GOOGLE ROCKS AGAIN... GMail drive.....Friday Gift

Hi once again Google came with a new feature and Just check it out:
Things you need to have:

1) Gmail account

2) Gmail Drive software Process:

i) Download Gmail Drive from (takes seconds to download): http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/GMail-Drive-shell-extension-Download-15944.html

ii) Install the software.

iii) After installing, a drive named Gmail drive will be created in My Computer (just like C: D :)

iv) Double click on this drive, login to Gmail account. You will get a space of 2.61 GB. Whatever content you copy to this drive will be sent to your mail account directly to which you have logged in.

The copy is pretty fast.

HATS OFF GOOGLE!

GMail Drive :

GMail Drive is a Shell Namespace Extension that creates a virtual drive in the Windows Explorer, allowing you to use your Google Gmail account as a storage medium. It allows you to do basic file manipulation, such as copy and delete, on files inside the GMail folder. Because it is a Shell Extension, the interface you work in is Windows Explorer itself. GMail files are physically stored as e-mails on your Google Gmail account. The files are stored in mail attachments, and the filename and file information (such as file size) is stored in the message subject line.

Going Out With Her and Want to pick a Place!!!!

There are times in the life of every guy when he finds himself trying to impress a woman, despite all his good sense. And there are times in the life of every woman when she finds herself subjecting herself to that, despite all her good sense. Good sense obviously doesn't always prevail, but you might as well try to get out unscathed. I mean, there are so many things that can go wrong when you take a woman out. For example, you are speaking passionately about how you think June is the best month of the year (or something equally inane), and a droplet from your mouth lands on her. Or you stretch trying to show off your biceps and belatedly remember the hole in your shirt at the armpit. Or the pizza crust you're trying to break using a knife and fork suddenly lands on the next table and the middle-aged man there passes a rather undignified remark like "Ammayi pakkanunte ollu teliyatledaa?" These are the hazards of the endeavor - you gotta live in constant fear of 'em, telling yourself that no pain, no gain (and, once you're wiser, what gain - but let's not digress). But there are some that you can avoid. Mostly location-specific embarrassments, like being hounded by a new beggar every 2 minutes, having a 90% male crowd around you that is 100% sex-starved leer shamelessly at the lady and pass lewd comments from hear-shot range, smelling unfriendly odors in the air and having to interact with unfriendly watchmen. And that's where we come in universalmania.blogspot.com presents a series of articles on the best places to go out on a date in town. Theaters, parks, restaurants, game centers… we'll have them all covered. And here is the first of them. The best outdoor locations in and around town to go to for a dignified ambience and a nice time (well, it's all perspective!).
GANDIPET Gandipet comprises the most happening amusement joints in the city. 20 km outside the city towards the west, it has, in its vicinity, one of the most scenic spots in Hyderabad, the Osmansagar lake. There are whole loads of picnic spots around the lake making it an ideal getaway for families during the weekends.	Osmansagar - lake of the setting sun
The 29 sq km reservoir was formed by damming the waters of the river Musi. There are steps on the landward side of the bund that lead down to a small park from where you can wander off into the scenic rock formations that abound in this area. There are several decent dhabas nearby to take care of the hunger-pangs. The popular resort Treasure Island is three-quarters of a kilometer from the Osmansagar Lake. TI is the center stage for all the star-studded music concerts, and comes alive on weekends with some mind-blowing music played at a deafening wattage. There are plans to bring the top rock bands in the country - Agni, Moksha, Parikrama, Pentagram etc., to play in our own Hyderabadi version of Woodstock, with the bands playing continuously one after the other for thirty-six hours. Keep watching this space for the info.
Elless World - fun at the edge of town Also situated in Gandipet is the first theme park of its kind in AP, Elless World. It is open from 12 noon to 8pm, though the park authorities claim that they let couples (only) in as early as 9:00am. There are different kinds of rides like the dragon-roller coaster, Dream Girl (a diagonal Ferris wheel) and striking cars. The entry fee is Rs. 65 per person and Rs. 50 for kids less than a height of four feet. The ambience is not that great, but it is worth a visit at least once. One other feature is that if your group has more than 50 people you can get a discount of 20% on each ticket.
But the resort that steals the thunder in the Gandipet vicinity is Ocean Park. It is located just beside Elless World. The park is open from 11am to 8pm. It has got some wonderful water slides going by names like body slide, crazy cruise and zip zap zoom. It is greatly recommended for people who revel in having a blast in water. And that forms quite a majority.	Ocean Park - for the ablutomaniacs!
Though the fare is a bit expensive - tickets for adults cost Rs. 150 and Rs. 90 for children, with the parking and food being additional expenses - it's worth all the fun guaranteed in the water. School students will be charged Rs. 60 per head plus Rs. 15 for lunch, while for college students it is Rs. 100 with an extra Rs. 15 thrown in for lunch. But there should be a minimum of 50 students to avail themselves of these packages. You can also hold birthday celebrations, conferences (?) and parties here - you need to contact their main office at the Blue Chip Arcade in Himayatnagar. The telephone numbers are 322-3824 and 322-5660. You can also call the park directly at 08413-33335, 33336.
Ramoji Film City - tinsel town in town RAMOJI FILM CITY Here's where the dreams of the most majestic kind are made and sold. It is the largest film studio in India (and it also claims to be larger than Universal Studios in Hollywood). Spread over 2000 acres, RFC has prime areas for shooting movies. There are more than forty gardens of all varieties, and elaborate sets that include jails, railway platforms, airports and the like.
RFC is open from 9am to 6pm, with the option of spending the night in one of the many graded star hotels. The cost of spending a day here is Rs. 150 per head. If you happen to be film buff, déjà vu is assured. And you might even catch a star delivering his dialogues or shaking a leg. There is also a special honeymoon package for newlyweds. For details please contact the film city at 925-46555 or call their city office at 323-5678.
DURGAM CHERUVU Of the many scenic lakes in Hyderabad, Durgam Cheruvu, or the Secret Lake, near Jubilee Hills holds a place of prominence. The reason for this intriguing name is that it probably was a well-kept secret twenty or so years ago when there were no proper roads to get there. But that's not the case anymore.	Durgam Cheruvu - the hidden delight
The rock formations here are really breathtaking. Climbing one of the many hillocks that surround the lake would get you get a stupendous long range view of the area, with the Hi-Tech city just about visible.
The Shamirpet Park - a little bit of wilderness in your life THE SHAMIRPET PARK The lake here, situated 24km north of Secunderabad, is the most verdant of the lakes. Its isolation is an added advantage, offering you a serene ambience. There is also a deer park situated here. There are some cottages that can be rented through De Lara Resorts and Orchards Ltd. You can call them at 928-44510/928-44520.
RUNWAY 9 Hyderabad can also pride itself upon being the possessor of one of the very few go-karting tracks in India. Runway 9 is located near Kompally on the Medchal road, about 9km from Paradise circle. Though go-karting is the main attraction, there are also other sports like pool, archery, shooting and roller-skating on offer.	Runway 9 - the go-karters' paradise
There are also plans to open a cybercafé and a disco. But go-karting remains the most popular sport here, with the cost for four laps being Rs. 125. Runway 9 is open till 11:30 at night. You can book it for parties too. For details please call 928-32753.
The Necklace Road - when driving is not what you want to concentrate on THE HUSSAIN SAGAR LAKE If driving outskirts is not your cup of tea, you still have the Necklace Road and the Hussain Sagar lake to fall back upon, right in the heart of the city. The Necklace Road is a long road encircling the lake. With lawns overlooking the waterfront, it looks especially beautiful at night, when it is lit up.
There is also the Lumbini Park at the beginning of the road (on NTR Marg), a family place that is pretty crowded on weekends. The Tank Bund and the Necklace Road are good for aimless drives, but stationing your vehicle there while sitting in it may invite unfriendly cops - especially on Necklace Road. A P Tourism also offers rides on motorboats in the Hussain Sagar. This is quite fun in the nights when the lake looks like that ->! Only, at Rs. 75 a person, it is expensive too!	Hussain Sagar - glitter around the icon of serenity
So there. These are the places that you can take the lady to, places with a respectable ambience. This is not a comprehensive list of parks in town, and you'd doubtless see some notable absences. Well, we're telling you where to go to.

Made For Modeling

All right, you know that you want to be there, but you don't know how.

Do you think a model is a sellout to multi-national businesses that use wily, globalized techniques of persuasion by employing "body beautiful"? Do you feel you are cattle for sale being prodded, when indifferent spectators talk of your vital statistics?
If your answer to either or all such questions is a resounding "nah", you are the model person for the cool catwalk! Yours is the catwalk down the chic road to glamour, fame, money and the so-called good things of life. And the fashion scene in the happening Hyderabad is rather active. In a city where a former Miss Universe was born, and a former Miss World and a current Miss Asia Pacific were brought up, modeling seems to be a career that appears rather upbeat.	Welcome to the world of glamour!
Says Y Malini Reddy, Asst. Professor at the Hyderabad NIFT, "Hyderabad is a pretty cosmopolitan city. A small section of Hyderabadi society is highly conservative. But, over all, lifestyles are changing real fast. People are ready to splurge on hep clothes and hi-fashion accessories. Moreover, there is lot of money in the city, given the high quotient of the AP NRIs." In other words, for up-and-coming models, Hyderabad is the right place to be. But how do you go about being a model? Says Imran Khan, a well-known choreographer and a famous model maker, "There are two major types of modeling assignments; still photography and the ramp walk. You can be a live wire model for a product on TV, too." If you model for a still shoot, your snap can get used in the ad frames of newspapers or magazines. And in the happening Hyderabad, there are ample opportunities for either type of modeling. Says Mahanoor Khan, a famous costume designer from Hyderabad and the wife and business partner of Imran Khan, "Trained models are much in demand for events that showcase garments, accessories and jewelry." In her opinion, moreover, the product fashion shows, pretty regular in Hyderabad, too, require models. What are the preparatory stages that lead to a spiraling career graph as a model? Remember that in the make believe world of modeling, beauty is skin deep. Reddy gives a model a five to seven active year career span, and maintains that a good model requires a glowing, healthy skin and regular features that are, in her opinion, a parental gift, which needs nurturing, nevertheless.
Most of it is in the bod... Mahanoor Khan maintains that height is another essential qualification. A girl has to be at least 5'6" and a guy 5'11", she explains. Reddy adds, "Hyderabad's male models, mostly Muslim, are coming up precisely because of this kind of physique." In fact, you require a real toned body if you want to be successful as a model. Says Reddy, "A daily workout in the gym or at aerobics is essential for girls, too. It is not enough to be thin; one has to have a proportionate body. Often, these so-called thin girls have a slight paunch and, hence, can not carry a dress well." So, in addition to a strict fitness regime, you need a proper diet schedule, too. That is the first step to modeldom - building up a body beautiful. But that does not mean you can start modeling the next minute onwards. Modeling, mind you, is a profession in its own right.
Mahanoor Khan finds it highly creative. To imbibe that right touch, an aspiring model needs "the right guidance", as Imran Khan says. He should know. Himself a student of a top London choreographer, he has been in the business since 1985. In 1997, in his Srinagar Colony house, Imran established a modeling academy called "Runway Academy" (tel: 374-1457). If you are amongst the lucky twenty who he takes under his wings for a forty-day long course in modeling (the charges are Rs. 4000), you are sure to learn all the tricks of the trade. The Academy has all that a future model requires. There is a stage, a forty feet long ramp in plywood, huge mirrors on all the sides, footlights - the works, in short. Here you learn how to walk on the ramp in style.
Says Khan, "A model walk on the ramp is real difficult. It is tough facing the arc lights and the audience. So you require poise and grace. Getting a proper catwalk on plywood requires practice. We provide, our chosen few students, such rigorous practice". Moreover, the services of a speech therapist, a beautician and a dance director are provided for a perfect fit.	Training for the ramp can take long
His advice to all the aspirants is to remember that the ramp show is for the apparel being advertised. Often, he feels, greenhorns use the ramp to attract attention to themselves. Imbibing the professional attitude is essential if you want to be a good model.
Once that happens, you are ready for the third stage. If you are interested in ramp modeling, you need to approach agencies. Imran Khan prepares his students for such assignments and future beauty contests as well. Otherwise, you can approach any of the agencies listed here. The best solution to your agency search could lie in approaching the GMT Dept. of the NIFT, which requires models for their annual show. Currently they tend to hire, informs Reddy, Bombay/Delhi models at exorbitant rates. So the local models are sure to a big hit if they measure up to the NIFT standards.	Training at Imran Khan's Runway
Your portfolio is sure to come in handy for such a quickie start. Says Imran Khan, "In Hyderabad, a day's work at shooting your portfolio costs you Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 5,000 " It cannot exceed Rs. 10,000, add these experts. In Reddy's opinion, it helps co-operating with your photographer. She feels the future model should strike a proper wavelength with the photographer who brings out her/his personal traits.
A good photograph can make you look real good - like Diya does here Advises Reddy further - insist on different, non-typical postures. The ingénue with a finger on her chin or cheek is too passé a pose in her opinion. Strike contemporary poses - that is her special tip. Moreover, you should be careful about the lighting used in a photo session. The kind of lighting a photographer uses can age your photo image. So, see to it that the lighting is soft in tone and texture. If your photograph, thus, shows your true colors, it helps in getting you a proper assignment that can show you off to real advantage. And, mind you, modeling is big moolah. Informs Reddy, top models in AP, such as Miss AP, charge Rs. 10,000 per show, plus a five-star stay and airfare. And, given the emerging fashion awareness in AP in general and in Hyderabad in particular, a good model with established credentials and a proven track record is sure to land good assignments with remarkable frequency, add the experts.
Imran Khan rattles off an impressive list of male models (the Nalgonda boy who made it big, Reggie Verghese, Maneck, Sameer, Niamath, Kareen, Rashad, Veejay, Jayadeep) and their female counterparts (Ritu Makheeja, Preeti Dubey, Gunjan, Kshipra, Ruby, Ipsa, Sonia) who are doing the Hyderabad modeling scene proud. Reddy adds up her favorites, which goes to prove that the Hyderabad modeling market is indeed alive and walking. Does an upcoming model require getting in touch with an event manager? Informs Imran Khan, his Runway Academy takes care of all such details for his proteges. And their ramp shows, mostly theme-based, are managed to the last detail, informs Mahanoor Khan. It is quite some work putting up a show, she feels. So an aspiring model should leave such details to an agency, though listed below you will find a few names of event managers - event management is in itself is a roaring business in Hyderabad. When you approach a modelling agency, you could not be too careful, though. Go to well-known names is Reddy's advice. Do not get carried away by the small time ads in dailies et al, she advises, because at times it could be a real dicey and shady business. A young girl should always approach any such tryst in the company of adults. In fact, parental acquiescence is the real advantage you can rely upon in this glamour world, she adds. So, all ye Cinderellas of Hyderabad, you'd better put forward your daintiest foot in the prettiest glass shoe. The princely show is waiting just around the corner to turn every dream of yours into a reality. Some Useful Tips: Meet Sunil Rupani, K S N Murthi and Sharfuddin Sher (when he is not away on his Dubai assignments) for a perfect portfolio. And Jatin, Rachana Utsav, Teamwork and Busybee, if you need the expert help of event mangers. Thus, goes the advice of the Khans. Reddy feels Salins Designs (tel: 332-1864), RK's Studio (tel: 331-3583, 332-3922) and Jiten can be your valuable sources in Hyderabad. Other major names are M/s Shalom Studios of the Zamistanpur area (tel: 762-8284), Paul's Academy of Fine Arts, Srinivasnagar Colony (tel: 713-4449) and Uma Srinivas at Ensembles, Banjara Hills.

Hip Hop Nite At Bottels & Chimneys

Enjoy clackety beats with some rude rappin'? Then this is where you ought to be tonight!

Non-stop hip-hop is what B&C promises you, and be prepared with some funky dance moves to keep up with everyone else. DJ Falgun presents a relentless sequence of hep hip-hop'ers. Nothin' like booze n hip-hop to drive the daytime blues away!

Please contact Mohib at 2776-2368 for further details.

Gujarat Handicrafts Exhibition

The Gujarat Handicrafts Development Board, in association with the Gurjari handicrafts showroom at Sarovar Plaza in Saifabad, is organising the Gujarat Handicrafts Exhibition, from 5th to 16th August, at the Viswesvarayya Bhavan, Khairatabad.

About 50 stalls have been set up at the venue from various parts of Gujarat and Saurashtra. The handloom readymades and dress material are available in different shades of dark colors, but are a bit on the expensive side. There are salwars, kurtas, long skirts, lehengas and ghagra-cholis. A couple of stalls also have some stocks of handloom shirts.

Some stalls also deal in hand-made cloth handbags, small purses, oven mirror-work saris, Gandhi ashram khadi cotton and ethnic block print Punjabi suits, panchloha bells and chimes, Gujarati wool shawls, terracota, stone sculpture, leather hats, decorative hand-made curtains of beads and stones, and jute jhoolas (swings). There are also live demonstrations of wood sculpting by artistes from Saurashtra.

Among the highlights of this exhibition are the blankets and bedsheets. There are many colorful handloom bedsheets, both single and double, to choose from. The prices here are economical compared to those at the garments section, ranging from Rs. 300 for a printed to Rs. 800 for a handwork bedsheet.

The entry to the exhibition is free. Please contact 2324-0149 for further details.

Retro Nites At Liquids

Does Jhumka Girare rhyme with anything Deep Purple? The answer depends on where you are. Here's a suggestion.

Liquids welcomes all the weekday pubgoers to retroland every Wednesday, to take a stride down memory lane with some vintage music on the cards. DJ Sanju mixes some classic rock, rock-n-roll, disco and Hip-Hop, and if you're interested, some retro Bollywood. Rock the evening with some Bob Marley, Deep Purple or Pink Floyd numbers, and, no prizes for guessing - Jhumka Girare or Kaanta Laga. So enter the Time Machine at Liquids and rewind back to those bell-bottom hippie days.

There are no entry or cover charges tonite - heck, it's a Wednesday. For further details, please contact 6625-9907/98491-66009.

The Laser National Sailing Championships@Hyderabad

VENUE: Hussain Sagar Tank Bund Hyderabad - 500029 DATES AND TIME: 5-Aug-07 to 11-Aug-07 1030 TICKETS: Free

The National Laser Sailing Championships are on from 5th to 11th August, at the Hussain Sagar lake. The event is being co-hosted by the EME Sailing Association and the Secunderabad Sailing Club, for the Laser Class Sailing Association of India. The races will be held in three categories, namely the Laser Standard, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 class of boats, with the last category being mainly for youngsters and newcomers. About 29 participants in the Laser Standard category, 46 participants in the Laser Radial category and 11 in the Laser 4.7 class are participating in these championships. In the Laser Standard category, Rajesh Choudhary - winner of two Asian Games bronze medals - and N S Johal, and D P Selvam (all three from the Army Yachting Node), Salil Sabir from the Goa Yatching Association and Anirudh of the Secunderabad Sailing Club are the ones to watch out for. In the Laser Radial category, leading sailors like the experienced B K Rout, Dharmender Singh and P Madhu, and several of the Secunderabad Sailing Club's participants including the experienced Dinesh Boorugu are in the fray. In the Laser 4.7 class, 17-year-old Navin Shirodkar of the EME Sailing Association who created a sensation last year by winning all races, will be the main attraction this year too. The Tamil Nadu Sailing Association will have six entries and the Secunderabad Sailing Club will have Alekhya, Faraz, Sagarika and Amita to complete the line-up. Please contact Brig C P Singh Deo, Secretary, Rowing Federation of India, at 2779-2577/94400-54150 for further details.