Olympics and India:Story since the beginning

India first participated at the Olympic Games in 1900, with a lone athlete (Norman Pritchard) winning two medals in athletics. The nation first sent a team to the Summer Olympic Games in 1920, and has participated in every Summer Games since then. India has also competed at several Winter Olympic Games since 1964. The 1920 team consisted of two wrestlers, two athletes and a manager. Out of the four sportsmen, only Mr. Phadeppa Dareppa Chaugule completed his event that is the Marathon. He ranked 19th with a timing of 2 Hours 50 Minutes 45.4 Seconds for a distance of 42 .750 KMs. He thus becomes India's first Olympic Marathon runner. It was indeed a great achievement for an Indian to participate and to complete the event amidst many serious adversities. Indian athletes have won a total of 21 medals, mostly in field hockey. For a period of time, India's men's field hockey team was dominant in Olympic competition, winning eleven medals in twelve Olympics between 1928 and 1980, including six successive gold medals from 1928–1956.

Flag of India

India after independence from the British empire on 15th august,1947 competed for the Olympics games as an Independent nation in 1948. Before Independence also India competed for Olympics six times in 1900, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936.

India competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England. It was the first time that India competed as an independent nation at the Olympic Games.India won gold medal for Hockey game at that time.This gold medal was a very big achievement for a Newly Independent nation like India.

India competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.India won a Gold medal for Hockey and a Bronze medal for wrestling.

India competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.India won a Gold medal in Hockey.

India competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. This was the first time since 1928 that the Men's team failed to achieve a gold medal in field hockey. They lost 1-0 to Pakistan to secure the second position.

India competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.this time also Indian Men's Hockey team won a Gold medal.

India competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico.This time Indian team won a Bronze medal for Hockey game.

India competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany.India Won a Bronze medal for it's Hockey team.

India competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. This is the first Olympics since 1924 in which the Indian Men's hockey team do not win an Olympic Medal, in fact Indian team did not won any medal at all.

India competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR.This time Indian Men's Hockey team won a Gold medal.

Olympics symbol

India competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. India didn't win a medal but the Games are remembered for bringing Indian women athletes centre stage. P. T. Usha lost the bronze medal in 400 metre hurdles by one-hundredth of a second. Earlier in the Games, Shiny Abraham (now Shiny Wilson) reached the semifinals of 800 metres with a (then) personal best of 2:04.69 seconds and became the first Indian woman to reach the semi-finals of an Olympic event. She finished last in the semifinal.

Later, the Indian women's 4x400 metre relay team composed of P. T. Usha, Shiny Abraham, M. D. Valsamma and Vandana Rao made it to the finals. They finished last among the seven teams in the final but set an Asian record of 3:32.49 seconds.

India competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea.India did not won any medal this time.

India competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.No medal was won by India.

India competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States For the first time Indian tennis team won a bronze medal.This year single medal was Won by India, no medal was won in Hockey.

India competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.This time India won a Bronze medal for weightlifting. 

India competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.India won a silver medal for Shooting.

India competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. India was represented by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). A contingent of 56 athletes represented India, and had a support-staff of 42 officials. The athletics contingent was the largest, with 17 athletes.

For the first time since 1928, the Indian Men's Hockey Team was unable to take part in the Summer Olympics due to its failure to qualify. A two-year ban imposed by the International Weightlifting Federation after the 2006 Commonwealth Games doping scandal originally resulted in only one Olympic weightlifter, Monika Devi from India being scheduled to compete, but she too failed a drug test, and was also withdrawn. However, on August 9 it was declared she was clean, but the event she was supposed to participate in, had already closed.

On August 11, 2008, Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal in the men's 10m air rifle shooting event. In doing so, he won the first ever individual gold medal for India, and the first medal in any event for India at the Beijing Games. The previous highest individual achievements for India were two silver medals won by Norman Pritchard, an Englishman born in India representing Great Britain, at the 1900 Paris Olympics and one silver medal won by the 2008 flagbearer Rajyavardhan Rathore at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Sushil Kumar won the second ever wrestling medal for India, the first being the bronze earned by Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Vijender Kumar won a bronze medal in the middleweight boxing category, having lost in the semifinals. This was India's first-ever Olympic medal in boxing.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics saw the best ever performance by an Indian contingent, in terms of the number of medals. They won three medals in all (one gold and two bronze medals), surpassing the two silvers by Norman Pritchard in 1900 Paris Olympics and the gold and bronze medals won by the Indian field hockey team and Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav respectively, at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

India Olympic Team is competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012.India sent an 83-member athlete team to London; this will be India's largest contingent ever at the games. Sushil Kumar was the flag bearer in the opening ceremony.

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India at the 2012 Summer Olympics

London: The Indian contingent led by Sushil Kumar.:-

This is how the 5 rings are forged. The Olympic rings are lit with pyrotechnics during the Opening Ceremony.:-

<zeenews>

Beware!!! London Olympics Official website hacked!!!...

The users who were trying to access the London Olympics Official Website www.london2012.com were actually being directed to a server identified as:-  asa248.e.akamai.net. The website was hacked for more than @hours after a the officials corrected the fault.

Cosmetics Internationally inspired from india - Take a look

A DECADE ago, the mention of India-inspired beauty products might have evoked the heady scents of patchouli oil and sandalwood soap — limited in appeal to former hippies and the most ardent of yogis.

But today, India is captivating the mainstream cosmetics industry in a big way. From high-end brands creating makeup shades based on the country’s bright colors to skin- and hair-care lines capitalizing on Ayurveda, an ancient medicinal system using herbs and other natural ingredients, when it comes to beauty, inside and out, the industry is increasingly turning to the world’s second-most-populous country.

Clarins, the Paris-based company, introduced a line of cosmetics this summer called Enchanted, which range in price from $18 to $40 and are inspired by Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. The collection includes lip glosses with the names Pink Jaipur and Nude Delhi, and four products for eyes: shadows in violet and a coppery brown, and an update of kajal, the intensely pigmented and creamy eyeliner that Indian women have worn for centuries.

While this was Clarins’s first venture into India, Boucheron, the French jeweler, already had a long-established connection with the country when it put a fragrance called Jaipur Bracelet on the market in June, for $136 a bottle. It was more than a century ago, according to Marina Mamakos, the vice president for marketing at Interparfums, which represents the scent, that Louis Boucheron, the son of the brand’s founder, Frédéric, traveled to Rajasthan to source stones for his creations.

He began cutting some of his gems in a cabochon style the way the Indians did — a cut that was used for the cap of Jaipur Homme, a cologne for men that has been around since 1988. While that scent was affiliated with India in name and design only, Bracelet’s heart note is tagetes, a type of marigold known as India’s carnation. And its bottle is a soft pink, inspired by Jaipur’s nickname as the Pink City, and is in the shape of a nauratan bracelet, which is given to Rajasthani brides for good luck.

India’s influence on beauty is also apparent on the fashion runways. Chanel’s limited-edition Bombay Express de Chanel cosmetic line was designed for Karl Lagerfeld’s pre-fall 2012 collection, the Paris-Bombay Métiers d’Art show, which was strongly influenced by opulent Indian fabrics and embellishments.

To complement the clothes, Peter Philips, Chanel’s creative director of makeup, designed four products ranging from $30 to $80, including a gold nail shade called Diwali, after the Indian festival of lights, and a golden powder named Route des Indes de Chanel, which is embossed with a motif of a bronze brocade from an Indian-themed collection that Gabrielle Chanel created in the 1960s.

The new six-piece Thakoon for Nars nail collection is a result of Thakoon Panichgul’s spring-summer 2012 line, which was inspired by the country and is heavy on gold accenting and bold colors. Mr. Panichgul said he was hands-on in coming up with the shades, which retail for $18 each and are named in Hindi after popular Indian spices or medicinal plants.

“I was taken with the colors in spice markets in India like bright blues and reds because they are so ethnic but also so modern at the same time,” he said in a phone interview from Paris. “I wanted to be sure that what I came up with in my clothes was being translated well into a nail shade, so Nars and I would go back and forth on tone until we found it.”

The yellow shade Amchoor, which is dried mango powder in India, is similar to a yellow leather dress Mr. Panichgul designed.

According to Irina Barbalova, the global head of beauty and personal care research for Euromonitor International, a London-based market research firm, the vivid shades in these Indian-driven products are part of a larger trend of consumers’ gravitating toward more color in their cosmetics. “Hues have become more prominent, and today, it’s the brighter, the better, which has evolved from far more muted tones,” she said.

But the beauty world’s interest in India goes beyond the surface. Well-established and niche companies are using ancient and supposedly healing ingredients from the country to create more natural skin- and hair-care products.

Aveda, which has worked with Ayurvedic doctors since soon after it was founded in 1978 to use Indian herbs in some of its products, has a new three-piece line for thinning hair called Invati, which means “invigorate” in Sanskrit. An Ayurvedic blend including turmeric and ginseng from an organic farm in India are the key components in the shampoo, conditioner and revitalizer, which cost $24 to $60 and claim to rehabilitate the scalp around the follicles when massaged in.

Marianne Knutson, Aveda’s vice president for global marketing, said that Invati was the largest product introduction in the company’s history in terms of marketing dollars spent. Promotions included splashy store-window displays and the brand’s first television commercial. It is now Aveda’s best-selling hair care system globally, Ms. Knutson said, adding, “The success exceeded all expectations, and we’re now looking at strengthening our relationship with Indian heritage.”

Aveda is benefiting from an increasing consumer interest in natural beauty, according to the NPD Group, a research firm based in Port Washington, N.Y. Karen Grant, a beauty analyst there, said that natural skin care was the fastest-growing segment in skin care and grew 18 percent in 2011 compared with 14 percent growth in overall skin care. That year, 44 percent of 11,109 women surveyed by the company said that they looked for products that were made from natural or organic ingredients, or both.

Aveda is owned by the cosmetics behemoth Estée Lauder, but there are several smaller Ayurvedic-based lines. Based in New York City, Kesari, which means saffron flower in Sanskrit, is one of the better known; its products combine ancient ingredients like saffron with modern ones like peptides and retinol.

It was founded by Richa Purohit, who comes from a family in India that has produced Ayurvedic beauty remedies for more than a century and has developed skin care for luxury beauty brands. The four-product line had its debut on HSN, formerly the Home Shopping Network, in late 2010 and is now sold through Amazon.com, its own site and in high-end salons and spas. The Delano Hotel in Miami has a menu of body and hair treatments using Kesari products.

Ms. Purohit said that saffron was the standout ingredient in the line and was smoothing, rejuvenating and brightening. The most popular product is the $49.50 firming serum, which has a combination of three Indian fruits, including the vitamin-C-rich amla. “One amla berry has the potency of 10 oranges,” she said.

And these are just the beginning of what India has to offer, said Shalini Vadhera Potts, author of the book “Passport to Beauty,” which details beautifying secrets from around the world. “The country is rich with powerful herbs that really work wonders on the hair and skin, and consumers are starting to recognize that,” Ms. Potts said. “There is an awareness now to taking care of yourself in a holistic way beyond just what you can see on the surface, and that’s what these centuries-old beauty ingredients from India are all about.”

Firming serum by Kesari
Based in New York City, Kesari’s products combine ancient ingredients like saffron with modern ones like peptides and retinol. The four-product line is now sold through Amazon.com, its own site and in high-end salons and spas. The Delano Hotel in Miami has a menu of body and hair treatments using Kesari products. The most popular product is the firming serum, which has a combination of three Indian fruits, including the vitamin-C-rich amla.

Invati by Aveda
Aveda, an Estee Lauder subsidiary which has worked with Ayurvedic doctors since soon after it was founded in 1978 to use Indian herbs in some of its products, has a new three-piece line for thinning hair called Invati, which means “invigorate” in Sanskrit. An Ayurvedic blend including turmeric and ginseng from an organic farm in India are the key components in the shampoo, conditioner and revitaliser and claim to rehabilitate the scalp.

Jaipur Bracelet by Boucheron
Boucheron, the French jeweler, already had a long-established connection with India when it put a fragrance called Jaipur Bracelet on the market in June. Bracelet’s heart note is tagetes, a type of marigold known as India’s carnation. Its bottle is a soft pink, inspired by Jaipur’s nickname as the Pink City, and is in the shape of a nauratan bracelet given to Rajasthani brides for luck.

Jaipur bracelet By Boucheron

Nail polish by Chanel
Peter Philips, Chanel’s creative director of makeup, has designed four products including a gold nail shade called Diwali, after the Indian festival of lights, and a golden powder named Route des Indes de Chanel, which is embossed with a motif of a bronze brocade from an Indian-themed collection that Gabrielle Chanel created in the 1960s.

Thakoon for Nars by Thakoon Panichgul

The new six-piece Thakoon for Nars nail collection is a result of Thakoon Panichgul’s spring-summer 2012 line, which was inspired by India and is heavy on gold accenting and bold colours. Panichgul said he was hands-on in coming up with the shades, which are named in Hindi after popular Indian spices or medicinal plants.

<NYT>

India tops the National Geographic Society's 2012 greendex

What is Greendex?


Greendex is a quantitative consumer study with an objective of providing  regular quantitative measures of consumer behavior and to promote sustainable consumption.

National Geographic Society logo

This is the fourth year that National Geographic society has partnered with Globescan to develop an international research approach to measure and monitor consumer progress toward environmentally sustainable consumption.


This quantitative consumer study of 17,000 consumers in a total of 17 countries (14 in 2008) asked about such behavior as energy use and conservation, transportation choices, food sources, the relative use of green products versus conventional products, attitudes toward the environment and sustainability, and knowledge of environmental issues. A group of international experts helped us determine the behaviors that were most critical to investigate.


The result: the 2012 National Geographic/GlobeScan "Consumer Greendex," a scientifically derived sustainable consumption index of actual consumer behavior and material lifestyles across 17 countries. We will continue to track the Greendex over time, including comparability across the selection of countries representing both the developed and developing world.

Overall Results:-

In their fourth survey that measures and monitors consumer behaviors that have an impact on the environment, the National Geographic Society and the research consultancy GlobeScan have found that environmentally friendly behavior among consumers has increased from 2010 in only five of 17 countries surveyed. Sustainable consumer behavior has decreased in nine. In only one country surveyed has environmentally friendly consumer behavior slipped below our 2008 baseline levels. So, while progress remains positive overall, some momentum has been shed in the past two years.

By environmentally friendly consumer behavior, we mean people’s transportation patterns, household energy, and resource use, consumption of food and everyday consumer goods, and what consumers are doing to minimize the impact these activities have on the environment.

“Greendex 2012: Consumer Choice and the Environment—A Worldwide Tracking Survey” measures consumer behavior in areas relating to housing, transportation, food, and consumer goods. Greendex 2012 ranks average consumers in 17 countries according to the environmental impact of their consumption patterns and is the only survey of its kind.

The top-scoring consumers of 2012 are in the developing economies of India, China, and Brazil, in descending order. Those in emerging economies continue to round out the top tier of the Greendex ranking, while the lowest scores are all earned by consumers in industrialized countries. American consumers’ behavior still ranks as the least sustainable of all countries surveyed since the inception of the study, followed by Canadian, Japanese, and French consumers.

The vast Greenery of India is due to the Himalayas belt of green mountains, captured above: one of the Himalayan ranges

Meanwhile, consumers in developing countries with the highest Greendex scores are the most likely to agree that they “feel guilty about the impact [they] have on the environment,” despite having the lightest footprint as individuals. The research finds a positive relationship between the extent to which people feel guilty about their impact and the Greendex scores of average consumers in the same countries. Consumers with low Greendex scores, i.e., those demonstrating the least sustainable behavior as consumers, are least likely to feel guilty about the implications of their choices for the environment.

However, the opposite is true when it comes to the extent to which people feel empowered to help improve the environment as individuals. Those with the lowest Greendex scores and the least sustainable patterns of behavior are, ironically, also those who most feel able to make a difference. Consumers in emerging economies feel relatively helpless in the face of environmental problems which are often more tangible there.

Consumers in countries such as Mexico, Brazil, China, and India tend to be most concerned about issues like climate change, air and water pollution, species loss, and shortages of fresh water—all factors affecting the planet’s ability to support life. Consumers in these large emerging economies are the most likely to report that environmental problems are having a negative impact on their health today. In contrast, the economy and the cost of energy and fuel elicit the most concern among American, French, and British consumers.

Consumers registering the largest 2012 versus 2010 increases in environmentally sustainable consumer behavior are the South Koreans and Germans, followed by the Spanish and Chinese. Consumers in the rapidly growing economies of India and Brazil, followed by Russia, have seen their Greendex scores decrease most since 2010. Between 2008 and 2010, consumers in eight of the 14 countries surveyed in all three years demonstrated year over year improvements. Of those, only Chinese and Hungarian consumers have extended the trend in 2012.

National Geographic Channel logo

Some specific findings from the four top areas of consumer behavior explored by the Greendex include:

• Transportation
  -French and American consumers are most likely to report that they drive alone in a car or truck: 56 percent of French consumers and 55 percent of Americans say they do every day or almost every day. Chinese (20 percent) and Indian consumers (16 percent) are least likely to do so. Across the 17 countries surveyed, 36 percent say they drive alone regularly.
  -Americans are least likely to use public transportation: Only 7 percent say they use it every day or most days. Russians are most likely with 43 percent. On average in the countries studied, just 24 percent of consumers use public transportation daily or almost daily.
  -Americans are also least likely to bike or walk to their destination: Just 34 percent say they do so often or always. Chinese (73 percent) and Hungarian consumers (72 percent) are most likely to do so. Across the 17 countries in total, 58 percent say they walk or bike often or almost always. 
• Housing
  -Spanish and German consumers are the most likely to say that they keep heating and cooling at low settings to save energy often or all the time (69 percent), with Americans and French consumers tied in second place with 67 percent. Russians are the least likely at 25 percent.
  -Brazilians and Germans are the most likely to report minimizing the use of fresh water often or all the time with 69 percent. Of the least likely, Americans are third from the bottom with 37 percent, followed by Swedes (29 percent) and Spanish consumers (27 percent).
  -Brazilians (80 percent) and Australians (70 percent) are most likely report washing laundry in cold water to save energy; Swedes (12 percent) and Russians (10 percent) are least likely to do so. In total, 48 percent of consumers in the countries surveyed say they do; Americans are about average with 51 percent.
• Food
  -Argentineans eat the most beef: 61 percent eat it every day or several times a week, as opposed to 35 percent of Americans and just 9 percent of Indians. Globally, 28 percent of consumers eat beef every day or several times per week - one of the most environmentally intensive food sources.
  -Chinese consumers eat the most vegetables: 63 percent eat them every day, while just 37 percent of Americans do the same.
  -Chinese consumers also report the greatest increase in meat consumption over the past five years: 9 percent greatly increased and an additional 28 percent somewhat increased meat consumption. 
• Goods
  -Just 22 percent of consumers globally say they try to buy things used or pre-owned instead of new. American consumers are among the most likely to choose used over new goods (31 percent), topped only by Swedes (32 percent).
  -Consumers most likely to recycle often or all of the time are Canadian (83 percent), British (82), German (81) and Australian (80). Worldwide, 61 percent of consumers recycle often or all the time. 69 percent of Americans report recycling regularly; South Koreans are least likely to recycle at just 29 percent.
  -95 percent of consumers worldwide report owning, renting or leasing at least one TV and 14 percent report households with four or more. 96 percent of Americans report possessing at least one computer and 96 percent say they have at least one TV.

TOP Five Nations regarding the sustainable lifestyle:-

INDIA                       - 58.9

CHINA                     - 57.8

BRAZIL                    - 55.5

HUNGARY              - 54.4

SOUTH KOREA     - 54.4

The complete report released by National Geographic society could be accessed here:-

http://bit.ly/NvDJQX

<compiled with source from natgeo>

Facebook launch's list of most social landmark's based on check-in's made by it's users

Facebook the world's number one social networking website on June 19 launched a list of world's most social landmarks based on the check-in's made by it's users. The most checked-in place from India was Gurudwara bangla sahib,New delhi a place of worship of shikhs. Here's the actual excerpt from it's official news:-

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Social Landmarks Around the World

June 19, 2012

As summer vacation season starts, we measured check-ins made on Facebook in 25 cities worldwide to determine the world's most social landmarks.

Among the no. 1 ranked landmarks across the 25 cities:
- 7 are sports stadiums/arenas
- 6 are public areas: squares/avenues/parks/gardens
- 2 are amusement parks
- 2 are concert arenas
- 2 are shopping-related: shopping centers/malls

Looking deeper into the data, we saw that shopping is popular internationally: malls and outdoor markets appear within the top 10 landmarks for 19 of 25 cities, including Sao Paolo's Mercado Municipal, Seoul's Dongdaeum and Melbourne's Queen Victoria market. Amusement parks like Johannesburg's Gold Reef City, Moscow's Gorky Park, Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens and Seoul's Lotte World were among the top 10 places to check-in. Restaurants like the Hard Rock Cafes in Buenos Aires, Delhi and Barcelona, TGI Fridays in Norway, and Bella Paulista Casa de Paes in Sao Paulo were favorites too.

Cities with warmer climates had more check-ins to outdoors spots, like St. Kilda Beach in Melbourne and the Wynyard Quarter wharf in Auckland, while colder climes had more activity in concert halls or bars. Six of Moscow's 10 most popular slots belong to bars and clubs.

Examining check-ins by season helped us uncover some summer trends. Music festivals like Glastonbury and Lollapalooza appear as top summer check-ins. Sports venues also ranked highly in the U.S., with Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco each featuring stadiums or arenas in their top 10 list. Baseball was also very popular in Tokyo, where the Tokyo Dome won out, while in other cities, soccer, rugby, and cricket venues were popular summer hangouts.

We found some interesting comparisons within individual cities. In New York, the American Museum of Natural History garnered more check-ins than its neighbor across Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Rome's Spanish Steps is one the city's most social spots followed by the Trevi Fountain, just 10 minutes away. City architectural treasures and famous green spaces were popular throughout New York, Berlin, London, Rome – and Paris, where the Avenue des Champs-Élysées beat out the famous Eiffel Tower.

The original image released by Facebook.

India ranks 14th in global PC security: study conducted by Mcafee

A study conducted by Mcafee software solution's reveal some interesting facts.

A study conducted by security software maker McAfee suggests Indians are more aware about basic PC protection than the Americans, Chinese and even Japanese! The study reveals the percentage of PCs equipped with basic security software in India is higher than in countries such as China and Singapore, despite the fact the country has a low penetration of computers.

According to the McAfee survey, Finland has the highest number of PCs with a basic security software solution, 90.3 percent, followed by Italy (86.2 percent) and Germany (85.55 percent). India ranks 14th with 82.67 percent, while neighbouring country China is at 17th position with 82 percent. Japan and super power the U.S. at the 19th spot (80.65 percent) and Singapore at 22nd position (78.25 percent). The global average is around 83 percent.

India ranked 14th on the list with 82.67%, while China ranked 17th (82%), followed by Japan and US at the 19th spot (80.65%) and Singapore at 22nd position (78.25%). The global average stood at 83%. According to estimates, India had a total installed base of over 60 million PCs at the end of 2011. "Its gratifying to see that the majority of consumers have gotten the message that at the very least they need to have basic security protection installed," McAfee Co-President Todd Gebhart said.

Basic security protection includes anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall technologies. The study covers 24 countries and is based on data from voluntary scans of an average of 27-28 million PCs. The study estimates India had a total installed base of more than 60 million PCs by the end of 2011.

"Its gratifying to see that the majority of consumers have gotten the message that at the very least they need to have basic security protection installed," says McAfee Co-President Todd Gebhart. "Protecting digital devices against cybercrime from malware not only benefits each of us personally, but also serves to discourage illicit activity and preserve the integrity of the Internet.”

Spain (16.3%) topped the list of countries where the PCs scanned did not have a security solution in place, followed by Japan (13.2%) and China (12.9%). About 10.9% of the PCs scanned in India did not have a security solution, placing India at the 8th spot. The study suggests often people do not understand that once the trial subscription expires (which came pre-installed with the PC), they are no longer protected. Some consumers may disable their security protection on purpose, for example to play online games, while some PC users believe they do not need protection if they simply adhere to safe surfing best practices.

The study also points out that cyber-attacks against technology firms, banks, government agencies were increasing and have so far led to the loss of millions of dollars.

MCAfee says 17 percent of the total PCs scanned either had no anti-virus or the software was installed but disabled. The study says several users disable security purposely for various reasons, such as for playing online games,  or in some cases, users believe protection is not required if they are browsing safe sites.

"Security software is consumers' first and, in many cases, only defence against cybercrime," the study concludes.

<digit mag.>

Taj mahal on number 15th, of CNN's must see places on this planet

Taj Mahal, the most clicked image in the world has made to number nine in the list of CNN's 27 must see places on the planet.

Taj Mahal, front view

The Taj Mahal  is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".

Taj Mahal view at night.

The 27 must see incredible site on this planet are:-

1. Borobudur at sunrise, Java (Indonesia)
2. Starling murmuration, Brighton Pier (England)
3. Northern Lights, Scandinavia
4. The great migration, East Africa
5. Star-filled sky, Mackenzie Basin (New Zealand)
6. Torres del Paine, Chile
7. Djmaa el Fna, Marrakech (Morocco)
8. Yosemite peaks, California (United States)
9. Santa Maria Salute, Venice (Italy)
10. Jungle pyramids, Palenque (Mexico)
11. Electrical storm, Tornado Alley (United States)
12. Sydney Harbour, Australia
13. Inside the Thrihnukagigur volcano (Iceland)
14. Monument Valley, United States
15. Taj Mahal, India
16. Kasanka bat migration, Zambia
17. Carlsbad Cavern, New Mexico (United States)
18. Lunar rainbow, Victoria Falls (Zambia)
19. Shubenacadie tidal bore, Canada
20. Cape Tribulation, Australia
21. Rock face city of Petra, Jordan
22. Enrosadira, Dolomites (Italy)
23. Fairy chimneys, Cappadocia (Turkey)
24. Lake District lakes, England
25. Sardine run, South Africa
26. Pristine beaches of Islas Cies, Spain
27. Cornwall's ruined mines, England

US President Barack Obama: 'India prohibits FDI in too many sectors, including retail'

Noting that India prohibited foreign investment in too many sectors such as retail, US President Barack Obama today cited concerns over deteriorating investment climate there to endorse another "wave" of economic reforms. Still sounding positive about Indian economy, "which continues to grow at an impressive rate," he said that to some extent, India's slower growth is a reflection of the larger slow down in the global economy.

US President Barack Obama

The US President answered a wide range of questions on the state of the Indian as well as global economy, Indo-Pak ties and American strategy in the Asia-Pacific region during an interview to PTI(Press trust of India) in Washington.

Obama was careful not to be directly critical of the negative investment climate in India but cited the concerns of the American business community to make his points.

Many in the American business community, "one of the great champions of the US-India partnership", have expressed concerns that the investment climate in India is deteriorating, he said.

"They tell us it is still too hard to invest in India. In too many sectors, such as retail, India limits or prohibits the foreign investment that is necessary to create jobs in both our countries, and which is necessary for India to continue to grow," Obama said.

Refraining from prescribing any solutions for India's economic difficulties, the President said, "it is not the place of the United States to tell other nations, including India, how to chart its economic future. That is for Indians to decide."

Obama noted that "there appears to be a growing consensus in India that the time may be right for another wave of economic reforms to make India more competitive in the global economy."

The US President said India's generous contributions have helped India to train Afghan police, promote development and improve the lives of the Afghan people.

India was the first nation to forge a Strategic Partnership Agreement with Afghanistan, and India's civil service can be a model as Afghans strengthen their own governance and institutions, he said.

Obama said in hosting the recent conference on private investment in Afghanistan, India has shown a readiness to champion the nation's economic development.

As a result of this spring's NATO Summit in Chicago, he said they now had a clear path for bringing the war to a responsible end.

Next year, in mid-2013, Afghan forces would take the lead for combat operations and coalition forces would have shifted from combat to support across the country and their troops would continue to come home, the President said.

"By the end of 2014, the transition to Afghan lead for security will be complete so that Afghans can take responsibility for their own country.

"After 2014, NATO will continue to train, advise and assist and support Afghan forces as they grow stronger. Likewise, the Strategic Partnership Agreement that the US signed with Afghanistan, as well as our designation of Afghanistan as a Major Non-NATO Ally, makes it clear that we will not not abandon that country, or the region, to terrorists who threaten us as well," he said.

Obama said one of the reasons why he valued the G20 was that it was the only place where leaders of the world's largest economies -- developed and developing -- can come together and address the economic challenges that affected everyone.

Right now, he said, the global economy continued to face a number of challenges. Global growth, including growth in emerging economies like India, has slowed.

The situation in Europe has, of course, been a concern, Obama said. The G20 summit in Mexico was therefore an opportunity for them to hear directly from European leaders on the progress they were making and on their next steps.

The President said, "In our global economy, we can't just have a few leaders of the most advanced economies making decisions that touch the lives of billions of people around the world.

"That's why we made the G20 the leading forum for global economic decision-making, to give developing and emerging nations, like India, a larger voice. It's why we increased the role of India and other emerging economies in international financial institutions. These institutions are stronger because of India's active participation."

Obama said he believed that the European leaders grasp the seriousness of the situation and were committed to holding the Eurozone together with the steps they have taken in the recent weeks.

"All of us have a profound interest in Europe's success and the US will continue to support our European friends as they work through this challenge.

<PTI>

India at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Following a bid headed by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe and the then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, London was selected as the host city on 6 July 2005 during the 117th IOC Session in Singapore, defeating Moscow , New York City, Madrid and Paris. London will become the first city to officially host the modern Olympic Games three times, having previously done so in1908 and in 1948.

The London Olympic 2012 logo

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad, and also known as London 2012 as per the official logo, are scheduled to take place in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012.

The Olympic park, London June 2011

India is scheduled to take part in the 2012 Summer Olympics to be held in London from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The Indian government plans to spend over 45,000,000 $ in preparing for the games. Ajit Pal Singh has been named the chef de mission of the Indian contingent by the IOA.




With 81 players qualified for 13 sports, India is all set to make a better impact this time.

Indian Voices in Ice Age:4

Hollywood is yet eyeing big on the Indian Sub-continent.after it's connection with great movies like avenger's and The amazing Spider man, the latest installment of the great movie Ice age -4 has two Indian actors lending their voice for the great movie which will hit theaters on 13th of July 2012.

Ice Age:Continental Drift has a strong Indian connect. After creating waves online with a funky Sid rap video, which featured children dancing in front of the Gateway of India, the Hollywood franchise is now hoping to bring more cheer to the sub-continent through two actors of Indian origin.

Ice Age: Continental DriftThe fourth installment of the Ice Age series, Continental Drift will see the return of Manny (Ray Romano), Diego (Denis Leary), and Sid (John Leguizamo), who embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.Release dates: July 13 worldwide

Kunal Nayyar and Aziz Ansari have done the voice-overs for two important animated characters in the film. The latest installment takes Manny, Diego and Sid to new islands and the high seas aboard a rogue pirate ship.

The Big Bang Theory’s popular character, Raj, is the voice for a pirate beaver called Gupta, who is a prehistoric badger whose back is patterned with the skull and crossbones of the pirate flag, the Jolly Roger.Popular stand-up comedian Aziz Ansari is the voice of fellow pirate, a prehistoric rabbit named Squint, who is the smallest member of the crew and believes he is Napoleon.

“Nothing ticks this pirate off more than surrendering. I was good at it because I have an innate ability to over-act, so the stuff came naturally to me,” says Kunal, talking about his recording experience.Aziz, who recorded for Squint, says, “He’s always ready for a fight, but unfortunately, thanks to his size, never gets to chop up anybody.”

Directed by Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier, with voiceovers by Hollywood stars like Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary and Queen Latifah, Ice Age 4 is gearing up for a big Indian release on July 27.

“We will open in around 270 3D screens and it will be dubbed in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi,” says Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios. “India is currently around nine per cent of the overall market so we decided to incorporate these Indian elements. Besides the actors, Ice Age 4 also had several Indian animators on board.”


<hindustan times>