: ) My Journey of 2009 : )

For me this was the year of the social networking. I have been always an active participant of almost all the social platforms. The value of the social aspect of Internet still is well understood by many companies. Social networking websites have reached a special momentum that changed the traditional vision of 'Internet human interaction will make you an antisocial' to the more realistic one 'If you get into social net, your physical social live will increase as well'

Twitter, facebook, linked in and all other platforms have made possible for people to share their life happiness and problems with others. Don’t think in a way that it looses one's privacy. I share what I want to share and that’s the point, the constant daily training myself in the action of sharing knowledge, experiences, ideas, photos, thoughts, everything.

It was also a year full of events and a good opportunity to meet many new people. I express myself through images and what I see every day is the way I find my peace in mind and happiness.

Always do the path instead of following the path that maybe others suggest you to do. Listen to people what they say, learn from the mistakes of others, but at the same time, follow your heart, even if everybody around you tell you that it’s a mistake .... : )

I want to thank to the people that, in a way or in another, are giving me their support, advice, suggestions and constructive critics. Some of my friends and relatives are far away and some just a few kilometers away from my home, but it doesn’t matter, the link is the important thing, so friends always be in touch and have a very Happy New Year.... Cheers !!

Significance of Content Writing

Nowadays content writing is becoming very popular and is seriously taken by many web masters. Professional content writers job is to research about the particular subject given, have the complete understanding of the target audience and then produce a crisp and to the point information. The information age has brought the explosion of information and this is due to the growing popularity of Internet. It has brought extensive information on all sorts of subjects and professional fields.

Good content conveys the nature of business and enhance image of an organization over the Internet. The web visitors should find the content relevant and should provide customized solutions to the customers queries and problems. This will help to make your website search engine optimized. The content will also convey about the company’s objectives, vision and mission in an efficient manner. Update the content regularly on the website so as to maintain higher ranking in the web portals.

Check out the original content on the worlds largest trade shows directory BizTradeShows.

MASTI With Family

Skies are grey and the winds are cold. It is a great time to stay inside and spend some time together as a family. There is nothing better than lazing around feeling warm and cozy while the world through your window looks damp and miserable. It is even better when the whole family is lounging around together, isn't it?

I think we are always so busy that there rarely seems to be time that you can spend together as a family. How long is it since you all sat at the meal table together and talked about your day? As the kids get older it is harder to get them together at the same time because their social lives start to interrupt. Now that winter is here why not use it as tool for getting everyone together?

Don't only think in terms of sitting around and talking. I think any time spent together is good because it all adds to the common bond you have as a family. You could have a movie night at home. Sit in the dark with your popcorn just as you would have done in the cinema. Pick a family friendly film and curl up. Another idea is to have a cooking challenge where you team up to create a meal for the family. It is great for getting the kids involved in the cooking. They aren't going to miss the judging either, so it guarantees that you eat together.

Yes, winter can be a long, cold season so warm it up by strengthening your family relationships. In years to come you will hear your children telling their children tales of the things you did together. What a lovely tradition to pass on.

Promote Products/services with Vanity URLs

Are you looking to expand your brand, or have you got a new product or service that you want to promote online. Having your business URL on your marketing materials is a start. However, how about using vanity URLs.

A vanity URL (or vanity domain) is an easy-to-remember URL that is often used to promote a particular product or service.

For example, your company URL may be www.company.com, and your vanity URL for a product XYZ could be www.xyz.com. Often, a vanity URL redirects to a page on your site. For example, www.xyz.com could redirect to www.compnay.com/xyz.html.

This accomplishes three things:

* Firstly, you'll send prospects to the most appropriate landing page. Sending customers to your home page and making them search for what thay want could cost you the sale.

* Secondly, because a redirect is not a seperate site, you'll likely avoid additional site hosting fees. It just allows people to type in one URl and then be sent to another. This can be set up by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). You could pay a small hosting fee for the redirect, this shouldn't be too much and will be less than hosting a seperate site.

* Finally, any links that end up pointing to your vanity URL will count towards the link equity of the company site. If these were two sites the link equity for each site would be seperate.
You do not need to use vanity URLs, but they make great low-cost web marketing tools.

Example : http://www.facebook.com/jasleen.soni

Basic facts about “Processed Foods”

Processed Foods have been altered from their natural state for safety reasons and for convenience. The methods used for processing foods include canning, freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and aseptic processing.

We tend to think of processed foods as bad, but it turns out that many processed foods are not unhealthy. For example, milk would be considered a processed food because it is pasteurized to kill bacteria and homogenized to keep fats from separating. While some people prefer to drink raw milk, most of us should consume the "processed" version we find in our grocery stores.

Another healthy example of food processing is frozen vegetables. While fresh may be best, freezing vegetables preserves vitamins and minerals and makes them convenient to cook and eat all year around. Fruit and vegetable juice is also an example of a healthy processed food. In fact, some orange juice is fortified with calcium to make it even more nutritious.

Of course, there are a lot of processed foods that aren't good for you. Many processed foods are made with trans fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar. These types of foods should be avoided, or at least eaten sparingly.

Processed foods that may not be as healthy as fresh foods include:

* canned foods with lots of sodium
* white breads and pastas made with refined white flour, which are not as healthy as those made with whole grains
* packaged high-calorie snack foods, like chips and cheese snacks
* high-fat convenience foods, like cans of ravioli
* frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners
* packaged cakes and cookies
* boxed meal mixes
* sugary breakfast cereals
* processed meats

Processed meats might be some of the worst of these foods. Eating these meats may increase your risk of colorectal, kidney and stomach cancer. Processed meats include hot dogs, bologna, sausage, ham and other packaged lunch meats.

These processed foods and prepackaged meals are very convenient and popular. If you do shop for these foods, be sure to look for products that are made with whole grains, low in sodium and calories, and free of trans fats. Make sure you pay attention to serving size, too, and balance out the processed foods you eat with a delicious fresh salad and some whole grain bread.

The Importance of Content Writing in a Website

Everything is changing with time and technology such as style of living, way of communication, education, entertainment etc. In other words as technology gets advanced the expectation of people are increasing and brings a change in tradition of their routine life. People always need some changes as well as information in their fields or increase in general knowledge for themselves.
With this changing time the trend for preparing articles has increased rapidly. People started writing more and more articles in their website either for business or personal use to explore helpful information, personal views and sentiment to the world.

Undoubtedly, content is the most crucial element on a website and thus, the significance of content writing should never be undermined. If you wish to realize your dream of enhancing the ranking of your website on all leading search engines, then, it is extremely important to seek the help of content writers for creating SEO (optimized) content. It is a well known and proven fact that SEO based web content writing makes your website stand apart from the sites that lack on content and are merely creative and visually appealing.

The best content writers are those who hold proficiency in both creative and technical writing. Professionals involved in providing services for content writing in India starts by understanding the core objective and essence of the clients requirements and accordingly work on creating content that serves various goals like attracting the clients, educating the target audience and creating an excellent sales pitch. It is indispensable for a web content writing professional to maintain the impression as the saying goes that first impression is the last impression, and it is equally important here to keep the target reader hooked to the website.

Web content writing service providers should aim to create qualitative and SEO optimized content that not only corresponds sensible with the target customers but also accommodates a perfect blend of keywords for attaining high ranks on the leading search engines like Google, MSN, Yahoo etc. So, while you are planning to build a new website, it is advisable to search for experienced and talented content writers, either freelancers or professionals for cutting edge content writing. It is imperative to develop powerful and well balanced content that will help you to communicate your message across to your target customers.

Blogging Rules ...!!!

Blog years are like dogs years: They don’t correspond to the human lifespan.

I’ve been a legal blogger for almost a year now. Many other blogs have come and gone.
When I sit alone I think “Is blogging a worthwhile business development tool”?

I have two reactions to this topic:

My first reaction is 'Blogging is both very easy and very hard'. On the one hand, blogging is very easy. Pick a platform like blogger.com. On the other hand, blogging is very hard.

To create a successful blog, you must regularly publish interesting new content. 'Regularly' means a few times each week. And 'interesting new content' means generating articles in a simple and easy language so that a layman can understand on its own.

Try to do that for just one month: Write 12 or 15 short articles in a month, and see how you’re holding up. Now imagine being committed to doing that for eternity — or at least until you retire your blog.

If you’re considering blogging, bear in mind the extraordinary effort that is needed to create a site that will attract a large and loyal readership.

Finally my second reaction to whether blogging works is that blogging does, in fact, yield benefits.

Blogging yields many intangible benefits that might not be evident to an outsider. For example, blogging places you at the centre of the universe about which you blog. Complete strangers — your readers — begin to send you ideas, tips, new decisions and the like that keep you remarkably current in your practice area.

Blogging is also fun. If you enjoy writing, it’s a pleasure to create a good post, and it’s fascinating to watch the immediate online reaction to it. People append comments to your post. Other bloggers react to your post. The legal or popular press may pick up your story. These are tangible benefits of blogging.

I host this blog i.e. Global Business Expositions as well as BizTradeShows.

Need of Newsletters In Business

Newsletters are sent for various reasons like to aware customers of the latest happenings inside the company in terms of various product launchings, new business policies and regulations, upcoming events, news about the achievements of the company and its employees and other stuffs that might be deem interesting and helpful to the customers.

Most companies hire the expertise of reputable newsletter printing companies to help them in creating noteworthy newsletters. Newsletter printing companies in a way relieves busy owners of the task of creating eloquently worded newsletters. Nevertheless, there are electronic newsletters that are also being employed nowadays and can be used by some owners. But inspite of this most companies still prefer to have their newsletters created in the old fashioned way i.e in printed form.
Poorly created newsletters would not be good especially in building the company's image because this will show unprofessionalism in the way the business conduct itself.

And so to prevent such from happening always makes sure that you hire the expertise of a reputable newsletter printing company, bear in mind that potential customers may be turn-off if ever they received generic newsletters with caption “TO OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS” and then the newsletters just didn't show that value. A business must be able to show value and quality all throughout its business endeavors.

To check out one of the example of newsletter subscribe yourself to BizTradeShows Newsletter.

Blogging Helps In Succeeding Your Business

Blogs have gained immense popularity through the years owing to the interactive platforms that it provides for both bloggers as well as viewers. The growing popularity of the blogs is primarily due its user-friendliness. The standard formatting and easy navigational features of any blog makes it possible for almost anyone to stay connected and publish their thoughts on the web.

Whatever may be your intention behind blogging, you really need to get yourself equipped with some genuine tips to make your blogging a success. Following are some tips that you may find useful for your blogging purpose:

The two major categories of blogs are:

Your blog should be aimed at some specific goal. Lack of specific identification of the purpose, may lead your blog to its failure. Since the number of blogs is overwhelming only blogs with quality content and meeting the need of the blog’s target audience will stand out among the millions. Your blogs should also be associated with other blogs having similar and matching nature of content.
The free blogging platforms allow the privilege of maintaining more than one blogs. So in order to make your business blogs into success you should not just increase the number of blogs instead you should be focused on keeping control over the number of blogs and frequently update them with relevant content.

The spirit and enthusiasm with which you start a blog should not just end up in the middle. Writing original content every day or at least a few times a week can become near impossible. Therefore you should have some initial editorial plans fixed at the beginning for sourcing content within the organization.

Business blogs even offers you the scope of promoting others sites and products by writing reviews of others’ products and sites in your blog. In this way you can earn some extra bucks. But you need to be aware of the ratio between the general post and the sponsored post, because exceeding the limit or violating the terms by any means can lead you to pay even penalties according to Google norms.

The most commonly used blogging platforms like Wordpress and Blogger.com may provide you the option for free blogging but at the same time only provides you limited freedom. There are chances of your blogs to get banned for irrelevant or explicit content or links as it is dependent on the particular blog administrator.

Check out one of the interesting blog on Trade Shows.

Choosing SEO as Your Career

* High demand for SEO services

Once SEO was not a separate profession - Web masters performed some basic SEO for the sites they managed and that was all. But as sites began to grow and make money, it became more reasonable to hire a dedicated SEO specialist than to have the Web master do it. The demand for good SEO experts is high and is constantly on the rise.

* Search Engine Optimizers make Good Money

SEO is a profession that can be practiced while working for a company or as a solo practitioner. It is worth noting that the compensation for SEO employees is equal to or even higher than that of developers, designers and marketers. Salaries are not an exception for SEO jobs.
As a solo SEO practitioner you can make even more money. Almost all freelance sites have sections for If you are still not confident that you can work on your own, you can start a SEO job, learn a bit and then start your own company.
If you already feel confident that you know a lot about SEO, you can take this quiz and see how you score. Well, don't get depressed if you didn't pass - here is a great checklist that will teach you a lot, even if you are already familiar with SEO.

* Only Web-Designing may not be enough

Many companies offer turn-key solutions that include Web design, Web development and SEO optimization. In fact, many clients expect that when they hire somebody to make their site, the site will be SEO friendly, so if you are good both as a designer and a SEO expert, you will be a truely valuable professional.
On the other hand, many other companies are dealing with SEO only because they feel that this way they can concentrate their efforts on their major strength – SEO, so you can consider this possibility as well.

* Logical step ahead if you come from marketing or advertising

The Web has changed the way companies do business, so to some extent today's marketers and advertisers need to have at least some SEO knowledge if they want to be successful. SEO is also a great career for linguists.

* Lots of Learning

For somebody who comes from design, development or web administration, SEO might look not technical enough and you might feel that you will downgrade if you move to SEO. Don't worry so much - you can learn a LOT from SEO, so if you are a talented techie, you are not downgrading but you are actually upgrading your skills packages.

* SEO is already recognized as a career

Finally, if you need some more proof that SEO is a great career, have a look at the available courses and exams for SEO practitioners. Well, they might not be a CISCO certification but still they help to institutionalize the SEO profession.

The Power of One: Cloud Computing

"Cloud computing" is a buzzword that's tossed around a lot these days to describe the direction in which information infrastructure seems to be moving”.

With Cloud Computing, users have been able to access data, share expertise and high-end infrastructure from around the world, and vice-versa. The resources are shared through a public platform like the Internet. Several companies like Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, etc have invested heavily as they reach out to users.

Cloud Computing companies have customers of three kinds -

Infrastructure-as-a-service: Option of renting and utilizing computing power and storage capacity of vendor's quality.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): Vendors license particular services to subscribers on-demand and once the contract expires, the services are disabled.

Platform-as-a-Service: Here a developer is given the opportunity to utilize various web-tools to build and host applications.

The Cloud (other computers in the network) does have its pros and cons in this formative stage.
Its advantages include,

* Better performance by PCs in the cloud network, as fewer processing will be loading in each individual PC, the rest on the Cloud.
* No more spending on computer upgrades, instead services of another high-power PC can be made use of.
* Lesser hardware and software required, so costs of maintenance are tremendously lowered.
* Permanence of data, as all information stays in the cloud, even if you experience a hard-disk crash.
* Sync with experts worldwide on multiple projects and avail optimum results through the Cloud.
Work from any PC and on the move, with the availability of Internet access.


Cloud Computing also has some drawbacks like,
* The over-dependence on the providers.
* The reliability of the vendors.
* Protection laws in different countries vary.
* Threat of unauthorized access to confidential data.
* Requires Internet throughout and near-impossible to work with dial-up connections.

Personally, though, I like having a website hosted around the corner by people I know and can call personally if there is a problem. Maybe it’s a few bucks extra a month, but I like at least having the option.

Indeed, what's best for the customer in the end is having plenty of choices. Cloud computing can be a great thing, but I hope there continue to be plenty of clouds to choose from

Social Networking Brings Traffic to Your Website

If your business relies heavily on online presence and traffic, it is essential that your website is well known among your potential clients. Providing online presence and traffic to your site is not as easy as you might think. However, there are ways in achieving prominence online. Getting the top spot in search engine search results page through SEO is just one of them.

Advertising used to be the primary method in getting traffic for your website, but this was before search engine optimization.
Being on top of the search results page is a great way in getting visitors to your site, however, website owners now have an alternative way in getting traffic. Social networking is becoming a focal point in bringing traffic to the company website. Web analytics have shown that this method is just as effective in getting website presence as search engines. Since this is becoming more and more popular, many people are now using it as a form of information source, which is great for a lot of businesses who rely on website traffic to fish in potential clients.

Social networking has come a long way since it was first conceptualized. It has become more than an interactive tool to meet new people online in an informal environment. It has now become a business tool, an efficient way for businesses to interact with the masses with less effort, money, and time. Though it is important for companies to really connect with social networking users, they are most likely to benefit more from word of mouth. However, this could also work against the company, because even if a few people are offended by business campaigns or press releases, it could also spread like wildfire.

The secret to becoming successful in social networking is to enthusiastically connect to your market. You should always keep interactions open, proficient, and appropriate. Do not spam social networking users with endless links to your website. Sincerity is essential. When you are genuine, users and potential clients will feel this and they will eventually check out your products or services on principal alone.

Though businesses can greatly benefit from social networking, do not mistake these users as dumb, unemployed, or bored individuals. They are highly intelligent and complicated users. Respect should always be present when dealing with social networking users, especially if you want to increase traffic to your company website or blog sites.

Social Networking is one among the most effective method to bring traffic to your site. The more traffic you can get the greater chances you will have of gaining profits.

Social Networking & the Event Industry

Good technology adds powerful rewards when used to enhance something that is either already working well or could use a swift kick in the pants to get it moving.

Linked In is a great example of networking at a faster, more qualified pace. Now envision you are staring at a website for an upcoming trade show wondering, “Is this a show I’d like to invest my time and money into?” You notice a Linked In button on the site and upon clicking it, you see whom in your Linked In network is planning to attend.

You search further to discover if you decide to attend, you’ll have a chance to put faces with names for a dozen people you’ve been keeping in touch with but have yet to meet.
What an excellent opportunity to bridge the gap from social networking to REAL networking! This is the type of emerging network that blends several ideas to make the process faster and more successful for everyone involved!

The Power of the Press Release

In the past, savvy PR professionals used press releases to hopefully bring their clients a little media exposure. The process was long and drawn out, with the ultimate goal being, well, media coverage. However, the days of a press release being used solely for a newsworthy announcement are long gone. Why? The Web has changed what a press release can be…

How to Reach New Readers and Improve Your SEO at the Same Time?

Thanks to the Internet, a press release can now be seen by the general public without ever even being touched by a journalist. Sites like Google News and Yahoo News are constantly updating their search results with fresh press releases from sites like PRWeb. So what does that mean to you, the new blogger just looking for a little attention?

Simply put it means you can reach thousands of (potentially) new readers, overnight. When you distribute your release via a place like PRWeb, hundreds of other sites re-publish your release via the PRWeb RSS feed. Not only does this mean more places for new readers to find your content, but it means more backlinks to your site (yes a press release can include links). And don’t forget, if you do it right your release will also appear in Google News, Yahoo News, etc… just to name a few.

Few Basic Rules:

1. Format it correctly.

2. It’s all about the headline. A press release needs to have a good headline and first paragraph if it’s going to create any buzz. Your press release could be the recipe for chicken soup, but if your headline is catchy, people will read it.

3. Keep it short. Remember, you want the people reading your press release to click on a link within the release to visit your site. Don’t put more information in the release than needed. It’s meant to peak their interest and leave them wanting more. Try to shoot for the 250-500 word range.

Tips for Copy writing Online Content

Personally I feel 'Content is King' when it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Internet marketing. Basically content is everything we see on the Internet, but in this context, we stress on the textual content that we put to use on web pages, sales letters, landing pages, blogs, auto-responder messages, etc. in the realm of Online Business and Internet Marketing.

You may not believe that e-commerce, websites and Internet marketing stand on the base of articles and content, but it’s true. It’s the words that makes a product sell well or visitors love visiting a site. So, quality content is very important for businesses, conversions and ROI. Yes, it’s quite natural that most people aren’t gifted with the ability to produce persuasive and rich articles for their own use. Hence, we find the need for online copy writing.

Copy writing articles has now become one of the most popular part-time and full-time professions for many people including students with good knowledge of the Internet marketing industry and language grammar.

As evident from above, online content writing and copy writing isn’t as easy as it seems. There are various factors that should be taken into account while copy writing or ghost-writing articles for online use. A good content writer should be aware of the notable happenings around him, have the passion for knowledge and reading, should keep himself updated with the latest industry trends and research on topics he wants to write about. Added to this, the words and phrases should be chosen very carefully, keeping an eye on the related keyword relevancy and their distribution within the article.

It is very important not to lose focus on the topic one is writing about. The language should be persuasive and crafty if writing a sales copy or landing page, while it should be descriptive and logical in case of ordinary content and articles for general use. Choosing and elaborating the most important points regarding the topic is equally important as choosing the article title in online copy writing. One should research on the topic before starting to write the article, gaining a brief yet clear idea of what he’s writing about. Hurrying or tendency to churn out articles in little time often results in poor content and seriously hurts the reputation of the writer. Just be dedicated while you write and take your time.

Another thing to notice is the word limit. Don’t go too lengthy explaining your points if a shorter article is demanded and vice-versa. Having a bit of knowledge in SEO is an added plus, as the search engines love text and rank web pages based on the quality of the content. It is better to write content in niches you’re familiar with, say you love technology and you may have little luck producing business content. Lastly, an article with correct grammar and lucid writing style packed with relevant information makes quality content. Every copywriter has his own style of writing, but powerful, persuasive and quality content always has a higher value and this is what differentiates casual article writers from professional copywriters of great repute.

Tata to launch Manza on Oct 14

Word on the street is that the new car will also share similar parts and mechanicals as those found on the new Fiat Linea as both Tata and Fiat are looking at furthering their synergies, even in product development. Not much detail can be found on the engines, but the now famous 1.3 litre Fiat engine is bound to be part of the line up.

The pricing of the Tata Manza will be lower than that of the Linea, as the company's have an understanding on price points and do not intend on eating into each other's space, despite having a similar product line up.

The new Tata Manza is bound to be a stunner for the entry level sedan segment, and considering the amount of space the car will offer, combined with its new bold looks, it might just be the car to save up for, especially if you are considering a 3 box car and want to spend minimum rupee for it.

HCL unveils 'Mobile Excitement'

HCL Infosystems Ltd one of India’s leading hardware, services and ICT systems Integration Company has unveiled its largest ever marketing strategy in order to reach out to its gen-next consumers.

With the launch of ‘HCL Mobile Excitement (ME)’- the new marketing initiative- HCL released a new logo for the company along with a new television commercial that focuses around Mobility and life-on-the-go.

Unveiling this new re-branding initiative Mr. Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman & CEO, HCL Infosystems Ltd said, “Ever since our inception, we have always understood our customer needs and have been pioneers in fulfilling them. The new HCL ME campaign has been made keeping the requirements of today’s on–the-go customers who are always on the move seeking seamless connection to the virtual world.”

Besides the announcement of the re-branding strategy, HCL also introduced world’s first laptop with in-built ‘One Touch’ service & support - ME Laptops.

The laptop has been incorporated with innovative and exciting features such as SPLIT ME, LOCK ME, Secure ME and Encrypt ME. Apart from this, the new range of laptops also comes with features like face recognition and finger print recognition. The new range of HCL ME Laptops will be available in stores across the country.

With the launch of HCL ME, HCL aims to raise its market share in the laptop segment to 20 per cent from the existing seven per cent in two-three years. Over the next two-three years, the company would spend Rs 40-50 crore around the re-branding exercise.

Google launches web browser - Chrome

Google has just launched a new web browser ahead of the Internet Explorer 8 launch. Earlier it was expected that the Google browser would be launched somewhere in the start of 2009, but this early release by Google has come as a surprise for all.

Google Chrome as it is called looks an appealing browser and according to tests by major software giants on the Acid3 and other tests it comes up better than IE and Firefox both.

The Acid3 test rates Chrome at 78 out of 100 ahead of Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer 7. Although the browser doesn't meet the lofty standards of the Opera browser that scores as high as 83 on this test routine

Chevrolet Cruze to be launched in October

Recession may be the biggest news on the year around the world, but as far as Indian automobile market is concerned, there isn't any as far as new launches are concerned. This has been the year of car launches and we have seen some big launches in the past 7 months which includes, the Fiat Linea, Fiat Grande Punto, Hyundai i20, Maruti Ritz, Maruti Estilo and Toyota Fortuner.

Soon to join the launch bandwagon would be GM who have two big launches planned for the year, the all new midsize saloon Chevrolet Cruze and the small car Chevrolet Beat. GM will launch the Chevrolet Cruze in the India in a few weeks time to co-incide with the festive season. The small car Beat will follow soon after the sedan and will provide the much needed sales momentum to GM in the biggest volume segment in India.

GM Chevrolet Cruze was first unveiled at the Paris Motor show in October 2009 and is designed and developed to be sold around the world. In India, the Cruze will take on the tough competition from Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla which have the upper midsize segment almost to their own. The Cruze should cost around Rs 11-14lakh. Internationally, the Cruze comes with 3 engine options starting with the 112 bhp 1.6 Litre 4 cylinder petrol, another 1.8 Litre 140 bhp petrol and the 2.0 Litre turbocharged common rail diesel engine from the Captiva SUV.

Its not yet certain which engines will come to India but the diesel under the hood will give the new Chevvy a distinct advantage against its more established rivals.

World's most expensive Blackberry made of 18-ct gold, covered in 4,459 diamonds!

The world's most expensive Blackberry is pimped out with 4,459 diamonds and 18 carat yellow gold.
Designer Alexander, which is made of gold and dazzles with shiny rocks, is understood to have taken 350 hours to make.

But that's not all, the device can be personalised with the owner's name and company logo as well as offering a 24-hour concierge service focused on "accessing the inaccessible".

And the glittering Amosu Curva Blackberry handset comes at a staggering 125,000 pounds.
A mystery millionaire in the Middle East has snapped up the first of three limited-edition handsets.

An Awesome Bar

Firefox 3.5 includes a useful feature called the Awesome Bar that helps you quickly navigate to previously visited websites without having to type the full address of that site in the address bar of the browser. For instance, let's say you searched for "match scores" on Google a few days back and want to repeat that same search today.

If you are using an older browser, you will have to type the whole search phrase in the Google box and hit enter. But with Firefox 3.5, you can simply type a few letters - like "ma sc" - in the address bar and it will automatically show you a drop-down list of matching web pages from your browser history and bookmarks that contain those words, either in the title or the address (URL).

So Firefox's Awesome Bar saves a lot of time and effort. However, some people may be cautious of upgrading to Firefox 3.5 worrying that this feature might reveal their embarrassing Google search queries and visits to other inappropriate Websites. Luckily, there's an option to turn that off. Go to Firefox Tools > Options > Privacy > Location Bar and select either "Bookmarks" or "Nothing" from the option that says "When using the location bar.

Role of Family in Educating a Child

Education can be either formal or informal. Other than the formal school education, all the things that the child learns can be called as informal education. Informal education is anything that the child learns from the members of the family, the environment and all that is present in the environment. This education is very important in the all round development of the child. Nature and the environment play a very major role in the education and learning experience of a child.

The role played by the family and all the members is very important. This education actually plays an influencing role in the life of the child. It makes or breaks the child. This article talks of the various methods in which different members of the family influence the child.

The parents: Parents are usually the role models of the children. This is especially true about the mother of the child. The mother and the father can actually see that the child is imitating them in various things that they do. This is the important influence that the parents have on the child. Even when the parents do not do something consciously, they are influencing the child with their behavior. This also works towards the final outcome that is the adult child.

Changing role of parents: If the family is built on a foundation of love, the child also learns the importance of family and bonding within the family. Now a days the role is increasing and both the parents play a active role in educating the child.

Siblings: The role played by the brothers and the sisters of the child is also very important. The child understands in a practical way that he is not alone. There is love and rivalry that is present between the children. In the co existence with siblings, the child learns in a practical manner the numerous self denials and limitations that need to be imposed upon oneself. These are all lessons learn by the child that will go a long way in helping when the child grows into an adult.

Rules in the family: Every home should have certain rules by which things are done. This will greatly influence the child and its behavior. The parents should adhere to these rules. This will make the children also adhere to them. If the parents are the first ones to break the rules, there will be no control over the children on these rules. These rules are the first lessons on self control that the child learns. The actual rules can be varied depending on the family. It can be about the timings for sleep, watching television, and other such activities.

Freedom of choice: Though rules can be present in the family, it is not the only thing that will influence the child. The family must also have freedom of choice. This freedom will also help to make the child learn to make decisions. When choice and freedom to make a choice is not given to a child, then the child never learns to become independent.

Intellectually Fashionable

There is a common misconception in this society that people who are interested in and follow fashion are "fashion victims". They think that its dumb to be spending all that money to buy items of clothing that are "fashionable" one season and out the next. I would like to point out that

a) one does not necessarily have to spend all that money to be fashionable, although it helps and
b) there is nothing wrong with wanting to look good, smart and up-to-date. Besides, who said intellectual people are not fashionable? I consider myself to be intelligent in every sense of the word, and fashionable. Even intellectual celebrities, like Natalie Portman and Kate Bosworth, can be fashion inspirations.

In fact, some intellectual people have slight perfectionist tendencies in them, which makes them want to look good on the outside as well as on the inside. And so, I would like to conclude that people who are interested in and follow fashion are not fashion victims but in fact, "intellectually fashionable".

Stiletto Heels – A Must Have For Every Fashionista

Women have worn high-heeled shoes for hundreds of years, but the heel has never been so tall and narrow as on the stiletto heels that became popular in the early 1950s. A stiletto heel, named after a thin Italian dagger, could be as tall as four or five inches, and it narrowed to a point as small as three-eighths of an inch in diameter. The shoes forced women to stand on their tiptoes, clench their calf muscles, and thrust their chest forward for balance. The dramatic stance that the heels forced women to adopt was said to make the wearer look sexy and glamorous.



Stilettos are a hot rage these days! More and more women are realizing the inherent power of stilettos to make the wearer look slimmer, taller and sexier. Shoe designers too are harping on the growing penchant for stiletto shoes amongst women and displaying creativity more than ever when it comes to stiletto heels. From ballet and fetish styles to sleek and classic, there's a stiletto shoe for woman of every age, style and attitude.

Style

Stiletto shoes are available in chic and intriguing styles. Lace-up, ankle boots, knee-length, thigh high, court shoe, pumps, mules and pointed toe shoe, all genres of shoes are experimenting with spindly stiletto heels and are being lapped up by fashion conscious ladies.
To further accentuate the fun of sleek and sexy stiletto shoes, designers are playing with buckles, zippers, clasps to glitter, rhinestones, crystals and more. Two tones, flames, animal prints are also making a mark in stiletto shoes.

Shape

A popular trend observed in stiletto shoes these days are pointed toe shoes. These shoes are slender and elongated in shape just as the stiletto heel themselves and make the foot appear smaller and sexier. However, women also have the option of going in for more rounded or squared toe stiletto shoes if the slimmer versions are bit too uncomfortable for them.

Color

A lot of experimentation can be seen in terms of colors when it comes to stilettos shoes. Classic shades of brown, grey and black are sharing shelf space with the bolder and flirty tones of deep red, purple, white, pink, yellow and green. Gold, silver, clear and glitter are also catching attention at the same time.

Place a Phone Call…Via Twitter

Twitter users will soon be able to make short phone calls for free directly through the micro-blogging service. JaJah, an Internet telephony company that allows you to make VoIP calls using your landline or cell phone, is launching the beta version of its new Twitter calling service, named @call.

Jajah says its service will work whether you're using Twitter directly via its site or are logged on using a third-party client like Seesmic. Jajah says you'll even be able to make calls when using Twitter clients like Tweetie and TwitterBerry on your smartphone.

To place a call via Twitter, you and the person you are calling must be Twitter users and Jajah users (you can sign up for both services for free). The person you want to call must be following you on Twitter, and you both have to sign up for the @call beta.

Jajah says it is keeping phone calls to two minutes, because that amount of time is the "equivalent of a verbal tweet." Jajah says your phone number will never be revealed when using @call.
To sign up for Jajah's @call Beta program, you must first register with Jajah and then send an e-mail to twitter@jajah.com. You can also follow Jajah's @call program on Twitter.

Stylish & Classy Yet Comfortable - Leather Furniture

There's something luxurious about leather furniture. It feels rich to the touch and gives the person a feeling of success. Leather furniture is an investment, so good maintenance is very important.
Of all types of furniture, leather furniture offers the most benefits and the least drawbacks. Here are some strong reasons why leather furniture is right for your home or office:

Leather furniture is beautiful. This is an easy one. Through some indefinable quality, leather furniture has always impressed those who see it and sit on it because it feels like a higher quality, classier material. It has earned a reputation for elegance that far exceeds any of its competition.

Leather furniture feels good. Not all leather is the same texture. Some forms of leather invoke the smooth feel of velvet, while the weather-beaten look produces a soft cloud-like feel that only grows softer and more supple over the long haul.

Leather furniture adjusts to the weather. During the summer, plopping down in a leather sofa or chair with bare skin can give you that extra jolt of cool you need to fight the increasingly hot weather conditions. However, in the winter, leather actually seems to have the opposite effect. This is because most leather is made from cowhide, which is nature's protection for cows from the elements.
Leather furniture molds itself to you. The longer you have leather furniture in your home, the more it will adjust to the contours of your body, providing a custom fit over time at no extra cost or effort to you. All you have to do is continue to use it, enjoying its comforts and elegance, and it will take shape around you, growing more comfortable in the long run.

Leather furniture is made to last. Despite its soft and malleable feel, leather furniture is a lot sturdier than it looks. A good piece of leather furniture can last for over a decade before you even have to think about replacing it.

Leather furniture's look holds up in time. While many pieces of furniture fade and lose their luster, you will not have to worry about what color your furniture will be ten years from now, because quality leather furniture resists the natural color-fade that many other types of material do not.

Leather furniture is efficient. Again, leather furniture is made from cowhide, so it is really just a by-product that would otherwise go to waste. You are actually doing your part to help the environment when you find a use for leather furniture in your home or office.

Do not make the decision any harder than it has to be. Find the leather furniture that works for you, and get started enjoying its benefits for a long time to come.

The iPod With An Eye

For almost a decade Apple has led the portable music revolution with it's iPod range. Now they have planned to launch it's iPod nano range with a video camera application. It will have a speaker and microphone built in, while remaining just as slim as the devices it replaces.

The main difference will be a larger colour display. And not only is it the same size, the upgraded gadget will cost no more than the previous generation of iPod nano.
Users can shoot videos on their nano, watch them back and then use their computer to easily transfer them to You Tube. Special effects can be added, including thermal imaging, X-ray and sepia tones.

iPod nano is the world's most popular music player with over 100 million sold. It will be available in its familiar nine colours, including green, pink and purple. An 8 GB model will come for Rs 9,217 and a 16 GB model for Rs 10,820. It will also have an FM radio, a voice recorder application and a pedometer, which can be synchronized to run at the beat of the music track being played. The 8 GB model holds up to 2,000 songs, 7,000 photos, 8 hours of video and 14 hours of captured video. The device provides up to 24 hours of music playback or five hours of video playback on a single charge.

The video nano is Apple's latest application to refresh a brand which has achieved phenomenal success.

Global Internet Traffic Untouched By Recession

Not even the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression could slow the ongoing explosion of traffic over International Internet Connections, and Service Providers are still building to accommodate it.

The world economy slid into crisis about a year ago, crippled by key events such as the bankruptcy filing by investment bank Lehman Brothers, which occurred one year ago. But between mid-2008 and mid-2009, the volume of Internet traffic between countries has actually grown faster than the prior year, according to research company Telegeography.

International Internet traffic has grown at 79 percent since last year, up from 61 percent in 2008, a recent study has found.
For example, India's Tata Communications said last month it would increase the capacity of its 6,700-kilometer TGN-Intra-Asia undersea cable, which went into operation just this year. TGN-Intra-Asia was designed partly to alleviate bottlenecks between Japan and Singapore and currently has a capacity of 650Gb per second (Gbps). It originally was set for expansion next year, but demand has grown, partly because the cable bypasses a seismically active area around Taiwan where some other cables have suffered earthquake damage.

Service providers have been building up their international network capacity by 60 percent or more since 2007 and added 9.4Tbps of new international capacity just this year. Only two years ago, all international Internet links combined added up to just 8.7Tbps, according to Telegeography. Despite that expansion, the average utilization of networks has grown in some areas, rising from 56 percent to 62 percent within Asia.

Role of Media and Adolescent Sexuality

The mainstream mass media (television, magazines, movies, music, and the Internet) provide increasingly frequent portrayals of sexuality. We still know relatively little about how this content is used and how it affects sexual beliefs and behaviors.

The mass media are an increasingly accessible way for people to learn about and see sexual behavior. The media may be especially important for young people as they are developing their own sexual beliefs and patterns of behavior, and as parents and schools remain reluctant to discuss sexual topics.

Sexual talk and displays are increasingly frequent and explicit in this mediated world. One fifth to one half of music videos, depending on the music genre (e.g., country, rock, rap) portray sexuality or eroticism. Two thirds of Hollywood movies made each year are R-rated; most young people have seen these movies long before they are the required 16 years old.

Although teen girls' and women's magazines, such as Seventeen and Glamour have increased their coverage of sexual health issues over the past decade, the majority of advertising and editorial content in these magazines remains focused on what girls and women should do to get and keep their man.
The word sex is the most popular search term used on the Internet today (CyberAtlas, 2001). The Internet may have both positive and negative effects on sexual health.

Despite increasing public concern about the potential health risks of early, unprotected sexual activity, most of the mass media rarely depict three C's of responsible sexual behavior: Commitment, Contraceptives, and consideration of Consequences.

Media also should present information on the use of methods to avoid unintended pregnancies and STDs and their consequences. A few prime-time programs have done this. Promoting responsible and healthy sexual behavior by adults and adolescents may result in a greater percentage of wanted and well-spaced pregnancies, with improvement in the health and well-being of many children and their families.

Motorola Introduces Android Phone

Motorola has announced its first Android smartphone with T-Mobile USA under the name Cliq.

The touchscreen phone will use an upcoming Internet-based service for Motorola phones, called Blur, which will integrate information from users contacts on a variety of social-networking services including Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Blur users will be able to combine their contacts on all those networks into one contact list, organize their own groups or divide contacts by social network.

The phone will come with Wi-Fi as well as 3G (third-generation) connectivity, a 5-megapixel camera that can shoot video at 24 frames per second and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack.

Motorola hopes the new social service, which goes by the full name of Motoblur, will help to differentiate its handsets in an increasingly competitive market. The service can provide a snapshot view of all of a user's e-mail, text and social-networking messages.

The Cliq will have a 320-by-480-pixel display, GPS (Global Positioning System), Google Maps with Street View, and an included 2GB MicroSD card with support for cards as big as 32GB. It will provide six hours of talk time and 325 hours of standby time, according to Motorola. Its standard headphone jack will let users plug in their own headsets.

Google Will Soon Launch Online Monopoly

Google will be working with giant toy company Hasbro to produce a spectacular online version of Monopoly.
The game uses Google Maps as a board, allowing players to choose from millions of streets worldwide in their bid to become virtual property tycoons.

The rules are almost the same as the traditional board game, where only one person can buy an address, and then build on the plot to earn extra rent and increase their fortune.
However, the online version also lets players build skyscrapers, football stadiums, and other buildings as well as the usual houses and hotels.

And the 'Chance' cards give players the chance to ruin rivals by building prisons, rubbish dumps and sewage works on their streets.

Players start with three million Monopoly dollars, with Downing Street costing 231,000 dollars, and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, where the White House stands, costing two million dollars.
Rent is paid automatically each day, from 50,000 dollars for a house to 100 million dollars for a skyscraper.The free game, which has no real cash prize, is being run to promote the new 3D Monopoly City game.

"It's a chance to escape the harsh reality of recession and enjoy building up an empire."

Farmville- The Most Popular Facebook Application

Farmville, an online game in which users run their own virtual farm is poised to become the most popular ever application on Facebook. The free game, which allows users to invest in farm equipment and sell their produce for profit, has exploded in popularity since being launched on June 19th.

It owes its popularity to a growing trend among urbanites to try to their hand to the rural life by harvesting vegetables, milking cows, and shearing sheep.

Online farming games have enjoyed a huge growth in popularity in recent weeks, even as the real-life industry is in steady decline.

Facebook, a website which tracks the popularity of applications, has estimated that there are over 72 million farmers on Facebook across a number of farming games.

Farmville’s San Francisco-based developer, Zynga, says that the game provided a simple, fun way for people to unwind at the end of the day.

Samsung's Prototype Remote Control

A 7-inch portable touchscreen that can not only control gadgets in the living room but also check out and what's playing on channels other than the one currently showing on the big screen.

One tuner is dedicated to the television and another is used to tune in channels to be shown on the remote control. An 802.11n WiFi link connects the two devices.

In its most basic mode, one tab displays buttons to control the TV, while a second tab shows a TV guide application. The user can browse information about what's on TV or watch an alternate channel on the remote control. The channel can be displayed full screen if the user wishes, so the device can double as a secondary television.

"The advantage is that if you have a family, your wife [can be] watching one channel, and you can browse on your small device some other channel or zap there without annoying anybody else," said Michael Zöller, a marketing director at Samsung Electronics Europe.

When the user finds a program they want to watch on the big screen, they hold down the channel icon on the remote control and then sweep the icon upwards towards the top of the screen. The channel then changes on the TV.

A third tab on the device can access basic Internet applications. This might be a very interesting application for the future.

AUDI - The World of Cars

Audi is a manufacturer with an illustrious history but also one that's looking to the future with an unshakable confidence.The marque has become one of the automobile industry's major success stories, through careful development of its brand image and product portfolio.

The Audi story back to 1899 and August Horch, a German engineer and former employee of Karl Benz. Horch built cars under his own name which means 'Hark' or 'listen' in German before settling on the name Audi which means the same thing in Latin.

Audi became part of Auto Union in the 1930s, a company that was purchased by Daimler-Benz in the late 50s before the Ingolstadt factory and the Auto Union brands were sold to Volkswagen in 1964. But it was a further merger with NSU in the late 60s that gave rise to the Audi's modern era.



Audi really made its name in the 80s when what had been a conservative and largely low key manufacturer committed to develop four-wheel-drive technology. The resulting Audi Quattro took the rallying world by storm and the production version rejuvenated the brand in the eyes of motorists worldwide.

Today, Quattro all-wheel-drive plays a pivotal role in every Audi model line and the manufacturer offers a diverse range that stretches from premium hatchbacks, saloons and the ubiquitous Avant estates to luxury 4x4s and even ultra high performance supercars.

The Audi brand has come to stand for cool understatement in a way that sets it apart from its more extrovert premium rivals. Advanced technology, elegant design and finely crafted interiors are all part of what makes an Audi.

Pamper Yourself with the Wisdom of the Ancients

Ayurveda is a holistic healing science which comprises of two words, Ayu and Veda. Ayu means life and Veda means knowledge or science. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is the science of life. Ayurveda is a science dealing not only with treatment of some diseases but is a complete way of life.

Ayurveda combines physical, psychological and spiritual therapies in an approach to health, that has addressed itself to the fundamental principles of good health and longevity. It has developed a tradition of medicine and a system of treatment based on the inherent ability of the human body to rejuvenate, to heal and to restore its natural balance.

Benefits of Ayurvedic Medicines

@ By using ayurvedic and herbal medicines you ensure physical and mental health without side effects. The natural ingredients of herbs help bring 'arogya' to human body and mind. ("Arogya" means free from diseases). The chemicals used in preparing allopathy medicines have impact on mind as well. One should have allopathy medicine only when it is very necessary.

@ According to the original texts, the goal of Ayurveda is prevention as well as promotion of the body’s own capacity for maintenance and balance.

@ Ayurvedic treatment is non-invasive and non-toxic, so it can be used safely as an alternative therapy or alongside conventional therapies.

@ Ayurvedic physicians claim that their methods can also help stress-related, metabolic, and chronic conditions.

@ Ayurveda has been used to treat acne, allergies, asthma, anxiety, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, colds, colitis, constipation, depression, diabetes, flu, heart disease, hypertension, immune problems, inflammation, insomnia, nervous disorders, obesity, skin problems, and ulcers.

Significance Of Cosmetics

Most people use make up to enhance and beautify. Other uses of make up include covering up scars and deformities that can be cured. Although it is of the same purpose as a beauty aid, this use helps build up the self esteem and confidence of an individual.

Make up is also need in certain jobs and professions mostly centered in the show business industry. Being under harsh lights and the constant glare of camera flashes has prompted many show business personalities to arm themselves with make up. Since their appearance is one of their most valuable assets, they must make every endeavor to appear as the fans want them to appear.

Other use of make up that has just recently surfaced is as sun protection. Many manufacturers of beauty products and cosmetics have accommodated the need of most people to protect themselves and their skin from the rays of the sun. This is a great development because before, sun protection and make up were quite difficult to blend together.

Today cosmetics play a great role in everyday life and the industry generates crores of income in products. It has become an everyday tool to make men and women more presentable.

Sony To Launch 3-D Television

Sony Corp, which is one of the world's largest electronic company has decided to launch a liquid-crystal-display television which will be capable of playing 3-D programming.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co, LG Electronics Inc and Japan's Panasonic Corp, who are Sony's rivals have also said that they are planning to introduce 3-D products as well because 3-D video for the home is a big money maker.

At the moment, however, 3-D films in theatres are just getting off the ground, so the initial choice of such movies on video would be limited.
The 3-D plan has come up after Sony Corp incurred losses in its television sector for five years in a row and is undertaking cost cutting measures.

Over the past three years, 3D technology in Cinema as grown ninefold, with 7,000 digital 3D screens expected to be in use worldwide by the end of 2009.

Dell's new PC for kids

Dell Inc unveiled a line of Nickelodeon co-branded personal computer for children, the first in a series of branding deals intended to stimulate its consumer business.

Dell's move is the latest example of PC makers using design and targeting particular demographies to stand apart from rivals such as Hewlett-Packard Co and Acer Inc in an increasingly commoditized industry.

The Dell Inspiron Mini Nickelodeon Edition will come clad in the Viacom Inc channel's trademark "green slime" design, with additional designs based on programs such as "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "iCarly."

The 10-inch Netbook has wireless Internet access, weighs less than 3 pounds and comes loaded with entertainment and educational content. It will also feature a personalized user interface with Nickelodeon-branded desktop wallpaper and icons, and easy access to the channel's online content.

Michael Tatelman, vice president of global consumer sales and marketing for Dell, said “the Nickelodeon netbook is just the start of its co-branding effort as it pushes into areas such as college students and pro sports”.

"The PC, like the smartphone, has become a 21st century symbol of self-expression. People are identified by what they carry, and people identify with what they carry," he said.

The world's No. 2 PC maker did not announce pricing for the netbook, which will be available in October in the United States through Dell's online store, and at Wal-Mart Stores Inc outlets and Walmart.com.

The Nickelodeon PC is based on Dell's Inspiron Mini 10v, which starts at $300.