Worth the Wait

Most anticipated tech products for 2013

Right now you are probably pretty happy with the available gadgets on the market. Phones can be almost anything, cars nearly drive themselves and video games have never looked more fantastic. How much better can it get?

Well, that it is a matter of opinion. However, if you are reading this article, chances are you want to know what cool things you might be playing with next year. Many of these are based purely on speculation, but that is part of the fun.

Xbox 720: The latest tech reports on Microsoft’s next console — tentatively named the Xbox 720 or Xbox Loop — state the chipset has already been in production. Rumours that the new Xbox is an update to the existing 360 are bunk. You can bet that the new console will be smaller than its predecessor.

BlackBerry 10: Research in Motion (RIM), the maker of the BlackBerry smartphones, plans to unveil the new BlackBerry 10 operating system in January. The new browser is allegedly faster than anything on the market and a QWERTY keyboard version is said to be available soon after the touchscreen version is launched.

Microsoft Surface Pro: The Surface Pro will have a full version of Windows 8 and will support any Windows 7 apps, expect to roll out in January. It will be packed with an Intel Core i5 processor, a display that supports 10-point multi-touch and stylus input. The result could be a terrific laptop and tablet all in one package.

iPad 5: The iPad 5 will likely be ready for Christmas, 2013 at the latest. Expect it to share some touchscreen technology from the iPad Mini to make it lighter and slimmer.

Amazon Phone: Amazon is now looking to the smartphone world. It will likely be heavy on software integration and light on bleeding edge hardware. Amazon will leverage its octopus-like reach into every area of entertainment to make this phone a logical choice for people caught in their tentacles. Expect it to roll out by summer, 2013.

Augmented reality glasses: Google and Vuzix are working on models that are similar to headsets, projecting an image in front of the wearer’s eye. Not surprisingly, the unit will connect to your phone via Bluetooth, displaying e-mail, texts, directions, stock quotes or anything else you cannot seem to live without for 10 seconds.

PlayStation 4: Sony is not saying much about the next console, but speculation is understandably rampant. Industry Analyst, Michael Pachter said he doubts Sony wants to launch behind Microsoft again, which supports the theory of a 2013 launch for Sony’s next console.

Fujitsu Lifebook 2013: The Fujitsu Lifebook 2013 is a concept device designed by Prashant Chandra. The Transformer of tech gadgets, it features a digital camera, smartphone and a tablet — all of which can be detached and used individually. Each component has its own CPU and could run on the same operating system.

Smartphones that bend: When fashion and technology meet, good things can happen. Samsung has already shown its OLED display technology, which means this tech could be in our hands or wrapped around our wrists in 2013. It is likely to be called the Galaxy Skin and feature everything you expect in a smartphone — camera, high-resolution screen and a decent processor. — Agencies

Silence: The way to communicate

Silence is the bridge of communication between the Divine and the divine in us. Silence is where one finds what is most precious. Spiritual silence is the positioning of the heart and mind in readiness for communication with the One. It gives one an energy, pure and selfless, from the Creative Source, to burst out of the cocoon of dust and routine, opening up unlimited horizons of new vision.

Silence brings our mental and emotional energy’ to a point of concentration, where we can be still.

Without this inner stillness, we become like a puppet by the many different strings of external influences. This inner point of stillness is the seed of autonomy, which cuts the strings, and then the loss of energy eases.

Silence heals. It is clear like a mirror. The mirror does not blame or criticise but helps us to see things as they are, providing a diagnosis to release us from all types of wrong thinking.

How does silence do this? Silence revives the original peace of the self; that is innate, divine and, when invoked, flows through one’s being, harmonising and healing every imbalance. To create silence, we have to step within, connect with our eternal self — the soul. In this introspective space we reflect. We recollect what has been forgotten for a long time. We concentrate slowly and gently and as we do so, those original spiritual blueprints of love, truth and peace emerge and are experienced as personal and eternal realities.

The art of listening from within guides us into the right position, opening the channel of receptivity. For receptivity we must clear ourselves of ‘Me-attitude’. We must stand clean, bare, simple, stripped of artificiality, only then the genuine communication with the divine begins.

Editor’s note: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji is a writer at www.brahmakumaris.com and can be reached at nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in.

Getting smart about smartphones

A look at the best smartphones of 2012

A recent survey commissioned by Google found 80 per cent of smartphone owners will not leave home without it. Given the important of these pocket-sized computers in our lives, how do we decide which one to get? The following is a look at some of the best smartphones of 2012.

iPhone 5

Called ‘Gadget of the Year’ by Time Magazine, Apple’s iPhone 5 is a serious piece of hardware. Along with its powerful new A6 chip, iPhone 5 works on 4G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks. At just 7.8 millimeters thick, it is also the thinnest smartphone in the world, says Apple. The back now sports aluminum making it lightweight and less prone to damage. It is equipped with hundreds of features, easy navigation, smooth synchronisation with iTunes and iCloud, access to the App Store and more than 700,000 downloadable apps.

Samsung Galaxy S III

The Samsung Galaxy S III is a true smartphone with stunning 4.8-inch display, fast LTE speeds or versatile Android operating system. It has advanced wireless features including S Beam, which lets you place two compatible devices back-to-back to wirelessly share photos, music, videos, and more. The AllShare Cast beams your photos, videos and games to a compatible big-screen television. Finally, Samsung’s Pop-up play feature lets you do two things at once — such as watch an HD video and e-mail or text at the same time.

Nokia Lumia 920

It has a colourful Start screen with ‘live tiles’, familiar Microsoft apps like Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote; and a People hub that aggregates all your contacts into one page per person. This phone sports an eight-megapixel rear-facing Pure-View camera. Under the hood, it has a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, high-speed 4G/LTE connectivity, near field communications technology for mobile payments and wireless charging placed on a compatible battery dock.

HTC Droid DNA

Protected by Corning’s uberdurable Gorilla Glass 2 technology, the Droid DNA’s five-inch 1080p HD screen was built for video, games, e-books and web browsing. Other specifications include eight megapixel rear-facing camera and two megapixel front-facing cam. It has quad-core processor, 4G/LTE connectivity, great camera and the latest flavor of Google’s Android platform—plus a tonne of internal memory, at 64 gigabytes, and is expandable via microSD cards.

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD delivers up to 32 hours of performance between charges. It can handle up to 13 hours of straight video playback, eight hours of web surfing or 21.5 hours of continuous talk time. The 4.7 inch Android phone is built with premium composite materials, while its slender 9.33mm frame is thinner than most other 4G/LTE smartphones. The free SmartActions app intelligently automates your everyday tasks and suggests ways to personalise your phone and make life easier. Other specs include a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 32GB of internal memory and more.

Samsung Galaxy Note II

Its largest screen is ideal for reading e-books and digital magazines, watching video, playing games and web surfing. As with its best-selling predecessor, Galaxy Note II also ships with the S Pen. Powered by the latest Android 4.1 platform, Samsung’s Galaxy Note II gives a number of familiar Google apps and one tap access to Google Play to download more than 700,000 apps. Under the hood is a hefty 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 4G LTE connectivity and dual HD cameras. It gives you there options when it comes to internal storage capacity — 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB model. — Agencies

Code of conduct for humanity

These days people feel they don’t have enough time. This causes a lot of stress and unease. ‘Multitasking’ often leads to reduced concentration and mistakes, which then takes up more time. Some people get so dispirited by their ‘to-do’ list that they put things off, hoping that it will be easier another day — and so their list gets longer, creating a situation where everything seems like an effort.

On the other hand, there are people who do a lot but do not appear to be busy; they are carefree. How do they manage that?

The secret lies in how much we understand and value ourselves and time. This enables us to focus on what is important. As human beings we constantly experience change — from being a child, to a young person, to an adult, then an older person. Yet, I, the one who experiences the world and expenses myself through this ever-changing body, remains the same.

The key is to be in the present and be aware of myself as a spiritual being, temporarily inhabiting the body I use, observing and taking part in the great drama of life. With this practice I can play my physical role with responsibility, but at the same time I can also step back mentally from that role and observe myself. By doing so my role then becomes more beautiful, precise and accurate, because, I can understand better how to pay it objectively. This practice we can all experience and develop through silence and meditation. Peace and Love are a code of conduct for humanity; they are our natural state of being. So no matter maintain these codes of conduct consistently within us. Everybody can experience both peace and love as a power that we can generate and use, to help us bring the changes we want to see in ourselves and others. Experiencing love as power for the self can heal the past and present wounds that we carry with us.

Editor’s note: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji is a writer at www.brahmakumaris.com and can be reached at nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in.

Sincerity for real change

For physically weak people, Vitamins are of high values as they remove deficiencies and provide them essential nutritive components. But the mere talk of Vitamins, without taking the required one in our physical system, would not help us. The same also may be said of Values.

People talk about Values for two reasons. One of these is that it has become fashionable to talk about them. Secondly, we use different masks in order to get acceptance, commendation and praise. However, this mask does not represent our real self.

So, even though a person talks of Values, he may, in reality, be the very opposite of it. In his personal life, he might not be practicing it. In that case, it would be mere hypocrisy and it will do dis-service to the society where he exists.

Hence, when people discover that men in power and high positions merely talk of Values but do not practice them, they then become disillusioned. They lose hope and feel frustrated. Under such a situation, hypocrisy becomes the worst enemy and sincerity turns out to be the real friend and real promoter of values.

Sincerity prepares our mind to imbibe other Values too. It wins the hearts of others and enables a person to be nearer to the Supreme Being. This virtue is a fast friend of Honesty, Integrity, Truthfulness, Simplicity and Clean-heartedness.

As it comes — Crookedness, Deceit, Hypocrisy, the habit to Hide and Seek, Dishonesty, et cetera leave their nest and run away from a person’s mind. It gives a great relief, a unique experience of lightness and peace and is the fore-runner of complete purity. So, let sincerity in our mind be cultivated earnestly and enthusiastically to bring about the ‘Real Change’ in society.

Editor’s note: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji is a writer at www.brahmakumaris.com and can be reached at nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in.

A creed to live by

Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others,
It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important,
Only you know what is best for you.

Don’t take for granted the things closed to your heart,
Cling to that as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.

Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Don’t give up when you still have something to give,
Nothing is really over … until the moment you stop trying.

Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect,
It is the fragile thread that blinds us each other.

Don’t be afraid to encounter risks,
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love.

The fastest way to lose love is to hold on too tightly,
And the best way to keep love is to give it to give it wings.

Don’t dismiss your Dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope.
To be without hope is to be without purpose.

Don’t run through life so fast that you forget where you’ve been,
But also know where you’re going.

Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured every step of the way.

Personal productivity

10 best apps and tools to do more, faster

Five-time entrepreneur Frank Addante lists the digital gems that helps organise and save time:

Sanebox:

It uses algorithms to organise your e-mail on priority basis. You will be hooked.

Tips: Trust it. Check @SaneLater, @SaneBilk, @SaneBlackHole.

Evernote:

Store your notes in the cloud — allowing access — from any computer or mobile device.

Tips: Scan or fax documents to Evernote. Keep copies of all critical identification in a notebook called Wallet.

Dropbox:

Securely file away your digital documents in the cloud, and work on them from any computer or mobile device.

Tips: Create folders and put them on your PC or smartphone. Use working Draft like a desktop and never actually store anything on computer desktop, then drag it to To File.

Action Method:

An online app that helps you organise to-do lists, track and delegate tasks.

Tips: Use Action Method’s three colour codes to set your priorities. Download the desktop, iPad, and mobile apps and set to open at login.

TripIt:

Files all your itineraries in one place. You can even automatically send itineraries to your always-worried mom. The Pro version alerts flight delays and gate changes.

Tips: Download the mobile app and put it on your home screen. Create a contact for plans@tripit.com and forward all itineraries to that contact.

YouMail:

This voice-mail service transcribes your voicemail messages and sends them by e-mail or text, or both. The mobile app makes it easy to view, listen, read, and forward your voice mails.

HootSuite:

This website allows you to use Twitter, FB, LinkedIn, Yammer, and others all from one place.

Tips: Stay connected, read and post on social media. Try HootSuite’s new ‘auto schedule’ feature, so you can spread out your posts and do not flood your networks with many in a row.

Yammer:

It is like a private Twitter stream just for your company.

Tips: Get everyone in your company to sign up. Use it as your main means of communicating information. This way, everyone will adapt to Yammer, because no one wants to miss out. Allow employees to post ‘business’ and ‘fun’ material. The fun material makes it more entertaining, and, in turn, the business material is more likely to be read.

miCoach:

Exercise keeps your mind sharp. The miCoach iPhone app acts like your personal trainer.

Tips: Set your workouts in advance. Buy the heart-rate monitor and stride sensor; it is worth it. What gets measured gets done.

iSleep:

It is important to get a good night’s rest. Your mind is constantly racing, and the day’s work never ends. The iSleep meditation app helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. It is particularly helpful when you have jet lag or cannot fall asleep. — Agencies

Think outside the shoe

Born in 1983 in Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA, Jessica has learned to live her life with her feet. Born without arms and all doctors did not know why. There were many questions at the time about whether Jessica would be able to live a ‘normal’ life. However, Jessica’s father has said he never shed a tear about her birth condition. He had full confidence in her potential.

With the support of her parents and family, Jessica became confident in herself as an adult and continued to explore the world with her feet. As a child, Jessica studied dance in her home town. When the first performance arrived, she asked to be put in the back row. Her dance teacher told her there was no back row. Tentatively she took the stage with the other students and performed her routine. When she finished, the applause from the audience gave her encouragement and the confidence to continue dancing for 14 years.

Jessica’s parents eventually met a Taekwondo instructor named Jim Cunningham. His response when told of her birth condition was that she would be more than physically able and that only her attitude could hold her back. At the age of 14, Jessica earned her first Black Belt in the International Taekwondo Federation.

After graduating from high school, Jessica attended the University of Arizona where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. When talking about her degree, she frequently explains that psychology credits the way people think has a greater impact on their lives than a physical limitation.

Jessica’s most famous accomplishment was learning how to fly. It took three states, four airplanes, two flight instructors and a discouraging year to find the right aircraft: a 1946 415C Ercoupe Airplane. She received the Guinness World Record for being the first person certified to fly an airplane with only their feet.

Jessica now works as motivational speaker. She travels the world sharing her story and encouraging people to be creative and innovative with the mantra “Think outside the shoe.”

Jessica Cox, born in 1983 in Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA, Jessica has learned to live her life with her feet

Think before you talk

To ‘talk’ is an essential factor for human beings to lead a life of fulfillment. ‘Talking’ is the easiest and strongest way of communication, which ties one with others. But sometimes this same act of talking creates a lot of troubles in our lives.

The story of Mahabharata is the best example to realise to what extent a slip of tongue can create crisis. A heart-breaking word that escaped the tongue of a lady, sparked the destruction of the whole dynasty. These words had sown a seed of hatred and revenge in the mind of Duryodhana and the fire of revenge not only claimed the whole dynasty of Kauravas, but Draupadi herself lost her father, brother and all her children. Such was the terrible outcome of just a slip of the tongue.

The Almighty Authority, Supreme Godfather has always said, “Sweet children, flowers jewels of knowledge should always come out from your mouth and not stones and thorns that will give others sorrow.” Hence our way of talking should always be the one that gives others bliss and makes them feel blessed and elevated. A person, who thinks and then speaks, would always be considered a ‘Sensible Person’. There are many people in this world who have soured their relations with almost everyone only because of a silly ‘slip of tongue’.

Hence, we must always remember that talking with the use of proper words at a proper time the use of proper words at a proper time and in a proper place would make our ‘talk’ valuable and successful. But this is possible only when we are going to talk. So, always ‘think before you talk’ and save yourself from miseries.

Editor’s note: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji is a writer at www.brahmakumaris.com and can be reached at nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in.

Perfect, the way we are

We have all heard that no two snowflakes are alike. Each snowflake takes the perfect form for the maximum efficiency and effectiveness for its journey. And while the universal force of gravity gives them a shared destination, the expansive space in the air gives each snowflake the opportunity to take their own path. They are on the same journey, but each takes a different path.

Along this gravity-driven journey, some snowflakes collide and damage each other, some collide and join together, some are influenced by wind… there are so many transitions and changes that take place along the journey of the snowflake. But, no matter what the transition, the snowflake always finds itself perfectly shaped for its journey.

I find parallels in nature to be a beautiful reflection of grand orchestration. One of these parallels is of snowflakes and us. We, too, are all headed in the same direction. We are being driven by a universal force to the same destination. We are all individuals taking different journeys and along our journey, we sometimes bump into each other, we cross paths, we become altered … we take different physical forms. But at all times we too are 100 per cent perfectly imperfect.

At every given moment we are absolutely perfect for our journey. I’m not perfect for your journey and you’re not perfect for my journey, but I’m perfect for my journey and you’re perfect for your journey. We’re heading to the same place, we’re taking different routes, but we’re both exactly perfect the way we are.

Think of what understanding this great orchestration could mean for relationships. Imagine interacting with others knowing that they too each share this parallel with the snowflake. Like you, they are headed to the same place and no matter what they may appear like to you, they have taken the perfect form for their journey. How strong our relationships would be if we could see and respect that we all perfectly imperfect for our journey.

Abstract from the book: Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Emotional stability

We never know what is around the corner or what the next step in our life is going to be. So our priority must be our own inner stability and our relationship with Supreme. If these are strong and firm, we would be able to deal with the circumstances and situations life brings up time and again.

Spiritual knowledge helps us understand ourselves and keep our emotions are feelings positive and powerful and that brings us closer to Supreme. The daily practice of understanding and reflecting on these truths will enable us to use whatever situation comes to serve others and more forward in a way that’s helpful and meaningful for everyone in general.

Many people have recognised how a situation of loss has been an opportunity to renew the self. Illness, for example, can be an opportunity to have silence and solitude that isn’t possible in the busy lives most lead today. Losing a role or responsibility in life can free oneself to reconsider ones values and priorities and perhaps take on a new and different one.

Bereavement is more difficult to deal with. Yet, even then, we can maintain our stability, when we understand that our vibrations reach those we love and that, by staying peaceful, we will bring help and strength to the souls that have gone. If we come into upheaval, that upheaval reaches them too and hampers them on their journey forward. We haven’t suffered the loss alone — others around us also feel the loss keenly and our distress would add to theirs. Hence, our stability will help them cope with their loss. So by helping others we too will find strength.

Editor’s note: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji is a writer at www.brahmakumaris.com and can be reached at nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in.

Balancing act

I wish you bright mornings and warm, sunny days,
Soft shade to cool you from sweltering rays,
Raindrops, a few, from some cloud floating by,
Rainbows thereafter to colour your sky.

Rambling rivers and great shining seas,
Mountains and forests with towering trees,
Hillsides and valleys, all flower-festooned,
Nature that nurtures whomever’s attuned.

A faithful companion who’ll stay by your side,
Children to care for, to love and to guide,
Enough work to do with enough time for play
Then restful sleep at the close of the day.

Friends when you need them and when they need you,
Something to spend, just as much as will do
A heart full of laugher; perhaps a few tears,
A faith you can follow through all of your years.

Then, fearlessly facing your last setting sun,
As you contemplate all the deeds you have done,
Recalling a life that’s been more than worthwhile,
Perhaps you will pause and give thanks with a smile.

All for yourself

Start for yourself
Face your greatest fears
And take the new step of faith
Because only who can see the invisible
Can do the impossible.

God opens a door before your eyes
It’s up to you to find out
Help yourself and explore the things outside.

If only you could see the genuine smile
Through the eyes of an innocent child
That gives you different insight
Sometimes it’s better to be like a child
They take the challenge of life
No matter what comes out
You will see them playing around.

If you want to cope-up with your grief,
You must help and start for yourself
Minimise your self-centeredness,
Maximise your faith and strength for living
Because, God, you are still alive!
There are more things to explore outside.

Even the air you breathed, the voice you’ve heard
The things you’ve seen,
Are enough to analyse,
You are still fortunate to be alive!
You are blessed to take another day
To feel the sun’s ray
Hey, didn’t you know that you are nature’s greatest miracle?

10 steps to a happier you

Author of The Human Being of the Future Daniele Boido believes that purging negative emotions and improving relationships could helps us create a better and happier life

LONDON: A spiritual teacher has suggested 10 simple steps that could lead you to a happier lifestyle.

Daniele Boido, author of The Human Being Of The Future, said purging negative emotions and improving relationships could helps us create a better and happier life, the Daily Express reported.

Here are his top tips on how to feel upbeat and fulfilled, as revealed by the Daily Express —

1. Understand spirituality

To enhance your spirituality, make sure that whenever you come across someone with less understanding and awareness of particular situations you do everything in your power to help them.

“Show compassion, patience and unconditional love. Don’t judge and instead share your knowledge and insights to try to support and encourage them to follow their own path,” advises Boido.

“Work on becoming more aware and in tune with your thoughts and actions. This could be through meditation, exercise or a healthy lifestyle as these will help you to achieve inner strength and a connection to others,” he adds.

2. Learn to forgive

He says holding on to past hurts only leads to a destructive state of mind.

“If someone has hurt you then you need to let go of your bitterness and resentment in order to move on,” says Boido.

“For a few moments repeat in your mind or out loud, ‘I truly and freely forgive and let go of any negative event and person from my past and anyone who needs to forgive me now does,” he said.

3. Take care of your body

Boido recommends eating plenty of fresh foods including fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, pulses and wholegrains, suggesting “these will nourish your body with vibrant, healthy energy”.

He also advocates taking up a mind and body exercise such as yoga, Pilates or tai chi.

4. Release negative emotions

To let go of negative emotions Boido suggests a simple exercise.

“Sitting comfortably, begin to inhale and exhale taking long, slow, deep breaths.

“As you exhale imagine releasing all negative emotions such as anger, revenge or jealousy. As you inhale imagine breathing in the positive qualities you need in your life such as calmness, courage and will power.

“Continue this for a few minutes. With practice you will find it easier to let go of negative feelings.”

5. Share unconditional love

Boido says feeling unconditional love towards yourself and others creates harmony.

“The more you can open yourself up to this feeling, the more peaceful and tranquil you will feel,” he states.

6. Find your inner boss

If one moment you feel calm and in control, yet the next stressed out and compelled to binge on chocolate, you might need to summon your inner boss.

“If you want to feel more in control, a simple tactic is to imagine that you have an inner chairman,” says Boido.

7. Learn from others

Boido says we can learn a lot from people we fall in love with.

8. Quiet time

When you’re caught up with work, looking after family or just trying to get through the day it’s easy to slip into an automatic, zombie-like state. To come out of this Boido says, “Find a quiet place. Relax and starting with your right thumb mentally isolate and focus on every single body part. “Notice how they feel and work on being aware of how you are mentally and physically,” he suggests.

9. Create positive vibes

“You must develop the ability to focus,” says Boido.

He suggests practicing this exercise: “Draw a large circle. Fill it with black pen. Place it at eye level, breathing slowly and deeply. Focus on it for three minutes. Use these focusing skills when summoning positive thoughts.”

10. Try to connect with nature

“In the morning spend two to three minutes focusing on things such as water (rain), trees, flowers, grass or fruits. In the evening focus on inner qualities including love, peace, kindness and harmony. This will help you to create a stronger connection to these natural qualities and feel more in tune with nature,” Boido says.

Top 11 Android apps worth downloading

1. Google Drive update (Free):

This app is worth downloading, and has the capability of editing. It made an improvements to Google Drive documents, better clipboard support and cutting and paste capabilities.

2. Adblock Plus (Free):

The app will block ads, browser windows, and even in videos, and doesn’t require Android device to be rooted. It works across multiple applications.

3. Little Pet Shop (Free):

Little Pet Shop offers virtual pet care opportunities to players. Mostly the game is about collecting, and to unlock new stuff to work with pets.

4. Rdio beta update (Free):

It is an update to the beta version of Internet radio app Rdio. The app allows to build playlists, and also collaborate with friends to create joint playlists.

5. PostalPix (Free):

PostalPix is an app that order prints of the photos with your Android device, and share with your Android device, and shred waves and around buoys in Sailboat Championship, a boat-racing game with great graphics.

6. Skype update (Free):

Skype received an update that makes it better for tablet users. The updated Skype revamped its interface specially designed to make it easier to use on tablets. It received a number of improvements to increase audio quality, allow the merging of Microsoft and Skype accounts, and clean up various bugs. It allows users to make calls both domestically and internationally.

7. GTA Radio update (Free):

GTA Radio added content from the beloved Grand Theft Auto video game series to bring you-some hilarious radio shows and great music.

8. Hyperwave (Free):

Arcade shooter Hyperwave puts players up against waves of alien invaders, with tons of enemies to dodge and destroy. Hyperwave uses a 2.5-D viewpoint, and effectively keeps players in the action all the time forcing them to dodge incoming economies.

9. Amazon Mobile (Tablet) (Free):

Amazon’s mobile app in a tablet version, which makes shopping the massive online retailer a lot easier. Amazon’s app access the retailer’s entire catalog, and includes features like the one-click option for simplified purchasing.

10. Utter! Voice Comman Beta (Free):

It is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, allowing to control your entire device with voice commands. Utter! differentiates itself from other voice command apps by using very few resources and running in the background on your device. It’s worth nothing that utter! is a beta release, which means it’s likely to have bugs and that the developers are looking for feedback as they test it before its official release.

11. Speaktoiy Assistant update (Free):

It can launch apps, surf and answer questions, all with commands spoken in natural language. It has undergone a huge overhaul, bringing a big redesign to the user interface and improvements to the app. It also improvements to the app. It also now features social connectivity that share Assistant’s answers to questions with your friends. At its core, the app remains all about finding information, and mirrors similar technology like Apple’s Siri. The Speaktoit Assistant is still a beta release and is undergoing further improvements.

Spreading light of enlightenment

Diwali is the memorial of world transformation. It is a festival of lights, the oldest and most joyous among all the festivals that is celebrated all over the world. It creates a unique feeling of thrill and delight in every one’s mind — be it ‘rich’ or ‘poor’, each one makes his/her own plans to celebrate the same with zeal and enthusiasm. For young and old alike, Diwali brings good tidings and fortune for which people clean up their homes and minds alike, Diwali brings good tidings and fortune for which people clean up their believe the goddess of wealth would visit and shower all boons on those whose premises are clean and decorated, and duly illuminated with oil lamps or candles.

However, while cleaning our house, we should also remember to clean-up our minds. Through self-introspection we should try to locate and remove once for all the filth that has gathered within us and which we are unable to get rid of even through repeated efforts. This can be easily achieved by using the treasure of knowledge, virtues and experience given to us by the Supreme Almighty.

Diwali signifies the victory of good over evil, of virtue over vice, of enlightenment over ignorance. As Diwali falls on the day of ‘Amavasva’, which is symbolized by darkness, there is a competition among each house hold to light the maximum number of attractive lamps inside and outside the house that signifies the enlightenment that comes during the darkest period of ignorance.

This Diwali let us all realise the value and beauty of our own spiritual self and our eternal relationship with the Supreme Being, and rekindle our inner light to spread the light of love, peace and harmony among all human beings! By doing so, we can celebrate the ‘true Diwali’ and shower the globe with the Almighty’s rays of enlightenment.

I trust that all the readers and their families will celebrate Diwali from the heart and may you all rejoice and fly high with Supreme, who is the king of lights, and continue to spread rays of colourful lights of love, peace, benevolence, and happiness!

Editor’s note: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji is a writer at www.brahmakumaris.com and can be reached at nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in.

9 most ridiculous tech lawsuits

Funny and strange instances of justice

Lawsuits generally project a scene of justice, anxiety, sobriety, and intense drama. But if the lawsuit is absurd and fought with the intensity of serious ones, it filled with fun and ridicule. Here are 9 most bizarre lawsuits:

1. MAFIA WARS: Cheryl Gary fell head over heels for Wylie Iwan, from Kennewick while hooked on to Mafia Wars game on Facebook. The online courtship resulted in her sending gifts to the man until she decided to meet him. Cheryl’s trip to Kennewick resulted in discovery of other women. Gary sued Facebook for USD 8,000, the expense which included her spending time and gift on Wylie and the trip she took.

2. INTEL: A Dutch lady sued the chip making company for getting her skin rashes. She blamed it on Intel Pentium processor for giving off radiation.

3. TWITTER: Amalda Bonnen tweeted about how tough it is to sleep in mouldy home, and included the landlord’s name in her tweet caught on with worldwide tweeters, she got 17 followers, and her landlord followed her with USD 50,000 lawsuit for destroying the company’s reputation.

4. BATMAN: Huseyin Kalkan, the mayor of a small Turkish town, Batman, filed lawsuit against Director Christopher Nolan for not getting permission from him to title the movie as Batman.

5. GOOGLE: Lauren Rosenberg sued Google for its Maps for giving her directions that resulted in an accident. Lauren said the app gave her directions to walk down the Deer Valley Dr in Park City. The place did not have sidewalks, so she got hit by car and sustained injuries. She sued both Google and Patrick Harwood, the person behind the wheels, for USD 100,000.

6. AUTO COMPLETE SUGGESTION: A search for ‘Bettina Wulff’ in Google auto completes it with ‘escort’ and ‘prostitute’. This was a big annoyance for the former first lady of Germany, wife of Christian Wulff, and he sued Google for defamation. Google also got sued by Lyonnaise de Garantie Bank for auto completing its name with terms like ‘con man’ and ‘crook’. The bank won USD 65,000 in the lawsuit.

7. ETRADE: When Etrade is an ad used the phrase ‘that milkahilic Lindsay’, the Hollywood actress got miffed and filed a USD 100 million lawsuit. Both parties reached on to an agreement that got Lindsay an undisclosed amount.

8. LIMEWIRE: LimeWire, a free peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) client programme landed in a soup over the songs downloaded using it. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) slapped Limewire with a USD 150,000 lawsuit claiming they should be paid each time the song was downloaded.

9. WI-FI: The Wi-Fi technology in schools was adopted in Chicago way back in 1995. Though it was a pretty technological advance in education system, the parents of students thought that Wi-Fi would cause radiation problems. Parents filed lawsuits to stop the use of this wireless technology.

God’s preparation

A girl called Sola, a primary five pupil, was much hated by her class teacher — Mrs Ayen. She did everything within her power to disfavour Sola whenever opportunity presented itself.

One day, foreign missionaries visited the school with lots of educational materials with lots of educational materials. With the need to share foreign textbooks to the pupils, the head teacher asked every class teacher asked every class teacher to organise their pupils in a single line.

Mrs Ayen ensured she made Sola stand as the last person in her class as she said to herself, “Who knows if the gifts might not be enough, so it won’t get to her turn.”

When Miss Jacob, the missionary, entered the class, she moved to the front but found out the pupils were too close to the blackboard. In order not to stain herself, she sought for a space to stand and discovered there were more space for her to stand at the back. After arranging materials to be shared she said, “Class, about turn.” At this point Sola automatically became the first pupil in the line and the first pupil in the line and the first to receive from that class.

Moral lesson: No man will frustrate you from what God prepares for you. Any plans of the enemies to deny your blessing will never stand.

8 Biggest Tech Myths

Using logic to overcome rooted beliefs

The tech world has certain myths and tales that have passed down for generations. It is time that some of them were deconstructed:

1. More megapixels means better camera

A higher megapixels count is important if users plan on blowing up a photo to a large size and do not want to lose quality. But for normal viewing, megapixels are not as important as having a quality camera lens and light sensor.

2. A magnet can erase your hard drive

A common magnet is capable of erasing the contents of a floppy disk, but USB storage and SD cards have nothing magnetic, so a magnet will not harm them. Laptop and desktop hard drives are also safe from magnets. An incredibly strong, industrial-strength magnet pointed in just the right direction is required to wipe a hard drive’s contents.

3. Facebook will start charging for service

A section from the FB Help Centre entitled ‘Facebook Myths’ has a question: “Will Facebook ever charge for service?” The answer given is, “No. We will always keep Facebook a free service for everyone.

4. Leaving the laptop plugged in will kill the battery

The truth is, laptop is ruined by keeping it on charge, unless the laptop is very, very old. This myth may have been true of nickel-based laptop batteries, which laptops do not use anymore. Most laptops use lithium-based batteries not vulnerable to ‘losing charge’ even if kept them plugged in.

5. Cookies track everything users do on the internet

When cookies first appeared, there were some web users who got angry because they thought cookies would track their every move online. Wrong. Cookies can only perform limited tracking when the users are browsing web pages. And some constant coolies can trace your movements from site to site.

6. Closing out apps on iPhone extends battery life

It was believed that in order to save battery on the iPhone, users could double-tap the home button and close out all apps on the bottom tray not being used. In fact, the iOS multitasking bar does not contain ‘a list of all running apps’, but ‘a list of recently used apps’. The user never has to manage background tasks on iOS. Except some special cases, the app is not eating up battery life.

7. Macs do not get viruses

Apple claimed on its website that Macs were better than Windows machines since they were not vulnerable to viruses like PCs. But time changed and Apple updated its website removing the claim of malware immunity due to an ongoing wave of viruses attacking the Mac OS. Security experts lately found that 2.6 per cent of Macs that had downloaded a virus-checker were infected with malware.

8. Using a cell phone on a plane interferes with the navigation

There has never been a navigational problem that could be traced to a cell phone. Flight attendants make users put off phones before takeoffs and landing to make sure they have people’s attention and for individual safety.

Thinking of a second job?

Low wages, pay freezes, and the threat of layoffs mean that for many employees a second job is a necessity. But does your employer agree?

While a side job can mean the difference between “making it” and financial ruin, companies have become more stringent in regulating what their employees do outside of work. Some organisations prohibit side jobs altogether, while others enforce disciplinary action ranging from immediate dismissal, to a written reprimand, to a demotion.

From a company’s perspective, it’s for good reason. But don’t allow your employer’s polices and red tape to scare you away from creating financial padding and learning new skills. Whether you take on additional work as a freelancer, consultant, floor salesperson, or start selling your handcrafted goods, moonlighting can be your path toward building a better future.

If you decide to set up shop outside your current workplace, set up a meeting with your boss first. You need to request approval even if there are no explicit policies regarding side jobs in the employee handbook. (Hint: And if a second job is clearly prohibited, you can still ask.) Don’t risk getting fired or losing extra income over a simple five-minute conversation. Here’s how:

Know why your company is worried

Employers typically don’t see any advantages to their employees working side jobs, but it can be beneficial for both employer and employee, stimulating creativity, motivation, and new ideas. The key is to keep the focus on your current position.

Put the company first

Most employers want to hear that you’ll continue to put your job at their company first. Assuage your manager’s concerns by letting her know you won’t work at your second job during office hours and that you’ll still be able to work overtime during periods of heavy work. Show your commitment to your current position as a priority.

Lay out how you’ll remain effective

Your boss doesn’t want you to be overwhelmed and fatigued just because you’re working multiple jobs, so lay out the strategies that will allow you to remain just as effective as you are now. Don’t talk about the new job; discuss how you’ll continue to rock your current one.

Keep quiet about confidential information

A small number of companies will be concerned that you’ll leak confidential, in-house information, particularly if your side job is utilising the same skills that your existing job does. If you can’t get permission to work in the same vertical, try a side job in a different arena all together.

Act as a good representative.

What you do off-hours can seem like none of your employer’s business, but it is, especially if what you’re doing could be deemed offensive to your employer’s customers. Make sure that whatever side job you choose won’t put you in an awkward position with any of your company’s client, partners, or customers.

These tips should get you quick approval to take on the side job you’ve been dreaming about. If you can’t get approval however, consider volunteering or taking a career development class. While many employers won’t support you getting paid to expand your skill set, they will endorse broadening your horizons in general.

Silence is golden

We have heard the word “Silence Please” since our childhood, at schools, at meetings, in courtrooms et cetera.

One wonders what’s the real mystery behind this word SLIENCE.

From a spiritual perspective, silence can be defined as the bridge of communication between the Divine and the divine in the human. Silence is where one finds what is most precious. Spiritual silence gives one an energy, pure and selfless, from the creative source, to burst out of the cocoon of dust and routine, opening up unlimited horizons of new vision.

The act of silence is as necessary for living as breathing is for physical life. Silence brings our mental and emotional energy to a point of concentration, where we can be still. Without this inner stillness, the different strings of external influences like a puppet pull us.

Silence is like a mirror. The mirror does not blame or criticize but helps us to see things as they are, providing a diagnosis to release us from all types of wrong thinking. To create silence, we have to step within, connect with our eternal self — the soul.

By doing so, we reflect and recollect what has been forgotten for a longtime. We concentration slowly and gently and as we do so, those original spiritual blueprints of love, truth and peace emerge and are experienced as personal and eternal realities.

Through these virtues, quality begins to enter our life. This is exactly the reasons why wise people say ‘Silence Is Golden’.

Editor’s note: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji is a writer at www.brahmakumaris.com and can be reached at nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in.

Windows 8 apps store cracks 20K

In competition with Apple App Store and Google Play

NEW YORK: While 20,000 apps in an online store may seem paltry compared to the more than 700,000 apps in Apple’s store and more than 600,000 apps in Google Play, the milestone is significant for an upstart in the app trade like Microsoft. Microsoft broke the 20,000 mark last week, according to Directions on Microsoft Windows App Store Watcher Wes Miller. Nearly 18,000, or 87 per cent, of those apps are free, according to Miller.

Those are worldwide numbers, and the total number of apps available within regions can vary. For example, the Canadian Windows 8 app store has come 14,000 programmes, while the US has 12,675; and the UK, some 11,000. What must be heartening for Microsoft is the velocity at which apps are being added to its online market: some 500 new apps appear each day, according to The Next Web.

At the rate, the store could reach 40,000 apps by the end of the year. Moreover, that climb should remain steep as buyers of new Windows PCs during the holiday season hunt for apps for their new computers for weeks to come, and developers feverishly seek to meet that demand. Nevertheless, app uploads must accelerate even more for Microsoft to meet its goal of 100,000 apps in the store within 90 days from the launch of Windows 8 on October 26.

Comparing the number of apps in the Windows 8 store to the Apple App Store and Google Play can be misleading, though, since those outlets service mobile devices. A more suitable comparison might be made between the Windows store and Apple’s Mac App Store. From January 2011 to April 2012, only 10,000 apps were added to that Apple outlet. Uploads at the Windows 8 app store have been a source of controversy for Microsoft in recent days. — Agencies

Teacher’s impact

Years ago a John Hopkin’s professor gave a group of graduate students this assignment: Go to the slums. Take 200 boys, between the ages of 12 and 16, and investigate their background and environment. Then predict their chances for the future.

The students, after consulting social statistics, taking to the boys and compiling much data, concluded that 90 per cent of the boys would spend some time in jail.

Twenty-five years later another group of graduate students group was give the job of testing the prediction. They went back to the same area. Some of the boys — by then men — were still there, a few had died, some had moved away, but they got in touch with 180 of the original 200. They found that only four of the group had ever been spent to jail.

Why was it that these men, who had lived in a breeding place of crime, had such a surprisingly good record? The researchers were continually told: “Well, there was a teacher…” They pressed further, and found that in 75 percent of the cases it was the same women.

The researchers went to this teacher, now living in a home for retired teachers. How had she exerted this remarkable influence over that group of children? Could she give them any reason why these boys should have remembered her? “No,” she said, “No I really couldn’t.” And then, thinking back, she said amusingly, more to herself than to her questioners, “I loved those boys…”

I will live

As the light shines through my window I awaken.
I am reminded once more that today is another day stolen from borrowed time.
Today I will live and live to will. I will be thankful for all I love and all I have.
Every breath taken in shall be full as I take in the world around me.
I will push away the pain, hide my tears and sorrow and drown out all that threatens my very being.
Today I will climb that rock and sit on top staring and soaking in the beauty of nature, of life.
I will let the wind whisper in my ears and flow through me filling my every sense, breathing life once more into my soul.
Just for today I shall truly live, making the best of everything, because I know as the sets and sleeps, so shall I.
I will be there once more to watch the last ray of the sun one day it may never awaken me. Just for today I will live.

— Laurah Lynn

How to properly clean gadgets

Without ruining them in the process

No matter how clean a house you keep, computers and gadgets are bound to get a little dirty here and there. Here is how to clean them well:

1. Monitor: White vinegar

LCD screens are pretty delicate, so do not press hard on them, because that can burn out the pixels. Instead, turn the monitor off (so you can better see the dirty spots), and grab a dry micro fibre cloth. Just gently wipe the screen. If the monitor is filthier, resist the urge to press hard and wet the cloth with a 50:50 mix of water and white vinegar. If possible, use distilled water instead of tab water. Do not use anything paper-based, like paper towel, Kleenex, or toilet paper, since they can scratch your monitor. Remember never to spray any liquid on the monitor itself—always spray it on the cloth first.

2. Mouse: Water or alcohol

Most mice do not need to be opened up to be cleaned. Just turn the mouse over and take a cotton swab to the rubber pads, wetting it with water or alcohol if necessary. For all the mouse buttons, use some alcohol on a cotton swab to rub away dirt and grime. Also, remember to turn off or unplug the mouse before cleaning.

3. Touch screen gadgets: Water and vinegar

The best cleaner for a touch screen device is a 50:50 mix of distilled water and vinegar. Touch screens are a bit more resilient than LCD monitors, so you can press a bit harder if you have a particularly stubborn spot. Just like everything else, use a micro fibre cloth and spray the cloth with a small amount of liquid, not the screen, before wiping it down.

4. Keyboard: Compressed air and alcohol

If your keyboard is only mildly dirty, do two things: blow some compressed air in between the keys and clean dirty keys with a swab of rubbing alcohol to remove oil, grime, and germs. If the keyboard is rather disgusting, though, pop out the keys and really dig in with a toothbrush. — Agencies

Power of listening: Way to peace

We express our behaviour either in a positive or negative manner. Because of our positivity, we are steady, patient, calm, and consistent. The negativity, on the other hand, makes us rude, angry, imbalanced and inconsistent. Due to the absence of positive thoughts, we sometimes avoid listening to others, as a result of which we fail to understand them fully.

If we want to be good communicators, then we should develop the skill of listening to others first, otherwise we will not get the feedback of the communication process which is forced to become one way communication and that is as good as no communication.

There are a number of examples we get to read, or hear regarding misunderstandings happening between people, leading to severe conflicts between them. These conflicts happen simply due to lack of listening to the other party, which is the root of all the misunderstandings.

So how can one become a good listener?

The simplest way to be one is to consciously discard all the negative traits one has within oneself and start looking at everything positive around us. In short, if we want to be happy in life, then we must sportingly take whatever odd comes in our way. Else, it will become very difficult to adjust in this hi-tech modern life, that will lead to non-adjustment to the present environment which is beyond our control. Due to all this, no one else but we ourselves will be the worse sufferers.

So, why suffer? Why not enjoy our precious life which we get only once? So remember, first listen patiently and sincerely to everyone who talks to you, and later act using your own conscience and the power of ‘listening’ wisely.

Editor’s note: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji is a writer at www.brahmakumaris.com and can be reached at nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in.

Our worth

A speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked. “Who would like this $20 bill?

Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you – but first, let me do this.”

He proceeded to crumple the 20 dollar note up. He then asked. “Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air.

“Well,” he replied, “what if I do this?” He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now, who still wants it?”

Still the hands went into the air.

“My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or creased, you are priceless to those who love you. The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do or who we know, but by …WHO WE ARE.

“You are special — don’t ever forget it.”

Mistakes to avoid

One of the hardest challenges we face in life is to live in our own skin — to just be right here, right now, regardless of where we are. Too often we needlessly distract ourselves with anything and everything to keep us from being fully present in the current moment.

We use compulsive work, compulsive exercise, compulsive love affairs, and the like, to escape from ourselves and the realities of living. Many of us will go to great lengths to avoid the feeling of being alone in an undistracted environment. So we succumb to hanging-out with just about anybody to avoid the feeling of solitude. For being alone means dealing with our true feelings: fear, anxiety, happiness, anger, joy, resentment, disappointment, anticipation, sadness, excitement, despair, and so on and so forth.

And it doesn’t really matter if our feelings are positive or negative — they are overwhelming and exhausting, and so we prefer to numb ourselves to them. The bottom line is that every one of us is an addict, and what we are addicted to is avoiding ourselves. Acknowledging this addiction is the first step to healing it.

Here are eight reason so many of us miss out on life as it’s happening.

1. The fear of missing out

If you feel anxious because you constantly feel like you’re missing out on something happening somewhere else, you’re not alone. We all feel this way sometimes. But you could run around trying to do everything, and travel around the world, and always stay connected, and work and party all night long without sleep, but you could never do it all. You will always be missing something. So let it go, and realise you have everything right now. The best in life isn’t somewhere else; it’s right where you are, at this moment.

2. Avoiding pain and defeat

Not to spoil the ending for you, but everything is going to be okay — you just need to learn a lesson or two first. Don’t run from the realities of the present moment. The pain and defeat contained within is necessary to your long-term growth. Remember, there is a difference between encountering defeats and being defeated. Nothing ever goes away until it teaches you what you need to know, so you can move on to the next step.

3. Holding on to what’s no longer there

Some of us spend the vast majority of our lives recounting past memories, and letting them steer the course of the present. Don’t waste your time trying to live in another time and place. Let the past, go. You must accept the end of something in order to begin to build something new. So close some old doors today. Not because of pride, inability or egotism, but simply because you’ve entered each one of them in the past and realise that they lead to nowhere.

4. Retelling a self-defeating story

If we continue to repeat a story in our head, we eventually believe that story and embrace it — whether it empowers us or not. So the question is: Does your story empower you? Don’t place your mistakes on your mind, their weight may crush your current potential. Instead, place them under your feet and use them as a platform to view the horizon. Remember, all things are difficult before they are easy. What matters the most is what you start doing now.

5. Attempting to fit in by becoming someone else

The hardest battle you’re ever going to fight is the battle to be you, just the way you are in this moment. We cannot find ourselves if we are always searching for, or morphing into, someone else. In this crazy world that’s trying to make you like everyone else, find the courage to keep being your awesome self. Be your own kind of beautiful right now, in the way only you know how.

6. The picture in your head of how it’s supposed to be

What often screws us up the most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s supposed to be. Although every good thing has an end, in life every ending is just a new beginning. Life goes on — not always the way we had envisioned it would be, but always the way it’s supposed to be. Remember, we usually can’t choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it.

7. Berating yourself for not being perfect

Don’t be too hard on yourself. There are plenty of people willing to do that for you. Do your best and surrender the rest. Tell yourself, “I am doing the best I can with what I have in this moment. And that is all I can expect of anyone, including me.” Love yourself and be proud of everything that you do, even your mistakes. Because even mistakes mean you’re trying.

8. Waiting, and waiting some more

Stop waiting for tomorrow; you will never get today back. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past. It doesn’t matter how low or unworthy you feel right now. The simple fact that you’re alive makes you worthy. Life is too short for excuses. Stop settling. Stop procrastinating step forward. If you are not sure exactly which way to go, it is always wise to follow your heart. — Agencies

Heaven or hell, friends do matter the most

An old man and his dog were walking along a road when it occurred to the man that he had died. He remembered dying.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall. It looked like fine marble. He saw a magnificent gate and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He saw someone sitting at a beautifully caved desk off to one side.

He called out, “Excuse me, but is this heaven?”

“Yes, it is, sir.”

“Wow! Would you happen to have some water?”

“Of course, sir. Come right in.”

“I assume my friend can come in…” the man said, gesturing toward his dog.

But the reply was, “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t accept pets.”

The main turned back toward the road. After another long walk, he reached the top of another hill, and he came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate. There was no fence, and it looked as if the gate had never been closed. He saw a man just inside.

“Excuse me!” he called, “Do you have any water?”

“Yeah, sure, there’s a pump over there,” the man said “How about my friend here?” the traveler gestured to the dog.

“He’s welcome too, and there’s a bowl by the pump,” he said.

The man filled the bowl for his dog, and then took a long drink himself.

“What do you call this place?” the traveler asked.

“This is heaven.”

“Well, that’s confusing,” the traveler said. “There’s another man who said that place was heaven.”

“Nope. That’s hell.”

“Doesn’t it offend you for them to use the name of heaven like that?”

“No. It actually saves us a lot of time. They screen out the people who are willing to leave their best friends behind.”

BlackBerry: 4 Apps to Avoid

BlackBerry has some applications that are plan useless

BlackBerry (BB) promises a variety of apps in its BlackBerry App World. Like Android and iOS, these apps can come with or without a price, and choosing and buying apps must be done with caution and planning. There are apps out there that are just plainly useless:

1. Girls Night Out Solitaire:

This is basically a game of solitaire, but what makes it different is the posh features. There are girly touches like martini glasses and high heels. The app also has FreeCell and Klondike with an additional Concentration clone. There is no use paying USD five for an app with ‘girlfriends’ who tell users what to do.

2. AutoTimeZone:

The AutoTimeZone app lets users choose the option of automatically changing the BB’s time anywhere they go. The app looks for your current location through GPS and sets the time accordingly. However, this function is common in BB phones. Once the phone connects itself in a given time zone, it automatically sets the time, even without the help of this app. There is no reason to pay USD 10 for it.

3. Massage Therapy for BlackBerry:

This app lets your unit vibrate on the area you wish to massage. It comes with degrees of intensity. Although with good intentions, are users willing to pay as much as USD three for this? The instruction is vague and the app is just bland. The 37 KB required storage for this app is probably its best feature.

4. Bright Smile:

This app helps you brush your teeth effectively. The app provides a stopwatch that lets users devote good time to brush. But would users pay USD five to only use the phone’s stopwatch? The sad things is you need to have 500 KB for an app that teaches you how to brush. — Agencies

When to Say No to Your Boss

Your manager comes to you in a panic and asks you to fill in for Satish. Your first thought is, “Why me?” Yet, despite your frustration, you smile and say, “No problem.” Your boss in making the request, after all, so refusal is not an option. Right?

Not necessarily. In some cases, “Sorry, I can’t” may actually be the most appropriate response. Dubious about this claim? Here are some examples of situations in which it might make sense to say no and suggestions for how to turn down the boss diplomatically.

Handling deadline of colleague

The situation: Whenever a colleague falls short on an important assignment, your supervisor looks to you to save the day. Initially, being the go-to person was flattering. But having to constantly step in at the last minute is forcing you to put in extra hours so you can get your own work done.

The solution: If your boss is in a bind and needs your help, stepping up is the right thing to do and can earn you valuable bonus points. Above all, you don’t want to leave her hanging. However, if these situations arise regularly, to the point where they begin to interfere with your regular assignments, you may need to start pushing back.

Refusing to lend a hand in a crisis will only make you look bad. The next time your boss approaches you seeking emergency assistance, you might say, “Of course — I’ll help. But, as you know, I’ve had to cover for others a lot lately, and it’s affecting my other work. Once we get through this project, can we talk about how to better accommodate these types of requests in the future?”

Unreasonable deadline

The situation: Your supervisor has just asked you to complete something you know you can’t deliver in the desired timeframe. But you realise you’re the best person for the task, and you don’t want to disappoint your boss. The gears in your mind start whirring furiously, “Maybe if I push these other assignments to the back burner, skip this afternoon’s meeting and work overtime, I could make it happen. At least, I think so.”

The solution: Stop. If it will take moving the stars and the moon to meet a deadline, you need to have a conversation with your manager. Tell your manager, “I’m happy to work on this, but I’m worried about the deadline you set. Is there any flexibility there?” Then, explain why you feel the timing will be problematic.

Working late again

The situation: The boss in Office Space asks his employees to work ridiculous hours, and it’s a running joke in the film. However, in real life, when your manager has the same expectation, it’s not so amusing.

The solution: Most professionals understand that there will be times when they must stay late, come in early or take work home to meet key deadlines and objectives. But when these requests become routine, you should speak up. Putting in extra hours every day can quickly lead to burnout.

You might say to your manager, “I know we’re all working a lot of extra time. I must be honest, though, and tell you that these hours are becoming difficult for me to maintain. Will we need to keep this pace much longer? If so, could we talk about ways that might help me achieving a better work/life balance during this period?” — Agencies

Peer Pressure

Written by Carl Sandburg

“Come on! It’s Friday. There is a new release so we’re going to the movies. EVERYONE is bunking college. Let’s go!” says the coolest kid in your class. Do you do what you know is right and go to college. Or do you give in and go with your friends.

As you grow older you will face many such challenging decisions. Some may not have clear right or wrong answer like what subject to study or college to go to? Or some may have serious moral issue like lie to your parents and teachers; take your first puff of cigarette, get involved in physical relationship. Making decisions on your own is difficult. People who are of your own age, like your classmates are called peer. When they try to influence you how to act, to get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure.

Why do people fall victim to peer pressure

• Some people suffer from low self-esteem and confidence.
• The need to be liked by others, to fit in the group or to avoid being a laughing stock.
• Sense of curiosity to try something new that others are doing.
• The idea that “everyone’s doing it” and it is alright.

Walking away from peer pressure

• Be confident about your individuality. As said beautifully by Lydia Maria Child-Nature made us individuals as she did flowers and pebbles. Don’t be scared to be different.
• Listen to your inner feelings and the sense of right and wrong and BE FIRM.
• Choose your friends carefully. Find someone who can say NO too.
• Don’t hesitate to share your problem. Don’t feel guilty if you’ve made a mistake or two. TALK to someone you trust.
• Parents and teachers or school counselor can be very helpful.

However peer pressure cannot be a bad influence all the time. Kid read books, join sports clubs because their friends are involved in them. Always remember:

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

Via: The Voice of Eagle, Volume 1, Issue 1, October 2012.

Keep a Time Log, Feel Free

Are you always busy, busy, busy? Do you tell people you worked 60 hours a week and claim to sleep six hours a night? As you lament to anyone stuck next to you at parties, you might be basically too busy to breathe? Do you want to work just 45 hours a week and sleep close to eight hours a night? Doing so you will not get any less done.

The secret behind it is to keep track of how you spend your time. We all have the same 168 hours per week — a few people contemplate even as they talk about 24X7 job — but since time passes whether you acknowledge it or not, you seldom think through exactly how you are spending your hours. Owning up to how you are spend your hours gives you more control of your time, and ultimately, of your lives.

Here’s how to do it —

Keep a time log

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you may have tried keeping a food journal. Like tracking meals, tracking time keeps you from spending it mindlessly or lying to yourself about what you do with it. Write down what you’re doing as often as you remember for at least a week. Add up the totals. Checking Facebook five times a day at six minutes a pop adds up to two-and-a-half hours in a workweek.

Be honest

While Americans claim to sleep six to seven hours per night, time logs show that they sleep more than eight. One study tracking people’s estimated and actual work-weeks found that those claiming to work 70, 80, or more hours week logging less than 60. Ask yourself what you’d like to do with your time. Claiming to be busy relieves us of the burden of choice. But if you’re working 50 hours a week, and sleeping eight hours a night (56 per week) that leaves 62 hours for other things. That’s plenty of hours for a family life and a personal life — exercising, volunteering, sitting on the porch with the paper, plus watching TV if you like. Set goals — maybe three hours of exercise and swapping out two hours of TV for reading — and see where in your 168 hours you could make that happen.

Changing your language

Instead of saying “I don’t have time” try saying “it’s not a priority”. Often, that’s a perfectly adequate explanation — “I have time to iron my sheets, I just want to”. But other things are harder. Try it — “I’m not going to edit your résumé, sweetie, because it’s not a priority”, “I don’t go to the doctor because my health is not a priority”. If these phrases don’t sit well, that’s the point. Changing your language reminds you that time is a choice. If you don’t like how your are spending an hour, you can choose differently. — Agencies

Bucket list: Too individualistic?

Skydiving and swimming with dolphins are just two popular items on the lists of things people want to do before it’s too late. But are they facing up to death — or merely in denial? Kira Cochrane reports

In 1940, when John Goddard was 15, he made a list of everything he wanted to achieve. There were 127 goals in all, which included: visit every country in the world; explore the Great Barrier Reef; watch a cremation ceremony in Bali; milk a poisonous snake; and visit the Moon. Some goals were bundled together. Number 113, for example, reads: “Become proficient in the use of a plane, motorcycle, tractor, surfboard, rifle, pistol, canoe, microscope, football, basketball, bow and arrow, lariat and boomerang.” There is a tick beside this one, marking it as done, as there is beside 109 of those original goals. And in the years since, he has set himself hundreds more, writing them down as a form of commitment.

Goddard’s Life List, which featured in the Chicken Soup for the Soul self-help franchise, is one of the inspirations cited by people who have created what are now more usually called bucket lists. The phrase derives from ‘kick the bucket’, a term for death, with unclear origins, but which quite likely relates to the bucket kicked away at a hanging. It was popularised by the 2007 film The Bucket List, in which characters played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman meet in a cancer ward, then race around the world, packing in experiences. As in that story, some people start these lists when diagnosed with incurable illnesses, and in those cases the goals often seem to have a deeper, much more personal flavour.

On September 25, for instance, it was reported that former PR executive Simon Mitchell, who has a cancer of the blood, has been pursuing a list that involves helping other people, using his professional contacts to set up meetings between seriously ill children and the stars they admire.

But the trend goes much wider. Bill Clinton, Jane Fonda Cameron Diaz have spoken of having a list. A man who had camped overnight for an iPhone 5 said that specific experience was included on his. And it was also reported Megan Stammers, the 15-year-old girl thought to be in France with her maths teacher, had posted her own extensive list online. The last entry, fall in love, had been crossed off.

There are no end of websites for those wanting to compile and share their ambitions, with a whole industry having formed around the notion of cramming in eye-popping, hedonic experiences before you die: sky-diving, mountain climbing, throwing tomatoes at the Tomatina festival in Spain and meeting pop stars. On bucketlist.org someone proclaims their ambition to hold a baby white tiger; on bucketlist.net there are plans to fly in a hot-air balloon. A series of books lists the 1,001 films you should see, the 1,001 albums you should listen to, all the paintings and natural wonders you must catch, in order to be fulfilled before death. And while this approach can sound quite the opposite of fulfillment, an endless striving for satisfaction, that hasn’t stopped people’s wild enthusiasm.

Are bucket lists really a good idea? It can be useful to have defined goals, of course, but the lists seem to encourage a strange blend of highly individualised behaviour and conformity, a situation in which everyone is hurtling, alone, towards similar goals. The psychotherapist Philippa Perry suggests, laughingly, that they might actually have been started “as a brilliant PR stunt by somebody who was selling swimming with dolphins”.

There’s a consumerist, acquisitive vibe to many of the lists, with the experience they replicate being the writing of a shopping list, says Perry. Instead of building on what you already have, “to make a good life,” she continues, “it’s really an attempt to fill an existential void”.

There’s also an innate air of competition to bucket lists, of striving to best yourself — but also others. In some ways it’s no surprise that they have risen in popularity in an age when we are all encouraged to brand ourselves, to treat our Facebook pages as a shop window for our achievement-rich lives. Psychologist Linda Blair, who is writing a book called The Key to Calm, to help people deal with stress and anxiety, says chasing big experiences is worthwhile if you enjoy the whole process. “Saving up the money, planning it with friends, and then the moment as well. I’m all for that,” she says. “But if you’re constantly living in the future, ignoring what’s going on right now because you’re shooting for goals, which happen so quickly that they’re over, and then you have to chase another one, you’re not really living.”

Could they be a useful way of dealing with the inevitability of death? Blair doesn’t think so. “It’s a way of denying the idea of death, not coping with it at all … People usually do this to ensure that there are things to look forward to, which means there are things that are still going to happen … My experience warns me that it’s probably done in order to prevent thinking about death.” Perry sees it as a way of dealings “with how to pass the time. I think it’s a way of trying to generate some excitement.

“What we should be doing in our bucket lists,” Perry says, “is learning how to be open with our own vulnerabilities so that we can form connections with other human beings … I think, for me, what’s wrong with the bucket list is that it’s individualistic — the idea of the isolated self goes very deep in Western society — and I think it’s a red herring … It’s a distraction from the business of being human. We don’t all like swimming with dolphins but we are all made to connect to each other. That’s the really fun things to do before you die.” — The Guardian

Best practices for Gmail

Understand its core features to keep communication organised and efficient

Gmail is one of the most popular email services. Whether you use it for personal communication, work, or both, get more out of it by understanding how its core features work.

1. Message threads: Keep the threads intact as long as they do not deviate off topic. When they change topic, start a new thread simply by changing the subject line when you reply. You do not have to start a whole new message. All the recipients will be included in the new thread, and the history of the communication will still be archived within the message itself, under the ellipsis ‘show trimmed content’.

2. Labels: Think of labels more like tags. Use labels in Gmail liberally because they are not substitute for folders, but rather away to categorise or tag items and make them more searchable. Power users should explore the Settings area to configure more advanced labeling attributes. For example, you can set up rules or filters to divert certain kinds of mail to a label, and have that label show up in your left pane only when it contains unread messages.

3. Archive: When you tell Gmail to archive a message or thread, all it does is remove the ‘inbox’ label so that the message disappears from immediate view. Any other labels attached to that message remain. For most messages in Gmail, archiving is preferable to deleting. You should delete mail that you do not need, but if there is a doubt, just archive it. It is much easier to retrieve.

4. Bulk actions: Gmail gives you the ability to select a whole lot of messages in a single shot to perform some operation on them in bulk. First, use a label or search term to get all the messages you want to perform an action on. They may not all fit on a single screen, but you will see an indication that there are more pages of content off to the right. Next, select the empty checkmark box at the top and to the left of the achieve button. Next, select the empty checkmark box at the top and to the left of the achieve button. Finally, look for an underlined bit of text toward the top saying, ‘Select all conversations that match this search’ and click that link. Limit bulk actions to no more than 1,000 messages. — Agencies

You can’t

Catherine Pratt tells you why you shouldn’t listen to this

I love inspirational stories from people who have achieved things by following their dreams no matter what. Imagine what a different world it would be it there was no Walt Disney, no Star Wars, no Beethoven symphonies. These have all been created by people who faced numerous rejections yet refused to listen to the negative people who said, ‘you can’t’.

Francis O’Dea:

You’ve probably never heard of Francis O’Dea but if you live in Canada, you’re probably very familiar with the coffee house company, ‘Second Cup’.

Francis grew up in Toronto, was sexually abused at age 13 and around that time starting drinking. Life quickly went downhill and before long he was homeless. He had to beg for change in order to survive. For six months he lived on the streets with no clue as to what he wanted to do or how to get out of his current situation. Happily, today Francis O’Dea is a multi millionaire. As he says, “One year I was broke, the next year I was a millionaire.”

He changed his life by focusing on what he wanted. He got a job and slowly started to turn his life around.

Four years later he opened a little coffee shop and called it ‘Second Cup’. Second Cup is now of the largest Coffee Shop chains in Canada.

Wayne Gretzky:

Wayne Gretzky has been quoted as saying, “It’s kind of ironic when I broken in at 17, I was told I was too small, too slow and I wouldn’t make the NHL.” He’s now recognized as one of the greatest hockey players ever.

George Lucas:

George Lucas spent four years shipping the script for Star Wars around to the various studios and racking up numerous rejections in the process. If he’d let his negative inner voice get to him he would never have ended up having the highest grossing film of all time.

Einstein:

He was considered an “unteachable” fool by his early teachers.

Michael Jordan:

He was cut from high school basketball team. Jordan quote, “I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.”

Bob Parsons:

Founder and CEO of GoDaddy.com. If you read his blog posting you’ll see that he overcame a lot in pursuit of his dream. He definitely was not an overnight success and experienced a lot of failure on the way. But, he kept his vision in his mind at all times and says, “I spent very little time looking back or feeling sorry for myself.” Another awesome quote from the article is, “Quitting is easy. The easiest thing to do in the world is to quit and give up on your dreams (and quite frankly, that’s what all the non-risk takers want you to do).”

Beethoven:

Beethoven’s music teacher told him he was a hopeless composer.

Colonel Sanders (creator of Kentucky Fried Chicken):

He was told “No” by over a thousand restaurants for more than a year while he lived in his car trying to sell his chicken recipe.

Thomas Edison:

He’s actually known as one of the most prolific inventors in history holding 1,093 US patents as well as a lot of patents in the UK, France and Germany. When Thomas was four he was sent home from school with a note. The note told his mother that she was to remove her son from school because he was “too stupid to learn”. Thomas’ mother decided to teach him herself. He only had three months of formal schooling yet went on to create numerous inventions like the phonograph. He was also partially deaf in one ear.

Walt Disney:

He was turned down by over a hundred banks when he tried to get funding to develop Disneyland. He was also fired from job at a newspaper for “lacking ideas”. He also had several bankruptcies before he was able to develop Disneyland.

Fred Astaire:

he kept a memo over his fireplace from an MGM testing director after his first screen test that said, “Can’t act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.”

Louisa May Alcott:

Author of Little Women, was encouraged by her family to be a servant or seamstress.

Enid Blyton:

She is a British author who was rejected by publishers 1,000 times. She wrote Noddy, The Famous Five, The Five Find-Outers, The Mystery Series, The Adventure Series, The Secret Seven, Malory Towers, The St Clare’s series, The Magic Faraway Tree series, The Wishing-Chair series, and hundreds of other books for children.

Enrico Caruso:

This famous opera singer was told by his teacher that he had no voice at all and couldn’t sing.

Richard Bach:

The author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull was turned down by 18 publishers before finally in 1970, MacMillan published it. By 1975, this book had sold more than 7 million copies in the US.

Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield:

These are the authors of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. They were turned down by 50 book publishers before somebody finally agreed to take a chance. They have since sold over 75 million copies.

Lou Ferrigno:

Most well known for his role on the TV show, The Incredible Hulk, as a child, Lou developed an ear infection which would result in partial but permanent hearing loss. His father was critical of and negative towards him due to his hearing disability. His father believed that he would never achieve success. Yet, he went on to become the youngest bodybuilder ever to win the Mr Universe title at the age of 20. Ferrigno quote: “If I hadn’t lost my hearing, I wouldn’t be where I am now. It forced me to maximise my potential. I had to be better than the average person to succeed. That’s why I chose bodybuilding. If I become a world champion, if I could win admiration from my peers, I could do anything.”

Stephen Hawking:

Well known for his ground breaking ideas on the laws that govern the universe, Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone disease when he was 21. He was never let this disease stop him from following his passion and achieving a life of happiness.

Og Mandino:

Is a bestselling author of inspirational books. Before he became a well known author, he was addicted to alcohol. One day, after a long night of drinking, he bought a gun from a pawnshop for $3. He thought this might be the way to end all of his problems but he couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger. He wandered aimlessly for awhile before he ended up in a library. There he decided to transform himself and managed to completely change his life. From being able to change his own life he has gone on to help many others.

George Orwell:

Most well known for his two books Animal Farm and 1984. Animal Farm was rejected by a number of publishers including one who told him that it was “impossible to sell animal stories in the USA.” By 1996, Animal Farm had sold 20,000,000 copies and had been translated into 60 languages.

Muggsy Bogues:

The smallest player in NBA history. He’s only 5’3”. Who’s says you have to be tall to play basketball?

Become a good communicator

Many of us haven’t been trained in how to communicate with co-workers and clients. Here are some tips to help you become a better communicator:

Listen: It’s impossible to understand what someone needs or wants if we don’t give them our undivided attention.

Pay attention to body language: Is your co-worker saying she can meet a deadline, but wringing her hands while she says it? She might be afraid to tell you it be hard to make it.

Consider communication preference: Email works for some, but others would rather pick up the phone and talk, text, or even use social media or instant messaging to relay something. Respect the person you’re trying to contact and use the method she seems to prefer.

Consider your tone: Make sure your language is clear. Better yet, meet in person so nothing is misconstrued.

Don’t be too casual: Getting along with your work colleagues can help you do your job better, but don’t take it too far in your communication on the job.

Check your grammar: Always proof read anything you type—be it an email, Tweet, or letter.

Keep criticism constructive: Provide positive reinforcement when a job is well-done, and find ways to add in tips for improvement without being “that boss.”

Restate what you hear: Rephrasing what your co-worker or boss says to means you are listening and understand what you were told.

Get a little personal: Find ways to interact on a personal level without going too far.

Never stop improving: Effective communication is a skill you must practice. Observe how others respond to you to clue you in on areas for improvement. — Agencies

Seasons and reasons: Those in our lives

People always come into your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a ‘reason’, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, or to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually. They may seem like a godsend to you, and they are. They are there for a reason, you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die, sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up for out and force you to take a stand.

What we most realise is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a ‘season’, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. And like spring turns to summer and summer to fall, the season eventually ends.

‘Lifetime’, relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway), and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas in your life.

Little instructions to better your life

Sing in the shower
Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated
Watch a sunrise at least once a year
Never refuse homemade brownies
Strive for excellence, not perfection
Plant a tree on your birthday
Learn three clean jokes
Return borrowed vehicles with the tank full
Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them
Leave everything a little better than you found it
Keep it simple
Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures
Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know
Be forgiving on yourself and others
Say ‘thank you’ a lot
Say ‘please’ a lot
Avoid negative people
Wear polished shoes
Remember other people’s birthdays
Commit yourself to constant improvement
Have a firm handshake
Send lots of Valentine cards, sign them
Look people in the eye
Be the first to say “Hello”
Return all things you borrow
Make new friends and cherish the old ones
Keep secrets
Plant flowers every spring
Have a dog
Always accept and outstretched hand
Stop blaming others
Take responsibility for every area of your life
Be there when people need you
Don’t expect life to be fair
Never underestimate the power of love
Drink champagne for no reason at all
Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation
Don’t be afraid to say “I made a mistake”
Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”
Compliment even small improvements
Keep your promises no matter what
Marry only for love
Rekindle old friendships
Count your blessings
Call your mother
And your dad too, if they happen to be alive.

Finding independence within us

‘Independence’ is one of most important aspects of our life. Each one of us, be it humans or animals, want to be independent by all means. To understand Independence, one needs to first understand the opposite of it, that is Dependence.

Dependency is created when we look for someone to fulfil an emotional need. There are two main categories in relationships, those we choose and those we find ourselves. The obvious choice is a relationship where we hope to find happiness and self-worth. This special relationship we choose can bring a sense of change and a feeling of wholeness in our life. But if these expectations are not met, we experience sorrow because of the feeling that we have a subtle right over the other person, for example my wife, my son, my mother et cetera.

Imagine, if we can feel whole within ourselves, how would be our relationships be then? Probably more stable and more giving.

Spirituality teaches us that we do not own anyone. When we become whole, we are less dependent, less possessive, less vulnerable and much more giving.

A wise parent today should send out into the world an independent individual, with an understanding that the child is not an extension of the parent but a spiritual being, who has the right to be free and full just like parents. This allows the child to be free to make his/her own journey. All of us also have an equal opportunity to explore a relationship with the ONE who is perfect, full, whole, and available all the time. One who is the source of energy, love and power.

So let’s connect with that ONE and free each other of unnecessary bondages to achieve supreme happiness in life.

Editor’s note: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji is a writer at www.brahmakumaris.com and can be reached at nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in.

Stay Safe While You Surf

7 tips to remain secure while using public Wi-Fi hotspots

Public Wi-Fi hotspots can be a hacker’s paradise, as they are usually unsecured. The following measures can help users stay safe, whether they are connecting in the coffee shop next door or in an airplane 35,000 feet in the air.

1. Pick the securest network: Although many hotspots have no security set, some do. If possible, select those that use some form of encryption. To find out which networks are secured in Windows 7, left-click on the wireless network connections icon. Hovering the mouse over each SSID will display the security type. Try to avoid networks with the security type, ‘Unsecured’. In Vista and XP, secured network SSIDs are displayed with a lock when users click open wireless network connections. Choose networks secured with WPA2 encryption, then WPA. WEP is a last resort.

2. Set network location to ‘public’: When connecting to a new network connection with Windows 7, the ‘Set network Location’ windows pops-up automatically. Set the location to ‘Public Network’ when prompted. This blocks file and printer sharing, which are common routes for data snoopers.

3. Harden data defences: Antivirus software and security suites are great, but data defences also need to be hardened. In Windows, hide folders that contain sensitive data — just right-click on the folder and select ‘Properties’ and then under ‘General’ tab, set the folder’s attributes to ‘Hidden’. You will still be able to see the folder, although its icon will appear transparent. Then go into Windows Explorer. Click on ‘Organise’ button and then select ‘Folder and Search Options’ to launch Folder Options. Click on ‘View’ tab and then select ‘Don’t show hidden files, folders and drives.’

4. Opt to not save passwords: Do not store your username and password anywhere, especially when it comes to banking sites and the like. If you have trouble remembering your password, use a utility like LastPass.

5. Use HTTPS and SSL: Many websites use HTTPS and SSL to make connection more secure — both are protocols that provide encrypted communications. For example, you can access Gmail via http://www.gmail.com or https://www.gmail.com. The latter is a more secure option.

6. Remove sensitive data from laptop: If possible, remove sensitive data like spreadsheets, bank files, or documents with a social security number from a laptop. Leave them on your home machine.

7. Use a firewall: Turn on Windows Firewall, and use the setting for public networks for more secured access. There are several robust firewall third-party solutions, such as ZoneAlarm Free Firewall 9.2, which protects against hack attacks, controls how programmes access the internet and offers identify protection.