Emirates airline online UAE visa

Emirates has launched a new online visa system for people from 56 countries, including India, Pakistan and the Philippines, visiting the UAE. 

 a step-by-step guide.

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  Step 1

  After you book tickets click on "Manage a Booking" on www.emirates.com and follow on-screen instructions. One-way flights are not eligible. Pay $57 (Dh209) for a 30-day visa and $44 (Dh162) for a 96-hour visa (plus $17 (Dh62) service charge and sales taxes for both). Residents of some countries may have to pay deposit of Dh1,000.
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  Step 2

  Upload copies of passport bio page, photograph and proof of residence for transfer to Dubai immigration.
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  Step 3

  Track status of visa application on "Manage a Booking" using visa application number.
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  Step 4

  Visa will be delivered electronically within four days. All payments are by credit card. Deposit will be reversed on credit card upon confirmation of exit from the UAE.

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Thinking out of the box!

Thinking Out of the Box - A True Story

There are two kinds of imagination: first is the idealistic or utopian imagination; second is the practical imagination. Here are some examples of this second kind of imagination.

Some time ago I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question, while the student claimed a perfect score. The instructor and the student agreed to an impartial arbiter, and I was selected. I read the examination question:

Question: Show how is it possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer.

The student had answered,“Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to the street, and then bring the rope up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building.”

The student really had a strong case for full credit since he had really answered the question completely and correctly! On the other hand, if full credit were given, it could well contribute to a high grade in his physics course and to certify competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this.

I suggested that the student have another try. I gave the student six minutes to answer the question with the warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. At the end of five minutes, he had not written anything. I asked if he wished to give up, but he said he had many answers to this problem; he was just thinking of the best one. I excused myself for interrupting him and asked him to please go on.

In the next minute, he dashed off his answer which read:“Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, using the formula x=0.5*a*t^^2, calculate the height of the building.”

What to think and what not to think.....!

At this point, I asked my colleague if he would give up. He conceded, and gave the student almost full credit. While leaving my colleague’s office, I recalled that the student had said that he had other answers to the problem, so I asked him what they were.

 “Well,” said the student, “there are many ways of getting the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer. For example, you could take the barometer out on a sunny day and measure the height of the barometer, the length of its shadow, and the length of the shadow of the building, and by the use of simple proportion, determine the height of the building.”

“Fine,” I said, “and others?”

“Yes,” said the student, “there is a very basic measurement method you will like. In this method, you take the barometer and begin to walk up the stairs. As you climb the stairs, you mark off the length of the barometer along the wall. You then count the number of marks, and this will give you the height of the building in barometer units.”

“A very direct method.”

“Of course. If you want a more sophisticated method, you can tie the barometer to the end of a string, swing it as a pendulum, and determine the value of g at the street level and at the top of the building. From the difference between the two values of g, the height of the building, in principle, can be calculated.”

“On this same tact, you could take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to just above the street, and then swing it as a pendulum. You could then calculate the height of the building by the period of the precession.”

“Finally,” he concluded, “there are many other ways of solving the problem.

“Probably the best,” he said, “is to take the barometer to the basement and knock on the superintendent’s door. When the superintendent answers, you speak to him as follows: “Mr. Superintendent, here is a fine barometer. If you will tell me the height of the building, I will give you this barometer.”

At this point, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think.

The student was Neils Bohr and the arbiter was Ernest Rutherford.

“Truly Amazing Story!!!”

Reproduced from:

http://www.amazingposts.com/2008/10/thinking-out-of-box-true-story.html

Murphy's Law

We laugh when we stumble across one of Mr. Murphy's laws because these short maxims describe so poignantly the fickleness of fate which confounds all of us in our earthly endeavors. The postulation of the Law is attributed to one Capt. Ed Murphy who was a development engineer for the Wright Field Aircraft Lab. He referred to a technician who had allegedly induced a malfunctioning, when he exclaimed in frustration: "If there is any way to do it wrong, he will"


Most people do not realize that Murphy's Laws are actually the manifestation of events triggered by what is probably the most fundamental of all of the Laws of Nature: The Second Law of Thermodynamics, also known as Entropy


The Basic Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong


Corollaries and Derivatives:


Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong and at the worst possible moment.


Everything takes longer than you think.


Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.


Once a job is fouled up, anything done to improve it only makes it worse.


Everything put together falls apart sooner or later.


Once you open a can of worms, the only way to re-can them is to use a larger can.


Any wire cut to length will be too short.


After an instrument has been assembled, extra components will be found on the bench.


Any error in any calculation will be in the direction of the most harm.


No books are lost by lending except those you particularly wanted to keep.


If you throw anything away, you will need it as soon as it is no longer available.


When the plane you are on is late, your connecting flight is on time.


Toothaches tend to start on Friday night.


The other check-out line always moves faster  -- and immediately slows down after you change lines.


Any given computer program will expand to fill all available memory.


Computers are unreliable but humans are even more unreliable.


The chance of the bread falling with the buttered side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet.


Enough research will tend to support any theory.


If enough data is collected, anything may be proven by statistical methods.


In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.   ---   Work is accomplished by those who have not as yet reached their level of incompetence.


The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone he can blame it on.


Nothing is impossible for the man who does not have to do it himself.


Anything good in life is either illegal, immoral or fattening.


The three faithful things in life are money, a dog, and an old woman.


Don't worry about being rich or not, as long as you live comfortably and have everything you want.


No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session.

Steve Jobs
(1955 - 2011)

Today world lost Steve Jobs, a human being worth following. I am more than happy to say that I am a proud user of ipod, iphone and macbook pro. Each time I use these products,  I can feel the magic touch of this inspirational leader. Just as Steve Wozniak (Apple Co-founder) said, How many times can you remember  products from a company that just made you happy every time you used them?

I have read his book called iCon. iCon is a truly inspirational story - a real rags to riches story. For people who don't know much about Steve's past, He was given away by his biological parents soon after birth, founded Apple Inc in a garage, was thrown out of the company later, founded animation studio Pixar and Next, came back to Apple. Apple under his leadership introduced products which changed the way we looked at gadgets.

Before iphone, many of us would have never thought of buying a smart phone. ipad? All the products which Apple made and marketed existed before... still Apple was able to revolutionize the products.


He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Laurene, and their three children. Jobs also has a fourth child from a past relationship named Lisa, after whom he named Apple's "Lisa" computer in 1983.

So let me salute the true visionary, legend and more over .. a Super Sales man..... Steve Jobs! Rest in Peace boss.


Statements from Family, Friends and Mentors

A statement from Jobs' family reads, in full:

"Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family.

In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve's illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.

We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."

Jobs has been instrumental in many of Apple's hit products, stretching back to 1976 with the Apple I, all the way to the modern-day iPhone and iPad. He revealed to Apple employees in 2004 that he'd been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and underwent a liver transplant in 2009. In late August of this year, Jobs stepped down as CEO of Apple.

Apple's board of directors has issued the following statement:

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.

Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."

Another statement on Apple's website at apple.com/stevejobs reads:

"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of use who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences, please e-mail rememberingsteve@apple.com"

New Apple CEO Tim Cook sent the following e-mail to Apple employees:

"Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today. 

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve's extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve's death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.

Tim”

Over on TIME.com's business section, Jobs' obituary reads, in part:

"Steve Jobs, whose death was announced on Wednesday night, wasn't a computer scientist, He had no training as a hardware engineer or an industrial designer. The businesses that Apple entered under his leadership — from personal computers to MP3 players to smartphones — all existed before the company got there.

But with astonishing regularity, Jobs did something that few people accomplish even once: he reinvented entire industries. He did it with ones that were new, like PCs, and he did it with ones that were old, such as music. And his pace only accelerated over the years."

Click here to read the rest of the obituary.

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has issued the following statement:

"I'm truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs' death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work.

Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.

The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.

For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely."

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has issued the following statement:

"Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you."

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has issued the following statement:

"From the earliest days of Google, whenever Larry and I sought inspiration for vision and leadership, we needed to look no farther than Cupertino. Steve, your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product (including the macbook I am writing this on right now). And I have witnessed it in person the few times we have met.  On behalf of all of us at Google and more broadly in technology, you will be missed very much. My condolences to family, friends, and colleagues at Apple."

Google co-founder Larry Page has issued the following statement:

"I am very, very sad to hear the news about Steve. He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance. He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it. His focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me. He was very kind to reach out to me as I became CEO of Google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well. My thoughts and Google's are with his family and the whole Apple family."

Google chairman Eric Schmidt has issued the following statement:

"Today is very sad for all of us. Steve defined a generation of style and technology that's unlikely to be matched again. Steve was so charismatically brilliant that he inspired people to do the impossible, and he will be remembered as the greatest computer innovator in history."

President Obama has issued the following statement:

"Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators - brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.

By building one of the planet's most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.

The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve's wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him."

Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger has issued the following statement:

"Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted adviser. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an 'original,' with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started. With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time."

Ed Catmull and John Lasseter of Pixar said:

"Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply ‘make it great.' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar's DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time."

Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang said:

"Steve was my hero growing up. He not only gave me a lot of personal advice and encouragement, he showed all of us how innovation can change lives. I will miss him dearly, as will the world."

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said:

"Once in a rare while, somebody comes along who doesn't just raise the bar, they create an entirely new standard of measurement."

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued the following statement:

"Tonight, America lost a genius who will be remembered with Edison and Einstein, and whose ideas will shape the world for generations to come. Again and again over the last four decades, Steve Jobs saw the future and brought it to life long before most people could even see the horizon. And Steve's passionate belief in the power of technology to transform the way we live brought us more than smartphones and iPads: It brought knowledge and power that is reshaping the face of civilization. In New York City's government, everyone from street construction inspectors to NYPD detectives have harnessed Apple's products to do their jobs more efficiently and intuitively."

Dell founder Michael Dell issued the following statement:

"Today the world lost a visionary leader, the technology industry lost an iconic legend and I lost a friend and fellow founder. The legacy of Steve Jobs will be remembered for generations to come."

AOL co-founder Steve Case said:

"I feel honored to have known Steve Jobs. He was the most innovative entrepreneur of our generation. His legacy will live on for the ages."

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak told CNN:

"It's like there's a big hole left in you, and it's very hard to go back and reflect on all the feelings... Everyone knows what he did—how much life he brought to the world. I think if he had a goal, he certainly far, far overachieved any goals he had from the start of things.

I think Steve Jobs would have had hopes and visions for the future, and he set up Apple Computer really to continue on in his dreams. And I hope that Apple always finds great leaders like him. He made a lot of people happy. How many times can you remember products from a company that just made you happy every time you used them?...

So many people are just so thankful for the life that Steve Jobs largely brought us."

Steve Jobs, from his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University:

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice."

HTC HD7 Memory upgrade

WARNING : this tutorial needs you to open up your smartphone completely, and may invalidate your warranty. If you upgrade your HD7, you do it at your own risk !!

Read this tutorial entirely before starting. !!! This memory change will completely erase the contents of your phone. Backup it !!!


Thanks to Wolfman017 at XDA-developers.com

You will need the following tools :


- A HTC HD7 (yeah, easy...)


- A Sandisk MicroSD 32 GB Card : Warning !! Ony some references are compatible. Check the compatibility list at the end of this tutorial. 


- A Torx screwdriver - Size : 0.4


- A little plastic card, like a fidelity card (small size)


- Tweezers




- A piece of paper

Remove the battery cover, the battery itself, and you SIM card : 

Now, you need to remove the bottom cover. To do this, insert the plastic card inside, and pull upside gently. It will be a little hard, just do it quietly until it "clics". Do the same on the other side, and finish removing the cover :

 

Take the screwdriver. At minimum, you will need to remove the 3 screws marked by red arrows. Personaly, I remove the 3 screws marked by the green arrows too for more confort. One of the screws is hidden by a VOID sticker (which unvalidates the warranty if you remove it). Either you don't remove this sticker, the other black screws will scratched by the screwdriver, and you will lose warranty in all cases.

Now, pull the plastic framework upside with your finger, to get access to the MicroSD card reader :

 

The MicroSD card is protected by a "metallic" sticker. Unstick it, and tear it below the plastic framework. You cannot remove it completely :

 

If you don't want to be annoyed by this sticker, place your piece of paper on it. Now push the memory card in his reader with the tweezers : you will here a clic. Release, the card will be ejected :

 

Take the MicroSD card with the tweezers, and remove it :

 

There you are. Now insert your brand new memory card, and reassemble your phone following the previous steps.

Once your phone is reassembled, put your SIM card, the battery, and close the cover.
To turn it on, push the two volume buttons, and keep them pushed while pressing the Power button :

 

Keep the volume buttons pressed until you see this message :

 

Press the Down Volume button to confirm the Hard reset :

 

Press again the Down Volume button to restart the phone. Follow the Windows Phone configuration wizard, then reboot your phone again (just a simple reboot).
And "voilà" ! A HTC HD7 with full memory !!! 

Updated on 28th April 2011 :
Compatible 32GB card :
- Sandisk SDSDQ-032G-J35 (Class 4 - Asian market)
- Sandisk SDSDQM-032G-B35 (Class 2 or Class 4)

Avoid these references :
- Sandisk SDSDQ-032G-E11M (Class 2 or 4)

[Thanks to Wolfman017 at XDA-developers.com]