SMS and SMS

SMS and win or SMS and make another win.....

For the mobile providers and their partners in business the above was a very brilliant idea which continues to reap harvest after harvest.

I am yet to waste my SMS but yesterday Hubby’s interest was caught by the cricket match (the one that was lost to Aussies) and I got to see yet another such call on TV. I believe it was the Bindaas Khel by the Indiatimes (Times Group) whereby one could win the following prizes by answering a few questions and these answers are to be SMS’d at premium rates.

Daily Prizes: Daily 5- Gold worth Rs. 1,000 each

Bumper Prize: Bumper- Gold worth Rs. 125,000

The site does give enough warnings and disclaimers which take out every kind of responsibility and those who indulge in messaging can do so even if they have closed the contest before a winner is even announced.

TIL expressly disclaims all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. Neither does TIL make any warranty that the items / products made available under the contest will meet your requirements, or the delivery of the item / product will be timely, secure, nor is TIL responsible for any damages done in transit.

TIL reserves the rights to terminate / suspend the Contest at any time and/or withdraw, or extend the Contest without any prior notice and no correspondence in this regard shall be entertained.

If the above is in hope of winning a prize for oneself there is yet another by the Reality TV shows where your SMS will decide the winner (so they claim).

The one from Kerala called Idea Star Singer (Asianet Channel along with Idea Cellular Limited) has been very successful and continues to keep millions glued onto their televisions sets and many among them faithfully send their SMS too. This year’s grand prize will be a Rs 1 crore villa.

Is it the love for art or a personal desire to make the contestant win that makes a person part with an SMS?

I am sure there are individuals and groups sending their requests to friends and co-workers (I myself have received emails) for a particular contestant and this may eventually influence the decisions of many.

Whether it is out of selfish interest or selfless interest, it has been proved beyond doubt that enough and more money can be amassed for a cause through SMS.

The below is an excerpt from broadbandindia.com

At the end of Aug-2008, the top 5 GSM Mobile Service Providers in India based on no. of subscribers are,

• Bharti Airtel -74.8 mn
• Vodafone - 52.8 mn
• BSNL - 38.5 mn
• Idea Cellular - 29.3 mn
• Aircell - 13.1 mn

If the following news is to be believed,

By 2010 the Number of Mobile Subscribers is Expected to Increase to 348 Million in India!

This set me thinking as to why our NGO’s or even the mobile providers themselves are not teaming up for special projects.

Or have they already?

If one is ready to part with their SMS without much ado won’t a lot more do if a specific cause or a project is featured.

Right now I can think of Projectwhy which could use a lot of help in this manner. Let those who are conducting the business along with the mobile providers take their share, still there should be enough for any project in our country. (Of course one can have the normal checks and balances too.)

But this excericise would also have involved millions in the process of giving for a good cause.

Air Powered Cars?

There are many options: if only we would adapt...

The world being obsessed with oil and its dictates, it is only natural that some of us are attracted (and obsessed?) to news like these. It landed in my inbox and upon googling, I find that it is a stale one which I missed.



“Air Powered Cars” developed by Motor Development International (MDI), a French car Company (family owned business) is to be marketed in India (Year 2009) by none other than TATA MOTORS.

The MDI GROUP is pleased to announce that an accord has been signed with TATA MOTORS of India. This accord will assign and grant licenses to TATA MOTORS for the exclusive implementation of MDI technologies in India.
MDI GROUP will continue to develop their Business Modal throughout the rest of the world by selling the licenses and turnkey factories for the production and marketing of all the MDI products.

It has speed starting from 110 km.hr and has zero emission.


After all the gripes and adulations received by NANO, let us see how this one fares.

Time reported it as a TAIL PIPE DREAM...

Water Powered Car

At this hour of ever increasing oil price and every major problem of this world blamed on this particular commodity one cannot but watch in wonder, eagerness and even a little misgiving this very important news...

Yes.. it is another Japanese delight. And if they go into mass production as they say, I cannot imagine its implications. Can you?

Water-fuel car unveiled in Japan
(01:21) Reuter Report
Jun. 13 - Japanese company Genepax presents its eco-friendly car that runs on nothing but water.
The car has an energy generator that extracts hydrogen from water that is poured into the car's tank. The generator then releases electrons that produce electric power to run the car. Genepax, the company that invented the technology, aims to collaborate with Japanese manufacturers to mass produce it.

A few links to think positively and negatively.... do find time to check the comments too..

http://nohardtimes.bloggerunleashed.com/business/genepax-water-power-car-from-japan-exxon-mobile-beware/

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/13/genepax-shows-off-water-powered-fuel-cell-vehicle/

http://www.ewatercar.com/2008/06/water-powered-cars.html#more-3

See through Frogs!

I am sure everyone remembers their Zoology labs for one thing... dissection of frogs. I remember mine and how I detested the very act of cutting those poor souls. And then we had to pin them up for inspection. The smell of formaldehyde still lingers...ugh!

Maybe.. kids will not have to do that anymore.... The Japanese as usual let their gray matter to do some work... the See Through Frogs

September 28, 2007—For high school students everywhere, this revealing amphibian may be a cut above regular frogs.

That's because the see-through frog does not require dissection to see its organs, blood vessels, and eggs.

Masayuki Sumida, a professor at the Institute for Amphibian Biology at Japan's Hiroshima University, bred the frog to be a humane learning tool.

"You can watch organs of the same frog over its entire life, as you don't have to dissect it," Sumida told the news agency Agence France-Presse. The scientist announced his research last week at an academic meeting.

Dissecting animals for science has sparked controversies worldwide, even prompting some companies to create computer simulations as cruelty-free alternatives.

Researchers bred the sheer creature—a type of Japanese brown frog—for two recessive genes that make it pale.

Though not yet patented, the frog is the first four-legged, see-through animal to be bred by scientists. Some fish species are also clear.

Only 1 in 16 frogs end up see-through, and Sumida's team has not yet figured out how to pass on the transparent trait to offspring.

Wind Power

So much power and we still want to cling on to a nuclear power for dear life? It is not as though I am opposed to the Nuclear Power, but when this country has not utilized other resources which is much cheaper then we have no right to talk thus. Producing, maintaining and protecting nuclear energy is very expensive compared to other sources of energy. Wind energy like solar energy still remains a power un-tapped except in few states like TN, Maharashtra etc. Even otherwise TN has always gone ahead with many projects successfully.

Today I read in the news that the Indian Railways may go for more wind power. It has found much unused land in its coastal network and wants to use it to tap wind energy.

"We get power at Rs 6 per unit whereas we can get power from our own generation units at as low as Rs 4.50 per unit," the official said.
The pilot project at Perambur would need an investment of Rs 40 crore. Depending on its success, larger projects would be set up near existing wind energy farms.
The government has identified wind energy as one of the renewable energy sources where the country has tremendous potential for growth. It is thus encouraging investment in this area by offering sops that include interest subsidy and capital subsidy, 80% accelerated depreciation, tax holiday under Section 80 IA and various subsidy schemes.

The present wind energy capacity is close to touching 5000 MW mark much ahead of the targeted year of 2011-12. The country has potential to add 45,000 MW of power under this route in the next 15 to 20 years.

Worldwide Installed Capacity of Wind Power A Worldwide installed capacity of wind power is 78,728 MW as on 31st March 2007. The first five countries are Germany (20,952 MW), Spain (12,500 MW), USA (12,376 MW), India (7093 MW) and Denmark (3136 MW).

(Source : Wind Power Monthly, July 2007)

The Indian wind energy sector has an installed capacity of 7093.9 MW (as on March 31, 2007). In terms of wind power installed capacity, India is ranked 4th in the World. Today India is a major player in the global wind energy market.
The potential is far from exhausted. Indian Wind Energy Association has estimated that with the current level of technology, the ‘on-shore’ potential for utilization of wind energy for electricity generation is of the order of 65,000 MW. The unexploited resource availability has the potential to sustain the growth of wind energy sector in India in the years to come.

New Wind Power Projects in Kerala It is learned that Kerala Government has given technical approval to Suzlon and Vestas India for developing wind power projects at Agali, Palakkad and Ramakkalmedu in Idduki District respectively. In the first phase, Suzlon is likely to installed 4.8 MW capacity and Vestas India 9.75 MW capacity during the financial year 2007-08.


Of course this energy has its limitations too...

And talking about Nuclear Energy, finally when the nuclear has been signed and ready to be installed, the country will face yet another resistance. Which State will accept the responsibilities that goes with it? Definitely not Kerala, we will be the first one on the streets to make it go away. Anyway the Center will never consider Kerala for obvious reasons so we rest in peace.

Bucket of Water

Most of us sleeping in A/C rooms atleast here in Kuwait, have experienced parched lips and dry skins while waking up in the morning. A month back a friend suggested keeping some water in a bucket. And it worked! I guess the theory behind is simple. The evaporated water provides sufficent moisture to the circulating air.

2 days back we forgot this and my son woke up with cracked lips and even my lips were beginning to crack.

Wish we had know this trick earlier.

Power cuts

Heard in the news that like last year there will be power cuts even this year. It is not that I am new to power cuts. I have practically grown up with it. Back in my state, it could be for 1 or more hours and sometimes indefinitely! But then the temperatures over there don’t go above 35 degrees unlike here where it can even go to 60 degrees. I fail to understand why they don’t use the revenue from the oil for alternate energy like, Solar or wind. They have the money for the same and can easily employ experts in this field for these projects. In fact many governments have come forward but there are no takers. Oil is not going to last forever and whatever oil they are getting now can be sold outside. The solar energy will take care of the future generations.

Anyway we should board the plane before the power cuts!

My Tree

`My Tree' project has been envisaged as a collective initiative under the leadership of the Education Department. Planting materials will be distributed by the Social Forestry wing of the Forest and Wildlife Department. School-level committees to implement the project have already been constituted. Moreover, details regarding the species of saplings to be supplied for the project have been identified, according to the press release. Each student will be supplied the species of trees he or she demands.

I feel this is a great idea. It is said that previous attempts to plant trees were not successful since there was none to care. Now we have the best caretakers.. the children. They will be more diligent and sincere. I am very sure that they will take the utmost care to see that each sapling grows to a tree. It will also be a good experience for each child.

Vicks on the soles

It was an email forwarded by a caring mother. For coughs try rubbing Vicks on the soles of the feet and put on a pair of socks. I had to try it yesterday for my son who was coughing very badly.. and it worked. At least he was coughing less.

Then one can try Granny's home remedies:

1- the dry ginger + honey
2- boiling garlic and serving the reduced liquid with honey

The Rich

I have always wondered what the rich does with their money....

Ok.. to start with all of them have a big house.. nd most probably they use a maximum of 3 rooms in a day and enjoy it for less than 3 hours daily, excluding their sleep time.

They have tasty food... as much as their stomach can take.. but the food that I took today was also very tasty...

They have a large circle of friends until their money lasts...

I think the only aspect that I envy in the rich is the money at their disposal to give away for free. Isnt that great?