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Now, Scot players to test a waterproof football kit

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Edinburgh, Sep.13 (ANI): Scotland may be out of the World Cup, but it leads the globe on one footballing frontier – testing out a new range of all-weather soccer gear.

US sportswear giant Under Armour has handpicked two players from the ranks of the Scottish junior leagues to trial shirts, shorts, socks and boots which provide “head to toe” protection against the elements.

Chris Taylor and Kevin MacDonald, from Glasgow, were chosen from thousands of players by the expanding company to try out its new kit over a six-month period.

As well as the waterproof boots, the pair has been given the company’s specially made weather-resistant tops and shorts to try out in Scotland’s harsh winter climate, the News of The World reports.

The boots are made from kangaroo leather, renowned for its water-resistant qualities.

The shirt is made with specially formulated polyester containing “perforated microfibre”.

MacDonald, 26, a betting shop manager, plays for Kirkintilloch Rob Roy. Taylor, 31, plays for Ayrshire side Darvel, and travels from his Glasgow home for training and matches.

The company’s decision to choose Scotland as a testing ground for their waterproof football kit was backed by ex-players yesterday. (ANI)

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World’s most advanced CT scanner to see through solids

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 11 (ANI): Researchers at The University of Nottingham, UK, have created the most advanced 3D X-ray micro Computed Tomography (CT) scanner in the world, which will help scientists from a wide variety of departments across the University literally see through solid materials, including soil.

Known as the ‘Nanotom’, the machine will make previously difficult and laborious research much easier as it allows researchers to probe inside objects without having to break into them.

The Nanotom will produce high-resolution 3D and slice images of solids with a pixel resolution of up to half micron or 500 nanometres.

It will be based at the School of Biosciences as the centrepiece of research into efforts to understand the microscopic interactions between plant root growth and soil structure.

The first project to use it will examine the sensing ability of roots to grow in the best direction for the health of the plant through the soil.

It aims to provide evidence of how the root reacts and adapts to soil stresses like drought and compaction by adjusting the genetic information in the tips of the root as it grows.

The Nanotom will allow researchers to follow the progress of the root growth and soil structural development for the first time without disturbing the sample of the plant growing in the soil.

The eventual aim of research like this is to contribute to worldwide efforts for food security and sustainable food production by preserving and improving the vital but finite soil resources of the planet.

It will enable scientists to come up with a recipe for the best soil composition and level of compaction as well as informing plant breeding programmes.

Accurate soil structure measurement will be also be essential in changing farming practices to cut CO2 which is released into the atmosphere during traditional ploughing of agricultural soil.

According to Dr Sacha Mooney from the University’s Division of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, “This new kit will completely revolutionize our work in trying to understand the key factors that control some of the many functions that soils perform.”

“Of course it’s not just soils we’ll be scanning, I think I am just as excited about the opportunity to look inside newly created environmental building materials, eco-friendly crops developed to improve yield and even chocolate bars for the food industry,” Mooney added. (ANI)

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Researchers make bacteria to produce useful proteins

September 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 7 (ANI): Researchers at the University of British Columbia have turned the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus into a protein production factory by adapting a single protein on its surface, thus making useful proteins that can act as vaccines and drugs.

C. crescentus is a harmless bacterium that has a single protein layer on its surface.

Led by Dr. John Smit, the researchers adapted the system that secretes this protein, which self-assembles into a structure called the “S-layer”, to secrete instead many proteins that are useful for vaccines and other therapeutic purposes.

In other words, by keeping the S-layer protein intact and genetically inserting new things inside it, they produce a very dense display of useful proteins on the cell surface.

The researchers are now hoping to use the entire bacterium in a therapeutic application.

Bacteria are commonly used in biotechnology to produce useful protein products.

If the bacteria secrete the protein rather than keep it contained within the cell, purification costs are greatly lowered.

The researchers have developed a commercially available kit based on this technology, which could be especially useful in developing countries as it might be used to manufacture HIV-blocking agents very cheaply and with little specialist expertise.

“This S-layer system is very efficient at producing and secreting proteins – we can make the bacterium into a protein pump, secreting over half of all the protein it makes as engineered S-layer protein,” said Smit.

He added: “Applications of S-layer display that we are currently developing include anti-cancer vaccines, an HIV infection blocker and agents to treat Crohn’s and colitis, and diarrhoea in malnourished populations”.

Smit presented the findings at the Society for General Microbiology’s meeting at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. (ANI)

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How plant tissues know which end is their growing tip

August 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, August 30 (ANI): A team of scientists has silenced nine genes in a multicellular organism, which allowed them to discover molecular secrets of how certain plant tissues know which end is their growing tip, also referred to as polarized growth.

The research was carried out by biologist Magdalena Bezanilla and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, US.

The biologists conducted these experiments in a moss, but the findings illuminate processes in two tissues-root hairs and pollen tubes-found in all seed plants.

Root hairs are extremely fine individual cells that grow out of a plant’s root, greatly increasing its surface area to collect water, essential minerals and nutrients.

Pollen tubes travel down the flower to fertilize the plant’s egg.

Scientists have “a very limited knowledge” at the molecular level of how such cells determine the direction they’re growing, according to Bezanilla.

Knowing how to interrupt pollen tube formation in plants such as corn and soybeans, for example, could help prevent genetically engineered crops from interbreeding with wild populations.

Aiding root hair growth could boost drought-resistance to other economically important plants.he researchers focused on two proteins, actin and formin.

Actin, in this case a kind of scaffold-builder needed to form root hairs and pollen tubes, forms filamentous polymers and is important for many cellular processes in species ranging from yeast to man. ormins, like actin, are found in many species and help to control actin polymer formation. Formins are critical for actin-based cellular processes.

Tools in a biologist’s kit can now remove the function of specific proteins-usually one or two at a time-to silence a gene, but in this study, the researchers succeeded in silencing a remarkable nine genes at one time.

Bezanilla and colleagues systematically silenced the many actin-regulating formins and determined which members of this protein family are needed to generate cells for proper tip growth.ther tools in the researchers’ kit are methods for re-introducing the silenced genes, either normal or modified versions.

By “swapping parts” from closely related formin proteins and measuring tip growing activity for each combination, her research group eventually concluded that only one intact subclass of formins drives normal growth and controls how the plant recognizes its growing tip.

“If you take away any part of the formin, tip growth stops,” said Bezanilla.

Interestingly, the researchers also discovered that this particular subclass of formins is the fastest yet known in any organism. (ANI)

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UK mobile networks asked to cut off sex trade before London Olympics

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Aug.18 (ANI): City Hall chiefs have called on top phone companies to help crack down on prostitution and trafficking in the lead up to the 2012 London Olympics.

The Telegraph quoted Kit Malthouse, deputy mayor for policing, as saying that mobile phone numbers are a valuable resource for those behind the sex industry, and therefore, an agreement must be reached between mobile phone networks and police to take them out of use as soon as they are identified.

“We want a streamlined, agreed process for barring these numbers because they become very valuable for a number of reasons. Firstly, they become a source of repeat business. Plus the numbers operate as a kind of switchboard, there will be several poor girls operating behind the number,” Malthouse said.

Chief executives of all the major mobile operators have been invited to a meeting at City Hall in October.

City Hall named Vodafone, Orange, O2, 3, Virgin and T-Mobile as the main companies in their sights.

Police have already warned that the Olympics may fuel an unprecedented boom in London’s sex industry.(ANI)

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Katie Price blames Peter Andre for depression

August 9, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, August 9 (ANI): Katie Price believes that her estranged husband Peter Andre is responsible for her unhappiness and depression.

The hottie allegedly claims to have suffered from post-natal depression following the birth of her now two-year-old daughter Princess Tiaamii, for which she blames her singer husband.

Recollecting a holiday in the Maldives earlier this year, where she was alone, she said: “I’d forgotten to take my medication with me and I realised I felt fine. But then he would ring and the stress of speaking to him would make my head go all dizzy again”.

Price, who apparently admits that she often strips off when she is drunk, thinks that Andre is responsible for their marriage not working out.

“Pete got it into his head that if I was out clubbing I was going to sleep with someone. He kept hassling me about the pictures and calling me ‘a disgrace’. And it drove me mad. He’s the one who got his kit off in the video for ‘Mysterious Girl’. He should have done his research about me,’” Contactmusic quoted her as telling Britain’s Glamour magazine.

However, she denies having one night stands.

She added: “You will never see a kiss-and-tell on me, I will never have a one-night stand – I’m just not that kind of person.”

Price is currently linked up with cagefighter Alex Reid. (ANI)

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Tribal children being trained as boxers in Jharkhand

July 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Dhanbad, July 6 (ANI): Several tribal boys and girls are being motivated to develop skills in boxing sport at a boxing club at Chalkari in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad region.

These teenaged boys and girls belong to Birhor, a tribal community of Jharkhand.

Under the auspices of the Dhanbad District Amateur Boxing Association (DDABA), the club has been instituted as part of a plan to take the sport to the village-level.

The boxing coach at the club believes that these kids are much stronger than urban kids and capable of performing well in the competitive ring, if trained and groomed well.

“I think the village children especially the tribal children are stronger than the city children. I chose the Birhor children because they are the least educated and deprived. I want to help them in getting noticed and bring them onto the map of India through boxing,” says Paritosh Kumar, Coach-cum-Secretary, DDABA.

The coach hopes to train the kids for district and State-level boxing competitions and further help them find a platform to showcase their talent as scientific boxers.

Each trainee has been provided with a boxing kit worth rupees a thousand rupees, including two pairs of mittens and gloves, two head-guards and two punching bags.

Budding pugilists are thrilled to learn the sport for professional purpose in future. They believe that even they can do something remarkable in the ring, if given an opportunity.

“We learn boxing in the mornings and evenings. This is going to help us move ahead in life,” said Mahesh, a trainee from Birhor community, Chalkari.

On their part, the parents too are a delighted lot. Sharing their enthusiasm, they believe that learning the sport is supplementing their children’s education.

“Our children are studying and also learning the sport of boxing. Such things were not there earlier. It feels very good,” said Phoolchand, a local resident of Birhor.

Birhor tribe is one of the primitive tribes of Jharkhand. Today, it is a small, nomadic tribe which is on the verge of extinction.

The members of the tribe make a living by hunting, gathering honey and making ropes from tree fibres. Life expectancy among the Birhors is as low as 38 years. (ANI)

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Soon, bulletproof vests made of cement

June 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, June 30(ANI): A new type of body armour made from cement is being developed by engineers at the University of Leeds.

The boffins are combining super-strong cement with recycled carbon fibre materials to make a material tough enough to withstand most types of bullets.

Dr Philip Purnell, who is leading the team at the School of Civil Engineering in the University, said: “By using cement instead of alumina we are confident we can deliver a cost-effective level of protection for many people at risk. It should be good enough for people like security guards, reporters and aid workers who are worried about the odd pot shot being taken at them.

“The fact is many of the armoured vests sold today are over-engineered for the threats they face. Cement based body armour would not only create a whole new market but it would also take some of the pressure off the demand for hi-spec alumina models so that people like soldiers, who really need this kit, can get it.”

Till date, hi-spec body armour is constructed with alumina plates the raw material used to make aluminium – which is heated to 1600 degrees Celsius for up to two weeks in a process called ‘sintering’ making them ultra hard.

Enhanced combat body armour (ECBA) as supplied to UK troops uses sintered alumina plates.

However, in the past UK and US soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced shortages of ECBA as production has struggled to keep up with soaring global demand.

Leeds engineers call the project ‘Cementing the future’ and also suggest putting the material to use in pump-less fridges, a new type of catalytic converter, and improved bone replacements. (ANI)

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Man U fans no fans of new look rugby league-style kit

June 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, June 26 (ANI): Manchester United fans want their new rugby league-style kit seriously touched up before it goes on sale next month.

United fan Nick Cooper said: “It looks more like a rugby league strip. It also looks a bit American. I’ve not been a fan of the United kits for years.”

The shirt’s design is a tribute to the shirt worn in 1909-10 when Old Trafford opened, The Sun reports.

“It won’t do anything for Wayne Rooney! It’s something you’d expect to see on a rugby league player,” Red Devils fan Jim Ferry said.

Rooney said: “I think the kits are really nice. It’s always exciting to see the new kit and I’m excited about playing in it.”

Ji-Sung Park said: “I like to think of it as V for victory and hopefully we can win every game we play in the new kits!” (ANI)

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Punjab Agricultural University develops 30-rupee water-testing kit

June 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Chandigarh, June 20 (ANI): Punjab Agricultural University’s microbiology department has developed a water testing kit to help people ward off numerous water borne diseases.

The kit, priced at just 30 rupees, was earlier used to test water samples from various offices, hospitals and other organisations, but now people can test water in their homes.

According to scientists, most of the water samples they received tested positive for microbiological contamination that could lead to diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid and jaundice.

“85 percent of the water sample in Punjab, what I have surveyed is not portable. Mostly it is because of the microbiological contamination, which can lead to many diseases such as like jaundice, typhoid, and dysentery. So in the wake of these diseases the kit has been developed. We can check the microbiological portability of the water with this kit. This kit is simple to use,” said Parampal Kaur Sahota, scientist.

Farmers in Punjab are especially happy, as the user-friendly kit would save them a lot of time and money.

“It is going to save us a lot of time. Earlier we had to submit the sample and collect it after two days. The Punjab Agricultural University has started a good system. They are giving a kit for 30 rupees. It is very easy to test water with this kit. It saves us both money and time,” said Kuldeep Singh, farmer From Faridkot.

Water contamination is mostly caused by either chemicals used on farms, which affects the ground water or the sewerage pipes near water pipes.

The water kit is bound to facilitate the testing of water and be a great help to people. (ANI)

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Peter Andre ‘wondering if Jordan ever loved him’

May 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 28 (ANI): Peter Andre is wondering if his estranged wife Katie Price a.k.a Jordan ever loved him, after he was banned from attending stepson Harvey’s seventh birthday party.

According to pals, Andre broke down after learning that Katie didn’t want him to attend the party at Chessington World of Adventures in Surrey, where he’d planned to shower Harvey with gifts including a drum kit.

Friends claimed Andre said: “It makes me wonder if the cow ever really loved me in the first place.”

“Peter desperately wanted to be with Harvey on his big day. Despite not being his natural father Peter dotes on him. Kate knows this. It’s tearing him apart being away from him,” the Daily Star quoted a pal as saying. (ANI)

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Rooney looking forward to lifting Champions League cup

May 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 26 (ANI): Manchester United star Wayne Rooney is imagining himself resplendent in his club’s change strip of all white, cracking in the winning goal in the Champions League final before lifting the famous trophy high above his head.

“Since we won the Premier League, I have been thinking about the final every day. You think about scoring in it and winning it and that helps you prepare.

Before every game I can picture myself scoring and doing good things in the game. I ask the kitman the day before a match what kit we are wearing, so I can think about myself in the proper strip. I can see myself picking up the trophy now!” The Sun quoted Rooney, as saying.

Despite all the fame and fortune, though, he is still very much a kid who just enjoys the game.

Rooney, 23, added: “I dream as much as I ever did.

“There’s a lot of money in football. But if I wasn’t playing for United I’m sure that I would be playing Sunday League with my mates, because I love football. I will watch whatever match is on TV and, if I’ve missed one, I will watch a recording,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to it and, on the back of winning the league, we will be going in with a lot of confidence. It has been a very demanding season.

It gets more difficult every year. Other teams are getting better and it’s harder to retain the Premier League and the Champions League as well. It’s really difficult and you have to be really fit. But I think the buzz from Moscow has helped us. When we won it, there was a great celebration,” he added.

“We wanted to feel that again and we’ve realised now in Europe what the style of play is that you need to be successful,” he said. (ANI)

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Soon, pocket-sized ‘okay to kiss’ kit to alert you to foul odour in breath

May 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 19 (ANI): Kissing a partner may turn out to be disastrous if one’s breath is not sweet. But these concerns may soon be history, thanks to pocket-sized breath test that helps know whether malodorous bacteria are brewing in the mouth.

Tel Aviv researchers, who have come up with this ultimate solution, have revealed that a blue result suggests that a person needs a toothbrush.

However, add the researchers, one would be “okay to kiss” if it is clear.

The researchers thus far believed that only one population of bacteria (the Gram-negative ones) break down the proteins in the mouth and produce foul odor.

However, lead researchers Prof. Mel Rosenberg and Dr. Nir Sterer have found that the other population of bacteria (the Gram-positive ones) are bad breath’s bacterial partner.

They say that such bacteria seem to help the Gram-negative ones by producing enzymes that chop sugary bits off the proteins that make them more easily degraded.

According to them, the presence of this enzymatic activity in saliva serves as the basis for the new “OkayToKiss” test.

The patent-pending okay-to-kiss device, containing a color indicator and saliva collector, is the result of ongoing research in Prof. Rosenberg’s laboratory.

“All a user has to do is dab a little bit of saliva onto a small window of the OkayToKiss kit. OkayToKiss will turn blue if a person has enzymes in the mouth produced by the Gram-positive bacteria. The presence of these enzymes means that the mouth is busily producing bacteria that foster nasty breath,” says Prof. Rosenberg.

He says that besides its social uses, the test can be used as an indicator of a person’s oral hygiene, encouraging better health habits, such as flossing, brushing the teeth, or scheduling that long-delayed visit to the dentist.

He reckons that the kit may be ready in about a year for commercial distribution, probably in the size of a pack of chewing gum, to fit in a pocket or purse.

It is disposable and could be distributed alongside breath-controlling products, says the researcher.

A research article describing the kit has been published in the Journal of Breath Research. (ANI)

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Now, a home kit for men to monitor reproductive status post vasectomy

May 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 14 (ANI): Men, who don’t know when to stop using contraceptive methods after vasectomy, can now resort to a medical home test kit based on a protein discovered at the University of Virginia Health System, called SpermCheck Vasectomy.

The new product line could revolutionize the way men around the world monitor their reproductive status.

“The SpermCheck family of products is intended for use by men on both sides of the fertility equation – those who don’t want to father children and those who do,” said Dr. John C. Herr, inventor of SpermCheck technology who is professor of cell biology.

SpermCheck Vasectomy is based on antibodies that bind to SP-10, a protein discovered in Herr’s laboratory, and is the only FDA approved immunodiagnostic test for monitoring sperm after vasectomy.

The device looks and functions much like a home pregnancy test.

It measures SP-10, which is present at constant levels in each sperm head, and enables men to quickly and accurately monitor their post-vasectomy sterility.

Such monitoring is important because sperm can remain in the male reproductive tract for weeks or months after a vasectomy.

Thus, to avoid unexpected pregnancies, vasectomized men must practice birth control until their sperm count falls below fertility levels.

According to Herr, at-home privacy, convenience and affordability of SpermCheck Vasectomy will boost post-operative monitoring and make it easy for couples to accurately determine when contraception methods are no longer needed. (ANI)

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Ex-England cricketer Lewis ‘smuggled 3kg of cocaine in fruit and veg tins’

May 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 12 (ANI): Former England cricketer Chris Lewis smuggled over three kilograms of pure cocaine into Britain in Caribbean fruit and vegetable tins that were crammed into his kit bag, a jury heard on Monday.

Lewis, who was once described as the sporting heir to Ian Botham, was stopped at Gatwick Airport in December last year as he returned from a week-long trip to St Lucia.

Customs officers seized five tins inside his Puma cricket bag that contained a brown liquid that smelt of chemicals and was in fact 100 per cent pure cocaine.

The Croydon Crown Court was told that the 41-year-old all-rounder’s friend, Chad Kirnon, 27, was stopped 10 minutes later and three tins of the liquid cocaine were seized.

The total street value of the drugs, which weighed 3.37kg, was 140,000 pounds.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Tom Wilkins said both men had masterminded a plot to carry the “valuable consignment” of Class A drugs into Britain.

“The question is, did they know that they were bringing in cocaine?” he said. “They had come from St Lucia together and flown out there together. They knew one another and, the Crown says, they were acting together.

“There’s overwhelming evidence each of them knew they were smuggling cocaine when they came back into Gatwick,” Wilkins claimed.

When Lewis was told by the officer that he was carrying cocaine, he replied:

“Could there be some mistake?” before refusing to answer police questions.

Earlier, Lewis had said he had been visiting his family, had told the Borders Agency official that he had packed the kit bag himself and was aware of its contents.

The trial, expected to last a week, continues. (ANI)

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The A to Z of UK leadership’s gravy train revealed

May 9, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 9 (ANI): British MPs have put in claims for items from the common to the bizarre. Now, The Sun has presented their own ABC list of greed.

A is for AGA: A Tory charged 160 pounds for his annual Aga service.

B is for BREAD BIN: Labour backbencher claimed for a 20 pounds one in 2007.

C is for CAT FOOD: One animal-loving female Conservative MP claimed 78p for two tins of Cesar Chicken and Turkey pet food and 3.69 pounds for Iams Senior.

D is for DYSON: Animal vacuum cleaner, 299.99 pounds, claimed by a meticulous Lib Dem MP in 2005.

E is for ELEPHANT LAMPS: Two for 134.30 pounds, bought by well-known Tory front-bencher and EYELINER: 2.50 pounds, from Boots, bought by female Lib Dem in 2005.

F is for FARROW AND BALL PAINT: Charged by a Tory shadow minister as part of a 1,775 pounds interior house painting claim for his home in the country.

G is for GINGER CRINKLE BISCUITS: 67p, bought by a peckish Labour backbencher in 2007.

H is for HORSE MANURE: One particularly wealthy Tory MP charged 10 pounds for a bag of manure for his country retreat.

I is for IKEA CARRIER BAG: 5p, claimed by a Labour MP in his Scottish constituency and ICE CUBE TRAY: 1.50 pounds, bought by a former Labour Cabinet minister from M and S in 2008.

J is for JAFFA CAKES: 1.60 pounds for two packs, charged by an outspoken junior minister in 2004 and JELLIED EELS: £1.31, claimed by Essex-based MP.

K is for KIT KAT: Bought from the minibar of a central London hotel by Labour minister Hazel Blears.

L is for LOO SEAT: John Prescott bought a pair in the space of a year for his constituency home.

M is for MAKE-UP MIRROR: 19.95 pounds, by Revlon, bought from John Lewis by a middle-aged female Labour MP and

MOLES: Tory grandee asked 35 pounds a quarter for a mole catcher at his country pile.

N is for NEEDLEPOINT RUG: Millionaire MP Barbara Follett claimed 528.75 pounds for cleaning and repair of the ornate Chinese floor covering. She was granted 300 pounds.

O is for ODD JOBS: A Lib Dem frontbencher claimed for 77 pounds paid for a handyman to fix a rope on his swinging chair and other small jobs.

P is for PIZZA WHEEL: 3 pounds, bought from a Bodum shop in Oxfordshire by Tory backbencher.

Q is for QUICHE DISH: Part of a 110-piece dinner set bought on eBay for 155 pounds by a Labour backbencher’s wife.

R is for RATS: A well-heeled Labour MP claimed 199 pounds a quarter for visits from Rentokil to deal with a rat and mouse infestation at her London home.

S is for SHAMPOO: 1.65 pounds, claimed by a balding Labour backbencher in 2007.

T is for TAMPAX: Two packs at 1.11 pounds each, claimed by a male Conservative MP who lost his seat in 2005.

U is for UTENSILS: Potato peeler, 4.50 pounds, claimed by a member of the Tory front bench.

V is for VILEDA SUPERMOP: 4.99 pounds, claimed by a moustachioed Labour MP in 2005.

W is for WEED KILLER: 3.49 pounds, from Focus DIY, bought by a Labour MP and part-time handyman.

X is X-RATED MOVIES: Ordered by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith’s husband Richard, two for 10 pounds.

Y is for YUCCA PLANT: 9.99 pounds from Homebase, bought by a home-loving Lib Dem member for his constituency home.

Z is for ZANUSSI OVEN: 337.18 pounds, bought by a knighted Conservative MP from B and Q in 2007. (ANI)

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Esquire’s 3-minute video on sexy Megan Fox’s everyday life

May 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New York, May 6 (ANI): American actress Megan Fox has been chosen by Esquire magazine to appear on a three-minute video shoot, taken right from the time she gets up in the morning.

The 22-year-old ‘Transformers’ actress is shown going about her daily business for the June issue of the magazine, due to hit newsstands on May 10.

The video clip, Good Morning, Megan Fox, shows her waking up alone in her underwear, lounging by the pool with a beer, while wearing a slinky metallic swimsuit, and then chomping down on grilled BBQ chicken.

“It allowed her to act,” the New York Daily News quoted photographer Greg Williams, who directed and filmed Fox for the cover shoot using a Red One video camera, as saying.

The special camera allowed him to extract high-quality photos directly from the video footage.

“She could run scenes without being reminded by the sound of a shutter every four seconds that I was taking a picture,” Williams added about his hi-tech kit. (ANI)

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Rofo.com Launches QuickMove

April 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or you need a concierge, Rofo.com’s dynamic
new service helps small businesses manage their next move.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 15 /PRNewswire/ — Rofo(TM) (www.rofo.com), the first
free office space search engine that quickly matches tenants with the best
available office spaces, today introduced QuickMove, a free, turnkey service
designed to help businesses “complete the last mile” of the leasing process by
providing businesses with the tools and advice needed to complete a move and
set up shop.

Once a business locates the right space, the tedious task begins of outfitting
and organizing their move. QuickMove provides a smart, cohesive experience
that offers an array of relevant services and expert advice from professional
move consultants.

“Companies are not in the business of orchestrating a move and it can turn
into a frustrating, time consuming and costly experience,” said Rofo CEO Alan
Bernier. “The idea behind QuickMove (www.rofo.com/quickmove) builds on the
same premise that has made real estate search on Rofo an innovation in the
marketplace: it provides access to professional advice normally reserved for
larger businesses and connects businesses with products and services that fit
their budget.

Here’s how it works:
For those who prefer the “do-it-yourself” method, Rofo’s QuickMove is a tool
kit complete with move guide, sample timelines, and relevant local service
providers that offer exclusive deals to Rofo users. These include everything
from space planners and architects to movers, furniture dealers, telecom
companies, even coffee suppliers. On QuickMove, businesses can search,
solicit proposals and compare offers that best suit their needs.

If time and human capital are short, a QuickMove concierge will develop a
customized plan and manage the entire move process. The concierge knows the
local landscape and will qualify and help select the service providers. They
also provide project oversight to ensure a smooth move.

About Rofo
Founded in 2007 and based in San Francisco, Rofo (www.rofo.com) is a free,
easy-to-use online service that greatly simplifies an entrepreneur’s search
for commercial real estate and related services and professionals. Rofo
efficiently connects commercial real estate brokers and landlords with
businesses looking for hard-to-find, smaller (under 5,000 square feet) office
space. The privately-held company offers more than 10,000 listings on its
site with information provided by valued data partners such as First American
Title Company, Yelp, many top Bay Area brokerage firms, and institutional
landlords like Hines.

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Malaysian PM makes rotis on Baisakhi

April 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, April 15 (IANS) The Malaysian prime minister making rotis! That was exactly what Najib Tun Razak did when he visited a gurudwara here to greet the Sikh community on Baisakhi.

Razak also spoke of the need for harmony among various communities in multi-racial Malaysia, enunciated by his ’1Malaysia’ concept.

Razak, who visited the Gurdwara Sahib Tatt Khalsa Diwan in Chow Kit here for the first time, made his intention to visit the Sikh shrine known only late Tuesday.

He tried his hand at making roti which is an unleavened flatbread, much to the amusement and delight of the cooks, most of them women, New Straits Times said Wednesday.

‘I gave late notice as I did not want any pomp and pageantry. I did not want the red carpet, bunga mangga or kompang (with which a special guest is honoured).

‘I wanted to meet you in a natural way and take part in the daily activities so I can better understand the aspirations and hopes of the Sikh community and all communities.

‘I want to show very clearly that this government stands for all communities, races and religions,’ he said in a short speech to those present at the gurdwara.

The crowd cheered when he greeted them by saying, ‘Sat Sri Akal’ and ‘Happy Baisakhi Day’.

Razak took off his jacket to be more informal.

Malaysia has a 100,000 strong Sikh community that has done well in business and trade and professions like law. Many have joined public life and have been lawmakers.

Most Sikhs came here during the British era.

The community conducts many social services. Razak met with blood donors at a corner of the hall.

There was a line-up to shake hands with him and be photographed.

In his speech, the prime minister expressed his appreciation and recognition of the Sikh community’s contribution to the country’s development through the years.

‘We must break the race barrier. We should not look at skin colour but as one Malaysia. If one needs help, he should be helped. If we have that attitude, we will move forward,’ The Star quoted him as saying.

He also called on all Malaysians to help one another regardless of race or community to foster greater unity.

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World’s largest solar boat under construction in Germany

April 12, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

Washington, April 12 (ANI): A team of scientists, engineers, and yachtsmen are making what they say will be the largest solar boat ever built, with a view to making a trip around the world.

Planet Solar is being built at the Knierim Yacht Club in Kiel, Germany.

The 13-million-dollar revolutionary vessel will be 98 feet long and 50 feet wide. That climbs to 114 feet and 82 feet when the solar panels are fully unfurled.

It will feature 5,059 square feet of photovoltaic cells.

Rivendell Holding AG, a Swiss firm that invests in renewable energy, is funding the project.

The objective behind this project is to prove that the shipping industry can reduce its dependence on fossil fuel.

The team plans to circumnavigate the globe at the equator in 120 days at an average speed of 10 knots.

Should they succeed, Planet Solar will set a maritime milestone because no one has circumnavigated the globe in a solar electric boat thus far.

“Solar boats are a viable form of transportation for the future. Our society is too dependent on fossil fuels, which are in limited supply and which are causing measurable negative effects on the earth’s atmosphere.

It’s now time to demonstrate the potential that renewable energies have to offer in the area of mobility,” Wired.com quoted Delia Collardi, a spokeswoman for the project, as saying.

Work on the solar cat’s hulls is almost complete, but the project still has a long way to go.

A press kit says the boat will weigh 60 tons and feature 470 square meters – 5,059 square feet – of photovoltaic cells that offer 22 percent efficiency.

Collardi says that the vessel will have enough power to carry skipper Raphael Domjan, the 37-year-old founder of Planet Solar, and navigator Gerard d’Aboville, both of whom are accomplished sailors and adventurers.

The route is still being worked out, but Planet Solar will set sail from Marseilles, France, sometime next year and cross the Atlantic, then cut through the Panama Canal to cross the Pacific.

From there she’ll head south through the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean before crossing the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Then it’s through the Suez Canal and across the Mediterranean Sea and back home.

Stops in New York, Shanghai, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Monaco are among those being considered.

Collardi has revealed that supporters and well-wishers will be welcomed aboard, and that 50 people can fit inside the catamaran for short jaunts.

Immo Stroher, founder and president of Rivendell Holding, has dibs on Solar Planet at the end of the journey. (ANI)

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