ACTRESS SWAPNA TO FEATURE IN SALSA VIDEO

Mumbaichi garam masala mulgi Swapna is all set to feature in a hot, spicy international Salsa music video. She will be the leading face of the video with a steamy performance that is likely to make Sherlyn Chopra’s Outrageous look really tame and mild.


Swapna Todkar who comes from a very conservative Maharashtrian family though has no qualms about her performance. Says she, “the video story board demands a very ‘in your face’ and ‘bold’ performance and I am prepared for it.”


The shooting for the video is to begin around Jan-end and the tracks have already been worked out. The video – a crossover jugalbandi will also feature international hip-hop and Salsa performers besides the Indian hottie who will showcase her Salsa skills.


Swapna who is originally from Kolhapur and is a very well-known face on the modeling scene in Sangli, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Pune and other smaller towns in Maharashtra.


The dancing sensation who has learned kathak and western dances like Salsa, Mexican and the Tango from international dance experts had earlier won “The Best Female Model 2005 & 2006” contest from Suchitra Photographics and Intertrade advertisement company, Kolhapur.

She was also the title holder at the Miss Silver City 2005 contest and is the Brand ambassador for Samruddhi and Krushak of Sangli.

A trained theatre personality, she has done various plays both in serious character and even comedy roles. Her play “Sabse Bada Rupaiyaa” – a hilarious comedy performed in over 15 cities and towns in Maharashtra. The play is directed by Vijay Patwardhan and produced by Shekhar Lohakar. She has also performed in Lagna Aadhi Varat which is a farsical and in Aghatit – a one act play.


She has appeared on hundreds of print and television ads and graced the covers of several prominent news and women’s magazines.

She is also a ramp model and has walked the ramp for many nationally known fashion designers.

Influx Group to invest Rs 100 crore in Retail Sector Projects

By Flynn Remedios – Futuristic Media Network

The Pune-based Rs 200 crore Influx Group announced last week that it will invest Rs 100 crore primarily in the Retail and Information Technology sectors in order to reach its target turnover of Rs 1,000 crore from its present Rs 200 crore in the next three years. The thrust of the Group will be Retail, Financial Marketing Services and Information Technology.

The Group is also present in the Entertainment Sector through a privately-held outfit called Influx Ideas and will launch two Marathi films soon. The films are already ready for release and the Group is waiting for the opportune moment to announce their release.

Widely acclaimed as one of the fastest growing groups in India, covering various businesses ranging from Retail, to Financial Services Marketing to Information Technology, the group has developed a strong corporate governance model based on core values of excellence, knowledge, innovation, care integrity and team work.

While interacting with a group of visiting media persons from Bangalore, Group Chairman and Managing Director Shivaaji Chamkire explained that the current customer base of four lakh pan-India would be increased to over ten million in the next three years, through its six group companies.

An ISO certified group, with quality as its top most priority, the organisation had spread its operations in 22 states. Explaining the performance of all the six companies, he said, the Influx Infotech company had set up an Offshore Development Centre in Bangalore for its software marketing activities. The company offered a wide range of innovative IT products and its 'TOTAL Accounting Software' was rapidly becoming a favoured choice of professionals across the country.

Armed with high-end infrastructure and an experienced back-end team, the company had already implemented a project in the Karnataka Chief Minister's office to ensure paperless transactions through a software and was negotiating with the Orissa Government for introducing the same, he added.

Influx-KEONICS launches TOTAL Graduate Programme

By Flynn Remedios – FUTURISTIC MEDIA NETWORK


Bangalore: The Pune-based 200-crore plus Influx Group in a strategic and major move to support rural and urban youth to shape up their career, has announced a 'Total Graduate Programme' jointly with the Karnataka Government owned KEONICS to give finishing touch to graduate students to brighten their employment prospects. Influx Infotech, the Information Technology arm of Influx made the announcement in Bangalore recently.

Briefing newsmen after the formal launch of the programme, Keonics Director (Operations) B S Patri said the programme would be covered by 250 centres of KEONICS in the first phase with the help of the Influx group across the country, mainly targeting students of various courses such as BA, B Sc, B Com, BE, BBA and BBM, to improve their skills and make them ready for industry use.

Explaining the programme, Influx Chairman and Managing Director Shivaaji Chamkire said the 60-hour training programme comprised basic computers, operating system, MS Office Package, database concepts, among other things.

The programme is aimed at helping students improve their communication and management skills, personality development and career guidance, he explained. Chamkire added that Influx would open 1,000 centres to implement the programme as against the existing 24 outlets by March 2009. The turnover of the company which is currently around Rs 200 crore is expected to cross Rs 1,000 crore by 2010, he added.

WATCH OUT FOR THIS SPUNKY LASS!!!!

SWETAA SINGH INDIA'S LATEST BRILLIANT SUPERMODEL

Swetaa Singh is Mumbai’s Ms Bikini India babe nominee

Aspiring actress and model Swetaa Singh is Mumbai’s answer to Ms Bikini India babe. She was selected from among 250 participants from Mumbai along with Natasha Sikka. Both Swetaa and Natasha have also bagged prime music video contracts from leading music companies as a result of their association with Ms Bikini India and will be seen in hot, sexy, racy music videos in the coming months.

While the names of the music companies were not disclosed as the official announcement will be made after the paper work is done, both Swetaa and Natasha were ecstatic about the announcements.

Swetaa who spoke to us said that she always wanted to be a film actress and Ms Bikini India is probably the best platform an upcoming model can get to showcase her talent and oomph and get noticed. “This is a fantastic opportunity for girls like me. There is nothing wrong in wearing a bikini or a swimsuit as long as it’s done in an artistic and classy fashion for a particular purpose. This is a talent search platform and is like any other beauty pageant. It is not vulgar or demeaning."

Being a model and an actress is also a decent and admirable profession, which many girls aspire. Many girls have to go through the casting couch method. Many girls get exploited by unscrupulous elements on their way to stardom. Ms Bikini India is a professionally organized contest and we are proud to be associated with it and nominated or voted as winners,” said Swetaa.

Swetaa will also be launched in a cross over film next year by a prominent and established production house, the details of which are likely to be announced soon.

I did not sleep with Yuvi, says actress Anjali

Responding to a report in a popular Mumbai tabloid about her so-called affair and relationship with the handsome ladies man and cricketer Yuvraj Singh, well-known model and actress Anjali Pandey said that she did not sleep with Yuvi. Clarifying about what she was quoted as saying in the published article, she said that she meant that “she shared a great working relationship with Yuvraj Singh during their photo shoot and not a physical relationship”. “I was misquoted,” she added.

Some of super model Anjali Pandey’s campaigns include the Seagrams Imperial Blue TVC, the UTV Bindass campaign, a campaign for Kalyan Silks – a very well known brand of silk garments in South India and of course the Hero Honda television commercial with Yuvraj Singh. She has done thousands of print ads and other lesser known television commercials. She is known for her Idea Cellular campaign with the line “Dad can you pick me up”.


“Yuvi and I were shooting for the Hero Honda commercial and during our interaction; Yuvi came across as a perfect gentleman. He was very kind and helpful and even went out of his way to make everyone feel comfortable and at ease. He was very good to me. We bonded very well and became good friends. But I did not go to bed with him, as wrongly alleged in the report,” said an agitated Anjali Pandey.


“I meant that we shared a fantastic working relationship during the shoot and Yuvi was very down-to-earth and helpful. He is very sophisticated and yet friendly and simple. “It is true that we chatted a lot and even flirted with each other, but that does not mean that we were sleeping together,” she explained adding that during that time according to the best of her knowledge, Yuvi was going very strong with actress Kim Sharma.

“I was definitely attracted to him. He is simply so perfect, but I knew that he was seeing another woman and didn’t even try to cross the Lakshman Rekha. Yes if he was single and available at that time, I would have definitely taken a step further,” she stated.

But at that time, there was nothing more between us besides a good friendship. We didn’t have any thing physical to do with each other. After the shoot was over, we packed our bags and unfortunately haven’t been in touch with each other as Yuvi is very busy and I keep traveling all over for my work,” explained Anjali.

5 Star hotel staff taken for a ride by Neetu Chandra

By Flynn Remedios – Futuristic Media Network

The sexy and wild Neetu Chandra was in her element last week. While shooting for One, Two, Three at Mud Island – a scenic locale on the outskirts of Mumbai which is as its name suggests a small island along the coastline of Mumbai near suburban Malad,

The place also houses two 5 star luxury hotels, whose names we won’t mention right now, let’s say out of courtesy.

Neetu who plays a Jat cop in the movie was in her ‘full policewalla uniform’ with glares, badges, revolver and all. Along with the sizzling Neetu, were two hawaldars also in full hawaldar uniform with ‘danda’ and whistles. This journalist happened to be around for an ‘interview’ with the actress.

During the shoot, the ever fidgety Neetu decided to have some fun. She ‘summoned’ her constables and decided to ‘check’ the licenses and other ‘permissions’ at the hotel. So she marched up to the hotel, walked into the main reception area and called for the Manager. While the receptionist and the others in the hotel lobby scurried away promptly to call their boss, Neetu and her ‘orderlies’ walked into the posh restaurant adjoining the lobby.

The hotel manager who was told by his colleagues that ‘an ACP has walked in on a surprise check’ came running down only to find out to his chagrin that ‘ACP’ was none other than a beautiful, sexy woman.

Of course, while Neetu was dressed in a policewoman’s uniform, with all her insignias intact, her designer had made sure that ‘some cleavage’ was definitely showing. The poor hotel manager didn’t know what to do. He had probably handled a lot of ‘difficult’ cops in his career as an F&B and Hospitality professional, but here was a ‘new gorgeous ACP in a tight uniform’ – too much for a poor F&B Manager. Unfortunately, for him or for the hotel staff, none of them recognized the actress.

The look of bewilderment on their eyes was too much for Neetu and her team. They quickly ordered some chai ‘and coffee for madam’ to break the ice, while the manager looked on his tongue too frozen to speak. Then madam decided enough was enough. She called for the bill and decided to scoot before she could break out into peals of laughter. However, the manager who had by then found his tongue, wouldn’t let her settle the bill and insisted that she also try some of the delicacies at the hotel.

Knowing how Neetu loves to eat, this was a tough call for even a cop. However, better sense prevailed and she stomped out after giving the manger a piece of her mind. She kept a straight face right through the short distance from the hotel to the sets, but burst out laughing when she reached there. The entire unit was stumped. They didn’t know what had happened and why Neetu had tears of joy in her eyes.

Facebook move will compromise user data – Bollywood better watch out.

By Flynn Remedios – Futuristic Media Network

According to news reports popular social networking site Facebook.com has announced a marketing ploy that may bring in revenues for the site, but will greatly compromise user data and individual privacy.

The website will permit search engines like Google to index its user database using keywords and other ‘tags’ and throw up user data when queried through a search engine.

Many Bollywood personalities have their profiles on Facebook and many media professionals like this journalist mention contact details like email ids and even telephone or mobile contact numbers.

The idea being that till now, Facebook or even Orkut details could be accessed only to members and only those ‘certified’ by a user as a ‘friend’ was allowed to access contact data including other personal data like hobbies, etc.

According to technology website Techtree.com the public search function will allow anybody to search for a specific person on Facebook. And this includes people not registered with the social networking Web site.
According to information put out by Facebook, the feature will show a thumbnail of the specific member from his/her profile page, plus links letting others interact with him/her. However for a person to be able to add someone as friend or send a message, he/she has to register with Facebook.


Around a month down the line, the public search feature will allow people to find member profiles -- complete with names, photographs, and other details -- through search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and MSN.

Despite Facebook's claims to the contrary, privacy advocates are voicing security concerns with respect to the move. They are hugely worried about private data falling into the wrong hands -- and of being used for all the wrong reasons...

Meanwhile, Facebook says the move is driven purely by profit motives and that the information revealed would be minimal, said Techtree.

Besides, the Web site claims that those who want to prevent personal information from being accessed by all-and-sundry on the Web can simply opt out of the feature or change their privacy settings. Either ways, they have one month to do so.

Whatever the case, Facebook is risking the ire of many with its latest move. Considering that just last year, users expressed anger when the Web site introduced a 'news feed' feature that informs everyone on a contact list as to when the user makes changes to his/her profile page.
Bollywood personalities like Shahid Kapoor and a host of other ‘media kinds’ who are avid Facebook fans may have to change their “settings’ or even go underground as their personal email ids and at times phone numbers are likely to become the target of spammers or ‘bots’ – automated search engines that scan the web for ‘programmed information’ like email ids or phone numbers.

Bollywood actresses “paraded” on Orkut

By Flynn Remedios – Futuristic Media Network

The popular social networking site Orkut is in the news again. Last month we reported how high class call girls and out of work models and some “aspiring actresses” were using the Orkut Network to solicit customers and even help screen decoys from ‘real’ customers. (Read http://futuristicmedianetwork.blogspot.com/2007/08/call-girls-in-mumbai-using-identity.html and http://futuristicmedianetwork.blogspot.com/2007/08/call-girl-network-in-mumbai-using-orkut.html)

This time we found out that some unscrupulous elements are using Orkut to “sell” Bollywood actresses for “special projects”. While we obviously do not want to mention the actual links or profile ids, a simple search on Orkut will show what we mean. We found dummy profiles of Sameera Reddy, Rakhi Sawant, Celina Jaitley, Tanushree Dutta, Sherlyn Chopra and even Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee. While some dummy profiles were blatant in their alleged purpose, the others were subtly camouflaged as fan sites or communities.

Most visitors to these fan communities would not notice the subtle “dhanda” being carried online. A closer examination over a period of time would however show that some of these communities were being used to trade doctored porn clips of the actresses mentioned. Even their phone numbers were given out in some cases. We checked out a few phone numbers and about 50 per cent of them turned out to be correct.

A few small-time out-of-work models and actresses were also seen in a similar fashion and their “per night rates” (sic) were also mentioned on their profiles.

Divya Dwivedi nude in a Hollywood film

By Flynn Remedios – Futuristic Media Network

Bollywood bombshell and sex siren Divya Dwivedi will be seen in the buff for a “big- budget, big banner” Hollywood film. So excited is Divya about her forthcoming Hollywood film, that at a recent audition for a ad film at a studio at Versova in suburban Mumbai, Divya got into her element and forgot that she was auditioning for an ad film. She went overboard and the director had to call ‘cut’ and even reprimand the over enthusiastic Divya for forgetting where she was.

Recently Divya was seen in the Lakhan Sinha produced Jahan Jaaeyega Hamen Paaeyega with Govinda and Sakshi Shivanand. She also acted in the Rakesh Sawant-directed Hot Money and was also seen in Kuch Kaha Aapne with Ayub Khan and Mukesh Tiwari. Divya has almost 20 films to her credit though unfortunately none have been box office hits.

Speaking to this journalist, Divya said, “It’s a big project. I have read the script and the script demands the role, so I am willing to do it. It’s an international project and I am the only Indian artiste and actress in the film. Most other actors are American while two other girls are German. I am proud to be chosen for the role, which will put to test all my acting skills.”

When queried about the exact nature of the role, she says that she plays the role of a beautiful, sexy, hot woman who is traditionally married at a very young age and living in the US. Unfortunately, her husband who is an engineer with an oil company gets killed in a tragic accident and her in laws spurn her as the bringer of bad luck and the cause of her husband’s death. So she moves out in search of her own livelihood and then begins a devastating tale that sees her character being tossed from one man to the other, from one relationship to another, where she is used and misused by almost everyone in the glamour and fashion industry.

Finally she learns to make it to the top professionally at least, and realises that her body is her ultimate weapon. She uses her body and her sexuality to the maximum to subjugate and conquer and conquer she does. It’s a dramatic story about the trials and tribulations, but also speaks volumes about the characters' resilience and tenacity. “It’s a very bold role and it’s a challenge to be chosen for such a role, explains Divya.

According to the director of the film who didn’t want to be named as yet, the film will have scenes where Divya is shown nude though in complete darkness. Another has a date rape scene where her character gets raped by her own boyfriend whom she is ‘dating’. And the last scene where she sleeps with an international fashion designer just before the night of an international fashion show to ensure that she is not ‘thrown out’ of the event. However, none of the scenes would be “X-rated” and the film is likely to get an A certificate without any cuts, he explained.

Bollywood actress Poonam Jhawer to do Playboy Centrespread??

BY FLYNN REMEDIOS - FUTURISTIC MEDIA NETWORK

If industry gossip is to be believed, Bollywood actress and spicy music sensation Poonam Jhawer will be the first Bollywood actress to do a Playboy centrespread. Poonam is expected to don her 'birthday suit' for the photo session, say sources. However, neither Poonam nor Playboy Inc sources were willing to comment on the news. However, a co-ordinator close to Poonam confirmed this news saying that her associates were negotiating with an international photographer known to be working with Playboy.

When contacted Playboy Inc sources said that somebody was talking to them about an Indian actress doing a centrespread, however, they were unable to confirm any details whatsoever and claimed that nothing has been finalised. A Playboy spokesperson only said, "We talk to hundreds of beautiful women everyday who would like to grace our covers. We are not sure if the concerned actress is doing a centrespread for us. We cannot confirm anything."

However, when contacted one of Poonam's friends said, "Why not? It's an honour to be contacted by Playboy and whether she finally does the shoot or not, it's definitely worth giving a try."

According to Poonam's official website, the talented and hot actress, has worked opposite Suniel Shetty in Gulshan Rai-Rajeev Rai's Golden Jubilee film 'Mohra' and is the only young producer till now in Indian Cinema who became a producer with multi crore movie without any filmi background.

Poonam who is affectionately called Poo by her friends, was born on 14th August in Mumbai. Poonam belongs to a business class family and her mother is a well-known poetess. She on her own has taken the initiative of producing a big film like 'Aanch' along with B.L.Saboo. 'Aanch' stars Nana Patekar, Paresh Rawal, Ayesha Jhulka, Introducing Vyajyanti Mala Bali's son Suchindra Bali, Sharbani Mukherjee, Raghuveer Yadav, Nirmal Pandey, Akhilendra Mishra, Arun Bakshi etc.

Despite her busy career as a producer, she is steady on the glamorous front. She has played an important character in her own film 'Aanch'. she has mesmerised the audience with her stunning beauty in her solo music album 'Take Me Home Baby'

Poonam is now working on several new projects including a talent search and promotion project which is "under wraps" for now.

Chips in your head

FLYNN REMEDIOS – FUTURISTIC MEDIA NETWORK

Microprocessors have invaded all walks of life from wristwatches to tea-cups. Most of us would remember the nursery rhyme `Polly put the kettle on, let's all have tea'. While in the nursery rhyme Polly was a human being (or was it a parrot?), in the digital age Polly could well be your computer. Today, almost every other consumer product for household use incorporates a small chip that controls its functions.

We all know that digital watches contain a small micro chip that drives the functions of the watch and tells the time. Multi-functional watches that offer chronometrical functions have sophisticated computational circuitry built into a single square centimetre of space. Such chips are fabricated on the circuit board itself and cannot be detached or swapped. Hence, if the chip fails, the watch needs to be discarded.

All electronic consumer goods sold today contain these small microprocessor chips that control vital functions of the product. Hence a toaster microchip would contain a timer and temperature control mechanism built in, a television or tape recorder would contain several chips, as would a motorcar. Some cars manufactured today have more computing power than the most advanced super computers built ten years ago. These built-in or embedded microprocessors are the brains that drive the products. While most parts of a consumer product can be replaced, it is very difficult to replace or change an embedded chip should it fail to function. And most embedded chips are not of the plug-in variety. They are hard-wired with the requisite software and the code is burnt into the silicon of which they are made.


Thanks to contemporary programming languages microscopic processors embedded into products like tea-pots, microwaves, air-conditioners, televisions and other household goods, it is now technically possible to verbally order your television set on or off or your tea-pot to warm up your coffee.


While channel surfing may still require manual operation of the remote, voice recognition (VR) software has advanced enough to provide basic on-off functions. And with most gadgets using built-in microprocessors, it is not very difficult to incorporate a VR option.

As most consumer goods become multi-functional, electronic chips are replacing mechanical systems. So today you have chips in your air-conditioner, Walkman, wristwatch, camera, washing machine, toaster, microwave, electric cooker, you name it.

However, the day is not far off when your Reebok or Nike shoes will also house embedded chips that compute the inflow of air into the soles of the air-cushioned shoes. Some of them already have mechanized versions. Even your fountain pen may have a micro computerized system to control the flow to its nib based on the pressure exerted on the nib.

Or maybe eyeglasses that have a microscopic chip built into the framework to modify the curvature of the lens or adjust the opacity depending on the intensity of the light. Thermal or heat-sensitive garments used in certain industry incorporate miniature microprocessors that modify the texture and other properties of the fabric like sensitivity etc. Cushions and seats in cars and aero planes are already automated to adjust to the pressure exerted on them. Artificial organs that can be implanted into the body to replace faulty valves etc also use built-in microchips. Pacemakers, artificial lungs, or kidneys that are already commercially available run on micro chips. Very soon, a malfunctioning section of the brain could be replaced by a microchip – and then digital brains are not far away.

The original article was first published in The Economic Times and can be found online at: http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:kT6M4Hebs34J:www1.economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-14367333,prtpage-1.cms+%22Flynn+Remedios%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=75&gl=in

Those New Age Plastics

FLYNN REMEDIOS - FUTURISTIC MEDIA NETWORK

For want of a better name, they're called plastics. But new age polymers could soon replace every kind of material you can think or even dream of. You could even be wearing them. Imagine about 70 per cent of the jet you fly in made of the miracle plastic polymers. Crazy isn’t it.

When a chemical engineer at a recent conference in Mumbai made a statement that iron and steel and other conventional building materials would be obsolete in the next decade - only to be replaced by new age plastic polymers, not many in the audience made a serious note of what he said. Others probably dismissed it as mere SF gobbledygook. Only a couple of people in the audience nodded in agreement.

Right from semi-conductors, to batteries, to car engines and aeroplane parts, all can be easily and cost-effectively fabricated using these new age materials, which for want of a specific name are called plastics. Yes, they share some properties with conventional plastics and may have molecular formulas like other polymers, but are as durable, heat resistant and possess the tensile strength of hi-grade steel. They can even be used to build bridges or make flexible computer display screens that could be folded like you'd fold a handkerchief and put it into your pocket. And when you want to use the thingamajig, just pop it out, unfold it and it's ready to go. Well, for now, this may be a wee bit SF, but if developments in plastics' technology are to be believed and the progress being made is sustained, you could have a folding TV in another two years. Better still, your car would probably weigh almost a fifth of what it currently does because not just the bumper and the dashboard, but even the engine and the body would be made of some `plastic' material.


Researchers are even experimenting with using these new materials for making locomotive and aero parts which can withstand very high vibrations, besides temperature and pressure extremes without giving way. One of the biggest advantages that these products promise over conventional plastics is the fact that they are biodegradable and can be recycled without losing any of their specific properties. Unlike conventional plastic, which if recycled, loses its shine and strength and becomes brittle - making it unusable for manufacture of new products.


As far as electronics is concerned, polymers are already used to produce ultra-light batteries for cell phones that are stamp-sized but last for several days. Researchers predict that in the next few years polymer batteries will completely phase out the conventional lithium, cadmium or nickel-ammonium batteries, helping make cell phones much lighter - today almost 60 per cent of the weight and volume of a cell phone is its battery. Imagine if that were reduced by 200 per cent, a cell phone built into your wrist watch would work for more than a week without a recharge - or your palmtop could run for two full days with your multimedia running at full blast.

The original article was first published in The Economic Times and can be found online at:

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:Io1S7czgnCkJ:economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-15369597,prtpage-1.cms+%22Flynn+Remedios%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=71&gl=in

Hostage on the Net

FLYNN REMEDIOS - FUTURISTIC MEDIA NETWORK


It is very easy for cyber criminals, cyber terrorists and hackers to hijack a domain on the internet, or crack into a web server. The cracking tools are all there on the net itself.

Ever stopped to think how vulnerable you and your business is on the net? And did you ever realise that at any given point of time, there are probably thousands of online predators trying to pry their talons into your web server.

If you are still skeptical, here are some hard facts: According to Wired, Nike lost control of its homepage a few weeks ago to a group of activists demanding "global justice." "Global Justice is coming - prepare now!" the erstwhile Nike.com site read, directing surfers to the website of an Australian organisation called S-11. Meanwhile, Web Networks, a non-profit ISP that hosts websites for other non-profit organisations, is still assessing the damage after losing its domain, Web.net, to a thief recently. A single day doesn't go by with a few hundred sites losing their home pages to hackers, who disfigure them, either to post a message and make a statement or sometimes merely to gain some self-publicity.


A White House official recently confessed to a wire service that every day at least a hundred unsuccessful attempts to hack into the Pentagon, NASA or the White House are logged by the tracking devices and firewalls employed by these sites. Then again, ready-to-use programs that can cause a web server to `hang' - a term called Denial of Service are easily available on the net. Utilities with names like Satan, Crack and Lucifer are widely used with ease by amateur hackers to do their dirty deeds. We have also heard reports of domain squatters who register popular domains and brand names, hoping to sell them to the original owners at a super premium later on. In India itself, business houses have been at the receiving end of cyber-squatters. Not just brand names, cyber-squatters also hijack popular personalities. PramodMahajan.com and Vajyapee.com are some examples. Some Mumbai-based youth managed to register a domain under the name of the IT minister. Last year, a porn site vajyapee.com was online for a short while before it disappeared into the fathomless depths of the internet. But it stayed long enough to cause adequate damage.


Domain takeovers enable the hijacker to control the server associated with a domain name, such as nokia.com or Nike.com. Hijackers can then reassign the domain name to another Web server, or to no server at all, scuttling all traffic intended to go to the site.


Another deadly issue is the use of Internet Warfare or the blocking of sites by hackers from warring or discordant nations. So you have domain-name hijackers taking over hundreds of websites in a campaign rooted in tensions among Balkan states - back home, Pakistani hackers have claimed to have identified over 800 vulnerable Indian sites, that can be blocked or hacked in case tensions between the two neighbours hot up. Individuals listing Serbian and Albanian postal addresses recently have exploited a weakness in registrar Network Solutions and appropriated names registered through the company, only to re-register them anew.


A simple method of IP address redirection, ensures that genuine cyber citizens are redirected to other sites before they end up at the URL or portal of their choice. This means that an online business would use this method to divert customers from other competing sites to their own site. Another method called Spoofing creates a facade or a dummy site on the web. Surfers are presented with a page that looks like the real thing, but is really a Trojan that conceals a payload. Hackers also use sophisticated `sniffing' software and methods to detect IP addresses and packets that they sniff or decipher anonymously. The issue of prime concern is that such software is available for the asking on the Net - all free with the source code included that allows hackers to even change the original to include their own demonical creations. The free internet obviously seems to be serving cyber criminals as well.

This article was first published in The Economic Times and can be found online at:

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:vsyvHehT-1sJ:economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-16868050,prtpage-1.cms+%22Flynn+Remedios%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=70&gl=in

Call girls in Mumbai using identity cards of Star hotels, airlines and BPOs

By Flynn Remedios - Futuristic Media Network

The Mumbai police and particularly the Social Service Branch of the Crime Branch at Mumbai investigating the misuse of social networking website www.orkut.com by high class call girls and pimps have chanced upon a very disturbing trend in the flesh trade.

An additional commissioner of police under whom the department falls, said that many "women of the night" are using perfect forgeries of identity cards belonging to BPOs, Airlines and even the Hotel industry. Speaking to this journalist, he said, "Our flying squads and night patrols intercept people traveling in the wee hours of the night. We also stop and conduct checks at traffic intersections and at naka bandis. However, when anybody flashes an identity card of a reputed organization our officers and constables immediately let them go without any further questions or further checks.

For the last few years, press and TV media id cards were the most misused even by errant drivers and sometimes inebriated drivers who would jump signals and when accosted by a traffic policeman would flash a "Press Card" of a prominent newspaper or television channel.

"Many times our officers not wanting to "inconvenience" genuine journalists who may be rushing to cover a story or event would just let them go. This modus operandi has been in use for quite some time now," explains a former Mumbai traffic police commissioner.

According to police sources, "however a very disturbing trend is the growing misuse of Id cards belonging to Airlines, five star hotels and even BPOs, all of whose employees are required to work late hours and in shifts. In the last one month we have detained about 50 persons all over Mumbai, most of them women misusing such ID cards."

Call girl network in Mumbai using Orkut?

By Flynn Remedios - Futuristic Media Network

Highly placed sources in the Social Services Branch at the Crime Branch, Mumbai confirmed on Wednesday that they are monitoring the popular international networking and social portal www.orkut.com and have zeroed in on some prominent and other not-so-prominent Bollywood celebs involved in the flesh trade.

Speaking to this journalist on condition of anonymity, a DCP heading the surveillance and monitoring project said that many "high class" call girls - some of them part-time Bollywood actresses and out-of-work models are using the Orkut network to solicit clients and even openly advertise their services. "We have some officers and agents from the Cyber crime cell logging in and continuously monitoring such profiles and checking their "scraps and messages", he explained.


We decided to check out ourselves: Searching randomly through Orkut.com, we found several hundred profiles of Indian girls with suggestive content, some of them mentioning email ids and even contact telephone numbers and not to forget very obscene vulgar photographs.

Most of the photos were not morphed - as is normally believed - as a closer examination of the jpeg, bmp and tiff files revealed but were normal photos shot with digital cameras. A basic cyber forensic examination of the photos in question uploaded on Orkut even revealed the type and make of camera used to click the photos. Next we decided to call a few random the phone numbers listed against the Orkut profiles.

In many cases, the profiles turn out to be put up by disgruntled ex-lovers and "enemies" who may have damaging material on their ex-girl friends. However, of the 20-odd phone numbers we contacted about 12 turned out to be working cell nos which were normally answered by gruff male voices. In one or two particular cases, when we mentioned their "advertisement" we were told to deposit Rs 5000/- in a particular ICICI bank account if we wanted more details. The person answering the phone claimed to have an album of celebrities and their "going rate" but we would have to pay Rs 5000/- for a one-time view of his album.

A few days ago, two Mumbai aspiring actresses and a model, who solicited clients through websites www.hotpari.com and www.damesndesires.com, were arrested by the Nagpur rural police on Friday. Police sources had then claimed that one of the arrested girls is paired opposite Abhay Deol in a forth coming film, the other two girls were models having "appeared" in various print advertisements.

Apparently, a detailed interrogation of the girls lead to the monitoring of Orkut, claim officials. Additional Commissioner of police (Mumbai Western Region) Archana Tyagi was unavailable for comment.

Futuristics: Virtual Fun

By Flynn Remedios - Futuristic Media Network

Got an important board presentation the day after? Want to spruce up your image before the chairman? It's a once in a lifetime chance remember!!! So what do you do? Junk the conventional Powerpoint presentation and try adding a few Virtual Effects, 3D and Dolby Sound-like magic to your otherwise boring PPT. And is that possible - yes it is.

There was a time when 3D and virtual reality (VR) software and effects could only be viewed with special goggles? And, in spite of all those contraptions and contrivances, the images made a perfect recipe for sore eyes. They were crude and lacked the finesse and sophistication displayed by even some of the relatively down-market productions available today.

All that is a thing of the past. Different VR formats like the QuickTime VR developed by Apple and other similar formats from competing software companies have literally put VR on the desktop of the corporate and marketing manager.
QuickTime VR is an extension of the QuickTime technology developed by Apple Computer Inc that allows users to interactively explore and examine photorealistic, three-dimensional virtual worlds.

Unlike many other virtual reality systems, QuickTime VR does not require the user to wear goggles or gloves. Instead, the user navigates in a virtual world using standard input devices (such as the mouse or keyboard) to change the image displayed by the QuickTime VR movie controller. The images displayed in QuickTime VR movies can rendered on a computer using a three-dimensional graphics package.

Also, producing software for such applications is quite easy, thanks to applications like QTVR Authoring Studio and several others that are available at affordable prices. Some VR production software is also available as shareware on the internet - obviously such shareware wouldn't incorporate all the finer features.

This means that producing VR applications and presentations is as convenient as producing Word or PowerPoint demos. Hypothetically yes, though it may be difficult for the uninitiated and Latin and Greek for still others who can barely use MS Word.

However, for those who master this product, with a few clicks of the mouse and a couple of scanned images, the software allows the developer to add effects that range from the downright bizarre to the completely grotesque. All this in the minimum possible time, so that corporate managers can actually carry all the production software on their laptops and change VR demos and presentations enroute from one meeting to the other.

So while in Mumbai you can open your presentation with a background image of the Gateway of India and some high-pitched Mumbai-local train chatter as your background score and when in Delhi change the introduction template to include the India Gate and some Karol Bagh tamasha - if that's your cup of tea.

The most important feature of the currently available VR production software is the portability they offer and their capability to suck out relevant data from standard RDBMS systems or even from ERP and other MIS software. The VR software can draw out data in real-time from say an ERP product like SAP and simultaneously modify the presentation that could include a graph or a pie-chart embedded within another graphic. Of course, besides VR, several other presentation packages make just as good or even better presentations, but the novelty of having a VR embedded presentation can still turn heads and make headlines in the press the next day.

Another aspect is the simplicity and compactness of the generated VR files. They occupy just a few megabytes of hard disk space, and can be stored on a small laptop. If the images are huge, they can be stored on a media server and by incorporating a format like OBVI (Object-based video interface) into the VR presentation, they can be only downloaded via the internet as and when required. The manager can leave the image files on his server and stream them into his presentations.

As these techniques progress to dizzy heights of technical sophistication and software becomes easier to use and even easier to carry around and integrate, we owe these benefits largely to the internet that has made portability a de facto requirement.

Entertainment: Rose Dawn spells a new dawn for Frankfinn Music.

By Jamila Hussain/Flynn Remedios

The haute and saucy item girl that recently hit tinsel town about a month ago, Rose Dawn has sent the cash registers ringing at Frankfinn Music making head honcho K S Kolhi a very happy man. The Suga Candy girl (the name of her recent album),k Rose Dawn is an Anglo-Indian whose Kahin Pe Nigahen from rankfinn Music hit the top of the popularity charts in a matter of weeks. Not just that, she is in great demand for concerts, events and even films. Rose says that she has been approached by many Bollywood producers and directors for 'item numbers' in their forthcoming films, but I am being very careful about what I do as I am comparatively very new in this industry.

"Item numbers can be classy and naughty and need not be raunchy. I aim to create that trend of naughtiness sans vulgarity and am here to stay," announces the bombshell who is a familiar TV face with commercials like 7 Up, Nokia 1230, HP Computers, Reid & Taylor, Lifebuoy Soap, Raj Jewellers, Deep Foods, Ayur, Rediffbol.com, M.tel, Airtel among others.


"I am glad I made my choice of coming to India," says the 19-year-old Rose whose hot performance in the Frankfinn Music remix item number titled Kahin Pe Nigahaen is now the talk of the town. "It's a popular track at discotheques, clubs and pubs in Mumbai," says Rose excitedly.


Rose Dawn, interestingly, is a trained dancer and actor from London. She knows Kathak, Bharata Nayam, Hip-hop, Tap Dance, Ballet and the basics of belly dancing, an art she is trying hard to improve.