Samsung overtakes Apple smartphone sales

Samsung has shipped nearly 28 million smartphones in the last quarter and overtaken Apple to become the world’s largest vendor of smartphones, according to new research.

Research from analysts at Milton Keynes-based Strategy Analytics estimated that Samsung had shipped 27.8 million smartphones in the last quarter,taking 23.8 per cent of the global smartphone marketApple’s 17.1 million shipments accounted for just 14.6 per cent, although the iPhone-maker has since released a new model, the 4S, which is expected to boost sales. Third-place Nokia held third place for the second quarter, having dropped from first. It now occupies 14.4 per cent of the market, and has also announced new handsets, in collaboration with Microsoft.

Samsung’s success has been driven by its adoption of Google’s Android software for both smartphones and tablets; it has also announced a new model, called the Galaxy Nexus, that it has built in direct collaboration with Google. Although it is one of Apple's largest suppliers of components, the two are also locked in an increasingly bitter legal battle over mobile phone patents.

According to Strategy Analytics, “Samsung’s rise has been driven by a blend of elegant hardware designs, popular Android services, memorable sub-brands and extensive global distribution. Samsung has demonstrated that it is possible, at least in the short term, to differentiate and grow by using the Android ecosystem.”

Overall, smartphones make up 44 per cent of the global mobile market, shipping 117 million units last quarter. Nokia remains the world’s largest phone maker overall, but fell five percentage points. It has 27.3 per cent of the market, compared to Samsung 22.6 per cent. ZTE is in fourth place, with Apple in fifth place overall.

Bill Gates: money isn’t everything

Bill Gates, the multibillionaire co-founder of Microsoft, has said that a million dollars is enough for freedom – and that retina projection will replace screens.

Speaking at the University of Washington, Mr Gates is reported to have said, “I can understand wanting to have a million dollars - it’s freedom. But once you get beyond that, I have to tell you, it’s the same hamburger.” He explained by saying “Dick’s doesn’t raise their prices,”, referring to the Seattle fast-food chain, but added “being ambitious is good.”

In an unusually wide-ranging session at the University’s Computer Science & Engineering Department, Mr Gates was also asked about his thoughts on American healthcare, computing and science cuts.

He said that although he still visits Microsoft, his primary focus was on his charitable Gates Foundation, “helping poor people and helping the education system”.

Mr Gates added, however, he thought much of the world’s future could be shaped by technology such as robotics, and said that future modelling of disease patterns would have a significant impact on mankind’s ability to tackle illnesses. “Although my full-time work is Foundation work, I find myself coming back to people like you and saying help me, give me some computer science to solve these problems, and I’m optimistic that you’ll deliver,” he told the students.

He said he was optimistic about poverty reduction, saying “The world at large is less inequitable today than at any time in history. The number of people in abject poverty, as a percentage, is at all-time low. Innovation means it will continue to go down. I do think in most problems time is on our side.”Mr Gates said that technology of the future would be based on a new approach to screens: “The difference between a phone and a PC is the size of the screen and the input technique,” he said. “The next generation is either a screen that you can fold out to any size you want, like a scroll, or more likely it’s simply projecting on to your retina. Eventually people are going to laugh at weird contraptions called screens. All you’ve got to do is put something on your eye.”

Jennifer Lopez Teary Breakdown Caught on Video (watch!)

Jennifer Lopez’sstunning breakdown while performing on stage on Saturday night was captured on video and highlights the emotionally wrenching moment when she couldn’t control her tears.

Lopez has been riding a whirlwind since relaunching her career after taking time off to give birth to twins. At 40, her comeback was derided by critics.

But in many ways her show was a watershed. She is back at the top of her game, a glamorous pop star, a hot television personality and a movie actress.

The only element missing–and it’s a big one–is a stable love life.

The 42-year-old star teared up, after performing a rendition of new song “One Love” at Moheghan Sun’s 15th Anniversary party.

“You know what it was? I was standing there and I realised that I did bear a little bit of my thoughts in this song and I acted it out kind of for the audience,” she told Access Hollywood afterward.

“And the way they received it was very touching. I think that they felt what I felt, which was that I’m just a girl like everyone else.”

Later on gossip showExtra, she added: “My life gets great and gets not so great sometimes,” she admitted. “It is what it is.”

Leading up to the performance she had a special message for the audience.

“I’m going to sing you the last song I wrote about love. A lot has changed since then,’ she said.


The tune included dancers portraying some of the loves in her life, among them Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, ex-husband Cris Judd, ex-fiancé Ben Affleck and ex-husandMarc Anthony.
Jennifer is now said to be dating actor Bradley Cooper.

Save the fish

Fish are the world's last wild food. But the aquatic species is now struggling to survive in the face of environment-indifferent policymaking and aggressive fishing practices. Even as seafood consumption has risen across the world, continued overfishing threatens to deplete fish stocks. Declining stocks, in turn, affects livelihoods of fishing communities, as much in Goa, Bengal and Gujarat in India as in the rest of the world.

According to reports, 32% of global fish stocks are over-exploited while as much as 90% of large species have been fished out. Ecologists warn overfishing is the single biggest threat to marine ecosystems. Our appetite for fish, fast exceeding the oceans' ecological limits, is devastating fragile marine ecosystems. Rightly, fingers have been pointed at the modern fishing industry's predatory techniques which far outmatch nature's ability to replenish stocks.

Instead of renewing environmental and marine resources, businesses and policymakers are mercilessly exploiting them. Relentless trawling by giant ships, equipped with sophisticated accessories from fish processing and packing plants to massive freezing systems, is rapidly endangering fish survival. Environmentalists argue that fisheries' decline is closely tied to a broader loss of marine biodiversity.

It's well proven that ecosystem diversity reduction lowers fish abundance. About one-third of once-viable coastal fisheries are now considered useless. To end predatory hunting practices, multi-pronged redressal strategies are urgent, including toughening and strict enforcement of existing fishing and environmental regulations.

We must stop the practice of ensuring the fishing industry access to fish stocks even without assessing the impact of aggressive trawling on marine life. Marine reserves and no-catch zones need protection to improve biodiversity and increase fish stocks in protected areas. To save the fish, we need to save the oceans and the environment.

Meet the man who has 39 wives and 94 children

A man from the Baktawng village in the Indian state of Mizoram is said to have 'The World's Biggest Family' with 39 wives, 94 children, 14 daughter-in-laws and 33 grandchildren.

Ziona Chana, who is also head of a sect that allows members to take as many wives as they want, doesn't at all appear to be fazed by the size of his apparently happy family and doesn't claim any benefits for their upkeep.

Although Chana's home is a 100-room, four-storey house set in the hills of the village, some of his wives sleep top-to-tail in communal dormitories, and the family compound has its own school, playground, carpentry workshops, piggery, poultry farms and a vegetable garden big enough to supply the whole family.

The dinner for 'The World's Biggest Family' is usually 30 chickens, 132lb of potatoes and 220lb of rice.

"I feel like God's special child. He's given me so many people to look after," the Daily Mail quoted Chana as saying.

"I consider myself a lucky man to be the husband of 39 women and head of the world's largest family," he said.

The family is organised with almost military discipline, with the oldest wife Zathiangi, 69, drawing up schedules for her fellow partners to take turns performing household chores such as cleaning, washing and preparing meals.

Chana keeps the youngest women near to his bedroom with the older members of the family sleeping further away, and there is a rotation system for who visits his bedroom.

Chana, whose polygamous religious sect has 4,000 members, says he has not stopped looking for new wives.

"To expand my sect, I am willing to go even to the U.S. to marry," he added.

Google launches `self-driving` car technology

The website's co-founder, Sergey Brin, recently announced that ten percent of the company is working on innovative projects outside the web domain, the first of which is the building of "autonomous" cars.

The driverless vehicles would travel through normal roads under the instruction of computers and would help people to combat congestion.

"There are a lot of people who can't get around, whether you have a disability, whether you're old or you're young," Fox News quoted Brin, as saying.

"There's also just incredible urban congestion caused by the need for parking. There's highway congestion because humans don't accurately drive on roads with smaller spacing. There's a tremendous opportunity to improve the world," he added.

According to the report, the car works using a rotating 75,000-dollars laser on its roof called a "lidar" that gives a 360-degree, 3D understanding of the car's surroundings that is accurate to two centimeters.

A computer in the trunk compares this information with known maps, and as a result, the car knows every road and traffic light.

The car is also capable of reacting to other cars and pedestrians, in any weather conditions and at any time of day.

Brin said that autonomous cars successfully completed a "1,000-miles challenge," in which they drove through a complex route including city streets and fast highways without human intervention.

But he also said the project remains in the research and development stage and will not go on sale for some time.

British beauty reveals ‘votes for sex’ ordeal

An international pageant turned out to be an ordeal for British beauty queen, Amy Willerton, after she was asked for sex in exchange for votes. Willerton, 19, was forced to flee Miss Asia Pacific World contest in South Korea after three ‘shambolic’ days.

She also claimed that she was sexually assaulted by organisers and sponsors, was fed just one meal per day, and was made to stay in a room with no bed.

“It was absolutely horrendous,” the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

“I had two of the organisers sexually assault me - one tried to pull my top down.”

“When we posed with sponsors they also tried to stick a hand somewhere inappropriate.”

Willerton was completely aghast to see the atrocious conditions prevailing at the venue.

“Girls were pulled aside and told they knew what they had to do if they wanted to win - we all knew they meant sex.”

When she reported the matter to the police, she was shocked to see officials openly bribing local officers with cash.

After arriving home Amy was disgusted to learn that the eventual winner of the 12,700 pounds first prize was none other than the local entrant, Miss South Korea.

Amy is now looking to launch legal action against the competition organisers.

Britney Spears Gets Raunchy in New Criminal Video (watch)

Britney Spears enlists boyfriendJason Trawick for her latest video for her song “Criminal.” She obviously tried to keep it all in the family, making it easier to sex it up on screen in the racy shoot.

The off-screen lovers play a steamy sex scene where Jason gropes his scantily-clad girlfriend’s breasts before the tumble into bed.

The video borrows heavily from fabled bankrobbers Bonnie and Clyde.

Trawick plays a motorcycle-riding bad-boy type, complete with full body tattoo, who rescues Britney from an abusive boyfriend at a swank party

Before long, however, Brit and her new lover are slinging hot lead and robbing convenience stores.

The police can’t touch them after they are cornered in the hideout. Bullets riddle the place, but they make good on their escape.

Incidentally, the gun play scene caused an uproar where it was filmed in Britain, after local officials claimed it glamorized crime and the use of handguns.

When officials finally saw outtakes of Spears with a replica gun in hand, they complained that the pop star’s production crew had misled them about the nature of the video.

“We did not agree a replica gun could be used. We are disappointed the film crew made a last-minute change to the scene,” the officials said in a statement.

The production company later apologized, but the gun play made it into the video.

Check it out below. Click to go:

Google launches Galaxy Nexus phone

Google has unveiled its latest flagship phone, the Galaxy Nexus, and its latest Android software, Ice Cream Sandwich

Google has announced its much-awaited new phone, the Galaxy Nexus, and also released a new version of its Android phone software. Codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich, Android 4.0 will be available to existing Android users soon and is available to software developers now. The Galaxy Nexus will launch in November.

Among the Galaxy Nexus’s new feature are face recognition, allowing users to unlock their phones simply by looking at the phone’s front camera, a redesigned interface, an improved keyboard and a new application using Near-Field Communications (NFC) that lets two Android handsets share content directly.

The phone also replaces all physical buttons with software-based, moveable equivalents. The change allows a larger, 4.65” screen, which like the previous Nexus S model is slightly curved.

Running a 1.2Ghz processor, the Galaxy Nexus will be made by Samsung and also offers a high-definition display. It had been rumoured that it would be called the Nexus Prime, but instead the Korean manufacturer and Google have explicitly linked the device to Samsung's best-selling Galaxy range.

Writing on the Google Blog, the company’s Senior Vice President of Mobile, Andy Rubin, wrote that “Ice Cream Sandwich makes Android simple and beautiful, and takes the smartphone to beyond smart”.Ice Cream Sandwich is the first version of Android to run on both tablets and phones, and Google has even created a new, optimised font for the purpose. Google claims that widgets have been improved dramatically, and also said that it would provide the “best mobile Gmail experience to date”, including some offline search options.

Facebook users with more friends also have bigger brains

A new study has found a direct link between the number of "Facebook friends" a person has and the size of particular brain regions.

Researchers at University College London (UCL) also found that the more Facebook friends a person has, the more "real-world" friends they are likely to have.

However, the researchers are keen to stress that they have found a correlation and not a cause: in other words, it is not possible from the data to say whether having more Facebook friends makes the regions of the brain larger or whether some people are "hard-wired" to have more friends.

"Online social networks are massively influential, yet we understand very little about the impact they have on our brains. This has led to a lot of unsupported speculation the internet is somehow bad for us," said Professor Geraint Rees, a Wellcome Trust Senior Clinical Research Fellow at UCL.

"Our study will help us begin to understand how our interactions with the world are mediated through social networks. This should allow us to start asking intelligent questions about the relationship between the internet and the brain - scientific questions, not political ones," he added.

Professor Rees and colleagues at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging studied brain scans of 125 university students - all active Facebook users - and compared them against the size of the students' network of friends, both online and in the real world.

They found a strong connection between the number of Facebook friends an individual had and the amount of grey matter in several regions of the brain.

Grey matter is the brain tissue where the processing is done. One of these regions was the amygdala, a region associated with processing memory and emotional responses.

A previous study had revealed that the volume of grey matter in this area is larger in people with a larger network of real world friends - the latest study found that the same is true for people with a larger network of online friends.

The study also suggested that the size of their online networks also related to the size of their real world networks.

Their study was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Women gang arrested for raping men to steal semen

A gang of women has been arrested in Zimbabwe for drugging, kidnapping and raping male hitchhikers to steal their semen.

The arrest followed an incident where detectives in Gweru seized 33 used condoms from a suspected vehicle after reports of attacks on men seeking lifts in the town as well as other towns like Harare and Mashonaland West.

The men were reportedly taken to secluded places by the women and were forced into sex, sometimes unprotected at gunpoint, following which the rapists collected their semen and threw the victims on the roadside.

According to the Midlands police chief, the women came under suspicion and were arrested immediately after they asked the officers if they could retrieve the bag of condoms from their car, which had been involved in an accident.

One of the local resident revealed that the women were known in the town and regularly visited nightclubs there.

“We are shocked with what is happening in our society where men are now being sexually-abused by women. It seems now that tables have turned,” the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

“But how can they make a living through such acts? On this case, let the law take its course.”

“We used to drink with them at Uptown Nite Club and we didn’t know that they were behind such cases,” he added.

The police are now asking the victims to come forward and identify the attackers and also hope to match the semen to some of the victims through DNA tests.

Multi-million pound mandir (temple) opens in UK

On October 8, 2011, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir was inaugurated with a grand opening ceremony at Leicester in UK. Festivities commenced in style to celebrate the opening of the brand new £4million mandir.

Over 600 volunteers, from all over the city, came together to ensure the auspicious occasion remained organised and safe for the general public.

The £4million collected for the project was raised through various fundraising activities by the Swaminarayan community to ensure that the brand new mandir, which took around two-and-a-half years to construct, became a reality.

The temple's media coordinator Sanjiv Patel said: "It really has been a labour of love and the visitors are saying that shone through when they saw the mandir."

The two-day festivities began on the morning of Saturday (October 8) with a Vedic mahapuja (mini-yagna) ceremony where devotees and well-wishers offered their prayers for peace and well-being.

This was followed by a colourful procession at 2pm, called the 'Nagar Yatra', which kicked-of in the heart of the city on Belgrave Road and made its way to the temple on Gypsy Lane by 5pm.

The murtis (sacred images and statues) that were to be consecrated in the temple the following day travelled on beautifully decorated grand floats with the vibrant procession filled with music and dance.

Kirit Patel, the mandir's lead coordinator said: "The mandir will play an important role in our society and we are absolutely delighted to see all members of our community come together and celebrate this momentous occasion with us."

The grand opening ceremony was held on Sunday (October 9) where senior sadhu of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Pujya Ischwarcharan Swami, released white doves as a symbol of peace. Along with other sadhus, he undertook the main ceremony of murti-pratishtha vidhi (sacred image consecration).

Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester added: "I'm so delighted because I've watched the Mandir grow, and know how much it means to the community, how much energy and effort, and even how much money people have raised to make it happen. I think it's a great tribute to the community and is going to be one of the most important features of the physical and also the spiritual part of the city in the years ahead."

A local resident to the mandir, Katie Langton, said: "The temple is beautiful, it's something better to look at rather than the old factory that was there, I'm really excited by it and would love to see it from inside." 

Sahara picks $100m stake in Force India

Sahara India Pariwar, the biggest private spender on Indian sports, entered motorsports on Wednesday by picking up stake in the F1 team, Force India.

Sahara pumped $100 million into the previously Vijay Mallya-owned team to come on board as co-owners along with Mallya and the Michiel Mol family.

The additional funds mean new shares will be issued for the 'Sahara Force India' team with Sahara getting 42.5%, the same as Mallya, while Mol's share will be 15%. Sahara India headSubrata Roy will be the new chairman of the team while Mallya will continue as team principal and managing director.

"When I first approached Sahara it was only for the purpose of sponsorship. But Roy wanted to co-own the team and that's how we came to this agreement," Mallya said on Wednesday.

"The entire investment will be into the team and none of the existing shareholders are taking any money out. I started this team on a very tight budget and in the super-competitive F1 environment this investment will surely help in the progress of the team," he added.

Roy said, "Our goal is to reach to the top as soon as possible. In a very short time, Force Indiahas risen to sixth position on the Constructors' table and we'll take them forward."

However, the Sahara India supremo remained non-committal on whether an Indian driver would be inducted into Force India. "For us, the priority has to be the team and then the Indian drivers. We can't deny reality and can't get emotional about picking drivers for the team," Roy said, hinting that Narain Karthikeyan or Karun Chandhok were still not good enough for the team.

Force India was formed in 2007 when a consortium, led by liquor baron Mallya, and Dutch entrepreneur Mol bought the loss-making Spyker team, reportedly for about for 90 million euros. With Mallya's other business ventures bleeding money rapidly-his low-cost airline Kingfisher Red was discontinued recently-Force India's progress was taking a beating.

"The money will be used to upgrade things like the wind tunnel and simulator. I haven't given up hope for a fifth place finish this year. There are still a few races left and anything can happen," Mallya said.

Sahara's entry into F1 sees the second team overhaul in the sport this year. In March, Spanish investment company Thessen Capital bought a controlling stake in Hispania Racing Team.

The chassis name for the car though will remain Force India though. The change in chassis name has to be agreed by the sport's governing body FIA and the other teams as well

Kelly Rowland Lays on Sexy in 'Lay it on Me' Video (watch!)

R&B singerKelly Rowland has seen the trend in pop music and decided to get ahead of the curve with a sizzling new video for her single “Lay it on Me.” Move over Beyonce.

Rowland, who was one part of the trio Destiny’s Child, with Beyonce andMichelle Williams, takes the song’s title to heart and lays on a heavy does of sexuality in the four-minute clip.

She performs with rapper Big Sean and a slew of scantily clad dancers. She even works in a baby elephant!

Go Gurl!

Rowland shot the video with director Sarah Chatfield, who returns after helming Rowland’s video for single “Motivation” with withLil Wayne.

Frank Gatson Jr., who has worked on Beyoncé’s videos, choreographed the dancing. Hopefully he came up with his own moves.

In the video, Rowland changes costumes at least four times, but is mostly seen in a sexy white swimsuit, when dancers aren’t crawling all over her that is.

The lyrics are just as racy.

Rowland is also working on a video for her next single “Down For Whatever,” a dance track, and still has her day job as a mentor on the UK talent show “X Factor.”

Check out the video below  from the shoot.

SC praises suspended IIT 'whistleblower' professor, calls him an unsung hero

The Supreme Court has praised the efforts put in by Rajeev Kumar, professor of computer science, IIT Kharagpur, in improving the Joint Entrance Examination system and said that he would be "one of the many unsung heroes" who did so.

Though a bench of Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik on Tuesday dismissed a special leave petition which sought admission to Kumar's son in IIT, it acknowledged that the cutoff procedure, adopted in JEE 2006, may not be the best of procedures, nor as sound and effective as the present procedures. Praising Kumar, the SC said, "The appellant will have to be satisfied in being one of the many unsung heroes who helped in improving the system." However, Kumar remains suspended from IIT, Kharagpur for past many months.

The SC said, "The court should not interfere with the procedures, even if it was not accurate or efficient, in the absence of malafide or arbitrariness or violation of law."

However, the Bench said, "In fact the action taken by the appellants in challenging the procedure for JEE 2006, their attempts to bring in transparency in the procedure by various RTI applications, and the debate generated by the several views of experts during the course of the writ proceedings, have helped in making the merit ranking process more transparent and accurate."

The SC said, "IITs and the JEE candidates who now participate in the examinations must, to a certain extent, thank the appellants for their effort in bringing such transparency and accuracy in the ranking procedure."

While making these observations, the bench said, "If in JEE 2006, a different or better process had been adopted, or the process now in vogue had been adopted, the results would have been different and the first appellant might have obtained a seat."

It may be noted that IITs never disclosed their cutoff procedures till JEE 2006. On being challenged by the appellants, they submitted four procedures, one after another each time, when the appellant challenged that the official cutoffs could not be calculated by the disclosed procedure.

Strangely, after being challenged, the cutoffs fell down to low levels of 1, 4, 3 in JEE 2007; 5,0,3 in JEE 2008, in Maths, Physics and Chemistry respectively, whereas in 2006 the cutoffs were 37, 48 55. Though the 2006 cutoffs till now remain unexplained, the cutoff marks in subsequent JEEs increased to 11, 8, 11 in 2009; 17, 19, 19 in 2010; and 34, 20, 20 in 2011.

It was due to Kumar's efforts that the cutoff procedure are being made public from JEE 2007 onwards. His efforts have also resulted in candidates getting the question papers, answer-keys, scanned copies of their Optic Response Sheet, and their marks, within a few days of the result.

Chitthi na koi sandesh, jane wo kaun sa desh, jaha tum chale gye.

It is not just his overwhelmingly heart-tugging voice and serene rendition of ghazals that will stay with his admirers. For there are far too many accomplishments that grace the legend ofJagjit Singh.
Like, how he single-handedly revived and popularised Ghazals by garnishing them with Geet, creating the 'non-film music' space in India's pop culture; or how, 24 years ago, he and wife Chitra, were the first recording artists in India to use digital multi-track recording for their album, Beyond Time.

His five-decade-long career gave us 80 memorable albums, in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Sindhi and Nepali.

But it is only through the reminiscences of musicians, who worked closely with him from his first studio recording, his first live show, to his very last, that we get a glimpse of a master musician and an incredible human being. Guitarist Clarence Peterson, 74, and percussionist Narayan Sheware, 69, are two such loyalists.

Peterson recounts of a "young, smart and good-looking man" approaching him soon after he had finished a live show in the 60s. "Jagjit came up to me and appreciated my guitar playing. He was young, smart and good-looking but wasn't famous then. 'Let's make some music together', he told me. I agreed."

The journey was far from smooth. In 1972, the group went to East Africa for an orchestra show, where it was hard for them to get Jagjit, a Ghazal lover, to sing a film song: Mere sapnon ki rani kab aayegi tu. "We had trained him to groove to the music, dance a little on stage, and he pulled it off well. But when the show was over, he protested. 'Tum log mujhse yeh kya gaane gawa rahe ho yaar... Ab se main sirf ghazlein hi gaunga!' That was his first and last tryst with film music on stage," says Peterson.

Even at the height of his success, Singh remained well-grounded. "Jagjit never let success get to his head and treated his old friends just as well after he became famous. He always attributed his success to his friends and co-musicians," says Peterson.

Though people believed he was, by nature, a serious man, those close to him will tell you about his sparkling sense of humour. "I broke a guitar string once during a live show, and for several shows he would caution me: Yaar, sambhal kar bajaana...phir tod mat dena!"

Teary eyed, he speaks of how the singer went out of his way to ensure Peterson had a roof over his head. "When I got married in 1979, I was living in a rented house. Jagjit insisted that it was time I have my own house. Without telling me, he looked around, found a house in Chembur and paid the booking amount. That's the house I live in today."

It did not end at that. About five years ago, when Peterson was bed-ridden, Singh regularly called to check on him. One day, he quietly left Rs 20,000 in his wife's bag.

Petrson has lost count of the number of shows they played together. The last was on on September 16 at Worli's Nehru Centre. "I was back on stage with Jagjit after recovering from illness. Jagjit would fondly call me Pritam Singh instead of Peterson. That evening, Chitraji too had come, and he gleefully told her, 'Dekho chitra, Pritam Singh aaya hai...ab show mein jaan aa jaayega'."

Tabla and dholak player Sheware, too, has been performing live with Singh for 40 years and credits him for turning his life around. "Who knew that a third-standard dropout, from a small Maharashtra village in Konkan, would see the entire world with a genius like him? From playing for his first album - The Unforgettables in 1976 - I have recorded around 500 ghazals with him and have worked with him on films such as Arth, Saath Saath, Raavan, and even Punjabi films," he says.

It was in the late 60s that Singh, staying in an Agripada guest house, was hunting for a tabla player, and happened to meet Sheware, a Lavani percussionist from Agripada.

"Jagjit is one of a kind. When I underwent a heart surgery, I was financially weak. So he paid for it. Thanks to him, I could educate my children and see the world," he says between sobs.

Even at the height of his success, Jagjit attributed his rise to friends and co-musicians -Peterson, Singh's guitarist for 40 years

I had access to Yuvraj and Bhajji, claims Mazhar Majeed

Mazhar Majeed, the Pakistani players' agent at the heart of the spot-fixingscandal, bragged to the undercover reporter,Mazhar Mahmood of the now defunct tabloidNews of the World, that he "had access" toHarbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh.

Majeed also dropped the names of West Indies' Chris Gayle and Australia's Ricky Ponting andBrett Lee. He did not elaborate on what he meant by this.

Mahmood had recorded this conversation, which was re-played on the fourth day of the trial of Pakistani cricketers in the Southwark Crown Court.

Majeed was also heard describing the former IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi, as a "good" friend. In the tapes heard in the court on Monday, Majeed has described Mike Gatting, Phil Tufnell, Geoffrey Boycott and Imran Khan as "good friends".

In this series of name-dropping, Majeed has also mentioned a discussion with Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt about setting up a Twenty20 tournament in Pakistan.

Mahmood, the undercover journalist who carried out the sting operation that resulted in spot-fixing charges being levelled at three Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif andMohammad Aamer, gave evidence as a prosecution witness. He described in detail and played tapes of his encounters with Majeed.

Mahmood, who had posed as an Indian businessman in the sting operation, was in court shielded behind a blue screen to protect his identity from the public.

Majeed claimed he had been "fixing" matches for two and a half years and confirmed that he controlled several Pakistani cricketers for this purpose, including Butt, Pakistan's Test captain at that time, and pacemen Asif and Aamer.

The first two have pleaded "not guilty". Aamer appears to have entered a "guilty" plea, but this cannot be officially stated as there are reporting restrictions imposed by the presiding judge, Mr Justice Cooke.

Previously, jurors were shown footage of Majeed being handed £140,000 cash in batches of £50 by Mahmood on the eve of the Lord's Test match last year.

The former lined these up on a table in front of him, and counted one of the bundles. Thereafter, he told the journalist when precisely three no-balls would be bowled by Aamer and Asif the next day.

Mahmood's testimony is crucial to the prosecution argument. He lured Majeed into allegedly agreeing to a plot during Pakistan's 2010 tour of England, to get the three Pakistani cricketers to bowl pre-determined no-balls.

Aftab Jafferjee, the prosecuting barrister, highlighted that point - in one instance, Majeed phoned Aamer at 1.30am, 3am and 6am on the first day of the Test.

The jury was shown tapes of the action from Lord's, pausing to see Aamer's "enormous" overstepping of the popping crease and Asif's no ball.

It also emerged that Majeed was not only dealing in no-balls with the undercover tabloid journalist, but also at least three other underworld figures, trying to fix other events during the match.

One of these was referred to in the court as the head of a "shady" Indian syndicate. Majeed made dozens of calls to the unidentified man, and claimed that "my guy in India makes £40-50,000" on every fixed no-ball.

Jafferjee remarked: "It is as if the sport simply is there as a vehicle with which money is to be made by fixing aspects of the game." As the details were read out, Butt sat pensively in the dock, watching proceedings, his arms folded.

Priyanka Chopra named India's Best Dressed

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, known for her simple yet stylish wardrobe, has been given the title of India's Best Dressed by People magazine.

Annually, the magazine honours style icons with the Best Dressed edition. This year, Priyanka has featured on the cover of its India edition.

About being chosen as the face of People's special issue of India's Best Dressed for 2011, Priyanka said: "I'm excited because I never thought I would get this title."

Talking of the one style accessory she has at all times, she said: "I wear confidence."

The former Miss World will walk the ramp for Manish Malhotra at the Mercedes-Benz Best Dressed Show 2011 in Mumbai Saturday evening, in a celebration of the special issue of the magazine.

She will wear an Indo-Western creation.

"The Best Dressed show marks the coming together of the entertainment industry's most stylish people on one platform. My collection for the evening is my signature style of opulent glamorous Indian wear," Malhotra said in a statement.

Wonder balm that blurs out wrinkles or spots in just 40 secs

The latest weapon for women against aging is a new wonder balm that claims to hide wrinkles and pigmentations making them look younger in just 40 seconds.

Nanoblur balm, which arrived in the UK last week, has already reached to the top of the sales charts in 22 countries.

"People want instant gratification in all areas of their lives; that includes cosmetics," the Daily Mail quoted Brandon Truaxe, CEO of Indeed Labs, the Canadian company behind Nanoblur, as saying.

"The reality of this industry is there has been scam after scam, so people's patience runs out. But this really does deliver results," he claimed.

Nanoblur is a cream full of minute high-tech particles that scatter light, making skin look miraculously better - clearer, fresher and younger - in seconds, by blurring wrinkles and pigmentation.

The idea of using optical diffusing elements to confuse the eye and minimise the appearance of wrinkles is hardly new, and has, for years, been employed by cosmetics companies in face-flattering products.

But Nanoblur has taken the technology behind this idea to a new level of sophistication.

"Our particle sizes are hundreds of times smaller than older formulas. That means they can find their way into the smallest imperfections and use tricks of light to iron them out," stated Truaxe.

"If you give a photograph to a digital artist for improvements they will usually start by blurring out imperfections.

"That is what this product does. It refracts light in so many different directions it has the effect of looking through frosted glass.

"Most other products that try to do this are primers, which you use on the skin before applying make-up. Ours is a 'finisher' - it is the final step," added Truaxe.

Text-neck on the rise from mobile phone overuse

Mobile phone users take note. You are at a high risk of developing a new condition, coined as “text neck”, due to the amount of time you spend hunched over your gadgets.

Health experts in the UK have warned that the affliction, caused by flexing the neck for extended periods of time, can be a forerunner of permanent arthritic damage if it goes without treatment.

They said cases of the repetitive strain injury are on the rise as smartphones and tablet computers such as the iPad become increasingly popular, the Telegraph reported.

In severe cases, the muscles can eventually adapt to fit the flexed position, making it painful to straighten the neck out properly.

One chiropractor said her company had treated thousands of patients for the condition, which can also result in headaches and shoulder, arm and wrist pain.

“Text neck is caused by the neck being flexed for a prolonged period of time. Sufferers are increasing as the use of smart phones and tablet computers become more popular,” said Rachael Lancaster, of Freedom Back Clinics in Leeds.

The condition occurs because the joints and tissue in the neck are not built to withstand being flexed for long periods, and spending hours peering down at a screen puts them under too much stress, she added.

The condition can be avoided by taking regular screen breaks, and looking straight ahead while tucking the chin back towards the neck every few minutes.

Rotating the shoulders with your arms by your sides, sitting up straight while texting and holding the phone a little higher can also help maintain a healthy posture.

Tim Hutchful, of the British Chiropractic Association, said doctors were seeing a rising number of patients with similar neck problems but that getting regular exercise could help ward of symptoms.

Children are most at risk because their heads are larger in relation to their body size than adults, and women with slender necks should also take extra care to maintain a good posture, he added.

Taj Mahal in danger of collapsing within 5 years

The Taj Mahal will collapse within five years unless urgent action is taken to fix its rotting foundations, campaigners warn.

The 358-year-old marble mausoleum is India's most famous tourist attraction, bringing four million visitors a year to the northern city of Agra.

But the river crucial to its survival is being blighted by pollution, industry and deforestation.

Campaigners believe the foundations have become brittle and are disintegrating.

Cracks appeared last year in parts of the tomb, and the four minarets, which surround the monument, are showing signs of tilting.

The Taj Mahal was built by Mogul emperor Shah Jahan, who was grief-stricken by the death of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in childbirth.

A campaign group of historians, environmentalists and politicians say time is running out to prevent a 'looming crisis'.

"If the crisis is not tackled on a war-footing, the Taj Mahal will cave in between two and five years," the Daily Mail quoted Ramshankar Katheria, the MP for Agra who is leading the campaign, as saying.

"The architectural wonder of the world is losing its shine, and if this persists the minarets may also collapse since the wooden foundation - beneath the wells - is rotting due to lack of water.

"No one has been allowed to go into the foundations for the last three decades. If everything is fine, what have they got to hide?"

Professor Ram Nath, a historian who is one of the world's leading authorities on the Taj, said: "The Taj stands just on the edge of the river Yamuna which has now dried up.

"This was never anticipated by its builders. The river is a constituent of its architectural design and if the river dies, the Taj cannot survive," he added.

Taylor Swift Ethereal in First Fragrance Campaign (video)

Taylor Swift’s large fan base makes her a natural for branding opportunities, but even if she wasn’t the a country music queen, she could easily make a splash on the runways of New York, Paris and Milan.

Swift shows her magic in a new commercial for Wonderstruck, the newest fragrance in her perfume line, which is set to go on sale in October in time for the Christmas rush.

The fragrance has been described as fruity and floral with hints of raspberry, apple blossom, golden amber and sandalwood.

“It’s a spark, a connection, a rush of something new,” Swift says in a breathy voice in a 46-second teaser.

With her flowing gold locks and thin statuesque build, she dazzles in the full-length commercial, which debuted last night during the Fox’s “X Factor” music talent show.

The clip opens with fleeting glipses of Swift in an antebellum lookingChristian Siriano gown that’s a flourish of ruffles.

There’s the back of her dress, her hand, and then Swift descending a sweeping staircase in a mystical mansion.

It cuts to her face and then dissolves into more images, including a swarthy looking man.

“Once you’ve been struck, you’ll never be the same again,” she says.

The ad uses one of her songs, “Enchanted” as background music.

Swift announced plans for the fragrance in July.

“It goes out into the world and becomes a part of people’s daily lives,” she said. “It was fascinating to learn that you can layer so many different scents to create a beautiful end result.”

Swift says it’s the kind of perfume that leave a lasting impression.

“A fragrance can help shape someone’s first impression and memory of you,” she explains. “It’s exciting to think that Wonderstruck will play a role in creating some of those memories.”

Holly Madison insures her breasts for $1 mn

Holly Madison, the former girlfriend of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, has reportedly insured her breasts for 1 million dollars.

Madison, 31, said that she insured her famous assets with Lloyd’s of London to protect them while appearing in her Las Vegas production, ‘Peepshow’.

“I’ve heard about people getting body parts insured and I thought, why not? because if anything happened to my boobs, I’d be out for a few months and I’d probably be out a million dollars,” she told People magazine.

“I thought I’d cover my assets,” she added.

Madison, however, also comprehends the quirkiness of it.

“I think it’s kind of funny. I think they’re getting the credit they deserve. They’re my primary money makers right now,” she added.

Yes, Tendulkar was scared of Shoaib's pace: Afridi

 Controvesry-prone former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi on Saturday backed his ex-teammate Shoaib Akhtar's claim that Sachin Tendulkar was uncomfortable against his pace, saying that he had once witnessed the Indian batsman "trembling" while facing the pacer. 

Afridi, who retired after revolting against the his own Board and has a history of making controversial remarks, said Tendulkar was uneasy against Akhtar, a claim which the pacer made in his recently-launched autobiography 'Controversially Yours'.

"He (Tendulkar) was scared of Shoaib. I have seen it myself. I was fielding at square leg and saw his legs trembling when Shoaib came on to bowl," Afridi told reporters without elaborating on which match he was referring to.

Afridi went on to state that Tendulkar was also uncomfortable facing young Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal during their World Cup match.

"During the World Cup, he also looked scared of Saeed Ajmal. It's not a big deal, players do feel the pressure at times and it becomes difficult," he said.

Afridi's comments in support of Akhtar come barely within days of the launch of the autobiography, which created a furore in India with several former players and BCCI officials slamming the speedster for making tall claims in the book.

Akhtar, who had a history of disciplinary violations and had also been banned during his career, had made disparaging comments about Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

This is not the first time that Afridi has made provocative comments which may not go down too well with Indian fans.

After the World Cup semifinal loss to India earlier this year, Afridi had slammed the Indian media for its "very negative approach" and said the Pakistani media was a "hundred times better".

"In my opinion, if I have to tell the truth, they (Indians) will never have hearts like Muslims and Pakistanis. I don't think they have the large and clean hearts that Allah has given us," Afridi had said when he was asked about relations between the two countries.