QC posted on 10/27/2006

Trivia question :
See pic Triva . this was the first logo designed by the company's founders in 1976. Not continuing with it for long they replaced it with the iconic logo that we know today. Name this maverick company.
Ans. Apple Logo. Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne designed the first logo. It depicts Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an Apple tree. It was immediately replaced by the one designed by Rob Janoff (the rainbow-colored silhouette of an apple with a bite taken out of it)

1. Amazon.com has unveiled a widely anticipated Internet service offering movies and TV shows that can be downloaded to personal computers, solidly moving the online retailer into the nascent market. How it is branded ?
a. amazon Unbox

2.

Identify the logo in img3.
a.Grameen Bank, which with its founder Mohammed Yunus, was awarded the nobel prize for peace for 2006.

3. X is an an incentive scheme for Cognizant's employees. Designed on the lines of a frequent flyer programme, X helps Cognizant employees to earn reward points that can be accumulated and redeemed against Cognizant merchandise ranging from denim shirts to signature coffee mugs, watches to jackets, or even a DVD player. Name X.
a. Wah!

4.Amar Chand, 76, died recently after observing a centuries-old Jain practice where a person starves to prepare spiritually for their death. every year, around 100 people observe this to attain salvation. what is the name of this custom?
a. "santhara"

5. connect and tell me the missing one:
The Secret River, Carry Me Down, In the Country of Men, Mother's Milk,The Night Watch.
a. The missing one is " The Inheritance of Loss ". Written by Anita desai's daughter Kiran desai. She won the booker prize and the name mentioned above are the names of the other books who were shortlisted this time for booker prize but couldn;t make it. Kiran desai is the youngest to win it.

6.

Identify the train in img1.
a. The first 'Garib Rath' train, aimed at providing airconditioned comfort to the poor at subsidised fares, was on Wednesday flagged off by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad at the Saharsa railway station in north Bihar .For the 1,500-km journey a passenger will pay only Rs. 695 as against the fare of Rs. 1,279 for travel in AC three-tier in an express train. Travel in the AC chair car will cost only Rs. 595. However just as in low-cost airlines any extra service would be charged. Passengers will have to pay for bedrolls as well as food.

7.

What is special about the model in img2?
a. Blaupunkt's product christening strategy involves the names of major cities located across the globe. The image is of the recently launched Mumbai MP26 car radio, the first car radio named after an Indian city.

8.

What is the inovative product in img4 ? and name the chain of resturants that intruduced this?
a. Though Pizzas are traditionally round in shape, the chain restaurant, Pizza Corner, in a way to attract more diners, has come out with a new concept - pizza in a cone called `conizza'

9.

Identify the logo in img6?.
a. It’s World Bank

10. "An excellent piece to help us understand what happened in the world during the 20th century, what is going on now and the greatest threat looming over our planet: The hegemonic pretension of US Imperialism that puts at risk the very survival of the human species," extolled Chavez. He wanted the `brothers and sisters' in the US to first read the book `because the threat is in their own house.' Which book he is referring to?(chavez even called Bush "A devil".)
a. Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance , by Noam Chomsky.

Bonus question (2 points)
Q. The world's largest diamond reported to have been found this century is a 603 carat white diamond. What is its name ?
A. "Lesotho's promise". The small mountain kingdom of Lesotho is marking its 40th anniversary of independence from the United Kingdom by flying a new more peaceful flag. The military emblem of a shield, spear and knobkerrie is replaced by a traditional cone-shaped hat on the blue, white and green flag. See img5

QC posted on 09/06/2006

1. Identify the person. (Refer: pic1) (Hint: pic2)
a. Vikram Chandra. Pic2 shows the cover of his recently released book, The Sacred Games.

2. The Department of Non-Resident Keralites' Affairs (NoRKA) and the SCMS Institute of Paramedical and Development Studies, Kalamassery, Kerala, have joined hands to provide training to X who plan to go abroad, especially to the Gulf countries. Who are X?
a. X - Housemaids! Training for housemaids is the first of its kind and aims to equip women with necessary skills for their employment. They will be taught how to operate normal household equipment, stress management and yoga.

3. The author wrote X after the name he was given by the mother of his closest friend Prabhakar. The first version was torn up by a prison officer. The second version was also destroyed. Upon release, he made an income from small writing assignments while he finished writing X for the third time. This book has become an international bestseller. Name X.
a. X - Shantaram. A movie based on the book is to be made with Johnny Depp playing the title role. Indian actor Chunky Pandey, playing a Bollywood actor, will be making his debut in Hollywood with this movie.

4. A, who owns UB group, is going to sell their products in the retail outlets of B where ever they get the licenses to sell liquor. B has also roped in two Bollywood stars C and D recently, to add star power to their brand. Identify A, B, C and D.
a. A - Vijay Mallya, B -Kishore Biyani's Pantaloons, C and D = Bipasha Basu & Zayed Khan.

5.

Identify the place. (Refer: pic3)
a. The Nathu La Pass, which was reopened on july 4 after a 44-year-old hiatus, once again connecting India with China. The view is from the Chinese side with the picture of the Patola Palace on the left, and the Chinese flag on the right.

6. Which brand of car will we see in the next Bond movie 'Casino Royale'?
a. Aston Martin DBS

7. Connect: Angela Merkel, Indra Nooyi, Sonia Gandhi
a. 3 of the ladies who made it to the Forbes' list of World's Most Powerful Women. Angela Merkel was ranked 1st, Indra Nooyi on 4th and Sonia Gandhi at 13.

8. The __________ is going to be used by scientists who are trying to understand the causes of diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer. The distributed computing program can be downloaded by volunteers and the ____________ processing power can be used when it is idle. Fill in the blanks. (Both blanks have the same answer)
a. PlayStation 3. The computing program called Folding@Home runs a series of simulations which predict the shape of proteins and how they fold.

9. It is on Nov 24th in Turkey, May 16 in Malaysia, Mar 7 in Albania, Aug 27 in China, Mar 28 in Czech Republic, May 2 in Iran, Sept 1 in Singapore, May 15 in South Korea, Sept 28 in Taiwan, Jan 16 in Thailand and Nov 20 in Vietnam. What are we talking about and when is it in India?
a. Teachers' Day, celebrated on Sept 5th in India, which is the birthday of Dr. Radhakrishnan.

10. Shah Rukh Khan is the third film personality on Jet Airways board. Who are the other two?
a. The other two are lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar and producer-director Yash Chopra.

Bonus Question (2 points)
Q.
Error 144: That information was lost with the Martian Lander. Please try again.
Error 01: Brainwaves received in analog. Please re-think in digital.
Error 666: Multiple transmitters detected. Silence voices in your head and try again.
Which website had some of these error messages displayed and on what occasion?
A. On April 1st, 2000, Google announced a new search technology (as a hoax, of course) that supposedly used the reader's mind to determine what the user wanted to search for. These were some of the error messages displayed by Google MentalPlex.

QC posted on 08/29/2006

1. He was born on March 21, 1916 in Bihar. Born as the second son of his parents, Paigambar Khan and Mitthan, he was christened as Qamaruddin initially, before his grandfather uttered X after looking at the newborn. His ancestors were court musicians in the princely state of Dumraon in Bihar. He received his training under his uncle, the late Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu'. X was perhaps single handedly responsible for making the Y a famous classical instrument. His chief mode of transport was cycle rikshaw.He was a pious Shia Muslim and also, like many Indian musicians regardless of creed, a devotee of Goddess Sarawati. His concept of music was very beautiful and his vision, superb. He once said, "Even if the world ends, the music will still survive" and he often said, "Music has no caste". He died recently. Who is X and what is the instrument?
a. X is Ustad Bismillah Khan (his grandfather uttered "Bismillah") and the instrument is the Shehnai.

2. Reliance Communications has announced a tie-up with this company to provide 16 animated video shots (10 in 3-D) which are made exclusively for mobile devices. Name the company.
a. Disney.

3.
Identify this lady (refer: pic1)
a. Florence Nightingale. A previously unseen photograph of the lady is going up on display to mark the 150th anniversary of her return from the Crimean War.

4. Ranbaxy changed the name of their fin biz arm. What is it called? What was its former name?
a. Religare is the new name and Fortis is the former name.

5. Its tagline is "Now you're flying smart." and its frequent flyer program is called WorldPerks. Which airline?
a. Northwest Airlines which had recently detained 12 Indian passengers at Amsterdam.

6. Tata tea has recently ventured into the bottled water market by acquiring a stake in ______. Fill in the blank.
a. Energy Brands. Its main brand is the Glaceau brand of enhanced water beverages. Glaceau has 3 main product lines - Vitaminwater, Fruitwater and Smartwater.

7. Two institutions have entered into a pact to offer executive development programmes through virtual classrooms. Through this alliance, working executives will be able to undergo management education in the weekends. Name the two institutions.
a. IIM - Calcutta and NIIT.

8. Nix, Hydra, _________. Complete.
a. Charon. These are the 3 moons of Pluto, which was recently reclassified as a dwarf planet (i.e. lost its status as a true planet)

9. GE Money India, the consumer finance unit of the General Electric Company (GE), on recently announced that it has signed up X as its first ever brand-ambassador of India. Who is X?
a. Mahendra Singh Dhoni

10.
Connect a company or brand with the two pics (refer pic2 and pic3) and this line - Dark Just Got Fun!
a. m&m
Pic2 is of Edward Munch.
Pic3 is 'The Scream' painting done by him which was stolen from Munch museum on August 22, 2004.
'Dark just got fun!' is new print ad campaign started by M&M. In this Red (M&M character) is shown playing hopscotch in the background of the painting. m&m has announced a reward of 2 million m&m dark chocolate candies for the return of the painting.

Bonus Question (2 points)
Q. In 1887, a German physiologist Adolf Eugen Fick constructed and fitted the first successful X. Earlier ideas of X were suggested by Leonardo Da Vinci and Rene Descartes. Initially fitted on rabbits, these were made from heavy brown glass and were 18-21mm in diameter. They became much more convenient for use after Dr. William Feinbloom introduced X made from polymethyl methacrylate. What is X?
A. X - Contact lens

QC posted on 08/17/2006

1. This company is exploring the possibility of launching India-specific brands in the hair colours segment. Currently, the company is test marketing a hair colouring brand by the name of Top Speed in the southern markets. Which company?
a. Modi Revlon

2. A, an IT major, is offering to provide its expertise to B. B says that it would explore the possibilities of having a long-term working relationship with A. The doctors and para-medical staff of B would be trained in clinical and management aspects of eye-care using IT as a platform. According to one of the co-founders of A, the focus would be on extending quality eye-care to rural areas using IT and to work together with B on health projects benefiting the poor. Identify A and B.
a. A - Google; B - Aravind Eye Hospital

3. What is the name of the operation launched by India to evacuate Indians from Lebanon?
a. Operation Sukoon

4. Microsoft announced its plans to release a new music and entertainment player and accompanying software. Name the brand.
a. Zune.

5. The retail arm of VLCC Group of Companies, VLCC Retail, has launched its low calorie, health food restaurant chain. Give the name of the chain.
a. Alive. Alive restaurants will also have `Body Composition Analysers', which will help customers to choose exactly the amount of nutrients their body needs with the help of a nutritionist.

6. X was born into a middle-class family and was raised to be a teacher. He entered the London School of Economics on scholarship, but attended for less than 2 yrs and did not graduate. He is an avid cricket fan, a follower of the Kabbalah faith and has 2 fossils named after him. Currently taking singing lessons to preserve his voice after almost 35 yrs of none, who is X?
a. Mick Jagger

7. The famous wax museum gets its first figure without wax! Name the celebrity.
a. Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, daughter of Hollywood actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The 2-month old celebrity-baby is made entirely of silicone. She is the youngest model to be created at Madame Tussauds in New York. Portrayed asleep in her nursery, she has her famous parents, in wax, watching over her. You can get a picture with her and her parents, too, provided you shell out a dollar. All proceeds go to the Children's Charity, UNICEF.

8. Who is the new brand ambassador of the Godfrey Philips bravery moment?
a. Preity Zinta

9. Who is the brand ambassador of home textile brand - "Carmichael house" launched by S. Kumars?
a. Sushmita Sen

10. Tata Coffee Limited recently acquired a big coffee brand. Name the brand and who financed the acquisition.
a. Eight O' Clock Coffee, third biggest brand in coffee trading by volume , next to Folgers and Maxwell House. The acquisition was arbitrated by RaboBank of Netherlands.

Bonus Question (2 points)
Q. Connect: the Moon, Golden Eye, 1932 Summer Olympics.
A. Omega.
The Speedmaster Professional was the first watch worn on the Moon. This watch passed the organization's numerous torture tests, which included exposure to extreme temperatures, vacuum, intense humidity, corrosion, shock, acceleration, pressure, vibration and noise whereas the other famous brands (Rolex, Longines, Heuer, etc.) failed. The watch was nicknamed 'The Moonwatch'.
The Seamaster 300m Diver Chronometer is the current official James Bond watch, used in each of the Bond movies since its first appearance in Golden Eye.
Omega has frequently been the official timekeeper for the Olympics, beginning with the 1932 Summer Olympics.

QC posted on 08/07/2006

Trivia
Q. On a freezing winter day in 1961, 7-year-old X came home from school in Brooklyn to find his parents in tears. His dad, a deliveryman, had broken his ankle and was out of a job, with no health insurance. His family's fear scarred X. Later, as he grew, he vowed to build "the kind of company my father never got a chance to work for." Identify X and the company that he started.
A. X - Howard Schultz

1. e-Bay : Paypal :: Google :____________
a. Google Checkout

2. The name X is a combination of the words 'Tiger' and 'Iguana'. It was chosen by the public by voting through magazines and internet. The other names it could have been were Namib, Rockton, Samun and Nanuk. What is X?
a. X - Tiguan. This is a miniature SUV to be produced by Volkswagen.

3. Where would you find efavirenz 600 mg/ emtricitabine 200 mg/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg)?
a. The new medicine ATRIPLA, the First Once-Daily Single Tablet Regimen for Adults with HIV-1 Infection. This product has been developed through the collaboration between Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead Sciences. The collaboration is the first of its kind in the 25-year history of the AIDS epidemic.

4. 'bwin' is the new brand name for which company?
a. betandwin. BETandWIN.com Interactive Entertainment AG, which came into the market in 1999 as a new on-line sport-betting enterprise developed into one of the world's leading on-line gaming companies. Yet the brand name did not fulfill the desired requirements regarding a differentiation from the competition. Just like betandwin had already, numerous on-line gaming companies decided to use the word "bet" themselves as part of their brand names: Betfair, Bet365, Sportingbet, Centrebet, Betsson, Canbet, Betinternet and bet-at-home, just to name a few.

5. X was founded in 1991 by Craig Sams and his wife, Josephine Fairley. In 1994 the company began purchasing cocoa from Mayan farmers in Belize for their Maya Gold chocolate bar, and were awarded the 1994 Worldaware Business Award for good business practice. In May 2005 Cadbury-Schweppes bought X for an undisclosed sum, estimated to be around £20m. Cadbury has pledged to run the company as a separate business. Name the company.
a. Green's and Blacks.

6.
Identify the individual. (Refer: pic1)
a. Abishek Kumarasubramanian. This IIT, Madras student won the Code4bill contest. He has been selected for a one-year internship with Bill Gates and will work directly with his technical assistants' team in the United States after winning the contest. The Code4bill contest was announced by Bill Gates during his last visit to India.

7. A. Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from St. Stephen's College, Delhi.
B. Completed his Ph.D at the age of 22 at the Tufts University and was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in International Affairs by the University of Puget Sound.
C. Working for the UN since 1978 and has been the executive assistant to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
D. Named as 'Global Leader of Tomorrow' by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
E. Was appointed the United Nations Coordinator for Multilingualism.
Given above are a few of the achievements of this person. Who is this distinguished personality?
a. Shashi Tharoor. In June 2006, the Indian Government announced its support for Tharoor's candidature as Kofi Annan's successor for the post of UN Secretary General.

8. 'The Expected One'. What is it and why is it in the news now?
a. 'The Expected One' is the debut novel by Kathleen McGowan, who is an American author, musician and self-proclaimed descendent of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. She had apparently submitted her proposal to publishers in 1997, 6 yrs before Dan Brown published The Da Vinci Code, but was laughed out for her idea of Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene. She published the book herself last year after selling shoes on eBay to pay for research. Only 2500 copies were sold, but Touchstone Books is releasing the book on July 25th with a first print of 250,000 copies. But the author's reluctance to publish evidence of her claim to be descended from Jesus has fuelled scepticism.

9. This Chennai-based company is launching the Book Monster Club for children in the age group of 1-14 years. The books will be sold only to club members and not through retail stores. Which company?
a. Manoj Prakashan

10. India Post has launched its first water-proof and tear-resistant envelope, developed in partnership with this company, right in time for Raksha Bandhan. Name the company.
a. DU PONT

Bonus Question (2 points)
Q. a. His only failing grade in school at the age of 14, was an 'F' in music class.
b. In 1961, he joined the US Army and was a trainee paratrooper. His military records show that he was considered an incompetent soldier, repeatedly caught sleeping while on duty and missing at midnight bed-check. Superiors noted that he needed constant supervision even for basic tasks and lacked motivation.
c. It is believed that his constant use of LSD was an integral part of his creative process.
d. He was found dead in a basement flat in London. He died amid circumstances which have never been satisfactorily explained. He had spent the night with his German girlfriend, and likely died in bed after drinking wine and taking 9 Vesperax sleeping pills, then drowning in his own vomit.
Who is he?
A. Jimi Hendrix

QC posted on 07/17/2006

Trivia
Q. While the original run was used with a hymnal in a church choir, the remainder were rejected by the marketing department of X who thought it to be useless. A co-creator gave them to his secretary to dispose of, she instead found the classic use for them and under his instructions, distributed them to all the executive secretaries in the office of X. Once the supply ran out, the sheer number of internal calls requesting more was re-directed to marketing, who finally took notice. Name X.
A. 3M

1. Previous books have all come out on Saturdays. Next year, on July 7 the final book will be released.Many numerologists see 7/7/07 as a fitting day for this book to be released. Which book?
a. The last book in the Harry Potter series.

2. Technical Specifications of X.
Circumference - 69.0 - 69.25 cm
Diameter - 1.0% difference
Water Absorption - ? 0.1 % weight increase
Weight - 441 - 444 g
Shape and size retention - 3500 cycles at 50 kmph
Rebound Test - ? 2 cm
Loss of Pressure - ? 11%
Identify X.
a. X = +Teamgeist. This was the official football for the FIFA World Cup 2006. The plus sign in the name was introduced to trademark the whole expression. The regular German word 'teamgeist' means 'team spirit'.

3. ________ is the first community radio started last week for fishermen across 15 coastal villages in Thiruvananthapuram through a network of radio kiosks. Fill in the blank.
a. Radio Alakal

4. Connect: ringtone, mouse potato, soul patch, drama queen, etc.
a. These are some of the words which have crossed over from popular culture to mainstream English Language. These were among the 100 new words added to the 2006 update of America's best-selling dictionary, the Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary.

5. Which bank has introduced the 'Star Vidya Card' to enable college students to get rid of the hassles of carrying cash for paying their tuition fees, mess bill or towards any other purchases made within the campus?
a. Bank of India

6. HP : 'The Computer is personal again'
____ : 'Purely you'
Fill in the blank.
a. Dell

7. The Body Shop, high street beauty products retailer, unveiled its first store in India, through a domestic franchisee. Who has got this franchisee?
a. Quest Retail Pvt Ltd

8. Argentine-born, Italian midfielder Mauro Camoranesi sat down on a folding chair in the middle of the field at the Olympiastadion with a large pair of scissors. His team-mates gathered around him to organise a severe trim of his ponytail.Camoranesi had promised he would abandon some of his long locks if Italy won the World Cup. Who cut his long locks?
a. Massimo Oddo

9. Connect: the movie "Driven", Chip Ganassi, and the UN.
a. Juan Pablo Montoya.
He acted in the movie "Driven" as himself.
He is moving out of F1 to compete in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series racing for Chip Ganassi Racing.
He is a goodwill ambassador of the UN and founded the Formula Smiles Foundation.

10. This company has launched three new series of agarbatthi in Europe - "Heritage de Pondicherry", "L'Air de Pondicherry" and "Saveurs de Pondicherry". Which company?
a. ITC

Bonus Question (2 points)
Q. a. His official birth date is August 21, 1921. He made his debut in 1966 and went onto star in dozens of films, specials and several cartoon series.
b. He is so popular in Poland that a street in Warsaw is named after him.
c. 'The Tao of _____' is an elementary but entertaining introduction to Taoism, using him as the central character. The book was on the New York Times Bestseller list, and is often used in college religion courses.
d. He was recently awarded a Hollywood Star on the Walk of Fame.
Identify him. (The blank gives his name)
A. Pooh/Winnie-The-Pooh.

QC posted on 07/09/2006

Trivia
Q. A. Common flavours include orange blossom, tupelo, buckwheat, clover, blackberry and blueberry.
B. In Australia, the most common X is from eucalyptus trees.
C. It is used as an anti-microbial agent used for dressing wounds, burns and skin ulcers. Additionally, its use reduces odours, swelling and scarring. It also prevents the dressing from sticking to the healing wound. Some even claim that a single drop of this directly on the eye can treat mild forms of conjunctivitis.
What is X?
A. Honey

1. X holds 26.4% of the shares of L'Oréal, world's leading company in cosmetics and beauty. The Laboratoires Inneov is a joint venture in nutritional cosmetics between X and L'Oreal. Galderma is another joint veture in dermatology between X and L'Oréal. Others include Cereal Partners Worldwide (with General Mills), Beverage Partners Worldwide (with Coca-Cola), and Dairy Partners Americas (with Fonterra). Identify X.
a. X - Nestle

2.
Identify the person (refer: pic1) and connect to Qn1.
a. Julius Michael Johannes Maggi, founder of Maggi that Nestle bought over in 1947.

3. 'Mike' says - "People take things too seriously and panic over the most trivial things. But at the same time there are many people out there who think things through without jumping to conclusions. You can't let pointless speculation rule your lives and force you to live in fear." According to the designer, the purpose of this website was to find out how the public reacts to lack of information. Name the website.
a. www.eon8.com. The purpose behind the website, which was launched in late 2005, was revealed on July 1, 2006.

4. Females are always referred to with the title 'Miss' or 'Mrs'. Formerly, married females were referred to by their husband's names. However, this custom has been abandoned. On the other hand, the title 'Mr' is never used for the males. Which event is associated with these peculiarities?
a. Wimbledon

5. Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean : __________?
a. Dead Man's Chest

6. Which ad agency was behind "I love you, Rasna" campaign?
a. Mudra. (Mudra has decided to part ways with Rasna)

7. Who owns the "Hot-Snax" brand of snacks?
a. Mother Dairy

8. History was made few days ago at 14,400 ft above sea level. The "Old Silk Route" was re-opened for border trade between India and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China, 44 years after it was halted following the Indo-China war in 1962. Which Pass was re-opened?
a. Nathula (La means Pass in Tibetan language)

9. X, a mobile game development company has tied up with actor Madhavan to bring out six mobile game titles based on the actor. The first game is titled Madhavan's MIG, which allows the player to get into the cockpit of an MIG aircraft. About a month back, the company released a soccer mobile game based on Indian footballer Baichung Bhutia, and a guitar-based game with musician Bappi Lahiri. Name X.
a. Paradox

10.
Identify the advertiser. (Refer: pic2)
a. Sony. This new Sony outdoor advertising campaign in the Netherlands for its PSP handheld gaming device has drawn accusations of racism from online critics. The giant billboards show a very tough looking white woman, dressed in white, gripping a black woman, dressed in black, by the jaw with the slogan: "PlayStation Portable White is coming."

Bonus Question (2 points)
Q. Connect: Mole Antonelliana, Sion and 'RI'. (Hint: Republica Italliana
A. The 2006 Winter Olympics at Turin.
Mole Antonelliana - The logo of the Turin Olympics was a stylised version of this monument which is located in Turin.
Sion - Sion was the place in Switzerland which was a contender for the venue for the Winter Olympics. Apparently, Sion was the favourite, but the results of the voting went in favour of Turin.
'RI' - The Mole Antonelliana is present on the 2 cent Italian Euro coin. 'RI' stands for 'Republica Italliana', which appears on the Italian Euro coin.

QC posted on 04/06/2006

Trivia
Q. Some legends held that Merlin the Wizard had a giant build the structure for him or that he had magically transported it from Mount Killaraus in Ireland, while others held the Devil responsible. In 1615, it was argued that this structure was a Roman temple, dedicated to Caelus (a Latin name for the Greek sky-god Ouranos). By the turn of the nineteenth century, John Lubbock was able to attribute the site to the Bronze Age. What is this structure known as?
A. Stonehenge

1. What new system is being introduced in the upcoming West Bengal elections? (Hint: Napoleon)
a. Braille Polling Booths for the blind. The hint - Napoleon wanted a code of communication for his army which would be silent and workable at night. Charles Barbier designed something that was called "night writing". Later on it evolved into Braille.

2.
Identify the logo. (Refer: pic1)
a. Logo of Tops Air service. It is India's largest air ambulance service.

3. A. Kevin Spacey, Mike Myers and Chris Tucker were originally considered to play the lead role in the movie.
B. David Beckham was offered a supporting role in this movie but opted out due to his commitments to Real Madrid.
C. Roger Moore's scenes in 'Curse of ____ _____ ______' were shot during a break from shooting Octopussy.
Identify the movie. (The blank gives the name of the movie which is being talked about in A and B)
a. The Pink Panther. The lead role finally went to Steve Martin.

4. Identify the 2 people in the picture. (Refer: pic2)
a. Michael Baigent (right) and Richard Leigh (left). They claim that Dan Brown's bestselling novel 'The Da Vinci Code' copied the ideas from their 1982 book 'The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail'. They are suing publisher Random House, which denies the allegation. Mr Baigent and Mr Leigh wrote their book with a third author, Henry Lincoln, who is not taking part in the claim due to ill-health.

5. In an attempt to control piracy, this company has come out with a 'Package Idea' for the audio of the Telugu Mythological, 'Sri Ramadasu' with Nagarjuna as the hero. Besides the audio cassette or cd, the pack contains a photo card of Lord Rama, with the calendar of year 2006 printed on the back of it, a Lyric book and Prasad (Kumkumam) from the famous Ram Temple in badhrachalam. Name the company.
a. Aditya Music.

6. Connect: 'Alsacienne de Cables et de Telephones' and 'The Innovation Ring'.
a. Lucent Technologies. Alcatel is negotiating a $33 billion US merger with Lucent.
- The telecom company Alcatel derives its name from 'Alsacienne de Cables et de Telephones'.
- The Lucent logo/symbol is called 'The Innovation Ring', which is a loosely drawn, dynamic red circle representing a continuous cycle of discovery, creativity and knowledge.

7. Again Apple's i-Pod is in the news nowadays. One lawsuit was originally filed in Louisiana and was later on moved to the federal court in San Jose. What was this lawsuit filed for?
a. The lawsuit claims that company does not adequately warn about the possibility of hearing loss. The lawsuit says that i-Pods can play music at 104 - decibels - a noise level equivalent to lawn-mower or to helicopters. While noise warning is in manual there is no indication of the i-Pod's volume capability on the device itself according to the claim.

8. An anecdote - I remember once going to see him when he was ill at Putney. I had ridden in taxi cab number X and remarked that the number seemed to me rather a dull one, and that I hoped it was not an unfavorable omen. "No," he replied, "it is a very interesting number; it is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways." Who is he and what is the number X known as?
a. Ramanujam, the Maths genius and the number is 1729, known as the Hardy-Ramanujam Number. This anecdote was mentioned by G.H.Hardy. There are 2 Hollywood movies being made which are based on the life of this mathematical genius.
For those who have mentioned it as 'Ramanujam Number' also, we've given points.

9. Which famous personality owns the Hyde Park Entertainment company?
a. Ashok Amritraj

10. Connect: Saba Khan, Nadia Gul, Mariam Khalil and Saira Batool
a. These are the first four female fighter pilots of Pakistan Air Force.

Bonus Question (2 points)
Q. The anti-tank fortifications known as Dragon's teeth are colloquially referred to as _______, in Switzerland, because of their pyramidal shape. Fill in the blank.
A. Toblerone

QC posted on 03/13/2006

Trivia
Q. This word in Italian means a 'bartender', denotes a person who makes drinks from coffee beans. What is it?
A. Barista

1. Connect - Amitabh Bachchan, Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid, Anna Kournikova, Boris Becker and Michael Johnson.
a. These are a few of the celebrities promoting the Sahara Group's Amby Valley Project in Lonavla.

2. X, a French actress and composer, was born in 1980 to a French actress and Swedish scientist. Her name comes from a Swedish word gren which means (tree) branch. She made her film debut in 2003 with 'The Dreamers' with Michael Pitt and Louis Garrel. She had her first important role in Hollywood in the movie 'Kingdom of Heaven'. Name X. (Hint: Answer is in the question itself!)
a. X - Eva Green, the new Bond girl.

3. Compaq : Shah Rukh Khan :: Lenovo : ?
a. Saif Ali Khan

4.
Identify. (Refer: pic1)
a. Anita Roddick. She is the founder of 'The Body Shop', a cosmetics company dedicated to producing and retailing ethical beauty products. The first Body Shop was basic and at first sold only 15 lines. The Body Shop's full range now has over 300 products. The organization operates in 50 countries with more than 1900 outlets. The Body Shop was voted the second best trusted brand in UK and 28th top brand in the world. In 2003, Roddick was knighted by the Queen, and is known as Dame Anita Roddick. The cosmetics giant L'Oreal has revealed recently that it is considering an offer for Body Shop although no decisions have been made yet.

5. 'Feel the News' - Which news channel?
a. Times Now.

6. __________ and _______ have signed a deal that will mean that owners of the cell phones will be able to file personal blogs on ________ on the move as soon as they turn on their new phones. Fill in the blanks.
a. Sony Ericsson and Google, Blogger.com

7. Neve and Gliz. Who are they?
a. They were the mascots for the 2006 Winter Olympics which were held in Turin. Neve was a female ball of snow and Gliz was a male block of ice.

8. This Indian sports goods manufacturer has been the sole supplier of the red ball to the Indian board for many years, but is now in danger of losing its monopoly following complaints about performance and replacement rates. What is the name of the company?
a. Sanspariels Greenlands (SG)

9. Who owns the Neker Island?
a. Richard Branson

10. One Title to rule them all.
One Title to bind them.
One Crown for the lady who rules the Universe,
One Crown for the one of the World,
And a Crown for the Earthly one...
Name the company which has designed and unveiled the Crowns! :)
a. Tanishq. The crowns have been designed by Pallavi Koley and Debashish Mishra of Tanishq Design Studio.

Bonus Question (2 points)
Q. What is the name given to the two lines that connect your top lip to the bottom of your nose?
A. Philtrum.

QC posted on 02/23/2006

Trivia
Q. How do we know Marie Grosholz better?
A. Madame Tussaud. Marie’s mother’s employer, a doctor named Philippe Curtius, opened an exhibition of life-size wax figures at the Palais Royale in Paris. Marie learnt the art of wax modeling from him. She married Francois Tussaud in 1795, but left him after 8 yrs to bring the collection on a tour of the British Isles.

1.
Identify. (Refer: pic1)
a. Jhumpa Lahiri. The movie ‘The Namesake’, which is based on her book by the same name, will be premiered at Cannes this May.

2. A Mumbai guitarist 'Z' is creating a buzz throughout the United States, thanks to his appearance in a commercial shot by filmmaker 'X' in Mumbai for a guitar company 'Y'. Name of X, Y & Z. Hint: Keira Knightly.
a. X-Gurinder Chadha who shot her first ever commercial, for the US based guitar company Gibson Guitar (Z). In the ad, the Gibson guitar is played by a rock star, Mithun Poojari of the Mumbai-based rock group Pindrop Violence. The hint: Keira Knightly, played the second lead in Chadha's ‘Bend It Like Beckham’, referring to another star who Chadha discovered.

3. The Indian Railways had launched its first ever loyalty programme, which would be executed through SBI Cards. Two cards were launched - X and the co-branded SBI Railway Card. Both provide free access to their users to all Railway platforms — that is they can be used as platform tickets. The X card can be used to garner loyalty points for all bookings irrespective of the bank used for making payments. What is X?
a. Shubhyatra

4.
Identify. (Refer: pic2)
a. Peter Benchley, author of ‘Jaws’, who passed away recently.

5. Astronaut : Spaceship :: Zorbonaut : ??
a. Zorb/ Zorbing Ball. Zorbing is an adventure sport originated in New Zealand in which one rolls down a hill encased inside a giant inflatable transparent pvc ball.The idea is that as the ball rolls around, the person inside (known as "the Zorbonaut") becomes pinned to the inside by centrifugal force. This is one of the sports on offer at the Solang Valley Camp Retreat, Manali , India.

6. Connect: Caring for life, Mahatma Gandhi, Bill Clinton, ALPIC Finance.
a. CIPLA.
- Caring for life is the Cipla's punch line.
- July 4, 1939 was a red-letter day for Cipla, as Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, honoured the factory with a visit.
- Bill Clinton visited CIPLA plant recently.
- The family members and associates of Hamieds and Lullas - the promoters of Cipla - hold a substantial stake in Alpic Finance. The name Alpic owes its origin to Cipla spelt in reverse.

7. Oprah Winfrey is launching her own channel on XM Satellite Radio. What is the name of the channel?
a. Oprah & Friends.

8.
What was the event being celebrated by Google by using this logo? (Refer: pic3)
a. Louis Braille’s Birthday on January 4, 2006.

9. How do we know oseltamivir phosphate better?
a. Tamiflu.

10. X is set to play a lesbian in a biopic about singer Dusty Springfield, alongside Y (who plays the lead). The movie is to be directed by Ang Lee of ‘Brokeback Mountain’ fame. Who are X and Y?
a. X – Kate Moss, Y – Charlize Theron.

Bonus Question (2 points)
Q. What are the plastic ends of shoelaces called?
A. aglets (or "aiglets") . Another name is flugelbinder

QC posted on 02/22/2006

Trivia
Q. There is a tradition of inviting distinguished individuals from the corporate sector and the Governments around the world to formally inaugurate the NASDAQ stock exchange operation of the day by ‘ringing the bell’. However on 9th Nov 2005, they broke from tradition. How?
A. The iRobot PackBot became the first robot to open The NASDAQ Stock Market to celebrate iRobot’s listing on the NASDAQ. More than 300 PackBot Tactical Mobile Robots are at work in Iraq and Afghanistan. These robots can navigate in complex and dynamic real-world situations, including maneuvering around furniture and searching abandoned buildings.

1. Renowned designed watches by Tommy Hilfiger are sold in India by _________. Fill in the blank (Give the name of the company).
a. Titan Industries

2. This company was created by the merger of Aceralia, Arbed and Usinor with the ambition of becoming a major player in the steel industry. Officially launched on February 19, 2001, the merger became effective on February 18, 2002, when this company’s share was listed on several stock exchanges. The choice of the name X was announced on December 12, 2001. Name X.
a. X – Arcelor

3. X was born in Honolulu to parents of Scottish and Irish descent. She dropped out of school, when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, to concentrate on her family responsibilities until her mother’s recovery. Her first movie appearance was in 1983 and she made her American debut in 1990. She and the lead star (who was married) began an affair at the time and they got married on Christmas Eve on 1990. Being one of the most distinguished actresses, she received her Star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood in 2003. She won her first Academy Award in 2003. Apart from her professional success, she is also known for her support of various charities and causes. She has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 1994, was honoured as the ‘Citizen of the World’ by the UN in 2004 and was recently nominated Goodwill Ambassador for UNIFEM. Who is X? (Hint: ‘Swing When You’re Winning’)
a. Nicole Kidman. The hint is the name of the album by Robbie Williams, for which she had sung “Somethin’ Stupid” with him.

4. Bank of Baroda : Rahul Dravid
ICICI Bank : Shah Rukh Khan
Deutsche Bank : ?
a. Sania Mirza

5. Software giant Microsoft announced its new rural initiative to set up 50,000 IT kiosks in the next 3 years for providing a wide range of information and services related to health, education, communication and agriculture in villages. What is the name of this initiative?
a. Saksham (meaning ‘self-reliant’)

6. Born in Karnataka in 1950, she completed her MTech in Computer Science from IISc, stood first in her class and received a gold medal from the Indian Institute of Engineers. She also stood first in Karnataka in her graduation in Electrical Engineering done in Hubli, for which she received a silver medal from the Chief Minister of Karnataka. In 2004, she was awarded the Raja-Lakshmi Award and is a Padmashree Awardee of 2006. Who is she? (Hint: Sycamore)
a. Sudha Murthy. She received the Padmashree in 2006 for her contribution to social work. The hint: her sister Jaishree Deshpande is Gururaj Deshpande’s (co-founder of Sycamore) wife.

7. A new luxury train is all set to hit the tracks in Rajasthan. Tourists will get an opportunity to travel through the relatively unexplored Bikaner – Shekhawati regions of Rajasthan, known for its exquisitely beautiful havelis. It runs on meter gauge. What’s the train’s name?
a. Heritage on Wheels

8. ________, __________, Delhi – 6, Bhairavi. Fill in the blanks.
a. Aks and Rang De Basanti. Delhi – 6 and Bhairavi are the names of Rakeysh O. Mehra’s next ventures.

9. She was born on 29 April, 1970 in Boston. She and her siblings were given a Buddhist upbringing by her father and her middle name is Karuna. She was frequently teased for her large 6 ft frame, her size 11 feet, unique angular bone structure and unusual name. She began her career as a model at the age of 15 and made her film debut in 1988 with 3 films. Some of her movies include – The Avengers, Les Miserables and The Truth about Cats and Dogs. She met her husband on the sets of the movie named ‘Gattaca’. Once a spokesmodel for Lancome and the French fashion house Louis Vuitton, she was recently proclaimed a knight of the Order of the Arts and Letters by France. Enough hints! J Who is she?
a. Uma Thurman (In the question earlier sent, DOB was mentioned wrong, sorry for it.)

10. “_________ : Caught Napping” is a programme which uses secret footage from two reporters who trained as cabin crew to be aired on channels soon. It is expected to show pilots complaining about the number of hours they fly and the cabin crew members nodding off! The documentary is also expected to reveal security failings in which staff were told not to check passports and boarding passes properly at airports to save time. Fill in the blank.
a. Ryanair

Bonus Question (2 points)
Q. What is the term used to refer to “tightening up of the written word, editing to produce a clean, succinct piece of writing, taking out the extra words or ‘fat’ from what’s written”?
A. Typosuction

QC posted on 10/14/2005

1. Who has written the children’s book titled ‘High in the Clouds’? (0.5 + 0.5)
a. Paul McCartney, Philip Ardagh, Geoff Dunbar (Illustrator) – Full points given for mention of any 2 names

2. As part of its efforts to bring in enhanced customer service, Hutch has roped in a famous person to design an exclusive mobile store. Name him.
a. Dilip Chabria, the famous automobile engineer

3. Connect – Mr. Raghu Rai, Mr. Juergen Teller, Mr. Jian Changdong, Mr. Philip Lorca Dicorcia and Mr. Nick Waplingtor.
a. Imaging ambassadors for the Nokia NSeries ‘See New’ Competition

4. Honda forays into the scooter segment. Name the brand of the scooter.
a. Pleasure

5. Who is the first Indian sportswoman to make it to the cover of the Time magazine’s Asia edition?
a. Sania Mirza

6. This airways, promoted by the liquor baron Kapil Mohan, is to take to the skies shortly. Name the airways.
a. Indus Airways

7. Japan’s electronic parts maker, Murata Mfg, unveiled a robot named Murataseisaky-Kun. What is specific about the robot?
a. This is a cycling robot.

8. This award is given on the occasion of Germany’s reunification day to individuals for their vision, courage and sense of social responsibility. This year Timothy Berners Lee was awarded this. Name the award.
a. Quadriga Award

9. Which company is taking full control of the BAR Racing Team?
a. Honda

10. Born in 1941, from the age of 8, I have been actively involved in theatre. I graduated from the Gandhigram Rural Institute, with a degree in Political Science. My first movie, Swayamvaram, won the President’s Gold Medal for Best Film, Best Director, Best Cameraman and Best Actress. All the 9 films of mine were screened at several International festivals and have won several National and International awards. I have won the National Award 4 times, several State awards and was honoured to receive the Padma Shree as well. Who am I?
a. Malayalam film director Adoor Gopalakrishnan. He is the youngest recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2005 and the only filmmaker to receive the country’s highest honour after directing the least number of films.

QC posted on 08/29/2005

1. Connect Paalum, Pazham Kottadi, Palukka, Varaoosi and Vazhaipoo.
a. These are all exclusive Chettinad cotton saris.

2. The Valley of Flowers in Uttaranchal has been declared a natural World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. With this, 2 of the 5 natural world heritage sites in India are located in Uttaranchal. Which is the other one in the state?
a. Nanda Devi National Park

3. _____ _____ has topped the Forbes’ magazine’s list of most powerful women. Fill in the blank.
a. Condoleeza Rice

4. It has been over two years since X started playing the new instrument, but he gave his first performance recently. Born into a family with an age-old musical legacy, he has finally managed to come out of Y’s shadow and is treading a path of his own. What is the name of the new instrument? Name X and Y. (Think Awards) (1/2 + ¼ + 1/4)
a. The new instrument is the Satvik Veena, created by Salil Bhatt (X), son of Grammy Award winner Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt(Y). The Satvik Veena is a hybrid of the Veena and the Hawaiian Guitar. The instrument is named after his son Satvik, who at the age of 7, already holds a Limca Book record for his knowledge of all the Ragas.

5. Disney held a casting call by lining up an array of different cars inside the employee entrance at Disneyland and observed employees’ reactions to each car. Undoubtedly, it was the _____________ that had people smiling, patting and even talking to it. The star was chosen and soon became the most recognizable car star in the world. Fill in the blank, name the ‘star’ and name his new movie. (1/2 + ¼ + ¼)
a. VW Beetle aka ‘Bug’, ‘Herbie’, ‘Herbie : Fully Loaded’. Herbie debuted in the comedy ‘The Love Bug’ by Disney. He came to life on screen by a wide variety of feelings, expressions and the wildest stunts – the wheelies, driving backwards, and shaking himself after a carwash, like a dog!!! J

6. A new claim is that X was suffering from several debilitating diseases and was not in firm health, as claimed by Y, who asserted she had made the 1999 ‘will’ in his favour in her full senses. Name X and Y. (1/2 + ½)
a. X – Priyamvada Birla, Y – Rajendra S. Lodha.

7. This person is going to jump into the bandwagon of net bloggers to post his views on his new movie, its making and special events leading upto its release. Name the person.
a. Aamir Khan. He will be posting his blogs on MSN Spaces. (He was doing this for ‘The Rising’)

8. Which advertising agency was behind the Digen Verma Campaign of Frooti?
a. Everest.

9. Parle Agro has diversified into fitness centre under a brand name. Give the brand name.
a. V3

10.
Identify this bird (give exact name). (ref: pic1)
a. Ivory bill Woodpecker. This bird was believed to be extinct, but was recently re-discovered in eastern Arkansas more than 60 yrs after the last confirmed sighting of the species.