What's in a username?

Your e-mail address 'can reveal your personality'

Think twice before you pick an email address -- it can reveal your personality.

Researchers at the University of Leipzig in Germany have carried out a study and found that an email address may speak volumes about the character of the person who created the unique online identification.

According to lead researcher Mitja Back, even the thinnest slice of communication via the world wide web - the mere e-mail address -- contains valid information about the personality of its owner.

In their study, the researchers asked a panel of 100 students to guess the personalities of 600 young adults simply by looking at their e-mail addresses.

The panel's guesses agreed mostly with a personality survey the teenagers had completed when it came to qualities like openness, conscientiousness and narcissism, and diverged most on the trait of extroversion.

Addresses that gave away personality often contained full stops, numbers or a name that was obviously not genuine, the researchers found.

Level of accuracy was explained using lens model analyses -- the students made broad use of perceivable e-mail address features in their personality judgements, features were slightly valid and the observers were sensitive to subtle differences in validity between cues.

The study has been published in the latest edition of the Journal of Research in Personality.

Source: Yahoo!

Jewellery store unveils golden Mickey Mouse

For the ultimate treasure hunt, a Japanese jewellery store unveiled a golden Mickey Mouse on Wednesday in Tokyo.

The Ginza Tanaka jewellery store has joined forces with the well-known Walt Disney brand to promote an online game in which one lucky player can win the golden treasure.

The game comes with a film on DVD starring Hollywood actor Nicholas Cage.

Ginza Tanaka - a long established jewellers in Japan - assigned ten of its craftsmen and spent three months creating the Mickey Mouse statuette, using one kilogram (35.3 ounces) of pure gold.

Its estimated value, if placed on sale, would be more than 30-thousand US dollars.

The President of Ginza Tanaka, Noboru Takata called the golden Mickey Mouse as ''priceless''.

''We need to be a company that sells dreams and bring happiness to people,'' he said.

The 120 millimetre tall Mickey Mouse is now on display at Ginza Tanaka stores. The treasure hunt starts on Thursday.

Source: NDTV

Greatest rail journey: London to Dhaka via Delhi in 23 days

In what would be the world's greatest rail journey, a new rail link, to be opened later this year, will enable one to undertake a 23-day journey by train from London to Dhaka via New Delhi.
The 7000-mile Trans-Asia railway network will follow one of the old Silk Roads through Istanbul, Tehran, Lahore and Delhi. The world's "greatest railway journey" will be longer than the Trans-Siberian railway, which spans 5772 miles, reported the Times Online.

India has already earmarked 90 million pounds to extend its vast rail network towards its border with Burma. From there just 218 miles of missing track stands in the way of an overland rail journey from London to Singapore.

Under a UN-sponsored scheme, Pakistan and Iran will link up their lines in the coming months to join the sub-continent's track to that of Europe for the first time. The UN said the link would open up new trade routes within Asia and give the former Soviet republics of central Asia rail access to Iran's strategic seaport at Bandar Abbas on the Gulf.

The route was extended when the Calcutta to Dhaka line reopened earlier this month, more than 40 years after it was blocked during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965.

Last week, senior Indian officials met their Iranian counterparts in Tehran to discuss the progress so far made in the rail network.

The prospect has caused excitement among Britain's rail enthusiasts. Mark Smith, whose website Seat61.com promotes rail adventures around the world, was planning his first London to Dhaka itinerary. His trip incorporates the Eurostar to Brussels, breakfast in Vienna and onward trains to Istanbul, where travelers must take the ferry across the Bosporus linking Europe with Asia.

The ferry will eventually be replaced by an underground tunnel, but for now passengers will be able to enjoy views of the Aya Sofya and Topkapi Palace.

China, a big supporter of the project, is spending billions on extending rail lines to its Burmese border. Trans-Asia railway sources said the only barrier to eventually connecting London to Yunnan province and Singapore was Burma's military regime, whose poor human rights record means that no foreign funding is available to rebuild its railways.

Source: EconomicTimes.com

Earth Day 2008: Birthday of the Greenness

An estimated 1 billion people are scheduled to take part in Earth Day festivities and events across the globe, including numerous and varied activities in the Seacoast region.

Though officially on Tuesday, Earth Day already was celebrated at Coastal Ridge Elementary School in York, Maine, where students created a compost for school lunch and learned valuable lessons about waste and waste disposal for the students and school administrators.

While major national rallies will take place in locations like the Mall in Washington, D.C., Portsmouth High School will hold a student-created Earth Day celebration designed to educate the community about the environment.

Since its start in 1970, Earth Day has also come to represent an unofficial day of environmental accounting — about how far we've come and how far we need to go. What makes Earth Day 2008 as intriguing as any preceding it is that it comes in a vital election year that coincides with greater environmental awareness and more calls for political action.

"The technology exists now to move us beyond oil and coal to a clean energy future driven by wind, solar and other renewable sources of power, along with cost-saving, energy-efficient buildings, cars and appliances," said Jerry Curran, chairman of the New Hampshire Chapter of the Sierra Club. "Americans know this, and candidates should recognize that the public demands leadership in energy policy."

A shrinking group of politicians and pundits continues to insist that Americans contradict themselves on the environment. While Americans talk nicely about the environment and express concern about climate change, the wise guys claim we are more focused on keeping our jobs, paying our mortgages, and cheap gas — in short, we aren't willing to make the changes and sacrifices necessary.

We agree that Americans are full of contradictions, but they don't lack vision and they certainly don't lack the capacity to change. To cite but one of many studies measuring the attitudes of Americans on climate change and alternative energy development, a 2007 survey by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research reported that "Americans believe alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind energy, are a central part of our nation's economic future. As our traditional manufacturing jobs evaporate, they want America to lead in building a robust, alternative energy economy."

The importance of the study is that Americans realize the connections between today's skyrocketing rising energy prices and the need for rapid and massive alternative energy development.

While the environment ranks near the bottom of issues cited by voters in public polls, that is not the case when it's put in the context of almost every important economic and national security issue of our time.

The dubious success of ethanol is an example of poor policy choice. Ethanol is one of the contributing factors to higher food prices because it's an inefficient alternative fuel that takes up finite agricultural resources.

Thankfully, the era of official denial is coming to an end. The three remaining presidential candidates — Republican John McCain and Democratic hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — have all committed to dealing quickly and effectively with global climate change, to accelerate the transformation to alternative energy sources and a greener economy.

Source: SeaCoastOnline

Highest Ever 1st Innings Score in 20 Twenty - 222/3

McCullum takes Kolkata Knight Riders to 222 for 3

Brendon McCullum hit a blazing 73-ball unbeaten knock of 158 to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to a massive 222 against Bangalore Royal Challengers in the lung opener of the Indian Premier League here on Friday.

McCullum went berserk right from the word go as he hit Zaheer Khan for 18 runs in the second over of the innings after being put in to bat by hosts skipper Rahul Dravid at Chinnaswamy stadium.

The Kiwi player then hit a towering long-off six off Ashley Noffke to bring up the 50 for Knight Riders in just four overs.

The wicket-keeper batsman was difficult to contain as he showed no mercy and hit all the bowlers all around the park.

McCullum's scintillating innings was studded with 13 sixes and 10 boundaries.

Zaheer Khan drew the first blood for the hosts when he had Kolkata skipper Sourav Ganguly (10) caught by South African Jaques Kallis in the slip cordon.

But only after Ganguly and McCullum had put on 61 runs for the first wicket to lay a strong foundation for a big total.

McCullum drove Noffke for a couple to get his century, leading to wild celebrations among the team owner Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan and his colleague Arjun Rampal.

Kallis and Noffke bore the brunt of McCullum fury conceding 42 and 48 runs respectively in their quota of four overs.

Source: hindu.com

Singapore Flyer - World's Largest Observation Wheel Opens

The "Singapore Flyer", the country's newest observation wheel, opened on Tuesday and is set to rival the London Eye.

The Singapore Flyer stands at around 165 meters tall, and bills itself as the world's largest giant observation wheel. The London Eye is slightly lower, at around 135 meters. The Singapore Flyer boasts of around 28-capsules each capable of carrying 28 people.

Officials say the wheel is completely different from the London Eye which is built on a three-dimensional structure. Passengers can expect pay 22 US dollars for a 30-minute ride on the new wheel.

Source: CCTV

Motorola's hunt for a miracle worker

The wireless giant's handset business needs a genius to turn itself around.

ERO WANTED: No. 3 player in hot market needs thick-skinned CEO for a salvage and rescue job.

Okay, so that's not quite the ad that wireless giant Motorola is running these days at it searches for a new chief for its mobile phone business - but it might as well be. Broken, leaderless and bleeding red ink, Motorola's handset unit is about to be spun off so the rest of the company can prosper.

It's been a rough tumble for the Schaumburg, Ill. wireless titan that 10 years ago sat atop the cell phone industry. Each week seems to bring new lows in the stock and a yawning absence of new products to pin hopes on. Just how low the phone maker has fallen was apparent recently when a leading Indian appliance manufacturer signaled its interest in buying the division.

Last month, Motorola (MOT, Fortune 500) set out to find a new CEO for its mobile phone business after Greg Brown was named head of the entire company. While Motorola isn't publicly talking about its search, it begs an obvious question: Who could possibly want this gig? Talk about a seemingly hopeless assignment - one that only a fool would accept.

The challenges facing Motorola's mobile phone business are daunting. The company has been unable to capitalize on its blockbusters, most recently the Razr, the ultra-thin folding phone that was introduced in 2005 and eventually sold more than 100 million units. Last year Motorola lost the No. 2 slot to South Korea electronic giant Samsung - and risks losing its third place ranking to Sony Ericsson.

Brown said in late March he would spin off Motorola's handset unit to shareholders sometime next year after a bruising battle with corporate raider Carl Icahn, who had amassed a 6.5% stake in the company and was agitating for change. But a breakup alone won't solve Motorola's main problem: making popular phones that churn out steady profits, which is a challenge that experts say require a top-to-bottom overhaul of the company. The toxic situation would understandably repel all but the hardest chargers.

But where some see a fool's task, others see a huge opportunity for a fix-up specialist. And a few names have surfaced as potential candidates that could engineer a turnaround - although, as some analysts and industry observers note, engineers need not apply for this job (more on that later).

Here are some contenders, in no particular order:

* Anssi Vanjoki,
the new markets chief at Nokia (NOK). Vanjoki is widely credited with extending Nokia's brand around the world and developing advanced mobile phones with more applications. While thoroughly Finnish - he is, according to his official bio, a Knight, 1st Class, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland - Vanjoki has worked stateside while at 3M earlier in his career.

* Steve Altman,the president of Qualcomm (QCOM, Fortune 500). Altman is a patent attorney that helped turn Qualcomm technology licensing business into a royalty collection powerhouse.

* Dan Akerson is a former top executive with MCI, Nextel, XO, and now at Carlyle Group. Akerson is an experienced telco hand who would conceivably help warm up relations between Motorola and its phone company partners.

* Ed Breen ran General Instruments, which was purchased by Motorola in 2000 and is now credited with reviving Tyco after a potentially fatal accounting scandal earlier this decade.

* Mike Zafirovski
is the one-time No.2 at Motorola who's now trying to turn around Nortel (NT). After more than two years, and almost nothing to point to as a sign of recovery, Zafirovski could be ready to return to the mother ship

* Ron Garriques, the former Motorola handset chief who fled to Dell (DELL, Fortune 500) during Razr's fall from popularity, could attempt a triumphant return. No one knows the workings inside Motorola's phone shop better than Garriques, but his role in creating it might work against him.

* Bill Nuti, a turnaround artist who left Cisco to revive Symbol Technologies. Nuti left Symbol to take the top job at NCR. Symbol was acquired soon after by Motorola.

* Ben Verwaayen, the former Lucent chief operating officer who's just spent six years modernizing British Telecom, where he added business services and data network management to the telco's core residential phone business. Verwaayen is stepping down from BT in June.

To succeed, the head of Motorola's cell phone business will have to address the inefficiencies that the Razr's rise and fall unmasked. In part that means taking an entirely new approach to phones. Motorola previously prized engineering over all else, thinking it could design its way out of any rut. But Motorola can learn from Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) and other companies that consistently develop and market products that appeal to consumers.

Viewed from that angle, here are two possible contenders who might just fit the bill: Irene Rosenfeld, the Kraft CEO who has the packaging and marketing expertise Motorola could use. There's also Indra Nooyi, the chief of beverage giant PepsiCo and a true believer in the need for companies to constantly reinvent themselves - something Motorola desperately needs.

Source: CNN

Ten Longest Bridges In World - Amazing

Ten Longest Bridges In World

Here is a list of the then longest bridges in the world with pictures and descriptions. Those beautiful photos are showing to us that there are no borders and everything is reachable.

10. Seven Mile Bridge

The Seven Mile Bridge, in the Florida Keys, runs over a channel between the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Strait, connecting Key Vaca (the location of the city if Marathon, Florida) in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. Among the longest bridges in existence when it was built, it is one of the many bridges on US 1 in the Keys, where the road is called the Overseas Highway.

9. San Mateo-Hayward Bridge

The San Mateo-Hayward Bridge (commonly called San Mateo Bridge) is a bridge crossing California's San Francisco Bay in the United states, linking the San Francisco Peninsula with the East Bay. More specifically, the bridge's western end is in Foster City, the most recent urban addition to the eastern edge of San mateo. The eastern end of the bridge is in Hayward. The bridge is owned by the state of California, and is maintained by Caltrans, the state highway agency.

8. Confedration Bridge

The Confederation Bridge (French: Pont de la Confederation) is a bridge spanning the Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Starit, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunkswick, Canada. It was commonly referred to as the "Fixed Link" by residents of Prince Edward Island prior to its official naming. Construction took place from all the fall of 1993 to the spring of 1997, costing $1.3 billion. The 12.9 kilometre (8 mile) long bridge opened on 31 May 1997.

7. Rio-Niteroi Bridge

The Rio-Niteroi Bridge is a reinforced concrete structure that connects the cities of Rio de Janerio and Niteroi in Brazil. Construction began symbolically on August 23, 1968, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in their first and thus far only visit to Brazil. Actual work begun in January, 1969, and it opened on March 4, 1974. Its official name is "President Costa e Silva Bridge", in honor of the Brazilian president who ordered its construction. "Rio-Niteroi" started as a descriptive nickname that soon became better known than the official name. Today, hardly anyone referes to it by its oficial name.

6. Penang Bridge

The Penang Bridge (jambatan Pulau Pinang in Malay) E 36 is a dual-carriageway toll bridge that connects Gelugor on the island of Penang and Seberang Prai on the mainland of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. The bridge is also linked to the Norht-South Expressway in Prai and Jelutong Expressway in Penang. It was officially opened to traffic on September 14, 1085. The total length of the bridge is 13..5 (8.4 miles), making it among the longest bridges in the world, the longest bridge in the country as well as a national landmark. PLUS Expressway Berhad is the concession holder which manages it.

5. Vasco da Gama Bridge

The Vasco da Gama Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Vasco da Gama, pron is a cable-stayed bridge flanked by viaducts and roads that spans the Tagus River near Lisbon, capital of Portual. It is the longest bridge in Europe (including viaducts), with a total length of 17.2 km (10.7 miles), including 0.829 km (0.5 miles) for the main bridge, 11.5 kms (7.1 miles) in viaducts, and 4.8 km (3.0 miles) in dedicated access roads. Its purpose is to alleviate the congeston on Lisbon's other bridge (25 de Abril Bridge), and to join previously unconnected motorways radiating from Lisbon.

4. Chesapeake Bay Bridge

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (commonly known as the Bay Bridge) is a major dual-span bridge in the US State of Maryland; spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's Eastern and Western Shore regions. At 4.3 miles (7km) in length, the original span was the world's longest continous over-water steel structure when it opened in 1952. The bridge is officially named the William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge after William Preston Lane, Jr. who, as governor of Maryland, implemented its construction.

3. King Fahd Causeway

The King Fahd Causeway is multiple dike-bridge combination connecting Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and the island nation of Bahrain. A construction agreement signed on July 8, 1981 by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and Sheikh Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa of Bharain; construction continued until 1986, when the coombination of sevral bridges and dams were completed. The causeway officially opened for use on November 25, 1986.

2. Donghai Bridge

Donghai Bridge (literally "East Sea Grand Bridge") is the longest cross-sea bridge in the world and the longest bridge in Asia. It was completed on December 10, 2005. It has a total length of 32.5 kilometers (20.2 miles) and connects Shanghai and the offshore Yangshan deep-water port in China. Most of the bridge is a low-level viaduct. There are also cable-stayed sections to allow for the passage of large ships, largest with span of 420 m.

1. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, or the Causeway, consists of two parallel bridges that are the longest bridges in the world by total length. These parallel bridges cross Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana. The longer of the two bridges is 23.87 miles (38.42 km) long. The bridges are supported by over 9,000 concrete 8 miles (13 kms) south of the north shore. The southern terminus of the Causeway is in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The northern terminus is at Mandeville, Louisiana.

World's Largest Photo Album - Amazing

World's largest album: Japanese photographer Hitomi Toyama stands by her world’s largest album ― measuring 4m X 3m, weighing 1000 kilograms ― in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tuesday. The album titled “Women of Vietnam” has secured a place in the Guinness Book of World Records and it includes more than 53 photos taken by Toyama.

MEET TINY JYOTI, THE SMALLEST GIRL IN THE WORLD

She stands just 1ft 11in tall and the average two-year-old would tower over her. But Jyoti Amge is no toddler - she is 14 years old.

This remarkable teenager, who weighs just 11 lb, is the smallest girl in the world.Her tiny size - she's just nine inches taller than this page - means that Jyoti has to have her fashionable clothes and jewellery made for her.

The youngster - who has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia and will never grow any taller - is too small to use a normal-sized knife and fork so she eats off special plates... and sleeps in a tiny, custombuilt bed.

Even bathing is done on a miniature scale.

She uses specially-made steps to help her get in the bath and a small bucket and jug to wash herself.

But, astonishingly, she goes to a regular school, where her fellow pupils treat their tiny classmate as one of themselves as she she sits at her mini-desk and chair.

And Jyoti, who like any teenager loves listening to pop music and watching DVDs, is far from unhappy about her size.

She says: "I am proud of being small. I love all the attention I get. I'm not scared of being small and I don't regret it. I'm just the same as other people. I eat like you, dream like you. I don't feel any different." And her size has its benefits. She's a mini-celebrity in her home city of Nagpur, in central India. People flock to see her. Some even treat her as a goddess. And she has even recorded a soon-to-be-released album with her favourite Indian pop star, the bhangra/rap singer Mika Singh.

Her businessman father Kishanji, 52, says: "I can't separate myself from her even for a single day. I love her very much. She makes me proud. Lots of gurus come to see and bless her. They pray for her happiness and long life."

Her mother Ranjana, 45, adds: "When Jyoti was born, she seemed quite normal. We came to know about her disorder when she was five. We consulted a specialist and he said she will be this size all of her life. Jyoti is small, yet cute, and we love her very much."

For one so small, Jyoti has big ambitions.

She hopes to one day break into Bollywood as an actress.

She says: "I would love to work in a big city like Mumbai, act in films and travel to London and America."

I'm proud of being small. I love all the attention I get because of it

All her things at home are in miniature.. but she's very happy. Some people even think she's a goddess

She loves DVDs and wearing fashionable dresses.. and has made an album with her favourite rap star.

Source: sundaymirror

"Mother" the life of our life - Happy Mother's Day

Mother's day is soon arriving on the 11^th of May. Make your mother feel the most important person of your life.

Mother's Day which is celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May is an occasion when you express your affection and respect for your mother. It is the time which you can give your mother to pamper herself with all good things that she has been looking for.

In Hindu mythology also we have seen that mother has been given place of god, because she is capable of handling all bad situations and keep you safe and secured.

In the US, Woodrow Wilson declared Mother's Day as a national holiday and reserved the second Sunday in the month of May to honor them.

Mother's day is the day when you can give at least some portion of love and affection to her which she has been giving you through out these years.

What makes a perfect mother's day gift? What if you give your mother one day good break with a complete rest like she gets time to pamper herself by soaking herself in a hot tub or celebrates with her friend over for lunch or dinner?

You can gift your mother with gifts, flowers, chocolates, cakes, jewelry, apparels and other such gifts make the day more memorable.

Well no gift can match the love that she has given us, but still gifts are one medium that you can signify your love towards her. You can gift her gifts basket filled with all her favorite things, jewelry, fresh flowers, perfume, and personalized gifts or treat her by taking out at her favorite place.

If your mother treats you whole year with all the wonderful things that she can gives you then why not we give her at least one day to get pampered. By making her feel that she is the most important person in your life. She would feel happy and also respected. Why not make the mother's day the most memorable day in her life? Make her feel that she is the most important women of your life and that she is the one who has helped you in doing all that good things in your life that you have been till now.

Mother's day is soon arriving on the second Sunday of May! So, on this Mother's Day don't forget that special lady in your life – your "MOTHER".

Thus identifying the importance of Mothers day Gifts to India, IndiaGiftsJunction.com have accrued the best of Mother's Day Gifts and Flowers; brought them just for you on their site.