Free application to make your mobile smart

There is no denying the fact that mobile web is probably the most happening place these days. With scores of startups putting their heads together to solve knotty problems faced by the industry, and coming up with money saving schemes or devising eye popping applications, it’s a whole new world of discoveries. Here is a new service that should help you pack away your laptop for good and get truly mobile.

Talk is cheap

My first pick is fring (www.fring.com), a service that should save you a lot of money, specially if you make a lot of ISD calls. This service promises to exploit the data subscriptions that the carriers offer, and help you save on air time as well as sending SMS from your phone. Fring is a service that lets you use Peer-to-peer technology to send calls from mobile phones over the web free of cost. Fring needs both sender and receiver to have the application on their phones for the calls to be free.

How this works is simple. You initiate the call from your cell phone and connect to web using GPRS service. So instead of paying for airtime, you would used up GPRS minutes. To use services like these, it’s a wise idea to use eat as much as you can plans which charge a fixed monthly rate for GPRS.

Fring is a free download and free to use. However you would need a smart phone that uses symbian 8 or 9, windows mobile 5 or 6 or UIQ operating systems to start using the service. This service also allows you to log in to MSN, Gtalk and yahoo, to send instant message text chats through your mobile.

3M makes pocket projector a reality

Ever since 3M started showing up the tiny Pico projector at a few tech conventions. There was even a rumor Motorola would add it to some of its cell phones, but 3M went a different route and will be introducing the first stand alone pocket projector at the end of the month. The tech enthusiasts over at Popular Science were among the first who got their hands on the MPro 110 mini projector, and they were impressed

Sean Captain says the pocket-sized device can project a discernable image up to 11 inches across even under bright fluorescent office lights. The small black and grey box has a VGA input, composite video jacks, and focus wheel but lacks a speaker so you’ll need to use the one on your laptop or portable gadgets.

It can clearly project an image that’s 640 x 480 on any surface, but according to POPSI, it looks best in a dark room where the image is big enough to create the ultimate cheap-o home theatre. The MPro 110 will be out September 30 and is expected to retail for $359.

I’m glad to finally see this pocket projector become a reality, although I’m not sure how many people will buy it at that price.

Ramadan For Muslims..

Ramadan or Ramazan (Arabic: رمضان, Ramaḍān) is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; the month in which the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It is the Islamic month of fasting (sawm), in which participating Muslims do not eat or drink anything from true dawn until sunset. Fasting is meant to teach the person patience, sacrifice and humility. Ramadan is a time to fast for the sake of God, and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramadan Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance into the future, ask for help in refraining from everyday evils and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.

The name “Ramadan” is the name of the ninth month; the word itself derived from an Arabic root rmḍ, as in words like “ramiḍa” or “ar-ramaḍ” denoting intense heat, scorched ground and shortness of rations. It is the most venerated month of the Islamic year. Prayers, sawm (fasting), charity, and self-accountability are especially stressed at this time; religious observances associated with Ramadan are kept throughout the month.

Laylat al-Qadr, considered the most holy night of the year, is the night in which the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammed. Muslims believe it to have occurred on an odd-numbered night during the last 10 days of Ramadan, either the night of the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th (in Sunni thought) or the 19th, 21st or 23rd (in Shi’a thought). Ramadan ends with Eid ul-Fitr, with much celebration and feasts. During the month following Ramadan, called Shawwal, Muslims are encouraged to fast for a further six days, k The most prominent event of this month is the fasting (sawm). Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, and perform the fajr prayer. They have to stop eating and drinking before the call for this prayer (adan or azan) starts, until the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib (sunset), is due. Muslims may continue to eat and drink after the sun has set, until the next morning’s fajr prayer call.

Ramadan is a time of reflecting and worshiping God. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam and to avoid obscene and irreligious sights and sounds.Sexual thoughts and activities during fasting hours are also forbidden.[Qur'an 2:187] Purity of both thought and action is important. The fast is intended to be an exacting act of deep personal worship in which Muslims seek a raised level of closeness to God. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. Properly observing the fast is supposed to induce a comfortable feeling of peace and calm. It also allows Muslims to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and sympathy for those who are less fortunate. It is also intended to make Muslims more generous and charitable.

The elderly, the chronically ill and the insane are exempt from fasting, although the first two groups must endeavor to feed one poor person each day that they miss fasting. Also exempt are pregnant women, women during the period of their menstruation, and women nursing their newborns, all of whom must make up the days they miss at a later date. While fasting is not considered compulsory in childhood (which ends at puberty), many children endeavor to complete as many fasts as possible as practice for later life. Lastly, those traveling are exempt, but must make up the days they miss.

In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur’an.

Sunni Muslims tend to perform the recitation of the entire Qur’an by means of special prayers, called Tarawih, which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur’an (juz, which is 1/30 of the Qur’an) is recited. Therefore the entire Qur’an would be completed at the end of the month.Tarawih is an Arabic phrase referring to those extra prayers. This prayer is performed after prayer salah of the night Isha’a, but before the witr rakat. Tarawih are not practiced by Shī‘ah Muslims.

Muslims also pay Zakat during the month. It is only applicable if one can afford it. For those who qualify to pay Zakaat, as per the Islamic Nisab (that is those whose wealth exceeds their necessities), of the leftover of their wealth earned in that Islamic calendar year. Although Zakat can be paid any time of the year, it has to be calculated on a year to year basis, and many Muslims use Ramadan as the month for calculation and disbursement.

Ramadan is also a time when Muslims are to slow down from worldly affairs and focus on self-reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment, establishing a link between themselves and God through prayer, supplication, charity, good deeds, kindness and helping others.

Since it is a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special foods and buy gifts for their family and friends and for giving to the poor and needy who cannot afford it; this can involve buying new clothes, shoes and other items of need. There is also a social aspect involved – the preparing of special foods and inviting people for the Iftar meal (the meal to break the Fast).

In many Muslim and non-Muslim countries with large Muslim populations, markets close down in the evening to enable people to perform prayers and consume the Iftar meal (the meal to end the fast) – these markets then re-open and stay open for a good part of the night. Muslims can be seen shopping, eating, spending time with their friends and family during the evening hours. During the whole Ramadan season (about 29 to 30 days) , Muslims will not eat or drink from the brink of dawn (about 1 hour and 20 minutes before sunrise) until sunset.

Events of Ramadan

Laylat al-Qadr (Arabic: لیلة القدر) literally the “Night of Decrees” or “Night of Measures”, is the anniversary of two very important dates in Islam that occurred in the month of Ramadan.[citation needed]It is the greatest night of the year like the Day of `Arafah is the greatest day of the year. It is a night about which Allah reveled a full Surah, Suratul-Qadr [97:1-5] and the 3rd to the 6th verses of Surat ad-Dukhan [44:3-6] It is the night when the Qur’an was reveled. It is the night when the Message (the Final and seal of all messages) sent to Mohammad, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, started, It is the night when the light, that would illuminate mankind to the end of life, started. It is the night when every matter of ordainment is decreed.

Allah says in what can be translated as : “Verily! We have sent it (this Qur’aan) down in the Night of Decree (Lailatul-Qadr). And what will make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Rooh (ie. Jibreel [Gabriel]) by Allaah’s Permission with all Decrees, Peace! until the appearance of dawn.” [97:1-5]

And in Surat ad-Dukhan : “We sent it (this Qur’aan) down on a blessed Night. Verily, We are ever warning (mankind of Our Torment). Therein (that Night) is decreed every matter of ordainment. Amran (i.e. a command or this Qur’aan or His Decree of every matter) from Us. Verily, We are ever sending (the Messenger). (As) a Mercy from your Lord. Verily! He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower. [44:3-6]

Muslims believe that it was the night in which the Qur’an was revealed from God to Samaa Adunya (the sky of the world we live in). The Qur’an was revealed over many years to the Prophet. Muslims believe that any acts of worship undertaken on this night are rewarded in multiple thousands in comparison to the same act of worship done on any other day. There are two schools of thought on date of this event. Some Muslims are of the opinion that it lands on the 27th night of Ramadan while others believe that it may be any one of the last odd nights.

The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر) marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. The Eid falls after 29 or 30 days of fasting, as per the lunar sighting. Eid ul-Fitr means the Festival of Breaking the Fast; a special celebration is made. Food is donated to the poor (‘Zakat al-Fitr’), everyone puts on their best, usually new, clothes, and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends. The prayer is two rakaahs only, and it is an optional prayer as opposed to the compulsory five daily prayers.

Muslims are encouraged to fast six days in Shawwal, the month following Ramadan that begins after Eid ul-Fitr; these days need not be consecutive.[1] According to hadith, one who fasts the month of Ramadan and six days during Shawwal will be rewarded as though he had fasted the entire year.

TSR

Beating back the brain attack

I had a severe headache last night couldn’t sleep whole night for the pain. So I went and had a bath around 6AM in the morning but failed to manage the pain. My wife woke up at 7 AM and found me so disturbed with the pain. She poured some Navaratna menthol hair oil on my head and gave me a massage. The pain reduced little bit after the massage and then I slept.

Today while reading an article about brain attacks in a local magazine, I thought of writing something about this common and highly increasing problem.

Every year millions of people from around the world are dying by strokes. Though people often thinks that strokes happen only to the elderly people, but 20 to 30 percent of all strokes occur in people under 45 years of age. Strokes are the second most common cause of death after cancer. Heart disease comes a close third.

In fact since most strokes kill brain cells from a lack of oxygen to the brain, strokes cause more disability in adults then any other disease. After a stroke some people can’t walk, others may have difficulty seeing or talking. People are affected differently, depending on what part of the brain was hit and how large an area was affected.

Most of the strokes are ischaemic, caused by a blockage in an artery leading to the brain. Around 20 percent of strokes are haemorrhagic, caused by bleeding in the brain or in the space between the brain and the skull.

Many of the same factors behind heart disease contribute to stroke. High blood pressure and high cholesterol can cause artery walls to become coated with plaque. In the narrowed arteries, a blood clot can form on the plaque and stop the flow of blood or move in to a brain artery and block it. Very high BP can also cause blood vessels in the brain to burst, resulting in haemorrhagic stroke. Uncontrolled diabetes, excessive weight, smoking all adds to the risk. Heart disease itself can increase your chance of having a stroke.

Treatment:

An MRI or CT scan can confirm the presence and location of a clot in a key artery leading to the brain. Doctors now have drugs that can break up a clot and help someone with ischaemic strokes. But the same medicine cannot be used for a haemorrhagic stroke; it makes the bleeding worse. Clot busting drugs only works if they are given within three hours of the onset of symptoms.

How do you recognize a stroke:

The main symptoms come on suddenly. They may include weakness, confusion, and difficulty in speaking or understanding speech and an inability to see properly. Some people also get a sudden, severe headache or experience dizziness. The symptoms depend on which part of the brain is affected.

As soon as you have the attack, rush to a hospital, which have an imaging center for MRI or CT scan. Once the doctor establishes that the patient has had a stroke, and which kind of stroke it is, they can determine the course of treatment.

Early warning signal:

Some strokes go unnoticed because they are short episodes lasting up to 24 hours. These are sometime calls stroke warnings or mini strokes. The medical term is TIA. The symptoms of TIA are like those of regular strokes, but they don’t last long. Because people generally seem to recover well from TISs, they often ignore them or put off doing anything about them.

It is important to pay attention to mini strokes. Even when people have a mini stroke and recover with no disability. According to a medical journal, 30 percent of people who have TIAs gone on to have full-blown stroke with in five years.

So for stroke patients, timely hospitalization is the key to recovery.