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Showing posts from January, 2012

Apple launches e-textbook tools with new iBooks

Apple aims to drive the use of electronic textbooks in the classroom by making it easier for publishers to create interactive titles. The company has announced a range of new tools and services which it claims will "reinvent the textbook". Leading names in educational resources are involved, including the world's biggest, UK-based Pearson Publishing. Apple will compete with existing offerings from Amazon's Kindle and Barnes and Noble's Nook device. Roger Rosner, Apple's vice president of productivity applications, demonstrated the books, some of which are now available to download, at an event in New York. Also on display was iBooks Author, a free program that will allow educators and authors to make their own interactive books for the iPad. Apple has also said it has enhanced iTunes U - the educational section of its iTunes store - to allow a wider breadth of university level resources. 'Huge challenge' The company's senior vice-pr

UK inflation rate falls to 4.2% in December

Inflation fell sharply in December on the back of lower fuel and clothing prices. Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation in the UK fell to 4.2% in December, down from 4.8% in November, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation - including mortgage interest payments - fell to 4.8% from 5.2%. It backs Bank of England predictions that inflation will be 2% by late 2012. The drop in the CPI rate was the biggest monthly fall since April 2009, and the lowest rate since June 2011. The figures reflected a 2.8% drop in the price of clothing and footwear as retailers cut prices to attract customers in the run-up to Christmas. Fuel prices fell 0.6% on the month, although this month's gas and electricity cuts by the main suppliers have yet to take effect. However, food prices rose by 1.4%, despite recent fierce competition between the main supermarket chains.

Nanban (vijay) Tamil Film review

Release date: 13 January 2012 Running time: 188 mins Director: S. Shankar Starring: Vijay, Jeeva, Srikanth, Ileana D'Cruz, Sathyan, Sathyaraj Vijay leads an all-star cast in this Tamil remake of the Bollywood comedy blockbuster '3 Idiots'. Venkatramakrishnan (Srikanth), Sevalkodi Senthil (Jeeva) and Panchavan Parivendan (Vijay) are a trio of engineering students who share a room. Venkatramakrishnan is studying not because engineering is his vocation, but to appease his father. Sevalkodi Senthil wants to get his family out of poverty. Panchavan Parivendan has a genuine passion for the subject and considerable skill at problem solving. Unfortunately, this brings him into conflict with the pompous dean, Virumandi Santhanam, aka Virus (Sathyaraj). Matters are further complicated when he falls for Virus's daughter, Riya (Ileana D'Cruz). Adapted from Chetan Bhagrat's bestseller 'Five Point Someone' and told in the form of a series of flashbacks from the pre