French train races at 574.8 kph (Aboard Train V150)

Roaring like a jet plane, spitting sparks and trailing dust, a French train with a souped-up engine and special wheels broke the world speed record Tuesday for conventional rail trains, reaching 574.8 kph (357.2 mph).The black and chrome train with three double-decker cars, named the V150, bettered the previous record of 515.3 (320.2 mph), set in 1990 by another French train. However, it fell short of the ultimate record set by Japan's non-conventional magnetically levitated train, which sped to 581 kph (361 mph) in 2003.Tuesday's endeavour, some 200 km (125 miles) east of Paris on a new track linking Paris with Strasbourg, showcased technology France is trying to sell to multi-billion dollar overseas markets like China.

Sparks flew from the power lines overhead and a long tail of dust kicked up behind the train as it whizzed through the French countryside. The train sped along far faster than a passenger jet taking off or a Formula One race car. On board, the sensation was comparable to that of an airplane at liftoff. The train kept up with planes flying overhead taking photos. People lined bridges clapping and cheering as the train zipped underneath them. ''There are about 10,000 engineers who would want to be in my place,'' train driver Eric Pieczac said. ''It makes me very happy, a mixed feeling of pride and honor to be able to reach this speed.'' Technicians on the train had ''French excellence'' emblazoned on the backs of their T-shirts. Some applauded when the top speed was attained. The train also carried journalists. On board, there were noticeable vibrations as the train hurtled along. The air pressure briefly caused a slight earache. Journalists were not buckled into their seats, but were told not to move around or stand up, so as not to interfere with live television broadcasts from the train.

Outside, the countryside zipped past too fast to appreciate. After setting the record, the train gradually slowed. By comparison to its top speed, its cruising speed of around 300 kph (190 mph) felt snail-paced.

The REAL woman behind Provoked speaks up

She is Kiranjit Ahluwalia and she can easily pass off as a sportswoman.
With short golden coloured hair, cool looks and loads of attitude, she is the embodiment of the never say die spirit.
But when it comes to her past, Kiranjit can't help but shed tears of pain as she recounts 10 years of domestic abuse at the hands of her late husband. Kiranjit, 51, killed her husband Deepak in London in 1989. "The day I killed him I felt liberated. I knew I had to go to jail but life was already a jail for me in that marriage," says Kiranjit. Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai was so impressed by her story that she decided to do the film on Kiranjit, Provoked, that will release on April 6

Amitabh, Abhishek in 'Bommarillu' remake

Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan might play father and son again. This time for a family bond film. If the sources are to be believed, Bommarillu will be remade in Hindi with Bachchans playing the father and son roles played by Prakashraj and Sidhartha in Telugu.

Avaya to Add VoIP to Google Apps

Avaya said on Thursday that it will develop communications solutions for small business that combine Google's updated Apps Premier Edition suite of Web applications with its own IP telephony technology.Avaya plans to link its IP Office product to Google Apps Premiere Edition. The combined solutions, which Avaya will sell through its network of resellers and distributors, are expected to be available by the end of the year, the company said in a statement

Uday Kiran is coming back again!!!

Udaykiran, who had earned lover boy image with his fantastic love subject films like 'Chitram, Nuvvu Nenu and Manasanta Nuvve' had distanced himself from the Telugu film industry due to some specific reasons.Later he tested his hand in a few Tamil films. Again he tried to make his re-entry with 'Abaddham' the dubbed version of his Tamil film 'Veyil', but miserably failed.So far, the Telugu audiences know him for portraying soft characters.Now, he is making his re-entry into the Telugu film industry with a film that has action backdrop.

Mahesh Babu's 'Atidhi' on his birthday

Prince Mahesh Babu’s new film ‘Atidhi ’is progressing at a brisk pace. The unit returned to Hyderabad recently after shooting in Delhi. For all Mahesh Babu’s fans, the film has plenty to offer. Mahesh Babu is sporting a new hair style and looks for this film.The makers of the film are all determined to give a hit as his last film “Sainikudu’ bombed at the box office. The film is progressing well and the producers have set the date off release as August 9 which is the birthday of Mahesh Babu.

Mahesh Babu's 'Atidhi' on his birthday

Prince Mahesh Babu’s new film ‘Atidhi ’is progressing at a brisk pace. The unit returned to Hyderabad recently after shooting in Delhi. For all Mahesh Babu’s fans, the film has plenty to offer. Mahesh Babu is sporting a new hair style and looks for this film.The makers of the film are all determined to give a hit as his last film “Sainikudu’ bombed at the box office. The film is progressing well and the producers have set the date off release as August 9 which is the birthday of Mahesh Babu.

JPEG Gets a New Competitor

Microsoft has unveiled a new file format for end-to-end digital photography, called HD Photo, which offers better image quality, better preservation of data, and advanced features for digital-imaging applications.The company said this new next-generation digital image format provides the best solution for digital image editing and storage, and unleashes potential for digital photography on devices, applications, and services. Microsoft announced it intends to standardize the technology, and will be submitting HD Photo to an appropriate standards organization shortly.Talking about it, Amir Majidimehr, Corporate Vice President of Consumer Media Technology Group, Microsoft, said, "With HD Photo, we are taking a new approach to creating and editing photos that simply isn't available to photographers with today's formats. HD Photo fully preserves the original image fidelity with high dynamic range, while allowing for significant improvement in compression size."

This Valentine be aware of those viruses messages

Security experts are warning PC users to be on guard against viruses masquerading as Valentine's Day messages, which could damage computers."Computer users should keep a wary eye on any romantic messages received by e-mail, as many of them could contain malicious code," said US security firm PandaLabs after detecting an increase in a worm it dubbed Nurech.A.The worm hides in e-mails with subjects like: Together You and I," "Til the End of Time Heart of Mine."People who open an attached file such as postcard.exe can end up infecting their computers.

2 Yamagola songs in NTR's Yamadonga?

NTR is in full swing now following the success of Rakhee. Trade circles are very keen on his next project Yamadonga in the direction of SS Rajamouli. Rajamouli is the producer also. Mohanbabu is playing a special role as Yama. Rajeev Kanakala, a good friend of NTR and Rajamouli, will be seen in the role of Indra. Priyamani and Mamata Mohandas are the heroines.

Dhil Raju's films with Pawan, Allu Arjun

Reliable sources said that Dhil Raju is planning a film with Pawan Kalyan in the direction of Bhaskar of Bommarillu fame. This will be the second film for Bhaskar. This film might start after Trivikram's film. Also, Puri Jagannath will direct Pawan Kalyan after his film with Ramcharan Teja. It is not clear at this point on if Bhaskar's or Puri's will start first. Also, Dhil Raju is planning another film Allu Arjun. This might be directed by Vasu Varma who is also from Dhil Raju's camp. Official confirmation is awaited on these projects.

The £50 laptop to change the world

Imagine if a group of the world’s cleverest and richest people pooled resources to create a piece of technology intended as a force for good rather than profit. It may seem fanciful but that is exactly what has happened and the result — which could become one of the most widely distributed bits of technology ever made — was unveiled last week.The long awaited $100 (£50) mini-computer from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative, is aimed at improving the quality of education in developing nations. The fact that it exists at all is testament to what can be achieved when global corporations put their heads together.

Essar, Vodafone start bargaining game

Hard bargaining between Essar and Vodafone is likely to start in the next 10 days on restructuring of shareholders agreement and other related issues, including partnership deal.ssar pulled a surprise after it announced that it would take a decision in due course by ensuring all shareholders rights, including those in agreement with Hutchison Telecom, are adhered to.I am coming soon I hope", Sarin said after a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to wind up his three-day India visit.There is still some work to be done and we will do that work in the coming weeks," added Sarin.I am going back with the very positive feeling that we are working together. They are the founding partners in this venture. I would very much like for them to continue," Sarin said.

Study Says Fish Can Make Unborn Children Smarter

A new medical report is surprising and confusing mothers-to-be.For years, pregnant women have been told to avoid eating certain types of fish because they may contain high levels of harmful mercury. But this new study claims eating fish can help boost the IQ of unborn babies.The study, led by Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, found that women who had eaten no fish were more likely to have babies with poor communication skills at 18 months, poor fine motor coordination at age 3½, and poor social behavior at age 7.

Scientists Determine How HIV Infects Vagina

U.S. scientists say they've identified the primary targets of HIV-1 infection in the human vagina, a discovery that could lead to new ways to prevent viral transmission.HIV-1 is the virus that causes most cases of AIDS around the world. Another form of the virus, HIV-2, is less easily transmitted."The majority of HIV-1 infected individuals worldwide are women who acquire HIV infection following sexual contact. Blocking HIV transmission and local spread in the female lower genital tract is key to prevent infection and ultimately to ease the pandemic," wrote study authors Dr. Florian Hladik and Dr. M. Juliana McElrath, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle

Top actress attempts suicide?

As per Tamil media sources, a leading actress tried to commit suicide. A few incidents that occured in the recent past have led her into taking this extreme step. Reportedly, this is the second time in the recent months. Her intimate photographs with an upcoming hero were circulated in the internet and through SMS recently. Though these photographs were termed 'morphed' by the official sources, unconfirmed sources say that it is the reason why the actress attemped suicide again. She is a leading actress in both Telugu and Tamil industries. Her recent film with the very same hero has created good amount of controversy pre-release

Rajani Kanth seeks blessings from big boss

Superstar Rajanikanth made a trip to get blessings from big boss - Lord Venkateswara. Talking to the media in a lighter mood in Tirupati, Rajani Kanth said that he is in Tirupati to seek the blessings of Big Boss (Lord Venkateswara). Rajani Kanth's upcoming film Sivaji is gearing up to release on 14th of April. This is the first time director Shankar teamed up with Rajani Kanth. It is a fact that Shankar is a lavish director. Now with Rajani playing lead in his film, Sivaji is known to be the most expensive film made till date in South Indian Cinema.

Which Vista Edition is Right For You?

Microsoft Vista has arrived in lively launch events around the globe. The midnight crowds who queued up to be the first to buy have taken their discs home and have fired up the new operating system. If you weren't among those earlybirds, the lines are shorter and the shelves are still full . . . of several different versions of Vista.Microsoft Vista isn't a single product--the software giant has shipped a selection of five versions of its next-generation operating system. You can choose among the $199 Home Basic version; shell out $239 for the Home Premium edition; pay $299 for a Business edition; or spring for the Ultimate edition priced at $399. Microsoft also offers a version specifically tuned to 64-bit computer systems. Puzzled? Let's get acquainted with those different versions.

Hyundai Chairman Gets 3 Years in Prison

Hyundai Automotive Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo was sentenced to three years in prison Monday for embezzling about 90 billion won ($96 million) in company funds and causing 210 billion won in loss to group affiliates through breach of trust.Chung, 68, was arrested last April after prosecutors claimed he was involved in a series of financial irregularities since 2002, including raising 69.3 billion won in slush funds through six group affiliates and using the money to unlawfully transfer corporate wealth to his family.

Long drives can get you in the fast lane to skin cancer

Drivers who spend a significant amount of time in their cars might find themselves in the fast lane for developing future skin cancers, according to new research. Speaking on Friday at the 65th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologist Scott Fosko, MD, FAAD, professor and chairman of dermatology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., discussed the possible relationships between left-sided skin cancers and driving.“Since previous scientific findings have shown an association between one-sided exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) and an asymmetric facial distribution of sun damage, we would expect that skin cancers also would be more prevalent on the left side of the body in drivers who spend a significant amount of time in their cars,” said Dr. Fosko.

New Age Don’s KBC figures are impressive

Kaun Banega Crorepati has opened with a big bang. Below is an update on the opening week's performance of KBC with SRK. Commenting on the opening numbers of KBC, Sameer Nair, CEO, STAR Entertainment India, said “At the outset, we had set 3 objectives for ourselves for KBC with SRK: strategic to ensure that Star Plus continues to dominate viewers hearts & minds; tactical to gain clear leadership in the 9-10 pm weekday primetime band and commercial, to allow us to ensure that the cricket World Cup does not dent our revenues. We have conclusively met all our objectives and the following facts bear those out.”

Ramcharan Teja's film launched

Megastar Chiranjeevi's son Ramcharan Teja is making debut into films. This much talked about movie in the direction Puri Jagannath is officially launched this morning at Puri Jagannath's Vaishno Academy office. Pooja was held there. Chiranjeevi, Allu Aravind, Aswini Dutt, Puri Jagannath and others attended this event. Puri Jagannath is the director and Aswini Dutt is the producer.