Monday, March 23, 2009

The lauch of The Nano

"Peoples' car" Nano launched
(00:54) Rough Cut Reuters Video

Mar. 23 - India's Tata Motors fulfills its promise to launch the ultra low-cost Nano car ahead of schedule, under difficult circumstances.
The launch of the world's cheapest car could dramatically change the auto market in the world's second most populous nation.
The Nano debuted in January 2008 and was expected to be on sale late last year, but its arrival was delayed by a dispute over the land where a purpose-built facility was to be located.

Soundbite:
TATA MOTORS CHAIRMAN RATAN TATA (English)

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The Dell Adamo, trendy, high-tech, fashionable and sexy

Dell hopes PCs can't be too rich or too thin
Tuesday March 17, 12:02 am ET

Monsieur, you're getting a Dell: PC maker uses couture to sell luxury laptops in recession
The way it came on the scene, it could have been a rare perfume or a designer handbag, undaunted by the roilingeconomy.

The first rumors of it surfaced in December on a lifestyle magazine's blog. A few weeks later, it was spotted in the arms of runway model Hollis Wakeema in a Las Vegas hotel.
Then came its Web site: Black and white fashion photos fade in and out as cool piano notes drop and melt into a warm, smooth beat. Prepare to fall in love, the site reads.

Now, go buy the laptop.
Specifically, Dell Inc.'s new $2,000-and-up laptop. The computer maker was entering the ultra-thin notebook race Tuesday with the Adamo, from the Latin for "to fall in love with."

The aluminum-body laptop comes in two colors, "onyx" and "pearl." It boasts a 13-inch screen and, with a depth of less than two-thirds of an inch, is thinner than both Apple Inc.'s 0.76-inch MacBook Air ($1,800 and up) and Hewlett-Packard Co.'s 0.7-inch Voodoo Envy notebook (from $1,900).
Even the customer support package goes upscale. Dell will guarantee the same team of service representatives for $99 for a year or $349 for three.
Dell, known for affordable, no-frills computers, leaned away from consumer-electronics tropes and toward the seductive imagery of couture as it designed a marketing campaign to fit the Adamo. The leap Dell is asking consumers to make from its core brand would be a risk in any economy, let alone the worst recession of the personal-computer age. PC sales are sliding and the lone bright spot in the market appears to be small, inexpensive "netbooks," Adamo's polar opposite.

Friday, March 13, 2009

The World's Billionaires

The World's Billionaires

(Source Forbes)
Last year the world had 1,125 billionaires. Today there are 793. How $1.4 trillion vanished. The richest people in the world have gotten poorer, just like the rest of us. This year the world's billionaires have an average net worth of $3 billion, down 23% in 12 months. The world now has 793 billionaires, down from 1,125 a year ago.
After slipping in recent years, the U.S. is regaining its dominance as a repository of wealth. Americans account for 44% of the money and 45% of the list's slots, up seven and three percentage points from last year, respectively. Bill Gates lost $18 billion but regained his title as the world's richest man. Warren Buffett, last year's No. 1, saw his fortune decline $25 billion as shares of Berkshire Hathaway fell nearly 50% in 12 months. Mexican telecom titan Carlos Slim Helú maintains his spot in the top three but lost $25 billion.
More ...

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Dalai Lama slams China over Tibet "suffering"

Dalai Lama slams China over Tibet "suffering"

DHARAMSALA, India (Reuters) - The Dalai Lama said on Tuesday more and more Chinese were beginning to see a problem with Beijing's rule over Tibet, lamenting how the homeland he fled 50 years ago had become a "hell on earth."
Speaking before some 10,000 Tibetans from around the world, the 73-year-old slammed China for bringing "untold suffering and destruction" during a series of repressive and violent campaigns in Tibet since 1959.
"These thrust Tibetans into such depths of suffering and hardship that they literally experienced hell on earth," he said from the main Buddhist temple in Dharamsala, the north Indian hill town where the Tibetan government-in-exile is based.
"The immediate result of these campaigns was the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Tibetans."
China tightened security across ethnic Tibetan areas, aiming to head off potential unrest on the sensitive 50th anniversary of a failed uprising that prompted the Dalai Lama's flight into exile in India.
Monks, who have initiated many Tibetan protests in recent years, told Reuters they were under close surveillance and riot police blocked roads and turned away foreign journalists from parts of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces.
Later on Tuesday, the Dalai Lama told a news conference the voice of support for Tibet within China was rising steadily.

Tibetan life 'hell on earth'
(02:22) Report Reuters Video
Mar 10 - The Tibetan spiritual leader says the homeland he fled 50 years ago has become a hell on earth under Chinese rule.
The Dalai Lama has delivered a damning attack on China's policies in Tibet on the anniversary of his flight into exile after a failed uprising exactly half a century ago.
Paul Chapman reports.

Fashionable News Photography

Fashionable News Photography
New York Times Looks Behind The Scenes at Paris Fashion Week

The Beatles Exhibition at the Movieum of London County Hall, Waterloo.


The Beatles posing in a small backyard in London with their instruments, 1963. From left to right George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Photo by Terry O'Neill/Getty Images.
The Beatles exhibition marks the launch of a permanent new Getty Images photographic space at the prestigious Movieum of London County Hall, Waterloo.
The Beatles Exhibition
March 12 - June 12

Getty Images Gallery is proud to announce that is opening a permanent new photographic exhibition space at the Movieum of London in County Hall. The exclusive Beatles exhibition will feature rare and unseen images of the “Fab Four”, from famous photographers including Robert Whitaker, who accompanied John, Paul, George and Ringo on their 1966 Far Eastern Tour.
The launch of the collection marks the 40th Anniversary since the Beatles played their last live performance on the rooftop of the Apple Building at 3 Savile Row. The images span from 1963 to 1970 and includeshots from the filming of Help and A Hard Day’s Night, as well as candid behind the scenes pictures of the Beatles on tour.
The Movieum, an interactive movie museum dedicated to unseen behind-the-scenes film stills, scripts, sets, props and costumes from some of the world’s most loved movies, opened in February 2008 at County Hall on the South Bank. The venue is owned and run by Jonathan Sands, who has roots as a stills photographer and has worked on a number of short films, music videos and commercials.
As well as the photo exhibition, there will also be a selection of Beatles memorabilia on show, including one of John Lennon’s very own Rickenbacker guitars donated by Pete Waterman OBE. Gibson Musical Instruments will also be donating guitar cases signed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney as well as a section of Epiphone signature models, as used by the Beatles in the 60s.
http://www.gettyimagesgallery.com/

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Retro Drugs As Modern Medicine?

Psychedelic Therapy
Retro Drugs As Modern Medicine?

(Source TrendHunter)
Baby boomers that experimented with LSD and magic mushrooms in the 60’s and 70’s are now senior scientists nearing retirement in the FDA and other institutions, and are no longer afraid to assert their belief that psychedelics have a place in modern medical therapy.

After a break of 20 years research quietly began again in the early 90’s and has been gaining credibility, current studies involve the treatment of cluster headaches, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), severe anxiety in terminal cancer patients, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcoholism and opiate addiction and the FDA has approved clinical trials in the U.S., Switzerland, Israel and Spain.
Mind-altering psychedelics are back—but this time they are being explored in labs for their therapeutic applications rather than being used illegally. The past 15 years have seen a quiet resurgence of psychedelic drug research as scientists have come to recognize the long-underappreciated potential of these drugs. In the past few years, a growing number of studies using human volunteers have begun to explore the possible therapeutic benefits of drugs such as LSD, psilocybin, DMT, MDMA, ibogaine and ketamine. Much remains unclear about the precise neural mechanisms governing how these drugs produce their mind-bending results, but they often produce somewhat similar psychoactive effects that make them potential therapeutic tools. Though still in their preliminary stages, studies in humans suggest that the day when people can schedule a psychedelic session with their therapist to overcome a serious psychiatric problem may not be that far off. (sciam)


Friday, March 6, 2009

Writing Women

By KATIE ROIPHE Published: March 8, 2009
Elaine Showalter examines the lives and works of 250 female writers.



International Women's Day 2009 Theme

International Women's Day 2009 Theme

Each year around the world, International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Hundreds of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.
Organisations, governments and women's groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues.

The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.

Some years have seen global IWD themes honoured around the world, while in other years groups have preferred to 'localise' their own themes to make them more specific and relevant.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

New 2009 JourneyMart.com desktop calendar for the month of March


Here is the new 2009 JourneyMart.com desktop calendar for the month of March. Click on the picture, right-click the Wallpaper and Save it as your Desktop.
Download

CeBIT previews future tech

CeBIT previews future tech
(02:25) Report Reuters Video

Mar 4 - A robot who makes tea for astronauts, a ‘magic’ mirror and a new mini-PC design are among the standout innovations on display at Europe’s largest technology fair.
Even in an economic downturn, technology companies and research institutes must carry on planning the technologies that will shape our lives in the future.
From the array of concepts and products being demonstrated at CeBIT in Hanover, the Jetsons' vision of robots in the home may not be too far off.
Matt Cowan reports.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Hiswa te water 2009 in Amsterdam RAI

Vivante 43 Cabrio Cruiser

De HISWA 2009 is evenals vorig jaar volgeboekt door exposanten. In totaal presenteren zo’n 350 exposanten hun nieuwste boten en nautische producten en diensten op de HISWA 2009.
03 mrt 2009 t/m 08 mrt 2009

VIVANTE 43 CABRIO CRUISER HISWA BOOT VAN HET JAAR 2009
VIVANTE 43 CABRIO CRUISER De Vivante 43 Cabrio Cruiser van Vivante Yachts uit Sneek is uitgeroepen tot HISWA Boot van het Jaar 2009. Dit maakte juryvoorzitter Hugo van Wieringen, directeur van Azure Naval Architects, op de openingsdag van de HISWA bekend. In totaal waren drie motorboten voor de eretitel genomineerd. De einduitslag kwam tot stand na vaarimpressies en een laatste stemmingsronde onder alle juryleden. Daarbij wist de Vivante 43 Cabrio Cruiser de Vedette 10.30 V/OK van Vedette Jachtbouw en de 36’ Gently van Serious Yachts nipt achter zich te laten.

Vivante 43 Cabrio Cruiser Website

The London International Boat Show
9-18 January

(Source The Telegraph.co.uk)
The London International Boat Show, which starts this week, will feature more large luxury yachts than ever before as boat builders hope their millionaire customers will still be prepared to splash out for the ultimate playboy accessory.
Organisers of the show have revealed that there will be seven luxury yachts, each boasting multi-million pound price tags, moored outside the exhibition in the hope of attracting buyers. Last year the major luxury boat firms displayed just four large yachts between them.
The highlight of the show, in London's Docklands area, will be a 121ft Sunseeker tri-deck yacht, complete with ostrich leather interior, worth £11.5 million.
Also on display will be a 111ft Sunseeker yacht worth around £7 million, while Plymouth-based luxury yacht builders Princess Yachts will be exhibiting at least four new boats including a £4 million 85ft Princess V85 yacht.
A spokesman for the show said: "The kind of people who buy these really expensive luxury boats are probably not going to be badly affected by the credit crunch."
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the event in the capital. From Friday until the show's close on January 18, around 130,000 visitors are expected to pass through the ExCel exhibition centre where there will be more than 500 exhibitors with hundreds of boats from historic replicas, sailing vessels to modern speed boats and motor yachts.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/4091761/More-expensive-yachts-than-ever-before-at-Boat-Show.html

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Kunsthal Rotterdam: Silk Stories Taishō Kimono 1900-1940


Kunsthal Rotterdam: Silk Stories Taishō Kimono 1900-1940

28 maart t/m 21 juni 2009

De kimono behoort tot het meest bekende culturele erfgoed van Japan. In het kader van het jubileum 400 jaar Japans-Nederlandse handelsbetrekkingen (1609-2009) presenteert de Kunsthal de tentoonstelling Silk Stories, waarin de ontwikkeling van de kimono aan de hand van tal van stoffen, handgemaakte decoraties en nieuwe technieken centraal staat. Het woord kimono is de verzamelnaam voor een variëteit aan traditionele kledingstukken en betekent ‘ding om te dragen’. Ruim 120 kimono’s, haori’s (korte jasjes) en obi’s (brede brocaten ceintuurs) geven voor het eerst in Nederland een overzicht van de Japanse mode in de periode 1900-1940. Met regelmaat besteedt de Kunsthal aandacht aan de Japanse cultuur. Eerdere tentoonstellingen waren ‘Manga’ (2000), ‘Lentelust’, een groots overzicht van Japanse erotische kunst (2005) en in 2008 ‘Dierenstreken’ met Japanse schilderingen van 1700 tot 1940.
De tentoonstelling gaat in op de belangrijke rol die de kimono speelt in het dagelijkse Japanse leven, wat zijn functie is en hoe hij wordt gemaakt. Veel aandacht is er voor de fascinerende verhalen die vaak op de binnenvoering van de luxueuze kimono staan afgebeeld. Door de toenemende welvaart in de Taishō-periode - de regeerperiode van keizer Yoshihito (1912-1926) - kunnen steeds meer mensen zich een dure kimono veroorloven. Kunstenaars worden door de warenhuizen aangesteld om artistieke patronen te ontwerpen, wat resulteert in een ongelooflijk rijk en hoogwaardig aanbod.
Verhalen in zijde
De kimono bestaat uit tien tot twaalf meter stof. Het aantrekken van de kimono is een serieuze aangelegenheid, waarbij de keuze voor de extra kledingstukken zoals de onderkimono, een kort jasje of een brocaten ceintuur een belangrijke rol speelt. Mannenkimono’s zijn gemaakt van effen zijde; alleen de onderkimono’s en de voeringen van de jasjes werden voorzien van decoraties, die daardoor vrijwel nooit zichtbaar waren. De voorstellingen hebben vaak een verhalend karakter. Vrouwenkimono’s hebben vaak meer poëtische motieven. Nieuwe trends werden veelal geïntroduceerd door geisha’s, voor wie de kimono een belangrijk aspect van haar mysterieuze aantrekkelijkheid vormt. De kledingstukken zijn afkomstig uit de collectie van Japan-deskundige Jan Dees.
Meer persbeeld via http://www.kunsthal.nl/22-605-pers-Silk_Stories.html
info 010-4400301, www.kunsthal.nl, openingstijden: dinsdag t/m zaterdag 10.00 - 17.00 uur, zon- en feestdagen 11.00 - 17.00 uur
Meer informatie: www.kunsthal.nl/educatie

Aigo (China-made digital camera ) T60 jumped to the first place

Aigo (China-made digital camera ) T60 jumped to the first place
The latest survey in January, 2009 showed that the sales of Aigo digital camera T60 jumped to the first place. The survery is from Gome, China's largest home appliance retail chain store. This is the first time China-made digital camera sales surpass Japanese brands.
T60 is the flagship point & shoot digital camera of aigo’s with new generation dual core image processor, announced in summer 2008. It is featured with a size of 1/2.5 inch 8.0 Mega Pixel sharp CCD image sensor, a 3X optical zoom and 3.0 inch 230,000-pixel PURE-COLOR LTPS TFT LCD which are the mainstream of the current standard. Otherwise, it also featured with functions of face detection, the smiling face shutter, panoramic image stitching and manual exposure which make it a more competitive digital compact camera. For ordinary users, aigo T60 is quite a good choice. Read more...

http://china-business-daily.blogspot.com/2009/02/aigo-camera-first-time-surpass-japanese.html

Groot overschot aan apart ingezameld afval in EU

Groot overschot aan apart ingezameld afval in EU

(Bron: De Telegraaf, DFT)
BRUSSEL (AFN) - De vraag naar oud papier, metaal en ander apart ingezameld afval is zo ingestort, dat wereldwijd grote overschotten zijn ontstaan. Ministers van Milieu van de EU-landen vrezen voor langdurige opslag, verbranding of zelfs groeiende stortplaatsen.
Veel afval verlaat normaal de EU. Zo gaat de helft van het oud papier naar Azië.
De milieuministers vragen de Europese Commissie om de helpende hand te bieden. Ze denken aan lagere btw-tarieven, verminderde administratieve lasten en meer impulsen om gerecycled materiaal te kopen.
Ze willen de gescheiden afvalinzameling zeker niet een tandje lager zetten. “Recycling is van strategisch belang voor het milieu en voor de Europese concurrentiekracht”, aldus een nota van huidig EU-voorzitter Tsjechië. “De huidige recycling van metaal, glas, papier en plastic bespaart nu al ruim 200 miljoen ton CO2.”

http://www.telegraaf.nl/dft/nieuws_dft/3381421/__Groot_overschot_aan_apart_ingezameld_afval__.html

Will the luxury auto market weather the drought on Wall Street? (Forbes Video)

Will the luxury auto market weather the drought on Wall Street? (Forbes Video)
Bonuses and Business