It has been learnt that soon, TradeMe property and travel shoppers, the New Zealand internet giant, has canned its earlier mapping software, Smaps and replaced it with Google Maps, thus making the paper street maps a thing of yesterday.

This change actually enable the users of TradeMe Property and its travel accommodation site Travelbug, make the most of Google's new Street View programme, launched in New Zealand today.

The users would be able to view photos of streets and surrounding areas over the internet via Street View.

Renowned Kazakh film maker Sergei Dvortsevoy’s film “Tulpan” won the Golden Peacock award and a cash prize of Rs 4 million on the closing day of the 39th International Film Festival of India in Panaji.

In the past, ‘Tulpan’, has also won the best feature film and the Golden Eye awards at the Montreal Film Festival and Zurich Film Festival respectively.

The film is also Kazakhstan’s official entry for the forthcoming Oscar awards in the foreign film category.

British scientists claim Antarctic more diverse than Galapagos Islands

Antarctic is actually the habitat of more species of animals than the Galapagos, claims the first inventory of life in the region.

A team from the British Antarctic Survey and University of Hamburg, spent seven weeks in order to study life on the South Orkney Islands, near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Super Talent Technology, a top maker of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, announced that the company has entered into a licensing pact with Paramount Licensing Inc. granting rights to make and sell ‘USB Flash drives’, which are based on Paramount Pictures movie title, ‘The Godfather.’

The company expects to start shipping its first ‘GODFATHER’ USB Flash drives this month, which will come packed with memorable quotes and still photos from the feature film.

Moreover, the new models based on ‘The Godfather’ theme will follow in 2009.

A report released by four UN agencies to mark World AIDS Day said early HIV testing and timely treatment has shown to be lifesaving for newborns at risk of contracting HIV. The report published by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said, "Early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve the prospects for survival of newborn babies exposed to HIV."