Sources : Times News Network

Date of Publishing:04/07/2010

Location : Banglore

What is cybertecture? It is architecture in another form, the creation of living and working spaces which are a harmonious blend of technology, multimedia, intelligent systems and user interactivity. These spaces can be customized and the residents can claim to be the world’s most connected community. Cybertecture even allows a person to select preferred background music. One such cyberstructure is coming up on an area of 32,000 square metres in Mumbai called the Cybertecture Egg. It will have 13 floors of offices, and include a feature to monitor occupants’ health, besides virtual scenery which can be changed. — Ravi Verma, Gwalior

What was Indian mythological figure Rishyashringa or Shringirishi famous for? Shringirishi, son of rishi Vibhandak and descendant of Lord Brahma, was a noble rishi. He was famous for performing Puttreshthi and Parjanya yagna. He performed Parjanya yagna to the rain god to help King Rompad overcome famine in his kingdom, Ang Desh (Bihar). On an invitation from rishi Vashishtha, he performed the Puttreshthi yagna for King Dasharath, and four sons — Rama, Laxman, Bharat, and Shatrughna — were born to him. It is believed Rishyashringa led the way for the Mahanadi river from Sihoba, Chhattisgarh and emphasized water management. There are 64 temples and ashrams dedicated to him. — Satyendra Sharma, Bhopal

How did the term French leave originate? French leave primarily means taking leave without permission from work. Some believe it is meant to convey the act of leisurely desertion from a military unit. Being away on leave from one’s post or duties has its roots in the 17th century and does not so much have its origins in cowardice but in a French custom of leaving a party without saying goodbye or thanking the hosts. The term is still in use in the Indian Navy for sailors who overstay on land. — Moosa Saleem, via email

What is crowdfunding? The crowdfunding approach has its precedent in charity. It is inspired by crowd sourcing, that describes the collective cooperation, attention and trust by people who network and pool their money together, usually via the internet, to support efforts by other people. Crowdfunding occurs for purposes like disaster relief, artistes seeking support from fans and political campaigns. Crowdfunding is now receiving attention from both commercial and social entrepreneurs, as social media, online communities and micropayment technology make it straightforward to secure donations from potentially interested supporters at very low cost. — N Sadhasiva Reddy, Bangalore

What is guerrilla advertising? Guerrilla advertising encompasses all forms of non-traditional methods of communication. They can be open and honest like environmentallyfriendly high-impact street advertising or subversive like supermarkets pumping up the smell of fresh bread at the entrance. Guerrilla advertising is exposure that is unconventional and unexpected. It can be anything from street teams in costume to abnormal promotional exhibits to provocative street poster campaigns. Basically, guerilla advertising can be anything that is not used on a mass scale already. — Pooja Toshniwal, via email

What is the Sidewalk Catwalk? The Sidewalk Catwalk is an unorthodox fashion show on display from June 24 to September 3. The show has a collection of 33 mannequins; each dressed by a designer and is staged on the streets of the Garment District in New York. — Dipti Jain, Mumbai

ANY ANSWERS? What is captcha? — Hariom Goyal, Jaipur

Where is Europe’s silicon valley? — Ashim Chakrabarty, Sonarpur What is a seed crystal? — Srinivas R Khode, Belgaum

What is fleur-de-lis? — Kuldeep Jain, Mumbai

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