Extreme testing for rotor blades

Only when you are standing beside a wind turbine can you appreciate the immense size of the wind turbine and its rotor blades. The largest wind turbines operating in the world today have rotor blades over 60 meters long – roughly equivalent to three truck-and-trailer units end-to-end. Within the next ten years, manufacturers of high-output wind turbines for offshore wind farms plan to produce blades up to 90 meters long. The prototypes of these new blades have to be tested and certified before they can go into production, and that requires equally as large testing facilities. The Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology...

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TRMM Satellite sees massive thunderstorms in severe weather system

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite again flew over severe thunderstorms that were spawning tornadoes over the eastern United States on April 28 and detected massive thunderstorms and very heavy rainfall. TRMM, a satellite managed by both NASA and the Japanese Space Agency, captured the rainfall rates occurring in the line of thunderstorms associated with a powerful cold front moving through the eastern U.S. on April 28. TRMM flew over the strong cold front and captured data at 0652 UTC (2:52 AM EDT) on April 28, 2011. Most of the rainfall was occurring at moderate rates however, there were pockets of very heavy rainfall...

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Fish livers contain beneficial fatty acids

The fishing industry usually discards fish livers, but a team of researchers from the University of Almeria (Spain) has confirmed that they are a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to health. Anchovies are one of the fish whose livers contain the highest levels of these substances. Fish livers have hardly been used to date, with exceptions such as cod livers, which are used to produce the well-known medicinal oil. In general, fishermen tend to throw fish entrails away into the sea, and if they make it to processing plants they are one of the first fish body parts to be discarded. However, these organs contain...

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Foul play in Delhi's health department

MiD DAY had raised the issue in August last year. After Delhi police arresting two pharmacists in the Capital, among others, on Thursday for smuggling of medicines from a government hospital, it would appear that some diseases are incurable. This correspondent found that a large number of pharmacists are working in the hospitals by violating the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. As per the ministry's directive to all government hospitals, no pharmacist can continue in the same post in a hospital (or by moving to a different hospital) for more that two years. Despite this, there are a number of people working as pharmacists...

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Last-ditch contract negotiations at Children's Hospital Oakland

Registered nurses at Children's Hospital Oakland are in negotiations today with the hospital's management in hopes of averting a five-day strike scheduled for May 5-10. This would be the second walkout in the same negotiations cycle. The nurses held a three-day strike in October after talks stalled. The major sticking point has continued to be health care benefits, with the nurses objecting to a plan that would require them to pay more for family coverage. The hospital also has offered two less expensive options that would fully be paid for by the employer. Children's Hospital's 700 nurses registered nurses are represented by the California...

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Mumbai fire chief no more

Chief Fire Officer Uday Tatkare (55) died at KEM Hospital last evening. At around 7 pm yesterday, Tatkare's driver Govind Sutar and attendant Ananta Dore rushed him to the casualty ward of KEM Hospital. The casualty doctors on duty swung into action, anxious at not being able to detect his pulse. Senior doctors were summoned to the spot, including the hospital dean Sanjay Oak. Within minutes, Tatkare was shifted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) on the second floor of the hospital and put on life support systems. A team of doctors, under the supervision of Oak made several attempts to revive Tatkare. But all their efforts were in vain. A...

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Salman Khan traditional 'Sherwani' look from Ready

A lot has been said and done in the past few weeks about Salman Khan's upcoming film Ready . Yes, we know it's the most awaited film of the season. Therefore, Bollywood Hungama got an exclusive sneak peek of Sallu bhai's new look, only for you. Seen here in the above image, Salman is all decked up in a traditional Sherwani, which is his look in one of the songs in the film. The music launch of Ready will be happening today evening and Sallu being the man that he is has decided to launch the music at Film City along with the staff workers of the studio. It's his way of giving back to the people, who he feels have stood by him for past 21 years...

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Kiss and Yell

The idea of announcing a Relationship Status itself is fairly new in our society. But suddenly we are surrounded by places where this is done with ample display of affection. I-am-in-a-relationship is a buzzy place to be in these days especially if you are in the cricket stadia. At least that’s what the celebs are doing. For pointers, watch the extra innings between Liz Hurley and Shane Warne. Hurley, currently enjoying her Indian holiday with beau Warne — who captains Rajasthan Royals — is clearly enjoying herself. Warne and the 45-year-old Hollywood actor are joined at the hip, arriving at hotels and travelling together in the team bus....

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'Raavan' was a stepping stone for me in B-town: Nikhil

Actor Nikhil Dwivedi, who is looking forward to his upcoming movie 'Shor in the City' feels it is filmmaker Mani Ratnam's 'Raavan' that opened doors for him in Bollywood. Despite the debacle of 'Raavan' Nikhil seems to have benefitted the most from the film. "'Raavan' was a stepping stone for me in Bollywod..It opened the doors more for me in the film industry. Now filmmakers are willing to invest in me. I feel they consider me as a bankable star. The journey has begun," said Nikhil in an interview. Nikhil debuted with Shah Rukh Khan Production's 'My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves' in 2008, but it was 'Raavan' starring Abhishek Bachchan, Vikram...

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Q&A on Playstation Network security breach

Q: What is the PlayStation Network, and what happened to it? A: The PlayStation Network (PSN) is a proprietary network for owners of Sony's PlayStation 3 consoles to play online games with others. PSN also offers movies and TV episodes for rent or purchase, as well as downloadable games and game demos. "The idea is you create a profile and put your credit card number in and information about yourself, so when you want to get online it verifies your identity," says Chet Wisniewski, senior security adviser at network security firm Sophos. "If you decide to buy or rent anything, they have your credit card on record and can automatically bill...

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Windows 7 helps Microsoft boost OS share to 78.6 percent

Microsoft's Windows accounted for 78.6% of worldwide operating system revenue in 2010, up nearly a full percentage point, despite growth in Linux servers and Mac desktops, according to Gartner. Gartner's new analysis adds up the revenue for both server and desktop operating systems worldwide, comparing Microsoft to IBM, HP, Oracle, Red Hat and Apple. Windows has long dominated the desktop market, but has had a tougher fight on the server side. Adding the two segments together shows Windows grabbing $23.8 billion in 2010 revenue, up from 2009 when Windows accounted for $21.9 billion and 77.9% of the market by revenue share. IBM, maker of...

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Apple denies iPhone tracking claims

Apple has admitted that a bug in its software has allowed iPhones and iPads to collect data related to their location even when users turn off permission to collect it – but says it will soon remedy this oversight. The admission follows a storm of controversy after the Guardian's exclusive revelation last week that the devices stored a file containing details from which a user's movements could be reconstructed. In a statement on its website, the company says that: "Apple is not tracking the location of your iPhone. Apple has never done so and has no plans ever to do so." It says that the file discovered by researchers and described in the...

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Food inflation rises marginally to 8.76%

Food inflation inched up marginally to 8.76 per cent for the week ended April 16 on the back of rising prices of fruits, protein-based items and onions. Food inflation stood at 8.74 per cent in the previous week. This is the second consecutive week when the rate of price rise of food items has gone up after a period of moderation in February and March. The latest rise, although marginal, will put more pressure on the government, which has described inflation as one of the major challenges facing the economy. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had expressed concern about rising prices, especially of food items, and said the...

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Mahindra Satyam to hire 18,000 employees

IT firm Mahindra Satyam on Thursday said it plans to hire about 18,000 people during this fiscal. "We have plans of hiring about 18,000 people this year (FY'12). Over 5,000 are from campuses and the rest are from lateral hiring or recruitment of experienced hands," Mahindra Satyam Head Recruitment and Media Sridhar Maturi said. At the end of the third quarter (October-December period), Mahindra Satyam's headcount stood at 28,832, an increase of 764 personnel from 28,068 employees on September 30, 2010. Maturi further added, "The campus hiring will be predominantly in India and the lateral hiring is from across the world." The company has...

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Food inflation inches up to 8.76 %

Food inflation inched up a tad to 8.76 per cent for the week ended April 16 from 8.74 per cent in the previous week which, analysts feel, has sealed the prospects of yet another hike in key short-term lending and borrowing rates by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its annual credit and monetary policy review next week on May 3. With rising inflationary pressures persisting, the customary consultations that the RBI Governor has with the Finance Ministry to review the economic scenario prior to announcing the credit policy assumes greater significance this time round in view of a discernible slowdown in growth in the wake of high headline...

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Kate Spends Night In London Hotel With Sister, Mother

London  : After a final rehearsal at Westminster Abbey, Kate Middleton arrived on Thursday  evening at the Goring Hotel, where her family are staying ahead of her marriage to Prince William on Friday, reports Daily Mail, London. Wearing a polka-dot dress, the bride-to-be, accompanied by her sister Pippa and mother Carole, waved to the huge crowd which has gathered outside the hotel in Belgravia. A beaming Kate showed no sign of nerves as she prepares to spend her final night as a single woman - and a commoner. And royal fans had an extra treat  as her husband-to-be greeted well-wishers along The Mall. Prince William, accompanied...

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Royal Wedding : Ceremonial Timings

London, Apr 29: Following are the ceremonial timings for the Royal Wedding  today: Start Time: -  0600 GMT (1130 IST) 0715-0845 GMT (1245 to 1415 IST) :  The general congregation will arrive at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey. (Starting time 0850 GMT (1420 IST)  - Governors-General and Prime Ministers of Realm Countries, the Diplomatic Corps, and other distinguished guests arrive at the Abbey. 0910 GMT - The Bridegroom and Prince Henry of Wales leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 0915g (IST 02.40 PM TO 02.45 PM) 0920GMT (1450 IST) - Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive...

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14 Killed In Blast In Morocco Cafe

Marrakesh, Morocco :  An explosion killed 14 people, including foreigners, on Thursday in a busy cafe in the Moroccan tourist destination of Marrakesh, and authorities said the initial signs were that it was a criminal act. The blast ripped through the second storey of a cafe overlooking Marrakesh's Jamaa el-Fnaa square, a spot that is usually bustling with foreign tourists and local vendors. Officials did not say if they suspected the involvement of Islamist militants. The militants' last big attack was a series of suicide bombings in Morocco's commercial capital, Casablanca, in 2003 in which more than 45 people were killed. Two people...

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BJP Backs Joshi, Accuses Govt Of Stalling Probe Into 2G Scam

New Delhi : Standing firmly behind PAC Chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi against the onslaught by Congress and DMK members, the BJP today alleged that these were “calculated, deliberate and sponsored” attacks by the ruling coalition to stall the investigation into 2G scam. “The BJP strongly condemns the attacks on the PAC chairperson. These are calculated, deliberate, concerted and sponsored attacks,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Joshi had faced stiff opposition from Congress and DMK members in the PAC meeting today, when they alleged that he was trying to destabilise the government. They opposed the draft report and said it had...

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10 Workers Charred To Death In Delhi Factory Fire

New Delhi : Ten workers were charred to death in a massive fire at a shoe factory in west Delhi’s Peeragarhi industrial area, officials said Thursday. Around 80 people were working in the three-storey building at the time of fire and many more casualties are feared. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has ordered a probe into the incident and a case has been registered by the police. The factory is in Udyog Nagar in Peeragarhi area in west Delhi. The fire broke out at 7.10 p.m. Wednesday. ‘Ten bodies have been pulled out of the debris so far. We fear there will be many more people buried under the debris,’ a fire brigade official said. ‘It...

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PAC Ruckus A 'Black Day' In Indian Democracy: Gadkari

New Delhi : BJP President Nitin Gadkari tonight said the ruckus at the meeting of the PAC on the 2G spectrum scam represented a “black day” for the country’s democracy and alleged that whatever happened there was done at the “direction” of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Addressing a hurriedly convened news conference, Gadkari also said that four Union Ministers were “controlling” and “monitoring” all activities relating to the stormy meeting presided by BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi. Gadkari, who did not identify the ministers, accused the Congress leadership of “masterminding” the happenings at the PAC meet in Parliament House. “Whatever...

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