Can HP make it in the tablets world?

This is a common sense question that applies to any manufacturer, because for the time being Apple’s iPad 2 and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 seem to reign supreme. With the battle between the two giants being more intense than ever, HP tries to conquer the market with its very own Touch Pad. The intention to compete with the best is obvious if you take a look at the technical features sported by this new tablet and the price. They’ve promised to have it on stores by July the 1st and they kept their word, but somehow the public was less enthusiastic than they expected.

The fact that it runs on WebOS 3.0 is arguably the most distinctive feature of the HP Touch Pad and the hardcore fans of this operating system have all the reasons to rejoice. Several improvements have been made to the previous model, to enhance the speed and reliability, but also to add some new features. HP is not going to give up on their OS any time soon and this tablet is a firm statement that they will continue to invest money and energy to improve it constantly.

Before you get the chance of learning more about the operating system and all its tweaks, you will be a bit surprised by the generous proportions of the HP Touch Pad. If you compare it with a brick, it’s a miracle of science, but next to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 or the iPad 2, it is thicker, bigger and heavier. The differences in both size and weight are visible with the naked eye and there is no obvious reason for this to happen, since they are all part of the same class of 9.7 inch displays. It is made of plastic, a quality one of course, but still plastic, so it’s a shame that HP didn’t succeed in making it a little lighter.

We could easily get past these slight inconveniences if the hardware would be better or at least as good as the competitors’, but sadly this is not the case. The HP Touch Pad is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU which doesn’t succeed to deliver the performance we’d expect from such a beast. The 1GHz of RAM are not enough to make the multitasking silky smooth and some games and applications will run slower than they do on iPad 2 or Galaxy Tab 10.1.

The HP Touch Pad doesn’t have a rear facing camera which will give the critics yet another reason to complain, but the truth is cameras are overrated on tablets. It is uncomfortable to hold them in place while taking snapshots or videos, so it would be unfair to blame the Touch Pad for this omittance. What is unforgiveable is the fact that while it isn’t as good as the competition, this tablet is just as expensive, which makes you wonder why would the clients buy it.

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This guest article is by Matt. Matt is a software developer. He is currently inrested in <a href="http://mackeeper.zeobit.com/mac-file-recovery" rel="nofollow">Mac file recovery</a> and <a href="http://pckeeper.zeobit.com/">disk cleaner</a> reviews.

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RIP - Steve Jobs

We at ibreakitdown would like to express our condolences on the death of Mr.Steve Jobs, one of the best CEO's in the technology industry. May his soul rest in peace

A Beginner’s Fly Fishing Guide

Fly fishing has been known to man since ancient days; historians say since 2^nd century AD in Mesopotamia. However, with the passage of time it has gained immense popularity among the countless fishing buffs all over the world. Unlike the other angling methods, fly fishing is fishing with artificial flies; ribbons, hair, feathers, fur, strings and other synthetic and natural materials are used as a lure to catch fish.

Trout and salmon are the most common fly fishing fish species. Carp grayling, striped bass, pike, bass, redfish, snook etc are also among the favorites of anglers. For most anglers, fly fishing is more a challenge; hooking a fish with only artificial fly fishing lures. The important thing to be noted here is that practically any fish can be targeted to be lured by an artificial fly but it has to be imitated to look like as real as possible. One has to thus know about the different types of artificial flies used for this type of fishing.

Since fly fishing is a very different sort of fishing, it is but natural to use distinctive range of fishing tackle. This includes fly rods, fly reels, specialized fly lines, terminal tackle along with a wide variety of accessories like tools, gadgets maintenance apparels and many more. It is a little overwhelming for a beginner to keep a track of all the different things required in order to prepare for going on a fly fishing trip.

Fly fishing rods are longer than the other fishing rods- it is the most important tool for fly fishers. They come in different length, weight, and material. A hollow fiber glass rod is the best suited for a beginner as an alternative of bamboo rod which needs to stored carefully.  Fiber glass rods are easier to handle, lighter, far more agile, cheaper as well as low maintenance. One should only use strong and durable graphite fishing rods only after having gained enough confidence and know-how of how to fly fish.

How you cast your line is what distinguishes fly fishing from regular fishing. Since there are no live baits to rely on when you are fly fishing, nothing but sheer expertise is what you have to rely on with an artificial lure at the end of the line. To cast a line and the lure to mimic insects, floating and wriggling on water, at times dipping it in water and managing to entice a fish to bite requires expertise and loads of practice.  

  

A Line that is used for fly fishing is larger in diameter and thus is visible. There is a tippet attached to the fly line’s end, which fools the fish into thinking it is actually an insect. These lines are designed to float on the surface of the water while others are made to sink.

A fly fisher must also be familiar with the lures that are used in this case. Nowadays artificial fly fishing lures are made keeping in mind the exact prey of the fish and made accordingly. This makes it a lot convenient if not any easier.

However, in order to master this fascinating sport, one not only needs a technical know-how but at the same time practical experience. Seeking instructions from a proficient fishing guide is the best way to do so.  He will familiarize you with all that there is to know about fly fishing.    
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By - Mariam
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How Does Bluetooth Work (Simplified)

Bluetooth is a term well-known to almost everyone nowadays, here we shall quickly inspect the basic working principle of Bluetooth communication.

The communication between humans and between electronic devices is more or less the same. While starting a conversation with anyone, we need to know what language we will be speaking in and also need to make sure that we speak in a grammatically correct manner so that it makes sense. Similarly, when two devices need to talk, they have to decide on how they will talk (through wires or without wires,etc.), what is going to be their data transmission specifications (size,speed,etc), and many such technical aspects on which both devices have to come to an agreement before communicating. Bluetooth is essentially an agreement of this sort, technically known as a ‘networking standard’.

When a bluetooth device wants to exchange any information with another Bluetooth device, it first tries to setup a connection and then forms a little personal area network with it (like making an introduction to a stranger and then making him/her your friend). Most of the Bluetooth communication process works automatically through software. The user is asked to add Bluetooth devices to ‘trusted devices’ list and enter a security code to ensure that viruses or spam are not received onto the device.

 Bluetooth communication takes place between the radio frequency bands 2.4Ghz and 2.48Ghz (approx.), which has been set aside by Internationally for such purposes (Think of the band as a super wide Bluetooth highway with hundreds of lanes). The Bluetooth devices select around 75 frequencies from this band and keep changing the frequency thousands of times every second together (a process called spectrum frequency hopping), (imagine a high traffic road that have groups of cars going in a synchronised manner) Since the frequency changes thousands of times in a second, even if any interference happens from another Bluetooth device, it will only last for few microseconds. Such little interferences are overcome through built-in features in the Bluetooth software. Thus data is transmitted from one Bluetooth device to another effortlessly. Bluetooth usually has range in a 30 foot radius and transfers data at speeds around 3mbps. Bluetooth is highly energy efficient and uses only around 1milliwatt of energy during a transmission. 

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World Alzheimer's Day - For a disease that threatens everyone

Today is World Alzheimer's Disease Day, and hence an appropriate time to spread awareness about this dreaded disease.Alzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative type of dementia in which the patient suffers from memory loss, loss of cognitive abilities,language breakdown,etc. Alzheimer's disease is presently responsible for destroying the lives of around 20million people worldwide, and is expected to double it's toll of victims by 2020. And most of the contribution is from developing countries which do not have enough awareness about the disease.

The distinguishing factor and danger with Alzheimer's disease is that it is not an active disease like a cold or flu which readily shows distinct symptoms and hence is easily identifiable. The signs of Alzheimer's appear in a much more subtle manner in most cases. The first signs include mild forgetfulness, inability to learn new things easily, failure to relate simple concepts,etc. Such signs are mostly attributed to aging or stress and hence neglected by most people. But, if you find yourself repeating such instances often then it is worth consulting a doctor.

As the stages of Alzheimer's advance the symptoms start to include shrinking vocabulary, inability to perform simple tasks such as writing or reading,forgetting names,etc. The patient may feel embarrassed to openly admit to having difficulties with such basic tasks, either due to ignorance about the disease or due to thinking about how others would react.

As Alzheimer's disease gets a more firm grip over the person, he/she begins to lose control over short-term memory, looses cognitive abilities, and starts to almost have the mind of a baby. This stage of advanced Alzheimer's disease makes it necessary to keep the patient under continuous surveillance as they lose all sense of intelligence. The patients may start repeating the same narratives again and again due to not remembering whether they already said it or not. There are even cases of people walking out alone and then not remembering their address or name. They may not remember how to cross roads, swim or stay away from any other dangers.

Though rampant studies and tests are being done worldwide, a proper cure is yet to be found for Alzheimer's. But, the lack of cure doesn't mean there is nothing that we can do to slow it down or partially prevent the onset of the disease. Lets look at a few things we can do to help ourselves and our fellow human beings.

WHAT WE CAN DO

Observe carefully- An early diagnosis could give you an extra 8-10 years of normality. hence it is of utmost importance that you observe any unusual changes in your normal activities and not consider symptoms insignificant. The same advice also holds valid to help others. Observe your family members for any changes or inabilities in carrying out simple tasks. Though things may seem silly to you, it may be of great concern to a doctor. Hence, do not delay a medical consultation out of embarrassment.

Be Supportive- Alzheimer patients often don't mention their symptoms due to fear of mockery from others. Being supportive and understanding of little things,it can be of great help to encourage the patient to be frank. The more details a doctor gets about the condition, the better are the chances of reaching a proper diagnosis. And before you ridicule someone with Alzheimer's disease, always remember that you may also suffer the same fate some day.

Spread Awareness - Most often, people are not aware of diseases such as Alzheimer's even existing. Hence it is of utmost importance that we do whatever we can to spread knowledge and information about such fatal diseases. Knowing that ones symptoms match with those of a specific disease can speed-up the process of diagnosis and can save lives. The wide use of internet and social networking has made it easier to spread information and hence acts as an apt medium to spread awareness.

Though a cure for Alzheimer's disease is still not achieved, it does not mean that we cannot handle it or make the condition bearable. There are many factors which contribute to speeding up the disease and some habits which can maybe even keep the disease at bay. Lets look at a few simple changes in lifestyle that can make the disease manageable.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES REQUIRED

Eating Right - It is well known that a healthy diet plays a vital role in maintenance of health. A balanced diet is essential in keeping not just Alzheimer's disease but also other such degenerative diseases from occurring. The availability of nutrients and anti-oxidants can help the body to repair damaged cells and keep the organs functioning smoothly.

Physical Activity - A healthy lifestyle is incomplete without adequate amounts of physical activity. An idle organ becomes weak, and thus it is necessary to improve circulation and keep your body fit. A healthy mind stays in a healthy body, and a healthy body requires exercise. It doesn't mean that you have to strain yourself. An optimum brisk walk session or games like table tennis, badminton,etc are all enjoyable exercises which can help you relieve stress and keep your body fit.

Mental Activity - Since Alzheimer's disease is a brain degenerative disease, it is naturally relevant to give your brain enough strength through adequate activity. The neurons in the brain rely on frequency of usage to build and maintain memories. Hence it is of prime importance that we rejuvenate the brain cells as much as we can. Some simple yet effective methods include yoga, meditation (check the post on Sleep Meditation for details), sudoku, boardgames, crossword puzzles,juggling etc. Though they may seem like insignificant measures, these simple activities can be of substantial help in reinforcing your memories and cognitive abilities.

Social Interaction - Though there is no doubting the domination of social networking sites in today's world, it is often the good old face-to-face interaction which will help you. Having a weekly session to socially interact with family and friends can help in relieving stress and in ensuring that you keep your mind and memories active. The necessity to speak about old incidents and the need to speak spontaneously, greatly help to keep the brain at it's peak. It has also been found that people who have some sort of weekly social interaction tend to have a life expectancy of 7-10 years more than those who don't.

Please use this noble occasion of World Alzheimer's Disease Day to spread awareness and help your fellow beings to lead a happy life. Wishing you all good health and happiness.
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Please Spread The Message

BEST & WEIRDEST CREATIONS OF CONSPIRACY THEORISTS [PART 2]

Conspiracy is the weapon of manipulation and has lead to many historical events.We continue with the series on conspiracies in the second part of the post BEST & WEIRDEST CREATIONS OF CONSPIRACY THEORISTS. ( Check out Part 1 at Best and Weirdest Creations Of Conspiracy Theorists )

Northwoods Operation
A conspiracy to create an anti-Cuban sentiment in the U.S and hence justify the invasions against Castro. This conspiracy is said to be more genuine than the others since it was once made public by President Kennedy. Conspiracy theorists have also linked this particular conspiracy to be the reason which lead to the assassination of President Kennedy. The Joint chief of staffs is said to have ordered to destroy Some American airliners and hijack a few of them. This has fueled the belief that the September 11 world trade center attack was a conspiracy,due to the similarity in execution.

MK-Ultra Experiments
A widespread use of mind-controlling chemicals on random subjects by the CIA is what this conspiracy claims. Such experiments are said to be the reason behind some mass suicides in places like Guyana. The CIA is said to have destroyed all files related to MK-Ultra and  hence the conspiracy theorists were left without enough evidence.

Pearl Harbor
Conspiracy theorists are of the opinion that the Pearl harbor attacks were deliberately allowed by the U.S. It is speculated that the U.S intentionally instigated Japan to attack them so that the effects of the war could be spread out and eventually they could make Hitler enter the mayhem. It is said that the U.S was forewarned about the attacks by all allies.

Hope you have enjoyed the look at some of the weirdest conspiracy theorist creations. Don't forget to share the post, and to always question the facts before you accept them. :-)
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BEST & WEIRDEST CREATIONS OF CONSPIRACY THEORISTS [PART 1]

Truth is often so strange that we would rather believe fiction. Conspiracy and doubt have been around for as long as mankind itself. Here we present a list of some of the BEST AND WEIRDEST CREATIONS OF CONSPIRACY THEORISTS, in two parts.

The Philadelphia Experiment
According to this conspiracy, it is widely believed that during an experiment by the U.S Navy at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in 1943, the ship Eldridge was made invisible. Conspiracy theorists say that the scientists were able to manipulate light around the ship and managed to make the ship invisible for a few minutes. But, when the ship became visible again, most of the sailors on board were missing. It is believed that around 3 sailors were found dead with wounds all over their body, while around 11 sailors went missing. Some conspiracy theorists are of the opinion that the missing sailors either got transported to another dimension or got embedded with the structure of the ship.

The illuminati
A conspiracy quite famous now thanks to hollywood films, the illuminati conspiracy suggests the existence of a secret group aiming at world domination. It is speculated that the illuminati is comprised of people who hold very influential positions in society and people who are the best in their profession. The founding goal of such organizations is said to be the establishment of a New World Order. They are said to control all major facilities of society, like central banks, UNO,NATO,etc. Conspiracy theorists state that most historical events have been tailored by this group to make the world bow to the their aims.

Fake Moon Landing
It is widely believed by theorists that the whole moon landing incident was a huge conspiracy by NASA. Though the moment the first man set foot on the moon is epic, the evidence presented for the incident is said to be fabricated in a studio by NASA. There are many factors like the random shadows, the unusual waving of flags, lack of stars in the background,etc. which support the conspiracy theorists. The fact that only real scientists can actually debate on the topic has made it quite difficult for conspiracy theorists to dominate.

The World Trade Center Attack
The September 11 attack on the world trade center is one of the worst expressions of disregard for human life in the recent past. Although the event is widely related to an exhibition of terrorism, it is also speculated that it was a conspiracy by the U.S government itself. Conspiracy theorists believe that the buildings would not have crumbled merely because of the flights crashing. Also, there are witness accounts which support the conspiracy theory, since they claim to have heard explosions from floors below the ones that the flight destroyed. According to conspiracy theorists, the event was scripted by the U.S to divert attention form other issues and to use it as an excuse to infiltrate other countries as part of their commercial intentions.

Chemtrails
We have all seen trails of ice crystals behind jet planes, but there are some conspiracy theorists who believe not all such trails are only ice. They say that many such trails are actually comprised of undisclosed chemicals which are sprayed as part of mysterious experiments. The governments obviously deny the existence of any such experiments, but the conspiracy theorists suggest that the introduction of diseases like cancer and rapid climate disruptions are the effects of such chemicals.
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BEST & WEIRDEST CREATIONS OF CONSPIRACY THEORISTS [PART 2]
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TOP 9 USEFUL WEBSITES THAT EVERYONE NEEDS

Though the net is saturated with a mess of millions of sites, it is often an herculean task to find the type of useful site that you really want. Here is a list of the TOP 9 USEFUL WEBSITES THAT EVERYONE NEEDS. (I do not have any deals or relation with any of these sites, they are just genuinely useful and already well-established websites :-) ). The list is not ordered in any particular priority.


1. rottentomatoes.com - The only site you will need to find anything about hollywood movies. A strongly inspected rating system from over 100 critics makes it easy for you to select good movies for your weekends.

2. ebay.com - A well known website that lets you browse through a world sized garage sale. There has even been a reported case of a guy who bought a house by starting to trade with a paperclip !! So try your luck and get a dream deal.

3 wikipedia.org - If you have been using the net for atleast a week then you definitely already know about wikipedia. Apart from being the largest active online encyclopedia for reference, it is also a nice way to discover new things about people.

4. weather.com - Any well planned trip needs a detailed weather report to be complete. This website gives you a quick and simple report of the weather of any place.

5. stumbleupon.com - Though google is a dominant force on the net to find anything, stumbleupon is unique and useful because it has a real-time value rating of content from all over the world.

6. download.com - A specialized website for finding easy downloads of any software available on the net.

7. monster.com - An unavoidable website for anyone in search of a job. Very useful to reach a wide database of available jobs from different industries and countries.

8. espn.com - The ultimate website for any sports buff. Know updated statistics and schedules of a wide range of sporting events.

9. allmusic.com - A comprehensive collection of album reviews, music and singer biographies,etc.

SPECIAL MENTION - our very own http://ibreakitdown.blogspot.com/ , your one-stop infotainment station for any useful tips and info about technology,life,health and much more.
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BY- David, New York, IT consultant in a private firm
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5 SIMPLE CHANGES AT WORK FOR YOUR HEALTH

An office without a computer is almost obsolete nowadays. Though this advancement in technology definitely has it's benefits, it has also made our life much more sedentary and unhealthy. This change in lifestyle has given rise to many work/stress related ailments like back and neck pains, eye strains, hypertension, etc. I know that it may be next to impossible to get any relaxation in your busy schedule, hence we present the following 5 SIMPLE CHANGES AT WORK FOR YOUR HEALTH 

Take Blink Breaks - As we continue staring at the computer screen, we blink less and hence our eyes become drier. This puts tremendous strain on our eyes and can lead to piercing headaches and eye pains. Hence, make sure you close your eyes for about 15-20 seconds every 5-10 minutes, as a healthy blink break. Else, try staring away from the computer screen once every few minutes. It is also important to change your cabin's/table's arrangement to reduce glare from your screen.

Finger exercises - All the rampant typing you do at work leads to accumulated stress in your wrist and fingers. This may later lead to serious weaknesses to the nerves in your fingers, and hampers your health slowly. Hence,change your table items list and try keeping a ball (like a tennis ball), such that whenever you are not typing you can squeeze the ball in your hands and massage your fingers. Try making this a regular healthy habit.

Positive Posture - Your spinal cord (backbone) bears all the strain of your body and it's weight. Any strain you undertake in your work gets amplified in the backbone due to improper posture, and hence adversely affects your health. Hence it is very important to change your posture to make it positive and comfortable for your spine. Choose an appropriate chair and select a comfortable eye level for appliances on tables such that your posture is not compromised. Even making little changes to your posture can lead to better energy in at the workplace.

Too much coffee is bad - Coffee is often a good friend of a stressed worker. But, it can turn into an ugly fiend if had in excess. The increased caffeine amounts in the blood can lead to more harm to your health than good. Change your energy boosting drink to a healthier alternative like fruit juices. It is actually said that having an apple is thrice more effective than coffee in keeping a person alert.

Stay Social - Though social networking through facebook and twitter is widespread nowadays, it can never replace the good old face-to-face conversation. Make sure you have a good circle of friends and maintain a healthy relation with them. Find time to have discussions with them and hence relieve yourself from concentrated stress.

Such simple changes to your work habits can improve your health and also prevent lots of avoidable stress related problems in your body and mind.
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Top 10 Quotes About Life - A guide To Success

Top 10 Quotes About Life, is a set of quotes that defines and answers some of the most important virtues in life. These quotes are all words of wisdom by famous and experienced people, that act as a guide to attain unlimited success and happiness.
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Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do - a quote by Mark Twain (American author)
-This quote highlights how opportunity knocks on our door only once in life. Make the best use of it, because a lost chance will be a regret forever. You get to live your life only once, so make it fruitful.

He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it easier to do it a second time -a quote by Thomas Jefferson (3rd President of USA)
-The hardest things in life are often the things required to stay on the good side of life.This quote affirms that a bad habit like telling lies is easy to get into but almost impossible to get out of. (Read the post Circle Of Lies for a better understanding )


An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind - a quote by M.K.Gandhi (Indian independence leader)
-This quote gives emphasis to the importance of forgiveness to maintain peace in the world. Anger can destroy in a minute what patience took years to build. Life is all about choices, and the choice to forgive is indeed one of the greatest.

I haven't failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work -a quote by Thomas Edison (Famous Inventor)
-This quote shows the importance that a positive attitude has in life. It gives us hope, and makes us work harder.Optimism makes the journey and the destination enjoyable as opposed to a negative mindset which only finds joy in reaching the destination. Having a smile in the face of hardship can boost your morale and keep you thinking and working constantly to achieve your goal. (Read the post Thank You Mr.Death for a positive look on death)

It's not whether you get knocked down,it's whether you get up -a quote by Vince Lombardi (Football coach)
-Life always has its ups and downs. What really makes a change is how many times you tried to get out of failure and worked again towards success. This quote reminds us about the importance that persistence and determination has in life for success.

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere - a quote by Albert Einstein (Famous Physicist)
-The human mind is of infinite power and the birthplace of every invention of mankind. Learn to harness that power of the mind to radically transform your life. This quote is of great significance towards the creation of different perspectives in life.

A single question can be more influential than a thousand statements - a quote by Bo Bennett (Businessman)
-This quote tells of the power that one curious mind can have over a thousand minds that just follow others. The quest to understand or conquer anything in life can only be completed through questioning yourself about it and finding the right answers. A mere following of the normal will not let you achieve anything extraordinary.

Money can't buy life - a quote by Bob Marley (Singer)
-Regardless of how important or powerful money may seem to be, it can never give you back your life. No amount of money can give you back a lost moment in life. This quote also reminds us that the money we pivot our life around, cannot be used to make death stay away.

The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes - a quote by Winston Churchill (British politician)
-This quote throws light on how anyone or anything can be a source of knowledge. Nobody remains the same forever. Our ego often doesn't let us accept solutions to our problems because of the source we got it from, and having such an ego in life will only lead to failure. Learn to accept good from anyone.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer - a quote by Sun Tzu (Chinese general)
-An enemy who is well understood and monitored cannot bring you any unpredictable harm. This quote warns us of how staying away from your enemy may make you unarmed, while keeping them closer lets you be well prepared in life.

Hope you've enjoyed our Top 10 Quotes About Life - A guide to success ...Wishing you all success in life always :-)
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Top 10 Birthday Experience Gifts

Because there are many kinds of experience gifts to choose from, it can be overwhelming to try to find the right one for your loved one. That's why I've compiled this brief list of the 10 most unique (and fun) experience birthday gifts. Whether you're shopping for a birthday gift for women, a birthday gift for men, or even a birthday gift for dad or mom, one of these experience gifts will be just right for you.

1. Racecar driving - Imagine going faster than any speed limit as you zoom around a track or preset racecourse, experiencing the thrill of racecar driving. Some of these are done in actual race cars, while other types of races can be done in luxury cars like Lamborghinis, Porsches, and Corvettes.
2. Private art lessons - We all want to explore our artistic side; it's human nature to love art. Sadly, as we grow we sort of abandon this love of art, thinking we're not good enough. That's what makes private art lessons so perfect; away from harsh criticism, you can just enjoy the creation of art like pottery, glass, sketching, photography, music and more.
3. Spa experiences - Spa days are becoming increasingly popular among women as well as becoming the perfect birthday gift for wives. So husbands, you should give her a spa experience gift. Some spas offer special packages like manicures/pedicures, specialty facials and massages, professional makeup application classes, total wardrobe makeovers and more. These types of experience gifts make the perfect experience gifts for wives not to mention mothers and girlfriends.
4. Golf - If anyone you love loves to golf then a golf experience gift would be the perfect present. Not only will you get to golf on some of the most beautiful courses in the country, many gift experiences offer golf tips from a professional golfer. That makes it an experience gift your golfer will never forget.
5. The Heist - For the person has always loved heist movies, now they can star in their very own, heist that is. This ultimate adventure involves solving clues, cracking safes and trying to beat the clock while 'undercover agents' are trying to catch you. If anyone has ever wanted to commit 'crimes' like they do in movies, then this is a great experience gift. It's for teams, so you can play too.
6. In home dinners - Imagine having a dinner served in your home by a top chef. It's the perfect experience birthday gift for either a couple or family. These courses range from 3 to 5 courses and feature things as exotic as tantalizing as you want. Best of all, they clean the kitchen afterward so you don't have to.
7. Have a song written - If you've always wanted to express your love for your significant other in song but really have no musical talent, then this experience gift is for you. A professional songwriter will write your song, music and lyrics based on the information you give them. You can be as involved or not involved as you want. And there will never be another song like your song.
8. Scenic cruises - Scenic cruises are a great way to spend a day. A scenic cruise covers everything from dinner and lunch cruises, all the way to sunset and fireworks cruises to whale watching. If you want to have a nice relaxing time than scenic cruises are the gift experience for you.
9. Hot air balloon rides - Experience the beauty and tranquility of the world from above while you're riding in your very own hot air balloon. Offering sunset and sunrise rides as well as mid-day tours hot air balloon rides are the perfect way to get away from all your problems and see the world in a new perspective.
10. The Illuminati hunt - If you've ever wanted to have a true adventure like in the movies, then this one is for you. Featuring clues, codes, and actors to either help or hinder your efforts, the Illuminati hunt will plunge you into a world unseen to most people. You never know what's real and what isn't when you're hunting Illuminati's. One thing is certain however, it will be an experience like no other.

So now you know 10 great experience birthday gifts to give this year. These gifts are perfect for all birthdays, from 21st birthday gifts all the way up to 60th birthday gifts. So this year, what kind of birthday gift are you giving?
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BY - Adam from http://www.cloud9living.com/
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How To Burn More Calories At Home

Though these steps may seem too simple to be true, you will be surprised at how effective they are. The aim of any weight loss program is to increase the rate of burning calories... and here we present some simple tweaks to daily life that you can make to burn more calories at home. 

Stand and watch T.V…you will be surprised at how much time you spend a day watching T.V…make that time useful by standing and taking alternate steps forward and back on the spot…that will make you naturally increase your metabolism and burn calories at home while you enjoy your show…

Timing counts…have a routine for when you sleep, eat, work, etc….it doesn’t have to be a military style schedule, but having some regularity helps to maintain your body’s natural balance…hence burning more calories due to the efficient metabolism

Drink hot water...instead of your usual room temperature water, start drinking hot water throughout the day...ensure you have 2litres of water each day...this will increase the efficiency of digestion and also help to increase the continuous burning of calories throughout the day.

Take the stairs…if you are not in a hurry then definitely take the stairs instead of an elevator…make it an enjoyable habit, it will greatly help in increasing the average burning of calories…to increase the number of calories burning per day, make sure you take the stairs to go down as well.. though it may seem like less of a strain, from the perspective of burning calories, it really helps

Have a walk daily…you don't need to franticly brisk walk for hours till you are exhausted..a normal paced one hour walk can propel the burning of calories…according to convenience you can either have two half hour walks or a single one hour walk…the important thing is to maintain a higher level of activity to keep your average rate of calorie burning more than your normal rate.

Sleep sensibly – your natural sleep cycle greatly affects the way your body handles weight control and metabolism... so avoid any lazy naps in the day... maintain a healthy 6-7hr sleep at night....this will greatly help in your weight loss mission by letting your body burn calories in a systematic manner.

Hope you have a happy weight loss journey...All the best :-) 

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How To Lose Weight Faster, Safer, Simpler

Instead of being desperate and choosing unsafe artificial methods (read : “super costly”) to lose weight, here we provide a fast and natural guide to lose weight. (And the best part is that you don’t have to spend anything extra or experiment dangerously with any unknown substance.) I’ve broken down the guide into two posts, the first is about the influence of food in weight loss, and the second is some simple ways in which you can enhance the weight loss process.

Increase water intake – An effective loss of weight requires an efficient liquid for the body to get rid of the toxins and fat from your body, and the most natural one is of course water. Have a cup (200ml) of water ten minutes before having lunch and dinner. This will help to limit the amount of food you eat and will help in digestion. Make sure that you have minimum 2 litres of water daily (keep aside a 2litre bottle to track your daily intake).

Space it out – don’t stick to the traditional three meals a day routine.You can’t lose weight by simply restricting food or being selective, that will only harm your stomach. The key to losing weight and keeping it satisfied naturally is to give little portions of food more often. Hence you will automatically cut-down on the excess food that increases your weight. Also, the regulated metabolism will help you to lose weight faster.


Say NO to – white bread, foods with cream, fried foods, cheese, chocolates, ice-cream. The reason is quite simple, they are all big calories in small packets. Having less fat in big packets is the key to safely satisfying your craving for food, along with controlling your weight. Some simple tasty suggestions are – apples, salads,cucumbers, carrots, watermelon, crackers, low-fat cereals, roasted snacks, fat free biscuits,etc.

Say YES to – fruits and vegetables. I know you’ve heard it a million times, but that just proves how important they are. Along with helping you to lose weight safely, they give you essential vitamins and minerals, rejuvenate your organs and help you feel more active. Try to include a minimum of three fruits and 2 bowls of vegetables each day in your menu.

The Cone of eating – Have your fill of food during breakfast (make it 60% fruit ),then reduce the amount in each subsequent meal. Your body (especially digestion) is most active in the morning and slowly shuts down from noon. Hence, complement your eating according to your body’s working. This will help to lose weight by making the body prevent stacking up excess fat.

Switch the T.V Off – during your meals always make sure that you have switched off your television. This is one of the simplest tweaks, but one that is really effective to lose weight faster. Watching T.V while eating increases your food intake by around 15%, and all that excess food will soon turn into fat. (in other words – an end to your weight loss plans).

Now that we have a clearer idea about the right approach to eating, let’s see How To Burn More Calories At Home

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PHP Content Management Systems

PHP Content Management Systems

There is a need for a proper understanding of the importance of PHP content management systems before venturing in the sphere of its applications and useful contributions. PHP is a scripting language for development of dynamic web pages – these are specially designed layouts where constant modifications and inputs are possible. The content of these pages are usually accessible both by the website editor or the internet user through their log in sessions when they may provide inputs as a registered user of the site. There are two types of such websites; one where clients or web users are allowed to provide their inputs; the other is where changes are incorporated by the servers of the companies themselves.

What is a PHP Content Management System?

There is a use of PHP language for all websites that have dynamic web pages. This is easily deployed or installed in different types of web servers and is useful across various operating systems and platforms. Therefore when there is a server side scripting of web pages for the purposes of inputs, modifications and creation of new content the process are easier and far more accessible.

There are several versions of the PHP content management systems that have been developed by companies to enable a suitable working environment for your company. With this platform you can very easily create and edit articles or other content of your website. It gives you access to delete those content which are old and unnecessary on the website. This is vital for websites that are related to news collaborations and need periodic updates by the hour or the minute through their server sides.

Available Open Source PHP Content Management Systems

There are open source software downloads available that can enable an easy access for a content management system for your company and official website.

Drupal – This is one of the largest resources available for a variety of websites – small or big. You can download this PHP system for free and appropriately use it for corporate websites, government websites to even small blog sites and personal sites.

Joomla – This is another PHP based CMS that is also one of the most effective for websites. It is useful in the structuring and management of different kinds of websites; there are other applications for online usage that initiates functionality and advanced features. There are free downloads available that can be tried and only makes this more popular.

Wordpress – This was popular mostly as a blogging CMS for websites in its initial usage. But with more and more customization options that was available it soon became popularly implemented across different websites.

Mambo – This is an award winner among CMS that are available for various types of websites. There are several options available in this that allows you to customize according to requirements. You will find this is a useful system for small personal sites or even websites of larger corporations that needs complicated applications for their operations.

The use of PHP content management systems bring forth better management of online content in addition to making it more accessible for professionals and web users alike.
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By - Anya F. at http://www.hostingcoupons.org/
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8 Best Indian Tourist Spots To Visit In September

India has long been a tourist haven. Below is a list of some famous and also some  lesser visited exquisite tourist spots that are best enjoyed in the month of September. The tourist spots have been classified under the nearest international airport city. 

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu)

A balance between new and old is what you will find in and around Coimbatore.

Ooty– a hill station worth visiting for it’s perfect weather and scenic beauty. Around 100km from Coimbatore.

Aliyar Dam – a picturesque tourist spot near the town of pollachi. Boating, trekking, gardens and waterfalls are just a few of the enjoyable opportunities available here. Around 80km from Coimbatore.

Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum  (Kerala)

The capital of Kerala. Boasts a royal heritage which is visible throughout the city.

Kovalam Beach – One of the state’s finest beach. A must-have on any tourist visit to kerala.  A 30min drive from the city.

Kanyakumari  – Though not part of the same state, it is just a 2hour ride from the city. The only place in India where the sunrise and sunset are visible from the same spot. Don't miss it.

Delhi

The capital of India. A city influenced by national and international cultures.

Agra - The city of love and the playground of Islamic architecture. No visit to India is complete without seeing the Taj Mahal. An eternal symbol of love and sacrifice. Around 200km from Delhi.

Jantar Mantar – An astronomical observatory that leaves you in awe. A rare opportunity for tourists to experience the greatness of ancient Indian science.  

Kolkata (West Bengal)

A city draped in history and bustling with activity.

Sunderbans – The world’s largest estuarine forest. One of the richest varieties of flora and fauna on display. A must-see for the nature loving tourist.

Darjeeling – The queen of hill stations. A place of breathtaking beauty, crowned by the majestic Himalayan range.

Hope you have a wonderful trip :-)

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By - Anonymous

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How to buy a laptop - The Simple Laptop Buying Guide (For General Users)

In this fast paced age of technology, buying a laptop is a basic predicament that many of us face. With all the variety available nowadays, a trip to the laptop store is sure to leave you dizzy. Below we provide some simple steps on how to buy a laptop (laptop buying guide), that is tailored to your specific daily needs. Hope you will enjoy and find good value for your money.

Processor 
The processor is what gives life to the laptop (except for the electricity of course) and makes it useful. So make sure you select it wisely. You don't need the fastest and most advanced (a.k.a very expensive) processor to support the simple daily tasks like - word processing, internet browsing, simple gaming,etc.

The minimum that we recommend - Intel Core 2 Duo

It is one of the most widely used processors and is powerful enough to easily handle your daily activities. So you don't really need the latest processor available at the time you are buying your laptop. Sometimes old is still gold.

System Memory  
Most users open and use 2-3 tasks simultaneously on the computer. The ability of the laptop to multi-task effectively depends on it's available RAM.

The minimum that we recommend - 2GB RAM

Unlike games and specialized softwares, most normal tasks don't really need too much resources simultaneously. So a 2GB RAM would be sufficient for general users.

Hard Disk 
A hard-disk with greater capacity would definitely be better in the long run to help you store more files.But, it will also make the laptop more expensive and make you store more junk.

The minimum that we recommend - 160 GB

A 140GB would also be satisfactory, but the extra 20gb gives some space to reduce the clutter of files along with giving you an extra boost of speed without having to pay too much for it.

I F.A.C - DO U?

We at ibreakitdown are aware of the responsibility each one of us have towards making the society we live in a better place. With this intention in mind , we officially start the 'i fight against corruption' campaign. Kindly support the noble cause and spread the word. Proudly wear the 'ifac badge' shown below and join the fight. 

What You Can Do To Join The F.A.C Campaign

• Download the Ifac Badge and use it in your social networking profiles . DOWNLOAD THE BADGE.
• Take a print-out of the Ifac Badge and paste it at any publicly viewable spots like - offices, cars, parks,malls,etc.
• Share this page using the options below the page
• For more information, please visit the  I FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION blog

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Home Remedies - Magic For Face Care

Home Remedy To cure acne and pimples

Take a fist full of tulsi(holy basil / ocimum sanctum) leaves…thoroughly wash them under water…Now grind the leaves to make a paste…put the crushed leaves into a clean thin cloth and press to extract the essence from the leaves…Now apply this essence evenly on and around the acne/pimple on your face…Wait for 30mins and wash off with cool water…Repeat for 4 days

Home Remedy To remove oiliness from face

Take 2 tablespoons of besan (gram flour) and make a smooth paste with water…Apply the paste like soap and wash your face with cool water…

Home Remedy For removing dead cells / as a scrub

Take 3 tablespoons of green gram powder and make a smooth paste by adding water and one teaspoon of coconut oil…Now apply this mixture evenly on the face and body…Gently massage the face and body with your fingertips…Wash off with cool water…

Home Remedy For daily care of general skin health 

Take a fist full of thoroughly washed tulsi (holy basil / ocimum sanctum) leaves…wrap the leaves in a dry towel to remove water…Then place the leaves in a pot along with 250ml of coconut oil…Heat the oil in a low flame until it boils…Leave the oil to cool to room temperature…Apply this oil daily on the face and body before bathing...wait for 10-15mins and use a paste of besan (gram flour) and water as a soap substitute…This will remove any scars, prevent acne and pimples from appearing and give the skin a healthy and soft feel…

Hope these home remedies help to enhance and maintain your natural beauty

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Speakers - How They Work,Simplified

One of modern science's most used and least appreciated item is the noble speaker. We have a little speaker in our cars,mobiles,laptops,mp3 players,televisions,etc., but we seldom wait and think how it really produces sound. Lets break down a speaker into the basics.

 It is common knowledge that sound is caused by the vibration of air.Air is full molecules and when the molecules are hit at one side, it passes the energy to the molecules near it. (Think of air as the sand spread on a beach, if you hit the ground with a stick, the grains near the spot vibrate and fly). And any sound that occurs has a characteristic frequency according to it's vibration.

Now lets consider the actual speakers. The main parts of a speaker are :- a thing that vibrates (diaphragm), a thing that tells in what particular way to vibrate (driver) and a pair of magnets to actually make the vibration.
The diaphragm is the part of the speaker which seems like thin paper and actually vibrates to make the sound.  There is an electromagnet (which is a magnet whose intensity and poles are controlled by the electricity flowing in it) and a permanent magnet (the normal kind of magnet which doesn't change any of it's properties) inside the speaker.

The electromagnet is fixed to the rear of the diaphragm, and the permanent magnet is placed just behind the electromagnet. Now when current is applied in opposite directions through the electromagnet, the poles keep on changing. Here the well-known fact - like poles repel and opposites attract, comes into action. The attraction and repulsion of the electromagnet between the permanent magnet causes a vibrating motion, which is passed on to the diaphragm, which vibrates the air molecules and makes sound.

The driver understands how the vibration should be made from the disk or cable network signal, whichever is your source for the sound. The digital information in the disks and signals gets converted into corresponding electric signals by the driver and gets sent to the electromagnet.

Your ear acts like a speaker in reverse and converts the vibrations back into electric signals in your brain. Thats how your favorite music gets played. :-)
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To know how the picture comes on a television, read http://ibreakitdown.blogspot.com/2011/08/tv-2mins-to-know-how-it-works.html
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Circle Of Lies

Telling a lie is one of the few arts that we learn on our own and try to perfect through the years. The process starts out in the most sweet and innocent manner,maybe as a little toddler's first white lie on who ate the last cookie or about what happened to his/her torn dress. Then as the kid finds out that a simple lie can get him/her out of scoldings and punishment, the kid sticks to the plan of dishonesty. As the years go by, so do the strands of honesty left in the kid.

The pressures of going through being a teen in today's world, makes lying an unavoidable habit. The fear of being 'not cool' coupled with the constant urge to fight the competition makes honesty a hurdle. The traditional and honest person is frowned upon and labelled a loser. And thats only the bad part, the worst part is that nobody makes an attempt to change that situation.

Seldom is there a successful person who hasn't rested upon a few lies to manage and climb up the stairs of success. Regardless of the person, a lie comes in handy in most situations. The real danger comes when the harmless teen lies grow into fake excuses for criminal activities.

But, truth has a very queer way of jumping out and making a phenomenal entrance when you least expect it. We often try our best to bury the truth alive in a coffin far underground. But when it somehow escapes and takes revenge by stabbing us in the back one day, we blame truth for being unfair.

A lie is less like a lottery and more like a loan that can seldom be repaid. You can enjoy the thrill of the moment but, you also have to bear the responsibility and know that the people affected are going to come and demand some justice some day. So the next time you step foot into the circle of lies,make sure you are ready to be engulfed.
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Better Fuel Mileage In 2mins

With the ever increasing price of petrol/diesel,every car owner is madly dreaming of a single magic solution to get the best out of their car. But until someone does come up with that solution, lets come back to reality. There is no one single thing that you can do to get more out of your car, but instead a group of simple steps that you can practice for it.

Drive sensibly - yup, this is definitely one of the most important and difficult options. Keep braking to a minimum (that doesn't mean you jump signals or go over pedestrians). Maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you and try to slow down by not accelerating rather than braking. Maintain your speed at a healthy average level, not too fast nor too slow.Also, it definitely helps when you are using the right gear at the right time. 
Avoid idling - idling makes use of precious fuel without giving you any benefit. Warm-up your vehicle by travelling in a slow speed for the first 2 minutes instead of ramming on the pedal hard for 20secs. And at signals, just switch of the engine at red and restart when it is green.
Get rid of all personal modifications in design. - they may look awesome, but they will also make you pay out awesomely on fuel. The car is originally designed to reduce friction from air as much as possible, but your modifications will increase it.

Use technology wisely - whenever possible, make use of cruise control and overdrive. Also in case of 4-wheel drives, use the vehicle in 2-wheel drive unless you really need the 4WD option for your driving condition.

Manual is better than automatic - Manual transmission vehicles have better fuel mileage.(but i know it isn't an option for us lazy people).  Try to go to the higher gear as soon as possible. Avoid gears in between while going to higher gears when it is possible, by sticking to the upper speed limit of the lower gears.
Manufacturer knows best, so follow their recommendations - each car is heavily tested and manufactured based on factors that are ideal according to the manufacturer, so keep it like that in the case of oil,coolant,lubricant,tire pressure,service time,etc.
Keep the engine alive - your engine is the heart of the car so make sure you maintain it well. Always make sure that your car has its fill of coolants, lubricants and oil.Clean and replace the fuel filters according to dealer recommended service centers. And use the most pure and high quality fuel available to reduce pollution.
Minimum weight gives maximum mileage- don't make your car's boot/trunk space a dump.

Hope you have a pleasant and fuel efficient time with your car..enjoy :-)
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Know Your Heart Better In a Minute

The Human Heart , its what we always associate with love, passion and life. But, do you have any idea of how it keeps pumping mindlessly and keeps you alive?

The heart is a great muscle, and one of the most used one. Consider the picture below, let A,B,C,D be the chambers of the heart, and the colored boxes be the valves.

The blood circulation process takes place as follows (where '>' =  from > to):

• blood low in oxygen from BODY > opening in A > A > green > B > blue > LUNGS
• here the blood gets filled with oxygen through the walls of the lungs
• blood rich in oxygen from LUNGS > opening in C > C > yellow > D > red
• blood rich in oxygen goes to different parts of the BODY
• and the whole process continues

Now imagine both the RIGHT and LEFT sides working simultaneously, so the heart has both -rich in oxygen and low in oxygen blood, at the same time. (with A & D and B & C, forming pairs which contract and expand simultaneously) .Thats how the circulation of blood around your body takes place.

The heart transfers the blood in and out of each chamber through expansion and contraction of the chamber wall muscles. This muscle expansion and contraction is done by electric pulses sent through the heart muscles. The electric pulses are sent at the right time through a 'pacemaker cell' which is controlled by the brain. 

Hope you appreciate your heart better now :-)  

Interviews - 2mins To Be Fully Prepared

The main reason a candidate fails an interview is the lack of comprehensive preparation. You have to succeed in exhibiting yourself as what the interviewer wants and not only as what you really are. Here are a few tips to help you be fully prepared for any situation in the interview room :-

Do your homework
I can't stress enough on how essential this element is towards your success in the interview. As soon as you see an advertisement about a job vacancy, analyse it thoroughly and make a note of the following -

• The name and details of the company
• What exact post is vacant
• What qualifications the company requires

Now you have a clearer picture about your goals. Search the internet for details about the company :- their origin, their branches, their group companies, their partners and most importantly, their competitors. This will ensure that the interviewer feels like you already consider yourself to be a part of the organisation.

Compare the requirements for the vacant designation with the requirements given by other companies that advertise for similar posts. This will help you understand how well-equipped you are for the post and whether it is really suitable for you.

Along with checking the requirements for the post, you are also simultaneously analyzing the exact qualifications tat are needed for the job.This exercise will also indicate what core areas you have to refresh and be ready with.

SLEEP MEDITATION

The essence of meditation is to bring harmony to the functioning of the bodily organs and peace to the mind. This may seem to be a tough task but is in reality a simple one.

SLEEP MEDITATION has greatly helped me in staying calm and healthy without having to spend much time.

The benefits of sleep meditation include :-

• Reduces blood pressure
• Ensures better functioning of memory 
• Relaxation of vital organs
• Cures Hypertension
• Cures Insomnia
• Balancing of hormones

Below i provide the simple guide to the sleep meditation routine that can be practiced even by busy professionals by sparing a few minutes of their time. As the name suggests, it can be practiced before an afternoon nap or before bedtime and hence i provide two separate versions of it :-

Before Naps

• Choose a comfortable position and lie down
• Now close your eyes and take 2 deep breaths
• Then open your eyes and notice the first object that your eyes glance upon
• Now continue deep breathing, and focus on the object which you saw first and run your eyes from any single point of the object and cover the whole area of the object, follow the edges and contours
• Notice the color, the shape, the texture and other features of the object
• If any related thoughts or memories come to mind then browse through them and return your focus back to the object and the position where you had lost focus.
• Do not try hard to avoid getting related thoughts. It is a natural process, just try to bring your focus back to the object as soon as possible.
• Repeat another round of focus around the object.
• Now after you review the object in the same manner for a second time, close your eyes and imagine the same process in your mind
• Now in your imagination,try and create another object of the same type beside the first one.

BEAUTY DIET - Beautiful Skin & Hair In 2 weeks

6am – Grind 10 tulsi (holy basil / ocimum sanctum) leaves with a teaspoon of
turmeric powder and one Indian gooseberry…consume with a glass of
warm water mixed with a tablespoon of honey and half a teaspoon of
cinnamon

7am – one glass of carrot juice with a teaspoon of cucumber juice, one teaspoon
lemon juice, one tablespoon honey and 10 raisins

8am – breakfast – 2 apples
1 banana
(or)1 mango
(or)1 slice of watermelon
4 slices of wheat bread

10 am – have half a cup of curd with 5 strawberries

1pm – lunch – 1 bowl of brown rice
salad of steam cooked beetroot, carrot, lettuce, broccoli, potato
sprinkled with lemon juice
a glass of orange/ mango/apple/banana juice

4pm – have a glass of watermelon juice with 2 tablespoons of cucumber juice
and one teaspoon of honey

8pm – dinner - oats/chapathi/ bread/noodles/salad
1 papaya
1 orange
10 almonds

10pm – Boil a glass of milk with 10gms of saffron added to it…consume the
warm milk


Repeat this diet continuously for 14 days to get the following benefits :-
-efficiently get rid of the toxins in the body
-rejuvenate cells of the skin and hair
-remove pimples and acne
-make the skin more supple, fair and soft…
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- Monisha
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Thank You Mr.Death

Death has a very charming way of being the most familiar guest in the living kingdom but the one who is most snubbed. But as a story once made famous, 'death is the only force that acts equal to all'. It is nature's little reminder that no matter how advanced we think we are, she still has a trump card under her sleeve.

The way death knocks at the door when least expected and refuses to leave alone is what makes it an unforgivable enemy. We all know for certain that death will hunt us down one day or the other, but still refuse to make the available time worthwhile. We neglect how fortunate we are to even be born as humans and be the only species capable of thoroughly enjoying nature. Instead we continue to cling on to our ego, hatred and greed.  We are not ready to make these few years in the beautiful home we call earth, as a happy stay.

Sure there is a lot of suffering and poverty in the world. But, wouldn't most of our problems be solved if we all just had a little more understanding and let go of our personal greed? Do we need to have death looming over the shoulder to realize how fortunate we are to be living?

Quite frankly, thats the best part about death. It serves as a constant reminder to try and keep people sane. It is the inevitable destination that everyone aboard the train called life is heading to. So while you are on the trip, you might as well be helpful and happy with your fellow passengers.

But putting all that aside, what really makes death stand-out from the crowd is the mystery surrounding it. The irony that you have to experience to know but can't tell once you experience it, ensures that nobody will and nobody should know. And if we really did know better about death, then it would certainly lead to a grave imbalance of society and everything in it. We wouldn't have anything to fear, wouldn't have anything to control and correct us. It would lead to the ultimate extinction of everything pure and noble. In a way, it is death itself or the fear of it, which keeps us grounded and prevents us from wrecking life completely.

So Mr.Death, thank you for being there, but you are still not welcome home.
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-Anonymous
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T.V - 2mins To Know How It Works

I can pretty confidently say that you would have watched a television today,and the reason i am sure is due to how extremely common T.Vs are nowadays. But how many of us actually know how the T.V we look at works and shows us the picture and sound ? So lets take a quick look at it.

At the very base, a T.V exploits two features of our brain, it :-

• puts small nearby dots together to form an image
• puts many still images together into a single image [click 'read more' to understand in detail with an example]

The dots (a.k.a pixels) are used to make all the pictures you see in cameras, computers,T.V, etc.When the dots are small enough and placed close enough, you can't differentiate the individual dots. 

So now that we've got that clarified, lets go to the T.V. A T.V is almost like a projector and screen put together. There is a little flashlight kinda thing ,a.k.a cathode ray tube (c.r.t), behind the screen. The T.V screen has a substance (phosphor) coated in the inner face that glows when the beam of light from the flashlight strikes it.

Now moving over to how it all works together. The CRT emits electron beams (think of it as a really thin beam of light) when voltage is applied to it. So by controlling the amount of voltage you can change the intensity of the beam. Your T.V screen has thousands of dots on the screen and when the beam from the CRT hits the dots they glow for a short time. 

The CRT has some coils on it which controls the movement of the tube, and hence helps it to point all over the screen.When you switch on the T.V, the controller tells the coil (and the CRT) where to move to and which dots on the screen  it should make glow. The CRT then moves across the screen more than 15,000 times a second and keeps making the required dots to glow in the correct intensity. Thus you get your picture on the screen, and the fast change of the successive images makes it seem like the characters are moving.

The information about which dots to make glow, for how long,intensity,etc. is what is sent to your T.V'c controller from your cable operator, VCR/DVD player, etc. 

And the sound signals are also sent to the T.V almost in the same way, but we'll explain about that in a later post, 'stay tuned' :-)

How Touchscreens Work - The Most Basic Explanation

Touchscreens are available in almost all modern gadgets like smartphones, mp3 players, ipads,etc. But have you ever wondered how these amazing things change your touch into action on screen? well, lets check it out.

There are four types of touchscreens widely used today, they are capacitive,resistive,infrared and optical. In the resistive type, the screen is made of two basic layers capable of conducting electricity and separated by a very small gap. The outer layer is flexible while the inner layer is fixed. A small charge of current keeps on moving through the layers When a person presses lightly on the outer layer, it moves in and touches the inner layer. This causes a change in the conduction of current and is detected by a controller.

In the capacitive type, there is again two layers, but this time only the inner one is conductive while the other is an insulator. When you use your finger or a suitable stylus to work on the screen, the static electricity from your finger/stylus makes a change in the capacitance at that particular point. This gets sensed by the controller and the location is calculated.

In the infrared type, special l.e.d lights and corresponding light detectors are placed around the screen. They are placed in a pattern that forms checkered boxes of light on the screen (like a normal x-y graph). When a finger touches the screen, the controller calculates which point in the light graph has an intruder.

In the optical type, there are sensors that work like cameras, on the edges of the screen. They take optical images and identify the size and depth of the object touching, along with the location of touching. This helps the controller to know where we have kept our finger.

Hope you understood the basics of the touchscreen :-)
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Tsunamis - How they occur

I'm sure almost everyone is familiar with the word 'tsunami' due to the unfortunate occurrences in the past 5 years. But, here lets just try to examine what exactly leads to a tsunami.

Firstly, the word 'tsunami' literally means a 'harbor wave'. So a tsunami is basically just an extraordinarily huge wave. The waves we usually enjoy at the beach are caused by the friction of the wind against the surface of the sea. The wind blows across the sea and makes very small ripples over the water. These small ripples pass their energy to the neighboring water particles, and the energy keeps on accumulating. This process goes on till the waves become big enough for us to play and surf on. 

But those are only the harmless and enjoyable waves. The destructive ones are caused by bigger forces of nature like earthquakes,volcanoes or landslides. When any of them occur, they pass on large amounts of their energy in a very short span of time. This sudden burst of energy results in towering waves that come crashing towards land in speeds exceeding 400km/hr. To get a better understanding, imagine you drop a stone into a pond. Naturally you see tiny waves travelling away form the point where the rock fell. Now imagine you through a bigger rock (say a hill) and drop it into a bigger pond (lets take the sea for example). The same wave effect gets magnified and you have your own tsunami.

Thus due to the nature of the factors responsible for them occurring, tsunamis still remain unpredictable.Hope you have a better understanding now of how tsunamis occur. :-)

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How Search Engines Work

A search engine is more a tool than a website.It helps you find any content that it has indexed and kept in it's desk. So far i guess its been familiar terms, now lets get into the more technical stuff.

The search engines that we use mostly deal with the world wide web. The search engine uses 'spiders' to travel through the world wide web and reviews thousands of pages of websites,blogs,forums,etc. Then the spider indexes each page and keeps them in a suitable and easily retrievable order.(think of it like an attendance register)

The crawling by the spider mostly starts from a very busy and famous site. It then checks and follows all the links available on that site. It then keeps on following links in the sites it encounters , until it has almost traveled every nook and corner of the web. (like a 'spider' searching for 'prey' on it's 'web')

So when you search for a particular term or word, the search engine just has to check it's index and show you the required page.The main words are called 'keywords'. (kinda like you check the dictionary for meanings to a specific word).

So how does the search engine know which site is best and most relevant?? Well, the spiders give a particular  value to each word and then keeps count of how many times it appears in each page. That way they know how relevant it is to your search term and can give an appropriate 'rank' to the site.

Now you know how a search engine works :-)
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