Eid Al Adha..

Eid al-Adha is a religious festival celebrated by Muslims and Druze worldwide as a commemoration of Ibrahim's (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael for Allah. It is one of two Eid festivals, whose basis comes from the Quran, that Muslims celebrate (Muslims in Iran celebrate a third, non-denominational). Like Eid el-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha begins with a short prayer followed by a sermon (khuṭba). It is also called the bigger Eid because it is considered better than Eid el-Fitr

Men, women, and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayer (Salatu'l-`id) in any mosque. Muslims who can afford to do so sacrifice their best domestic animals (usually sheep, but also camels, cows, and goats) as a symbol of Ibrahim's (Abraham's) sacrifice. The sacrificed animals, called "udhiya also known as "qurbani".

"Qurbani" sacrificed by our flat members...

There is a "Banana Talk" (Proverb) in Malayalam. "Pambine thinnunna nattil poyal nadu kashnam nokki thinnanam." So we decided to wear the traditional dress of the Arabic guys on the Eid occasion. All the attempt was taken on a sudden. So there is no way to get "Agal " and "Shemagh circle" , so we decided to wear the dress in Omani style.

Click here for more photos...

Inventor of Flash Memory Has Big Plans For Super-Fast 3D Processors

Flash memory chips, which store data in cell phones, digital cameras, and music players, didn't exactly arrive in a flash. They were invented more than two decades ago by Fujio Masuoka, a midlevel factory manager at Toshiba.Masuoka-san isn't finished with us yet, though, and the next-level tech he has his sights on next could keep us busy posting for many years to come.

Moore's law states that the amount of transistors able to be jam-packed into processors will double every two years or so. But if chip makers are going to keep this up, they're going to have to move beyond the quaint world of two dimensions and into the realm of 3D processors. Masuoka has made a deal with Singapore's Institute of Microelectronics to develop new 3D chip designs, which he will then license through the Singaporean government.

What 3D processors make possible, aside from simply jamming more transistors in to a smaller space, are huge speed gains due to a greater number of transistors being in closer proximity to one another. On a 2D chip, if a transistor on one end has to make a linkage with one on the other end, it naturally takes a bit longer than if the two were directly adjacent. A 3D model allows for much more efficient interconnection, as well as the potential for much faster on-chip RAM.

Stacking layers of silicon to form 3-dimensional circuits is not a new concept--Masuoka is certainly quite familiar with it already, as it's exactly what enables flash memory sizes to continue to grow so quickly. But as of now, 3D stacks have yet to become a production reality in the processor world, although big players like Intel and IBM have made several announcements and demonstrations this year indicating progress. Now a chip-engineering legend (backed by a national government) has joined the big dogs in the race--we'll see what happens…

Abu Dhabi Heritage Village...

Situated on a 1600 sq. metre site overlooking the Corniche, near the Breakwater in Abu Dhabi, this heritage village is run by Emirates Heritage Club. Here you can journey to the past and experience traditional life in Abu Dhabi before oil revenues altered the landscape, economically and socially. In addition to bedouin tents, there are reconstructions of palm ('arish) and other houses, old fishing villages and traditional souqs. Given its location along the seafront, maritime traditions are a special feature. There is also a shop for local crafts, a good photographic exhibition and a unique collection of the Holy Quran.

Click here for more photos...