Touchscreen

There are three basic systems that are used to recognize a person's touch:

• Resistive
• Capacitive
• Surface acoustic wave

The resistive system consists of a normal glass panel that is covered with a conductive and a resistive metallic layer. These two layers are held apart by spacers, and a scratch-resistant layer is placed on top of the whole setup. An electrical current runs through the two layers while the monitor is operational. When a user touches the screen, the two layers make contact in that exact spot. The change in the electrical field is noted and the coordinates of the point of contact are calculated by the computer. Once the coordinates are known, a special driver translates the touch into something that the operating system can understand, much as a computer moouse driver translates a mouse's movements into a click or a drag.

In the capacitive system, a layer that stores electrical charge is placed on the glass panel of the monitor. When a user touches the monitor with his or her finger, some of the charge is transferred to the user, so the charge on the capacitive layer decreases. This decrease is measured in circuits located at each corner of the monitor. The computer calculates, from the relative differences in charge at each corner, exactly where the touch event took place and then relays that information to the touch-screen driver software. One advantage that the capacitive system has over the resistive system is that it transmits almost 90 percent of the light from the monitor, whereas the resistive system only transmits about 75 percent. This gives the capacitive system a much clearer picture than the resistive system.

On the monitor of a surface acoustic wave system, two transducers (one receiving and one sending) are placed along the x and y axes of the monitor's glass plate. Also placed on the glass are reflectors -- they reflect an electrical signal sent from one transducer to the other. The receiving transducer is able to tell if the wave has been disturbed by a touch event at any instant, and can locate it accordingly. The wave setup has no metallic layers on the screen, allowing for 100-percent light throughput and perfect image clarity. This makes the surface acoustic wave system best for displaying detailed graphics (both other systems have significant degradation in clarity).

A resistive system registers a touch as long as the two layers make contact, which means that it doesn't matter if you touch it with your finger or a rubber ball. A capacitive system, on the other hand, must have a conductive input, usually your finger, in order to register a touch. The surface acoustic wave system works much like the resistive system, allowing a touch with almost any object -- except hard and small objects like a pen tip.

3G vs 4G

3G is currently the world’s best connection method when it comes to mobile phones, and especially mobile Internet. 3G stands for 3rd generation as its is just that in terms of the evolutionary path of the mobile phone industry. 4G means 4th generation. This is a set of standard that is being developed as a future successor of 3G in the very near future.

The biggest difference between the two is in the existence of compliant technologies. There are a bunch of technologies that fall under 3G, including WCDMA, EV-DO, and HSPA among others. Although a lot of mobile phone companies are quick to dub their technologies as 4G, such as LTE, WiMax, and UMB, none of these are actually compliant to the specifications set forth by the 4G standard. These technologies are often referred to as Pre-4G or 3.9G.

4G speeds are meant to exceed that of 3G. Current 3G speeds are topped out at 14Mbps downlink and 5.8Mbps uplink. To be able to qualify as a 4G technology, speeds of up to 100Mbps must be reached for a moving user and 1Gbps for a stationary user. So far, these speeds are only reachable with wired LANs.

Another key change in 4G is the abandonment of circuit switching. 3G technologies use a hybrid of circuit switching and packet switching. Circuit switching is a very old technology that has been used in telephone systems for a very long time. The downside to this technology is that it ties up the resource for as long as the connection is kept up. Packet switching is a technology that is very prevalent in computer networks but has since appeared in mobile phones as well. With packet switching, resources are only used when there is information to be sent across. The efficiency of packet switching allows the mobile phone company to squeeze more conversations into the same bandwidth. 4G technologies would no longer utilize circuit switching even for voice calls and video calls. All information that is passed around would be packet switched to enhance efficiency.

E- Ticket v/s I-Ticket

When ordering tickets online in India, you can opt between getting an E-Ticket or an I-Ticket. The main difference between an E-Ticket and an I-Ticket is how you get the ticket. With an E-Ticket, you receive an electronic form that you print and carry with you while with an I-Ticket, the actual ticket is produced and then sent to you via a courier.

The most direct consequence for this is the difference between the booking date and actual travel date. With an I-Ticket, you need to book at least two days before the actual date of travel to give time for the tickets to be mailed to you. Since you just print the E-Ticket, there is no associated delays. You can even book on the day of travel and just bring the printout with you.

But to ensure that the person bringing the E-Ticket is the one that booked it, you need to bring the identification papers you supplied when booking. This is used to confirm your identity. With an I-Ticket, you need not present identification papers as the tickets would serve that purpose.

You also need to consider that an I-Ticket is more expensive due to the cost of delivering the ticket to your location. The only additional cost of an E-Ticket is the cost of printing it which so small to be considered significant. In general, given the same destinations, an E-Ticket would usually cost less than an I-Ticket.

Lastly, you need to consider the situation where you might need to cancel the ticket for whatever reason. With an E-Ticket, cancellation is very easy and takes effect instantly. Not so with an I-Ticket, especially when the tickets have been sent. The process is a bit more difficult and time consuming not to mention the fact that you would get less of your money back

Bank Rate vs Repo Rate

Bank rate is also known as discount rate. This type of rate is used when a commercial bank tries to secure a  loan or any type of advances from the central bank. A reason a commercial bank may borrow is the imminent shortage of funds within the bank. Bank rates have a direct impact on lending rates by a commercial bank to its clients. If there is a high bank rate from the national bank to a commercial bank, the lending rate of the commercial bank is also very high. This lending rate passes down to the clients. The same is true when the national bank offers a low bank rate.

On the other hand, repo rate is also a relative term to bank rate. It is also known as repurchasing rate. Repurchase rate occurs in a banking transaction called a repurchase agreement. A repurchase agreement involves a commercial bank buying securities from the national bank. However, the national bank will repurchase the securities at a set date and price. The rate, specifically the interest rate, for repurchasing these securities is called repo or repurchase rate.
 

1. Two parties are constantly involved in bank and repo rates – the national bank and the commercial bank. Both undergo transactions between both banks. Both repo rates and bank rates help to raise funds, usually in favor of the commercial bank.
2. As their name implies, both are classifications of borrowing rates from the national bank on behalf of the commercial bank. In addition, both are considered methods to control the currency supply for the economy and the banking sector.
3. Bank rate is also known as discount rate. In contrast, repo rate is also called repurchase rate.
4. The bank rate involves loans while the repo rate involves securities. Also, bank rate doesn’t involve collateral of any kind while the repo rate (especially the repurchase agreement) requires the securities as the collateral in the agreement.
5. The bank rate is usually higher compared to the repo rate
6. Usually, bank rate also affects the lending rate of the commercial bank. A high bank rate will reflect in the high lending rate of the commercial bank to its clients. On the other hand, the repo rate is not passed to the clients of the commercial bank

Television Display Types (In Short) from Reuters

http://blog.thomsonreuters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/TV-Types.jpg

Solar Cities

Our country is passing through a phase of immense and rapid development and hence consequentially the rising demand for energy. Urbanization and industrial growth are only adding to the growing demand. But at the same time, there is also a thrust for using “clean and green” energy so as to reduce the green house gas emissions. Keeping in mind the need of the hour, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has initiated the programme of ‘Development of Solar Cities’. 

 

The programme has been designed to support/encourage Urban Local Bodies to prepare a Road Map to guide their cities in becoming ‘renewable energy cities’ or ‘Solar Cities’. The Solar City programme aims to consolidate all the efforts of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and address the energy problem of the urban areas in a holistic manner. The various initiatives of the Ministry which include promoting solar water heating systems in homes, hotels, hostels, hospitals and industry; deploying Solar Photo Voltaic(SPV) systems/devices in urban areas for demonstration and awareness creation; establishing ‘Akshya Urja Shops’; designing Solar Buildings and promoting urban and industrial waste/ biomass to energy projects would be streamlined under the programme. In a Solar City all types of renewable energy based projects like solar, wind, biomass, small hydro, waste to energy etc. will be installed in an energy efficient manner as well as commensurate with the requirements of the city. The Solar City aims at minimum 10% reduction in projected demand of conventional energy and increasing energy production through renewable energy. The basic aim is to motivate the local Governments for encouraging and adopting renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures. The Solar City would be identified on the premise of population; potential of renewable energy resources and energy conservation; initiatives taken by local governments as well as the general public and industry in the same arena. The cities may have population between 0.50 lakh to 50 lakh, however, relaxation is considered for special category States including North-Eastern States and hilly States, Islands and Union Territories. A total of 60 cities/towns were identified to be supported for development as Solar Cities during the 11th Plan period. At least one city in each State to a maximum of five cities in a State may be supported by the Ministry as Solar City.

Aims of Solar City Programme
• To enable and empower Urban Local Governments to address energy challenges at City - level.
• To provide a framework and support to prepare a Master Plan including assessment of current energy situation, future demand and action plans.
• To build capacity in the Urban Local Bodies and create awareness among all sections of civil society.
• To involve various stakeholders in the planning process.
• To oversee the implementation of sustainable energy options through public - private partnerships.

Financial Assistance
Under the programme, financial assistance up to Rs. 50.00 Lakhs per city/town is provided depending upon
population and initiatives decided to be taken by the City Council/Administration as per the following details:
• Up to Rs 10.00 lakhs for preparation of a Master Plan within a year along with few implementable Detailed Project Reports .
• Up to Rs. 10.00 lakhs for setting up of Solar City Cell and it’s functioning for a period of three years.
• Up to Rs. 10.00 lakhs for oversight of implementation during three years.
• Up to Rs. 20 lakhs for capacity building and other promotional activities to be utilized in three years.
 

 

El Nino and La Nina from Reuters

http://blog.thomsonreuters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/el-nino1.jpg

      

Hydrualic fracturing from Reuters

http://blog.thomsonreuters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Fracking.jpg

Inclusive wealth Index from Reuters

The International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP) launched the Inclusive Wealth Report 2012 (IWR 2012) at the Rio+20 Conference in Brazil.


The report presents a framework that offers a long-term perspective on human well-being and sustainability, based on a comprehensive analysis of nations´ productive base and their link to economic development.

The IWR 2012 was developed on the notion that current economic production indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP) and the Human Development Index (HDI) are insufficient, as they fail to reflect the state of natural resources or ecological conditions, and focus exclusively on the short term, without indicating whether national policies are sustainable.

The IWR 2012 features an index that measures the wealth of nations by looking into a country’s capital assets, including manufactured, human and natural capital, and its corresponding values: the Inclusive Wealth Index (IWI). Results show changes in inclusive wealth from 1990 to 2008, and include a long-term comparison to GDP for an initial group of 20 countries worldwide, which represent 72% of the world GDP and 56% of the global population.

God's particle

From Reuters- http://blog.thomsonreuters.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/higgs-boson.jpg

Also read for more details- http://www.indianexpress.com/news/god-exists/970403/

Good articles on Health sector

http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/figuringitout/entry/on-patenting-and-pharma-pricing

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/why-india-needs-to-back-a-new-rd-treaty-in-health-sector/articleshow/14683755.cms

Perform, Achieve and Trade [PAT]

In line with the energy conservation and efficiency policies of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, today launched the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).

The launch of PAT scheme added another feather in the cap of BEE , along with other ongoing popular schemes. The Government of India notified the targets under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 for 478 industrial units in India on 30th March, 2012. These targets are to be achieved by the units up to 2014-15.

The Ministry of Power and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) have been in the vanguard of promoting the efficient use of energy and its conservation. This is further supplemented by the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) which is one of the missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The PAT Mechanism is one of the initiatives under NMEEE programme. It is a market based mechanism to further accelerate as well as incentivize energy efficiency in the large energy-intensive industries. The scheme provides the option to trade any additional certified energy savings with other designated consumers to comply with the Specific Energy Consumption reduction targets. The Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts) so issued will be tradable on special trading platforms to be created in the two power exchanges -- Indian Energy Exchange and Power Exchange India.

The design of PAT is the result of extensive consultations, which have contributed to its robustness and simplicity. Upon implementation of the first cycle of PAT, it is expected to help our country save energy to the tune of approximately 6.6 million tonnes of oil equivalent by the end of 2014-15.

During the first cycle of PAT scheme i.e. from 2012-13 to 2014-15, eight energy intensive sectors such as Thermal Power plants, Iron & Steel, Cement, Fertilizer, Aluminum, Textile, Pulp & Paper, Chlor-alkali have been included. There are about 478 numbers of Designated Consumers in these 8 sectors and they account for about 165 million tonnes oil equivalent of energy consumption annually.

The scheme is unique in many ways, particularly from a developing-country’s perspective since it creates a market for energy efficiency through tradable certificates, called Energy Saving Certificate (ESCerts) by allowing them to be used for meeting energy reduction targets. These certificates can be issued by any of the 478 industries who are able to exceed their respective notified target, the value of the certificate being the excess achievement, more than the target set. The beneficiary industry can trade this certificate with any of the other entities (of the 478) that is unable to meet its target. Buying ESCerts has been allowed as sufficient fulfillment of compliance requirement without any penal action.

"Space Tornado" or solar tornadoes

Huge 'solar tornadoes' 1000 miles wide captured heating sun's atmosphere to millions of degrees centigrade - and find could power 'clean' reactors on Earth

A space tornado can actually result from solar windstorms that produce funnel-shaped clouds of charged particles. The solar wind blows at 600,000 to 2,000,000 miles per hour.


solar tornadoes carry the energy from the energy reservoir below the Sun's surface, called the convection zone, to the outer atmosphere in the form of magnetic waves.


One of the major problems in modern astrophysics is why the atmosphere of a star, like our own Sun, is considerably hotter than its surface?


It is understood that the energy originates from below the Sun's surface, but how this massive amount of energy travels up to the solar atmosphere surrounding it is a mystery. It is believed that we have found evidence in the form of rotating magnetic structures -- solar tornadoes -- that channel the necessary energy in the form of magnetic waves to heat the magnetized solar plasma. It is hoped that the process could be replicated here on Earth one day to energize plasma in tokamak that are believed to be a future device to produce completely clean energy.


Scientists viewed the solar tornadoes in the outer atmosphere of the Sun, stretching thousands of miles from the giant star's surface by using both satellite and ground-based telescopes. They then created 3D-layered sequence of images of the tornadoes and simulated their evolution with state-of-the-art numerical codes using the magnetic imprints detected by their high-resolution, cutting-edge telescopes.

Above, Telescope images form a tower showing how 'solar tornadoes' work

 A simulated image of solar tornado

Solar Flares from Reuters

New light shed on explosive solar activity

New light shed on explosive solar activity

Recent Financial Stability Report throws up some worrisome features- ET

There are three distressing features of the Reserve Bank of India's latest Financial Stability Report. The first is a sharp drop in growth of deposits.

At less than 14%, the deposit growth rate as on March 31, 2012, is the lowest recorded in the last 10 years. True, some such decline is inevitable during an economic slowdown, especially when high inflation leads to negative or low real rates of interest.

But the extent of the decline is a cause of concern. Not only because bank deposits are the mainstay of bank credit but also because the disproportionate slowdown in deposit growth vis-a-vis credit growth has increased the reliance of banks on borrowed funds, raising the spectre of liquidity mismatch.

The second feature relates to asset quality. The report points to a rise in the quantum of restructured assets and non-performing assets (NPAs), with gross NPAs rising to 2.9% on March 31, 2012, against 2.4% on March 31, 2011.

The third relates to the growing interconnectedness between the 'most-connected' banks. The maximum potential loss to the banking system due to the failure of the most-connected bank has risen from 12% of the capital of the banking system to over 16% over the four quarters of 2011.

The average loss caused by the failure of the three most-connected banks has also increased. Fortunately, the contagion risk appears confined to a few banks. Interconnectedness is not confined to banks but extends to insurance and the mutual funds segments of the financial system.

As on March 31, 2012, nearly 54% of the entire intra-financial system borrowing by banks was from insurance companies and mutual funds, with the reliance being particularly high in the case of private sector banks.

This means the random failure of a bank that has large borrowings from insurance and mutual funds could have significant implications for the entire system.

The good thing is that for now, tests suggest the banking system is in reasonably good shape. But that does not mean we should relax our guard. Stress tests have their limitations. After all, it is not so long ago that EU stress tests showed Spanish banks in fine fettle.

Big data

In information technology, big data is a loosely-defined term used to describe data sets so large and complex that they become awkward to work with using on-hand database management tools. 
"Big data" is a term applied to data sets whose size is beyond the ability of commonly used software tools to capture, manage, and process the data within a tolerable elapsed time.
Examples include web logs, RFID, sensor networks, social networks, social data (due to the social data revolution), Internet text and documents, Internet search indexing, call detail records, astronomy, atmospheric science, genomics, biogeochemical, biological, and other complex and often interdisciplinary scientific research, military surveillance, medical records, photography archives, video archives, and large-scale e-commerce.

UN aided biodiversity project launched in Himachal

A national project to access genetic resources, their economic values and share their benefits was launched in Himachal Pradesh.

The Rs 46 crore United Nations Environment Programme-Global Environment Facility (UNEP-GEF) project on strengthening the implementation of the biological diversity act and rules with focus on its access and benefit sharing provisions would be taken up jointly with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The hill state is among the five chosen by the government to implement the project on a pilot basis. The other states are Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim.

ET in the classroom: Why current account deficit will improve

India reported an all-time high current account deficitof 4.2% of GDP in 2011-12 and trade deficit of about 10% of GDP.

However, economists say these deficits will be under control as the J curve effect comes into play. ET looks at the concept of the J curve.

What is 'J' curve?

The J curve is used to illustrate a movement in a variable's, which falls initially but rises up to higher levels than before in the shape of the letter 'J'.

When applied to a country's external account, it says that whenever there is depreciation in the currency's value, the trade deficit initially worsens as imports become more costly and exports take more time to react.

Over time, depreciated currency makes exports competitive while imports slowdown as cheaper domestic output replaces imports. This shift causes trade balance to improve. 

What's its significance?

The curve shows that depreciation of a currency due to deterioration in a country's external balances is actually a part of the solution.

If the depreciation is managed properly through intervention to reduce volatility, then it will help correct the imbalances.

Why is it relevant in the Indian context?

The rupee has depreciated from around `49 a dollar to `57 since the start of the year, but has recently bounced back to around Rs 55. This has worsened current account as a large portion of imports, including crude oil, is price inelastic in the short run.

But economists expect imports to come down in future as costlier inputs dampen demand, as evident in the case of gold.

Simultaneously, exports will pick up as they have become more competitive/cheaper in the global market. This will lead to an improvement in trade balance & consequently in Current account deficit.

What could hamper 'J' shaped recovery in external account?

While India's exports have become more competitive due to the massive devaluation of the rupee, global growth has also stumbled which will limit the demand for India's exports.

Also if the country does not pass on higher fuel costs to consumer, the demand for imported crude will not come down.

LCD, LED and Plasma Display- comparison

LCD Display Technology

Most basically LCDs produce the image you see by blocking or emitting the light from a backlight using liquid crystals sandwiched in between two glass plates.

An LCD display is made up of a thin layer of liquid crystals arranged in a matrix (or grid) of a million or more pixels (picture elements), This layer is sandwiched between the two glass plates, which are covered in a matrix of electrodes and transistors (electronic switches), each coated with a polarising filter. The two polarising layers only allow light vibrating in one direction to pass through them, one allows horizontally vibrating light through and the other passes vertically vibrating light.

The light source in an LCD is its backlight so this unpolarized light becomes vertically polarized as it passes through the first polarizing filter at the back of the display. The other polarizing layer on the front sheet of glass is horizontally polarized, so ordinarily the now vertically polarized light coming from backlight can't pass through it. The role of the liquid crystal layer in the middle of the display is to rotate the vertically polarized light travelling through it by ninety degrees so it can pass through the front, horizontally polarized filter. By varying the voltage applied to the liquid crystal sub-pixels the amount they twist the light changes, allowing more light of each colour though as a greater voltage is applied.

Each pixel is made up of three sub-pixels aligned to a colour filter for each of the primary colours; red, green and blue. Individual pixel colours are produced by the combination of the primary colours produced by each sub pixel, with the pixel's overall brightness is produced by the sub-pixels relative intensities. Many thousands of these pixel units operating together in the display combine to produce the image you see.

What is LED TV?

The first thing to know about LED (Light Emitting Diode) TVs is that they are simply LCD TVs with a different kind of backlighting. The screen remains the same but LEDs are used for backlighting in place of Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL) that are found in most LCD TVs.

The LEDs can come in two forms, Dynamic RGB LEDs which are positioned behind the panel, or white Edge-LEDs positioned around the rim of the screen which use a special diffusion panel to spread the light evenly behind the screen.

RGB Dynamic LED TV

This method of backlighting allows dimming to occur locally creating specific areas of darkness on the screen. This means you see truer blacks and much higher dynamic contrast ratios.

(Image courtesy of Sony)

Edge-LED TV

This method of backlighting allows for LED TVs to become extremely thin. The light is diffused across the screen by a special panel which produces a superb uniform colour range across the screen.

(Image courtesy of Sony)

Currently LEDs are not small enough to be used for individual pixels in domestic televisions, and so the use of true LED TVs is restricted to much larger screens in places such as sport stadia or above 40' sizes. There are some great benefits to choosing an LED TV over a standard LCD TV.

• Improved brightness and contrast levels, with deeper blacks.

• The use of Edge-LED lighting allows the TV to be thinner than standard LCD TVs.

• LED TVs can consume up to 40% less power than a LCD TV of similar size.

• They can offer a wider colour gamut, especially when RGB-LED backlighting is used.

LED TVs are also more environmentally friendly due to there being no mercury used during manufacture. Further longevity of LED TV's is claimed to be better.

Future of LED TV

The future of LED TV is expected to focus on the use of "Quantum Dots" as light emitting diodes to create QD-LED displays and QD-WLED (White LED) displays, which operate in a similar fashion to OLED displays in that light is supplied on demand. Quantum dots are valued for displays, because they emit light in very specific gaussian distributions. This can result in a display that more accurately renders the colors than the human eye can perceive. Quantum dots also require very little power since they are not color filtered. Research is still ongoing for this technology, and it is not expected to be put into use on commerical TVs until at least 2012.

How plasma displays work (little technical, difficult to simplify)

A panel typically has millions of tiny cells in compartmentalized space between two panels of glass. These compartments, or "bulbs" or "cells", hold a mixture of noble gases and a minuscule amount of mercury. Just as in the fluorescent lamps over an office desk, when the mercury is vaporized and a voltage is applied across the cell, the gas in the cells form a plasma. With flow of electricity (electrons), some of the electrons strike mercury particles as the electrons move through the plasma, momentarily increasing the energy level of the molecule until the excess energy is shed. Mercury sheds the energy as ultraviolet (UV) photons. The UV photons then strike phosphor that is painted on the inside of the cell. When the UV photon strikes a phosphor molecule, it momentarily raises the energy level of an outer orbit electron in the phosphor molecule, moving the electron from a stable to an unstable state; the electron then sheds the excess energy as a photon at a lower energy level than UV light; the lower energy photons are mostly in the infrared range but about 40% are in the visible light range. Thus the input energy is shed as mostly heat (infrared) but also as visible light. Depending on the phosphors used, different colors of visible light can be achieved. Each pixel in a plasma display is made up of three cells comprising the primary colors of visible light. Varying the voltage of the signals to the cells thus allows different perceived colors.

Plasma Technology	LCD Technology	LED Technology
Strengths • Great black levels • Produce exceptional color (up to 16.77 million) • Good for dark rooms • Cheapest of 3 TV types • Great for 3D	Strengths • Great in bright rooms • High native resolution • More energy efficient than Plasma	Strengths • Produce blacks similar to Plasma • Amazingly thin • Energy efficient • Good for 3D
Weaknesses • Lower brightness than LCD/LED • Glass screens reflect light • Not slim or light as LCD/LED	Weaknesses • Do not produce true black • Narrower viewing angle than Plasma • Handles fast motion less efficient than Plasma • More expensive than Plasma	Weaknesses • Models with glass screens reflect light • Narrower viewing angle than Plasma • Not ideal for videogames • Most expensive TV technology

Ten ideas to get the train back

10: Put political might behind the Land Acquisition Bill and convert it into a law that allows those losing their land to get a more-than-fair and long-term compensation, companies to create jobs and wealth.

9: Open pipelines to infrastructure development. To prevent allegations of corruption, establish an independent PPP regulator who’s also effective and not merely a sinecure for ageing bureaucrats.

8: Right to food is important --- no Indian should sleep hungry --- but without agriculture reforms, it would simply burden a slowing economy. For starters, free the farmer from the tyranny of middlemen, by reforming the rent-seeking, anti-farmer mandi system, at least in states governed by the UPA alliance, thereby creating a demonstration effect, where other states would be shamed into following.

7: Pull out the rural people out of agriculture by giving manufacturing a policy push. Create an atmosphere where entrepreneurs are encouraged to set up units that serve the world and which can absorb the surplus labour --- agriculture contributes 14% to GDP but 60% of Indians are dependent on it.

6: Aggressively build a regulatory infrastructure to oversee the urbanisation that will follow as the world's largest migration happens over the next 10 years, when people move to India's cities from its villages.

5: Play diplomatic cards to our advantage --- not any superpower's --- and ensure long-term energy security, an essential component for a double-digit growth.

4: Create political consensus on three key reforms --- one, Goods and Services Taxes Bill to ensure tax efficiency; two, Direct Taxes Code Bill, that will end all uncertainty on taxes; and three, allow foreign large retailers to come in by opening the sector to foreign direct investment.

3: Show global capital a little more respect. Reserve the right to make retrospective tax laws --- as all nations do --- but don't use it until India achieves a scale where it can afford to, a GDP of say $5 trillion.

2: Bite the bullet on interest rates and cut them drastically, so financial costs don't deter companies from expanding and households from continuing to drive the GDP growth through India’s famed consumption story.

1: Finally, deliver better governance. Let not the greed of the few overshadow the needs of the many. Make corruption a zero-tolerance zone.

Ref HT


Girish : just a trial as its my 1st post in any blog..

Despite ONGC debacle, FinMin to push OFS for fresh stake sales - Indian Express

Despite ONGC debacle, FinMin to push OFS for fresh stake sales - Indian Express

what is OFFER FOR SALE?

There are two main ways for a company to list new shares 1) By an offer for sale, which is a public invitation by a sponsoring intermediary such as an investment bank. 2) By an offer for subscription, or direct offer, which is a public invitation by the issuing company itself. The offer can be made at a price that is fixed in advance or it can be by tender where investors state the price they are prepared to pay. After all bids are received, a strike price is set which all investors must pay.

Africa’s best hope - Indian Express

Africa’s best hope - Indian Express

Eye on fuel subsidy cut, govt puts off OIL stake sale - Indian Express

Eye on fuel subsidy cut, govt puts off OIL stake sale - Indian Express

‘India can look at German-Swiss like taxation treaty’ - Indian Express

‘India can look at German-Swiss like taxation treaty’ - Indian Express

FinMin may ask Sebi to re-introduce entry load - Indian Express

FinMin may ask Sebi to re-introduce entry load - Indian Express

Todays ET

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Finance-ministry-Sebi-likely-to-recast-regulations-to-allow-companies-to-use-call-put-options-in-MA/articleshow/14582320.cms

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/editorial/new-delhi-must-continue-diplomatic-nudging-rather-than-hostility/articleshow/14577831.cms

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-06-28/news/32457631_1_wi-fi-hotspots-spectrum-2g

 

ET in the classroom: How monsoon affects Indian economy

India faces the prospects of a second drought in 4 years, though it is too early in the season to worry. ET takes a look at the role monsoon plays in the Indian economy.

Is Farm Sector Crucial For Economy?

Statistically, its significance has declined as now farm sector has a much lower share in GDP. However, with over 50% of population still finding its livelihood in the sector, any stress in the sector has a disproportionately large impact on people

How Important Is Monsoon For Agriculture?

Since India gets most of its water from the 3 months of rains, the importance of monsoons cannot be understated. However, increase in irrigation facilities has helped reduce risks

How Monsoon Affects Farm Output?

Only in extreme drought years does the output drop sharply. The rising importance of winter crop and better irrigation has improved India's ability to withstand monsoon shortfall

Is Monsoon Linked To Inflation?

A poor monsoon can create shortage. But in recent years, food inflation has been high despite rains due to shift in demand patterns. A good buffer stock has also weakened the linkage

LEDs Magazine - Benefits and drawbacks of LEDs

LEDs Magazine - Benefits and drawbacks of LEDs

OLED: Components, Working, Advantages and Disadvantages

OLED Components (components and working is little technical, so can be neglected)

Like an LED, an OLED is a solid-state semiconductor device that is 100 to 500 nanometers thick or about 200 times smaller than a human hair. OLEDs can have either two layers or three layers of organic material; in the latter design, the third layer helps transport electrons from the cathode to the emissive layer. In this article, we'll be focusing on the two-layer design.

An OLED consists of the following parts:

Substrate (clear plastic, glass, foil) - The substrate supports the OLED.

Anode (transparent) - The anode removes electrons (adds electron "holes") when a current flows through the device.

Organic layers - These layers are made of organic molecules or polymers.

Conducting layer - This layer is made of organic plastic molecules that transport "holes" from the anode. One conducting polymer used in OLEDs is polyaniline.

Emissive layer - This layer is made of organic plastic molecules (different ones from the conducting layer) that transport electrons from the cathode; this is where light is made. One polymer used in the emissive layer is polyfluorene.

Cathode (may or may not be transparent depending on the type of OLED) - The cathode injects electrons when a current flows through the device.

How do OLEDs Emit Light?

OLEDs emit light in a similar manner to LEDs, through a process called electrophosphorescence.

The process is as follows:

1. The battery or power supply of the device containing the OLED applies a voltage across the OLED.
2. An electrical current flows from the cathode to the anode through the organic layers (an electrical current is a flow of electrons). The cathode gives electrons to the emissive layer of organic molecules. The anode removes electrons from the conductive layer of organic molecules. (This is the equivalent to giving electron holes to the conductive layer.)
3. At the boundary between the emissive and the conductive layers, electrons find electron holes. When an electron finds an electron hole, the electron fills the hole (it falls into an energy level of the atom that's missing an electron). When this happens, the electron gives up energy in the form of a photon of light.
4. The OLED emits light.
5. The color of the light depends on the type of organic molecule in the emissive layer. Manufacturers place several types of organic films on the same OLED to make color displays.
6. The intensity or brightness of the light depends on the amount of electrical current applied: the more current, the brighter the light.

OLEDs offer many advantages over both LCDs and LEDs:

·        OLED substrates can be plastic rather than the glass used for LEDs and LCDs.

·        OLEDs are brighter than LEDs. Because the organic layers of an OLED are much thinner than the corresponding inorganic crystal layers of an LED, the conductive and emissive layers of an OLED can be multi-layered.

·         Also, LEDs and LCDs require glass for support, and glass absorbs some light. OLEDs do not require glass.

·        OLEDs do not require backlighting like LCDs. LCDs work by selectively blocking areas of the backlight to make the images that you see, while OLEDs generate light themselves.

·        Because OLEDs do not require backlighting, they consume much less power than LCDs (most of the LCD power goes to the backlighting).

·        OLEDs are easier to produce and can be made to larger sizes. Because OLEDs are essentially plastics, they can be made into large, thin sheets. It is much more difficult to grow and lay down so many liquid crystals.

·        OLEDs have large fields of view, about 170 degrees. Because LCDs work by blocking light, they have an inherent viewing obstacle from certain angles. OLEDs produce their own light, so they have a much wider viewing range.

Problems with OLED 

·        Lifetime - While red and green OLED films have longer lifetimes (46,000 to 230,000 hours), blue organics currently have much shorter lifetimes (up to around 14,000 hours[source: OLED-Info.com]).

·        Manufacturing - Manufacturing processes are expensive right now.

·        Water - Water can easily damage OLEDs.