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The Hindu :

Geo-social networking is touted to be the next best thing, allowing you to track friends and their movements

So, you are just about getting a hang of this Twitter thing? Or, are you still part of the old-fashioned Facebook generation? Or worse, lost in the dark ages of Orkut?

If you are just about coming to Twitter terms with your Followers and deciding on people you want to Follow, you better prepare yourself for more followers and more following. The next big thing after social networking is geo-social networking.

The new generation of geeks are already onboard the likes of Latitude (that works great with Orkut and Google Maps), Bliin (acool GPS-based application that requires your phone to have an in-built GPS device) or Whrrl (for you Apple-eating iPhone lovers).

Come on, you always knew that you couldn’t get lost in the city even if you tried as long as your phone had an in-built GPS receiver. Or, just Internet and Google Maps.On the move

Now, the same technology is being usedto connect people more intimately than ever. When you are in the mood to socialise, all you need to do is open the application, see which of your friends is nearest and catch up with them. Latitude will even give you directions and route options to get there.

Bangalore-based Adel Anwar found Google’s tracking tool Latitude immensely helpful during a recent trip. “Two months ago, I did 2,500 km across South India with family. We took two cars and relied onLatitude to track each other’s movements using a Nokia and a Blackberry. It was great fun.”

He continues: “While on the trip, we had every one logged onto Latitude, but after that, for a few weeks my brother didn’t realise that he had dad on his list and nearly freaked out when he got to know that he was being tracked,” laughs Adel.There’s privacy…More

The Hindu : y>

Money wise The series tells the human story behind the evolution of finance

Why did money stop being metal and morph into paper and then turn into plastic? Why do people never learn that stock market bubbles always end in busts? Historian and Harvard Professor Niall Ferguson reveals everything you need to know about the colour of money in the six-part television series; “The Ascent of Money”, that premiers on Fox History and Entertainment today at 10 p.m.

Bringing context to the current economic crisis, the series will explain how the history of finance has been punctuated by many crashes. Professor Niall Ferguson follows the history of money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals. On his journey, Professor Fergusson discovers the world’s first share certificate and also discovers the reasons for the most outrageous stock market bubble of all times.

Based on the popular business best-seller, each episode delves into banking, credit, insurance, property, bonds, equity, etc.

The show is also being taken to leading B-schools and colleges across India where different episodes will be screened for students and faculty.

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The Hindu : y>

Now you can watch superstar and debutant film producer Saif Ali Khan in conversation with Taran Adarsh on the eve of the release of his eagerly-awaited film “Love Aaj Kal”. The Chhote Nawab says: “I feel like I’m throwing a party and I’m afraid how many people would actually turn up.” Speaking of his co-star, he says: “I’d love to cast Kareena in every film I make. But having made ‘Love Aaj Kal’, I cannot imagine anyone but Deepika in the role.” Catch the two part-interview on July 30 and 31 at 8.30 p.m. on channel ETC.

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The Hindu : y>Budding from actor to producer, Saif Ali Khan seems to have also gone up a few notches on the maturity register, observes BHUMIKA K. The economics of movie-making sure has an impact on stars

Photo: Murali Kumar K.LEARNINGS FROM LIFE Saif Ali Khan: ‘Over the years my work has sorted me into a fairly-balanced individual’

My early memories of Saif Ali Khan is of a very soft feminine doe-eyed face with a sharp chin jutting forward and backward, with a colourful kerchief in front of his face, on the TV screen as he sang “Haathon mein aagaya jo kal rumaal aap ka…”. I jog my memory and discover it’s from a 1994 flick “Aao Pyar Karen”. I still can’t believe it’s the same guy who later played the unforgettably comic Casanova Samir in “Dil Chahta Hai” and then finally transformed into the brawny scheming Langda Tyagi in “Omkara”.

As an actor he’s definitely come a full wide circle. And now Saif is taking his first baby steps as producer with “Love Aaj Kal”, starring himself and Deepika Padukone. At Bangalore’s PVR theatre to promote the film, it was a very reserved Saif one saw, who measured every word he said. It was a Saif who has cut his apron strings from the inevitable Pataudi-Sharmila Tagore comparisons.

“I’m learning a lot about films now. After 18 years, I decided it is time to be more involved in the making of a film, to take more calls, and own the product you’ve worked for. The plan is to understand and contribute to the business. There is a certain amount of maturity and understanding required…everything is about timing in life,” surprisingly surmised a very mature Khan. A far cry from the trigger-happy bratty nawabzada who made a damp-squib entry into Bollywood, and was more in the limelight for his antics than for his acting.

“I don’t think I…More

The Hindu : y>An unusual interpretation of origami, papier-mâché, photography, and lighting installations

Creative licence A new form

Paper Plane”, an exhibition of creations in origami and papier-mâché sculptures, photography, and lighting installations will be on at the Olive Beach’s MedMosaic Nights on July 31 and August 1.

Shivaram Narayanan’s origami works, Sharwari Tilloo’s papier-mache sculptures, Abhimanyu Nohwar’s paper lighting installations and Shankar Chandra’s paper sculptures and photographs will be on display.

Abhimanyu Nohwar is a product designer from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. After working in various industries ranging from aeronautical equipment and automobile design to software and interaction design, he has now set up his own design studio ‘Kiba Design’in New Delhi. Shankar Chandra earned his masters in Mass Communications from the prestigious AJK Mass Communications Research Institute, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

He has worked variously as a cinematographer, producer and photographer on a number of award winning projects. Sharwari approaches papier-mache as art and not craft, and therein lies her strength. She has tried to use used materials like old newspapers and used glass bottles, in her pitch to recycle.

The concentration of her work is on building characters with stories around them; be it a sculpture or a mask. Twenty-year-old Shivaram Narayanan is a child prodigy in origami, the fascinating Japanese art of paper-folding. He is completely self-taught and has held a number of solo exhibitions at prestigious art centres across the country and the world.

On August 1 Shivram and Abhimanyu will hold simultaneous workshops on origami and light installations from noon to 2 p.m. and 1.30 to 3.30 p.m., priced at Rs. 750 for one workshop (including lunch) or Rs. 900 for two workshops and lunch.

MedMosaic is a new series of evenings of cutting edge design that will bring together many artistic sensibilities in diverse interpretations of things that catches their fancy.

Olive Beach is at 16, Wood Street, Ashok Nagar. The exhibition is…More

The Hindu : y>Akira Kurosawa’s films will bescreened this weekend

Shemaroo Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy celebrate the centenary year of Akira Kurosawa, the renowned Japanese film maker with a screening of his film. The event will be inaugurated by T.S. Nagavharana, film maker and chairman, Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy and will be followed by a screening of Kurosawa’s “Rashomon” on July 31. The films “Madadaya” and “Ran” will be screened on August 1 and 2, respectively. The films will be screened at Suchitra Auditorium, Banashankari 2nd Stage, at 6.30 p.m.

It is open to all.

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The Hindu :

Michael Angel Oh staged by the Script People had some superb performances

Well-executed A good use of songs enhanced the mood of the play

Michael Angel Oh!” a play by the Script People’s theatre was staged at the Christ University auditorium recently. It calls itself a miracle play (plays that focused on the representation of Biblical stories in churches as tableaux with accompanying songs, as Wikipedia informs us).

The storyline deals with the great artiste, Michelangelo receiving a contract to paint a church in Florence with events from the life of Jesus Christ. In an attempt to find a perfect model to depict the young Christ, Michelangelo tours Italy and chances upon a little boy, who has been forced into slavery bya feudal lord. Michelangelo is convinced that he has found his modeland manages to convince the feudal lord to send him to Florence, promising to provide for him.

The opening sequences were dealt with beautifully, with the play starting with the rendition of “Who Can Say Where the Road goes” by Enya. The next sequences portray the older Michelangelo being chased by a mentally deranged manand asking for help from people.These scenes are interspersed with some beautiful songs, choir performances and dances.

The older Michelangelo is rescued and begins to narrate his tale. He tells of how after a few years he sends the boy off, claiming that the Lord has deserted him. Years pass and Michelangelo reaches the end of his mission.

He begins a hunt for a model for the role of Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus Christ. Hevisitsjails and asylums but is unsuccessful in his search. After a long search, he manages to find the person he was looking for. It is only when Michelangelo sets out to work does he realise that the model he had used for the young Christ and the Judas are the same person.

The man filled…More

The Hindu :

R.V. Raghu Prasad, who has been recently selected to the world development panel of umpires, sees it as an opportunity to hone his skills

Photo: Bhagya Prakash KRight choice Raghu Prasad: ‘Helping youngsters learn the ropes at umpiring is a great feeling’

R.V. Raghu Prasad is confident and consistent. These qualities havecatapulted him into the World Development Panel of hockey umpires in eight years. He is the first hockey umpire from Karnataka to reach this grade.

Raghu feels that he was an ordinary player, but was very passionate about hockey, a game India once dominated. He managed to gain entry into the World Development panel, following a good outing in the Junior World Cup held in Malaysia/Singapore recently.

His selection will help develop and fine tune his skills for the world panel. Raghu was one of umpires to officiate at the finals of the Junior World Cup this year.

“It is a dream come true. I owe this success to many people ,” says Raghu.

“I reached the State-level as a player. I loved the game and felt that umpiring will keep me close to the game. It would help me become completely involved in the game.”Immediate recognition

His career as umpire began in 2001 at the State C division hockey league at the KSHA stadium. Raghu won immediate recognition and admiration from the State officials for his no-nonsense approach. At the Karimnagar Junior nationals, Raghu bagged the national badge and in the twin leg tour of Australia in 2003 became an international panel umpire.

“Jyothi (Kumaran) and Krishnamurthy have always motivated and encouraged me a lot. They also suggested my name to Kuku Walia, who recommended me to John Prior, the Umpires manager during the Perth and Sydney leg of the Australian tour.” How has the experience of officiating in internationals been? “It is a learning process. We interact and exchange views regularly. It…More