Tuesday 27 December 2011

List of reportedly haunted locations in the world

tech tracker - Automate the way you update software

Adobe Acrobat X Pro Download it !!

Immortals - Official Teaser Trailer [HD]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLWwdO1PjKs&feature=relmfu

Shocking News–Is Obama Harrison Bounel?

Box Office Report: 'Mission: Impossible 4' Christmas Victor, Tom Cruise is Back

Mission Impossible 4 - Ghost Protocol - Official Trailer

Sunday 18 December 2011

TheNews Blog » Desi Boyz: Lacks in its Script

TheNews Blog » Desi Boyz: Lacks in its Script

TheNews Blog » Breaking Dawn: Doesn’t Live Up to Expectations

TheNews Blog » Breaking Dawn: Doesn’t Live Up to Expectations

TheNews Blog » Our Love for Veena!

TheNews Blog » Our Love for Veena!

Influential figures likely to join PTI

Influential figures likely to join PTI

Where objects talk and humans watch

Where objects talk and humans watch

Fabric diagnostic ‘chips’ could detect deadly diseases

Fabric diagnostic ‘chips’ could detect deadly diseases

Pakistan - China Joint Military Exercise "YOUYI-IV" - 巴中友谊

WATCH THE VIDEO BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW !



Awswm car u have'nt look this before.

CAR MADE BY JAPAN 






Protocol and Respect of Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) Bowl while delivering to Chechnya [HD]

                                  
WATCH THE VIDEO BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW !!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjRDoMW8QaY

First person: “One of these days I will come to Pakistan”

“It’s not just difficult to get hold of Don… It’s impossible.”
That dialogue rings just as true for the man who wears the mask of Don these days; Shah Rukh Khan has been living out of a suitcase and he is impossible to pin down. His life has been a whirlwind for the past few months — “I never know where I am anymore” — as he flies from one city to another, first for Ra.One and then for the juggernaut that must continue with Don 2.
Releasing on Friday, December 23, Don 2 is the sequel to Farhan Akhtar’s remake of the original and already has everyone’s interest as the year comes to a close.
It’s amidst this tsunami of activity that Tahulka Movies (official importers and distributors of the film in Pakistan) align a telephone interview exclusively for Images on Sunday with the superstar who is always on the move and in Dubai at the time.
A 16-minute slot is what we get with a 30 seconds heads up. It takes more than that to calm the nerves; it is Shah Rukh Khan on the line after all!
Twenty-seven minutes, several “please move around for a better signal” and “can you speak louder” requests and a few laughs later, it’s over. This is how it went:
Q. From super star to super hero to anti-hero in Don, you play all these characters with such ease and joy but which one is the closest to you?
SRK: I get to be all these characters in part, which makes me very lucky but sometimes I wake up and find it very difficult to feel who I really am. I love my work and when I’m working on a film all I want to do is jump out of bed and act. I get extremely excited about my roles and I enjoy being someone else when I’m in character. But I detach just as quickly once they are complete. When I’m not working it’s just boring old me, I’m afraid.
Q. Boring. Old. Is that really how you see yourself?
SRK: (Laughs).
Q. The roles you now choose are getting more and more mechanical. Are you choosing roles that glorify the SRK brand or are you actually thinking characters and acting?
SRK: Neither of the two, actually. This ‘SRK-the brand’ is an illusion people have created. For me it’s very simple. I choose films because of the people I want to work with. People are more important for me and I need to be comfortable with the people I’m working with. The films that I do need to make me happy and I need to have space while working on them. I’m in a space where I need to be comfortable. It’s really very simple to figure out. Ratings and TRPs (Television Rating Points) don’t matter to me.
As for acting, I like exploring different techniques as an actor and not all of them always go down well. I still don’t do anything that I don’t feel happy doing. I did Om Shanti Om, Khan (My Name is Khan), Ra.One and now Don, which are all different types of roles. I enjoyed all of them. I work hard and then let it (the film) go.
Q. You are very committed to technology. Ra.One raised the bar by being shot in 3D and now Don 2 is releasing in 3D along with the gaming paraphernalia. Is so much technology necessary for an Indian film whose premise to success will always be good story telling?
SRK: Technology is very important for Indian films and we want to keep up with the world in every possible way. That’s why I have my own studio. Ra.One was at par with any high-tech film in the world. I really do hope other directors and producers pick up on these developments because they need to happen. I love technology and I’m all for raising standards in any possible way. We have to keep abreast with the best of everything that’s out there.
That said, there will always be beauty in simple story telling and ‘normal’ films but personally I believe in enhancing things where necessary.
Q. Keeping My Name is Khan and the relations between India and Pakistan in mind, do you think films need to absorb the socio-politics around us or influence them? What does good cinema do, in your opinion?
SRK: Art is always going to go beyond boundaries. Primarily, all a good film needs to do is entertain. Enjoyable cinema will always transcend boundaries and we are so similar as a people that we laugh at the same things and cry at the same things. But why restrict the question to India and Pakistan?
I’m glad people liked Khan (My Name is Khan) all over the world for a very simple reason. I’m not claiming to know everything but I do know that as a Muslim it’s important for me to tell the world who we really are. It’s important for us to explain Islam to the world and it’s important for the world to know Islam and what it truly stands for.
But that’s not the only reason I did the film. It was a good experience.
Q. Indian films are now releasing in Pakistan so at least some boundaries are softening. What do you say about Pakistani artistes working in India?
SRK: We speak the same language. This exchange is very important because we have the same background and I hope it continues. Where films are concerned, it’s important to step out and explore new options. I have worked with a lot of singers from Pakistan and I’ve also worked with Akon for Ra.One. I feel that new voices bring novelty as well as longevity.
Q. You always had fans in Pakistan but your fanfare reached dizzy heights with MNIK. What are the odds that you’ll come to Pakistan?
SRK: One of these days I will come to Pakistan. I will come to Pakistan when work takes me there.
Q. Work, but not the love of the people?
SRK: I find work is an excuse for love. I find love in work.
Q. You found popularity in a negative role when you started out and now you’re returning to the anti-hero once again with Don. Do you feel that you’re coming full circle?
SRK: Not really, considering my next film is going to be a deeply intense love story. (Chennai Express releases in December 2012). It’s being made under the Yash Raj banner and will have all grand qualities of a Yash Raj film. Kareena (Kapoor) is my co-star. I will be returning to that overwhelming ‘love story’ genre in full essence.
Q. So will you be a Raj or Rahul?
SRK: (Laughs). Neither. Both rolled into one.

Saturday 17 December 2011

The Dirty Picture



The Dirty PictureThis Week MAG Recommends

The Dirty Picture
Reshma (Vidya) is a non-
conformist who leaves her home to become a star in the big bad world of Tollywood. After a series of rejections at the hands of casting directors, she finally lands a solo-dance number but the 'artistic' director of the film Abraham (Emraan Hashmi) robs her off that big-ticket to silver screen. Heartbroken, she is ready to go back to her sleepy village, when the producer (Rajesh Sharma) restores her item number in the film to set the box-office on fire. The world wakes up to Silk and now no film is complete without her antics. Be it Suryakant (Naseeruddin Shah) her childhood crush and now an aging superstar or the millions of wolf-whistling frontbenchers, no one seems to keep their eyes and minds off her. She relishes in every bit of attention coming her way and treats every strand of criticism with utter disdain. Magazines and gossipmongers damn her as the scum of this planet but Silk won't budge. She belittles them on their own turf with her raw charm. But as they say, success without honour is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good. And Silk learns this bitter truth the hard way. With The Dirty Picture director, Milan Luthria tries to explore the dirty underbelly of the Indian cinema and excavates a gem in the form of Vidya Balan. You can't help but appreciate the effort she puts in to make her Silk look authentic. All in all, The Dirty Picture may not be your perfect family outing.

Controversy Queen VEENA MALIK



VEENA MALIK Controversy
Queen VEENA MALIK 
by BUSHRA SEHAR


Veena Malik has been in news ever since she established a strong foothold in India for all the reasons objectionable. Latest being the controversy of her posing naked for an Indian magazine.
However, she denied going nude and sued the magazine for a whopping 10 crore Rupees. But the newest stir is her father making a statement to British media on disowning her and how he wants her to be punished for what she has done!
"I have disowned her. I have severed all ties with her and I don't want her to have any share in whatever meager assets I have until she is cleared of the controversy and pledges not to visit India again," Veena's father, Malik Mohammad Aslam, was quoted by a British paper.
He added that his daughter should be punished if found guilty of stripping 'so that no other woman would think of doing such a thing'. "I can ignore it if she disobeys me but I cannot tolerate anything against my country and my faith."
This statement made by her father has shocked the actress and she despite repetitive tries from media to get in touch, has maintained a 'no comment' status.
However, in an earlier interview, Veena had said her family was always supportive of what she did, and it was only after their permission that she said yes to 'Swayamvar', which also created aVEENA MALIK controversy recently due to her nationality. "My parents have always supported me."
'I Posed Topless, Not Nude'
Veena, who featured in a racy cover shoot in the December edition of FHM magazine in India told CNN that she posed topless, but not completely naked.
Veena Malik appeared on the cover of the magazine wearing only one thing: a tattoo on her arm bearing the initials ISI causing a stir in whole of Pakistan. But Veena said FHM doctored the photographs to show her without clothes and has now revealed plans to sue the publication.
"I admit that I have done a bold shoot," she said adding, "but I was not nude. There is a big difference between topless and being nude."
"You will see various shoots here in the Bollywood industry where the actresses actually went topless but VEENA MALIK they were covered like the way I was."
In an interview to CNN, she said she had declined an offer a couple of months ago by an international media agency to pose nude for a fee but agreed to do a shoot for FHM India instead – and without charges – because it was a personality shoot.
"What I have lost is priceless," she said.
But FHM India says Veena knew the terms all along and approved the photos. The publication is even demanding a public apology and has threatened to counter-sue Veena for defamation.
"She was completely aware of the cover," said FHM editor Kabeer Sharma. "She was completely aware of the concept. She loved the concept and she said it at least fifteen times."
Veena's lawyer Ayaz Bilawala told CNN that Veena Malik is seeking $1.9 million in damages, saying the magazine 'cheated' his client and doctored the pictures.
In a legal notice served to the magazine, Veena contends that it was Sharma's idea for her to wear the ISI tattoo; she was told it would be good for her image.
In another photo, which was originally slated for the cover, she is shown holding a grenade in her right hand. And when she was asked by Get TV about the shot, she said, "Yes I did it holding a grenade in my mouth. So what? Do you have some problem with it?"
FHM published the grenade photo inside, with a line plastered across it: "The cover we didn't use."
Veena said the shoot was supposed to create positive feelings, not negative ones. She added that the controversy has affected her family, particularly her father.
"He did not speak to me. He spoke to one of the media groups and he was crying, I mean he was too upset... I don't blame him for that."
But the actress and model is no stranger to controversy. She triggered uproar two years ago when she claimed that her former boyfriend, Mohammed Asif, was involved in spot-fixing international matches.
A year later, the actress came under fire from Pakistani clerics who decried her behavior in the IndianVEENA MALIK reality TV show Big Boss, as 'un-Islamic'.
"I am not a perfect Muslim or a perfect person, but I haven't committed a crime, and unfortunately things like this are part and parcel of the industry I work in," she said.
Despite all this, she downplayed her criticism back home.
"I am not bothered about what they think," she said. "My fans and many Pakistanis support me and believe in me."
"If you look at the industry which I am working right now, there are various examples of such shoots – it's not that I am the first one who has done it," she said.
"Why is sexuality such a big problem? Are we actually grown up? Are we still living in the jungles?"
It has also been reported that Malik is claiming the support of her fans – and wouldn't rule out a nude shoot in the future.
She is reported to have said; "I'm a very strong person. If I did something like that, I would stand by my actions."
"Would I pose nude In the future? Who knows what will happen tomorrow."
'FHM Row Added 10 Years To My Age'
Veena Malik has claimed that the stress caused by the FHM India scandal aged her by almost ten years.
However, she recently revealed that since she filed her lawsuit, she has been threatened with character defamation if she did not drop the charges.
"I feel completely cheated. They've added ten years to my age. They threatened to sue me if I don't keep quiet," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.
The 33-year-old has claimed that she was wearing hot pants, which were removed by Photoshop on the cover of FHM India.
"The image we shot was completely different to the one on the cover. I was wearing hot pants and they promised me they would cover my upper body with multiple tattoos. Instead, they removed the hot pants," she said.
The actress has alleged that the editor-in-chief Kabeer Sharma and the journalist who interviewed herVEENA MALIK were not responding to her calls even though prior to the shoot they would converse with her regularly.
"I did not sign any contract and refused to until I was given final approval of the images. I was never sent the pictures but I was assured they were the same shots taken from the shoot in November."
"I was cool with those pictures because I felt they were artistic and beautiful. They should have waited for my authorisation but they didn't."
"There was only one week between the shoot and publication – they were obviously in a rush to print them without my consent," she said.
Meanwhile, Sharma has strongly denied the allegations that the pictures are doctored and that the model has been threatened, insisting that Malik has given contradictory accounts of the shoot.
"It's important to note Ms Malik has been dragging the magazine's name through muck by making false and baseless allegations andVEENA MALIK we look at it very, very seriously," he said.
"I invite Ms Malik to furnish one shred of evidence, SMS or a witness to support her allegations which are as concocted as the ones she's been making all week."
"No one in FHM has had any conversation with Ms Malik directly or indirectly to make this "imagined threat".
"The one message that was sent to her was one that told her she could call the office landline if she wanted to have a conversation."
Sharma claims the magazine has video evidence of the shoot.
"Ms Malik was more than comfortable with the filming, it was only when the cover and the grenade shots were done was the videographer asked to stop filming to make the team more comfortable (not her).
She did not even once ask him to stop filming."
Malik on the other hand has said that no such video was taken and that when she noticed filming taking place, when she was fully clothed, she asked them to stop as it was not in line with the previous agreement to only shoot images.

'I Have Not Done Anything Against Law'"I have not done anything wrong which brings bad name to the country," said the controversial queen Veena Malik in an inclusive interview to Geo TV. "I am an actress and a fashion model and I know my limits. I don't know why people bring religion and morality when it comes to a woman," she added admitting the fact that she did a bold shoot.
"I do not know why there is such uproar over my shoot. Why people forget that I am the one who has been betrayed. My pictures have been doctored and I should be supported by my countrymen but alas that is not the situation," she added.
VEENA MALIK "If someone thinks that I should be served legally then the magazine editor should also be served as he is responsible for doctoring my images," she said.
While defending herself Veena said, "No one objects when our cricket players participate in IPL but people do not forget to make hue and cry over my every move. I have not done anything which is against the law."
She clearly mentioned that she did not represent anyone but herself. "I must tell you that I do not represent anyone but myself. Do not treat me as a person representing a certain society but an individual, as a model and an actress."
She stressed that a woman should be allowed to live a life of her own choice. It should be a girl's choice whether she would wear burqa or jeans.
When she was asked about her limits, she said, "Whatever I have done is according to the norms of the Bollywood industry. When I will go to Hollywood, I would do the same according to their norms. Look, I am an actress and I will do whatever my profession demands and nothing else. I believe in the famous saying, 'Jaisa des waisa bhes'."
It is interesting to note that a Mumbai based fashion designer spilled the beans on Veena's controversy and disclosed to a news channel that the whole controversy was pre-planned and agreed upon by all concerned.

What The Celebrities Had To Say…
Resham – Lollywood Actress
I don't want to say anything on Veena's scandal. I think our government should cancel her nationality and strictly restrict her entrance in the country.Mishi Khan – TV Actress
I don't consider this topic important enough to say anything on it. I won't waste my words by speaking about her shameful act.
Bushra Ansari – TV Actress & Host
I don't want to talk about her nonsense act. Media should give much importance to other key issues rather giving hype to her scandal. Recently maulvi raped a 6-year-old girl and media didn't give coverage to it as they were busy covering Veena's nude photo shoot. It's a time for media to play a responsible and constructive role for the betterment of society.

Shamyl Khan – Lollywood Actor
She is not even a Pakistani for me. Our ministry of culture should take strict action against her and they must ban her entrance in the country. By showing ISI tattoo on her hand she actually did something against our country.
Adnan Siddiqui – TV Actor
Her act is totally disgraceful for our country. I strongly oppose anyone who does such cheap things to tarnish the image of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.


Funny Google Search Tricks




Google is the number one search engine of the world, and it is also the world's no 1 website.
You can find anything by searching in Google. But there are many funny searches in Google, hope you dont know about this. Try the below searches in Google and enjoy this.

1. Google Loco
  • Go to Google.com
  • Type Google Loco in search box and click in I'm Feeling Luckilybutton.
2. Meaning of Google
  • Go to Google.com
  • Type Search in search box and Click in I'm Feeling Luckily button.
3. Loneliest Number
  • Go to Google.com
  • Type The loneliest Number search box and click on Search to see the loneliest number.
4. Number of Horns on a Unicone
  • Go to Google.com
  • Type the number of horns on a unicone and press enter.
5. Meaning of Recursion
  • Go to Google.com
  • Type recursion in Search box and press enter.
  • On the top of the result you will see, "Did you mean: Recursion"

Download YouTube Videos in Mobile/PC

f you want to download youtube videos directly to your mobile or PC without using any software in any format, then this is the correct post for you.
Youtube is the most watchable online video website in the world. You can also watch your videos in your PC or mobile. But, youtubr have no option to download your favorite videos into your mobile. You can download them in your PC using software, but in mobile there is no option. Now you can download your youtube videos directly to your Mobile or PC in many formats.
Download in Mobile.:
  • First open your Opera browser, you can also use another but opera is best for it.
  • Goto YouTube website and select any video.
  • In the address bar the video link is look like this.:m.youtube.com/watch?v=0LrT8N02vys
  • Rename it to.: ssyoutube.com/watch?v=0LrT8N02vys
  • Just remove m. using ss
Download in PC.:
  • Also same process for PC.
  • Just remove www. using ss
  • www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LrT8N02vys  ::  ssyoutube.com/watch?v=0LrT8N02vys
1. After pressing Enter in Mobile/PC a new window will open.
2. Select your Download Format and download your video.
(For any problem comment below)


First Pakistani Engineers Helicopter | Pakistan Made Helicopter

NUST Students made First Hybrid Fuel Efficient Car of Pakistan!!

Hackistan: Indo-Pak rivalry takes on new frontiers


The “rivalry” between India and Pakistan is considered to be an inherent part of both countries’ history and culture, influencing every field, from sports, movies to even marketing campaigns. It should therefore come as no surprise to the current tech-savvy crowd that cyber attacks have been added to this list.
Every few months, we hear about some independent and “talented” group of hackers – boasting colourful names like Pakistan Cyber Army, Indian Cyber Army, Pakistan Hackers Club, Pakhaxors, Predators PK, Hindustan Hackers Organisation and so on – defacing yet another Indian or Pakistani website. Mostly, the homepage is littered with poorly-worded patriotic statements and taunts that often provoke the other nation’s hacking groups to retaliate.
Although these attacks have been occurring intermittently since the late 90s, they seem to have escalated since the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008. While previously these hacks targeted popular but harmless websites, the trend has gradually moved to defacing major government and law enforcement websites.
Anatomy of an attack 
In this context, a cyber attack is usually triggered by some act of violence or aggression from the rival country. Within a span of hours, these groups of hackers locate a high-value website that doesn’t have adequate cyber security in place, and gains root access to the Web server by hacking into it.
The homepage is defaced and replaced with juvenile comments. Often, these hackers block visitors’ access to important information. Such acts, of course, lead to more cyber defacements, with the most “coveted” targets being government websites.
Some of the notable attacks from the recent past are listed below:
November 2010: A fresh round of the India-Pak cyber war kicked off last year when a group known as the Indian Cyber Army hacked around 40 high-profile government websites, including that of the Pakistan Army, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The apparent motive behind this was to protest against the Mumbai attacks.
The title page of these websites was imaginatively replaced with the famous World War II image of soldiers struggling to raise the US flag in Iwo Jima (of course, in this case, the Indian flag replaced the American flag).
December 2010: In retaliation to the attack mentioned above, the Pakistan Cyber Army (PCA) successfully hacked around 270 Indian websites with the most notable being of the high-profile Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Again, the homepage was vandalised with insulting comments regarding India’s cyber-security.
The PCA also promised that a widespread defacement of Indian websites would be carried out if further attacks [on Pakistani websites] occurred. The attack raised enough eyebrows for India to start a probe into Pakistan’s cyber attack capabilities and register a case against the PCA for hacking and defacing its official websites.
The Pakistan Cyber Army, however, soon released a statement calling for a ceasefire between the two countries’ hacking groups, insisting that they had only retaliated against the hacking of the Pakistani government websites by the Indian Cyber Army.
The group further said that not a single record from the CBI website database had been deleted or tampered with. Their plans to mass-deface Indian government websites had also been dropped. Ironically, they also advised the younger generation not to emulate them and instead focus on their studies.
July 2011: Although things appeared to have cooled off after the apparent ceasefire, the 2011 Mumbai bomb blasts once again triggered off cyber attacks, with the Indian Cyber Army defacing the popular Pakistani website Songs.pk. The message posted on the website warned “anti-Indians” that the group was “coming with huge speed,” and that “there will be no one to save” them.
September 2011: The website of the Supreme Court of Pakistan was hacked by a group of hackers that demanded stronger action to be taken against objectionable websites and made snide remarks about the Chief Justice of Pakistan. Soon after, the website of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) was also hacked with the same protests advocated. What made this attack unique was that it was committed internally, showing that hacktivism was now a definite reality in Pakistan.
October 2011: The homepage of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), of the Indian West Bengal was hacked by a group calling itself the Muslim Liberation Army. Protesting against the killing of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir, the attackers demanded the Indian government take measures to stop such actions. Through analysis of the server logs, CID officials stated that they had traced the attackers to Lahore via a proxy server in the US.
Combating the “Armies”
The attacks mentioned here is only the tip of the iceberg, but they all point to the fact that government websites are now in the cross-hairs of hackers – local and international. It is no secret that government entities are on an entirely different level from private organisations, with numerous bureaucratic hurdles in place for even the most trivial tasks.
However, cyber attacks occur in real-time and slow response to such attacks is unacceptable for any nation. Similarly, even a superfluous survey of government organisations will reveal that there is little awareness of information security among the employees, with security audits rarely being conducted.
The November 2010 attacks by the Indian Cyber Army revealed that all the Pakistani government websites shared the same server, indicating that once the hackers gained root access, defacing all of the 40 websites was child’s play.
Government institutions need to allocate proper budgets for the hiring and training of Computer Emergency Response Teams, and raise the level of security awareness among their staff. This is certainly no small feat, given the nature of government organisations and how the average government employee thinks!
Why bother?
Although Pakistan is far behind in the concept of e-governance, this cannot last for long. Inevitably, as a nation, Pakistan must and will join the list of countries that have moved most governance-related activities to the Web, in order to facilitate its citizens.
Various initiatives like branchless banking for poverty-stricken people, Virtual University, and e-balloting are already becoming available. Needless to say, these require strong cyber security measures to succeed.
The immensely talented individuals in these hacker groups should come together and help secure their respective country’s digital assets, and start other, more productive projects to truly serve the nation.
But this won’t be possible until the Government of Pakistan realises that this enormous talent should be channelled into helping secure our own cyber infrastructure against future attacks. According to a recent news report, the Pakistan Military is launching a school in collaboration with NUST School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science to educate new recruits about techniques for defence against cyber attacks.
It would, be a national blunder if the huge potential in these talented individuals continues to be wasted in such misguided acts of ‘patriotism’. Instead of using their skills to help their respective nations, they are wasting their time and talent by indulging in meaningless acts of “cyber graffiti”, where websites – due to no fault of their own – are vandalised.
Engaging in ego-driven battles across cyber space should be abandoned by both Pakistan and India’s hacking groups for the sake of prosperity of both nations.
Taimur Ijlal wrote this article for the December 2011 issue of Spider magazine.

Anti-suicide app aims to help US soldiers


NASHVILLE, Tenn: US soldiers facing emotional problems and contemplating suicide may soon be able to use a smart phone application to connect them to help.
The Tennessee National Guard, the state’s reserve military force, launched a pilot program of the “Guard Your Buddy” app that was spearheaded by Clark Flatt, president and CEO of the Jason Foundation.
Major General Terry “Max” Haston, the commander of the Tennessee National Guard, approached Flatt, who launched the app in October 1997 after his teenage son Jason committed suicide, about using the app for his soldiers.
Flatt said suicides in the National Guard have risen 450 per cent since 2004. He and Haston hope to spread the app nationwide in National Guard units.
“We hope soldiers will download this smart phone application and pass it on to their fellow troops to ensure they have someone to talk to in times of trouble,” Haston said.

“It’s difficult to predict if or when a member of our guard family will face suicidal thoughts, but we want them to be able to get help if they need it.”
The National Guard Bureau’s suicide prevention program shows that 362 National Guard members nationwide committed suicide since 2007, and another 23 cases are under investigation.
Haston convinced Flatt that the Jason Foundation’s goal of addressing youth suicide also applies to the National Guard.
“A lot of the people we’re talking about as having these issues are young guardsmen, 18-24 years old,” Flatt said. “We found a lot of problems were (about) relationships and finance.”
Substance-Abuse Issues
Tennessee National Guard Command Sergeant Major Terry Scott, who works in family support, said substance-abuse issues are also contributing factors to suicide.
The Guard Your Buddy app has received positive reviews.
“I think it’s going to assist us in a great way. We have a lot of young soldiers in the 17-25 range and that’s where our highest rate of suicide is,” said Scott. “Being an electronic device, it is what they are in tune with.”

Flatt said the high-tech tool provides soldiers the immediacy that could save a life.
“What we came up with is a Guard Your Buddy app for your smart phone and a mobile web site that contains all the links, the places somebody can go as to how to help a friend, talk to a friend,” he said.
The smart phone has a “Talk Now” button that instantly connects soldiers to “a master’s-level clinician or above who can connect you to life services.”
“You don’t talk to an operator,” said Flatt. “The confidentiality is very high.”
He said his foundation, the guard and E4, a Dallas-based national employee assistance company that provides the clinicians, worked on the program.
The app is based around a simple fact of life in the guard.
“They have a battle buddy code of honor: Take care of your buddy,” said Flatt. “If you see your buddy and there are some warning signs, then use this app and get help.”
Flatt said beginning Jan. 1, all Tennessee National Guardsmen must have a card with the web site and app information on it.
“It is important to find ways to help today’s troops and the Guard Your Buddy app will give them access to round-the-clock resources,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam.

Facebook rolls out ‘Timeline’ feature to all users


AN FRANCISCO: Facebook on Thursday began transforming profile pages into interactive digital scrapbooks that let members of the world’s leading online social network tell the stories of their lives.
The “Timeline” feature being rolled out by Facebook was unveiled at a developers conference in September and comes with new ways for people to discover and share music, movies, books and news.
“Timeline gives you an easy way to rediscover the things you shared, and collect your most important moments,” Facebook said in a post announcing that the change is now available to its more than 800 million members.
“It also lets you share new experiences, like the music you listen to or the miles you run.”
Timeline visually graphs Facebook posts based on when they were uploaded, letting people look back at pictures from special events, memorialised accomplishments, pithy text exchanges and other updates from their lives.
After upgrading to Timeline, people will have seven days to privately review and edit how it will be viewable by friends at the social network before it automatically goes live online.
“Your new timeline will replace your profile, but all your stories and photos will still be there,” Facebook said.
Tools allow Facebook users to hide posts they do not want included in their Timeline or change settings regarding which of their friends or associates can see posts.
Facebook also tailored a version of Timeline for use on smartphones or tablet computers powered by Google’s Android software.
“Mobile timeline starts with your unique cover photo,” Facebook’s Mick Johnson said in a blog post.
“As you scroll down, you’ll see your posts, photos and life events as they happened, back to the day you were born.”
Unveiling Timeline in September, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg described it as “the story of your life.”
He demonstrated by showing how his new profile page chronicled his experiences from meeting US President Barack Obama to baby photos.
“What Timeline does is show all the recent activity and then as you go back in time it starts summarizing the things you’ve done in your life,” he said.
The changes come with a new class of Facebook applications that let people automatically allow chosen friends to see what they do or experience without needing to click “Like” or “Share” buttons.
Online music service Spotify, for example, will let Facebook users see what friends are listening to at any given moment and then listen along by clicking on a post.
The same principle will apply to computer or mobile gadget applications for digital books, news and films.
People will need to install third party applications to share snippets in Timeline profile pages, which will feature privacy controls.
Applications will also require people to set data sharing “permissions” before they are used.
Partners ready with “open graph” applications include online streaming video services Netflix and Hulu.
Applications are also available to deliver and share news stories from sources including Yahoo! and News Corp.’s The Daily.
Facebook’s transformation is likely to trigger backlash from ranks of notoriously change-averse users and to resurrect concerns over how effectively the social network protects people’s privacy.
Facebook said it has worked with privacy groups while developing Timeline and that it has made it simple and clear to control what information gets shared and with whom.