Get the right makeup

We have all had days when we would stand in front of the mirror and try out every bit of make-up from the dressing table.

But, most of us tend to get conscious applying make-up, our biggest concern being, "Will this suit me?" Read on to know more about how you can glam up the right way. 

The first step to looking good is knowing your skin tone. Natural skin tone becomes pale or tanned due to factors like exposure to the sun and pollution. It is important to use shades of make-up which complement your skin tone. By using the right kind of shades for the skin, one can enhance and look natural instead of made-up. 

Choosing the right make-up shades depends on your undertone. Look at your skin, devoid of all make-up and you will notice either a pink or a yellow undertone. It's all about matching your make-up to your skin undertone to make yourself look beautiful.

For determining your skin tone, choose an area where your natural skin tone is visible (which is hardly exposed to the sun), for instance the inside of your wrist. There are two types of skin tones, warm and cool. If you notice undertone of yellow (or maybe, brown and olive) then you have a warm undertone. But if you see a shade of pink (or a rose and reddish tinge) then you have a cool undertone. 

Skin tones can be categorised further for convenience. one can categorise skin tones into four subdivisions: 

A) Light skinned: An ivory or porcelain complexion.
B) Light medium skinned: People with a complexion like rose beige, light olive or ash brown.
C) Medium dark skinned: Tones like yellow-beige, medium olive or rose-brown.
D ) Dark skinned: A combination of shades like dark olive, bronze, rich-beige or black.

The first step involves applying the concealer, which will be your base. It is one of the most important steps in make-up application because it evens out your skin tone if it is patchy. Wear it such that it blends with your undertone. Once you know your undertone, try your make-up and walk in the sunlight. Either your make-up will blend beautifully, which means it looks good on you, or it will look awful, which means it is not meant for you.

While choosing a blush, the rule is to coordinate with the skin colour. If you are of a wheatish complexion, metallic blushes are a no-no. 

Use earthy colours. It is also recommended you wear some sort of colour on your skin. If yours is an acne-free skin, then choose cream blushes rather than the powdered ones.

When you buy a lipstick, you should swipe its tip with a tissue to actually uncover its real base colour. Coat the lipstick such that it looks even. Another latest trend is eye make-up, which accentuates your facial features to give you that dramatic look. 

Don't enhance all of your features all at once by using every make-up item from your kit. The idea is not to look like an X'mas tree. If you have done up your eyes, balance it by keeping your lips nude.

We all desire to look good. So use these tips to your best advantage.

Eating habits that ensure a longer life

A new study has found that the leading causes of death are no more infectious diseases but chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer - which may be affected by food habits.

Researchers investigated eating patterns of over 2500 adults between the ages of 70 and 79 over a ten-year period and found that certain diets were associated with reduced mortality.

By determining the consumption frequency of 108 different food items, researchers were able to group the participants into six different groups as per their food choices: 

Healthy foods- 374 participants
High-fat dairy products- 332
Meat, fried foods, and alcohol- 693
Breakfast cereal-386
Refined grains-458
Sweets and desserts-339 

'Healthy foods' group ate more low-fat dairy products, fruit, whole grains, poultry, fish, and vegetables, and lower consumption of meat, fried foods, sweets, high-calorie drinks, and added fat. 

'High-fat dairy products' group had higher intake of foods such as ice cream, cheese, and 2 per cent and whole milk and yoghurt, and lower intake of poultry, low-fat dairy products, rice, and pasta. 

End results indicated that 'High-fat dairy products' group had a 40 per cent higher risk of mortality than the Healthy foods cluster and the 'Sweets and desserts' group had a 37 per cent higher risk. 

No significant differences in risk of mortality were seen between the 'Healthy foods' cluster and the 'Breakfast cereal' or 'Refined grains' clusters. 

The "results of this study suggest that older adults who follow a dietary pattern consistent with current guidelines to consume relatively high amounts of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry and fish, may have a lower risk of mortality," said Amy L. Anderson at Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland. 

"Because a substantial percentage of older adults in this study followed the ''Healthy foods'' dietary pattern, adherence to such a diet appears a feasible and realistic recommendation for potentially improved survival and quality of life in the growing older adult population."

Quiz yourself, how fit are you?

Is your stamina up to the mark or are you a puffer? Test your fitness levels with this easy quiz

A Score 2
B Score 5
C Score 10

1 Can you climb up six flights of stairs in a building?
a Without breaking a sweat
b Yes, but I'll be puffing and panting
c Eventually, with a few rest stops. Slow and steady...

2 Any outdoor exercise like trekking or heavy lifting leaves your muscles sore
a For a day or two at the most
b I can feel aches and pains for a few days afterwards
c Any outwardly activity has my muscles out of commission for at least a week

3 Can you jog for two or more kilometers without stopping?
a Without difficulty
b I can try, but not promise
c No way in hell

4 Can you touch your toes with your fingers without bending your knees?
a Easily
b I can try
c I could earlier, not any more

5 How often do you visit a doctor?
a Once a year for a regular check-up
b Only when I'm sick
c Almost every few weeks with something or the other

6 Can you run about 100mts under 15 seconds?
a Yes
b Maybe but I might overshoot it a little
c Are you nuts?

7 How many pushups can you do in one go?
a Over 30 (men)/ 25 (women)
b Over 25 (men) / 30 (women)
c Under 20 (men) / 15 (women)

8 How ready are you to participate in a city marathon?
a With a few more training exercises I'm ready to go
b Give me a few weeks to tone up and I'm up to speed
c Cheering squads are underrated

9 What's your level of cardio endurance?
a More than 20 minutes
b Between five and 20 minutes
c Less than five minutes

10 How often do you currently exercise?
a More than three times a week
b Once or twice a week
c Where's the time?

Your score:
Based on your current lifestyle your fitness quotient is...

38-55
Healthy
Not only are you extremely fit, you also pass with an excellent bill of health. Now whether you are a fitness freak or just some who keeps a tab on their calorie count, your fitness program is on the right track. Keep up the dedication to a fitter lifestyle.

56-100
Getting heavy
So you aren't a treadmill Nazi. Working out is as important to you as shaving once in three days; required but not a necessity. While this is a good way to keep things balanced, you'll need to make sure you don't get carried away and ignore your weight or you'll pack in the pounds in no time.

101-140
Over the bulge
Clearly, obesity ads and gyms springing up in every corner mean nothing to you. You are careless about your health and your body reflects it. Even if you don't look it, it's only a matter of time before fat wins the war and takes you down. Control it while you still can and chalk out an exercise regimen.

Fruits we eat are loaded with chemicals

Fruits and vegetables are known to be possessing antioxidant and anti-ageing factors. If they are a source of harmful chemicals as well, then are we heading towards fitness or otherwise?

Fresh colourful fruits and vegetables are a beautiful sight, commonly seen in this season of the year. Health consultants highly recommend fruits and salads in their prescriptions and we take the best advantage of the availability of the range of variety in the markets. But how close we are to nature, when we are consuming these fruits is a very big question mark. Fruits and vegetables are known to be possessing antioxidant and anti-ageing factors. If they are a source of harmful chemicals as well, then are we heading towards fitness or otherwise?

In recent times, there is much concern about artificial ripening of fruits. Though fruits like mango naturally ripen in trees; some chemicals are used to ripen them artificially which hasten the ripening process. Ripe fruits are not suitable to carry and distribute as they get rotten. So traders pick unripe fruits and use certain methods to increase their shelf life.

For many years, ethylene had been used as a fruit ripening agent, but nowadays ethane, calcium carbide and ethephon are commonly used for faster ripening. But inappropriate use of these chemicals to ripen fruits is associated with many health hazards.

Ripening is a process in fruits that causes them to become edible. Globally, the ripening is done through gas emission systems or ethylene generator systems, depending on quality and shelf life desired.

"Fruits like bananas ripened through scientific ways will have uniform colour, good taste and longer shelf life. The market is evolving and awareness is slowly growing. Currently, small volume of banana traded goes through scientific ripening process," says B Thiagarajan, president, air-conditioning & refrigeration products group, Blue Star Ltd, which offers gas emission ripening systems as well as ethylene generator systems.

Ill-effects of artificial ripening
- Ethylene is known to cause damage to the neurological system, affects the eyes, skin, lungs, memory and leads to prolonged hypoxia (lack of oxygen supply).

- Ethephon is a plant growth regulator. It promotes pre-harvest ripening in apples, currants, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, morello cherries, citrus fruit, figs, tomatoes, sugar beet and fodder beet seed crops, coffee, capsicum. Ethephon is easily converted into ethylene and has the same harmful effects.

State Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) has banned the use of ethephon last year, but fruit traders have now resorted to bethylene.

- Bethylene is not known to have any harmful effects but it alters the taste and the nutritional value of fruits and also reduces the shelf life of the fruits, if used beyond the recommended limits. And most of the traders do use quantities of bethylene which are much higher than the prescribed limits.

- Besides ripening agents, farmers also use many pesticides to grow fruits and vegetables which are detrimental to our health.

Take care

- Wash your fruits and vegetables in a sink full of water in which a tablespoon of salt is added with a lime squeezed in it. Allow the fruits to float in the sink for 5-7 minutes before rinsing them with plain water and then draining them in a colander. Allow to dry and then consume.

- While selecting fruits, look for nail marks, punctures or powdered applications on the fruits. Do not pick fruits with any of the above signs.

8 Glasses of water a day keeps fat away

Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off.

Water supresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.

Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.

Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention.

Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients.

The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs -- plenty of water. The more salt you eat the more water your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy -- just drink more water.

The overweight person needs more water than a thin one.

Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources.

How much water is enough? On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry.

Now, eat salt without worrying!

How much salt to include in our diets has always been a controversial subject, but a European study has concluded that salt consumption is not dangerous and may in fact, be beneficial.

The study contradicts the American Medical Association, American Heart Association and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which advocate that higher sodium consumption can increase the risk of heart disease.

The researchers studied 3,681 middle-aged Europeans who did not have high blood pressure or heart disease.

The participants were divided into three groups: low salt; moderate salt and high salt consumption. The results showed there were 50 deaths in the low salt group, 24 in the moderate consumption group and only 10 in the high consumption group.

Furthermore, the heart disease risk in the low consumption group was 56 pc higher. Hence, the researchers concluded that lesser salt the participants ate, the more likely they would die from heart disease.

"The optimal level of salt in our diets has been a controversial subject for at least 20 years," said co-authors Dian Griesel, Ph.D. and Tom Griesel.

"There is no disagreement that high blood pressure (even moderately high) is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. However, salt consumption does not seem to have the same effect on everyone. In addition, there is usually no distinction on the type of salt used.

There are many naturally harvested salts that also contain many trace minerals, which undoubtedly have an effect. Medical literature on salt consumption (like many other things) is inconsistent," Griesel added.

Time to go bananas

With bananas being sold at dirt-cheap prices at this time of the year, it might be tempting to re-evaluate the benefits that this little tropical fruit has to offer. Here is the lowdown on why you should be going bananas, at least when it comes to your diet:

Naturally rich in Potassium
With ample amounts of potassium in them, bananas help maintain the electrolyte balance in the cells of the body. Higher levels of potassium in the body can help lower the risk of strokes. Being low in salt, it's good for BP patients as they need to be careful about their daily intake of salt.

Loaded with Vitamins, minerals
Large size bananas are known to be packed with high amounts of vitamins A, which is especially important for the development of optical tissues present in the eyes. Vitamin A is also essential for healthy skin and bone development.

Other benefits:
Being high in fibre, they are an ideal cure for constipation, and an alternative to chemical laxatives.Bananas are also known to be mood elevators as it triggers the production of serotonin.It's a great fruit for those suffering from ulcers as it is easily digestible and has acidity neutralising properties.

How to buy the right meat

Choosing the right cuts of meat is crucial if you are planning to eat a healthy non-vegetarian diet. Most often, meat gets blamed for unhealthy fattening foods, but this issue can easily be resolved by picking lean cuts of fresh and well-fed meat.

The importance of choosing the right, healthy kind of meat is highlighted even more in diets that ought to be weight loss and cholesterol sensitive. 

1. Poultry products should be very high in tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.

2. Poultry products should be virtually free from defects such as bruises, discolorations, and feathers.

3. The products should have no broken bones.

4. For whole birds and parts with the skin on, there should be no tears in the skin or exposed flesh that could dry out during cooking, and a good covering of fat under the skin.

5. Also, whole birds and parts should be fully fleshed and meaty.

6. The natural colour of fresh meat, except poultry meat, should be dark red. Meat which is in the process of losing its freshness, no longer shows a bright red colour, even when intensively exposed to air, because of the partial destruction of the red meat pigment which results in a grey, brown or greenish colour.

7. Surface of the meat should be clean and it should not be too wet or too dry and there should not be any unattractive blood splashes on muscle tissue.

8. Processed meat can be evaluated by its appearance according to the different raw materials of which the product is composed and where the use of some components is exaggerated (for instance too many particles of visible fat or connective tissue, etc.).

9. Beef, Mutton and poultry meat should be tender and juicy.

10. The smell of fresh meat should be slightly acidic. The freshness of meat is generally indicated by its smell together with its appearance and colour.

Life with a roommate

Living with someone is never an easy job. There is so much you have to deal with. And we aren't talking about live-in relationships or boyfriends. We are talking about friends who are roommates and that calls for a very weird situation if things go wrong.

Everything's hunky-dory when you decide to take a flat of your own and live the independent life but things get tougher by the day. It's almost like a relationship that you have to go through. Except you live with this one! Now some roommates are absolute darlings.They keep to themselves, they don't bother you and they're great company. But then there are others, who have taken it upon them to turn your life into a burning hell!! Students who have to deal with hostels during the early years of their student life perhaps can adjust to anybody right now but they all started with very difficult people. Nabil, a student in his fourth year of engineering recalls his first year of hostel. "Everything was scary. The atmosphere in general, the seniors and the thought of staying away from parents. Over this, we had to face the perils of having a roommate." Nabil talks about how his first roommate never used to take a bath and always used to mess up the room. "It was disgusting and frustrating. I wouldn't call myself a neat freak, but I am human!" says Nabil. Nithing soon moved out from the room after enduring 10 months of his smelly roommate.

One of the things you might have to learn to learn to deal with a bad roommate is to put your foot down. No, Ignorance is not bliss and you cannot hope that "things will change". Once your roommate gets an idea that you won't have a problem then he would not stop what he is doing either. So when you see something that you don't like, make sure you point it out to him/her.

Having a roommate has its own advantages. You become more accommodative and tolerant. You also learn to manage relationships because as easy as it sounds, having a roommate requires a lot of negotiation and decisions. The inevitable question of how much is too much always emerges. Even if you're good friends, it is always advisable to keep a considerable amount of distance from your roommate. At some point you may hit epiphany that you are invading the other person's privacy and vice versa. And when that happens, it turns into a very uncomfortable situation where you are caught between the devil and the deep sea. Malika, a student who lived with her best friend for years says that it is very tricky managing with the person you're living with. "I had to be on guard all the time. Every time I went into her room, I kept thinking whether I was being too pushy or intrusive". Malika eventually worked out a plan with her best friend so that each of them would have their share of quality time.

Having a good roommate is very essential. At the end of a long working day, you just want to come back to your own space. And having that space is very important for one's mental peace. So make sure, you choose your roommate well.

Kareena Kapoor's mujra act

Kareena Kapoor has just shot for her first mujra song for Shriram Raghavan's Agent Vinod.

Kareena Kapoor

 

Styled by Manish Malhotra, the actress shot for 22 hours continuously before canning the shot. Says an insider, "It has been choreographed by Saroj Khan. 

By the end of the song Kareena's knees and hands were bruised due to the floor movements and other dance steps. Kareena confirms, "I was on my feet dancing till 6 am! I'm not a trained kathak dancer but I think managed it well. time."

Sonam Kapoor : I'm extremely moody

There's something about Sonam Kapoor. She doesn't hard-sell herself like other actors.

She's honest, endearing and wears her attitude well. Here are excerpts from an interview ahead of her new film- Eros International and Vistaar Religare Film Fund's Mausam - produced by Sunil Lulla and Sheetal Vinod Talwar (releasing worldwide on September 16)...

We hear you fainted often on set...

Sonam Kapoor

 

I am perfectly well now but till five months ago I kept falling ill because I was overworked. Mausam has taken a lot from all of us; we have worked very hard on it. In the course of a year, I shot for three films: Mausam, Players and Thank You, and promoted two: Aisha and I Hate Luv Storys.

And you contracted typhoid twice!
Yes, I got typhoid in New York of all places and was hospitalised there.When I returned to India, I went to work almost immediately and had a relapse. I love eating roadside food, so perhaps that also played a part. Now I'm careful.

Like Shahid you gave two years of your life to Pankaj Kapur's Mausam...
I have literally given Mausam my sweat, blood and tears, but I am used to working like that. I gave that kind of time to Saawariya and Delhi 6 too. I would rather do quality work than churn out films like a factory. Whether my films work or not, I want people to remember me and my characters. 

You said Shahid Kapoor is the best looking guy in a uniform!
Yes, after my dad! My dad looked the best in a moustache and uniform in Pukar. Shahid is a close second.

Is Shahid a perfectionist?
No, he is a casual, easy-going young actor who can be very spontaneous and fun to work with. He doesn't care about what he wears and how he looks. The only thing he fusses about is his hair! Shahid is the most heterosexual man I have met in my life; he is endearing and very chilled out. He is also respectful of his father (Pankaj Kapur) and loves his family. I like that about him.

Finally how was the experience of working with Pankaj Kapur?
I'm his biggest fan. He's an actor I would love to emulate. As a director, he treats each actor differently. He knows I'm spontaneous and he was happy to let me do my thing. All he looks for in a performance is honesty.

Poonam Pandey does it again!

India's Controversial bikini model Poonam Pandey shares another picture to 'motivate' our men in blue. this one's tame...untill you look closely! 

The lass with the ass-ets is at it again! Poonam Pandey who recently shared a picture of herself in barely-there underwear has tweeted another picture of herself to 'motivate' the men in blue.

Poonam Pandey

 

Makes one wonder, with the bad condition that the team is in, if Ms. Pandey's pictures are actually motivating them or leading to well...nightmares.

In a picture that she tweeted recently, Poonam is seen in a more conservative avatar... until you look closely of course.

The model and headline seeker's picture shows her bending over in a seductive pose, complete with a good 'view' of what according to Ms.

Pandey is 'motivational'. Here's hoping our boys aren't too distracted to save face against England!

Poonam Pandey Biography

Poonam Pandey, a dusky model, is one of the girls to sizzle on the Kingfisher Calendar 2011.

Poonam’s main asset is her svelte figure and sensuous looks. She’s as much comfortable posing in skimpy bikinis as in single-piece swimsuits.

Imran Khan to judge F1 Grid Girls

Imran Khan joins the panel of judges who will audition girls from all over the country. As we race towards the 2011 Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India - and the excitement to be the 'face of the race' heats up - the Airtel Grid Girls Hunt will unfold in a series on zoOm. 

Imran Khan

 

Picking the Grid Girls will be a glam panel of judges: fashion guru Prasad Bidapa, Pantaloons Femina Miss India-International 2011 Ankita Shorey, and adding star power will be actor Imran Khan, who's all set to storm the box office with Mere Brother Ki Dulhan this weekend.

Imran will judge the contest in the city, and says, "Competitions are always exciting. It'll be very interesting to see all the contestants race to be number one. I can't wait to see the final winner."

The F1TM excitement is already palpable from the sheer number of entries from cities across India. Now, on popular demand, the dates for participation in the contest have been extended from September 7 to 12. So if you have it in you to be an Airtel Grid Girl, and if you love the thrill of Formula OneTM, log on to www.airtel.in/Formula1 and register for auditions today. The auditions will now be held in three cities - Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai - from September 13 to 17.

So get going now. Refer yourself or a friend for the auditions and embark on the expressway to becoming a part of the first ever Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India. The icing on the cake? The top three girls who will be selected as the face of the race will get a money-can't-buy opportunity of featuring on the cover of Femina magazine.

- Times of India.

Salman khan is number one: Aamir Khan

In Bollywood, every actor tries his best to reach the top of the ladder and become number one, but according to Aamir Khan, who himself is credited with blockbuster hits like Ghajini and 3 Idiots, Salman Khan is presently the number one box office star."

Aamir Khan and Salman Khan

 

According to me Salman is ahead of me. In the manner in which his film Bodyguard has got an opening, it has broken all records and today according to me, if there is anyone who is the number one box office star, then that is Salman," said Aamir.

"He has proved with this film that he is ahead of all of us. I am very happy that his film is doing well. My good wishes are with him," Aamir told reporters here at the music launch of the film Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster," he added.

"Few days back I even had a chat with him on phone because he is in America. I'm glad that his health is also much better now. Infact I was the one who gave him the good news of the massive opening box collections of Bodyguard," said Aamir.

"I had texted his sister Alvira and I had told her that when Salman comes out of his surgery then show him my text first. I wanted to be the first one to give him this great news," he added.

When asked from the 46-year-old actor that since he shares such a great camaraderie with Salman, would he like to work with him again in a film, Aamir responded with a yes.

"I would love to work with Salman. We have a great tuning so if we work together, it will be great fun. But till the time we don't get a good script, a script that excites both of us, we can't work together," said Aamir, who has shared screen space with Salman in the past in the film Andaz Apna Apna.

- hindustan times.

Asin has a little fan!

On her way to Mangalore for a function, Asin was recently at the Mumbai airport and was about to board her flight, when a cute, curly-haired little girl came running up to her shouting, "Didi! Didi!"

Asin

The actress immediately picked her up and the next thing she knew, the little muppet had wrapped her tiny arms around her neck and given her a smacking kiss on the cheeks!

We hear the child just refused to let Asin go. So the actress gave her a few chocolates which were in her handbag, while the child's mother tried unsuccessfully to separate her from Asin. Asin's flight (at the adjacent gate) was boarding, so to make things easier, Asin carried the little girl with her till the gate and finally managed to cajole the kid to let her go. Sweet! 

- Times of India.

Kate hates nude scenes

The Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet, who has appeared totally naked in Titanic and Mildred Pierce, thinks flashing the flesh in front of a camera is a profoundly bizarre and unethical thing to do. 

Kate Winslet

 

She said, “I hate it! Listen, make no mistake, I just get on it. I just go in and say ‘let’s do it,’ and boom! If you complain about it or procrastinate, it’s not going to go away. It’s a profoundly bizarre thing to do.”

She adds, “As actors you talk about it all the time. You can literally be tangled in sheets. It’s sort of unethical if you think about it in those terms.” Despite admitting to always feeling nervous before she takes on a new project, the 35-year-old star, who won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Actress in The Reader, hopes her jitters continue as the day she finds a role easy she has vowed not to bother anymore.

- The Asian Age.

29.9 M People In India Are Cyber Crime Victims: Norton

A Norton study said that the cost of global cyber crime amounts to $114 billion, annually, with an additional loss of $274 billion pertaining to lost time of victims.

In India, it is estimated that more than 29.9 million people fell victim to cyber crime in 2010, resulting in direct financial losses of $4 billion, and an additional $3.6 billion in time spent resolving the crime.

According to the Norton Cybercrime Report 2011 more than two thirds of online adults (69 percent) have been a victim of cyber crime in their lifetime. Every second, 14 adults become a victim of cyber crime, resulting in more than one million cyber crime victims every day. In India, four in five online adults (80 percent) have been a victim of cyber crime.

The report also reveals that 10 percent of adults online globally (17 percent in India) have experienced cyber crime on their mobile phone. In fact, the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 16 reported there were 42 percent more mobile vulnerabilities in 2010 compared to 2009. The number of reported new mobile operating system vulnerabilities increased, from 115 in 2009 to 163 in 2010. In addition to threats on mobile devices, increased social networking and a lack of protection are claimed to be some of the main culprits behind the growing number of cyber crime victims.

Globally, 54 percent of respondents said that they have experienced computer viruses and malware in their lifetime. Viruses are followed by online scams (11 percent) and phishing messages (10 percent).

“There is a disconnect in how people view the threat of cyber crime,” said Gaurav Kanwal, Country Sales Manager - India and SAARC, Consumer Business Unit, Symantec. “Cyber crime is much more prevalent than people realize. Over the past 12 months, three times as many adults surveyed have suffered from online crime versus offline crime, yet less than a third of respondents think they are more likely to become a victim of cyber crime than physical world crime in the next year. And while 89 percent of respondents agree that more needs to be done to bring cyber criminals to justice, fighting cyber crime is a shared responsibility.”

The divide between awareness and action is illustrated by the fact that while 74 percent of respondents are aware of cyber crime, many are not taking the necessary precautions. Forty-one percent of adults indicated they do not have an up to date security software suite to protect their personal information online. In addition, less than half of the respondents review credit card statements regularly for fraud (47 percent), and 61 percent do not use complex passwords or change them regularly. Among those who access the Internet via their mobile phone, only 16 percent install an up to date mobile security.

9/11 commemorated on iPhone and iPad

The years that followed 9/11 brought books and DVDs memorializing the tragedy; now the iPad and iPhone are proving themselves as powerful interactive tools serving in the same mission.

It's not finished yet, but the National 9/11 Memorial at the site of the World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan promises to provide an emotionally wrenching experience. With part of the memorial scheduled to open to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks, the time is right for iPhone/iPad apps exploring the Memorial.

There are two official National 9/11 Memorial iPhone apps – the "Explore 9/11 Memorial" with a blue "9/11 Memorial" icon, and the "9/11 Memorial Guide" with a white icon – and one unofficial iPad historical app, "The 9/11 Memorial: Past, Present and Future," constructed with aid from the National 9/11 Memorial folks. All three are free.

Documentary filmmaker Steve Rosenbaum, released the film "7 Days in September" in 2002, but he told us that, in 2006, he revisited the subject. "I kept feeling like I'd only told half the story. I'd created the world's largest archive of 9/11 videos, but the story of how the country and the site re-built was important, maybe more important."

He donated the educational rights to the footage to the 9/11 Memorial, but began work on his website, and on the iPad app, 9/11 Memorial: Past, Present and Future, which we demonstrate in the above video.

Speaking of points of view, another app developer decided that the best starting point to talk about 9/11 was to have people take pictures in and around Ground Zero, and then add in the ghostly rendering of the Twin Towers. The app, 110 Stories, is currently on iPhone but soon to be released on Android. When you point the phone's camera at the part of the New York skyline where the World Trade Center would be, they appear, with the correct proportional dimensions.

"I'm a life long New Yorker, in love with the city skyline and obsessed with the lost iconography of the Twin Towers," says developer Brian August, on his website.

But it's not just a photographic trick: Once you take a picture, the app requests that you upload your story, so that you can share in the memorialization of the lost buildings, and the greater tragedy of which they are emblems.

In order to offer his app for free, August reached out to crowdsourced funding community Kickstarter, and in three weeks raised nearly $28,000, enough to cover the development costs.

The National September 11 Memorial and Museum also has an iPhone app, created last year but updated for the 10th anniversary, called Explore 9/11. Its main purpose is to guide users on a tour of Ground Zero, providing at each stop on the walk a voice and photo explanation of the tragic events. It also provides a timeline of the events, and a social feature for users to share images.

Mitsubishi boosts starting prices of electric car

Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. said Friday that due to unforeseen circumstances, it's raising the price of its new electric vehicle.

The starting suggested retail prices of the ES and higher-end SE versions of the Mitsubishi i will both increase by $1,135 to $29,125 and $31,125, respectively, the company said.

The Japanese automaker did not give a specific reason for the price increase, just citing "unforeseen changes in market conditions." Buyers of the cars will still qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit.

The price increase applies only to the vehicles' starting prices. The costs of optional extra features, such as its cold weather and premium packages, remain the same.

Hackers send fake terror alerts from NBC's Twitter

A hacker broke into the Twitter account of NBC News and sent out a handful of false tweets about a suspected hijacking and a plane attack at ground zero just days before the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

Staffers noticed the false tweets at around 6 p.m. Eastern time Friday, contacted Twitter and soon after had the account suspended.

Host Brian Williams then read a statement on air saying the reports were false.

A group calling themselves Script Kiddies mentioned themselves in the tweets and appeared to be responsible.

By about 7 p.m. Eastern, the account was restored and the false tweets removed. NBC is contacting authorities including the New York Police Department and FBI about the incident.

AT&T fights back at U.S. challenge of T-Mobile deal

AT&T Inc and T-Mobile USA fought back against the Justice Department's challenge to their proposed merger, arguing the deal would "usher in more intense competition."

AT&T and T-Mobile, owned by Deutsche Telekom AG, argued in a federal court filing on Friday that the massive $39 billion deal would free up spectrum and create new capacity for Americans whose mobile devices are transmitting increasingly large amounts of data.

"The Justice Department's complaint fails to come to grips with the significant efficiencies this transaction will generate," the companies said in their filing.

In the brief, AT&T asked the court to allow its purchase of T-Mobile to go forward and to require the Justice Department to pay its costs in the challenge.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit aimed at stopping the deal last week, saying the acquisition of T-Mobile USA, the No. 4 carrier, by AT&T, the No. 2, would harm competition in the wireless market and lead to higher prices.

The department, in particular, seemed determined to preserve T-Mobile as an innovative, discount carrier that held down wireless prices.

Responding to that concern, AT&T said "T-Mobile is not a unique or material competitive constraint on AT&T."

"T-Mobile has not been a meaningful or unique innovator in terms of network development and deployment, nor is it likely to become one in the foreseeable future," AT&T said in the filing with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The deal partners took issue with the Justice Department's review of the effect of the merger on a national basis instead of on a local basis. They argued that more than 90 percent of U.S. consumers currently have at least five wireless carriers to choose from in their local markets.

They also disputed the method the Justice Department used to analyze the deal, saying it was too simplistic.

If the merger goes through, AT&T will unseat Verizon Wireless as the No. 1 U.S. mobile carrier. Verizon Wireless is a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc.

Apple announces Match $10K in Charitable Contributions Per Employee

Apple this week launched a new program for its employees in which the company will match personal charitable contributions of up to $10,000 per year.

The program is currently available to full-time employees of Apple in America, but will expand to other countries in time. It was announced on Thursday in an e-mail sent out to employees by Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook.

Barely two weeks after a New York Times article called out ex-Apple CEO Steve Jobs for falling short in his philanthropic commitments compared to his peers, new Apple CEO Tim Cook has decided to grab the issue of Apple philanthropy by the horns.

According to a memo sent by Cook to all of Apple, reported by Fortune's Brian Caulfield, Apple will now begin matching employees' charitable contributions. The limit per employee sits at $10,000 annually, and the contributions must (obviously) be directed toward an official 501(c)(3) organization.

"I am very happy to announce that we are kicking off a matching gift program for charitable donations," reads Cook's memo, sent this past Thursday. "We are all really inspired by the generosity of our co-workers who give back to the community and this program is going to help that individual giving go even farther."

Apple plans to start the program for its full-time Apple employees in the U.S. first, and intends to roll out matching contributions for the company's international workers over time.

Samsung Windows 8 tablet has Intel inside

A Samsung tablet expected to be shown at a Microsoft conference next week will be powered by an Intel chip, according to a source familiar with the device, said news source CNET.

Windows chief Steven Sinofsky is expected shows off an early version of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system running on a tablet from Samsung at the BUILD developers conference next week in Anaheim, Calif.

At least one version of the tablet being shown--and possibly distributed to some attendees--will be based on Intel silicon, said an industry source who is familiar with the device.

The fact that Intel is inside could be viewed as a surprise because many Windows 8 tablets are expected to favor competing ARM processors from suppliers like Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Nvidia--the latter is the same supplier whose chips currently power Motorola, Samsung, and Sony tablets that run Google's Android operating system.

It is not clear if other Windows 8 tablets will be shown at the conference running on ARM processors. Nvidia, for example, is expected to have a quad-core chip for tablets and smartphones ready by the end of this year.

Generally, ARM processors are more power efficient than Intel processors, thus their wide use in tablets and smartphones. But Intel is working to close the power efficiency gap. Power efficient versions of its Sandy Bridge Core i series chips will power "Ultrabook" laptops as thin as 0.6 inches--not unlike a tablet's thickness--and Intel continues to accelerate development of Atom processors, which are already relatively power efficient.

Windows 8, which is a much more tablet-friendly OS than Windows 7, will run on both Intel/AMD chips and ARM. A first for a mainstream Microsoft operating system.

Microsoft and Intel declined to comment on this story. Samsung could not be reached for comment.

14,531 tk crore Bangladesh Railway (BR) projects to double capacity

Bangladesh Railway (BR) is buying new engines and coaches and installing new lines and rehabilitating old ones at a cost of Taka 14,531 crore aiming to double its capacity by 2015.

Bangladesh Railway

Under 31 separate development projects, the Railway is procuring 120 new locomotives, 539 passenger coaches and 466 wagons with the assistance from South Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Indian Dollar Credit Line, Md Abu Taher, BR Director General told Besides, the railway undertook another six projects to install 489 kilometers of new rail lines, resume service on 133- kilometer closed rail lines and develop Dhaka-Chittagong line into fully double line within next three years. "The present Awami League government has set a time bound vision before the railway so that the once reliable and popular train communication could reemerge as the main mode of communication in Bangladesh," Taher said. The railway boss hoped for completion of the time bound development projects, saying that all depended on timely release of fund from the government.

The DG said a total of 137 stations remained closed across the country due to lack of necessary manpower. The railway launched initiatives to recruit about 7275 officials for different posts. After completion of the recruitment the closed stations will be reopened.

The present government during last three years launched 12 pairs of new trains on Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Rangpur, Dhaka- Rajshahi, Dhaka-Narayangonj, Lalmonirhat-Burimari, Bonarpara- Dinajpur, Kaonia-Rangpur, Maymensingh-Jariajanzail and Chittagong-Nazirhat and routes.

Railway also lunched rehabilitation of about 500 kilometers of intersection lines including Parbatipur-Birol, Mymensingh- Dewangonj, Sayedpur-Chilahati, Laksham-Chandpur, Rajshahi- Rohanpur, Fatehabat-Nazirhat, Sholoshahar-Dohazari, Lalmonirhat- Burimari, Dhaka-Naryangonj and Shaymgonj-Mohangonj. The railway has currently 2835 kilometers of lines, 440 stations, 290 locomotives, 1500 passenger coaches and 9970 wagons.

The DG said as the previous governments did not concentrate on the sector, 223 out of 290 locomotives expired the economic lifeline of 20 years and 103 locomotives exceeded over 40 years of age. Railway faced problems in maintaining timetable which is expected to improve after recruiting the manpower and procuring signaling equipment.

Taher said slow pace in releasing necessary fund is a main problem in achieving the visionary plan within stipulated time. The Finance Ministry only released Tk 480 crore out of Tk 3500 crore government allocation for the fiscal 2011-12.

The capacity of Bangladesh Railway (BR) has been dwindling since the independence of the country against increasing demand for rail service.

BR operates 283 passenger trains in 44 districts while there is a plan to introduce railway service in 20 other districts.