How To Hack Your Way Out

By Ankit Fadia

Opinion: Just one of many protesting Internet curbs.

The Internet was built on the principles of freedom of access, knowledge and information.

Unfortunately, firms and colleges in India now have this bad habit of blocking access to interesting ('ahem') websites. Are you working or studying in one of them? Even governments have started blocks these days.

During the social revolutions in the Arab world, governments had blocked access to social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter. In today’s article we are going to learn various ways in which victims of corporate, college or government Internet policies can bypass these restrictions and start to access all their favorite websites on the Internet.

The easier solution to this common problem is to start your browser and first connect to a proxy server instead of directly connecting to the website that you actually want to access.

My personal favorite proxy servers include www.anonymizer.com, www.cooltunnel.com, www.bypassthat.com and www.anonymizer.ru.

Your system administrator will think that you are connecting to seemingly innocent websites, but little does he know that once you have connected you can then use them to secretly connect to some other blocked website that you actually want to connect to!

Unfortunately, companies and colleges are getting smart and have started blocking even some of the most popular proxy servers available on the Internet. The good news is that there are various websites on the Internet that maintain a list of thousands of proxy servers that you can quickly search through to find a proxy that has not yet been blocked by your company or college.

I personally recommend using www.samair.ru/proxy or Codeen, either of which at any given point of time list at least a few hundred proxy servers.

Another fantastic technique to trick your system administrator is to use a technique known as HTTP tunneling, which allows you to disguise your browser activity as something different than what it really is.

Ultrasurf is a free software that you can download from the Internet that allows you to perform HTTP tunneling and access your favorite blocked websites easily and efficiently.

For the geeks reading this article, it is also possible to bypass the local firewall restrictions and access blocked websites by typing the IP address of the website that you wish to access instead of typing the usual domain name!

These techniques should give you access to your favorite websites for at least a few more months. After that, email me and I will do a sequel to this article and give you some newer techniques of accessing blocked websites!

-- The writer is a 25-year-old Ethical Hacking Expert, a TV show host and the author of 14 best selling books. He can be contacted at ankit@deccanmail.com.

App To Translate Teens’ Slang

Can't understand the kids? A new mobile phone application may help.

Over-50s group Saga is set to launch a mobile phone application to translate teenagers’ slang.

It has been developed to help parents and grandparents stay in touch with youngsters and will be free to download to any smartphone, such as the iPhone, or similar hand-held device.

The ‘Woteva’ app will translate 100 words or phrases.

Among the translations are peeps, or people; fam, or family; endz, or neighbourhood; and sick, or good.

“To some parents and grandparents, it can feel that the next generation has a language of its own,” the Daily Mail quoted Dr Ros Altmann, director-general of Saga, as saying.

“A translator seems like the obvious solution to prevent the generational gap from widening.

“This app will provide people with the opportunity to stay connected with youngsters, and nurture relationships across generations.”

She added: “In our estimation around 5 per cent of all words currently in use in the English language are completely alien and indecipherable to people born before the 1960s.”

The app offers the same service as an online dictionary dedicated to ‘teenglish’ – teenage English which was launched in 2008.

The charity Parentline Plus spent months talking to parents and teenagers about the latest slang before creating gotateenager.org.uk

Kunjarani, The Queen Of Inspiration

By Biju Babu Cyriac

Bangalore, Mar 27 : The heroics of Nameirakpaam Kunjarani Devi, who won scores of medals in international weightlifting competitions and part of Manipur's sporting folklore now, is still inspiring hundreds of her state mates to take up the sport. With a berth in the state team coming at a premium, a large number of them are now even wearing the colours of other states in National championships.

After Kunjarani, who is yet to announce her retirement, Manipur produced a number of top-class weightlifters who went on to win laurels for the country. A look at the list of weightlifters competing in the National Weightlifting throws out some interesting statistics. There are just a handful of teams who are competing without a Manipuri in their ranks.

"Over the past few years we have given at least 20-25 No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to our weightlifters. As we had many good lifters, especially women, we couldn't give a chance to all," Ranjan Singh, Manipur coach told TOI. "Of the 10 lifters competing in the women's 53kg category, five are hailing from Manipur," he said.

Asked about the huge popularity of the sport in Manipur, Ranjan recalled that it was Kunjarani who acted as a catalyst. "In the early 80s, powerlifting was the rage in Manipur. Then during the 1985 National Games, Kunjarani won the gold in the 44kg class and that was the start," he said.

"It continued from then on with Monica Devi, Sanamacha and Renubala Chanu at the Delhi CWG. Now we have at least 80-100 lifters. Most of them who are competing here are juniors and they will ready for the top-class action soon," Ranjan said.

Jharkhand's gain

The flurry of top lifters coming out of the gymnasiums in Imphal turned out to be hosts Jharkhand's gain in the recent National Games as the state roped in six Manipuris.

"It was difficult for us to get into Manipur state team and there were other states who didn't have quality weightlifters. Six of us joined Jharkhand as they had promised big cash awards to the tune of seven, five and three lakh to the gold, silver and bronze winners. In the end we won two gold, two silver and two bronze medals," Premoshawari, who won the silver medal for Jharkhand in women's 58kg, said.

"We are all waiting for the cash awards. They have promised to organize a big function to honour all the medal winners," said the 24-year-old from Imphal.

Gogoi: Will Grant Refugee Status

APCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita, Assam CM Tarun Gogoi and Assam incharge Digvijay Singh release the party’s manifesto in Guwahiti — PTI

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi here on Saturday released the Congress’ election manifesto, which included the commitment to grant refugee status to all non-Muslims who fled erstwhile East Pakistan fearing prosecution.

In a carefully drafted remark, Mr Gogoi maintained a safe distance from using the word ‘Hindu Bengali’ and told reporters, “We have taken up this issue for the first time. We intend to grant refugee status to all those who were Indian citizens at the time of partition and compelled to leave their country due to persecution and atrocities.”

He added, “Though majority of them were Hindu there were some Christians as well, so we want to grant refugee status to all non-Muslims.”

The Chief Minister also slammed the saffron party saying, “BJP has been raking this issue up for so many years but have done nothing. But, we will soon take up this issue.”

In an obvious attempt to woo a sizeable chunk of Hindu Bengali voters, Mr Gogoi said, “We decided to take up this issue on humanitarian ground and included it in our manifesto as well.”

Releasing the party manifesto with AICC general se-cretary Digvijay Singh, Mr Gogoi also asserted that the Congress would romp back to power for the third consecutive term in the state.

Asserting that the AGP and BJP have a secret und-erstanding, Mr Gogoi said this was not new as, lie in 2001, they had an electoral understanding, but both have been losing election after election since then.

The CM also ruled out that an Ulfa threat or bandh call would affect the prospects of the party.

Asked about possible seat that Congress would get, the Chief Minister said, “I am still a just a politician and not a fortune teller.”

Mizoram Churches To Help Brus

Charred bodies lie at Bru refugee camps in Gachhirampara, 185 km from the capital, Agartala. The devastating fire completely gutted Bru refugee camp where more than 2,500 huts were reduced to ashes. Kanchanpur, Agartala, Tripura, India.

Aizawl, Mar 26 : Churches in Mizoram, including the Presbyterian Church, will give aid to Bru refugees staying at the Naisingpara relief camp.

The inmates of the camp were rendered homeless following a devastating fire recently. The churches have decided to help the refugees by giving relief materials.

The Mizoram Synod of the Presbyterian Church of India had collected relief materials like garments, blankets, cash and other items which would be handed over to the refugees by moderator Rev. C Lalsangliana who left Aizawl for Naisingpara on Friday.

Global Penis Sizes: India Ranks 116

Melbourne, Mar 26 : An online site that lists the global penis sizes has become an Internet sensation, with Congo being placed at the top of the list.

The Dem. Rep. Congo has taken top spot, with the average size being 7.1 inches or 18cm (self-reported), News.com.au reported.

Second on the list is Ecuador where the average size is 6.9 inches or 17.5cm (measured), and Ghana is at number four with the average size of 6.8 inches or 17.3cm (self-reported).

At number five is Colombia, where the average size is 6.7 inches or 17cm (measured), and number at six is Venezuela, where the average size is 6.7 inches or 17cm (measured).

At number 7 is Lebanon, followed by Jamaica at number 12, Brazil at number 15, France at number 17, Czech Republic at number 22, the Netherlands at number 27, Italy at number 31.

Egypt was placed at number 33, Denmark at number 42, Mexico at number 49, Morocco at number 51, Sweden at number 58, Greece at number 61, Chili at number 64, Germany at number 68, Norway at number 72.

United Kingdom was at number 82, Spain at number 85, Australia at number 94, USA at number 98, Ireland at number 99, Romania at number 101, Indonesia at number 104, Malaysia at number 106.

Last but not the least, Japan at number 110, China at number 112, India at number 116, Thailand at number 117, and South Korea at number 119.

The information is attributed to Australia's national agency for health and welfare, as per the data from: http://www.everyoneweb.com/worldpenissize

Naked Ambition: Photographer Lays Herself Bare in Nude Poses On The Streets of NYC

By Rachel Quigley

Photographers are often said to bare their souls through their pictures.

But Parisian Erica Simone has taken this to the next level by literally laying herself bare - she has photographed herself in nothing but her birthday suit on the streets of New York.

The 25-year-old has turned doing daily routines in the city to works of art simply by removing her clothes.

Parisian born photographer Erica Simone performs a number of everyday tasks in the buff for her new exhibition Nue York: Self-portraits of a Bare Urban Citizen

Erica goes to her local convenience store for a packet of cigarettes in the nude as part of the project which she got the idea for at Fashion Week two years ago

And Miss Simone made the daring decision to step out from behind the camera and go au naturel in a series of self-portraits taken in and around the Big Apple.

Speaking to MailOnline she said: 'At first it was like, "Can I really do this?" I was into the idea, but I didn't totally have the [nerve] to do it - I'm not totally an exhibitionist.

'But I managed to do it on my first day of shooting in the West Village and I didn't even get arrested.

'I think that was just a combination of good timing and luck, and it is not as if I just spent the whole day walking around naked. I was fully clothed until I was ready to take the shot.'

'It's not about sex. It's crazy that it's illegal to be naked. The whole process was really liberating and it made me feel freer and more comfortable in my own skin and not be ashamed of my body.'

Erica wasn't sure if she could go through with getting naked herself but managed to get five usable shots in her first day at the West Village

Once Erica got the idea for the exhibit, she decided to step out from behind the camera and do a number of self portraits in the nude, sometimes wearing only a variety of accessories, performing mundane activities

The 20 shots are part of Simone's new exhibit which opens next month at the Dash Gallery in Tribeca. She said she wanted to shoot people naked in the street doing regular things, 'not especially posing, or being naked, but doing whatever'

In the pictures, she rides the subway, checks out library books and shovels the snow on the sidewalk outside her apartment - all in the nude.

The 20 shots are part of Simone's new exhibit Nue York: Self-Portraits of a Bare Urban Citizen, which opens next month at the Dash Gallery in Tribeca.

Miss Simone said the inspiration for the exhibition came to her during Fashion Week two years ago.

She said: 'I was sitting around thinking about fashion and what would we be if we were naked and what if we didn't have fashion to show who we were, our status, how much money we had, all these things.

'Then I got the photographic idea of shooting people naked in the street, but just doing regular things, not especially posing, or being naked, but doing whatever.'

The pretty 25-year-old said she was not sure if she herself could go through with it but  was intrigued by the challenge of staging the shots - which she took using a remote sensor - and stripping down to her birthday suit.

She said the general public were very accepting of her nudity and she did not have any bad experiences while doing it.

'Most people were laughing, smiling or applauding and cheering. They seemed OK with it,' she said. 'The most challenging one was on the subway. I had to ride the whole way from West 14th Street to the end of the line to get the right shot.

'The only person I told was the guy next to me as he had to hold my coat. But by the time some people even found out about it, I was clothed again.'

Erica said the general public were very accepting of her nudity and most were applauding and cheering while she was doing it, though admitted the subway shot was the most challenging one

Miss Simone also said she has come a long way from the first shot to where she is now.

'The first few times I was so nervous and I guess innocent about everything, and yeah it was scary a bit as well,' she said.

'But now I don't care about being naked. I am more concerned about getting the shot right rather than worrying about being naked or what people in the streets are thinking.'

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Android tablet

A tablet with a keyboard

AsusTek announced the launch of its latest Android-powered tablet PC the Eee Pad Transformer.

The Eee Pad Transformer features an expandable keyboard docking station and combined battery life of up to 16 hours

The Transformer runs on the new Android 3.0 operating system, Honeycomb and includes Asus' Waveshare user interface.

The tablet is powered by NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor and also boasts of viewing angles up to 178 degrees.

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer also comes with a 5 megapixel rear and 1.2 megapixel front-facing cameras.