Latest News 25 Sept 2008

Cheap ‘China mobiles’ or new tools of terror Bangalore: The prices of these swanky mobile phone handsets loaded with the latest features are attractively low. But we could pay a high price, for these China mobiles, as they are better known, are the new terror tools. Following the series of bomb blasts across the country, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) zeroed in on these handsets and last month recommended to the Union home ministry and department of telecommunications (DoT) to ban them. It’s because these handsets, recovered from some terror suspects, did not have the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number and consequently gave no details of SIM cards used in it. Apparently, terrorists have switched over to such handsets which can be discarded without any hassles and without fear of call transactions being traced. How exactly does the IMEI number work? Every branded mobile phone comes with a standard 15-digit or 17-digit IMEI number. This number is registered with the GSM service provider once the handset becomes active when a SIM card is inserted. In case the handset is stolen, even if the SIM card is changed, the police can block the handset by using the IMEI number and even retrieve details from recovered handsets. Even CDMA mobile phones have an electronic serial number equivalent to the IMEI number. Bangalore City Crime Branch (CCB) officials, who often raid outlets selling such handsets, say: ‘‘it is very difficult to extract details from such handsets. Though these ‘Chinese mobiles’ are supposed to have genuine IMEI numbers, they are either fake or several phones have the same IMEI number, making it impossible to find out any details.’’ Interestingly, most of such mobile phones are not really made in China. They are assembled in the country, mainly in Delhi and Mumbai and then sold in most cities throughout the country. These Chinese handsets have become very popular in the city as they have features mostly available only on high end phones. While genuine high-end phones with several options and features range between Rs 10,000 and Rs 18,000, these phones come for even Rs 3,500 with the same features. One can buy them at several markets like National Market, Hong Kong Bazaar in Gandhinagar and Dubai Plaza near Brigade Road. Shopkeepers say these phones appeal to several people because in terms of looks and finish they are very similar to branded high-end phones. Dealers selling these handsets say that most customers are happy because there are hardly any complaints. According to CCB officials, selling these phones is illegal as most handsets don’t come with any documents. The phones are locally made and sold without any receipt or additional tax.

Excessive cleanliness can increase risk of diabetes

Cleanliness is next to godliness but being too clean could raise your risk of getting diabetes, a new study has suggested. Researchers in Britain have carried out the study and found that a lack of exposure to bacteria and viruses during childhood may lead to an increased chance of high blood sugar and related diseases. In fact, according to them, exposure to some forms of “friendly” bacteria prevents the onset of type 1 diabetes, which often develops in childhood, where the immune system launches an attack on cells that produce insulin. They came to the conclusion after carrying out an experiment on genetically modified mice that lacked the part of the immune system which responded to bacteria, the Daily Mail reported.

Long-lost Einstein telescope restored Albert Einstein’s long-lost telescope, forgotten for decades in a Jerusalem storage shed, goes on display this week after three years and $10,000 spent restoring the relic. The old reflecting telescope is cumbersome by modern standards, but a demonstration showed it still works well enough to see five of Jupiter’s moons and stripes on the surface of the huge planet. The legendary physicist who theorized relations among energy, speed and mass received the telescope in 1954, the year before he died. It was a gift from a friend named Zvi Gizeri, who probably made it himself.

Scientists detect cosmic ‘dark flow’ Using Nasa’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), scientists have attributed the cause of an unexpected motion in distant galaxy clusters to a cosmic “dark flow”, which is the gravitational attraction of matter that lies across billions of light years, beyond the observable universe. “The clusters show a small but measurable velocity that is independent of the universe’s expansion and does not change as distances increase,” said lead researcher Alexander Kashlinsky at Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

‘Chemical equator’ divides polluted air

Scientists have discovered a “chemical equator” that divides the polluted air of the Northern Hemisphere from the largely uncontaminated atmosphere of the Southern Hemisphere. Researchers from Britain’s University of York found evidence for an atmospheric chemical line about 50km wide in cloudless skies in the western Pacific, with levels of carbon monoxide four times higher on the northern side. The discovery will provide clues to help scientists model simulations of the movement of pollutants in the atmosphere more accurately, and to assess the impact of pollution on climate.

Quiet cars give false sense of speed Less noisy cars could be tricking a driver to think he is driving slower than he really is, according to Australian researchers. Mark Horswill and Annaliese Plooy of Queensland university report their findings in a journal ‘Perception’. The researchers found that change in noise shifted people’s speed perception. “When the noise in the car is made quieter, people think they’re going about 5kmph slower than they would otherwise,” Horswill said.

BLONDES GET MORE SEX Women who dye their hair blonde experience an increase in feelings of attractiveness to the opposite sex and general confidence, claim researchers from the Nottingham Trent University. Also, women who dye their hair blonde are more likely to sing and dance in front of strangers or ask someone out for a date. “Not only were their confidence and mood levels elevated but their inhibitions seemed to be mitigated with many reporting feeling more attractive and sexually exciting,” the experts said.