CIVIL SERVICES HELP

Friday, June 20, 2008

Civils 2007 Interview of Vamsi IPS

Hi every one

….as every one does knew that my civil services examination interview was on may 2nd… …I have been assigned the board of Ms.Shashi Uban Tripathi (IFS), a former Indian high commissioner in the Canada's Indian embassy…so far as to my knowledge goes I have done the interview well …I have been called as a fourth member in the forenoon session of the interview chaired by Ms.Tripathi… I do think that the interview went on for about 47 to 48 minutes…the entire panel consists of 5 member with Ms.Tripathi being the chairperson and occupied by 4 intellectuals ...let us address the four members as M1,M2,M3,M4…. I did notice that the M4 is former SEBI chairman Mr.Damodaram… lets follow the convention as “ Ms.” for the chairperson…

Here s the process…

Ms.. Good afternoon
Me: Good afternoon madam, shall I take the seat…she just directed her hand and I did take the seat…( I did find that the M4 s missing in the scenario)
After getting myself seated,,,,

Ms.. so you are Andhra vamsi…just pronounced it as the one wrt the pronunciation of Andhra Pradesh…(when I’m supposed to recorrect the pronunciation… )
Ms. .is it pronounced so???
Me.. sorry mam its pronounced as Andra (the one that’s been in the word androgynous)
Ms. .what do you mean by andra??
Me. .so far as my knowledge s concerned it mean s extremely masculine in the English literacy…(she was unable to hear me and I repeated again…M3 did assist her with respect to that and just laughed at me saying that you are a macho..i too had a smile??)Ms. .please let me know your roll number and your date of birth?
Me .madam my roll number s 182337 and my date of birth s 13th august 1985
Ms..so you are a software engineer??
Me: yes madam
Ms. Which stream do you belong to in engineering
Me..mam I do belong to the computer science engineering back ground..
Ms..when did you pass out your engineering…
Me.. mam its in may 2006 I did pass out..

Then she directed her hand towards M1 who s sitting extreme left to her…

M1..so why do you want to enter into civil services.??
Me..sir, civil services provides me the wider opportunity to serve the people and that s the reason why I do want to get into it…
M1..whats the reason that does made you to have this idea??
Me..sir, right from my childhood I do have this dream of getting into civil services…I have been effectively motivated by my father who s an NGO activist…and his programmes and ideas does incite the feeling for me to get into civil services…
M1..then you can be an activist like your father and the serve the people…why need to get into IAS,,even the IAS officers are leaving their jobs and turned out to be activists…
Me.yes sir I do agree with your point ,,but I can say one thing activism does arises when the system s not doing the things in a right way and right manner,,, myself being exposed to these activisms have made a strong resolution to not commit such mistakes when I have been in the service..and more over activism s related to a single issue ,but civil services provides me the wider opportunity to redress the problems of common man…
M1.so far 60 years has been over and we have n t achieved anything and you are saying that we can effectively serve the people…how s it possible??
Me. .sir, I totally disagree with your point ,in this sixty years we have progressively realized a lot of things and success, ,in the near future we’ll be performing much better and soon we’ll be the best…
M1..are you sure?
Me..yes sir,,
M1.. so how will you achieve the success?
Me..we can have it step by step, progressive realization of the entire programmes and depending on the past errors we have to reshape the contemporary things and aspire for the best future…never repeat those mistakes .
M1..so far what all the Vijayawada has made the progress in the past 25 years…(I do feel that I did mention my plus 2 has been done in vijayawada sri chaitanya college,, that’s the reason he did ask)
Me.sir, vijayawada has made a good progress,, the best example s AUTO NAGAR and a few industries there in the near precincts…
M1…and??
Me..sir wrt education vijayawada s a good destination…the primary ,secondary and the plus 2 education in vijayawada s the best in Andhra Pradesh..recently the intermediate pass percentage topper s the Krishna district…
M1..do you think there are no problems in vijayawada?if so what are they??
Me..sir,previously we use to have a local factionalism in vijayawada…hoodlums are dominant..but right now the govt has taken its every measure to eradicate this..
M1..is it so??
Me..yes sir
M1..how about the problem of alchohol??
Me..sir I don’t feel all the people are alchoholic in vijayawada…its only a little bit…
M1..is it related to crime…??
Me..so far as my knowledge s concerned I don’t feel so…
M1..so you mean that all the people in vijayawada are silent and go to their homes after getting alchohol?
Me..i’m not sure about it sir,,but I can say that the alchohol related crime incidents are not so rampant in vijayawada…
M1.i had found that the unemployment s increasing in the Krishna district ..what s your opinion?
Me.sir I do accept this thing and the reason lying before this is the Krishna district being a delta and fertile area , the former generation has been dependent on the agriculture…and the recent generations are excessively focusing on the industries and the services sectors…they are newly developing things and may get some time to get settled completely…the problem of the unemployment can be attributed to the shift in the production from agriculture to the other sectors..
M1..why the govt s not pursuing the industrialization policy effectively in the Krishna district?
Me.sir,already the govt has got the enough obligations to develop the backward regions,,,so far industrialization has been at a good phase in the medak,rangareddy, karimnagar and the warangal districts…waranagal indeed got a STPI park…the govt s accomplishing all these things progressively,,, in the near future we can expect the same thing here in the betterly developed Krishna district,,,
M1..is vijayawada more developed than the vizag?
Me..sir comparatively vijayawada s not so developed as vizag
M1..today a parliament committee has said that the indo-us nuclear deal should be put off,,, what do you think about it and what s your stand??
Me..sir, I do agree with them, ,I don’t want the deal to happen owing to the unacceptable clauses to be committed by the Indian govt…
M1..why are saying like that don’t you want the deal to take place?
Me.sir I’m not completely against the deal…let it be postponed for a while..and let it be done once those unacceptable clauses are avoided..
M1.assume you are selected and you are a policy advisor,,and try to persuade me why not to accept the deal?
M3.you are selected..let u start advising…(he s commenting right from the beginning but I didn’t focused on his words and started thinking how to substantiate my view over the deal)
Me..sir, I have a few points for that..

First of all we do have the experience of the 1974 Tarapur agreement,, the same 123 agrrement that has been made has been abruptly ended,,, leading to a lot of excessive economic burdens in the field of nuclear energy(all the board actively turned out at me at this point of time..)

Second more or less the deal s most expensive, rather than switching on that we can focus on other alternative methods of acquiring the power…like biofuels and the solar ,wind power…

And third hyde act provisions impinges the independent foreign policy and sovereignty of the Indian govt,,
Finally the deal may increase the nuke power contribution from 3% to 6% of the total power,,,but I want more than that…at the less cost.. hence I do prefer some other alternatives..
M1..sovereignty mean the political sovereignty(laughs) and what about the cultural sovereignty?
Me.sir,I’m not aware of these kinds of sovereignties.. but what I mean to say s that the independent nature of the foreign policy will be impinged and our self direction will be thwarted..

And about the cultural sovereignty I do feel that even though the globalization s rampant ,the Indian cultural norms and ethos are not too much influenced by the foreign nationals…
M1..so you do feel that the biofuels and the other means of power acquisition are cheaper…
Me..sir ,when compared to the nuke power they are comparatively cheaper..
M1:what s the power scenario in the Krishna district?
Me:sir so far as my knowledge s concerned it s self sufficient

Then he did direct his hand to the M2 and he does started his bombardment of the questions…(the one who did comment me for a couple of times..)

M2..so vamsi you are from prakasam district..what s this prakasam district about?
Me.sir it was formed in 1970 named after the first chief minister of the Andhra State..he was born in vinodarayuni palem in our district and the district has been named after him..
M2..but I have heard that potti sriramulu has fought for the separate Andhra Pradesh .why was nt he made as the chief minister,,,
Me..sir, he did last for a short time and moreover praksam has been an active freedom fighter, political participant and also the former municipal chairman of the rajamundry…so the system thought of using his intelligence and his administrative capabilities effectively and did make him as the CM..
M2..you said that he s a freedom fighter and what s he famous for?
Me..sir he s called as Andhra kesai, the lion of Andhra..because he actively turned against the English army ,in the sense English police so as to protest the simon commission in the guntur and the ongole areas…he launched an active anti simon movement and darely confronted the police by tearing his shirt and agitating against the English to shoot him..from then he has been called as the Andhra kesari..
M2:: let me know some of the major towns and areas in your district?
M2; but prior to my answer he did say is ongole an important town in your district
Me..yes sir its the district head quarters of the prakasam s district
M2..you have mentioned that you are a student placement co ordinator..have nt you been placed?
Me..yes sir I have been placed in Accenture..i have written the same thing in my accomplishments column…
M2 .where have you been posted?
Me..in Hyderabad itself sir
M2:why didn’t you go for the job?
Me: sir I do have the great desire of getting into the civil services and serve the public at the best,,,
M2:you can do the same thing by being yourself as a software employee,,,
Me..yes sir I do agree with your statement…but prior to that I have to satisfy the targets my higher authorities that do levy for me and be present for the entire working hours.. in the civil services the nature of the job provides itself the ample time and dedication for me to completely focus on the public activities…hence I do prefer the civil services to the soft ware mode of serving the public…
M2::how many students were there in your batch of the engineering ?
Me:: I did count on my fingers and said its a total of six branches in the engineering and each batch has got 50 students each,,,then said it as 300
M2: how many have been placed?
Me: sir its ninety percent
M2:how many have left the job?
Me: sir i’m not sure about all the other braches student s but I can say about my classmates…
M2::let me know
Me:sir , 30 people are with in the job domain and 11 people are pursuing their MS course in the USA ,2 people doing their MS and 3 people aspiring for the civil services like me….then he did pause me when I’m about to finish it,,
M2..so you do fall into the minority group of your class,,,
Me: sir , its not the majority or minority that matters but its upto the individual perception of the people to design their career according to their personal interests,,
M2:you have said about ongole as a famous town ..what s ongole famous for?
Me:: sir its famous for the ongole bull…
M2::bull is it so?
Me:yes sir indeed,,he laughs

Then he did direct his hand to the M3 and this s the most confusing part for my interview owing to the communication gap that did result by the M3..

M3:vamsi you have been stressing upon the biofules,are they so cheap?
Me:yes sir they can be grown in the water scarcity areas.. and more over we are a progressing economy and the burden should not be more for the power generation..
(when I did try to stress the usage of this to the common man he did pose me another question immediately)
M3:so you are against the nuke power generation of the electricity?
Me: definitely not sir, but the deal should not be made right now owing the clauses as I have stated above..as both the nuclear power and the biofules are newer one s to the india we can opt for the cheap and the best source of energy
M3:why do you feel so?
Me:sorry sir I ‘m not able to get your view,,,can u please repeat the question
M3:you are sayin that the two are newer one s ..i don’t feel so..
Me:sorry sir what all I intend to say is that their contribution is minimum to the total power generated,,,hence when we are having two choices I do prefer the less economy oriented one and most capable one with out any further obligations…and hence I do feel that the biofules and the hydrogen fuels can be used…let s go for the deal when we can have the sufficient wealth .. and what s the point of loosing this cheapest means of power generation…
M3..biofules are they grown in India …if so what are they?
Me:sir we do have jatropha and pongamia cultivation here in India…
M3..but don’t you think that we don’t have those resources available….
Me:may be sir, but we can seek the international assistance …which are actively focusing on these things…example latin America…
M3:again you are going for the international assistance …
Me:sir ,,my stand remains clear. .more over we didn’t face many hurdles to get these deal of biofuels ..but wrt the nuke deal we have lot of unacceptable conditions and most of them are politically ramified..(what all I have said above once again repeated them) hence I do prefer this alternative concepts to that..
M3:k which amongst the following s cheaper?hydro thermal or nuke ?
Me:sir I really don’t know…I know that the nuclear power generation s the most costlier,,,
M3:you are a software engineer and have got a lot of talent…why can you start a software company and achieve a huge success like infosys narayanamurthi..probably you will be serving the public by providing some good employment opportunities…one day we can talk about vamsi like the narayana murthy
Me:sir, I do agree that infosys does a lot of public service…but prior to that I want to state that mr.narayanamurthy did focus on his individual accomplishments…he didn’t get himself to be establishing a software company right form the beginning of his young ages and serving the public…he did focus on his individual career. And then concentrated much to improve his establishment and finaly focused on the public service..and also its only relevant to hardware and software…but my view s completely different and I do want to focus on this from my young ages and get every year utilized for the sake of public good…and also civil services provides me a diversified ways to serve the public.. not only in a single way but many ways of serving the people…
M3:why did you take the computer science and engineering when you do have the civil services with in your purview,,,??
Me:sir more over civil services does require a basic degree to get into it..and my father s view s to have a good academic record for myself and be updated with the contemporary trends…so I did take this option of the CSE engineering course..
M3:does your father agrees with you right now?…
Me:definitely sir,

Prior to these happenings in the middle of my conversation with the M3 I did find the M4 coming o n to his desk and being seated…I just made a trun at him so as to justify myself whether he s the SEBI s former chairman Mr.Damodram or not…and does realize that its him and after havin a 2 second s glance I did turn around to answer the next question pose d by the M3..

Then soon after the M3 s, he directed his hand towards the M4 who s seated at his place ,extreme right to the chairperson…

M4:you did mention the achievement of police commomeration day prizes in your achievements,,,what s the police commomeration day about,,,?
Me:sir it s commomerated on October 21st particularly those martyrs who does satisfy their lives for the public cause..
M4:when was started?
Me:sir , it s based on historic event in 1959 ,hot spring ,ladakh,where the CRPF has laid their lives against the Chinese aggression and from that day oct 21st it has been commomerated….
M4:do you know about that monument for the police?
Me:yes sir,but right now I;m not able to remember when it was and where it has been placed
M4:so far you are saying about the black or white..but don’t you know about the grey in between these two..what s the philosophy that you did realize..?(then I felt that he heard everything about my conversation behind the curtains)
Me:sir I understoon your concern on the deal…I’m not totally against it …I do want it to postpone it for a certain time till the ambiguity over the clauses are clarified…
M4:why do you think so??and you are saying the deal as burdensome?what s the burden ,we have got enough wealth
Me:sir,we are a developing economy still…and investing on all the things at a time…particularly the expensive things may be cumbersome for us…
M4:did you hear about the sovereign wealth funds?
Me:yes sir I did hear
M4:let me know?
Me:sir I did hear but I;m not sure of the technicalities of it.
M4:how do you contain the inflation if you are a part of the system, in long term perspective.?
Me:sir the present govt policies to contain the inflation are trustworthy.. and if we do follow them we can tackle the inflation…(when I’m supposed to narrate the measure he interrupted and said)
M4:its because of the govt policies that the inflation has taken place..so you want to do the same thing..
Me:sir, I’m speaking about the post inflation containment policies…and as I said earlier we do have to learn from the past and design a gud future..
M4:so you want the inflation to happen and then tackle it ?
Me:I had a small smile and said definitely not sir, as I said above this should be a good experience to be taken into consideration and get a good policy in the future so as not to repeat the mistake happen…
M4:what s meant by stagflation?
Me:sir its the product of two things..a stagnated economic growth and a the inflation or where the prices are on rise..here the economic growth s hindered…
M4:is there any stagflation in India right now?
Me:no sir definitely now..its only inflation…our growth rate has been consistent for the past four years…so we can’t have the chance of any stagflation…
M4:list out your first three priorities as a district collector?
Me:sir one its taking due care of the vulnerable sections and redressing their grievances..
Second to effectively implement the govt policies and tackle the corruption..
M4:tackling corruption how?
Me:I can have an effective ombudsman system in my district so as to tackle this
M4:ombudsman ,what do you mean by this?
Me:I have said about the ombudsman duty of accepting the popular discontent ,their complaints and getting their grievances redressed..
M4:third?
Me:its rural development
M4:then you are neglecting the health, education , and agriculture…..
Me:sir,rural development itself encompasses the socio infrastructural development and the holistic development…
M4:that s a good answer to hear(he laugh s and every one laughs )
M4:you have been speaking of your father and what does activities he took after?
Me:I said about the land agitation s taken by my father in my home district for the dalit causes…
M4:have you read any dalit poetry?
Me:yes sir I have gone through few verses…
M4:about whom?
Me:sir its about ev ramaswamy naicker periyar
M4:what s the movement launched by him?
Me:what is it all about?
Me:sir its self respect movement ..for providing social justice to the downtrodeen people and to preserve the dignity of dalit life and also to eradicate the concept of untouchability,,,
M4:he launched one famous thing?? what s it?
Me:sir I don’t know
M4:its the base for DMK and AIADMK
Me:I don’t know sir

He the says it as dravida kazhagam and said that I don’t want to ask anything relevance to your reason for the civils and computer science as it is effectively dealt by my peer s here…

And the trun s now to Ms.Tripathi

Ms:what does your father do?
Me:madam he s a bank cashier byprofession
Ms:which bank?
Me:Indian overseas bank
Ms:what s the NGO he works for?
Me:I said it as All India Dalit mahasabha

Then she said thank you and you may leave.
Andra Vamsi IPS
Rank-490 ,Civils-2007

Civil Services Mains Preparation: General Studies

Civil Services Mains Preparation: General Studies

I appeared for the civil services interview in 2007 and the below is only my advice to beginners if it can help them in any way

Do not read this if you are not appearing for civil services. Before starting the preparation, have a look at the syllabus.
Now for each subject I have given a list of material that can be studied. The first paragraph is the material that should be studied and is mostly sufficient whereas the second one will be the additional that can also be looked at.

Polity: The best source for polity is your coaching institute(if u r not so well versed with polity). They are sufficient for getting good marks.

Apart from this D. D. Basu's book on 'Introduction to India's Constitution' can also be read for specific topics. For a simpler reading two books of Subhash Kashyap on Constitution and Parliament may be referred. A topper also recommended me Laxmikant's book on Polity .

History: Bipin Chandra's India's Struggle for Independence is a must read if one wants to get a good understanding of freedom struggle. Also NCERT's 'Modern India' is indispensable. There is a book of Spectrum on Modern India and it should be referred, but remember one needs a broader understanding and Spectrum only may not be sufficient.

Geography: Read two NCERT's books on Physical Geography of India and People and Economy. spectrum series is good .

International Affairs: The notes of Vajiram and its printed material (published till mid September) are a must read, but try not to cram them as most candidates will be writing the same.

This is also broadly prepared from the daily reading of 'The Hindu'. I mean just read it everyday. There is no need for making notes or cutting articles from it. Also read Frontline. One may buy 'World Focus' but it should be read fast. The NCERT book 'Democracy in India' can also be studied. Wizard is better than many magazines, so one may have a look at it too.

Economy: your class notes and pratiyogita darpan issues should be enough

having the Penguin dictionary of Economics may be good help.

Science and Technology: Vajiram notes and material are sufficient for this. One may also read Spectrum of Science and Tech. On Thursday, Hindu has an S & T page, so keep an eye on that.

A topper told me that even reading the magazine 'Science Reporter' can be of great help.

Statistics: For engineers it can be a cakewalk provided a person has seen the previous years question papers. Spectrum is sufficient for it.

One may even have a look at NCERT book for statistics.

Social Issues: Read them from any source,. But do not skip them.
Current Affairs, International Organizations etc: You can choose any other source. It is better to get Xeroxed material of Vajiram and read it than sitting in the class and noting them down.

Two markers: Read them from any source you can get. There is a CST special issue for two markers published nearly in July. Even many magazines publish two markers special so keep on collecting them. Reading India Year book may also help.

People have told me that both, class notes of Vajiram and its printed material is available in the market, so it is a good idea to buy them.

I have tried my best to collect a lot of information from various sources. I have mentioned a comprehensive list of sources but it is not that I have studied them all. I have taken inputs from many toppers and I have tried to incorporate their sources. Any more queries are welcome. Happy preparation and best of luck

Bhargava.i

Adapa Karthik

Adapa Karthik Gives up Harvard scholarship, Tops civil services 2008

The Hindu
Adapa Karthik, who topped this year's civil services examination, had an 'incomparable determination' to get selected for the service and has even foregone the Harvard research scholarship for this purpose, his teacher and coach P S Raveendran said Saturday.

"His determination is incomparable. He is very hardworking and in fact opted to do away with a Harvard University scholarship for research to take up civil services exam. I am happy and quite satisfied with Karthik coming out on top in the civil services exam," Raveendran said.

He said Karthik was very determined to get into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) list though he got selected twice for the Indian Police Service (IPS).

Raveendran said that a student who wished to take up civil services examination should work for nearly 10 hours a day for two years and select an optional subject of his liking at the graduate level itself.

"The UPSC Board is not interested in the academic background of the candidate. What matters is how the candidate performs in the exam and the interview," he said adding in the recent past, many students from the medical and engineering streams were getting into the civil services.

CNN-IBN VIDEO

"Chennai medico Adapa Karthik has topped the Civil Services Examination, 2007, while Delhi" - CNN IBN

The Tribune
IPS probationer Adapa Karthik has topped the list of 734 candidates who have cleared the civil services examinations conducted by the UPSC in October last year. The results were declared today by the UPSC.

Of the total successful candidates, only 3 per cent are physically disabled. While 286 candidates made it in the general category, including 12 disabled candidates, 266 Other Backward Classes (including 5 disabled), 128 Scheduled Castes (including 5 disabled candidates) and 54 Scheduled Tribes candidate were declared successful.

Experiences of candidates in civil services interviews

IAS Interviews (2007,2008)

I begin with collection I got from common men who actually never appeared for civil services. I seriously doubt there is any element of truth in these but they present the most interesting lot.

I have heard this incident n number of times from various sources. The chairman of the board drops his pen on ground and asks the candidate to pick it up. When the candidate picks it up, the chairman becomes very angry. He says you are aspiring for the post of IAS, you don't pick up the pen yourself but push the buzzer, call a peon and ask him to pick up the pen. Well, well, well, is there any wonder why the work in government departments' move so slowly.

Another is about testing the sharpness of your memory. The board asks questions like how many steps you climbed before entering this room (UPSC interview room has no stairs, so don't worry, this can never be asked) or what is the color of the wall behind you. I feel that they are more interesting than true.

Now some true incidents. A candidate enters the boardroom and falls flat on ground. The chairman says 'Mr. what a great fall'. The candidate stands up, smiles and says 'Sir, it's a pleasure I have fallen in company of great men like you.'

There is one in which the chairman asks the candidate his favorite color. The candidate says none. The chairman insists on his favorite color but the chairman again says none. Now the chairman turns little angry and says look Mr. you have to give a color, imagine you are giving it to your bride but pick a color. The candidate becomes agitated and says if I have to pick up a color, it will be red, the color of revolution. The candidate is given very poor marks. When the other members ask the chairman how his preference of color determine his personality, he says that he is going to become an IAS, he will have to handle strikes, pulls and pressures from various groups, if he can become agitated in an interview room, one can imagine his behavior in the field.

From this time interviews, I remember questions like what is similarity between Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Abdul Kalam. The candidate answers that Gandhi wanted colonial India believe that independent India is possible and Kalam wants developing India believe that developed India is possible.

A candidate who wrote classical singing as his hobby was asked to sing a song. Then he was asked to sing the same song in different raga. The candidate was able to do that and got 225.

One person was asked to untie his knot and tie it again. Poor candidate did not know how to tie a knot and became nervous. More than not knowing how to tie a knot, nervousness spoiled his interview. The person who was due after this candidate took out his tie outside the interview room when he came to know about this incident. His bad luck was he forgot to open the topmost button of his shirt and the first thing he had to explain was why he was not wearing a tie when he was having his topmost button closed.

There are many more incidents which I will recollect in a later blog. If you know any, do let me know. But yes, do not believe the magazines in which all the candidates say the board was very cordial, they made them very comfortable..

Life in outer space? Astronomers hunt aliens

Life in outer space? Astronomers hunt aliens

TOKYO, June 20, 2008 (Reuters) — Japan's biggest astronomical observatories are teaming up for an unprecedented quest to find out whether there is life in outer space.

The spherical dome of the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) telescope is seen at Roque de Los Muchachos observatory in Spain's canary island of La Palma July 24, 2007. REUTERS/Santiago Ferrero

The project, led by Japanese astronomers, will bring together a dozen or more observatories from all over the country to study one star that researchers see as a potential home to an extraterrestrial civilization.

"Everyone wonders at least once in their lifetime whether space is infinite and whether aliens really do exist," said Shinya Narusawa, chief researcher at Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory in western Japan.

The search for aliens and UFOs is not new to Japan. Last year, unidentified flying objects grabbed the headlines after a lawmaker submitted a question to the cabinet on whether the country had confirmed any cases of their existence. The government's answer: no.

In the scientific world, Japanese researchers have used antennas to catch radio signals from outer space and analyzed the prisms of celestial lights to see if any laser emissions from space can be found, Their searches have not been too fruitful so far. The new project will involve multiple astronomers filming one star over several nights some time next year, along with the usual light analysis and recording of radio signals.

"When there are some suspicious signals, sometimes it's hard to tell whether they are artificial ones coming from the earth, for example from machines, or whether they are coming from the stars in the natural world,".

With multiple participants observing one star, it will be easier to check on whether the signals received are actually from the natural world, he said, adding that they have not decided on which star to observe.

The participants are realistic about the slim chance of encountering signals from outer space during the short experiment, but they see a larger significance.

"By thinking about outer space, we hope this will be an opportunity where people can re-appreciate the earth and human beings,"

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Firefox web browser | Features: Faster, more secure, & customizable

Mozilla firefox 3

Must have: Firefox 3

When the Mozilla Foundation, the team behind the popular Firefox internet browser, launched Firefox 3 on Tuesday, the company's servers crashed under the weight of people attempting to download the software.

And looking at the latest version of this web explorer, it's not hard to see why. Firefox 3 turbo-charges the internet browsing experience, using up less of the computer's memory to display web pages in the blink of an eye.

It also offers one-click bookmarking, the ability to zoom in and easily out of areas on a web page, near limitless customisation and personalisation, and a handy password manager.

But the piece de resistance is the so-called "Awesome Bar", which provides a quick way to the sites you love - even if you can't remember the address - by matching your search term with words that have appeared in websites you've previously visited.

Firefox Features

Enough good stuff to change the way you use the Web.

Tags

Label a site with names or categories that are meaningful to you. For example, you can label the site www.bbc.co.uk with the "news" tag as well as the "foreign investments" tag, plus give www.nytimes.com the "news" tag, too. When you enter "news" into the location bar, both sites will be shown as results. A single site can have multiple tags, and there's no limit to the number of tags you can create. You may not remember the exact name of a site, but with a tag, you'll be able to find it in a way that makes sense to you.

Smart Location Bar

A quick way to get to the sites you love—even the ones with addresses you only vaguely remember. The new Firefox 3 location bar learns as you use it—it's so highly evolved that we like to call it the "Awesome Bar". Over time, it adapts to your preferences and offers better fitting matches. Type in a term and the autocomplete function includes possible matching sites from your browsing history, as well as sites you've bookmarked and tagged in a drop down. For example, you could enter the tag: "investments" to find "www.fool.com". Matched terms are highlighted, making the list of results easy to scan.

One-Click Bookmarking

Manage your bookmarks a lot or a little. One click on the star icon at the end of the location bar bookmarks a site. Two clicks and you can choose where to save it and whether to tag it. File bookmarked sites in easy-to-access folders and organize according to theme (like "job search" or "favorite shopping"). Find your bookmarked sites in a flash by entering the tag, page or bookmark name into the location bar. The more you use your tags and bookmark names in the location bar, the more the system will adapt to your preferences.

Smart Bookmark Folders

These dynamic folders give you easy access to your favorite sites and can be placed in your Bookmarks menu or Bookmarks toolbar. We've included some for you as defaults, including one that shows you the sites you visit most frequently (create your own by saving your searches in the Library).

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Security & Privacy

Instant Web Site ID

Want to be extra sure about a site's legitimacy before you make a purchase? Click on a site favicon for an instant identity overview. Another click digs deeper: how many times have you visited? Are your passwords saved? Check up on suspicious sites, avoid Web forgeries and make sure a site is what it claims to be.

Anti-Malware

Firefox 3 protects you from viruses, worms, trojan horses and spyware. If you accidentally access an attack site, you'll receive a full-sized browser message as a warning. A continuously updated list of attack-sites tells us when to stop you from browsing, so there's nothing for you to update or maintain.

Anti-Phishing

Shop and do business safely on the Internet. Firefox gets a fresh update of web forgery sites 48 times in a day, so if you try to visit a fraudulent site that's pretending to be a site you trust (like your bank), a browser message—big as life—will stop you.

Parental Controls

Enforce parental control settings you've entered on Windows Vista with Firefox 3—stop unwanted downloads and more. Firefox's intuitive design keeps you from second-guessing your setup.

Anti-Virus Software

Firefox 3 integrates elegantly with your antivirus software. When you download a file, your computer's antivirus program automatically checks it to protect you against viruses and other malware, which could otherwise attack your computer. [available in Windows only]

Add-ons

Firefox looks for a secure connection before installing or updating add-ons, 3rd party software, and Personas.

Password Manager

We've seamlessly integrated this feature into your surfing experience. Choose to "remember" site passwords without intrusive pop-ups. Now you'll see the "remember password" notification integrated into your view at the top of the site page.

Clear Private Data

Clear your private data automatically—with just one click or a keyboard shortcut. Your info is gone for good—on your own computer or the one at your local library. It's that easy.

Customized Security Settings

Control the level of scrutiny you'd like Firefox to give a site and enter exceptions—sites that don't need the third degree. Customize settings for passwords, cookies, loading images and installing add-ons for a fully empowered Web experience.

Automated Update

Our open-source security strategy lets us find—and fix—security issues in record time, making Firefox the safest way to surf. Install upgrades when you receive automatic notification or wait until you're ready.

Pop-Up Blocker

Banish pop-ups (and pop-under windows) from your surfing experience once and for all. Or, find a happy medium—choose to view blocked pop-ups or create an "allow" list of sites whose pop-ups you're okay with seeing.

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Customization

Add-ons Manager

You can now find and install add-ons directly in your browser. You no longer need to visit the add-ons Web site, simply fire up the new Add-ons Manager. Not sure which add-on is right for you? Ratings, recommendations, descriptions and pictures of the add-ons in action help you make your selection. The fully integrated Add-ons Manager even lets you view, manage and disable third-party add-ons in a few easy clicks.

Over 5,000 ways to customize

The sky's the limit with a growing library of over 5,000 Firefox Add-ons, little extras you choose to download and install for a browser that works your way. Manage online auctions, upload digital photos, see the weather forecast in a glance and listen to music all from the convenience of your browser. There's no need to open a new window or tab for each task. Discover add-ons that help you streamline coding and Web development, like Firebug, which lets you look deep into the structure of a web page.

Browser Look & Feel

Dress up your browser as you like it. With themes, choose a darkened control panel reminiscent of a space ship, faux wood paneling, or hundreds of other unique looks to surround your surfing. With Personas, add a simple, lightweight "skin" to your browser in an instant. (Personas is a Mozilla Labs project.)

Beyond Add-ons

Add-ons are the cornerstone of customization, but adapting Firefox to suit your style doesn't stop there. You can add new search engines, change toolbar preferences, display different sizes, shapes and styles for your browser's navigation buttons and more. With additional preferences, you can specify a Web mail client, such as Gmail, to open up when you click on an address from a Web page or set up a news reader application for the blogs you encounter.

Productivity

Platform-Native Look & Feel

The new Firefox looks and feels like home. Think of it as a Firefox who's really good at making friends. Whether you use Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac or Linux, the browser seamlessly integrates into your computer's environment. A native look makes for a flawless interface that never gives you pause.

Feed Reader

You can read feeds using an online Web service, a client-side feed reader or by creating a Firefox Live Bookmark. So there's no need to comb the Web for the latest news and updates. See the latest headlines in the toolbar or menu and go directly to the articles that catch your eye.

Download Manager

An all new manager lets you download seamlessly, with even greater security. A pause and resume feature means there's no need to wait for a download to finish before you disconnect. So, if you're halfway through the latest White Stripes album and it's time to catch the bus, just pause and pick up downloading when you get home. The resume function also works if your system crashes or is forced to restart. The manager shows your download progress and lets you search your files by name or the Web address where the download came from.

Spell Checking

A built-in spell checker lets you enter text directly into Web pages— like blog posts and Web-based email—without worrying about typos and misspellings. Work directly with the Web and save yourself a step.

Session Restore

If Firefox unexpectedly closes, you don't have to spend time recovering data or retracing your steps through the Web. If you're in the middle of typing an email, you'll pick up where you left off, even down to the last word you typed. Session Restore instantly brings back your windows and tabs, restoring text you entered and any in-progress downloads. Restart the browser without losing your place after you install an add-on or software update.

Full Zoom

Visit your favorite news page and read the caption under the picture—or view the picture itself in a size you can see. An elegant new zoom feature lets you swoop in and see entire web pages. They scale in the way you'd expect them to, with all the elements of a page's layout expanding equally, so you can zero in on what matters.

Image Loading

If you want to save time and bandwidth, view a site without images. Firefox will remember your setting the next time you view the page.

Smart Keywords

Search the Web in record time with smart keywords. With a few clicks you can assign keywords to search engines, and then simply enter your key and search words in the location bar. With this feature, typing "book home building" can search Amazon.com, and take you right to books about home building without ever pausing at the homepage.

Search Suggestions

Start typing in the search bar and it will prompt you with a drop down of filled-in suggestions, plus you can use the search bar as a calculator, converter and more.

Integrated Web Search

Searching the Web is a breeze with the search box inline, just to the right of your location bar. Use the web engine of your choice to search by typing directly into the box. The width is adjustable so you can make it bigger if you need more space.

Hundreds of Search Engines

Access your favorite search engines quickly from the integrated search bar. You can use a new engine for each search, or stick to your favorite. Choose from a preset dropdown list of engines or select "manage search engines" from the same list to browse search engine options offered as add-ons. Check out your choices now.

Find

The find feature appears in a keystroke. Search for a word or phrase on an open Web page. Highlight text before using the feature and finder opens pre-filled with your selection. See all instances of your search at once, or scroll backwards and forwards through the appearances of the word on the page.

Tabs

Save on Exit

Now when you open Firefox, your tabs and windows look just like they did when you closed it down. No need to reopen all your windows each time you start a session.

Tabs

At first glance, they look like little labels living above the site you're currently visiting. But they are a brilliant way to browse multiple sites at once. Simple and easy, you can think of them as the electronic version of a well kept filing cabinet, with the tabs as the dividers and the sites as the content kept in folders. Each new site appears as a new tab (not a new window) and can be accessed in one click.

Reopen Closed Tabs

If you accidentally close a tab, you can reopen it in one click. Just view Recently Closed Tabs in the History menu and select the tab you'd like to reopen.

Drag & Reorder Tabs

Get your sites in order. Simply arrange the order of your tabs by dragging them in one swift move of your mouse.

Smooth Scrolling

Like to have all 20 of your favorite pages open at once? An elegant new feature lets you scroll through tabs easily to see them

Universal Access

Universal Customization

Go beyond translation and experience the web in a way that makes sense to you. Local developers who know what's best for their community have customized your Firefox browsing experience with local dictionaries, search providers, live bookmarks and Web feeds. Depending on where you live, you'll see things like BBC headlines tailored to your region or experience features that work with Baidu, the Chinese search engine.

The Language of Firefox

Firefox speaks your language like no other browser on earth. Because the Web is a worldwide resource and we believe that resource belongs to the people, we've made our browser available in as many local languages as possible. We have over 40 different translations, from French and Chinese to Finnish and Czech. Find your language.

Emphasis on Accessibility

By minimizing keystrokes, allowing users to zoom in on Web pages and supporting screen readers, Firefox is that much easier to use for those with mobility disabilities and visual impairments.

Improved Text Rendering

Read your language as it's written—more like real life. With a new graphics engine, Arabic, Persian, Punjabi and other script languages now render in a remarkably seamless way.

Performance

Improved Memory Management

With all new management functions in place, Firefox 3 keeps memory usage under control. The XPCOM cycle collector continuously cleans up unused memory. Plus, hundreds of memory leaks are now remedied.

Faster JavaScript

Firefox now empowers even greater Web development, with JavaScript 1.8—including expression closures, generator expression and array reduce.

Smaller Memory Footprint

Short and sweet, Firefox now uses less of your computer's memory while it's running.

Faster Page Load

A redesigned page rendering and layout engine means you see Web pages faster—and in the way they were meant to be seen.

Graphics Engine Improvements

Improved text rendering is just the beginning of the benefits of an all new graphic engine for Firefox 3.

Standards

Advanced Graphics

You have to see it to believe it. The rendering of text and graphics, including SVG and Canvas, is faster, sharper and more true-to-life than ever before, thanks to our new graphics engine.

Online Application Support

Expand the power of Web-based applications. In the past you'd click on an email address in a Web site and your computer's default email application would open up to send a message to the linked address—even if you never email through the program. Now you can choose a Web mail clients (like Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo! Mail) to launch when you click on that email address.

Support for Advanced Web Technologies

Brand new and enhanced functionalities enable Web site authors and developers to create advanced content and applications. Support is now available for CSS, ACID2, MathML, ECMAScript 4, Animated Portable Network Graphics (APNG) and Microformats, to name a few.

Color Profile Support

Photographers and photo fans, your view of the Web from Firefox just gets better. You can choose to enable top-of-the-line image display which uses technical data, like the amount of light available and relevant distance information, to render images in an amazing new way.

Offline Browsing

Take your computer offline and still have information at your fingertips. Certain enabled sites may allow applications—like your Web-based email—to stay with you at all times. Many sites are not yet configured to work with this feature. Learn more about what works and what doesn't.

Help

Live Support

Firefox experts waiting on stand-by to help you with questions that simply demand a live person and a real conversation. Now you can chat with knowledgeable Firefox community members who troubleshoot via our live chat site. You won't be put on hold or have to wait for a response—solve your problem on the spot.

Firefox Support

Help is right where you would expect it, as well as a few places you might not. A link at the top of your browser takes you to a support site with the answers you'll need. Want to dig deeper—or have a really tough question?