You can download the program to your computer and check out how the nose job you so want will look on you

You can download the program to your computer and check out how the nose job you so want will look on you Don’t like your nose? Want breasts like Rakhi Sawant’s on a good day? Think it might be a good idea to look a little different? Well, the solutions are out there alright—nose jobs, boob jobs, tummy tucks, liposuction, hair grafting, Botox… But have you balked at the thought of the unknown? Of not really knowing what you would look like after surgery? You want your lips to be fuller but how would they look on your face? Well, here’s an answer. Check out www.mybodypart.com, a large collection of plastic surgeons. But that’s not the USP of this group. They have developed a free software download, which lets you experiment with virtual surgery. Basically, you can download the program to your computer and check out how that nose job you so want will look on you. Can you really be the eye-catcher after surgery or will it be a horrible permanent mistake? The program actually gives you a great idea of what you would look like after the knife travels over you. It’s quick, and it’s great fun. You can get others’ opinions too. Just post your madeover image on the ratings directory, so others can write in to tell you what they think of your new look. And you can return the compliment and tell others what you think of them! Straighten out your nose, firm up that chin, pin back those ‘Mr Spock’ ears’ in a painless, virtual, safe, cool experiment. Then dial doc…

UP THE TEMPO

Turn your iPod into a high-end music system with the iTempo 800 stereo from Genius. Its 3D sound technology integrates custom-designed 70 mm drivers and sound effect solutions to deliver quality sound without a subwoofer. A secondary input jack lets you connect laptops, CD players and MP3 players to the system. Wireless remote and power adaptor included. Price: Rs 5,499 Oliver Lodge designed the modern moving-coil driver in 1898. Chester Rice and Edward Kellogg patented the design in 1924.

PICTURE THIS Background sound can often spill the beans!

PICTURE THIS Background sound can often spill the beans! Spice Mobile changes that with the S-920. You can customize your background tone, thus letting you foolproof any excuse. It also has 2 meg camera/webcam. What’s more, there’s also an MP3 player with a storage capacity of 400 songs, a 262K QVGA color display screen and 80 MB internal memory. Keep it coming! Price: Rs 9,499 The first commercial cellular network was launched in Japan by NTT in 1979.

SLIM POWER

Digital cameras are getting slimmer and smarter by the day. Casio adds Exilim EX-V7 to the array. It comes with a 7x optical inner zoom lens and 10x zoom. The shift stabilization technology reduces image blur caused due to shaky hands. The auto ISO sensitivity and shutter speed setting ensure great images, even of moving subjects. The camera also supports movie recording in MPEG4 format. Price: Rs 21,995

TWIST IN THE TALE

Here comes the funphone. With its funky twist design, the Nokia 5700 Xpress Music’s bottom panel rotates by 180° and switches between four modes—music player, 2 meg camera, video call and smartphone. It can store up to 1500 tracks on a 2 GB microSD card, which means 86 hours of music! Price: Rs 14,399 In Asia, the digit ‘4’ never appears in any Nokia model number, as it is considered unlucky by many people.

Hot Download:FASTSTONE IMAGE VIEWER 3.2

Photo editing software either takes too much disk space or is too expensive. Here’s a 3.44 MB image browser, converter and editor. From image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, e-mailing, resizing, cropping to colour adjustments, it lets you do it all It supports all major graphics. WEbsite

Tried Google's White Screen Now Try A black One

You like Google’s trademark whacky logos and the fact that you can find everything everywhere on a white screen? Try looking for everything on a black screen.BAckle.com is raking in eyeballs with eco-conscious Internet users risking limb to save the earth. In these days of global warming, you can sell anything just by dishing out some dodgy math on energy saving numbers. Environmentally oriented techies have put it out that a black screen uses less power than a white one. Try it, its incredibly difficult to read—hour on hour—but they say it saves electricity. So what if your eyes are jeopardised! Google, never to miss out on a fad, has customised the site with its content. You can get all Google features on Blackle—only on a black screen. Not a great idea, methinks. If you have to save power, turn the monitor off. Simple. And, any way, if you’re using those LCD monitors, there is a reversal. You spend more energy on the black screen than the white, reversing the Blackle logic, which works better for CRT monitors. The idea for the site came out of a blog post earlier this year that said a black Google would save you 750 MW a year. All unproved, mind you. This is just to tell you that you can sell anything. Just don’t buy it!

Small And Clear

Didn’t buy a larger LCD TV as it was too expensive? Try Samsung’s new 19” offering, the high-definition Bordeaux LA 19R7. It allows the user to experience richer, more natural colours, deeper contrasts and greater picture clarity. The swivel tabletop stand and in-built wall mounting allows you the flexibility to place it as per your space and aesthetic preferences. Price: Rs 21,000 The Japanese manufacturer Scalar has developed a 2 cm TV system—Teleglass T3-F— that fits on to your spectacles!

Hot Camera 4 u

PICTURE THIS Click some monsoon magic courtesy the Pentax Optio E30 digicam. This 7.1 megapixel cam features a 3x optical zoom lens with 4x digital zoom. It can automatically set exposure levels or personalise shoot modes according to your shooting preference. With a 2.4” display and 11 MB built-in memory, it supports SDHC and SD memory cards and runs on AA batteries. Price: Rs 13,490

Close Your Ears

Be it playing games, watching movies or making Internet calls, a good headphone can really enhance the experience. Logitech offers its Premium Notebook Headset, featuring a noisecancelling microphone and convenient in-line volume and mute controls. It also offers the flexibility of connecting via digital USB ports or traditional analogue (3.5 mm) ports through a convenient adapter. Adjustable fit and compact design make it a good option for notebook users. Price: Rs 3,295 Grado Lab’s GS1000 introduced in 2006 is the only headphone that uses mahogany wood speaker casing.

Smart Life

Here’s another device to make you live smart—the HTC S710. Powered with Windows mobile 6 standard platform for better Internet surfing and document browsing, it comes with an auto-slide QWERTY keyboard, 2.4” display, 2 megapixel camera, 7 hours talk time and 175 hours standby time on a single charge. Price: Rs 17,000

The iPhone isn’t here yet but let’s indulge in some inverted snobbery

The iPhone isn’t here yet but let’s indulge in some inverted snobbery. We’re looking beyond it! So it has music, touchscreen (and ladies, it works with fingertips, not fingernails!), camera, e-mail, iTunes… No GPS. But wait. No TV? Now that’s the next frontier. You can e-mail, browse headlines, check the weather, download music on any available highend PDA or smartphone. Soon, you will watch live TV on your cellphone. Don’t crib about the screen size; mobility is all about being brief. But the future is here. Cellphone companies can now give you mobile TV, with real shows! It’s not phone TV, it’s TV. How does it work? Signals are picked up by a dedicated antenna that extends from the phone, like an add-on, separate from the cell phone service. Here’s how to use those idle hours at airports! This service is just becoming available in more tech-friendly societies. And I bet it’s only a matter of months before it hits India. Already, Airtel has introduced IM on its service. Till now, you could only chat from your desktop/laptop, right? Now, cut out the SMS and go IM. But it’s not merely TV that will show up on your mobile. LG has initiated the trend of handset makers tying up with networking sites. In LG’s new-gen phones, you can shoot/upload/view videos on YouTube. Kya cool hain hum!

cool websites

You have enough web pages for yourself, don’t you? How about a page for your mutt now? Paw-se on this site now and create a page for your pet. Share his/her photos. Go ahead and make other canine friends for him/her. Watch funny videos posted by other owners. Also read their weblogs about their pet loves. Now every dog has its woof ! website over here

HOT DOWNLOAD: WINDOWBLINDS 5.51

Tired of seeing the same icons over and over again? With this 14.73 MB software, add thousands of visual styles to Windows to change the look of your comp. Virtually alter the overall appearance of your desktop, be it the look of title bars, borders, start bar, explorer views or progress animation. Changing the layout is as simple as changing the theme on your mobile phone. So peo ple, how about some colourful browsing? download link

SMART MATE

SMART MATE Smartphones are for you if you like to carry the world in your pocket. The 15.6-mm i-mate JAMA engages you in a rich multimedia experience with a high-quality 2.4” touchscreen and 2 megapixel camera. It is also equipped with Windows Mobile 5.0 for browsing and instant IM connectivity. It also features other apps like Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Price: Rs 15,990 SO, WHO’S A BLUETOOL? A person who wears a Bluetooth wireless earpiece everywhere, to look trendy and important. Ideal places to spot bluetools include movie halls, malls, restaurants, gyms, grocery stores and, of course, car

COLOURED MUSIC MP3 player makers sense your desire to shut your ears to the noise all around. Creative introduces the ZEN Stone 1GB MP3 player for all your music needs on the go, in six attractive colours. Store up to 500 songs and listen non-stop for 10 hours from a single charge of the rechargeable, built-in battery. Personalise it with attractive translucent skins. Price: Rs 3,299

JUST TOO SPACIOUS

Why get hassled with files and folders? With Seagate’s FreeAgent Pro data movers, stay forever connected with your digital content. These storage units, with capacities of 320–750 GB, combine desktop and online solutions to let you access your content from anywhere, share it with anyone, sync it to anything. Transfer latest project files to a flash drive, copy e-mails and contacts from iPods or swiftly sync an entire ‘My Documents’ folders. Sets you free! Price: Rs 9,200–18,400 What is technolust? The constant desire to have the newest, flashiest, fastest, shiniest gadget available, even if the one you just bought is only two months old and works fine.

CARRY ALONG

You are not alone! TravelMate notebook—your new tour companion—has Intel’s Centrino Duo platform and Dolby home theatre for virtual surround sound. It comes in a durable magnesium alloy casing, much stronger and lighter than plastic. For enhanced security, it has fingerprint recognition. Why bother with IDs and passwords? Price: Rs 59,999–69,999

HYPED GIZMOS

A dekko at three recent technologies. Each was launched as a ‘rage’ but couldn’t match the hype. Will the iPhone follow suit? Sony PS3: This was to revolutionise the gaming industry. But Nintendo’s Wii and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 offered more gaming options and gamers didn’t find anything out of this world about the Sony console. Windows Vista: This was projected as a ground-breaking operating system. But user reviews have dissed the product for making tall claims. Blu Ray/HD DVD: In today’s age, top-of-the-line concepts of last year are budget products this year. Blu Ray has been in the testing phase for far too long with no hint of prices coming down. just for iq>>>. "What is iPerbole? The hype surrounding any product Apple unveils!"

HOT DOWNLOAD: SPYBOT SEARCH AND DESTROY 1.5 BETA

filehippo.com/download_spybot_search_destroy/ Does your Internet Explorer toolbar show new links without you ever having installed them? Has your homepage changed without you having modified it? Spyware is the new threat to your computer that most antivirus applications fail to detect or remove. While you are browsing the Net, you are being tracked for your surfing behaviour and your profile is being sold to advertisement companies. To monitor hidden spyware in your computer, download this 7.34 MB freeware.

SHARPEN YOUR VIEW

Not satisfied with the images your TV produces? Sharp presents its new range of Aquos LCD TV series. The PX5 range has contrast ratios of 6000:1 and 1200:1, which enable reproduction of vivid images with enhanced light-shadow interplay. It employs high-res real 16:9 WXGA panel (1366 x 768 pixels) to deliver well-defined pictures. The TVs are equipped with dual high-definition multimedia interface terminals and its advanced optical picture control senses the surrounding light to automatically adjust brightness while the digital amplifier enhances sound quality. Prices: 42”, Rs 1,59,900; 37”, Rs 1,04,900; 32”, Rs 74, 900

FEEL FREE TO TALK

Wanna talk hands-free and wire-free? Try IDPL’s walletsized Parrot Minikit of Bluetooth-enabled hands-free speakers. Its voice recognition technology lets you set up your phonebook with voice tags for the convenience and added control of true hands-free voice dialling. For sound clarity, there’s a built-in 2-watt speaker and microphone. It features 10 hours of talk time and over a week of standby time. Price: Rs 5,990

COMPACT AND STYLISH

If the big toy is just a bit expensive, you can go in for compact and stylish phones from Meridian Mobile—E-300 slider phone, and SX-240 and SX-390 clamshell phones. The E-300 comes with a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera and has a 2.2” QVGA 262K TFT display and 512 MB memory card. The SX-240 is a 13.5 mm slim phone with a 3 megapixel camera. The SX-390 has advanced audio distribution profile for good music output and features a 0.3 megapixel camera and 256 MB memory card. Price: E-300, Rs 12,500; SX-240, Rs 11,500; SX-390, Rs 6,000

BIG TOY FOR BIG BOYS

The new big toy to hit the market is Nokia’s E90 Communicator. The phone is 3G enabled for fast data transfer and allows users to view, open and edit e-mail attachments. It also has Zip manager, Adobe Acrobat Reader, integrated GPS and Nokia Maps, FM radio, music player, video player and two cameras—a 3.2 megapixel autofocus with flash and a second camera for videoconferencing. A unique feature is ‘active notes’, which allows you to take notes and tag them to the caller’s name. Price: Rs 40,499

tech trends

tech trends For those who like to sport art, it’s culture bling! Change your phone wallpaper with your mood. Flit from Impressionist to epic to classic African art or Freud cartoons — Indrani Bagchi Are you an art aficionado? Better still, do you aspire to be one? Read on. You do know it’s terribly un-cool to have your beautiful wide-screen mobile or smart phone sporting those really predictable wallpapers—flowers, dolphins, the Aegean coast, even a pic of your girlfriend. As for ringtones, puhleeez! It is so ‘lowering’ to have to even contemplate sharing out-oftune Himesh Reshamiyya or dulcet Shreya Ghoshal with the autodriver parked next to you, the grocer or worse, your relatives. Get a life, climb up the taste ladder, give yourself a quality treat. Download some of the world’s most famous masterpieces on your mobile from museumonthego.com, the world’s first online portal where you will find eye candy of a different kind—Klimt, Cezanne, even some classic films and their directors. The portal is a combined initiative of museums in Germany, Austria and Israel and aims to make classic art more accessible to the mobile world. For those of you who like art, this is a unique opportunity. For those who like to sport art, it’s culture bling! So change your wallpapers with your mood. Flit from Impressionist to epic (Ramayana or Mahabharata, anyone?) to classic African art or Freud cartoons from the New Yorker. These are high-res images, not amateurish efforts, so the quality is truly astounding. And as for ringtones, try something new there too. How about loading quotations from historical figures? Or a reaction to the first telephone? “This new invention is very interesting.”

Hot Products

FOR THE BOSS If you are the boss, you also need a PC that suits your work profile. Zenith Computers and Vu Technologies have come up with a new BOSS PC limited edition to cater to the needs of head honchos. Weighing just 1.3 kg, it features an Intel core microprocessor, an external wireless keyboard with USB 2.0 port receiver unit, a portable palm-sized CPU and customised LCD monitors. Price: Rs 65,000 LET THE MUSIC TAKE CONTROL Wish you had your favourite music for company when caught in a traffic jam? Get Mitashi’s new MP4 players: MPL 2001 or MPL 1004. Both models come with 2.2” and 262 k colour TFT screen. With MPL 1004’s lyric display function, you can sing along to your favourite tracks. What road rage? Price: MPL 2001 (2 GB), Rs 4,990; MPL 1004 (1 GB), Rs 3,990 MP4 is a multimedia standard for computers and wireless devices CAMERAS AND MORE CAMERAS As if the existing range of camcorders and digital cameras isn’t making your choice difficult, Samsung widens your options much more with the launch of seven new digital still cameras with resolutions ranging from 6 to 10 megapixels and four digital camcorders, including two DVD camcorder models. As an introductory offer, you get a 1 GB card free. Go click! Price: Digital cameras, Rs 9,990–27,990; camcorders, Rs 14,990–28,990 BUSINESS ON THE MOVE Think PDAs are cumbersome? Check out O2’s latest offering—the Xda Atom Life. This 3.5G enabled phone lets you make video calls, add music podcasts to your library at fast download speeds and watch movie clips on the Net. It comes with a turbocharged Intel XScale PXA 270 processor that clocks in at 624 MHz. It weighs 145 gm and has a 262k colour/2.7” TFT screen. It has a 2 megapixel camera with macro focus. You can also switch on your MP3 collection for instant music playback or listen to FM radio. Price: Rs 34,990 102 networks in 55 countries have launched 3.5G-enabled services

TUBE FIGHT

YouTube has become an important tool in the 2008 American presidential election campaign, as both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama use it to their advantage. Talk about American presidential elections getting techsavvy. Politicians have become wiser about the potential of the internet and latest technology. If the last one in 2004 was about online funding and blogging, 2008 will go down in history as the YouTube elections. Digital campaigning is shaping the elections this time, says an article in the Economist. In 2004, bloggers wrote about the presidential debates. In 2008, voters will be able, through YouTube, to send in video-recorded questions to the debate’s moderators. Even well-known bloggers will be brought in for strengthening the campaign. What’s more, the ads, unlike in the past, are much more innovative and interesting. Take the example of the video made by the campaign for Hillary Clinton. Released on her website and watched on YouTube, it was a creative hit. Hillary and Bill sit in a diner, discussing which song she will choose for her campaign theme. They ponder the selections in their table-top jukebox. Finally, just before they make their choice, the screen goes black. It was a clever parody of the final episode of The Sopranos. Viewers then had to go to Hillary’s campaign website to find out which song the Clintons — encouarged by voters on her website — finally chose. It is You and I, by Celine Dion, a Canadian singer. Before this, the ad for Hillary’s rival Barack Obama created a buzz. It was a parody, a direct rip-off of a 1984 Apple ad that portrayed IBM as Big Brother, with Hillary standing in for Big Brother on this occasion. Unlike Hillary, Obama has been successful in making the best use of online funding. The fact that he has raised funds online, from a large number of donors, is working in his favour. What’s interesting is that YouTube keeps the candidates under scrutiny. They have to be extra careful of what they say. A public mistake can now land the candidate in trouble, as George Allen, a Republican, discovered to his horror. His use of an apparent racial slur, caused a huge furore last year. He was running for the Senate in Virginia last year but lost to his opponent, Jim Webb. The defeat was triggered by a videotape of Allen referring to an Indian-American, a volunteer with Webb, as macaca. The term, in some European cultures, is considered a racial slur against African immigrants. In a previous election Allen’s comment might have been missed, but in 2006 the young staffer, S R Sidarth, who worked for Webb had taken to following the Republican and filming him. But one wonders how big an impact will technology actually make on the votes. Obama is popular on MySpace. But these friends may not necessarily translate into votes. Young users of new technology are not as important as the dedicated and capable “ground troops” in a campaign. The latter come from unions, religious groups and others. Democrat Howard Dean’s story is illustrative — thousands of his enthusiastic workers descended upon Iowa for that state’s early Democratic caucus. But this much-touted “perfect storm” of volunteers, mostly non-Iowan, failed him. Name recognition, money and old-fashioned organisation are virtues that no amount of net savvy can replace. Dean finished a distant third in Iowa, and never recovered.