Java,Android,Flex,Mobile,Java ME, Web Services Tips: August 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

India's second moon mission in 2013 will carry five scientific instruments on board the spacecraft Chandrayaan-2 that will also have a lander and a rover to ride on the lunar surface, the space agency said.

'Russia will provide the lander and the rover is being built by our scientists and engineers,' state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in a statement. Chandrayaan-2 will be launched onboard the indigenous geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) from the country's spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 80 km north-east of Chennai. The spacecraft weighs 2.6 tonnes at lift-off with the orbiter at 1.4 tonnes and lander 1.2 tonnes.

A national committee of experts headed by former ISRO chairman U R Rao finalised the five instruments to be flown on the orbiter, including two improved versions of the payloads that were used in the first lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-1, which was launched October 2008 on a 10-month voyage.

'The committee has recommended five scientific payloads keeping in view its weight and power. Though it has favoured two payloads on the rover, their inclusion will be determined after considering the mission constraints such as power and weight,' the statement pointed out.

The five proposed instruments are: Large area soft X-ray spectrometer and solar X-ray monitor to map major elements on the lunar surface, and L and S band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to probe the lunar surface for the presence of different constituents, including water ice and the terrain mapping camera-2 will prepare a three-dimensional map for studying the lunar mineralogy and geology.

'SAR is expected to provide further evidence confirming the presence of water ice below the shadowed regions of the moon,' the statement noted.

The imaging infra-red spectrometer is intended to map the lunar surface over a wide wavelength range for studying minerals, water molecules and hydroxyl and the neutral mass spectrometer to study the lunar exosphere.

The two instruments on the rover are laser induced breakdown spectroscope and Alpha particle induced x-ray spectroscope.

'Both instruments will conduct elemental analysis of the lunar surface near the landing site,' the statement added. Sub-systems of the orbiter and rover are being developed at ISRO centres in Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Ahmedabad.
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indias_second_moon_mission_to_carry_five_instruments-nid-71141.html

RCOM forms 3G business team, plans 3G innovation lab

Reliance Communications (RCOM) is making a progress towards readying itself for the 3G led opportunities. RCOM currently has its presence in data through 1x and HSD services. Moving up the ladder, in an all India bid for 3G spectrum, the company has won 13 circles including the metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata and is the only operator without capacity constraints on 2G in these circles. This advantage puts it in a unique position to offer an excellent 3G user experience. In order to take its 3G plans forward, RCOM has appointed Prashant Gokarn as Head - 3G.

At RCOM, Prashant Gokarn was heading Corporate Strategy since 2008. Earlier RCOM has also roped in Google's former Head of Wireless Business Suresh Jayaraju as Head -New Age VAS. "Our 3G Innovation Lab will drive all 3G innovations for mobile as well as other platforms. It will aid in demystifying 3G technology and make it simpler for adoption amongst cross-section of customer groups," said Prashant.

As part of its 3G readiness plan, RCOM has established a 3G innovation lab with end-to-end wireless network infrastructure. This innovation lab will be an integral part of RCOM's 3G operations offering real-time product developmental capabilities and time-to-market equation benefits to RCOM. The 3G Innovation Lab will be in line with RCOM's strategic focus to encourage innovations in mobile technologies.

The 3G innovation lab will be a platform to various partners to jointly develop applications for consumers. It involves a community of content developers, product innovators, technology platforms enablers, device manufactures and OEMs. The lab is a move towards the 'Open Platforms' architecture which encompass open systems, open networks, democratic framework for partners & consumers for availability of the best products based on the consumer's usage.
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/RCOM_forms_3G_business_team_plans_3G_innovation_lab-nid-71120.html

Infosys plans offshore model to lessen H1, L1 dependency

At a time when the clampdown on visas by the U.S. has become a growing concern for the IT services companies, Infosys is planning an 'extreme offshoring' model to lessen dependence on H1 and L1 visas, reports Bibhu Ranjan Mishra of Business Standards.

Infosys' onsite revenue were around Rs.10,461.32 crore (46.7 percent) and offshore revenues were Rs.12,121.5 crore, (53.3 percent) for the year ended on 31 March, 2010. According to the company, it is capable of increasing its offshore utilisation capabilities to 95 percent. The intention was to prepare the company to face an extreme situation should negative sentiment brewing in the US intensify further, said the company.

Infosys has already conducted pilot programmes with a couple of clients in the U.S. with which it has proven the model, which is expected to have a far-reaching impact on the delivery of IT services. By sitting at remote offshore locations, the company successfully transitioned outsourced projects to India.

The U.S/ border security legislation will double the visa application fee, and is seen as targeted the Indian IT services industry. Unless there are further laws passed in the U.S. that completely halt outsourcing, U.S. companies have no reason to stop shipping work to India.

Despite offshoring being at the forefront of the delivery roadmap, the IT industry used to send people to the U.S. on H1 and L1 visas on a temporary basis to transition clients' work to India. This process requires gathering first-hand information about a client's business requirements and readying the framework before shifting work offshore.

According to the company, the number of visa renewals has fallen 80 percent in the last three years. Infosys today employs around 13,000 people in the U.S., of which the approximate number of H-1B visa holders is 8,900 and L-1 visas around 1,800.

Over the last couple of quarters, Infosys has increased its offshore ratio a few percentage points. According to S D Shibulal, COO, Infosys Technologies, the company has many clients who are pushing it to reduce onsite work further.
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Infosys_plans_offshore_model_to_lessen_H1_L1_dependency-nid-71134.html

U.S. trying to understand visa fee hike impact on Indian firms

The U.S. says it's trying to understand the potential impact of a steep hike in U.S. worker visa fees on Indian companies, but no new step has been taken yet to ease Indian concerns.

"I think we have been explaining to the Indian Government the specifics in the legislation, and trying to understand the potential impact on Indian companies," State Department spokesman Phillip J Crowley told reporters Monday.

"But beyond that, I'm not sure that there is any particular next step," he said when asked what had been done to ease India's concerns over the new law signed by President Barack Obama ignoring Indian and American corporate protests.

The new law aimed at raising $600 million for securing the U.S.-Mexico border would cost Indian IT firms sending thousands of professionals to U.S. on H-1B and L1 visas an additional $250 million annually.

The law which came into effect August 14, imposes an additional fee of $2,000 for certain H-1B petitions and $2,250 for certain L-1A and L-1B petitions will be charged. The new rates will remain in effect till September 30, 2014, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

These additional fees apply to petitioners who employ 50 or more employees in the U.S. with more than 50 percent of its employees in the country in H-1B or L (including L-1A, L-1B and L-2) non-immigrant status.

The Indian government has protested to Washington against what it calls a highly discriminatory law that would largely affect Indian IT firms like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Technologies, Wipro and Mahindra Satyam.

Indian officials and the U.S.-India Business Council, representing 300 top U.S. firms doing business with India, have warned the new "discriminatory" law could hurt burgeoning India-U.S. economic ties.

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/US_trying_to_understand_visa_fee_hike_impact_on_Indian_firms-nid-71137-cid-1.html

Location based services losing their track?

Facebook became the latest entrant in the world of location based web services when it introduced its location-based functionality 'Facebook Places' few days back. With 'Places', Facebook joined the league of Google, Foursquare, Gowalla and Shopkick - companies that offer services through which people can share the report of their physical location online.

However, these location based web services are not finding many takers. The adoption of these methods has so far been limited to the young, tech savvy crowd.

A Forrester research reports that a mere four percent of Americans have tried out these services and only one percent uses them on a weekly basis. While 80 percent of the people using the location services are men of which 70 percent are aged between 19 and 35.

Melissa Parrish, Interactive Marketing Analyst, Forrester said, "Ever since mobile phones and location technology got started, there have been conversations about the potential for doing something really incredible with this for marketers. But clearly the question is whether it has reached the mainstream, and it looks like the answer is no."

Foursquare, for instance, which allows people to 'check in' to public places has about three million users, majority of who are urbanites.

However, it is predicted that with Facebook's Places, the location sharing could get popular, if the trend catches on with the 500 million users of Facebook.

Sam Altman, Chief Executive, Loopt said, "Clearly location is not yet mainstream - it's still a younger-demographic phenomenon - but if anyone can change it, Facebook will."

Some users are apprehensive of using the location sharing services saying it crosses a line of privacy. Stephanie Angelucci, 30, said, "I don't like broadcasting where we are or when my husband's gone, just for safety reasons."

With VCs having invested around $115 million in the location start ups last year, the falling interest toward the services spell doom for the companies. The companies need to think more than just the services, and add incentives to them in hope of attracting and retaining a larger audience.
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Location_based_services_losing_their_track-nid-71133.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

India third in world in legal nuclear liability

The legal nuclear liability of India is the third highest in the world at a $439 million limit. The countries ahead of India are U.S. at $12,590 million and the Republic of Korea and the UK at around $452 million each, reports Suman Sharma of DNA.

In a survey done by the Confederation of Indian Industry, China was placed at the fourth rank in terms of its nuclear liability at $162 million. The findings also reported that Russia did not specify any amount whereas Germany and Japan have an unspecified amount.

The study was based on nine factors - Nuclear liability law, strict liability, channeling of liability exclusively to operator, right of recourse against supplier, operator's insurance amount, state guarantee/cover, additional state compensation, and supplementary amount from international fund and legal liability limit.

India also came third in the operator's insurance amount as well at $320 million. U.S. tops this list too with $12,500 million.

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/India_third_in_world_in_legal_nuclear_liability-nid-71126.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

Monday, August 30, 2010

Google Talk Emoticons Gmail Chat Hidden Icons Shortcut Keys Symbols

Just like others Instant Messenger, Google Talk also has a bunch of Emoticons that can be used during IM activities in GTalk Window IM. We have share Emoticons from several Popular Instant Messenger such as Yahoo Messenger Emoticons has hidden Emoticons, Skype Emoticons has hidden Skype Emoticons, Face Book Emoticons has hidden symbols shortcut keys Emoticons, and also Windows Live Messenger Emoticons. All with their Shortcut keys and Symbols.

Below is the Google Talk Emoticons aka GMail Chat Emoticons with its name and Symbol

Google Talk GMail Chat Emoticons

:D – grin

:( – frown

x-( – angry

B-) – cool

:’( – crying

=D – big smile

=) – big grin

:-| – straight face

;^) – big nose

;-) – wink

:-) – smile w/nose

:-/ – skeptical

:P – sticking tongue out

:-o – shocked

<3 – heart

:(|) – monkey

\m/ – rock out

lobster – V.v.V

:(:) -piggy / pig

(thank to hi for remembering me)

>.< – a mad dude

</3 – a broken heart

~@~ – POOP hehe

:{. – a guy in a mustache

:* – a kiss face

}:-) – a devil

\m/ – a music box or a rock hand

[:|] – a robot

Remember, you may need to use shift key pressed for some of GTalk Emoticons.

How to use Google Talk Icons

Just type in GTalk IM windows the symbol or shortcut key with your keyboard and then press enter. Done.

Thanks

http://www.messengeroo.com/google-talk/google-talk-emoticons-gmail-chat-icons-shortcut-keys-symbols/

Nasscom launches cyber lab in Hyderabad

As an attempt to aid the police officers to tackle cyber crimes, Nasscom together with Data Security Council of India (DSCI) has launched a Cyber Lab to train police officers in tackling rising cyber crimes. The initiative is sponsored by Andhra Bank.

Inaugurating the lab, Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police R.R. Girish Kumar said it was aimed at building the capacity of the criminal justice system and upgrade the skills of the investigating officers dealing with the cyber crime.

The skills of the investigating officers will be upgraded with required technical inputs and investigation techniques, he said. He added that the lab would meet a long felt critical gap in functioning of the Crime Investigation Department (CID).

He noted that along with cyber lab, a digital investigation lab and a cyber police station have also come up in the same premises.

"Technology related crime relating to mobile phones, Internet and e-mail proving a great challenge to law enforcement agencies in tackling terrorism, organized crime and several other offences, Girish Kumar said.

Member companies of Nasscom will support the initiative and the Cyber Lab also can leverage the expertise of the Cyber Cell in the CID.

The lab will act as nodal centre in Andhra Pradesh to conduct awareness programmes and upgrade the skills of, not only the police officers, but also of officers from prosecution, judiciary and other government departments, apart from industry personnel.

Pratap Reddy, Director, Cyber Security, Nasscom said it was the seventh cyber lab in the country. He said the lab would also work to create awareness across state about growing menace of cyber crime and how to take precautions to handle crime.

Nasscom Executive Council member B.V.R. Mohan Reddy said the lab would help addressing the challenge posed by the cyber crime. He underlined the need for creating awareness and bringing a regulation to check the rising cyber crime.

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Nasscom_launches_cyber_lab_in_Hyderabad-nid-71093.html

Sunday, August 29, 2010

India's e-commerce likely to grow as 3G begins: eBay

Once 3G and mobile broadband services start in India, buying and selling of products over the internet are likely to grow at a rapid space, according to a top official of the e-commerce site eBay.

"E-commerce is taking off slowly here but I think the Indian market can experience significant growth over the next few years as 3G services are launched and mobile broadband gets more ubiquitous," eBay's President and CEO John Donahoe said.

Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks.

"I think what you are going to see here in India is with more people having access to the Internet through their mobile devices, you are going to see changes in consumer behaviour in terms of willingness and an ability to buy online," he added.

In India, at present, the e-commerce business is growing at 30 per cent and eBay itself is growing at 60 per cent. Ebay has about 2.5 million users in India.

Moreover, he added that e-Commerce sites like eBay are not only a platform to buy and sell products but also help the economy by creating direct and indirect jobs. About 12,800 sellers use eBay India as a primary or secondary cource of income.

"We not only help people buy and sell products, we help them to earn a livelihood," he added.

Goods worth Rs. 150 crore will be sold by Indian sellers exported outside the country this year, he said.
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indias_ecommerce_likely_to_grow_as_3G_begins_eBay-nid-71094.html

Now, make phone calls from your Gmail account

Google will now facilitate Gmail users to call telephones directly from their email. It will be in direct competition with Skype and traditional operators like AT&T and Verizon Communications.

After offering computer-to-computer voice and video chat services, Google will now allow calls to home phones and mobile phones directly from Gmail. Calls to the U.S. and Canadian phones from Gmail would be free of cost this year and for calls to other countries, there would be certain charges fixed at a lower rate. Google said calls to Britain, France, Germany, China and Japan would be as low as 2 cents per minute.

According to analysts, this service would likely be a bigger competitive threat to services like Skype's than to traditional phone companies, which have already been cutting their call prices in recent years in response to stiff competition.

"This is a risk to Skype. It's a competitor with a pretty good brand name," said Hudson Square analyst Todd Rethemeier. Like Skype, Rethemeier said the Google service will likely be much more popular among U.S. consumers making international calls, than among people calling friends inside the country.
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Call_from_Gmail_Google_will_now_allow_it-nid-70998.html

No visa for firms hiring less than 50 percent Americans

After Washington's decision to double the visa application fees as a part of its border security law, another bill has been proposed to axe visas (whether H1-B or L1) to foreign companies that do not employ at least 50 percent local people in the U.S.

The Comprehensive Immigration Reforms Bill, which aims to curb illegal immigrants to the U.S. from Mexico, is likely to hit the Indian IT outsourcing industry in November, with potentially disastrous consequences.

If the bill is passed, it is expected to affect the Indian IT outsourcing sector, which is nowhere near this 50 percent figure and still relies on H1-B and L1 visas to transition clients' contracts offshore.

"Most politicians are trying to capitalize on the issue on the back of rising unemployment and a lot of negative sentiment floating around that," said a senior executive of one top Indian IT outsourcing firm. He did not wish to be named, as his company has significant business interests in the U.S.

Indian IT service companies depend heavily on H-1 and L-1 visas to send engineers from India on a temporary basis to transition clients' work to India: gathering client business requirements, getting the design ready; and sometimes to support a client's IT infrastructure maintenance works onsite.

Most companies also send Indians for various front-end roles like account management, relationship management and sales and support. Besides, most IT employees in India consider onsite (U.S.) postings a prime motivation factor to further their career growth. If that disappears, most companies will find it difficult to get talent.

Nasscom, the apex industry body representing the software services industry in India, has been asking U.S. authorities and lawmakers to introduce temporary service visas or work permits similar to those of the UK, Germany and France. It made this clear in 2009 when senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin were planning to introduce the Visa Reforms Bill in the U.S. Senate.

A major part of the Durbin-Grassely proposals are now believed to have been incorporated in the Comprehensive Immigration Reforms Bill. Nasscom is awaiting an official draft of the Bill before renewing its campaign against the move.

According to Nasscom President Som Mittal, there is no official draft available at the moment, which is why there are many versions floating around. There are discussions between the U.S. administration and Congress on a 10-point agenda on the shape of the Bill.

Industry insiders say the recent spurt in anti-outsourcing initiatives in the U.S. are due to political reasons. The U.S. economy is also passing through a rough patch, with talk of double-dip recession growing louder with each passing day. Unemployment rates are high and private indebtedness is very high.

Because of growing fiscal deficit, most new U.S. government programmes are self-funded, otherwise it would be difficult to get Congressional approval.

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/No_visa_for_firms_hiring_less_than_50_percent_Americans-nid-71100.html

Gill attacks Premji's comment on CWG

The leaders of Indian industries should come forward and rise for the support sportsmen, said the Minister of Sports M S Gill, reacting to Azim Premji's statement that investment on events like the Commonwealth Games (CWG) is a waste of money.

In a recent article, Premji had said the thousand of money being spent on Games, could have been used for developing the infrastructure of schools and the poor parts of the country like Bihar. The country needs to know what the private sector has done about sportsmen who have lead the country with distinction, said Gill.

Gill also mentioned about companies like Tata Steel, who were presented 'Rashtriya Khel Protsahana Puruskar' for their contribution in development of sport in the country. Gill said that the government has decided to give awards to those companies which invest in promotion of sports.

Meanwhile, Gill refused to comment on the stadiums of Common Wealth Games. "Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh had visited some of the stadiums and his office has issued a statement I have nothing more to add," he said.

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Gill_attacks_Premjis_comment_on_CWG-nid-71097.html

Saturday, August 28, 2010

New solar system found 127 light years away

Astronomers have found a new solar system, the largest ever detected, which is believed to have up to seven planets orbiting a sun-like star 127 light years away from the earth.

The new planetary system contains at least five planets orbiting the sun-like star HD 10180. The researchers also have tantalising evidence that two other planets may be present, one of which would have the lowest mass ever found, Europe's astronomical observatory centre European Southern Observatory (ESO) has said.

The team also found evidence that the distances of the planets from their star follow a regular pattern, similar to our solar System, the ESO said in a press release.

'We have found what is most likely the system with the most planets yet discovered,' says Christophe Lovis, lead author of the paper reporting the result.

'This remarkable discovery also highlights the fact that we are now entering a new era in exoplanet research: the study of complex planetary systems and not just of individual planets.

'Studies of planetary motions in the new system reveal complex gravitational interactions between the planets and give us insights into the long-term evolution of the system,' Lovis added.

The astronomers used HARPS spectrograph, attached to ESO's 3.6-metre telescope at La Silla, Chile, for a six-year-long study of the Sun-like star HD 10180, located 127 light-years away in the southern constellation of Hydrus.

The team detected the tiny back and forth motions of the star caused by the complex gravitational attractions from five or more planets. The five signals correspond to planets with Neptune-like masses - between 13 and 25 Earth masses - which orbit the star with periods ranging from about 6 to 600 days.

These planets are located between 0.06 and 1.4 times the Earth-Sun distance from their central star, the statement said.

'We also have good reasons to believe that two other planets are present,' says Lovis. One would be a Saturn-like planet (with a minimum mass of 65 Earth masses) orbiting in 2200 days. The other would be the least massive exoplanet ever discovered, with a mass of about 1.4 times that of the Earth.

It is very close to its host star, at just 2 percent of the Earth-Sun distance. One 'year' on this planet would last only 1.18 Earth-days.

'This object causes a wobble of its star of only about 3 km/hour- slower than walking speed - and this motion is very hard to measure,' says team member Damien Segransan.

So far, astronomers know of fifteen systems with at least three planets. The last record-holder was 55 Cancri, which contains five planets, two of them being giant planets. 'Systems of low-mass planets like the one around HD 10180 appear to be quite common, but their formation history remains a puzzle,' says Lovis.
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/New_solar_system_found_127_light_years_away-nid-71070.html

New solar system found 127 light years away

Astronomers have found a new solar system, the largest ever detected, which is believed to have up to seven planets orbiting a sun-like star 127 light years away from the earth.

The new planetary system contains at least five planets orbiting the sun-like star HD 10180. The researchers also have tantalising evidence that two other planets may be present, one of which would have the lowest mass ever found, Europe's astronomical observatory centre European Southern Observatory (ESO) has said.

The team also found evidence that the distances of the planets from their star follow a regular pattern, similar to our solar System, the ESO said in a press release.

'We have found what is most likely the system with the most planets yet discovered,' says Christophe Lovis, lead author of the paper reporting the result.

'This remarkable discovery also highlights the fact that we are now entering a new era in exoplanet research: the study of complex planetary systems and not just of individual planets.

'Studies of planetary motions in the new system reveal complex gravitational interactions between the planets and give us insights into the long-term evolution of the system,' Lovis added.

The astronomers used HARPS spectrograph, attached to ESO's 3.6-metre telescope at La Silla, Chile, for a six-year-long study of the Sun-like star HD 10180, located 127 light-years away in the southern constellation of Hydrus.

The team detected the tiny back and forth motions of the star caused by the complex gravitational attractions from five or more planets. The five signals correspond to planets with Neptune-like masses - between 13 and 25 Earth masses - which orbit the star with periods ranging from about 6 to 600 days.

These planets are located between 0.06 and 1.4 times the Earth-Sun distance from their central star, the statement said.

'We also have good reasons to believe that two other planets are present,' says Lovis. One would be a Saturn-like planet (with a minimum mass of 65 Earth masses) orbiting in 2200 days. The other would be the least massive exoplanet ever discovered, with a mass of about 1.4 times that of the Earth.

It is very close to its host star, at just 2 percent of the Earth-Sun distance. One 'year' on this planet would last only 1.18 Earth-days.

'This object causes a wobble of its star of only about 3 km/hour- slower than walking speed - and this motion is very hard to measure,' says team member Damien Segransan.

So far, astronomers know of fifteen systems with at least three planets. The last record-holder was 55 Cancri, which contains five planets, two of them being giant planets. 'Systems of low-mass planets like the one around HD 10180 appear to be quite common, but their formation history remains a puzzle,' says Lovis.
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/New_solar_system_found_127_light_years_away-nid-71070.html

Those who fail, perform better in long run, says study

People and organisations crippled by failures do much better in the long run. That is because they learn more from their failures than their successes and retain the lessons lifelong.

Professor Vinit Desai, who led the study at the University of Colorado Denver Business School, said: "We found that the knowledge gained from success was often fleeting while knowledge from failure stuck around for years."

"Managers may fire people or turn over the entire workforce while they should be treating the failure as a learning opportunity," he said, according to a Colorado statement, reports the Telegraph.

He researched companies and organisations that launch satellites, rockets and shuttles into space, where failures are hard to conceal.

Researchers said they discovered little "significant organisational learning from success".

Desai compared the flights of the space shuttle Atlantis and the Challenger. During the 2002 Atlantis flight, a piece of insulation broke off and damaged the left solid rocket booster but did not impede the mission or the programme. There was little follow-up or investigation.

The Challenger was launched next and another piece of insulation broke off. This time the shuttle and its seven-member crew were destroyed.

The disaster prompted the suspension of shuttle flights and led to a major investigation, resulting in 29 recommended changes to prevent future calamities.

The difference in response in the two cases, Desai said, came down to this: The Atlantis was considered a success and the Challenger a failure.

"Whenever you have a failure it causes a company to search for solutions and when you search for solutions it puts you as an executive in a different mindset, a more open mindset," said Desai.

He said the airline industry is one sector of the economy that has learned from failures, at least when it comes to safety.

"Despite crowded skies, airlines are incredibly reliable," he said. "The number of failures is minuscule."

"And past research has shown that older airlines, those with more experience in failure, have a lower number of accidents."

"The most significant implication of this study ? is that organisational leaders should neither ignore failures nor stigmatise those involved with them," he concluded in the Academy of Management Journal.

Thanks http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Those_who_fail_perform_better_in_long_run_says_study-nid-71071.html

Those who fail, perform better in long run, says study

People and organisations crippled by failures do much better in the long run. That is because they learn more from their failures than their successes and retain the lessons lifelong.

Professor Vinit Desai, who led the study at the University of Colorado Denver Business School, said: "We found that the knowledge gained from success was often fleeting while knowledge from failure stuck around for years."

"Managers may fire people or turn over the entire workforce while they should be treating the failure as a learning opportunity," he said, according to a Colorado statement, reports the Telegraph.

He researched companies and organisations that launch satellites, rockets and shuttles into space, where failures are hard to conceal.

Researchers said they discovered little "significant organisational learning from success".

Desai compared the flights of the space shuttle Atlantis and the Challenger. During the 2002 Atlantis flight, a piece of insulation broke off and damaged the left solid rocket booster but did not impede the mission or the programme. There was little follow-up or investigation.

The Challenger was launched next and another piece of insulation broke off. This time the shuttle and its seven-member crew were destroyed.

The disaster prompted the suspension of shuttle flights and led to a major investigation, resulting in 29 recommended changes to prevent future calamities.

The difference in response in the two cases, Desai said, came down to this: The Atlantis was considered a success and the Challenger a failure.

"Whenever you have a failure it causes a company to search for solutions and when you search for solutions it puts you as an executive in a different mindset, a more open mindset," said Desai.

He said the airline industry is one sector of the economy that has learned from failures, at least when it comes to safety.

"Despite crowded skies, airlines are incredibly reliable," he said. "The number of failures is minuscule."

"And past research has shown that older airlines, those with more experience in failure, have a lower number of accidents."

"The most significant implication of this study ? is that organisational leaders should neither ignore failures nor stigmatise those involved with them," he concluded in the Academy of Management Journal.

Thanks http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Those_who_fail_perform_better_in_long_run_says_study-nid-71071.html

Friday, August 27, 2010

China's progress in IT is an opportunity for India: Infy's Murthy

Answering if China's speedy progress in the IT field could pose a threat to India's favourable global position, Murthy said, "China has shown development in extraordinary proportions in different sectors. It will also make progress in the IT sector. Almost all Indian IT companies have a presence in China now. But we are not looking at China as a threat but as an opportunity."

Many of India's leading IT companies like TCS, Infosys and Satyam has setup shops in china to attract projects from the Chinese Industries and to explore the booming manufacturing sector there. Some of the major Indian companies have also acquired small sized Chinese companies to understand the market and to merge themselves into the Chinese culture. Though the per hour rate offered by Chinese is less than India's rate, about 30 percent less. But there are lot of hidden costs which includes communication issues (more time, more rate), knowledge transferring time, data security protection and regulatory issues. These issues demands a completely new strategy for the western companies to kick start its outsourcing plans.
Thanks
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Chinas_progress_in_IT_is_an_opportunity_for_India_Infys_Murthy-nid-71058.html

China's progress in IT is an opportunity for India: Infy's Murthy

N.R. Narayana Murthy, the founder of IT giant Infosys, opined that India should perceive China's rapid development in the information technology sector as an "opportunity" for Indian IT companies functioning in that country, rather than as a "threat," reports Raktima Bose from The Hindu.

Answering if China's speedy progress in the IT field could pose a threat to India's favourable global position, Murthy said, "China has shown development in extraordinary proportions in different sectors. It will also make progress in the IT sector. Almost all Indian IT companies have a presence in China now. But we are not looking at China as a threat but as an opportunity."

Sun Certification To Soon Be Integrated With Oracle Certification Program

On September 1, 2010, the Sun Certification program will be integrated with the Oracle Certification program. All Java, Oracle Solaris, MySQL, Oracle Solaris Cluster and Open Office certifications will be re-published under the Oracle Certification program with their new Oracle Certification titles.

What you need to know:

The exam format and objectives for each of the exams will be the same as they were previously under Sun; hence there is no impact to those preparing to get certified.

If you are currently holding a certification exam voucher for one of these exams, they will continue to be valid through their expiration date and can be redeemed.
If you currently hold an existing Sun certification, your current Sun certification title will still be recognized under the Oracle certification program and will continue to be valid. You can upgrade your certification at any time to the latest technology release to receive an Oracle certification title.
If you are in the process of preparing for a certification exam that you will take after September 1, 2010, you will receive an Oracle certification title and will have use of Oracle Certification Program logo for endorsement of your proven skill by Oracle Corporation.

Candidates taking exams between September 1-3 may see either Sun and/or Oracle-branded exam titles while registering and taking exams during this transition period. Note however that the exam number codes (i.e. CX-NNN) and the actual exam test questions and scoring will remain the same both before and after the transition. Additionally, candidates taking these exams starting on September 1 will earn Oracle-branded certifications, even if the exam taken contains the previous Sun title.

Refer to the Sun Certification Integration Reference for a complete listing of how these certifications and exams have been rebranded and review our answers to some of the top questions.

Sun Certification To Soon Be Integrated With Oracle Certification Program

The exam format and objectives for each of the exams will be the same as they were previously under Sun; hence there is no impact to those preparing to get certified.

If you are currently holding a certification exam voucher for one of these exams, they will continue to be valid through their expiration date and can be redeemed.
If you currently hold an existing Sun certification, your current Sun certification title will still be recognized under the Oracle certification program and will continue to be valid. You can upgrade your certification at any time to the latest technology release to receive an Oracle certification title.
If you are in the process of preparing for a certification exam that you will take after September 1, 2010, you will receive an Oracle certification title and will have use of Oracle Certification Program logo for endorsement of your proven skill by Oracle Corporation.

If you have been holding off on pursuing a certification - wait no more. The demand for Oracle Certified professionals in these technologies is growing and we encourage you to validate your skills with one of these sought-after credentials.

Refer to the Sun Certification Integration Reference for a complete listing of how these certifications and exams have been rebranded and review our answers to some of the top questions.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

12-year old Indian origin a Math genius

A very unlikely, and the most awe-inspiring, delegate made her presence at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) 2010. 12-year-old Kaavya Jayram, who presented a paper on her results in the area of integer partitioning - expressing numbers as the sum of other numbers, was the youngest person at the International Congress of Women Mathematicians, a satellite conference that preceded the ICM reports Indian Express.

Kaavya took a fancy to number theory after attending a definitive lecture on the subject at IIT Kanpur by Professor Manindra Agrawal who heads the institute's computer science department.

She was home schooled by her mother as she had attained the tag of a 'problem child' at school, thanks to her intelligence. She decided she would be a mathematician, when eight, and began taking courses at the San Jose State University and Stanford University, the latter at the invitation of noted number theorist Kannan Soundararajan.

Kaavya says of her fancy for numbers, "What I like about number theory is there are so many unsolved problems which seem simple but have stumped mathematicians for years."

Presently the family is based in California's Bay Area and is in India for a year. After this, Kaavya will go to university full time, perhaps to Berkeley or Stanford.
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/12year_old_Indian_origin_a_Math_genius-nid-70983.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

12-year old Indian origin a Math genius

Her paper will be published by the International Journal of Number Theory. Parimala Raman, an invited speaker at ICM and one of India's most well-known experts in algebra who is now the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Mathematics at Emory University, U.S. said, "She is really good and she is way ahead of her age. She is interested in problem solving and research, taking great courses at Stanford. She was at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in December when I gave a talk. We've been in touch."

Kaavya took a fancy to number theory after attending a definitive lecture on the subject at IIT Kanpur by Professor Manindra Agrawal who heads the institute's computer science department.

She was home schooled by her mother as she had attained the tag of a 'problem child' at school, thanks to her intelligence. She decided she would be a mathematician, when eight, and began taking courses at the San Jose State University and Stanford University, the latter at the invitation of noted number theorist Kannan Soundararajan.

Kaavya says of her fancy for numbers, "What I like about number theory is there are so many unsolved problems which seem simple but have stumped mathematicians for years."

Presently the family is based in California's Bay Area and is in India for a year. After this, Kaavya will go to university full time, perhaps to Berkeley or Stanford.
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/12year_old_Indian_origin_a_Math_genius-nid-70983.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Cyber fraudsters target new sectors beyond financial transaction

Cyber fraudsters seem to be thinking beyond financial transaction related verticals and cyber crime has evolved as an organized crime today. Cyber criminals are developing fixed strategies to capitalize on particular trends in a particular geography like sports, entertainment and telecom in India, reports N. Vasudevan and Thanuja B. M. from Financial Chronicle.

Sanjay Bahl, Chief Security Officer of Microsoft India said, "By using events related to sports and entertainment, cybercriminals play on a person's fear, trust and desire. Cyber attacks globally are primarily driven and motivated by financial gains."

In addition to spam mails with links promising to show some graphical content of celebrities, the other key trend noticed by Symantec is spoof websites of popular social networking brands promising fake offers for free online mobile phone top-ups to capitalize on the huge number of prepaid mobile users in India.

"Major news stories like IPL cricket, FIFA World Cup and now the Commonwealth Games seem to result in a spike in theme-related malware attacks strategically designed for a greater return on investment," said Shafi Shanavas, Director of Product Management, PC Tools.

According to data from CERT India and cyber crime cells, 2009 saw 375 cases of phishing incidents, 6,500 malware and fraudulent websites and 3.5 million bot infected systems in the country. Bot is a type of malware that allows an attacker to take control over an affected computer.

Shantanu Ghosh, vice-president, India Product Operations at Symantec, said, "Cyber crime has now become very organised. Earlier, only the techies were involved in this. But, now-a-days there are non-techie criminal gangs, who hire techies to write malwares. Also, there are automated tool kits available to develop phishing sites and write malwares."

According to the latest report by Symantec, India ranks at No.2 in terms of spam originations, contributing 6 percent to the global spam levels. In June, Symantec found the phishing websites created by automated tool kits doubled with an increase of 123 percent from May. "Spamming is becoming very specialised. First part is stealing email addresses and second part is social engineering, that is, working on human greed and curiosity and make the user click on something," Ghosh said.

Thanks : http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Cyber_fraudsters_target_new_sectors_beyond_financial_transaction-nid-70968.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

Older entrepreneurs succeed more with their startups

Wadhwa, a Duke University scholar proves that older entrepreneurs have higher success rates when they start companies. They are expert in their technological fields, have deep knowledge of their customers' needs and have years of developing a network of supporters. "Older entrepreneurs are just able to build companies that are more advanced in their technology and more sophisticated in the way they deal with customers," says Wadhwa.

Thanks :http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Older_entrepreneurs_succeed_more_with_their_startups-nid-70954.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

Cyber fraudsters target new sectors beyond financial transaction

The ICC 2011 cricket World Cup begins in February 2011 in the subcontinent, and phishing websites promoting the tournament have already been observed by Symantec. A phishing site claims that users can get tickets to the matches by entering their login credentials of a popular social networking site that the phishing site has spoofed. Symantec also observed similar phishing websites during FIFA World Cup that tried to steal login credentials of users by promising to sell memorabilia of World Cup.

Sanjay Bahl, Chief Security Officer of Microsoft India said, "By using events related to sports and entertainment, cybercriminals play on a person's fear, trust and desire. Cyber attacks globally are primarily driven and motivated by financial gains."

In addition to spam mails with links promising to show some graphical content of celebrities, the other key trend noticed by Symantec is spoof websites of popular social networking brands promising fake offers for free online mobile phone top-ups to capitalize on the huge number of prepaid mobile users in India.

"Major news stories like IPL cricket, FIFA World Cup and now the Commonwealth Games seem to result in a spike in theme-related malware attacks strategically designed for a greater return on investment," said Shafi Shanavas, Director of Product Management, PC Tools.

According to data from CERT India and cyber crime cells, 2009 saw 375 cases of phishing incidents, 6,500 malware and fraudulent websites and 3.5 million bot infected systems in the country. Bot is a type of malware that allows an attacker to take control over an affected computer.

Shantanu Ghosh, vice-president, India Product Operations at Symantec, said, "Cyber crime has now become very organised. Earlier, only the techies were involved in this. But, now-a-days there are non-techie criminal gangs, who hire techies to write malwares. Also, there are automated tool kits available to develop phishing sites and write malwares."

According to the latest report by Symantec, India ranks at No.2 in terms of spam originations, contributing 6 percent to the global spam levels. In June, Symantec found the phishing websites created by automated tool kits doubled with an increase of 123 percent from May. "Spamming is becoming very specialised. First part is stealing email addresses and second part is social engineering, that is, working on human greed and curiosity and make the user click on something," Ghosh said.

Thanks : http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Cyber_fraudsters_target_new_sectors_beyond_financial_transaction-nid-70968.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

Older entrepreneurs succeed more with their startups

If you are holding back because you are old enough to take a risk establishing a startup, then Vivek Wadhwa would certainly inspire you. The 40 year old founder of a high tech startup who studied 549 successful technology ventures was not interested to work for others anymore.

Wadhwa, a Duke University scholar proves that older entrepreneurs have higher success rates when they start companies. They are expert in their technological fields, have deep knowledge of their customers' needs and have years of developing a network of supporters. "Older entrepreneurs are just able to build companies that are more advanced in their technology and more sophisticated in the way they deal with customers," says Wadhwa.

According to data from the Kauffman Foundation, the highest rate of entrepreneurship in America has shifted to the 55 to 64 age group, with people over 55 almost twice as likely to found successful companies than those between 20 and 34. And while the entrepreneurship rate has gone up since 1996 in most other age brackets as well, it has actually declined among Americans under 35.

Thanks :http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Older_entrepreneurs_succeed_more_with_their_startups-nid-70954.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

Stop tweeting against your bosses, your employer has a check on you

People who share any kind of opinion about their employers or the organization in which they are working could land their career at stake. Many organizations are going online to have a pre-employment check by assessing their Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, MySpace and LinkedIn profiles. As a part of assessing an employee's profile, companies are hiring third party verification agencies to see the presence of a prospective employee in the digital world, reports Shilpa Phadnis & Mini Joseph Tejaswi from Times of India.

Recruiters go through the LinkedIn profiles while hiring employees in the middle senior management level. "It started with IT hiring, but is spreading to other industry verticals," says Madan Padaki, CEO of skill assessment firm MeriTrack.

Ajay Trehan, Founder and CEO of background screening firm Authbridge, says one of his clients rejected a candidate for a director's position because they found a discrepancy in his graduation year mentioned in the company records and on LinkedIn. "When we did a due diligence, we found that he had failed in 1979 but he had not revealed that to our client," says Trehan.

In order to have a check on employee's profile is soon going to be a part of general hiring process in many companies. Recruiters of many companies feel that such an initiative is very necessary.

Thanks http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Stop_Tweeting_Your_employer_has_a_check_on_you-nid-70965.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

Stop tweeting against your bosses, your employer has a check on you

Employees might land to trouble while posting information about companies on their social networking sites. "Hiring is a very subjective process, and HR managers have the freedom to hire or reject a candidate based on his or her online social networking behavior," said Nandita Gurjar, Group Head (HR), Infosys Technologies.

Recruiters go through the LinkedIn profiles while hiring employees in the middle senior management level. "It started with IT hiring, but is spreading to other industry verticals," says Madan Padaki, CEO of skill assessment firm MeriTrack.

Ajay Trehan, Founder and CEO of background screening firm Authbridge, says one of his clients rejected a candidate for a director's position because they found a discrepancy in his graduation year mentioned in the company records and on LinkedIn. "When we did a due diligence, we found that he had failed in 1979 but he had not revealed that to our client," says Trehan.

In order to have a check on employee's profile is soon going to be a part of general hiring process in many companies. Recruiters of many companies feel that such an initiative is very necessary.

Thanks http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Stop_Tweeting_Your_employer_has_a_check_on_you-nid-70965.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Why does an IT professional go paranoid?

IT professionals are often known to get paranoid with their worklife. Now with the advent and demand of newer technology each day and the growing reliance of every business on their ICT, IT professionals have got more work to do.

Here are some five reasons that get IT professionals paranoid, reports Dan Tynan of InfoWorld.

Gadget fever will infect your network: Devices containing sensitive data can be lost, stolen, or compromised by malware. As with infected PCs or laptops, the entire network can be at risk. "Absolutely no data should ever sit unprotected on a mobile device," says Dan Zeck, CTO for Antenna Software, a mobile enterprise solutions vendor. "A minimum of two-factor authentication with a timeout to reset the log-in should be required for any mobile-based application. This would help mitigate the issue of stealing data sitting on any device", Zeck added.

The cloud will obscure the mountains behind it: Cloud computing can dramatically reduce capital expenditures and allow IT to outsource bread-and-butter internal ops so that internal expertise can be applied to innovative and differentiating projects. "A good cloud computing implementation can make you a hero," says Bender's Archibald. "A bad cloud computing implementation or strategy can go horribly wrong and cost a company hundreds of millions of dollars."

Data will leak from your network unseen: "Most IT folks are not focused on this stuff," says Bob Houghton, CEO of Redemtech. "They just go down a list and tick things off without scrutinizing the results. People tell you they're doing everything the right way, but the actual outcomes are never audited and reviewed for effectiveness." Everyone in IT knows sensitive information on company hard drives and network storage devices must be secured. But where the real IT paranoia lies is with all the other places data might be lurking.

Management will never understand your value: No matter how long the IT professionals work, at the end if something goes wrong they have no excuse for it. "If IT people want to improve their visibility and their credibility, they need to take it upon themselves to step up and connect with the business side through relationships and communication. It's never going to happen any other way", says Patty Azzarello, CEO of Azzarello Group.

Thanks:http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Why_does_an_IT_professional_go_paranoid-nid-70911.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

Why does an IT professional go paranoid?

Failure of data center: To keep the datacenter running continuously without any snags is one of the toughest tasks, IT professionals have to face. If the data center goes down, it can take the entire organization to a loss. "Simply keeping the data center running (and armed to the teeth) isn't enough. IT managers are also under constant pressure to reduce data center costs", says Gary Marks, VP for Raritan.

Gadget fever will infect your network: Devices containing sensitive data can be lost, stolen, or compromised by malware. As with infected PCs or laptops, the entire network can be at risk. "Absolutely no data should ever sit unprotected on a mobile device," says Dan Zeck, CTO for Antenna Software, a mobile enterprise solutions vendor. "A minimum of two-factor authentication with a timeout to reset the log-in should be required for any mobile-based application. This would help mitigate the issue of stealing data sitting on any device", Zeck added.

The cloud will obscure the mountains behind it: Cloud computing can dramatically reduce capital expenditures and allow IT to outsource bread-and-butter internal ops so that internal expertise can be applied to innovative and differentiating projects. "A good cloud computing implementation can make you a hero," says Bender's Archibald. "A bad cloud computing implementation or strategy can go horribly wrong and cost a company hundreds of millions of dollars."

Data will leak from your network unseen: "Most IT folks are not focused on this stuff," says Bob Houghton, CEO of Redemtech. "They just go down a list and tick things off without scrutinizing the results. People tell you they're doing everything the right way, but the actual outcomes are never audited and reviewed for effectiveness." Everyone in IT knows sensitive information on company hard drives and network storage devices must be secured. But where the real IT paranoia lies is with all the other places data might be lurking.

Management will never understand your value: No matter how long the IT professionals work, at the end if something goes wrong they have no excuse for it. "If IT people want to improve their visibility and their credibility, they need to take it upon themselves to step up and connect with the business side through relationships and communication. It's never going to happen any other way", says Patty Azzarello, CEO of Azzarello Group.

Thanks:http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Why_does_an_IT_professional_go_paranoid-nid-70911.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

Monday, August 23, 2010

Continued strong growth from China; India and South Korea stabilize

The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is reporting that the number of applications from prospective international students to U.S. graduate schools in 2010 increased for the fifth consecutive year. The 7% growth is the largest since a 9% gain in 2007.

The initial snapshot of graduate applications for fall 2010, released today, shows a fifth successive year of double-digit growth in applications from China, up 19%, after a 14% gain in 2009. Applications from India and South Korea appear to have stabilized after significant declines last year: there was a 2% decline from India and a 0% change from South Korea this year. China, India, and South Korea are the three largest countries of origin for international graduate students in the U.S.

Additionally, for the first time in seven years, the number of international applications appears to be above its 2003 level, finally reversing large declines that occurred in 2004 and 2005. However, despite the overall growth, 39% of all institutions responding this year reported a decline in applications for 2010, averaging 10%.
“The continued recovery in international graduate applications has been a positive trend,” said CGS President Debra W. Stewart. “However, we must not be overconfident. The lack of growth from India and South Korea is an ongoing concern, and as we saw in 2009, an increase in applications does not necessarily result in equivalent enrollment growth,” she added.

Application trends by country and field of study
In addition to the growth in China, applications from prospective graduate students from the Middle East & Turkey also rose by double-digits for the fifth consecutive year, by 18%. In terms of field of study, applications increased in all broad fields. There was also less variation in growth between fields than in previous years.
Applications increased in the three most popular fields for international students: engineering, physical & earth sciences, and business, which collectively enroll 62% of all international graduate students. Physical sciences applications rose 10%, compared to 2% last year. The only field to have smaller growth this year was “other fields”, up 8% after an 11% gain in 2009.
Application trends by institutional characteristics
CGS also analyzes changes in international applications by various institutional characteristics. Similar to last year’s trend, growth was concentrated at institutions with the largest international graduate enrollments. There was a 10% increase among the 25 schools with most international graduate students, but only 4% growth among those outside the 100 largest. Applications from India rose 6% at the 10 largest schools, but fell 14% at those outside the 100 largest. This trend was reversed in applications from South Korea, where the volume declined 4% at the 10 largest but rose 14% at the smallest institutions.
Differences also emerged between private and public institutions. Applications increased 12% at private, not-for-profit schools, but only 5% at public graduate schools; last year, application growth was slightly higher at public than private institutions.
About the report
Findings from the 2010 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase I: Applications is based on the first phase of a three-part annual survey of international graduate student applications, admissions, and enrollment among CGS U.S. member institutions. The analysis includes responses from 240 schools, including 88% of the 50 institutions with the largest international graduate student enrollments; respondents enroll almost two-thirds of all international graduate students in the U.S.
The report is available at www.cgsnet.org.
* Based on data from the 2008 CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees

Continued strong growth from China; India and South Korea stabilize

Additionally, for the first time in seven years, the number of international applications appears to be above its 2003 level, finally reversing large declines that occurred in 2004 and 2005. However, despite the overall growth, 39% of all institutions responding this year reported a decline in applications for 2010, averaging 10%.
"The continued recovery in international graduate applications has been a positive trend," said CGS President Debra W. Stewart. "However, we must not be overconfident. The lack of growth from India and South Korea is an ongoing concern, and as we saw in 2009, an increase in applications does not necessarily result in equivalent enrollment growth," she added.

Application trends by country and field of study
In addition to the growth in China, applications from prospective graduate students from the Middle East & Turkey also rose by double-digits for the fifth consecutive year, by 18%. In terms of field of study, applications increased in all broad fields. There was also less variation in growth between fields than in previous years.
Applications increased in the three most popular fields for international students: engineering, physical & earth sciences, and business, which collectively enroll 62% of all international graduate students. Physical sciences applications rose 10%, compared to 2% last year. The only field to have smaller growth this year was "other fields", up 8% after an 11% gain in 2009.
Application trends by institutional characteristics
CGS also analyzes changes in international applications by various institutional characteristics. Similar to last year's trend, growth was concentrated at institutions with the largest international graduate enrollments. There was a 10% increase among the 25 schools with most international graduate students, but only 4% growth among those outside the 100 largest. Applications from India rose 6% at the 10 largest schools, but fell 14% at those outside the 100 largest. This trend was reversed in applications from South Korea, where the volume declined 4% at the 10 largest but rose 14% at the smallest institutions.
Differences also emerged between private and public institutions. Applications increased 12% at private, not-for-profit schools, but only 5% at public graduate schools; last year, application growth was slightly higher at public than private institutions.
About the report
Findings from the 2010 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase I: Applications is based on the first phase of a three-part annual survey of international graduate student applications, admissions, and enrollment among CGS U.S. member institutions. The analysis includes responses from 240 schools, including 88% of the 50 institutions with the largest international graduate student enrollments; respondents enroll almost two-thirds of all international graduate students in the U.S.
The report is available at www.cgsnet.org.
* Based on data from the 2008 CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees

Arjun Atwal becomes first Indian to win on PGA Tour

Arjun Singh Atwal (born 20 March 1973) is an Indian professional golfer who has played on the Asian Tour and the European Tour and is the first player born in India to become a member of, and later win on the U.S.-based PGA Tour.

Atwal won by a stroke Sunday at Sedgefield Country Club, becoming the first Monday qualifier to win on the TOUR in 24 years.

After leading or sharing the lead after each of the first three rounds, Atwal shot a 3-under 67 in the final round. He finished at 20-under 260 and earned $918,000 -- or, more than double the amount he previously earned this year, the reason why his future on TOUR had been in jeopardy.

"I told my caddie, 'We've got nothing to lose this week. Just go out there and try and win it,'" Atwal said. "Guys are going to be out there trying to secure their FedExCup spots or whatever. We've got nothing. I don't have a card. I don't have anything. Just go out there and free-wheel it, and that's what I did this week."

He's the first Indian-born player to win on TOUR and the first to win both the qualifier and the tournament that follows since Fred Wadsworth at the 1986 Southern Open.

David Toms (64) was 19 under. John Mallinger and Michael Sim shot 62s to match John Rollins (65) and Justin Leonard (65) at 18 under.

For a few dizzying moments late in a low-scoring day, seven players shared the lead at 18 under.

Atwal, who carried a three-stroke lead into the final round, was at 19 under for most of the day but bogeyed the par-3 12th a few minutes before Lucas Glover bogeyed 14 and Toms, Rollins and Leonard all birdied No. 16.

"It just kept changing," Atwal said. "Everybody's tied for the lead at a certain point."

Atwal reclaimed the lead with a birdie on No. 14, Leonard birdied No. 17 and Toms birdied No. 18 to join them at 19 under. Leonard dropped back a stroke after running into trouble on 18, while Atwal still had three holes to play -- giving him more than enough chances to settle things himself.

Atwal made his move on the par-3 16th, plopping his tee shot 6 feet from the flagstick and sinking his birdie putt to move to 20 under. He followed that with consecutive pars, sinking a 7-foot putt on No. 18 before dropping his putter and extending his arms upward in jubilation after closing out his first tour victory.

"I was thinking about going to the (driving) range, but when he got to 20 under and they said he had a 15-footer on 17, I just went in the clubhouse and tried to cool off," Toms said. "I was ready to go to the range, if need be, but good for (Atwal). I know it's tough to get that first victory. ... I'm sure that he was battling some nerves, and to pour it in from 6-8 feet on that last hole was pretty impressive."

Glover (67) finished at 17 under, and Webb Simpson (63), Chris Riley (64), Scott Piercy (68) and second-round co-leader Brandt Snedeker (69) were one stroke behind him.

Atwal, who has won on the European, Asian and Nationwide tours, certainly has been through plenty during the past few years.

The player perhaps best known for his practice rounds with Tiger Woods is ineligible for the Playoffs and lost his TOUR card last month because he was too low on the money list when his minor medical exemption ran out. That came after he said he returned too soon following weightlifting injuries to both shoulders.

Shot of the Day

Scott McCarron rolls in a 50-foot putt.

Three years ago, a driver trying to race him down an Orlando street died in a crash. Atwal was cleared of any wrongdoing, although the yearlong investigation took an emotional toll.

Glover made five consecutive birdies, sinking four putts from 14 feet or beyond, to catch Atwal, then briefly had the lead all to himself with a birdie on No. 9 that put him at 20 under. That didn't last long: He sent his drive on No. 10 into the rough and three-putted for bogey, and slipped out of contention after he was 3 over on the back nine.

"I didn't make anything coming in," Glover said. "Don't win doing that."

The Wyndham marked the last chance for players to pick up points for the Playoffs that begin next week in New Jersey.

Michael Letzig, who arrived at Sedgefield at No. 125 on the points list, finished 14 under move to 118th place, solidifying his spot in The Barclays.

"The goal is to give myself another tournament to play," he said. "I'm in, so (I'll) see what happens."

Others weren't so fortunate. Mallinger started at No. 163 on the points list, but initially figured a final round that included six birdies and an eagle was good enough to propel him into next week. But when others joined him in a tie for third on the leaderboard, he slipped to 132nd place in the standings and finished roughly 40 points out of the playoff picture.

Jeff Quinney, who arrived at No. 127, only moved up one spot on the list and finished about 3 points shy of making the postseason field with his 12 under.

"I could have taken care of my own business today," Quinney said.

"The goal is to give myself another tournament to play," he said. "I'm in, so (I'll) see what happens."

Full Leaderboard

	1		--		Arjun Atwal	-20	F	-3	color	info	61	67	65	67	260
					Round complete

	2	3	44		David Toms	-19	F	-6	color	info	64	68	65	64	261
					Round complete

	T3	16	132		John Mallinger	-18	F	-8	color	info	65	67	68	62	262
					Round complete

	T3	16	67		Michael Sim	-18	F	-8	color	info	66	68	66	62	262
					Round complete

	T3	2	59		John Rollins	-18	F	-5	color	info	64	65	68	65	262
					Round complete

	T3	2	70		Justin Leonard	-18	F	-5	color	info	68	63	66	65	262
					Round complete

	7	5	47		Lucas Glover	-17	F	-3	color	info	64	65	67	67	263
					Round complete

	T8	21	94		Webb Simpson	-16	F	-7	color	info	66	64	71	63	264
					Round complete

	T8	11	87		Chris Riley	-16	F	-6	color	info	67	69	64	64	264
					Round complete

	T8	3	40		Brandt Snedeker	-16	F	-3	color	info	63	65	69	67	264
					Round complete

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