Out amp; About

India unleashed

A CD-ROM that tells you everything you ever wanted to know about contemporary India and didn8217;t know whom to ask? Yes, something like that is actually out in the market. Indiawide, a compilation that will enable you to know what8217;s happening in Orissa even if you8217;re sitting in Punjab, is a comprehensive CD that will make accessing information on travel, tourism and business a cinch. Need to know about India8217;s cultural heritage and economic strengths 8212; just click on your mouse. This disc encyclopedia has adatabase scanning over 1,500 cities and towns, provides you a complete rap sheet on hotels, restaurants, travel agents, tour operators, transportation time-tables, addresses of government tourist offices, detailed map routes of the 77 national highways, a road distance chart for over 7,300 combinations of destinations, route maps, details of wildlife and bird sanctuaries, pilgrimages, fairs and festivals. Plus, there are interesting tips on shopping. With a gallery of over 200 exotic photographs presenting India in all its various aspects, it is a visual delight as well. Priced at Rs 990, it allows you to buy the product and still have money left over for a holiday 8212; quite unlike a lot of other CD-ROMs. We just have one question: When you are actually on the road, how are you going to access this info. We need cheap laptops that can stand the rugged roads of India before this CD can infiltrate every street.

For details on Indiawide, contact Goodvalue Softwares amp; Systems at: 839 0971. Email:mkmgtbom4.vsnl.net.in

Ribitt, Ribbitt

No, we haven8217;t got a frog in our throat. Let8217;s just say a frog caught our eye. Say hello to a new television channel: Kermit. quot;A combination of laughter and learning with intelligent programming,quot; this offering from Hallmark Entertainment Network, comes to India after establishing itself in Australia, Europe, England and Southeast Asia.

The channel will feature family dramas and thrillers made to order for the entire family. A joint venture between two big names, Jim Henson and Hallmark Entertainment, Kermit promises to deliver valuable educational tools to children while allowing them to have fun at the same time.

For details call your local cable operator.

Size matters

Seems to be a kids8217; special month. Kidbits amp; Pcs, a company that feels strongly about children having their own furniture, has launched its new range of products in the market. And its SP: Downsized products in bright, trendy colours in designs that aretrue to safety standards. No sharp edges for kids to get knicked. The range includes chairs, tables, desks, beds, wardrobes, armchairs and a multipurpose activity table. For infants, there are swinging cribs and folding cots. The promise here is high visual appeal and value for money.

For more information, call Rashida at 300 0036/ 307 6304. Email: incentivebom3.vsnl.net.in

Taal

The music for Subhash Ghai8217;s Taal releases in Delhi tomorrow and going by the phenomenal score A R Rahman has put together, this album might just bring some cheer to a depressed audio market. The most striking feature of this soundtrack is that it has a definite Ghai touch8217;. Which automatically suggests that Rahman has stepped out of his style to match the showman8217;s specifications, specially noticeable in the first two tracks, Ishq bina kya jeena yaara8216; and Taal se taal mila8216;. There are some incredible instrumental pieces with a Rahmanesque feel, but the style of orchestration is distinctlyGhai all the way.

quot;All three of us 8212; Rahman, lyricist Anand Bakshi and myself 8212; have combined our resources for the album. Our aim was to strike an optimum balance between popular and rich music,quot; says Ghai. The entire film, he says, is driven by music and the soundtrack is totally sincere to the script. Which is why he actually narrated all 74 scenes to the composer beforehand. quot;Working with Rahman has been a very satisfying experience. He has a divine approach to music 8212; moreover he knows all the rules and yet, can break them to create innovative sounds.quot;

And Ghai wasn8217;t in the least ruffled by the fact that Rahman had never created compositions with a North Indian feel. quot;My film begins in North India and travels all the way to Canada via Mumbai. Believe it or not, he has actually taken the same journey musically. From the first frame to the last, every emotion, joy and sorrow, is expressed beautifully through his compositions.quot;

Ghai believes, Taal is actually Rahman8217;s first real Hindi filmalbum. quot;He is too much of a perfectionist. He has to vibe well with the director and must be given full freedom at the same time 8212; no deadlines. With me, he8217;s been very sincere and I8217;d love to work with him all over again.quot;