Bill Gates signals end of PC mouse era

Microsoft is developing a system that could spell the end of the use of computer mouse, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has said.

"The way you interact with the system will change dramatically," the billionaire said at a conference in Canada, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph on Friday. He said that computer users of the future will control their machines by voice and pen as well as touch.

Users of Windows 7 will issue commands by touching the screen rather than by the traditional keyboard and mouse combination that has dominated since the 1970s.

Windows 7 is due to be released in 2010 and is Microsoft's attempt to catch up with Apple, whose touch screen iPhone has proved popular.

Touch screens are appearing on a host of other devices, including sat-navs, mobile phones and remote controls. A touch screen BlackBerry is expected shortly

Fuel price hike put off over quantum

The Congress's core ministerial panel on Friday gave its green signal to raising motor fuel prices but the quantum of increase emerged as a hitch. A decision is now expected only next week, after two high-profile political meetings — that of the Congress Working Committee on Saturday and the BJP's national executive convention on Monday — get over. The rise of inflation to 8.1%, announced in the morning, left little elbow room for the core committee to reconcile the differences between oil minister Murli Deora and finance minister P Chidambaram. While Deora is pressing hard for reduction in duties to keep the quantum of hike — if at all — to bare minimum, Chidambaram has consistently refused to tinker with taxes.

The BJP executive committee's two-day national convention, beginning on Sunday, too weighed heavy on the core committee. Coming close on the heels of its victory in the Karnataka elections, the jamboree is bound to draw eyeballs. Raising fuel prices while the convention was on would have provided the BJP a very visible platform to criticize the Congress and the UPA coalition. While there may be a general agreement in the Congress on the need to raise at least motor fuel prices, protests from within the UPA coalition show no signs of ebbing. The Left once again said prices should not be increased and denied that Deora had consulted its leaders. The CPM central committee said it was not even willing to discuss anything but duty reduction to cushion consumers.

Amid such political wranglings, various options such as higher price, more bonds and duty cuts — and their combinations — are being tossed around in the government. One such option is to raise prices of both branded and unbranded petrol substantially, while leaving diesel price unchanged to avoid inflationary pressures, along with some marginal duty cut. This may not work as the losses on diesel are estimated the highest at Rs 140,710 crore.

Other options include steps such as raising petrol prices by Rs 3-5 a litre and diesel by Rs 1-2 a litre, along with some duty reduction. A Re 1 hike in petrol and diesel price would yield Rs 1,036 crore and Rs 4,575 crore, respectively, to the three state-run oil marketing firms in the remaining 10 months of the fiscal.

Similarly, a Re 1 cut in excise on petrol would result in revenue loss of Rs 1,380 crore to the government and a similar reduction on diesel would decrease revenues by Rs 5,270 crore. The package being worked out for oil retailers, which face a situation where they would not have cash to import crude in the next few months, also includes raising the share of upstream companies like ONGC in subsidizing fuel.

Top 10 Mutual Funds across all categories

Company Scheme Annual returns

Reliance Mutual Fund Reliance Diversified Power Sector Fund - Growth 52.17

Reliance Mutual Fund Reliance Diversified Power Sector Fund - Bonus 52.17

Taurus Mutual Fund Taurus Libra Taxshield - Growth 43.41

UTI Mutual Fund UTI Gold Exchange Traded Fund - Growth 40.90

Benchmark Mutual Fund Gold Benchmark Exchange Traded Scheme - Growth 40.73

Deutsche Mutual Fund DWS Investment Opportunity Fund - Dividend 39.75

Deutsche Mutual Fund DWS Investment Opportunity Fund - Growth 39.62

Reliance Mutual Fund Reliance Diversified Power Sector Fund - Dividend 34.53

ICICI Prud. Mutual Fund ICICI Prud. Infrastructure Fund - Inst. Option-I - Growth 32.26

Std. Chartered Mutual Fund Standard Chartered Premier Equity Fund - Growth 31.71

Morning sex can keep you hale and hearty

A steamy sex session in the morning can keep you in good health, say researchers. According to a research from Queen's University in Belfast, a good morning session at least three times a week, decreases the risk of heart attack or stroke by half and a regular session improves circulation, thereby reducing blood pressure.

According to a study in New Scientist, a steamy session twice a week enhances IgA, an antibody that provides protection against microbes that multiply in body secretions, reports The Sun.

Morning sex also helps in alleviating arthritis and migraine. It burns around 300 calories an hour that simultaneously diminishes the risk of developing diabetes. Moreover, an American study involving 300 sexually active women whose partners did not use condoms revealed that they were less prone to depression.

Sex increases the production of testosterone that provides stronger bones and muscles thus helping to stave off osteoporosis.

A good morning session can make the hair shine and skin glow by raising the output of oestrogen and other hormones associated with it. According to Yale School of Medicine researchers, it can aid in averting endometriosis, a condition where the tissue that normally lines the uterus, grows in other parts of the pelvis.

However, the researchers have also warned that having sex more than three times a week can have a negative impact on our immune system thus lowering its resistance.

Defence Minister Antony faints during NDA ceremony

Defence Minister A K Antony fainted during the passing out parade ceremony at the National Defence Academy in Kharag Vasla, Pune on Saturday morning.

The minister first fainted at the commencement of the ceremony, where he was the chief guest. A chair was brought for him. Antony then took the salute and addressed the cadets. He fainted a second time when the cadets were marching off.

Taken to his car, the defence minister observed the conclusion of the ceremony from his vehicle.
Two electrocardiograms, ECG, were conducted on him and found to be normal. A blood test was also taken. The minister has been advised rest for at least 6 hours.

Bikini battles between Amisha and Kareena

The history of Hindi cinema is witness to the fact that the top-most filmmakers call the shots when it comes to convincing the best and the most graceful of our leading heroines to don the ultimate symbol of boldness in B-town – the much famed bikini. The super-gorgeous Dimple Kapadia, Simi Garewal, Zeenat Aman and even the very arty Vyajanthimala once succumbed to showman Raj Kapoor.

And off-late, it is contemporary filmmaking veteran Yash Raj who has continued the trend. Though Kareena’s zero-size figure in a lime green bikini may have been an unsuccessful stint in saving Tashan from doomsday but the filmmaker is in no mood to make a U-turn when it comes to the ‘bikini’ formula.After convincing Esha Deol, daughter of B-town’s most dignified lady; the ‘intelligent sexy woman’ Bipasha and the bold Bebo to don a two-piece bikini, Amisha Patel is their latest muse.

Yes, Kaho Na Pyar Hai’s demure girl is all set to wow the audiences with a two-piece bikini in the Saif-Rani starer ‘ Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic’ . Now while it works as a great publicity stunt for Amisha who is back in the groove after a long-exile, we wonder what this one holds in store for Yash Raj’s latest flick. After all, B-town goers are no longer satisfied with plain bikinis. The essentials for grabbing eye-balls are not just a hour-glass figure but a ‘sexy attitude’ that creates a fine blend of mystery and seduction which even our stylish diva Bebo couldn’t quite deliver. So while Yash Raj has spent huge bucks on filming an underwater sequence that features Amisha at her bare best, let us see if the comeback heroine manages to score a brownie point or two over Bebo with this one.

Sexy Bikini Babes

Check out these sizzling hot bikini babes! They're sure to get you drooling and desiring for the ultimate pleasure!












Models walk the ramp during the Boudoir London, Mumbai's premier lingerie & swimwear Spring/Summer 2008 collection over a show hosted in association with Quan Spa at JW Marriott Hotel Juhu in Mumbai.

Foreigners can't settle in Goa

After spending eight years in Goa, a British couple in their 60s — Mash Barry Sidney and Jenice Mash — decided to make the idyllic coastal state their permanent home after retirement. But it wasn't to be, as they were told that the Indian law forbids retired foreigners from staying permanently in the country.

"When we applied for extension of stay in India, officials at the foreigners' registration office (FRO), Panaji, told us we won't get visa extension as we had sought it for spending our retired life in Goa," Sidney said, adding, "We were told that it was in line with the instructions of the external affairs ministry." Sidney said the FRO got back to him saying, "As per the external affairs ministry's instructions, foreigners have to spend their retired life in their country and therefore your request isn't agreed to." He said the FRO also requested them to immediately leave the country.

This isn't an isolated case. FRO sources told TOI that every year nearly 3,000 foreigners — including about 800 to 900 from UK alone — staying in Goa, seek extension on their visas. In most cases, foreign nationals seek extension saying they want to spend their retired life in Goa. "Goa home department rejects the requests citing MEA rules. Our job is to convey this to the applicant," a senior FRO official said. Special secretary (home) Diwan Chand said, "We are acting as per the MEA's visa manual."

However, legal experts find government's explanation unconvincing. "I fail to understand under what provision of Indian or international law can they disallow a foreigner from living on in the country," a lawyer said.

YouTube case to hit sharing: Google

A $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit challenging YouTube's ability to keep copyrighted material off its popular video-sharing site threatens how hundreds of millions of people exchange all kinds of information on the Internet, YouTube owner Google Inc said. Google's lawyers made the claim in papers filed in US District Court in Manhattan as the company responded to Viacom Inc's latest lawsuit alleging that the Internet has led to "an explosion of copyright infringement" by YouTube and others.

The back-and-forth between the companies has intensified since Viacom brought its lawsuit last year, saying it was owed damages for the unauthorised viewing of its programming from MTV, Comedy Central and other networks, including such hits as "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."

In papers submitted to a judge last Friday, Google said YouTube "goes far beyond its legal obligations in assisting content owners to protect their works." It said that by seeking to make carriers and hosting providers liable for Internet communications, Viacom "threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment and political and artistic expression."

Google said YouTube was faithful to the requirements of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, saying the federal law was intended to protect companies like YouTube as long as they responded properly to content owners' claims of infringement. On that score, Viacom says Google has set a terrible example. In a rewritten lawsuit filed last month, Viacom said YouTube consistently allows unauthorised copies of popular television programming and movies to be posted on its website and viewed tens of thousands of times.

Viacom said it had identified more than 150,000 unauthorised clips of copyrighted programming -- including “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “South Park” and “MTV Unplugged” episodes and the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” -- that had been viewed “an astounding 1.5 billion times.” The company said its count of unauthorised clips represents only a fraction of the content on YouTube that violates its copyrights.

It said Google and YouTube had done “little or nothing” to stop infringement. “To the contrary, the availability on the YouTube site of a vast library of the copyrighted works of plaintiffs and others is the cornerstone of defendants' business plan,” Viacom said.

Television's worst reality shows

Reality shows have spread themselves across all television channels, and they're getting very repetitive. Some of them don't even seem 'real' and looked quite staged.
We asked readers to vote for their worst reality shows on TV, and the list was endless. Readers voted for shows like Indian Idol (excluding the first season), Bigg Boss, Rock 'n' Roll, Chappar Paad Ke, Fame Gurukul, Sawaal Dus Karod Ka, Kamzor Kadi Kaun, Deal or No Deal, Waar Parivaar and Jhoom India. We take a look at the five most unpopular reality shows on television.

Shaava Shaava
When it was launched, Shaava Shaava looked like it had everything going for it. There were popular TV stars like Narayani Shashtri, Apurva Agnihotri, Juhi Parmar, Mouni Roy, Aman Verma, Manish Goel, Sumeet Raghavan and Divyanka Tripati. Plus, it had the best chat show hosts Karan Johar and Simi Garewal judging the show.
Unfortunately, the show was drab, and none of the contestants could sing. Fortunately, audiences had to bear the show for 11 days only.

K For Kishore
K For Kishore did not do well despite its original concept, unlike other reality shows. The show was dedicated to legendary singer Kishore Kumar, and was a good platform for budding singers. Surprisingly, readers gave a thumbs down to this show, preferring others that were copies.
Readers even felt that K For Kishore was an insult to the legend because the participants did not even come close to the great singer. Readers weren't the only one who got tired of this show soon. It was evident that host Rajeshwari Sachdev had lost interest too when she was suddenly paired with Babul Supriyo, after hosting a couple of episodes solo.

Kahin Naa Kahin Koi Hain
Kahin Naa Kahin Koi Hai showed great promise when it was launched because it marked Madhuri Dixit's debut on the small screen. But the matrimonial show soon flopped.
One probable reason for it not doing well was that the audience found the whole thing fake.

Sawal Dus Karod Ka
Sawal Dus Karod Ka was supposed to be Zee TV's answer to Star's Kaun Banega Crorepati. The only difference was the prize money -- a mind-bogging sum of Rs 10 crores.
Despite the huge amount at stake, there were few takers. While Amitabh Bachchan and later, Shah Rukh Khan could connect with the audience on KBC, Sawal's... hosts, Anupam Kher and Manisha Koirala, left the audience cold.

Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai
Paanchvi Pass evoked mixed reactions from viewers. There were inevitable comparisons between the Indian format hosted by Shah Rukh Khan and the original, Are You Better Than A 5th Grader. Some of the viewers thought the Fox Broadcasting game show was far better. There are also comparisons to the first season of Amitabh Bachachan's hit game show, Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Tax planning and investments

This financial year most of the salaried class will have an extra Rs 40,000 per year thanks to Finance Minister P Chidambaram's increase in income tax limit.

For women salaries up to Rs 1,80,000 and for men salaries up to Rs 1,50,000 will not attract any tax compared to the earlier limits of Rs 1,45,000 and Rs 1,10,000 respectively.

How much tax will you pay from your salary now that most of you must have got an increment? Or how will the new salary structure affect your tax outgo? Is there a way by which you can plan for and save more tax in the financial year 2008-09 after careful tax planning? How can the salaried class take advantage of the extra Rs 40,000 they will get per annum?

What is the best way of planning your tax as well as investing for a better future for you and your family?

Do you know the different ways of tax planning and tax saving for the salaried employees, self-employed, business persons and those who have recently acquired a job?

Is this a good time to start planning your investments and tax-saving for the next financial year? What are the important points you must remember while planning your taxes? What are the tax-saving avenues available for salaried individuals and for those running their own businesses?

10 rules for investing in gold

An investment in gold should be based on macro economic con-siderations
If one expects or fears rising inflation, destabilizing deflation, a bear market in stocks or bonds, or financial turmoil, gold should do well and exposure is warranted.

Understanding the internal dynamics of the gold market can be helpful as to investment timing issues
For example, the weekly position reports of commodity trading funds or sentiment indicators offer useful clues as to entry or exit points for active trading strategies. Reports on physical demand for jewellery, industrial, and other uses compiled by various sources also provide some perspective.
However, none of these considerations, non-monetary in nature, yield any insight as to the broad market trend. Reports of central bank selling or lending may influence the market in the short term but cannot counteract macro economic factors.

Excessive reliance on trading strategies to generate returns can be dangerous and counterproductive
Returns from a 'buy and hold' strategy should be more than sufficient to compensate for the inherent volatility. Many who have tried to outsmart this market by hyperactive trading have under-performed. Success is de-pendent in large part on the occurrence of 'fat tail' events that lie outside the parameters of trading models.

Every investor should have some gold
A reasonable allocation in a conservative, diversified portfolio is 0 to 3 per cent during a gold bear market and 5-10 per cent during a bull market.

Equities of gold mining companies offer greater leverage than direct ownership of the metal itself
Gold equities tend to appear expensive in comparison to those of conventional companies because they contain an embedded option component for a possible rise in the gold price. The share price sensitivity to a hypothetical rise in metal price is related to the cash flow from current production as well as the valuation impact on proven and probable reserves.

Watch out for companies that have hedged their gold exposure
Although a rising tide may lift most boats, financial statements should be reviewed with special attention to hedging arrangements that could undermine participation in higher gold prices or even jeopardize financial stability. The carnage of the last twenty years has simplified the task of individual stock selection because so few have survived the gold bear market. But individual stock selection is less important than identification of the primary trend.

Don't get caught up in gold fever
Even though gold itself is a conservative investment, 'gold fever' attracts a crowd of speculators, promoters, and charlatans who only want to separate investors from their money. Avoid offbeat 'exploration' companies with little or no current production and gargantuan appetites for new money.

Bullion or coins are a more conservative way to invest in gold than through the equities
There is also greater liquidity with bullion for large pools of capital. Investing in the physical metal requires scrutinizing the custodial arrangements and the creditworthiness of the financial institution. Do not mistake the promise of a financial institution to settle based on the gold price, for example, a 'gold certificate' or a 'structured note' (i.e., derivative), for the actual physical possession of the metal. Insist on possession in a segregated vault, subject to unscheduled audits, and inaccessible to the trading arrangements or financial interest of the financial institution.

Gold is a controversial, anti-establishment investment
Therefore, do not rely on conventional financial media and brokerage house commentary. In this area, such commentary is even more misleading and ill-informed than usual.

Don't settle for too little
Should outlier events now deemed unimaginable by consensus thinking actually occur, the price target for gold would be several multiples of its current depressed price. Gold represents insurance against some sort of financial catastrophe. The magnitude of the upside is a function of the amount of paper assets that would be converted to gold irrespective of price.

Salman takes a break from films

Salman Khan fans will have to wait a little longer to watch him in the theatres. The actor has taken a break from his movies to focus on Dus Ka Dum, his first television show.
The game show will be telecast on Sony Entertainment Television at the end of May, and the actor is busy shooting for it at Mumbai's R K Studios.

Salman postponed the shooting of Main Aur Mrs Khanna, which was to start this month in Australia. His other films, Veer, and London Dreams have also been pushed back. Dus Ka Dum, taken off from the international show Power Of 10, is being heavily promoted presently. Salman has a lot of competition in Shah Rukh Khan's Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai and Akshay Kumar's forthcoming Khatron Ke Khiladi, the desi version of Fear Factor.

Pregnant Mini Mathur opts out of Indian Idol 4

The motor mouth TV Vj associated from the 1st season with Idian Idol, Mini Mathur will not be seen in the 4th season Indian Idol as the Vj is pregnent with her second child.
Mini and Kabir Khan (director of Yash Raj Films’ Kabul Express) have a four-and-a-half-year-old son Vivaan. Sony was very keen that she should host the upcoming season of Indian Idol, but they could do little about it.

Confirming the good news about her pregnancy, Mini says, “Yes. Kabir and I are expecting our second child.”Mini, who has hosted all the three seasons of Indian Idol so far, adds, “I would have loved to be a part of Indian Idol 4. Being a part of Indian Idol has been a great experience. Hopefully, I'll be back on the show’s next season.”Recently, Mini completed shooting for a show, Yeh Shaam Mastani, which features singers like Kunal Ganjawala, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kailash Kher among others. Yeh Shaam Mastani traces the musical journey of the eight singers and will air on Sony. Mini is hosting this show. The show involves asking some very tricky questions to those who belong to the music world. “Yeh Shaam Mastani was a great experience. I just finished shooting for it last week. It will be on air very soon,” says Mini.