Author: Serkadis

  • MINI E Preliminary Test Results

    The MINI E is an all-electric vehicle produced by MINI. The car was launched in November 2008 and was leased since spring 2009 to people living in California, New York, New Jersey, Berlin, London and Munich.

    At this time, the preliminary report shows that test drivers used their Mini E for 80 per cent of their runs, but 90 per cent preferred four seats and more luggage space. The sporty feel was appreciated by all test drivers, mainly 35 year old males with a higher education.
    read more)

  • Vimeo Unleashes 1080p Videos for 'Plus' Subscribers

    In a world where YouTube dominates online video in a very clear fashion, other players are trying to corner niches of the market which they hope will prove lucrative. Hulu does this with professional content from major TV broadcasters. Vimeo on the other hand is aiming at the budding film makers and artists which want a place to showcase their work away from the unwashed masses on YouTube. The site takes pride in its exclusivity and it has plenty of reason to do so. At the end of the day it still has to make money, so it’s now trying to make its paid accounts more alluring by enabling 1080p videos and several mobile options.

    “We want to provide our users with the best possible tools to share their videos,” Andrew Pile, vice president of Product and Development for Vimeo, said in a statement. “We believe the creator should choose how people view their content, which is why we are offering both 1080p streaming and mobile viewing options that Vimeo Plus members can select when uploading their video.”

    The first part of the announcement should please both aspiring artists wanting to showcase their work at the highest quality possible, but also subscribers to Vimeo Plus which now get a couple of new perks to justify the $60 a year fee. With the full 1080p resolution, the highest available at this point in the… (read more)

  • Evan Wells: Naughty Dog not interested in motion control for third person games

    He’s cool, he’s got the moves, he’s got the mouth he’s Nathan Drake. Uncharted 2 still has some good mileage up to this point, but there has been a lot of talk about his next adventure

  • Hoogvoorde, Rijswijk

    Gegevens
    Naam: Hoogvoorde
    Hoogte: 80 meter
    Plaats: Rijswijk
    Oplevering: 1972/2002
    Functie: Kantoren/Stadhuis
    Architect: Lucas & Niemeier/Alynia Lerou


    www.hooghaags.nl


    http://www.rijswijk.nl/dsresource?ob…561&versionid=

    .

  • Ducati’s Davide Tardozzi Moves to BMW WSBK Team

    Former Ducati Xerox Superbike team manager Davide Tardozzi was confirmed as a part of the factory BMW World Superbike team for the next three years. The 50-year-old Italian left Ducati at the end of the 2009 FIM World Superbike Championship season looking for a fresh start. Tardozzi will make his first official appearance as the BMW WSBK team manager later this month at the three day official test at Portimao.

    "This is a new year and a new challenge. It will be a very big ch… (read more)

  • Barton Biggs: Stock A Safe Haven With Food And Firearms To Protect Against Doomsday Pillagers

    bartonbiggsbb.jpg

    MarketWatch has rounded up a few of the more pessimistic preditions about 2010.

    A lot recommend buying farmland. Here are the gloomiest:

    Former IMF chief economist Simon Johnson warns:

    “We’re running out of time … to prevent a true depression.” He says unless we break Wall Street’s “stranglehold” we will be unable prevent the Great Depression 2.

    Morgan Stanley research guru turned hedge fund manager Barton Biggs (pictured), who called the market rally, advises that you buy a farm a good distance away from a city and, he advises, make sure that your doomsday safe-haven:

    • Be self-sufficient and capable of growing some kind of food
    • Be well-stocked with seed, fertilizer, canned food, wine, medicine, clothes, etc

    And get a gun, he says, because “a few rounds over the approaching brigands’ heads would probably be a compelling persuader that there are easier farms to pillage.”

    Mark “Gloom Boom Doom” Faber also recommends buying farmland. Our society has peaked and is on the decline, he says:

    “Once a society becomes successful it becomes arrogant, righteous, overconfident, corrupt, and decadent … overspends … costly wars … wealth inequity and social tensions increase; and society enters a secular decline.”

    Yikes! Read more 2010 predictions on MarketWatch.

    Join the conversation about this story »

    See Also:

  • Winston Churchill Tower, Rijswijk

    Hier bestond al een thread over, maar was doodgebloed (plaatjes weg enzo)

    Gegevens
    Naam: Winston Churchill Tower
    Hoogte: 82 meter
    Plaats: Rijswijk
    Oplevering: 1971
    Functie: Kantoren
    Architect: ?


    http://www.xs4all.nl/~mpdijk/denhaag…hilltower1.jpg


    http://www.mimoa.eu/images/9377_l.jpg

  • LittleBigRacer: hands-on with ModNation Racers for the PS3




    Following in the footsteps of LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers is the latest PlayStation 3 game to bear the “Play. Create. Share.” moniker. Developed by United Front Games, MNR is to kart racing games what LBP was to platformers. Ars recently spent some time with the game’s beta and discovered a fun title that just may live up to the potential of its tagline.

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  • Apple flirts with a 3D interface for mobile devices

    A recent patent application uncovered by The Baltimore Sun details a user interface for interacting with three-dimensional objects. The described UI may show the future of interaction on the iPhone or the rumored Apple tablet.

    The patent application, filed last year but published early last month, describes a number of multitouch gestures to manipulate objects, including icons, presented in a simulated 3D space. Such gestures could present users with a simplified and intuitive way to interact with increasingly complex mobile devices. “As portable electronic devices become more compact, and the number of functions performed by a given device increase, it has become a significant challenge to design a user interface that allows users to easily interact with a multifunction device,” according the patent application.

    Speculation is that the described interface may make its debut on an Apple tablet device expected to be revealed later this month. A former Apple employee recently told The New York Times that the device’s user interaction would be unlike what we have seen so far from the iPhone. “You will be very surprised how you interact with the new tablet,” the former employee said.

    Curiously, unlike a number of other patent applications related to iPhone technology, Apple’s name appears nowhere on the application itself. A Palo Alto-based IP law firm is listed as the contact, while it turns out the three people listed as inventors do in fact work in software engineering at Apple. Searching for the same law firm turned up several other patents related to iPhone interface elements with Apple employees—including SVP of iPhone software Scott Forstall—listed as inventors. Keeping Apple’s name off of the published patent applications may have been an attempt to prevent publicizing of the patent application prior to the unveiling of the technology.


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  • Using computerized vision analysis to spot fake art




    In the world of art, the authenticity of a work can make millions of dollars worth of difference. Although it’s possible to detect recent frauds based on objective measures like chemicals in the paints, it often requires subjective judgements to determine the difference between the work of a true master having an off week and the product of one of that master’s students. A paper that will appear in PNAS suggests that a technique borrowed from vision research may help take some of the subjectivity out of this sort of analysis.

    The study of artwork through math and statistics is known as “stylometry,” and is a relatively recent development—similar methods have been used to analyze literature for much longer. The new paper uses a technique called sparse coding, in which analysts break down works of art into tiny patches and represent them as a series mathematical functions. By comparing the functions produced with authentic artwork to those from possible imitators, they can produce an objective measure of whether the piece in question is real or fake.

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  • feature: A quick guide to VoIP on-the-cheap with Asterisk




    With the advent of voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology, there has
    been a dramatic movement toward IP-only telecommunications,
    leaving the twisted pair of yesteryear in the dust. Lower costs, automated directories, centralized monitoring, and ease of call routing are just a few of the advantages that a good VoIP implementation can bring to a workplace. But many businesses have been held back from jumping on the VoIP bandwagon because it can seem daunting or expensive to set up. The reality of VoIP is that some very modest hardware and a suite of free software tools can make for an enterprise-class VoIP system that can serve up to 1,000 office users in a single building.

    In this article, we’ll walk through the basics of doing VoIP with Asterisk, an open-source, software private branch exchange (PBX). Note that this isn’t a detailed how-to—it’s more of a overview of the basics of building a VoIP system, with some notes on best practices. After reading this article, you should have a sense of what’s involved in a moderately sized VoIP setup, and of what such a setup can do for your business.

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  • European Patent Office, Rijswijk

    Gegevens
    Naam: European Patent Office
    Hoogte: 84 meter
    Plaats: Rijswijk
    Oplevering: 1972
    Functie: Kantoren
    Website: http://www.epo.org/
    Architect: ?


    http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/5840143.jpg


    http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2456/…b48dcb4039.jpg

  • Tata Magic Iris, the Most Beautiful Car in the World

    Actually, not. If we are to be as superficial as we can be, we would say the Magic Iris is the ugliest car in the world. Uglier even than the Nano, if you like. But let’s not judge it by its appearance and give the thing a chance.

    As you may have imagined, the Magic Iris was presented in New Delhi, where Indian carmaker Tata took advantage of the home court to showcase its might. And, apparently, for Tata might comes in the smallest of shapes and sizes.

    According … (read more)

  • Movin’ On Up

    Hi, everyone. Just wanted to give you a heads-up that the site may go down for a day or two as I switch over to the new server. When this is all done, things should work faster and smoother, plus I have all sorts of exciting new things to post.

    As always, thanks for reading!

  • Vermeertoren, Delft

    Gegevens
    Naam: Vermeertoren
    Hoogte: 74 meter
    Plaats: Delft
    Oplevering: 2007
    Functie: Woningen
    Website: http://www.vermeertoren.nl/
    Architect: Geurst & Schulze


    http://www.oculus.nl/uploadedfiles/4…rtoren%204.jpg


    Foto bobdebouwer


    http://www.fysio-brahmslaan.nl/images/vermeertoren.jpg

  • Justin Bieber Set For Charity Performance At Long Beach Middle School

    Just months after a stampede of Justin Bieber fans caused a near riot in a Long Island mall, the Canadian teen sensation is returning to suburban New York. (They’d better call in The National Guard!) A charity canned food drive has won students at a local middle school a concert by the “My World” crooner.

    On Tuesday, officials at Long Beach Middle School in Lido Beach say The Messiah of the Tween Scene, 15, will perform at the school sometime in February. In November, the Long Island school beat out 149 other New York metropolitan area schools food drive by collecting more than 27,000 pounds of food. The Long Beach campus will be shut down for the school-only event.

    In November, police shut down an Bieber album signing event at Long Island’s Roosevelt Field Mall. A crowd of 3,000 young girls and adults began pushing and shoving, sending five people to the hospital with minor injuries.


  • Video: Semi truck drifting on public roads in Poland

    Semi Truck Drifting

    And here is a little something to spice up your morning. Of course we don’t recommend trying this at home (especially if you’re going to be the one in front of the truck video taping it while it’s drifting).

    Follow the jump for the video.

    – By: Kap Shah

    Source: Real JDM (via Straightline)


  • Discovery, Sony and IMAX announce plans for round the clock 3D television network

    philips-3d-displayDiscovery Communications, Sony Corporation and IMAX Corporation, a trio of entertainment powerhouses, are teaming up to deliver the first dedicated 3D television network in the US. The network will feature 24/7 programming from Discovery, Sony Pictures Entertainment, IMAX and other third party 3D content creators with a focus on genres that look stunning in 3D. These include natural history, space, exploration, adventure, engineering, science and technology, motion pictures and nightmare-inducing children’s programming. The joint venture is still in the preliminary stages with each company having signed a non-binding Letter of Intent. With 3D televisions set to take CES by storm and a network for non-stop 3D content in the works , it won’t be long before we are donning those goofy glasses and watching Shark Week in glorious 3D. Full press release after the jump.


    Discovery Communications, Sony and IMAX Announce Plan to Launch First 24/7 Dedicated 3D Television Network in the U.S.

    – Three-Way Venture to Bring Next-Generation Experience to Home Television Viewers –

    – Joint Media Call with Discovery, Sony and IMAX CEOs at 3:15 p.m. EST Today; See Dial-in Details at End of Release –
    2010 International CES

    LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Three of the world’s leading media, technology and entertainment companies – Discovery Communications, Sony Corporation and IMAX Corporation – today announced a joint venture to be established to develop the first 24/7 dedicated 3D television network in the U.S. The partnership brings together three leaders with an extraordinary collection of award-winning 3D content, technology expertise, television distribution and operational strength to deliver a high-quality three-dimensional viewing experience to home television audiences.

    “Today’s announcement is the next step in fulfilling Discovery’s mission of providing groundbreaking content for our affiliate partners and enlightening viewers with the most immersive and realistic viewing experience available anywhere.”

    “Discovery’s business strategy has always focused on delivering groundbreaking content through new platforms, including the first suite of digital channels launched in 1996 and the first 24/7 basic cable HD channel in 2002,” said Discovery Founder and Chairman John Hendricks. “Now, as Discovery celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2010 as the world leader in satisfying curiosity and bringing audiences the most realistic viewing experience, we continue to change the face of television with the launch of the first-ever 24/7 dedicated 3D television network.”

    “Sony is the only company with expertise in every part of the 3D value chain,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President, Sony Corporation. “We are delighted to be partnering with Discovery and IMAX, two premier companies also dedicated to leadership in 3D, in this groundbreaking new venture. It is clear to us that consumers will always migrate to a better and richer entertainment experience, and together we are determined to be the leader in providing that around the world.”

    “By partnering with Sony and IMAX on 3D, Discovery will lead the way in revolutionizing the next-generation home viewing experience in the U.S. and around the world,” said Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav. “Today’s announcement is the next step in fulfilling Discovery’s mission of providing groundbreaking content for our affiliate partners and enlightening viewers with the most immersive and realistic viewing experience available anywhere.”

    “IMAX has been a pioneer and recognized leader in 3D technology for more than twenty-five years, delivering the premium in-theatre experience to audiences around the world. We’re reaching more and more consumers with the recent expansion of the IMAX® theatre network and the growth of 3D movie content,” said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. “This new business venture is the first step in our strategic effort to take 3D into the home and extend the IMAX brand. We’ve already had strong collaborations with Discovery Communications and Sony in the past on IMAX event film titles, and we are thrilled to work with such strong partners to be the first to make in-home 3D a reality.”

    Discovery, Sony, through its U.S. affiliate, Sony Corporation of America, and IMAX each will be equal partners in the joint venture. It will be launched in the U.S., with a goal of driving consumer adoption of 3D televisions and giving the network long-term leadership in the 3D home marketplace. In the future, the companies also will explore international distribution opportunities in selected markets.

    The new 3D network will feature high-quality premium content from genres that are most appealing in 3D, including natural history, space, exploration, adventure, engineering, science and technology, motion pictures and children’s programming from Discovery, Sony Pictures Entertainment, IMAX and other third-party providers.

    Discovery will provide network services, including affiliate sales and technical support functions, as well as 3D television rights to Discovery content and cross-promotion across its portfolio of 13 U.S. television networks. Sony will provide advertising/sponsorship sales support, and will seek to license television rights to current and future 3D feature films, music-related 3D content and game-related 3D content, while providing cross-promotion at retail stores. IMAX also will license television rights to future 3D films, promotion through its owned-and-operated movie theaters across the U.S., and a suite of proprietary and patented image enhancement and 3D technologies.

    Governance for the joint venture will be handled by a board of directors comprised of members from each of the three companies, with the day-to-day operations run by a separate staff and management team that will report to the board. A search for the venture’s general manager will begin immediately.

    The parties have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent. Specific financial terms of the venture were not disclosed. The parties will work towards prompt execution of definitive agreements, subject to any necessary regulatory approvals.

    Conference Call Details
    Discovery Founder and Chairman John Hendricks, Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav, Sony Corporation Chairman, CEO and President Sir Howard Stringer and IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond will hold a joint media call to discuss the venture at 3:15 p.m. EST today. To access the conference call, in the U.S. dial 1-888-396-2298, or outside of the U.S. dial 1-617-847-8708, and use the following passcode: 30218

    Discovery Communications, Sony and IMAX Announce Plan to Launch First 24/7 Dedicated 3D Television Network in the U.S.

    – Three-Way Venture to Bring Next-Generation Experience to Home Television Viewers –

    – Joint Media Call with Discovery, Sony and IMAX CEOs at 3:15 p.m. EST Today; See Dial-in Details at End of Release –

    2010 International CES

    LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Three of the world’s leading media, technology and entertainment companies – Discovery Communications, Sony Corporation and IMAX Corporation – today announced a joint venture to be established to develop the first 24/7 dedicated 3D television network in the U.S. The partnership brings together three leaders with an extraordinary collection of award-winning 3D content, technology expertise, television distribution and operational strength to deliver a high-quality three-dimensional viewing experience to home television audiences.

    “Today’s announcement is the next step in fulfilling Discovery’s mission of providing groundbreaking content for our affiliate partners and enlightening viewers with the most immersive and realistic viewing experience available anywhere.”

    “Discovery’s business strategy has always focused on delivering groundbreaking content through new platforms, including the first suite of digital channels launched in 1996 and the first 24/7 basic cable HD channel in 2002,” said Discovery Founder and Chairman John Hendricks. “Now, as Discovery celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2010 as the world leader in satisfying curiosity and bringing audiences the most realistic viewing experience, we continue to change the face of television with the launch of the first-ever 24/7 dedicated 3D television network.”

    “Sony is the only company with expertise in every part of the 3D value chain,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President, Sony Corporation. “We are delighted to be partnering with Discovery and IMAX, two premier companies also dedicated to leadership in 3D, in this groundbreaking new venture. It is clear to us that consumers will always migrate to a better and richer entertainment experience, and together we are determined to be the leader in providing that around the world.”

    “By partnering with Sony and IMAX on 3D, Discovery will lead the way in revolutionizing the next-generation home viewing experience in the U.S. and around the world,” said Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav. “Today’s announcement is the next step in fulfilling Discovery’s mission of providing groundbreaking content for our affiliate partners and enlightening viewers with the most immersive and realistic viewing experience available anywhere.”

    “IMAX has been a pioneer and recognized leader in 3D technology for more than twenty-five years, delivering the premium in-theatre experience to audiences around the world. We’re reaching more and more consumers with the recent expansion of the IMAX® theatre network and the growth of 3D movie content,” said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. “This new business venture is the first step in our strategic effort to take 3D into the home and extend the IMAX brand. We’ve already had strong collaborations with Discovery Communications and Sony in the past on IMAX event film titles, and we are thrilled to work with such strong partners to be the first to make in-home 3D a reality.”

    Discovery, Sony, through its U.S. affiliate, Sony Corporation of America, and IMAX each will be equal partners in the joint venture. It will be launched in the U.S., with a goal of driving consumer adoption of 3D televisions and giving the network long-term leadership in the 3D home marketplace. In the future, the companies also will explore international distribution opportunities in selected markets.

    The new 3D network will feature high-quality premium content from genres that are most appealing in 3D, including natural history, space, exploration, adventure, engineering, science and technology, motion pictures and children’s programming from Discovery, Sony Pictures Entertainment, IMAX and other third-party providers.

    Discovery will provide network services, including affiliate sales and technical support functions, as well as 3D television rights to Discovery content and cross-promotion across its portfolio of 13 U.S. television networks. Sony will provide advertising/sponsorship sales support, and will seek to license television rights to current and future 3D feature films, music-related 3D content and game-related 3D content, while providing cross-promotion at retail stores. IMAX also will license television rights to future 3D films, promotion through its owned-and-operated movie theaters across the U.S., and a suite of proprietary and patented image enhancement and 3D technologies.

    Governance for the joint venture will be handled by a board of directors comprised of members from each of the three companies, with the day-to-day operations run by a separate staff and management team that will report to the board. A search for the venture’s general manager will begin immediately.

    The parties have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent. Specific financial terms of the venture were not disclosed. The parties will work towards prompt execution of definitive agreements, subject to any necessary regulatory approvals.

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  • Toshiba’s T115 and T135 thin-and-lights start at $450, offer Intel and AMD flavors

    When a manufacturer picks AMD or Intel chips for a particular model, it’s often a bit of an exclusive marriage. Toshiba, however, is going Big Love for its new 11.6-inch T115 and 13.3-inch T135 ultraportables, which can both run AMD Neo, AMD Turion or Intel Pentium SU4100 processors. Nothing absolutely blazing, but at the $450 starting point (for AMD) you’re hardly past a netbook cost for something considerably peppier. The laptops, which measure less than an inch thick and weigh 3.5 and 3.9 pounds, respectively, offer up 9 hours of battery on Intel and 6 hours on AMD, with the ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics in the latter providing some decent low-power video decoding (including Blu-ray, if you have an external drive). Prices scale up to $700, with a 320GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM at the high end.

    We played around with both models, and while there’s nothing specific to gripe about, we can’t say we’re super impressed by Toshiba’s heavy handed, ultra-gloss approach. It feels a little last gen and cheap, particularly in comparison to the refined mini NB305 — whose chiclet keyboard is almost preferable to the slightly mushy keys on display here. The price point and feature set makes these certainly worth a further look, but we wish Toshiba would get over its plastic fetish and make something a bit more desirable.

    Toshiba’s T115 and T135 thin-and-lights start at $450, offer Intel and AMD flavors originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 and S10-3t hands-on

    Don’t worry Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3, we didn’t forget about you — even if we are totally smitten with the your futuristic sibling the IdeaPad S1 Hybrid. The 10-inch S10-3 throws away the design of the S10 and S10-2 for a thinner body and a decorated lid, and we’ve got to say the 2.4 pound netbook felt quite light and sturdy in our hand. Under the lid we’re loving the same chiclet style keyboard that we saw on the Skylight, though the touchpad with integrated mouse buttons looks a bit small for our tastes. For $399 ($379 on Amazon) the S10-3 seems like it could be quite a worthy 10-inch netbook competitor, though we will have to see what its Intel Atom N470 and three-cell battery (there’s an optional six-cell) provide in terms of battery life.

    The $499 S10-3t tablet version is going to take a bit more of a sell though. The convertible netbook (fine, netvertible) is thicker and heavier than the S10-3 largely due to its hinge and thicker touchscreen. But regardless of the somewhat awkward design (especially with a protruding six-cell battery strapped to its back), the capacitive touchscreen was quite responsive to our touches and gestures, and we’re pretty impressed with Lenovo’s Natural Touch interface that its got running on top of Windows 7 Home Premium. But don’t take our word for it, hit the break for a look at the finger-friendly fun in action.

    Continue reading Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 and S10-3t hands-on

    Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 and S10-3t hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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