Spending too much time on Facebook...???....Dont be surprised when you get low grades...

Students who are logged on to Facebook while studying get significantly lower grades than those who do not, according to psychologists.

A study has found that the exam results of those who used the social networking site while working, even if it was on in the background, were 20 per cent lower than non-users.

According to researchers, the findings put a dent in the theory that young people's brains are better at multitasking on digital gadgets.

"The problem is that most people have Facebook or other social networking sites, their emails and maybe instant messaging constantly running in the background while they are carrying out other tasks," the Daily Mail quoted study author Professor Paul Kirschner as saying.

"Our study, and other previous work, suggests that while people may think constant task-switching allows them to get more done in less time, the reality is it extends the amount of time needed to carry out tasks and leads to more mistakes," he added.

His team studied 219 students aged between 19 and 54 at an American university.

It was observed that the Facebook users had a typical grade point average - a score from zero up to four - of 3.06. Non-users had an average GPA of 3.82.

Those who did not use the site also said they devoted more time to studying, spending an average of 88 per cent longer working outside class.

Three fourth of the Facebook users said they didn't believe spending time on the site affected their academic performance.

The study by Open University in the Netherlands will be published in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour.

Lift buttons have 40 times the bacteria in a toilet seat....

A lift button swarms with nearly 40 times as many bacteria as a public toilet seat.

A study carried out in hotels, restaurants, banks, offices and airports found 313 'colony forming units' of bugs on every square centimetre of lift button. The equivalent surface area of toilet seat had only eight units.

The bacteria on the lift buttons could include stomach bugs such as e.coli, researchers say, according to the Daily Mail.

Nicholas Moon from Microban Europe, which carried out the research for the University of Arizona in the US, said: 'In a busy building, a lift button can be touched by dozens of people who will have come into contact with all kinds of bacteria every hour.'

'Even if the buttons are cleaned regularly, the potential for the build up of bacteria is high.'

Previous studies have shown that a typical office desk harbours 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat and computer keyboards have four times more germs than toilets.

But Professor Hugh Pennington, a leading microbiologist in Britain, said: 'Just because there are bacteria on a lift button it doesn't mean they are harmful to your health.'

'The best way to protect yourself is to wash your hands before you eat or handle food.'

How the Egyptians built their Pyramids..........

A researcher has the answer to an ancient, unsolved puzzle - how the Egyptians erected their giant pyramids.

searchers have been so preoccupied by the weight of the stones that they tend to overlook two major problems: How did the Egyptians know exactly where to put the enormously heavy building blocks? And how was the master architect able to communicate detailed, highly precise plans to a workforce of 10,000 illiterate men?

These were among the questions that confronted Ole J. Bryn, an architect and associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) when he began examining Khufu's Great Pyramid in Giza. Khufu's pyramid, better known as the Pyramid of Cheops, consists of 2.3 million limestone blocks weighing roughly 7 million tons. At 146.6 meters high, it held the record as the tallest structure ever built for nearly 4000 years, reports Science Daily.

What Bryn discovered was quite simple. He believes that the Egyptians invented the modern building grid, by separating the structure's measuring system from the physical building itself, thus introducing tolerance, as it is called in today's engineering and architectural professions.

Bryn has studied the plans from the thirty oldest Egyptian pyramids, and discovered a precision system that made it possible for the Egyptians to reach the pyramid's last and highest point, the apex point, with an impressive degree of accuracy.

By exploring and making a plan of the pyramid it is possible to prepare modern project documentation of not just one, but all pyramids from any given period.

As long as the architect knows the main dimensions of a pyramid, he can project the building as he would have done it with a modern building, but with building methods and measurements known from the ancient Egypt, Bryn says.

In a scientific article published May 2010 in the Nordic Journal of Architectural Research, Bryn discusses aspects that can explain the construction of a multitude of the Egyptian pyramids by taking the building grid, and not the physical building itself, as the starting point for the analysis.

If the principles behind Bryn's drawings are correct, then archaeologists will have a new "map" that demonstrates that the pyramids are not a "bunch of heavy rocks with unknown structures" but, rather, incredibly precise structures.

Ole J. Bryn's findings will be presented and explained at the exhibition The Apex Point in Trondheim from September 13th to October 1st.

A New technique that turns the table aroung of sure death by 90 percent

A ground-breaking technique that freezes bodies to the brink of death could help doctors in emergency surgery by putting patients into a state of suspended animation.

Surgeons are pioneering a method of inducing extreme hypothermia in trauma patients so their bodies shut down entirely during major surgery, giving doctors more time to operate.

The technique helps to reduce the damage done to the brain and other organs while the patient's heart is not beating.

Researchers will begin the first human trials of the technique, which involves replacing a patient's blood with a cold solution to rapidly reduce body temperature.

The cold treatment, being developed at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, will result in patient's bodies being cooled to as low as 10 degrees.

The normal body temperature is 37 degrees and humans usually die rapidly if the core body temperature drops below 22 degrees.

Dr Hasan Alam, the surgeon leading the research, said trials of the technique in animals had shown it to be hugely successful.

"By cooling rapidly in this fashion we can convert almost certain death into a 90 per cent survival rate," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Alam as saying.

New Speed Record by Chinese high speed train......

A high-speed train in China has set a new world speed record during a trial run.

The train hit a maximum speed of 416.6 km per hour on its journey Tuesday between Shanghai and Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, Xinhua reported.

The train is designed to run at a speed of 350 km per hour on the 202-km-long track between the two cities. A one-way journey previously took two hours. But the new train would lessen that to around 40 minutes, officials said.

'It is the world's longest and the fastest, and boasts of the most comprehensive technology. We have an ambition to lead the world in high-speed railway construction,' said He Huawu, chief engineer of the ministry of railways.

China had also set a world record June 24, 2008, with the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed train hitting a top speed of 394.3 km per hour.

The new ability for car charging.....

Manufacturers of hybrid and electric cars face a seemingly insurmountable problem -- heavy batteries that add weight and bulk to vehicle design without boosting its efficiency. Now, Volvo is developing a prototype that uses its body to act as a rechargeable battery.

The futuristic car would be able to store braking energy while it is being driven and also store energy when it is plugged in overnight to recharge.

The three-year project to develop the car was launched earlier this year among Volvo, Imperial College in London and seven other European institutes, reports the Daily Mail.

Imperial College is working on a composite blend of carbon fibres and polymer resin that can store and charge more energy faster than conventional batteries.

The material is extremely strong and pliant, which means it can be shaped for use in building the car's body panels.

Volvo claims that the car's weight can be reduced by 15 percent if steel body panels are replaced with the new material.

Scientists are developing the composite material so it can store more energy and are studying ways of producing the material on an industrial scale. Only in the final stage of the project will the battery be fitted to a car.

'Our role is to contribute expertise on how this technology can be integrated in the future and to input ideas about the advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost and user-friendliness,' says Per-Ivar Sellergren, development engineer at the Volvo Cars Materials Centre.

Initially, the car's spare wheel recess will be converted into a composite battery.

'This is a relatively large structure that is easy to replace. Not sufficiently large to power the entire car, but enough to switch the engine off and on when the car is at a standstill, for instance at traffic lights,' said Sellergren.

If the project is successful, there are many possible application areas.

Mobile phones could be as thin as credit cards and laptops will last far longer without needing to be recharged.

Change from right handed to left handed......using a Magnet

If you are a right-handed person, chances are you will use that hand to pick up a cup of coffee or write, but a new study shows that a magnet on your head could very well make you a leftie.

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, applied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the posterior parietal cortex region of the brain in 33 right-handed volunteers and found that stimulating the left side spurred an increase in their use of the left hand.

The parietal cortex plays a key role in processing spatial relationships and planning movement, and by stimulating it the left hemisphere motor skills are disrupted.

The study's findings show that TMS can manipulate the brain to change plans for which hand to use, paving the way for clinical advances in the rehabilitation of victims of stroke and other brain injuries.

"By understanding this process, we hope to be able to develop methods to overcome learned limb disuse," said Richard Ivry.

"Alien hand syndrome," a neurological disorder in which victims report the involuntary use of their hands, inspired researchers to investigate whether the brain initiates several action plans, setting in motion a competitive process before arriving at a decision.

The study is published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Mobile and Writing or Texting

As a nation we are addicted to texting—we love to 'write' on our mobile phones. As the mobile phone becomes an integral part of the lifestyle for the young customer, the demand for devices which allow faster and more convenient texting is growing at a hyper pace. Hence, QWERTY phones are now (along with touch phones) the fastest growing segment in mobiles. This QWERTY keypad emanates from the conventional typewriter format devised in 1873, and is now amongst the fastest growing segments in the mobile industry today.

Nokia envisioned the need way back in 1998 when they launched their first QWERTY phone called the Communicator ( fondly called 'the Brick' because of its size by the geeks). The trend caught on and was followed up by several launches from brands like Palm, Motorola and Nokia themselves. Globally, QWERTY form factor carved out a niche for itself.

The game changer for the QWERTY form factor in India was definitely Blackberry. In 2003, when RIM launched its email centric devices, targeting the Indian CXO, little did one realise that the QWERTY form factor would become aspirational for the common consumer and would fuel the demand for products which looked similar to the Blackberry. Blackberry itself has launched products with true QWERTY alphabet keypads as well as virtual touch keypads. Over time, it is the true QWERTY alphabet (physical) keypad which has grown in popularity.

The evolution of the smartphone, a device that combines the capabilities of a phone and a computer and runs an 'open' operating system, has played a major role in development of QWERTY phones. Unlike the older traditional cellphones that focus on voice calls and text messages, smartphones provide advanced capabilities, such as Web browsing, email and other software applications. 'Open' refers to its ability to add applications developed by the device manufacturers, operators or software developers. What did all this mean for the consumer? It simply meant more power in the hands of the customer to effectively use his mobile device for much more than just voice calls.

Over the last two years, as the demand for the QWERTY form factor has grown, the new Indian handset vendors like Spice, Micromax, Karrbon, etc have launched a large range of QWERTY phones at aggressive price points, driving demand and building up customer traction. It is pertinent to note that most major vendors are providing texting in the Indian regional languages. Moreover, with email becoming more mass market and the non-corporate customer adopting the service, the demand for QWERTY phone continues to grow.

The levers for the growth of this category have been many. For instance, the boom in usage of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter. On the move, these sites need the use of QWERTY keypads to enable ease of use. It helps when handset vendors advertise about these features, encouraging consumers to go online on their mobile phones.

Then, there is the aspiration to be online through email permanently. Affordability of GPRS to rates as low as Rs 5 per day is encouraging customers to use their mobile phones are pocket PCs. Major brands like Nokia are making available email services for life free. What it means is that the customer buys a phone and takes a few minutes to configure his push mail account.

In the days ahead, many of the major brands will offer push mail service. Many brands will also be launching instant messaging (just like Blackberry Messenger) on mobiles.

The writing is on the wall. The mobile phone is performing all that your personal computer would, on the move literally. Walk into any mall, or a airport lounge and the sight of people typing on the mobile phones will be proof enough that the QWERTY phone segment is here to stay.

The writer is CEO, Spice Hotspot

America's rich people

There are two Americas today. In one, people desperately search for work; the unemployment rate stays stubbornly high and the poverty rate increases. In the other, the world of big tech companies, sales are booming and fortunes are growing. The opportunities seem endless.

So it is for the tech kings on the Forbes 400 list of 2010. The fortunes of the 10 richest American technology billionaires rose a combined $13.6 billion in 2010 compared with their net worth on the 2009 Forbes 400 list. Bill Gates tops out the list as the richest (again!), with a net worth that Forbes puts at $54 billion--up $4 billion from a year ago.

Microsoft is one of those companies selling like there's no tomorrow. Its Windows 7 operating system, introduced a year ago, flies off the shelves at the rate of seven copies per second. Those sales, however, have failed to boost Microsoft stock, which is largely unchanged over the last year.

In Pictures: America's Richest Techies

Most of Gates' wealth is outside Microsoft; his stake in the company is worth $16 billion. Much of the remainder of his fortune is managed by Cascade Investments, including his 42% stake in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. These days Gates spends his time running his philanthropic Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The biggest gainer in the pack of richest U.S. techies was the wonderboy Mark Zuckerberg, the 26-year-old founder of social network Facebook. Zuckerberg's fortune more than tripled in the past year, from $2 billion last year to $6.9 billion this year. Private-equity investments in Facebook over the past year put the value of the company at $23 billion. Revenue is expected to top $2 billion this year. Zuckerberg continues to live in a rented house in Palo Alto, Calif.

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos is reaping the benefits of sizzling Kindle sales. The value of Amazon stock climbed more than 30% in the past year, and Bezos' net worth rose $3.8 billion to $12.6 billion. Bezos still has 90% of his net worth tied up in Amazon stock; he sold $400 million of Amazon shares since January 2010. On the side, Bezos is funding aerospace company Blue Origin, which is developing spacecraft in West Texas.

Steve Jobs' Apple has sold 3 million iPads since introducing them in April. And sales of the iPhone continue to boom, despite widely publicized antenna problems in the latest iPhone. (Those problems are remedied with a rubber case that covers the antennas.) But most of Jobs' fortune, which rose $1 billion in the last year to $6.1 billion, lies with the value of the Disney stock he owns--to the tune of $4.4 billion.

Dell is perhaps the tech company struggling the most among its peers. Dell's stock fell 29% in the past year. But most of Michael Dell's $14 billion fortune lies outside the company he founded, in assets managed by MSD Capital, an 80-person firm set up to take care of his wealth. Michael Dell's net worth fell $500 million from a year ago.

"Hey Robot, wash and Dry my hair please......."

Japanese scientists have developed a hair-washing robot that uses 16 robotic fingers and two motorised arms to do the job.

Created at Panasonic Corporation, the robot has been created to replicate the hands of a human hair stylist, and is designed to help with the care of the country's "silver generation".

The arms can scan the head three-dimensionally, measure and record the shape in order to determine the precise amount of pressure in the correct locations.

Eight "fingers" and three motors on every arm independently control the motion and pressure of the massage movements.

"The hair-washing robot was developed to fill the needs of workers at hospitals and health care facilities," The Telegraph quoted a Panasonic spokesman as saying.

"Studies among them revealed their dilemma that they cannot attend to each and every request of the patients, such as shampooing, as it will add another task to the workers who are already burdened with many tasks."

Apple iPad now under pressure even from Blackberry

Blackberry has announced the launch of its tablet computer Playbook, as an answer to Apple's iPad.

The first business-centric device in the tablet market created by Blackberry maker Research In Motion, the smart phone is seen as the phone of choice among this sector.

Since its April launch, the iPad has dominated the space with research firm iSuppli predicting sales of 12 million by the end of the year.

"RIM's Blackberry Playbook tablet looks to be a real challenger to Apple's iPad, playing on its business credentials, rather than being just another joy machine''," the BBC quoted Stuart Miles, editor of mobile technology website Pocket-Lint, as saying.

"Whether RIM can deliver what it promises in the business environment with a selection of new apps on yet another operating system will be the real test though. Either way, it's clear that the battle of the tablets is now full steam ahead," he added.

The Playbook will have a 7-inch screen with front and rear facing cameras to enable video conferencing, Bluetooth and WiFi.

The operating system will be QNX software and not the Blackberry OS 6, to ensure compatibility of the tablet platform with the OS. It will have no 3G capabilities but will enable 3G data connecting by tethering to a Blackberry smartphone.

Although the price has not been announced, it will become commercially available early in 2011.

"What remains to be seen is whether RIM can keep the price realistic for everyday users - despite all the high quality features, a high price tag will put a lot of people off and convince them that a tablet is a superfluous gadget that they don't really need," said Kate Solomon of mobile news and views site Recombu.com.

Athithi dhevo Bhava.......Delhi is seemingly fit to recieve the world

Through the dark clouds of controversy, Delhi residents have begun to see a silver lining - starting with a world-class new airport and an extended and efficient Metro service, significant parts of the capital suddenly seem to have cleaner roads, gleaming bus stops, greener sidewalks, better signages and even ornamental street furniture, thanks to the Commonwealth Games.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Public Works Department (PWD) have been managing what has been called the 'beautification drive' in the city even though the going has been tough in the harsh glare of the media, a wet monsoon and disease.

The civic bodies have also installed information kiosks, toilet complexes, giant billboards to guide people on routes and basic services in the city that will play host to international athletes, delegates and tourists during the Oct 3-14 Games.

'After all the negative publicity the Games have drawn, it is actually great to see the city ready for it. It is about India's pride,' Delhi resident Dheeraj Sahni told IANS.

'It is a delight to see chaos-free roads in Connaught Place. Cordoned-off streets and grass-laden lanes were never there before. It was only rubble that I saw here,' said Geetanjali Gulati, who works in the central business district.

'This should remain even after the Games,' Gulati said.

Connaught Place had been reeling under heaps of debris. It has taken the civic agencies around two years to give it a makeover, with the removal of roadside shops and widening of inner lanes. Subways in the outer circle, however, are still under construction.

Old Delhi, famous for its food and old world charm, has also got a much-needed facelift. Roadside pavements have been cleared, giving visitors respite from narrow and choked lanes.

The Delhi University area, where accommodation is being provided to players and visitors during the Games, wears a new look. In hostels dilapidated furniture has been replaced with new furniture.

'Colleges would remain closed, but it is great to see the entire north campus go through this overhaul. Thanks to Games, the university looks great,' said Archana Tiwari, a student of Miranda House in Delhi University.

The city of 16 million people has also hidden away many an eyesore behind giant panels and billboards.

'We have wanted to give this look to Delhi since a long time. The Commonwealth Games gave us the perfect platform,' Deep Mathur, spokesperson of the MCD, told IANS

Giving Delhi a new look has come at a cost of Rs.16,000 crore ($3.5 billion), including the construction of some Games venues.

Of this, Rs.270 crore has gone into the Public Works Department (PWD) revamping 80 km of roads. The work includes street-scaping and beautification of areas near the venues of the Games, construction of fly-overs and foot overbridges and widening of roads.

The last four days have been extremely crucial for the authorities as, after many days of continuous downpour, there were no rains, enabling a last-minute clean up.

The swanky T3 terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, which became operational in July, has been a pleasant surpirse for visitors, with its plush lounges, intricate landscaping and smoother operations.

The Metro which is serving as a lifeline for residents amid traffic restrictions on Delhi's roads has connected all the 11 prominent Games venues. It is also extending operations ahead of the Games, aiming to open the Central Secretariat-Badarpur link.

History too is set to beckon touristsm, with at least 46 old monuments revamped to showcase the rich heritage of this ancient city. Cafeterias and souvenir kiosks have come up at Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb and Purana Qila.

Glowing in their pristine beauty at night will be Purana Qila, Khairul Manzil Mosque and Safdarjung Tomb, as these are being specially lit up.

With dedicated Games lanes and traffic restrictions in place, a sizeable number of private buses have been replaced by DTC buses.

'We are prepared to manage the traffic well during the sports event. Traffic cops are deputed all over the city to ensure smooth and safe passage to the commuters,' said Rajan Bhagat, Delhi police spokesperson.

The Organising Committee (OC) and the Delhi Government have tied up in a 'joint marketing programme' whereby a two-kilometre radius around the Games venues has been handed over to the committee for exclusive branding.

The Games are India's biggest sporting event after the 1982 Asian Games. Nearly 7,000 participants and officials from 71 countries and territories are expected to attend the event.

India can and it seems India will...

With less than a week left for the Commonwealth Games, Harris Mbulelo Majeke, South African High Commissioner to India on Monday, said that he is optimistic that India would host a memorable Commonwealth Games. Majeke announced this after a part of the South African team arrived in the capital.

India officials are racing against time to ensure preparations are complete after facing a slew of international criticism over filthy accommodation in the Games village.