Mereja

Blog

  • Lithium and REE: House bill invests $2B in electric vehicles for Postal Service TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, LMR.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, AVL.to, RES.v

    Commercial vehicle fleets will be crucial for EVs adaptation: they provide testing grounds and economics of electric car operations are going straight into the bottom line of this operators – with investment picked up by the government it is almost like printing money.


    “We have discussed Lithium and REE investment opportunity with the Big Picture investment approach in our Macro View on Micro Caps…
    National governments will make this process even more destructive for margins: they will support by all means national automakers and once success for EVs will be apparent moves in the affordability could be very dramatic. It will be extremely positive for our Next Big Thing and development of EVs’ Value Chain as a whole, but shareholders in these companies could wait for a long time to be actually rewarded. Brands which can position itself with pricing power could be the answer: Tesla and Fisker once public could be an example, but they will not be able to achieve economy of scale on the other hand. Once initial excitement for EVs will be settled and sales and profits will matter again you will have to do a very good homework in order to separate winners from the losers.”

    US Postal Office:

    Electrification of Delivery Vehicles

    FEDERAL TIMES:


    By TIM KAUFFMAN Last Updated: December 18, 2009
    The U.S. Postal Service would become the guinea pig for testing 20,000 electric vehicles under House legislation introduced Dec. 17.
    If approved, the bill would help the Postal Service green its large mail delivery fleet and jumpstart the nation’s electric vehicle industry, said Rep. José Serrano, D-N.Y., who introduced the legislation along with five cosponsors.
    The bill would provide up to $2 billion for an Energy Department program in which vehicle manufacturers would compete for grants to build electric vehicles for testing by the Postal Service.
    “Our nation must become a leader in green technologies and leveraging the enormous assets of the USPS provides us with a direct route toward that goal,” said Serrano, who chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Postal Service.
    The Postal Service maintains the largest civilian vehicle fleet in the world with about 221,000 vehicles. Although the Postal Service has been purchasing alternative fuel vehicles and testing some electric drive vehicles, it has held off on replacing the bulk of its petroleum-powered fleet until one technology emerges as the leading replacement.
    The bill won immediate support from the American Postal Workers Union, the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
    “It will be good for the Postal Service, good for the environment and good for the economy,” APWU President William Burrus said.”

  • Looking Good: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Reader Submissions

    2010_01_08-Muffins.jpgWe have been thinking a lot about muffins this week; we often neglect to make muffins, and we wonder why! They are quick, easy, and simple to clean up. They are great little snacks during the day, and they are awesome for grab-and-go breakfasts too. So we were really pleased when reader Elise sent us this tip about a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe.

    Read Full Post


  • le filtre à air végétal

    andrea is collaboration work of designer mathieu lehanneur and harvard professor david edwards. it is the air filter capable of absorbing toxic gases such as formaldehyde, from home and office environments through the natural absorptive and metabolic properties of living plants. ozone free operation. no replaceable filters. andrea is available in white for $199 and also in black. yes for the greener planet!

  • I have arrived as a skeptic | Bad Astronomy

    I’ve been a skeptic a long time, maybe 25 years or more now. It didn’t happen all at once, though there have been sudden world-shift moments for me. I’ve been an active skeptic — outspoken, that is, willing to talk about this stuff — for about 10 years now.

    But now, finally, I feel that I have arrived at the Holy Grail of skepticism: a goofball antiscience promoter has quote mined me.

    Quote mining is a tradition among the antireality crowd: they find something a scientist has said, and then leave out certain words, or edit out the context, making it look like the quote is the opposite of what the actual intention was. Creationists are notorious for this, but others do it as well.

    On a bulletin board site called Christian Forums, there is a user who goes by the name “Agonaces of Susa”, and this person has the usual antiscience CV stocked with creationism and such, but also, apparently, is a supporter of Velikovsky’s ridiculous and long-ago-debunked claims about astronomy.

    For those of you who are happily unaware, Immanuel Velikovsky wrote a series of books decades ago saying that the events in the Bible were literally true, and caused by various astronomical things like planets careening around the solar system like billiard balls, interacting in impossible ways, and doing many impossible things. He’d have been better off just saying those were all miracles of God, but still, a lot of people swallowed his nonsense whole. It’s mostly dead now, with just a few reality-denying holdouts. I wrote a chapter in my first book, Bad Astronomy, dealing with the Velikovsky affair.

    In this post on the forums, AoS says this little gem:

    You trust the pseudoscientist Phil Plait that, these are his words, “Magnetism is…a joke in astronomy”?

    Wow! That makes it seem like astronomers are idiots, doesn’t it? As if we don’t believe in magnetism at all, and that we think it has no role in astrophysics. But wait! Look at what he wrote. It has the magic wand of quote mining pseudoscience: the ellipsis! That means he left something out of what I said. And so what was it he left out?

    Magnetism is a very important topic in astrophysics (despite some pseudoscientists lying and saying this force is ignored), but it’s not well-understood. It’s fiendishly complex, so much so that it’s a joke in astronomy: when giving a colloquium about an astronomical object’s weird features, saying it’s due to magnetism will always get a chuckle out of an audience. And it’s a standard joke that if you want to derail a talk, ask the speaker about the effects of magnetism. In three dimensions, magnetism is ferociously difficult to model.

    I bolded the part that was quote mined, and as you can see, AoS completely took out of context what I was saying. He also misinterprets what I said about Velikovsky. While I did say that Velikovsky was wrong about everything, I meant that he was wrong about his science. Sure, he said Venus would be hot, but the reason he said it would be hot was completely wrong (Velikovsky claimed it was ejected whole from Jupiter, which is about the wrongest wrong you can ever wrongly wrongify). Even if you drop a shotgun you might have one pellet hit the target, but that ain’t skill.

    That thread on the forum goes on and on, and AoS is joined by others who appear to willfully misunderstand what I’m saying, or at least pick and choose from what I’ve said to make it look like I’m wrong. That might work for the flock (or the Simpsons), but the rest of the world sees right through them.

    But will these people listen? Of course not! Because this is their arguing tactic:

    lalalala_beavercanthearyou

    Still, it’s an honor to have been quote mined. Thank you, gentlemen, for reminding me just why I fight this fight every single day.


  • Flash for “Most” Android Devices in 2010?

    Flash has been perhaps the most eagerly anticipated feature just outside the grasp of Android users since the release of the G1.  There have been many rumors, conjectures or speculations as to when Flash may actually land on our devices and most have been overly optimistic.  This will be no exception.

    However, in the past week we have seen Flash running on the new Nexus One released earlier this week.  Additionally, the Droid has now been shown successfully running Flash as well.  These are definitely steps in the right direction and are hopefully an indication of what is to come over the next year.

    According to TechTree.com and their coverage of the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Motorola, a member of the Open Screen Project, indicated that “by the end of 2010, most Android devices would support Flash 10.1.”  While I do not take this to be proof positive, it is an indication that things are moving in the right direction.

    There is also an interesting note in an Adobe employee’s blog regarding Flash for mobile devices.  He states that he wouldn’t expect to hear much from CES regarding Flash as the show is mainly highlighting new devices.  However, he goes on to say: “Most of the “small screen” news should hit next month, at Mobile World Congress.” It should be noted that these are just his personal perspectives and not any sort of “official release” from Adobe, but it sounds promising.


  • CVS Caremark Announces e-Prescribing Agreement with Allscripts

    CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) today announced an agreement with Allscripts (Nasdaq: MDRX) that will position both companies to help accelerate adoption of e-prescribing technology.

    This agreement between the nation’s largest pharmacy health care provider and the largest provider of e-prescribing and Electronic Health Record (EHR) solutions will enhance the ability of CVS Caremark to support its payer and employer clients in driving e-prescribing adoption throughout their networks.

    As part of this agreement, CVS Caremark will transition the thousands of providers now using the company’s proprietary iScribe e-prescribing tool to Allscripts e-prescribing and retire iScribe.

    Considered the “on-ramp to the electronic healthcare highway,” e-prescribing often serves as a first step toward adoption of a full EHR, which provides e-prescribing capabilities while also automating the everyday clinical tasks of caregivers and connecting them to key healthcare stakeholders.

    Under the agreement, iScribe users will also have the opportunity to transition to a full Allscripts EHR, enabling them to qualify under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for between $44,000 and $64,000 in federal incentive payments beginning in 2011.

    The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services already provides financial incentives for e-prescribing under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA).

    As adoption of e-prescribing technology and EHRs increases in response to these significant federal incentives, CVS Caremark will focus its efforts at the point-of-care.

    That work will include initiatives with market leaders such as Allscripts to deliver enhanced information about plan design, drug formulary, generic options, potential drug interactions, and eventually care plans to providers at the point-of-care to help improve quality, ensure safety and provide the most cost-effective treatment protocols.

    CVS Caremark’s goals are to promote savings for the patient, payers and employers; enhance the customer experience at the pharmacy; and improve patient medication compliance which can help improve health outcomes.

    Given CVS Caremark’s ability to enhance pharmacy health care at multiple touch-points, the company is well-positioned to take the lead at developing and implementing new programs and initiatives that help deliver the right information to guide physician and caregiver medication decision making at the point-of-care.

    “This represents a natural progression of our work in the expanding e-prescribing industry,” said Troyen Brennan, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Caremark.

    “We helped define this market through our participation as one of the founders of the Surescripts network which connects prescribers to critical prescribing information and the pharmacy, and as an early provider of e-prescribing tools. Working directly with Allscripts in this next phase will strengthen our ability to deliver scalable e-prescribing solutions, which include valuable information, to meet our clients’ business and clinical goals.”

    The agreement with Allscripts, along with a broader ePrescribing and eHealth strategy involving the two companies, increases the ability of CVS Caremark to reach prescribers beyond that provided by investment in a single clinical tool.

    Allscripts offers physicians in independent practice and in larger groups or institutions a wide variety of solutions to meet their needs, ranging from a standalone mobile smartphone e-prescribing solution to robust EHR with embedded e-prescribing technology.

    “Electronic prescribing is a proven technology that can improve health outcomes by reducing medication errors, leading to lower health care costs,” said Glen Tullman, Chief Executive Officer of Allscripts.

    “With this partnership, CVS Caremark has demonstrated its continuing leadership in the promotion of patient safety by preparing former iScribe physicians to take advantage of the new federal incentives for adoption of electronic health records, which let them not only e-prescribe but automate and connect their clinical operations for higher quality and greater efficiency.

    We also look forward to working with CVS Caremark to provide valuable new information that will help physicians and caregivers better manage patient care.”

    About CVS Caremark

    CVS Caremark is the largest provider of prescriptions in the nation. The Company fills or manages more than 1 billion prescriptions annually.

    Through its unmatched breadth of service offerings, CVS Caremark is transforming the delivery of health care services in the U.S.

    The Company is uniquely positioned to effectively manage costs and improve health care outcomes through its more than 7,000 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drugs stores; its Caremark Pharmacy Services division (pharmacy benefit management, mail order and specialty pharmacy); its retail-based health clinic subsidiary, MinuteClinic; and its online pharmacy, CVS.com.

    General information about CVS Caremark is available through the Investor Relations section of the Company’s Web site, at cvscaremark.com/investors, as well as through the press room section of the Company’s Web site, at cvscaremark.com/newsroom.

    About Allscripts

    Allscripts uses innovation technology to bring health to healthcare. More than 160,000 physicians, 800 hospitals and nearly 8,000 post-acute and homecare organizations utilize Allscripts to improve the health of their patients and their bottom line.

    The company’s award-winning solutions include electronic health records, electronic prescribing, revenue cycle management, practice management, document management, care management, emergency department information systems and homecare automation. Allscripts is the trade name of Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc.

    To learn more, visit allscripts.com.

    For more Allscripts news, follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/AllscriptsMisys

        CVS Caremark Contacts:

    Nancy Christal                Christine Cramer
    Senior Vice President         Director
    Investor Relations            Corporate Communications
    CVS Caremark                  CVS Caremark
    (914) 722-4704                (401) 770-3317

    Allscripts Contacts:

    Seth Frank                    Todd Stein
    Vice President                Senior Manager
    Investor Relations            Public Relations
    (312) 506-1213                (312) 506-1216
    [email protected]     [email protected]


  • Dishy jewelry plate

    Here’s a pretty little thing from Karen.

    “I wanted to share this hack because it’s so easy to do and inexpensive as well. I have tons of jewelry and was looking for a simple, pretty way to organize them. This really easy hack consists of a white porcelain 365+ series Drom side plate ($3.99) and the Neglinge candle holder (just 49 cents!). I used clear caulk to glue the two peices together (just a couple drops on the edges of the candle holder is sufficient), and now I have a small jewelry stand that I can hang earrings off of and place jewelry on. This hack can of course be done with any ikea plate (there were so many cool ones I had a hard time choosing…I’ll definitely be making more of these with larger plates considering all the jewelry I have) and any Ikea item that can be utilized as a stand.”


  • Windows Mobile 7 coming to MWC in February, not just ‘evolutionary’

    We’d heard some rumblings, but apparently Robbie Bach let the cat out of the bag at an analyst briefing this week, stating that we should expect a showing of Windows Mobile 7 at the Mobile World Congress show in Spain, which begins on February 15th. He also added that the OS (which he’s played with, surprisingly) will “set the bar forward not in (just) an evolutionary way,” and that Microsoft is going to be “more engaged” with OEMs in its “go to market approach.” We love a good buzzword or three, but the hope here is that Microsoft has learned its lesson from iPhone and Android and is ready to compete in the next-gen smartphone game in a big way — a WinMo 7 showing just four months after the release of Windows Mobile 6.5 certainly smacks of that.

    [Thanks, Matthias]

    Windows Mobile 7 coming to MWC in February, not just ‘evolutionary’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink   |  sourceWMPoweruser  | Email this | Comments

    Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

    Article

  • Home automation shocker: Bulogic bridges Z-Wave to Zigbee smart power meters

    Z-Wave. Zigbee. If you’re a home automation nerd, these words mean something to you. You are an extreme form of pure nerd, and we envy your ability to invest in things like replacement light switches while the rest of us scrimp and save because now we have to watch TV in an extra dimension we never asked for. Anyway, that Z-Wave network you might have? Well, the Bulogics Smart Grid Controller bridges a Zigbee power meter into it using a new Sigma Designs chip, so you can track all your power usage easily and do something called “end-to-end load shedding,” which either helps you save power or requires a painful medical procedure. You’re welcome.

    Home automation shocker: Bulogic bridges Z-Wave to Zigbee smart power meters originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink   |  sourcePR Newswire, Bulogics  | Email this | Comments

    Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

    Article

  • D-Link’s DIG-1320 Powerline router eyed at CES

    Looks like Netgear isn’t the only one bringing its Powerline data-over-power line devices to Las Vegas this week! Our fine friends at GDGT have just hepped us to a couple new D-Link devices, including the DIG-1320, the company’s first Powerline router — with 802.11n WiFi to boot!. If using the ominous power of electricity to watch The Fall Guy on Hulu seems a bit much, the company has also unveiled DIR-632, its first consumer draft-n router with (count ‘em!) 8 Ethernet ports. No word on price or release date, but if any of these things “fall off the back of a truck,” we’ll drop you a line. We know a guy.

    D-Link’s DIG-1320 Powerline router eyed at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink   |  sourceGDGT, GDGT  | Email this | Comments

    Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

    Article

  • MS developer talks tech, Natal ‘correctly positions your hand even if it’s held behind your back’

    MS developer talks tech, Natal 'correctly positions your hand even if it's held behind your back'
    We now know that Natal is going to make it out before the end of the year (if all goes well), but the company is still keeping a lot of secrets about the technology and being rather stingy with hands-on time. Natal lead developer Alex Kipman is spilling a few notable beans, however, indicating that the team has gathered terabytes of photos and video of people playing games, amassing a library of data that the system uses to anticipate where you might move next. Because of this the system can predict your hand position, even if it’s obscured, based on the location of other parts of your body. He also indicated that the software required for all this will only take up about 50MB on your Xbox’s (probably near-full) storage device, and that the algorithms it uses will suck down about 10 to 15 percent of the 360’s overall processing power. That’s certainly a substantial hit, but this is the price you pay for getting to kick virtual balls with physical feet.

    MS developer talks tech, Natal ‘correctly positions your hand even if it’s held behind your back’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink TechRadar  |  sourceNewScientist  | Email this | Comments

    Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

    Article

  • Skiff and Marvell announce Skiff Reader Develop Kit in a bid to rule the e-world

    We’ve been hearing a lot about Marvell lately driven, in part, by the rapid growth in e-reader devices. Now it’s teamed up with Hearst’s ambitious venture, Skiff, to create the Skiff Reader Development Kit (RDK) designed to allow manufacturers to quickly create inexpensive reading devices using Marvell’s Armada System-on-a-chip with integrated electronic paper display controller. Naturally, the RDK includes built-in software support for the Skiff eReading service and digital storefront. Interesting, very interesting. It’s becoming clear that Skiff’s approach to toppling Amazon’s early e-reader / service juggernaut is to flood the market with devices hooked into a compelling value proposition for publishers and content owners and then ultimately (sometime later this year), consumers. Hold tight kids, this could be Apple (Amazon) vs. Microsoft (Skiff/Hearst) all over again.

    Skiff and Marvell announce Skiff Reader Develop Kit in a bid to rule the e-world originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink   |  sourceBusinesswire  | Email this | Comments

    Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

    Article

  • Gemini II, Capelle aan den IJssel

    Gegevens
    Naam: Gemini II (Schoutentoren)
    Hoogte: 76 Meter
    Plaats: Capelle aan den IJssel, Rivium
    Oplevering: 1998
    Functie: Kantoren
    Architect: van Tilburg en Partners
    _________________________________________________


    by Jan


    by Jan

  • Conserve el agua para el futuro

    Una de las más evidentes consecuencias del cambio climático que se observan en la actualidad en muchas partes del mundo es la sequía que afecta tanto a las personas como a los animales y a las plantas.

    Expertos ambientalistas han repetido innumerables veces que el agua del futuro dependerá de la que se ahorre ahora, por lo que cada individuo puede aportar para evitar el desperdicio innecesario de este fluido.

    Consejos prácticos
    Siempre que abra un grifo recuerde que en un minuto consume 12 litros de agua, por lo que es importante que cierre cuando se enjabona las manos, se afeita o se lava los dientes. De igual manera debe ser cuidadoso al momento de bañarse, ya que por cada vez que cierre la llave para enjabonarse está conservando 150 litros.

    Cuando un grifo está goteando se pierden 170 litros de líquido vital en un mes, debido a esto es esencial que revise constantemente que funcionen de manera adecuada.
    Tome en cuenta que un gran desperdicio de agua limpia se realiza al momento de regar las plantas, es así que puede colaborar haciéndolo con aquella con que limpia los vegetales.

    Mucho se malgasta en los inodoros, ya que los tanques receptan más de lo que en realidad se debería usar, por lo que es apropiado que introduzca una botella con arena o piedras en este sitio para que así se llene con menos agua.

    Agua en el mundo
    Datos

    • A nivel mundial se estima la disponibilidad de agua promedio anual en 1.386 millones de kilómetros cúbicos.
    • 35 millones de kilómetros cúbicos son agua dulce, de la cual 24,4 millones de kilómetros cúbicos no son disponibles por encontrarse en glaciares, nieve y hielo.
    • Solamente 135 mil kilómetros cúbicos se encuentran en lagos, ríos, humedad en suelo y aire, humedales, plantas y animales.
    • Los desastres causados por el líquido vital en el periodo de 2000 a 2004 ocasionaron pérdidas de 427 mil vidas, afectando a más de mil 500 millones de personas.

    FUENTE: Comisión Nacional del Agua de México

  • ARTICLE: Did Microsoft Beat Apple in the Tablet Race?

    We were hoping for an announcement of the rumored Courier, the dual screen tablet PC that would take the mobile computer industry by storm. Unfortunately, we had to settle for a regular old single screen tablet PC, though it does feature a touchscreen. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled a new slate PC from HP, complete with Windows 7 and mutli-touch capabilities that will be released later this year. Ballmer described it as “something that’s almost as portable as a phone and as powerful as a PC running Windows 7.” The prototype that he was using was running the Amazon Kindle software.
     
    Could this be the Zeen product that HP filed a trademark for not long ago? Coinciding with this announcement from Microsoft, HP yesterday released the TouchSmart tm2, “a powerful, convertible, touch-enabled notebook PC”, and a few new Minis including the Mini 5102 which is also available with a touch-enabled screen. So is this the Zeen? We’re not sure for now, since Microsoft didn’t release a lot of details about the prototype slate PC that Ballmer featured on stage.
     
    What we do know is that Microsoft isn’t quite ready to give up just yet. They’re staying on top of the competition by announcing these new tablet PCs and showcasing their own drool-worthy smartphone – the HTC HD2 which will (officially) be coming to T-Mobile. Not only that but Xbox Live is taking on a life of its own and bringing together the features that Microsoft offers through Zune, Windows 7, and Windows Mobile. According to the Microsoft Press Release, Live is a community of users now 20 million strong and about 1/3rd of the time spent on Live is with non-gaming activities. Microsoft is continuing to provide applications like Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Last.fm, Sky, Canal and Zune so that people can use their Xbox “as a way to stay connected to friends and family.”
     
    Another big announcement, Project Natal will be released in time for Christmas this year. Project Natal is Microsoft’s break through gaming experience that requires absolutely no controllers. (The “no controller” part also plays a roll in using features of Live as well.) There is no word yet on the price tag for Natal.
     
    Basically, Microsoft is geared up for a war. They’re not backing down in the PC, tablet PC, smartphone, or gaming fields. In fact, they’re stepping it up a notch, offering consumers even more reasons to choose Microsoft. Not only is this nice for you, but it’s also a smart business plan – integrating each feature of the Microsoft experience. It’s not just about having their phone or their music player or their gaming system. It’s about bringing it all together and making everything work together, like an ecosystem.
     
    What do you think? Is Microsoft really putting up a heavy fight? Or are they just shelling out products to keep people interested? What about Project Natal? Is it something you would consider purchasing for your Xbox 360? Drop a line in the comments or in our new forums.


  • ARTICLE: Did Micrsoft Beat Apple in the Tablet Race?

    We were hoping for an announcement of the rumored Courier, the dual screen tablet PC that would take the mobile computer industry by storm. Unfortunately, we had to settle for a regular old single screen tablet PC, though it does feature a touchscreen. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled a new slate PC from HP, complete with Windows 7 and mutli-touch capabilities that will be released later this year. Ballmer described it as “something that’s almost as portable as a phone and as powerful as a PC running Windows 7.” The prototype that he was using was running the Amazon Kindle software.
     
    Could this be the Zeen product that HP filed a trademark for not long ago? Coinciding with this announcement from Microsoft, HP yesterday released the TouchSmart tm2, “a powerful, convertible, touch-enabled notebook PC”, and a few new Minis including the Mini 5102 which is also available with a touch-enabled screen. So is this the Zeen? We’re not sure for now, since Microsoft didn’t release a lot of details about the prototype slate PC that Ballmer featured on stage.
     
    What we do know is that Microsoft isn’t quite ready to give up just yet. They’re staying on top of the competition by announcing these new tablet PCs and showcasing their own drool-worthy smartphone – the HTC HD2 which will (officially) be coming to T-Mobile. Not only that but Xbox Live is taking on a life of its own and bringing together the features that Microsoft offers through Zune, Windows 7, and Windows Mobile. According to the Microsoft Press Release, Live is a community of users now 20 million strong and about 1/3rd of the time spent on Live is with non-gaming activities. Microsoft is continuing to provide applications like Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Last.fm, Sky, Canal and Zune so that people can use their Xbox “as a way to stay connected to friends and family.”
     
    Another big announcement, Project Natal will be released in time for Christmas this year. Project Natal is Microsoft’s break through gaming experience that requires absolutely no controllers. (The “no controller” part also plays a roll in using features of Live as well.) There is no word yet on the price tag for Natal.
     
    Basically, Microsoft is geared up for a war. They’re not backing down in the PC, tablet PC, smartphone, or gaming fields. In fact, they’re stepping it up a notch, offering consumers even more reasons to choose Microsoft. Not only is this nice for you, but it’s also a smart business plan – integrating each feature of the Microsoft experience. It’s not just about having their phone or their music player or their gaming system. It’s about bringing it all together and making everything work together, like an ecosystem.
     
    What do you think? Is Microsoft really putting up a heavy fight? Or are they just shelling out products to keep people interested? What about Project Natal? Is it something you would consider purchasing for your Xbox 360? Drop a line in the comments or in our new forums.


  • Recipe: Lemon Garlic Chicken

    2010_01_11-LemonGarlicChicken.jpgWhen Emma write her post on Slow-Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken a few years ago, I started drooling immediately. Unfortunately, I don’t have a slow cooker, but I took a look at the ingredient list and hacked my own recipe together using a baking dish and the oven!

    Read Full Post


  • Pongal issue

    Pongal is around the corner and there is huge socio-political contraversy about the festival. This thread is to discuss the history, origins, sociological implications etc of the issue. Is Pongal really a Tamil specific festival ? Is it really ‘new year’ or is a mass propoganda campaign of the tamil nationalist lobby to promote it as a ‘nationalist’ festival based on linguistic lines. Traditionally is it a Hindu/Bhuddist festival celebrated with variations in Sri Lanka and other parts of India, Nepal, Thailand etc Any views,new discussions etc. Is this a festival that is popular with Christians, Muslims etc if at all it is to be seen as a ‘Tamil festival’ rather than a religious festival.

    The idea is to open up some amount of discussion in this section rather than the usual rhetorics of exchanging plesantries and ‘gifts’ for festivals and thinking all is well but more about opening up a dialogue between communities which requires a bit of introspection. However even though this is an explorative thread about history etc it doesnt mean there are no limits.

    So please bear in mind this issue might be of interest to people beyond national borders and hence I would stress caution and wont tolerate meaningless insensitivity or discussing present day politics etc.

  • Semifinales Concurso 2009 – Grupo 7

    ¡Ya pueden votar por el Semifinales Concurso 2009 – Grupo 7

    Podés votar a uno de los 7 semifinalistas, eligiendo la que más te guste. Por favor, no voten solamente a alguien por amistad o por ser de la misma nacionalidad; voten honestamente y de la manera más limpia posible. Tienen que darle la misma chance a todas las fotografías, no concentrándose en qué se ha fotografiado, sino en la técnica realizada, la calidad y el esfuerzo colocado.

    Nuestros 7 semifinalistas de esta semana con los mejores promedios están a continuación. Están ordenados en orden aleatorio:

    #1: El único camino a la Gloria

    #2: Montañas, nubes y el mar

    #3: Gloria y honores al General

    #4: Resplandor de lo moderno

    #5: Crepúsculo

    #6: Volver… Vivir con el alma aferrada a un dulce recuerdo que lloro otra vez

    #7: Sigilosa se acerca la tormenta

  • Arranha-céus nos Estados Unidos e desenvolvimento urbano.

    Caros, os Estados Unidos já foram o paradigma das metrópoles do mundo, foi lá que surgiram os primeiros arranha-céus e também as modernas megacidades. No entanto, hoje se fala muito nos emergentes, principalmente naqueles países em que o crescimento econômico levou as cidades a um espantoso progresso, multiplicando assim o número de supertalls, skyscrapers, e gigantescos projetos de desenvolvimento urbano (Ex: várias cidades da China, Dubai, Seoul, Abu Dhabi, etc.). É notável que a maior parte dos arranha-céus hoje tem surgido em alguns países da Ásia, Oriente Médio e etc. No entanto, o que aconteceu com os EUA? Existem projetos grandiosos ou ousados, salvo do WTC 1, não só de arranha-céus, mas também de áreas em que se vê uma maior dose de modernidade (leia-se século XXI)? Alguma cidade cheia de gruas (que cresce vertigosamente)? O fórum internacional de projetos do SSC tem muito pouca coisa de lá acerca disso. Muitos daqui que conhecem os EUA e até vivem lá poderiam tirar essa minha dúvida e eu gostaria de ver alguma coisa mais ambiciosa do que estão fazendo por lá, ao contrário de China e Dubai que já estão enchendo o saco! :lol::lol::lol:

    Me desculpem o texto gigantesco, mas se for possível, gostaria que postassem fotos. À moderação, peço que, se for adequado, que se transfira esse thread pro "Mundo Afora".

    Abraços Skyscrapercityanos.