World’s Top Ten Richest Techie

*From Left To Right (1-10)

Forbes annual list of world’s billionaires is out. And this time its not Bill Gates nor legendry investor Warren Buffett on the top. The numero uno position in 2010 list goes to a non-US billionaire, the Mexican telecom tycoon Carlo Slim Helu. With the global economy improving and with that global markets getting buoyancy back, the fortune of majority of world’s billionaires soared during the past year. In fact, this year’s World’s Billionaires list includes 97 new names, 62 of which come from Asia. And, much like every year, the list has its fair share of tech leaders. In fact there are as many as three technology honchos in the list’s top 10. Among the tech billionaires in the list, the top 10 saw their fortunes jump by a collective $55.8 billion over the past year.
Here’s meeting up with the world’s top 10 technology billionaires from the list  1) Carlos Slim Helu
Mexican tycoon Carlo Slim Helu dethroned Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to claim the World’s no. 1 Billionaire title. Gates has held the No. 1 spot for as many as 14 times in the past 15 years. According to Forbes, Slim’s fortune swelled to an estimated $53.5 billion, up $18.5 billion in 12 months. Shares of America Movil, of which he owns a 23-billion-dollar stake, went up by as much as 35% during the year.

Born to a Lebanese immigrant father, Slim learned his business acumen at an early age. Slim studied civil engineering and later built up the telephone monopoly Telmex after acquiring it from the government in 1990. The softly-spoken billionaire last month received authorisation to merge three of his telecommunications companies to form a regional giant, with 250 million customers in 18 countries. Slim, a widower with six children, has handed over the daily operations of his companies to his three sons and business partners. A baseball fanatic, Slim is also well-known for his philanthropy.2) Bill Gates
With a net worth of $53 billion, world’s second richest man is software czar Bill Gates. Fifty-four-year old Gates net worth went up by $13 billion during the last year as Microsoft shares rose almost 50%. According to Forbes, more than 60% of his fortune come from outside Microsoft, which includes investments from Four Seasons hotels, Televisa and Auto Nation.

In 2009, Gates topped the Forbes’ The World’s billionaires list, beating investor Warren Buffett. A Harvard College dropout, Gates topped the Billionaires list for past 15 years in a row (from 1993 to 2007). In 2008, he held the second spot. Born on October 28, 1955, Gates resigned as Microsoft chairman in 2008 to take up a full-time philanthropic role in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
3) Lawrence Ellison
World’s sixth richest person and technology industry’s third riches person is Oracle co-founder and CEO Lawrence Joseph Ellison, popularly known as Larry Ellison. With a net worth of $28 billion, Ellison slipped two ranks down this year from 4th position last year. The company that recently closed the $7.4 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems, last year saw its share up almost 70%. In the past five years, Oracle has made as many as 57 acquisitions, including BEA Systems (bought for $8.5 billion in 2008). The company also invested $125 million in Web software outfit Netsuite.

Sixty-five-year-old Ellison started Oracle Corp in 1977. Two years younger to arch rival Microsoft corp, Oracle went public a day before Microsoft in 1986. A licensed pilot, Ellison is said to own several unusual aircrafts. Known for his flamboyant lifestyle, Ellison has got a leisure boat built for himself. Chicago native studied physics at University of Chicago, but didn’t complete his graduation.
4) Sergey Brin & Larry Page
At 24th spot on Forbes billionaires list are Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page with a net worth of $17.5 billion each. Last year saw Google’s fortune going up by $5.5 billion with shares of the search giant soaring 70%. The company who is gung ho on its open source platform Android recently unveiled its first branded smartphone Nexus One.

Sergey Brin and Larry Page started Google in 1998 from a friend’s garage. A native of Moscow, Brin, now a US citizen, did his Bachelors of Science degree with honors in mathematics and computer science from the University of Maryland at College Park. While following in his father’s footsteps in academics, Larry went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from University of Michigan. Page was Google’s founding CEO and grew the company to more than 200 employees and profitability before moving into his role as president, products in April 2001. Today, the two continue to share the responsibility of Google’s day-to-day operations with CEO Eric Schmidt. Sergey’s research interests include search engines, information extraction from unstructured sources and datamining of large text collections and scientific data.
5) Azim Premji
At No. 28 on the world’s richest list is the chairman of the India’s third largest software company Wipro, Azim Premji. Sixty-four-year old Premji heads $5.5 billion (revenues) Wipro, and has a personal net worth of $17 billion. In its last quarter (Q3), Wipro reported a 19% rise in profit, and projected growth as the global economic recovery boosts demand for outsourcing.

In Forbes’ 2009 list, Premji stood at No. 83, with a net worth of $5.7 billion. A graduate in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, US, Premji took over the Wipro mantle at the young age of 21, after the sudden demise of his father in 1966. Under his leadership, the fledgling $2 million-hydrogenated cooking fat company has today grown into India’s third-largest software company.
6) Steven Ballmer
The second Microsoftie on the Forbes Billionaires’ list is Microsoft CEO Steven A Ballmer. Ballmer ranks at No. 33 with a net personal net worth estimated to be $14.5 billion. After series of failed attempts to strike a deal with Yahoo, Microsoft recently signed a 10-year deal with the company under which its own search engine Bing becomes the search engine for Microsoft and Yahoo sites. In its last quarter, Microsoft earnings jumped 60%, helped by a rebound in PC sales.

A college mate of Bill Gate, Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 and was the first business manager to be hired by Gates. He became CEO in 2000. During his tenure at Microsoft, Ballmer has headed several divisions, including operations, operating systems development and sales and support. Described as ebullient, focused, funny, passionate, sincere, hard-charging and dynamic, Ballmer is said to have imparted his own brand of energetic leadership, vision and spirit at Microsoft over the years. Like his boss, Ballmer too dropped out of Stanford MBA programme to join Gates in 1980.
7) Anil Ambani
Next Desi honcho on the list is Reliance Communications (RCom) head Anil Ambani at No. 36. Slipping two positions from last year’s ranking, Anil’s net worth is estimated to be $13.7 billion, up from $10.1 billion in 2009.

Last year saw the biggest fall in Anil’s net worth when he slipped from 6th position to 34th. Anil’s Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group has interests in telecom, power, infrastructure, financial services and entertainment. Anil did bachelor of Arts/Science graduate from University of Bombay. He later did MBA from the university of Pennsylvania, Wharton School.
 Paul Allen
Another billionaire from Microsoft’s camp is Paul Allen ranked at no. 37. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975. His net worth is estimated to be $13.5 billion, up $3 billion from $10.5 billion last year.

Allen left Microsoft in 1983 after being diagnosed by Hodgkin’s disease. Microsoft now makes up around 25% of his net worth. Recently, Allen launched software outfit Xiant, whose product Filer helps users keep track of emails in Microsoft Outlook. Fifty-seven-year old Allen also owns two professional sports teams, Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association.
9) Michael Dell
Sharing position with Paul Allen at No. 37 is CEO of the world’s second largest PC company, Michael Dell. With a net worth of $13.5 billion, Michael Dell slipped 12 ranks this year. He was ranked an No. 25 in Forbes’ billionaires list of 2009. In the past six months Dell stock has gone down by nearly 10% and the company’s revenue fell by nearly 13% in year ended January 2010.

Forty-five-year-old Dell started a company called PC’s Limited from a room, while still studying at the University of Texas. The company later became Dell Computer Corporation, followed by Dell Inc in 2003. In 1998, Dell formed MSD Capital and in 1999, he and his wife formed the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, to manage the investments and philanthropic efforts, respectively, of the Dell family.
10) Jeffrey Bezos
Next richest techie in the list is Amazon.com CEO Jeffrey Bezos ranked at No. 43. With a personal net Worth of $12.3 billion, forty-six-year-old Bezos jumped 19 ranks this year. Ranked at no. 62 in 2009, Bezos’ net worth nearly doubled in the past year from last year’s $6.8 billion. Amazon’s stock has jumped almost 100% in the past few months. In 2009, Amazon also acquired online shoe retailer Zappos for $800 million in stock. The company which made headlines with the launch of Kindle digital book reader in 2007, saw its net income up 40% in 2008 as the company debuted Kindle 2.
Bezos founded Amazon.com Inc and has been its CEO since May 1996, the Chairman of the Board since 1994, and the President since October 2000. Previously, he served as the President of Amazon from 1994 to June 1999. Bezos served as the President and Chief Executive Officer at Padcom. Before starting Amazon, he worked at the intersection of computer science and finance, helping build hedge funds on Wall Street for DE Shaw & Co. Bezos completed Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University in 1986.

Earth Hour Lets Start Everyday

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

In March 2009, India alongwith hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm- 9:30pm and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from India to Australia to America will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.

Everyone can show their support.  Check the following guidelines. (From Earth Hour’s Webpage)

1. Turning off your lights at 8.30PM on March 27 (Last Saturday of March)
2. Showing your support and adding yourself to our world map
3. Adding Earth Hour widgets, logos and banners to your blog or website to help us spread the word
4. Talking about Earth Hour in your social network by updating your Facebook status, grabbing aTwibbon, tweeting about your support, and more
5. Get together with your friends and family, by hosting an Earth Hour party or holding your own candlelit affair
6. Rally your local council or community group to run an Earth Hour event for your community
7. Encourage your employer and workmates to take part in Earth Hour and make energy savings every day
8. Make an Earth Hour Lantern as a symbol of hope for the future
9. Be creative! Find a new way to mark Earth Hour and let us know all about it!

Don't support Terrorism knowingly/unknowingly

Dear Friends,
Will u help terrorism? How much u will pay to support terrorism?
I know... you will throw the answer as 'NO' immediately to the person
who asks such a foolish question.

Now, the facts...
We knowingly/unknowing ly pay Rs 12 Crores to terrorism.
How?Most of the Indians(staying in India or abroad) download MP3s of new Hindi movies/albums from the site "Songs.pk"
regularly.

Songs.pk is a Pakistani site. It makes profit of Rs 12 Crores per day
& it supplies all this illegal money to terrorism.
Using this site simply means supporting terrorism. Now, the same
question again...

Will you now knowingly pay Rs 12 Crore per day to terrorists?
If the expected answer is again NO then please don't use Songs.pk site
to download songs.

Don't support Terrorism. Don't use Songs.pk.
[All the facts as per research by TV9 News Channel]

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

International Women's Day in india

THEME Of IWD 2010: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all

 

 Special on IWD in India

If all goes as per pronouncements, the centenary of International Women's Day would be a red-letter day for women's empowerment in India. The government seems prepared to get the bill to reserve 33% seats for women passed on March 8 to mark International Women's Day and, more importantly, the numbers are already in place. 

Facts behind IWD

International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.

1908
Great unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. Women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

1909
In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.

1910
n 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named a Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.

1911
Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women's Day (IWD) was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women's Day events. 1911 also saw women's 'Bread and Roses' campaign.
 

1913-1914

On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913 following discussions, International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Wommen's Day ever since. In 1914 further women across Europe held rallies to campaign against the war and to express women's solidarity.

1917
On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for "bread and peace" in response to the death over 2 million Russian soldiers in war. Opposed by political leaders the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The date the women's strike commenced was Sunday 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was 8 March.

1918 - 1999
Since its birth in the socialist movement, International Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike. For decades, IWD has grown from strength to strength annually. For many years the United Nations has held an annual IWD conference to coordinate international efforts for women's rights and participation in social, political and economic processes. 1975 was designated as 'International Women's Year' by the United Nations. Women's organisations and governments around the world have also observed IWD annually on 8 March by holding large-scale events that honour women's advancement and while diligently reminding of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women's equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life.

2000 and beyond
IWD is now an official holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.

The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.

However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives.

Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.

Many global corporations have also started to more actively support IWD by running their own internal events and through supporting external ones. For example, on 8 March search engine and media giant Google some years even changes its logo on its global search pages. Year on year IWD is certainly increasing in status. The United States even designates the whole month of March as 'Women's History Month'.

So make a difference, think globally and act locally !! Make everyday International Women's Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.