An Indian, Mukesh Ambani becomes World's richest person

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani on Monday became the richest person in the world, surpassing American software czar Bill Gates, Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slim Helu and famous investment guru Warren Buffett, courtesy the bull run in the stock market.
Following a strong share price rally on in his three group company, India's most valued firm Reliance Industries, Reliance Petroleum and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Ltd, the net worth of Mukesh Ambani rose to $63.2 billion (Rs 2,49,108 crore).

The five richest people in the world with their net worth:

1. Mukesh Ambani ($63.2 billion)

2. Carlos Slim Helu ($62.2993 billion)

3. William (Bill) Gates ($62.29 billion)

4. Warren Buffett ($55.9 billion)

5. Lakshmi Mittal ($50.9 billion)

In comparison, the net worth of both Gates and Slim is estimated to be slightly lower at around $62.29 billion each, with Slim leading among the two by a narrow margin.
Warren Buffett, earlier the third richest in the world, also dropped one position with a net worth of about $56 billion.
Ambani's wealth of about Rs 2,49,000 crore includes about Rs 2,10,000 crore from RIL (50.98 per cent stake), Rs 37,500 crore from RPL (37.5 per cent) and Rs 2,100 crore from RIIL (46.23 per cent).
Slim's wealth has been calculated on the basis of his stake in companies like America Movil (30 per cent), Carso Global (82 per cent), Grupo Carso (75 per cent), Inbursa (67 per cent), IDEAL (30 per cent) and Saks Inc (10 per cent).
According to information available with the US and Mexican stock exchanges where these companies are listed, Slim currently holds shares worth a total of $62.2993 billion, with more than half coming from Latin American mobile major America Movil. Slim is closely followed by Gates with a net worth of $62.29 billion currently.
Earlier last month, US business magazine Forbes had named Gates as the richest American with a net worth of $59 billion, calculated as on August 30. The magazine had said that a movement of two dollars in the share price for Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, could "add or subtract a billion dollars" from his wealth.
Since August-end, Microsoft's share price has risen by $6.58 (based on yesterday's closing on Nasdaq at $35.03), which results into a gain of $3.29 billion in Gates' wealth based on Forbes assumption.
Besides a stake in Microsoft, Gates' wealth also includes the commission and license fees earned by him and gains through his shares in an investment holding company that invests across the market.
Gates is followed by Buffett at the fourth place in the league of the world's richest with a net worth of $55.9 billion through his holding in his investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway and in other companies. At the end of August, Buffett's wealth stood at $52 billion, as per the Forbes magazine. Berkshire Hathaway's share price has gained by about 7.5 per cent since then.
Earlier on September 26, Ambani had overtaken steel czar Lakshmi Mittal to become the richest Indian in the world.
Mittal currently ranks as the fifth richest in the world with a net worth of $50.9 billion through his 44.79 per cent stake in world's biggest steel maker ArcelorMittal.
While most of Mittal's wealth comes from his steel empire, though he has also spread his wings into businesses like oil and real estate, those of Ambani and Gates are mostly through petrochemicals and software respectively. However, Buffett and Slim are making money from investments across a host of sectors.
Source: http://www.timesofindia.com

Hovercraft that can fly!

New Zealand mechanic Rudy Heeman has developed a hovercraft with the ability to lift- off, leaving other water based craft in its wake. Heeman has spent the last eleven years building a hovercraft. Its' optimum height is about 4ft 6in above the water. The hoverwing sets off like a normal-hovercraft but when it reaches top speed of 60mph, its wings can be extended and it takes flight. Rudy Heeman feels that there may be a commercial market for his creation-the hoverwing. He feels that his invention is an extremely efficient method of transport, travelling at about 6ft over the water and reaching speeds of over 60mph across the surface.

Officially this invention is a 'wing in ground effect vehicle' - a hovercraft which is able to fly due to a set of unusual aerodynamics. The first test flight ended in a crash landing. He escaped with a bruised leg and and it was back to the drawing board. But after hours of tinkering he made the necessary adjustments and now believes the hoverwing is ready. It has room for one passenger, but Mr Heeman has yet to decide who to choose.
Source: http://www.newlaunches.com

Singapore Airlines: The first commercial Airbus A380 to fly passengers

Singapore Airlines flight SQ380, from Singapore to Sydney was the first commercial flight of the Airbus A380. The buzz around the flight has ensured that its operation was a much-publicized event. "The flight was spectacular, just truly awesome," said Thomas Lee, when reached by cell phone as the plane pulled into the gate at Sydney Airport, (as told to the International Herald Tribune) "I'm thrilled beyond words actually. Just extremely excited. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd put it at 12." Lee's word is worth reckoning because he was aboard the first commercial flight of the 747, in 1970, and now was on the first A380 passenger flight as well. The A380 offers 50 percent more floor space than a 747, and can carry as many as 853 people.

Singapore Airlines flight SQ380 flight had paying customers but it still wasn't a regularly scheduled flight. Regular A380 flights won't start until later this week. This flight consisted mainly of people who bought their tickets on eBay, with proceeds going to charity.

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Samsung developes World's First Bendable OLED Display

At the FPD International 2007 an expo showcasing display technologies in Yokohama Japan Samsung showed the world's first bendable OLED display. The 4.3 inch display has a resolution of 480 x 272 dots, brightness of 200 cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of 1000:1. Samsung however kept mum on the development status and when the technology would go mainstream. However it does look very promising and one day we might just roll up the TV after viewing.

Download Movies in just Seconds!!!

The Korean Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute has developed the fourth-generation mobile communications technology that allows an increased transmission rate of 3.6 gigabits per second (gbps). The newly developed mobile communications technology can transmit a file big enough to hold the entire Encyclopedia Britannica (4.7GB DVD) in less than 10.5 seconds. The new technology would reduce the time it takes to download a movie to just two seconds. On a 100-mbps network, the fastest Internet service available now, it takes about a minute. Korea is the first in the world to develop 3.6 gbps transmission technology and this will make possible for Korea to occupy a favorable position when the competition to standardize 4G mobile communications starts.
The Research Institute predicted that when the technology is commercialized, around 2012, users will be able to view high-definition video in real time anywhere on a wireless network -- in the office, classroom or at home. Hwang Seung-koo, the head of ETRI's Mobile Telecommunications Research Division, said that the new 4G mobile technology will bring benefits worth billions of dollars in the future.

Samsung Developes Micro-Fuel Cell for Mobiles

Samsung Electro-Mechanics announced that it has developed a micro-fuel cell and hydrogen generator that runs on H20. When the mobile handset is turned on, metal and water in the phone react to produce hydrogen gas which is then supplied to the Samsung micro-fuel cell where it reacts with oxygen in the air to generate power. While other fuel cells need methanol to produce hydrogen Samsung’s micro-fuel cell needs only water. Since the micro-fuel cell can generate up to three watts of electricity, it could be used in mobile devices, the company said. The new fuel cell could power a handset for 10 hours, twice as long as rechargeable batteries.
Water-powered handsets are expected to hit the market by 2010. If the user uses the phone for four hours a day on average, they would have to change the hydrogen cartridge about every five days. Later handsets will be developed that don't need the hydrogen cartridges to be changed, and would only need to be filled with water. Samsung Electro-Mechanics unveiled the new technology at the 2007 Korea Electronics Show at the Korea International Exhibition Center in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province.

Hitachi develops world's smallest read-write head technology for hard disk drives

Hitachi Ltd. and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies have developed the world's smallest read-head technology for hard disk drives, which is expected to quadruple current storage capacity limits to four terabytes (TB) on a desktop hard drive and one TB on a notebook hard drive. Researchers at Hitachi have successfully reduced existing recording heads by more than a factor of two to achieve new heads in the 30-50 nanometer (nm) range, which is up to 2,000 times smaller than the width of an average human hair (approx. 70-100 microns). Called current perpendicular-to-the-plane giant magneto-resistive heads, Hitachi's new technology is expected to be implemented in shipping products in 2009 and reach its full potential in 2011.

Recording heads with 50 nm track-widths are expected to debut in commercial products in 2009, while those with 30 nm track-widths will be implemented in products in 2011. Current TMR heads, shipping in products today, have track-widths of 70 nm. Hitachi will present these achievements at the 8th Perpendicular Magnetic Recording Conference (PMRC 2007), to be held 15th -17th October 2007, at the Tokyo International Forum in Japan.

Nokia N95 8GB Shipping Now!

The stunning Nokia N95 8GB made its debut global shipments today, and will be hitting a store near you soon. The Nokia N95 8GB is the memory-packed big brother of the Nokia N95 multimedia computer.Boasting up to eight gigabytes of built-in memory, the Nokia N95 8GB has all the key features of its predecessor, including a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, built-in A-GPS, WLAN, HSDPA and an innovative 2-way slide. The sleek black N95 8GB also boasts a luminous 2.8" (240 x 320) QVGA display, so watching videos, browsing the Internet or viewing maps is a real pleasure. With its expanded memory, the N95 8GB offers up to 20 hours of video or up to 6000 songs.
The ideal companion for any lull in your day, the Nokia N95 8GB supports services like Nokia Music Store and N-Gage Games, so you can delve into a world of leisure. Entertaining yourself has taken on a whole new meaning with this multimedia computer, optimized for enjoying videos, playing games, or even locating your favorite destinations with A-GPS.

Sony Ericsson K850i Cyber-shot phone Launched!

The K850 Cyber-shot phone from Sony Ericsson boasts of a 5-megapixel camera. It's a Turbo-3G Tri-Band HSDPA phone for high-speed picture and video blogging. The phone features auto focus, Xenon flash and Video Light to help produce true digital camera results. BestPic, Photo fix, Auto Rotate and PictBridge are also included. With the BestPic you can take nine pictures in one burst and then simply choose the best and delete the rest.

Sony Ericsson K850 Cyber-shot phone has a color choice of either Velvet Blue or Luminous Green. It will be available across selected markets from October 2007.

Hitachi developing 100GB and 200GB Blu-Ray discs

At Ceatec 2007 in Tokyo, Hitachi showcased experimental 4 layered Blu-Ray discs which can hold upto 100GB of data. The company is working on signal quality stabilization in addition to changing the lens focus so it can read and write data on 4 layers. Hitachi is also researching 8 layer Blu-Ray media which can hold upto 200GB of data but with 8 layers the reflected laser from the disc decreases which weakens the signal. However by boosting the signal the data on the disc can be accessed.

Panasonic has developed a royal purple laser system for Blu-Ray which supports 8X speed. A company spokesman said that the 10,000 RPM speed limits the development to 12X speeds.

Sharp's 52 inch LCD TV is just 2cms thick

Slim is surely in for LCD TV's and manufacturers are thriving to stay ahead in the game.

Sharp has stunned everyone with the BYO-BU LCD TV which is just 20 - 22mm thick though it is not as slim as Sony's 11 inch 3mm thick LCD it does make up with its 52 inch size. Sharp had placed the TV in a traditional Japanese frame 'Byoubu' which gives the effect that the LCD is floating in thin air. It offers a contrast ratio of 10000:1

Broadcom Low-power Mobile Processor Launched!!!

This Broadcom multimedia mobile processor promises cell-phone users to access high-quality multimedia options without sacrificing battery life.
Broadcom Corp. on Tuesday announced a low-power multimedia processor that it said will give cell-phone users access to high-definition video playback, 3D gaming and 12-megapixel camera capabilities without sacrificing battery life.
The VideoCore III processor is part of Broadcom's effort to power a new generation of mobile phones that deliver a high-quality multimedia experience, the company said in a press release.
The company's BCM2727 processor will be the first to incorporate Broadcom's VideoCore III multimedia architecture. The processor supports high-definition camcorder functionality, which allows users to encode and decode high-definition video in 720p mode, with 720 lines progressively scanned. It supports 12-megapixel digital camera processing, with an on-chip image signal processor for color correction, image stabilization and red-eye reduction. On-board 2D and 3D graphics accelerators are designed to provide a rich multimedia experience and support more than 50 image and video standards and codecs, the company said.
VideoCore is the third generation in a line of cellular processors that have been used in 25 million cell phones so far, according to Broadcom.
Broadcom is the first company with a chip to deliver high-definition images on cell phones, said Will Strauss, principal analyst at Forward Concepts Co.
Today's cell phones contain relatively low-quality digital cameras, and this chip could help change the trend, Strauss said. "Ultimately, cameras in cell phones will be a bigger market than separate cameras," he said.
Broadcom is also flexing its muscles in the cell-phone processor market with VideoCore III, Strauss said. Broadcom is beginning to ship 3G chipsets, and Nokia recently selected Broadcom's cellular processor for future equipment using EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), a fast version of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications).