (2.6 x 2.6 inches)

Fuel system: Carburettor. 26mm piston-valve carburator

Fuel control: SOHC

Ignition: CDI

Cooling system: Air

Gearbox: 6-speed

Transmission type

final drive: Chain
More details Consult a Honda repair manual.

Physical measures

Seat height: 866 mm (34.1 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.

Ground clearance: 297 mm (11.7 inches)

Wheelbase: 1,374 mm (54.1 inches)

Chassis and dimensions

Rake (fork angle): 27.3°

Trail: 112 mm (4.4 inches)

Front suspension: 37mm leading-axle Showa fork

Front suspension travel: 241 mm (9.5 inches)

Rear suspension: Pro-Link Showa single-shock with spring-preload adjustability

Rear suspension travel: 229 mm (9.0 inches)

Front tyre dimensions: 80/0-21

Rear tyre dimensions: 100/90-18

Front brakes: Single disc

Front brakes diameter: 240 mm (9.4 inches)

Rear brakes: Expanding brake (drum brake)

Speed and acceleration

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 7.19 litres (1.90 gallons)

Color options: Red

Comments: Model ID: CRF230F

HeroHond karzima

HeroHonda Karzima

Model: Hero Honda Karizma

Year: 2004

Category: Sport

Rating: 75.8 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and transmission

Displacement: 223.00 ccm (13.61 cubic inches)

Engine type: Single cylinder

Stroke: 4

Power: 17.00 HP (12.4 kW)) @ 7000 RPM

Torque: 18.40 Nm (1.9 kgf-m or 13.6 ft.lbs) @ 6000 RPM

Max RPM: 7500

Fuel system: Carburettor

Fuel control: OHC

Starter: Electric & kick

Cooling system: Air

Gearbox: 5-speed

Transmission type

final drive: Chain

Physical measures

Dry weight: 150.0 kg (330.7 pounds)

Overall height: 1,160 mm (45.7 inches)

Overall length: 2,125 mm (83.7 inches)

Overall width: 755 mm (29.7 inches)

Ground clearance: 150 mm (5.9 inches)

Wheelbase: 1,355 mm (53.3 inches)

Chassis and dimensions

Front tyre dimensions: 2.75-18 - 42 P

Rear tyre dimensions: 100/90-18 - 56 P

Front brakes: Single disc

Front brakes diameter: 276 mm (10.9 inches)

Rear brakes: Expanding brake (drum brake)

Rear brakes diameter: 130 mm (5.1 inches)

Exhaust system: Single Stainless Steel Pipe

Speed and acceleration

Top speed: 125.0 km/h (77.7 mph)

0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 14.200 seconds

Power/weight ratio: 0.1133 HP/kg

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 15.00 litres (3.96 gallons)

Reserve fuel capacity: 2.00 litres (0.53 gallons)

Fuel consumption pr. 10 km (6.2 miles): 2.40 litres (0.63 gallons)

Color options: pearl compose red,myth gold metalic,silver,turquoise blue,candy blazing red,black, moon yellow

Further information

Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners.

Ask questions Join the 04 Hero Honda Karizma discussion group
Insurance, loans, tests Search the web for dealers, loan and insurance costs, tests, customizing, etc.

Related bikes List related bikes for comparison of specs

2009 Yamaha VMAX

2008-06-08T01:28:00.001-07:00

TVS Apache RTR 160

2008-06-08T01:23:00.001-07:00

top race bikes

2008-06-07T21:30:00.000-07:00

TVS Apache 150ERAL

GENERAL INFORMATION
Model: TVS Apache 150ERAL INFORMATION

Year: 2007

Category: Sport

Rating: 74.1 out of 100.

Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and transmission

Displacement: 109.00 ccm (6.65 cubic inches)

Engine type: Single cylinder

Stroke: 4

Power: 13.35 HP (9.7 kW)) @ 8500 RPM

Torque: 12.30 Nm (1.3 kgf-m or 9.1 ft.lbs) @ 7500 RPM

Compression: 9.5:1 Bore x stroke: 57.0 x 57.8 mm (2.2 x 2.3 inches)

Fuel system: Carburettor

Fuel control: OHC

Ignition: IDI-Dual mode digital ignition

Cooling system: Air

Gearbox: 5-speed

Transmission typefinal drive: Chain

Physical measures

Weight incl. oil, gas, etc: 136.0 kg (299.8 pounds)

Wheelbase: 1,260 mm (49.6 inches)

CHASIS AND DIMENSION

Front suspension: Telescopic oil-damped

Rear suspension: Monotube inverted Gas filled Shox (MIG)

Front tyre dimensions: 90/90-17

Rear tyre dimensions: 100/80-18

Front brakes: Single disc Front brakes diameter: 240 mm (9.4 inches)

Rear brakes: Expanding brake (drum brake) Rear brakes diameter: 110 mm (4.3 inches)

Speed and acceleration Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 16.00 litres (4.23 gallons)

Reserve fuel capacity: 2.50 litres (0.66 gallons)

Further information Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners. Ask questions Join the 07 TVS Apache 150 discussion group Insurance, loans, tests Search the web for dealers, loan and insurance costs, tests, customizing, etc. Related bikes List related bikes for comparison of specs

Suzuki B-King ABS 2008

The B-King´s imposing engine is out there for all the world to see. One look at its twin exhaust pipes is enough to know that it has the power to reward you with a one-of-a-kind sport riding experience. The new B-King -you´ve never ridden anything like it.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Model: Suzuki B-King

Year: 2008

Category: Allround

Rating: 75.7 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and Transmission

Displacement: 1340.00 ccm (81.77 cubic inches)

Engine type: In-line four

Stroke: 4

Compression: 12.5:1

Bore x stroke: 81.0 x 65.0 mm (3.2 x 2.6 inches)

Fuel system: Injection

Fuel control: DOIgnition: Digital/Transistorized

Starter: Electric

Lubrication system: Wet sump

Cooling system: Liquid

gear :6-speed

Transmission typefinal drive: Chain

More details Consult a Suzuki repair manual

Physical measures

Dry weight: 235.0 kg (518.1 pounds)

Seat height: 805 mm (31.7 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.

Overall height: 1,085 mm (42.7 inches)

Overall length: 2,220 mm (87.4 inches) Overall width: 800 mm (31.5 inches)

Ground clearance: 120 mm (4.7 inches)

Wheelbase: 1,525 mm (60.0 inches)

Chassis and dimensions

Front suspension: Inverted telescopic, coil spring, fully adjustable spring preload, adjustable rebound damping and adjustable compression damping

Rear suspension: Link-type, gas/oil damped, fully adjustable spring preload, adjustable compression and rebound damping

Front tyre dimensions: 120/70-ZR17

Rear tyre dimensions: 200/50-ZR17

Front brakes: Double disc

Rear brakes: Single disc Speed and acceleration

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 16.50 litres (4.36 gallons)

Color options: Gray/Silver, Black/Matte Black

Further information Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners. Ask questions Join the 08 Suzuki B-King discussion group Insurance, loans, tests Search the web for dealers, loan and insurance costs, tests, customizing, etc. Related bikes List related bikes for comparison of specs

Model: Suzuki B-King

Suzuki B-King 2008 ABS

General information

Model: Suzuki B-King

Year: 2008 Category: Allround

Rating: 75.7 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and transmission
Displacement: 1340.00 ccm (81.77 cubic inches)

Engine type: In-line four

Stroke: 4

Compression: 12.5:1 Bore x stroke: 81.0 x 65.0 mm (3.2 x 2.6 inches)

Fuel system: Injection

Fuel control: DOHC

Ignition: Digital/Transistorized

Starter: Electric

Lubrication system: Wet sump

Cooling system: Liquid

Gearbox: 6-speed

Transmission typefinal drive: Chain

More details Consult a Suzuki repair manual.

Physical measure

Dry weight: 235.0 kg (518.1 pounds)

Seat height: 805 mm (31.7 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.
Overall height: 1,085 mm (42.7 inches)

Overall length: 2,220 mm (87.4 inches)

Overall width: 800 mm (31.5 inches)

Ground clearance: 120 mm (4.7 inches) Wheelbase: 1,525 mm (60.0 inches)

Chassis and dimensions

Front suspension: Inverted telescopic, coil spring, fully adjustable spring preload, adjustable rebound damping and adjustable compression damping

Rear suspension: Link-type, gas/oil damped, fully adjustable spring preload, adjustable compression and rebound damping

Front tyre dimensions: 120/70-ZR17

Rear tyre dimensions: 200/50-ZR17

Front brakes: Double disc

Rear brakes: Single disc Speed and acceleration

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 16.50 litres (4.36 gallons)

Color options: Gray/Silver, Black/Matte Black

Further information

Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners. Ask questions Join the 08 Suzuki B-King discussion group Insurance, loans, tests Search the web for dealers, loan and insurance costs, tests, customizing, etc. Related bikes List related bikes for comparison of specs

20. Mutual Funds 1: What is a Mutual Fund?

2008-06-05T04:25:00.001-07:00

MUTUAL FUND

2008-06-05T04:16:00.000-07:00

A mutual fund is a professionally managed firm of collective investments that collects money from many investors and puts it in stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments, and/or other securities.[1] The fund manager, also known as portfolio manager, trades the fund's underlying securities, realizing capital gains or losses and passing any proceeds to the individual investors. Currently, the worldwide value of all mutual funds totals more than $26 trillion. [2]
Since 1940, there have been three basic types of mutual fund investmentcompanies in the United States. Similar funds also operate in Canada. However, in the rest of the world, mutual fund is used as a generic term for various types of collective investment vehicles, such as unit trusts, open-ended investment companies (OEICs), and unitized insurance funds

History.
Massachusetts Investors Trust (now MFS Investment Management) was founded on March 21, 1924, and, after one year, it had 200 shareholders and $392,000 in assets. The entire industry, which included a few closed-end funds represented less than $10 million in 1924.
The stock market crash of 1929 hindered the growth of mutual funds. In response to the stock market crash, Congress passed the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These laws require that a fund be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and provide prospective investors with a prospectus that contains required disclosures about the fund, the securities themselves, and fund manager. The SEC helped draft the Investment Company Act of 1940, which sets forth the guidelines with which all SEC-registered funds today must comply.
With renewed confidence in the stock market, mutual funds began to blossom. By the end of the 1960s, there were approximately 270 funds with $48 billion in assets. The first retail index fund, First Index Investment Trust, was formed in 1976 and headed by John Bogle, who conceptualized many of the key tenets of the industry in his 1951 senior thesis at Princeton University[3]. It is now called the Vanguard 500 Index Fund and is one of the world's largest mutual funds, with more than $100 billion in assets.
A key factor in mutual-fund growth was the 1975 change in the Intern
Revenue Code allowing individuals to open individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Even people already enrolled in corporate pension plans could contribute a limited amount (at the time, up to $2,000 a year). Mutual funds are now popular in employer-sponsored "defined-contribution" retirement plans such as (401(k)s), IRAs and Roth IRAs.
As of October 2007, there are 8,015 mutual funds that belong to the InvestmentCompany Institute (ICI), the national association of investment companies in the United States, with combined assets of $12.356 trillion

Top Visual Effects Software,Combustion,Cinema4D,SoftImage

2008-06-05T00:17:00.000-07:00

Combustion 4 is a computer program "for motion graphics, compositing and visual effects" (Discreet, n.d.). The software retails for US$995 (MacMinute, 2004). It is commonly likened to Adobe's After Effects, and shares a similar interface with Autodesk's (formerly Discreet) higher-end compositing systems Inferno, Flame and Flint.

Autodesk Combustion v.2008 - is an all-in-one professional compositing application with a powerful visual effects toolset that enables digital video artists to realize their creative potential. It features an easy-to-use interface that helps artists get their work done faster. With Combustion 2008, artists have in-context access to motion graphics, 3D compositing, color correction, image stabilization, powerful vector paint, text effects, short-form editing, expressions, Flash software output and more.

Autodesk Combustion v.2008 includes unmatched integration with industry-standard animation, imaging, and illustration software. Designed to meet the needs of the most demanding effects artists, Combustion v.2008 delivers first-rate performance at an affordable price and augments the creative potential of any suite of desktop tools.
The Colour Warper in Combustion v.2008 performs primary and selective color correction. It also allows for precise fine-tuning with multiple levels of adjustment in a single pass. Colour Warper features include: - Interactive adjustment of gamma, gain, offset, hue, saturation, and contrast.

- Intuitive hue shift and a tint color wheel for fast, accurate color balancing and a visual color sampling palette for precise color matching.

- Interactive Histogram and curves editing modes for subtle, precision tweaking of color components. - Independent controls for color correcting the image’s shadow, midtone, and highlight regions.

- “Match” feature for fast scene-to-scene color correction.

- “Selective” feature for sampling up to three different color regions for isolated correction.

- User interface features: high-quality RGB vector scope, and a 3D histogram for precise color monitoring.

SoftImage XSI 6.5

Model

With the world’s fastest subdivision surface modeler and intuitive tools that make 3D modeling feel like sculpting, XSI’s non-destructive environment lets you focus on your art. A Gigapolygon core architecture that can push millions of subdivided polygons interactively lets you scale your creations to unprecedented levels of detail. With XSI, you’ll never have to wait for your 3D software to catch up to your imagination.

Animate

Fast, flexible animation is the heart of XSI. Streamlined workflows make it easy to pose and keyframe highly detailed characters. You get more keying done while watching your character in the viewports, without having to open another editor. Real-time playback means you can see what you’re doing without waiting for animation previews. A clean, responsive curve editor and dopesheet make it easy to manipulate animation. Easy animation layering and mixing simplify the process of breaking animation into parts and moving it around.

Iterate

XSI offers the best iterative workflow of any 3D package. Non-destructive tools let you add new details to rigged or shape-animated characters whenever you want, without tedious hours of rework. Full mental ray integration means you can generate full-quality previews directly in an XSI viewport for hassle-free client-attended review and approval sessions. And with XSI's built-in compositor you can preview the results of multi-pass renders without switching environments. Change is good.

Collaborate

A successful production is a team effort, so XSI features the industry’s best collaborative environment. Delta referencing technology offers lightweight, production-level referencing so multiple artists can work on assets without getting in each other’s way. Crosswalk interoperability features seamlessly transfer assets into and out of other 3D animation packages.

Reuse

Working with multiple characters often involves tedious manual tasks that you need to repeat for each character. XSI saves you time where it matters most with tools to transfer character setups and animation across rigs. GATOR transfers any surface attributes — including UVs, weight maps, skinning, and shape animation — from one character to another. MOTOR is the world’s first system for moving keyframe animation across characters, regardless of their proportions or control structures.

Shade and Texture

From scales and skin, to metal and stone, to cartoon ink and paint, XSI's Quick Shade technology and texturing tools help you get the look you want—fast. An interactive texture editor lets you unfold UVs and place texture maps precisely. The powerful render tree and texture layer editor make it easy to build complex materials. A fully integrated customizable shaderball engine renders preview thumbnails wherever you need them.

Render

Render A shared-memory architecture with the award-winning mental ray renderer built right in makes XSI the best 3D animation package for cinematic-quality multi-pass rendering. You can delve into powerful shaders in the render tree and set up breathtaking photorealistic lighting with just a few clicks. The Gigapolygon core and shared-memory architecture mean that you can render more detail using less memory than in any other package. And integrated frame buffers allow you to render a single default pass that outputs many common channels to separate files.

And with the open rendering API introduced in XSI 6, our rendering technology partners are taking advantage of our open rendering API to develop and integrate their respective render engines into XSI with similar depth and control.

Softimage customers can now enjoy XSI integrations of the following renderers:

* Indigo Renderer * 3Delight

* V-Ray * Maxwell

Paint and Composite

Can your 3D software edit textures and image-based lighting in real time? XSI’s built-in compositor is designed to do just that. Based on Avid’s Matador, Media Illusion, and Elastic Reality, XSI Illusion is a fully integrated, resolution-independent 2D paint and compositing module. With over 130 film-quality effects and more than 60 programmable brushes for 2D raster and vector painting, you can use XSI Illusion to rough out final shots, touch up your textures, morph, warp and rig images, create custom mattes and tweak the results of a multi-pass render – all without switching apps.

Develop
A Technical Director ’s dream come true, XSI lets you use the best language for the job, offering integrated C#, and support for Python v.2.5 and .NET compliant languages. A Tools Development Environment (TDE) gives developers a dedicated environment for customization and plug-in development. With a completely programmable realtime shader pipeline, a dedicated framework to host custom applications, and a rendering SDK that makes it possible to integrate 3rd party renderers, XSI is simply the most customizable 3D package available.

Try the software! Its amazing at the number of features the software offers!

Maxon Cinema4D v9.603

Model, animate and render with a practical command of all the essential functions and tools in CINEMA 4D 10. Detailed tutorials, suitable for novices and experienced users alike, demonstrate how to navigate the redesigned UI and orient you to the workflow. Next, the author guides you through the creation of a more complex project in which you model, create, apply textures, light, and render a final showcase image of a sports car. Finally, you will model, texture and prepare a comic character for animation using the new powerslider, timeline and the revised MOCCA module.Build on your command of the essentials with an introduction to the new layer system as well as these advanced skills:* Light, texture, and shade with CINEMAs material system, BodyPaint 3D, and the integrated shaders* Build complex mechanical and organic models using NURBS and polygon tools* Compose 3D content into photos* Render with advanced techniques such as Multi Pass rendering, HDRI lighting and radiosity* Simplify animation setups using XPresso constrains* Work with specialized tools such as HAIR, Clothilde or SKY for special effects

CINEMA 4D is a popular 3D application amongst matte painters in film largely due to the BodyPaint 3D functionality and is equally popular amongst motion graphics artists thanks to an excellent integration with compositing application pipelines coupled with a very artist-friendly and customizable workflow and interface. It has been utilized for films such as Polar Express[1], Open Season[2] and Monster House[3].
The application relies on widely used computer 3D technology which works by creating groups of "points" (known as vertices) which form surfaces when connected. The illusion of three dimensions is created by modeling objects out of multiple surfaces. Still pictures, movies and game environments (among other things) can be created with this technique.
CINEMA 4D has its own runtime scripting and programming language C.O.F.F.E.E. which is rather similar in form to JScript and an advanced modern C++ API with extensive SDK to develop platform independent plug-ins.
Four different packages have been released by MAXON: the core CINEMA 4D application, the XL-Bundle (including NET Render [3 licenses], PyroCluster, Advanced Render, MOCCA and Thinking Particles), the Studio Bundle, which includes all modules, and the Production Bundle, which comes with a service contract, Linux version, Renderman support and a number of other high-end studio-specific features. This version is only available upon request.
Initially, CINEMA 4D was developed for Amiga computers in the early nineties but has since been released for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, and most recently, via the Production Bundle, Linux.
MAXON has created a way for all users to be able to 'get into' 3D with their software by pursuing this route. Training DVD in addition to install DVD for R10: More than 6GB of video tutorials in German or English. MAXON bundles HTML manuals and tutorials/videos with its software. New in release 10 are context sensitive help menus.
CINEMA 4D has been embraced by the Adobe After Effects community because of C4D's external compositing tags and object IDs which make exporting 3D data and separate alpha and depth information efficient and simple. Because the export feature also supports Apple's Final Cut Pro and other popular software, it fits well into several post production studio configurations.

EDITING Softwares,,AVID EDITING,SONYVEGAS,ADOBE PREMIER PRO

2008-06-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

Avid Xpress Pro v5.7.2
Avid Xpress software: powerful enough for professional video and film editing. Affordable enough for anyone with a story to tell. The family of Avid Xpress software and integrated suites puts a wide range of creative tools within easy reach of today's most innovative digital storytellers.

Integrated effects, animation, and DVD authoring tools for Avid editors

With Avid Studio Toolkit, independent editors, producers, and filmmakers can add professional effects and titles, create 3D animations, and author standard-definition DVDs or high-definition Blu-ray Discs right from their Avid editing system. No other suite combines this level of features, integration, and ease-of-use. And no other solution makes an end-to-end HD workflow this affordable.

Studio Toolkit Overview Video See the great new features Avid Studio Toolkit has to offer. launch video

* Blu-ray Disc AuthoringBreak out with Blu-ray Disc authoring. Distribute your productions in beautiful HD quality on the latest generation Blu-ray Disc format. Capture from any HD source, edit, author in interactive HD and burn high-definition discs, all in your Avid editing suite. It’s that easy. And only Avid Studio Toolkit has it today. [ more about Avid DVD by Sonic ]

* Add dazzling titles and effects. No more juggling applications. Avid Studio Toolkit integrates 1,500 title and effects templates, over 110 image filters, raster and vector paint tools, EPS import, multiple compositing modes, motion tracking, rotoscoping—and more—all inside the Avid editing timeline. [ more about Avid FX ]

* Jump right in to 3D graphics. Busy video editors can skip the learning curve and start creating stunning 3D animations right away. Energize titles and graphics with easy-to-use 3D title tools and tons of 3D models that you can animate, light, and customize with lens flares, warps, deformations, and more. [ more about Avid 3D ]

Author sophisticated DVD titles in SD and HD

Avid DVD interfaceBased on technology from Sonic Solutions, the world's leading supplier of professional DVD authoring technology, Avid DVD is the perfect balance of speed, flexibility, and power. Author titles for standard-definition DVD output and next-generation Blu-ray Discs. Tight integration with Avid editing, effects, and animation applications lets you create video, special effects, audio, music, titles, and graphics for your DVD without missing a beat.

Now playing: end-to-end HD productivity

Independent professionals now have an inexpensive HD distribution format: Blu-ray Discs. Capture and edit in HD with your Avid editor, then use Avid DVD by Sonic to author and distribute high-definition Blu-ray Discs. Be the first to take advantage of this revolutionary technology to offer your clients end-to-end HD services.

Comprehensive SD and HD authoring

Avid DVD by Sonic supports SD and HD authoring, including NTSC, PAL, 1080i and 720p menus and SD and HD MPEG-2 video assets. Avid DVD by Sonic makes authoring in HD is as easy as in SD, with the same interface and menus, same built-in simulation, and same built-in burning controls. A large selection of templates makes it easy to create great-looking DVDs right from the start.

Blu-ray Disc support Blu-ray Disc Support

Blu-ray is a new type of optical disc that can support much higher storage capacities and data rates than today’s DVDs, making it possible to play back pristine-quality HD material on inexpensive consumer players. Avid DVD by Sonic supports full HD authoring and direct burning to Blu-ray Disc without any additional software (requires a Blu-ray disc burner, not included).

Professional SD DVD outputAdvanced SD DVD output controls In addition to streamlined SD DVD authoring, Avid DVD by Sonic also provides professional SD DVD output tools, including region coding, encryption, and other advanced DVD format controls.

Tight integration with Avid editors

Avid editing applications offer more ways to create and manage metadata than any competing application. One example is MetaSync, a powerful technology that turns an abstract concept like “metadata” into a timeline track you can see and manipulate, just like video, audio, or timecode. MetaSync is much more than a point in time – it's designed to cover a span of time. MetaSync can be used to create chapter points and pick thumbnail frames, right in the editing timeline, and then burn discs right from the editor with One-Step command for SD projects

Sony Vegas Pro 8.0b

The Vegas Pro collection combines Vegas Pro 8, DVD Architect Pro 4.5, and Dolby® Digital AC-3 encoding software to offer an integrated environment for all phases of professional video, audio, DVD, and broadcast production. These tools let you edit and process DV, AVCHD, HDV, SD/HD-SDI, and all XDCAM™ formats in real time, fine-tune audio with precision, and author surround sound, dual-layer DVDs.

Precise Editing Tools

Edit SD or HD video with drag-and-drop functionality, mouse and keyboard trimming, and ripple editing. Features include ProType Titling technology, multicamera editing tools, 32-bit floating point video processing, customizable window layouts, color-coded snapping, improved HDV/SDI/XDCAM support, Cinescore plug-in support, A/V synchronization detection and repair, and auto-frame quantization. More about video editing

Efficient, Professional Workflow

The Vegas Pro 8 interface provides a fully customizable workspace for accomplishing a wide range of production requirements. Dock multiple windows across multiple monitors, and save your layouts to fit specific editing tasks; nest Vegas projects within the timeline, customize and save keyboard commands, and use application scripting to automate repetitive tasks. System-wide media management produces maximum efficiency. Network rendering saves time by using multiple computers and networked drive arrays to render complex projects. Vegas Pro software also supports 24p, HD and HDV editing. More about the Vegas Pro workflow

Superior Audio Control

Use unlimited tracks, 24-bit/192 kHz audio, punch-in recording, 5.1 surround mixing, effects automation, and time compress/expand. Apply customizable, real-time audio effects like EQ, Reverb, Delay, and more. Expand your audio processing and mixing options with supported third-party DirectX® and VST audio plug-ins. Use the Mixing Console for precise audio control. More about audio production

Powerful DVD Tools

Burn Blu-ray discs directly from the timeline for high-definition delivery. Create standard DVDs with multiple video angles, subtitles, multiple languages, and running commentary. Apply Brightness and Contrast, Auto Levels, Crop, and Anti-Flicker filters. Set CSS and Macrovision® copy-protection flags for masters. DVD Architect Pro 4.5 software supports the latest devices, including dual-layer DVD burners. More about DVD creation

Interactive Tutorials New!

Vegas Pro 8 software has a comprehensive help system, as well as detailed interactive tutorials that provide walk-through demonstrations of common features and functionality. These tutorials provide an easy step-by-step method of learning the product and the workflow necessary to complete most common tasks.

How To Make İt Work?:

How To Install:

1- Run Sony setup. And install as you want.

2- Run KEygen and patch Sony directory.

3- Run App and use Keygen ( Select vegas Pro8a) to generate a serial.

3- Click on activate online.

4- When it says cannot contact bla bla.. click retry.

5- Then click on cancel and you will see offline activation page. Write down your activation code there, that's all.

Academic Adobe Premiere Pro v.8

PRICE:US$99.99

Top features:

Efficient tools for creative editing

Create high-quality visual and editorial effects directly within the editing timeline. Generate slow motion and other time-remapping effects with precise keyframe control and real-time feedback. Add color correction, lighting and other effects, audio filters, and more with fast, flexible, built-in tools. Edit footage from multicam shoots with ease and precision.

Comprehensive video-format compatibility

Work with the formats you want. Edit all standard- or high-definition formats, from DV and HDV to HD and beyond (some formats may require additional hardware).

Broad range of supporting hardware and software for Mac and Windows

Choose from a wide range of Mac and Windows® workstations and capture cards to build the editing system that meets your needs and budget. Enhance your system with additional plug-ins, including many from Adobe® After Effects® software.

DVD and Blu-ray Disc output with included Adobe Encore® CS3

Create DVD and Blu-ray Discs with Adobe Encore CS3 software, now included with Adobe Premiere® Pro CS3. Work with the same Adobe Encore authoring interface and features used to create standard-definition DVDs. Author once, deliver to three formats: automatically convert your high-definition Blu-ray Disc projects into standard-definition DVDs and interactive versions for the web.

Superior integration with other Adobe applications

Make the leading still and motion graphics applications, Adobe Photoshop® and After Effects, part of an efficient post-production workflow. Import and animate Photoshop layers. Automatically create Photoshop files that match the current project’s frame size and aspect ratio. Drag and drop or copy and paste clips and timelines between Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 and After Effects CS3 Professional.

Direct-to-disk recording with included Adobe OnLocation CS3

Save tape and time by eliminating capture from your production process. Record SD and HD video directly to hard disk using Adobe OnLocation™ CS3 software, included with Adobe Premiere Pro CS3. Instantly review each shot without shuttling tape. Adobe OnLocation automatically detects and flags problems to provide the best results.

Professional on-set monitoring with Adobe OnLocation CS3

Maximize camera image quality during shoots by using Adobe OnLocation CS3 to quickly calibrate your camera, check levels, and monitor your signal. Use simple tools that function like their hardware equivalents to get results quickly and easily. The virtual reference monitor, waveform monitor, vectorscope, and audio spectrum analyzer help you avoid problems and improve quality when shooting. Delivery to the web and mobile devices Make your video viewable on the delivery platforms of today and tomorrow. Export as SWF FLV files. Easily convert DVD projects complete with menus to SWF for web playback. Encode for delivery to cell phones and other mobile devices, and emulate playback on those devices to check playback quality.

Improved editing efficiency

Work faster with powerful and flexible editing tools. Play video with nested audio sequences in real time without rendering. Replace any clip in the timeline with a new clip while preserving the replaced clip’s editing attributes and settings. Use shortcuts to switch between workspace panels and save time.

Accelerated client review and approval with Adobe Clip Notes

Expedite review cycles and avoid miscommunication with Adobe Clip Notes. Embed video into a PDF file, e-mail the file to your client to review and add timecode-specific comments, and then view comments mapped to the Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 timeline.

Top Animation Software Autodesk Maya,3d max and Toonboom Studio

2008-06-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

AUTODESK MAYA UNLIMITED VERSION 8.0
Maya is a high-end 3D computer graphics and 3D modeling ppackageckage originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation, but now owned by Autodesk as part of the Media and Entertainment division. Autodesk acquired the software in October 2005 upon purchasing Alias. Maya is used in the film and TV industry, as well as for computer and video games, architectural vizualisation and design.
In 2003, Maya (then owned by AliasWavefront) won an Academy Award "for scientific and technical achievement", citing use "on nearly every feature using 3-D computer-generated images."[1]
Overview
Maya is a popular, integrated node-based 3D software suite, evolved from Wavefront Explorer and Alias PowerAnimator using technologies from both. The software is released in two versions: Maya Complete and Maya Unlimited. Maya Personal Learning Edition (PLE) is available at no cost for non-commercial use, although the resulting rendered images are watermarked.
Maya was originally released for the IRIX operating system, and subsequently ported to the Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac OS X operating systems. IRIX support was discontinued after the release of version 6.5. When Autodesk acquired Alias in October 2005, they continued Maya development. The latest version, 2008 (9.0), was released in September 2007.
An important feature of Maya is its openness to third-party software, which can strip the software completely of its standard appearance and, using only the kernel, can transform it into a highly customized version of the software. This feature in itself made Maya appealing to large studios which tend to write custom code for their productions using the provided software development

Academy Award®-winning Autodesk® Maya® software is a powerfully integrated 3D modeling, animation, effects, and rendering solution. Based on an open architecture, all your work can be scripted or programmed using an embedded scripting language and a well-documented and comprehensive Application Program Interface (API) enabling you to realize your creative vision. Autodesk Maya is used by film and video artists, game developers, design visualization professionals, and students to create engaging, lifelike digital images, realistic animation, and extraordinary visual effects.

Autodesk 3D Studio Max 2009

3ds Max (formerly 3D Studio MAX) is a full-featured 3D graphics application developed by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. It runs on the Win32 and Win64 platforms. 3ds Max is currently in its eleventh version (as of April 2008) entitled 3ds Max 2009, which adds enhanced support for complex pipelines and workflows

What's new:

New Polygon Modeling Workflow A collection of “hands-on” modeling options, new in Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2008, lets you take advantage of a more streamlined, artist-friendly modeling workflow. This video introduces you to two of these new options: temporary pivot overrides and a new subobject previewing workflow that lets you preview and select subobjects in one fluid motion and switch between subobject modes in the viewport. You’ll also learn how to take advantage of the new Multiple UV Unwrap operation—a feature that makes it significantly easier to organize the mapping of multiple objects into one texture.

Performance Enhancements Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 delivers new technology and optimizations that result in vastly improved performance for even the largest, most complex scenes. This video will demonstrate how new adaptive degradation enhancements ensure your viewport interaction rates by automatically simplifying scenes to meet target frame rates. When combined with the new Direct3D mesh caching, which groups objects by materials, the result is that tens of thousands of objects become just as interactive as ten objects. Plus, you’ll see how easy it is to control the degree to which 3ds Max simplifies your scene: You just select a desired level of viewport interactivity and 3ds Max calculates how best to achieve it.

Review Rendering

The powerful, new Review rendering toolset gives you immediate feedback on various render settings, enabling you to iterate rapidly. This means you can now quickly hone in on your desired look without waiting for a software render—perfect for over-the-shoulder client/boss feedback sessions and other iterative workflows. This video demonstrates the Review rendering toolset’s ability to deliver interactive viewport previewing of shadows, its improved workflow for those using the 3ds Max Sun/Sky system, and new mental ray Architectural and Design material settings. You’ll also learn how to take advantage of the new mental ray Sky Portal system—a workflow that simplifies the process of lighting indoor scenes with outdoor lighting. Autodesk 3ds Max/Revit Interoperability Deeper support in 3ds Max 2008 for the DWG™ file format results in faster, more accurate importing of data from other popular Autodesk applications such as Revit® Architecture 2008. This video will introduce you to two new features that streamline 3ds Max/Revit workflows: support for DWG solids—including all materials assigned to these objects—and support for imported Sun/Sky/geographic location parameters, including time of day and time zone.

Autodesk 3ds Max/mental ray

Enhancements A number of major enhancements to mental ray and the 3ds Max 2008/mental ray workflow will help you to achieve your desired look faster. This video introduces you to

* The Sky Portal workflow for lighting indoor scenes with outdoor lighting

* The self-illumination feature for mental ray Architecture and Design materials * The Render to Texture presets

* The photographic exposure UI—a camera-based interface for managing exposure settings (tone-mapping)

Toon Boom Studio v4.0

Description:

Toon Boom Studio is ideal for individuals looking for an all-in-one animation software. From drawing digitally, scanning hand-drawn animations or seamlessly importing existing artwork, Studio 4 enables you to lip-sync your animation, setup the action in a 3D space and publish your animation projects for TV, HDTV, the Web and iPod!
Covering the entire animation workflow from sketching to final publishing, you will find Toon Boom Studio to be a great tool to create or learn animation. Create any styles of animationToon Boom Studio offers true animation features designed to facilitate the creation of any styles of animation, including traditional frame-by-frame animation, key-frame animation, cut-out and photo animation.
No matter how much you know about computers or animation, everyone can use Toon Boom Studio. Learn how to use Toon Boom Studio quickly with our free video tutorials, online articles and samples.

Description:Toon Boom Studio is ideal for individuals looking for an all-in-one animation software. From drawing digitally, scanning hand-drawn animations or seamlessly importing existing artwork, Studio 4 enables you to lip-sync your animation, setup the action in a 3D space and publish your animation projects for TV, HDTV, the Web and iPod!
Covering the entire animation workflow from sketching to final publishing, you will find Toon Boom Studio to be a great tool to create or learn animation. Create any styles of animationToon Boom Studio offers true animation features designed to facilitate the creation of any styles of animation, including traditional frame-by-frame animation, key-frame animation, cut-out and photo animation.
No matter how much you know about computers or animation, everyone can use Toon Boom Studio. Learn how to use Toon Boom Studio quickly with our free video tutorials, online articles and samples.

History of Animated Movies

2008-06-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

Animated Films are ones in which individual drawings, paintings, or illustrations are photographed frame by frame (stop-frame cinematography). Usually, each frame differs slightly from the one preceding it, giving the illusion of movement when frames are projected in rapid succession at 24 frames per second. The earliest cinema animation was composed of frame-by-frame, hand-drawn images. When combined with movement, the illustrator's two-dimensional static art came alive and created pure and imaginative cinematic images - animals and other inanimate objects could become evil villains or heroes.
Animations are not a strictly-defined genre category, but rather a film technique, although they often contain genre-like elements. Animation, fairy tales, and stop-motion films often appeal to children, but it would marginalize animations to view them only as "children's entertainment." Animated films are often directed to, or appeal most to children, but easily can be enjoyed by all. See section on children's-family films. Please see this website's related section on Visual and Special Effects Milestones in Cinematic History.

Early Animation:
The predecessor of early animation was the newspaper comic strips of the 1890s. Historically and technically, the first animated film (in other words, the earliest animated film ever made) was Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906) by newspaper cartoonist J. Stuart Blackton, one of the co-founders of the Vitagraph Company. It was the earliest surviving example of an animated film. It was the first cartoon to use the single frame method, and was projected at 20 frames per second. In the film, a cartoonist's line drawings of two faces were 'animated' (or came to life) on a blackboard. The two faces smiled and winked, and the cigar-smoking man blew smoke in the lady's face; also, a circus clown led a small dog to jump through a hoop.
This was soon followed by the first fully-animated film - Emile Cohl's Fantasmagorie (1908, Fr.), which consisted solely of simple line drawings (of a clown-like stick figure) that blended, transformed or fluidly morphed from one image into another.

Winsor McCay ("America's Greatest Cartoonist"):
New York Herald comic-strip animator and sketch artist Winsor McCay (1869-1934) produced a string of comic strips from 1904-1911, his three best being Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend, Little Sammy Sneeze, and Little Nemo in Slumberland (from October 15, 1905 to July 23, 1911). Although McCay wasn't the first to create a cartoon animation, he nonetheless helped to define the new industry. He was the first to establish the technical method of animating graphics. His first animation attempt used the popular characters from his comic strip (and became part of his own vaudeville act): Little Nemo in Slumberland (1911) (with 4,000 hand-drawn frames), followed by How a Mosquito Operates (1912) (with 6,000 frames).
His first prominent, successful and realistic cartoon character or star was a brontosaurus named Gertie in Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) (with 10,000 drawings, backgrounds included), again presented as part of his act. In fact, McCay created the "interactive" illusion of walking into the animation by first disappearing behind the screen, reappearing on-screen!, stepping on Gertie's mouth, and then climbing onto Gertie's back for a ride - an astonishing feat! It was the earliest example of combined 'live action' and animation, and the first "interactive" animated cartoon. Some consider it the first successful, fully animated cartoon - it premiered in February 1914 at the Palace Theatre in Chicago.
McCay's 12-minute propagandistic, documentary-style The Sinking of the Lusitania (1918), an animation landmark, was the first serious re-enactment of an historical event - the torpedoing of the RMS Lusitania by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, resulting in the loss of almost 2,000 passengers. It was one of the earliest films to utilize cel animation.
Soviet animator (W)ladislaw Starewicz created the first 3-D, stop-motion narratives in two early films with animated insects: The Grasshopper and the Ant (1911) and The Cameraman's Revenge (1911). And John Randolph Bray's first animated film, The Artist's Dream(s) (1913) (aka The Dachshund and the Sausage), the first animated cartoon made in the U.S. by modern techniques was the first to use 'cels' - transparent drawings laid over a fixed background.

Felix the Cat: First Appearance in 1919
The first animated character that attained superstar status (and was anthropomorphic) during the silent era was the mischievous Felix the Cat, in Pat Sullivan Studios. He was inspired by Kipling's The Cat That Walked By Himself in the Just So Stories published in 1902.
Originated by young animator Otto Messmer, the (unnamed) cat's first two cartoons were the five-minute Feline Follies (1919) and Musical Mews (1919), when Felix was known only as "Master Tom." Feline Follies was a segment of the Paramount Magazine, a semi-weekly compilation of short film segments that included animated cartoons. By the third Felix cartoon, The Adventures of Felix (1919), Felix took his permanent name. For the first few years, the Felix cartoons were distributed by Paramount Pictures, and then by M.J. Winkler. Messmer directed and animated more than 175 Felix cartoons in the years 1919 through 1929. Felix was the first character to be widely merchandised. The last Felix the Cat cartoon, The Last Life (1928), was due to the advent of the talkies and the success of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse. Messmer continued with his comic strip (begun in 1923) until 1966.

First Color Cartoon:
Producer John Randolph Bray's (and Bray Picture Corporation's) The Debut of Thomas Cat (1920) has often been credited as the first color cartoon, using the expensive Brewster Natural Color Process (a 2-emulsion color process), an unsuccessful precursor of Technicolor. This was the first animated short genuinely made in color using color film. Drawings were made on transparent celluloid and painted on the reverse, then photographed with a two-color camera. However, some sources have claimed that the Natural Colour Kinematograph Company's In Gollywog Land (1912, UK) was the earliest, using Kinemacolor.

First Animated Feature:
The little-known but pioneering, oldest-surviving feature-length animated film that can be verified (with silhouette animation techniques and color tinting) was released by German film-maker and avante-garde artist Lotte Reiniger, The Adventures of Prince Achmed (aka Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed) (1926, Germ.), based on the stories from the Arabian Nights. Reiniger's achievement is often brushed aside, due to the fact that the animations were silhouetted, used paper cut-outs, and they were done in Germany. And the rarely-seen prints that exist have lost much of their original quality. However, the film was very innovative -- it used multi-plane camera techniques and experimented with wax and sand on the film stock.

Early Walt Disney:
A classic animator in the early days of cinema was Walt Disney, originally an advertising cartoonist who initially experimented with combining animated and live-action films. The very first films he made, around 1920, were short cartoons called Newman Laugh-O-Grams. His first successful silent cartoons (from 1923-1927) were dozens of shorts called Alice Comedies (or Alice in Cartoonland) that debuted in 1924 with Alice's Day at Sea (1924). Disney's Alice cartoons placed a live-action title character into an animated Wonderland world. Oswald the Rabbit was Disney's first successful animal star in a 26-cartoon series distributed by Universal beginning in 1927. Oswald appeared in a number of cartoon shorts, such as: Trolley Troubles (1927) and Poor Papa (1927). Disney produced about two dozen of the silent, black and white Oswald cartoons from 1927-1928 until giving up the character to Walter Lantz and moving onto Mickey Mouse (looking like Oswald with his ears cut off) in 1928.]

The Debut of Mickey Mouse:
In 1928, Disney Studios' chief animator Ub Iwerks (1901-1971) developed a new character from a figure known as Mortimer Mouse, a crudely-drawn or sketched, rodent-like 'Mickey Mouse' - slightly similar to Felix the Cat. [Mickey Mouse was never a comic strip character before he became a cartoon star.] The first Mickey Mouse cartoon was released on May 15, 1928: Plane Crazy (1928) in which Mickey, while impressing Minnie, imitated aviator Charles Lindbergh. The second was Steamboat Willie (1928), first released (on a limited basis) on July 29, 1928, with Mickey as a roustabout on Pegleg Pete's river steamer, but without his trademark white gloves. The third was The Gallopin' Gaucho (1928) released on August 2, 1928. (These early films were soon re-worked and re-released with sound - with electrifying results.)
To help make Mickey stand out from other cartoon characters at the dawn of the talkies, the 7-minute Steamboat Willie (1928) was re-released on November 18, 1928 with sound and premiered at the 79th Street Colony Theatre in New York - it was the first cartoon with post-produced synchronized soundtrack (of music, dialogue, and sound effects) and is considered Mickey Mouse's screen debut performance and birthdate. Animated star Mickey (with Minnie) was redrawn with shoes and white, four-fingered gloves. [The character was a take-off based upon Buster Keaton's Steamboat Bill (1928). ] It was a landmark film and a big hit - the first sound cartoon to be a major hit - leading to many more Mickey Mouse films during the late 1920s and 1930s. Strangely, Mickey's first sound cartoon didn't include Mickey's voice -- he didn't speak until his ninth short, The Karnival Kid (1929) when he said the words: "Hot dogs!" [Walt's voice was used for Mickey.] Walt Disney was fast becoming the most influential pioneer in the field of character-based cel animation.

The Fleischer Brothers: Inventors, Cartoon Makers
At the same time, serious rivals to Disney's animation production came from the Fleischers (Max, Dave, Joe, and Lou). They were already making technical innovations that would revolutionize the art of animation. In 1917, Max Fleischer invented the rotoscope to streamline the frame-by-frame copying process - it was a device used to overlay drawings on live-action film. The Fleischers were also pioneering the use of 3-D animation landscapes, and produced the hour-long Einstein's Theory of Relativity (1923).

The Fleischer Brothers also made the first animated films (cartoons) that featured a soundtrack, in a series of 36 films released in the mid-1920s called Ko-Ko Song Car-Tunes (1924-1927) - the precursors to karaoke. The first sound cartoon was one of the Song Car-Tunes -- Mother Pin a Rose on Me. They were also the first audience participation films, with sing-along lyrics and a 'bouncing-ball' helper. They included Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly? (1926), When The Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves For Alabam' (1926), Comin' Tho' The Rye (1926), Margie (1926), My Old Kentucky Home (1926), Tramp, Tramp, Tramp-The Boys Are Marching (1927), By The Light Of The Silvery Moon (1927). In My Old Kentucky Home, Bimbo said to the audience: “Follow the ball and join in everybody." Twelve of the 36 short films were released in both sound and silent versions.
[Little-known fact: Max Fleischer was the father of Richard Fleischer, the director of Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Fantastic Voyage (1966), Doctor Dolittle (1967) and Soylent Green (1973).]

Ko-Ko the Clown
One of the Fleischers' first successful ventures occurred in 1919 with the premiere of the part live-action/part animation Out of the Inkwell series of shorts, featuring the animated Ko-Ko the Clown character in a live-action world - one of the first animated characters.

Bimbo
From 1929-1932, their Talkartoons for Paramount starred a mouse-like character named Bimbo - who was soon relegated to a minor companion co-star with the Fleischer's next racy cartoon star.

Betty Boop
Max Fleischer was responsible for the provocative, adult-oriented, cartoon Betty Boop vamp-character, who always wore a strapless, thigh-high gown (and visible garter) and was based on flapper icon Clara Bow's 'It' Girl and Mae West. A prototype of the squeaky- and baby-voiced cartoon queen (voiced for most of the 30s by Mae Questel) was introduced in a Bimbo Talkartoon entitled Dizzy Dishes (1930) - with her appearing as a long-eared puppy dog! In the early cartoon Betty Co-Ed (1931), she was called Betty, and in a pre-Code Bimbo cartoon entitled Silly Scandals (1931) (the title spoofed Disney's Silly Symphonies), she was named Betty Boop for the first time (she sings You're Driving Me Crazy while her dress top keeps falling down). However, in Stopping the Show (1932), she appeared under her own credits banner for the first time (she had previously appeared only in Talkartoons and Screen Songs).
Betty Boop's voice was actually modeled on the voice of another actress, Helen Kane, who created a sensation on Broadway in 1928 with a "boop-oop-a-doop" rendition of the hit song I Wanna Be Loved by You. The cartoon character with a high baby voice and spit curls then appeared in a series of short cartoons and became the top Fleischer star, in Minnie the Moocher (1932), the risque Boop-Oop-A-Doop (1932), Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle (1932), the five-minute Snow White (1933) (with an appearance by Cab Calloway) - the first animated film based upon the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, Betty Boop's Rise to Fame (1934), in her sole color cartoon Poor Cinderella (1934) - the Fleischer's first color cartoon with Betty sporting red hair, and the Oscar-nominated Riding the Rails (1938). She displayed a bit of breast and performed a sexy hula in the pre-code Betty Boop's Rise To Fame (1934). Unfortunately, the cute, titillating 'boop-oop-a-doop' Betty was destined to be censored with the advent of the enforceable, conservative and puritanical Hays Production Code in 1934. Drastic changes to her character after 1934 led to her demise by 1939, with her last cartoon, Yip Yip Yippy (1939). [During the 30s, Mae Questel recorded On the Good Ship Lollipop -- in Betty Boop's voice-- which sold more than 2 million copies.]

Popeye
The Fleischers also obtained the rights to the tough, one-eyed, spinach-loving sailor Popeye with over-sized arms (who was introduced in January 1929 in creator Elzie C. Segar's "Thimble Theatre" newspaper comic strip published in the New York Journal for King Features Syndicate since 1919). Popeye became so popular in the comic strip that it was renamed "Thimble Theatre, Starring Popeye." Popeye first appeared on film alongside established cartoon-star Betty Boop in July, 1933 in Fleischers' Betty Boop cartoon titled Popeye the Sailor (1933), in which they dance the hula. Popeye's voice was provided by William Costello (better known as Red Pepper Sam) from 1933-35. [After Costello was dismissed, Jack Mercer, who began his career as an artist at the cartoon studio, provided Popeye's voice and ad-libbed mutterings for the Fleischers until 1957, and various voices for the two Fleischer feature-length animations - see below.] The same year in September, the first official Popeye cartoon, I Yam What I Yam was released - the first in a long series of animated shorts. Popeye's first Technicolor cartoon was the two-reel special release Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936), noted for its experimental multi-plane 3-D backgrounds, and for being the first Fleischer cartoon to be nominated for an Academy Award - Best Short Subject - Cartoon. The cartoon character became well-known for his theme song (excerpt below):
I'm Popeye the Sailor ManI'm Popeye the Sailor ManI'm strong to the finich'Cause I eats me spinachI'm Popeye the Sailor Man...
The voices of Olive Oyl, Popeye's whiny girlfriend, and Sweet Pea were provided by Mae Questel. The character Wimpy provided the name for an unpopular type of British hamburger. By 1938, Popeye had replaced Mickey Mouse as the most popular cartoon character in America. Paramount's Famous Studios continued the series beginning in 1942, and Popeye's movie career lasted until 1957. Robert Altman directed the live-action film flop, Popeye (1980), starring Robin Williams as Popeye, Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl, and Ray Walston as Pappy, Popeye's father.

Superman
Dave and Max Fleischer, in an agreement with Paramount and DC Comics, also produced a series of seventeen Superman cartoons in the early 1940s. The first Superman short, Superman (1941), premiered in 1941, introduced the terms "faster than a speeding bullet" and "Look, up in the sky!". The most famous of the series was the second entry, The Mechanical Monsters (1941) with the super-hero battling giant flying robots - and marking a redesigned Lois Lane and the first time Superman would change into his costume in a phonebooth. Also notable was The Bulleteers (1942).
The Fleischers were responsible for the first ten Superman cartoons (up through Japoteurs (1942)), with the remaining shorts produced by Paramount's Famous Studios during 1942-43. [The recognizable theme song for the series was incorporated into John Williams' score for Superman: The Movie (1978), and the cartoons were referenced in The Iron Giant (1999).]

Fleischer Studios' Two Feature Films:
Two feature-length animations with whimsical characters and advanced animation techniques by the Fleischers deserve mention, although the Fleischers are better-remembered for their shorts than for their only two features:
(1) Gulliver's Travels (1939), an animated musical adaptation of Jonathan Swift's 1726 classic literary satire about war. The Fleischers, who were in direct competition with Disney, released this inferior attempt - it was the second American feature-length animated film ever, following (and patterned) after Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). (See below) The film was a two-time Academy Awards nominee: for Victor Young's Best Original Score, and for Best Song: Faithful Forever.
(2) the expensive, Technicolored Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941), advertised as the screen's first full-length musical comedy cartoon. (It was originally named after Frank Capra's earlier feature Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), and also given an alternate title: Hoppity Goes to Town.) Due to the film's financial failure, it was the last cartoon feature that Max and Dave released.
As a final footnote, Fleischer Studios, after restructuring as Famous Studios by Paramount, also produced cartoons based on Harvey Comics characters, including over two dozen Little Lulu (Moppet) cartoons in the 40s, and over 50 Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons that stretched into the 1950s (Casper made his debut in Izzy Sparber's cartoon short The Friendly Ghost (1945)).

sony Ericsson W960i,,NokiaN95, Samsung I600,Motorola E6-premium,LG KG920,Black Berry Pearl8100

2008-06-03T01:40:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericsson W960i
Sony Ericsson, a 50:50 joint venture of Sony Corporation and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, was established in October 2001. Our mission is to establish Sony Ericsson as the most attractive and innovative global brand in the mobile handset industry.Sony Ericsson's press resources section contains recent press releases, the press release archive and the photo library with images of mobile phones and accessories
Price: 26000

Description:
The sleek W960i Walkman® phone impresses with its touch display and 8GB memory. You can have all the music you want - literally at your fingertips. The Walkman® touch player let you manage your music the easy way. Enjoy album art on the large phone display and use your fingers to play the song you want. View videos in TV quality on the W960i display. Or connect to your PC, synchronize and enjoy podcasts on your phone. All the software you need - and a stereo headset - is included in phone kit. W960i is the walk man series in sony with 3mega pxicel camera .

NokiA N95

Nokia is the world leader in Mobility,Driving The transformationand Growth of the converging internet and communication industries and the connecting people

Price: 28023

Description:
The Nokia N95 8GB is a little bit more than just the existing N95 with a paint job and memory upgrade - this version of the N95 has a larger screen and enhanced GPS, plus N-Gage gaming. The display has been upgraded to a 2.8" panel from 2.6", and according to Nokia it is also brighter and clearer than ever before. In fact, the screen is the same size as the HTC TyTN II The camera is one of the N95 8GB's strongest points - it's a 5 megapixel unit with autofocus and Carl Zeiss optics. Video capture resolution is up to 640 x 480 pixels, and the N95 8GB also has a video out port. Images and video clips can be uploaded directly from the phone to a number of compatible weblog or picture sharing sites. Along with some other high-end Nokias, the N95 8GB can use the N-Gage Arena gaming service.

Samsung I600

Imagine what Samsung can do for you! You'll find product and support information for our TVs, mobile phones, video & audios, computers and related products

Price 18180

Description:

The Samsung i600 Ultra Messaging is the first Samsung 3G smartphone with high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA). The i600 Ultra Messaging is the slimmest Samsung 3G smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard. The handset comes in a black coloured casing which has a tactile feel to the casing & provides the user with a good grip when in use. The handset has a large 2.3 Inch color screen which provides up to 65,000 colours on a TFT LCD screen. The Samsung i600 Ultra Messaging comes with a 1.3 megapixel camera located on the back of the handset & a VGA camera located on the front. The VGA camera can be used for 3G video calling which allows the user to have a face to face call with any 3G compatible mobile phone user.

Motorola E6-premium

We are scientists. We are artists. Most of all, we are a global communications leader, powered by, and driving, seamless mobility. Motorola is revolutionizing broadband, embedded systems and wireless networks – bringing cutting-edge technologies into your everyday life, with style.

Price :13129

Description:
Create, share, entertain – the possibilities are endless with the MOTOROKR E6. Treat your senses to an audio/visual extravaganza. The fully loaded motorola rocker E6 Premium comes along with musical type bluetooth headset and 2 Gb memory card included

LG KG920
LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones), one of the fastest growing mobile phone brands in North America, boasts expertise in designing stylish handsets with features consumers want and expect. This strategy has proven to be wildly successful in the U.S. market. Popular new LG handsets, including the Voyager and Venus, are fueling LG’s robust growth to further solidify its place as the #1 manufacturer in the CDMA mobile handset market for the year end 2007. United States CDMA shipments increased 23.4 percent in 2007, representing more than 23.5 million units, garnering 26.4 percent of total CDMA sales in the U.S.*

Price: 19540

Description:
The KG920 by LG is a GSM Tri-Band handset that operates at 900MHz, 1800MHz and 1900MHz. It sports a 5 mega pixel digital camera with a creative swivel hinge design allowing the camera to rotate 180 degrees. The camera also has auto focus, a 4X digital zoom, and a Xenon and LED flash. It can be used in either still picture mode or in video capture mode at 30 fps. The display is a 2.0" , QVGA TFT LCD with 262,144 colors. Other notable features bundled in the KG920 include an integrated MP3 player, audio & data Bluetooth connectivity, miniUSB, preinstalled games, typical PIM functions, multiple languages, email, voice mail, text messaging; vibrate mode; hands free operation; call register; WAP 2.0 browser and a voice record

Black Berry Pearl8100
The BlackBerry® Bold™ smartphone is a symbol of what you’ve already accomplished – and the achievements still to come.

Price 23599

Description:
BlackBerry® Pearl™, one of the world’s smallest and lightest smartphones. Weighing in at just 3.1 ounces and measuring a mere 4.2” x 1.97” x .57”, it packs the full power of the BlackBerry experience together with an impressive range of new features. In addition to supporting phone, email, messaging, organizer, web browser and other mobile applications, the BlackBerry Pearl is also the first BlackBerry handset to incorporate a digital camera, MP3 player, video player and an expandable memory slot.

Tourism- Malaysia,Singapore,mauritius

2008-06-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

Tourism Malayasia:
Multiculturalism has not only made Malaysia a gastronomical paradise, it has also made Malaysia home to hundreds of colourful festivals. It's no wonder that we love celebrating and socialising. As a people, Malaysians are very laid back, warm and friendly.
Geographically, Malaysia is as diverse as its culture. There are two parts to the country, 11 states in the peninsula of Malaysia and two states on the northern part of Borneo. Cool hideaways are found in the highlands that roll down to warm, sandy beaches and rich, humid mangroves.
One of Malaysia's key attractions is its extreme contrasts. Towering skyscrapers look down upon wooden houses built on stilts, and five-star hotels sit several metres away from ancient reefs.
For the perfect holiday full of surprises, eclectic cultures and natural wonders, the time is now, the place is Malaysia

FACTS :
Country

The Federation of Malaysia comprises Peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo.
Geographical Location

Located between 2º and 7º north of the Equator, Peninsula Malaysia is separated from the states of Sabah and Sarawak by the South China Sea. To the north of Peninsula Malaysia is Thailand while its southern neighbour is Singapore. Sabah and Sarawak are north of Indonesia in Borneo while Sarawak also shares a border with Brunei.
Area
329,758 sq km
Population
26 million
Capital

kuala Lumpur
People

Malays who make up about 57% of the population are the predominant group with Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups making up the rest.
Language

Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the national language but English is widely spoken. The ethnic groups also speak various languages and dialects.
Religion

Islam is the official religion but all other religions are freely practised.
GovernmentMalaysia is governed by a Parliamentary democracy with a bicameral legislative system. The Head of State is the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, a position that is awarded to a different State Monarch every five years and the Head of Government is the Prime Minister.
Climate

Tropical climate with warm weather all year round. Temperatures in the lowlands range from 21ºC (70ºF) to 32ºC (90ºF). The highlands are cooler, where temperatures range between 15°C (59° F) to 25°C (77°F). Annual rainfall varies from 2,000mm to 2,500mm.
Major Holidays
New Year's Day Hari Raya Aidiladha* Federal Territory Day ** Chinese New Year* Awal Muharam* Birthday of Prophet Muhammad* Labour Day* Wesak Day* King's Birthday* National Day* Deepavali# Hari Raya Aidilfitri* Christmas*Note: (*) - National holidays (**) - Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur & Labuan only (#) - Except Labuan & Sarawak
Economic Profile

Manufacturing constitutes the largest single component of Malaysia's economy. Tourism and primary commodities such as petroleum, palm oil, natural rubber and timber are other major contributors to the economy.
Distance to Malaysia

London, United Kingdom to Kuala Lumpur : 6,557 miles (10,552 km)Paris, France to Kuala Lumpur 6,483 miles (10,432 km)Rome, Italy to Kuala Lumpur : 6,038 miles (9,716 km)Stockholm, Sweden to Kuala Lumpur : 5,812 miles (9,353 km)Berlin, Germany to Kuala Lumpur : 5,979 miles (9,622 km)Madrid, Spain to Kuala Lumpur : 6,885 miles (11,079 km)New York, USA to Kuala Lumpur : 9,400 miles (15,126 km)Los Angeles, USA to Kuala Lumpur : 8,790 miles (14,144 km)Vancouver, Canada to Kuala Lumpur : 7,944 miles (12,783 km)
Currency

The unit of currency is Malaysian Ringgit indicated as RM. USD1 is roughly equivalent to RM3.20. Foreign currency can be converted at banks and money changers.
Banking HoursMost states: Mon - Fri: 9.30am to 4.30pm. Sat & Sun: Closed (Selected banks and branches are open on Sat). Kelantan & Terengganu: Sun - Wed :9.30am to 4.30pm. Thurs :9.30am to 4.00pm. Friday/Saturday*/Public Holiday: Closed
Post Offices

Open from 8.30am to 6.00pm daily except the first Saturday of each month, Sundays and public holidays.In Kelantan and Terengganu post offices operate during the same hours but are closed on Fridays and public holidays.
Time

Eight hours ahead of GMT and 16 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Standard Time.
Electricity

Voltage is 220 - 240 volts AC at 50 cycles per second.

Standard 3-pin square plugs and sockets.
Weights and Measures

Malaysia follows the metric system in weights and measures.
Telephones

Local calls can be made from public phones using coins or pre-paid cards. International calls can be made from public phones with card phone facilities or at any Telekom office.
Accommodation

Malaysia has a wide range of accommodation at competitive rates. Six-star, medium range, budget hotels, youth hostels, beach chalets and timeshare apartments are just some of the types of accommodation available. Privately operated motor-homes are also available for rent.

Culture and Heritage:
DISCOVER A LAND OF INTRIGUING DIVERSITY
Malays, Chinese, Indians and many other ethnic groups have lived together in Malaysia for generations. All these cultures have influenced each other, creating a truly Malaysian culture. The largest ethnic groups in Malaysia are the Malays, Chinese and Indians. In Sabah and Sarawak, there are a myriad of indigenous ethnic groups with their own unique culture and heritage.
MALAY

Today, the Malays, Malaysia's largest ethnic group, make up more than 50% of the population. In Malaysia, the term Malay refers to a person who practices Islam and Malay traditions, speaks the Malay language and whose ancestors are Malays. Their conversion to Islam from Hinduism and Theravada Buddhism began in the 1400s, largely influenced by the decision of the royal court of Melaka. The Malays are known for their gentle mannerisms and rich arts heritage.
CHINESE

The second largest ethnic group, the Malaysian Chinese form about 25% of the population. Mostly descendents of Chinese immigrants during the 19th century, the Chinese are known for their diligence and keen business sense. The three sub-groups who speak a different dialect of the Chinese language are the Hokkien who live predominantly on the northern island of Penang; the Cantonese who live predominantly in the capital city Kuala Lumpur; and the Mandarin-speaking group who live predominantly in the southern state of Johor.
INDIAN

The smallest of three main ethnic groups, the Malaysian Indians form about 10% of the population. Most are descendants of Tamil-speaking South Indian immigrants who came to the country during the British colonial rule. Lured by the prospect of breaking out of the Indian caste system, they came to Malaysia to build a better life. Predominantly Hindus, they brought with them their colourful culture such as ornate temples, spicy cuisine and exquisite sarees.

INDIGENOUS ETHNIC GROUPS
Orang AsliOrang

Asli is a general term used for any indigenous groups that are found in Peninsular Malaysia. They are divided into three main tribal groups: Negrito, Senoi and Proto-Malay. The Negrito usually live in the north, the Senoi in the middle and the Proto-Malay in the south. Each group or sub-group has its own language and culture. Some are fishermen, some farmers and some are semi-nomadic.
SARAWAK
Collectively known as the Dayaks, the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu are the major ethnic groups in the state of Sarawak. Dayak, which means upstream or inland, is used as a blanket term by the Islamic coastal population for over 200 tribal groups. Typically, they live in longhouses, traditional community homes that can house 20 to 100 families.
Iban

The largest of Sarawak's ethnic groups, the Ibans form 30% of the state's population. Sometimes erroneously referred to as the Sea Dayaks because of their skill with boats, they are actually an upriver tribe from the heart of Kalimantan. In the past, they were a fearsome warrior race renowned for headhunting and piracy. Traditionally, they worship a triumvirate of gods under the authority of Singalang Burung, the bird-god of war. Although now mostly Christians, many traditional customs are still practised.
Bidayuh

Peace-loving and easy-going, the gentle Bidayuh of Sarawak are famous for their hospitality and tuak or rice wine. Making their homes in Sarawak's mountainous regions, they are mostly farmers and hunters. In their past headhunting days, their prized skulls were stored in a 'baruk' a roundhouse that rises about 1.5 metres above the ground. Originally animists, now most of them have converted to Christianity.
Orang Ulu

Also known as upriver tribes of Sarawak. Forming roughly 5.5% of Sarawak's population, there are over 100,000 different Orang Ulu tribes. Arguably Borneo's most artistic people, their large longhouses are ornately decorated with murals and superb woodcarvings; their utensils are embellished with intricate beadwork; and aristocratic ladies cover their bodies with finely detailed tattoos.
SABAH
The largest indigenous ethnic groups of Sabah's population are the Kadazan Dusun, the Bajau and the Murut.
Kadazan Dusun

The largest ethnic group of Sabah, the Kadazan Dusuns form about 30% of the state's population. Actually consisting of two tribes; the Kadazan and the Dusun, they were grouped together as they both share the same language and culture. However, the Kadazan are mainly inhabitants of flat valley deltas, which are conducive to paddy field farming, while the Dusun traditionally lived in the hilly and mountainous regions of interior Sabah.
Bajau

The second largest ethnic group in Sabah, the Bajaus make up about 15% of the state's population. Historically a nomadic sea-faring people that worshipped the Omboh Dilaut or God of the Sea, they are sometimes referred to as the Sea Gypsies. Those who chose to leave their sea-faring ways became farmers and cattle-breeders. These land Bajaus are nicknamed 'Cowboys of the East' in tribute to their impressive equestrian skills, which are publicly displayed in the annual Tamu Besar festival at Kota Belud.

For More Details on Tourism Malaysia Visit : http://www.tourism.gov.my/

TOURISM SINGAPORE:

If there is one word that best captures Singapore, it is “unique”. A dynamic city rich in contrast and colour, you'll find a harmonious blend of culture, cuisine, arts and architecture here. Brimming with unbridled energy, this little dynamo in Southeast Asia embodies the finest of both East and WestA single day's trail will take you from the past to the future, from exotic ethnic enclave to efficient business centre, from serene gardens to sleek skyscrapers.Start your day with a hearty breakfast amidst lush vegetation with Singapore's very own orang utans. Then take a step back in time as you enter a traditional Chinese temple, Muslim mosque, Hindu temple and Christian church - all in the same neighbourhood.Return to the present by strolling down Orchard Road, picking up the latest fashion trends and entertaining local catch phrases along the way.A simple meal is made memorable when drifting along the Singapore River on a traditional bumboat. Step off the boat and get catapulted 60 metres into the air on a reverse bungy ride! More laughter and fun is in store if you board an amphibious "duck" to explore the city, in the company of its wacky guides.After a day of excitement, retreat into the peaceful sanctuary of our acclaimed spa, just a stone's throw away from the best business facilities in the world.When recharged, give yourself at least an hour to enjoy a customary Chinese tea ceremony before you step into a world-class venue to catch a Broadway musical.With its friendly and welcoming people, state-of-the-art infrastructure and something new happening everyday, Singapore is a holiday like no other

WHAT TO SEE :

Fort Canning Park – “Forbidden Hill”

Just a stone’s throw away from one of the busiest shopping areas in Singapore is a cool, shady nature walk around a hill which has a history that goes back 700 years. Relax by taking a stroll through the park situated on the hill or immerse yourself in this tranquil green oasis while commuting from Orchard Road to the Civic District or the Singapore River.Steeped in history Fort Canning Hill was once known as “Forbidden Hill”. This is because Malays in the 19th century believed that it was the seat of royalty for rulers of Temasek (or “ Sea Town”, an old name for Singapore) in the 1300s. Later, Singapore’s colonial leaders made their residences there, and the hill became a military base during the Second World War Today, ancient relics dating back to the 14th century have been unearthed and the Fort Gate, built in the 1860s, reminds of Singapore’s colonial past.Majestic tree, some gnarled with age, spread their branches to case deep pools of shade over the sprawling green spaces. Like guardians of this historic site, the magnificent fig tree (Ficus variegate and other species), Sage (Adenanthera pavonina), Silk-cotton Tree (Ceiba pentandra) and Yellow Flame (Peltophorum pterocarpum) stand watch. The Bird’s Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus) and other epiphytic denizen reside on board branches of the Rain Tree (Samanea saman), protected by its shady crown.Fort Canning is also good for bird-watching. Vistors can hear the trills of the Black-naped Oriole (Oriolis chinensis) over the hum of the cicadas. Collared Kingfishers (Halcyon chloris), Copper-smith Barbets (Megalaima haemacephala) and Yellow-vented Bulbuls (Pyconotus goiavier) lend flashes of colour as they flit from tree to tree. The park is also a home and hunting ground to populations of squirrel, bats and lizards.To cater to different palates, Fort Canning Park also houses five restaurants, namely, Flutes at the Fort, The Café, Poppi, Hibiki and Legends Garden. For those who love to cook, there is culinary academy, at-sunrice, offering tours of the Fort Canning Park Spice Garden and lessons on Pan-Asian cooking.THE FORT CANNING SPICE TRAILJourney back to the 19th century and explore the fascinating world of nature, history and art!The Fort Canning Spice Trail brings you into a world of spices as you stroll along the original grounds of the first Botanical Garden in Singapore. Fort Canning Park and neighbouring museums are located here.See, smell and touch the living collection of herbs and spices at Fort Canning Park. Look out for the exotic vanilla orchid and the trees of some of the most sought-after commodities in the past - nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Pause to watch squirrels play. Hear the birds sing amidst this lush tropical greenery.A walk through The Fort Canning Spice Trail will also take you through the Empire of Nature exhibition, the William Farquhar collection of natural history drawings at the National Museum of Singapore, the Spice Frontier exhibition at the National Archives of Singapore and the Flavours of Life exhibition at the Singapore Philatelic

Butterfly park and Insect Kingdom:

Like an emergent butterfly, the delicate beauty of the Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom promises to be breath-taking! Be dazzled by the riot of colours and thousands of tiny fluttering wings flutter as you stroll through the natural environment of these fragile specimens.Come up close and personal with the kings of the Insect World – Rhino Beetles, Giant Spiders and scorpions – in a 70m-long cave, the first in the world. As you venture further into the dark, be guided only by glowing fireflies.For a more hands-on experience, learn how to handle giant scorpions, beetles and other insects in the stage shows. Or try picking up a stick insect at the Stick Insect Safari – if you can spot them, that is!

The earliest known mention of Singapore was a 3rd century Chinese account which described Singapore as "Pu-luo-chung" ("island at the end of a peninsula"). Little is known about the island's history at that time but this matter-of-fact description belies Singapore's colourful past.
By the 14th century, Singapore had become part of the mighty Sri Vijayan empire and was known as Temasek ("Sea Town"). Located at the natural meeting point of sea routes at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore had long known visits from a wide variety of sea craft, from Chinese junks, Indian vessels, Arab dhows and Portuguese battleships to Buginese schooners.During the 11th century, this small but strategically-placed island had earned a new name - "Singa Pura" ("Lion City"). According to legend, a visiting Sri Vijayan prince saw an animal he mistook for a lion and Singapore's modern day name was born.he British provided the next notable chapter in the Singapore story. During the 18th century, they saw the need for a strategic "halfway house" to refit, feed and protect the fleet of their growing empire, as well as to forestall any advances by the Dutch in the region.It was against this political backdrop that Sir Stamford Raffles established Singapore as a trading station. The policy of free trade attracted merchants from all over Asia and from as far afield as the US and the Middle East.By 1824, just five years after the founding of modern Singapore, the population had grown from a mere 150 to 10,000.In 1832, Singapore became the centre of government for the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of telegraph and steamship increased Singapore's importance as a centre for the expanding trade between East and West.Singapore had been the site of military action in the 14th century when it became embroiled in the struggle for the Malay Peninsula between Siam (now Thailand), and the Java-based Majapahit Empire.Five centuries later, it was again the scene of significant fighting during World War II. Singapore was considered an impregnable fortress, but the Japanese overran the island in 1942. After the war, Singapore became a Crown Colony. The growth of nationalism led to self-government in 1959 and on 9 August 1965, Singapore became an independent republic.

For More Details on Tourism Singapore Visit : http://www.visitsingapore.com

TOURISM MAURITIUS

Mauritius will enchant you, will uplift your soul, making you feel that you belong to the chosen few. Every visitor enjoys personal attention. Every encounter is an opportunity to discover a friendly face. Behind each smile lies the promise of a unique holiday. The contrast of a multitude of colours and tastes, the island, set in its turquoise sea, is an oasis of peace and tranquillity. Mauritius, a melting pot where past and present are smoothly blended together, offers an essential beauty that will compel to return to its shores time and time again. May your stay with us remain engraved in your memory forever.

WHAT YO SEE

Grand Bay:

Grand Bay was the first area of the island to fully experience the tourist boom. A shopping and leisure paradise, Grand Bay also happens to be the area where Mauritians head for when they want a fun-filled night out (restaurants, bars and discos). Recently renovated, La Cuvette beach is well worth a visit.

Balaclava Ruins:A few metres away from Baie aux Tortues, which 17th century sailors named after the many tortoises in the area, can be found the ruins of the old Balaclava estate. Visitors will be able to see the sea walls, whose initial foundations were laid down by Mahé de Labourdonnais.

The Triolet Shivala:

The longest village on the island, Triolet offers an opportunity to visit the biggest Hindu temple, the Maheswarnath, first built in 1819 in honour of the Gods Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, Muruga, Brahma and Ganesha.
Pereybère:The wonderful Pereybere public beach is popular because of its shopping facilities, restaurants and pubs.

The Labourdonnais Orchards:Discover a large variety of tropical fruit trees, colourful and perfumed exotic flowers. Trips on mountain bikes or hiking are possible.

For More Details of Tourism of Mauritius visit: http://www.mauritius.net

Tourism Kerala:

Kerala is on the southernmost tip of India. It stretches along the coast of the Arabian Sea and is separated from the rest of the sub continent by the steep Western Ghats. The state lies between 80 18 ' and 120 48 ' north latitude and 740 52' and 770 22' east longitude. The breadth of the state varies from 32 kms in the extreme north and south to over 120 kms in the middle

With the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 ms in the east and networked by 44 rivers, Kerala enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia. An equable climate. A long shoreline with serene beaches. Tranquil streches of emerald backwaters. Lush hill stations and exotic wildlife. Waterfalls. Sprawling plantations and paddy fields. Ayurvedic health holidays. Enchanting art forms. Magical festivals. Historic and cultural monuments. An exotic cuisine... All of which offer you a unique experience. And what's more, every one of these charming destinations is only a two hour drive from the other. A singular advantage no other destination offers.
Kerala, India's most advanced society : A hundred percent literate people. World-class health care systems. India's lowest infant mortality and highest life expectancy rates. The highest physical quality of life in India. Peaceful and pristine, Kerala is also India's cleanest state.
For administrative purpose, the state of Kerala is divided into fourteen districts. Most of these districts offer all the tourism products typical of the State.

Cruise through Kerala on a houseboat!
Have you ever gone houseboat cruising on the backwaters of Kerala? If you haven’t, make sure you do. This one’s really an absolutely wonderful, unforgettable experience!
The houseboats of today - huge, slow moving, exotic barge used for leisure trips - are the reworked kettuvalloms of olden times. The original kettuvalloms were used to carry tonnes of rice and spices - a standard kettuvallom can hold up to 30 tonnes - from Kuttanad to the Kochi port.
The kettuvallam or ‘boat with knots’- was so called because the entire boat was held together with coir knots only - not even a single nail is used during the construction. The boat is made of planks of jack-wood joined together with coir. This is then coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels. With careful maintenance, a kettuvallom can last for generations.
A portion of the kettuvallom was covered with bamboo and coir to serve as a restroom and kitchen for the crew. Meals would be cooked on board and supplemented with fresh fish from the backwaters. Today, the tradition is still continued and the food from the local cuisine is served by the Kuttanad localites, on board.
When the modern trucks replaced this system of transport, some one found a new way that would keep these boats, almost all of which were more than 100 years old, in the market. By constructing special rooms to accommodate travelers, these boats cruised forward from near- extinction to enjoy their present great popularity.
Now these are a familiar sight on the backwaters and in Alleppey alone, there are as many as 120 houseboats.
While converting kettuvallams into houseboats, care is taken to use only natural products. Bamboo mats, sticks and wood of the aracanut tree are used for roofing, coir mats and wooden planks for the flooring and wood of coconut trees and coir for beds. For lighting though, solar panels are used.
Today, the houseboats have all the creature comforts of a good hotel including furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cozy living rooms, a kitchen and even a balcony for angling. Parts of the curved roof of wood or plaited palm open out to provide shade and allow uninterrupted views. While most boats are poled by local oarsmen, some are powered by a 40 HP engine. Boat-trains - formed by joining two or more houseboats together - are also used by large groups of sight-seers.
What is truly magical about a houseboat ride is the breathtaking view of the untouched and otherwise inaccessible rural Kerala that it offers - while you float! Now, wouldn’t that be some

kerala on ayurveda temple

Ayurveda evolved around 600 BC in India. This new system of medicine stressed on the prevention of body ailments in addition to curing them. Followed by the Dravidians and Aryans alike, Ayurveda has been practised ever since. Today, it's a unique, indispensable branch of medicine - a complete naturalistic system that depends on the diagnosis of your body's humours - vata, pitta and kapha - to achieve the right balance.Ayurveda believes in the treatment of not just the affected part, but the individual as a whole. Making it the natural way to refresh yourself, eliminate all toxic imbalances from the body and thus regain resistance and good health.

Kerala, the land of Ayurveda

Kerala's equable climate, natural abundance of forests (with a wealth of herbs and medicinal plants), and the cool monsoon season (June - November) are best suited for Ayurveda's curative and restorative packages.In fact, today, Kerala is the only State in India which practises this system of medicine with absolute dedication.

Monsoon, the ideal time for rejuvenation

The ideal juvenationTraditional texts reveal that the monsoon is the best season for rejuvenation programmes. The atmosphere remains dust-free and cool, opening the pores of the body to the maximum, making it most receptive to herbal oils and therapy.

for more details please visit: http://www.keralatourisim.org/

Around the WORLD

2008-06-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

MARITIUS

Mauritius is situated in the Indian Ocean, approximately 2400 kilometres off the South East Coast of Africa. The island, which is of volcanic origin, covers an area of 1,865 square kilometres or 720 square miles. Coral reefs surround most of the coast except the south.

PORT-LOUIS (The Capital City

Port-Louis naturally grew to be the economic and administrative capital of Mauritius after it superseded Mahebourg in the early eighteenth century because of the superior quality of its harbour. Until the 1860s, when the Suez Canal was built, Port-Louis was the recommended stopover for ships from Europe on their way to India. It was largely because of the safety and activity of Port-Louis, that Mauritius then earned the title of 'Star and Key of the Indian Ocean.' The City of Port-Louis underwent a second birth in the 1980s when post-independence economic stagnation finally gave way to bursting activity. The skyline of Port-Louis has changed dramatically since, and high-rising towers now compete with buildings from the colonial times. Port-Louis is unrecognizably quiet after business hours and on week-ends, except when the Champs-de-Mars hosts the very popular horse races.

EYE CATCHING PLACES

The jewel of the crown! The gardens are known to naturalists throughout the world for their countless species of indigenous and exotic plants, including the giant Victorial Regia water lilies, and the talipot palm, said to flower once every sixty years and then die. The garden was created by Pierre Poivre in 1767 in the Estate of the French Governor Mahe de Labourdonnais. The latter's Chateau de Mon Plaisir, built in 1735, can still be seen ther

Coloured Earths of Chamarel

Among the oddest sites of the island are the seven-coloured dunes at Chamarel, believed to result from the weathering of volcanic rocks. These undulating and vividly contrasted layers of earth are a short drive away from the beautiful Chamarel waterfalls

The Bird Garden of Casela :

Set in a magnificient site between Bambous and Tamarin in the Riviere Noire district, the Casela Bird Park hosts some 140 varieties of birds from around the world. The main attraction remains the Mauritian Pink Pigeon, one of the rarest birds in the world, still fighting to avoid the fate of the dodo. One of the giant tortoises is 150 years old. The park is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm and the entrance fee is Rs 125/150 on weekdays/we

Ile aux Cerfs :

There are no stags (cerfs) remaining on this small island which now belongs to Le Touessrok Sun Hotel and attracts large numbers of holiday-makers on the east coast. The ferry runs several times each hour between 9 am and 4 pm and costs Rs 80 per person return, although this is expected to increase. Le Touessrok Sun Hotel residents travel for free. What you get when you step off the ferry is a sheltered, crowded beach and lagoon for water sports or sunbathing, restaurants and several souvenir stalls. You can walk only around the seaward half of the island, that is, clockwise from the landing site. On the island, there is a boat house where you can hire water skis, pedalos, sailboards, surfcats, Laser dinghies and canoes. Two-hour boat trips are offered to the Grande Rivière Sud-Est waterfall; and there's also a tour around Île aux Cerfs.

Domaine Les Paille

Ten minutes south of Port-Louis lies the nature park of Domaine Les Pailles, stretching over 3,000 acres at the foot of the Moka mountain range. You can choose between touring the park in a Land-Rover, riding in a horse-drawn carriage or in a train. The gardens also feature a replica of an ancient sugarmill, an "alambic" - an apparatus formerly used in distilling rum, a spice garden and a natural sprin

Aquarium:
Situated between Pointe-aux-Piments and Trou-aux-Biches, hosts some 200 species of indigenous fish, invertebrates, corals and sponges, providing the visitor with a unique opportunity of admiring the fauna and flora of the Indian Ocean.

Domaine du Chasseur (Anse Jonchee, Vieux Grand Por

Situated in the south-east of the island, near Mahebourg, in the heart of abundant greenery, Le Domaine du Chasseur covers about 1,950 acres. It is also an exciting natural hunting ground with its herds of some 1,000 deer and hundreds of wild boar. Lovers of leafy walks can chose between 5 and 15 kms long, allowing them to admire rare kinds of trees and protected species, such as the famous windhover kestrel. A panoramic restaurant with a very good typically Mauritian menu completes the attractions of this unusual trip, which has become a must for hunters, walkers and... gourmets

Le Val Nature Park

Situated in the south-east of the island at Cluny, Le Val offers a view of the natural aquatic life of shrimps, eels and freshwater fish. The park also hosts anthurium green-houses, watercress ponds, deer parks, as well as monkeys and various bird species

The Well-known Creole Houses
Chateau de Labourdonnais: Privately-owned colonial house dated circa 1850, down the road from Belle-Vue Mauricia to Forbach, Goodlands.
Chateau Bel-Ombre: Private property, dated 1776, part of the Bel-Ombre Sugar Estate, in the south-west coast of the island.
Chateau de Mon-Plaisir: Built in 1735 by Mahe de Labourdonnais and around which the Pamplemousses gardens were created.
Chateau du Reduit: Built in 1778, actual residence of the President of the Republic of Mauritius, situated in the Reduit area. Can be visited once a year.
Chateau de Villebague: Built in 1740, house of Mahe de Labourdonnais. Now private property, on the road through La Nicoliere and to Grande Rosalie.
Eureka: Colonial house built in 1830 at Moka, on the road from Port-Louis to Curepipe through Montagne-Ory. Now a museum.
Riche-en-Eau: Colonial house, part of the Riche-en-Eau Sugar Estate. This is where the TV series "Paul & Virgine" was shot. Now a private property. Situated on the road to Mahebourg through Deux-Bras

Tamarin Falls
These falls are awkward to reach, but it's worth the effort for a beautiful, deep, cool bathe at the bottom of the series of seven falls. You can see them from the Vacoas side, if you follow the sign from Henrietta. From Curepipe or Quatre Bornes, take a bus to Henrietta, then walk to Tamarind Falls. If you're coming from Tamarin, turn right about 3Km north of Tamarin, at the round about to Magenta and Yemen. A tarred, bumpy road through cane fields leads to the Magenta and Tamarind Falls turn-off. Continue through all the 'Private Estate', 'Permit Needed' and 'Prohibited Entry' signs, down towards the power station. Leave your car or bike and walk along the river up to the falls. The path is quite heavily overgrown and you must cross to the other side and boulder-hop the last 300m along the river bed to reach the top, but you will richly rewarded

Trou aux Cerfs

Possibly the main attraction of Curepipe for tourists, apart from the shopping, is the Trou aux Cerfs crater. It's been extinct for a long time and the crater floor is now heavily wooded, but the crater affords lovely views around the island. A tarred road leads gently up to and around the rim. There are benches for rest and reflection, and a radar station for keeping an electronic eye on cyclone activity

Karting
In December 2001, Kart Loisir entered the world of karting with a superficy of 7 acres. An attraction parc for young and old. Situated at La Jouliette, Petite Riviere. Corinne Barrier will show you how delightful karting and quad biking is. Kart Loisir gives you the opportunity to discover a new sport in Mauritius. Enjoy the excellent Italian & Mauritius cuisine at our open restaurant with the magnificient landscape of Port Louis. For all music lovers, the "Wild Monkeys" is certainly a must. Kart Loisir also caters for your cocktails, wedding ceremonies and conferences.

Vanilla Crocodile & Tortoise Park

Enter this glittering forest and discover a haven of luscious tropical flora: find a variety of endemic and exotic plants. In these lush green surroundings where banana and palm trees as well as giant bambous grow, more than a thousand Nile crocodiles are bred. On a guided tour, you will meet these animals in their breeding ponds, in perfect safety

WaterparK

Black hole, Giant slides, Kids' Pool, Mushroom shower, Candy Spot, Adults' pool, Jaccuzi, Pirates' Feast Fast food, Lazy River, Food kiosk, Crazy River, Multi Slide, Mountain skull, Wave pool, Pirates' Plaza, La Malle aux Tresors Logo Shop .

PERU
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Peru: a privileged destination

Heir to ancient cultures and a rich colonial tradition, Perú is a magical spot which involves one of the richest biodiversities of Earth, and is a melting pot of different cultures who together are forging the promise of a better future.

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Important hotel infrastructure

7.646 lodgings offering 131.624 rooms and 229.886 beds.
26 five-star hotels, 26 four-star hotels, 487 three-star hotels.
927 two star-hotels, 411 one star-hotels and 42 logdes.
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Accessibility by air and land

14 airports equipped to receive commercial flights and 10 ready for international flights: Lima, Arequipa, Chiclayo, Pisco, Pucallpa, Iquitos, Cusco, Trujillo, Tacna and Juliaca. (++ CORPAC - Corporación Peruana de Aviación Comercial)
17 airlines operating international flights.

7 airline companies offering domestic flights.

More than 78,000 kilometers of highways, 8,084.26 of which are asphalted. (++ Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones)

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Archaeological heritage

Ten thousand years of history are lived through 180 museums and historical places. While Peru inevitably evokes images of Machu Picchu and the Inca empire, the country is also riddled with archaeological sites which are a legacy of even more ancient times, when great civilizations bequeathed a legacy of their art, customs and rituals, their wisdom and skills .

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Nature and Landscapes

As home to 84 of the 104 life zones that exist on our planet makes Peru a privileged destination for nature lovers.
• Close to 20% of the worlds birds and 10% of the world's reptiles live here. .
Peru has converted 13% of its territory into Protected Natural Areas.

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Festivities and Traditions

Peru is a country that sings and dances in joy and sadness with color and a great deal of paraphernalia. Peruvians celebrate some 3,000 festivals all over the country.

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Incomparable cuisine

Over 40,000 restaurants across the country reflect the diversity of a nation that has mixed its native traditions with the cuisines of Europe, Arabia, China, Africa and Japan. The result: unique flavours that make Peruvian cuisine one of the best and most varied in the world.

Sachin Tendulkar

2008-06-02T01:41:00.000-07:00

Cricket's greatest ever player, Sir Donald Bradman, was watching a 1996 World Cup match on television when he first saw Sachin Tendulkar bat. The Indian player's technique seemed strangely familiar. Though his stance and his movements were compact and efficient, he hit the ball hard and his shots were ruthlessly effective. The Australian called his wife into the living room of their suburban Adelaide home. "Who does this remind you of?" asked Bradman, then 87. The answer was obvious. "I never saw myself play," Bradman said later. "But I feel that this player is playing much the same [way] I used to play."

Being labeled the next Bradman has never been an easy honor. But perhaps no batsman has worn the tag with so much grace—and so deserved it—as Tendulkar. West Indian captain Brian Lara, the only contemporary of Tendulkar's to consistently threaten his position as the batsman of the age, told the Times of India last month that the Indian was the greatest he had ever seen. "You know genius when you see it," said Lara. "And let me tell you, Sachin is pure genius.".

When he's in form, which is often, Tendulkar can rout the world's best bowlers with ease. Just ask Australian leg-spinning great Shane Warne, who once joked that he had nightmares about bowling to Tendulkar. India's "Little Master" has scored a record 75 centuries in test and one-day internationals and helped revolutionize the speed at which runs are made. But statistics only hint at Tendulkar's greatness. It's the way he scores all those runs that is the most thrilling thing about his game. Tendulkar waits for the bowler's delivery like a martial arts black belt ready to parry an opponent—moving quickly into position, flashing his bat to guide the ball where he will. It's a rare combination of textbook classicism and the inventive violence of modern one-day cricket.

Tendulkar isn't perfect, of course. Critics have long argued that he seems to play for the record books first and his team second—rarely rescuing his comrades when they're in trouble in the way other batting greats such as Lara or Australia's Steve Waugh have done. In the past couple of years, Tendulkar also seems to have lost some of the aggression and daring that made Bradman sit up in front of the TV. In January, he was booed off his home ground after scoring just one run off 21 balls. Perhaps the years and the injuries are catching up.

But his success to date means that Tendulkar could leave the field tomorrow without any diminution of circumstances. The middle-class boy from Bombay gets paid millions of dollars to appear in television commercials and on billboards selling everything from luxury cars to credit cards, soft drinks to shoes. Reserved and modest, he also appears to carry his fame—and the expectations of a billion people—quite well. A few years ago, Australian player Matthew Hayden wrote that Tendulkar was like a god in India. Tendulkar responded with typical humility. "I do not think anyone can become God," he said. "I am a normal person who plays cricket." And yet sometimes, when Tendulkar has the measure of every ball and is smacking them cleanly through panicking fielders, it's hard not to see the divine spark at work

How to buy a laptop?

2008-06-02T01:14:00.000-07:00

In this guide we shall tell you everything you need to know about buying a laptop. However, you must understand, technology is changing so rapidly, its scary! What is true today may not be true tomorrow. However, we have tried to provide you with a “general” guide that will be useful for you at least for the next few years.

Buying a laptop is a little different from buying a desktop computer. There are different things you need to know and consider before making your decision. Most people go in for buying a laptop just considering the basic things that they would think about while buying a desktop PC.

We will help you not to make this mistake. In this guide we have explained how laptops are different from computers and what are the factors you must consider when you want to go in for buying a laptop. But first...

Why do you want a laptop? Do you really need one?

You know what a laptop is. But to really understand why it exists and what good comes out of a laptop, consider these disadvantages and advantages. After reading these, you will be in a position to decide where a laptop is really right for YOU.

Advantages

Portability: The number one reason why people buy laptops is because they can take it anywhere. If you constantly have to go on trips, a laptop will be very useful. Your own laptop will have all your e-mail, software’s, presentations, sales material etc. You can store all of this and much more information that you constantly need, on your laptop without any problems.

Size and Weight: Laptops are compact. The single laptop contains, your monitor, CPU, speakers, keyboard, mouse and everything else a normal computer contains. If you do not have place at home or have little space on your office desk. If your situation is such that you do not have space to accommodate another computer, then it would be good to go in for laptop.

Un-interrupted power supply: In India, once in a while the electricity still does fail. A laptop is kind of a desktop computer and a in-built UPS. It can be charged with battery and it will stay on so long as the battery has charge. So, if you act wisely, and keep your laptop charged, you will never have the problem on not being able to work on your laptop because the lights have gone.

Image: Firstly, laptops are cool! But that not a good enough reason. A laptop also gives credibility. If you go for a presentation with your laptop, then that gives a good impression to the other party. So, if you are trying to convince people that you are a big player and it is worth dealing with you, presentations given on laptops might help you a little.

Disadvantages

Technology: Because a laptop is pretty compact, some of the recent technology that's been developed for desktops has yet to be made into thinner and smaller forms and successfully fitted into laptops. So laptops are always a step behind desktops when it comes to capability and efficiency. However, the laptop market is growing and this situation is fast changing.

Comfort: You will have to get used to using a mouse pad instead of a mouse. Your keyboard and your monitor are connected, so when you type your face will close to the monitor. You will not get “sub-woofer” quality sound, unless you externally connect your laptop to a sub-woofer.

Upgrading (forget about it): If you're planning on adding stuff onto your computer, get yourself a desktop and not a laptop. Upgrading a laptop is not impossible. But, anybody who knows anything about computers will tell you that it's impractical to purchase a laptop with the intention of upgrading it. It's often impossible to add stuff like RAM and hard drives without sending the entire piece back to the manufacturer. Even if you do decide to upgrade, you are limited in the selection of extra equipment; most laptops require you to install parts manufactured by the same company.

So, after understanding the advantages and disadvantages, what say, is the laptop for you? If it is, let us see what things you should consider when buying a laptop.

Laptops are different! - There are different factors to consider when buying a laptop!

Here we have prepared a comprehensive list of special laptop features so that you should know about. A laptop is different from a desktop computer. It has different features and functions.

You should also know about these things because, when you go to buy a laptop if the salesman understands that you do not know much, he will try to dupe you. Knowing about these basic things, you can pretend that you are technology savvy!

Weight and size

Weight: Most laptops weigh between 1 - 2 kgs. (Some heavier, some even lighter!) When you're buying your laptop, ask yourself if you'll be taking it outside your house often. If the answer is yes, you'll want to buy a thinner, lighter laptop that will fit into your bag or briefcase.

On the other hand, if your laptop is going to stay in your room most of the time, you might want to consider investing in a laptop that has more features; it'll be bulkier, but it will be packed with each and everything you need.

Size: The most common screen sizes on laptops are 12.1, 13.3, and 14.4 inches (although some really tiny laptops have screens that are as small as 8.4 inches). Again, a tiny screen is appropriate for frequent travelers, but it'd be ideal to have a larger screen if it’s convenient and you do not have to move around much.

Input devices

Instead of a hand-driven mouse, laptops come with other more cumbersome "input devices" for navigating a cursor around the screen. You have to get used to them. Hard-core gaming with these devices might be a little problematic. The kinds of devices that come with laptops are:

Touchpad: A touchpad is a square-shaped surface located below the space bar of a laptop keyboard. It is touch-sensitive and you navigate the screen by moving your finger around the box, as if you were drawing. The majority of laptops have a touchpad as their input device. A touchpad can be a bit tough to get used to (you have to be careful not to let your thumb fall on it while typing, or it'll move the cursor), but they work quite nicely.

Pointing stick or rubberized nipple: This input device is a tiny rubber dot that sticks out of the keyboard right between the G, H, and B keys, and it responds to pressure from your index finger. So you navigate the cursor by applying pressure in the direction you want the arrow to go (like a joystick). Sounds easy, but most people find nipples very frustrating to use - the slightest touch causes the arrow to go flying across the screen. However, I love the nipple. My laptop's red nipple has helped to make all the great pages of indiahowto.com so far.

Batteries

Batteries act like your laptops in-built UPS (Un-interrupted power supply!). You can charge your laptop and then you don’t need a plug point to use it. It will run on battery for a few hours. However, it is important that you check up how many hours your battery will run. Some batteries last long. Some don’t. You want a battery that lasts the longest and is still in your budget!

There are three main types of batteries:

Li+: Most people get Lithium-ion (Li+) batteries. These batteries range in quality; batteries with a high milliampere and high voltage measurements are best. These are generally good, safe and secure.

NiMH: If you want something cheap, a nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) battery will do. However, be aware that they'll require you to recharge them every hour or so.

NiCad: This probably won't be an option, but if a dealer does try to sell you a nickel cadmium (NiCad) battery, run away. NiCads are the worst batteries because of their requirements for constant recharging.

However, all this may not be true in the near future. Technology is changing. Things are getting better. So, if you are reading all this many years after it has been published, you might want to check up on the latest developments in the battery world.

Display

There are two types of displays (that is, screen images) to choose between: active-matrix (a.k.a. thin-film transistor or TFT) and passive-matrix (or dual-scan).

Active-Matrix (TFT): Go for an active-matrix display if you've got enough cash. It'll be worth it. Pictures come out sharper and moving images play out smoother. In fact, nowadays most laptops come with active-matrix displays because they're so commonly preferred.

Passive-Matrix (Dual-Scan): This is the older and cheaper display. Images that run on this display react more slowly. It's not a that great, but it’s cheap. If you need a laptop purely for word processing, or excel or accounts, this kind of display should be good enough. If you want your laptop for hard-core gamming and making 3d animations, then this may not be a good idea.

To figure out what type of display you're dealing with on a laptop, move the cursor very quickly across the screen. If the cursor disappears while moving, the display is passive-matrix, and if you can keep your eye on it, it's active.

Other things to look out for:

Keyboard: All laptops have cramped keyboards, but at least try to find a laptop with a keyboard with which you can comfortably type. Also, consider getting a spill-resistant keyboard if you have kids or work in a “spill” type environment.

Durability: If you plan on taking your laptop just about everywhere, you might want to consider a model with shock-resistant hard drive mounts. These are specifically designed to protect your laptop from bumpy rides and crashes.

Your Compatibility: If possible, “test-drive” a laptop before purchasing it. A laptop is different from a computer. In a computer if you don’t like your mouse or cd-rom drive you can replace it. In a laptop that is not possible. Once you buy it, you either keep the complete piece or you throw away the complete piece. (Please don’t throw it away. Give it to me!) It is hard to replace an annoying keyboard, an irritating touch pad device, or a poor display. So make sure that you're okay with your laptop by playing around with it.

Having seen all the laptop specific things you have to worry about, let us look at other things you have to worry about. Basic computer things you have to worry about while buying any computer.

Other general PC features that your laptop must have..

While a laptop is unique in it's own way, it is still a computer and there are some basic features you should know about when buying any computer. We have discussed them here.

Hard drive

A hard drive is your computer's main permanent storage unit. It holds large amounts of data and programs, and all the information stays put until you decide to delete it. The more space your hard drive has, the more stuff you can do. The more movies, games, songs etc. you can store. So it would be best to go for the highest space you can find in your budget.

Most laptops start with at least 4.3 gigabytes (GB) of hard drive space, but you might want to consider getting more.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

If your hard drive is your computer's "long-term memory," then the RAM is its "short-term memory." RAM stores information on your computer, but when you shut-down the computer, everything that's stored on RAM is lost.

Words that you type or a computer game that you're playing are stored in RAM unless you specifically request for the information to be moved onto your hard drive (by saving it).

If it's your habit to simultaneously type a paper, play solitaire, browse online, and e-mail your mom, you'll need a lot of RAM. The more applications you run at once, the more RAM you use.

Also if you require your laptop for elaborate mathematical simulations or you want to play the best 3d games or use the biggest 3d software, you will need huge amount of RAM, or your laptop will go very slowly. So the higher the RAM the better.

Central Processing Unit (CPU or Processor)

The CPU is the brain of your computer; it does all the necessary thinking and runs the programs. While the CPU speed is not as important as hard drive or RAM space, get as much speed as you can afford because it does make a difference.

Incase you are confused, the Pentium I, Pentium II, Pentium II, Pentium IV, AMD etc. are all the different types of CPU’s. Go for the latest one. If you don’t, three years down the line, no programs will run on your computer.

Port

A port is a slot or hole through which you connect external material such as microphones or web cams or mice etc. You can also avoid using the laptop's uncomfortable keyboard or input device by connecting a desktop keyboard and mouse to the laptop through its ports.

Currently, all laptops feature a serial, a parallel, an infrared, and a universal serial bus (USB) port. When buying your laptop, try to get “at least two” USB ports (The more the better!). Now-a-days, printers, scanners, mice, keyboards, everything is connected though a USB port. In fact, in the near future, serials and parallels are likely to be completely wiped out.

CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drives

It’s where you put your CDs or DVDs incase your confused. You want to get a CD-Rom drive for sure! However, we highly recommend going in for a drive that is a CD writer as well as a CD reader. This is because, if you do not do this, you will have a tough time transferring information from your laptop to someone else’s computer/laptop.

Suppose you want to transfer, 100 songs or some software from your laptop to a friend’s laptop, you will not be in a position to do this without a CD writer. Taking your hard-drive to your friend’s computer is out of the question. Laptops are packed.

If you do not buy a cd-writer, your other option for transferring info is to use a USB stick. But that is an added cost and even though you may have a USB port, people to whom you want to transfer to might not have one. But, almost all computers have CD drives. So get a CD-Writer. It makes life easy. If you got the cash, even get yourself a DVD-reader and writer that also read and writes CD’s.

Modem

The modem's main job is to turn the digital information from your computer into analog signals that your phone line can understand (and vice versa). As far as you're concerned, a modem allows you to use “dial-up” Internet (i.e. Internet though your phone line!).

Modems come in all types of speeds; better modems allow for faster downloading.

However, if you intend to take a broadband connection, you will not need a modem. You will need a “Network Card” or a “LAN Card” so it would be a good idea to go in for a laptop with a built in modem and a LAN card.

And that’s it! This is everything you should know about and ask for when buying a laptop. And now....

FINAL SUGESSTION

How much can you afford to spend?

Currently, (7th June 200) you get a great laptop for Rs.45,000. And a moderately decent one for Rs.30,000. However, the prices are falling. They will continue to fall. So if you cannot afford it now, maybe you will be able to afford it in a few months.

Here are some tips, anyways to help you with your decision:

Make a budget: You can save a lot on your laptop purchase by writing out a budget of exactly what you need and want and sticking to it. Don’t buy a huge amount of hardware space and very high memory if you don’t need it. Buy it if you need it only. People tend to get a little excited when buying so I repeat, decide what you want, make a budget and stick to it!

Get a used laptop: There is definitely a risk involved in doing this. The same risk that is there in buying anything that is second hand. But you might just strike gold. So look out for a good deal.

Bargain: Don’t assume that just because it is a laptop you can’t bargain. Bargain the hell out of the deal. The truth is you can bargain for just about anything. Best of luck!

One final tip: Warranties

Always remember to ask for a detailed written explanation of the company's warranty, especially if you're shopping at some dicey “insanely low prices store”.

The warranty should cover details like:

Who installs replacement parts
Who pays for return shipping for major repairs
For how long your computer is covered.

It would be a good idea to find out the addresses of the companies laptop service centers in your city. If the company does not have any service centers in your city, then maybe it’s not such a good idea to buy that brand of laptop.

Best Of Luck!

Jai Hind!