Tips for Buying a Camera

Source :olympus-digital-camera.net

You're ready to buy a camera. You've got your money in hand and you're ready to start shopping. Before going off to purchase the most gleaming model you can afford, prepare yourself with the following essential buying tips.

Know yourself and why you need a camera. Consider your capabilities and interest in photography, and how a digital camera fits into your lifestyle. Different models are better suited for different situations. See if you might fit into one of the three photographer-types listed below:

Novice User: Are you new to the world of digital photography? Many low-cost point-and-shoot digital cameras include a range of standard features that are simple to learn and operate, making them an ideal choice for the beginning or casual photographer.

Intermediate Photographer: If you take a wider array of photographs -- from quick snapshots to vacation photos to sporting events -- you'll need a versatile, full-featured camera that can handle a range of zoom scenarios, photo subjects, lighting conditions, and so on.



Source :http://www.sony-asia.com


Serious Amateur: Are you an experienced photographer that is prepared to pay a higher price for the features, flexibility, and control available only with a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera with interchangeable lenses?

• Determine your ideal camera type. Make sure you understand the relative strengths and limitations of point-and-shoot and DSLR cameras, and which is best suited for the photos you want to take. Although there are areas where the lines between point-and-shoots and DSLRs are blurring, the two classes of camera still have their own distinctive features that make them well-suited for different situations. Which camera is best for you can be as simple as needing the image quality of a DSLR or the convenience of a point-and-shoot, or it can be a more involved decision based on your experience level, the type of photos you take, and your desire to use manual settings. Here are some quick features of each camera type to help you decide.

• Get a feel for the camera. Hold the camera and take a few photos with it. You'll get more enjoyment from a camera and use it more often if it fits comfortably in your hand and the controls are easy to use.

• Look beyond the megapixels. For high-quality photos, consider the size and type of the camera's image sensor.

• Check out the zoom and focus features. Higher power zoom lets you get closer to the action, and optical zoom is more important than digital zoom because it doesn't reduce image quality. Auto focus features also are important, but a camera with manual focus features can give you greater flexibility.

• Help reduce the risks of blurry photos. Image stabilization is important for helping to reduce shaking and blurriness. Electronic image stabilization is a good start, while optical image stabilization is even better.

• Low-light capabilities matter. How well your camera performs in low light matters as much as how well it takes photos in bright sunlight. Cameras that have high ISO sensitivity (ISO ratings 800 or higher) will be better able to capture properly exposed images with reduced blur in dimly lit situations.

• Consider advanced features. Think about what additional technology features you want in your camera -- such as face detection or in-camera retouching -- to help you achieve better results and enhance your overall photography experience.

• Accessorize in style. Know what accessories you would like to use and what other devices you want to connect to your camera, such as an HDTV to view your photos, in order to make sure it has the right inputs and outputs.

• Be sure to comparison shop. Before deciding on a specific model, look at the models above and below it. Sometimes you can get amazing features for only a small price difference.

Source :http://shopping.yahoo.com

How Electric Vehicles Work

Graphical Source: http://www.electricvehicletrader.co.ukThe Power of the Gas Pump, By the Numbers

It doesn't take much to spark a conversation with an electric car advocate. A casual comment about the drawbacks of an EV - doesn't it take a long time to recharge? - will quickly spin into passionate arguments about efficiency, kilowatt-hours and states of charge. Electric car detractors are no less vociferous about the superiority of petro-power.

Power to the People
The first important issue to address is the fundamental difference between energy and power. There's a difference? There is - and if you can't readily tell the difference between the two, don't feel bad. Experts, officials and the media frequently confuse these terms. The difference between energy and power is quite simple:

*****Energy is the ability to do work

*****Power is the rate at which work is done

Understanding the difference is very important to the overall understanding of electricity and electrical systems, including electric cars and hybrid vehicles. The amount of energy in your batteries (or in your gas tank, for that matter) indicates the distance you can travel before refueling. That's known as range, and it's perhaps the most important issue involved in getting more electric cars on the road. The power rating of your electric motor (or gas engine) tells you how quickly you can turn that energy into useful work, such as vehicle acceleration.

To make this more useful in comparing gas-engine cars and electric vehicles, we need to introduce two more terms:
Kilowatt (a measure of power, abbreviated kW)
kilowatt-hour (a measure of energy, abbreviated kW-hr or kWh)
Let's begin by flipping on a 100-watt light bulb - better yet, make that 10 of those 100-watt light bulbs. With all 10 bulbs illuminated, you are burning 1 kilowatt of power. Leave those light on for an hour, and you will have used 1 kilowatt-hour of energy.

In general terms, that same amount of energy - 1 kilowatt-hour - will move an electric car about four miles down the road. The amount of electric fuel that an EV driver can store in batteries depends on a lot of factors: the number and size/shape of batteries, and how willing you are to fully charge and discharge those batteries (thus affecting how long the batteries last). Those are all energy issues. The power issues, on the other hand, are more circumscribed: recharging your batteries from a common household outlet occurs at 1.5 kilowatts. Without getting into complicated math, just know that 1.5 kilowatts is a relatively small power spigot and it's going to take the driver of an EV a good few of hours, if not seven or eight, to recharge batteries capable of a couple hundred miles of driving. (To be more specific: At 4 miles range per kWh, one can charge from an ordinary wall outlet at a rate of, at most, 6 miles of added range per hour of charging, or "6 mph." Then there is the taper-off toward the end of charge, making the last 10-20% of charge even longer.)

On the other hand, an internal combustion engine stores its energy in the form of gasoline - and gas packs a 33 kilowatt-hour punch in every gallon. There's a lot of juice in that juice. Unfortunately, the tank-to-wheels efficiency of the gas engine is five or six times less than that of an electric motor's battery-to-wheels efficiency. If you consider what it took to extract the petroleum from the well, transport it to a refinery in supertankers and big rigs (both of which are also burning fossil fuels), and then inefficiently burn it in internal combustion engines, then the wastefulness looks even more extreme. (And that's without calculating the geopolitical and environmental effects of that oil supply chain.)

If u need to get to work, the car is running nearly empty, and You need to quickly fill up on those "33 kilowatt-hour" gallons -. Let's assume that the car's gasoline tank is 10 gallons. In the five minutes it took to fill up, It would have placed 330 kilowatt-hours of energy in the tank.

If you tried to get the same amount of energy from a household outlet, it would take you about nine days. Of course, it doesn't take nine days to recharge an EV, because the efficiency of an EV allows the driver to put less energy in the "tank" and still receive an adequate charge. But the comparison shows how gasoline became such a popular fuel over the past century: it allows us to put a lot of energy in our cars very quickly.

Source :http://autos.yahoo.com

LG GD900: "The Transparent Phone"

Noah gets hands-on with the sexiest new phone at CTIA 2009: The LG GD900. This slider features a crazy transparent keyboard that doubles as a multitouch trackpad. There's also a multitouch screen and a ton of tricked-out features including an 8MP camera. And it's thin!

Sports and Technology

Picture By : http://www.travelsinparadise.com

The world of sport is continually changing over the years, and the use of technology is just one of those areas that has made an impact on many sports in the modern day. One criticism of the use of technology is that it can slow down the speed of the game.

1.Assisting the Umpires / Referees

Most professional sports in the United States have long used instant replay and other high-tech aids to help referees make the right call. Gridiron has used video replay systems to check referees' calls for many years. Basketball referees use replay systems to make sure players are shooting within the time allotted by the shot clock. In international cricket, the third umpire has been used, one sitting off the ground with access to TV replays of certain situations (such as disputed catches and boundaries) to advise the central umpires. The umpires out on the field are in communication via wireless technology with the other umpire. The third umpire is also asked to adjudicate on run out decisions, which he makes without consultation with the two central umpires. One sport that has resisted the use of high-tech assistance is soccer/football. Replays could be used to decide off-side decisions, whether a ball passes over the goal line, and clarify penalty decisions.

2.Soccer Goal Line Technology

There has been a need for goal line technology in soccer, particularly as TV replays are showing in retrospect wrong decisions by the referee. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has laid down four criteria that they want to see in goal-line systems:

The technology should only apply to goal-line decisions.
The system must be 100 per cent accurate.
The signal sent to the referee must be instantaneous.
The signal is only communicated to the match officials.

A promising prospect has been a "smartball" loaded with an computer chip, jointly developed by German companies Cairos Technologies and the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, an engineering research and software development company, along with the Adidas athletic clothing and shoe company. The companies' technology uses a network of receivers around the field designed to track the ball's precise position in real time - including exactly when it has fully passed the goal line. That information would be relayed in less than a second to a watch-like device worn by the referee. However, this system has had its setbacks, and another system using, The Hawk-Eye, is being looked at.

3.Hawk-Eye Technology

Hawk-eye is the name of a computer and camera system which traces a ball's trajectory. It is being used in international cricket and tennis, and many other sports are also looking at making use of this technology. The system is also being trailled in soccer. The Premier League of Football in the UK has agreed to the introduction of goal-line sensors after being given approval by football's rule-makers. The system being developed by the UK company Hawk-Eye, would give a definitive decision on whether the ball had crossed the line. The Hawk Eye uses a camera taking 600 frames a second on the goal-line. The information is analyzed by computer and sent to the referee's headset or a device on his wrist.

Source:http://www.topendsports.com

First Aid kit

Graphical Source : http://www.made-in-china.com

A well-stocked first-aid kit, kept within easy reach, is a necessity in every home. Having supplies gathered ahead of time will help you handle an emergency at a moment's notice. You should keep one first-aid kit in your home and one in each car. Also be sure to bring a first-aid kit on family vacations.

Choose containers for your kits that are roomy, durable, easy to carry, and simple to open. Plastic tackle boxes or containers for storing art supplies are ideal, since they're lightweight, have handles, and offer a lot of space.
Include the following in each of your first-aid kits:

* first-aid manual
* sterile gauze
* adhesive tape
* adhesive bandages in several sizes
* elastic bandage
* antiseptic wipes
* soap
* antibiotic cream (triple-antibiotic ointment)
* antiseptic solution (like hydrogen peroxide)
* hydrocortisone cream (1%)
* acetaminophen and ibuprofen
* extra prescription medications (if the family is going on vacation)
* tweezers
* sharp scissors
* safety pins
* disposable instant cold packs
* calamine lotion
* alcohol wipes or ethyl alcohol
* thermometer
* plastic gloves (at least 2 pairs)
* flashlight and extra batteries
* mouthpiece for administering CPR (can be obtained from your local Red Cross)
* your list of emergency phone numbers
* blanket (stored nearby)

After you've stocked your first-aid kits:

* Read the entire first-aid manual so you'll understand how to use the contents of your kits. (If your children are old enough to understand, review the manuals with them as well.)
* Store first-aid kits in places that are out of children's reach but easily accessible for adults.
* Check the kits regularly. Replace missing items or medicines that may have expired.

Source :http://kidshealth.org

Tips to Stop Snoring

The following tips will hopefully give you relief with your snoring problems. It's important to remember that different remedies will have varying success depending on the individual.

1.Elevate your head by sleeping on a thicker pillow or multiple pillows will help reduce your snoring.

2.Don't drink alcoholic beverages, take sleeping pills, tranquilizers, or antihistamines right before going to sleep, they will cause your muscles to relax and limit your air passage way.

3.Avoid dairy products, which can cause mucus build-up right before you go to sleep.

4.If you are overweight, losing some weight will reduce snoring by increasing the space in your air passage way.

5.Sleeping on your side instead of your back will help to prevent snoring.

6.A common remedy to prevent sleeping on your back is to sew a tennis ball to the back of your shirt; the discomfort of sleeping on the ball will prevent you from staying on your back.

7.Try following a regular sleep routine.

8.Try taking in a little bit of honey before sleeping.

9.Don't eat a big meal right before bed, if your stomach is full it will push up on your diaphragm and limit breathing passage ways.

10.Avoid eating "rich" foods such as cakes, cookies, chocolate and pizza.

11.Sleep on a firmer pillow, a pillow that's too soft encourages your throat muscles to relax and narrows your air passageway.

12.Inhale steam before sleeping or sleep in a room with a humidifier turned on, which will reduce congestion and moisturize the throat.

13.Purchase some nasal strips and put them on before going to sleep. Nasal strips will open up your nostrils and allow more air to come in, thus reduce snoring.

14.If you are a smoker, stop smoking, if that is not feasible then avoid smoking right before you go to bed. Smoking causes inflammation and swelling of the throat.

15.Take anti-snoring pills or use anti-snoring nasal spray.

16.Consult a medical professional if your snoring continues to adversely affect your sleep.

Source :http://www.stopsnoringtips.com

Tips on reducing or controling your snoring

The following tips will hopefully give you relief with your snoring problems. It's important to remember that different remedies will have varying success depending on the individual.

• Elevate your head by sleeping on a thicker pillow or multiple pillows will help reduce your snoring.
  

• Don't drink alcoholic beverages, take sleeping pills, tranquilizers, or antihistamines right before going to sleep, they will cause your muscles to relax and limit your air passage way.
  

• Avoid dairy products, which can cause mucus build-up right before you go to sleep.
  

• If you are overweight, losing some weight will reduce snoring by increasing the space in your air passage way.
  

• Sleeping on your side instead of your back will help to prevent snoring.
  

• A common remedy to prevent sleeping on your back is to sew a tennis ball to the back of your shirt; the discomfort of sleeping on the ball will prevent you from staying on your back.
  

• Try following a regular sleep routine.
  

• Try taking in a little bit of honey before sleeping.
  

• Don't eat a big meal right before bed, if your stomach is full it will push up on your diaphragm and limit breathing passage ways.
  

• Avoid eating "rich" foods such as cakes, cookies, chocolate and pizza.
  

• Sleep on a firmer pillow, a pillow that's too soft encourages your throat muscles to relax and narrows your air passageway.

• Inhale steam before sleeping or sleep in a room with a humidifier turned on, which will reduce congestion and moisturize the throat.

• Purchase some nasal strips and put them on before going to sleep. Nasal strips will open up your nostrils and allow more air to come in, thus reduce snoring.
  

• If you are a smoker, stop smoking, if that is not feasible then avoid smoking right before you go to bed. Smoking causes inflammation and swelling of the throat.
  

• Take anti-snoring pills or use anti-snoring nasal spray.

• Consult a medical professional if your snoring continues to adversely affect your sleep.

Life Insurance

Picture Source :http://www.healthinsurance.org

Before You Start

* Think about which members of your household should be covered by life insurance. (It's typically a good idea to insure anyone who earns income.)
* Find out whether you're eligible for group life insurance coverage at work. If you already have it, review the policy to understand exactly what benefits it provides.
* Keep in mind that you may not need life insurance if you have no dependents and nobody else relies on you for financial support.


1.Buying Life Insurance

Conventional wisdom says that life insurance is sold, not purchased. In other words, some people are reluctant to discuss the importance of owning life insurance, and others are simply unaware of the need to have life insurance. Although many large companies provide life insurance as part of their benefits package, this coverage may be insufficient.

Who needs life insurance? If there are individuals who depend on you for financial support, or if you work at home providing your family with such services as child care, cooking, and cleaning, you need life insurance. Older couples also may need life insurance to protect a surviving spouse against the possibility of the couple's retirement savings being depleted by unexpected medical expenses. And individuals with substantial assets may need life insurance to help reduce the effects of estate taxes or to transfer wealth to future generations.

2.Types of Insurance

Term insurance is the most basic, and generally least expensive, form of life insurance for people under age 50. A term policy is written for a specific period of time, typically 1 to 10 years, and may be renewable at the end of each term. Also, the premiums increase at the end of each term and can become prohibitively expensive for older individuals. A level term policy locks in the annual premium for periods of up to 30 years.

Declining Balance Term insurance, a variation on this theme, is often used as mortgage insurance since it can be written to match the amortization of your mortgage principal. While the premium stays constant over the term, the face value steadily declines. Once the mortgage is paid off, the insurance is no longer needed and the policy expires. Unlike many other policies, term insurance has no cash value. In this sense, it is "pure" insurance without any investment options. Benefits are paid only if you die during the policy's term. After the term ends, your coverage expires unless you choose to renew the policy. When buying term insurance, you might look for a policy that is renewable up to age 70 and convertible to permanent insurance without a medical exam.

Whole Life combines permanent protection with a savings component. As long as you continue to pay the premiums, you are able to lock in coverage at a level premium rate. Part of that premium accrues as cash value. As the policy gains value, you may be able to borrow up to 90% of your policy's cash value tax-free.

Universal Life is similar to whole life with the added benefit of potentially higher earnings on the savings component. Universal life policies are also highly flexible in regard to premiums and face value. Premiums can be increased, decreased or deferred, and cash values can be withdrawn. You may also have the option to change face values. Universal life policies typically offer a guaranteed return on cash value, usually at least 4%. You'll receive an annual statement that details cash value, total protection, earnings, and fees.

Drawbacks to this type of insurance include higher fees and interest rate sensitivity. Universal policies include up-front fees as well as ongoing administrative fees totaling as high as 5% to 7% of your premiums. You may also find your premiums increasing when interest rates decline.

Variable Life generally offers fixed premiums and control over your policy's cash value. Your cash value is invested in your choice of stock, bond, or money market funding options. Cash values and death benefits can rise and fall based on the performance of your investment choices. Although death benefits usually have a floor, there is no guarantee on cash values. Fees for these policies may be higher than for universal life, and investment options can be volatile. On the plus side, capital gains and other investment earnings accrue tax deferred as long as the funds remain invested in the insurance contract.

Universal Variable Life insurance is the most aggressive type of policy. Like variable life, you control your investment in mutual funds. However, there are no guarantees on universal variable policies beyond the original face value death benefit. These policies are probably best suited to affluent buyers who can afford the risks involved.

Key Terms and Definitions

* Face Value -- The original death benefit amount.
* Convertibility -- Option to convert from one type of policy (term) to another (whole life), usually without a physical examination.
* Cash Value -- The savings portion of a policy that can be borrowed against or cashed in.
* Premiums -- Monthly, quarterly, or yearly payments required to maintain coverage.
* Beneficiary -- The individual(s) or entity (e.g., trust) that is designated as benefit recipient.
* Paid Up -- A policy requiring no further premium payments due to prepayment or earnings.


3.How Much Insurance Do I Need?

A popular approach to buying insurance is based on income replacement. In this approach, a formula of between five and ten times your annual salary is often used to calculate how much coverage you need. Another approach is to purchase insurance based on your individual needs and preferences. The first step is to determine your unique income replacement needs.

Currently, a large portion of your income goes to taxes (insurance benefits are generally income tax free) and to support your own lifestyle. Start off by determining your net earnings after taxes. Then add up all your personal expenses such as food, clothing, magazine subscriptions, club memberships, transportation expenses, etc. The remainder represents annual income that your insurance will need to replace. You'll want a death benefit amount which, when invested, will provide income annually to cover this amount. Then, you should add to that the amounts needed to fund one-time expenses such as college tuition for your children or paying down mortgage or debt.

Income replacement for nonworking spouses is an important and often overlooked insurance need. Coverage should provide for your costs for day care, housekeeping, or nursing care. Add to this any net earnings from part-time employment.

Finally, estimate your own "final expenses" such as estate taxes, uninsured medical costs, and funeral costs.

4.Other Types of Life Insurance

Survivorship life insurance (also referred to as last-to-die or second-to-die) is a unique type of contract that insures the lives of two people. It pays a death benefit upon the death of the second insured. Therefore, it is typically less expensive than two individual policies. Survivorship life is often used for estate planning, where it may be possible to potentially leverage today's dollars -- via insurance premiums -- into a potentially significant death benefit that can be used to fund estate taxes, create wealth for future generations, or benefit a charity. These policies may be available if one insured is medically "uninsurable."

First-to-die life insurance insures the life of at least two people and pays a benefit upon the death of the first insured. This policy is useful for covering a mortgage or other large debt obligation where there is more than one debtor. In addition, it can be an ideal tool for funding a buy-sell agreement within a closely held business.

Summary

* Term insurance is basic, inexpensive coverage with premiums that increase over time and have no cash value.
* Consider a term policy that is renewable and convertible to whole life should your needs change.
* Whole life provides level coverage with level premiums. A portion of those premiums goes into tax-deferred savings.
* Check rates on whole life policies and compare them to other investment opportunities.
* Variable life offers control over your investments.
* Premiums on variable policies are fixed, but face value and the value of your investments can fluctuate.
* Universal life offers more investment options, but is highly sensitive to interest rate changes. Universal variable life is highly flexible, but offers no guarantees beyond the original face value.
* Insurance needs are based on income replacement and personal preferences.

iPod Nano 5G

The 5th Generation iPod Nano

This, according to iLounge’s trusted tipster, is pretty much what the fifth-generation iPod nano will look like. No touchscreen interface, but the display does get an aspect change; there’s also said to be a camera on the back and a smaller control wheel.

The screen gets wider (when held horizontally) to 1.5:1 aspect, from the current fourth-gen nano’s 1.33:1, which should reduce black-bars when watching widescreen content. As for the scroll-wheel, that’s shifted down the body to accommodate the bigger display, and the whole thing has a smaller diameter and more compact center-button.

On the back, meanwhile, there’s a camera of unspecified resolution; it’s likely to be covered up when the iPod nano is held in portrait orientation, but flip it to landscape and hold the PMP as you would a standard camera and it’ll be more useful. According to their source, the fifth-gen iPod nano will debut sometime between July and September (likely later rather than sooner) at the same time as a refreshed iPod touch.

As for the iPhone, iLounge have been informed that there’ll be no less than six versions of the third-gen model, three models each with two storage options. As well as a standard 3G (e.g. 3.5G HSDPA) there’ll be an “enhanced 3G” version (likely faster HSPA), plus a mainland China version that looks like the existing phone and comes in scratch-resistant matte plastic. The models will be tailored to different networks in different locations, so consumers won’t have a choice between, say, the two 3G handsets.

Source:www.slashgear.com

The all new Sprint Hero

Sprint Hero Review

Take the most daring Android phone yet, but make it faster, stronger and better (but blander). You have the Sprint take on the HTC Hero, which happens to be the best Android phone you can buy.

HTC has taken the striking, aggressive angles of Hero v1 and flattened them out into a rounded, far more generic looking phone. It's not hideous, but it's lost its power to captivate as a geek fetish object.

Everything else about this version of the phone is better: The software, which is exactly the same content-wise on the HTC front as the first Hero, has been seriously optimized, so it doesn't suffer show-stopping slowdowns anymore, even with a full set of HTC's widgets running. Speed-wise overall, it's about the same as a G1 running the stock Android OS—bearable, but not exactly a blitzkrieg.

Interestingly, while HTC says the hardware is exactly the same—except for the CDMA chips to get it on Sprint's network, obviously—there are some differences we noticed. The screen, while the same size, actually seems to look a little bit better on the Sprint model. Not worlds better, but if you look close, the difference is there. The colors are a bit more saturated, the viewing angle a little wider. Also, it's got a bigger battery: 1500 mAh, compared to 1350 before. The bigger trackball is a plus, since it takes less thumb movement to get around, meaning less carpal tunnel problems in the future.

And, while it's very possibly firmware at play, the 5MP camera shoots, on average, about twice as fast as the first Hero, and the metering in low light seems to be way better, too.

The only real new bits, software-wise, are a handful of pretty standard Sprint apps: Sprint Navigation, NFL Mobile Live, Nascar, SprintTV and Device Self-Service. Everything else, from the keyboard to the multi-touch browser looks the same, just faster (and in the case of Flash in the browser, more reliable too, since we could actually watch videos this time around). Which is dandy, since HTC's Sense UI, with its multiple desktops, social networking integration, widgets for weather, Twitter, settings and other enhancements, made Android great.

The real power of this Hero is that the best Android phone you can buy—it's everything good we said about the first Hero, but with our biggest complaint, speed, fixed—is on Sprint and its solid 3G network—making it the first U.S. Android phone outside of T-Mobile—and it's $180. Plus, the required Sprint Everything now has free calling to any mobile number, not a bad perk.

If you've been waiting for an Android phone not on T-Mobile, or one that's finally just about ready for primetime, this is it.

Source:www.gizmodo.com

Global Warming

Source: http://www.howstuffworks.com

The composition of air is vast. There is nitrogen, that occupies 78% and oxygen that occupies 21%. This in total occupies 99% of air. It is just that tiny 1% fraction that has everything else. Among that, carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide- a compound of carbon and oxygen ( CO2) and is talked about frequently. It is talked about in a bad way, that it pollutes the air. I have to say I disagree. Without carbon dioxide, there would be no photosynthesis in plants. If there was no photosynthesis, there would be no recycling of oxygen and we would never get food. So carbon dioxide in my point of view is helpful to the environment. Carbon dioxide is an insulator and traps heat. This keeps us warm during the night when the land continues to radiate heat but doesn’t receive heat. The carbon dioxide in the air traps the heat. Now lets rewind a bit. ‘Carbon dioxide is an insulator and traps heat.’

This is the sentence from which the term global warming can arise from. The definition of global warming- rise in the ambient temperature globally. Global warming comes from the greenhouse effect.

The greenhouse effect is the work of a greenhouse. It allows heat from the sun to pass through it, but the glass prevents it from escaping back into the atmosphere or space. Same for the greenhouse effect globally. The carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere allows heat from the sun to come to the Earth, but an amount of the heat that is radiated from the land is trapped by the carbon dioxide. This in turn causes global warming.

Since the carbon dioxide traps heat, and the content of it is increasing day by day, it will give a higher temperature to the Earth as a whole. Polar ice caps will melt, and the water in the oceans will expand. As a matter of fact, this had already started.

The content of carbon dioxide in the past was a mere 0.03% and now it is around 0.05%. This may not seem like major change, but it shows that the content is increasing. Who cares whether it is .02%?? It is still rising, is it not? This means we have to stop it, before it gets out of hand.

Solution- stop the excess of carbon dioxide. As simple as that. We can’t stop science, it is naturally occuring. Now how do we stop the continuous excess of carbon dioxide? I have two ways, and these are the methods that are trying to be used worldwide-

1. Stop overflow of carbon dioxide. Simple. The less carbon dioxide in the air, the less precaution taken towards global warming. This means less factory builds, more use of renewable energy sources as fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide and less use of a power plant.

2. Plant more… plants! This is talked about a lot. Autotrophs (green plants) use water, sunlight and carbon dioxide to make food and release oxygen. Notice the carbon dioxide part. More trees leads to more carbon dioxide used up, more oxygen content in the air and more food produced. A four in one offer that could change the world.


Source:http://scienceray.com

Amazing Facts about Human Body

Read on to learn some fascinating facts a human body does.

Human being as God said “is a perfect creation’. Each and every part performs special and unique tasks. Read on to learn some incredible things the human body does.

A healthy human body contains an adequate amount of :

iron to make a three inch nail.
carbon to produce 1,000 pencils.
potassium to trigger a toy cannon.
sulphur to kill all fleas on an average dog.
phosphorous enough to make 8 match heads.
fat to produce 7 bars of soap.
water to fill a ten gallon tank.

Almost ¼ of our bones are found in the feet.

The human hand contains 14 finger bones or phalanges.

The largest muscle in the human body is the buttock muscle.

Fingernails grow faster than toenails and for a new nail grow from tip to base will
probably takes 6 months.

For the record, an individual loses an average of 40 to 100 strands of hair a day.


For a fact, human brain is made up of 80% water and it stops growing as one reach the age of 18.

All in all, the human body contains 70,000 miles of blood vessels.

Human brain has a storage capacity of about 4 terabytes (4, 000 gigabytes), while human senses can transmit up to 100 million messages to the brain every second.

A human liver could still rejuvenate and functions even if 80% of it were removed.
Just like fingerprint, each individual has a unique tongue print.

Ever wonder what would a piece of white paper looked like after you have spent long hours working at a computer monitor, guess what — it will appear somewhat pink in color.

Between watching television and sleeping ,our body burns more calories doing the latter activity.

A cough can travel up to 60 miles per hour carrying with it a highly-charged, volatile air.

If you measure the inside of your elbow up to wrist, you will arrive at a measurement that is nearly the length of your forearm.

At the age of 60, many of us will have only 50 percent of our taste buds working.

Source :http://scienceray.com

Microchip Identification for Animals

What is mircochipping?

A microchip implant for animals is an identifying integrated circuit placed under the skin of a dog, cat, or other animal - a tiny computer chip, approximately the size of a grain of rice, that has an identification number programmed into it. The chip is encased in a smooth, strong bio-compatible glass and is small enough to fit into a hypodermic needle. Once an animal is injected with a chip, he can be identified throughout his life with this one of a kind number. The identification cannot be lost or altered.

A special scanner is used to send a radio signal to the chip to read the chip’s unique identification number. The animal feels nothing when the scanner is placed over it. The number is displayed on the scanner, and the person reading the scanner can contact a national microchip registry to find out to whom the animal belongs.

What are the components of a microchip?

Microchips are passive or inert, (meaning it must be read by a scanner), RFID devices and contain no internal power source; therefore, it does not send out signals. They are designed so that they do not act until acted upon.

Three basic elements comprise most microchips: A silicon chip (integrated circuit); a core of ferrite wrapped in copper wire; and a small capacitor. The silicon chip contains the identification number, plus electronic circuits to relay that information to the scanner. The ferrite - or iron - core acts as a radio antenna, ready to receive a signal from the scanner. The capacitor acts as a tuner, forming a LC circuit with the antenna coil.

These components are encased in special biocompatible glass made from soda lime, and hermetically sealed to prevent any moisture or fluid entering the unit. Animals are not affected physically or behaviorally by the presence of a chip in their bodies.

What are the uses and benefits of micro-chipping?

Microchips are permanent identifications that cannot be lost, altered or destroyed. Pet guardians have been reunited with their lost, chipped pets that have been missing for years or that have traveled thousands of miles. They can also assist where the ownership of an animal is in a dispute.

Animal shelters and animal control centers benefit from microchipping by more quickly and efficiently returning pets to their guardians. When a pet can be quickly matched to his guardian, the shelter or veterinarian avoids the expense of housing, feeding, providing medical care, and outplacing or destroying the pet.

Microchipping is becoming increasingly standard at shelters: many require all outplaced animals to receive a microchip, and provide the service as part of the adoption package.

In addition to shelters and veterinarians, microchips are used by kennels, breeders, brokers, trainers, registries, rescue groups, humane societies, clinics, farms, stables, animal clubs and associations, researchers, wildlife rehabbers, and pet stores. Animal control officers are also trained and equipped to scan animals.

Kittens and puppies can have the chip injected between the ages of six and eight weeks of age. Of course, the injection can also be done at any time afterwards. The same sized microchip and needle are used in animals even smaller than kittens, puppies, and toy breeds, including mice, baby birds, and even fish.

Although the microchip needle is larger than a typical vaccine needle, the general rule is that animals will react the same way to this shot as they do to any other. Animals do not over react to it. Their physical performance is not impaired and there is no scarring. There is no substance that can burn or irritate; the chip is completely biocompatible and non-offensive. There is virtually no chance of the body developing an allergy or trying to reject the microchip. Anesthesia is not required or recommended.

Where is the microchip implant location?

In dogs and cats, chips are usually inserted below the skin at the back of the neck, between the shoulder blades on the dorsal midline. The chip can often be manually detected by the guardian by gently feeling the skin in that area. It stays in place as thin layers of connective tissue form around the bio-compatible glass, which encases it.

Horses are microchipped on the left side of the neck, half the distance between the poll and withers, and approximately one inch below the midline of the mane, into the nuchal ligament.

Birds' microchips are injected into their breast muscles. Because proper restraint is necessary, the operation requires two people - an avian veterinarian and a trained assistant.

The microchip has no power supply, battery, or moving parts. It is designed with an operating life of over 25 years and is guaranteed for the life of the animal. The chip requires no care. It does not pass through or out of the body.

What is the recovery system of a micro-chipped animal?

Effective pet identification and recovery depends on the following:

1. A pet guardian either adopts a pet at a shelter that microchips some or all adoptee animals, or the guardian with an existing pet brings him to a veterinarian or a shelter that provides the service.

2. The shelter or vet selects a microchip from their stock, makes a note of that chip's unique ID, and then inserts the chip into the animal.

3. Before sending the animal home, the vet or shelter performs a test scan on the animal. This helps ensure that the chip will be picked up by a scanner, and that its unique identifying number will be read correctly.

4. An enrollment form is completed with the chip number, the pet guardian's contact information, the name and description of the pet, the shelter's and/or veterinarian's contact information, and an alternate emergency contact designated by the pet owner. (Some shelters or vets, however, choose to designate themselves as the primary contact, and take the responsibility of contacting the owner directly. This allows them to be kept informed about possible problems with the animals they place.) The form is then sent to the manufacturer of the chip to be entered into its database. This company typically provides not only the microchips, but a 24-hour, toll-free telephone service for pet recovery, good for the life of the pet.

5. The pet guardian is also provided the chip ID and the contact information of the recovery service. This is often in the form of a collar tag imprinted with the chip ID and the recovery service's toll-free number, to be worn by the animal. If the pet is lost or stolen, and is found by local authorities or taken to a shelter or veterinarian, the pet is scanned during intake to see if a chip exists. If one is detected, authorities call the recovery service and provide them the ID number, the pet's description, and the location of the animal. If the pet is wearing the collar tag, anyone who finds the pet can call the toll-free number, making it unnecessary to involve the authorities. (The guardian can also preemptively notify the recovery service directly if a pet disappears. This is useful if the pet is stolen, and is taken to a vet who scans it and checks with the recovery service.)

6. The recovery service notifies the guardian that the pet has been found, and where to go to recover the animal. Many veterinarians perform test scans on micro-chipped animals every time the animal is brought in for care. This ensures the chip still performs properly. Vets sometimes use the chip ID as the pet's ID in their databases, and print this number on all outgoing paperwork associated with its services, such as receipts, test results, vaccination certifications, and descriptions of medical or surgical procedures.

Source:www.sniksnak.com

Buying a New or Used Car

1.Buying a New or Used Car

Thinking of buying a car? You'll save money, avoid headaches, and get the car you want if you pay attention to buying advice from auto industry insiders and consumer credit experts.

First, decide what kind of vehicle you need. What you choose is entirely up to you, but a little red sports car is probably unwise if you drive clients around or ferry four kids to soccer games. Similarly, think hard before you pay extra for a four-wheel drive sports utility vehicle if it seldom snows where you live and your only off-road driving is in shopping mall parking lots.

Consider, too, whether a late-model used car, costing thousands of dollars less than a new vehicle, would meet your needs. The biggest cost in owning a new car is depreciation, with some new cars dropping in value by as much as 20% in the first year on the road.

You've probably decided that auto leasing is not for you. There can be pluses to leasing, most notably low down payments, convenience, and accounting advantages for businesses. But it is almost impossible, over the long run, to lease a car for less than it costs to buy. By buying, you'll also avoid charges for extra wear or for mileage over the usual 12,000- to 15,000-mile yearly limit.

2.Insurance Considerations

Regardless of where you live, certain types of auto insurance are required. The following is a list of some required and optional coverages.

Bodily Injury Liability -- pays for medical or death expenses resulting from an accident in which you are at fault.

Property Damage Liability -- pays for repair or replacement and legal expenses for property damaged in an accident in which you are at fault.

Personal Injury Protection -- pays for expenses resulting from injury or death to you or your passengers, regardless of who is at fault. This coverage will also pay a death benefit to the deceased's survivors.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Protection -- pays personal injury or death benefits if you are in an accident caused by an uninsured, underinsured, or hit-and-run driver.

Collision -- optional in most states, this pays for damage caused to your car in a collision or rollover, minus a deductible set by the insured. Higher deductibles typically result in lower premiums.

Comprehensive -- pays for damage caused by theft, vandalism, fire, and most natural disasters. Though optional in most states, banks will typically require you to purchase this insurance if the vehicle you are buying is being used as collateral for a loan. Equipping your vehicle with certain antitheft devices can reduce your premium.

3.Vehicle Value

Determine how much money your car of choice -- with the options you want -- is fetching on the local market. When you get to the auto showroom, you'll probably find good deals and, perhaps, rebates on slow sellers. But expect high prices and little bargaining room on fast-sellers like pickups and sport utility vehicles. That means you have to know the real value of the car or truck if you want to get the best deal.

4.Making the Deal

The first step to getting a good deal on a new car is to be informed. New car cost guides are available in bookstores, libraries and on the Web. These will help you find the factory invoice price and the cost of various options.

When you are negotiating price with the dealer, remember the invoice price does not represent the actual cost of the car. The dealer may receive a rebate from the manufacturer for each car he or she sells, usually 2% to 3% of the sticker price. Depending on the time of year and the demand for the car, that rebate may be enough profit for the dealer to sell the car "at invoice."

At other times, the dealer may add additional profit to the price of the car. With some domestic cars, you can expect to pay $200 to $600 over invoice. For more popular models you may pay two to three times that much.

5.Trade-In?

If you want convenience, trade in the car you own now. But you'll usually get more cash if you clean it up and sell it yourself.

Look at newspaper classified and dealer ads and go to used car lots and ask how much they'd offer you to get a firm idea of how much your trade-in is worth. The figure printed in a blue book or black book doesn't matter. You have to know the real street price. If the dealer can match that, or come close, snap it up.

6.The Deal, No-Haggle and Otherwise

There are one-price car dealers who won't haggle over price because they have already put a realistic sticker on their vehicles. This is an attractive way to buy if you are not comfortable negotiating a price or if you find haggling with a salesperson not to your taste. But keep in mind that 90% of the dealers are ready, if pressed, to give a little to get your business. By knowing the real value of the vehicle, you're at a decided advantage.
A good salesperson will attempt to be your friend. It is an effective selling technique. This is a business deal, with you paying a lot of money for a purchase. Courtesy, firmness, and awareness of the target car's real value should be your concerns.

You'll want to visit a few dealers -- once to look and another, separate time, to negotiate. A convenient location should be a consideration. The cost of many adjustments to your car must be absorbed by the dealer who sells you the car, so find one nearby. In those first months of your warranty, another dealer can legally refuse to do the special-adjustment service.

Financing
Most people use financing to pay for a new car. If you are thinking about financing your new car, you may do so through an auto loan or home equity loan.

Be sure to get the shortest payback time you can comfortably handle. A shorter-term loan with larger payment amounts will save money in the long run. A $15,000 loan at 8% for five years, for example, will cost $3,240 in interest. By paying an extra $62 a month for the same loan over four years, your interest cost would drop to $2,568.
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Summary

* Decide on the kind of car you want -- and research the car's current price -- before you negotiate with a dealer.
* The sticker price may not represent the actual price of the car.
* You can get more for a car by selling it than using it as a trade-in.
* One-price car dealers offer realistic sticker prices and no haggling.
* If financing a new car, a shorter-term loan with larger payment amounts will save money in the long run.

Checklist

* Justify your old car's trade-in or resale value by researching its "blue book" value and also its "street" value, which you can estimate by checking local classified ads.
* Find out which dealerships have the best warranties and special offers. Promises aren't good enough -- get written copies.
* Before buying, pay a third-party mechanic to conduct a thorough inspection of the vehicle.

Source :http://www.yahoo.com

Guide to Setting Up an Ergonomic Computer Station

What Not to Do

An illustration of an improper computer workstation setup.



Poor posture, lack of proper equipment and incorrect ergonomic information are all contributing factors to an improper computer setup. You can see, as illustrated here, that working at a computer can cause a lot of distress in a number of different parts of the body. With that in mind here are some key things not to do:
Avoid existing ergonomic guidelines unless they make scientific sense. Ergonomics should be based on fact, research, experimentation and theory using body mechanics as a base line.
Remember that ergonomics is personal. What works for someone else may not work for you.
Do not settle for a desk without a keyboard tray or some other way to set the keyboard height and angle correctly. If your employer complains about the cost ask them to compare it to the cost of workman's compensation.

Do not place the keyboard on top of the desk.
Do not place the monitor above your head.
Do not sit in a rigid and upright position.
Do not lean forward.
Do not work for long periods of time without moving. You need to take frequent breaks. They keep you awake, productive and healthy and keep you from developing Deep Vein Thrombosis.


The Monitor


There are four areas that a computer user interfaces with: the monitor, the keyboard and mouse, the chair, and the lighting of the environment. Setting up the interfaces with these ergonomic guidelines as well as maintaining a good posture will enhance your comfort and efficiency as well as prevent repetitive stress injuries.

The Monitor

Position the monitor to minimize glare by placing it at a right angle to light sources or windows
Place the monitor as far away from you as possible while maintaining the ability to read without consciously focusing. Keep a minimum distance of 20 inches.
Place the center of the screen at a 15 degree down angle from your eyes with your neck only slightly bent holding your head perpendicular to the floor.
Align the monitor and the keyboard / mouse
Set the refresh rate at a minimum of 70 Hz to limit flicker

Lighting

Lighting Needs for Computer Work

The office should be moderately bright (20-50 foot candles or equal to a nice day where sunglasses aren’t needed).
Do not use task lighting for computer work.

The Keyboard

Position the keyboard slightly below the elbow and at a negative angle to allow the wrists to remain straight when you sit in a slightly reclined posture
Do NOT use a wrist rest while actively typing. It’s meant to rest on not to lean on when working. Hold your hands and arms off of any supports while typing.
Do NOT use the keyboard supports to raise the back up. Do NOT tilt the keyboard tray so that the back of the keyboard is higher than the front. Though design and a lot of prevailing information say you should tilt the keyboard to a positive angle like this, it is wrong. A negative angle that allows the wrists to stay in their natural wrist position is better. A positive angle is an repetitive stress injury waiting to happen
A mix of incandescent and fluorescent lights reduces flicker and provides good light color

The Mouse

Place the mouse on the same level as and immediately next to the keyboard tray.
Keep the mouse in the arc line of the keyboard so that you can reach it when rotating your arm from the elbow.
Do NOT use a wrist rest while using the mouse. Your forearm needs to be free to move so you do not strain the wrist.

Chair Setup & Posture


The Chair

Use arm rests.
Place the lumbar support slightly below the waist line.
Adjust the height of the chair so your feet can rest completely on the floor.
Allow 1-3 inches between the edge of the seat and the back of your knees.
Use a high back chair that supports your shoulder blades if at all possible

Posture

Position your hips so that they are slightly higher than your knees while your feet are flat on the floor.
Don’t keep your feet flat on the floor. Move them around often. Use a foot rest if you have one, but only part of the time. Do NOT cross your ankles.
Lean back slightly. Leaning the trunk back to somewhere between 100-130 degrees from parallel to the floor will open up the hips and ease pressure on the pelvis. I like 104 degrees myself. Make sure your chair back will support your shoulders at this angle while still providing good lumbar support.
Hold your head slightly up so that it is roughly perpendicular to the floor.
Let your upper arms hang naturally from your shoulders.
Let your lower arms rest on the arm rests of your chair either parallel or slightly below, to the floor.
Keep your wrists straight.
Take frequent breaks. 10 minutes for every hour of work and 30 second micro-breaks every 10 minutes is a good schedule.
Stretch during those breaks.
Change your position frequently. Move your feet, lift your arms, adjust your hips, and just make sure to subtly alter your posture continuously throughout the work day.

Source:http://ergonomics.about.com

Top 5 Most Expensive Hotel Suites

The most important element of a vacation, aside from the destination, is the hotel where you spend your downtime. If you’re going to take a true luxury vacation, of course, it won’t do to have anything less than one of the most expensive hotel suites in the world.

Hotel Cala di Volpe in Costa Smeralda, Italy – Presidential Suite


Top 5 Most Expensive Hotel Suites - Presidential Suite at Hotel Cala di Volpe

1.Costa Smeralda—the “Emerald Coast”—in northern Sardinia, is home to many draws for the obscenely wealthy, not the least of which is this fabulous suite. The duplex suite has three bedrooms and as many bathrooms, an outdoor saltwater pool and a private gazebo and solarium.




2.Grand Resort Lagonissi in Athens, Greece – The Royal Villa


Top 5 Most Expensive Hotel Suites - The Royal Villa at Grand Resort Lagonissi

Another three-bedroom suite, the Royal Villa has two pools—an indoor pool and a heated outdoor pool. The nearby marina and beach cement the fact that this suite is a swimmer’s paradise. Visitors will also have access to a private chef to accompany the fully equipped kitchen, a butler and even a pianist.





3.Hotel President Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland – Royal Penthouse suite




Top 5 Most Expensive Hotel Suites - The Royal Penthouse suite at Hotel President Wilson

If you’d prefer a secure suite to an extravagant one, look no further than Switzerland. The Royal Penthouse suite boasts a private elevator, bulletproof windows, armored doors, surveillance cameras and even bedside panic buttons. Of course, it’s not all about security; the suite also features a number of period pieces and stunning views of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva.

4.Four Seasons Hotel in New York, USA – Ty Warner Penthouse suite

Most expensive hotel suite

With a carpet that’s so expensive that anyone who walks across it must wear special booties provided by the hotel, ample views of the nation’s largest city, a 700 square foot library and even a waterfall in its Zen room, this suite—which covers the hotel’s entire 52nd floor—is truly a luxury location. It’s named after the founder of Ty Inc., manufacturer of the popular Beanie Babies stuffed toys.




5.The Hotel Martinez in Cannes, France – Penthouse Suite


Top 5 Most Expensive Hotel Suites - The Penthouse Suite at Hotel Martinez

The world’s most expensive hotel suite is located on the seventh floor of the Hotel Martinez, already a ritzy location with its Michelin-starred restaurant and prime location on the Croisette in Cannes. The suite itself consists of four bedrooms and an impressive terrace—complete with Jacuzzi—which commands an equally impressive view of the Mediterranean Sea.




Source :http://most-expensive.net

The Top 10 Most Endangered Species

According to the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) the top 10 most endangered species are:

1. Black Rhino The Black Rhino is native to southern and east Africa. Since 1970, the Black Rhino population has declined by 90% to less than 3,000. They are killed primarily for their horns. Trade of Black Rhinos has been banned for more than twenty years. Although having banned trading of the species, there still continues to be a great demand for Rhino parts.
2. Giant Panda The Giant Panda is native to China. Fewer than 1,000 remain in their native habitat of China. The main reason for their decline is due to loss of natural habitat and poaching.
3. Tiger Tigers are native to tropical zones in Southeast Asia and temperate regions like the Russian Far East. Less than 6,000 tigers remain in the wild. The most urgent threat to tigers is poaching for body parts and bones used in traditional Asian medicines.
4. Beluga Sturgeon Beluga sturgeons are ancient living fish fossils are found in the Caspian Sea. They are valued throughout the world by connoisseurs for their superior quality caviar. Poaching is out of control due to excessive demand and high prices paid for the Sturgeons' "pearl-like" caviar.
5. Goldenseal Goldenseal is a herb is favored by naturopathists for its perceived ability to heal numerous ailments from hemorrhoids to allergies. Goldenseal is native to the hardwood forests of North America. The demand for Goldenseal has recently leaped more than 30%.
6. Alligator Snapping Turtle The alligator snapping turtle is prized by turtle trappers and dealers for its rare meat. It is the largest freshwater turtle in North America. Alligator snapping turtles are quickly being depleted due to increased shipments to many international world markets including Asia.
7. Hawksbill Turtle the Hawksbill turtle is found mainly around tropical reefs. The three foot length Hawksbill Turtle species, named for its distinctive snout, is becoming extremely vulnerable due to their slow reproduction rates and high volume of illegal trade for the prized jewel-like "tortoise shell."
8. Big Leaf Mahogany Demand for the red colored wood goes unabated because of worldwide consumer demand for quality mahogany hardwood furniture. Mahogany trees are widely distributed in tropical forests from Mexico to the Amazon Basin. However, the species grows naturally only as individual trees rather than in groups of large forest stands. Wholesale stripping of Amazon forests has resulted in perhaps 70 per cent of the world's supply being depleted.
9. Green-Cheeked Parrot The Green-cheeked parrot is native to Mexico. It has the ability to mimic the human voice. The Green-cheeked parrot has been significantly reduced in numbers due to a huge demand for these lovely pet birds, especially from the United States. Even after prohibiting the sale of these green-cheeked birds, droves of the species are still being illegally traded across the Mexico/US border.
10. Mako Shark The Mako Shark is highly sought for its tender meat, and especially in Asian markets, for their shark fins which have even greater value for medicinal purposes. Some of the species are merely stripped of their prized fins by the international fishing fleets and then are thrown back into the depths, left to die.

Source : http://www.mamashealth.com

SriLanka Tourist Destinations

Sri Lanka indeed seems to be an exciting tourist destination among all the others destinations in South Asia and is also renowned for its ancient monuments, as well as other nature spots such as beaches, lakes, mountains and even museum galleries. This country has all that it takes to sooth your souls with all its charm that it exhibits and engulfs. So just in case, you want to see and experience an unusual vacation then this seem to be the best place leaving you behind all those lush green memories.

Historical monuments and landmarks seem to be the best visiting tourist spots in Sri Lanka, as most of them are located in its capital town, Colombo. Moreover, it’s also the financial hub of the country and is dotted with several nature spots and tourist attractions.

There are many notable visiting ancient sites such as Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Aluvihara and even Mihintale. Colombo, is the present capital of the country, while Anuradhapura was the previous one.

Amongst all the natural spots in this country, beaches occupy a leading place, since there are many beautiful beaches, which are a good blend of sun and sand. This beautiful combination of the sun and sand has all it takes to make you feel like spending all your life on those beaches. The cool breezes, along with those gusting waves are some of the thoughts that one can never forget. Some of the famous beaches that are really worth visiting are kalutara, Bentota, Mount Lavina and Arugam Bay.

And it’s not only beaches and coasts that Sri Lanka is famous for, but there are other such nature spots too that would rob you of all your stress and worries, giving your some calm and peace. Sri Lanka is also a home for a number of waterfalls, rivers and lakes, which also seem to be included amongst its primary highlights.
All those splendid waterfalls are among the best sought after tourist attractions that are located in those dense lush green forest and woods in Sri Lanka.

These waterfalls that are found in the forest are among all those that fall from great heights and indeed are a feast to your eyes. And it’s not only the beaches that are worth seeing but also these waterfalls that are famous too, such as the Diyaluma waterfall, the Kirindi waterfall, the Bambarakande waterfall and St. Claries are some of the best in the country.


Source :http://www.dynamicslanka.com

How to Prevent Heart Disease

Here's How:

1. You are what you eat! Eat nutritious, healthy food.

2. Choose foods low in saturated fat. Make sure you include servings of fruit, vegetables and whole grains which are rich in starch and fiber, but low in fat.

3. Cutting down on dietary cholesterol consumption can help bring down blood cholesterol. Egg white, and foods from plant sources do not have cholesterol.

4. Read food labels. Look for the amount of saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol and total calories per serving on the nutrition label.

5. Stress can be harmful by raising blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and making your heart beat faster. Relax, smile, don't get angry often.

6. Bring down high blood pressure. You can do this by minimizing risk factors, making lifestyle changes, or by taking medication if necessary.

7. Stop smoking. Stub out that cigarette butt - Now!

8. If you drink, do so in moderation. A limit of two drinks per day is good for your heart.

9. Fight the battle of the bulge! Obesity is bad. Stay slim and lean.

10. If you are overweight, try and lose the excess.

11. Don't try crash diets - instead opt for a slow, steady and sustained program to lose weight.

12. An active lifestyle is healthy. Exercise regularly.

13. Try and incorporate a higher activity level into daily activities like taking a walk, riding a bike to the supermarket, climbing stairs instead of using the elevator and playing sports like badminton and basketball.

Source : http://heartdisease.about.com

New Born Baby Care Tips

Baby Health Care Tips

Baby health care is a serious subject which needs a basis with which the parents can refer to when it comes to their child. New and old parents rely on doctors to evaluate and diagnose their baby. Pediatricians are doctors who specialize in children usually twelve years old and below.

Sickness And Health

For the first year of a baby's life, he or she will be visiting the pediatrician at least one or twice a month. Baby health care requires that the newborn be monitored monthly to see how the baby is progressing in the growth department. This aspect of baby health care will show the doctor the baby's development and will also signal f there is something wrong with the baby. Monitoring the baby's development for the first year is just the beginning. Most, if not all, pediatricians keep a record of the child's weight and height every time the child visits the doctor.
Baby health care also includes keeping bay clean and healthy. Care should be exercised in using a new baby care product since there may be ingredients that the baby is sensitive to. It is best to use products for sensitive skin initially for baby to avoid exposing baby's skin to harsh chemicals and new elements.
Another baby health care tip is for parents to keep track of what they initially feed their baby. The initial introduction of formula needs to be monitored to see if the baby has any reactions adverse or otherwise to the formula. Baby health care will be a lot easier if the parents keep in mind that they should introduce foods one at a time to the baby to see f the baby has any allergic reactions.
Parents sometimes overreact to a fever especially if the child is fussy about it, but disregarding basic baby health care can also be hazardous to your baby's health. Monitor your baby's fever or sickness frequently. Since babies can not speak or complain they usually cry when there is discomfort or pain. Expect the child to be fussy when he or she has a fever or sickness. If the crying does not stop for more then twenty or thirty minutes, it may be a good idea to have a doctor check the baby. A cry of pain is different from crying due to discomfort. Parent should be able to distinguish this.
Baby health care is something that is quite broad. Consulting with your pediatrician may be the best way to be sure regarding proper baby health care.

Basic Baby Skin Care For Sensitive Skin

Baby skin care is a necessary thing since our skin is the foremost line of defense for our bodies. Babies often have their own kind of skin pretty much like adults but there are times when the babies have not managed to build protection or immunity from an alien element and may be sensitive to this when it comes in contact with his or her skin. Baby skin care is also important since damage to the skin at such a young age may affect the individual in the future. All aspects of baby health care are important to have a happy healthy baby.

Sensitive Skin Care

Babies with sensitive skin should have the right kind of baby skin care. The sensitivity of the skin can cause problems f or the baby even in his or her initial years. The right kind of baby skin care for sensitive skin is to avoid too much exposure to harsh elements or chemicals. Usually, it is the harshness of chemicals and additives in bath soaps, laundry soaps, shampoos and lotions that can trigger a reaction in baby's skin.
Baby skin care for sensitive skin requires reading the list of ingredients in the label of the item before purchasing to see if there are ingredients that the baby is sensitive to. Parents can also ask their pediatrician regarding what chemicals or ingredients their child may be sensitive to. Baby skin care requires that the baby take a bath at least once a day to promote cleanliness.
If the baby is still quite small, it may be best to place her or him on a secure bath seat and then proceed to bathe the baby. Most baby skin care soaps can be used for both soap and shampoo. It is always best to start with a baby soap that is for sensitive skin in order to circumvent any reactions that baby's skin might have with the stronger kid's soaps and shampoos. Avoid unnecessary cleaning of baby with soaps since even sensitive skin soaps can dry out the skin with much too frequent use.
Other baby skin care tips for sensitive skin are to protect baby's skin from the harsh sun and to cover up. Babies with sensitive skin may react to the sun in some ways. The sun is an aging factor as well as does some serious damage to the skin. Constant exposure will eventually show as the baby grows older.


Baby Burping and Feeding

Every baby needs to be burped during their feedings until they are able to support themselves sitting up and are able to burp on their own.

Babies that are bottle-fed usually need to be burped every half-ounce or so when they are newborns. By the time they are four to six months old, they will probably drink six to eight ounces before they need to burp. Babies that are breastfed are usually nursed between switching breasts and are usually able to complete feeding before needing to burp when they are four to six months old.

Spitting up is common with both breastfed and bottle-fed babies. If you think your baby is spitting up too much of her meal, then you need to discuss this with your pediatrician.

You can burp your baby several different ways:
Put baby on your knee and place your palm around her chest, with your fingers supporting her head. Use your other hand to gently pat her back with a cupped hand.

Put baby high on your shoulder with heads and arms dangling over your shoulder. Keep a tight hold on her so that she does not wiggle away and gently pat her back.

While you are sitting, put your baby over your thigh, while supporting her upper chest and head with one hand and keeping her feet between your legs. Use a cupped hand to pat her back gently.

Cradle baby in your arms with her bottom in your hands. Wrap one leg and arm around your arm and face her away from you. Use other hand to pat her back.

If your baby needs a dose of simethicone, then do not hesitate to give it to her. You cannot overdose her and it will help with gas pains. If your baby has bad gas then you can help her by bending her knees to her chest and using a light rocking motion. It will help relieve the gas and make her much happier.

Feedings at night should be dictated by your baby unless otherwise directed by your pediatrician. Let her wake up when she wants to eat. Most newborns will go three to four hours at night before needing to eat and this time will gradually increase until you get complete nights sleep!


Choosing Baby Equipment for Baby

After your first visit with your obstetrician, you will find your mailbox inundated with all kinds of baby magazines and ads for every possible piece of baby equipment that you can imagine. This does not even take into account all of the people that will gladly give you advice, even when not requested. Although many of the items are handy and work well, there are many that play upon your fears as a first time parent or are just silly! There is a list following that tells you about the items that you will want to think about purchasing. To save money, you can even look at second hand stores for many of these items or ask friends with babies older than yours if you can borrow or purchase their items.

A car seat is mandatory, as hospitals will not even let you leave with the baby until you show them that you know how to buckle the baby in the seat. Many times, they will also follow you to the car to make sure it is installed correctly in the car. Car seats will be outgrown at least twice before your child grows out of them by the age of eight. If you are considering a second-hand car seat, ensure that it meets safety requirements.

A baby monitor is a great tool to be able to hear the baby from any room in the house. This way you do not have to stay close to their room all the time. At night, I recommend that you turn the monitor off because you will hear every moan and movement that the baby makes and this can keep you awake. You need to get your rest to take care of your baby.

When you are choosing a crib, you need to look for one that has these features.

o Choose a good quality mattress that is firm.
o The mattress should fit the crib snugly on all four sides.
o The guardrail should be at least 26 inches above the top of the mattress.
o The crib slats space should be no more than 2.375”.
o The crib bumper will help keep the baby’s legs and arms out of the crib slats.

A bouncy seat is a great place for you baby to be when it is not possible to hold her and is a great place to feed them their first meals of rice cereal. They cannot usually sit up well enough for a high chair when they begin cereals and the bouncy seat is a great answer to this problem.

A sling or backpack is a great tool to carry baby if you use caution with it. If you use it too much, however, your baby could possibly have neck or back problems. Choose a sling or backpack that fits you very well and that grows with the baby. The Snugli is great for younger babies that cannot sit up and for older babies the Hip Hammock works great.

A playpen is a great way for you to get things like housework done and keep the baby safe. Around five months old is when a baby should be placed in it, unless it is used for a sleeping area when you are traveling, etc. Containing a baby that cannot crawl or roll is not necessary and you can use a floor gym for entertainment.

Basic Baby Care For Preemies

Preemies are infants born too early from their due date. The due date is usually flexible for most pregnancies. In fact, doctors give a few days more or less for the due date. So the due date is just an estimate for many deliveries unless it is a cesarean section which needs to be scheduled. Premature babies are usually delivered a couple of months before their estimated due date. In this day and age, there is little risk of the baby dying due to premature birth unless there are underlying conditions surrounding the birth.

Baby care for premature infants is basically similar to those infants or babies born around their due date. There will be some adjustments regarding the capacity of the premature infant when it comes to eating as well as baby care regarding special needs.

Going Home

Depending on how premature a baby is, the need for baby care may vary. Some premature babies that are normal can actually go home after spending just several days under observation in the hospital. The parents are usually taught the right baby care for premature babies of its age. Baby skin care for a premature baby may be different since there are some preemies that have not developed so well yet with regards to skin. This does not happen often, though, and babies born seven to eight months can be under similar baby care instructions as those babies born full term.

Baby care usually concentrates on feeding the baby and meeting his or her most basic needs. There are some premature baby formulas if the mother is not yet capable of breast milk. Some premature babies may not have fully developed digestive systems which means they can not enjoy even breast milk as of yet. Even the size of the nipples for the baby bottles for preemies is different. Special instructions regarding baby care when it comes to feeding may be more on this aspect.

Bathing the premature baby may be difficult or dangerous for the first several weeks of his or her delivery. Baby care regarding bathing premature babies state that a sponge bath may just be what the baby's body can accept. A very soft and light sponge or washcloth is needed for giving baby a sponge bath. Baby care with regards to soap requires the gentlest soap possible or even just plain water.

Baby care for premature babies may be difficult to assimilate initially but as the child grows and adapts, the problem is gone.


Caring For A New Babies

A new baby is one of the most precious additions to the family. There are so many things that new parents need to remember regarding caring for a newborn. Safety is probably the foremost of these things as well as giving the new baby as much love as they possibly can. Many of the things that a parent needs for the baby are usually given as a new baby gift during baby showers, christenings and welcome home parties.

New Baby Basics

There are a great many things that should be remembered when caring for a newborn. Among these things is to practice patience with the baby. Babies have no other way to communicate except to cry, which is why for every little thing it wants, the baby usually cries. A new baby usually drinks milk every two to three hours every day. Since there is no set time and this time is an estimate, you can expect your baby to be variable when it comes to eating time.

Feeding the new baby with breast milk or formula is one of the many things that new parents should think about. Breast milk is basically made up of all the nutrients and protection that baby needs for the first few months of life. Breast milk gives colustrum, which boosts the baby's immune system and helps to protect from sickness. On the other hand, if the mother does not have the capacity to produce enough breast milk, the parents might need to supplement with formula or use formula fully to feed the new baby.

Holding the new baby is one thing that needs to be learned. Since the baby is not able to support his or her body as of yet, it is advisable to support the neck and back with an arm when carrying the new baby. Avoid letting the baby's head hang limply and make sure that as the baby is being carried the arms or legs are not pinched or trapped.

The clothes that a new baby is to wear should not be too warm or too cool. Avoid using buttons that might come off as well as safety pins that might poke baby. Cotton is the best clothing to use for a new baby since this is one of the least allergenic materials. Snaps are preferable to buttons and ties. Mittens are not preferable since these can hide the state of the new baby's fingers and hand. There have been some cases of a piece of string tangling in the baby's hand and cutting off circulation.

A Few Newborn Baby Gift Ideas

You know someone who just had a baby and you've been invited to a party where you're expected to give gifts. You're tempted to give gifts to the parents since you know very little about this new little tyke. However, it's more customary to come up with baby gift ideas since the party is in the baby's honor. The following are some newborn baby gift ideas that are sure to be a hit. When coming up with newborn baby gift ideas, it's a good idea to find out what the baby's sex is, what the parents already have for the baby and what they desperately need.

The Baby's Sex

Is the baby a boy or a girl? Or did the parents have twin boys or twin girls, or maybe a twin boy and girl? These are important aspects when coming up with newborn baby gifts.
You know that for boys, you should get blue items and for girls, you should get pink. This is important if you decide to get blankets or bibs, or even baby clothes. These things make for great newborn baby gifts as parents of newborns can never have too many blankets, clothes or bibs. And anyone who has ever had a baby can tell you, parents of a newborn will go through these things like crazy.

Feeding, changing and Sleeping

For the first few months of a baby's life, this is what its life will consist of: feeding, changing and sleeping. The baby wakes up, it's fed, it's changed and then it will usually go to sleep. Rinse and repeat. So newborn baby gifts that revolve around these activities will be very helpful to the parents as well as the baby. Bottles, nipples, diapers, formula, a crib, blankets, crib toys and other items that have to do with feeding, changing or sleeping will make for the perfect gifts for this occasion.

Sinharaja Forest-SriLanka

Sinharaja (11,250 ha), is the jewel of the last remaining virgin rainforest crown in country is located in the wet zone of the country. the primeval Sinharaja covers 8900 hectares of breathtakingly beautiful, continuous forest.

Beautiful Streams, springs, rivers, waterfalls, leopard, monkeys, butterflies and moths, rare trees, valuable shrubs and medicinal herbs are all found within its green canopy. A trek along the sinharaja paths would provide nature entusiast a never to be forgotten experience of sights and sounds and feelings.


Due to its high bio-diversity and ecological importance, it has been declared as a National Heritage Wilderness Area and it is the only natural World Heritage Site (declared by UNESCO) in the country.

Sinharaja is one of the few virgin forests left in the world, The forest has series of mountains and ridges rising abruptly from 90m to 1170m above mean sea level. Situated in Ratnapura, Galle and Matara districts in the interior wet zone of the south west of the island.

This is Sri Lanka's most important rainforest. The forest has tall trees growing in close proximity, but winding paths make it easy to walk along the forest floor. It is inhabited by water monitors, torque macaques, leopards, giant squirrels, purple-faced leaf monkeys and leeches. Bird life includes Ceylon Spurfowl, Ceylon Junglefowl, Ceylon Wood Pigeon, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Layard's Parakeet, Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal, Chestnut-backed Owlet, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Ceylon Small Barbet, Black-capped Bulbul, Spotted-winged Thrush, Brown-capped Babbler, Orange-billed Babbler, Ashy-headed Laughing-Thrush, Ceylon Blue Magpie, Ceylon White-headed Starling, Ceylon Hill Munia, Ceylon Hill Myna, Malabar Trogon, Black Bulbul, Indian Scimitar Babbler, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Green Imperial Pigeon, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Yellow-browned Bulbul.

Topographically Sri Lanka is divided into three morphological areas Topographically. and Sinharaja Rain Forest belongs to the middle range uplands by elevation range. It range of 270 to 1,060 meters in height
and a slopes range of 100 to 350. The Sinharaja forest is located on the Rakwana mountain range
which lies detached from the main central Mountain ranges of the island.

Most of the plants have a disjunct distribution and high species endemism. Over 60% of countries endemic plant species can be found within the boundaries of Sinharaja. The forest is multi layered which is a characteristic to the rainforest and Mesua – Shorea community and Dipteracarpus community, dominates the vegetation. The forest also sheltered the large varieties of wild orchids, epiphytes and lianas as well.

The highest faunal endemicity of the country is found in the Sinharaja. Out of 12 endemic mammal species of the country 8 are found here. Giant squirrel, dusky-stripped jungle squirrel and endemic purple-faced leaf monkey and torque macaque are frequently seen. Almost 95% of the countries endemic birds (about 19 species) are found here including rare Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Caucal, Blue Magpie and Sri Lanka Spur fowl. Diversity among the reptiles and Amphibians are remarkably high. The endemic green pit viper, endemic hump nosed lizard (Lyriocephalus scutatus) and horned lizard (Ceratophora aspera) are common here. Small tributaries and rivers of the forest support the fish such as striped rasbora, walking catfish and endemic comb tail.

Apart from its ecological and biodiversity value its scenic beauty is also invaluable. The largest known tree of the country is found in the Sinharaja, which is an endemic tree. Insect eating Pitcher plant is frequently seen here. This magnificent rainforest is also a home for large number of butterflies. In side the forest is dark even during the day time due to close canopy above and one can here the voice of cicadas and frogs throughout the time. Small streams found within the forest contain crystal-clear cool water and one can clearly see the fish, toads and crabs swimming in it. Another characteristic feature of Sinharaja is the mixed species flock formation of its birds. Number of species in the flock can be go up to about 40 species. If you are lucky enough you can experience the tropical monsoon inside the forest, which will be an unforgettable experience.

Source :http://www.info.lk,http://www.sinharaja.lk