Samsung�s thinner, bigger and lighter device, Galaxy S4 was an instant rage among the gadget enthusiasts upon its launch. Off late, after realizing this,
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There was a time, when sending a message used to take several days or even months, but with the advancement of 'internet', this gap has got shortened to 'just a click' away.
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Tutorial: Lost PC password? here's how to recover it

Ever forgotten your Windows password and locked yourself out of your PC? It's a nightmare, but there are several ways to get back in.

We're going to explore the method a professional hacker would use to get into your PC. It's straightforward and uses your Windows 7 installation disc, which contains all the tools you need to get in and change the password.

How to make your passwords more secure

The technique

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we'll use contains a real life hack. We'll replace the Sticky Keys executable with a command prompt, so that even without logging in, we can pull up a command line and change the password, then use it to log in.

If you don't have a Windows installation disc, one option is to load up a password cracker. This is exactly what we'll do using the industry standard Ophcrack. You should only use these techniques to access your own PC. Hacking into another person's machine is a criminal offence.

Step-by-step: Recover Windows 7 passwords

1. Boot installation disc

step 1

To reset your Windows user account password, you must first boot the computer from the Windows 7 installation disc. Switch on your PC, and when you're given the option to boot from DVD, quickly hit any key to boot. After Windows loads its installation files, you'll be shown the language setup page. Select your country to set up the keyboard, then click the 'Next' button.

2. Repair the computer

step 2

Click 'Repair your computer'. The repair software takes a few moments to load from the installation disc, then begins examining the computer's hard disk boot table, looking for any current Windows 7 installations to repair. Unless you've installed many copies of the operating system by hand, there will be just one installation, so click 'Next' to continue the recovery process.

3. Find the C drive

step 3

The resulting screen gives you many options. Click 'Command prompt' and one appears. The C drive is usually not mounted as C at all, so you need to find out its current drive letter. To do this, type bcdedit | find "osdevice" into the command line. This command results in text ending in partition= and a drive letter. This is the letter you should use instead of C in the following step.

4. Prepare the recovery

step 4

Enter the following commands. Take care to ensure that you use the correct driver letter in place of C: copy c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe c:\ and copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe. When prompted, confirm the second command by typing Yes. The first command backs up a file, and the second replaces it with the command prompt.

5. Reboot into Windows

step 5

Now remove the installation disc and reboot. On the login screen, press the [Shift] key five times in a row. As if by magic, a command prompt appears. Enter the following command: Net user <name> <new password>. Substitute the name of the account to reset and a new password as appropriate. Close the command prompt and enter the new password to log in.

6. Copy sethc.exe

step 6

The final step we must take to restore access is to restore the sethc.exe file we overwrote in step 4. To do so, click 'Start > Accessories', right-click 'Command prompt' and select 'Run as Administrator'. This gives you the right to copy sethc.exe back into the system32 folder. Now enter the command Copy c:\sethc.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe. Confirm the copy to finish.

7. Download Ophcrack

step 7

To crack an unknown password, we need to use a heavy duty password cracker like Ophcrack. You'll need to download it from http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/download.php. To get started, insert a blank, formatted DVD-RW, then right-click the downloaded image and select 'Burn disc image'. The disc being written is a bootable live CD containing both Linux and Ophcrack.

8. Boot Ophcrack

step 8

Once the DVD has been written, boot the affected computer and the DVD should begin to automatically load the Ophcrack software, which runs outside of Windows. Once the software has loaded, a menu should appear offering several options for running Ophcrack. Either press [Enter], or wait for the timeout and automatically select the Ophcrack graphical mode.

9. Crack passwords

step 9

Short passwords, such as '1234' or 'password', will fall to Ophcrack almost immediately because the software tries these first in a brute force attack. Complex passwords take more time, and the longer the password the longer it will take to crack - if it can be cracked at all. A complex password may take several hours to crack. Ophcrack doesn't store the passwords, so make a note.

10. Comprehensive cracking

step 10

Finally, let's perform a deep scan of the whole computer to reveal all passwords associated with Windows user accounts. Close any windows and double click 'Launcher', then scroll down to 'DeepSearch' and press [Enter]. Ophcrack will search all available media for any password files - not just the system volume - and then perform its password-cracking wizardry.

Delhi Daredevils, who topped the league standings in the last Indian Premier League, finished last this season after losing to Pune Warriors at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium here Sunday.

Delhi fell 38 runs short of Pune's 172 for five, ending at 134 for nine. The home side skipper Aaron Finch slammed 52 runs off 34 balls while left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza and all-rounder Angelo Matthews snapped up three wickets each.

Aaron Finch. Pic/ Suresh K.K

With this match, a sorry season came to an end for both teams

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. Pune could win only four of their 16 matches while Delhi ended up on the right side only thrice.

The hosts had the match in the bag when Delhi lost half their side for 64 runs in the 10th over.

Virender Sehwag (11) was a disappointment once again and David Warner, who opened the batting with Mahela Jayawardene, departed early.

A handy 54-run stand between Irfan Pathan (24) and Muralideren Gautham (30) saved Delhi the embarrassment.

Earlier, Finch delivered at the top, smashing four sixes and three fours.

Luke Wright (44 off 23) and Angelo Matthews (30 not out off 22) fired towards the end, blasting 71 off 37 balls.

The result was a welcome one for Pune, who got the wooden spoon in 2012. 

All cricketers' agents will now need to be accredited to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) while an anti-corruption official of the board will be assigned to each Indian Premier League (IPL) team, BCCI president N. Srinivasan announced here Sunday in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal.

The BCCI, at its emergency working committee meeting here, also announced an internal probe into the spot-fixing scandal involving three Rajasthan Royals players - S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan - who were arrested in Mumbai late Wednesday by Delhi Police.

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N Srinivasan. Pic/ Pradeep Dhivar

Amongst others attending the meeting were former India captain Ravi Shastri (BCCI technical committee representative) and board secretary Sanjay Jagdale while IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla, IPL governing council member Arun Jaitley, and former India leg-spinner Anil Kumble joined through video conference.

As for the inquiry, Srinivasan said: "Ravi Sawani has been appointed as the commissioner to inquire into allegations against these players. His report will be submitted to the BCCI disciplinary committee."

Srinivasan said an Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) official of the Indian cricket board will accompany each team.

"An ACSU official will travel with the team. Access to players will be monitored closely," said Srinivasan.

Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets to storm into the play-offs of the sixth Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Rajiv Gandhi international stadium Sunday night.

The home side achieved the 131 target with the loss of five wickets with seven balls to spare, but not before some anxious moments.

They displaced Bangalore (18) from the fourth spot and set up Wednesday’s Eliminator match against Rajasthan Royals.

Requiring 15 off last two overs, Darren Sammy hit Abdullah for two consecutive sixes to seal the match, much to

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the delight of the over 32,000 crowd.

Hyderabad’s Shikhar Dhawan hit an inaluable during his unbeaten 42 against KKR.

Sunrisers' openers had scored 89 in 12th over and were looking set for a comprehensive win when loss of five wickets with the addition of just 22 runs in six overs made things suddenly difficult for them. Sammy's hits, however, provided relief.

Earlier, Sunrisers made a brisk start with openers Parthiv Patel and Shikhar Dhawan. Patel struck two consecutive boundaries in the second over bowled by Pradeep Sangwan, who was playing only the second match of this season.

The wicket-keeper batsman then welcomed Sunil Narine with a boundary and hit two boundaries in a row to Yousuf Pathan in the next over.

Till then all six boundaries came from Patel's willow. An aggressive Dhawan also began to open up, hitting Pathan over the fence. That over from Pathan, sixth of the inning, went for 15 runs.

The openers laid a solid foundation by scoring 45 in the first six overs.

Dhawan jumped high and hit a bouncer from Kallis over covers for a delightful six. The southpaw sent the next delivery for a boundary through extra-cover. There was no stopping this 27-year-old as he blasted two more boundaries in the next over bowled by Shami Ahmed.

It suddenly looked a different track from the one where KKR struggled for runs. With 74 for no loss in nine overs, the match was almost over.

However, there was twist in the tale. The 89-run opening partnership was broken when Iqbal Abdullah trapped Dhawan (42 off 35 balls,3x4, 2x6) before the stumps.

Abdullah gave KKR another breakthrough by sending back Patel (47 off 37 balls, 7x4) in the 14th over. Skipper Cameron White (2 of 4) was run out in the next over.

Abdullah claimed another wicket when Hanuma Vihari (6 off 13) was caught while trying to slog him over point. Three wickets in three overs put pressure on the home side.

Narine added more pressure by bowling a maiden over, his last and 17th of the inning. Shami Ahmed bowled Perera in the next over to heighten the home side's anxiety. There was some relief when Biplab Samantray hit Shami to a boundary on the very first ball he faced. In the 19th over bowled by Abdullah, Sammy sealed the match for the home team.

Earlier, electing to bat after winning the toss, KKR scored 130 for seven in 20 overs, thanks mainly to Pathan's 49 not out off 29 deliveries.

The last year's champions found run-making tough on a slow pitch and on the disciplined bowling by Sunrisers in their familiar home conditions.

Bowling with perfect line and length once again, the Sunrisers bowlers did not allow KKR batsmen to free their arms. It was only Pathan who played some confident shots in his brisk knock which included three fours and three hits over the fence. The other notable contribution was made by Jacques Kallis (24 off 29 balls)

Thisara Perera drew the first blood for Sunrisers when Manvinder Bisla (15 off 17 balls) tried to loft him over mid-wicket and a top edge landed in the safe hands of Cameron White, leaving the visitors at 25 for one in fifth over.

Gautam Gambhir (10 off 17) failed once again. He started running immediately after a cut shot towards point and after reaching half way through realized that Kallis did not want the run. He tried to return but it was too late.

Karan Sharma gave another breakthrough in the 11th over when Eoin Morgan, who survived loud LBW appeals facing the same bowler earlier, was found plumb in front of the wicket as he missed the ball while trying to go for a big hit.

Karan Sharma claimed one wicket for 15 runs from his three overs.  

Pathan then joined Kallis to steer the innings. The experienced batsmen kept the score board ticking with singles and occasional boundaries. They added 30 runs for the fourth wicket, the highest partnership of the innings.

Dale Steyn struck on the first ball of his second spell and the 16th over of the inning to remove his compatriot Kallis, who tried to loft him but found Dhawan at deep square-leg. Kallis struck two boundaries in his knock of 24 off 29 deliveries.

Ten Doeschate (1 off 5) went cheaply when Amit Sharma trapped him in front of the wicket. Steyn dealt another blow by sending back Paras Dogra (5 off 8), who was playing his first match.

Steyn was once again pick of the bowlers with two for 24. Anand Rajan, playing his only second match this season and coming in for Ishant Sharma, claimed one for 22. Perera, Amit Mishra and Karan Sharma bagged a wicket each. 

Chef Khagindar of Mandal Mahesh Lunch Home in Juhu. Pic/Madeeha Attari

Chilean Sea Bass This deliciously meaty, perfectly flaky fish isn’t really Chilean. The exotic sounding sea creature, technically known as the Patagonian toothfish, was rechristened to make it more marketable in the early 1990s. At Two One Two Bar and Grill in Worli, one frozen sea bass is flown in from the Caspian Sea every three to four days.

Pic/Madeeha Attari

Even though the restaurant

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charges an exorbitant Rs 2,700 for the fish, it is still one of their most popular dishes. The fish is first pan seared, which helps lock in all its juices, adds colour, flavour, and gives it a a beautifully crisp texture, then placed in the wood fired oven. It is served with asparagus, mashed potato, hollandaise sauce and flakes of truffle. Sea Bass, which was was taken off restaurant menus across the globe in the early 2000s, is rumoured to be endangered. Perhaps that is what makes it so expensive! Also available at: Koh (InterContinental, Marine Drive), Aurus (Juhu)

Lobster The Tandoori Lobster at Mahesh Lunch Home, according to assistant manager Russel Raphael, is one of the most popular dishes at their Juhu outlet. The lobsters served here, sourced from the Gulf of Kutch, are trawled in from the deep seas every day. Once you’ve placed your order a lobster, 15 to 20 minutes is the least you will have to wait as lobster meat is typically boiled for that long before it is served.

While the tandoori flavour is popular for obvious reasons, lobster meat is delicious served with just butter, pepper and garlic too. And the best part — lobster is available all year round.

Also available at: Mahesh Lunch Home (outlets across the city), Aurus (Juhu), Trishna (Fort) pic/madeeha Attari

Hilsa Not so much a ‘sea’ food, this river fish so synonymous with Bengali and Oriya cuisine, is also known as Ilish. But a word of warning for those not so familiar with this variety — beware of the tiny bones! True blue Bengalis complain about city restaurants’ lack of expertise when it comes to getting the hilsa right.

Most often served steamed with mustard and chillies in a banana leaf, the flavours might seem too strong for the uninitiated palate. Oh! Calcutta serves a boneless version — a great place to start. But Calcutta Club and Bhojohori Manna, both in Oshiwara, are good too and far cheaper. Also available at: Bong Bong (Bandra), Hotel New Bengal (CST)

Bombay Duck If you’ve lived in Mumbai long enough, you will be able to recognise the smell of dry bombil. Lines of the fish drying on bamboo logs is the quintessential picture of any of the city’s Koli zones.

The skin-and-bone fish, misleadingly called the Bombay Duck, is typically eaten salted and dried. Not everyone may have the stomach for this slightly slimy fish. But the batter-fried version, served at most seafood joints in the city, could win over even the most squeamish. Also available at: Gajalee (across the city), Highway Gomantak (Bandra East), Fresh Catch (Mahim) 

From faraway waters

Spaghetti Al Caviale This butter tossed spaghetti comes with a decadent sprinkling of caviar (or caviale as the Italians say it). The caviar, tossed into the warm spaghetti, infuses is unique aroma and adds flavour to the pasta. Price: Rs 925 without tax Where: Serafina   Ragout of Escargot Snails on your plate — can’t get more French than this. At Aurus they serve it with wild mushrooms and vol-au-vent (a puff pastry of sorts). Price: Rs 725 without tax Where: Aurus, Juhu
In Depth: 10 gadgets for the ultimate connected home

The dream of having the ultimate connected home can sometimes turn into a nightmare. A complicated set-up process, professional installers who charge exorbitant rates and a disconnected infrastructure can mean spending hours just to get a light switch connected to your router.

As with many tech advancements, the true innovations are often 'one-offs' that work better collectively.

These gadgets are easy to install and connect to your p

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hone or computer. Light switches, appliances, and even your garden are just a click away.

1. Harvest Geek HarvestBot SensorStationConnected Home Gadgets

Now a Kickstarter project, this garden sensor points to the future of the connected home with a small waterproof gadget you place in the soil. It measures water, air temp, humidity, light intensity, and soil moisture to help you make decisions about watering and care.

Sensors connect to a BaseStation that feeds information to the web and mobile apps. Like any worthwhile connected home gadget, the Harvest Geek system can also send you alerts about weather conditions, such as an overly sunny day when your garden might require extra watering.

2. Ford MyEnergi LifestyleConnected Home Gadgets

One important trend: the car is now becoming an integral part of the connected home. In the US, Ford has started an innovative 'proof of concept' with Georgia Tech called MyEnergi Lifestyle.

It all started with a computer model, of course: engineers found that using a Ford C-MAX Energi electric car, along with products from Eaton, Whirlpool and Nest, a homeowner could save as much as 60% in energy costs and about 9,000 kg in CO2 (a 55 percent reduction).

Participants, to be selected soon, use a mobile app that recognises your locale and can automatically use a Value Charge mode for the best utility rates.

3. Vivint Whole-home SystemConnected Home Gadgets

A powerful whole-home automation system, Vivint has one main control system for home security and temp, but the web and iPad apps give you unprecedented control. You can use a template like 'aggressive energy saver' to lower the heat automatically at midday and at night.

There are presets for quickly moving a pan-tilt cam in your living room to look out of the window with one click. And a unique door lock system means you can lock one door in your home and have Vivint lock every other door automatically.

One interesting feature is that Vivint uses gear from Alarm.com and D-Link for more unified automation. For now it's available only in the US and Canada but we hope they plan for worldwide domination soon.

4. Whirlpool Smart DishwasherConnected Home Gadgets

This fully automated and connected Whirlpool WDL785SAAM dishwasher uses a technology called 6th Sense Live. You can activate wash cycles remotely using the web or a mobile app.

The Energy Adviser system shows exactly how much energy the appliance is using so you can adjust usage time for a better rate. You can also check the total time you've used the appliance and check on maintenance schedules.

The app even lets you know when the dishes are clean. Remote control features use Wi-Fi, but the energy consumption features require a smart grid in your home.

5. Nexia Home IntelligenceConnected Home Gadgets

One of the best features of this smarthome system is that you can install the components yourself. The Nexia Home Bridge connects to your existing router.

You enrol devices like door sensors, thermostats, front door deadbolts, appliance modules, and security cameras by pressing one 'plus' button on the bridge.

All components are available for control in a web app or using an iOS or Android app (phones and tablets). To install a sensor, you can use an adhesive material to place it on a door or window, which means no complex measurements.

6. Belkin WeMo Light SwitchConnected Home Gadgets

Many home automation systems like those from Vivint use the Z-Wave protocol, which maintains a steady connection when you install multiple devices. (They link to each other to create a stronger bond.) The Belkin WeMo Light Switch connects to your existing Wi-Fi router and lets you turn the lights on and off with an app.

Unlike many home automation kits that do not tap into the electrical current of your home directly, this switch replaces an existing light switch. (The install is easy, just make sure you cut the power first.) You can then schedule lights off and on and set triggers using other WeMo motion detectors in the same room.

7. Netatmo Connected Weather StationConnected Home Gadgets

This home weather kit includes two sensors (one for indoor and one for outdoor) that monitor temperature and air quality.

You can pull up an iOS or Android app (designed for smartphones and for tablets) to see a quick report on current indoor and outdoor temp, air quality, carbon monoxide level, humidity, barometric pressure and several other readings to help you monitor your home.

The apps can be configured to send alerts when the Netatmo senses a dangerous level of air quality or carbon monoxide. You can also view a report on fluctuations over a set period, and share reports on social networks.

8. Netgear VueZoneConnected Home Gadgets

This smart video surveillance system is incredibly easy to set up. There's an included Wi-Fi bridge for your router. You place the cameras near the bridge and turn them on.

They sync automatically, and the replaceable battery lasts six months. The cameras, about the size of two thumb-widths, pop into a round holder that sticks to any surface.

You can network up to 15 cameras, see the video feed from Android or iOS devices, and even get an email when the camera detects motion. (At that point, you can view a 10 or 40 second video clip.)

9. Detroit Electric SP:01Connected Home Gadets

Available in the fall, this amazingly curvy EV sports car (now being engineered in the UK) has an interesting perk for homeowners. The car itself will run for about 280 kilometers on a charge, which helps reduce carbon emissions on your way to work.

But at home, the car can act as an emergency back-up generator. In a power outage in your area, the car automatically senses a change on the smart grid and can provide power for appliances, heating and lights for about 24-48 hours.

The car will also be highly connected, offering apps you can use to monitor charge levels and even adjust charge time based on the lowest rates.

10. Kohler Moxie Showerhead + Wireless SpeakerConnected Home Gadgets

We've covered the garage, the living room, and even the garden. But what about the shower? This Bluetooth showerhead connects to your smartphone or tablet to stream music.

The speaker snaps into the showerhead using a magnet, so it's easy to install and remove for charging. Any Bluetooth device can stream music, including Android and iOS phones and tablets. You can also remove the speaker and use it in any room of the house.

Tutorial: Make your laptop battery last longer in Windows 8

Windows 8 is a perfect match for the new breed of touchscreen laptops thanks to its touch-friendly interface.

This means you'll be using your mobile device for longer than ever, and needing to charge it more frequently too.

Improvements in internal design and advances in technology mean modern mobile devices are blessed with batteries that can last the length of a working day and beyond in moderate u

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se, but if you're still having to charge up more frequently than you'd like, Windows 8 has lots of settings and tools that can help make its power go further.

50 Windows 8 tips, tricks and secrets

These options are easy to set up and configure, and you'll see a big difference in how long your device lasts between charges.

Although we're using Windows 8 here, there are similar settings available in Windows 7, Vista and XP as well, so you can use these tips to extend the life of an older laptop battery too. Let's get started!

Step-by-step: Boost your battery life

1. Check your battery life

step 1

Windows 8 makes it easy to keep an eye on your battery, no matter which part of the OS you're using. The first place to look is the Lock screen, which displays your remaining charge along with the time and date. If you're using the Start screen, you can see the battery status by flicking the right-hand side of the screen to access the Charms bar. If you're on the desktop, you can see it in the Taskbar.

2. Adjust screen brightness

step 2

The screens of mobile devices use a lot of power, so one quick way to prolong the life of your battery is to turn the brightness level of the screen down. To do this, bring up the Charms bar and select the 'Settings' charm. Click or touch 'Screen' and a draggable bar appears, where you can quickly adjust the brightness of the screen. This is also handy if you're working in low light levels.

3. Adjust Center settings

step 3

Windows Mobility Center is designed to make it easy to change computer settings when travelling, and is a great tool for optimising Windows 8 devices. To get to it, type Mobility into the Start screen and select 'Settings'. Click on 'Windows Mobility Center' to open up the program. From here you can change a number of settings that will help prolong your device's battery life.

4. Mute the volume

step 4

It might not be the most obvious thing to do, but you can make a big difference to the battery life of your laptop or tablet if you lower - or, even better, completely mute - the volume of its speakers when you're not listening to music or watching a video. This means that precious battery power won't be used up powering the speaker and pumping out sounds when you don't need it to.

5. Change the power settings

step 5

The Windows Mobility Center lets you change your laptop's power settings quickly and easily. The default choices are 'Balanced', 'Power saver' and 'High performance'. 'Power saver' tweaks the settings for a longer battery life, but at a slight price when it comes to your device's performance. The 'Balanced' plan lowers performance only when you won't notice the difference.

6. Advanced power settings

step 6

You can tweak the power settings by going to the Start screen and typing in power. Select 'Settings' and then 'Choose a power plan'. Select the power plan you want to edit, then select 'Change plan settings'. You can then alter various settings, such as how long it takes for the screen to dim when not in use, or how long it takes for the laptop to go to sleep.

7. Create your own power plan

step 7

From the Power Options window you opened in step 6, you can also create a new power plan to suit your specific needs. Select 'Create a power plan' on the left-hand side of the window, then select a power plan to use as the basis of your new one. Give your new plan a name, then select 'Next'. Now you can adjust the settings to your liking. Once you've finished, click or tap 'Create'.

8. More advanced settings

step 8

You can access even more advanced power settings if you're confident drilling down further into Windows 8. From the Power Options window, click or tap 'Change plan settings' next to a plan, then select 'Change advanced power settings'. From here you can change settings that determine when to turn off your hard drive, how USB ports are used and much more.

9. Turn off wireless

step 9

If you're using your device away from a wireless network, you can turn Wi-Fi off to save your battery power - there's no point in having your laptop hunt for a network that isn't there. Bring up the Charms bar in Windows 8 by swiping from the right-hand side of the screen. Now click 'Settings', then 'Change PC settings'. Click or tap 'Wireless' and then change 'Wi-Fi' to 'Off'.

10. Enjoy a better battery life!

step 10

Now that you've followed these steps, you should see a noticeable improvement in your battery life. You don't need to do each step to see a benefit, and be sensible with them; having your Wi-Fi switched off is inconvenient when you want to go online, and a pitch-black screen will mean fewer charges, but will lead to eye strain. Find the right balance and you'll be happy.

They say fame and money are capable of bringing out the worst in you. And when it comes to our celebrities, we are nothing but shocked. You must be familiar with income tax raids, a common practise followed by the IT department to track tax evasions by Bollywood celebrities. Take a look at celebrities whose houses were raided by income tax officers.