Bhagat Singh In Jallianwala Bagh

On April 13, 1919, Bhagat Singh went to his school as usual unaware of the most tragic event that would trigger his fight for freedom.

When young Bhagat Singh, just 11 at the time heard about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, he ran on his bare foot to witness the tragic event. The blood soaked maidan and the echo of cry was tight packed in his heart for years to come. Although the tragic scene was too much for the child to bear, he sat down on the ground and filled a bottle with the blood soaked mud. One of the historic reports state that the sight made him wail miserably.

Bhagat Singh, then carried the bottle to his house with misty eyes and placed it in the mid of the room. Then he sat down as if he was performing a ritualistic pooja. His younger sister watched his act with great surprise and asked, "What are you doing with that bottle filled with red mud." He answered with grief and anger, "This is the pure blood of great freedom fighters killed by the British. I am paying my last tribute to them who fought to make my India a free land".

After few years Bhagat Singh plunged into the battlefield to free his country. On 23rd March, 1931, he was hanged to death by the British, with his companions Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar for shooting a police officer in response to the killing of veteran freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai.

However, death didn't seem to scare him as history states that before giving his extraordinary life to the mere rope, he kissed it with great pride and with a curved smile he cried out for the last time Bharat Mata and breathed his last. His death made several youngsters in North India to fight for a free land with great vigor. He was not successful in winning the war but he did start one. A war of revolution.

What will 3G mean for you

The 3G guidelines rolled by government is set to revolutionise India’s mobile phone services and take it to the next technological level.

The 3G policy announcement paves the way for high-speed mobile connectivity in the country. Here's looking into what 3G will mean for you as a consumer.


What exactly is 3G
3G is short for third-generation mobile telephony services.

3G phones work in higher bandwidths of 15-20 MHz. Currently mobile phones work on 2G or 2.5G, and use 30-200 KHz bandwidth.

Bandwidth is a measure of the width of a range of frequencies used while transferring data from one point to another and is measured in hertz.


2G Vs 3G services
3G represents the next step in the evolution of mobile telephony, offering markedly greater capacity and efficiency than the current 2G systems.

While 2G is focused on voice, 3G supports high-speed data of at least 144 kbps enabling broadband internet access on the mobile, and "triple play" features like mobile TV and converged communication services.

Similarly, 3G will allow operators to enhance their capacities for voice traffic as well. Currently, key operators are facing severe 2G spectrum crunch in top 20-30 cities which is hampering their future growth. As the government has indicated that it has limited spectrum left for 2G services.

Also, while 3G is good for data services, it is also three times more efficient than current technologies in packing in subscribers.


What can you do with 3G
3G services will give mobile users high-quality voice transmission and access to high-end data applications on their mobile phones, including broadband Internet access, interactive gaming and download movies, video clips and music. The can also enjoy other multimedia features such as video conferencing, mobile TV etc.

For example, a user will be able to download a 3-minute song in approximately 15 seconds with 3G. This compares to 8 minutes usually required in existing mobile technologies.

This will help mobile players to offer high-end value-added services like movie downloads, mobileTV, etc to prop up their ARPUs (average realisation per user). Presently, Indian mobile operators generate only 7-10 per cent of their revenue from non-voice services, primarily dominated by SMSes.


How much will it cost
All impressed? But then as they say good things don't come cheap. In many countries, subscribers saw a 50 per cent jump in their monthly phone bills when they switched from the normal 2G to 3G services.

Not only this, many consumers will need to upgrade their handsets to avail 3G services. The starting price for a 3G-enabled handset is about Rs 6,000, compared to an entry-level phone of Rs 700.

However, operators have reportedly said that they will make 3G affordable in a price-sensitive market like India. According to reports, a 3G start-up package could cost users around Rs 299. This may jack up for unlimited downloading which may cost between Rs 500-1000.


3G models, pricing...
According to analysts, one of the key hurdles in switching to 3G services for users can be the initial cost of upgrading to a superior handset. Presently, about 15-20 per cent of the mobile phones in India are 3G-ready.

However, now with 3G services only six months away, mobile phone makers are reportedly ready to offer handsets for as less as Rs 3500. Chinese telecom company Huawei Technologies is said to be in talks with Indian GSM operators to introduce a 3G entry-level phone between $80-100.

Other mobile manufacturers like LG and Motorola too foresee a fall in 3G handset prices.

Motorola currently has three 3G models priced between Rs 14,000-19,000.


How soon can you get 3G
While the state-run telecom companies, MTNL and BSNL have said that they will launch 3G services within six months (starting from North and East zones), private service providers may take longer.

Successful private 3G bidders are likely to launch services by mid-2009.


The Mobile WiMax threat
Though presently, there seems to be a scramble for 3G services, the service faces a big threat in another technology called WiMax. The evolving technology offers data download speeds 10-30 times faster than 3G.

Also, while WiMax can provide similar services such as 3G, the technology still has to establish itself as a global standard. Globally, only a few operator have deployed WiMax giving higher economies of scale to 3G technologies. However, WiMax enjoys strong backing from companies like Intel, Motorola and Nortel. .

So, though as a consumer, you may choose between the two, telcos would probably want to offer both. .

The telecom minster A Raja said that government will also auction Wimax services. The reserve price for these services has been set at 25 per cent of that of 3G. Initially, about three licences would be offered, which will be doubled later depending on the vacation of the spectrum by Defence.


New service providers
DoT will appoint an independent agency to carry out the global online auction with two weeks. The auction will be open to both old and new players. However, while existing operators like Vodafone and Bharti Airtel will have to pay Rs 2,020 crore (reserve price for the auction). The new entrants are required to pay an additional Rs 1,651 crore to obtain a unified licence before they are eligible. .

This means new entrants will require roughly Rs 4,600 crore inclusive of entry fee, cost of unified licence, performance and financial bank guarantees before they can even step into the bidding arena. .

DoT has also made prior 3G experience mandatory for new players to rollout 3G services. This means that some of the Indian companies like Hindujas, Jindal, Parsvanath and DLF, which have earlier applied for telecom licence will have to partner with a global player with 3G experience to participate in the auction. .

Courtesy Indiatimes News Network

The Indian Ten Commandments

1. Treat the Earth and all that dwell therein with respect
2. Remain close to the Great Spirit
3. Show great respect for your fellow beings
4. Work together for the benefit of all Mankind
5. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed
6. Do what you know to be right
7. Look after the well-being of Mind and Body
8. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater Good
9. Be truthful and honest at all times
10. Take full responsibility for your actions

In pics: Tech @ Beijing Olympics

The Beijing Olympics are set for a grand start on August 8. The games have been in the limelight since the day they were announced, sometimes for right reasons, and many a times for wrong reasons.
The Chinese government's recent decision to censor Internet during the games has once again kicked up a row. As the days inch closer to the Big day, we bring you some interesting tech moments driving the games.

Seeking Olympian branding!
Lenovo is the only Chinese company among the International Olympic Committee's 12 top-tier sponsors. The Beijing-based company is hoping its link to the games will help its efforts to become a global brand name.
Lenovo is supplying 30,000 servers, personal computers and other pieces of equipment for the games and is sending 580 engineers to maintain it.
The company has run some 40 test events and rehearsals for the games, said Chen Xiaopeng, its senior vice president for China.
The company recently showed off a new wireless device, dubbed Beacon, which attaches to a digital camera and allows users to post pictures directly to the Web. Yang said it would be available for some news photographers to test during the games.
Lenovo is planning Olympics-related television advertising campaigns in the United States, Australia and India and will be running Internet advertisements in Europe.

Stop Press!
The Beijing Olympics plunged into another controversy after China's decision to reverse a pledge on allowing unfettered Web access to the thousands of foreign reporters covering the Games.
The International Olympic Committee and the Chinese organisers BOCOG later agreed to lift all Internet restrictions for the Beijing Games.

Someone’s watching you!
An accredited member of the media goes online at the main press centre for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on the Olympic Green in Beijing. Computer security experts have advised visitors to Beijing to protect their data from prying eyes. According to experts, travelers carrying smart cell phones, Blackberries or laptops could unwittingly be providing sensitive personal or business information to Chinese officials who monitor state-controlled telecom carriers.
Data risks
A journalist works on a laptop computer during a Beijing 2008 Olympics press conference. Without data encryption, executives may have their business plans or designs pilfered, while journalists' run the risk of exposing their contact list.

Till curtains go up!

A Chinese performer wraps up the stage in front of the television broadcast tower during rehearsal for the Beijing Olympics at the Olympic Green in Beijing, China, July 30, 2008.
Recently, a US Senator accused China of installing Internet-spying equipment in all the major hotel chains serving the Olympics.

Training Times
Staff train at the audio production room at the new China Central Television's (CCTV) Olympic Broadcast Center in Beijing. Broadcaster CCTV is dedicating 3,000 staff to the Beijing Olympic Games, with over 2,500 hours of programming going out on seven of the 17 channels it controls. CCTV will distribute Beijing Olympics broadcasts to all TV stations across China.

No politics please!
A staff member trains at the new China Central Television's (CCTV) Olympic Broadcast Center in Beijing, July 30, 2008. Although Chinese government has agreed to free Internet access for reporters for the period of the Games, it is still tightly controlled for the rest of the country.
It has also made a plea not to politicize the Games that many hoped would lead the country of 1.3 billion on a path to greater political reforms to match years of breakneck growth that has made China the world's fourth-largest economy.

Dressing up!
A giant overhead screen dominates a retail street in Beijing. Beijing is getting ready to receive a massive influx of foreign tourists during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and is determined to showcase a modern and vibrant capital.
Hu said that as early as 1908 some Chinese were saying their country should host the Olympics, adding that when the Games open on August 8 it would be the fulfillment of a 100-year dream.


Repressive regime
Foreign journalists use Internet services provided at the Main Press Center at the Olympic Green in Beijing.
Claiming that Chinese journalists faced greater repression now than in 2001 when Beijing was awarded the Olympic Games, a US-based think tank has charged that authorities there were accelerating crackdown on media before the opening ceremony for the mega sporting event on August 8.
The blocked Internet was seen as the latest broken promise on press freedom at the Beijing Olympics, which China's authoritarian government is hoping will show off an open, modern country and the rising political and economic power of the 21st century.

Lacking direction?
A passenger walks past a subway map at the new subway Line 8 which opened recently exclusively for accredited volunteers, journalists, staff and athletes in Beijing, July 29, 2008.

Super quotes from the Superstar

There is a joke about Rajnikanth that is doing the rounds in Kollywood and beyond: “When SUPERSTAR does a pushup, he does not lift himself up; he just pushes the Earth down”.

More jokes on these lines are in the making, thanks to the curtains of invincibility that have been woven around the Superstar by his fan-filmmakers. Writers too have contributed in building up the Rajni legend. It’s a habit among Rajni’s writers to jot in a few one-liners, which the star happily shoots off, on screen. No Rajni movie is complete without “the Rajnikanth Punch line”.

Each of these lines is taken in as a commandment by the zealous Rajni fan. Rajni does an MGR with these cleverly poised words. He uses it to communicate to his fans and detractors as to who he “really” is, what he likes, who he loves, who he hates and what his plans are. Here are 10 selected one-liners from the Superstar Rajnikanth encyclopedia.

Enjoy!

'Moondru Mugam' (1982): Rajni plays Alex Pandiyan, a righteous cop.

Ekambaram, the villain, dares to say this to Alex: “Ekambaramnu sonna vayithula irukura kozhandhai kooda vaaya moodum.” (“Say the name ‘Ekambaram’ and even an unborn child will shut its mouth and hush up.”)

Alex retorts: “Adhe kozhandhai kitta Alex Pandiyannu sonna, innoru kaiyale avanga amma vaayayum moodum!” ( “Well, if you say the name ‘Alex Pandian’ to that particular unborn child, it will close its mother’s mouth with the other hand!”)

'Annamalai' (1992): Rajni plays Annamalai, who starts out as a cowherd, and becomes a millionaire by selling milk.(!) He even sings in praise of the cow divine. About his style of functioning, he has this to say: Naan solrathaiyum seiven, sollathathiyum seiven.” ( “I will do what I say, I will also do what I don’t say.”)

'Uzhaippali' (1993): Rajni is the King of Proletarians here.

“Nethu naan coolie.. enniku naan nadigan.. naalaikku... Sila per solranga naan eppadi varuven appadi varuven.. naan eppadi varuvennu andavanukkum mattum thaan theriyum.. (Yesterday, I was a coolie, today I'm an actor; people have different ideas about my future. Only god knows what I will become!!)

'Baasha' (1995): In this cult classic, Rajni plays the undercover Don, who had once roamed the streets of Mumbai, in a car sandwiched by two SUVs. “Manik Basha” always walks in slow motion, with three doting assistants following him, three paces behind.

Apparently, Basha does not want to waste his words on lowlifes and trivialities: ““Naan oru dhadavai sonna nooru dhadavai sonna madhiri.” (If I say it once, it is equal to saying it a hundred times.”)


'Muthu' (1996): Rajni plays Muthu, a village simpleton who is the real “Vaaris” to a millionaire (also played by Rajni) who had given up his castle and all the riches thereof to lead the life of an ascetic!

“Naan eppa varuven, eppadi varuvennu yarukkum theriyadhu, aana varavendiya neratthil correct-aga varuven.” (“No one knows when I will come, or how I will, but when I come I will come in the right time.”)—No pun intented!

'Arunachalam' (1997): Rajni plays Arunachalam, who is given Rs. 30 crore in cash and the golden opportunity to squander it within a month’s time:

“Andavan solran. Arunachalam seiran.” (“God commands, Arunachalam obeys.”)

Padayappa (1999): Padayappa is a Mechanical engineer, who is brave enough to take a Cobra out of its pit. Unfortunately, a scheming uncle deprives Padayappa’s dad of all the wealth. Padayappa is left only with a throw-away real estate, which has a barren hill for an investment. Rajni discovers that it is a “granite malai” (granite hill!!!). He sells all the granite, becomes a millionaire, and avenges his dad.

“En vazhi , thani vazhi.” (“My way is the original (a unique) way!)

To women, who roam the village in min-skirts and flaunt their attitude, Padayappa has this to say (before he quits the scene in slow motion): “Adikamaa aasikkira aanum adhikamaa kopikkira ponnum vazhntha sarithirame kedaythth” (The overtly ambitious man and the overtly angry woman have never succeeded on earth!!!)

Baba (2003)

Plays Baba, who is destined for “bigger things”! Rajni himself has written the screenplay, but he forgets to tell people what the “bigger things” really are!

Baba: Naan leytta vanthalum leyttestta than varuvaan…. (Even if I come late, I will be the latest one to come!). Again, no pun intended.

'Chandramukhi' (2005)

Plays Saravanan, a super psychiatrist who “tames” a schizophrenic shrew. The plot demands Saravanan to play an Andhraite King, who says “Lagalagalagalagalagalaga” every time he enters the shot. The meaning of this word (phrase, idiom) is unknown to this day.

'Sivaji, The Boss' (2007)

Sivaji is a US-returnee, who nurtures the dream of civilizing India’s educational sector. He starts a medical college, gets trapped in huge debts and is rendered penniless. He is offered a One-rupee coin by the villain, just before “Interval”. Sivaji uses this coin to become a millionaire; the screen-time taken for this manoeuvre is not more than 10 minutes.

To the king of goons, who is surprised at the fact that Sivaji had landed alone to fight his monster herd, Sivaji says this: “Panni than daa koottama varum; Singam single aa than varum” (“Only the swine comes in herds; The Lion will always come alone”)

The ‘Discovery Channel’ truth: It’s the lion who always attacks in groups!

To those who literally tremble at the mention of his name, Sivaji roars: Summa peru sonnale adhiruthille???!!! (Doesn’t my name send a shiver down your spine? Ha!)

And when they swoon to his charms, Sivaji says: “Kkkhooooool” (“Cool”)!