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• Qatargas reaches outto students at Summer Career Boot Camp

• High-flying luxury:Battle for Asia’sjet-set is hotting up

• Forgetting names, losing keys: Flukes, or signs of imminent dementia?

• Horror filmsequal happinessfor Elijah Wood

• New Googlephones are simpleand easy to use

• Learn commonlyused Arabic wordsand their meanings

insideKhaled Hosseini

weaves global family

ties in latest bestseller

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Donate an organ, Donate an organ, save a lifesave a lifeOrgan donation is life-saving. Organ donation is life-saving. One person may save up to eight One person may save up to eight lives through organ donation and lives through organ donation and enhance many others through enhance many others through tissue donation. tissue donation.

2 COVER STORYPLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 2013

By Fazeena Saleem

Did you know that you can save up to eight lives? If not, its time to learn about it and take a step

to give the gift of life to others. Thousands of patients die every

year waiting for a donated organ that never comes. But each one of us has the power to change this.

Organ donation is life-saving. When someone donates an organ, they give another person a chance to live.

One person may save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance many others through tis-sue donation.

Organ donation can help support people recovering from trauma, bone damage, spinal injuries, burns, hearing impairment and vision loss.

There are around 500 patients regularly undergoing dialysis at Hamad Medical Corporation. Around 120 of them have been assessed as in need of a kidney transplant and are waiting to receive suitable organs. Another 14 patients are waiting for liver transplants.

The number of kidney trans-plants needed is high because of more and more diabetics suffer-ing kidney failure and undergoing dialysis. There have been cases in Qatar of kidney patients dying due to the unavailability of a suitable donor.

Anyone wishing to save a life can visit booths set up by HMC’s Organ Donation Centre during the holy month of Ramadan at 20 locations, including shopping malls and com-munity centres, and register as an organ donor.

Last year, too, HMC had organ-ised a Ramadan campaign to pro-mote awareness of organ donation. People from 44 countries, the majority of them Qatari, Indian or Filipino, registered for organ dona-tion during the campaign.

H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser has publicly supported organ dona-tion, which has drawn more than 1,000 people to register. There are more than 2,000 new names on the organ donor registry now.

Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body to someone who has damaged organs that need to

be replaced. Organ transplants are the best

possible treatment for most people with organ failure.

Most individuals can be consid-ered for organ and tissue donation. In order to ensure that donations are as safe as possible, the donor’s medical and behavioral history is reviewed in a manner similar to that for blood donors. This reduces the risk of any disease being trans-mitted to the recipient.

Organ donors can be living or deceased. Organs such as kidney, lung and segments of liver can be donated during life. However, most donated organs and tissues come from people who have expressed a wish during their lifetime to help others upon their death. Often they do this formally by register-ing their desire to donate on the Organ Donor Register or by dis-cussing donation with their family.

Living donors can provide a kid-ney or a portion of their liver, lung or intestine and, in some instances, tissues.

Deceased donors can provide kidneys, pancreas, liver, lungs, heart and intestines. Deceased donors also can provide tissues such as bones, skin, heart valves, veins and corneas.

The Peninsula

Chance to make a differenceAnyone wishing to save a life can visit booths set up by HMC’s Organ Donation Centre during the holy month of Ramadan at 20 locations, including shopping malls and community centres, and register as an organ donor.

3PLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 2013

Myth: Doctors will not try to save my life if they know I want to be a donor. Fact: If you are sick or injured and admitted to a hospital, the number one priority for the clinical staff

is to save your life. The medical staff trying to save lives is different from the transplant team. Donation takes place only after all efforts to save your life have been exhausted and death has been declared.

________________________________________

Myth: People can recover from brain death.Fact: People can recover from a coma, but not brain death. Coma is a state of deep unconscious-

ness; brain death refers to irreversible brain damage and loss of brain function. ________________________________________

Myth: The rich and famous on the waiting list for organs get preferential treatment. Fact: When matching donor organs to recipients, Hamad Medical Corporation’s organ transplanta-

tion committee has a system to assess issues such as the severity of illness, blood type, time spent waiting for an organ and other important medical information relevant to the recipient. The recipient’s financial or celebrity status or race is not a criterion.

________________________________________

Myth: I am too old to donate organs and tissues. Fact: People of all ages may be organ and tissue donors. Physical condition, not age, is decisive.

Physicians decide whether your organs and tissues can be transplanted following death. ________________________________________

Myth: My family will be charged for donating my organs. Fact: Donation costs are not the responsibility of the donor’s family or estate – all related medical

expenses are covered by the government/Hamad Medical Corporation. ________________________________________

Myth: Donation will disfigure my body. Fact: A surgical procedure is used to recover donated organs and tissue. The body is always

treated with great care and respect. Donation should not delay or change funeral arrangements. An open casket funeral is possible if that is the family’s wish.

________________________________________

Myth: Organs are sold, with enormous profits going to the medical community. Fact: Qatari law prohibits buying and sale of organs. Violators face imprisonment and fines. ________________________________________

Five points a donor should know

The donor must know five things before signing the donation registration form: 1. Organ and tissue donation are completely free. A donor’s family is not charged for the donation procedure. 2. If you are sick or injured, the number one priority of the medical team is to save your life. 3. Organs and tissues can be removed only after you are declared dead and your family has been consulted. 4. Organs to be donated are removed from the donor’s body through surgery that is done carefully so as not to disfigure the body. A traditional burial or funeral service, in accordance with the donor’s faith, is still possible.5. Research on families of patients has shown that often the donor families are comforted by the fact that in death their loved one saved the lives of many others.

Organ donation myths and facts

The government of Qatar acknowledges organ donors and

has put in place guidelines by which to honour and sup-

port them in accordance with internationally sanctioned

ethical and moral codes.

While Qatar has a strict policy of not paying for donated

organs, in order to ensure the process is transparent and ethi-

cal, the government recognises the importance of organ donors

and honours them.

The regulations of the Doha Donation Accord were estab-

lished in collaboration with the International Society for Organ

Transplantation.

The main provisions of the Doha Donation Accord are:1. Award of the Medal of Honour to organ donors and their families

by the highest leader/authorities in Qatar. 2. Offering living donors (kidney or part of the liver) the following

privileges: a) Medical insurance for life b) Compensation for any health problems, if they occur. c) Life insurance. d) Priority in getting renal transplantation in case renal failure occurs in future. e) Other privileges offered by government and non-governmental institutions, such as low-priced air tickets from Qatar airways. f) All organ donation expenses are covered, including hospital expenses, transportation and mobile phone communications. g) Compensation will be paid to living donors for any loss of wages due to working days spent in hospital for organ

donation. 3. Giving deceased donors the following privileges: a) Families of deceased donors will be honoured with Medals of Honour. b) Families of deceased donors will get social security cover

according to their social status. c) The body of the donor will be transported free of charge to the country of origin. d) The family of deceased donor will be offered a free air ticket to accompany the body from Qatar to their country of origin.

For more information, contact:Qatar Center for Organ TransplantationHamad General Hospital Hamad Medical Corporation Tel.: 4439 1140 / 1141 Fax: 4435 7106 Email: transplant@hmc.org.qaP.O. Box 3050 Doha, Qatar

Doha donation accord

PLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 20134 COMMUNITY / MARKETPLACE

Doha British School recently held its second graduation cer-emony, celebrating the Class of 2013. The ceremony at the school was followed by dinner in the school grounds. The guest speaker, Machaille Al Naimi, the first Qatari woman to be admitted to the US bar, gave an inspirational speech which left all graduates in no doubt that their futures were in their hands. All graduates were awarded with certificates follow-ing the completion of their sec-ondary education. Merhej Ayoub received the Principal’s Award, Aman Chopra Graduate of Merit and Joanita Hohne was presented with an award for Outstanding Contribution to the School.

A team of 10 senior boys and senior girls of CBSE International sections of MES Indian School and a couple of school officials returned after completing an educational tour to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.

During the week-long tour, they visited places of historical importance like Louvre Museum and Versaille Palace in Paris, Royal Palace and Rijik Museum in Amsterdam, Grand Palace and Mannaken Pis in Brussels, Eiffel Tower in Paris, Atomium in Brussels and wind mills of Amsterdam. They also visited Disneyland, Paris, and Mini Europe in Brussels.

“Besides enabling to appreciate the rich cultural heritage, such international tours of educational importance and value will help the students get hands-on experience about the myriad forms of culture and tradition that surround us,” remarked school Principal A P Sasidharan on their return to Doha.

The tour was supported by the embassy of France, Qatar, KLM, Air France, Doha and JS Shuttle services, Paris.

Mohammed Shafi, HOD French, and teacher Gayatri coordinated the tour and accompanied the students.

The Peninsula

MES students visit Europe as part of educational tour

Qatargas participated in the first Summer Career Boot Camp organ-ised by the Qatar Career Fair (QCF) in partnership with Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and the Supreme Council of Information

and Communication Technology (ictQATAR). Around 50 Qatari high school students participated in the camp from June 30 to July 4 in the Awsaj Academy within the Education City premises.

The aim of the camp was to provide a motivating and educating experi-ence for students, which will help them when making decisions related to their educational or career plans and provide them with relevant experiences and skills.

Students benefited from career orientation-related workshops, designed to build their confidence in making the right decisions for a bright future. They were also offered site visit opportunities and job shadowing programmes at leading organisations in Qatar to give them a first-hand understanding of what to expect in the real world.

On the last day of the camp, Qatargas participated in a mini fair, which provided the opportunity to showcase internship opportunities and future career prospects available in the company. Representatives from the com-pany’s Learning & Development and Public Relations departments attended.

Qatargas runs a Summer Internship Programme for Qatari national high school and university students.

It provides opportunities for Qatari high school and university students during the course of their study to familiarise themselves with and gain experience of a real working environment at the company’s locations.

This is implemented as part of an agreement between Qatargas and the education sector. The internship programme also provides opportunities for interns to apply for employment at Qatargas. Qatargas recently won a Qatarisation award for its support and liaison with the education sector.

The Peninsula

Qatargas reaches out to students at Summer Career Boot Camp

Students interacting with Qatargas officials during the camp.

5MARKETPLACE PLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 2013

B/Attitude launches night spaB/Attitude Spa has launched a night SPA service in the Beverly Hills Tower.

During Ramadan, B/Attitude Spa guests will be able to enjoy Spa treat-ments indoors from 9am and outdoors, on the pool, from 7pm until after midnight. Indoors, along with regular Spa treatments, B/Attitude team has created new treatments in collaboration with Khan Al Saboun company for the holiday season: Arabian Rose Facial treatment (with a facelift effect), Arabian Rose Body massage (lymphatic drainage massage) and Desert Sand Body Scrub (detoxifying clay and sand body treatment). Outdoors, in a candle-lit set-up around the pool, guests will be able to enjoy a relaxing evening complemented with a neck and shoulder massage, hand massage, Pedi Puja foot massage, Indian head massage or facial touch, with all treatments complemented with Arabic treats and Buddha Bar Lounge music in the background.

The Peninsula

Guests enjoying night spa facilities.

Babyshop unveils ‘Summer Festive Collection’ for Kids

Babyshop’s Summer Festive Collection 2013 promises to bring in the verve and joie de vivre in every child this summer. The ensemble for girls features a range of

50’s styled prom dresses and party wear with floral corsages, ruffles and plenty of sequins and sparkles, cleverly crafting a pretty look. Boys will get to dress up for the occasion with a relaxed ‘Geek Chic’ look, comprising styled shirts, chino pants and shorts, classic jumper or fine gauge knitted vests as well as smart and soft tailored waist-coats accessorised with bowties and suspenders.

Reflecting the season’s mood, the colour palette includes pale sorbet shades, powder pinks and corals along with ele-gant metallic silver, gold and bronze. The collection includes solids and plaid patterns along with ginghams and stripes that are back in vogue. There are also the all-time favour-ites, including the liberty print as well as pastel and vin-tage floral. Adding variety to the range, the hugely popular monochrome look is also being reflected in dresses, trouser sets and waistcoats.

The Babyshop buyers have embraced chiffons and pleated fabrics to accentuate the feminine look. The styles are crafted with materials, including brocade, cotton, tulle netting and metallic rayon, as well as soft linen and cotton blends. Demonstrating attention to detail, the outfits echo the seasons’ trend with Peter Pan collars, skinny bows and lace inserts.

The Peninsula

Argon Global has opened new outlets of AG Comm and Lifetime in Salwa Road Quality Hypermarket. AG Comm deals with all major brands of mobile phones, tablets, gadgets and Ooredoo services. It also offers ‘express services’ for mobile phones. Lifetime, the latest addition to the retail businesses of Argon Global, offers premium watches, fashion accessories and perfumes. Shamsudheen Olakara, Managing Director, Quality Group of companies, inaugurated the outlets. Abdul Gafoor, CEO, Argon Global Group, Jaleel C P, Business Manager, AG Comm, Sirajudheen, Operations Manager, Argon Global, Rajesh P N, Vice-President, Argon Global, and Abdul Mujeeb, Vice-President, Argon Global, also attended the event.

Nasser J Darwish (second right), Vice Chairman, Darwish Group/Darwish Trading Company, and Saleh Almekhlef (third right), Chairman, Refrigeration Industries Company, with other RIC and Darwish Group officials during the launch of new Coolex products. Darwish Trading Company has tied up with Refrigeration Industries Company, Kuwait, to introduce more advanced and cutting-edge technology equipment for HVAC Industry through Coolex brand.

Coolex products launched

New outlets openedNew outlets opened

PLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 2013 AVIATION66

By Anshuman Daga

With limousine pick-ups and on-board chefs, Asia’s premium airlines are investing hundreds of millions of dollars on luxury services in a bet on a rebound in

business from the wealthy, even as low-cost carriers fly high with the booming middle class.

Although business and first-class traffic has fallen significantly in the last few years as compa-nies cut costs, carriers such as Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIA), Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and Qantas Airways Ltd are estimated to still earn about 35 to 40 percent of passenger revenue from the high-margin segment.

Yields per premium passenger are around four to five times higher than those for economy class, underscoring why airlines are keen to pour money on amenities that range from luxurious cabins to fine dining.

Asia-Pacific airlines are the most profitable in the global aviation sector, industry data shows.

“If you don’t upgrade your products, you are always going to be under pressure to drop the price more significantly,” Tan Pee Teck, SIA’s head of product and services, said.

“So, when people see the investment, see something new, fresh, there’ll always be people who are going to try it, just like the way the A380 was launched.”

While low-cost carriers such as Malaysia’s AirAsia Bhd and Indonesia’s Lion Air have been grabbing headlines with record plane orders to feed rapid demand for travel, the battle for Asia’s richer trav-ellers has also been heating up.

Singapore’s flagship carrier has hired BMW Group’s design unit, DesignworksUSA, to roll out new first-class seats featuring more privacy and per-sonal stowage space.

The first-class cabins, along with more comfortable seats on business class developed by another design firm, will be put on Boeing’s 777-300ERs and enter SIA’s fleet later this year. SIA will showcase the new products at a media event on July 9.

SHIFTING LOYALTIES

The launch comes as SIA, considered the gold standard for customer service, and famous for its iconic “Singapore Girl” in sarong kebaya uniform, faces pressure from Gulf carriers.

Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways are investing heavily to attract travellers with fleet upgrades, extensive networks and new perks.

On its A380 flights, Emirates offers shower

facilities for first-class passengers and an on-board lounge in first and business class cabins. It also pro-vides a complimentary chauffeur service to first- and business-class passengers in more than 55 cities.

This has not gone unnoticed. “On my long-haul flights these days, I will go for Emirates over Singapore Airlines whenever I can,” said Barry Lea, who has flown business class on SIA and Cathay.

“I find their in-flight entertainment top notch. It’s all very well taking Singapore Airlines and being sort-of attended to by Miss Worlds but, on a 17-hour flight, the novelty wears off.”

Emirates is relentlessly expanding its net-work from Dubai and this has given it a strategic advantage.

“Schedule is always going to be key,” said Nick Rees, who manages Emirates’ Singapore and Brunei operations. “Where we see our network being par-ticularly strong is, we have one stop in Dubai to 35 points in Europe.”

Ease of connections is a key factor for snagging premium business, and Singapore’s location as a gate-way into the fast-growing economies of Southeast Asia means the city-state’s Changi Airport is still an important hub.

“Most carriers are putting their best product into Changi because of the competition here,” said Rees.

Qantas, which has a five-year alliance with Emirates, unveiled a new Singapore lounge in April, with seating for 460, 20 showers and many 80-inch television screens.

As Asia’s growth adds to the ranks of the region’s super-wealthy, millionaires from countries such as Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Indonesia are splurging on premium air travel.

Asia-Pacific, second only to North America, drove global High Net Worth Individual (HNWI) popula-tion growth in 2012, increasing its HNWI population by 9.4 percent to 3.7 million, Capggemini and RBC Wealth Management said in a report.

“You get Indonesians travelling to the US to look at boutique hotels to purchase at a good price. And they are travelling in suites, they are travelling in first class and business class,” said Tan.

“Certainly, the relative growth of the premium seg-ment doesn’t match the low-end growth. But there will still be growth and, for as far out as we can see, this is a segment we think will be sustainable.”

Timothy Ross, Credit Suisse’s head of transport research for Asia-Pacific, upgraded his rating on SIA

to “outperform” from “neutral” last month, citing sustained growth in demand, the impact of lower jet fuel prices and the emergence of data supporting a recovery in business travel.

“Its challenge is to ensure that it is using its pre-mium product on routes that will support a yield premium and not to gold plate product in markets where customers won’t pay for this,” Ross said.

Last year, SIA announced it would be stopping its all-business class, 19-hour flight connecting Singapore and Newark later in 2013, the longest scheduled non-stop route in the world, in an indus-try hit by high fuel costs and weak demand.

CAVIAR AND LOBSTER

Other Asian airlines are also eyeing the premium market.

The likes of Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways have introduced A380s and are making a pitch for the wealthier traveller, although they are hampered by less extensive networks.

Malaysia Airlines began serving caviar and lobster to first-class passengers on some routes last year, and has introduced first-class travel on its services from Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong and Paris.

State-run Garuda Indonesia, in its largest invest-ment ever, is taking delivery of 24 new aircraft this year as it expands further into the long-haul and premium market.

“We are definitely seeing an increasing trend of passengers upgrading and opting for our executive class when travelling with us,” said Garuda’s Chief Executive Emirsyah Satar.

Garuda plans to launch its first direct Jakarta to London service this year with its new Boeing 777-300ER equipped with eight first-class suites. The suites, featuring outsize seats that can be converted into full-flat beds, will offer live broadcast from six global channels and wi-fi connection.

Pre-flight concierge services will include a limou-sine pick-up and a personal butler. Passengers will be pampered by a chef on board and can enjoy in-flight entertainment on a 23.5-inch touch screen LCD. The aircraft will also have 38 executive-class seats that can also be converted into a full flat bed.

“As travellers grow increasingly affluent, the demand for exceptional travel experiences is stronger than ever,” Satar said.

Reuters

High-flying luxury: Battle for Asia’s jet-set is hotting up

A double bed first class suite inside a Airbus A380 superjumbo.

A First Class seat of Airbus A380

HEALTH 7PLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 2013

Health News

By Christie Aschwanden

It’s a thought that crosses many middle-aged minds when a word is forgotten or a set of keys misplaced: Is this a fluke, or the first sign of dementia?

“Most of us will experience some cognitive changes with age,” says Molly Wagster, chief of the behav-ioural and systems neuroscience branch of the National Institute on Aging, who likens the mental change to the slowing of a marathon runner’s times with advancing years.

The ability to call up words is one of the first things to slip. “You might find it more difficult to recall someone’s name or the name of a book you read or favourite movie. Eventually, you’ll remember it, but it takes a little longer,” Wagster says. Such problems are irritating and frustrating, but they’re usually not a sign that your mind is going, Wagster says.

Still, most of us would like to retain our mental acuity as we age. Isn’t there something we can do that’s proven to keep our minds sharp? Right now, the short answer is no.

“There are a lot of things that have some evidence behind them, but it’s hard to find interventions that have convincing evidence behind them,” says Victor Henderson, a neurologist who studies cognitive aging at Stanford University Medical School.

Physical activity seems like the most promis-ing thing you can do to keep your brain at its best, Henderson says. The evidence comes mostly from observational studies rather than the randomised, controlled trials that are considered the gold stand-ard, but it’s consistent: People who engage in aerobic activity — for instance, walking several times per week — show improvements in their cognitive func-tion, particularly in their ability to switch quickly from task to task, Wagster says.

A few small clinical trials and some animal research also support the role of exercise in main-taining cognitive health, but the evidence at this point, Henderson says, is not definitive.

Even so, exercise can help cut your risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, and these are known risk factors for develop-ing dementia, says Laurie Ryan, program director for Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials at the NIA. Clogged arteries and impaired circulation don’t just up your chance of a heart attack; they also can reduce the blood flow to your brain, and that puts you at risk for dementia.

Diet is another promising way to reduce your dementia risk, Ryan says. A 2009 study of more than 1,300 people found that people who ate a Mediterranean diet — low in saturated fats and red meat and rich in vegetables, fish, whole grains and omega-3-fatty acids — had a lower risk than others of developing mild cognitive impairment. “We can’t say for sure that this will help,” Ryan says, but improving your overall health seems like a reasonable way to promote healthy aging of the brain.

The Internet is packed with ads for supplements, vitamins and other products that promise to keep your memory sharp, but science so far has found little proof to support such claims.

After reviewing studies on interventions to stop or prevent cognitive decline, Raza Naqvi, a geriatric medicine fellow at the University of Toronto, con-cluded that there was no strong evidence for any of the herbal products or supplements often touted for this purpose. And medicines that once seemed promising for slowing memory loss — estrogen and anti-inflammatory drugs — seemed to do more harm than good, Naqvi says his review found.

A study that appeared this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that high doses of a cocktail of vitamins that included folic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 slowed the atro-phy of regions of the brain thought to be especially vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease. But the benefits

were seen only in participants who started the study with high blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked to a higher risk of heart disease, which B vitamins are known to lower. This result suggests that the vitamins may not help people with healthy homocysteine levels.

Also, while the study was well designed and well controlled, it was very small, Ryan says. “We’ve seen over and over again that these small studies can look very good, but then they don’t hold up in larger tri-als,” she says. “I would not recommend that people go out and start taking high levels of B vitamins.”

The approach that came out on top in Naqvi’s review was cognitive training exercises — mental workouts designed to improve memory. “Three really different studies looked at different ways of stimulat-ing the brain, and all three showed that memory was better in the treatment group than in the controls,” Naqvi says. “The challenge is: How do we translate this into things we can do in everyday life?”

Right now, the evidence isn’t sufficiently strong to recommend one form of cognitive activity over another, Henderson says. The computer games that researchers have used in studies may be thoughtfully designed, “but whether they are better than read-ing a book or having an engaging conversation with someone or learning to play a musical instrument or speak a new language — we’re not at a stage where we can recommend one over the other,” Henderson says.

So, while scientists do the “further studies” that need doing, what’s an aging mind to do?

Skip the nutritional supplements and vitamin pills that you think are helping your brain, say the experts. Instead, eat a healthful diet and engage in social interactions and mentally challenging activi-ties. And do some kind of regular aerobic activity (about 30 minutes, five days per week), Henderson says. These steps won’t guarantee that you won’t forget the name of that book you want to recommend to a friend, but they’re unlikely to hurt.

If the prospect of inevitable memory decline seems depressing, know this: Some types of cogni-tion improve with age. For instance, older adults outperform young people in vocabulary skills. “It may be a reflection of wisdom,” Wagster says. “We’re collecting information and experience and putting it together.”

The idea that older people can’t learn new things is a myth, Wagster says. “As we age, we may not learn something new quite as quickly, but we’ll learn it and learn it well.”

WP-Bloomberg

New blood test detects sensitivity to aspirinScientists have developed a new blood test that

deciphers gene activity and predicts an individ-ual’s response to aspirin, says a study.

The new gene expression profile not only meas-ures the effectiveness of aspirin, but also serves as a strong predictor of patients who are at risk for heart attack, according to a study posted Wednesday in the online edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reports Science Daily.

“We recognised the concept of aspirin resistance among a population of patients who have cardiac events or stroke,” said senior author Geoffrey S. Ginsburg, director of genomic medicine at Duke University’s Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy.

“We give the same dose to all patients, but maybe some patients need a larger dose of aspirin, or maybe they need to try a different therapy entirely. We need better tools to monitor patients and adjust their care accordingly, and the findings from our study move us in that direction,” said Ginsburg, who is also the executive director of Duke’s Centre for Personalised Medicine. IANS

Forgetting names, losing keys: Flukes, or signs of imminent dementia?

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(sh

ooti

ng f

rom

a p

oin

t of

vie

w a

spect)

th

inkin

g,

‘It’s g

on

na b

e e

asy.

It’s

a s

ingle

shot

but

you’r

e u

nder s

uch inte

nse

param

ete

rs

that

every s

cene

becam

e a

puzz

le.”

Wood’s

new

producti

on

com

pany T

he W

oodsh

ed

Horror C

om

pany h

as

three m

ovie

s in

the w

ork

s. I

ts

first

film

pic

ked u

p f

or d

istr

ibuti

on,

Toa

d R

oa

d,

was

dis

covered a

t th

e h

orror fi

lm f

est

ival N

ightm

are C

ity

(whic

h T

he W

oodshed help

ed presen

t.)

It w

ill

hit

th

eate

rs

in O

cto

ber.

Wher

e did

this

love

of

the

horr

or

gen

re c

om

e fr

om

?I

thin

k I

’ve a

lways

been r

ela

tively

fearle

ss, so

they

never r

eally s

cared m

e.

What

was

the

firs

t horr

or

film

you e

ver

saw

?I

saw

my fi

rst

horror fi

lm w

hen I

was

5.

It w

as

a

movie

called T

ruth

or

Da

re:

A C

riti

cal

Ma

dn

ess

, and i

t w

as

a V

HS

lik

e d

irect-

to-v

ideo h

orror fi

lm. Part

of th

e

reaso

n I

was

excit

ed a

bout

watc

hin

g i

t, I

rem

em

ber,

w

as

I knew

that

I w

asn

’t s

uppose

d t

o. S

o t

hat

of course

as

a c

hild y

ou d

o a

ll t

he t

hin

gs

that

you k

now

is

not.

..

like it’s

suddenly

more e

xcit

ing. B

ut

I lo

ve t

he m

ovie

.

Do y

ou h

ave

a f

avo

uri

te v

illa

in?

I lo

ve M

ike M

eyers.

He d

idn’t

have a

long s

helf

-lif

e

because

I d

idn’t

love a

ll t

he ite

rati

ons

of

that

charac-

ter.

He’s

a g

reat

ren

derin

g o

f th

e b

oogey m

an

. Ja

ck

Nic

hols

on’s

characte

r in T

he S

hin

ing is

extr

aordin

ary.

I te

nd t

o fi

nd c

haracte

rs

from

a m

ore r

oote

d,

real

pla

ce t

o b

e m

ore f

rig

hte

nin

g a

nd u

nse

ttlin

g.

What

happens

to R

eagan in T

he E

xorc

ist I

love a

nd fi

nd h

or-

rif

yin

gly

scary.

Freddy K

ruger is

more fun. H

e b

ecom

es

a jokest

er w

hic

h is

fun t

o w

atc

h. T

hat’s

anoth

er a

ngle

w

ith h

orror.

Your

TV

ser

ies W

ilfr

ed i

s now

in i

ts t

hir

d s

ea-

son (

air

ing

on T

hurs

days

at

10pm

on F

X.)

Do y

ou

have

a t

heo

ry a

s to

why

your

chara

cter

Rya

n s

ees

this

dog

as

a m

an i

n a

dog

suit

?M

y feeling is

that

he’s

a m

anif

est

ati

on o

f his

psy

che

as

a r

esu

lt o

f havin

g r

eached a

n i

mpass

e m

enta

lly i

n

his

lif

e. It

’s a

lmost

lik

e s

om

eth

ing h

as

snapped a

nd it’s

a p

art

of his

psy

che t

hat

was

lyin

g d

orm

ant

that

is n

ow

kin

d o

f push

ing h

im t

o liv

e k

ind o

f beyond t

he c

onfines

that

he’s

som

ehow

create

d f

or h

imse

lf o

r m

aybe s

elf

-im

pose

d, m

aybe im

pose

d b

y o

thers

in h

is lif

e.

Rya

n a

ddre

sses

his

con

fusi

on o

ver

seei

ng

Wil

fred

on t

he

seri

es b

ut

do y

ou t

hin

k t

her

e w

ill

ever

be

a

big

rev

eal

about

that?

I don

’t t

hin

k t

here s

hould

be,

perso

nally.

I th

ink

that’s

part

of th

e m

agic

of th

e s

how

. W

ilfr

ed is

Wilfr

ed

and I

thin

k p

eople

can h

ave t

heir

ow

n ideas

as

to w

hat

Wilfr

ed is

and w

hy.

But,

I t

hin

k if you k

ind o

f definit

ely

answ

er t

hat,

even a

t th

e e

nd. L

ike l

et’s

say i

t ends

in

two o

r t

hree m

ore s

easo

ns

or w

hate

ver a

nd t

he e

nd is

the a

nsw

er,

I t

hin

k t

hat

mis

ses

the p

oin

t. I

thin

k t

he

poin

t is

in t

he s

earchin

g a

nd it’s

in t

he r

ela

tionsh

ip a

nd

it’s

in w

hat’s

gain

ed in t

hat

rela

tionsh

ip.

AP

HO

LLY

WO

OD

NE

WS

Adel

e’s

wax

figure

unve

iled

Gram

my a

ward w

innin

g s

inger A

dele

’s w

ax fi

g-

ure w

as

unveiled a

t th

e M

adam

e T

uss

auds

here a

s w

ell a

s A

mst

erdam

. S

he g

ot

em

oti

on

al

aft

er s

eein

g h

er s

tatu

e.

Adele

’s

sta

tue

wears

a

sim

ilar

bla

ck

la

ce

Cle

men

ts R

ibeir

o fr

ock

th

at

sh

e w

ore to

th

e

2012

Gram

my A

wards.

The h

air

do i

s w

hat

the

“Som

eone L

ike Y

ou”

star u

sually d

ons

— a

hig

h

bouff

ant,

reports

eonline.c

om

.S

urpris

ed b

y t

he r

ese

mbla

nce, A

dele

said

: “I

t’s

am

azi

ng. I

feel

a b

it e

moti

onal. T

hey’v

e e

ven g

ot

my c

hin

rig

ht.”

50

Cen

t in

leg

al t

rouble

for

inju

ring

ex-g

irlf

rien

d

Rapper C

urti

s Ja

mes

Jackso

n I

II, bett

er k

now

n

as

50 C

en

t, h

as

been

charged f

or a

llegedly

in

jurin

g h

is e

x-g

irlf

rie

nd a

nd d

est

royin

g h

er p

rop-

ert

y. A

ccord

ing t

o L

os

Angele

s C

ity A

ttorn

ey M

ike

Feuer,

he h

as

been c

harg

ed w

ith o

ne m

isdem

eanour

count

of dom

est

ic v

iole

nce a

nd four

mis

dem

eanour

counts

of

vandalism

aft

er a

n a

lleged r

un-i

n w

ith a

fo

rm

er g

irlf

rie

nd, w

hose

nam

e is

not

reveale

d. T

he

two w

ere i

n a

three-y

ear r

ela

tionsh

ip a

nd h

ave a

child t

ogeth

er.

Feuer s

aid

that

50 C

ent,

37,

allegedly

inju

red t

he

unid

enti

fied w

om

an a

nd d

est

royed $

7,10

0-w

orth

of

her

pro

pert

y d

uri

ng a

n a

lterc

ati

on h

ere

on J

une 2

3,

reports

people

.com

. “R

egardle

ss o

f perceiv

ed c

ele

brit

y o

r n

oto

rie

ty, dom

est

ic

vio

lence is

a s

erio

us

crim

e a

nd a

lleged p

erpetr

ato

rs w

ill be p

rose

cute

d t

o t

he

fullest

exte

nt

of

the law

by t

his

offi

ce,” F

euer s

aid

in a

sta

tem

ent.

“We w

ill

con

tinue t

o l

ook o

ut

for t

he s

afe

ty o

f all v

icti

ms

of

dom

est

ic

vio

lence a

nd s

eek just

ice f

or t

he a

lleged c

rim

es,

” he a

dded.

Feuer

als

o s

aid

that

when o

ffice

rs r

esp

onded t

o a

call, th

ey o

bse

rved b

roken

chandeliers

, bro

ken furn

iture

, a r

ansa

cked b

edro

om

clo

set

and b

roken t

ele

vi-

sion t

hrough t

he liv

ing s

pace. 50 C

ent

fled t

he s

cene b

efo

re o

fficers

arriv

ed.

If 5

0 C

ent

is c

onvic

ted, he w

ill

face a

maxim

um

penalt

y o

f five y

ears

in

jail a

nd $

46,0

00 in fi

nes.

SR

K u

nve

ils

musi

c of

Che

nnai

Exp

ress

The m

usi

c l

aunch o

f S

hah R

ukh K

han’s

Ch

en

na

i E

xp

ress

was

indeed a

m

em

orable

one. G

oin

g w

ith t

he t

hem

e o

f th

e fi

lm, m

edia

perso

ns

were

giv

en ‘m

und’ and ‘lu

ngi’, th

e t

radit

ional att

ire o

f S

outh

India

ns.

“It

was

quit

e a

n e

xperie

nce w

earin

g a

‘lu

ngi’ a

nd it

was

help

ful because

w

e w

ere s

hooti

ng in a

hot

pla

ce,” S

hah R

ukh t

old

reporte

rs.

The m

usi

c o

f th

e fi

lm is

giv

en b

y V

ishal and S

hekar.

Deepik

a P

adukone, w

ho w

ork

ed w

ith w

ith S

hah R

ukh a

fter h

er d

ebut

film

Om

Sh

an

ti O

m, sa

ys

he is

still very p

rote

cti

ve a

bout

her.

She s

aid

: “H

e i

s st

ill

the s

am

e.

He i

s st

ill

very p

rote

cti

ve a

nd c

arin

g

about

me.”

The m

usi

c l

aunch a

lso h

ad p

erfo

rm

ances

by d

ancers

and S

hah R

ukh,

who h

as

inju

red h

is s

hould

er,

grooved w

ith t

hem

.D

irecte

d b

y R

ohit

Shett

y, C

hen

na

i E

xp

ress

, is

sla

ted f

or a

n A

ugust

8

rele

ase

.

Ram

Kap

oor

to d

o tr

iple

rol

e so

on

Film

and T

ele

vis

ion a

cto

r R

am

Kapoor w

ill

be

seen

in

a t

rip

le r

ole

in

Hu

msh

ak

als

an

d h

e

is e

xcit

ed a

bout

the fi

lm,

to b

e d

irecte

d b

y S

ajid

Khan.

“I a

m s

tarti

ng H

um

sha

ka

ls w

ith S

ajid K

han

where I

do a

trip

le r

ole

. I

am

excit

ed a

bout

it...

We w

ill

start

shooti

ng i

n S

epte

mber a

nd i

t w

ill

rele

ase

next

June,” R

am

, currentl

y r

uling t

he s

mall

screen a

s a b

usi

ness

tycoon in t

he r

om

anti

c d

ram

a

Ba

de A

chh

e L

agte

Ha

in, sa

id.

Oth

er t

han t

his

, th

e a

cto

r, w

ho w

ork

ed in fi

lms

like H

aza

aro

n K

hw

ais

hein

Ais

i and U

da

an, is

busy

w

ith V

idya B

ala

n an

d F

arhan

A

khta

r-s

tarrer

Sh

aa

di

Ke S

ide E

ffect

s and S

an

ta B

an

ta.

“It

was

great

fun

shooti

ng S

an

ta B

an

ta,”

said

th

e a

cto

r w

hose

last

big

screen o

uti

ngs

were S

tud

en

t of

the Y

ea

r and M

ere

D

ad

Ki

Ma

ruti

.

Bol

lyB

oom

: Bol

lyw

ood

danc

e m

usic

fes

t

Imagin

e t

he im

pact

of

Bollyw

ood m

usi

c, com

bin

ed w

ith larger-t

han-l

ife

producti

on

, sp

ecia

l eff

ects

, graphic

s, d

an

cers,

sin

gers

an

d d

isc j

ock-

eys

— s

uch a

liv

e e

nte

rta

inm

ent

experie

nce w

ill

com

e a

live t

o f

ans

wit

h

BollyB

oom

. It

s first

edit

ion w

ill be h

eld

in t

he c

apit

al on N

ovem

ber 2

4.

The B

ollyB

oom

fest

is

init

iate

d b

y P

ercept

Lim

ited i

n a

ssocia

tion w

ith

Sonu N

igam

, S

alim

-Sule

iman, and T

ala

t A

ziz.

Percept

pla

ns

to invest

`300m

to b

uild t

he B

ollyB

oom

, and is

targeti

ng

a liv

e a

ttendance o

f about

100,0

00 in fi

nancia

l year 2

014

, fu

rth

er g

row

ing

to 5

00,0

00 b

y fi

nancia

l year 2

016

, read a

sta

tem

ent.

Talk

ing a

bout

the n

eed o

f su

ch a

fest

, M

anuj A

garw

al, C

EO

, Percept

Liv

e,

said

: “B

ollyw

ood e

vents

have b

een c

onfined t

o b

ein

g T

V s

how

s. T

hough t

he

popula

rit

y o

f B

ollyw

ood m

usi

c t

ale

nt

is u

nquest

ionable

, th

eir

liv

e c

oncerts

haven’t

com

e c

lose

to a

ny o

f in

ternati

onal arti

sts.

”“W

e d

on’t

speak o

f th

eir

concerts

in t

he s

am

e league a

s th

at

of R

ihanna’s,

David

Guett

a’s

or e

ven a

ny u

pcom

ing a

rti

st c

oncert.

The r

easo

n b

ein

g t

he

scale

and p

ackagin

g.

We n

eed t

o b

ack t

hem

up w

ith l

ate

st p

roducti

on,

technic

als

, sp

ecia

l eff

ects

and m

usi

c t

rends.

”A

t B

ollyB

oom

, know

n m

usi

c a

rti

sts

from

the indust

ry w

ill in

fuse

chart-

bust

ers

wit

h a

n intr

insi

c m

ix o

f live e

nte

rta

inm

ent

ele

ments

.O

ver t

ime, Percept

will ta

ke B

ollyB

oom

to o

ther v

enues

wit

hin

the c

oun-

try a

s w

ell a

s glo

bally. S

hort

term

pla

ns

cover A

hm

edabad, C

handig

arh,

Indore, N

agpur,

Jaip

ur,

Pune, L

ucknow

, H

yderabad in I

ndia

, and o

verse

as

locati

ons

inclu

de L

ondon, B

irm

ingham

, M

anchest

er,

Berl

in, K

uala

Lum

pur,

S

ingapore a

nd J

akarta

.T

he m

usi

c a

t th

e e

vent

will be a

ble

nd o

f T

rance, H

ouse

, H

ip H

op, E

lectr

o

Funk, S

ynth

eti

c, Pop, C

lub M

usi

c, T

echno, T

rance, H

ardst

yle

and D

ubst

ep.

The c

oncerts

are lik

ely

to b

e b

acked b

y s

tate

-of-

the-a

rt

technolo

gy.

At

hom

e, K

ylie

Min

ogue

is a

nti

-fas

hio

n

Sin

ger-s

ongw

rit

er K

ylie M

inogue s

ays

her f

ans

will be d

isappoin

ted if

how

frum

py s

he is

at

hom

e. S

he a

dm

its

she lik

es

to r

ela

x in c

om

fort-

able

clo

thes.

“I’m

a c

om

ple

te l

etd

ow

n. A

t hom

e t

he s

tile

ttos

com

e o

ff. T

he c

om

fy

clo

thes

go o

n,” c

onta

ctm

usi

c.c

om

quote

d M

inogue a

s sa

yin

g.

“I’d

love t

o m

ain

tain

this

illusi

on t

hat

I kin

d o

f ele

gantl

y w

aft

around

at

hom

e o

r s

om

eth

ing, but

I need t

hat

bala

nce in m

y lif

e, to

just

be c

om

-ple

tely

anti

-fash

ion a

nd p

ut

on w

hate

ver is

clo

sest

and h

om

e is

the p

lace

to d

o t

hat,”

she s

aid

.T

he 4

5-y

ear-o

ld h

as

com

piled s

om

e o

f her b

est

sta

ge l

ooks

in a

new

book,

“Kylie F

ashio

n”,

to c

ele

brate

25 y

ears o

f her s

tyle

through h

er

career.

She a

lso r

eveale

d t

hat

she u

sed t

o g

et

into

heate

d a

rgum

en

ts

backst

age.

“About

half

my c

ost

um

es

you c

an’t

move in. A

lot

of st

uff

goes

dow

n in

the q

uic

k c

hange. It

depends

if t

he s

how

is

goin

g w

ell o

r n

ot

goin

g w

ell

what

type o

f vocabula

ry I

choose

,” a

dded M

inogue.

Min

ogue p

revio

usl

y s

aid

that

she d

eliberate

ly c

hose

to inclu

de s

om

e o

f her b

iggest

fash

ion m

ista

kes

in t

he n

ew

book s

ince s

he felt

most

wom

an

could

rela

te t

o t

hem

.“S

om

e o

f th

e f

ash

ion d

isast

ers

are s

till in t

here. I

did

n’t

lose

them

all.

It w

as

inte

rest

ing l

ookin

g b

ack a

t all t

he s

hots

. T

here w

ere d

efinit

ely

a

few

fash

ion d

isast

ers,

darling, dis

ast

ers.

But

hey,

most

people

can r

ela

te

to t

hat,”

she s

aid

.

PLU

S |

SU

ND

AY

7 J

ULY

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PLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 201310 VOYAGER

11BOOKS

By Andrea Burzynski

Khaled Hosseini’s first novel in six years echoes the themes of family relationships explored in his previ-ous novels, but the multigenerational saga weaves together more charac-ters and locales than the author has

tackled previously.Anchored by the story of two young siblings sepa-

rated in early 1950s Afghanistan, And the Mountains Echoed features a patchwork of characters navigating familial relationships, histories and obligations over the next half century in places ranging from Greece to Paris to Northern California.

Hosseini, who was born in Kabul and has lived in Northern California since 1980, is also the author of the best-selling novels The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, both set in Afghanistan.

“I had more or less kept Afghanistan as the home base for my previous two books, but I did want to write about different parts of the world as well and expand the social milieu of my characters and their cultural backgrounds,” Hosseini, 48, said.

The broader scope of And the Mountains Echoed, published by Riverhead Books, has drawn praise as well as readers since its release in late May. Riverhead is a division of Penguin Group USA, which is co-owned by Bertelsmann and Pearson PLC,

The book currently holds the No. 3 spot on the New York Times best-seller list for print and e-book fiction and was named one of Amazon’s Best Books of 2013. It has also garnered kudos from the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, and the Daily Beast.

Among the book’s characters are an Afghan social-ite who flees to Paris to become a successful yet troubled poet, a doctor whose childhood on a Greek island leads him to a job in a Kabul hospital, and a wealthy pair of brothers trying to reconcile their

family history in Afghanistan with their suburban lives in California.

Hosseini said he wrote each character’s story sepa-rately, but strived to connect them all to the original pair of young siblings, which he wrote first.

“It was a matter of remembering that these other characters were simply branches that had come off the main tree trunk, which was the story between the two children at the very outset of the book,” he said. “Each chapter reveals something about something you’ve read previously.”

SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS

Though the characters’ lives unfold on different continents and often in different decades, many wrestle with the rewards and sacrifices of sibling relationships.

“All sibling relationships are fascinating because

inside them there’s this push and pull... it’s a relation-ship that’s full of conflict,” said Hosseini, who is the oldest of five children. “People who absolutely love each other can also be terribly cruel to each other.”

While these dynamics persist across genera-tions and cultures, he noted that there are different approaches to family in the US than in Afghanistan, where he spent much of his childhood.

“In the US, we feel at our most natural when we’re alone. We have something called downtime where we can be by ourselves and unwind,” he said.

“It’s kind of the opposite of the way I was raised, which was downtime was when you had 15 people sitting around — cousins, aunts, uncles.”

These days, Hosseini spends his downtime as an advocate for refugees via his role as a goodwill envoy for the United Nations, as well as through his own charitable foundation.

Reuters

Khaled Hosseini weaves global family ties in latest bestseller

PLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 2013

TECHNOLOGYPLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 201312

By Anick Jesdanun

Two new Android phones will look and sound familiar to those who have been paying attention to phones. That’s because these two devices are replicas of Samsung’s

Galaxy S4 and HTC’s One, except they lack most of the bells and whistles added to the original models.

And that’s a good thing.The modifications Samsung and HTC apply to

Google’s Android software are meant to be improve-ments. But I’ve complained before about how the changes actually make phones more complex to use. The S4 even has an easy mode for first-time smart-phone users, an admission that the normal mode is too confounding.

Google worked with both Samsung Electronics Co and HTC Corp to come out with “Google Play” editions of the hit phones. Instead of customised software from Samsung and HTC, the Google phones run a pure version of Android, just as it was devel-oped by Google.

Google lets any phone maker use its Android operating system for free. To set themselves apart from competitors, phone makers often add their own touches to devices. They rearrange the menu or load additional apps. Wireless carriers also like to add their own apps. Before you know it, phones are bloated with features and apps you don’t want and can’t get rid of.

Consider my experience with the original S4 over the weekend. As I tried to adjust the camera’s flash setting, I inadvertently made some postage stamp icon pop up. That activated the camera’s dual-shot mode, which snaps a shot of you with the front cam-era to superimpose over whatever you’re shooting with the camera on the back of the phone. I didn’t want that, but I couldn’t figure out how to get rid of it. My friend couldn’t either. So we bagged the shot. Taking photos with a phone is supposed to be fun, not a chore.

With Google’s version of the S4, I get a no-frills camera that is easy to figure out. It lacks gimmicks such as dual shots and the ability to combine several images of motion into a single shot. It offers about a half-dozen shooting modes, such as night, action and panorama, rather than the dozen or so on the original S4. But a half-dozen is about a half-dozen more than I need and use.

Google’s S4 also lacks the original model’s ability to pause video automatically when you look away from the screen or to scroll down an article when you tilt your head. Those features may sound cool, but they often don’t work properly.

The Google version of the S4 also has alarm sounds that I can actually wake up to. Samsung had substi-tuted those sounds with soft, soothing melodies that I end up incorporating into dreams. I’ve overslept a few times as a result.

As for Google’s version of the HTC One, you don’t get a busy home screen filled with news articles and Facebook status updates your phone thinks you want to read. Instead, you get a clean page with few apps. It’s up to you to add the ones you want to see and use.

Both Google phones feel spare and minimal, which is great because it makes me feel in control. If I want to constantly know the weather, it’s easy to add a weather widget to the home screen of either phone. But it’s not forced.

The same goes for apps. I get basic functions such as text messaging and the clock and a range of Google services such as Gmail and YouTube. If I want other apps, I can easily tap the Google Play icon to get them. With the original S4, Samsung tries to steer you into its own app store, as well as its own music and video players. You end up with too many ways to do the same things.

You might think it takes a lot of work to add the apps you want to Google’s phones, but it actually takes more work to hide or turn off everything you don’t need — that is, if you can at all — with Samsung’s and HTC’s versions.

The Google phones are also ideal for people who want the latest Android system that Google has to offer. You’ll be able to update your phone as Google releases new versions of Android. Normally, phone makers and wireless carriers delay updates by weeks or months, so you can only read about those new Android features.

There are a few useful Samsung and HTC add-ons that Google does bring to its versions of the phones.

Google’s S4 is compatible with Samsung’s S-View flip cover. Using a magnetic sensor, the phone detects when the cover is closed and switches to a special mode that gives you the current time and details about who’s calling through a small window in the cover. You can answer or reject a call without flip-ping over the cover.

Google’s HTC One, meanwhile, shares the original model’s front-facing speakers, giving you great sound when you’re watching a movie or listening to music. Both models also have cameras with larger sensor pixels for better low-light shots. Our tests show that the HTC One produces low-light images with less distortion than other Android phones, though images aren’t particularly crisp because the resolution is lower.

There are a few things I wish Google would have

brought to its phones and to Android in general.In the original S4, the on-screen keyboard has

a row of numerals to type in. With the Google S4, you have to hit a button to get another screen with numerals, then toggle back for the letters. The origi-nal S4 also has the ability to run two apps side by side in a split window. That’s gone in Google’s S4.

Meanwhile, the original HTC One has the ability to make calls, send texts and take photos by sliding icons from the lock screen. With the Google version, you have to unlock the screen before getting icons to those functions.

On both phones, Google also adds one feature I could do without: a 360-degree panorama known as Photo Sphere. Neat as it is, it detracts from what is otherwise a just-the-basics camera. It would have been better as a separate app for those who want it.

But that’s no reason to shun the Google phones. The minimized feel of Google’s versions underscores how busy software can detract from good hardware. Take away that clutter, and you have excellent phones. It’s a bummer that you can’t get the simpli-fied phones through regular channels. You can get them only through Google’s online Play store — for hundreds of dollars more. AP

Justin’s World — Lettersounds (£1.49)CBeebies star Justin Fletcher’s first app

was a retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This is his second App Store outing, with phonics the focus this time round. It cov-ers the first eight letter sounds that children will learn at school, with simple and clear mini-games starring alliterative animals and items to reinforce the learning. Plus video of Fletcher himself, who’s as engaging a com-municator on smartphone and tablet screens as on bigger TVs. iPhone / iPad

Weathertron (£0.69)iPhone owners are spoiled for choice when it

comes to innovative weather apps, with Yahoo and BBC joining the battle in recent months. Weathertron promises to present its weather forecast as a “live infographic of the entire day’s weather”, drawing on 16 sources to show the conditions you can expect. It covers more than 15,000 cities around the world, with a seven-day forecast complementing the detailed 24-hour data.

iPhone / iPad

DINER DASH RUSH (FREE)Diner Dash is one of the more popular casual

games on iOS already, but with this new version publisher PlayFirst is aiming for a Bejeweled Blitz-style hit. The core game is still focused on waitress Flo trying to “seat, serve and satisfy” customers by tapping on their tables, but this time it’s against the clock, with Facebook and Game Center-fuelled high-score tables, and in-app purchases to buy boosts to bump up your score.

iPhone / iPadThe GuardianiO

S A

pp o

f th

e D

ay

New Google phones are simple and easy to use

COMICS & MORE 13

Hoy en la HistoriaJuly 7, 1853

1891: The invention of the travellers cheque enabled travellers to obtain money using only their signature for ID1936: U.S. patents were issued for the crosshead Phillips screw and matching screwdriver1991: Over 100 prominent Australians formally launched a movement backing the setting up of a republic2010: Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was jailed for seven years for money laundering

Japan opened up to trade after more than 200 years of isolation when a U.S. Navy officer persuaded the Shogun to reopen contact with the West

Picture: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS

ALL IN THE MIND Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal,vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.

ACCORDION, BAGPIPES, BANJO, BASSOON, BELL, BUGLE, CASTANETS, CELLO, CLARINET, CLAVIER, CONCERTINA, CORNET, CYMBALS, DRUM, DULCIMER, EUPHONIUM, FLUEGELHORN, FLUTE, FRENCH HORN, GONG, GUITAR, HARMONICA, HARMONIUM, HARP, HARPSICHORD, KAZOO, KOTO, LUTE, LYRE, MANDOLIN, MARIMBA, OCARINA, ORGAN, PIANO, RECORDER, SITAR, TAMBOURINE, TIMPANI, TROMBONE, TRUMPET, TUBA, VIBES, VIOLA, VIOLIN, WHISTLE, ZITHER.

Baby Blues by Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman

Zits by Dennis Young and Denis Lebrun

Hagar The Horrible by Chris Browne

LEARNARABIC

A group of useful verbs:

Raja’ a + ila, MinTo return, to, from

Nazha ra +ila To Look at

Safara +ila To travel to

Sa’ ala ( An) To ask (about)

Remark: if we ask about something we add (An), but we say we asked the manager for ex: we do not add An

Fataha To open

Aghlaqa To close

PLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 2013

PLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 2013

HYPER SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

CROSSWORDS

YESTERDAY’S

ANSWER

How to play Hyper Sudoku:A Hyper Sudoku

Puzzle is solved

by filling the

numbers from 1

to 9 into the blank

cells. A Hyper

Sudoku has

unlike Sudoku

13 regions

(four regions

overlap with the

nine standard

regions). In all

regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear

only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is

solved like a normal Sudoku.

ACROSS 1 City square 6 Thing on a cowboy’s boot10 Arrow-shooting Greek

god14 Overhauled15 Man, in Roma16 “See for yourself!”17 Almost round18 ___ platter (order at a

Polynesian restaurant)19 Word before Susan or

Sunday20 Help for newbies23 Prior to, in verse24 Swiss river to the Rhine25 Med. care options26 There’s no such thing

as this, according to a saying

31 Evening event34 Kiev’s land: Abbr.35 1964 Pontiac debut36 ___ tube37 Sandra of “Gidget”38 Craft with a paddle40 Columbo and others:

Abbr.41 “Ta-ta”

42 Graduation cap attachment

43 Really strong47 Sound heard before an

MGM film48 Weekend NBC staple, for

short49 Be a thespian52 First woman to sit in

the British House of Commons

56 Six-sided solid57 Home of Lima and Toledo58 Not straight, as a street59 The Bruins of the

N.C.A.A.60 The Who’s

“___ Get Fooled Again”61 Parisian girlfriends62 Barely made, with “out”63 Caustic alkalis64 “I came, I saw, I

conquered,” e.g.

DOWN 1 Government investigation 2 Prying bar, e.g. 3 “Honesty is the best

policy,” e.g. 4 Large-tubed pasta

5 Former German chancellor Konrad

6 A-one 7 Rain cats and dogs 8 Officials on a diamond 9 Not as gentle10 Broadway’s

“Billy ___”11 Stop, Yield or

No U Turn12 Move like molasses13 Wild blue yonder21 Identify22 Verbal hesitations26 Rap’s Dr. ___27 Elizabeth I or II28 Hawaiian instrument, for

short29 Oklahoma tribe30 Christmas song31 River deposit32 Latch ___33 Like a car or home, to

State Farm37 Prefix with functional38 Arrange for transport to

the airport, perhaps39 Donkey

41 Nocturnal rodent hunter on a farm

42 Wee44 Stop working, as a car

battery45 Farm bale46 Broad ties49 Heart chambers50 Quiet places along a

shore

51 Meeting for Romeo and Juliet

52 Word that can follow the starts of 20-, 26-, 43- and 52-Across

53 Chips ___!54 Number of “lives” a cat

has55 Kind of wrestling56 Pool ball striker

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35

36 37 38 39

40 41 42

43 44 45 46

47 48 49 50 51

52 53 54 55

56 57 58

59 60 61

62 63 64

W A I L S C A A N A M I G O A M F MA S S E T A S T O W A T E R R A R AS H U T U P S H O P A M E N C O R N E RP E Z F R E E Z E F R A M E C O D E SS N U F F E D A D S S E W A R D

A S P F U R A S T A L E EM O S T L O O K O U T M O U N T A I NU S H E R O G L E S H O D A Y NS I T D O W N R E S T A U R A N T SE R E B O G E Y R I D E E W E R SS I T C O M S B U R A M E R I C A

S L A T E S C A T E M C E E S O WD O N T L E A V E M E H A N G I N G

N P R E Y R E A B L E S I N C EF A R E W E L L A D D R E S S A G E EE V E O I L Y E N D C A NM A S S O N P E N G A U T A M AO R A T E C A R R Y O N B A G S N A NR O G E R B A C O N S O R R Y S I G H TA N E W T R I N I L A I T I S L E SL E S S W E D G E O H O H E M E R Y

How to play Kakuro:The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers.However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number.Within each collection of cells - called a run

- any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once.

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

14

EASY SUDOKUCartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

Easy Sudoku PuzzlesPlace a digit from 1 to 9 in each empty cell so everyrow, every column and every 3x3 box contains allthe digits 1 to 9.

MALL

1

Monster University (3D/Animation) – 2.30pm

ABCD (2D/Malayalam) – 4.30 & 7.30pm

Singam II (2D/Tamil) – 10.30pm

2

Singam II (2D/Tamil) – 2.00 & 8.30pm

Monster University (3D/Animation) – 5.00pm

The Bling Ring (2D/Crime) – 7.00pm

Hammer of Gods (2D/Action) – 11.30pm

3

White House Down (2D/Action) – 2.15 & 6.30pm

Phantom (2D/Thriller) – 4.45pm

World War Z (3D/Action) – 9.00pm

Officer Down (2D/Drama) – 11.30pm

LANDMARK

1

Lootera (2D/Hindi) – 2.30pm

Monster University (3D/Animation) – 5.30pm

Singam II (2D/Tamil) – 7.30 & 10.30pm

2

The Bling Ring (2D/Crime) – 3.00pm

Phantom (2D/Thriller) – 5.00 & 7.00pm

Hammer of Gods (2D/Action) – 9.00 & 11.15pm

3

Monster University (3D/Animation) – 2.30 & 4.30pm

White House Down (2D/Action) – 4.30pm

World War Z (3D/Action) – 6.45pm

Officer Down (2D/Drama) – 9.00 & 11.30pm

ROYAL PLAZA

1

Monster University (3D/Animation) – 2.30 & 4.30pm

The Bling Ring (2D/Crime) – 7.00pm

Hammer of Gods (2D/Action) – 9.15 & 11.15pm

2

Man of Steel (3D/Action) – 2.30pm

Phantom (2D/Thriller) – 5.00 & 9.15pm

Officer Down (2D/Drama) – 7.00 & 11.30pm

3

The Bling Ring (2D/Crime) – 3.00pm

Policegiri (2D/Hinidi) – 5.00 & 11.00pm

Lootera (2D/Hindi) – 8.00pm

CINEMA / TV LISTINGS 15

TEL: 444933989 444517001SHOWING AT VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

0530 Football Asia

0600 Cycling - Tour

De France

0930 Omni Sport

Programmes

1000 San Antonio

Spurs vs

Memphis

Grizzlies (R

1225 Cycling - Tour

De France (L)

1415 Short

Programme

2000 Table Tennis

World

Championship

2300 Zlatan

Ibrahimovic

Programme

0000 Table Tennis

World

Championship -

(R)

0100 Miami Heat vs

Indiana Pacers

9:00 Al Jazeera

Correspondent

10:00 News

10:30 Inside Syria

11:00 News

12:00 News

12:30 The Cure

13:00 NEWSHOUR

14:00 News

14:30 Inside Syria

15:00 Al Jazeera

World

16:00 NEWSHOUR

17:00 News

17:30 Listening Post

18:00 NEWSHOUR

19:00 News

19:30 Wukan: After

The Uprising

20:00 News

20:30 Inside Story

21:00 NEWSHOUR

22:00 News

22:30 Talk To Al

Jazeera

23:00 Witness

14:35 Mythbusters

17:20 Mythbusters

18:15 Mythbusters

20:05 What

Happened

Next?

20:35 What

Happened

Next?

21:00 Unchained

Reaction

21:55 North America

22:50 Flying Wild

Alaska

23:45 Flying Wild

10:00 2 Broke Girls

10:30 Arrested

Development

12:00 Hope & Faith

12:30 Brothers

13:00 Friends

14:00 Happy

Endings

14:30 2 Broke Girls

15:00 Hot In

Cleveland

15:30 The Daily

16:00 The Colbert

17:00 Cheetah Girls 2

18:30 That’s So

Raven

18:55 Jessie

19:20 A.N.T Farm

20:30 Austin And Ally

20:50 Austin And Ally

21:15 That’s So

Raven

21:40 Good Luck

Charlie

22:00 Shake It Up

10:00 Jack And Jill-

12:00 The Year Dolly

Parton Was My

Mom

14:00 Bushwhacked-

16:00 Jack And Jill-

18:00 Lying To Be

Perfect

20:00 The Hangover

14:45 How Tech

Works

16:00 Mega World

16:55 Flying Anvils

17:45 How The

Universe Works

18:35 Oddities

19:00 Oddities

19:30 What’s That

About?

20:20 Futurecar

21:10 The Gadget

21:35 Tech Toys 360

22:00 What’s That

About?

06:00 Mission To

Mars-PG15

08:00 Aeon Flux-

10:00 Green Lantern-

12:00 Battlestar

Galactica:

Blood &

Chrome-PG15

14:00 Aeon Flux-

PG15

16:00 Jackie Chan’s

Who Am I?-

18:00 Battlestar

13:05 Celebrity

MasterChef

14:00 Vacation

Vacation

Vacation

14:25 Superhomes

15:15 Bargain Hunt

16:00 Antiques

Roadshow

17:40 Extreme

Makeover:

Home Edition

14:00 C.S.I. Miami

15:00 Glee

16:00 Emmerdale

16:30 Coronation

Street

18:00 C.S.I. Miami

19:00 Necessary

Roughness

20:00 Burn Notice

PLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 2013

QF RADIO 91.7 FM ENGLISH PROGRAMME BRIEF

LIVE SHOWS Airing Time Programme Briefs

SPIRITUAL HOUR

6:00 – 7:00 AM A time of reflection, a deeper understanding of the

teachings of Islam.

TOUR IN QATAR”

7:00 – 9:00 AM The show takes you on a weekly trip to different

locations in Qatar. In this new episode, host Ibrahim

Khalid takes you the Doha Film institute to learn more

about its vision, its aim of building a dynamic film

industry in Qatar.

ITHINK ABOUT IT

10:30 PM Is a show about ‘Spoken Word.’ Every week the

audience is introduced to a new artistic piece.

Created by our very own Nabil Al Nashar.

FASHION 12:00NOON The show brings you the latest news and events from

the world of fashion!

INTERNATIONAL 1:00 PM The latest news and events from around the world.

LEGENDARY ARTISTS

The show tells the story of a celebrity artist that has

reached unprecedented fame.

PLUS | SUNDAY 7 JULY 2013 POTPOURRI16

Editor-In-Chief Khalid Al Sayed Acting Managing Editor Hussain Ahmad Editorial Office The Peninsula Tel: 4455 7741, E-mail: plus@pen.com.qa / editor@pen.com.qa

If you want your events featured here, mail details to plus@pen.com.qa

The Silk Route Journey by Rashmi Agarwal When: Until July 8; 5pm — 8pmWhere: Katara Arts Studios What: Silk paintings originated from India in the 2nd Century AD. It has become a popular hobby in textiles. A workshop on silk paintings, which can be elaborate or simple. Workshop price: 8 hours QR750 – 3 hours QR500

Ferozkoh: Tradition and Continuity in Afghan Art When: Until July 20Sunday, Monday, Wednesday:10:30am - 5:30pmThursday, Saturday: Noon — 8pmFriday: 2pm — 8pm Where: Museum of Islamic Art What: An exhibition showcasing works created by Afghan artists inspired by masterpieces from the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) collection Entry fee 25QR (free on Mondays and for children under 16 years)

Qatar National Library Heritage Collection When: Public tours twice every Sunday and Tuesday at 10am and 11:30am. Where: Qatar National Library What: Qatar National Library’s remarkable Heritage Collection is a rare trove of manuscripts, books, and artefacts documenting a wealth of Arab-Islamic civilisation and human thought. Among its more than 100,000 works, the collection contains an edition of Ptolemy’s Geographia, which was printed in Rome in 1478 and is the oldest printed map showing the name of Qatar or referred to in Latin as ‘Catara’. Free Entry

1st Red Bull Flugtag QatarWhen: November 1, 1pm Where: Museum of Islam Art Park,

What: Red Bull Flugtag, which means “flying day” in German, pushes the envelope of human-powered flight, but competitors need more than airtime to reach the podium. Teams are judged on three criteria: Flight distance, creativity of the craft, and showmanship. These criteria have inspired flying tacos, prehistoric pterodactyls, winnebagos with wings and even Snoopy and the gang to grace the Red Bull Flugtag flight decks! Free entry

Events in Qatar MEDIA SCAN

• There is talk about news published in a local newspaper about disbanding of the Supreme Education Council as part of restructuring of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to improve its performance.

• People are asking why the new Qatari television channel, Qatar Al Yaum (Qatar Today), launched in Jordan, is not telecasting in Qatar since it is a Qatari channel set up to raise issues related to Qatar.

• People are still discussing on social networking sites the removal of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi.

• People are demanding that the authorities strictly monitor eateries to ensure that they are following health rules, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

• There are demands that the authorities

inspect commercial centres to ensure that they are following the price list for Ramadan, and to stop bogus promotional offers by them.

• There are demands that more signboards be put up on roads, especially in outlying areas, to help people reach their destination easily.

• There is talk about subsidised sheep to be available at Widam outlets starting today.

• People are demanding that the authorities replace artificial playing surfaces in some parks that have became worn and whose particles pose a risk to the health of children.

• There is talk that the Supreme Council of Health will prepare a national list of pharmaceutical products to ensure their quality and the safety of patients.

A summary ofissues of the daydiscussed by the Qatari communityin the media.

IN FOCUS

Dusty wind sweeping Corniche.

by Dilshan Gunawardana

Send your photos to plus@pen.com.qa. Please mention where the photo was taken.

Three Taco Bell customers get cash instead of food

That was no burrito. Three people who ordered food at a Taco Bell drive-thru in west-

ern Michigan got something more valuable: $3,600 in cash.

A Taco Bell employee mistakenly passed the cash to the trio instead of their food Saturday. The money was returned a short time later.

Kennidi Rue told WZZM-TV and MLive.com that she and two friends thought about keeping the money but decided they would feel guilty if they didn’t return it. Grand Rapids police Capt. Jeff Hertel confirmed the incident, say-ing an officer was called to assist.

“I thought it was joke,” said Rue, 18, of Michgan. “I thought we were on camera. ... The store manager liter-ally just burst out in tears. She was so happy we brought it back.”

The money was in a store bag for deposit at a bank. A message seek-ing comment was left with Taco Bell. Rue, Grant Kruse, 20, and another friend, Luke Postma, 25, got their meal when they returned the money. Kruse and Postma are National Guard members who were in Grand Rapids for training. AP