LG KU970 Shine

Specifications
LG KU970 Shine
Network2G
3G
GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA 2100
SizeDimensions
Weight
Display
99.8 x 50.6 x 13.8 mm (3.93 x 1.99 x 0.54 in)
120 gram
TFT, 256K colors
240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches (~182 ppi pixel density)
MemoryPhonebook
Call records
Internal
Card slot
1000 entries, Photocall
50 dialed, 50 received, 50 missed calls
512 MB
DataGPRS
EDGE
3G
WLAN
Bluetooth
Infrared port
USB
Class 10

HSPA 3.6/0.384 Mbps

v1.2 with A2DP

1.2
FeaturesOS
CPU
Messaging
Alert
Browser
Radio
GPS
Games
Camera
Video
Colors
Java


SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
WAP 2.0/xHTML


Yes
2 MP, Schneider-Kreuznach optics, autofocus, LED flash
320p
Silver
MIDP 2.0
- Loudspeaker
- Mini-SIM
- Mirror effect screen, full metal body
- Downloadable wallpapers
- 300 text messages
- VGA videocall camera
- Video telephony
- MP3/AAC++/3GP/MP4 player
- Predictive text input
- Organizer
- Voice memo
- Clock
- Calendar
- Alarm
Battery
Stand-by
Talk time
Standard battery, Li-Ion 800 mAh
Up to 260 h
Up to 2 h 50 min

Image: http://cellphones.techfresh.net/lg-to-release-lg-ku970-aka-lg-shine-3g/

LG KE970 Shine

Specifications
LG KE970 Shine
Network2G
3G
GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
SizeDimensions
Weight
Display
99.8 x 50.6 x 13.8 mm (3.93 x 1.99 x 0.54 in)
119 gram
TFT, 256K colors
240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches (~182 ppi pixel density)
MemoryPhonebook
Call records
Internal
Card slot
1000 entries, Photocall
50 dialed, 50 received, 50 missed calls
50 MB
microSD, up to 2 GB
DataGPRS
EDGE
3G
WLAN
Bluetooth
Infrared port
USB
Yes
Yes


v1.2 with A2DP

Yes
FeaturesOS
CPU
Messaging
Alert
Browser
Radio
GPS
Games
Camera
Video
Colors
Java


SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
WAP 2.0/xHTML


Yes
2 MP, Schneider-Kreuznach optics, autofocus, LED flash
QCIF
Silver, Titanium Black, Gold, Pink
MIDP 2.0
- Mini-SIM
- Mirror effect screen, full metal body
- Downloadable wallpapers
- 300 text messages
- MP3/AAC++/3GP/MP4 player
- Predictive text input
- Organizer
- Voice memo
- Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
- Clock
- Calendar
- Alarm
Battery
Stand-by
Talk time
Standard battery, Li-Ion 750 mAh
Up to 280 h
Up to 3 h

Image: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_ke970_shine-pictures-1829.php

LG C2200

Specifications
LG C2200
Network2G
3G
GSM 900 / 1800
SizeDimensions
Weight
Display
84 x 46 x 23.5 mm (3.31 x 1.81 x 0.93 in)
99 gram
TFT, 65K colors
128 x 160 pixels
MemoryPhonebook
Call records
Internal
Card slot
200 entries, Photocall
10 received, 10 missed calls
1 MB
DataGPRS
EDGE
3G
WLAN
Bluetooth
Infrared port
USB
Class 10





FeaturesOS
CPU
Messaging
Ringtones
Browser
Radio
GPS
Games
Camera
Video
Colors
Java


SMS, EMS, MMS
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic ringtones
WAP 2.0/xHTML


Yes
VGA

Dark blue satin
MIDP 2.0
- Mini-SIM
- Second external STN monochrome display 96x64 pixels
- Downloadable wallpapers
- Predictive text input
- Organizer
- Voice memo
- Photo editor
- RS232 port
- Clock
- Calendar
- Alarm
Battery
Stand-by
Talk time
Standard battery, Li-Ion 760 mAh
Up to 200 h
Up to 2 h 30 min

Image: http://www.welectronics.com/gsm/

Learn How to Keep Your Laptop Clean

Author: Johnxuster

step1:
Now that you're inside the laptop, use a torch to look around for built-up dust and dirt. Using the eraser-end of a pencil or tweezers, pick off any nasty deposits you come across.

Start at the fan, then work your way to the ducts and vents. Look under the ribbon cables, around the hard drive, and near the tiny circuit boards. Grime can hide in the oddest places, like the processor's copper-coloured heat sink, so make sure you explore all the laptop's nooks and crannies.

Step 2:
You've done the detail work, and now it's time to go big. Put on a dust mask, if you have one. Grab the can of compressed air and spray down the inside of your laptop. Go nuts. Blow out all the dust you can find. It won't be pretty, and you might want to have a vacuum cleaner running nearby to grab all the junk it as it comes out. Don't be surprised if a lot comes out of that little laptop.

Step 3:
Now that you've made your first pass at cleaning out the inside, give your laptop a little shake to dislodge any particularly resilient dust and grime. Keep cleaning and shaking until nothing more comes out.

Step 4:
Now that the inside of your laptop is as clean as a whistle, it's time to tidy up that nasty keyboard. Don't be embarrassed by what you find: Most keyboards have enough crumbs to feed a flock of pigeons for weeks. Use the can of compressed air to blow it clean, but be careful not to break any keys off.

Step 5:
While you've still got the laptop open, give each of the major components a quick look to see if any are loose. A loose motherboard or hard drive can cause damage in the long run, so make sure all of the screws are tight and all of the cables are well connected. When tightening the screws, be careful not to overdo it -- gently tighten until you feel some resistance. When you're done, reconnect the access panels on the underside of your laptop.

Step 6:
All laptop screens are susceptible to nicks and scratches, and the latest glossy, high-contrast displays show off fingerprints that even Columbo couldn't miss. We like to give our screens a quick rubdown about once a week. You can use any brand of window cleaner so long as it doesn't contain ammonia or any harsh detergents. We're partial to Sprayway, because it gets all foamy and doesn't leave annoying streaks; unfortunately, Sprayway can be hard to find in some places, and you may have to make a special trip to a glass or mirror store to find it.

Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com

Sony Laptops

Author: Pooja Lapasia

Sony is a brand known for its quality, looks and performance. Their laptop offerings are stylish and are a hit among the crowd. Sony faces competition from able competitors like Dell, Hp, Apple, Acer, Toshiba to name a few. Sony laptops are unique for their lightweight laptops, good enduring performance, pleasant audio/video output and elegant looks. While you look out for a performance-based laptop you can avail the varied Sony Vaio laptop series.

The Sony Vaio laptops have a number of offerings. The latest Vaio SR series is a truly elegant laptop with performance to match your business needs. The Vaio FW series has added the latest Blur-ray disk capability and large bright screen which gives enhanced imaging and audio/video capability. The economical Vaio NR series is loaded with home entertainment features and great for basic usage.

The most popular and famed Vaio CR series is a bundle of style and performance. The Vaio FZ series is good for meeting your business computing needs at a reasonable cost. The ultra compact designing of the Vaio TZ series is a combination of performance packed in a sturdy yet lightweight design. The absolute multimedia offering of the Vaio NR and Vaio SZ series is sure to get you noticed everywhere.

The Vaio L series is a unique prospect in designing and unleashes true performance. These ultraportable laptops make your work easy and manageable. With these many options to choose from, the Sony laptop range is an exhaustive one, suiting all requirements. There is varied software applications bundled up with all the Sony laptops.

There are specific editing and multimedia software applications given with the immensely popular Vaio CR series, which are easy to use for home editing and adding special effects to your videos. The Sony laptops have an edge over the sound quality they offer, their inbuilt speakers are better than in the most available laptops. You can buy Sony laptops online from popular and trusted online shopping websites.

You can avail lowest price Sony laptops from the deals and offers in these shopping websites. It is more convenient to shop from websites as you can surf through all the latest products and can compare and shop for the one that fits your bill perfectly. With the vast range of Sony laptops you can get that meets your requirement levels and fits your budget.

Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com

Fiat Yamaha Team Take Title Challenge Home to Misano

The Fiat Yamaha Team contest their second ‘home’ race of the season this weekend, with the San Marino Grand Prix taking place on Italian soil at the Misano circuit on the Adriatic coast. The trip is a short one for the team, whose base is just 300km away in Milan, but even shorter for Valentino Rossi, with his hometown of Tavullia located a mere 15km down the road.

The multi-World Champion heads to the thirteenth round of the current MotoGP series with his sights firmly set on a sixth premier-class title after extending his advantage over Casey Stoner to 50 points in the last round at Brno. Having missed out on the title for the past two seasons following a five-year winning streak, Rossi’s improvement is outlined by the fact that a fifth-place finish this Sunday will see him outscore his tally for either of those campaigns.

The 29-year-old’s army of local supporters are sure to be in party mood at the lively seaside resort as he looks to make up for the disappointment of a mechanical breakdown in this race last year and score three consecutive wins for the second time this season. Also within Rossi’s range is the all-time record for premier-class victories, set at 68 by Giacomo Agostini back in 1976.

Jorge Lorenzo continues his Grand Prix education at full fitness after a troublesome period of injury and tyre woes. The rookie from Mallorca won the 250cc race at Misano last year after having qualified on pole and he will be looking to support Rossi in the quest to improve on Yamaha’s total of 283 points in last year’s Constructors’ World Championship, which will be secured if any of the factory’s riders finish in the top two.

Valentino Rossi
“OUT TO MAKE UP FOR LAST YEAR”

“I’m really excited to be going to Misano in such good shape and leading the championship. Last year the race was a huge disappointment for us, a very low point of the season and especially sad because it happened in front of my home fans. But this time things are very different; we’ve had two fantastic races in a row and we are feeling very strong and very confident. We are out to make up for 2007! Misano is so close to my home town of Tavullia that I know there will be an army of Italian fans there, and I hope it’s going to be a great party for all of them. Last year there was some terrible weather before the race as well so I really hope that this year we have sunshine and we can enjoy a fantastic race by the sea!”

Jorge Lorenzo
“GOOD MEMORIES!”

“After the disaster of Brno I’m going to Misano with the belief and the will that everything goes much better and that we’re able to score a positive result in my team’s second home Grand Prix. I’m riding well at the moment and in the post-race test in the Czech Republic we were able to shave off a few tenths that will be vital for the next GP. Misano is a small track for MotoGP but it is safe. Last year I won in 250cc so my only memories of it are good ones!”

Davide Brivio
“TARGETS ARE THE SAME”

“Last year we arrived in Misano with a 60-point disadvantage to Stoner and now we are 50 ahead so the situation is completely reversed and obviously that’s great for us. Having said that, we still have six difficult races left and there are circuits coming up where we know our rivals will be very strong. Misano is one of the places where last year we were not so bad so it could be one of the places we can fight. It is difficult to overtake but I expect and hope for another good show. Valentino’s targets haven’t changed since the start of the season – the first priority is to be on the podium, which is even more crucial at this stage, and when possible fight to win. Those objectives remains the same regardless of the points situation.”

Daniele Romagnoli
“MISANO IS ANOTHER STORY”

“We go to Misano in good spirits but knowing that we can’t afford a repeat of the last two races, where our performance has been completely dictated by the tyres – especially Brno. Hopefully Misano will be another story because it’s a completely different kind of circuit. It is not as fast, it is flat, and last year Michelin were competitive there. We did a lot of work on the tyres in the test at Brno and found something with durability on the front and a solution for the rear that helps under acceleration. Hopefully we can carry those improvements through to this weekend because Jorge is riding well, this is a circuit he likes and we saw earlier in the season what he is capable of if he has the necessary tools.”

Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 29
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 93 (67 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 204 (144 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 50
World Championships: 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP)

Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 21
Lives: London, UK
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 22 (1 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 105 (11 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 29 (3 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 x 250cc

Misano: Record Lap
C.Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 1'34.649

Misano: Best Lap
C.Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 1'33.918

Grand Prix Results: Misano 2007

1. C.Stoner (Ducati) 44'34.720

2. C.Vermeulen (Suzuki) +4.851

3. J.Hopkins (Suzuki) +16.002

. V. Rossi (ITA) Yamaha NF


Jorge Lorenzo Result: Misano 2007

1. J. Lorenzo (SPA) Aprilia 42'54.427 (250cc)

Hamilton on Hungary pole

Lewis Hamilton boosted his chances of claiming a third successive race victory by capturing pole in Hungary.

The McLaren driver clocked one minute 20.899 seconds to secure his fourth pole of the season as team-mate Heikki Kovalainen joined him on the front row.

Felipe Massa led Ferrari's challenge and will start in third while team-mate Kimi Raikkonen could only manage sixth.

Massa lines up alongside BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica with Toyota's Timo Glock sharing the fourth row with Raikkonen.

Renault's Fernando Alonso claimed seventh spot ahead of Red Bull's Mark Webber, with Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Renault's Nelson Piquet completing the top 10.

After dominating the practice sessions at the Hungaroring, Hamilton's pole had an air of inevitability about it.

The only variable under Budapest's clear skies was the scorching temperature, with the trackside thermometer reaching 42C and forcing all the teams to make a choice about their tyre selection.

Warm conditions mean tyres are more susceptible to graining where tiny pieces of rubber are torn off or distorted affecting the tyre's grip.

Hamilton opted for the harder tyres and effortlessly converted his practice pace into the 10th pole of his career.

"We made the right choice [of tyres] in the end," said world championship leader Hamilton. "We had planned to use the soft tyre for the third part of qualifying but it was the safer option to use the hard.

"The pace of the car is great and I've still got a little bit of time in the bag.

"It's a great day to have me and Heikki one-two - it's about time we did that for the team."

Kovalainen, who this week was confirmed as a McLaren driver for 2009, continued his improving form to join Hamilton on the second row.

The Finn said: "We've been improving our package all weekend so it was just a matter of nailing it in qualifying.

"It should be an interesting race as we should see the circuit evolving towards the end of the race."

Hamilton is aiming to become the first British driver since Damon Hill in 1996 to claim a hat-trick of straight wins.

And the 23-year-old's cool warning to his rivals suggested he is in the mood to match Hill's feat.

"I can definitely say that right now I'm at my best," said Hamilton.

"This is as comfortable as I have ever been, knowing where the car is and with things going on in my life.

"I feel pretty much on top of things, but I have no doubts I have room toimprove, and I will carry on doing that."

The one-two for Hamilton and Kovalainen in Hungary is in stark contrast to the simmering tension in the McLaren camp this time last season.

Hamilton's former team-mate Alonso had taken pole only to be demoted after being found guilty of deliberating holding up Hamilton in the pit lane.

McLaren team boss Ron Dennis wryly reflected on the dramatic events of 2007, but was determined to turn his attention to this weekend when, he insists, he will allow his drivers to race each other.

"There was a lot of activity here last year, all of it unpleasant," Dennis said.

"But I'm focused on this year and it's good for us to be on the front row. Heikki isn't there to support, he's here to win the race.

"They can fight here as long as they emerge from the first corner in first and second and don't get egg on their faces."

While all appears to be well in the McLaren camp, Ferrari again found themselves lagging behind McLaren.

Massa, who is four points behind Hamilton in the drivers' standings, did set the fastest lap during qualifying of 1:19.068 but it came in the second session of qualifying when Hamilton admitted to losing time when he locked his wheel.

"We are still pretty strong," insisted Massa. "I have a feeling I can push these cars on Sunday."

Raikkonen was not feeling so confident as he appeared to be tussling with his car again and was out-of-sorts down in sixth place.

"I'm not happy, and starting from the third row, my race will be an uphill struggle," said the defending world champion.

"We are just going through a bit of a difficult time, but we must not give up."


It was also a disappointing day for Nick Heidfeld, who failed to get through the first session of qualifying.

The BMW Sauber driver got caught up behind the Toro Rosso of Sebastien Bourdais, who was handed a five-place grid penalty by race stewards for impeding Heidfeld.

The German will now start in 15th with Bourdais dropping back to 19th.

Heidfeld said: "From 16th to 15th makes little difference, and I'm totally disappointed.

"I was hoping it was so obvious he would be penalised right away and I could still get into Q2."

Williams driver Nico Rosberg will start just ahead of Heidfeld in 14th on the grid after he retired from the second session with a hydraulics problem.

Jenson Button conjured his best qualifying performance for five races, on a track where he won two years ago, and is 12th on the grid in his Honda.

Fellow Briton David Coulthard is 13th for Red Bull.

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk

BMW boss wants both cars in the points

BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen has his sights set firmly on getting both his cars to finish in the points at next weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, on the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit.

"Nick's F1.08 is scheduled to take on a new BMW P86/8 engine with a new transmission, while Robert will be driving with the same engine and gear box as in Valencia," Theissen confirmed. "In the first two thirds of the season we didn't have a single retirement caused by any technical fault. We aim BMW Sauber F1Team to maintain this high level of reliability. On the sporting side, we plan to improve further and see both cars finish solidly in the points at Spa."

"Spa may not be the track with the highest speeds - that accolade belongs to Monza - but in Spa we have the longest stretch taken at full throttle. Since the modification of the famous Eau Rouge corner and the introduction of V8 engines, drivers can go flat-out through the section from the hairpin shortly after the start, through the hollow and then uphill again," he added. "In last year's race we calculated that our drivers held the pedal to the floor for more than 1,865 metres, or 24 seconds. Engine power and stability are key requirements here."

Source:
http://f1.gpupdate.net

Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa (born in São Paulo April 25, 1981) is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver, currently employed by the Ferrari team and standing second in the 2008 Drivers World Championship. He is under contract to race for Ferrari until the end of the 2010 season.

Early career
Massa, a Brazilian whose grandfather came to Brazil from the city of Cerignola, Italy, began karting when he was 8 years old, finishing fourth in his first season. He continued in national and international championships for 7 years, and in 1998 he moved into Formula Chevrolet, finishing the Brazilian championship in fifth. In the next season, he won 3 of the 10 races and took the championship. In 2000, he moved to Europe to compete in the Italian Formula Renault series, winning both it and the European Formula Renault championship in the same year. Whilst having the opportunity to move into Formula 3, he opted instead for the Formula 3000 Euro-Series, and was dominant, winning 6 of the 8 races to take the championship. He was offered an F1 test with the Sauber team, who promptly signed him for 2002. In the meantime he drove for Alfa Romeo in the European Touring Car Championship as a guest driver.

Formula One career
Sauber (2002, 2004-2005)
In his rookie year in Formula 1, Massa was paired with 1999 F3000 champion Nick Heidfeld at the Sauber team. Massa showed he was a competitive driver, but made several mistakes during his rookie season, including spinning off the track on several occasions. Massa scored 4 championship points in his first season, with a best result of 5th place at the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya. Massa suffered a one race suspension late in the season, forcing him to miss the United States Grand Prix. Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Sauber's former driver drove for Massa in that race. Although Massa returned to the driver's seat for the Japanese Grand Prix, Sauber confirmed that Frentzen would partner Heidfeld in 2003, leaving Massa without a race seat. Instead, Massa spent a year with Sauber's engine suppliers, Ferrari, gaining experience through testing for the championship-winning team.

After gaining more experience and demonstrating that his mistake rate had declined, Sauber re-signed Massa for the 2004 season. In 2004, Massa scored 12 of Sauber's 34 points, with his best result being a fourth place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix. His teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella, scored the team's other 22 points. In 2005, Massa remained with Sauber. Although he only scored 11 points, Massa outpaced his teammate Jacques Villeneuve through most of the season, and beat him in the drivers' championship. In 2006, Massa re-joined Ferrari as a race-driver, alongside Michael Schumacher.

Ferrari (2006-Present)

2006
Felipe Massa got a good start at Ferrari, qualifying second at the opening race in Bahrain, and coming from 21st position to 5th in Malaysia, beating teammate Michael Schumacher, who had started from 14th. However, in Bahrain, in both Saturday practice and the race, Massa seemed to resume his tendency to spin, narrowly missing eventual winner Fernando Alonso in the race. He kept up his reputation as being a bit on the wild side at the Australian GP when he crashed his Ferrari in qualifying, and then collided with Christian Klien and Nico Rosberg at the first corner of the race. However, Massa scored his first career podium at the Nürburgring, finishing third, behind Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. He also set the fastest lap at Barcelona in 2006. Massa achieved four more podium finishes in 2006, in the USA, France and Germany and took his first F1 pole position and his first F1 win at the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, at the Istanbul Park circuit. His future position at Ferrari was secured when Michael Schumacher announced on 10 September 2006, that he would retire from F1 at the end of the 2006 season. On October 22, Felipe Massa won his home grand prix at the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix, marking the first time a Brazilian driver had won at Interlagos since Ayrton Senna in 1993. The Brazilian eventually finished the season third with 80 points, behind world champion Fernando Alonso and Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher.

2007
Massa topped the time sheets on five occasions and set the fastest lap for four circuits during the 2007 pre-season testing. However, his 2007 season began with problems. At the season opening Australian Grand Prix, he suffered a gearbox problem during qualifying and required an engine change. Massa started the race from 22nd position due to these problems and a 10-grid-slot penalty for the engine change. He employed a one pitstop strategy for the race and finished in sixth place. Massa's problems continued in Malaysia, where despite qualifying on pole position, the McLarens of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton overtook him at turn one. Massa ran off the track while attempting to overtake Hamilton, and lost two more places, dropping down to fifth place, where he finished the race. However, his season subsequently improved, as he won the Grands Prix of Bahrain and Spain, both from pole position, and finished third in Monaco.

The race stewards at the Canadian Grand Prix disqualified Massa for leaving the pit lane while the red light was showing. [2] After this disqualification, he won one more race at the 2007 Turkish Grand Prix, and finished on the podium at six more races, including a second place finish at his home grand prix at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Massa led much of the Brazilian Grand Prix, until yielding the lead to teammate Kimi Räikkönen, thus securing Räikkönen's world championship title. Massa finished the 2007 season ranked fourth in the drivers' standing with 94 points.

In October 2007, Massa extended his contract with Ferrari to the end of 2010.

2008
Massa endured a terrible first race weekend of his third year at Ferrari. The team, surprisingly, looked off the pace as Massa qualified fourth and his race was less successful, spinning off at the first corner of the first lap, on lap 26 he collided with David Coulthard and eventually retired due to engine failure. Things brightened up in Malaysia as he qualified on pole, half a second clear of Räikkönen in P2, but the race itself didn't go as well. Massa spun out on lap 31 in second place while chasing Räikkönen. Massa went into Bahrain (where he won in 2007) with no points. He scored not only his first points of 2008 in Bahrain, he also topped the podium with his first win of the season. Doing this, he scored his first victory without starting from pole, even if, effectively, he took the lead before the first corner, after Robert Kubica's poor start. [3] It was another 1-2 for Ferrari in Spain, but this time with Räikkönen winning and Massa second. Massa's win at Istanbul Park on May 11, 2008, was his third successive victory at the circuit.

At Monaco Massa qualified on pole, to his surprise (he had mentioned prior to the weekend that he did not like the circuit) and built up a 15-second lead over Lewis Hamilton and Räikkönen in the rain, before that advantage was wiped out by the safety car. Ferrari's decision to fuel Massa for a 1-stop strategy, having anticipated more rain, arguably cost Massa victory as the track dried up later and he eventually finished third. However, Räikkönen's ninth-placed finish saw Massa make gains in the championship race, moving to 34 points, one behind Räikkönen and four behind Hamilton, who won in Monaco.

The Canadian Grand Prix saw arguably Massa's chief title contenders (Räikkönen and Hamilton) withdraw, due to a costly accident caused by Hamilton in the pit lane. The weekend started rather poorly though, with Massa having his season worst qualifying in 6th place. However although the Ferrari was on pace throughout the race, a delay with the fuel rig during a pit stop meant that Massa had to pit an extra time than he otherwise would have done, meaning he finished 5th, now equal on points with Hamilton and 3 ahead of Räikkönen, yet surprisingly 4 behind race winner Robert Kubica.

In the French Grand Prix, Massa qualified 2nd on the grid behind his teammate Räikkönen. However, Massa overtook his teammate, who was having problems with his car exhaust, to win the race and take the lead in the championship, 2 points ahead of Robert Kubica, 5 points ahead of Räikkönen and 10 points ahead of Hamilton, who scored no points in the race. Massa is the first Brazilian to lead the championship since Ayrton Senna in the 1993 Formula One season. In the British Grand Prix, things made a turn for the worse as he spun on numerous occasions and finished 13th, dead last. This result was his lowest finish since 2005 when he finished 14th on two occasions for Sauber.

Massa had a harrowing defeat at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix where he started third. He overtook 2nd place starter Heikki Kovalainen and pole sitter Lewis Hamilton on the main straight of the starting grid. He had an enormous lock-up of both his front tires but nevertheless overtook both McLarens with ease. He led for the majority of the race and seemed to have victory in the bag but with 3 laps remaining, an engine failure in the Ferrari took place and he failed to finish.

Massa won the 2008 European Grand Prix at Valencia, Spain. He started in pole position and took the chequered flag comfortably. However, he was released from his first pitstop at the same time Adrian Sutil was passing by and they almost touched, with Massa letting Sutil go ahead. After the race, the stewards decided to fine Massa €10,000, but his victory stood, thus making him the only driver ever to win his 100th Grand Prix.

Photo:
http://images.askmen.com

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org

LG KF300

Specifications
LG KF300
Network2G
3G
GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
SizeDimensions
Weight
Display
99 x 50 x 16 mm (3.90 x 1.97 x 0.63 in)
97 gram
TFT, 256K colors
240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches (~182 ppi pixel density)
MemoryPhonebook
Call records
Internal
Card slot
1000
40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed calls
10 MB
microSD, up to 2 GB
DataGPRS
EDGE
3G
WLAN
Bluetooth
Infrared port
USB
Class 10
Class 10


Yes

Yes
FeaturesOS
CPU
Messaging
Alert
Browser
Radio
GPS
Games
Camera
Video
Colors
Java


SMS, EMS, MMS
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
FM radio

Yes
2 MP
Yes
Black
MIDP 2.0
- Loudspeaker
- Mini-SIM
- Second external 256K colors, 1.3 in TFT display, 128 x 160 pixels
- MP3 player
- Predictive text input
- Organizer
- Voice memo
- Clock
- Calendar
- Alarm
Battery
Stand-by
Talk time
Standard battery, Li-Ion 800 mAh
Up to 200 h
Up to 2 h

Image: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_kf300-pictures-2346.php

Rossi celebrates crucial victory

Valentino Rossi moved two races clear at the top of the championship with his fifth win of the season today, enjoying an easy ride home after his closest rival Casey Stoner crashed out on lap seven. Rossi's Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo made the best of a difficult situation, making up several places on his grid position and bringing his M1 home a creditable 10th.

Rossi, starting from second, lost some time at the first corner getting past John Hopkins and for the first couple of laps Stoner looked in danger of clearing off, but the Italian soon found his rhythm and was gradually making up time on the Australian when he saw him slide off into the gravel. The pair had already opened out an impressive gap from the chasing pack and Rossi was left to race the remaining 15 laps alone and unchallenged, eventually coming home 15 seconds clear of Toni Elias. The seven-time world champion's 67th premier-class victory takes him within one race of the all-time premier-class record, held by his compatriot Giacomo Agostini.

"I was confident today because my bike was fast from Friday practice, and with Jeremy we made a small modification to the front after warm-up to allow me to be a bit faster in some sections, and it worked very well," said Rossi. "I lost about half a second getting past Hopkins at the start and Casey was incredibly fast at that stage, like he'd already done ten laps! For a short time I was worried but then, after two laps, I understood that my bike was working very well and that I was fast enough to try to catch him. I had closed a little bit already and gradually the red bike was becoming a bit bigger in front of me, and I think this is when he started to push harder and made his mistake. I was anticipating a very hard battle if I did catch him, so when I saw the red bike slide out I could hardly believe it - this made things a lot easier for me! After that I just enjoyed riding my bike; my Bridgestone tyres worked very well until the end and my M1 felt very good. Of course I can't count this as a complete victory because Casey fell, and I am sorry for him, but this is racing and I have to be happy with this result. We are 50 points clear which is a lot and I am very excited to be going to Misano in this situation. However we know that 50 points is still not always enough when you have someone as strong as Casey and so we won't relax. Now we have two days of testing and we will try some new electronics in order to help me open the throttle earlier and also, of course, test some Bridgestone tyres."

Rossi is now 50 points clear of Stoner with Pedrosa 15 points off in third, whilst Lorenzo's six points see him remain fourth in the standings, ten points ahead of Andrea Dovizioso. The team will remain in Brno for a two-day test, before the next round at Misano in Italy in two week's time.

Source:
http://moto.gpupdate.net

Ducati top test with Stoner

The Ducati team completed the first of two days of post-race testing today at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic, with the warm sunshine returning to make for much higher temperatures than during the Grand Prix weekend.

Casey Stoner completed 55 laps on race tyres, carrying out a variety of positive set-up and tyre tests and maintaining a consistently quick pace - well inside the circuit record he set in Sunday's race.

"It has been a really positive day," said Stoner. "We didn't have too much to test - a couple of new tyres and that's about it - but we managed to find a new setting to improve on what was already a very good situation. I managed to drop my lap times by almost a second on yesterday and that's really positive. Unfortunately my physical condition on Friday and the rain on Saturday meant that we didn't head into the race in the best possible shape. In any case I'm happy because the things we've improved today will be useful for the upcoming races. Hopefully the weather's good to us again tomorrow so we can finish the job off with Bridgestone"

Marco Melandri also worked on his set-up, completing 71 laps as he looked to continue improving the feeling with his machine as he has done over the past few races.

"Today we worked mainly on trying to understand why I struggled so much at the start of the race yesterday," said Melandri. "My pace hasn't been particularly fast but I'm happy that it was consistent on both new and used tyres. We've taken a step forward and we'll work hard tomorrow to take another one. We'll probably modify the weight distribution a little to improve the overall feeling. We're working well and I can say that today has been a good day of tests."

Source:
http://moto.gpupdate.net

Afghani Marriage Traditions

Author: Rafi Michael

Marriage is the auspicious occasion which demand gathering. The marriage demands celebration and community feast accompanied with lots of thrills.

Afghan marriage is generally accustomed with the traditions and rituals which have been the part of the ancient culture. Though different tribes are accustomed with the somewhat different rituals, but laws remain same throughout the nation.

In Afghanistan, marriage is a much celebrated event where the entire atmosphere hives with activity.

Marriage between the first cousins is a common practice. When the girl attains the age of ten, search for a prospective groom is initiated by the women folk. Mother and aunts meet the female friends to consult various prospective candidates.

The status of the guy, his background and his looks are considered before deciding the issue. The choice is then presented before the men folk and they take necessary inquires before finalizing the alliance. Once everything is found suitable, the pre-wedding ceremonies are performed to give a public approval of the things.

Actual marriage generally takes place when girl attains the age of sixteen.

According to the local tradition, every marriage requires two exchanges. A dowry is brought by the bride to the husband's house. It generally constitutes household items which the couple will need for their future life together.

On the other side, 'mahr' which is the price for the girl is paid by the groom. It generally consists of livestock, property and money.

Wedding day is the day of great activity for the family. Gathering of friends and relatives is held to compliment the couple and their families. Whole environment presents a festive look.

Special dishes are prepared which include kababs grilled on skewers, nan which is Afghan bread in flat and oval shaped, stewed vegetables and rice cooked with meat.

In the evening, women sit inside the courtyard. The men sit in 'hujara', which is a large room with Afghan carpets and cushions. Hujara is place where men sit. In Afghanistan and other traditional Islamic cultures, it is customary to have men and women separated at social events.

Every arrangement for the comforts of the guests is done. In the evening, a feast is organized. As is dictated by the Pushtun tradition of hospitability, the hosts will not eat until after the guests have had their fill.

In the end, music is played to mark the atmosphere with gaiety and excitement.

The Afghan laws govern the marriages. A Muslim man can marry a non Muslim woman but a non Muslim woman cannot marry a Muslim man.

When a Muslim man wants to marry a foreign woman who is non-Muslim and the woman is not "kitabi" that is of the book, she must first convert to Islam. In either case, the court will only register the marriage religiously, with the "nekah ceremony". When both the parties are Muslim, the Family Court will register the marriage and perform the Muslim "nekah"ceremony. The "nekah"is comprised of the "igaba wa qabul" which is an acceptance agreement and the "khotba".

In case of both non-Muslim foreigners, the court will register the marriage by performing solely the "igaba wa qabul" or acceptance agreement. The court will also seek to apply the regulations which govern marriages in the couples' home country. Though Afghan law permits polygamy but American men will not be allowed to marry multiple women.

Afghani Marriage Traditions, Afghani Marriage Styles, Afghani Marriage Cultures Afghani Marriage Traditions, Afghani Marriage Styles, Afghani Marriage Wedding Cultures

Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com

An Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine

When you hear about Traditional Chinese Medicine, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? Odd stuff in jars in dark smoky rooms where equally odd old men mutter strange incantations in Chinese as they burn incense in a pot? Actually, there may actually literally be such places and maybe they do practice some form of Traditional Chinese Medicine too – but in these modern times, Traditional Chinese Medicine can also mean medicine that is practiced by even Western followers of the traditional ways of treating patients as the Chinese have learned all these centuries. And for such Western practitioners, Traditional Chinese Medicine may not mean burning incense as well but rather keeping rather immaculate and clinical treatment rooms where any modern patient would feel comfortable being treated for whatever is ailing him.

One part of Traditional Chinese Medicine that many Westerners may have heard of is acupuncture which is closely related to acupressure. Both acupuncture and acupressure are based on the premise that throughout our body certain points exist at which energy might be strongest. When the Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner finds some energy points to be “blocked”, he might prescribe a round of acupuncture (meaning, sharp sterile needles are inserted at such pressure points to release your vital energy that has been blocked there), or simply press down on the pressure points in a prescribed way so that the blocked energy finds itself flowing again through your body and the ailment is relieved. Though some Westerners may find this Traditional Chinese Medicine belief to be a bit strange, many other Western medical practitioners now advocate these two Traditional Chinese Medicine practices and may even use them in their own clinical practice.

Depending on who you talk to, Traditional Chinese Medicine may be considered either a form of alternative medicine or a form of complementary medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine may be a type of alternative medicine in that you can opt for Traditional Chinese Medicine practices rather than the conventional Western style of medical treatment – thus you chose an alternative. Traditional Chinese Medicine practices become complementary medicine when you allow both a Western style of medical treatment and the Traditional Chinese Medicine practices to be used side by side at the same time when you are undergoing treatment for your ailment. It may be easier to determine the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine when you opt to have it by itself, rather than mixing it with other forms of treatment. This is because the symptoms of your ailment might get relieved under a complementary medicine type of treatment program so you might get confused as to which treatment option really worked for you.

Not surprisingly, many people of Oriental lineage are strong believers in Traditional Chinese Medicine and may eschew modern ways of treatment so that they can favor Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment options alone for themselves and their loved ones. Is this good? It depends on the ailment – there are some ailments that modern ways of treatment seem to have been very effective at treating (such as cancer) for which there is little evidence that Traditional Chinese Medicine can cure. If you want to be sure of getting well, you may want to pursue Traditional Chinese Medicine only after modern scientific ways of diagnosing an illness have failed to show what you are really ill with. There is some evidence of a so-called placebo effect when complementary medicine methods are used where modern treatment practices have failed to give the desired cure.

AC Milan are considering Kovac

Milan's search for a defender has led them to Spartak Moscow stopper Radoslav Kovac, according to the player's agent.

The world champions are lacking options at the back and are determined to find cover for an injury-hit defence.

After missing out on Chelsea starlet Branislav Ivanovic, the Rossoneri need to come up with a new target, and that man could be Kovac.

The Czech international can be used as a central defender or a holding midfielder and has hinted that he is looking for a chance in one of Europe's biggest Leagues.

The towering Kovac reportedly features on a number of shopping lists but his representative thinks he will be wearing a Milan shirt next term.

“Milan are after the player but we are still at the beginning of negotiations,” Pavel Zika claimed.

“The Rossoneri have good relations with the Russian club and a deal could be agreed for £4m.”
Source:
http://www.acmilan-online.com

A new target in the Middle East

Not long ago, motor racing was banned in Saudi Arabia, but as the sport spreads through the Middle East, things are changing. In 2007 the kingdom was included in the FIA calendar for the first time with a round of the FIA International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas. In 2008 the laws were changed to allow for the construction of racing circuits and very rapidly several facilities have emerged, including a privately-owned circuit near Riyadh, called the Reem Auto Club Experience and a dragstrip in Jeddah.

Saudi has great potential for the sport. It is the largest automotive market in the region with half a million new vehicles sold each year and it has its own Saudi International Motor Show in Jeddah. The country has an oil-based economy - with 25% of the world's proven petroleum reserves and 75% of the national revenues coming from oil. The government is keen to reduce the country's dependence on oil and is investing in a number of different sectors, notably tourism, especially along the Red Sea coast.

To date Saudi involvement in motorsport has been solely financial, beginning in the late 1970s when a consortium of Saudi firms including Saudia, Albilad, Technique d'avant Garde (TAG), and Dallah-Avco all help to fund Williams. TAG went on to become a partner in McLaren, funding the highly-successful Porsche-built TAG turbo engines in the 1980s and the Ojjeh family is still involved in McLaren.

It is interesting to note, therefore, that Saudi Telecom, the largest telecom company in the Middle East, has just agreed a five-year sponsorship deal with English Premier League club, Manchester United.

If soccer can find money in Saudi Arabia, one would imagine that motor racing can do likewise, particularly given the links between the automobile industry and oil.

Source:

What is going on with Kimi Raikkonen?

Formula 1 is a world which tends to make judgements based on what happened five minutes ago, rather than looking at longer-term trends or the bigger picture. Thus it is no surprise that Felipe Massa's victory in Valencia is seen as confirmation that the Brazilian is now Ferrari's challenger for the World Championship.

On paper this is certainly true. Massa has now won four of Ferrari's six victories, and he is just six points behind World Championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

The European GP win moves him to seven points ahead of his Ferrari team-mate, World Champion Kimi Raikkonen. The key point, however, is that while both Ferrari drivers have had their ups and downs this year, Raikkonen has now had four consecutive races in which his pace (rather than the result) has been very disappointing. He did finish on the podium in Hungary, but only after Massa and Hamilton ran into trouble. Raikkonen started the year strongly, but he has not won a race since Spain in April. Massa has won three and should really have won a fourth, but for a cruel engine failure in the closing laps in Budapest. Kimi has had one major disappointment. At Magny-Cours he was on course for victory when his exhaust failed and he dropped to second place.

Ferrari is standing by him (as one would expect), but there are fears in Maranello that there is more to this slump than meets the eye. Given that there have been rumours for some months that Kimi is considering retirement from F1 it is not surprising that people are putting two and two together an making five.

Raikkonen is saying that this is just a bad patch

"These things happen in racing," he said. "I am not too worried. I still think I can come back this season. It was not a great weekend, but it is not the first time. We are in a bit of a worse situation in the championship, but if we get all the things sorted then I think we still have a chance to come back."

Raikkonen is 28, but has been racing in F1 fulltime since he was 21. He has now made more money than he will need for the rest of his life. He still loves to compete, but there are some who think that having achieved his career goal of being World Champion his desire to be in F1 is perhaps no longer as strong as once it was. He makes no secret of the fact that he has never liked the F1 lifestyle, as it means he cannot enjoy himself as much as he wants to do without fear of media coverage.

The other thing that may be troubling Raikkonen is that he knows that Ferrari has a very good alternative in Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard is clearly interested in joining the team as soon as possible and there have even been rumours that there is some kind of arrangement in place already, depending on what happens with Raikkonen. The Finn has a contract for 2009 but will know very well how Ferrari operates as he was in Alonso's situation a couple of years ago when he did a deal with Ferrari 18 months before he replaced Michael Schumacher.

There is also the question of money. Raikkonen is believed to have a salary of around $40m, while Massa is not thought to be earning more than about $10m. Ferrari may be supportive of Raikkonen, but they also want value for money and there have been few signs in recent months that the spark that made Kimi such an attractive prospect earlier in his career is still burning as brightly as once it did.

Source:

Tensions at Force India

The Force India team has been doing rather better this year than in previous incarnations in previous seasons, thanks in large part to the arrival of Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya, who has provided the team with financial stability. Mallya and team principal Colin Kolles have been pushing hard to try to move up the grid and the engineers, led by Mike Gascoyne, have made a lot of progress. The team has moved forwards and is now much closer to the main F1 pack. Given that the budget of Force India is still tiny in comparison to the big manufacturer operations and that, unlike Scuderia Toro Rosso, the team designs and builds its own cars, the progress has been solid and quite impressive, particularly when one considers that the car is a much-modified old chassis, dating back a couple of years. This seems like a good foundation on which to build, but it seems that this is not enough for some of those involved. They believe that Force India should be scoring points. The closest the team came was at Monaco where Adrian Sutil stayed out of trouble and was on his way to points when he was nerfed off the road by Kimi Raikkonen.

Force India has registered only 11 finishes in 24 starts this year, with the retirements being split fairly evenly between accidents and mechanical failures. In some races where there have been finishes there have been other accidents and other mechanical problems which did not result in retirements. This has led to frustration in both camps. The management seems to think that the drivers can be forgiven most things because they are having to drive hard and so mistakes are inevitable. Others argue the pair make too many errors.

The relationships within the team have been deteriorating gradually in recent months and, despite the long-delayed arrival of the team's seamless gearshift, we hear that they have now got to a point at which action is necessary. It seems that this will boil down to a decision between team principal Kolles and engineer Mike Gascoyne. The team would probably be better off trying to manage its expectations and get everyone working together, but neither Kolles nor Gascoyne seem very interested in compromise. If there has to be a decision between the two it will be important to consider if there may be other ramifications and other people departing.

Source:

LG KC550

Specifications
LG KC550
Network2G
3G
GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
SizeDimensions
Weight
Display
96.9 x 51.4 x 14.9 mm (3.81 x 2.02 x 0.59 in)
110 gram
TFT, 256K colors
240 x 320 pixels, 2.4 inches (~167 ppi pixel density)
MemoryPhonebook
Call records
Internal
Card slot
1000 entries, Photocall
40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed calls
12 MB
microSD, up to 4 GB
DataGPRS
EDGE
3G
WLAN
Bluetooth
Infrared port
USB
Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
Class 12


v2.0 with A2DP

Yes
FeaturesOS
CPU
Messaging
Alert
Browser
Radio
GPS
Games
Camera
Video
Colors
Java


SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
WAP 2.0/xHTML
FM radio

incl. motion-based + downloadable
5 MP, Schneider-Kreuznach optics, autofocus, LED flash
480p
Black, pink, gray
MIDP 2.0
- Loudspeaker
- Mini-SIM
- Social networking integration
- Accelerometer (sensor)
- MP3/WAV/AAC++/WMA/RA player
- MP4/H.264/RV player
- Photo editor
- Voice memo
- Speakerphone
- Organizer
- TV-out
- Clock
- Calendar
- Alarm
Battery
Stand-by
Talk time
Standard battery, Li-Ion 900 mAh
Up to 450 h
Up to 6 h

Image: http://www.welectronics.com/g

Stoner takes pole in thrilling Assen qualifying

Ducati Corse rider Casey Stoner has claimed his third consecutive pole position of the season in this afternoon’s Assen qualifying session after a thrilling three-way duel with Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi. It is the fourth successive pole position set on Bridgestone tyres this year.

Stoner’s time of 1m35.520s shows an almost one second improvement over the existing pole record, also set on Bridgestone rubber back in 2006.

Rossi finished a valiant third today, just 0.139s behind Stoner and 0.107s behind Pedrosa, having held provisional pole before each riders’ final qualifying run. The third position represents Rossi’s fifth front-row start of the season.

Bridgestone-shod riders fill half of the top ten grid positions for tomorrow’s 26-lap Dutch TT with Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen in eighth, San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Shinya Nakano in ninth and Alice Team rider Sylvain Guintoli continuing his good form in Assen this weekend with his first top ten qualifying position on Bridgestone tyres.

A largely wet morning practice session prevented riders, once again, from conducting the longer runs that tyre manufacturers prefer to carry out in order to verify tyre durability. The dry afternoon session did permit some further honing of the machine-tyre packages before riders switched to qualifying rubber.

Tyre Talk with Tohru Ubukata - Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager, Motorcycle Race Tyre Development

You must be pleased with another pole position?
“It was a very exciting end to qualifying today with Casey and Valentino exchanging fastest laps on qualifying tyres before Dani set a quick time in the closing moments to split our two riders on the front row. The session was run at a very high level with the best times nearly one second faster than the pole record. We have taken pole position three years in a row at Assen with John Hopkins in 2006 and Chris Vermeulen last season, so I am pleased to continue this trend after another excellent performance from Casey this afternoon.”

Will tyre choice be difficult for tomorrow?
“This morning’s wet session prevented us from carrying out long runs with our riders, a situation similar to what we faced in Donington last weekend. We have a lot of data from yesterday, but we have not been able to verify the consistency of our race specs. The weather is again unpredictable, something we should be accustomed to by now, but it does not make our jobs easy, that is for sure. Hopefully the warm-up session in the morning will be dry so we can get a few more important laps in dry conditions.”

Source:
http://www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Nakano wraps up positive test for Gresini

Gresini completed their second and final day of testing at Brno today, with only Shinya Nakano taking to the track - Alex De Angelis having completed his test programme yesterday. The Japanese rider has made the most of two days of sunshine to accumulate experience on the new Honda RC212V, the satellite version 2009 machine that he debuted during the Czech Republic Grand Prix.

After completing 67 laps yesterday, Shinya clocked up another 27 today and ended the session fifth fastest overall with a best lap of 1'57"559.

"Today we were able to carry out more set-up work on the RC212V, which we still don't completely know," said Nakano. "The dry track time yesterday and today has allowed me to build up my confidence with the bike - I had a good race here at Brno on Sunday but we hadn't had enough time to adapt it completely to my riding style. The objective of this test was to find something more suited to our demands and we managed that - everything went as planned. At the end we were able to do some tyre tests with the Bridgestone technicians, testing two new types of compound. I didn't do as many laps today because after the race weekend and a long first day of the test the tiredness started to kick in. Other than that I'm happy and confident about the next race at Misano!"

Source:
http://moto.gpupdate.net

Repsol Honda back to full strength

The Repsol Honda Team will be back to full strength for the San Marino Grand Prix, with Nicky Hayden coming back from injury to rejoin team-mate Dani Pedrosa.

Hayden missed the recent Czech GP due to a foot injury sustained during an X Games Supermoto event in Los Angeles on August 1. Doctors told the 2006 MotoGP World Champion that a hasty return to racing might complicate the right-heel injury, advising him to delay his comeback until Misano.

Pedrosa and Hayden will race their usual RC212V machines at Italy's second MotoGP event of the year, the Spaniard using his valve-spring engine, while the American rides the pneumatic-valve machine he first raced at June's British GP. Pedrosa is hoping that the grip issues that consigned him to a 15th place finish at Brno will have been resolved for the San Marino event. The team will stay on to test at Misano, when it's likely that Pedrosa will try the pneumatic-valve engine.

"I am hoping that we can have a better weekend at Misano, though I had bad luck there last year, another rider knocked me off at the very first corner," Pedrosa said. "The Misano circuit is quite fast but it feels tight and narrow. The grip level is okay; last year we used medium-compound tyres because it was quite hot. The track was also very bumpy last year, which was probably its worst feature. From a set-up point of view the most important thing at Misano is having good braking power and good stability when accelerating out of the corners. It's the kind of track that requires you to ride aggressively. My favourite section is the final part, though the most important section for good lap times is the first. The atmosphere is great and it can get quite intense. You get a lot of Valentino Rossi fans there because his hometown is nearby."

Nicky Hayden commented, "I'm certainly excited to be getting back out there with the boys, because I hated missing Brno. I've been doing all the old 'voodoo' stuff they tell you to do: bone stimulators, lasers, ultrasound, all that stuff, I'm doing everything possible to get back. I had hoped my progress would be quicker. I still need crutches at this stage, but unless something goes south I definitely plan on trying to ride. I've been seeing doctors, and I'm going to get something moulded to wear in my boot. I've been doing some training in the pool and a few things at the gym, nothing too crazy. Misano is almost a Laguna without the hills, it's a tight little scrappy track where you need a bike you can be aggressive with. I enjoyed it last year but I'd just as soon they flipped it back around and go the old direction for those big lefts that used to go on to the back straightaway, I remember seeing the old 500s guys riding those on TV."

Source:
http://moto.gpupdate.net

History and People of Papua New Guinea

The first inhabitants of Papua New Guinea, probably migrants from the Indonesian archipelago, arrived about 50,000 years ago. These migrants arrived in several waves, and the land that they encountered had a remarkable effect on cultural development. Because New Guinea's terrain is marked by imposing mountains and extremely rugged territory, different population groups developed in virtual isolation. Each group developed its own language and its own tribal culture, a development that gives Papua New Guinea one of the world's most diverse and fascinating cultural landscapes.

The first contact with the island by Europeans occurred in the early 16th century, when the Portuguese explorer Jorge de Meneses sighted the country and named it Ilhas dos Papuas (Land of the Fuzzy-Haired People). However, it wasn't until the mid-1800's that European missionaries and traders began to settle on the island, and even those few settlers limited their presence mostly to the accessible coastal areas. Over the next several decades Papua New Guinea was claimed by the Germans, the British, and the Dutch, but it came under the control of Australia after World War One. The inland Highland region, thought to be too inhospitable for habitation, wasn't even explored until the 1930s. Astoundingly, European explorers in search of gold instead discovered over one million people, living in fertile mountain valleys and in cultures that hadn't changed since the Stone Age. By the 1960s there had emerged a significant independence movement in the country, and in 1975, after a brief period of internal autonomy, Papua New Guinea declared its full independence.

The people can be divided into four ethnic groups: New Guineans (from the north of the main island), Papuans (from the south), Highlanders, and Islanders. There is, however, considerable cultural variation within each of these groups. The peoples of the south coast were notorious for headhunting and cannibalism before the arrival of the Europeans. Many people still live in small villages and follow traditional tribal customs. Although English is the official language in schools and government, almost 800 distinct languages are spoken in the islands.

Source:
http://www.geographia.com

Dances In India: The Celebration Of A Rich Culture

By: Sonal Arya

India is said to have the richest cultural heritage in all countries around the globe. This is due to the different communities that thrive under the same sky and the tolerance that they have for each other. Different types of cultures have different dances in India. These are not just a form but an expression of their love to god and other human beings. Also, they form an inseparable part of any occasion and festival.

Dance is a form of expression to the people through which they can give a vent to their emotions, appreciation and worship. Initially with what started as a tribute to god and a way to worship, dance has now evolved greatly in India and has a different place in every variety of culture that is found in the country. It is a silent connection between the different races of people which co-exist in India.

Different states in the country have their different dance forms like Bihar has Bihu, Odissi is seen in Orissa, Bhangra in Punjab, Bharatnatyam in Tamil Nadu etc. There are other forms of dance as well which belong to the tribes in West Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand and is called the Chau dance.

Other parts of the country like Gujarat have their own dance like the Garba and the Dandiya which is played with sticks. Every dance has a special significance in the specific culture. Some dances are ways to worship god or tell stories about the gods like the Raasleela. All these dances are performed win different ways from each other and form a great variety in the same country.

The differences in the cultures that are found in the country have defined the diversity in the country for so many years of its freedom and overall existence. The Dances In India are a mirror of the growth and existence of these cultures in India and the way they have grown and made their existence known to the world.

Sonal Arya is offering advice for quite some time. Having completed her Ph.d in Archaeology from The Jawaharlal Nehru University. She provide useful advice through her articles that have been found very useful. To find dances in india, famous in india, cities in india, temples in india, personalities in india visit http://www.famousinindia.com/

Source:
http://www.articlefasttrack.com

The History of the Jamaican People and Their Culture

By: Stephanie Larkin

Jamaica is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean, but this country is also called home by millions of people. Most tourists never learn about the history of the Jamaican people, but if you’re planning to vacation here, you will enjoy and understand it more if you better understand their culture.

Early History of Jamaica

The history of Jamaica begins with the natives that inhabited the island before Christopher Columbus discovered it in 1494. These people, the Taino, were the original residents of the island, but they quickly died out with the arrival of Spanish colonists. They were peaceful people and thrived in the agricultural industry. The smallpox epidemic that European settlers brought to Jamaica caused their ultimate extinction. Today, there are no known direct descendants of the Taino people, but branches of the same family tree from other tribes do still exist in Puerto Rico, Aruba, and parts of South America. Due to intermarrying, however, some of the inhabitants of Jamaica may still carry a Taino bloodline.

Jamaica, like the United States, is known as a melting pot due to European settlement, most of which was British. This was also a hub for slavery in the Americas until 1838, when the practice was abolished by the English who still owned the island. During this time period, Jamaica was also a hot spot for pirates. It remained in British control on varying levels until the 1960s.

Jamaican Language and Religion

Because of this port-based country’s draw for various groups of people, the culture you will find on this island is a mixture of the cultures of the native people, most of whom are Spanish and English settlers, African slaves, and tourists from around the world who decided to move to this island. English is the official language of the country, but most people speak Jamaican Patois, which some consider to be an English dialect while others consider it to be a separate language.

Although Jamaica is a small country with under three million inhabitants, its culture has influenced the world. Without Tainos-influenced Jamaica, we would not have words such as canoe, hammock, and barbecue. The hammock is an ever-popular way to relax in the sun, and in the 16th century, Jamaicans created hammocks as a way to change sailors’ sleeping quarters. It was much cleaner than the traditional bug-filled beds of soggy straw which lay on the ground.

Jamaica’s culture is deeply rooted in religion. Due to the high number of missionary immigrants initially, Christianity is by far the strongest religion in this country. However, an offshoot of traditional Christianity called Rastafari developed in Jamaica, and this religion (made more famous in the Western World by musician Bob Marley) is the backbone to much of Jamaica’s musical and spiritual practices. This religious sect is based on the Old Testament with the belief that Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is the true descendant of Christianity.

Jamaican Music

Music is one of the most important parts of Jamaican culture, in part due to its strong ties to the church. This small nation is home to a number of musical genres, including reggae, dance hall, and ska. This is also the birthplace of toasting, a chant/speech style of music with a strong beat, which is said to be one of the grandfathers of today’s rap and hip-hop culture. Some of the most famous Jamaican musicians include Bob Marley, The Skatalites, Alton Ellis, Peter Tosh, Beenie Man, and most recently Sean Kingston. In addition, a number of artists have cited Jamaican music as an influence in their work. These artists include rock bands such as The Clash and The Police, and rap artists Wu-Tang Clan.

Dance is quite important in Jamaican culture. These include both religious types of dancing, which are an integral part of ceremonies, and secular dancing, which is a response to the reggae, ska, and dance hall music that became so popular in this country in the 20th century. Other nearby islands, like Trinidad and Tobago, also influenced dance in Jamaica.

Jamaica Today

Today, Jamaica is still a melting pot of cultures. Over all cultures, however, the focus has slowly been shifting to tourism and the environment, and today most major cruise lines have ships that port in Jamaica. There is also a keen awareness of the decline in healthy coral reefs in this country, and a movement to bring them back.

Jamaica might be a tiny island, but this country has a big personality. If you’re traveling to Jamaica, take a moment to find out more about the culture of the Jamaican people. They are some of the most friendly, welcoming people you’ll ever meet.

About Author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics pertaining to vacations and the travel industry such as a Jamaica Vacation

Source:
http://www.articlefasttrack.com

LG KT520

Specifications
LG KT520
Network2G
3G
GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA 2100
SizeDimensions
Weight
Display
101.4 x 49.6 x 15.3 mm (3.99 x 1.95 x 0.60 in)
97 gram
TFT, 256K colors
240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches (~182 ppi pixel density)
MemoryPhonebook
Call records
Internal
Card slot
Yes, Photocall
40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed calls
30 MB
microSD, up to 4 GB
DataGPRS
EDGE
3G
WLAN
Bluetooth
Infrared port
USB
Yes
Yes
HSPA 3.6/0.384 Mbps

v2.0

Yes
FeaturesOS
CPU
Messaging
Alert
Browser
Radio
GPS
Games
Camera
Video
Colors
Java


SMS, EMS, MMS
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML


Yes
3.15 MP
Yes
Black
MIDP 2.0
- Loudspeaker
- Mini-SIM
- 360 deg finger mouse navigation
- Downloadable themes
- MP3 player
- Voice command/dial
- Clock
- Calendar
- Alarm
Battery
Stand-by
Talk time
Standard battery, Li-Ion 800 mAh
Up to 290 h
Up to 3 h 30 min

Image: http://www.welectronics

LG L343i

Specifications
LG L343i
Network2G
3G
GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
SizeDimensions
Weight
Display
89 x 47 x 21.9 mm (3.50 x 1.85 x 0.86 in)
86 gram
TFT, 256K colors
128 x 160 pixels
MemoryPhonebook
Call records
Internal
Card slot
Yes, Photocall
10 dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls

DataGPRS
EDGE
3G
WLAN
Bluetooth
Infrared port
USB
Yes



Yes

FeaturesOS
CPU
Messaging
Ringtones
Browser
Radio
GPS
Games
Camera
Video
Colors
Java


SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic ringtones
iMode


Yes
VGA, LED flash
Yes
Black
MIDP 2.0
- Mini-SIM
- Second external OLED, 65K colors display (96 x 64 pixels)
- Predictive text input
- Organizer
- Voice memo
- Clock
- Calendar
- Alarm
Battery
Stand-by
Talk time
StandardLi-Ion battery
Up to 200 h
Up o

Image: http://www.welectronics.com/gsm/lg/lg

Stoner continues pole string in Brno

Wet conditions in Brno were something that no one of riders preferred for qualifying session, expect maybe few usual favorites in wet. Casey Stoner managed to get another pole position despite bad weather and not so good physical shape. Stoner took pole position in his first run, after which weather conditions on the track got worse and he did not even try to improve it. Similar was with Rossi, who once again secured chance to be close to his title rival on the starting grid, which we saw as important factor in some of previous races. John Hopkins, recovering from serious injuries and returning after 2 month break, managed to grab final position in front row.

Wet weather specialist Chris Vermeulen was once again fast on his Suzuki and took 4th place in Brno. Alex De Angelis took great 5th place, while one of those rare people who probably wanted weather like this, Anthony West, took 6th place on the grid. Randy De Puniet managed to score both 3rd crash for this weekend and 7th position on the grid.

Shinya Nakano was not as great on factory bike in wet conditions as he was in dry, so he had to settle for 8th place. Loris Capirossi was another rider that was unable to repeat his dry performance in the wet, taking 9th place. Sulvain Guintoli rode really hard his nervous Desmosedici to complete top 10 qualifiers in Brno.

MotoGP grid, which already has to few riders, may be shorter for two more tomorrow - James Toseland and Jorge Lorenzo were not able to get inside 107% of time set by Casey Stoner. Obviously wet weather brought disaster to Michelin camp, as only Michelin rider inside top 10 qualifiers was Randy de Puniet. Dry weather is prognosed for tomorrow, so we may expect some close racing.

Source:
http://www.highrevs.net

Rossi wins Brno race of surprises

Race at Brno today was not particularly exciting, but it's outcome was something that none of us expected. Valentino Rossi has won Czech Republic Grand Prix after Casey Stoner crashed while leading race in lap 6. Rossi easily finished race around 15 seconds in front of second-placed Toni Elias, who has overcome problems on the start of the warm-up lap and bad starting position to bring first podium this season for satellite Ducati team. Loris Capirossi rode steady race to finish in 3rd, bringing another podium to Rizla Suzuki.

Stoner and Rossi were in class of their own through the race - they were setting low 1.57 laps before Stoner crashed, having more than 12 second advantage over 3rd placed rider in lap 6. Although many will try to describe Stoner's crash as breaking under pressure from Valentino Rossi, it was probably one of those things that happen when racing on the limit. Just to illustrate level at which were those two riders - Rossi slowed-down after Stoner's crash, but still continued to set laps that were faster than any other rider on the track most of the time.

Shinya Nakano made his way through the field from 12th place at the end of the lap 1 to 4th place at the race finish, being best Honda finisher in this race. Surprise of the day came from the Anthony West, who managed to capitalize great start and stay with 'leaders' till the end of the race. Chris Vermeulen seemed set for another podium finish, when suddenly dropped few places in lap 9, eventually finishing race in 6th. Marco Melandri scored second best result of the season by finishing in 7th place. Alex de Angelis finished 8th, ending string of Bridgestone finishers.

Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo were only Michelin representatives in top 10, which was complete disaster for French tyre manufacturer. After this race, Rossi gained 25 more points in championship battle, now leading Stoner by 50 points. With 6 races remaining this looks like great advantage, but for sure we may expect from Stoner to strike back, and he will get first chance to do it in 2 weeks.

Source:
http://www.highrevs.net

Melandri to keep Ducati ride for Brno

By Steven English
Marco Melandri will race for the Ducati Marlboro team at Brno in three weeks' time, according to team boss Livio Suppo.

The Italian's place had been in doubt after his dismal start to the season, and Sete Gibernau had been touted as a potential replacement after the summer break following his three tests with the factory team.

Ducati admitted that Melandri's performance in the last two races at Sachsenring and Laguna Seca would determine his future. Then Melandri himself revealed that he could be replaced by Gibernau at Brno and expected a decision from the team last week.

But in his blog on the Ducati website, Suppo says Melandri will be back on the bike at the next round.

"Laguna was a positive weekend for Marco, albeit without the final result that he hoped to achieve," said Suppo. "In the warm-up he was very fast, as he had been in free practice. In the race, however, he was unfortunate to touch at the first curve which caused him to run off track.

"But he showed that he was making a constant effort, just as he did at Sachsenring. He was consistently up with the frontrunners during the practices and warm-up and we're convinced that he has understood how to get the best out of the Desmosedici.

"Now we have some holiday time, but we can't wait to see Casey and Marco back on track again at Brno."

Source:
http://www.autosport.com

Injury sidelines Hopkins again

John Hopkins has more injury woes to contend with after hurting his rib in fall during the Czech Republic Grand Prix weekend, a problem that went on to force him out of the two-day test at Brno.

Hopkins has been at the behest of various problems this season but came to the latest round of MotoGP ready to put them behind him as the embarked on his comeback round having missed the last three races due to a leg injury.

However, while a couple of falls during practice don't appear to have aggravated the leg anymore, they have seemingly caused a further rib injury for the popular Anglo-American, forcing him to end his testing exercise after only a few laps.

s such, Olivier Jacque was called upon to complete a second day of testing aboard the Kawasaki Ninja, alongside Anthony West. Producing the ninth fastest lap of the day, 2.6secs behind pace setter Casey Stoner, the Frenchman was pleased with the progress made.

"The last two days have been very useful to us and we've gathered a lot of data. We firstly worked with our base chassis setting to see where we could make adjustments to improve the stability and balance of the machine. We also had a new swing-arm and some electronic components to test today, which have both brought interesting results.

“This track is quite grippy so it's difficult to see exactly where this puts us with regards to some of the other circuits, but I am confident that we've made many forward steps. We now need to spend time reviewing the data to assess fully everything we've evaluated in the last two days."

West meanwhile, whose career-best fifth place finish at Brno on Sunday appears to have not saved him the axe ahead of 2009, was the slowest of the 11 runners, but believes he has a more predictable bike beneath him now.

Source:
http://www.crash.net

LG KG290

Specifications
LG KG290
Network2G
3G
GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
SizeDimensions
Weight
Display
92 x 46 x 17.7 mm (3.62 x 1.81 x 0.70 in)
90 gram
TFT, 256K colors
128 x 160 pixels, 1.77 inches (~116 ppi pixel density)
MemoryPhonebook
Call records
Internal
Card slot
Yes, Photocall
40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed calls
5 MB
microSD
DataGPRS
EDGE
3G
WLAN
Bluetooth
Infrared port
USB
Class 10



Yes

Yes
FeaturesOS
CPU
Messaging
Alert
Browser
Radio
GPS
Games
Camera
Video
Colors
Java


SMS, MMS
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
WAP 2.0/xHTML
FM radio

Yes
1.3 MP
Yes
Black, gray
MIDP 2.0
- Loudspeaker
- Mini-SIM
- Downloadable wallpapers
- MP3/WMA/ААС++ player
- Organizer
- World time
- Voice memo
- Clock
- Calendar
- Alarm
Battery
Stand-by
Talk time
Standard battery, Li-Ion 820 mAh
Up to 200 h
Up to 2 h

Image: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_kg290-pictures-2118.php

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