<< A still from Transformers 3

Film: Transformers 3 (3D) (U/A)
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Frances McDormand, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Dempsey, Hugo Weaving, Peter Cullen
Director: Michael Bay
Rating: *1/2

The Autobots, a race of advanced Robot-like beings led by the valiant Optimus Prime, (voice of Cullen) learn of the US government's secret retrieval of a spacecraft from their planet from the moon -- the actual motive behind the US-Russia space race.

The ship, now in ruins, bears devices that can revive the stranded Autobots’ lost homeworld -- Cybertron and Optimus Prime learns that the vessel was piloted by his long-lost mentor, Sentinel Prime, (Nimoy) who can now be resurrected.

Meanwhile former high school outcast and two-time world saviour Sam Witwicky (LeBeouf), now unemployed in spite of receiving a medal from US President, manages to land another knock-out girlfriend Carly Spencer (Huntington-Whiteley) and joins forces with shady formergovernment operative Seymour Simmons (Turturro) once again to counter a mysterious trap being laid out by the malignant Decepticons, the age-old foes to the Autobots, led by Megatron (Weaving).

Yes, the latest installment of Transformers is still centered on annoying, useless human beings and, yes, the juvenile humour is still arbitrarily injected into most of the “dialogue”.With the action not exactly all over the place like the high-octane Revenge of the Fallen, it’s the focus on “story” in the first half of the film that proves to be a major failing, with the plain unintriguing goings-on doing nothing but highlighting the weak writing. And then there’s the second half, which features unprecedented action, endless machine–induced destruction and earth-shattering explosions on an apocalyptic scale (in 3D!) that dwarfs other such sequences concocted by Michael Bay.

LaBeouf doesn’t take charge as a leading man while his merry band of “enlightened”, sentient mechanical beings, while being cool to look at, are at the best of times mere robots, lacking genuine humour, warmth and personality. Turturro and McDormand fare reasonably better as the sneaky/weird Simmons and the uptight secretary of defence Charlotte Mearing respectively. Huntington-Whiteley, in looking good and providing a basis for the mandatory love angle, is released from a potential existential crisis like so many of Bay's drop-dead gorgeous leading ladies before her.

The only viewing pleasure that can be salvaged from the hulking behemoth that is Transformers: Dark of the Moon is from the reasonably well-done special effects and the insanely overblown action sequences but that sort of excess, without a palatable story, grows old...at lightspeed.

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MCI creates 4,452 new MBBS seats; 21 new med colleges

MCI creates 4,452 new MBBS seats; 21 new med colleges all over India. Those aspiring to be doctors can now hope for more as the Government has decided to create 4,452 MBBS seats in 21 new medical colleges and increase the number of seats in existing institutions this year.

The Medical Council of India has approved 21 new medical colleges at the undergraduate level, taking the total number of medical colleges in the country to 335, including 185 in the private sector and 150 in the government sector, sources said.Of the new colleges approved, 16 are in the private sector and five in the government sector.In another significant development, the MCI allowed 33 existing medical colleges to add additional undergraduate seats (MBBS).

The MCI, in this regard also rejected as many as 71 applications from colleges for approval of additional medical seats, said Dr Purshotam Lal, member of MCI's Board of Governors.While the 21 new medical colleges will add 2,650 fresh MBBS seats, 33 existing ones have been granted permission to add 1,802 fresh seats, said Dr Lal.

With this, MCI has added 12.6 per cent medical seats in the country this year alone.Both moves will together create a poll of 39,785 seats in the country, which is reeling under doctor shortage - currently pegged at six lakh.The MCI had received applications for setting up as many as 86 new medical colleges, of which only 21 got the final nod after scrutiny and inspection.

Similarly, a total of 104 applications were received for further increase in seats by existing medical colleges, of which only 33 were accorded sanction and the remaining were rjected after scrutiny and inspection.

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18 babies die at govt hospital in Bengal, probe ordered

Eighteen babies died at a premier state-run children hospital here, triggering protests by locals and relatives who alleged negligence by doctors even as the West Bengal government ordered an inquiry.

Mrinal Kanti Chatterjee, principal of the BC Roy Children's Hospital told PTI that 18 babies died in the past 48 hours.

The health department also confirmed the deaths.

Superintendent D Pal said most of the babies were either pre-mature or suffering from septicaemia or low-birth weight problems and were brought in a moribund stage to the hospital, the largest paediatric referral in the eastern region.

Aggrieved over the deaths, family members and local people barged into the hospital's main building alleging medical negligence, police said.

The agitators also blocked the road in front of the hospital before being chased away by policemen.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered a probe.

"The inquiry committee, which has been formed with two doctors from outside, has been asked to ascertain if there was any lapse on our part and submit a report within 24 hours," she said.

"The babies were referred from hospitals in South 24 Parganas, Nadia and East Midnapore districts when they were near death," she told reporters.

Of the babies, one was referred by a reputed heart care institute and two had heart trouble, she said.

"Two babies had heart trouble. I have ordered a probe and asked the authorities to submit a report to me," she said.

"If any medical negligence is proved in the case, nobody will be spared and we will not see any political colour," she warned.

Banerjee noted that once 75 babies had died at the same hospital and the authorities had claimed that it was 'normal'.

She said she wanted to visit the hospital, but did not do so fearing it might hinder the treatment of the children.

Earlier in September 2002, there were protests in the same hospital when 14 children died of broncho-pneumonia and gastro-enteritis.

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Wimbledon: Andy Murray breezes into the semi-finals

Andy Murray breezes into the semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Feliciano lopez.

MURRAY WINS 6-3 6-4 6-4
Murray canters to three match points thanks to his 11th and 12th aces of the match. It's a procession now. So why not end it with another one for good measure? He obliges. Centre Court rises and Lopez leaves a pale imitation of his Deliciano tag. That was such an easy victory for the No 4 seed that the only real story will be his injury and how serious it is. Anyway, he's through to his third Wimbledon semi.

I thought I served well in the match despite being a little tentative towards the end of the third set. I'll need to raise my game in the next round.
.. and on the injury ... said Andy Murray post match.

It happens on grass sometimes when you change direction. All these kind of things happen when you play a Grand Slam…..said Feliciano lopez post match.

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No more 25 paise as 'chavanni' is dead

The 25 paise coin, popularly known as 'chavanni' and which first came into being in 1950, died an official death on Wednesday June 29, 2011.

According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Wednesday was the last day when the 25 paise coin held legal value.

"The coins of denomination of 25 paise and below will cease to be legal tender from June 30," an official said.

These would not be accepted for exchange at bank branches from Friday.

On Thursday too, the banks would not exchange 25 paise coins as the central government invoked section 15A of the Coinage Act, 1906, and withdrew them from circulation from June 30, an RBI spokesman said.

With the end of the era for 25 paise coins, the 50 paise (half a rupee) shall now be the lowest denomination coin in public circulation.

Other coins include those of denominations Rs1, Rs2, Rs5 and Rs10.

Most small denomination coins - 1 paise, 2 paise, 3 paise, 5 paise and 10 paise - vanished from circulation a long time ago because the government found the cost of minting them many times more than their face value.

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Government destroyed vital evidence of 2002 Godhra riots

Nine years and on, the victims of 2002 Godhra riots are still fighting for justice and to make the matter worse, crucial riot records including phone transactions, vehicle logbooks and official movements have been destroyed by the Modi government. The victims believe that the records have been deliberately destroyed.

The Gujarat government has destroyed crucial records pertaining to the 2002 riots. This comes from none other than the Narendra Modi government itself. SB Vakil, state government counsel in the Nanavati Commission, said important records like incoming and outgoing call data, log books of government vehicles and officials' movement have been destroyed. And that IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt is lying about being present in the meeting that Narendra Modi convened then, because he knows the official records no longer exist.

“Records of incoming and outgoing phone calls, vehicle logbooks cannot be found,” said SB Vakil, State Government Counsel in Nanavati Commission.

People associated with the communal riot cases have expressed shock at the government's admission.

"Proceedings in all the key cases.. the Naroda Gaam case, the main complaint by Zakia Jaffri and other cases are still on. To destroy evidence as important as this is not just shocking, but illegal as well," said Mukul Sinha, Advocate, Jansangharsh Manch.

The big question which remains unanswered is: were these extremely crucial records - that could ensure justice to thousands of riot victims - deliberately destroyed.

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Google's new social networking site Google+ has a few rough spots, but is, overall, a strong start to the search giant's challenge to Facebook.

Google's new social network, Google+, premiered Tuesday promising a new spin on socializing online with a slick interface and unique way of sharing content. The service launched to a limited number of users Tuesday in what Google is calling a "field trial." A few PCWorld staffers were lucky enough to be invited (it’ll roll out to everybody in the coming months), so naturally we got right to testing the new service.

In general we thought the service borrowed some good ideas from the reigning king of social networks, Facebook, but also offers some cool new approaches to sharing content and managing privacy. In short, Google+ is a solid start to an insurgent social networking platform that is sure to be enhanced rapidly over the coming months, and could soon offer a solid alternative to Facebook. Now, let's dig in.

Getting Started

Google+ has an easy set-up with almost no learning curve, especially if you're familiar with Facebook. If you’ve used any Google products before, you might be surprised at how much of that information gets automatically imported to your new Google+ account, to use in a social context. For example, I’ve uploaded pictures to Picasa without allowing others to view them. Google+ first asked me to select a profile picture from my Picasa Albums, and then gave me a choice: Either link my Google+ account with Picasa, or don’t join Google+ at all.

I decided to link. It didn’t actually change the privacy settings of my Picasa albums (it didn’t make them public to my friends or anything). But having the choice made me wonder what the implications of having my Picasa albums linked to Google+ really were.

One of the first things Google+ prompts you to do is select a profile picture. If you have a Picasa album, it’ll allow you to choose images from there.

Either link Google+ to your Picasa pictures or you don’t use Google+ at all!

The next place you go after you’ve set up a Google+ account is to the “About Me” section. You can tell that Google is trying to be a little saucier than Facebook, or at least have an edgier personality.

While Facebook profiles ask you the basic questions: gender, relationship status, religion, favorite movies, TV shows, music and so forth, Google+ asks you to make an introduction, like you’re back in the first day of your high school speech class, and then asks you to list “bragging rights” like “survived high school", "have three kids", etc.

You can pin “places you’ve lived” on a Google map in the “About Me” section--a cool feature for globetrotters (or Army Brats).

Forming Your ‘Circles’

Google+ imports all of your information from Gmail automatically--and that means all. When you’re updating your friend circles there’s a tab towards the top of the page that says “Find and Invite”; click on it and you'll see a list of just about everyone you’ve ever sent an email to through Gmail alphabetically--even if the last time you sent them an email was four years ago. It's not surprising that Gmail remembers everyone you’ve every sent an email to--but it's a little jarring when all those names come rushing back at you at once.

Now, how to organize all those people. Google claims to have done a radical rethink of the way social networks ought to work, so that they more closely mimic the way we organize our friends in real life. After using Google+ for just a few minutes I began to appreciate the simplicity of the "circles" approach. And I really like the way Google has represented it in graphical form in Google+: that is, you actually pick up people with your mouse and drag them into this circle or that.

Nice job Google--it makes me think you’re finally getting a grip on this social thing after all.

Google+ users can drag and drop their friends into the appropriate social circles. Here I'm dragging my colleague Daniel Ionescu into my "PCWorld Pals" circle.

However, because this drag-and-drop function is behind the Circles tab, I began trying to add friends by searching for them from the Google+ homepage. When I would visit a potential friend's page and add them to one of my circles, it wasn't immediately apparent to them that we were now linked. I hope Google moves the Circles function to the front, making the process of forming connections a bit more user friendly.

Sharing Content

Google+ answers the call of many a privacy activists to provide the functionality needed to set the privacy level on each piece of content shared. For instance, when I share an article or upload a camera image, Google+ gives me choices of which friend circles I’d like to share that content with. A picture from my phone might be perfectly fine for my Close Friends circle but very wrong for my Colleagues circle, for instance.

For every piece of content you share on Google+ you're asked which circles or individuals should be able to see it.Still, I’m not sure that Google has given us the deep privacy controls that we might need. I’m not seeing the tool that let’s me carefully fine tune my sharing rules with a particular circle. I created a new circle for a new set of friends, but did not see where I could set the privacy settings for that group. Am I supposed to rely on the stock privacy settings Google has applied to the Friends, Family and Acquaintances circles it gave me to start with?

Stream = Facebook News Feed

The “Stream” section of Google+ is analogous to Facebook’s News Feed, and it does almost nothing different except for the fact that before you post anything, you have to decide which circles see it. You can make it available to “all circles” or even available to “extended circles” where you basically email what you post to people who aren’t on Google+.

The Stream function in Google+ is very similar to the News Feed in Facebook. Controls at the side of the page allow you to choose which of your circles of friends can contribute items to your stream.

Choosing who sees what in your stream might do one of two things when everyone starts using this: either your news feed will finally have information that pertains only to what you’re interested in, without the blast of “everyone from knitting club message me!” updates; or your stream will become immensely boring, without any of the emotional impulse-statuses that make Facebook a salient place for social information. Would you post a dramatic break-up status to the world if you could just send it to your “Circle of Close Friends”? Probably not.

Of course, people who see your stream updates can comment on them, and Google’s version of Facebook’s “Like” is to “+1” it (Google premiered the "+1" feature earlier this year, which basically allows you to say "hey I think this website is cool" by clicking a "+1" button that appears next to items on your search page). Just as Facebook created new words for using its site (“I’ll facebook you when I get back to the city”) maybe later this year we’ll be telling each other “I pluss-one’d your video last night”.

Hangouts

One interesting feature that could really put Google+ ahead of Facebook is its “Hangouts” feature. Google+ Hangouts are a kind of mashup of video chatting through gmail, and the old “chat rooms” of the days when AIM was our only chat option.

First, you click on the “Start a hangout” button, and it takes you to a separate webpage and enables your webcam and mic (while it's loading it even gives you a “fix your hair and make sure your mic works!” message, so you’re not taken by surprise). Then, you invite circles of friends, or individual friends to the Hangout room for the video chat session. You can create Hangouts of up to 10 people.

Google puts the image of the person who is talking at the center of the screen. If multiple people are talking at once it moves the one who is talking loudest to the center (that’s a good lesson for you kids out there).

Sparks

One of the first ways Google will try to win users from Facebook is by leveraging the assets it already has. Search is, of course, Google's crown jewel. Where at Facebook you have to go wander around the web finding sharable content, Google+ brings the content to you.

In the Spark section I entered one of my interests--punk rock--and the Google search algorithm brought back a bunch of mainstream media articles, YouTube and Vimeo video, and blog posts. After selecting an article about my friend Jello Biafra, I chose which of my 'circles' I wanted to share the content with.The feature asks you to choose from a list of possible interests (biking, sailing, sewing, etc.), or to enter your own specific interest. Google then goes out and gathers relevant content from all over the Web. I found the content suggested by Sparks to be almost completely on-topic, and I even found some content that I could actually see myself sharing with friends. Importantly, you can choose which friend circles or single friends you want to share the content with. The posts show up in those friends’ news feeds, or as Google calls them Streams.

Mobile Apps

The Google+ Android App lets you see your news stream, upload photos, manage your social circles, edit your own profile and start group chats using Huddle. Image: GoogleGoogle also debuted a couple of new mobile apps today, both of which work directly with your Google+ account online. While some other users I talked to had some trouble forming the handshake between the apps and the Google+ service, I had no problem.

Firstly, the main Google+ Android app (available for free from the Android Market) does a nice job of bringing the core parts of Google+ to a mobile device. The app sports a simple home screen with icons for the Stream, Huddle, Photos, Profile and Circles sections of Google+ (see image). You can easily post notes and content, and comment on others’ shared materials, from the app's Stream screen. It also asks you if you want to attach your location to the posts you make.

The Photos section shows you images shared by your friends, uploaded from your phone, stored in your albums, and photos of you shot by others and shared on Google+. A little camera icon in the top right corner brings you your camera app and lets you quickly post a picture to your “From Your Phone” album at Google+. I was a bit disappointed here, because Google made it sound as if photos taken from within the app were automatically sent to your Google+ album; but in truth you have push a "Done" button then go to another screen where you're asked if you want to attach a note or your geographic location to the photo. You have to go back into your album to designate which friend circles can see your photos.

When you are reviewing your photos you can “tag” the people in them similar to the way you do in Facebook. You draw a little square around a person's face, then type in their name in the box below (or choose one of the names Google+ guesses) You can tag people who are Google+ users or just email contacts.

Google attaches this note: “Adding this tag will notify the person you have tagged. They will be able to view the photo and the related album.” This is an important difference from Facebook, which does not make an effort to warn people the they’ve been tagged (possibly in an unflattering or compromising photo) and give them an immediate chance to remove the tag.

The other app, Huddle, is already included in the main Google+ app. So I’m not sure why you’d download Huddles unless you wanted only the group chatting function on your mobile device, and no access to any other parts of Google+. The Huddle function works great, however. I was easily able to initiate a group chat with come Google+ friends. And while there was a little bit of cross talk and out-of-order posting, overall the app worked well.

Privacy Approach

Google makes it very clear that the information you contribute to the social graph underneath Google+ will be used to help refine search results and to help target web ads more accurately. While Google+ seems to put a lot of emphasis on giving users control over the way they share information with different circles of friends, it’s yet to be seen if Google will be more sensitive to the privacy of users when it determines which personal data is public--that is, available for use (in aggregate or otherwise) by Google and its advertisers--and which remains private.

Battle Royal Starts Now

Google wants “Google+” to rival its number one arch nemesis--Facebook, and by the looks of things the search giant may have a fighting chance. How will Google get people to move their online social lives away from Facebook and over to Google+? Google has already amassed a large body of user data search, Gmail, Picasa, Google Videos and YouTube, etc., but it needs the highly personal data that Facebook has been so successful at collecting. Google is said to have identified its social networking initiative as the company's central goal, and has the deep pockets to quickly build Google+ into a the kind of full-blown social networking platform that can challenge Facebook.

Perhaps most importantly, expect Google to build Google+ features into the majority of its products from search to mail to video to documents. With all those great (free) services and now a tightly-integrated social networking platform under one roof, who needs Facebook? Had Google launched this strategy three years ago that may have been a good question. But the burning question now is whether or not Google is too late to the "social Web" to ever catch up.

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Wimbledon: Sania-Vesnina reach last four

Sania Mirza reached the Wimbledon doubles semifinal for the first time in her career after she and Elena Vesnina came from behind to beat Nuria Llagostera Vives and Arantxa Parra Santonja here on Wednesday.

The fourth seed Indo-Russian pair recorded a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over the unseeded Spanish pair in the quarter-final.

Reaching the quarterfinals with American partner Bathanie Mattek in 2008 was her best performance until Wednesday's match.

The Roland Garros finalists faced stiff resistance from the giant-killing Spanish combo but they quickly got back into the rhythm to prevail in a hard-fought battle.

Sania and Vesnina will next face the winner of the other quarter-final match between the Chinese pair of Shuai Peng and Jie Zheng and Czech Republic's Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia.

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Wimbledon: Tsonga sends Federer out

Roger Federer was eliminated in the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the second straight year on Wednesday, squandering a two-set lead for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament and losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

The six-time Wimbledon champion barely looked challenged while winning the first two sets against the 12th-seeded Frenchman. But Federer, who had been 178-0 in matches in which he had won the opening two sets at a major tournament, was broken one time in each of the last three sets.

In the semifinals, Tsonga will face second-seeded Novak Djokovic, who defeated 18-year-old Australian qualifier Bernard Tomic 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Federer was seeking a record-equaling seventh Wimbledon title this year. He breezed through his opening four matches, losing only one set, and played his usual elegant game against Tsonga.
In the first set, Federer earned his one and only break point of the match in Tsonga's first service game, and converted it. He held the rest of the way, and then won the second set in the tiebreaker.

But Tsonga finally got his first break in the third set, and another in the fourth and another in the fifth.

Those were the Frenchman's only three breaks, and they were just the amount he needed to send Federer home early again.

Later on Wednesday, defending champion Rafael Nadal was playing Mardy Fish, while No. 4 Andy Murray was scheduled to take on Feliciano Lopez on Centre Court.

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Relief for Tata as SC orders Mamata not to return land

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal not to return Singur land to 'unwilling' farmers, in what can be seen as some relief for Tata Motors which had leased the land from the previous Marxist government for its doomed Nano factory.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who made Singur her main poll plank, had recently facilitated the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011 by which the government can take possession of the land and give it back to the original owners.

The last government had acquired 1,000 acres for the Nano project. A large chunk of farmers -- those who own around 400 acres -- held that the Left government forcibly took their land to give it to the Tatas. “As an interim order, we direct the state government not to hand over or return land to farmers concerned until further order passed by the Calcutta High Court,” a vacation Bench comprising justices P Sathasivam an A K Patnaik said. The Bench said it was making it clear that this was an “interim arrangement” and it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case.

The judges said they were passing a limited interim order and asking the High Court to proceed with the main matter in which the Tatas have challenged the new law enacted by the Mamata Banerjee government for taking possession of land and distributing it to farmers who were the original owners. However, the Bench said since the main issues were pending before the High Court, it was not inclined to go into them.

“We are not inclined to interfere at this stage on the main issues pending before the high court,” it said. The Bench observed it was granting interim protection as senior counsel P P Rao, appearing for the state government, said the possession of land will remain in the hands of state government till the High Court decides the issues. During the proceedings, the Bench observed it is not a question of political issues but a question of rights. Terming the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011 as a “colourable exercise of legislation”, the Tatas had moved the Supreme Court Tuesday, seeking an interim stay on the distribution of land to so-called “unwilling farmers” in Singur. Tatas filed the appeals against the orders of the High Court which rejected its plea to restrain the state government from taking back possession and distribution of land to farmers.

Tata Motors had filed separate petitions challenging two Calcutta High Court orders dated June 23 and June 27. On June 23, the High Court had refused to entertain the company's plea seeking directions to restrain the state government from taking possession of the 1,000 acres. The company also filed another plea in the High Court on June 27, unsuccessfully challenging the Act. In its appeal, the Tatas said the law had been enacted in haste, and was in “complete violation of basic principles in our Constitution”.

A vacation Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and A K Patnaik agreed to take up the matter for a detailed hearing on Wednesday. Under the new law, the Mamata Banerjee government has taken back 400 acres of land with Tata Motors in Singur, and intends to return it to their original owners. The Tatas pleaded that the repossession of the land, carried out using police force, is “illegal”, and there has been “vandalism” and “looting” at the erstwhile Nano factory site. Counsel for Tatas submitted that the company was seeking a direction to restrain the state government from creating any third-party interest on the disputed land.

On a day the Tata Motors approached the Supreme Court seeking an interim stay on the return of land to farmers in Singur, the district administration of Hooghly was completing the formalities for giving possession of land to the first batch of “unwilling farmers” in Singur on Wednesday.

The land documents of at least 12 farmers were scrutinised and found to be authentic and they were to be handed over their land by the administration on Wednesday. The land for these 12 farmers has already been identified by government surveyors. Meanwhile, replying to the Tata Motors petition challenging the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, the state government on Tuesday told the Calcutta High Court said it had not done any wrong by introducing the new Act. The government said it was not against the Tatas but in favour of farmers.

Tata Motors counsel Samaraditya Pal had raised the point that there was a conflict between the new Act and the Land Acquisition Act of 1894. Countering the argument, government counsel Ashoke Banerjee said the TMC had declared in its election manifesto that land would be returned to unwilling farmers and after coming to power, the party is acting on its promise.

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Google+ takes on Facebook

The Google+ social network is intended to rival Facebook and Twitter

Search giant Google has begun its most serious challenge to social network Facebook with the launch of Google+

Google has launched a range of new products that introduce social elements and will see it take on Facebook.

The company’s new plan is built around four separate features called Circles, Sparks, Hangout and Huddle. Google is keen to stress that the new products do not form a new, single social network that rivals Facebook, but it is the search giant’s most serious attempt to incorporate social elements into its products to date.

Writing on the Google blog, senior vice president of engineering Vic Goduntra said that “Today, the connections between people increasingly happen online. Yet the subtlety and substance of real-world interactions are lost in the rigidness of our online tools. In this basic, human way, online sharing is awkward. Even broken. And we aim to fix it.”

Initially, Google is conducting a ‘field trial’, inviting select journalists, bloggers and other organisations, and it has not said when the products will launch more widely.

Circles is the closest product to Facebook; it allows users to drag in contacts to individual groups. The aim is to allow people to share different things with different groups of people more easily. Google users will be able to add their contacts, or import them from Yahoo or Microsoft. Facebook does not permit the export of contact information to Google.

Sparks lets users share content from around the web, and suggests more content. The company calls it a ‘sharing engine’, like a search engine. Goduntra writes “Thanks to Google’s web expertise, Sparks delivers a feed of highly contagious content from across the Internet. On any topic you want, in over 40 languages. Simply add your interests, and you’ll always have something to watch, read and share”.

Hangout encourages users to share content within groups, being able to watch a YouTube video together, at the same time, despite not being in the same room. Goduntra likened it to a shared space, such as a pub, or a chance conversation with a neighbour.

Huddle is a group messaging application, that combines allows messages to be sent to large numbers of people, and is aimed at groups trying to, for instance, organise a night out.

The new services can be used via a new toolbar that Google is rolling out, aimed at encouraging people to share their status as they would via Facebook. Mobile elements also work with Android phones and Apple’s iPhone. The company has also introduced a new feature that immediately uploads photos and videos taken with Android devices. If users wish, any update can also be tagged with a location.

Initial reaction online to Google+ was either mixed or positive, largely because users have had little opportunity to try out the new services. Search Engine Land wrote that “As for a wider release, and possible success, it’s anyone’s guess. If you’re happy using Facebook, there seems relatively little to make you want to switch over to Google Plus, at the moment. Perhaps with further Google +1 integration, that might change. Perhaps if there are people who want a Facebook alternative, Google’s now got a core to build on for them.”

Technology blog TechCrunch said that “As it is unveiled to the world, Google+ sounds and looks great. But we’ve seen that before from Google. Now comes the hard part.”

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Motorola XOOM Launched In India

<< The Wi-Fi only version of the XOOM will be sold for Rs 32,990.

We launched the XOOM in India. This Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablet will be made available in two variants: a Wi-Fi only version and a Wi-Fi + 3G version, priced at Rs 32,990 and Rs 39,990 respectively. The Wi-Fi only version seems pretty reasonable and it doesn't really make much sense to pay Rs 7,000 more to get the 3G SIM card slot, because most users use the tablets at home or while at the office. Having 3G on the tablet will be useful for users who are on the go for most parts of the day.

The XOOM will sport a 10.1" TFT capacitive display which is capable of playing 1080p Full HD videos, a 5 MP snapper on the back capable of recording 720p video, and a 2 MP front facing camera for video calls. Furthermore, the XOOM will be powered by NVIDIA's 1 GHz Tegra 2 dual core CPU with 1 GB of RAM, and will have 32 GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 32 GB with the help of an external microSD card slot. Other features include an HDMI port, Bluetooth, GPS with A-GPS, etc.

Motorola Mobility's head for Sales and Operations (India and South West Asia), Mr Rajan Chawla said, "Motorola XOOM is redefining the tablet experience by pre-empting the future mobile experience today. Designed from the ground up with the user in mind, it offers productivity while on the go and, provides more ways to have fun and connect with friends. Motorola XOOM is everything that a tablet should be!"

With a wide range of Honeycomb tablets to choose from, we think the Motorola XOOM is no different from others in terms of hardware. Other tablets that come to mind are the Acer Iconia Tab, which was the first Honeycomb tablet to make way to India, and the yet to be launched Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

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Christine Lagarde named first female chief of IMF

. Christine Lagarde has been named as the new head of the International Monetary Fund, ending a fiercely fought contest dominated by Europe's intensifying debt crisis.

The French finance minister secured one of the key positions in international finance after the US government declared its support, giving her the majority of votes she needed among the IMF's 187 member countries.

"The results are in: I am honored & delighted that the board has entrusted me with the position of MD of the IMF!" Ms Lagarde said via Twitter minutes after the announcement. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office declared it a "victory for France". The fund's Executive Board insisted on Tuesday that the 55 year-old, who will be the IMF's first female head and the fifth person from France to lead the insititution, had been chosen by "consensus."

"The executive board of the International Monetary Fund today selected Christine Lagarde to serve as IMF managing director and madame chairman of the executive board for a five-year term starting on July 5, 2011," the Fund said in a statement. Lagarde, it said, "is the first woman named to the top IMF post since the institution's inception in 1944".

With Greece's debt crisis again casting a shadow over financial markets and sparking violent protests on the streets of Athens, Ms Lagarde has little time before she has to prove that she can act as an independent voice for the IMF in what will be tense negotiations with European leaders over a second bail-out for the indebted country. She starts in her role at the IMF in Washington DC on July 5. Tim Geithner, the US Treasury Secretary, praised Ms Lagarde for her "exceptional talent and broad experience" as the Obama administration broke its silence on who its preferred candidate earlier in the day.

The Frenchwoman had been the strong favourite to succeed Dominique Strauss- Kahn, the former managing director who resigned last month to fight charges that he sexually assaulted a hotel maid in New York. Her only rival in the race, Agustin Carstens, Mexico's central bank governor, had argued that someone from outside Europe would be better placed to help the IMF play a useful role in tackling Europe's ongoing debt crisis.

Other emerging economies also voiced concern that the position should not automatically go to a European, a tradition since the fund was created in 1944 and that in returns has seen an American lead The World Bank.

Though Ms Lagarde won the backing of the governments of China and Brazil, they, alongside other emerging economies and the US, will want to ensure the IMF doesn't readily hand over further money to Greece if a second bail-out is unlikely to work. Bond investors expect that Greece will eventually default on its debts. The backing of Washington and Europe gave Ms Lagarde the support of 49pc of the voting quotas on the 24-member IMF executive board. UK Chancellor George Osborne described Ms Lagarde as the "outstanding candidate" to take over the helm of the world financial body

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Maria Sharapova of Russia (R) shakes hands wtih Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia after defeating her in their quarter-final match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London on Tuesday

Maria Sharapova advanced to the semifinals at the All England Club for the first time since 2006 with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Dominika Cibulkova on Tuesday.

Sharapova, the only Wimbledon champion remaining in the women’s draw after the Williams sisters were eliminated a day earlier, won eight straight games to win the first set and take control of the second.

The fifth-seeded Russian has not lost a set at this year’s tournament, and she was nowhere near losing one Tuesday.

“It’s been a few years since I got past the fourth round, and now I’m in the semifinals,” said Sharapova, who won the tournament in 2004 and also reached the semifinals in ‘05. “So this a great chance for me to take it a step further.” Sharapova will next face German wild-card entry Sabine Lisicki. She reached her first Grand Slam semifinal by beating 2007 finalist Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-1 on another wet day at Wimbledon.

“This is a player that’s playing with a tremendous amount of confidence right now and playing really great grass-court tennis, so it’ll be a really tough match but I certainly look forward to it,” Sharapova said.

Cibulkova held serve in the first game against Sharapova, but couldn’t hold another. The only hiccup in the match for Sharapova came in the third game of the second set when Cibulkova broke.

Sharapova won her first Grand Slam title at the All England Club when she was only 17. She added the US Open title in 2006 and the Australian Open title in 2008, but has not won another since — mainly due to shoulder problems.

“Well, to be in the semis of Wimbledon is a bonus,” said Sharapova, who finished with 23 winners and five aces. “To be able to come back and play tennis after a big injury — I was just quite happy to be back on the court. So to achieve this is wonderful. But the tournament isn’t over.” But with the Williams sisters, who have combined to win nine of the last 11 Wimbledon titles, both losing in the fourth round, Sharapova may be the one with the experience needed to win.

With heavy rain causing a racket as it pelted down on the retractable white cover over the court, Lisicki used drop shots to perfection in the first two sets, becoming only the second wild-card entry to reach the women’s semifinals at the All England Club.

“I cannot explain how I feel at the moment,” said Lisicki, the first German Grand Slam semifinalist since Steffi Graf in 1999. “It was just such a tough road back and it’s so wonderful to be standing on Center Court in Wimbledon which I love so much. I’m just so happy.” Lisicki served for the match at 5-4 in the second and held three match points, but Bartoli saved them all. On the second, Lisicki went to her go-to drop shot but put it into the net.

Bartoli eventually broke back — when Lisicki double-faulted for the first time — and then won the tiebreaker.

“I was very disappointed with myself how I played at 5-4, that game, because I missed easily,” said Lisicki, who has won 15 of her last 16 matches on grass and eliminated French Open champion Li Na in the second round. “I felt that I was the better player today and I knew I just had to focus and fight again in the third set to win it.” In the third set, Lisicki broke to take a 3-0 lead, and then again to make it 5-1. She won when the tiring Bartoli put a forehand into the net.

“My mind was trying extremely hard, but just my body couldn’t do anything anymore,” said Bartoli, who beat four-time champion Serena Williams in the fourth round. “I still fought very hard, especially in that second set. ...

I have no regrets.” Lisicki, who finished the match with 52 winners to Bartoli’s 12, reached the quarterfinals at the All England Club two years ago but lost to Dinara Safina.

Lisicki survived a scare early in the match, but it had nothing to do with tennis or even her opponent. After serving at 30-15 in the second game of the match, Lisicki shuddered when a loud blast of thunder rang out overhead.

She then lost the next two po© ps and eventually the game, but recovered and broke for the second time in three games to take a 2-1 lead.

Lisicki is now 3-1 against Bartoli. Her only loss came in the first round at Wimbledon in 2008, a year after Bartoli reached the final at the All England Club but lost to Venus Williams.

The rain briefly delayed the start of play as the roof was closed. The match on Court 1 between No. 8 Petra Kvitova and Tsvetana Pironkova started about 2½ hours late. The second match was to pit Tamira Paszek against fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka.

Earlier Tuesday, Rafael Nadal said his left foot, which he injured during Monday’s fourth-round win over Juan Martin del Potro, is not seriously injured and he will play in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

“Yesterday after the match I went to take an MRI at a London hospital,” Nadal said in a statement. “During the match I thought I had something serious but as the match went through the pain got better and thankfully the tests don’t show an injury.” Nadal is scheduled to play Mardy Fish in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

“Today I will practice at 4:30 p.m. and I’ll play tomorrow,” Nadal said.

Nadal, a two-time champion at the All England Club, hurt his foot in the first set of Monday’s win over del Potro.

He twice called for a trainer during the set, but still managed to win 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Nadal is 30-2 at Wimbledon since the start of the 2006 tournament. He lost to Roger Federer that year and the next in the final, but then beat the Swiss in the 2008 championship match. Nadal was unable to defend his title in 2009 because of injury, but he won again in 2010.

Also Tuesday, US Open golf champion Rory McIlroy paid a visit to Wimbledon, meeting Andy Murray and John McEnroe.

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Wimbledon: Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Murray reach quarters

Reigning champion Rafael Nadal, Australian Open titlist Novak Djokovic, six-time Wimbledon champ Roger Federer and heavy British crowd favorite Andy Murray highlighted Monday's fourth-round winners at The Championships.

The world No. 1 Nadal won his 11th straight Grand Slam match, and his 18th straight Wimbledon outing, with a hard-fought victory over 24th-seeded Argentine slugger Juan Martin del Potro, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 on the grass on the famed Centre Court.

The highly-anticipated match did not disappoint on Monday.

Nadal ultimately snuck past del Potro in 3 hours, 52 minutes, as both players battled injuries in the heavyweight bout.

The great Nadal took a nine-minute medical timeout to have his left foot wrapped just before the start of the opening-set tiebreak, which the Spaniard went on to win.

"For a moment at the end of the first set, I thought that I had to retire (from the match)," Nadal said. "I didn't know what's going on. After that, the pain goes a little bit down and finally I was ready to play."

And del Potro, who played great tennis en route to a routine second-set victory, left the court to have his left hip treated after he took a spill in the third set, which Nadal snuck out via another tiebreak.

In the fourth set, Nadal finally got his first service break of the day with a massive forehand winner, as he grabbed a 3-2 lead in the stanza. The Spaniard consolidated the break with a big hold and held on from there.

Nadal is now 6-3 lifetime against the former world No. 4 and former U.S. Open champion del Potro, who missed Wimbledon last year while recovering from wrist surgery.

The fierce Nadal captured the French Open title earlier this month and is also the reigning Wimbledon and U.S. Open champ. He hasn't lost at the All England Club since losing to Federer in the 2007 final. Nadal beat Federer in their classic final here in 2008, skipped the 2009 edition of the tournament due to injury, and titled here again last year.

The 25-year-old Nadal is now 33-4 for his career at the All England Club.

The 10-time major champion Nadal will face American Mardy Fish in the round of eight. The Spaniard is 5-0 lifetime against the American, including an opening-round Wimbledon victory four years ago.

The second-seeded Djokovic improved to an amazing 45-1 this year with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 pasting of 19th-seeded French lefthander Michael Llodra on Court 1. The super Serb advanced in 1 hour, 41 minutes by playing ultra-clean tennis, which featured a mere six unforced errors and only one double fault. Djokovic broke Llodra four times, while the helpless Frenchman was unable to break the two-time Grand Slam champion on Day 7.

Djokovic already owns a whopping seven titles this year. His lone loss came against Federer in the French Open semifinals earlier this month. That setback halted a 43-match winning streak.

The two-time Wimbledon semifinalist Djokovic, who was also last year's U.S. Open runner-up, has never reached a Wimbledon final. He's now a four-time quarterfinalist at the AEC.

Up next for the Serbian slugger will be upstart Aussie Bernard Tomic in Wednesday's quarterfinals.

The third-seeded former world No. 1 Federer came back to best 18th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 on Court 1. The Swiss great needed just over three hours to advance, which he did with the help of 14 aces among 54 winners and six service breaks. Youzhny settled for only one break on Day 7.

Federer is now 11-0 lifetime against Youzhny, including 3-0 at the majors, and will appear in a remarkable 29th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal.

"I forgot completely (the 29th quarterfinal) was on the line to be quite honest, especially once you're in the heat of the moment, of the battle," Federer said. "I thought I played a good match overall."

The 16-time Grand Slam champion Federer has won six of the last eight Wimbledon titles and is now 59-6 lifetime at the world's most prestigious tennis event. His victory on Monday marked his 100th on grass.

Federer hasn't captured a major title since last year's Aussie Open. He lost to Nadal in the finale at Roland Garros earlier this month.

The 29-year-old Federer will face flashy Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday.

A fourth-seeded Murray, meanwhile, handled 17th-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 6-2 on Centre Court. The Brit smacked 14 aces and was not broken by the nifty Gasquet.

Murray and Gasquet played in front of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge -- Prince William and his new wife Kate -- on Monday.

"If I'd known they were coming, I would have shaved," Murray said. "I was thinking to myself as I came off I was sweaty and very hairy. I said to them, 'I'm sorry, I'm a bit sweaty.' But it was really nice."

Murray, who has now reached the Wimbledon quarters four years running, is a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, including this year's Aussie Open. The Dunblane, Scotland native reached the Wimbledon semifinals the last two years and is trying to give Britain its first male Wimbledon champ since Fred Perry in 1936.

Up next for Murray will be Spanish lefthander Feliciano Lopez.

A 10th-seeded Fish straight-setted last year's Wimbledon runner-up, Tomas Berdych, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4. Fish is the last American standing here, male or female, after closing Berdych out with an overhead smash into a wide-open court after 2 hours, 22 minutes on Court 2.

The Minnesota native Fish swatted 23 aces and was not broken on Day 7.

Berdych, seeded sixth this year, succumbed to Nadal in last year's Wimbledon finale.

The 29-year-old Fish will now appear in his first-ever Wimbledon quarterfinal and his third career Grand Slam quarterfinal. His last round-of-eight appearance at a major came three years ago in New York.

A 12fth-seeded Tsonga reached his second straight Wimbledon quarterfinal by taking out seventh-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1). Tsonga popped 12 aces and was not broken in the straight-set triumph.

The 26-year-old Tsonga is a former Aussie Open runner-up.

The promising Tomic punched his ticket to his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal by beating Belgian veteran Xavier Malisse 6-1, 7-5, 6-4. Tomic held his quality serve throughout on Court 18.

Malisse was a semifinalist here back in 2002.

The 18-year-old qualifier Tomic is the youngest men's quarterfinalist at Wimbledon since former German great Boris Becker back in 1986.

"What a feeling and what a tournament it's been for me," Tomic said. "I'm at a position now where I've never been happier. I'm looking forward to playing on Wednesday."

Tomic is looking forward to playing Djokovic.

"He's a cool guy. One of the nicest guys out there on the tour," Tomic said. "To play against a guy like him that's (No.) 2 in the world, it doesn't get really better than that."

Lopez continued his fine play at the All England Club with a grueling come- from-behind victory over fellow non-seed Lukasz Kubot, 3-6, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (9-7), 7-5, 7-5. Lopez needed 4 hours, 18 minutes to complete his Day-7 comeback. The slugfest featured 55 aces, including 28 from the winner, and only seven breaks of serve, including four for the Spaniard. Both players fired 80 winners in the marathon.

All four men's quarterfinals will be held on Wednesday, as Tuesday will be an off day for the men in singles.

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Magician Dynamo 'walks on water' across the River Thames

Magician Dynamo 'walks on water' across the River Thames to mark the launch of his new TV show.

These pictures show magician Dynamo apparently walking on water across the River Thames - and his spokesman claims they are completely genuine.

The 28-year-old Briton apparently took a stroll towards the Houses of Parliament on Saturday night.
The stunt was filmed for his new television show, Dynamo: Magician Impossible, which starts on July 7 on Watch.

A spokesman said photographs of the extraordinary feat were not faked.

The new series will show him performing a variety of tricks, including transporting a mobile phone into a glass beer bottle, bringing a flutter of paper butterflies to life and transforming snow into diamonds.

Manchester rock legend Ian Brown, Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia and boxer David Haye will all make guest appearances in the series.

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Serena Williams out of Wimbledon

Defending champion Serena Williams was dumped out of Wimbledon on Monday, losing to French ninth seed Marion Bartoli in straight sets 6-3 7-6 (8-6).
Four-time winner Williams, who has only recently returned to tennis after a year-long lay-off because of health and injury problems, was always struggling to impose herself against her determined French opponent on Court One.

Bartoli was ecstatic after a fourth round win which puts her into a quarter-final against German wildcard Sabine Lisicki in Tuesday’s last eight."Beating Serena here is like a dream come true," Bartoli said.

"She’s been out for a year but she is still one of the greatest champions in the history of women’s tennis.’’Bartoli was made to battle every inch of the way however as the typically dogged Williams saved three match points in the 12th game of the second set to force a tie-break.Williams saved a fourth match point in the tiebreak but Bartoli conjured up a booming serve to convert her fifth and advance.

"It was not easy mentally to hang on after she managed to save the match points but I did so I’m very happy,’’ Bartoli said.

The first set went with serve until the sixth game, when Bartoli grabbed the all-important break to edge ahead 4-2, which swiftly became 5-2 after the Frenchwoman held to love.

Williams fought off three set points in her next service game before holding to narrow the gap to 5-3.

The American was then gifted a break point in the ninth game when Bartoli double-faulted.Bartoli showed great composure to fight back however, holding off two more break points from Williams before converting her sixth set point with an ace.

The second set went with serve until the 11th game when Williams was broken to give Bartoli a 6-5 lead.Bartoli’s supporters were then put through the wringer as she squandered three match points as Williams broke back to force a tiebreak.
But Bartoli, who had banished her father from the viewing box during her third round match on Saturday, held her nerve in the tie-break, wrapping up victory when Williams could only return a booming serve into the net.

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In 'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap', Amitabh Bachchan essays the role of a retired Hitman settled in Paris who comes back to India to do "one last job". During the course he comes face to face with his past and that gets him to change his motive for the 'hit'.

Directed by Poori Jagannath, the movie stars Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Minissha Lamba, Sonal Chauhan, Sonu Sood, Prakash Raj, Charmi, Mahie Gill and Raveena Tandon.

See the slide show here

'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap' will be released on July 1.

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If I have black money, make it national property: Ramdev

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who
fasted earlier this month against mounting
corruption in the country, said here Sunday
that if any black money was found with him,
it could be declared national property.
"If the government finds any black money
with me, they can declare it national
property," Ramdev said while addressing a
press conference in the Capital.
Weeks after he was forced to quit Delhi,
Baba Ramdev returned here Sunday to meet
Raj Bala, 51, who is at the GB Pant Hospital
since suffering spinal injuries in a police
crackdown on the yoga guru post midnight
June 4.
"Behen Raj Bala is in very critical condition.
Only a miracle can save her once the
ventilator is removed," he said.
"This government is not only corrupt but
also cruel. If I had not asked the people to
stay calm, there would have been a pool of
dead bodies," he added.
Delhi Police broke up his fast against
corruption and black money stashed abroad
at the Ramlila ground here, dispersing
thousands of men and women using force
and tear gas. Many suffered injuries. Raj Bala
was one of them.
He was asked to leave Delhi and banned
from entering the city for 15 days. Ramdev
continued his fast in Haridwar and
Dehradun till June 12.

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Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is introduced to the Centre Court crowd on the sixth day of the 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club.

Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali are introduced to the Centre Court crowd on the sixth day of the 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club.

Former Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, center, talks to Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali prior to the match on centre court at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon

Britain's cricket captain Andrew Strauss, front center, and his wife Ruth, front left, sit with All England Lawn Tennis Club Chairman Philip Brook, front right, and cricketers Kevin Pietersen, center second row, Ian Bell and their wives as they watch play on Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon.

Britain's cricketer Kevin Pietersen watches play on Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon.

French player Adrian Mannarino serves to Swiss player Roger during the men's single at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London on June 22.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US arrives on court prior to her match against Japan's Misaki Doi at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon

French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga celebrates after beating Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov in a Men's Singles match at the 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in south-west London, on June 23, 2011.

Mirka Vavrinec, wife of Swiss player Roger Federer arrives for his game with French player Adrian Mannarino during the men's single at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London on June 22, 2011.

Swiss player Roger Federer's shoes are seen as he plays with French player Adrian Mannarino during the men's single at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London.

German player Sabine Lisicki cries after beating Chinese player Li Na during the women's single at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London.

See the Slideshow here

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