Binodon Mela

Acne in plain English - What is Acne?

2009-06-06T03:23:00.000-07:00

A normal follicle

A normal follicle looks like this:

For reasons no one completely understands, follicles, often called pores, sometimes get blocked. Sebum (oil) which normally drains to the surface gets blocked and bacteria begins to grow. Both whiteheads and blackheads start out as a microcomedone. The picture below is a microcomedone:

There are two types of acne:

Non-inflammatory acne

Microcomedones become non-inflamed skin blemishes called comedones--either a whitehead or a blackhead:

Whitehead

When the trapped sebum and bacteria stay below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed. Whiteheads may show up as tiny white spots, or they may be so small that they are invisible to the naked eye.

Blackhead

A blackhead occurs when the pore opens to the surface, and the sebum, which contains the skin pigment melanin, oxidizes and turns a brown/black color. It is not dirt and can not be washed away. Blackheads can last for a long time because the contents very slowly drain to the surface.

A blackhead or whitehead can release its contents to the surface and heal. Or, the follicle wall can rupture and inflammatory acne can ensue (see below). This rupture can be caused by random occurrence or by picking or touching the skin. This is why it is important to leave acne prone skin relatively untouched.

Inflammatory acne

Papule

A papule occurs when there is a break in the follicular wall. White blood cells rush in and the pore becomes inflamed.

Pustule

A pustule forms several days later when white blood cells make their way to the surface of the skin. This is what people usually refer to as a "zit" or a "pimple".

An inflamed lesion can sometimes completely collapse or explode, severely inflaming the surrounding skin, and sometimes engulfing neighboring follicles. These lesions are called nodules or cysts:

Nodule

When a follicle breaks along the bottom, total collapse can occur, causing a large, inflamed bump that can be sore to the touch.

Cyst

Sometimes a severe inflammatory reaction can result in very large pus filled lesions.

Milia

Milia are tiny white bumps that occur when normally sloughed skin cells get trapped in small pockets on the surface of the skin. They are common in newborns across the nose and upper cheeks and can also be seen on adult skin. The bumps disappear as the surface is worn away and the dead skin is sloughed. In newborns, the bumps usually disappear within the first few weeks of life. However, for adults milia may persist indefinitely.

Treatment is usually not indicated in children. Adults can have them removed by a physician for cosmetic improvement.
for complete information on milia.

Ethnic Skin and Acne

2009-06-06T03:21:00.000-07:00

Acne and Black Skin

Acne and black skin

Overview: Acne is the most common skin disorder in black adolescents and black adults and is often the primary reason for a visit to a doctor or dermatologist. According to the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, "Acne vulgaris is an extremely common dermatological problem in Africans and people of African descent worldwide." Despite this prevalence, relatively few studies have been conducted on people with black skin. Not surprisingly, people with dark skin often experience the same intense distress from acne.

What is different about black skin: People with black skin tend to have inflammatory acne, which is the most common type of acne. This is actually good news because inflammatory acne is easier to treat than non-inflammatory acne. Black people also tend to have less nodules and cysts, the more severe types of acne lesions. Despite the fact that black people tend to have less severe lesions, there is a higher chance of keloid scarring, especially on the chest and back, making effective acne prevention paramount. Next, people with dark skin tend to have more incidence of post-inflammatory , a big word that means marks left after acne goes away. This is such a big issue that dermatologists often remark on how their black patients consider these marks worse than the acne itself. Click on the Dark Spots tab above to learn more about how to contend with these dark spots that acne leaves behind.

Pomade acne - a special case: Sometimes the greasy emollients which make up black hair care products can come into contact with the skin and aggravate acne. If you use these products and tend to break out along your hair line or in places where your particular hair style comes into contact with your skin, this may be the culprit.

How to treat acne in black skin: Luckily, inflammatory acne develops and is treated the same way in people regardless of skin color, and with the right regimen is easy to clear. There are several options including topical treatment as well as . According to the International Journal of Dermatology, "benzoyl peroxide is particularly effective for the inflammatory component." Benzoyl peroxide is a mild drying and peeling agent, but people with black skin tend to have less flakiness and scaling of the skin and tolerate it well. I outline a highly effective here on Acne.org.

The bottom line: The first and foremost concern should be prevention. Preventing acne will prevent the dark spots that are often left behind and will also prevent scarring. Concentrate your efforts on clearing up your acne and getting it under complete control. Then, if you choose, you can embark on one of the many methods of hastening healing of the dark spots that are left behind.

Note: People of African descent should not take the antibiotic minocycline to treat acne symptoms. "Fatal cases of hypersensitivity" have been reported with this drug in people of African descent.

Diet and acne

2009-06-06T03:19:00.000-07:00

Diet and acne

Info on the diet and acne connection

Q:
Are diet and acne related?
A:
The only real answer we have at this point in our research is we don't know for sure. More research is needed.
Q:
It seems like common sense that diet and acne would be related. But is there a scientific reason why they might be related?
A:
Diet has a direct effect on our body's insulin levels. Insulin is our master hormone and affects all of our other hormones, including our androgens (male hormones). Scientists heavily suspect that hormonal fluctuations, particularly in our androgen levels, can result in acne flare ups. Insulin also affects growth hormone and a host of other hormones which may be related to acne formation on a cellular level. It is hypothesized, yet unproven, that a diet which causes insulin spikes may affect the pathogenesis (development) of acne.

The right diet may also be related to acne in positive ways. Eating a low glycemic diet rich in veggies, fruit, seafood, and grass-fed meat can help stabilize insulin levels, which theoretically may have an impact. Also, ingesting Omega-3 fats, such as fish oil, for instance, has been shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory agent in our body. Since a big part of acne is inflammation, it makes theoretical sense that eating an anti-inflammatory diet would help.
Q:
So why have doctors always said it's a myth?
A:
Quite honestly, calling the diet and acne connection a myth just happened to catch on as prevailing wisdom after two studies were released in 1969 and 1971. The 1969 study was aimed at determining whether chocolate and acne are related. Two groups were given chocolate bars. One group was given chocolate bars with zero cocoa content, and the other group was given chocolate bars with a huge cocoa content. The two groups fared equally well as far as their acne was concerned. However, the chocolate bars both had sugar, milk, etc. The study was only testing cocoa in particular. The 1971 study asked college students, "What do you think causes your acne?" and the students were then given lots of that food. However, the students' baseline diets were not measured, there was no control group, the data was not analyzed, and the lesion count was not presented. No other studies comparing diet and acne have been performed since these two, until very recently. Obviously, from these two studies we cannot conclude that diet and acne are not related. We simply do not have the science until we perform more research. In my opinion, it is premature to say diet and acne are, or are not, related.

The recent study I referred to was performed in 2002. It was an epidemiological study and was published in the Archives of Dermatology. Dr. Cordain and Dr. Lindeberg studied indigenous tribes of hunter/gatherers, including 1200 Kitavan islanders off Papua New Guinea as well as a small group of Ache people in the remote jungle of Paraguay. There was zero incidence of acne in either population. Is this due to their diet? We are uncertain, but it is intriguing.
Q:
So what are our next steps?
A:
We have a unique historical opportunity here at Acne.org to share our own stories and move toward a greater consensus regarding diet and acne. Please keep sharing them on the . I'm also working on releasing a few new parts of the web site which will be more scientifically sound and user friendly so we can approach this topic in an empirical way. In the meantime while we try to figure out how diet and acne are related, appropriate topical can get acne under control for now.

Stress and acne

2009-06-06T03:17:00.000-07:00

Stress and acne

Info on the stress and acne connection and tips on how to chill out

Q:
Are stress and acne related?
A:
Yes. Stress can aggravate symptoms, but moderate or light stress can be overcome with the right and need not prevent clear skin.
Q:
What do we mean by "stress" anyway?
A:
Stress is any taxing of our emotional or physical being. Widely defined this can include pretty much everything, but for our purposes here, we'll define it as any undue emotional or physical strain. What might be surprising about this definition is that it includes physical strain. Many people view stress as just an emotional issue, but when we're speaking about acne, it is best to include undue physical strain in our definition since both can come into play.

Examples of emotional stress:
- Anxiety regarding an upcoming big event, i.e. a wedding or important test
- Bullying
- Relationship problems
- Overwhelming workload
- Health of loved one
Examples of physical stress:
- Overly demanding sports or exercise schedule without adequate rest
- Lack of sleep
- A hectic lifestyle - can lead to physical tension and shallow breathing
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Smoking/drugs
Q:
So how does stress affect acne?
A:
The average acne sufferer has clogged pores that they can't even see. Stress has an inflammatory response in the body and can cause the walls of these pores to literally break. When this happens, the body's response is redness around the broken pore, and an influx of pus (a zit).

Also, when we are stressed, our adrenal gland goes into overdrive. Androgens (male hormones), which are made in this gland, increase. Increased androgens can lead to more acne. This is especially true in women, who produce a much larger percentage of their androgens in the adrenal gland than men. This may explain why stress seems to affect women more than men when it comes to acne.
Q:
So what do I do to handle stress?
A:
Here are three effective tools:
- Exercise: so long as you're not overdoing it, exercise is the best way to reduce stress. Get your heart going and it will reward you with more oxygen to your brain and a reduced stress response. Try to get your body moving at least three times a week for a good half hour or more. Don't believe it? Try it and see. It makes an incredible difference.
- Take time each day to meditate or do deep breathing exercises.
- Get a good night's sleep.

Body acne - body acne treatment

2009-06-06T03:14:00.000-07:00

Acne.org - A community organization

Body acne - body acne treatment

Body Acne is common on the chest, back, shoulders and even the buttocks, but it can appear anywhere on the body.

Hi guys. is the result of over 20 years of researching everything Acne and using myself as a guinea pig. And the good news is I found what works. Its a very simple but very precise way of washing and treating your skin with over the counter products that you can get anywhere. It works for just about everyone. I still use it every day to stay clear. and let me know what you think.
See what people are saying or share your story on the body acne message board.
Member posted pics and blogs about being on the regimen.

What is body acne?

Body acne, just like facial acne, is a genetic disease. If your mother or father had body acne, chances are you're likely to struggle with it yourself. Studies show us that most people with facial acne have some amount of body acne as well. Body acne develops in a similar way to facial acne. However, the skin on the body can be thicker than that on the face and often has larger pores, making for more severe acne lesions at times.

Acne can develop anywhere on the body except for the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. That is because these are the only two areas which do not have sebaceous glands where acne is formed. So, if you're wondering if the pus filled red marks on your arms, legs, buttocks, or elsewhere are acne, chances are they just might be. If you are unsure, see a dermatologist for a diagnosis.

Causes of body acne

As with any type of acne, the exact cause of body acne remains unknown. However, we do know that irritation can make it worse. Anything that rubs against your skin can cause irritation. Our bodies are constantly in contact with things, so it makes no sense to try to avoid all rubbing. If you are experiencing acne in one area, try to be cognizant of what might be regularly rubbing and irritating that area and make a change if you can. Damp, sweaty clothing combined with irritation tends to aggravate acne even more.

Avoiding irritation

Wear breathable cotton clothing when possible. If you get sweaty, try to change your clothing when you can.
Time your workouts so that you can shower and treat your skin using the Body Regimen afterward.
Generally try to be aware of what might be irritating your skin in areas where you break out regularly and make changes where you can.

Adult acne

2009-06-06T03:12:00.000-07:00

Statistics

Adult acne affects 25% of all adult men and 50% of adult women at some time in their adult lives. One third of adults affected with facial acne also have . These are the official statistics, but I personally don't know many adults who have not had a zit or two in their adult lives. People can develop unpleasant acne or have an acne recurrence in their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond. Dermatologists are seeing more adult acne than in previous decades. An article in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science in 2004 stated, "Recent epidemiological studies show that there appears to be an increase in post-adolescent acne, and that the disease is lasting longer and is requiring treatment well into the mid forties." Regardless of when someone struggles with acne, it can be difficult to cope, and can cause depression and social anxiety in an adult the same way it can in a teen.

Causes of adult acne

Although the acne are unknown, possible causes include , cosmetics, , and an increase of resistant bacteria. Women in particular often experience premenstrual flares, often around the mouth.

Treatment of adult acne

There are many adult acne products, however, in my experience, the overall best treatment for adult acne is identical to the best treatment for teen acne, benzoyl peroxide. But benzoyl peroxide must be administered in a very specific manner to achieve total clearing. See the for a step-by-step program you can use to clear your skin using benzoyl peroxide. Thousands of adults have used the Regimen to treat their acne with great results.

Not so uncommon

It is important to realize that adult acne is more common than people may think, and adult sufferers are not alone. If you are troubled by adult onset acne, promptly consult your doctor. She or he may have a hormonal adult acne treatment that can help, or read the and give it a go.

You can find further tips to stop adult acne on the . Many adults frequent the boards and are happy to answer questions.

Female acne

2009-06-06T03:10:00.002-07:00

Some facts about women and acne

As a general rule, women's hormones tend to fluctuate more than men, which helps explain why acne in women tends to be less constant and more erratic than acne in men.
More than half of adult women experience at least occasional breakouts.
60-70% of women who battle with acne experience premenstrual flare-ups.
Acne can occur throughout a woman's adult life, in early adulthood, in the late twenties and thirties (which I have personally seen quite a bit), during pregnancy, and during menopause.
Hormonal acne can be frustrating, but can be effectively treated.

Hormonal acne influences

Premenstrual acne flare-ups may be caused by over-stimulated androgens (male hormones). These hormones stimulate oil glands in the skin. During the pre-menstrual period, a woman's oil-producing glands can go into overdrive. Women may also see acne throughout their entire monthly cycle, the cause of which we still do not fully understand.

When pregnant women experience an acne flare-up, it is typically early in their pregnancy. Later in the pregnancy, the skin will often clear up. Acne can then flare again a few months after giving birth. Why? Again, we are not certain, but we suspect this is due to a change in hormones. As a general rule, any time we see hormones fluctuate in any direction, acne can pop up. During pregnancy in particular, it is extremely important for the expectant mother to speak closely with her doctor regarding appropriate and safe

Women experiencing menopause or post-menopause may also experience hormonal acne. Why? You guessed it. We suspect this is due to hormonal fluctuations that occur at this time in a woman's life.

Treatment options

For many women, the right topical medications can keep acne at bay. However, for women who have found that topical medications have not been helpful, there are still options available. After consulting with a physician, many women may turn to birth control pills. As an acne treatment, certain birth control pills, when used in low dosages, can decrease the amount of androgens, thereby limiting breakouts. However, just like after pregnancy, when a woman stops taking birth control pills, her acne can flare. Before deciding on this type of treatment, women should be aware of the side effects associated with birth control pills and consult a gynecologist. Another more recent prescription option for women is . Spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic which can be used as an androgen-receptor blocker to treat acne in women. By suppressing the androgens, it helps to reduce sebum production.

In my experience, men and women do not differ much in terms of effective acne treatments, and appropriate application of topical treatment is often the best option. I have personally coached many people, male and female, through the with equal success.

References

A. Goodfellow, J. Alaghband-Zadeh, G. Carter, J.J. Cream, S. Holland, J. Scully, P. Wise (1984) Oral spironolactone improves acne vulgaris and reduces sebum excretion. British Journal of Dermatology 111 (2), 209-214 doi:10.111/j.1365-2133.1984.tb04045.x

Fulton, James E. Acne Rx. James E. Fulton Jr., M.D., PhD: 2001. 107-115.

Preston, Lydia. "Breaking Out" A Woman's Guide to Coping with Acne at Any Age. Fireside 2004.

Hormones and acne

2009-06-06T03:10:00.001-07:00

Acne by its very nature can be considered a hormonal disease. Hormones are responsible for the maturation of the oil glands in our skin. This is why children do not experience acne.

Testosterone

There are several times in our lives when our hormones can become unbalanced and wreak havoc, including puberty, pregnancy, menopause, and, well, any other time they feel like it. More specifically, acne may be precipitated by androgens, male hormones present in both men and women. The oil surplus created by these hormones may be instrumental in clogging hair follicles where bacteria grows and causes acne pimples and blemishes.

Estrogen

Hormonal acne is seen mostly in women due to the natural cycles a woman goes through, such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Because of this, some low-dose are prescribed to reduce blemishes by keeping androgens steady. Anyone considering using this type of treatment should consult a physician first.

I have received many e-mails from women in their late 20s and older who are experiencing an acne flare-up or even acne for the first time in their lives. These women have also reported that the helps clear up their adult onset hormone induced acne, so the Regimen is definitely worth a shot.

References

Antibiotic resistance

2009-06-06T03:08:00.000-07:00

Antibiotics have been a mainstay of acne treatment for decades. Antibiotics help kill acne bacteria (P. acnes) and also help reduce inflammation. However, it has also long been noted that they only work for about half of the population, and produce only moderate effectiveness. Next, they often only work for a short period of time. Acne tends to "get used to" antibiotic treatment and become resistant to it.

Stats: A large study conducted by the British Journal of Dermatology studied 4274 acne patients and found that since 1991 an average of 51% of patients harbored colonies of resistant bacteria. Other studies have shown similar levels of bacteria resistant acne bacteria. Interestingly, researchers are finding similar levels of resistance in both patients treated with antibiotics and those untreated as well, although those untreated have somewhat lower levels of resistance.

How it happens: On a microscopic level, geneticists and biologists are finding multiple possible reasons why this occurs. The first is gene mutation within a bacteria cell. Bacteria have also been observed banding together and producing biofilms, a coating which slows down penetration of antibacterial medication.

What to do about it: First, have a talk with your doctor if you are on long term antibiotic therapy. Next, if you are given antibiotics from a doctor, do not stop your course before speaking with her/him about it.

What stands out in the literature most boldly is the value of combining antibiotics with benzoyl peroxide or retinoids. When mixed with benzoyl peroxide, antibiotic therapy kills 99.9% of bacteria, resistant or not. Data is less available regarding the combination of retinoids such as Retin-A® or Adapalene® with antibiotic treatment. Lastly, isotretinoin (Accutane) has been shown to kill about 90% of these resistant bacteria, but still leave large colonies behind.

My 2 cents: I was on oral and/or topical antibiotics for a year or so altogether. Neither therapy did anything for me. Nothing. My skin was actually at its worst in my lifetime when I was on Clindamycin, a topical antibiotic. Antibiotics for me were like a bad joke-promising help but delivering nothing. Accutane finally cleared me up, although not entirely. When my acne returned after my the here at Acne.org finally got me cleared up for good.

References

"About antibiotic resistance." APUA: Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics. 8 April 2009. link.

Bojar RA, Holland KT. "Acne and Propionibacterium acnes." Clinics in Dermatology. 2004 Sep-Oct;22(5):375-9.

Coates P, Vyakrnam S, Eady EA, Jones CE, Cove JH, Cunliffe WJ. "Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant propionibacteria on the skin of acne patients: 10-year surveillance data and snapshot distribution study." The British Journal of Dermatology. 2002 May;146(5):840-8.

Coates P, Vyakrnam S, Ravenscroft JC, Stables GI, Cunliffe WJ, Leyden JJ, Johnson J, Eady EA, Cove JH. "Efficacy of oral isotretinoin in the control of skin and nasal colonization by antibiotic-resistant propionibacteria in patients with acne." The British Journal of Dermatology. 2005 Dec;153(6):1126-36.

Del Rosso JQ, Leyden JJ, Thiboutot D, Webster GF. "Antibiotic use in acne vulgaris and rosacea: clinical considerations and resistance issues of significance to dermatologists." Cutis. 2008 Aug;82(2 Suppl 2):5-12.

Del Rosso JQ. "Selection of therapy for acne vulgaris: balancing concerns about antibiotic resistance." Cutis. 2008 Nov;82(5 Suppl):12-6.

Dreno B, Reynaud A, Moyse D, Habert H, Richet H. "Erythromycin-resistance of cutaneous bacterial flora in acne." European Journal of Dermatology. 2001 Nov-Dec;11(6):549-53.

Dréno B. "General antibiotic therapy in acne." [Article in French] La Revue du praticien. 2002 Apr 15;52(8):841-3.

Eady AE, Cove JH, Layton AM. "Is antibiotic resistance in cutaneous propionibacteria clinically relevant? : implications of resistance for acne patients and prescribers." American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 2003;4(12):813-31.

Garner SE, Eady EA, Popescu C, Newton J, Li WA. "Minocycline for acne vulgaris: efficacy and safety." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2003;(1):CD002086.

Ishida N, Nakaminami H, Noguchi N, Kurokawa I, Nishijima S, Sasatsu M. "Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Propionibacterium acnes isolated from patients with acne vulgaris." Microbiology and Immunology. 2008 Dec;52(12):621-4.

Leyden J, Levy S. "The development of antibiotic resistance in Propionibacterium acnes." Cutis. 2001 Feb;67(2 Suppl):21-4.

Leyden J. "New developments in topical antimicrobial therapy for acne." Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. 2008 Feb;7(2 Suppl):s8-11.

Leyden JJ, Del Rosso JQ, Webster GF. "Clinical considerations in the treatment of acne vulgaris and other inflammatory skin disorders: a status report." Dermatologic Clinics. 2009 Jan;27(1):1-15.

Leyden JJ, Wortzman M, Baldwin EK. "Antibiotic-resistant Propionibacterium acnes suppressed by a benzoyl peroxide cleanser 6%." Cutis. 2008 Dec;82(6):417-21.

Leyden JJ. "Antibiotic resistance in the topical treatment of acne vulgaris." Cutis. 2004 Jun;73(6 Suppl):6-10.

Leyden JJ. "Effect of topical benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin versus topical clindamycin and vehicle in the reduction of Propionibacterium acnes." Cutis. 2002 Jun;69(6):475-80.

Leyden, JJ. "Current issues in antimicrobial therapy for the treatment of acne." Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 2001;15 Suppl 3:51-5.

McInturff JE, Wang SJ, Machleidt T, Lin TR, Oren A, Hertz CJ, Krutzik SR, Hart S, Zeh K, Anderson DH, Gallo RL, Modlin RL, Kim J. "Granulysin-derived peptides demonstrate antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects against Propionibacterium acnes." Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2005 Aug;125(2):256-63.

Mills O Jr, Thornsberry C, Cardin CW, Smiles KA, Leyden JJ. "Bacterial resistance and therapeutic outcome following three months of topical acne therapy with 2% erythromycin gel versus its vehicle." Acta Dermato-venereologica. 2002;82(4):260-5.

Ochsendorf F. "Systematic therapy of acne vulgaris." Journal of the German Society of Dermatology. 2006 Oct;4(10):828-41.

Oprica C, Emtestam L, Lapins J, Borglund E, Nyberg F, Stenlund K, Lundeberg L, Sillerstöm E, Nord CE. "Antibiotic-resistant Propionibacterium acnes on the skin of patients with moderate to severe acne in Stockholm." Anaerobe. 2004 Jun;10(3):155-64.

Ozolins M, Eady EA, Avery A, Cunliffe WJ, O'Neill C, Simpson NB, Williams HC. "Randomised controlled multiple treatment comparison to provide a cost-effectiveness rationale for the selection of antimicrobial therapy in acne." Health Technology Assessment. 2005 Jan;9(1):iii-212.

Qureshi A. "Survival of antibiotic-resistant Propionibacterium acnes in the environment." 14th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 2004, Prague, poster presentation. Abstract number: 902_p818. Accessed online on the 8th of April, 2009. link.

Ross JI, Snelling AM, Carnegie E, Coates P, Cunliffe WJ, Bettoli V, Tosti G, Katsambas A, Galvan Peréz Del Pulgar JI, Rollman O, Török L, Eady EA, Cove JH. "Antibiotic-resistant acne: lessons from Europe." The British Journal of Dermatology. 2003 Mar;148(3)467-78.

Ross JI, Snelling AM, Eady EA, Cove JH, Cunliffe WJ, Leyden JJ, Collignon P, Dréno B, Reynaud A, Fluhr J, Oshima S. "Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of antibiotic-resistant Propionibacterium acnes isolated from acne patients attending dermatology clinics in Europe, the U.S.A., Japan and Australia." The British Journal of Dermatology. 2001 Feb;144(2):339-46.

Simonart T, Dramaix M. "Treatment of acne with topical antibiotics: lessons from clinical studies." The British Journal of Dermatology. 2005 Aug;153(2):395-403.

Tan AW, Tan HH. "Acne vulgaris: a review of antibiotic therapy." Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy. 2005 Mar;6(3):409-18.

Theilitz A, Gollnick H. "Systematic acne therapy." [Article in German] Hautarzt. 2005 Nov;56(11):1040-7.

Thevarajah S, Balkrishnan R, Camacho FT, Feldman SR, Fleischer AB Jr. "Trends in prescription of acne medication in the US: shift from antibiotic to non-antibiotic treatment." The Journal of Dermatologic Treatment. 2005;16(4)224-8.

Worret WI, Fluhr JW. "Acne therapy with topical benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics and azelaic acid." [Article in German] Journal of the German Society of Dermatology. 2006 Apr;4(4):293-300.

Zouboulis CC, Piquero-Martin J. "Update and future of systemic acne treatment." Dermatology. 2003;206(1):37-53.

Cure Acne in 3 days!

2009-06-06T03:06:00.000-07:00

The market is littered with "cures for acne". However, if you ask any dermatologist or medical researcher, they will tell you a cure does not exist. While Accutane does provide long term remission for some patients and an argument could be made that it approaches an "acne cure" in these cases, you will not find a cure on the Internet or in the back of a magazine.

Since there is no cure for acne, your time is better spent looking at how to treat and prevent acne. In my experience, is the best over-the-counter medication for preventing acne. But with benzoyl peroxide, as with any other acne medication aside from , you must be deliberate and steady and follow an acne treatment regimen until you grow out of acne naturally. Prevention is the key.

For a free, non-commercial acne prevention regimen, visit the pages of Acne.org.

Note: I think the human race would be better off without it, and with today’s knowledge and technology, I think it’s possible. I am spending most of my time researching at this point, delving deeper and deeper into how the pore works on a microscopic level and then researching possible ways to interrupt the acne process within the skin. I am always looking for interns to help me with this process. If you are passionate about research, meticulous, and a good communicator, please feel free to regarding internship opportunities.

Smoking and acne - how cigarettes affect the skin

2009-06-06T03:03:00.000-07:00

Smoking causes three million deaths per year worldwide. It causes many forms of cancer and untold pain and suffering, not to mention billions of dollars in preventable health care costs. Common sense says that smoking negatively effects almost every bodily condition, but evidence is mounting from smoking studies around the world that people who smoke are no more likely to break out. The most impressive is a study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology in 2006 in which trained nurses interviewed 27,083 young men over a 20 year period. The conclusion was surprising: “Active smokers showed a significantly lower prevalence of severe acne than nonsmokers.” In another study, published in 2007 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, researchers reported that of the 594 participants studied, “In girls, smoking was significantly associated with lower prevalence of acne…No significant associations between acne and smoking variables were detected among boys.” A study published in the British Journal of Dermatology in 2001 seems to refute these findings. 896 people were examined for the study. Smokers tended to have more acne, and the more they smoked, the worse their acne presented itself. Other studies have showed no statistical difference between smokers and non-smokers in regards to acne. In short, evidence is conflicting and the medical research community needs quite a bit more data to come to a consensus.

Smoking harms skin health: While smoking may or may not aggravate acne, it nevertheless does harm the skin. Smoking constricts blood vessels and damages the surface of many parts of our bodies, from the cells that line our organs to the skin that protects us. It also induces an inflammatory reaction in the body, precipitating a huge list of diseases. Specific to the skin, smoking is linked to poor wound healing and psoriasis. It may also be related to skin cancers.

Smoking harms skin appearance: Smoking is also closely associated with wrinkles and premature skin aging. Smoking creates free radicals, impairs collagen production, and degrades skin proteins, all of which age the skin. Quitting smoking, or not taking up smoking in the first place, is one of the best preventative measures against premature aging. Smoking can also stain the teeth and hasten hair loss. Not surprisingly, in surveys of body esteem, smokers tend to rank lower than non-smokers.

Nicotine, the wild card: As with many things in life, there are exceptions to the rule. For instance, evidence is showing that smoking may actually help protect against mouth sores and rosacea. And as we see in the latest studies of smoking and acne, smoking may perhaps help reduce the severity of acne. The potential positive effects of smoking are most likely from nicotine, and not from smoking itself. Nicotine by itself is not necessarily harmful. In the case of acne, the constriction of blood vessels that nicotine produces may inhibit the production of more severe forms of acne in a lucky few people. How and if this happens is still up to debate.

References

Beylot C. “Mechanisms and causes of acne.” [Article in French] La Revue du Praticien. 2002 Apr 15;52(8):828-30.

Chuh AA, Zawar V, Wong WC, Lee A. “The association of smoking and acne in men in Hong Kong and in India: a retrospective case-control study in primary care settings.” Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. 2004 Nov;29(6):597-9.

Firooz A, Sarhangnejad R, Davoudi SM, Nassiri-Kashani M. “Acne and smoking: is there a relationship?” BMC Dermatology. 2005 Mar 24;5:2.

Freiman A, Bird G, Metelitsa AI, Baranklin B, Lauzon GJ. “Cutaneous effects of smoking.” Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. 2004 Nov-Dec;8(6):415-23.

Jemec GB, Linneberg A, Nielsen NH, Frølund L, Madsen F, Jørgensen T. “Have oral contraceptives reduced the prevalence of acne? a population-based study of acne vulgaris, tobacco smoking, and oral contraceptives.” Dermatology. 2002;204(3):179-84.

Just-Sarobé M. “Smoking and the skin.” [Article in Spanish] Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas. 2008 Apr;99(3):173-84.

Klaz I, Kochba I, Shohat T, Zarka S, Brenner S. “Severe acne vulgaris and tobacco smoking in young men.” Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2006 Aug;126(8):1749-52. Epub 2006 Apr 27.

Kornblau IS, Pearson HC, Breitkopf CR. “Demographic, behavioral, and physical correlates of body esteem among low-income female adolescents.” Journal of Adolescent Health. 2007 Dec;41(6):566-70. Epub 2007 Sep 29.

Krug M, Wünsche A, Blum A. “Addiction to tobacco and the consequences for the skin.” [Article in German] Hautarzt. 2004 Mar;55(3):301-15; quiz 316.

Morita A. “Tobacco smoke causes premature skin aging.” Journal of Dermatological Science. 2007 Dec;48(3):169-75. Epub 2007 Oct 24.

Rigopoulos D, Gregoriou S, Ifandi A, Efstathiou G, Georgala S, Chalkias J, Katsambas A. “Coping with acne: beliefs and perceptions in a sample of secondary school Greek pupils.” Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 2007 Jul;21(6):806-10.

Rombouts S, Nijsten T, Lambert J. “Cigarette smoking and acne in adolescents: results from a cross-sectional study.” Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 2007 Mar;21(3):326-33.

Schäfer T, Nienhaus A, Vieluf D, Berger J, Ring J. “Epidemiology of acne in the general population: the risk of smoking.” The British Journal of Dermatology. 2001 Jul;145(1):100-4.

Wolf R, Orion E, Matz H, Maitra S, Rowland-Payne C. “Smoking can be good for you.” Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2004 Apr;3(2):107-11.

How to pop a pimple

2009-06-06T03:02:00.000-07:00

Common advice is to let your body heal a pimple on its own without popping. But in the real world, some people absolutely refuse to go around with a bulging white zit for the world to see. Plus, when done properly, popping a pimple can actually be beneficial to the healing process. Reserve this technique for only pimples that are absolutely begging to be popped—all the way at the surface and white. After a shower is best, when the skin is supple.

Disinfect a needle with rubbing alcohol. A basic sharp sewing needle is a good choice.
Gently prick the pimple’s surface.
Take two tissues and wrap your index fingers with them.
Squeeze from the sides, confidently but gently, using a down-and-in motion. Don’t force it. If the pimple is ready, it’ll pop. If it doesn’t, leave it be. Be sure to stop if clear fluid or blood starts to come out.
Continuing to work at a lesion that is not ready to be popped can lead to scarring. Walk away from the mirror!

It is very important to leave deep, painful lesions (cysts and nodules) untouched. Do not attempt to pop them. Instead, a fantastic option for these types of lesions is to see a dermatologist who can administer a cortisone injection which will bring down swelling and potentially reduce or eliminate scarring. Often dermatologists will accept a quick “emergency” appointment for such matters.

What is Mobile VoIP?

2009-06-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

Featured Mobile VoIP Provider Reviews

Check out the latest user reviews of these leading Mobile VoIP service providers:

Truphone Review

Truphone Overview

Truphone is a mobile operator for the internet era. Truphone provides service over a third-party WiFi (Wireless Internet) connection that you connect to using your Nokia cellphone. That means free mobile calls to other Truphone users or very cheap calls to anyone else. Truphone can offer these free calls to other Truphone users and low rates to others because Truphone does not use your cellular providers network to send or receive calls, it uses your home, business or public hotspot WiFi connection to route calls over the internet.

Basic Info	Service Provider Answers
Headquarters	London, UK
Year Established	2006
Call Type(s)	Voice over WiFi
Compatible Phones	Nokia E51, E61i, E65, E90, N95, E60, E61, E70, N80ie, N80, N81, N82, N95
Availability	Truphone service can be used anywhere a WiFi network connection is available
Free Calls	With Truphone you can make free WiFi to WiFi calls
Phone Number	Truphone users in the UK and US will get Truphone numbers appropriate to their countries (i.e. +44 and +1 respectively).
Calling Rates	Truphone offers low cost flat rate calling to every country in the world
SMS	Truphone charges 10p/20c per SMS sent to any country worldwide
Instant Messaging	No instant messaging capabilities are available
Special Features	With Truphone there is no charge for inbound calls and you can get your voicemails sent to email

Skype Mobile Review

About Skype Mobile

Skype is a little piece of software that makes communicating with people around the world easy and fun. With Skype you can say hello or share a laugh with anyone, anywhere. And if both of you are on Skype, it’s free. Skype mobile is the mobile version of the peer-to-peer (P2P) VoIP phone service. With Skype mobile and a Window mobile 5.0 and higher cellular phone that has WiFi capabilities you can call your Skype friends for free and everyone else for the same low rates as you would with your PC based Skype account.

Basic Info	Skype Mobile Answers
Headquarters	Luxembourg
Year Established	2003
Call Type(s)	Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi), Voice over 3G (Vo3G)
Compatible Phones	Skype Mobile is compatible with the Nokia N800/N810 Internet Tablet and all Windows 5.0 and higher handsets.
Availability	Skype Mobile is available anywhere there is a WiFi network connection or a 3G cellular network via the Skypephone.
Free Calls	All Skype Mobile to Skype Mobile user calls are free. SkypePro users can also call in-country for free.
Phone Number	With Skype Mobile you can use your existing Skype username and SkypeIn number or if you do not have Skype you will receive a new phone number.
Calling Rates	Skype offers low cost international calls that start around 2.1 cents per minute.
SMS	Skype Mobile offers users the ability to send and receive cheap international SMS messages.
Instant Messaging	Skype Mobile allows users to instant message other Skype users for free.
Special Features	In Europe, Skype has partner with 3, to offer the 3 Skypephone that supports 3G, has a 2-megapixel camera, mp3 player, mobile TV and internet all while leveraging Skype to send and receive calls. Skype also offers, Skype To Go which allows you to make calls over your cellular phone by giving you a number that lets you call friends and family abroad from any phone at Skype rates.

Mobivox Review

MOBIVOX Overview

MOBIVOX makes it possible to call family and friends around the world for free from ANY phone. Just call a local MOBIVOX number and say who you’d like to speak with. No calling cards and long numbers to remember. No need for a computer, special software or complex downloads. With global availability, MOBIVOX means more freedom to share experiences with those you care about no matter where you or they may be.

Basic Info	MOBIVOX Answers
Headquarters	Montreal, Canada
Year Established	2006
Call Type(s)	Call Connect and Call Back Service
Compatible Phones	All Cellular, VoIP and Landline Telephones
Availability	You can make calls with MOBIVOX anywhere you have the ability to make a phone call
Free Calls	You can make free calls to all MOBIVOX members and to all Skype users.
Phone Number	With MOBIVOX there is no need for a new phone number. The only new number you will need is a MOBIVOX local access number that is provided to you when you sign-up.
Calling Rates	MOBIVOX offers 1.9 cents per minute calling to over 40 different countries.
SMS	No SMS capabilities, Although MOBIVOX does offer a SMS Callback service
Instant Messaging	None
Special Features	With MOBIVOX, you can have conference calls with up to 9 different callers, initiate group calls and transfer calls from your mobile phone to a home phone.

Rebtel Review

Rebtel Overview

Rebtel is a mobile VoIP call back service. With Rebtel you give them the phone number of a friend in another country, and we give you a local number for them. You then save this number on your mobile so you can call your friend whenever you want, for a fraction of your normal international rate. Now, if your friend also has Rebtel, you can call each other for absolutely free. First, call your friend on their Rebtel number. Then, ask your friend to call you back. Tell them to use the number shown on their phone screen. From there, stay on the line. In a few seconds your friend will join you back on the call.

Basic Info	Rebtel Answers
Headquarters	Stockholm, Sweden
Year Established	2006
Call Type(s)	Mobile VoIP Call Back Service
Compatible Phones	You can use Rebtel from any cellular, VoIP or land-line telephone.
Availability	Rebtel service is available anywhere there is a cellular, landline or VoIP connection.
Free Calls	Rebtel users can make free calls to all Rebtel users.
Phone Number	With Rebtel there is no need for a new phone number as Rebtel uses your existing cellular, VoIP or land-line telephone to give you free and low cost calling. Rebtel works by taking your existing phone number and assigning it a Rebtel number that other Rebtel users can also use to call you for free. The only new number you will need is a Rebtel local access number that is provided to you when you sign-up.
Calling Rates	Rebtel offers low cost international calls and free in country calling to other Rebtel users
SMS	Rebtel allows you to initiate phone calls via SMS, but does not offer SMS services
Instant Messaging	Rebtel does not offer instant messaging services
Special Features	With Rebtel there is no need for a new phone number as Rebt uses your existing cellular, VoIP or land-line telephone to give you free and low cost calling. You can access their service via SMS, via the web (or via a mobile web browser) in addition to your VoIP, cellular or landline telephone.

fring Review

About fring

fring is a mobile internet service and community that allows users to access and interact with a variety of communication services such as Skype®, MSN® Messenger, Google Talk™, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo!™ and AIM®. Through fring, you can send and receive calls as well as message all of your contacts all will using your cellular data plan or a WiFi connection rather than use your minutes. You can even make affordable local and international calls to landline and regular cellular numbers using your SkypeOut/SkypeIn account or almost any VoIP service. fring is compatible with Symbian 8, 9.1, 9.2, Windows Mobile 5 & 6 and UIQ handsets.

Basic Info	fring Answers
Headquarters	London, UK
Year Established	2007
Call Type(s)	Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi), Voice over 3G (Vo3G)
Compatible Phones	fring is compatible with all Symbian 8, 9.1, 9.2, Windows Mobile 5 & 6 and UIQ handsets.
Availability	fring service can be used anywhere you have cellular or WiFi network connectivity.
Free Calls	fring allows you to make free calls to all of your Skype, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Yahoo! and AIM friends.
Phone Number	With fring there is no need for a new phone number since fring leverages your existing communications services.
Calling Rates	fring users can make cheap local and international calls to landlines and regular mobile contacts using your SkypeOut account or hundreds of SIP-based providers such as Eutelia, GizmoProject, VoipCheap, VoipStunt, Free World & SIPNET over fring, even from non-SIP enabled handsets
SMS	fring utilizes your IM clients, rather than SMS messaging.
Instant Messaging	With fring you can instant message your Skype, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo! and AIM friends.
Special Features	fring users can send and receive files, in addition to setting up auto-roam so that fring automatically detects when you move from one WiFi hotspot to the next.

Vyke Mobile Review

About Vyke Mobile IP

Vyke Mobile IP is a mobile VoIP service from VoIP service provider Vyke. Vyke Mobile IP utilizes a third party WiFi connection to allow users to send and receive calls at Vyke’s low international rates. All you need to use Vyke Mobile IP is a WiFi enabled mobile phone. Vyke Mobile IP features a mobile handset-based application that configures and manages the phone’s connection to Vyke Mobile IP. Ease of use and high quality service typifies the Vyke Mobile IP experience.

Basic Info	Vyke Mobile IP Answers
Headquarters	Snaroya, Norway
Year Established	2000
Call Type(s)	Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi), Voice over 3G (Vo3G)
Compatible Phones	Vyke is compatible with all Nokia E51, E61i, E65, E90, N95, E60, E61, E70, N80ie, N80, N81, N82, N95 handsets
Availability	Vyke Mobile IP is available anywhere there is a WiFi network connection.
Free Calls	All Vyke Mobile IP to Vyke Mobile IP user calls are free.
Phone Number	With Vyke Mobile IP there is no need to use a new phone number.
Calling Rates	Vyke Mobile IP offers low cost international calls that are typically 60% than an incumbant cellular carrier.
SMS	Vyke Mobile IP does not offer SMS service.
Instant Messaging	Vyke Mobile IP does not offer instant messaging services.
Special Features	NA

Yeigo Review

About Yeigo

Yeigo is a free and innovative application for your mobile phone, which uses your phones Internet connection to offer you free calls, Instant Messaging and cut-price text messages. Yeigo allows you to talk whenever you want, wherever you are for as long as you want: because calls to other people using Yeigo are free, and you’ll save up to 80% on calls to those who don’t have Yeigo. In addition to free and low cost calls, you can also use Yeigo to Instant Message other Yeigo users for free, as well as users of GoogleTalk, MSN, Yahoo!, AIM, ICQ and Jabber.

Basic Info	Yeigo Answers
Headquarters	Capetown, South Africa
Year Established	2005
Call Type(s)	Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi), Voice over 3G (Vo3G)
Compatible Phones	Yeigo is compatible with all Symbian 8, 9.1, 9.2, Windows Mobile 5 & 6 handsets.
Availability	Yeigo's service is available anywhere there is a cellular or WiFi network connection as Yeigo leverages Wi-Fi, GPRS/EDGE and 3G/HSDPA networks to send and receive calls.
Free Calls	All Yeigo to Yeigo user calls and instant message are free.
Phone Number	With Yeigo you get one phone number that can be used all over the world.
Calling Rates	Yeigo offers low cost international calls that are typically 80% than an incumbant cellular carrier.
SMS	Yeigo allows users to send and receive international SMS messages at low costs.
Instant Messaging	With Yeigo, you can instant message other Yeigo users for free.
Special Features	Yeigo gives users presence capabilities (ability for other to see your status) and minimizes data usages based on their P2P technology.

MobileTalk Review

Packet8 MobileTalk Overview

Packet8 MobileTalk lets cell phone users make cheap international calls from a mobile phone, reducing their international calling rates by as much as 90%– quickly and easily. No more special PIN codes to keep track of. No more long access numbers to dial. Just the highest quality digital voice service and great calling rates to any of your international locations— all for a low monthly access fee. Simply install the MobileTalk software on cellular phone and dial any friend or family member anywhere in the world.

Basic Info	MobileTalk Answers
Headquarters	Santa Clara, California
Year Established	1987
Call Type(s)	Mobile VoIP Call Back Service
Compatible Phones	You can use MobileTalk from any cellular telephone.
Availability	MobileTalk service is available anywhere there is a cellular network connection.
Free Calls	MobileTalk does not currently offer free calling.
Phone Number	With MobileTalk there is no need for a new phone number as MobileTalk uses your existing cellular telephone to give you low cost calling Over the Packet8 digital network.
Calling Rates	MobileTalk offers low cost international calls starting at 2 cents per minute, with rates 90% lower than traditonal cellualr carriers.
SMS	MobileTalk does not currently offer low cost international SMS services
Instant Messaging	MobileTalk does not offer instant messaging services
Special Features	With MobileTalk, users can call directly from their phone's contact list and speed dials. There are no preset limits, no prepayment required and they over a 30 day money back guarantee.

mobiVoIP Review

mobiVoIP Overview

mobiVoIP is the Mobile VoIP provider to offer a Mobile VoIP solution for Palm OS operating system and PalmOne devices. mobiVoIP is unique in that their service can be used in two ways. The first is as a product whereby a user can leverage their existing SIP based VoIP provider (like Vonage). The second is as a service, wherein the user would send and receive calls through mobiVoIP’s service. MobiVoIP allows a Palm to connect to the Internet through Bluetooth,WiFi, EVDO and even GPRS. The result is low cost international calls for Palm users.

Basic Info	mobiVoIP Answers
Headquarters	Milipitas, California
Year Established	2006
Call Type(s)	Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi), Voice over 3G (Vo3G)
Compatible Phones	mobiVoIP is compatible with all PalmOne devices and handsets using PalmOS 5.0 or greater.
Availability	mobiVoIP service is available anywhere there is a cellular or WiFi network connection.
Free Calls	With mobiVoIP, users can call other mobiVoIP users for free.
Phone Number	mobiVoIP has the ability to port your existing phone number or issue a brand new phone number.
Calling Rates	mobiVoIP offers a number of different plans with rates as low as 2.9 cents per minute.
SMS	mobiVoIP does not currently offer low cost international SMS services
Instant Messaging	MobiVoIP does not offer instant messaging services
Special Features	With mobiVoIP, users can make low cost international calls using their current SIP based service provide (like Vonage) or they can use mobiVoIP low cost service to make international calls.

Mobiboo Review

Mobiboo Overview

Mobibbo is the UK’s first commercial Mobile VoIP provider offering VoIP service over WiFi networks.With Mobiboo’s tovo WiFi phones you can make calls from WiFi hotspots worldwide and eliminate mobile roaming charges. In addition to offering users Mobile VoIP service, Mobiboo also offers a softphone client for a PC or laptop that allows calls to made over a fixed or WiFi internet connection.

Basic Info	Mobiboo Answers
Headquarters	Cheyenne, Wyoming
Year Established	2007
Call Type(s)	Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi)
Compatible Phones	Mobiboo utilizes tovo and UTStarcomm WiFi phones. It does not work on cellular handsets.
Availability	Mobiboo service is available anywhere there is an accessible WiFi network.
Free Calls	With Mobiboo, users can call other Mobiboo users for free.
Phone Number	Mobiboo has the ability to port your existing phone number or issue a brand new phone number.
Calling Rates	Mobiboo offers low cost calls to landline and cellular phones anywhere in the world.
SMS	Mobiboo does not currently offer low cost international SMS services
Instant Messaging	Mobiboo does not offer instant messaging services between Mobiboo users.
Special Features	Mobiboo gives users great flexibility in how they use the service. With the desktop softphone, users can send instant messages, share their desktop with other Mobiboo users and send/receive documents and files. This is in addition to the "mobile" aspect of the service that can be used in conjunction with their WiFi phone.

What are Books on VoIP?

2009-06-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

Voice over IP Fundamentals Voice over IP Fundamentals	The authors of Fundamentals--three packet-voice specialists at Cisco Systems--initiate their exploration of next-generation technologies for supporting conversations across large distances: the switched telephone network as implemented on large (intercontinental) and small (building and enterprise) scales. They then point out problems with the old way of doing things and illuminate the standards and regulatory conditions that have made Internet telephony attractive. Signaling System 7 (SS7) gets particularly insightful coverage, with ample graphical support for the clear, fact-rich, example-laden prose. The authors do a great service for readers by breaking packet telephony into its component technologies and explaining each one carefully. Coverage of the various protocols that enable voice over IP, particularly H.323 and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), is simultaneously clear and deep. The same goes for media gateway protocols and various schemes for translating sounds into digital signals and back again, while retaining maximum clarity. There's even some practical material; concluding chapters diagram Cisco router configurations for voice traffic and flesh out solutions with case studies. You'll like this book if you need to implement a voice over IP system and know more about IP than you do about traditional voice telecommunications. The patient and detailed explanations of traditional telephony concepts and voice over IP protocols will mesh nicely with your existing data communications knowledge, enabling you to make wise design and product decisions.

Switching to VoIP	More and more businesses today have their receive phone service through Internet instead of local phone company lines. Many businesses are also using their internal local and wide-area network infrastructure to replace legacy enterprise telephone networks. This migration to a single network carrying voice and data is called convergence, and it's revolutionizing the world of telecommunications by slashing costs and empowering users. The technology of families driving this convergence is called VoIP, or Voice over IP. VoIP has advanced Internet-based telephony to a viable solution, piquing the interest of companies small and large. The primary reason for migrating to VoIP is cost, as it equalizes the costs of long distance calls, local calls, and e-mails to fractions of a penny per use. But the real enterprise turn-on is how VoIP empowers businesses to mold and customize telecom and datacom solutions using a single, cohesive networking platform. These business drivers are so compelling that legacy telephony is going the way of the dinosaur, yielding to Voice over IP as the dominant enterprise communications paradigm. Developed from real-world experience by a senior developer, O'Reilly's Switching to VoIP provides solutions for the most common VoIP migration challenges. So if you're a network professional who is migrating from a traditional telephony system to a modern, feature-rich network, this book is a must-have. You'll discover the strengths and weaknesses of circuit-switched and packet-switched networks, how VoIP systems impact network infrastructure, as well as solutions for common challenges involved with IP voice migrations.

VoIP For Dummies	Put your phone system on your computer network and see the savings See how to get started with VoIP, how it works, and why it saves you money VoIP is techspeak for "voice over Internet protocol," but it could spell "saving big bucks" for your business! Here's where to get the scoop in plain English. Find out how VoIP can save you money, how voice communication travels online, and how to choose the best way to integrate your phone system with your network at home or at the office. Discover how to Use VoIP for your business or home phone service Choose the best network type Set up VoIP on a wireless network Understand transports and services Demonstrate VoIP's advantages to management.

VoIP Crash Course	Recent advances in VoIP (Voice over IP) technology have made it the solution of choice for voice service because of its low cost and increased reliability. Voice Over IP Crash Course offers practical technology coverage, while discussing the business, strategic and competitive implications of VoIP deployment in corporations. The book also covers the challenges faced by service providers as they evolve to an IP infrastructure while continuing to operate the PSTN.

IP Telephony Unveiled	This book explains four key points to help you successfully implement your strategy: IP telephony works today. This is not new, unproven technology. Thousands of customers have implemented IP telephony successfully. So can you. Expect to save money. IP telephony may well cost your organization money-initially. But the business impact and post-installation process improvements give you a significant and rapid return on your investment. It's more than voice over IP. You'll understand the difference between voice over IP (VoIP) and IP telephony and what that means for your business. This is critical. They are not the same. It's more than a dial tone. There are potential business-impacting applications within your own organization. IP Telephony Unveiled helps you recognize these applications. The emerging IP telephony market is fraught with misunderstandings and misinformation. IP telephony can impact a company's business model in tremendous ways. It can open new revenue streams, enhance profitability, drive new levels of customer and employee satisfaction, and be a key enabler in a company's strategy to differentiate itself competitively-but only if you're aware of these benefits. IP Telephony Unveiled is written for all those responsible for corporate strategies for revenue generation, cost containment, and customer satisfaction. IP Telephony Unveiled uncovers the value behind this technology, which helps you see past what might appear to be only a new telephone system, to understand the strategic enabler laying dormant in many companies' networks. Through this book, you will understand the real benefits of an IP telephony strategy and get assistance in developing this strategy inside your organization.

Taking Charge of Your VoIP Project	The step-by-step approach to VoIP deployment and management enables you to plan early and properly for successful VoIP integration with your existing systems, networks, and applications. The detailed introduction offers a common grounding for members of both the telephony and data networking communities. IT managers and project leaders are armed with details on building a business case for VoIP, including details of return-on-investment (ROI) analysis and justification. A VoIP deployment is presented as a major IT project, enabling you to understand the steps involved and the required resources. The comprehensive look at quality of service and tuning describes when and where to use them in a VoIP deployment. These are often the most complex topics in VoIP; you'll get smart recommendations on which techniques to use in various circumstances. You learn how to plan for VoIP security, including prevention, detection, and reaction. Voice over IP (VoIP) is the telephone system of the future. Problem is, VoIP is not yet widely deployed, so there are few skilled practitioners today. As you make your move to VoIP, how will you know how to make VoIP work and keep it working well? What changes will you need to make without disrupting your business? How can you show your return on this investment? Many books contain technical details about VoIP, but few explain in plain language how to make it run successfully in an enterprise. Taking Charge of Your VoIP Project provides the detailed plans you need to be successful in your organization's deployment of VoIP. Through their years of work in the field, authors John Q. Walker and Jeffrey T. Hicks bring a project-oriented approach to VoIP, with much-needed clarity on getting VoIP to work well. Taking Charge of Your VoIP Project starts with simple concepts, each chapter building on the knowledge from the last. Although not a technical manual, you learn about the standards, such as H.323, G.711, and Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP), and the implications they have on your VoIP system. Most importantly, you'll gain expert advice and a systematic guide on how to make VoIP work for your organization.

VoIP Security	VoIP Security has been designed to help the reader fully understand, prepare for and mediate current security and QoS risks in todays complex and ever changing converged network environment and it will help you secure your VoIP network whether you are at the planning, implementation, or post-implementation phase of your VoIP infrastructure. This book will teach you how to plan for and implement VoIP security solutions in converged network infrastructures. Whether you have picked up this book out of curiosity or professional interest . . . it is not too late to read this book and gain a deep understanding of what needs to be done in a VoIP implementation. In the rush to be first to market or to implement the latest and greatest technology, many current implementations of VoIP infrastructures, both large and small, have been implemented with minimal thought to QoS and almost no thought to security and interoperability.

IP Telephony: Deploying Voice-over-IP Protocols	IP Telephony, enabled by softswitches, is going to usher in a new era in telecommunications. By putting voice and data over one IP network, operators can enjoy lower costs and create new, revenue-generating "multimedia" services. This valuable reference offers a comprehensive overview of the technology behind IP telephony and offers essential information to network engineers, designers and managers who need to understand the protocols and explore the issues involved in migrating the existing telephony infrastructure to an IP-based real time communication service. Drawing on extensive research and practical development experience in VoIP from its earliest stages, the authors give access to all the relevant standards and cutting-edge techniques in a single resource. IP Telephony: Deploying Voice-over-IP Protocols: Assumes a working knowledge of IP and networking and addresses the technical aspects of real-time communication over IP. Presents a high level overview of packet media transport technologies, covering all the major VoIP protocols - SIP, H323 and MGCP Details specific strategies to design services for public networks where endpoints cannot be trusted and can be behind firewalls. Explores the problems that may arise from incomplete protocol implementations, or architectures optimized for private networks which fail in a public environment. This amply illustrated, state-of-the art reference tool will be an invaluable resource for all those involved in the practical deployment of VoIP technology.

Beyond VoIP Protocols: Understanding Voice Technology and Networking Techniques for IP Telephony	This book offers a comprehensive overview of the issues to solve in order to deploy global revenue-generating effective "multimedia" services. Drawing on extensive research and practical deployment experience in VoIP, the authors provide essential advice for those seeking to design and implement a post-bubble VoIP network. Beyond VoIP Protocols: Understanding Voice Technology and Networking Techniques for IP Telephony Introduces the basics of speech coding and voice quality Demonstrates how quality of service may be built into the network and deals with dimensioning aspects, e.g. multipoint communications and how to model call seizures. Explores the potential of multicast to turn an IP backbone into an optimized broadcast medium Includes amply illustrated, state-of-the-art practical advice for formulating a complete deployment strategy A companion volume to "IP Telephony: Deploying VoIP Protocols", this book takes the reader a stage deeper into how to prepare the network and exploit VoIP technology to its full potential.

VoIP Hacks: Tips and Tools for Internet Telephony	Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is gaining a lot of attention these days, as more companies and individuals switch from standard telephone service to phone service via the Internet. The reason is simple: A single network to carry voice and data is easier to scale, maintain, and administer. As an added bonus, it's also cheaper, because VoIP is free of the endless government regulations and tariffs imposed upon phone companies. VoIP is simply overflowing with hack potential, and VoIP Hacks is the practical guide from O'Reilly that presents these possibilities to you. It provides dozens of hands-on projects for building a VoIP network, showing you how to tweak and customize a multitude of exciting things to get the job done. Along the way, you'll also learn which standards and practices work best for your particular environment.

IP Telephony - The Integration of Robust VoIP Services	Now that virtually every leading telecommunications service provider has committed to delivering IP-based telephony services, communications professionals face the enormous challenge of implementation. This hands-on guide brings together today's best-known answers and solutions for delivering Voice Over IP (VoIP) services with the quality customers demand. No other book covers the combined issues of protocol signaling, media transport methodology, reference topological considerations, and voice quality testing in service offerings. Bill Douskalis presents systematic coverage of every aspect of IP-based telephony: Coverage includes: A realistic reference topology for implementing and benchmarking voice quality in IP telephony Detailed explanations of call setup using each major competing technology Signaling, bearer transport, and other key network elements In-depth network and service performance analysis in both "normal" and impaired scenarios State-of-the-art traces and performance measurements taken from actual IP networks No matter what your role in delivering VoIP services, IP Telephony delivers the specifics you need to speed deployment, improve reliability, ensure quality, and simplify troubleshooting. Precise, thorough, and based firmly in the real world, it is simply indispensable. The accompanying CD-ROM contains Hewlett-Packard Internet Advisor software that runs off-line—view live VoIP traffic examples! It also includes sample capture files of the H.323, MGCP, and SIP protocols; the latest IETF Working Group documents for VoIP; and an assortment of white papers and application notes that provide a real-world view of IP telephony.

What is VoIP Security?

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Any technology that involves transfer of data or information is prone to compromised security. It happens with telephones, cell phones, email and Internet transactions. Because has the internet as its mode of transference it's possible to have your Internet-based called intercepted. To make matters worse, there are techno-troublemakers who are armed with the hacking skills needed to eavesdrop on virtually any call over the Internet they want to. It is impossible to ensure total security on information flow over the web including Internet based phone calls. As new technologies emerge with more highly developed security protocols, there will be those who consider it a unique challenge to crack these online defenses rendering security advances antiquated. The Internet has been notorious for alternating security breaches and accompanying fixes.

As VoIP becomes more popular, VoIP security continues to be stressed as a key to advancement of this technology, especially since it will thrive in the realm of the World Wide Web. There are, however, advances in VoIP security that have been utilized by VoIP providers in order to ensure protection of customer's personal information.

VoIP Security is IP Security

VoIP is vulnerable to all security issues that generally affect the traditional IP data networks. This includes viruses, worms and denial of service (DoS), spoofing, port scanning, unauthorized access from a third party. and toll fraud. In short, the same issues you deal with in compromised Internet function can be linked to the use of VoIP technology.

VoIP's Defensive Linemen

The two primary methods of security for VoIP users are tunneling and encryption. These security measures assist in providing a mechanism of trust in the safe use of the VoIP user's personal data. Most VoIP providers use Layer 2 tunneling and an encryption method called Secure Sockets Layer or SSL to keep hackers at bay. Large corporate enterprises are using similar security mechanisms based on encryption for all internal traffic flowing over the VoIP system as well. It is advisable to route all inbound VoIP traffic that flows via a firewall through a proxy server, thus eliminating any direct connection with the internet.

On a larger level, organizations that are using VoIP as a popular mode of communication rely on a multiple level defense that addresses most VoIP security issues. In this scenario, the VoIP network is divided into secure zones protected by layers of firewall, intrusion prevention, and various additional security mechanisms. The advantage with this strategy is that it allows an organization to logically split and secure separate voice and data networks in front of individual voice and data components and between interactive points within the network. A system (like the one just described) should be complete with authentication, controls access (passwords and firewalls), encryption, an audit trail of calls, and facilities. Recording these issues can prevent security issue to a large degree because they are traceable.

Securing Your VoIP Network

While VoIP being internet-based is a key vulnerability, it also has its beneficial side. The years of experience in fending off or foiling internet attacks is experience that can be used in blocking VoIP assaults; the lessons learned in the data networking field are just as applicable to VoIP networking.

One approach that should be given serious consideration is setting up a separate network for VoIP applications, running in parallel but separate from the data network. This may be considered a serious expense item that is incompatible with the perceived savings from VoIP. On the other hand, one has to consider the potential costs involved if both networks become corrupted or disrupted from an attack on one which also disrupts the other.

Here are some other methods for securing a VoIP network:

– Enable as many of the manufacturer's security protocols as possible, adapting or 'tweaking' these to your own specifications rather than simply following manufacturer's defaults. Keep in mind that hackers and other attackers would probably know these defaults as well.
– Apply a strong authentication and encryption for both data and voice networks. As noted above, use the lessons learned in dealing with data network security problems to establish a preemptive stance in dealing with potential VoIP security concerns.
– Work out access controls and authentication protocols to ensure that only legitimate users can gain access to the VoIP network.
– Use gateway and host-based anti-virus as well as anti-spyware programs to protect crucial VoIP servers. At the same time, consider establishing perimeter security protocols to protect both networks.

A key point to remember is that VoIP is built on already established equipment and applications. The experiences and lessons gained from dealing with security threats to the data network can and should be used in developing security for the voice network.

Conclusion

Because VoIP is a newer technology there is a lot of discussion about its security and reliability. But it may be interesting to note that VoIP is actually more secure than normal email or even bill paying online. You may not need to be too worried about the security issues related to VoIP technology. Many newer technologies are emerging and, given the current trend, it won't take long before VoIP will be as secure as any other communication technology available today. Until then, if you are not sending highly sensitive information over the internet, VoIP is a relatively safe, reliable, and cost effective means of communication.

VoIP FAQ's

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Q: Why should I use a VoIP Phone System?
A: With VoIP you can:

Avoid buying an expensive phone system
Have phone extensions in multiple locations
Make calls between remote offices without cost
Have inbound numbers in different area codes - be local in yellow pages but a single office
Have a flexible voicemail system with SMS and Email
Have unlimited capacity for calls - grow quickly
Get detailed call statistics
Ring different phones in your office at different times of day

Q: Do I have to have broadband to use it?
A: Yes, ISDN and dialup modem users may find the sound quality is much more variable.
On an ADSL line with 256k upstream, you can get 3 to 4 concurrent calls. When using our service in a busy office of upto 10 people, customers typically dedicate one broadband service to their phone provision.

Q: What about call quality?
A: With an ADSL connection, the call quality is usually good
If customers have sufficient bandwidth to operate the service correctly, they will experience excellent call quality. A good rule of thumb is that you can have 4 concurrent calls per broadband line.
When installing a VoIP system, you should check to see how much bandwidth is available on your Internet service. You should note that, with ADSL, the circuit speed is asymmetric, which means that whilst you may have two megabits (or similar) going down stream (from the Internet to you), you typically get much less going upstream (from you to the Internet).

If you have a large office in an area that is served well by broadband services then you might consider a symmetrical Internet service, such as a leased line or SDSL, which can be very cost effective in metropolitan areas.

Q: How reliable is the equipment?
A: There are a number of factors that affect reliability
1. The service providers server equipment. Typically, VoIP servers are in their first or second generation of development and are not yet as mature as the more traditional telephony infrastructure; therefore, as with all computers, they are liable to develop problems on odd occasions. The service providers are keen to ensure that reliability is a key objective and many have intelligent monitoring and "instant reboot" systems, so that if anything does go wrong, it is automatically detected and fixed within a few seconds, thus helping to ensure the minimum of down time.

2. The telephones themselves. Most VoIP phones have been developed by new manufacturers and the phones themselves can contain problems such as bugs and audio issues. However, as the market matures and VoIP phones are deployed in tens of thousands of units, so the manufacturers who produce good quality VoIP phones are gaining an increasing market share, with the result that these problems are increasingly rare.

3. The Internet connection itself can cause a problem. For example, if it goes down you may lose your VoIP phone connection. As discussed previously, it is important to ensure you have a back-up (e.g. can your service provider divert inbound calls to your mobile phone) and sufficient bandwidth to ensure good quality of service.

Q: Can I use my existing numbers?
A: Yes, probably if you are within the Greater London area
If this doesn't apply to you then you can apply for a new number in your area to which you could redirect your existing number. You can use your existing number as your caller id to be displayed when making outgoing calls.

Q: What type of number can I have?
A: There is lots of choice here
You can have any geographically located number with area code beginning 01 or 02. If you want to choose your own memorable number you might be charged a small premium otherwise you will be provided with a number in your chosen area. You can also have 0845 and 0800 numbers.

Q: How many numbers will I need?
A: That depends....
...on how many calls you expect to have at anyone time and whether you want DDI in which case it's one per person. A single number gives you 2 calls, one inbound and one outbound and can have up to 10 internal extentions.

Q: Can I redirect to another phone number or Voicemail?
A: Yes. You will probably have to pay the cost of diverting (which is usually a standard outgoing call).

Q: Will my VoIP phone work if the power fails?
A: No
Ordinary phones do not need a separate power connection, but as VoIP relies on your internet connection, if your broadband router has no power, your phone won't work either.

Q: Are there any phone numbers that VoIP phones can't call?
A: You can phone most phone numbers, apart from premium numbers
The big exception is the emergency services. You can't call 999 on a VoIP phone at present, so in an emergency you would need to also have a mobile or landline.

Why VoIP is cheaper

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The opportunities for deriving savings in VoIP arise from the fact that it has a fundamentally different cost base to conventional telephone systems in that it allows you to share costs with your computer network. For example:

Network efficiency
With circuit-switched calls, ports in both the originating and receiving switches are tied up for the duration of a call, whereas VoIP with its virtual circuits, makes more efficient use of available network bandwidth. The integration of voice and data effectively fills up the data communications channels efficiently, thus providing bandwidth consolidation.

Infrastructure investment reduction
VoIP takes advantage of the same equipment that is driving the Internet. The hardware and protocols for VoIP are largely off-the-shelf, interchangeable and developed by numerous vendors.

Lowered cost of expansion
VoIP is more scalable. Traditional telephone networks are geographically restricted by their circuit switches, with a switch required for each service area. With VoIP technology, a soft switch can be installed at the regional level, allowing multiple markets to utilise it, with only limited equipment required locally.

Toll charges reduction
VoIP is used by companies to eliminate call charges between their offices by using their data network to carry inter-office calls. They may also use VoIP to reduce the costs of calls outside the company by carrying them to the nearest point on their network before handing them off to the PSTN. This gives them an alternative to the PSTN that can continue to grow and be scaled to fit their needs.

Network simplification and consolidation
One network is easier to manage than two. Moreover since VoIP exchange is based on software rather than hardware, it is easier to alter, configure and maintain. For Enterprise PBX, for instance, it results a substantial improvement in move/add/change of telephony circuits and substantial reduction in staffing and administration costs.

Additionally, for the service provider, VoIP systems are typically computer applications running on high specification PC servers, rather than traditional telephone switches, which mean the costs of delivering the service are less than that for traditional telephony services.

What are VoIP phones?

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Voip phones are telephones which connect to VoIP networks instead of to the pstn.

VoIP phones with Ethernet connections
VoIP phones withWi-Fi /802.11 connections
VoIP phones with dialup modem connections
Software VoIP phones

VoIP phones with Ethernet connections

A VoIP phone with an Ethernet connection is the easiest type of VoIP telephone to use. Instead of a standard telephone RJ-11 connector to plug into thePSTN, these phones have RJ-45Ethernet networks.
connectors to plug into

The Ethernet connection is used to connect these VoIP phones to the VoIP server orVoip gateway.

VoIP phones with Wi-Fi /802.11 connections

Wi-Fi (802.11) VoIP phones provide the same service as Ethernet VoIP phones, but they do it wirelessly.

A Wi-Fi enabled VoIP phone connects to a VoIP server or VoIP gateway through your existing Wi-Fi network.

VoIP phones with dialup modem connections

VoIP phones with dialup modem connections are very similar to VoIP phones with Ethernet connections.

Instead of connecting to an Ethernet network, these VoIP phones dialup over the to VoIP service providers.

Using a VoIP phone with a dialup modem connection requires a regular analog telephone line, but enables long-distance and international calls to be made over VoIP networks, usually at a significant savings.

Software VoIP phones

Software VoIP phones turn your PC into a VoIP telephone.

Software VoIP telephones are less expensive than the choices listed above, if you already own a personal computer.

Hardware for Software VoIP phones

Software VoIP phones use the PC's sound card, speakers or earphones, and microphone. This hardware works to emulate a telephone, even though this is not what the PC was designed for.

For better ease-of-use, many companies manufacture USB VoIP phones. These devices give your PC a normal-looking telephone handset or headset.

How it works?

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What is it?
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a way to make phone calls using the internet as the transmission method, rather than a landline. You can make and receive calls from other VoIP users, mobile users, and people with ordinary landlines. The integration between any ordinary line and VoIP is complete and undetectable to callers.

How does it work?
Just like a modem converts digital signals from the PC into analogue (voice) traffic for transmission over a phone line, a VoIP-enabled phone or VoIP adaptor converts your voice into digital packets (using the special SIP protocol) for transmission over the internet. If you make a call to another VoIP phone, the opposite process occurs at the other end, and your voice emerges intact from the ether. If you make a call to a mobile or landline, your VoIP providers gateway decodes the call and sends it on as an ordinary voice call to the telephone exchange (PSTN).

Calling another VoIP line
See the user A dials the number for user B. The VoIP adaptor logs onto the routing server, which looks up the destination and sets up the call. Thereafter, the voice traffic passes directly over the internet between A and B.

Calling a non-VoIP (standard: landline or mobile) line
See the When A calls C, who has a conventional landline or mobile, the VoIP adaptor logs on as before. The routing server looks up the destination and finds it is a PSTN (standard) number. The call is routed via the providers PSTN gateway into the PSTN network as a normal call. Thereafter, traffic passes directly via the gateway.

Why use it and who benefits?
Small to medium-sized businesses with several employees, especially those with distributed offices and teleworkers, are likely to get the maximum benefit from VoIP. It cuts your business telephony cost; all calls to other VoIP phone users are free and other calls are usually competitively priced.
You can configure your system to give whatever impression you want to customers. For example, if you have associates or employees in other areas of the UK or even abroad, you can give them all extensions on the same number, or their own numbers with the same area code as your head office. No-one need know whether you have city centre offices, or a virtual office!

What will you need?
1. A VoIP enabled telephone: This can be an all-in-one handset, or a normal handset plugged into an adaptor, or a softphone: a computer program that uses a microphone and headphones attached to your computer to emulate a real handset. A good solution is an adaptor, which allows you to connect one or two handsets, and has the advantage that you can connect other analogue devices like fax machines. It also has a number of useful inbuilt functions, including call waiting, caller ID, and call back if busy.

2. An internet connection: A leased line or ADSL/cable broadband is ideal; dial-up (ISDN or ordinary telephone line) or a satellite internet connection will likely cause a reduction in sound quality. A standard 256Kb ADSL connection can accommodate 2-3 simultaneous calls; if you expect to need more frequently, you may wish to upgrade to a higher-bandwidth package.

3. An account with a VoIP service provider: This gives you a VoIP external number which is what other people dial to call you.

What will it cost?
Costs vary from between VoIP service providers. In general there will be a one off set up charge and monthly rental per number (for which you will usually receive one incoming and one outgoing line and a varying number of internal extensions.)
VoIP to VoIP call's are free and calls to landlines and mobiles can vary across providers but are usually lower than landline service providers charges. Some VoIP providers offer monthly all inclusive packages combining monthly rental charges and unlimited calls.

VoIP Features

The biggest advantage of VoIP is that the customers can make calls from anywhere in the world where a broadband Internet connection is available. The customers can take their IP phones or ATA's with them on national and international trips and still can manage to access what is essentially an individual's domestic phone line.

Then there are the softphones, which a software application that loads the VoIP services onto the desktop or laptop. Some even simulate an interface that looks like a telephone, with which you can place VoIP calls to anybody around the world, through a standard broadband connection.

Most VoIP services come with the caller id, call waiting, call transfer, repeat dialing and three-way dialing features. For additional features such as call filtering, forwarding a call, or sending calls directly to the voice mail, the service provider may assess an additional fee. Most VoIP services also allow the user to check his/her voicemail over the web or attach messages to an e-mail that is sent to his/her PDA or PC.

Generally, the facilities and components provided by VOIP phone system suppliers and service operators may vary in significant ways. It is advisable to check the pros and cons before subscribing. Make sure that you have available technical support for the possible compatibility issues that could arise between the existing and new hardware components.

Conclusion

VoIP is still in its infancy. While it holds great promise, it has some major technical hurdles to jump, such as emergency calling, and the need for an uninterruptible power source (i.e. PC battery backup). However, as VoIP is set to become more widely available, let's hope there will be reliable solutions in place for the existing problems in the coming years. Who knows? In another five years, we may have VoIP system sans a router and the VoIP service being more common than conventional phone networks we rely on so heavily today.

What is VoIP?

2009-06-02T09:48:00.001-07:00

The Economics of VoIP

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is simply the transmission of voice traffic over IP-based networks.

VoIP has become popular largely because of the cost advantages to consumers over traditional telepone networks. Most Americans pay a flat monthly fee for local telephone calls and a per-minute charge for long-distance calls.

VoIP calls can be placed across the Internet. Most Internet connections are charged using a flat monthly fee structure.

Using the Internet connection for both data traffic and voice calls can allow consumers to get rid of one monthly payment. In addition, VoIP plans do not charge a per-minute fee for long distance.

For International calling, the monetary savings to the consumer from switching to VoIP technology can be enormous.

VoIP Telephones

There are three methods of connecting to a VoIP network:

Using a VoIP telephone
Using a "normal" telephone with a VoIP adapter
Using a computer with speakers and a microphone

Types of VoIP Calls

VoIP telephone calls can be placed either to other VoIP devices, or to normal telephones on the Pstn (Public Switched Telephone Network).

Calls from a VoIP device to a PSTN device are commonly called "PC-to-Phone" calls, even though the VoIP device may not be a PC.

Calls from a VoIP device to another VoIP device are commonly called "PC-to-PC" calls, even though neither device may be a PC.

VoIP allows you to make telephone calls using a computer network, over a data network like the Internet. VoIP converts the voice signal from your telephone into a digital signal that travels over the internet then converts it back at the other end so you can speak to anyone with a regular phone number.

VoIP can be implemented in several ways, from a software program on your computer used with a headset and microphone to adaptors used with regular analogue home phones or you can use dedicated VoIP phones which look and act like regular phones but have specially designed chips to improve call quality.

What is RSVP?

2009-06-02T09:47:00.001-07:00

RSVP (Resource ReSerVation Protocol) is a protocol used in VoIP to manage QoS (Quality of Service).

RSVP works by requesting that required bandwidth and latency be "reserved" for the VoIP telephone call by every network device between the two endpoints.

RSVP is defined in RFC 2250 Resource Reser Vation protocol (RSVP).

RSVP is a unicast and multicast signaling protocol, designed to install and maintain reservation state information at each router along the path of a stream of data.

The RSVP protocol is used by a host to request specific qualities of service from the network for particular application data streams or flows. RSVP is also used by routers to deliver quality-of-service (Qos) requests to all nodes along the path(s) of the flows and to establish and maintain state to provide the requested service. RSVP requests will generally result in resources being reserved in each node along the data path.

What is VoIP conference software?

2009-06-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

VoIP conference software comes in two basic varieties: free and commercial.

The free VoIP conference software packages tend to be difficult to setup and use; the commercial VoIP conference software packages tend to be slick and easy to install and use.

Of course, the commercial VoIP conference software packages also come with setup fees and recurring costs for conference room access.

Which option you choose depends upon your budget of time and money.

Free VoIP Conference Software

GnomeMeeting is an H.323 compatible videoconferencing and VOIP/IP-Telephony application that allows you to make audio and video calls to remote users with H.323 hardware or software (such as Microsoft Netmeeting). It supports all modern videoconferencing features, such as registering to an ILS directory, gatekeeper support, making multi-user conference calls using an external MCU, using modern Quicknet telephony cards, and making PC-To-Phone calls.

Gspeakfreely is a VoIP system with a flexible component system. It implements a set of audio processing components which can be connected to each other or mixed together. The most important components are net in/output, which implement VoIP functionality and the OSS-DSP in/output component.

Additionally there is a ISDN in/output component that allows making actual phone connections, and a file input component that can also play Internet radio streams. Also included is a fading plug-in, that can for example fade incoming calls into your music. New components can be developed for specific purposes, and combined with existing ones.

The net in/output components also have conference support. The net input component can mix incoming audio data from different hosts.

Commercial VoIP Conference Software

cu-HearMe allows any two or more computers in the world to be linked in a live, interactive voice environment via the web.

cu-HearMe supports both and MacOS.

cu-HearMe charges a setup fee and a monthly fee for conference room access.

Scheduling private conversations and conference calls is now as easy as visiting a web page. Voice Now's VoiceTech Communicator is a ready-to-run software application that has been designed to enhance existing public Internet and (VoIP) networks to include scheduled and instant conferencing services.

VoiceTech Communicator users can schedule their own IP based discussions or conference calls and then call in using a personal computer. VoiceTech's software-only architecture provides business conferencing with an unparalleled degree of flexibility at a reasonable cost.

Voice Now charges an annual fee for their service.

Icon Communicator is a modular software program which supports voice, conferencing, text-chat, and desktop sharing.

Icon Communicator is priced with a small setup fee and a monthly recurring fee for access to the Conference Centers.

The Icon Communicator is sold with an odd MLM (Multi-Level-Marketing) sales model. Theoretically, you can earn money by using and recommending this service to others.

What is common VoIP Hardware?

2009-06-02T09:44:00.002-07:00

VoIP hardware falls into several categories:

VoIP Interface Cards for PCs
PC Telephones
VoIP Telephones
VoIP Switches
VoIP Gateways
VoIP Routers
VoIP PBX's
VoIP Telephones

VoIP Interface Cards for PCs

VoIP Interface cards for PCs turn your PC into a very capable VoIP telephone.

Leading manufacturers of VoIP interface cards for the PC include:

PC Telephones

PC Telephones are telephones which attach to your PC, usually via the USB port, and allow you to make telephone calls through your PC.

VoIP Telephones

VoIP telephones are telephones which attach directly to Ethernet network ports.

VoIP Switches

VoIP switches are devices which allow you to connect multiple phone lines to one Ethernet port. This allows every telephone which is connected to the switch to place VoIP calls.

VoIP Gateways

Voip Gateways connect VoIP networks to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).

VoIP Routers

VoIP Routers route VoIP traffic in much the same way that regular routers route IP (Internet Protocol) traffic.

VoIP PBX's

VoIP PBX's are high-tech low-cost equivalents of traditional telephone PBX's. In addition to traditional PBX functionality, VoIP PBX's configure and manage VoIP network capabilities.

Where can I get VoIP training?

2009-06-02T09:44:00.001-07:00

Because Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is a new technology, individual businesses will need someone who is well versed in the intricacies of (VoIP). It's a safe bet that many companies will be sending their ITs to a VoIP training course in the not-too-distant future. But, where do you go to obtain a training course that delineates all the necessary concepts and details to implement this technology?

VoIP Training Candidates

Who is the ideal candidate for VoIP training? The answer is quite clear from the concept of VoIP itself. VoIP is a combination of telephone connectivity and networking, and because the technology requires attention in the networking and telecommunication side, both communication engineers and networking engineers will be the ideal candidates to participate in training in VoIP concepts. Instructors of VoIP generally recommend sending both communications and networking staff for training as the new system incorporates the expertise of both.

Vendor Training vs. Standards Training

There are basically two types of VoIP training courses - vendor and non-vendor specific. The vendor specific VoIP training courses are basically certification courses offered by professional training firms such as Cisco and . Non-vendor specific training courses may not result in a certificate for the trainee, but will have all the ingredients to educate the trainee on the details of VoIP technology and issues relating to its implementation. These courses are generally offered by TRA, the Teracom Training Institute, and Global Knowledge.

Off-Site vs. On-Site Instruction

Most reputable firms prefer on-site instruction if the office has enough employees to warrant a localized training course. As an alternative, they may invite the trainees to a centralized training facility or offer interactive webinars. The former option is better if you are looking for a comprehensive on-the-job training course, and the latter, if you want a more subject oriented session on a specific VoIP topic.

What is a VoIP Gateway?

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A VoIP Gateway, or Gateway, is a network device which helps to convert voice and fax calls, in real time, between an and Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). It is a high performance gateway designed for Voice over IP applications. Typically, a VoIP gateway comes with the ability to support at least two T1/E1 digital channels. Most VoIP gateways feature at least one and telephone port. Controlling a gateway can be done with the help of the various protocols like MGCP, SIP or LTP.

Benefits of VoIP Gateways

The main advantage of VoIP gateway is that it can provide connection with your existing telephone and fax machines through the traditional telephone networks, PBXs, and key systems. This makes the process of making calls over the IP network familiar to VoIP customers.

VoIP gateways can end a call from the telephone and can provide user admission control using IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system and provide accounting records for the call. Gateways also help direct outbound calls to a specific destination, or can end the call from another gateway and send the call to the PSTN.

VoIP gateways plays a major role in enhancing carrier services and also supports the simplicity of the telephone calls for less cost and easy access. Flexible call integration has been developed at less cost which enables programmable call progress tones and distinctive ring tones.

Functions of VoIP Gateways

The main functions of VoIP gateways include voice and fax compression or decompression, control signaling, call routing, and packetization. VoIP gateways are also power packed with additional features such as interfaces to external controllers like Gatekeepers or Softswitches, network management systems, and billing systems.

Future of VoIP Gateway Technology

Over the years, VoIP gateway has become an efficient and flexible solution and is used for office data and voice connectivity. Besides the connectivity performance, VoIP also offers better reliability under a variety of circumstances.

The future of VoIP gateway is very clear and precise; high-density, scaleable, open platforms need to be designed and implemented to allow the millions of installed telephones and fast-growing number of H.323 computer clients (such as Netscape's Communicator and Microsoft's NetMeeting) to communicate over IP. Many vendors are in the process of designing interoperable VoIP gateways according to the latest architectures to meet the changing demands of service providers, corporate network clients, and individual carriers.

What is an Analog Telephone Adapter?

2009-06-02T09:42:00.001-07:00

An Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA), also known as the Analog Telephony Adapter, is an electronic device used to enable one or more analog telephones or facsimile machines for l(VoIP) calls and faxes. An Analog Telephone Adapter basically creates a physical connection by use of telephone and internet cables between a conventional phone or fax and a computer or an gateway. The ATA usually comes with a digital phone and internet plan provider but it can also be bought independently. The Analog Telephone Adapter makes voice calls and faxing over the internet possible without the user needing to upgrade existing traditional telephony systems.

Benefits of Using an Analog Telephone Adapter

Making voice calls and sending faxes over the internet are significantly cheaper than doing so over traditional phone lines. There is no loss of functionality as call forwarding, call conferencing, and other features may still be included in VoIP subscription plans.

The Analog Telephone Adapter allows the user to immediately take advantage of the lesser costs involved in making calls over the internet. It also eliminates the need to get rid of existing phones and replace them with IP specialized phones. Moreover, ATAs are also generally cheaper than specialized digital which are capable of direct USB port or Ethernet gateway connectivity.

FXS to USB Adapters

The first type of Analog Telephone Adapters is called FXS to USB Adapters. FXS stands for Foreign Exchange Station. Such an ATA is a simple device that has one or more RJ-11 jacks or FXS telephone ports. Each phone jack can accommodate a phone or a fax machine. This ATA has an output cable which is in turn plugged into the personal computer's USB port. The computer becomes its means of connecting to the internet.

In this case, the ATA merely makes voice calls over the internet more convenient than using computer speakers and microphone or headsets; it does not directly interact with the VoIP server. The actual analog-to-digital conversion is done by the computer software, generally known as the softphone, which needs to be installed in the computer to which the ATA is connected. This software is supplied by VoIP service providers. This software converts voice data to digital data packets transmittable over the internet.

FXS to Ethernet Gateways

The second type of Analog Telephone Adapters directly performs analog-to-digital voice conversion. As such, Analog Telephone Adapters of this type do not need a softphone for VoIP. It communicates directly with the VoIP server using protocols such as SIP (the most common protocol for ATAs), H.323, IAX or MGCP. Voice signals are encoded and decoded using GSM, A-law, u-law and other such voice codecs.

Physically, an FXS to Ethernet Gateway ATA has one or more standard telephone jacks to which conventional telephony equipment can be plugged in. Analog voice data is converted to digital data and transported through an RJ-45 cable which is connected to the Local Area Network through its direct connection to the Ethernet hub or switch.

Deepa Mehta’s ‘Videsh’ release has been preponed

2009-03-26T03:42:00.002-07:00

Deepa Mehta the talented director is back with a bang! ‘Videsh’ starring Preity Zinta and Vansh Bhardwaj releases in both Hindi and Punjabi and will now hit the theatres on 20th March ’09. Sanjay Bhutiani, CEO of BR Films, the co-producers, informed us that Deepa Mehta would be flying down from Toronto to Mumbai to join Preity in the promotions of ‘Videsh’. They will also be taking going on a multi-city tour to promote the film.

This maverick director who has time and again highlighted tragedies and travesty faced by women is now going to unveil yet another aspect of society which stays behind doors. The film has already released in Canada to an overwhelming response; with Preity Zinta winning the ‘Best Actress’ award at the Chicago film festival, and also getting nominated at the 29th Genie Awards which is the Canadian equivalent to the Oscars.

Kylie Minogue loves Sari

2009-03-26T03:42:00.001-07:00

Kylie Minogue is not only shaking a leg for Blue she’s also fallen in love with all things Indian including Bollywood and the sari.

Now it can be told. The reason why Akshay Kumar has been playing Kylie Minogue’s unofficial host in Mumbai is because she is a huge Akshay Kumar fan.

Says a source, “It started when Kylie watched Chandni Chowk To China. She was completely hooked to Akshay’s antics. In fact one of her main incentives for accepting Blue was the opportunity to meet up with Akshay.

When she decided to do the film and the date for her arrival was confirmed she made discreet inquiries about Akshay’s schedules and his availability. She also wanted to go through the full India experience, including the khana,a wedding and of course the Taj Mahal and Jaipur -Rajashthan route.”

While some of of his guests’ primary prerequisites have already been worked out, Akshay is in the process of trying to work out the other details.

Confirming Kylie’s Akshay-centric attitude to Bollywood, the film’s director Anthony D’Souza says, “Kylie is a big Bollywood buff. She’s She has done her homework. She has seen lots of our movies. And she’s a huge Akshay fan.She’s seen lots of his films. I think she was at the premiere of Chandni Chowk To China in London. The comfort level between them comes from the fact that Kylie knows Akshay’s work.”

She’s also able to match steps with her Bollywood co-stars.

Says Tony, “She gets the nuances perfectly correct. And she’s very intelligent.I’ve shot with her for a week and I’m bowled over by her professionalism.And she’s a fantastic performer.”

Kylie has no Hindi dialogues in Blue. But apparently she gets into a saree for a part of her song, though Tony isn’t telling.

Movie Review: Karma Aur Holi

2009-03-26T03:41:00.001-07:00

Movie Review: Karma Aur Holi
Star Cast: Sushmita Sen, Randeep Hooda, Drena DeNiro, Naomi Campbell, Suresh Oberoi, Rati Agnihotri, Suchitra Krishnamoorthy and Deepal Shaw.
Director: Manish Gupta;
Rating: ** - Could have been better.

Produced by legendary Hollywood actor Robert De Niro’s daughter Drena De Niro, Karma Aur Holi (earlier titled Karma Confessions and Holi) is not your typical NRI flick that tries to force the message down your throat about how better India is than the USA or how one is struggling to find his own identity in the land of Uncle Sam, but then it is again not a very engaging film that can be you focused for its two hour running time.

Meera (Sushmita) is a financial consultant cum yoga teacher and her hubby Dev (Hooda) runs publishing house. They have a great huge house and everything seems to be going picture perfect or is it really? They plan to throw a Holi bash for their friends and relatives at their new mansion and all the guests assemble the evening before the Holi party. Amongst them are Meera’s ever worrying sister Vani (Rati) and her mature hubby Shekhar (Oberoi) and their 17 year old son Vikram (Chandan), there is a male chauvinist Dr. Nimish with his docile wife Sujata (Suchitra) and her sister Preeti (Deepal), there is Meera’s wannabe filmmaker friend Javed (Armin Amiri) and his girlfriend Jennifer (Naomi), Dev’s associate Geentanjali (Maya) and Meera’s tarot reader friend Megan (Drena). As the evening begins to unfold, skeletons start tumbling out of each of these characters’ bags and leads to complicated situations. How those close to them and around them get affected by these and what solutions come out of them when the ‘Holi’ day arrives forms the rest of the film.

The concept of the film is nice but it hasn’t really been developed much. Lack of creative writing is seen at every step. The film tends to get too much talkative with nothing much happening beyond the four walls of the mansion. Then again, most of the problems or dilemmas faced by the characters are plain clichéd like for example the MCP Dr. Nimish and his docile wife track. You very well guess it that towards the end she is going to walk out on him in the end. But what keeps you some what attentive is the acting. Sushmita Sen rocks with her no pretentious NRI accent act. She is perhaps the most loveable thing in the film. Also, her topless act in the shower followed by her smoochathon with Randeep gets many wolf whistles in the auditorium. Randeep Hooda is okay but expressionless most of the time. Amongst other who leave an impression are Suchitra Krishnamoorthy and Suresh Oberoi. Famous international model Naomi Campbell is a major let down. Not only is her role ill-developed but she is plain wooden.

Director Manish Gupta (not to be confused with The Stoneman Murders director by the same name) has got together an ensemble cast but has made a kind of a film that tries to tell many stories but none of which is quiet interesting enough. At best, it makes for a good lazy Sunday afternoon DVD watch.

AISHWARYA RAI BOTOX SITA AND ANGRY ABHISHEK ON THE SETS OF RAVANA....Ravana Review

2009-03-26T03:40:00.002-07:00

While the still of Aishwarya-Abhishek starrer Mani Ratnam flick, Ravana is doing the rounds on the net, many of us are assuming that Ash plays the role of Sita in the flick, however Aishwarya denies the news. She says, “The name of my character is not ‘Sita’. I am playing a woman who has similarities with the Sita of Ramayana.”

“I can’t give any details about Ravana at the moment. You will have to wait and watch. All I can say that it is an intense film set in today’s time and Mani has given a totally new perspective to the art of storytelling.” Ash also tell how she and Abhishek never got play the regular coochie-coo couple in their movies.

She says, “We have never been paired opposite each other in the conventional way, apart from the film Kuchh Naa Kaho. Be it Dhoom 2 or Sarkar Raj, it’s not the conventional man-wife pairing. Even in Guru, the film revolves around Abhishek. So, by the time Ravana happened, we have become used to this.”

Source: Filmofila.com

Ravana Review: Raavan is a Hindi language film directed by Mani Ratnam set to be released in 2009. It stars Vikram,Abhishek Bachchan,Aishwarya Rai,Govinda and Ravi Kishan in the Hindi version. It is also being made in simultaneously in Tamil as Ashokavanam with a slightly different cast.

Mani Ratnam is reportedly producing a present day version of the Indian epic Ramayana which tells the story of Rama, whose wife Sita is abducted by the demon (Rakshasa) king of Lanka, Ravana.Mani Ratnam had earlier directed Thalapathi which bore a close resemblance to the Mahabharata.

While details of the films are closely guarded and pictures from the film set are yet to be revealed there have been numerous reports and speculations on the casting of both the films.
It was earlier reported that Abhishek Bachchan was cast as the protagonist based on Rama and Vikram would be portraying the title character based on Ravana.More recent reports have Abhishek portraying the role of Ravana and Vikram playing Rama.There are conflicting reports on the role Vikram is playing in the Tamil Version Ashokavanam.While earlier sources report Vikram playing Rama and Prithviraj Sukumaran portraying Ravana,more recent speculations are that Vikram plays Ravana while Prithviraj is Rama.
Aishwarya Rai plays a contemporary Sita, appearing as an accomplished Carnatic Musician in both versions of Mani Ratnam's films.
Govinda plays a forest officer who takes Vikram's character through the forests in search of a wanted criminal.While it was earlier speculated that it was a contemporary version of Hanuman,Govinda refutes the claim.Karthik Muthuraman plays the character in Ashokavanam.
Ravi Kishan and Ajay Gehi are reported to play characters based on Ravana’s brothers Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana.Prabhu Ganesan plays the character of Vibhishana in Ashokavanam.
A recent article in The Times of India mentions Tejaswini Kolhapure playing a pivotal role in Raavan.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF RIHANNA'S BLOOD ON CHRIS BROWN'S CAR

2009-03-26T03:40:00.001-07:00

RIHANNA'S BLOOD Droplets of Rihanna’s blood are spattered on the inside of the car. There are blood smears around the hand brake, revealing that she was leaning toward or being pulled toward the driver’s side while bleeding.VIOLENT STRUGGLE Police used “latent print tape” to lift fingerprints from the information monitor in the center of the dash. The angle of the print, top left to bottom right, indicates an attempt by Rihanna to try to push away from her attacker . A piece of plastic lays on the passenger-side floor, broken off during the struggle.

Source: radaronline.com

IPL WAR BETWEEN SHILPA SHETTY AND PREITY ZINTA

2009-03-26T03:39:00.001-07:00

Stories of the two IPL queens battling it out on the playing field and on television came to a sudden turning point this week when Shilpa Shetty extended an olive branch to her supposed rival in the IPL Preity Zinta. Shilpa and Raj Kundra are hosting a grand party to celebrate their entry into the IPL on March 10 at the Grand Hyatt. And Preity is invited.

Says Shilpa, "I really want these unsavoury rumours about our rivalry to end. On an impulse I sent a sms to Preity inviting her for the party that Raj and I are hosting."

Shilpa was pleasantly surprised when Preity replied back. "She said she'd love to come. But can't because she'd be out of town. I think that just about takes care of that. I'm sure we'll have other occasions to interact. For now it's enough that she accepted my invitation."

Shilpa thinks these rivalry stories are unnecessary. "We're both well brought-up girls. We were even together in the Bachchans' world tour. And we got along fine. We don't need to be seen as these warring women at all, please." About the party on the 10th Shilpa says, "It's been a while since Raj and I had friends share in our happiness. The IPL deal is a good occasion to have a get-together. We're inviting all our friends."

Movie New Sherlock Holmes

2009-03-26T03:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a brand new photo from the upcoming “Sherlock Holmes” film. The shot features a look at Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock and Jude Law as Dr. Watson.
Mark Strong (RocknRolla) who plays occult-dabling satanist Lord Blackwood in the film spoke to TotalFilm about how the upcoming Guy Ritchie-directed “Sherlock Holmes” movie will end.

He told Total Film:

“There’s a fantastic sequence where we duel to the death on a half-built Tower Bridge. It’s a perfect way to end the movie, Robert and I hammering seven bells out of each other on top of this swinging bridge with Victorian London as a backdrop. It’s going to be amazing.”

“There’s a touch of Dracula about him,” he said of the character. “He needed to have an element of showmanship about him by virtue of the fact that he’s trying to persuade everyone around him that he’s so in league with the Devil that he’s able to conquer death. I just wanted to make him an equal adversary of Sherlock Holmes.”

The full interview appears in issue 153 of Total Film magazine.

In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, “Sherlock Holmes” sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

Guy Ritchie’s (Snatch, RocknRolla) “Sherlock Holmes” also stars Kelly Reilly and Rachel McAdams.
“Sherlock Holmes” is scheduled for release on November 20, 2009.

Pictures wallpapaers Of Katrina Kaif

2009-03-26T03:37:00.002-07:00

Kareena Kapoor on cover of Blender Magazine (March 2009)

2009-03-26T03:37:00.001-07:00

IIFA 2009 : GET READY

2009-03-26T03:36:00.002-07:00

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) weekend will be taking Indian films and its annual award ceremony to Macau, this year. The ceremony is held over an extended weekend and the dates have been earmarked as 11, 12 and 13 June.

Amitabh Bachchan, who is the brand ambassador of IIFA, will be accompanied by his wife, Jaya Bachchan, son and daughter-in-law, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. A host of film celebrities will also be keeping them company in an effort to promote Hindi films globally.

The organizers of the event, Wizcraft, are expected to make a formal announcement soon. The event will be held at The Venetian in Macau, which is the current hotspot of the jetset, in Asia.

The award ceremony has travelled across continents from London, Yorkshire and Amsterdam in Europe, Johannesburg and Sun City in South Africa and Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai and Bangkok in Asia.

ASHLEE SIMPSON'S BABY MADE FIRST APPEARANCE

2009-03-26T03:36:00.001-07:00

Pete Wentz said of his secret to putting Bronx to sleep,

“To get our son to sleep we play him Bob Dylan’s ‘You Belong To Me’. Or a little Sinatra.”

The Fall Out Boy rocker continued,

“My boy’s probably the last person in the world to appreciate my singing voice. Although I wrote a lullaby especially for him – you’ll find it on our new album if you look hard enough – it’s a hidden track. We had so much fun doing it I’m going to put out an album of songs for children.”

Pictures of Hilary Duff

2009-03-26T03:35:00.001-07:00

Gorgeous Kareena Kapoor in Harpers Bazaar Photoshoot

2009-03-26T03:34:00.000-07:00

Sonam Kapoor sizzles on the cover of Cineblitz magazine March 2009

2009-03-26T03:33:00.000-07:00

Sonam Kapoor sizzles on the cover of Cineblitz magazine for the month of March 2009. She looks ok on the cover particular not much available for us to see. She looks cool in full pink coat. Here is the cover of Cineblitz March 2009.

Freida Pinto :Unveiling of the Extreme Beauty in Vogue Exhibition in Milan

2009-03-26T03:32:00.002-07:00

Freida Pinto arrives on the occasion of the unveiling of the Extreme Beauty in Vogue exhibition, in downtown Milan, Italy. She was photographes on the Red carpet at the event.

Know More President Barack Hussein Obama

2009-03-26T03:32:00.001-07:00

Barack Obama Biography Profile

President Barack Hussein Obama II is the first President with dark colored skin to be elected as President of the United States of America. He was a junior Senator from the State of Illinois from January 3, 2005 until his resigned in November 16, 2008, after he got elected to the presidency.

Barack Obama's Parents
Barack Obama's parents met in 1960 while they were both studying at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. At that time, Obama's father was already married to a Kenyan woman named Kezia Obama. His mother was not aware of this relationship.

Obama's mother was a white American named Stanley Ann Dunham, who hailed from Wichita, Kansas. According to Obama, she was a non practicing Protestant Christian who called herself an atheist. Obama's grandparents from his mother's side were non practicing Methodist and Baptist Protestant Christians of English and Irish descent. During her later career, she worked as an anthropologist doing social welfare work.

Barack Obama's father was a black African named Barack Obama, Sr. who worked as a goatherd in Nyanza Province in Kenya. According to Barack Obama, his father was raised a Muslim who later became an atheist.

Barack Obama's parents married each other on February 2, 1961 and Barack Obama was born six months later on August 4th, 1961 at a medical center on the island of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Barack Obama's Religion
According to Obama, he was not taught much about religion when he was a child. Barack Obama's religious views began to develop only when he became an adult and were influenced by the views of his Christian grandparents who raised him. This is picture of Obama with his grandparents when he graduated from high school.

Today, Barack Obama's religion is Protestant Christianity. He was baptized at the Trinity United Church of Christ at the age of 27 in 1988. Since then, Obama has been an active member of that Church.

Barack Obama's Kenyan Family
Barack Obama's parents separated when Obama was two years old and divorced in 1964. His father went to Harward. There he met an American teacher called Ruth, whom he took to Kenya and married. Their marriage ended in divorce. Then Obama's father returned to his first wife in Kenya, a local Muslim woman called Kezia Obama. She has four children - one daughter called Auma and three sons. One of her sons, Roy studied in a Madrasa.

In total, Barack Obama's father had seven other children of which six are still alive. In Kenya, he worked as a government geologist. He met his son only once, before he died in a car accident in 1982, when Obama was 21 years old. In the picture, bottom row from left is half sister Auma, Kezia and step grandmother Sarah. Roy is the guy standing behind with the unknown woman in his arms. Obama's step mother Kezia currently lives in Britain.

Barack Obama's Indonesian Family
After divorcing Barack Obama's father, Obama's mother Ann Dunham married an Indonesian foreign student Lolo Soetoro, who was studying at a college in Hawaii. He was also a Muslim. In 1967, they moved to Indonesia.

They had a daughter named Maya Soetoro-Ng, who was Barack Obama's half sister. In Indonesia, Obama attended local schools in Jakarta such as Besuki Public School and St. Francis of Assisi School. Here he picked up the Indonesian language. His mother lived mostly in Indonesia, visiting Hawaii only for five years from 1971 - 1977. She divorced Soetoro in 1980. Later Soetoro married Erna Kustina, with whom he had two children - Yusuf and Ruhayu, who were both Muslim. Soetoro died in 1987 due to a liver ailment while Ann Dunham, Obama's mother died of ovarian cancer in 1995, when she returned to Hawaii.

Barack Obama's Grandparents
When Barack Obama was 10 years old, he returned to Honolulu and began to live with his white Christian maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Armour Dunham. They were non practicing Methodist and Baptist Protestant Christians of English and Irish descent.

His grandfather had joined the US Army during the Second World War while Obama's grandmother worked at the Boeing factory in thier hometown of Wichita, Kansas. After the war, Obama's grandfather worked as a furniture salesman while his grandmother was vice president of a bank.

Stanley died in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1992. His grandmother Madelyn passed away on November 2nd, 2008, just before Barack Obama won the presidential election.

Barack Obama's Education
The young Barack was known to use alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years. During this time, he was known as Barry to his friends.

After finishing high school in 1979, Barack Obama studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years. He then transferred to Columbia University in New York City and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science and International Relations) in 1983. He shifted to Chicago and began working as a Director in a church based NGO called Development Communities Project. In 1988, Obama joined the Harvard Law School. In the summer of 1989, he worked as a summer associate at the law firm of Sidley and Austin.

Barack Obama's Marriage
It was here, at the Sidley and Austin law firm that Obama met his future wife - Michelle Robinson. Michelle Obama was born on January 17th, 1964 and was brought up in Chicago, Illinois. She was a Christian who belonged to the same Church as Obama. Her father Frazer Robinson worked at the city water plant while her mother Marian Shields Robinson was a secretary at Spiegels Catalog Store. Michelle Obama lived in a normal two parent family with her younger brother Craig. Both siblings did well at school and completed college.

At the law firm, Michelle Robinson was assigned for three months as Barack Obama's advisor. After three months they began dating and finally got engaged in 1991. Michelle and Barack Obama were married on October 3, 1992 by Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois. It was the first marriage for both of them.

Barack Obama's, first daughter, Malia Ann, was born seven years later in 1998. In 2001, a second daughter, Natasha also known as Sasha were born to the couple.

Barack Obama's Book
Barack Obama later got a fellowship and a publishing contract from the University of Chicago Law School to write a book about race relations. He travelled to Bali with his wife Michelle to complete writing this book. Obama's autobiography book was published in 1995 and was titled, 'Dreams From My Father'.

President Barack Obama
When he returned to Chicago, Barack Obama began working as a Professor at the University of Chicago Law School, teaching constitutional law for twelve years. He later got elected to the Senate in the State of Illnois before winning the Presidential Election in 2008.

Kitchen Tips and Healthy Cooking

2009-03-26T03:31:00.001-07:00

Here is the A-Z of Indian Kitchen Tips and other healthy cooking home remedies for your daily kitchen needs.

Almonds: To remove the skin of almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
Apples: Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.
Biscuits: If you keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the biscuit container, it will keep biscuits fresh for a longer time.
Butter: Avoid the use of butter. If it is essential to use, use butter containing low saturated fat or with plant stanols (which avoid absorption of cholesterol by our body) or similar substitutes.
Banana: Apply mashed banana over a burn on your body for a cooling effect.
Bee and Scorpion Sting Relief: Apply a mixture of 1 pinch of chewing tobacco and 1 drop of water. Mix and apply directly and immediately to the sting. Cover with band aid to hold in place. The pain will go away in a few minutes.
Bitter Gourd (Karela): Slit Karelas inthe middle and apply a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd all round. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and then cook. This will take away some of the bitterness.
Celery: To keep celery fresh for a long time, wrap it in aluminium foil and place it in the refrigerator.
Burnt Food: Place some chopped onion in the vessel having burnt food, pour boiling water in it, keep for 5 minutes and then clean.
Chilli Powder: Keeping a small piece of hing (asafoetida) in the same container will store chilli powder for a long time.
Chopping: Use a wooden board to chop. It will not blunt the knife. Don't use a plastic board, small plastic pieces may be cut with the vegetables which is harmful for health.
Coriander/Mint: You can use dried coriander and mint leaves in coarse powder form in vegetable curry or chutney, if fresh ones are not available. To keep them fresh for a longer time, wrap them in a muslin cloth and keep in a fridge.
Cockroaches: Another useful kitchen tip. This requires you to put some boric powder in the corners of your kitchen and in other places where you notices cockroaches entering your home. Cockroaches will soon leave your house.
Coconut: Immerse coconut in water for 1/2 an hour to remove its husk.
Dry Fruits: To chop dry fruits, place them in the fridge for half an hour before cutting. Take the fruits out and cut them with a hot knife (dip it in hot water before cutting). This helpful kitchen tip helps the process of cutting dry fruits easier and faster.
Dough/Rolling pin: If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, place it in freezer for a few minutes.
Egg peeling off: Make a small hole in the egg by piercing a pin before boiling it. You will be able to remove its skin very easily.
Egg fresh: This healthy cooking tip is quite helpful. Immerse the egg in a pan of cool salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, it is old and should not be cooked.
Garlic: Garlic skin comes off easily if the garlic cloves are slightly warmed before peeling.
Ghee: Avoid the use of ghee. If it is necessary for a certain dish, substitute it with canola oil or some other healthy vegetable oil. Even for making halwa, you can partly substitute it with oil. This healthy cooking tip helps prevent heart disease and other health problems.
Green Chillies: To keep the chillies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing.
Green Peas: To preserve green peas, keep them in a polythene bag in the freezer.
Idlies and Dosas: Here are some of the best kitchen tips for South Indian specialities. Place a betel (paan) leaf over the leftover idli and dosa batter to prevent them from turning sour. Do not beat idli batter too much, as the air which has collected during fermentation will escape. If you add half a tsp of fenugreek seeds to the lentil and rice mixture while soaking, dosas will be more crisp.
Fruits: To ripen fruits, wrap them in newspaper and put in a warm place for 2-3 days. The ethylene gas they emit will make them ripe.
Frying: Avoid deep frying. Substitute deep frying with stir frying or oven bake. Don't pour the oil, but make a habit of spraying the oil in the utensil for cooking. Heat the utensil first, then add oil. This way oil spreads well. You will need to use less oil this way. Not only will your family be healthy though these healthy cooking tips, but you will also save a lot of money.
Left Overs: Don't throw away the foods left over. Store them in the fridge. Use them in making tasty dishes like paranthas the next morning. You may also feed them to the birds and other stray animals.
Lemon/Lime: If the lemon or lime is hard, put it in warm water for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to squeeze.
Lizards: Hang a peacock feather, lizards will leave your house.
Milk: Moisten the base of the vessel with water to reduce the chances of milk sticking at the bottom. Keep a spoon in the vessel while boiling milk at medium heat. This will stop the milk from sticking to the bottom of the vessel. Adding half a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate to the milk while boiling ensures that the milk will not get spoilt even if you don't put it in the fridge.
Mixer/Grinder: Grind some common salt in your mixer/grinder for some time every month. This will keep your mixer blades sharp.
Mosquitoes: Put a few camphor tablets in a cup of water and keep it in the bed room near your bed, or in any place with mosquitoes. Mosquitoes will soon dissappear.
Noodles: When the noodles are boiled, drain all the hot water and add cold water. This way all the noodles will get separated.
Onions: To avoid tears, cut the onions into two parts and place them in water for 15 minutes before chopping them. Wrap the onions individually in a newspaper and store in a cool and dark place to keep them fresh for long time.
Oven: Look through the oven window to conserve energy, as the oven temperature drops by 25 degrees every time its door is opened. To clean the oven, apply a paste of sodium bicarbonate and water on the walls and floor of the oven and keep the oven on low heat for about half an hour. Dried food can then be easily removed.
Paneer: To keep paneer fresh for several days, wrap it in blotting paper while storing in the refrigerator. Do not fry paneer, immerse it in boiling water to make it soft and spongy.
Papad: Papads should be bake in a microwave oven to save oil and kitches gas. The best kitchen tip to store papads is to wrap the papads in polythene sheet and place them in the dal or rice containers. This will prevent them from drying and breaking.
Pickles: To prevent the growth of fungus in pickles, burn a small grain of asafoetida over burning coal and invert the empty pickle jar over it for some time. Only then, put the pickle in the jar.
Popcorn: Keep the maize/corn seeds in the freezer and pop while still frozen to get more fluffy, bigger popcorn.
Potato: To bake potatoes quickly, place them in salt water for 15 minutes before baking. Use the skin of boiled potatoes to wipe mirrors sparkling clean. Don't store potatoes and onions together. Potatoes will rot quickly if stored with onions.
Refrigerator: To prevent formation of ice, rub table salt on the insides of your freezer.
Rice: Add a few drops of lemon juice in the water before boiling the rice to make rice whiter. Add a teaspoon of canola oil to the water before boiling the rice to separate each grain after cooking. Don't throw away the rice water after cooking. Use it to make soup or add it in making dal (lentils). Add 5 grams of dried powdered mint leaves to 1kg of rice. This kitchen tip will help keep insects at bay. You may also put a small paper packet of boric powder in the container of rice to keep insects at bay.
Samosa: Bake them instead of deep frying to make them fat free. Don't fry the filling of potato masala. Preserve the samosas in the freezer. Before eating, take them out of the freezer two hours in advance and bake them over low temperature in the oven.
Sugar: Put 2-3 cloves in the sugar container to keep ants at bay.
Tadka: Use sprouted mustard seeds (rayee) and fenugreek (methi) seeds for your tadkas. Both of them when sprouted have more nutritional value. Also this will add flavour to the dish and is more beneficial to health, besides giving a decorative look to the dish.
Tomato: To remove the skin of tomatoes, place them in warm water for 5-10 minutes. The skin can then be easily peeled off. When tomatoes are not available or too costly, substitute with tomato puree or tomato ketchup/sauce. Place overripe tomatoes in cold water and add some salt. Overnight they will become firm and fresh.
Tamarind: Tamarind is an excellent polish for brass and copper items. Rub a slab of wet tamarind with some salt sprinkled on it on the object to be polished.
Gargling with tamarind water is recommended for a sore throat.
Utensils: Use nonstick utensils. Thick bottomed utensils are better as they get uniformly heated. For electric stoves, use flat bottom utensils. Add a little bit of common salt to the washing powder for better cleaning of utensils.
Vegetables: Don't discard the water in which the vegetables are soaked or cooked. Use it to make soup or gravy. To keep the vegetables fresh for a longer time, wrap them in newspaper before putting them in the fridge. Another healthy cooking kitchen tip is to chop vegetables only when you are ready to use them. Don't cut them too early as it would spoil their nutritional value.
Sink (Blocked): To clear the blocked drain pipe of your kitchen sink, mix 1/2 cup sodium bicarbonate in 1 cup vinegar and pour it into the sink, and pour about 1 cup water. In an hour the drain pipe will open.
Soup Salty: Place a raw peeled potato in the bowl, it will absorb the extra salt.
Yoghurt (Home Made): To set yogurt or curd in winter, place the container in a warm place like over the oven or voltage stabliser.
Yogurt: If the yogurt or curd has become sour, put it in a muslin cloth and drain all the water. Then add milk to make it as good as fresh in taste. Use the drained water in making tasty gravy for vegetables or for basen curry. To keep the yogurt fresh for many days, fill the vessel containing yogurt with water to the brim and refrigerate. Change the water daily.

Extremely Rare Bird Photographed for First Time - Then Eaten

2009-03-26T03:30:00.000-07:00

A species of bird so rare it was thought perhaps to be extinct was captured on video and still images in the Phillipines province of Nueva Vizcaya… right before it was cooked and eaten.

The Worcester’s buttonquail (Turnix worcesteri) lives only in the Phillipines, but had not been seen in many years, and was previously only known through illustration based on dead specimens collected centuries ago. One wild live buttonquail was inadvertently filmed in a mountainous area during the making of a documentary on the traditional methods of bird-trapping in northern Luzon. But neither the local crew nor the bird-trappers at the time of the filming understood how rare the bird was, so it was sold at a poultry market, then cooked and eaten.

The bird had already been consumed by the time its image was noticed in a viewing of the bird-trapping documentary by a member of the World Bird Club of the Phillipines. The WBCP reported the posthumous discovery of the extremely scarce bird. Mike Lu, the club’s president said: “We are ecstatic that this rarely seen species was photographed by accident. It may be the only photo of this poorly known bird. But I also feel sad that the locals do not value the biodiversity around them and that this bird was sold for only P10 and headed for the cooking pot”. P10 is about twenty American cents.

Desmond Allen was the WBCP member who was watching the appropriately named documentary “Bye-Bye Birdie” when he spotted the buttonquail in a still image among the credits. Mr. Allen is a life-long birder, with 50 years of experience. He maintains an extensive collection of bird calls on his ipod. The trapping documentary is viewable on YouTube via the producer’s blog.

The extremely rare quail is listed on the IUCN Red List of threatened species as ‘data deficient’, which means there is not enough data available to determine an animal’s conservation status.

Terminator Salvation Movie Review

2009-03-26T03:29:00.002-07:00

As expected, Yahoo! have released a second full trailer for McG’s “Terminator Salvation“.

Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

The film also stars Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood, Common and Helena Bonham Carter.

“Terminator Salvation” opens in theaters on May 21st.

Angelina Jolie : 'Salt ' First Look

2009-03-26T03:29:00.001-07:00

Two first photos of Angelina Jolie on the Columbia Pictures set of “Salt,” has been revealed by USA Today.

“Salt” originally was called “Edwin A. Salt” when the role was intended for Tom Cruise but now Jolie is in spy thriller as CIA operative Evelyn A. Salt who tries to clear her name after she is accused of being a Russian sleeper agent.

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura says it wasn’t simple to change “he” to “she” in the script, the character was literally changed from male to female. The name changed from Edwin to Evelyn A. Salt, and the title of the production shortened to just “Salt.”

“I had no idea how complex it would be,” di Bonaventura says. “We had to rethink the whole notion of how a man vs. a woman operates in the business world, in personal relationship and in friendships.”

Know Hrithik Roshan!!!

2009-03-26T03:28:00.000-07:00

Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan was born on 10th January in 1974.
His birth place is in Mumbai in a Punjabi Hindu family.
His father is well-known as an actor and mostly known as a film director.
Hrithik Roshan studied in Bombay Scottish School, Mahim and completed B.Com from Sydenham College.
Hrithik Rosan Married Sussanne Khan who is the daughter of Sanjay Khan.
In 2009 on 10^th January Hrithik Rosan turned 35 years.
Bollywood actor Zayed Khan is Hrithik Rosan’s brother-in- law.
Hrehaan Rosan and Hridhaan Rosan is Hrithik Rosan’s two sons.
Hrithik Roshan’s height is 6 feet 1 inch.
Her uncle Rajesh Roshan who is also a celebrated Music director.
Hrithik Roshan’s father-in-law Sanjay Khan will produce a film titled ‘The Legend of Rama’and Hrithik Roshan will play Lord Rama. Sanjay Khan seems he is perfect for the Film.
In Bollywood as tax payer Hrithik Roshan is top of the third.
He has paid 8 core and Aamir Khan is fourth tax payer and Akshay Kumar it the top tax payer.
Hrithik Roshan has signed with directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s untitled new film. May be, Aishwarya Rai will be the co-actor in this film.
It will Hrithik Rosan third film with Aishwarya after Dhoom2 and Jodhaa Akbar.
For the film Jodhaa Akbar, he practiced playing sword.
‘Kites’ the movie is Hrithik Rosan upcoming film.
In the film ‘Kites’ Hrithik Roshan is acting with Mexican actress and model Barbara Mori Ochoa.
Barbara Mori Ochoa is the first foreign actress against him.
Hrithik Roshan’s Kites a high budgeted movie.
He has donated Rs20 lakh to Nanavati Hospital.
Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ earned Rs 38.53 crore in first four days.
Hrithik Roshan learned Spanish for some sequence for his up coming film ‘Kite’ and freely to speak with Barbara. But Hrithik Rosan’s wife Suzanna also interest to learn Spanish. So, they both learned Spanish together.
When six years old he acted first as a child artiste in the film Aasha(1980).
Hrithik Roshan debuts with bollywood film industry with Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. Amisha Patel was her opposite actress.
Hrithik’s father Rakesh Roshan was the director of the film Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai.
Rrithik Roshan won as a Best actor award with his first film. The film won highest 102 awards in bollywood.
Hrithik Roshan acted as a child artist in three films ‘Aasha’ Aap Ke Deewane and ‘Bhagwan Dada’.
Till now Hrithik Roshan acted in 15 films as lead role.
I See You, Om Shanti Om, Krazzy 4, Luck by Chance in this 4 films Hrithik Roshan acted special Appearance.
Koi... Mil Gaya is his father directed second film and 2^nd time Hrithik Roshan won Filmfare Best Actor Award & Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance.
Koi... Mil Gaya was the only one science-fiction film of him and grossed highest revenue in 2003.
Dhoom 2 is Hrithik Roshan first film with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Third time Hrithik Rosan won, Filmfare Best Actor Award for Dhoom-2.
Fiza, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Lakshya, Krrish for the 4 film Hrithik Roshan nominated Filmfare Best Actor Award.
His super hit films are Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Koi... Mil Gaya, Dhoom 2.
Amisha Patel, Aishawary Rai, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Preity Zinta, Esha Deol, Rani Mukerji was Hrithik’s opposition actress in different movies.
Barbara Mori, Kangana Ranaut is acting the Kite as Hrithik Roshan opposition actress.
Hrithik Roshan’s Father Rakesh Rosan has selected Anil Kapoor daughter Sonam Kapoor for his Next film.
As a special guest Barbara Mori, her mother, sister and brother will present Hrithik Roshan’s 35^th to Birthy party.

His wife Sussanne Khan is an Interior Designer. She decorated Salman Khan’s expensive flat which he gave to Katrina Kaif as a valentine gift and also designed Rani Mukerji, Priyanka Chopra, and Twinkle Khanna’s home.

His pet’s name is Duggu.
Hrithik’s hobbies and like to play Trivial Pursuit and Balderdash, love Ludo.
His sister’s name is Sunaina.
His grandfather Roshan was a famous music composer in Bollywood and his uncle Rajesh Rosan is also a popular music director in bollywood.
His mother Pinky Roshan who is a daughter of Hindi film director J. Om Prakash.
Hrithik Roshan’s unsuccessful films are - Mujhse Dosti Karoge, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum and Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage, Lakshya.
He worked as an assistant director in the films Karan Arjun, Koyla. These film is director and producer by Rakesh Roshan.
Hrithik Roshan has Two thumb finger in her left hand so many person think that it’s are a symbol of good luck.
During the shooting of Krish he felt into a roof that was made with tin and wounded most and after a short treatment he started again shooting.

Public Enemies Movie Poster

2009-03-26T03:27:00.000-07:00

The first poster for Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies” is online. Check out the latest photos from the movie below.

The film is based on Brian Burrough’s book “Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34″ set during the great crime wave of 1933-34, when the government’s attempts to stop Depression-era criminal legends such as John Dillilnger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd transformed J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI into the country’s first federal police force.

Michael Mann is directed the movie from the script, based on Burrough’s book. Johnny Depp stars as John Dillinger, considered the most notorious gangster of the era and Christian Bale as FBI agent Melvin Purvis.

Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies” which also stars David Wenham, Marion Cotillard, Branka Katic, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff and Billy Crudup is set for release on July 1, 2009.
Movie stills and photos from the set you can find at

Review - Across The Universe

2009-03-26T03:26:00.000-07:00

I am going to give full disclosure here: I'm a sucker for rock musicals. I loved We Will Rock You, Ben Elton's Queen musical, I adored Moulin Rouge's integration of popular music into the plot and I myself have dabbled in this area, writing a Pink Floyd musical for a year 9 English project. So it was no surprise that I absolutely loved the Beatles' inspired Across The Universe.

It's a tale of two lovers, a dock worker in Liverpool who goes to the USA in search of his father and an American student caught up in the anti-war movement of Vietnam. Yes, that's right, the Beatles' songs play to the backdrop of Vietnam. Yet this context, although important to the plot in some aspects, is not as important to the feel of the film. It is a timeless story of love and loss, with the message, however predictable, "All You Need is Love".

Our lovers, both for differing reasons, move to New York with the help of Lucy's brother Max (Joe Anderson) to change themselves and, in some sense, discover who they are. From here we see the infusion of music not just as a soundtrack but also as a feature point, with the inclusion of the Hendrix-like guitarist Jo-Jo (Martin Luther McCoy) and the Janis Joplin-esque Sadie (Dana Fuchs). Even an emotionally conflicted Prudence (T.V. Carpio) has a dabble on the keyboard. And these musical characters are developed to the fullest (with the exception of Prudence), they too have a detailed subplot all of their own. I've you've noticed that two characters, both Sadie and Prudence are taken straight from Beatles' songs, just wait till you hear our lovers' names: Jude and Lucy.

The plot then turns political, looking at the pursuits of Lucy in the anti-war movement whilst contrasting the artistic endeavors of Jude. Yet this does not burden the plot, it lifts it, gives it more body and delivers us a roaring rendition of 'Revolution'. Do not think these songs are just wasted. Some may seem feigned ('Dear Prudence') or very strange (Bono's 'I Am the Walrus' and Eddie Izzard's '...Mr. Kite'), but others are absolutely perfect. 'Something', the aforementioned 'Revolution' and the uplifting 'All You Need is Love' are absolutely sublime. In some respects, new meaning is given to these songs, with 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' now a ballad for the lonely. Yet there is one undeniable realization form all of this - The Beatles wrote some of the greatest love songs ever. When Evan Rachael Wood (who is absolutely gorgeous in this film) and Jim Sturgess, as Lucy and Jude respectively, begin these ballads, the words are brought new life in their context and the Beatles' genius is only furthered.

The direction is great as well. I was a bit shaky during the opening, what with the strains of 'Helter Skelter' destroying a very emotional opening shot, yet Julie Taymor, who directed the theatre production of The Lion King, brings a vivid colour to the film, with amazing visual effects sequences accentuating both the music and the scenes in which they occur. The amazing army enlisting scene is choreographed to perfection, the strawberry sequence (you won't forget it) and even the dancing on the streets of New York all show the bravado of the film. In some aspects the film goes a little too far with the artistic vision, such as the Mr. Kite sequence and the interpretive dance.

The plot may have holes, or unnecessary elements. There may be not enough depth to the anti-war movement of the Vietnam era. There may be too much catering to the songs than the story. But I don't really care. It was an amazing experience, a unique experience in a film, to transform the songs of the greatest band in history into a coherent and emotionally engaging plot is a feat of its own. 4 1/2 stars.

Hrithik Roshan turned on Bhansali’s next film .!!!

2009-03-26T03:25:00.000-07:00

Hrithik is super excited to do this not just because he has been genuinely balled over by the playscript of the film and is eagerly looking ahead to shooting for the film. Hrithik is super excited to do this not just because he will complete his hat-trick by acting with Aishwarya Rai in coming 2009 summer. After finishing off the shooting of his extroverted adventure Kites, Hrithik Roshan will start out filming for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s yet untitled side by side with Aishwarya Rai in coming 2009 summer.

It's going to be a hat-trick for Bhansali also because this will represent his 3rd adventure with Aishwarya Rai after Devdas. Hrithik has seen Bhansali’s earlier film work and is keen to work with Hrithik as well. This will be Hrithik’s beginning venture with the Black director. Hrithik just can not stop jabbering about Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the playscript that he scripted for his movie and of course his theatrical role in it.

Bhansali’s supporter Vibhu Puri will direct the film leading Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan and Harman Baweja. In the meantime Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s future prodcution adventure Chenab Gandhi is entirely set to go on floors in Mumbai very shortly. The film will be Bhansali’s directorial venture after Saawariya.

Bhansali was in Goa lately finalizing locales for the movie.

Bachchan will be acting the rationale character in the film. The plot circles around 3 characters.Chenab Gandhi is inspired by the history of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, India’s freedom fighter who represented known as the Frontier Gandhi. Bhansali and his Black writer Bhavani Iyer have published the film.

Shahrukh Khan as Mogambo in Mr.India 2?

2009-03-26T03:24:00.000-07:00

Shahrukh Khan who became a popular Bollywood star thanks to his negative roles, will probably go back to 'bad boy' role, playing the most lovable negative role of "Mogambo" that was immortalized by Amrish Puri in Mr. India in the year 1987. Shekhar Kapoor, the director of Mr.India is planning a sequel which will have Shahrukh Khan stepping on the shoes of the late Amrish Puri.

It is not known whether Shahrukh Khan has given his consent yet, but it is also true that both the director and actor are keeping a low profile about the developments. Shekhar Kapoor who was thinking of making Paani is concentrating his efforts in making Mr.India 2 now.

Why SRK? Here is what a source claims

“This film will also star Anil Kapoor and Sridevi as in the original but the script has been turned to be make it more villain centric. Today, there are very few villains who have the towering personality required for the Mogambo type of role, which was played with flourish by the late Amrish Puri in the original. And who better than Shah Rukh, who has excelled in negative roles like Baazigar and Darr, to play the role?” He continues "It will be the role of a lifetime for Shah Rukh. There will tremendous curiosity about how he enacts it. Yes, the film Mr India is a big name by itself but people will flock to the theatres more because Shah Rukh is getting into the shoes of Amrish Puri than for the film itself".

Banglar Taj Mahal (Taj Mahal of Bangaldesh)

2009-03-26T03:22:00.000-07:00

Today I visited "Banglar Taj Mahal" located at Sonargaon, Narayanganj. It's a replica of Taj Mahal built by Emperor Shajahan several centuries ago.
It's not yet finished although it has already been opened for the visitors. Here are few photos:

Sonargaon Folk Arts and Crafts Museum

2009-03-26T03:21:00.000-07:00

I visited Sonargaon Folk Arts and Crafts Museum yesterday. Once Sonargaon was a capital city of Bangladesh which was established by Isha Khan.
Following are few photos of "Sonargaon Folk Arts and Crafts Museum":

The Museum

The Museum from inside void

Lake inside the Museum complex

Pond inside the Museum complex

Nature is so beautiful here

Google Adsense Payment Method

2009-03-26T03:17:00.000-07:00

In this article I will describe about the payment method of Google Adsense. It is very important for you to know about Adsense payment system before Sign Up for adsense. There are three types of payment system in Adsense program. Those are:

(1) Receive Checks.

(2) EFT(Electronic Fund Transfer) .

(3) Western Union Money Transfer.

As an Adsense publisher I strongly recommended that you must choose EFT or Western Union to receive your money. Because receive money via Check is a very lengthy process. Adsense send money at the end of the month whereas you earn the money till the last day of previous month. So after wait a month you may wait another a month or two if you want to receive money via Check. Now a question come that is why the people select Check? This is happen because Adsense does not allow publishers all around the world to receive money via EFT or Western Union. But there is a way to receive money via EFT or Western Union from any country. The most of the publishers have relatives live in the country which Adsense allow that two ways to receive payment. So if you are a publisher you must try to Sign Up with an address or country which allowed for EFT or Western Union. Remember one thing all the countries where Western Union Money Transfer is available are not allowed by Adsense. Only fourteen countries allowed for Western Union.

There will be a pin code sent to the address given by you and a test amount to your given account when your Adsense account reach 10 dollars. So you must keep communication with your relative whose address you give for Adsense Sign Up. When those two reach to your relatives address and account. You must collect the correct Pin Number and the correct amount reach to your relatives account.

Usually Adsense send about 1 or two dollars with few cents (such as .85 or 1.45). Remember cents are important. You must submit the correct number of dollars or other currency received with cents .

Now here are the countries list of EFT and Western Union Money Transfer allowed by Adsense:

EFT ( Electronic Fund Transfer):

• Australia - Australian Dollar
• Austria- Euro
• Belgium- Euro
• Canada -Canadian Dollar
• Czech Republic- Koruna
• Denmark- Crone
• Finland- Euro
• France- Euro
• Germany- Euro
• Hong Kong- Hong Kong Dollar
• Hungary- Forint
• Ireland - Euro
• Israel- Shekel
• Italy- Euro
• Japan- Yen
• Mexico- peso
• Netherlands- Euro
• New Zealand- New Zealand Dollar
• Norway- Crone
• Poland-Zloty
• Portugal- Euro
• Slovakia- Koruna
• Spain- Euro
• Sweden- Koran
• Switzerland-Franc
• Turkey- lira
• United States- US dollar
• United Kingdom - Pound

Western Union Money Transfer:

• Argentina
• Bulgaria
• Chile
• China (Mainland)
• Colombia
• Egypt
• Lithuania
• Malaysia
• Morocco
• Pakistan
• Peru
• Philippines
• Romania
• Taiwan

I strongly recommended that you select your country from the lists above. So you can easily and fastly receive your money without any risk. Now Sign Up for your Adsense Account.

Scarlett Johansson Wallpaper,Pictures

2009-03-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hindi Movie 3 Idiots Posters,Wallpapers,Picrues,Review.

2009-03-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots starring Aamir Khan,Kareena Kapoor,Sharman Joshi,Madhavan,Boman Irani.This film is loosely based on Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone.It's a Vidhu Vinod Chopra Production.

Lyricist: Swanand Kirkire
Music Director: Shantanu Moitra
Story / Writer: Rajkumar Hirani
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Release date: Dec. 2009

Full Review: Rajkumar Hirani’s new venture “Three Idiots” that has Aamir assuming the central lead. The title was running around the media circles while during a post-production bash of Ghajini, Aamir referred himself, Shahrukh and Salman as the three idiots of the industry.

3 idiots will be softly based on Chetan Bhagat’s debut bestseller Five Point Someone which narrates the story of an average IIT guy who just about manages to rise above the very mediocre levels. The movie will have Madhavan and Sharman Joshi as the other two idiots.

3 idiots shooting

To be raised through the banner of Vidhu Vinod Chopra productions, the female lead for the movie will be played by the ever so effervescent Kareena Kapoor. To add to the histrionic appeal of the movie, Boman will be playing Kareena’s father (this is tentative).

The first shot has already been shot and it features Madhavan. The scene is beautifully shot in a jetliner and has the director all enthused. Aamir plays Rancho and he along with her love interest Kareena are set to blaze the Ladakh Iceland with a whirlwind 20 day shoot imminently ahead.

As a neat departure form the trend, the shoot will be entirely done in India and has few of the top cosmopolitan junctions like Delhi and Bangalore and a pastoral recess like Ladakh towed in. Shantanu Moitra is the oarsman on the music front and Swanand Kirkire takes the mantle of lyricist for this Aamir venture.

Munnabhai Chale Amerika 2009 - Posters, wallpapers,review

2009-03-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Release Year: 2009

Genre: Comedy

Language: Hindi

Director:Rajkumar Hirani

Producer:Vidhu vinod Chopra

Cast:Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi

Munnabhai Chale Amerika is the third installment of superhit Munnabhai series starring Sanjay Dutt & Arshad Warsi.This film is Produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra & Directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

Even though their much-awaitedMunnabhai Chale Amerika is yet to go on the floors,Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Washi are teaming up for another comedy.

The movie, titled Johnny Jonny yes papa, will be directed by Rohit Shetty, the man behind the comedy Golmaal and the upcoming Golmaal Returns .

The idea behind casting Sanjay and Arshad together is certainly to tap their incredible chemistry that we have seen in extremely loved films likeMunnabhai MBBS and Lage raho Munnabhai.

Trailers:
http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/trailer/9057.html

Seven Pounds : Movie Review,Wallpapers,Pictures,Box office report

2009-03-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Cast:Will Smith,Rossario Dawson,Woody,Michael

Director:Gabriele Muccino

Genre: Drama

Rating: 8/10

Will Smith is determined to swing both ways, in terms of artistic exploration. If, on the one hand he wants to give his viewers an adrenalin high with films like Men in Black, I Legend and Hancock, he also wants them to remember him as a high performer with soul-stirring acts like The Pursuit of Happiness and now, Seven Pounds.

Ben Thomas (Will Smith) is the most unusual tax man in town. Unlike the sharks in the IRS, this sad man with soulful eyes goes looking for deserving people who should be given a tax break. Some tax man! Living all by himself in a fleabag motel, with a jelly fish for company, he hunts all day for suitable men and women who deserve a favour. And finds them in the usual places: in hospitals, bars and broken homes, where the almost dead and the hopeless wait for sordid ends. Forlorn Ben not only befriends them, he even finds a solution to their problems and ends up like the friendly neighbourhood Spiderman, albeit without the web and the flying fetish.

Seven Pounds Box Office Report:

Opening in at least 11 markets and recording No. 1 rankings in four, Sony's "Seven Pounds" grabbed the top spot on the international boxoffice circuit during the weekend with an estimated gross of $19.8 million from 3,502 screens in 25 territories.

The Will Smith vehicle from Italian director Gabriele Muccino premiered at No. 1 in Spain ($4.2 million from 308 screens) and at No. 2 in France ($3 million from 343 sites) and the U.K. ($2.4 million from 405 situations). Its international cume stands at $40.8 million.

After a stellar run atop the international chart for five of the previous six frames, DreamWorks Animation/Paramount's "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" dropped to No. 5 with $8.3 million from 6,054 spots in 61 markets. Its foreign cume stands at $380 million.

Also during the weekend, Warner Bros. International released its first Hindi-language title, the Bollywood-driven "Chandni Chowk to China," in about 35 markets, but did not release gross data. "We are still consolidating figures from India and around the world," the distributor said. Full figures for the film are expected Monday.

"Revolutionary Road," director Sam Mendes' interpretation of Richard Yates' novel about a suburban 1950s couple, opened in five markets and earned $2.4 million from 513 spots. The DreamWorks/Paramount release tallied $1.4 million from 349 situations in Germany. Paramount also premiered the family comedy "Hotel for Dogs" in Australia and New Zealand, where it earned $790,000 from 231 locations.

Placing No. 2 overseas on the weekend was Summit International's vampire hit "Twilight," which opened at No. 1 in Germany and retained the top spot during its second frame in France. Overall, the film grossed $13.1 million from 3,465 locations in 46 territories and raised its overseas cume to $135 million.

At No. 3 was Warners' Jim Carrey starrer "Yes Man," which registered $12 million from 3,200 screens in 48 territories for an overseas cume of $67 million. The comedy opened at No. 1 in Russia, where it earned $2.7 million from 472 spots.

20th Century Fox International's "Australia" placed fourth and held respectably in overseas engagements, grossing an estimated $10.3 million from 4,750 sites in 56 territories, down 16% from the previous weekend. An Italy opening produced $2.8 million from 535 screens. Overseas cume for the Baz Luhrmann epic, starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, stands at $118.5 million.

Fox's "Bride Wars," starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway, expanded its run to 16 markets and drew an estimated $6.2 million from 1,110 screens, raising its overseas cume to $10.2 million. A No. 1 bow in Australia drew $2.2 million from 288 situations.

Disney's "Bedtime Stories" continues to establish itself as Adam Sandler's biggest overseas hit in many markets with a weekend estimate of $4.5 million from 3,524 locations in 25 territories, raising its overseas cume to $68 million. The same distributor's animated title "Bolt," with 60% if its overseas run still ahead, claimed $3.7 million from 2,612 situations in 28 markets and upped its foreign cume to $82.6 million.Warners' Brad Pitt starrer "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" opened at No. 1 in Mexico and scored $4.4 million from 1,100 screens in eight markets. Its overseas cume stands at $14 million.

Universal's comedy "Role Models," with 40 territories still to play, raised its overseas cume to $8.4 million thanks to a $3.4 million weekend from 566 situations in nine markets. Fox's "Marley & Me" hoisted its overseas cume to $12.9 million on the strength of $2.8 million from 1,130 screens in 13 markets, including a No. 2 opening in Mexico.

Fox's sci-fi remake "The Day the Earth Stood Still" generated $2.6 million from 2,500 spots in 36 territories, raising its overseas cume to $146.1 million. Universal's Clint Eastwood-helmed "Changeling" raised its foreign cume to $42.7 million after earning $2.2 million from 1,077 sites in 32 markets.

Weekend action in the U.K. was lively for market newcomers. Mandate International's "My Bloody Valentine 3-D" opened to an estimated $2 million from 187 locations, and Disney's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" resurfaced at 350 locations for an estimated $1.4 million. "Chihuahua's" weekend produced $3 million from 800 screens in 11 territories, raising its international cume to $28.2 million.

Topping the U.K. market was Pathe's multiple Golden Globe winner "Slumdog Millionaire," which grossed $2.7 million. The film also bagged $2.8 million in its France opener, ranking No. 3 in the Paris area. In addition, Fox released "Slumdog" in Puerto Rico, where it earned $14,500 from two screens.

The top-grossing local-language title in France was Mars Distribution's "The Other Side of the Bed," Pascale Pouzadoux's comedy starring Sophie Marceau and Dany Boon, which during its second weekend bagged $2.7 million from 578 sites for a cume of $6.8 million. The newcomer "Afterwards," Gilles Bourdos' drama about a newly divorced lawyer who meets a mysterious doctor (John Malkovich), drew $1.1 million from 278 sites and ranked No. 5 in the Paris area.

In Spain, Universal opened its horror title "The Unborn" to $1.7 million from 209 situations, taking the No. 2 market slot. Also in Spain, Focus Features/Universal's Sean Penn starrer "Milk" yielded $280,000 from 118 sites during its second weekend for a 10-day market cume of $850,000.

Also during the weekend, Miramax/Disney's "Doubt" generated $675,000 from 120 screens in five markets.

Other international cumes include Universal's "The Tale of Despereaux," $20 million; Mandate's "Saw V," $49.8 million; Universal's "Rudo y Cursi," $8.8 million from Mexico and Argentina; and Universal's "Frost/Nixon," $1.3 million from Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand.

Monpura [Bangla Movie] Wallpapers ,Pictures

2009-03-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

Part Time Jobs : Work From Home

2009-03-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Working from home is typically seen as an alternative to jobs that require you to work from an office or outside location. Part-time work-from-home jobs are a great way to earn extra cash during your free time at home. A few jobs may require an on-site presence on the weekend or periodically, but in general, these are options that won't disrupt your daily gig.

1. TutorPay: $10.90 to $18.85 Job Description: Provide one-on-one or group instruction. Tutor individuals from your home. -- Find Tutoring Jobs
Find a JobSearch by Company Search by Industry
Keyword(s): i.e. bank jobs or IT
City, State or ZIP

2. Childcare Worker/BabysitterPay: $7.82 - $10.18Job Description: Care for children, organize and participate in recreational activities, discipline children, etc. At-home childcare workers can also provide before-school and afterschool care. -- Find Jobs in Childcare

3. Wedding/Party PlannerPay: $31,049 to $43,668Job Description: Party planners conceive, organize, and execute special affairs such as weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries, and bar and bat mitzvahs. They custom design an event to suit their customers' needs and budgets.-- Find Event Planner Jobs

4. Answering ServicePay: $9.46 to $12.69 Job Description: Answer incoming calls from offices (i.e. doctors offices, apartment complexes, etc.) after normal business hours and relay information per specific account protocol. -- Find Message Service Jobs

5. SchedulerPay: $11.92 to $17.51Job Description: Handles client calendar and updates appointments as needed.-- Find Scheduler Jobs

6. Medical BillerPay: $11.88 to $15.72 Job Description: Medical Billing and its related occupations continue to be the fastest growing opportunities in health care. Insurance companies and the government are spending more time and money researching and controlling claims' fraud, abusive practices, and medical necessity issues. Because of this, insurance companies, doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and other providers are hiring more.-- Find Medical Billing Jobs

7. Freelance WriterPay: $28.78 to $45.62Job Description: Freelance writing work generally requires at least one field of expertise. Create technical writing documents or blog about sports, politics, entertainment, etc. Writing assignments can also include grant proposals or academic projects.-- Find Freelance Writing Jobs

8. CatererPay: $9.47 to $11.97Job Description: Cook food for events, i.e, parties, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, prepare specialty items, hors d'oeuvres, etc. -- Find Catering Jobs

9. Desktop PublisherPay: $15.98 to $21.30Job Description: Complete assignments involving word processing, including page layouts, charts and computer graphics utilizing desktop publishing equipment and integrated software packages. May require an associate's degree in a related area and experience in the field or in a related area. -- Find Desktop Publishing Jobs

10. FundraiserPay: $35,349 to $51,291. Job Description: Responsible for achieving an agreed money-raising target by approaching trusts, corporations, statutory bodies, major donors, individuals and other sources, and by running events. Fundraisers work with individuals, communities, businesses and charitable trusts to raise awareness of the charity's work, aims and goals. -- Find Fundraising Jobs

Source: AOL Job

Emma Watson Wallpapers,Still Pictures

2009-03-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

japanese crepe

2009-03-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

What's so special about Japanese crepes? Did the Japanese spontaneously invent crepes on their own, creating their own unique product? No, my guess is that, like a lot of western foods there, they just borrowed the idea from France and added their own twist. They've turned it into fast food. Or as Larry David once wrote, "not fast food, Jerry. Good food, quickly."

It's amazing to watch a Japanese crepe maker in action. They're completely efficient and lightning quick.Since French and Japanese crepes are really not much different, we figured it wouldn't be too hard making some at home. We were right! There's no big mystery about making crepes of any kind. People get scared of crepes in the same way they get scared of making souffles or custards, but they're really pretty easy. Even making the "cone" shape turned out to be not too difficult, although you might want some parchment or other kind of strong paper to hold it.

Basic Crepe Batter

Ingredients
* 1 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
* 1/2 cup milk
* 3 large eggs
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a blender of food processor blend the flour, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, milk, eggs, butter and salt for 5 seconds. Turn off motor, with a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the container, and blend the batter for 20 seconds more. Transfer the batter to a bowl and let it stand, covered, for about an hour. The batter may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.

If necessary, add more milk by tablespoonfuls to batter to thin to consistency of heavy whipping cream. Heat 8inch diameter nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Brush with melted butter. Pour 3 tablespoons batter into skillet and swirl to coat bottom evenly. Cook until top appears dry, loosening sides of crepe with spatula, about 45 seconds. Turn and cook until brown spots appear on second side, about 30 seconds. Turn crepe out onto plate. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with butter and stacking crepes on plate.

BANANA CHOCOLATE CREPES FILLING
2 bananas, sliced
2 tbsp. butter
Chocolate sauce
Ice cream

Prepare crepes. Cook bananas in 2 tablespoons butter over high heat until soft 2 minutes. Divide filling among 4 crepes and roll up. Serve with chocolate sauce and ice cream.

Deepika Padukone

2009-03-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

Pink Panther 2 premiere Pictures [Aishwarya Rai]

2009-03-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

It had been a very hectic day for Aishwarya Rai during her schedule on Berlin Premiere of “The Pink Panther 2” on February 13, Friday. After the routine media conference in the morning, Aishwarya really got herself prepared for the afternoon premier of the launch of the movie in pink gown and arrived on the dais along with co-actors like Steve Martin and Jean Reno at the Berlinale Palast.

The storyline of the movie rotates around Inspector Jacques Clouseau that makes a group with International detectives to check an International Thief from stealing artifacts of historical importance.

Bachchan family on the pink carpet

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s much awaited Hollywood movie, ‘Pink Panther 2’ premiered in the US on Tuesday and the Bachchan family was in full attendance to support their ‘Bahu’ as looking gorgeous in black, she walked the PINK carpet with husband Abhishek. Abhishek complemented his better half in a black suit and sporting a new lok for Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’. The couple in black surely made the heads turn.

Pink Panther 2 has Ash playing detective Sonia alongside Alfred Molina, while Steve Martin plays a bumbling French police detective Jacques Clouseau. French actor Jean Reno plays Ponton, Steve Martin’s partner in the movie. Actor, writer and producer Harald Zwart has directed Pink Panther 2.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-03-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Release Date: June 26, 2009 (conventional theaters and IMAX)
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures (Paramount)
Director: Michael Bay
Screenwriter: Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Benjamin Hickey, Ramon Rodriguez, Isabel Lucas, John Turturro
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Transformersmovie.com | MySpace.com/Transformers
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: View here
Production Stills: View here
Plot Summary: In the highly-anticipated "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," debuting June 26, 2009, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) again joins with the Autobots® against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons®. Michael Bay directs from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger & Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman.

source:http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=37679

Fast and Furious 4 (2009) : Review,Wallpaper,Pictures,Stills

2009-03-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Cast:

Vin Diesel - (Dominic Toretto)

Paul Walker - (Brian O'Conner)

Michelle Rodriguez - (Letty)

Jordana Brewster

John Ortiz

Laz Alonso

Synopsis:
Vin Diesel and Paul Walker reteam for the ultimate chapter of the franchise built on speed—Fast and Furious. Heading back to the streets where it all began, they rejoin Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster to blast muscle, tuner and exotic cars across Los Angeles and floor through the Mexican desert in the new high-octane action-thriller. When a crime brings them back to L.A., fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto (Diesel) reignites his feud with agent Brian O’Conner (Walker). But as they are forced to confront a shared enemy, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmanuever him. And from convoy heists to precision tunnel crawls across international lines, two men will find the best way to get revenge: push the limits of what’s possible behind the wheel.

Dramaz and Telefilmz By Humayun Ahmed.

2009-03-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

Bank Draft

Starring: Assaduzamman Noor, Pijush,Tania and others.

Link:
Click here to download

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Ontorar Baba

Cast: Humayun Faridi, Ali Zaker, Shara Zaker, Shaon and Mir Sabbir.

LinK:
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Drama : Shomporko
Story: Humayun Ahmed
Direction: Rozina
CAst: Zahid Hasan,Diba nargis,Rozina,Tele Samad And Many More.

LinK:
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Showkot Shaheber Gari Kena
Cast: Zahid Hasan,Shawon,Challenger & Others.

LinK:
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TeleFilm : Nishad

Cast: Shariyar Shuvo, Asish Khondokar, Nova & Dr. Enamul Huq

LinK:
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Tara Tinjon - Jhamalai Achi

Cast:Humayun faridi,Shadhin khasru,Faruq ahmed,Azazul islam and more.

LinK:
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Pishach Mokbul

Cast: Jahid hasan, Chalenger,Saleh Ahmed and others.

LinK:
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Drama: Tara Tinjon - He Prithibi Biday
Cast: Ezazul Islam, Faruk Ahmed, Shadhin Khasru and Maznun Mizan

LinK:
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TeleFilm: Badol Diner Prothom Kodom PhuL

Written and Produced By Humayun Ahmed
Cast: Shaon, Riaz, Richi, Chalenger, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Memi and More

Link:
Click here to download part 1

Click here to download part 2

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Drama : Montri Mohodoyer Agomon Shubeccha Shagotom
Cast : Riyaz , Mahfuz , Jahid Hassan , Faruk Ahmed , Saleh Ahmed , Challenzar , Maznun Mizan & Others

LinK:
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Amara Tin Jon

LinK:
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Aziz Saheber Paap

LinK:
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Bhut Bilish part

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Choitro Diner Gaan

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Ei Boishake

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Ekdin Hotath

LinK:
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Juta Baba

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Heemu

LinK:
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Dulha mil gaya , Movie Review, Wallpaper

2009-03-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

With the completion of the 4th and final schedule on 7 separate sets in bombay between the 24th of November, 2008 and the 10th of December, 2008, 95% of the entire shooting of Viveck Vaswani’s ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ is now complete. The film has been shot extensively in Bombay, Trinidad, Tobago, and the interiors of Maharashtra, including Pune, Wai and Panchgani.

Confirms Viveck Vaswani, “The entire star cast of the film, including Shah Rukh Khan, participated in the schedule. With the exception of one Qawalli to be picturised on Shah Rukh khan and Sushmita Sen in February, all of Shah Rukh Khan’s work in the film is complete.”

The film stars Fardeen Khan, Sushmita Sen, Mohit Chadda, Tara Sharma, Johny Lever, Parikshat Sahni, Bina Kak, Howard Rosemeyer, Suchitra Pillai, Viveck Vaswani and introduces Isshita Sharma, along with Shahrukh Khan in a very important special appearance.

The film is produced by directed by Mudassar Aziz. ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ is also considered to be special since it is first Bollywood film to be shot in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago.

“We had limited time, limited resources, limited everything, and yet we pulled off shooting for the film. My director Mudassar Aziz is a hero. New and young, he was shooting with a superstar called Shah Rukh Khan in his very first film and yet he made it possible in spite of all the constraints”, says Viveck fondly about the man who held the reins together for ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’.

‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ has music by Lalit Pandit and lyrics by Mudassar himself. 7 songs have been sung by Daler Mehendi, Amit Kumar, Sonu Nigam, Adnan Sami, Shreya Ghoshal, Anushka Manchanda and others. Ahmed Khan and Howard Rosemeyer are the choreographers. -Joginder Tuteja( Sampurn Media)

Binodon Mela

Acne in plain English - What is Acne?

There are two types of acne:

Non-inflammatory acne

Whitehead

Blackhead

Inflammatory acne

Papule

Pustule

Nodule

Cyst

Milia

Ethnic Skin and Acne

Acne and Black Skin

Diet and acne

Diet and acne

Are diet and acne related?

It seems like common sense that diet and acne would be related. But is there a scientific reason why they might be related?

So why have doctors always said it's a myth?

So what are our next steps?

Stress and acne

Stress and acne

Are stress and acne related?

What do we mean by "stress" anyway?

So how does stress affect acne?

So what do I do to handle stress?

Body acne - body acne treatment

Body acne - body acne treatment

Adult acne

Statistics

Causes of adult acne

Treatment of adult acne

Not so uncommon

Female acne

Some facts about women and acne

Hormonal acne influences

Treatment options

Hormones and acne

Antibiotic resistance

Cure Acne in 3 days!

Smoking and acne - how cigarettes affect the skin

How to pop a pimple

What is Mobile VoIP?

Featured Mobile VoIP Provider Reviews

Truphone Overview

About Skype Mobile

MOBIVOX Overview

Rebtel Overview

About fring

About Vyke Mobile IP

About Yeigo

Packet8 MobileTalk Overview

mobiVoIP Overview

Mobiboo Overview

What are Books on VoIP?

What is VoIP Security?

VoIP Security is IP Security

VoIP's Defensive Linemen

Securing Your VoIP Network

Conclusion

VoIP FAQ's

Why VoIP is cheaper

What are VoIP phones?

Voip phones are telephones which connect to VoIP networks instead of to the pstn.

VoIP phones with Ethernet connections

VoIP phones with Wi-Fi /802.11 connections

VoIP phones with dialup modem connections

Software VoIP phones

Hardware for Software VoIP phones

How it works?

Conclusion

What is VoIP?

The Economics of VoIP

VoIP Telephones

Types of VoIP Calls

What is RSVP?

What is VoIP conference software?

What is common VoIP Hardware?

VoIP Interface Cards for PCs

PC Telephones