Washington, April 28 (IANS) A revolutionary “photochromic” material developed by Japanese researchers changes colour instantaneously when exposed to light. The development could open the way to a wide range of new products including improved sunglasses, more powerful computers, dynamic holograms, and better medicines.

For years, researchers have explored the possibility of using these unusual materials for optical data storage in computers and as “molecular switches” for more controlled drug delivery.

Hyderabad, April 28 (IANS) Despite the economic slowdown, Wipro BPO, the business process outsourcing division of IT giant Wipro Technologies, is hiring personnel and expanding its operations globally, a top official said here Tuesday.

“For the last six months, we have been hearing depressing news about people losing jobs and companies resorting to cost-cutting measures but we are still looking for people,” Wipro BPO head Ashutosh Vaidya told reporters.

Washington, April 25 (IANS) Personal computers may soon save large amounts of energy by “sleep talking”.

Doctoral researcher Yuvraj Agarwal of the University of California San Diego (UCSD) in collaboration with computer scientists has created a plug-and-play hardware prototype for personal computers (PCs) that induces a new energy saving state known as “sleep talking”.

Washington, April 28 (IANS) Citigroup and Motorola, two American corporate giants led by India-born CEOs, rank among the biggest taxpayers in the US despite their heavy losses due to the economic downturn, according to BusinessWeek.

New York, April 28 (DPA) Major US stock indices fell Monday amid the widening global swine-flu scare, with energy and the travel and hospitality sectors hardest hit.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 51.29 points, or 0.64 percent, to 8,025. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 8.72 points, or 1.01 percent, to 857.51. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index fell 14.88 points, or 0.88 percent, to 1,679.41.

Washington, April 27 (DPA) General Motors Corp. announced another round of drastic cost-cutting measures Monday in its latest bid for survival, including abandoning its Pontiac brand and offering bondholders, employees and the government a greater stake in the ailing automaker to cut its massive debt.

Facing a June-1 government deadline to prove its viability or face bankruptcy, GM said it would axe 23,000 jobs by 2011 - 7,000 more than previously planned - as well as close factories and quicken the pace of cuts to its vast dealership network.

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) The financial fraud perpetrated by the founders of Satyam Computer Services was executed through a well-planned accounting system that used as many as 7,561 fraudulent invoices worth Rs.5,117 crore to inflate the company’s sales, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleged Monday.

To perpetrate the fraud, the accused also created an identity and code that not only bypassed all other accounting systems, but also managed to hide the fraudulent invoices from other departments, the premier investigating agency said.

Washington, April 26 (IANS) India, underlying its growing economic importance, has sought an increase in its quota share in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but is ready to contribute about $10 billion to boost the Fund’s resources in proportion to its current share.