Earth adds leap second on Saturday night

Washington: Saturday night will stretch longer by a second. A leap second.

International timekeepers are adding a second to the clock at midnight universal time Saturday, June 30, going into July 1. That's 8 p.m. EDT Saturday. Universal time will be 11:59:59 and then the unusual reading of 11:59:60 before it hits midnight.

A combination of factors, including Earth slowing down a bit from the tidal pull of the moon, and an atomic clock that's a hair too fast, means that periodically timekeepers have to synchronize the official atomic clocks, said Daniel Gambis, head of the Earth Orientation Service in Paris that coordinates leap seconds.

The time it takes the Earth to rotate on its axis - the definition of a day - is now about two milliseconds longer than it was 100 years ago, said Geoff Chester, spokesman at the U.S. Naval Observatory, keeper of the official U.S. atomic clocks. That's each day, so it adds up to nearly three-quarters of a second a year.

Timekeepers add that leap second every now and then to keep the sun at its highest at noon, at least during standard time. This is the first leap second since January 2009 and the 25th overall. Gambis said the next one probably won't be needed until 2015 or 2016.

There should be no noticeable affect or inconvenience on computers or any other technology that requires precise timekeeping because they adjust for these leap seconds, Gambis said Friday.

Earlier this year, official timekeepers from across the world discussed whether to eliminate the practice of adding leap seconds. They decided they needed more time to think about the issue and will next debate the issue in 2015.

So for now, Chester said, "you get an extra second, don't waste it."

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Yamaha to make cheapest ever motorcycle in India for $500

New Delhi: Japanese two-wheeler company Yamaha Motor Co. plans to make its cheapest motorcycle in India at a cost of about 500 dollars.

According to ABC News, this would be the third Yamaha model available in India, after the Crux, which costs 635 dollars, and the YBR, which costs 760 dollars. Yamaha reportedly hopes the new bike will boost its sales in the country to two million vehicles by 2016.

According to reports, it sold 520,000 cycles in 2011 and expects to sell 640,000 in 2012.

Hiroyuki Suzuki, chief executive of India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd., said: "It was time for Yamaha to ''address a bigger part of the market.''"

"Just about one in every 25 people in India owns a two-wheeler," Suzuki said. "There is a huge scope to attract more buyers with a fuel-efficient product that is priced reasonably," he added.

The company, which announced a five-year plan in May to build new products and a facility in India, did not set a release date for the motorcycle, but said it would be exported. According to reports, Yamaha, which now has a market share of 3.5 percent, aims to control 10 percent by 2016.

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People Who Served As PRESIDENT OF INDIA

In India, President is head of state and first citizen of India. India's president is the commander in chief of armed forces. In Hindi president is called as Rashtrapati. President of India resides in Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. President of India is elected by members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and State legislative assemblies.There have been 12 presidents of India till now.Time period of India president is of 5 years. Dr.Rajendra Prasad is the first president of India and he was elected president in Jan 26, 1950.Pratibha Patil is the current and first female president of India. Here in this hub we will discuss about of all India Presidents.

First Indian President: Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Name: Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Birth Date: Dec 3, 1884

Death Date: Feb 28, 1963

Birth Place: Jiradei

Took President Office: Jan 26, 1950

Left President Office: May 13, 1962


Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the 1st president of India.He was born on Dec 3, 1884 at Jiradei.He was the architect of the Indian Constitution.He was president of india from Jan 26, 1950 to May 13, 1962.He was from Indian National Congress political party.He was a teacher and lawyer by profession.He died at the age of 78 on Feb 28, 1963.


Second Indian President: Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan


Name: Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Birth Date: Sep 5, 1888

Death Date: Apr 17, 1975

Birth Place: Thiruttani

Took President Office: May 13, 1962

Left President Office: May 13, 1967


Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the 2nd president of India.He was born on Sep 5, 1888 at Thiruttani.Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan birthday is celebrated as teachers day. He was also the 1st Vice President of India.He was president of india from May 13, 1962 to May 13, 1967.He was a great philosopher and statesman.He died at the age of 86 on Apr 17, 1975 at chennai.






Third Indian President: Dr. Zakir Hussain

Name: Dr. Zakir Hussain

Birth Date: Feb 8, 1897

Death Date: May 3, 1969

Birth Place: Hyderabad

Took President Office: May 13, 1967

Left President Office: May 3, 1969


Dr.Zakir Hussain was the 3rd president of India.He was born on Feb 8, 1897 at Hyderabad.He was president of India from May 13, 1962 to May 13, 1967.He also becomes the 2nd Vice President of India and 11th Governor of Bihar.He was from Islam religion.He died at the age of 72 on May 3, 1969 at New Delhi.


Fourth Indian President: Varahagiri Venkatagiri


Name: Varahagiri Venkatagiri

Birth Date: Aug 10, 1894

Death Date: June 23, 1980

Birth Place: Berhampur

Took President Office: Aug 24, 1969

Left President Office: Aug 24, 1974


Varahagiri Venkatagiri was the 4th president of India.He was born on Aug 10, 1894 at Berhampur.He was president of india from Aug 24, 1969 to Aug 24, 1974.He also becomes the 3rd Vice President of India.He acted President of India from 3 May 1969 to 20 July 1969.He was from Indian National Congress political party.He was Hindu by religion.He died at the age of 85 on June 23, 1980 at Madras.

Fifth Indian President: Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
 



Name: Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed

Birth Date: May 13, 1905

Death Date: Feb 11, 1977

Birth Place: Delhi

Took President Office: Aug 24, 1974

Left President Office: Feb 11, 1977


Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was the 5th president of India.He was born on May 13, 1905 at Delhi.He was president of india from Aug 24, 1974 to Feb 11, 1977.He was a lawyer by profession.He was from islam religion.He died at the age of 71 on Feb 11, 1977 at New Delhi.



Sixth Indian President: Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy


Name: Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy

Birth Date: May 19, 1913

Death Date: Jun 1, 1996

Birth Place: Illur

Took President Office: Jul 25, 1977

Left President Office: Jul 25, 1982


Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was the 6th president of India.He was born on May 19, 1913 at Illur.He was president of India from Jul 25, 1977 to Jul 25, 1982.He also becomes the 8th Secretary General of Non-Aligned Movement and 1st Chief minister of Andhra pradesh.He died at the age of 83 on Jun 1, 1996 at New Delhi.



Seventh Indian President: Giani Zail Singh



Name: Giani Zail Singh

Birth Date: May 5, 1916

Death Date: Dec 25, 1994

Birth Place: Sandhwan

Took President Office: July 25, 1982

Left President Office: Jul 25, 1987


Giani Zail Singh was the 7th president of India.He was born on May 5, 1916 at Sandhwan.He was president of India from July 25, 1982 to Jul 25, 1987.He was from congress political party.He also becomes 9th Secretary General of Non-Aligned Movement and Chief Minister of Punjab.He died at the age of 78 on Dec 25, 1994 at Chandigarh.


Eighth Indian President: R.Venkataraman


Name: R.Venkataraman

Birth Date: Dec 4, 1910

Death Date: Jan 27, 2009

Birth Place: Thanjavur

Took President Office: Jul 25, 1987

Left President Office: Jul 25, 1992


Ramaswamy Venkataraman was the 8th president of India.He was born on Dec 4, 1910 at Thanjavur.He was president of India from Jul 25, 1987 to Jul 25, 1992.He also becomes the 7th Vice-President of India,Defence Minister of India,Finance Minister of India & Member of the Constituent Assembly of India.He was from congress political party.He was lawyer by profession.He was Hindu by religion.He died at the age of 98 on Jan 27, 2009 at New Delhi.





Ninth Indian President: Dr.Shanker Dayal Sharma



Name: Dr.Shanker Dayal Sharma

Birth Date: Aug 19, 1918

Death Date: Dec 26, 1999

Birth Place: Madhya Pradesh

Took President Office: Jul 25, 1992

Left President Office: Jul 25, 1997


Dr.Shanker Dayal Sharma was the 9th president of India.He was born on Aug 19, 1918 at Madhya Pradesh.He was president of India from Jul 25, 1992 to Jul 25, 1997.He also becomes the 8th Vice President of India and Union Minister for Communications.He was from congress political party.He was hindu by religion.He died at the age of 81 on Dec 26, 1999 at New Delhi.


Tenth Indian President: K.R.Narayan


Name: K.R.Narayan

Birth Date: Oct 27, 1920

Death Date: Nov 9, 2005

Birth Place: Perumthanam

Took President Office: Jul 25, 1997

Left President Office: Jul 24, 2002


Kocheril Raman Narayanan was the 10th president of India.He was born on Oct 27, 1920 at Perumthanam.He was president of India from Jul 25, 1997 to Jul 24, 2002.He was christian by religion.He died at the age of 85 on Nov 9, 2005 at New Delhi.



Eleventh Indian President: Dr. A.P.J. Adbul Kalam

Name: Dr. A.P.J. Adbul Kalam

Birth Date: Oct 15, 1931

Birth Place: Rameshwaram

Took President Office: July 25, 2002

Left President Office: Jul 24, 2007


Dr. A.P.J. Adbul Kalam is the 11th president of India.He was born on Oct 15, 1931 at Rameshwaram.He was president of India from Jul 25, 2002 to Jul 24, 2007.He is great scientist.He is the chancellor of Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology.He is known as Missile Man of India.He was Islam by religion.


Twelve Indian President: Pratibha Patil

Name: Pratibha Devisingh Patil

Birth Date: Dec 19, 1934

Birth Place: Nadgaon

Took President Office: Jul 25, 2007

Leave President Office: Jul 2012(expected)




Pratibha Patil is the 12th and first female president of India.She is the current working president of India.she was born on Dec 19, 1934 at Nadgaon.He was president of India since Jul 25, 2007.She is Hindu by religion.She is from congress party.


Next 2012........?????????????????????

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Mumbai attacks suspect Abu Hamza arrested: Krishna

Delhi police have arrested alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Abu Hamza, who is suspected of helping to plan the militant rampage through Mumbai in 2008 that killed 166 people, Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said on Monday. 

New Delhi blames Pakistan militant group LeT for the attacks that stunned India and shattered fragile relations with nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan. Indian-born Abu Hamza is a suspected member of the LeT, local media reported on Monday.

Authorities believe Hamza is the voice of a previously unidentified man who was taped speaking by phone from Pakistan to the militants involved in the Mumbai attacks. He is also said to have coached the attackers in speaking Hindi, according to the reports.

The 10 gunmen killed commuters, foreigners and some wealthy Indian businessmen in the rampage, which included attacks on two luxury hotels, a Jewish centre and a train station.

Peace talks between India and Pakistan have resumed since the attacks, but New Delhi still suspects Islamabad of dragging its feet in bringing the perpetrators to justice, a charge Pakistan denies.

"Let the Delhi police go through the investigation first, and then they will send a report to the government," Krishna told reporters, when asked how India would approach Pakistan over Hamza's arrest.

"And then we will certainly see what appropriate ... action can be taken," he said.

A Delhi police spokesman said he was not able to comment on the case.

Some local media reported that Abu Hamza had been deported from Saudi Arabia and arrested on landing at Delhi airport. Saudi Arabia's interior ministry was not immediately available for comment.

Public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan told Reuters that the suspect would be held in police custody for 15 days for questioning.

A voice believed to belong to Abu Hamza was recorded talking to the gunmen attacking a Jewish centre in south Mumbai during the three-day attack. According to the Times of India newspaper, he told the attackers to convey to the media that the "attack was a trailer and the entire movie was yet to come".

India has repeatedly called on Pakistan to take action against Hafiz Saeed, the Islamist blamed for masterminding the Mumbai attacks. In May, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton authorised a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.

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How dictators have evolved with the times

We tend to think of dictators as all-powerful leaders who act with naked cruelty and impunity. Think of Bashar al Assad in Syria. Or, for a celluloid reminder, think of Sacha Baron Cohen as Gen. Admiral Aladeen, a North African despot.

But the film "The Dictator" — and our imagination of dictators — is getting outdated. The new dictator is more evolved and more attuned to how people think.

A new book highlights that trend. It's called "The Dictator's Learning Curve" by William Dobson.

Dictators have gotten smart, Dobson writes, to keep pace with changes in technology. Old-school oppressors like Mao, Pol Pot or Idi Amin could keep their atrocities relatively secret. That's not possible today. If a dictator tried to orchestrate a mass killing and keep it secret, he'd likely fail. It would end up on YouTube.

Uganda's Joseph Kony is now an internet phenomenon. Charles Taylor of Liberia was recently found guilty by the U.N. Special Court for Sierra Leone. Sudan's President Bashir has been indicted.

So today's cleverest dictators have evolved. They allow a certain amount of dissent, as an escape valve.

Consider China. There's a new study out this week by three political scientists at Harvard. They've devised a way to analyze millions of social media posts in China. What's special is that they claim to do this before the Chinese government gets to censor them - so it provides a unique insight not just into what the Chinese people think, but also what the government deems necessary to censor.

What do they find? Contrary to what you'd think, it turns out criticisms of the state are not more likely to get censored. Even vitriolic criticisms are allowed. Instead, the focus is on stopping mass mobilization. Last year Beijing blocked internet searches for Tunisia's "Jasmine Revolution" to prevent discussions about the Arab Spring. Similarly last week searches for the numbers 4/6 were censored - the numbers represented June 4th, the anniversary of the massacre at Tiananmen Square.

The Harvard study shows that Beijing's leaders are making measured concessions. It is said that some 500 protests take place every day across China. But anything that could lead to something larger or more organized is instantly censored and clamped down on.

Another example - Putin's Russia has usually allowed the print media a great deal of freedom, on the theory that what a few tens of thousands of people read in Moscow and St. Petersburg doesn't matter. But the regime has taken over television news completely, so mass opinion is carefully controlled out of the Kremlin.

We're witnessing a trend in China, Russia, Venezeula, and many other countries - even Myanmar. Gone are the days when dictators could completely ignore the demands of their people.

As citizens become more exposed to events around the world, more connected to each other on the internet and social media, dictators will have to make greater concessions. It's a situation that is far better than how things were 10, 20, or 50 years ago. Regimes like those in Syria and North Korea can act with all-out brutality, but they are outliers - they represent a fading order.

The new model is to allow a controlled space for free commerce, for open education, even for dissent. Perhaps people in these countries can use that space to expand the realm of freedom and liberty.

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Positive Thinking: 7 Easy Ways to Improve a Bad Day

Don't let a bad morning ruin your entire day. Use these mental tricks to change your momentum.

Had a lousy morning? Things looking grim?

Not to worry. The rest of your day need not be a disaster. It can in fact become one of your best, providing you take these simple steps:

1. Remember that the past does not equal the future.

There is no such thing as a "run of bad luck." The reason people believe such nonsense is that the human brain creates patterns out of random events and remembers the events that fit the pattern.

2. Refuse to make self-fulfilling prophesies. 

If you believe the rest of your day will be as challenging as what's already happened, then rest assured: You'll end up doing something (or saying) something that will make sure that your prediction comes true.

3. Get a sense of proportion.

Think about the big picture: Unless something life-changing has happened (like the death of a loved one), chances are that in two weeks, you'll have forgotten completely about whatever it was that has your shorts in a twist today.

4. Change your threshold for "good" and "bad."

Decide that a good day is any day that you're above ground. Similarly, decide that a bad day is when somebody steals your car and drives it into the ocean. Those types of definitions make it easy to be happy–and difficult to be sad.

5. Improve your body chemistry.

Your body and brain are in a feedback loop: A bad mood makes you tired, which makes your mood worse, and so forth. Interrupt the pattern by getting up and moving around.  Take a walk or eat something healthy.

6. Focus on what's going well.

The primary reason you're convinced it's a bad day is that you're focusing on whatever went wrong. However, for everything going badly, there are probably dozens of things going well.  Make list, and post it where it's visible.

7. Expect something wondrous.

Just as an attitude of doom and gloom makes you see more problems, facing the future with a sense of wonder makes you alive to all sorts of wonderful things that are going on, right now, everywhere around you.

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Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi (Telugu : కూచిపూడి) (pronounced as 'Koochipoodi') is a Classical Indian dance form Andhra Pradesh, India. It is also popular all over South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Divi Taluka of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practicing this traditional dance form, it acquired the present name.

The performance usually begins with some stage rites, after which each of the character comes on to the stage and introduces him/herself with a dharavu (a small composition of both song and dance) to introduce the identity, set the mood, of the character in the drama. The drama then begins. The dance is accompanied by song which is typically Carnatic music. The singer is accompanied by mridangam (a classical South Indian percussion instrument), violin, flute and the tambura (a drone instrument with strings which are plucked). Ornaments worn by the artists are generally made of a light weight wood called Boorugu.It originated in the seventh century.

Style
Kuchipudi dancers are quicksilver and scintillating, rounded and fleet-footed, they perform with grace and fluid movements. Performed to classical Carnatic music, it shares many common elements with Bharatanatyam. In its solo exposition Kuchipudi numbers include 'jatiswaram' and 'tillana' whereas in nrityam it has several lyrical compositions reflecting the desire of a devotee to merge with God.

Beyond the stylistic differences of Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam steps, there are certain types of dances that are unique to Kuchipudi: Specifically there is the Tarangam which is unique in that t plate with two diyas (small oil-burning candles) in his or her hands while balancing a "kundi" (small vessel) containing water on their head. At the end, typically, the dancer extinguishes the candles and washes his or her hands with the water from the vessel.



There are subtle differences in the costumes. Generally, Bharatanatyam dresses have three fans of differing heights that form the illusion of the spreading pleats of a sari. In Kuchipudi there is typically only one fan which tends to be longer than the longest of the three fans present on Bharatanatyam dresses.

The 20th Karana is very often used in Kuchipudi dance. Apart from six padabhedas, Kuchipudi dancers use some adugulu or adavus traditional to this school: Chaukam, Katteranatu, Kuppi Adugu, Ontaduvu, Jaraduvu, Pakkanatu.

Kuchipudi, a blend of music and abhinaya, is Andhra Pradesh's unique contribution to dance.



The dance styles in the state are based on the standard treatises, Abhinaya Darpana and Bharatarnava of Nandikeshwara, which is sub-divided into Nattuva Mala and Natya Mala. Nattuva Mala is of two types — the Puja dance performed on the Balipitha in the temple and the Kalika dance performed in a Kalyana Mandapam. Natya Mala is of three kinds — ritual dance for gods, Kalika dance for intellectuals and Bhagavatam for common place. The Natya Mala is a dance-drama performed by a troupe, consisting only of men, who play feminine roles.
Movements and Music

The songs in Kuchipudi are mimed with alluring expressions, swift looks and fleeting emotions evoking the rasa. In Tarangam at times she places a pot full of water on her head and dances on the brass plate. The song accompanying this number is from the well known Krishna Leela Tarangini, a text which recounts the life and events of Lord Krishna.



In expressional numbers a dancer sometimes chooses to enact the role of Satyabhama, the proud and self-assured queen of Lord Krishna, from the dance-drama Bhama Kalapam. She goes through various stages of love. When in separation from Lord Krishna, she recalls the happy days of union and pines for him. At last they are reunited when she sends him a letter.

One more number from the Kuchipudi repertoire that deserves mention is Krishna Shabdam, in which a milkmaid invites Krishna for a rendezvous in myriads of ways giving full scope for the dancer to display the charms of a woman.
Kuchipudi dancers set a Guinness World Record

Over 2,800 Kuchipudi dancers, including 200-plus natyagurus created a Guinness World Records on December 26, 2010 performing Hindolam Thillana at the GMC Balayogi Stadium in Hyderabad.







Kuchipudi performers from around the world

The spectacular show performed by dancers from 15 countries and every state was staged in praise of Kuchipudi choreographer Siddhendhra Yogi. The 11-minutes programme was part of the concluding ceremony of the three-day second International Kuchipudi Dance Convention.

The chief guest, the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Patil, the governor of Andhra Pradesh, E.S.L. Narasimhan, and the chief minister, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, congratulated the participants. Kuchipudi exponents Vempati Chinasatyam, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Raja Reddy Radha Reddy, and Sobha Naidu were felicitated by the president.

Rapturous applause filled the venue as the programme came to an end and a representative from Guinness World Records announced that she was speechless with the magnitude of the programme. Later, disciples of Raja Reddy Radha Reddy performed Devi Smriti invoking the goddess to remove people’s sufferings.

Kiran Kumar Reddy, who had announced an assistance of 25 lakh Rupees on the inaugural day, handed over a cheque for the amount to the Union minister of state for Human Resources Development, Smt. Daggubati Purandeswari.

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Hundreds of fake OBC quota IIT aspirants back out of Joint Entrance Exams

NEW DELHI: Eight hundred IIT aspirants from the other backward classes (OBC), who made it past the Joint Entrance Exams, have stopped short of pressing their claim for the coveted admissions this year. This is a direct fallout of the JEE Committee slamming down on fake certificates. JEE is the body that administers joint entrance exams for all IITs and a few other institutes.

Of the total 4.8 lakh students who appeared for the JEE, 4,805 OBC candidates got through. After the withdrawals, only 4,000 remained in the fray for the 2,604 IIT seats available in this category. All these seats have just been filled this week in the first round of counselling.

"A majority (of those who withdrew) did fear their chances of getting into IITs might fall due to fake certificates," says GB Reddy, organising chairman of IIT-JEE 2012.

Effectively, one out of six OBC candidates who made it past the highly-competitive exams had pulled out or requested to be transferred to the general category, where they had to compete for an IIT seat on merit without the advantage of any reservation.

Life ban threat worked

Two hundred students asked to be considered under the general category, withdrawing their claim under the OBC quota for the first time ever. The remaining 600 students who had applied under the quota did not register for counselling. This figure is at least 500 more than the withdrawals seen last year.

This year, IIT-JEE had came down hard against fake certificates and warned that such candidates, if detected, would be barred from IITs for life. There was also another reason for the withdrawals. Even within the OBC category, those coming from families with household income of less than Rs 4.5 lakh (excluding salary from a government job and agriculture) are considered under the non-creamy layer category and are eligible for reservation for government-sponsored educational and professional benefit programmes.

There was a proposal to revise this to Rs 9 lakh and Rs 12 lakh for rural and urban centres. But this did not materialise. Candidates who had applied expecting this may also have pulled out later. "A warning was issued following some complaints from individuals, after the application process started, who called in to say many candidates who were claiming to be under the OBC category (non-creamy layer) did not belong to the category. The committee then cross-checked with the OBC Commission's website and found it was true. Hence, we issued a warning," says Prof RK Shevgaonkar, director, IIT-Delhi, which is the organising institute for this year's JEE.

Students who qualify under different reserved categories need to submit their category certificates by post at the time of counselling. Registration for counselling in all engineering colleges that accept JEE scores ended on June 10, and the first round of final seat allotment was announced on June 17. About 5.07 lakh students had applied for IITJEE this year. A total of 9,647 seats are available across 17 institutes, including the IITs, IT-BHU Varanasi and ISM Dhanbad.

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IBM supercomputer overtakes Fujitsu as world's fastest

People Behind IBM's Super Computer

IBM's Sequoia has taken the top spot on the list of the world's fastest supercomputers for the US.

The newly installed system trumped Japan's K Computer made by Fujitsu which fell to second place.

It is the first time the US can claim pole position since it was beaten by China two years ago.

Sequoia will be used to carry out simulations to help extend the life of aging nuclear weapons, avoiding the need for real-world underground tests.

It is installed at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

"While Sequoia may be the fastest, the underlying computing capabilities it provides give us increased confidence in the nation's nuclear deterrent," said National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) administrator Thomas D'Agostino.

"Sequoia also represents continued American leadership in high performance computing."

Adding processors

The computer is capable of calculating in one hour what otherwise would take 6.7 billion people using hand calculators 320 years to complete if they worked non-stop.

Although the US's efforts helped secure it the lead, its overall tally of three computers in the top 10 was worse than six months ago when it had five.

China and Germany both have two supercomputers, while Japan, France and Italy have one.

But IBM proved to be the leading manufacturer claiming five out of the top 10 spots.

IBM's Super Computer

David Turek, vice president of deep computing at the firm, told the BBC his company had been preparing to retake the top spot for two years.

"Substantial planning went into this. We knew the day would come."

Sequoia is 1.55 times faster than the Fujitsu model, and uses over 1.5 million processors.

In comparison the Japanese model has less than half the number of CPUs (central processing units).

Energy efficient              

The IBM supercomputer is also more energy efficient than the Fujitsu model.

Sequoia consumes 7.9 megawatts compared to the K computer which uses 12.6 megawatts.

Mr Turek described Sequoia as the "pinnacle of energy efficiency" and said the reaction had been "very enthusiastic."

"Government laboratories in Europe have already expressed interest," he said.

The list is published every six months by German Professor Hans Meuer and US-based Professor Jack Dongarra.

Prof Dongarra told the BBC it was unlikely that another manufacturer would overtake IBM in the next year.

"Sequoia is very impressive," he said.

Fujitsu's Super Computer

273,930 times faster

The first computer to take the top position on the list was the CM-5/1024 in 1993, designed by Thinking Machines.

According to Prof Dongarra, Sequoia is 273,930 times faster.

"A calculation that took three full days to compute on the Thinking Machines in 1993 today can be done in less than one second on the Sequoia," he said.

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