Haldiram's History

Haldiram's Has Over 100 Products

Private limited with share capital 
Industry Food industry
Founded 1937
Headquarters Nagpur, India
Area served:
India, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand and others
Products: Snacks, sweets, beverages, frozen foods
Revenue: 35 Billion INR
Website: www.haldirams.com

Haldiram's was founded in 1937 by Gangabisenji Agrawal, as a retail sweets and namkeen shop in Bikaner, Rajasthan. In expansion, the company's first manufacturing plant was located in Calcutta.[In 1970 a larger manufacturing plant was established in Nagpur. Another manufacturing plant was established in New Delhi, the capital of India, in the early 1990s, which also had a retail store. In 2003, the company began the process of developing convenience foods to be marketed to consumers. In 2008, the chairman of the company's Nagpur branch was Shivkishan Agarwal. In 2014, Haldiram was ranked 55th among India's most trusted brands according to the Brand Trust Report, a study conducted by Trust Research Advisory.

Haldiram's has over 100 products Its products include frozen foods such as frozen meals, ice cream, and kulfi, namkeen, sweets, cookies, crackers, sherbet, papad, savories, chips and other snacks. Haldiram's also produces fruit-flavored beverages and dairy products. The company also produces ready-to-eat food since 2010. In the 1990s, the production potato-based foods was enabled by the importation of machinery from the United States designed for these purposes.

McDonald's no match for Haldiram here

Bhelpuri beats burgers just as comprehensively as farsan beats fries. Haldiram's revenues, at Rs 3,500 crore, is more than the combined revenue of Domino's (Rs 1,733 crore) and McDonald's (Rs 1,390 crore; adding toplines of the two separate operations in India). Or take that popular two-minute snack, Maggi, which netted a revenue of Rs 1,200 crore; Haldiram is almost three times bigger. These figures for 2013-14, the latest available in official records, when combined with the fact that Haldiram's commands 40% of the Rs 5,500-crore traditional snacks business, conclusively demonstrates one thing. Whether in fast food or munchies, and despite the profusion of MNC brands with high cool quotient in both categories, good old-fashioned Indian offerings from Haldiram's still dominate the market.

Equally interestingly , Haldiram's, present both through its ubiquitous casual dining eateries and its packaged snacks, is a success story with some unusual twists. First, the brand has survived disputes and break-ups in the original Agarwal family that started with a small shop in Bikaner in 1937. Haldiram is the biggest brand of those launched by Agarwals. Second, Haldiram's itself has succeeded as a national brand although the business is broken into three distinct geography-based entities. In 2013-14, Haldiram Manufacturing, which looks at North India, clocked Rs 2,100 crore in revenues. Haldiram Foods, catering to West and South India, had an nual sales of Rs 1,225 crore. And Haldiram Bhujiawala, which does business in East India, earned revenue of Rs 210 crore.

Third, owners remain old-fashioned in that they aren't looking at exiting. "Contrary to many consumer company founders who have taken an exit route in the last few years, we are more interested in building and preserving the business for the next generation," says 40-year-old Kamal Agarwal, fourth generation member of the founding family. Fourth, every savoury and sweet items sold by Haldiram's is made inhouse, in units closely monitored by family-dominated management."Developing and manufacturing products in-house in over ten dedicated units has also helped the company experiment with a host of new products," Agarwal says.

Real Sex Guru Their Age

Sex-guide according to your age

Our sexual behaviour varies at different times in our lives. Sex guru Tracey Cox in her bestselling book, 'Sextasy' reveals the sexual urges and traits of lovers according to their age...20-something: Most guys just can't stop dreaming about sex every couple of hours. At this age, girls are usually rebellious in their sexual imaginations. They share same-sex fantasies or want to try out bi-sexuality. A 2006 study of nearly 2000 people discovered that 76 per cent of women who slept with women reached orgasm (for women with men, the figure stands at 50 per cent).

The 20s are the time when young boys and girls are most experimental in their sexual positions. One in 10 people claims Tracey Cox have had a threesome in their early twenties. Also, people in this age group have most likely visited a strip joint or a lapdancing club - with their friends or their better half.

30 something: The 30s are a time to experiment, almost all 30-somethings claim to have had sex outdoors. Unlike the teens when making out was the most common form of sexual experimentation, most 30 somethings prefer having sex somewhere semi-public like the beach, in the garden or on a park bench in the darkness. There's something wildly erotic about these sexapades! Also, high on the 30 something popularity chart are having sex in the shower or in the bath tub. Kinky pleasures also rate high as most 30 plus couples claim to be giving in to their fantasies of bondage, blindfolds and spanking on a weekend of debauchery.

This is also the time when women are most likely to befriend gay male pals. Straight women love gay men; gay men love straight women. Swedish research is confirming just why the two groups get along so famously - they both have symmetrical brains. Straight men and lesbians have asymmetrical brain hemispheres.

The 30s also mark the arrival of children in a married couple's life, so the sex drive naturally dwindles. But, Cox points out that during pregnancy, couples have sex four to five times a month. Most put the brakes on their sex lives for about seven weeks after delivery, but four months later are back to four or five times of sex a month. Cox says six months after delivery, the average couple goes back to having sex three to five times a month. But incase you don't fit the bill, remember getting disheartened ain't gonna help. Remember it's just a temporary period, so continue touching and cuddling and if your baby robs you of chances to have sex, indulge in quickies.

Most women says Cox in her book experience higher orgasm rates. Ninety per cent of women past 30 regularly experience orgasm, compared to just 23 per cent of younger women.

40 something: Men in their 40s are more likely to experience erection problems. Also, this is the age when maximum number of men tend to be unfaithful. Also, men are more compelled in their 40s to watch more porn or indulge in sex chats. Women on the other hand get sexually very demanding, often being attracted to younger men.

If you thought the 40s were about low libido, think again, while 40-somethings maybe having less sex than ever, the thrust has shifted from how many times in a week to an emphasis on better quality. You are more sure of your sexual needs in this age group and thus more likely to insist on passion play as opposed to a mere making out session.
source:toi

Malayalam Movie 'Dhrishyam' Creating Waves?

A 57-year-old Muslim lady in Kerala, who has never stepped into a cinema hall, steps into one to watch a movie. Everyone who has seen the movie is calling up everyone they care for and asking them to see this movie.

A movie, 'Dhrishyam', is creating waves in Kerala. It has broken all collection records in the history of Malayalam cinema. It is bringing people in hordes back to the theatres. Looks like it is headed for 100 plus days in theatres. Its lead actor Mohanlal says what happened to his character, George Kutty and his family is something that should not happen to anyone anywhere. Its popularity is worrying top police officers. who are now saying that the message in this movie is wrong and Mohanlal, arguably India's most natural actor, should not have played the role of the school dropout George Kutty.

'Dhrishyam' is the brainchild by a young and very promising Director Jeethu Joseph. It is the story of a cable TV operator, his wife and two daughters. An incident of bullying using a mobile clip of the teenage daughter, taken clandestinely by the wayward son of a senior police officer changes everything. It leads to a crime. The father takes it upon himself to protect them from the crime. The movie buff cable operator outwits the investigators at every step using his filmy experiences.

Why is this movie then such a draw. Yes, it has Mohanlal essaying one of his finest acting moments. Yes, it is a brilliant murder mystery. It has no item girls...no popular songs, no fights. But this movie is much beyond the star, the plot and the screenplay.

I think it is about family. This movie has unnerved yet educated lakhs of families. A family is a safe harbour from the storms of the adversary. Here a relatively new adversary - cyber bullying - has been introduced in a shocking manner. Most families are aware of this, but thought this will not happen to them. This movie helps them take guard and be prepared to handle the new devil. In my student days parents worried about love affairs, cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. Online and virtual intrusion is here to stay. The movie is a cinematic eye opener.

In a world of turmoil and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make families the centre of our lives. The protagonist, George Kutty was convinced that he was doing the right thing when he protected his daughter and wife who committed a crime without intent. Before the law he is in the wrong. But for him he did the right thing. Most of his audiences seem to agree with him. More and more families are watching this movie to get the lesson right. To ensure that they don't have to go through this cinematic experience in real life.

To revert to the debate triggered by a top police officer that the message in the movie is wrong. He said the family that features in the movie should have informed the police about the bullying and not taken law into their hands. But the director has taken the route of shock and awe. Over half (52 per cent) of children in India have been bullied online, according to a survey released by Microsoft. China and Singapore are the only countries where cyber bullying is a bigger menace. There is a serious problem. If a movie has raised an alarm and has communicated to people the perils of online intrusion it has send a message. It has done its job.

I am told the movie will be remade in Hindi and many other Indian languages.

source

Sony Xperia Z Ultra all set to launch, up for pre-order on Flipkart at Rs 44,990

 The feature-rich Xperia Z Ultra smartphone boasts of dust-proof and water-resistant IP55/IP57 certifications which enables the user to record video for up to five feet under water for close to 30 minutes. Sony's flagship phablet Z Ultra which was globally unveiled last month can now be purchsed online in India. Saholic and now Flipkart is also taking pre-orders for the smartphone at Rs 44,990. The Z Ultra is also listed on Infibeam for the same price and will ship in four to five days. 
The feature-rich Xperia Z Ultra smartphone boasts of dust-proof and water-resistant IP55/IP57 certifications which enables the user to record video for up to five feet under water for close to 30 minutes. The samrtphone has rightfully gained a lot of buzz thanks to it being the first device to sport Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 SoC, which is expected to bring a whole lot of power to the smartphone.
 
Sony Xperia Z Ultra key specifications

  * 6.4-inch TFT Triluminos display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels and Shatter proof sheet on scratch-resistant glass
  * 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor
  * 2GB RAM
  * 8-megapixel rear camera with Exmor RS sensor
 * 2-megapixel front facing camera
  * 16GB internal storage expandable up to 64GB via microSD card
  * Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
 * LTE, NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
 * 3000mAh battery For those who wanted a phone to walk in the rains with, this one's a dream come true! The release date for India launch is expected to be really soon now that pre-orders have started.

Introducing the Xperia Z Ultra from Sony. The world's slimmest smartphone with the world's largest Full HD display*. With a 6.4" screen, big screen entertainment has never looked as clear and defined on-the-go. Take a closer look at Sony BRAVIA technologies TRILUMINOS Display with X-Reality bringing Xperia Z Ultra a wider palette of rich, natural colours to deliver true natural shades, just the way you want to see them. The ultra-slim, lightweight design makes it perfect to handle, and with LTE support, it's ultra-fast too. *Specifications verified by Strategy Analytics' SpecTRAX service, as of 19th of June 2013 the Xperia Z Ultra is the slimmest smartphone with a Full HD display,

Explore how Xperia Z Ultra immerses you in entertainment -- from vivid, natural colours and amazingly sharp images brought to you in Full HD to intuitive apps that keep all your online and offline music, movies, and pictures in one place -- at your fingertips.

Analyst: Samsung Finally Overtakes Apple for Mobile Operating Profits

Research firm Strategy Analytics is estimating that Samsung's second-quarter operating profits have finally overtaken Apple's to the tune of $5.2 billion to $4.6 billion. We say estimating, as these are figures that the companies don't specifically report – although Samsung did indicate that the company's mobile division hit $5.6 billion in profits in its Q2 earnings statement, the slight disparity in figures comes from non-mobile sales.
So, what helped carry Samsung to its second-quarter success over Apple in the mobile market? According to Strategy Analytics' Neil Shaw, a senior analyst, Samsung combined high sales volumes and high wholesale prices while simultaneously trimming the fat on its overall costs.

Apple, which had previously been the world's most profitable smartphone vendor since the third quarter of 2009, is currently facing two main threats to its profit margins: A lower percent of iPhone 5 sales compared to the company's other smartphones, which Apple will attempt to bolster by allegedly introducing the company's first trade-in program and possibly splitting the iPhone 5 brand into a high-end and mainstream smartphone. Additionally, Apple is having to deal with stronger competition from its manufacturing rivals.
"Samsung is performing well in the US market, while Huawei, ZTE and other local brands are growing vigorously in China. Apple is now under intense pressure to launch more iPhone models at cheaper price-points or with larger screens to fend off the surging competition and recapture lost profits in the second half of 2013," said Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston in a statement.

According to Apple's third-quarter earnings report, its total international sales are struggling a bit: Revenues are down $600 million year-to-year in Europe, $800 million in China, and flat in Asia Pacific. Japan's up $500 million, one of the few silver linings Apple has managed to generate among the international markets.
Senior vice president and CFO Peter Oppenheimer, didn't appear fazed when answering questions on the company's recent earnings call regarding Apple's international sales. Take China, for example:

"I think it's important to put it in perspective. If you combine the (result story) that we have in Greater China, our revenues there were $4.9 billion for the quarter, and so that's about 14% of the Company, which is very significant. A few years ago that was in hundreds of millions, and so we've grown our business there significantly," Oppenheimer said.

Amartya Sen's Gujarat's Business Experience

Lessons to be learnt from Gujarat's business experience: Amartya Sen

Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, who has been critical of Narendra Modi's model of governance, has said there are lessons to be learnt even from Gujarat which had good business performance and infrastructure though it lagged in health, literary and minority rights.

Sen, at the same time, pointed that there are bigger things to learn from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and even Himachal Pradesh, a state where he said "transformation has been much more rapid that Kerala." The economist said it was wrong to portray India's governmental experience as a complete failure. "It has been a completely diverse experience. Some very good experience in business area like Gujarat on the other hand pretty bad record in education, healthcare, gender equity and any public policy related to that," Sen said at the launch of his new book last evening. Sen along with co-author and economist John Dreze has in their new book taken note of the achievements of modern India including the successful maintenance of the world's largest democracy, but they still argue that the country's development strategy remains fundamentally flawed. In particular, the authors point out that the country has overlooked the central role of human capabilities — both as an end in themselves and as a means of further progress. Sen exemplified Kerala, which he has done pretty well in areas like education and healthcare and is now one of the richer states in India.

He said he was criticised as "hypothetical and imaginative" for saying that Kerala a state once mired with problems of low income and red tape could reap the benefits of growth if it stuck to progress in areas like education, healthcare and literacy. "Now it turns out Kerala is one of the richer states that the high growth rate in Kerala is nurtured and fostered by education and healthcare," said Sen. The Nobel laureate said it was a question of learning from any part of India that can offer a lesson.

"This is true even in Gujarat. We can even learn from Gujarat even though it has a dismal record in treatment of minorities, giving them a sense of security and sticking to secularism. But in things like market economic expansion, there are things to learn." Sen, however pointed that there are bigger things to learn from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and even Himachal Pradesh, a state where he said "transformation has been much more rapid that Kerala."

Sen has previously been attacked by economist Jagdish Bhagwati for supporting an inclusive growth model where government spends on public services like education and health services. Bhagwati, a professor at Columbia University, has backed the economic model that poverty can be reduced with the help of a higher growth rate. At the book launch, Sen rebutted Bhagwati's claim that the Nobel laureate has advocated the redistribution model for rapid growth.

"I'm not recommending redistribution I have never spoken of redistribution. Redistribution means taking from the rich and giving to the poor. What the poor need most are public services in education, health, literacy," Sen said. The economist said he was most likely to be misunderstood by journalists. "I have grown quite used to the fact that no matter what I say in a meeting I can see headlines next day about 'Amartya Sen saying growth is not adequate'... Growth is important but we are also very concerned with understanding how growth has come about", Sen said.

The book points out that during the last twenty years or so, the Indian economy has been one of the fastest-growing in the world, yet real wages have virtually stagnated. But this, say the authors has not attracted serious attention in policy circles. In contrast, real wages have been rising at about 7 per cent per year in China. The book concludes with a strong case for the possibility of change through democratic practice. The reorientation of democratic dialogue, however, it says requires a clearer understanding of the vast deprivations and inequalities that blight Indian society today. The book by Sen and Dreze " An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions", has been published by Penguin. 

Top 7 places for white water rafting in India

White water rafting gives you an adrenaline rush and washes your fear. Best part is that anyone can go for white water rafting; you don't necessarily have to know swimming. The best time for white water rafting in India is between September to November and April to May. We list out the top 7 places for white water rafting in India.

1.Rishikesh

Rishikesh is the first place that comes to mind for white water rafting in India. The stretch from Rishikesh to Devprayag has different levels of rapids. There are several camps outside Rishikesh that offer white water rafting.

2. Ladakh.

This place is a challenge for city-dwellers. If adventure runs through your veins, then head to Ladakh for its beauty and white water rafting. Plunge yourself amidst beauty with white water rafting. The best time to visit Ladakh is between June to October. Ladakh has two rivers - Indus and Zanskar that offers different intensity of rapids. Indus is easy while Zanskar will offer a challenging experience.

3. Tons

This river is not for amateurs; Tons river is situated in Uttarakhand's border with Himachal Pradesh. Tons is actually a tributary of Yamuna and offers 3-5 grade rapids.

4. Kundalika river

White water rafting can be enjoyed by all and is situated in Maharashtra. It makes a great escape for those from Mumbai and Pune. Different adventure-related companies organise white water rafting on the Kundalika river.

5. Ganga river

The white water rafting at Ganga is a great way for Delhiits to unwind with friends and family. The setting of the river Ganga also makes a great setting for a family holiday.

6. Sikkim

Sikkim has two rivers - Teesta and Rangit which are ideal for white water rafting. The season for this adventure sport begins in October to April.

7. Alaknanda river

Alaknanda river is known to be one of the most challenging and technical rapids you will face. This river is the second largest tributary of Ganga river. The stretch between the Chamoli and Rudraprayag, is a classic river run

Renault Scala RxE base diesel variant introduced

Priced at Rs 8.29 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the Renault Scala RxE diesel is a fairly well equipped entry-level diesel mid-sized sedan that is loaded with safety features Renault has introduced an entry level variant of its Scala diesel to make the mid-size sedan reach out to a larger market base with a more affordable variant. Badged as the Scala RxE diesel, the new variant is essentially a stripped out version compared to the higher end RxL and RxZ trims.

It must be said though that Renault has done a rather decent job at introducing a price sensitive product in the sense that all the extra frills like leather upholstery and chrome garnish have been done away with along with a couple of features like steering mounted audio controls, rear defogger, fog lamps, climate control and a few others but has decided not to skip on safety features as such and still packs in anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution and brake assist along with a driver’s side airbag and anti-pinch power windows. It would also be worth mentioning that the double din stereo unit of higher-end Scala models has also been retained.  The Renault Scala RxE diesel continues to be powered by the K9K 1.5 litre diesel engine that develops 86PS of power @3,750 rpm and 200Nm of torque at @2,000 rpm.

The Scala RxE diesel has been priced at Rs 8.29 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and is offered with the Renault complete care package that offers an extendable 2+2 year / 80,000 km warranty along with other benefits such as 24X7 roadside assistance, navigation assistance, etc. “At Renault India, we are constantly endeavoring to offer products that meet the complete spectrum of customer needs,” said Sumit Sawhney, Executive Director, Marketing and Sales, Renault India. “The Scala RxE not only offers the luxury, roominess and excellent ride and handling of the Scala diesel variants, but also delivers a host of features high on safety, comfort and entertainment – all in a price currently unmatched at the entry level of the premium sedan segment.”  

UnderWater Hotel Planned For Maldives

Space-age underwater hotel planned for Maldives

 With its luminous body seemingly hovering above the water, and five spidery legs plunging deep into the sea, this futuristic building could be the mothership in a sci-fi film.
In fact, it's the design for one of the world's largest underwater hotels -- and it could be coming to a beach near you.

sky-high, including a helicopter landing pad

Introducing the Water Discus Hotel, a luxury multi-million dollar resort featuring 21 moveable rooms found in the heart of spectacular coral reefs.
Maldives to Dubai
The space-age hotel is now set to be built on the remote -- and postcard perfect -- tropical island of Kuredhivaru in the Maldive Islands, with the National Ministry of Tourism giving the go-ahead to the ambitious plan last week. The United Arab Emirates may soon be the next home of the high-tech hotel, with a Dubai construction company also in negotiations to build the surreal structure.

"There are many people who will never have the courage to dive to these beautiful reefs," designer, Pawel Podwojewski, told CNN. "But here you will have the chance to explore an underwater world from the comfort of your bedroom." Space-age seascape Described as "Star Trek meets the undersea world of Jacques Cousteau," the remarkable building -- valued at up to $50 million -- is the brainchild of Polish company Deep Ocean Technology, backed by Swiss investors.

The luminous hotel features two large disc-shaped lounges seven-meters above the water, housing a luxury restaurant and spa. The lounges are connected to a glass tunnel plunging 30-meters below the water, leading to 21 opulent bedrooms. "A lot of people have said it looks like something from a James Bond film," said Podwojewski. "I'm a big fan of the movies, so perhaps that was an inspiration." "I wanted to keep it as sleek and simple as possible -- so the sphere shape is very efficient."
Deep end

Room with a view

The Water Discus Hotel, to be built in the Maldives

The cutting-edge hotel may plunge deep beneath the ocean, but its luxury facilities are sky-high, including a helicopter landing pad and rooftop swimming pool. Guests can sit back and enjoy views of vibrant reefs and tropical fish, all from the comfort of their bed. Those wanting to explore the spectacular underwater world, can also dive straight in from the hotel's airlock compartment, including its own decompression chamber.
The more adventurous can even take a ride in a three-passenger deep-sea submarine.
Moving on up
Not only does the hotel look like a spaceship -- it actually moves like one, with the largest underwater saucer-shaped room able to slide to the surface in emergencies. "If you need to replace a window for example, it's very difficult underwater," explained Podwojewski. "So we wanted to build a building that can surface any time for maintenance or safety."

Wake up to different ocean views in the underwater hotel

"It's a bit like a balloon underwater -- when we let go of the water from the room's huge tanks, the balloon will surface automatically. It doesn't need to rely on electricity."
Environmental concerns Developers hope to limit the impact on coral reefs by laying the foundation in as few points as possible. There are also plans to rebuild coral reefs, by growing the vibrant eco-systems in a special plantation before relocating them around the hotel.

"To preserve the natural environment we have developed couple of kinds of foundations depending on the local conditions," said Podwojewski. "The key is to touch the sea ground in just few points."
"Most probably the hotel will land on a flat sand area to reflect the sun rays inside the rooms and the reef will be additionally planted around the hotel rooms to enrich the view." The space-age design might seem like something from the future. But it seems this unique underwater hotel will be much closer than you think.

source:cnn.com

Balaknama: a Newspaper through which Street Kids tell their Stories

Newspaper brought out by working, street kids set to complete 10 years Little Naushad still remembers the day well. The day he ran down the narrow lanes of his jhuggi clutching a crumpled newspaper and shouting: "Mera naam chhapa hai humare akhbar mein (My name has been published in our newspaper)." 9-year-old

Naushad is among the 10,000-odd contributors of a unique newspaper - Balaknama - written and brought out by children from the streets or those working in factories. Many of them are ragpickers or help their parents in jobs like selling vegetables or working in households. Not all of them know how to read or write, yet they revel in being a part of the newspaper, possibly the first of its kind in the country, that will complete 10 years in July this year. "We started with a group of 35 street and working children in 2003. Now, there are more than 10,000 of us across India," recalls Subhash of the Delhi-based NGO Chetna that has brought the kids together and facilitates the publishing of the quarterly newspaper. Each kid pays Rs 5 per month - that goes into a corpus that helps in providing them basic education as well as in bringing out the newspaper. 

"The monthly contribution fee ensures that each child feels a sense of involvement. Even those children who are still learning to read and write insist that the stories in the paper are read out to them by others," says Subhash, himself a street kid who used to sell magazines at traffic intersections and fought his way out of destitution to complete his graduation in social work. The issues that find space in the paper are decided by the children themselves. Occasionally, there are poems contributed by them; sometimes there are profiles celebrating their achievements. But more often than not, the paper features discussions on issues like child marriage, police brutality on children and abuse faced by them on the streets. "All the discussions are done by the children.

 We felt it was important that they were exposed to the issues that affect them, and know what is right or wrong, as living on the streets or working in factories can easily distort their minds," says Subhash, even as some of the kids he has mentored nod in agreement. One of them is 19-year-old Shanno, who is the principal writer for the newspaper. She used to work in a dye factory since she was 12. Now, almost four years after being involved with the NGO's Badhte Kadam project, that facilitates education for street kids besides associating them with the newspaper, Shanno has given her Class XII exams through open schooling and become a prolific writer. She pens the newspaper's popular "Tota-maina" column - a kind of views and counter-views section. "I have written about the pros and cons of the government's decision to ban child labour this time," she says shyly pointing at the latest issue. Another star writer is 19-year-old Vijay, who used to work in a wood-carving unit in Delhi's Kirti Nagar. Now, like Shanno, he, too, has appeared for the Class XII exams and is bursting with ideas at the exposure that education and newspaper writing has provided him. Recently, at an ideation event organized by Microsoft India, he pitched a proposal to make their newspaper a monthly affair as well as a plan to start a local news channel that would be run by street children. Even though it was shortlisted, the proposal didn't make the final cut that could have given the children a funding and mentoring opportunity.

 This hasn't deterred the kids, though. "We'll make it happen some day for sure," says Vijay, his eyes shining brightly, the aspirations of thousands of children reflecting in them. Balaknama: a newspaper through which street kids tell their stories New Delhi: A unique newspaper called 'Balaknama' is brought out by street children. It publishes heart felt stories and editorials by children who work on the streets and in factories. Balaknama: a newspaper through which street kids tell their stories A unique newspaper called 'Balaknama' is brought out by street children. It publishes heart felt stories and editorials by children who work on the streets and in factories.

 Jyoti lives under a bridge at a bus stop in Delhi. A rag picker in the morning, she works as a journalist with the unique newspaper by street children during the day. After her photograph was published in 2012, she feels like a changed person.

Let’s Talk About That 500 Startups Video

Let’s Talk About That 500 Startups Video
By now you’ve probably seen that 500 Startups Accelerator has a new class of startups, its sixth. And it’s got a ton of international folks taking part and that is fucking awesome. You know what’s not so awesome? The video that accompanied its announcement.

This video, like those which came before it, was put together by the startups themselves. It’s a spoof on Macklemore’s Thrift Shop, which has been done before. And yes, it’s 2013 and startups continue to torture us with their horrible rapping, but whatever. My problem isn’t with concept behind the video, but with the content of the message included within.

Get over the jokey nature of the spoof and listen to the lyrics closely and you’re faced with an unintentionally cynical view of the startup ecosystem and today’s frothy early-stage investment climate.

At the heart of all of this is the chorus:

“I’m gonna raise some funds / Only got twenty dollars in my pocket / I – I – I’m raising, looking for millions / This is fucking awesome.”

Note, the goal here is not to build lasting companies. There’s some talk about creating products that are the future, that will be used by everyone and your grandma, but those lyrics are drowned out by incessant demands for more and more cash.

The most damning part of the spoof is the implication that the main goal of these startups is to raise seed funding and then a Series A, which will increase the paper value of the company for their investors. Or, worse, selling quick to a big player like Facebook, Google, or, god forbid, Yahoo.

Sure, VCs do care about returns, but I’m willing to bet that “All I care about is makin’ my investors green” is not a mantra on which lasting companies are built. Nor is “give me your money, I’ll double your money” or “follow us on Angel List, if you don’t you won’t make shit.”

There’s also the question of the role of the Accelerator itself. If Paul Graham is being criticized for saying YC’s Demo Day makes bad companies look good, what does one say about 500 Startups when it blatantly revels in the fact that the core mission of its startups seems to be cashing checks?

I’ve got respect for the 500 Startups crew and applaud the founders for putting a video together on a short deadline. But these lyrics make me wonder about the toxic startup culture that produces such a thing.

As one of my colleagues wrote on our internal message board: “500 Startups, and not a single person to say, ‘Hey guys, maybe this music video isn’t a good idea.’”

Here are the lyrics, a blatant glorification of wealth accrual to rival The Great Gatsby:

I’m gonna raise some funds
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I – I – I’m raising, looking for some millions
This is fucking awesome

[Verse 1:]
Nah, walk up to a meeting like, “What up? I got big traction”
My hockey stick’s higher than scoble’s amsterdam vacation
market size fit, users on their seat, punching cards in
cahingin-caching

Rollin in’, with my team, creating products that will be
the future but all i care is makin my inve stors green
Ima close my round now, Ima close my round now,
No for real I’m closing – ask your friends – can I get their checks now?

give me you money, ill double your money,
show me your market illl double your market,
your mommy your daddy , your cousin your aunty
everybody will be using my product

[2X]
I’m gonna raise some funds
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I – I – I’m raising, looking for some millions
This is fucking awesome

[BRIDGE]
Hey Tech Crunch write us up
So we can blow this up
Don’t dare to get us wrong
We are 500 strong

Hey seed funds check us out
Do it quick, or you’ll all miss out
follow us on Angel List
If you don’t you won’t make shit

[2X]
I’m gonna raise some funds
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I – I – I’m raising, looking for some millions
This is fucking awesome
Thrifty Startup by 500 Startups (Parody of Macklemore's Thrift Shop)

source

12 Great free Online Courses

Much ado has been made in recent years over the quickly rising cost of healthcare in the United States. But the cost of college tuition and fees has skyrocketed at nearly twice that rate. Going to college today will cost a student 559% more than it did in 1985, on average.

In an exciting talk given at TEDGlobal 2012, Stanford professor Daphne Koller explains why she was inspired — alongside fellow professor Andrew Ng — to create Coursera, which brings great classes from top universities online for free. Coursera classes have specific start dates, require students to take quizzes and turn in assignments, as well as allowing professors to customize their course into online chunks rather than simply recording their lectures.

When she spoke at TED Global, Coursera offered classes from four top colleges — Princeton University, the University of Michigan, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania — but in July, Coursera announced that they had increased to 16 participating colleges, including five of the schools considered the top 10 in the country by the U.S. News & World Report. The site now offers 116 classes.

Even outside of Coursera, the number of college classes available on a computer screen rather than in a brick-and-mortar lecture hall is staggering. At TEDxEastside Prep, Scott Young gave the intriguing talk — “Can you get an MIT education for $2,000?” — in which he shared his effort to get an MIT education in computer science by taking the school’s Open Courseware free online courses. The result? He’s currently taken — as well as passed exams and completed programming assignments for –  20 of the 33 courses in schools’ curriculum.

Inspired by Young, below, find 12 courses you could take for a completely free TED degree in Big Ideas.

The Course: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
The School: Stanford, via YouTube
Taught By: Peter Norvig, Sebastian Thrun
Course Description: Artificial Intelligence is the science of making computer software that reasons about the world around it. Humanoid robots, Google Goggles, self-driving cars, even software that suggests music you might like to hear are all examples of AI. In this class, you will learn how to create this software from two of the leaders in the field.
Notes: When Thrun and Norvig first put this course online in the fall of 2011, 160,000 students from 209 countries enrolled. While the course is closed, you can still watch the lectures on YouTube. And see Norvig discuss what he learned teaching the course in the TEDTalk, “The 100,000 student classroom.”

The Course: The Structure of English Words
The School: Stanford, via iTunes
Taught By: Will Leben
Course Description: Thanks to historical, cultural, and linguistic factors, English has by far the world’s largest vocabulary—leading many of us to have greater than average difficulty with words, and some of us to have greater than average curiosity about words. Our historical and linguistic study will cover both erudite and everyday English, with special attention to word meaning and word use, to both rules and exceptions. Most words originated with an image. “Reveal” = “pull back the veil,” “depend” = “hang down from.” Change is constant. “Girl” once meant “a young child of either sex;” an early synonym for “stupid” was “nice.” Are there good changes and bad ones? And who gets to decide?

The Course: Physics for Future Presidents
The School: University of California Berkeley, via YouTube
Taught By: Richard A. Muller and Bob Jacobsen
Course Description: Contains the essential physics that students need in order to understand today’s core science and technology issues, and to become the next generation of world leaders. From the physics of energy to climate change, and from spy technology to quantum computers, this is a look at the modern physics affecting the decisions of political leaders and CEOs and, consequently, the lives of every citizen. How practical are alternative energy sources? Can satellites really read license plates from space? What is the quantum physics behind iPods and supermarket scanners? And how much should we fear a terrorist nuke?”
Note: A complete guide is available to anyone who wants to teach the class at their university.

The Course: Dilemmas in Bio-Medical Ethics: Playing God or Doing Good?
The School: MIT, via Open Courseware
Taught By: Erica James
Course Description: This course is an introduction to the cross-cultural study of bio-medical ethics. It examines moral foundations of the science and practice of western bio-medicine through case studies of abortion, contraception, cloning, organ transplantation, and other issues. It also evaluates challenges that new medical technologies pose to the practice and availability of medical services around the globe, and to cross-cultural ideas of kinship and personhood. It discusses critiques of the bio-medical tradition from anthropological, feminist, legal, religious, and cross-cultural theorists.

The Course: Videogame Theory and Analysis
The School: MIT, via Open Courseware
Taught By: Alice Robison
Course Description: This course will serve as an introduction to the interdisciplinary academic study of videogames, examining their cultural, educational, and social functions in contemporary settings. By playing, analyzing, and reading and writing about videogames, we will examine debates surrounding how they function within socially situated contexts in order to better understand games’ influence on and reflections of society.

The Course: Sets, Counting and Probability
The School: Harvard, via the Open Learning Initiative
Taught By: Paul G. Bamberg
Course Description: This online math course develops the mathematics needed to formulate and analyze probability models for idealized situations drawn from everyday life. Topics include elementary set theory, techniques for systematic counting, axioms for probability, conditional probability, discrete random variables, infinite geometric series, and random walks. Applications to card games like bridge and poker, to gambling, to sports, to election results, and to inference in fields like history and genealogy, national security, and theology.

The Course: Introduction to Aerospace Engineering and Design
The School: MIT, via Open Courseware
Taught By: Dava Newman
Course Description: The fundamental concepts, and approaches of aerospace engineering, are highlighted through lectures on aeronautics, astronautics, and design. Active learning aerospace modules make use of information technology. Student teams are immersed in a hands-on, lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicle design project, where they design, build, and fly radio-controlled LTA vehicles. The connections between theory and practice are realized in the design exercises.

The Course: Shakespeare After All: The Later Plays
The School: Harvard
Taught By: Marjorie Garber
Course Description: This free online Shakespeare course focuses on Shakespeare’s later plays beginning with Measure for Measure and ending with The Tempest. This course takes note of key themes, issues, and interpretations of the plays, focusing on questions of genre, gender, politics, family relations, silence and speech, and cultural power from both above and below (royalty, nobility, and the court; clowns and fools).

The Course: Securing Digital Democracy
The School: University of Michigan, via Coursera
Taught By: J. Alex Halderman
Course Description: Computer technology has transformed how we participate in democracy. The way we cast our votes, the way our votes are counted, and the way we choose who will lead are increasingly controlled by invisible computer software. Most U.S. states have adopted electronic voting, and countries around the world are starting to collect votes over the Internet. However, computerized voting raises startling security risks that are only beginning to be understood outside the research lab, from voting machine viruses that can silently change votes to the possibility that hackers in foreign countries could steal an election. This course will provide the technical background and public policy foundation that 21st century citizens need to understand the electronic voting debate. You’ll come away from this course understanding why you can be confident your own vote will count — or why you should reasonably be skeptical.

The Course: Galaxies and Cosmology
The School: California Institute of Technology, via Coursera
Taught By: S. George Djorgovski
Course Description: This class is an introduction to the modern extragalactic astronomy and cosmology, i.e., the part of astrophysics that deals with the structure and evolution of the universe as a whole. It will cover the subjects including: relativistic cosmological models and their parameters, extragalactic distance scale, cosmological tests, composition of the universe, dark matter, and dark energy; the hot big bang, cosmic nucleosynthesis, recombination, and cosmic microwave background; formation and evolution of structure in the universe; galaxy clusters, large-scale structure and its evolution; galaxies, their properties and fundamental correlations; formation and evolution of galaxies; star formation history of the universe; quasars and other active galactic nuclei, and their evolution; structure and evolution of the intergalactic medium; diffuse extragalactic backgrounds; the first stars, galaxies, and the reionization era.

The Course: Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind, Our Modern World
The School: University of Michigan, via Coursera
Taught By: Eric Rabkin
Course Description: Fantasy is a key term both in psychology and in the art and artifice of humanity. The things we make, including our stories, reflect, serve, and often shape our needs and desires. We see this everywhere from fairy tale to kiddie lit to myth; from “Cinderella” to Alice in Wonderland to Superman; from building a fort as a child to building ideal, planned cities as whole societies. Fantasy in ways both entertaining and practical serves our persistent needs and desires and illuminates the human mind. Fantasy expresses itself in many ways, from the comfort we feel in the godlike powers of a fairy godmother to the seductive unease we feel confronting Dracula. This course will explore Fantasy in general and Science Fiction in specific both as art and as insights into ourselves and our world.

The Course: Bits: The Computer Science of Digital Information
The School: Harvard, via the Open Learning Initiative
Taught By: Harry R. Lewis
Course Description: This course focuses on information as quantity, resource, and property. We study the application of quantitative methods to understanding how information technologies inform issues of public policy, regulation, and law. How are music, images, and telephone conversations represented digitally, and how are they moved reliably from place to place through wires, glass fibers, and the air? Who owns information, who owns software, what forms of regulation and law restrict the communication and use of information, and does it matter? How can personal privacy be protected at the same time that society benefits from communicated or shared information?
SOURCE

Volkswagen Polo petrol variant launched; priced at Rs 7.99 lakh

Volkswagen Polo is one of the best looking hatchbacks in the Indian car market today.

Mumbai: Volkswagen on Monday launched a petrol variant of its popular hatchback Polo.
The 1.2-litre new Polo is priced at Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), said Arvind Saxena, Managing Director for passenger cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India after the launch here.

The company has not offered the price range for the Mumbai market.

"Fuel efficiency has become vital for every customer looking at purchasing a new car and the Polo GT TSI is an answer to this demand offering maximum power and minimum consumption," Saxena said, adding that the TSI is a pioneering technology of petrol engines by Volkswagen.

Volkswagen, the largest European car maker, sells the Polo, Vento, Jetta, Passat and the Touareg in the domestic market.

BlackBerry Q10 review: the best keyboard phone

The Q10 is the flagship BlackBerry deserves and the best phone with a keyboard on the market, writes Matt Warman .

 “This is a modern day smartphone with a keyboard that people will be PROUD to carry, use and show off.”

Google Pays Me $173 An Hour

Work At Home Mum Makes $7,487/Month Part-Time

Have You Ever Considered Working Online?

Kelly Richards from Brooklyn, NY never thought that she would, until curiosity got the best of her and she filled out a simple online form. Before she knew it, she discovered her secret to beating the recession, and being able to provide for her family while at home with her three children.

I read Kelly's blog last month and decided to feature her story in our local job report. In our phone interview she told me her amazing story. "I basically make about $6,000-$8,000 a month online. It's enough to comfortably replace my old jobs income, especially considering I only work about 10-13 hours a week from home.

Working online has been a financial windfall for Kelly, who struggled for months to find a decent job but kept hitting dead ends. "I lost my job shortly after the recession hit, I needed reliable income, I was not interested in the "get rich quick" scams you see all over the internet. Those are all pyramid scams or stuff where you have to sell to your friends and family. I just needed a legitimate way to earn a living for me and my family. The best part of working online is that I am always home with the kids, I save a lot of money."

"I basically make $6,000-$8,000 a month online."
- Kelly Richards

I asked her about how she started her remarkable journey. "It was pretty easy, I filled out a short form and got immediate access to the Online Income Solution. I got the Kit and within a month I was making over $4,000 a month. Its really simple, I am not a computer whiz, but I can use the internet. I fill forms and surf sites, I don't even have to sell anything and nobody has to buy anything."

Online giant Google, worth over 100 billion dollars is the most used search engine and internet market place. Google is the #1 internet site in the world, over 50 percent of all internet traffic flows through them everyday. Using Google and the other search engines to make money online has been a eye-opener for Kelly. There are plenty of scams on the internet claiming you can make $50,000 a month, but that is exactly what they are scams. From my conversation with Kelly, "I am making a good salary from home, which is amazing, under a year ago I was jobless in a horrible economy. I thank God every day that I filled out that form."

Quickly, Kelly Richards was able to use the simple Online Income Solution to make it out of the recession.

Kelly had never shared her story before, and with her permission, we are putting it public

Step 1
Go to this link, fill out a basic online form and hit submit at Online Income Solution

Step 2
Follow the instructions at Online Income Solution and set up your account.

Step 3
You should receive your first cheque within a week or so. Or you can start to have them wire directly into your bank account. (Your first cheques will be about $500 to $1,500 a week. Then it goes up from there. Depends on how much time you spent on it.)
Source

In bad economy, breaking up is even harder to do

Bonnie Rabin is fond of saying that divorce lawyers are a bit like liquor stores. They're busiest in the really good times, and the really bad.

These, of course, would be the bad times.

After all, "Money is THE great source of stress in relationships," says Rabin, one of five partners in a Manhattan matrimonial firm, who speaks with the quiet authority of someone who's spent two decades speaking to troubled spouses. "You think it might be sex, or the kids. But no, it really comes down to money."

And so it stands to reason that in such a dire time — when "virtually every day, I hear from a client who's lost their job," Rabin says — troubled relationships become more troubled. And once seemingly solid unions begin to fray.

But that doesn't mean everyone's rushing to divorce court. It just means that every step of the process is more fraught, more complicated, more difficult. Breaking up in this economy, it seems, can be a lot harder to do.

So while some of Rabin's clients are taking the plunge, others are hesitating, figuring they'll ride out the worst of the economic storm, hoping their homes will regain value, their stock portfolios rise again, their 401(k)'s recoup before the pie needs to be cut.

"These days, a lot of people can't afford to even maintain one home, let alone two homes with two mortgages or rents, cable, electricity, phone, two health insurance policies," Rabin says.

And there's a whole other group that's taking up Rabin's time these days: Clients who are already divorced or separated, and finding they simply can't live up to obligations they made in flusher times.

Says Rabin: "They're saying, 'I just can't pay for that private school anymore, that sleepaway camp, the piano lessons and the art classes. I know the judge ordered this, but I can't do it anymore.' And so we need to go back to court."

Whatever the status of a client — long divorced, just divorced or not yet — this is the season of facing up to cruel realities. And so a crisp November day begins with Rabin in a Brooklyn courtroom, arguing to the judge that her client, a manufacturer who's been suffering severe losses, cannot meet the demands expected of him.

"The spouse has expectations," Rabin says later. "She can't quite understand why things are going to be different. But this isn't a case of sudden divorce poverty" — the frequent phenomenon of a spouse suddenly claiming they're poor. "This is true. This is real. The glory days are over."

It's way too early to know the impact of the current financial crisis on divorce rates. We do know that divorce has been on the decline in America for the last 25 years, after peaking in 1981. There's a common notion that one of two U.S. marriages end in divorce, but many experts feel the real number is more likely between 40 percent and 45 percent.

The divorce rate did drop sharply during the Great Depression — couples delayed marriages as well — but that wasn't necessarily a good thing, says Stephanie Coontz, who teaches history and family studies at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash.

"At the time, people wrote that a silver lining of the Depression was that marriages were being saved," says Coontz. "But domestic violence rates went up. When people are forced by economic pressures to stay in a marriage that has already gone south, that's not good for them or for their kids."

Anecdotal evidence seems to show that divorces may have slowed down in recent months. Coontz says she's heard from some attorneys that they're seeing fewer divorce filings, and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers got a similar result when it polled its members.

In numbers released this week, 37 percent of the group's 1,600 members said they saw a decrease in divorce cases during national economic downturns. Forty-four percent said they saw no change, and 19 percent said they saw an increase.

"One thing we always see in a bad economy is fear," explains the academy's president, Gary Nickelson, a longtime matrimonial lawyer in Fort Worth, Texas. "People may want out of their marriages — but they want to be OK, too."

And most divorces, he says, are not rash decisions made during fits of passion. "If you come home and catch your spouse in bed with someone — then, yeah, you might run and file for divorce," he says. "But that's not how most of these things occur. Most people take a long time to take action. So when the economy turns bad, the marriage may not be the best situation, but at least it's a known."

Nickelson, who's seen that phenomenon in his own practice, is not worried about his business; he says his firm could survive for months simply on work that's waiting to get done. "But are we seeing a lot of new people flooding our doors? No."

Rabin is back in her spacious midtown office overlooking the Empire State Building, lit in purple this evening. After the morning appearance in Brooklyn, her afternoon had taken her to state Supreme Court in Manhattan, arguing on behalf of a client in commercial real estate, whose business has plummeted by some 75 percent this year.

Such arguments are quickly becoming a major part of Rabin's daily schedule. "We have cases where we've been negotiating agreements for months," says the petite, red-haired attorney, a 49-year-old mother of two. "And suddenly it's all changed. We have to renegotiate, in the midst of negotiations."

Rabin suspects that once the numbers do emerge, the financial crisis won't be seen to have lowered divorce rates. She remembers that after 9/11, "the divorce rate came right back up after only a few months."

And, just like those who are liquidating stocks now to cut their losses, there are clients who prefer to take the divorce jump immediately. Who knows if things will get even worse? "They're figuring, maybe I should get divorced before it's ALL gone," she says.

The days often bring difficult cases, like the woman who recently went back to work, as a real estate broker.

"She was given paltry alimony because the judge said she'd be able to get back on her feet and support herself. So she goes into real estate. That's pure commission. What is she going to do now?" Rabin says she gets her greatest professional satisfaction from helping people like that, "people at the most vulnerable points of their lives."

She does see a potential silver lining to the financial mess — though one that would presumably cost her and her colleagues across the country some money.

"People who would have started a real war — well, maybe they won't start that war," she says. "Rather than spend it all on the lawyers, maybe they'll sit down and actually work out something that's fair."