Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Top Ten Languages Spoken in the World



1. Mandarin - Number of speakers: 1 billion+
The most widely spoken language on the planet is based in the most populated country on the planet, China. Beating second-place English by a two to one ratio, but do not let that lull you into thinking that Mandarin is easy to learn. Speaking Mandarin can be really tough, because each word can be pronounced in four ways (or "tones"), and a beginner will invariably have trouble distinguishing one tone from another. But if over a billion people could do it, so could you.

2. English - Number of speakers: 508 million
While English does not have the most speakers, it is the official language of more countries than any other language. Its speakers hail from all around the world, including the U.S., Australia, England, Zimbabwe, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, South Africa and Canada. And you probably feel pretty comfortable with the language already.

3. Hindustani - Number of speakers: 497 million
Hindustani is the primary language of India's crowded population, and it encompasses a huge number of dialects (of which the most commonly spoken is Hindi). While many predict that the population of India will soon surpass that of China, the prominence of English in India prevents Hindustani from surpassing the most popular language in the world. If you are interested in learning a little Hindi, there is a very easy way: rent an Indian movie. The film industry in India is the most prolific in the world, making thousands of action/romance/ musicals every year.

4. Spanish - Number of speakers: 392 million
Aside from all of those kids who take it in high school, Spanish is spoken in just about every South American and Central American country, not to mention Spain, Cuba, and the U.S. There is a particular interest in Spanish in the U.S., as many English words are borrowed from the language.

5. Russian - Number of speakers: 277 million
One of the six languages in the UN, Russian is spoken not only in the Mother Country, but also in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the U.S. (to name just a few places).

6. Arabic - Number of speakers: 246 million
Arabic, one of the world's oldest languages is spoken in the Middle East, with speakers found in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. Furthermore, because Arabic is the language of the Koran, millions of Moslems in other countries speak Arabic as well. So many people have a working knowledge of Arabic, in fact, that in 1974 it was made the sixth official language of the United Nations.

7. Bengali - Number of speakers: 211 million
In Bangladesh, a country of 120+ million people, just about everybody speaks Bengali. And because Bangladesh is virtually surrounded by India (where the population is growing so fast, just breathing the air can get you pregnant), the number of Bengali speakers in the world is much higher than most people would expect.

8. Portuguese - Number of speakers: 191 million
In the 12th Century, Portugal won its independence from Spain and expanded all over the world with the help of its famous explorers. Because Portugal got in so early on the exploring game, the language established itself all over the world, especially in Brazil (where it is the national language), Macao, Angola, Venezuela and Mozambique.

9. Malay-Indonesian - Number of speakers: 159 million
Malay-Indonesian is spoken in Malaysia and Indonesia. Actually, there are many dialects of Malay, the most popular of which is Indonesian. But they are all pretty much based on the same root language, which makes it the ninth most spoken in the world. Indonesia is a fascinating place; a nation made up of over 13,000 islands. It is the sixth most populated country in the world. Malaysia borders on two of the larger parts of Indonesia (including the island of Borneo), and is mostly known for its capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

10. French - Number of speakers: 129 million
Often called the most romantic language in the world, French is spoken in tons of countries, including Belgium, Canada, Rwanda, Cameroon and Haiti. Oh, and France too.

The waterfall Iguassu in Brazil is the most amazing waterfall in the world

The power of nature is truly magnificent! The waterfall Iguassu forms a natural border for Argentina and Brazil, and consists of about 275 waterfalls, sure beats the hell out of a fence....









Miss Universe collections


































New speed control device.......





TATA's 1 Lakh Rupee Car Jeh

TATA Jeh will be launched at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on Jan 10th -Jan17th International Auto Expo 2008


TATA's 1 Lakh Rupee Car Tata Jeh Launching Jan 10 ,2008

VEHICLE SUMMARY
Name: Jeh - 1 Lakh Rupee Car
Model: Petrol
Car Body Type: Hatchback
Segment: A Segment
Top Speed: 90
Fuel Consumption(Highway): 26.00
Fuel Consumption(City): 22.00

ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS
Displacement: 796cc, 3 cylinder
Engine Type: Petrol
Maximum Power: 33bhp
Maximum Torque: 0

OTHER SPECIFICATIONS
Seating Capacity: 4
Tyre Size: 0
Steering: No Power Steering
Brakes: Front Disk, Rear Drum
Gears: 4 Manual
Fuel Tank: 30.00
Body Color Bumpers: Yes
Tachometer: No
Alloys: No
ORVM Indicator: No
Xenon Headlamps: No
Headlamp Washer: No

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE
AC: AC without Climate Control
Power Windows:
Central Locking: Manual
Remote Boot: No
Remote Fuel Filler: No
Rear Wiper: No
Rear Defogger: No
Steering Adjustment (Rake/Reach) : No
Driver Seat Adjustment: Manual
Leather Seats: No
Door Mirror: Driver Side
Tinted Glass: No
Rear AC Vent: No
Folding Rear Seats: No
Sun Roof: No
Buttons/Controls on Steering: No
Auto Viper: No
Auto Headlamp: No
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SAFETY
Airbag: No
Parking Sensors: No
Fog Lamp:
Traction Control: No
EBD: No
ABS: No
ESP: No

Rajni, Shankar and Rehman team up for a Rs 100-cr film - Robot

Robotic Rajnikanth? That's what ace-director Shankar is planning to make of the superstar. Even as fervid fans continue to queue up to watch Shivaji - The Boss , which was released in June 2007, Shankar has signed up with Rajnikanth and music director A R Rehman for the next mega-budget film, Robot .

Ayngaran International and Eros multimedia, which would jointly produce the film, promise to make it even more attractive calling it a "hi-tech film" that would be made using "state-of-art technology". Sources in the film industry said the director is still in the process of finalizing the other cast and technicians.

"We are trying for someone like Deepika Padukone or Priyanka Chopra to co-star with Rajni. Nothing is official as yet. The film is expected to have a lot of graphics and new techniques. Most of the film would be shot abroad," said a source.

So will the film too cross the Rs 80 crore budget? "Going by the present plan it looks like it. It could touch at least Rs 100 crore," he said. The filmmakers will borrow techniques from renowned film-makers abroad and introduce them to the Indian film industry. The shooting will commence soon. Eros International, which had won the distribution rights for films including Munna Bhai MBBS , Om Shanti Om and Partner will join hands with Aygran, the pioneers in Tamil film distribution.

Panasonic unveils 150" Plasma TV







A 150-inch high-definiton plasma TV unveiled by Panasonic is the world's largest to date, the Japanese consumer electronics company claimed at the International Consumer Electronics Show.

The plasma panel features an 8.84 million pixel image resolution. Its screen is the equivalent of nine 50-inch sets, with an effective viewing area of 11 feet, the company said. It's a step up from Panasonic's 103-inch version, which cost $70,000 when it launched. The company did not say in a news release how much the 150-inch panel will cost.

Panasonic's other prototypes introduced at CES include a 42-inch panel that uses half the energy but stays as bright as its predecessor and an ultra-thin 50-inch panel that is less an inch thick, the company said.

Both plasma and LCD TVs have been selling well in the US as consumers are switching out their old tube sets so they can watch high-definition TV and movies.

Panasonic also said it plans to bring videos from Google Inc's YouTube directly to its line of Internet-enabled high-definition plasma TV sets. The new Viera HDTVs also provide access to Google's photo sharing site, Picasa.

Panasonic is a unit of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.