TOPTECHNOWORLD

World's Most Expensive Car

2012-03-21T22:53:00.002-07:00

Revealed as a concept car at the Paris Motor Show last year, Lamborghini Sesto Elemento is coming to the selected showrooms in October 2011. With a 5.2 litre V10 engine and entire body constructed from visible, matte-finish carbon fiber the car is capable of reaching 62 mph in 2.5 seconds. Italian luxury car maker Lamborghini will produce only 20 units carrying a price tag of 1.9 million euro($2.9 million)

How To Hide Facebook From Work?

2012-03-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

If you work a job that requires you to sit in front of a computer for long periods, then you’ve no doubt spent time surfing the net when you should be working. Perhaps you’re doing that very thing right now. While some bosses might be lenient toward that sort of behavior, others aren’t going to be so happy to see you wasting company time. If your superior is the latter, then you might want to look into using Magic Boss Key.

No, there is no magic key that will magically get rid of your boss. Rather, it is a piece of software that will automatically minimize certain programs and mute your sound with the press of a button. There’s a great guide here on how to setup the software properly. Of course, if your computer is locked down and you can’t install software, then you’re just going to have to live without Facebook from 9 to 5

source:redferrent.net

Top Newyork Restuarents

2012-03-21T22:37:00.002-07:00

Planning a trip to the big apple? New York is home to some of the worlds finest restaurants. Although it would be impossible to make a list of the best restaurants in new York (since it would be about a dozen pages long!) here’s a short list of some of our favorites.

Atelier
The Ritz-Carlton, near central park is home to Atelier, one of New York’s most acclaimed fine dining restaurants. The artistic cuisine of Atelier’s menu is inspired by the chefs small home town in France . Atelier’s award winning menu features a mix of Parisian favorites as well contemporary French/American fusion.

The Essex House Restaurant
Using the best of the best local American produce, prepared with classical French techniques, chef Alain Ducasse pus a seasonal flare on his unique menu. The Essex also has a substantial wine list with bottles ranging from $25 to over $1,000 a bottle.

Kuruma Zushi
IF you are simply looking for he best sushi in America, this is it…period. The fish used at Kuruma Zushi defines what fresh and authentic really mean in a American-based Japanese restaurant by flying in a variety of fish directly from Japanese fish markets.

Per Se
If there was a culinary Mecca in America it would undoubtedly be in Napa Valley, California, mainly because of Thomas Keller’s French Laundry restaurant. New Yorkers unable to fly to the other side of the country can now sample Keller’s eclectic contemporary style at his New York sister property; Per se.

DANIEL
Local New York markets inspire the cuisine of Daniel Boulud. Traditional French technique mixed with only fresh, local New York in ingredients makes up an impressive menu at DANIEL with locally caught seafood and produce. DANIEL is especially known for their use of several traditional French sauces.

Le Bernardin
Eric Rippert’s Le Bernardin is legendary for some of the best seafood in the world. Listed as one of the top 50 restaurants around the globe, Le Bernardin is arguably the most prestigious restaurant in New York. Le Bernardin is also one of the only restaurants in New York to win 4 Michelin stars as well as a long list of James Beard awards.

MEGU
MEGU’s goal is to bring Japanese flavors and dining experience into the city. MEGU mixes gourmet ingredients imported from Japan and China for authentic flavor. MEGU’s menu is built around a family-style dining experience with several courses.

The Best Feature Of Iphone 5

2012-03-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

Apple as usual has made a business decision that could lead to exciting new features on the next generation iPhone and beyond. The company has acquired Swedish company Polar Rose, known for its mobile face recognition technology FaceLib among other similar products.

With full face detection and tracking of faces in video, the solutions Polar Rose delivers could change how you interact with your iPhone. Now that the iPhone 4 has a front-facing camera, passcode lock could end up going the way of the dinosaurs.

Imagine holding your iPhone up and the device automatically unlocking to reveal your home screen. The neat trick is that your iPhone won't do this for anyone else. If the software on the iPhone recognizes your face, this replaces your passcode. Some Apple patents have recently been revealedthat could lead to iPhones recognizing the shape of your hand, which could also replace the four-digit passcode.

Other interesting uses for the technology include automatically tagging people in photos and recognizing FaceTime callers from contact information. As the photographs taken on the iPhone improve, various image analysis algorithms could also be used to automatically classify and organize photos by type or subject.

Apple's iPhoto currently recognizes faces in pictures for tagging purposes. It's possible Apple is looking to improve and expand this functionality. Polar Rose removed its free tagging services for Facebook and Flickr earlier this month, citing interest from larger companies in licensing their technology. Staying true to form, Apple has not confirmed the acquisition of Polar Rose.

source:iphonefaq.org

World's Top 100 Richest Countries

2012-03-17T07:41:00.001-07:00

1. Luxembourg (Europe)

Bridge to city centre of Luxemburg city. [ Photo by Daveness_98 / CC BY 2.0 ]

Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg, French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg), is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a population of over half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (999 sq mi). Luxembourg lies on the cultural divide between Romance Europe and Germanic Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions. Luxembourg is a trilingual country; German, French and Luxembourgish are official languages. Although a secular state, Luxembourg is predominantly Roman Catholic. During World War II, Luxembourg abandoned its policy of neutrality, when it joined the Allies in fighting Nazi Germany. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

2. Qatar (Middle East)

pearl qatar [ Photo by AGImOmOTO 255 / CC BY 2.0 ]

Qatar, also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is an Arab country, known officially as an emirate, in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south; otherwise, the Persian Gulf surrounds the state. A strait of the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island nation of Bahrain. Qatar is an oil- and gas-rich nation, with the third largest gas reserves, and the first or second highest GDP per capita in the world. An absolute monarchy, Qatar has been ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s and has since transformed itself from a British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. In Standard Arabic the name is, while in the local dialect it is. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

3. United Arab Emirates (Middle East)

Dubai Marina by night [ Photo by David Pin http://www.ddpn.net / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Arabic: دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة‎, Dawlat al-Imārāt al-‘Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah, short name: The Emirates, local short name: Al Emarat الامارات) is a federation situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Iran. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, (because they are ruled by Emirs) which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. The capital and second largest city of the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

4. Norway (Europe)

The village of Reine in Lofoten, Norway. [ Photo by Sveter / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Norwayor Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.[note 1] Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 4.8 million. It is one of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; and Denmark lies south of its southern tip across the Skagerrak Strait. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

5. Singapore (Asia)

The Singapore Skyline [ Photo by Someformofhuman / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator, in the Southeast Asian region of the Asian continent. It is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north, and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. Singapore is the world's fourth leading financial centre and a cosmopolitan world city, playing a key role in international trade and finance. The port of Singapore is also amongst the top five busiest ports in the world. Among his more notable decisions is the plan to open casinos to attract tourism. Elections were held on 30 May 1959 with the People's Action Party winning a landslide victory. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

6. Brunei (Asia)

Dusk at the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque in Brunei [ Photo by tylerdurden1 / CC BY 2.0 ]

Brunei, officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: بروني دارالسلام), is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, and in fact it is separated into two parts by Limbang, which is part of Sarawak. It is the only sovereign state completely on the island of Borneo, with the remainder of the island belonging to Malaysia and Indonesia. Stated plans for the future include upgrading the labour force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourism sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

7. USA (North America)

Looking south from Top of the Rock, New York City [ Photo by Daniel Schwen / CC BY-SA 2.5 ]

The United States of America (also referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Caribbean and Pacific. The coastal plain of the Atlantic seaboard gives way further inland to deciduous forests and the rolling hills of the Piedmont. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

8. Kuwait (Middle East)

Kuwait City's skyline at night [ Photo by Snap / CC BY 2.0 ]

The State of Kuwait (Arabic: دولة الكويت‎, Dawlat al-Kuwayt) is a sovereign Arab emirate situated in the northeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, and Iraq to the north. It lies on the northwestern shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the Arabic "akwat", the plural of "kout", meaning fortress built near water. The emirate covers an area of 17,820 square kilometres (6,880 sq mi) and has a population of about 2.7 million. The government is keen on decreasing Kuwait's dependence on oil to fuel its economy by transforming it into a regional trading and tourism hub. The planned US$77 billion City of Silk is the largest real estate development project in the Middle East. (based on a wikipedia article /cc by-sa)

9. Switzerland (Europe)

An aerial photo of Bern. [ Photo by Benutzer:Amstuzmarco / public domain ]

Switzerland (German: die Schweiz,[note 3] French: la Suisse, Italian: la Svizzera, Romansh: la Svizra), officially the Swiss Confederation (Confœderatio Helvetica in Latin, hence its ISO country codes CH and CHE), is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe[note 4] where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Chemicals, health and pharmaceutical, measuring instruments, musical instruments, real estate, banking and insurance, tourism, and international organisations are important industries in Switzerland. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

10. Hong Kong (Asia)

Image of Hong Kong Skyline [ Photo by Pwojdacz / CC BY 3.0 ]

Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港) is one of two special administrative regions (SAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC); the other is Macau. Situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Hong Kong's population is 95% ethnic Chinese and 5% from other groups. Hong Kong's Han Chinese majority originate mainly from the cities of Guangzhou and Taishan in the neighbouring Guangdong province. The name "Hong Kong" is an approximate phonetic rendering of the of the spoken Cantonese or Hakka name "香港", meaning "fragrant harbour" in English. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

11. Netherlands (Europe)

Panorama von Maastricht. Aufgenommen vom Sint Janskerk-Turm, Netherlands [ Photo by Euku / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in North-West Europe. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and water borders with Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom. The capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. Many economic historians regard the Netherlands as the first thoroughly capitalist country in the world. In early modern Europe it featured the wealthiest trading city (Amsterdam) and the first full-time stock exchange. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

12. Ireland (Europe)

Panorama photograph of Dublin [ Photo by Garret Flynn / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Ireland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the northwest of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland is Great Britain, separated from it by the Irish Sea. The island is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers just under five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom, which covers the remainder and is located in the northeast of the island. The population of Ireland is approximately 6.2 million people. Just under 4.5 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just under 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

13. Australia (Pacific & Antarctica)

The Sydney Opera House viewed from the water with the city skyline behind [ Photo by Mfield http://www.photography.mattfield.com / CC BY 2.5 ]

Australia ( or, or ), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a highly developed country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent (the world's smallest), the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.N4 Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the northeast and New Zealand to the southeast. The service sector of the economy, including tourism, education, and financial services, accounts for 69% of GDP. Although agriculture and natural resources account for only 3% and 5% of GDP respectively, they contribute substantially to export performance. Australia's largest export markets are Japan, China, the US, South Korea, and New Zealand. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

14. Austria (Europe)

Danube river within the town boundaries of Vienna, the background showing the new quarter Donau City with a here rather unusual concentration of high-rises – emerging around UNO-City [ Photo by Omnidoom 999 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Austria or (German: Österreich ), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,872 square kilometres (32,383 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,797 metres (12,457 ft). The majority of the population speaks German, which is also the country's official language. Other local official languages are Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

15. Canada (North America)

View of Ottawa, capital city of Canada, Province of Ontario / left to right above the Ottawa River 1) Alexandra Bridge 2) Samuel de Champlain Statue 3) glass section of the National Gallery of Canada 4) pale building with turrets [ Photo by Wikicanadia / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Canada ( ) is a country in North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area. Canada's common border with the United States to the south and northwest is the longest in the world. From the early 17th century onwards, that part of New France that lay along the Saint Lawrence River and the northern shores of the Great Lakes was known as Canada. The area was later split into two British colonies, Upper Canada and Lower Canada. They were re-unified as the Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, the name Canada was adopted as the legal name for the new country, and Dominion (a term from Psalm 72:8) was conferred as the country's title. Combined, the term Dominion of Canada was in common usage until the 1950s. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

16. Iceland (Europe)

Central Reykjavík seen from Hallgrímskirkja [ Photo by Yelkrokoyade / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Iceland[note 1] () (Icelandic: Ísland (names of Iceland); IPA: ) is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (39,769 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Reykjavík, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to some two-thirds of the national population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

17. Sweden (Europe)

Kulturhuset, in Sergel's Square [ Photo by Micha221 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Sweden is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and water borders with Denmark, Germany, and Poland to the south, and Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia to the east. Sweden is also connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund. The modern name Sweden is derived through back-formation from Old English Swēoþēod, which meant "people of the Swedes" (Old Norse Svíþjóð, Latin Suetidi). This word is derived from Sweon/Sweonas (Old Norse Sviar, Latin Suiones). (based on a wikipedia article /cc by-sa)

18. Denmark (Europe)

Copenhagen cityscape [ Photo by Trabert / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Denmark, archaic: ), officially the Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Kongeriget Danmark ) together with Greenland and the Faroe Islands, is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland (Jylland) and many islands, most notably Zealand (Sjælland), Funen (Fyn), Vendsyssel-Thy (commonly considered a part of Jutland), Lolland, Falster and Bornholm, as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago. Denmark has long controlled the approach to the Baltic Sea; before the digging of the Kiel Canal, water passage to the Baltic Sea was possible only through the three channels known as the "Danish straits". (based on a wikipediaarticle / cc by-sa)

19. United Kingdom (Europe)

Tower Bridge as viewed from the North-East near St Katherine Dock. [ Photo by DAVID ILIFF / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[note 7] (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a country and sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island nation, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border[note 8] with another sovereign state, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. Great Britain is linked to continental Europe by the Channel Tunnel. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

20. Germany (Europe)

Old Town towards the Church of Our Lady of the Old Peter [ Photo by David Kostner / CC BY-SA 2.0 DE ]

Germany), is a country in Western Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 357.021 km2 and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state of the European Union, and home to the third-largest number of international migrants worldwide. Under Augustus, the Roman General Publius Quinctilius Varus began to invade Germania (a term used by the Romans to define a territory running roughly from the Rhine to the Ural Mountains), and it was in this period that the Germanic tribes became familiar with Roman tactics of warfare while maintaining their tribal identity. (based on a wikipediaarticle / cc by-sa)

21. Belgium (Europe)

Brussels, view from the Kunstberg hill [ Photo by Alina Zienowicz / CC BY 3.0 ]

Belgium, ), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, as well as those of several other major international organizations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi), and it has a population of about 10.8 million people. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups, the Dutch-speakers, mostly Flemish, and the French-speakers, mostly Walloons, plus a small group of German-speakers. Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

22. France (Europe)

A nighttime profile shot of the esplanade of La Défense [ Photo by Yogi / CC BY-SA 2.0 FR ]

(based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

23. Finland (Europe)

Pohjoisranta (The Northern Shore) of Helsinki at Night. [ Photo by Petteri Sulonen / CC BY 2.0 ]

Finland, officially the Republic of Finland Finnish: Suomi; Swedish: Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden on the west, Norway on the north and Russia on the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland. In 2005, Finnish tourism grossed over €6.7 billion with a five percent increase from the previous year. Much of the sudden growth can be attributed to the globalisation and modernisation of the country as well as a rise in positive publicity and awareness. There are many attractions in Finland which attracted over 4 million visitors in 2005. The Finnish landscape is covered with thick pine forests, rolling hills and complemented with a labyrinth of lakes and inlets. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

24. Bahrain (Middle East)

Bahrain fountain. [ Photo by Vladimir Arshinov / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Bahrain, officially Kingdom of Bahrain (Arabic: مملكة البحرين‎, Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn, literally: "Kingdom of the Two Seas"), is a small island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. While Bahrain is an archipelago of thirty-three islands, the largest (Bahrain Island) is 55 km (34 mi) long by 18 km (11 mi) wide. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway, which was officially opened on 25 November 1986. Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain. Because they needed to control the Persian Gulf trade route, the Parthians established garrisons in the southern coast of Persian Gulf. In the 3rd century AD, the Sassanids succeeded the Parthians and held the area until the rise of Islam four centuries later. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

25. Japan (Asia)

Tokyo Dome [ Photo by LuxTonnerre / CC BY 2.0 ]

Japan (日本 Nihon or Nippon), officially the State of Japan (日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku), is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin" (because it lies to the east of nearby countries), which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun". Archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan begins with brief appearances in Chinese history texts from the first century A.D. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

26. Spain (Europe)

Puerta del Sol (square) in Madrid (Spain). [ Photo by Tomas Fano / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Spain officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.[note 6] Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal. During the last four decades the Spanish tourism industry has grown to become the second biggest in the world, worth approximately 40 billion Euros, about 5% of GDP, in 2006. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

27. Italy (Europe)

La Basilica di San Pietro e Ponte Sant'Angelo – Vista notturna [ Photo by Beatrix & Massimo Catarinella / CC BY-SA 2.5 IT ]

Italy; Italian: Italia ), officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica italiana), is a country located in Southern Europe and includes the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within the Italian Peninsula, and Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. The territory of Italy covers 301,338 km² and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 60.4 million inhabitants, it is the sixth most populous country in Europe, and the twenty-third most populous in the world. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

28. Equatorial Guinea (Africa)

Lighthouse, helipads, surrounding coastline and old buildings. [ Photo by Podknox / CC BY 2.0 ]

Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guineais a country located in Middle Africa. With an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi) it is one of the smallest countries in continental Africa. It is also the most prosperous, however the wealth is concentrated in government and elite hands, with 70% of the population living under the United Nations Poverty Threshold of $2/day. It has a population of 1,014,999. It comprises two parts: a Continental Region (Río Muni), including several small offshore islands like Corisco, Elobey Grande and Elobey Chico; and an insular region containing Annobón island and Bioko island (formerly Fernando Po) where the capital Malabo is situated. Investment in agriculture, fishing, livestock, and tourism are among sectors the government would like targeted. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

29. Taiwan (Asia)

Ximending at night [ Photo by Diego Trazzi www.d1ng0.com / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Taiwan, also known as Formosa (from Portuguese: Ilha Formosa, "Beautiful Island"), is a country situated in East Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. It has comprised most (99%) of the territory of the Republic of China (ROC) since the 1950s. The term "Taiwan" has also become a commonly used alternative name both domestically and internationally to refer to the entire country of Republic of China after the ROC lost international diplomatic recognition as "China" in the 1970s. The Qing Dynasty was defeated in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) and Taiwan and Penghu were ceded in full sovereignty to the Empire of Japan. Inhabitants wishing to remain Qing subjects were given a two-year grace period to sell their property and move to mainland China. Very few Taiwanese saw this as feasible. (based on a wikipediaarticle / cc by-sa)

30. Greece (Europe)

Panorama of Nafplion, first capital of modern Greece. [ Photo by Luu / public domain ]

Greece is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. The country has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

31. New Zealand (Pacific & Antarctica)

A vista of Lambton Harbour, Wellington City [ Photo by jackol / CC BY 2.0 ]

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island), and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori language name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as land of the long white cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue (self-governing but in free association); Tokelau; and the Ross Dependency (New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica). New Zealand is also well known for its extreme sports and adventure tourism. Its reputation in extreme sports extends from the establishment of the world's first commercial bungy jumping site at Queenstown in the South Island in November 1988. There is a culture of longboarding in urban areas. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

32. Cyprus (Europe)

A panoramic view of Nicosia, Cyprus, lying in the Mesaoria plain, with the Pentadactylos mountain range in the background. [ Photo by TomasNY / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Cyprus; Greek: Κύπρος, Kýpros, IPA: ; Turkish: Kıbrıs), – officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία, Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía, IPA: ; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti) – is a Eurasian island country in the Eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of its most popular tourist destinations. An advanced, high-income economy with a very high Human Development Index, the Republic of Cyprus was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement until it joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. (based on a wikipedia article /cc by-sa)

33. Israel (Middle East)

Jerusalem Chords Bridge at night [ Photo by Petdad / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל‎, Yisrā'el; Arabic: إِسْرَائِيلُ‎, Isrā'īl), officially the State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Medīnat Yisrā'el; Arabic: دَوْلَةُ إِسْرَائِيلَ‎, Dawlat Isrā'īl), is a parliamentary republic in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

34. South Korea (Asia)

Banpo Bridge with a rainbow fountain over the Han River in Seoul [ Photo by Gu Gyobok / free for use ]

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea) and sometimes referred to simply as Korea, is a state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul. South Korea lies in a temperate climate region with a predominantly mountainous terrain. Its territory covers a total area of 99,392 square kilometers and has a population of 50 million. In the early centuries of the Common Era, Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye, and the Samhan confederacy occupied the peninsula and southern Manchuria. Of the various small states, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla grew to control the peninsula as Three Kingdoms of Korea. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

35. Slovenia (Europe)

Ljubljana, a view from Ljubljana Castle. [ Photo by Damien Smith / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Slovenia officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: Republika Slovenija, ), is a country in Central Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy on the west, the Adriatic Sea on the southwest, Croatia on the south and east, Hungary on the northeast, and Austria on the north. The capital and largest city of Slovenia is Ljubljana. Spa tourism has grown in importance in the last two decades, attracting many German, Austrian, Italian and Russian visitors. Important spas in Slovenia include Radenci, Čatež ob Savi, Dobrna, and Moravske Toplice. Slovenia is a member of the European Union, the Eurozone, the Schengen area, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, NATO, UNESCO, WTO, OECD and UN. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

36. Bahamas (Central America & Caribbean)

Fish swim in an aquarium beneath the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, Bahamas. [ Photo by adobemac / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

The Bahamas), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is a country consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets (rocks). It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States of America (nearest to the state of Florida). Its total land area is 13,939 km² (5,382 sq. mi.; slightly larger than the US states Connecticut and Rhode Island combined), with an estimated population of 330,000. Its capital is Nassau. Geographically, the Bahamas lie in the same island chain as Cuba, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and Turks and Caicos Islands, the designation of the Bahamas refers normally to the commonwealth and not the geographic chain. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

37. Trinidad and Tobago (Central America & Caribbean)

View of the International Financial Centre near the Port of Port-of-Spain in the Gulf of Paria [ Photo by Chris Fitzpatrick / GNU ]

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago) is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American country of Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. It shares maritime boundaries with other nations including Barbados to the northeast, Guyana to the southeast, and Venezuela to the south and west. The bulk of tourism visitor arrival on the islands are from Western Europe. The Dutch and the Courlanders established themselves in Tobago in the 16th and 17th centuries and produced tobacco and cotton. Tobago changed hands between British, French, Dutch and Courlanders from modern-day Latvia. Britain consolidated its hold on both islands during the Napoleonic Wars, and they were combined into the colony of Trinidad and Tobago in 1889. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

38. Czech Republic (Europe)

Tábor, Czech Republic. An aerial view of the Old Town from north. [ Photo by Rudolf Kukačka / public domain ]

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The Czech Republic has been a member of NATO since 1999 and of the European Union since 2004. The Czech Republic is also a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). As an OSCE participating State, the Czech Republic’s international commitments are subject to monitoring under the mandate of the U.S. Helsinki Commission. From 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2009, the Czech Republic held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Czech economy gets a substantial income from tourism. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

39. Oman (Middle East)

Muttrah Corniche in Muscat, Oman at night [ Photo by canon_shooter92 / CC BY 2.0 ]

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman (Arabic: سلطنة عمان‎ Salṭanat ʻUmān), is an Arab country in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west and Yemen on the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The country also contains Madha and Musandam, two exclaves on the Gulf of Oman, south of the Strait of Hormuz and surrounded by the United Arab Emirates on the land side. With its 2,800,000 inhabitants, 700,000 of which non-nationals, on an area of 310,000 km2, Oman has a very low population density of less than 10 inh/km2. Its capital is Muscat, its currency the Rial. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

40. Portugal (Europe)

Bairro Alto, Lisbon Portugal [ Photo by Miguel / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Portugal (Portuguese: Portugal, Mirandese: Pertual), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa; Mirandese: República Pertuesa), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east. The Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are also part of Portugal. Travel and tourism will continue to be extremely important for Portugal, with visitor numbers forecast to increase significantly over the next five years. However, there is increasing competition from Eastern European destinations such as Croatia who offer similar attractions to Portugal, and are often cheaper. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

41. Malta (Europe)

Valletta skyline. [ Photo by Briangotts / public domain ]

Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta), is a southern European country and consists of an archipelago situated centrally in the Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km east of Tunisia, with the Strait of Gibraltar 1,826 km to the west and Alexandria 1,510 km to the east. The economy is dependent on foreign trade (serving as a freight trans-shipment point), manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles) and tourism. Malta is the popular tourist destination, with 1.2 million tourists every year. Tourism infrastructure has increased dramatically over the years and a number of good-quality hotels are present on the island, although overdevelopment and the destruction of traditional housing is of growing concern. An increasing number of Maltese now travel abroad on holiday. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

42. Saudi Arabia (Middle East)

Kingdom Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [ Photo by BroadArrow / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Arabic: المملكة العربية السعودية‎), commonly known as Saudi Arabia, is the largest Arab country of the Middle East. It is bordered by Jordan and Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south. The Persian Gulf lies to the northeast and the Red Sea to its west. It has an estimated population of 28 million, and its size is approximately 2,149,690 square kilometres (830,000 sq mi). The kingdom is sometimes called "The Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest places in Islam. The two mosques are Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca) and Masjid Al-Nabawi (in Medina). (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

43. Slovakia (Europe)

State Theatre, Košice City Centre [ Photo by Maros M r a z / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Slovak Republic (short form: Slovakia ; Slovak: Slovensko, long form Slovenská republika ) is a state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi). Slovakia is a landlocked country bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is the capital, Bratislava, and the second largest is Košice. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union, NATO, United Nations, OECD and WTO among others. The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family. The Slovak landscape is noted primarily for its mountainous nature, with the Carpathian Mountains extending across most of the northern half of the country. Amongst these mountain ranges are the high peaks of the Tatra mountains. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

44. Seychelles (Africa)

Mahe, Seychelles from the air [ Photo by Waltermera182 / CC BY 2.0 ]

Seychelles, officially the Republic of Seychelles (French: République des Seychelles; Creole: Repiblik Sesel), is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some 1,500 kilometres (932 mi) east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar. In 1971, with the opening of the international airport, tourism became a serious industry, basically dividing the economy into plantations and tourism. The tourism sector paid better, and the plantation economy could only expand so far. The plantation sector of the economy declined in prominence, and tourism became the primary industry of Seychelles. Other nearby island countries and territories include Zanzibar to the west, Mauritius and Réunion to the south, Comoros and Mayotte to the southwest. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

45. Croatia (Europe)

from the castle of the beautiful port/harbour of the town of Hvar [ Photo by Stop_The_Lies / public domain ]

Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska), is a country in Central Europe and Southeastern Europe at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Adriatic Sea. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. Croatia borders Slovenia to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the southeast, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast. As a result of the war, the economic infrastructure sustained massive damage, particularly the revenue-rich tourism industry. From 1989 to 1993, GDP fell 40.5%. With the end of the war in 1995, tourism and Croatia's economy recovered moderately. However, corruption, cronyism, and a general lack of transparency stymied meaningful economic reform, as well as much-needed foreign investment. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

46. Hungary (Europe)

Budapest as seen from the Gellért Hill. From the left to the right you can see the Buda Castle, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge [ Photo by Christian Mehlführer / CC BY 3.0 ]

Hungary officially the Republic of Hungary (Magyar Köztársaság), is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of EU, NATO, OECD, V4 and is a Schengen state. The official language is Hungarian, the most widely spoken non-Indo-European language in Europe, being part of the Finno-Ugric family. In foreign investments, Hungary has seen a shift from lower-value textile and food industry to investment in luxury vehicle production, renewable energy systems, high-end tourism, and information technology. Hungary is ranked sixth in an environmental protection index by GW/CAN. (based on a wikipedia article /cc by-sa)

47. Estonia (Europe)

Tallinn, view [ Photo by Gunnar Bach Pedersen / public domain ]

Estonia (Estonian: Eesti), officially the Republic of Estonia (Estonian: Eesti Vabariik), is a state in the Baltic Region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia (343 km), and to the east by the Russian Federation (338.6 km). The territory of Estonia covers 45,227 km2 (17,462 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate.The Estonians are a Finnic people, and the official Estonian language is closely related to Finnish. On September 24, 1939, warships of the Red Navy appeared off Estonian ports and Soviet bombers began a patrol over Tallinn and the nearby countryside. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

48. Poland (Europe)

Warsaw – Royal Castle Square [ Photo by Shalom Alechem / public domain ]

Poland (Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Rzeczpospolita Polska), is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 sq mi), making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. Poland has a population of over 38 million people, which makes it the 34th most populous country in the world and the sixth most populous member of the European Union. Poland is a part of the global tourism market with constantly increasing number of visitors, particularly after joining the European Union. Tourism in Poland contributes to the country's overall economy. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

49. Russia (Asia)

All Religions Temple in a multicultural city of Kazan. [ Photo by Dror Feitelson & SilkTork / CC BY 2.0 ]

Russia; Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya, ), is a state in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk and the United States by the Bering Strait. At 17,075,400 sq. km (10,610,162 sq. miles), Russia is by far the largest country in the world, covering more than a ninth of the Earth's land area. Russia is also the ninth most populous nation with 142 million people. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

50. Antigua and Barbuda (Central America & Caribbean)

Dickenson Bay Beach in Antigua [ Photo by Paul Kowalow / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Antigua and Barbuda; Spanish for "ancient" and "bearded") is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands (including Great Bird, Green, Guinea, Long, Maiden and York Islands). Separated by a few sea miles, the group is in the middle of the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, roughly at 17 degrees north of the Equator. Being a former part of the British Empire has strongly influenced the country's governance, language, and culture. The twin-island nation's agricultural production is focussed on its domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction work. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

51. Barbados (Central America & Caribbean)

Panarama of downtown Bridgetown, Barbados [ Photo by UpstateNYer / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Barbados) is an island nation of the Lesser Antilles, 34 kilometres (21 mi) in length and as much as 23 kilometres (14 mi) in width, amounting to 431 square kilometres (166 sq mi). It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic Ocean and 100 kilometres (62 mi) east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about 168 kilometres (104 mi) east of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and 400 kilometres (250 mi) north-east of Venezuela. Barbados is outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt. Historically, the economy of Barbados had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but in the late 1970s and early 1980s it has diversified into the manufacturing and tourism sectors. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

52. Lithuania (Europe)

Town Hall Square (Rotušės aikštė) in Vilnius, Lithuania. [ Photo by Sfu / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Lithuania (, U.S. usually ; Lithuanian: Lietuva), officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublika) is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to the southwest. Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden and Denmark. Its population is 3.28 million. Its capital and largest city is Vilnius. According to officially published figures, EU membership fueled a booming economy, increased outsourcing into the country, and boosted the tourism sector. The litas, the national currency, has been pegged to the euro since 2 February 2002 at the rate of EUR 1.00 = LTL 3.4528, and Lithuania is expecting to switch to the euro on 1 January 2014. (based on a wikipediaarticle / cc by-sa)

53. Libya (Africa)

Office and hotel towers along Shari' al Corniche, as well new towers under construction in the background (such as the Daewoo Tripoli Hotel). [ Photo by Jaw101ie / public domain ]

Libya; Libyan vernacular: Lībya, also translated as Socialist People's Libyan Arab Great Jamahiriya), is a country located in North Africa. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Libya lies between Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west. Authorities have privatised more than 100 government owned companies since 2003 in industries including oil refining, tourism and real estate, of which 29 are 100% foreign owned. The non-oil manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for about 20% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include the production of petrochemicals, iron, steel and aluminium. On November 21, 1949, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution stating that Libya should become independent before January 1, 1952. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

54. Latvia (Europe)

Riga Comms Tower [ Photo by liber / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Latvia (; Latvian: Latvija), officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Republika) is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia (343 km), to the south by Lithuania (588 km), to the east by the Russian Federation (276 km), and to the southeast by Belarus (141 km). Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden. The territory of Latvia covers 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi) and it has a temperate seasonal climate. The Capitulation of Estonia and Livonia in 1710 and the Treaty of Nystad, ending the Great Northern War in 1721, gave Vidzeme to Russia (it became part of the Riga Governorate). The Latgale region remained part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as Inflanty Voivodeship until 1772, when it was incorporated to Russia. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

55. Argentina (South America)

Palermo: the city's most populous area [ Photo by Facumissing / public domain ]

Argentina, is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico, Colombia and Spain are more populous. "Wine tourism" is important in Mendoza province, with the impressive landscape of the Cordillera de Los Andes and the highest peak in the Americas, Mount Aconcagua, 6,952 m (22,808 ft) high, providing a very desirable destination for international tourism. Formerly stable prices and exchange rates were disrupted, however: the peso lost about 70% of its value from early 1948 to early 1950, and inflation reached 50% in 1951. Foreign policy became more isolationist, straining U.S.-Argentine relations. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

56. Gabon (Africa)

Libreville, Gabon [ Photo by Global Photographer / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Gabonis a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west. It covers a land area of nearly 270,000 km² and has an estimated population of 1,500,000. Its capital and largest city is Libreville. In 2002, President Omar Bongo Ondimba put Gabon firmly on the map as an important future ecotourism destination by designating more than 11% of the nation's territory to be part of its national park system (with 13 parks in total), one of the largest proportions of nature parkland in the world. Natural resources include: petroleum, magnesium, iron, gold, uranium, and forests. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

57. Saint Kitts and Nevis (Central America & Caribbean)

A view towards St. Eustatius from Fort Brimstone at St. Kitts. [ Photo by Jukk_a / CC BY 2.0 ]

The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis), located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign nation in the Americas, in both area and population. Saint Kitts and Nevis is a twin-island federation whose economy is characterised by its dominant tourism, agriculture and light manufacturing industries. Sugar was the primary export from the 1640s on, but rising production costs, low world market prices, and the government's efforts to reduce dependence on it have led to a growing diversification of the agricultural sector. In 2005, the government decided to close down the state-owned sugar company, which had experienced losses and was a significant contributor to the fiscal deficit. Former sugar plantations still dominate the St. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

58. Chile (South America)

Santiago en invierno (Winter in Santiago Chile) [ Photo by fahrenheit75 / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far south. With Ecuador, it is one of two countries in South America which do not border Brazil. The Pacific coastline of Chile is 6,435 kilometres (4000 mi). Chilean territory includes the Pacific islands of Juan Fernández, Salas y Gómez, Desventuradas and Easter Island. Chile also claims about 1,250,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi) of Antarctica, although all claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

59. Mexico (Central America & Caribbean)

México DF. Taken from the Torre Latinoamericana. [ Photo by alex-s / CC BY 2.0 ]

Mexico,), officially known as the United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos ), is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost 2 million square kilometres (over 760,000 sq mi), Mexico is the fifth-largest country in the Americas by total area and the 14th largest independent nation in the world. With an estimated population of 111 million, it is the 11th most populous country and the most populous Hispanophone country on Earth. Mexico is a federation comprising thirty-one states and a Federal District, the capital city. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

60. Lebanon (Middle East)

Nejmeh square, downtown Beirut [ Photo by Yoniw / public domain ]

Lebanonor ; Arabic: لُبْنَان‎ Lubnān; French: Liban), officially the Republic of Lebanon[nb 1] (Arabic: اَلْجُمْهُورِيَّة اَللُّبْنَانِيَّة al-Jumhūrīyah al-Lubnānīyah; French: République libanaise), is a country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has dictated its rich history, and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity. (based on a wikipediaarticle / cc by-sa)

61. Romania (Europe)

The Palace of Justice from Bucharest viewed across the Damboviţa river. [ Photo by Victor.petcu / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, north of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory. Romania shares a border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the northeast, and Bulgaria to the south. In 2006, the domestic and international tourism generated about 4.8% of gross domestic product and 5.8% of the total jobs (about half a million jobs). Following commerce, tourism is the second largest component of the services sector. Tourism is one of the most dynamic and fastest developing sectors of the economy of Romania and characterized by a huge potential for development. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

62. Botswana (Africa)

A female Lechwe (Kobus leche) jumping over a patch of clear water in Okavango Delta, Botswana. [ Photo by PanBK / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Republic of Botswana (Tswana: Lefatshe la Botswana) is a sub Saharan country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" (singular: Motswana). Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966. It has held free and fair democratic elections since independence. Botswana is one of the world’s great development success stories. A small, landlocked country of 1.9 million people, Botswana was one of the poorest countries in Africa with a GDP per capita of about US$70 at independence from Britain in 1966. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

63. Malaysia (Asia)

Photo of the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [ Photo by Erwinkarim / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Malaysiais a federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 329,845 square kilometres (127,354 sq mi). The country is separated by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo (also known as West and East Malaysia respectively). Malaysia shares land borders with Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei and has maritime boundaries with Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population as of 2009 stood at over 28 million. The economy of the country has, traditionally, been fuelled by its natural resources, but is now also expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

64. Turkey (Middle East)

Kocatepe Mocquet Ankara [ Photo by Memocan, www.wowturkey.com / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti ), is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace (Rumelia) in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between Eastern Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

65. Uruguay (South America)

Panorama of Montevideo, Uruguay from the Torre de las Telecomunicaciones. [ Photo by Jordevi / public domain ]

Uruguay, Spanish : ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.4 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. An estimated 88% of the population are of European descent. Estancia tourism is based upon traditional, folkloristic and/or historical elements of Uruguay and the remaining resources of the historic ranches (estancias) from Uruguay's "golden era". Batlle had two terms (1903–07 and 1911–15) in which to initiate his policies, but, realizing that his program might be reversed by a future president or dictator, he promoted a constitutional reform to end the presidency and replace it with a plural executive, the colegiado. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

66. Montenegro (Europe)

Podgorica, Montenegro, as seen from the top of Atlas Capital Center. With Square of St. Peter of Cetinje in front, the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ is visible in the upper left corner, as is Millenium Bridge in the upper right. [ Photo by Nije bitno / CC BY 3.0 ]

Montenegro (meaning "Black Mountain" in Montenegrin) is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo[a] to the east and Albania to the southeast. Its capital and largest city is Podgorica, while Cetinje is designated as the Prijestonica (Пријестоница), meaning the former Royal Capital City. Approximately one million tourists visited Montenegro in 2007, resulting in €480 million of tourism revenue. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

67. Panama (Central America & Caribbean)

Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) in the Bahía de Panamá against a backdrop of Central Panamá highrise, seen from the pier of La Marina (the Panamá Yacht Club). [ Photo by Dirk van der Made / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Panama), officially the Republic of Panama, is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The capital is Panama City. Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela – named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903. The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of the century. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

68. Bulgaria (Europe)

Sofia at night [ Photo by Daniel Tsvetanov / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

BulgariaBulgarian: България, Balgariya, ), officially the Republic of Bulgaria (Република България, Republika Balgariya, ), is a country in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north (mostly along the Danube), Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east. Basil II managed to prevent rebellions by retaining the local rule of the Bulgarian nobility, who were incorporated into Byzantine aristocracy as archons or strategoi, guaranteeing the indivisibility of Bulgaria in its former geographic borders and recognising the autocephaly of the Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

69. Belarus (Europe)

Independence square. Minsk, Belarus. [ Photo by Zedlik / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Belarus,; Belarusian: Беларусь, Russian: Беларусь or Белоруссия, Belorussia see Etymology), officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno (Hrodna), Gomel (Homiel), Mogilev (Mahilyow) and Vitebsk (Viciebsk). Forty percent of its 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) is forested, and its strongest economic sectors are agriculture and manufacturing. The region that is now Belarus was first settled by Slavic tribes in the 6th century. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

70. Mauritius (Africa)

View of Port Louis and harbour looking west from the Citadel. [ Photo by Thierry / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Mauritiusofficially the Republic of Mauritius (Mauritian Creole: Republik Moris; French: République de Maurice) is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 kilometres (560 mi) east of Madagascar. In addition to the island of Mauritius, the Republic includes the islands of Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands. Mauritius Island is part of the Mascarene Islands, with the French island of Réunion 200 km (120 mi) to the southwest and the island of Rodrigues 570 km (350 mi) to the northeast. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

71. Venezuela (South America)

View of Caracas taken from Mount Avila [ Photo by Gloria Rodríguez / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Venezuela; Spanish: ), officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea. The republic is a former Spanish colony that won its independence in 1821. Venezuela borders Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the west. Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St. Lucia, Barbados, Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Leeward Antilles lie just north, off the Venezuelan coast. Its size is 916,445 square kilometres (353,841 sq mi) with an estimated population of 26,414,816. Its capital is Caracas. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

72. Serbia (Europe)

A view to west of the New Belgrade at the end of a sunset. [ Photo by Михајло Анђелковић / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Serbia, officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: Република Србија, Republika Srbija), is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central- and Southeastern Europe, covering the southern lowlands of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans. Serbia borders Hungary to the north; Romania and Bulgaria to the east; the Republic of Macedonia to the south; and Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro to the west; its border with Albania is disputed. Serbia's capital city, Belgrade, is among the most populous in Southeastern Europe. Serbia's government, businesses, and citizen's concentrate their tourism on the villages and mountains of the country. The most famous mountain resorts are Zlatibor, Kopaonik, and the Tara. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

73. Iran (Middle East)

Tehran, Iran. Bank Markazi (Central Bank) in foreground, Alborz Mountains in background. [ Photo by Ensie & Matthias / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Iran officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Central Eurasia and Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was also known to the western world as Persia. Both Persia and Iran are used interchangeably in cultural contexts; however, Iran is the name used officially in political contexts. It is the centre of tourism in Iran, and between 15 and 20 million pilgrims go to the Imam Reza's shrine every year. Iran has one of the highest urban growth rates in the world. From 1950 to 2002, the urban proportion of the population increased from 27% to 60%. The United Nations predicts that by 2030, 80% of the population will be urban. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

74. Kazakhstan (Asia)

Astana, Kazakhstan [ Photo by veni markovski / CC BY 2.0 ]

Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is located in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe. It is neighbored clockwise from the north by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and also borders on a significant part of the Caspian Sea. The capital was moved in 1997 from Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, to Astana. Kazakhstan declared itself an independent country on December 16, 1991, the last Soviet republic to do so. Its communist-era leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, became the country's new president. Since independence, Kazakhstan has pursued a balanced foreign policy and worked to develop its economy, especially its hydrocarbon industry. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

75. Costa Rica (Central America & Caribbean)

View of San José from the Museum of Jade [ Photo by Wikipedro / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Costa Rica), officially the Republic of Costa Ricais a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east. In recent times pharmaceuticals, financial outsourcing, software development, and ecotourism have become the prime industries in Costa Rica's economy. High levels of education among its residents make the country an attractive investing location. Since 1999, tourism earns more foreign exchange than the combined exports of the country's three main cash crops: bananas, pineapples and coffee. Coffee production has played a key role in Costa Rica's history and economy and by 2006 was the third cash crop export. Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, 10° North of the equator and 84° West of the Prime Meridian. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

76. Republic of Macedonia (Europe)

Macedonia Square, Skopje, Macedonia [ Photo by INkubusse / public domain ]

Macedonia, officially the Republic of Macedonia is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeastern Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991. It became a member of the United Nations in 1993 but, as a result of a dispute with Greece over its name, it was admitted under the provisional reference of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, sometimes abbreviated as FYROM. The Macedonian word for spa is бања, transliterated as banja. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

77. Grenada (Central America & Caribbean)

Saint George Parish, Grenada [ Photo by ProveIt / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Grenada) is an island country and sovereign state consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Grenada is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of Venezuela, and southwest of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Tourist facilities are being expanded; tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner. Major short-term concerns are the rising fiscal deficit and the deterioration in the external account balance. Grenada shares a common central bank and a common currency (the East Caribbean dollar) with seven other members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) The island was a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

78. Brazil (South America)

The Octavio Frias de Oliveira bridge, São Paulo – Brazil. View from the North Tower of the CENU complex (Northeast of the bridge) [ Photo byMarcosleal / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Brazil; Portuguese: Brasil;, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil), is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population. It is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas and the largest lusophone country in the world. General Ernesto Geisel became president in 1974 and began his project of re-democratization through a process that he said would be "slow, gradual and safe." Geisel ended the military indiscipline that had plagued the country since 1889, as well as the torture of political prisoners, censorship of the press, and finally, the dictatorship itself, after he extinguished the Fifth Institutional Act. (based on a wikipediaarticle / cc by-sa)

79. South Africa (Africa)

cape town [ Photo by Antjedesign / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an independent country wholly surrounded by South African territory. South Africa is a popular tourist destination, and a substantial amount of revenue comes from tourism. Among the main attractions are the diverse and picturesque culture, the game reserves and the highly regarded local wines. In the first two decades of the 19th century, the Zulu people grew in power and expanded their territory under their leader, Shaka. Shaka’s depredations led indirectly to the Mfecane (“Crushing”) that devastated the inland plateau in the early 1820s. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

80. Azerbaijan (Asia)

Baku night, Azerbaijan. [ Photo by Gulustan / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Azerbaijan; Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Respublikası), is one of the six independent Turkic states in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. It was not until 2000s that the tourism industry began to recover, and the country has since experienced a high rate of growth in the number of tourist visits and overnight stays. Atropates ruled over the region of Atropatene (present-day Iranian Azerbaijan). The name "Atropates" itself is the Greek transliteration of an Old-Iranian, probably Median, compounded name with the meaning "Protected by the (Holy) Fire". (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

81. Saint Lucia (Central America & Caribbean)

Panorama of the Port of Castries, Saint Lucia, West Indies [ Photo by UpstateNYer / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Saint Lucia; French: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 (238 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 160,000. Its capital is Castries. The island nation has been the home of two Nobel laureates, Arthur Lewis and Derek Walcott. It is the nation with the second most such honorees per capita after Faroe Islands. The financial sector has weathered the global financial crisis, but the recession has hurt tourism. One of the Windward Islands, it was named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse by the French, the first European colonizers. They signed a treaty with the native Carib peoples in 1660. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

82. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Central America & Caribbean)

Kingstown seen from Fort Charlotte [ Photo by Acp / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) is a nation in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean. Its 389-square-kilometre (150 sq mi) territory consists of the main island of Saint Vincent and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines, which are a chain of smaller islands stretching south from Saint Vincent Island to Grenada. To the north of St. Vincent lies St. Lucia, to the east Barbados. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is densely populated (over 300 inhabitants/sq km) with its 120,000 people. Its capital is Kingstown, also its main port. The country has a French and British colonial history and is now part of the Commonwealth of Nations and CARICOM. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

83. Colombia (South America)

The International Center buildings seen from the tower of Avianca. [ Photo by Pedro Felipe / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Colombia), officially the Republic of Colombia), is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Colombia also shares maritime borders with Venezuela, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. With a population of over 45 million people, Colombia has the 29th largest population in the world and the second largest in South America, after Brazil. Colombia has the fourth largest Spanish-speaking population in the world after Mexico, the United States, and Spain. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

84. Dominica (Central America & Caribbean)

Pano-wide image of Roseau Dominica Taken from cruise ship Balcony Docked in town. [ Photo by Ted Rufus Ross / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Dominica,officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. To the north-northwest lies Guadeloupe, to the southeast Martinique. Its size is 754 square kilometres (291 sq mi) and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of 1,447 metres (4,747 ft). The Commonwealth of Dominica has an estimated population of 72,500. The capital is Roseau. Dominica's economy is heavily dependent on both tourism and agriculture. Independence did little to solve problems stemming from centuries of economic underdevelopment, and in mid-1979, political discontent led to the formation of an interim government. It was replaced after the 1980 elections by a government led by the Dominica Freedom Party under Prime Minister Eugenia Charles, the Caribbean's first female prime minister. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

85. Jamaica (Central America & Caribbean)

Doctor's Cave Beach Club, Montego Bay, Jamaica [ Photo by Op. Deo / public domain ]

Jamaica) is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, 234 kilometres (145 mi) in length and as much as 80 kilometres (50 mi) in width, amounting to 11,100 square kilometres (4,300 sq mi). It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about 145 kilometres (90 mi) south of Cuba, and 191 kilometres (119 mi) west of Hispaniola, the island harboring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Its indigenous Arawakan-speaking Taíno inhabitants named the island Xaymaca, meaning the "Land of Wood and Water", or the "Land of Springs". The growth was fueled by strong investments in bauxite/alumina, tourism, manufacturing industry and, to a lesser extent, the agricultural sector. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

86. Peru (South America)

San Isidro, Peru [ Photo by Christian911 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Peru; Spanish: Perú, Quechua: Perú, Aymara: Piruw), officially the Republic of Peru), is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru is a representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions. Its geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific coast to the peaks of the Andes mountains and the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. It is a country with a high Human Development Index score and a poverty level around 34%. Its main economic activities include agriculture, fishing, mining, and manufacturing (e.g. textiles). The Peruvian population, estimated at 29.5 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Europeans, Africans, and Asians. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

87. Suriname (South America)

Paramaribo, Suriname [ Photo by madmack66 / CC BY 2.0 ]

Suriname or Surinamor, Dutch: Suriname; Sarnami: शर्नम् Sarnam, Sranan Tongo: Sranangron or Sranankondre), officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America. Its geographical size is just under 165,000 km2 (64,000 sq mi), and it has an estimated population of approximately 470,000, most of whom live on the country's north coast, where the capital Paramaribo is located. Agriculture, especially of rice and bananas, remains a strong component of the economy, and ecotourism is providing new economic opportunities. More than 80% of Suriname's land-mass consists of unspoiled rain forest, and with the establishment of the Central Suriname Nature Reserve in 1998, Suriname signaled its commitment to conservation of this precious resource. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

88. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Europe)

Trebinje, a little town in Herzegovina, south-east Europe, situated on the banks of the Trebisnjica (lost river). [ Photo by Goran Andjelic / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Bosnia and Herzegovina or ; Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Latin: Bosna i Hercegovina; Bosnian and Serbian Cyrillic: Босна и Херцеговина, Ottoman Turkish: Bosna Hersek) is a country in South-Eastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina (also: Bosnia-Herzegovina/Bosnia and Hercegovina) is almost landlocked, except for 26 kilometres (16 miles) of Adriatic Sea coastline, centered on the town of Neum. The interior of the country is mountainous centrally and to the south, hilly in the northwest, and flatland in the northeast. Inland is the larger geographic region with a moderate continental climate, marked by hot summers and cold, snowy winters. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

89. Dominican Republic (Central America & Caribbean)

Santo Domingo skyline [ Photo by Jaru123 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Dominican Republicis a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries. Both by area and population, the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba), with 48,442 square kilometres (18,704 sq mi) and an estimated 10 million people. Although the service sector has recently overtaken agriculture as the leading employer of Dominicans (due principally to growth in tourism and Free Trade Zones), agriculture remains the most important sector in terms of domestic consumption and is in second place, behind mining, in terms of export earnings. The service sector in general has experienced growth in recent years, as has construction. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

90. Tunisia (Africa)

View of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, due to its history and spiritual prestige, it is the most important mosque in Tunisia situated in the city of Kairouan. [ Photo by http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2439/3839516501_e7e438a67d_b.jpg / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Tunisia, officially the Tunisian Republic (الجمهورية التونسية‎ al-Jumhūriyya at-Tūnisiyya), is the northernmost country in Africa. It is an Arab country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area is almost 165,000 km², with an estimated population of just over 10.3 million. Its name is derived from the capital Tunis located in the north-east. Tunisia has a diverse economy, ranging from agriculture, mining, manufacturing, petroleum products and tourism. In 2008 it had a GDP of $41 billion (official exchange rates), or $82 billion (purchasing power parity). It also has one of Africa and the Middle East's highest per-capita GDPs (PPP). (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

91. Ecuador (South America)

Quito, capital of Ecuador. [ Photo by Patricio Mena Vásconez / public domain ]

Ecuador), officially the Republic of Ecuador, literally, "Republic of the equator") is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border with Brazil. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometers (620 mi) west of the mainland. The Ministry of Information and Tourism was established on 10 August 1992, at the beginning of the government of Sixto Duran Ballen, who envisioned tourism as a key activity for the economic and social development of peoples. Compared with the growth of the tourism sector in June 1994, it was decided to separate the tourism information, to devote exclusively to promote and strengthen this activity. (based on a wikipediaarticle / cc by-sa)

92. Albania (Europe)

View of Tirana by Night [ Photo by TiranaCity / public domain ]

Albania, is a country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo[a] to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the west, and on the Ionian Sea to the southwest. It is less than 72 km (45 mi) from Italy, across the Strait of Otranto which links the Adriatic Sea to the Ionian Sea. The latter underlines the importance of modernizing economic sectors such as the agro-food industry and tourism. It also underscores the strategic importance of energy, environmental and water resource management. Stakeholders have proposed prioritizing fields of research such as agriculture and food, information and communication technologies (ICTs), public health, Albanology and humanities, natural resources, biotechnology, biodiversity, defence and security. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

93. Algeria (Africa)

Sight of Algiers from Notre Dame d'Afrique [ Photo by Sandervalya / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Algeria (Arabic: الجزائر, al-Jazā’ir, Berber: Dzayer), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria), is a country in North Africa. In terms of land area, it is the largest country on the Mediterranean Sea, the second largest on the African continent after Sudan, and the eleventh-largest country in the world. In Antiquity Algeria was known as the Numidia kingdom and its people were called Numidians. The kingdom of Numidia had early relations with Carthaginians, Romans and Ancient Greeks, the region was considered a fertile area, and Numidians were known for their fine cavalry. Several Berber dynasties emerged during the Middle Ages in the Maghreb, Sudan, Andalusia, Italy, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Egypt, and other nearby lands. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

94. Thailand (Asia)

Eye in the sky. View of Bangkok from the Baiyoke Tower II [ Photo by neajjean / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Thailand), formerly Siam (Thai: สยาม, IPA: ), is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest. Thailand experienced rapid economic growth between 1985 and 1995 and is a newly industrialized country with tourism, due to well-known tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Ko Samui, and exports contributing significantly to the economy. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

95. Belize (Central America & Caribbean)

Aerial View of Belize City [ Photo by Leslie123 / public domain ]

Belize) (formerly British Honduras), is a democratic constitutional monarchy, and the northernmost Central American nation. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Although Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language. Belize is bordered by Mexico to its north, by Guatemala to its south and west, and by the Caribbean Sea to the east. Belize has a small, essentially private enterprise economy that is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction recently assuming greater importance. In 2006, the exploitation of a newly discovered crude oil field near the town of Spanish Lookout, has presented new prospects and problems for this developing nation. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

96. Turkmenistan (Asia)

Panorama of Ashgabat [ Photo by Thepulin / public domain ]

The Republic of Turkmenistan (Turkmen: Türkmenistan Respublikasy), also known as Turkmenia (Russian: Туркмения) is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (Turkmen SSR). Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states. It is bordered by Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest, Uzbekistan to the east and northeast, Kazakhstan to the north and northwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. The rivalry officially concluded with the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. Slowly, Russian and European cultures were introduced to the area. This was evident in the architecture of the newly formed city of Ashgabat, which became the capital. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

97. Tonga (Pacific & Antarctica)

Neiafu, Tonga [ Photo by Boris T. Johnson / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Tonga- officially the Kingdom of Tonga (Tongan: Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga) – an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprises 169 islands, 36 of them inhabited. The Kingdom stretches over a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 miles) in a north-south line located at about a third of the distance from New Zealand to Hawaiʻi. Tonga's development plans emphasize a growing private sector, upgrading agricultural productivity, revitalizing the squash and vanilla bean industries, developing tourism, and improving the island's communications and transportation systems. Substantial progress has been made, but much work remains to be done. A small but growing construction sector is developing in response to the inflow of aid monies and remittances from Tongans abroad. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

98. El Salvador (Central America & Caribbean)

Panoramic view of Northern San Salvador [ Photo by Renemgb / public domain ]

El Salvador; Spanish: República de El Salvador, literally meaning "Republic of the Savior") is the smallest and also the most densely populated country in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. It lies on the Gulf of Fonseca, as do Honduras and Nicaragua further south. El Salvador's tourism industry has grown dynamically over recent years as the Salvadoran government focuses on developing this sector. Last year tourism accounted for 4.6% of GDP; only 10 years ago, it accounted for 0.4%. In this same year tourism grew 4.5% worldwide. Comparatively, El Salvador saw an increase of 8.97%, from 1.15 million to 1.27 million tourists. This has led to revenue from tourism growing 35.9% from $634 million to $862 million. As a reference point, in 1996 tourism revenue was $44.2 million. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

99. Guyana (South America)

This is a panoramic view of Georgetown, Guyana looking in the direction of St. George's Cathedral. It is an Anglican church and the building is claimed to be the World's Largest Freestanding Wooden Structure. [ Photo by John Da Silva / CC BY 3.0 ]

Guyana), officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is a state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana has been a former colony of the British, Dutch and for a brief period, the French. It is the only state of the Commonwealth of Nations on mainland South America, and is also a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which has its secretariat headquarters in Guyana's capital, Georgetown. Guyana achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 26 May 1966 and became a Republic on 23 February 1970. This fact has given rise to various non-exploitative, environmentally sustainable industries such as ecotourism, successfully capitalizing on the biological wealth of the Konashen COCA with comparatively little enduring impact. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

100. China (Asia)

Beijing CBD 2008-6-9 Jianwai SOHO, Yitai Center, CCTV [ Photo by CobbleCC / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

China, as a civilization, is one of the world's oldest and is regarded as the oldest continuous civilization. Prior to the 19th century, it possessed one of the most advanced societies and economies in the world; but through successive dynasties it then missed the industrial revolution and began to decline. In the 19th and 20th century, imperialism, internal weakness and civil wars damaged the civilization and its economy, and led to the overthrow of imperial rule. Historically, China's cultural sphere has extended across East Asia as a whole, with Chinese religion, customs, and writing systems being adopted to varying degrees by neighbors such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Through its history, China was the source of many major inventions. It has also one of the world's oldest written language systems.

source:flexijourney.com

Extraordinary Iphone 5 Features Unvealed

2012-03-17T07:38:00.001-07:00

Previous reports have indicated the iPhone 5 will be completely redesigned by Apple. Now Economic Daily News, a Taiwanese publication, cites sources who say the next generation iPhone will have an aluminum back. This would bring the iPhone 5 in line with recent iPod touch and iPad 2 designs and highlight one of Apple's favorite materials.

A move back to aluminum would also reduce durability problems experienced by users of the iPhone 4 and its glass back. The conceptual rendering above by Taiyo-Fujii is unrelated to statements by Chinese manufacturing insiders, however it clearly receives its cues from the iPad 2. The original iPhone featured an aluminum back along with a plastic bottom to help alleviate reception issues with the internal antenna.

The return to an aluminum back would likely be launched in tandem with a new internal antenna design. Apple patents have pointed to designs similar to that found on the original iPad, with the Apple logo in plastic serving as a window for radio signals. Designing the iPhone 5 in this way could cut down on reception issues from attenuation, currently a problem on the iPhone 4. The external antenna design on this model improves reception in low-signal areas, but also drops signal strength when the iPhone antenna gaps are bridged by the hand.

It remains to be seen whether or not aluminum unibody construction would allow Apple to give the iPhone 5 a slimmer profile while improving antenna reception. Manufacturing the glass panels has certainly been tough for Apple engineers, as evidenced by the missing white iPhone. Light leaks in the back of the white iPhone 4 have caused problems with the camera and suspended release of the device. Even the black iPhone 4 manufacturing process is difficult, as painting the glass properly and treating the material takes time.

Aluminum would reduce the chance of breakage and scratches and possibly reduce weight on the iPhone 5. Not to mention it looks sharp and is recyclable, too. We'll be on the lookout for further information leaks and photos of the iPhone 5 as they become available. The device is expected to launch sometime between July and September of this year

1 Of The Most Mindblowing Phones Ever

2012-03-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

Android phone. The smartphone will be available late March 2012. If you’re considering purchasing a 4G phone, let’s go on checking.

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G is a 3.97-inch smartphone running on 4G network. The smartphone runs Google Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread mobile operating system, but there is no word from T-Mobile or Samsung about the future Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The Android phone features a Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 3.97-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing webcam for video chat and a 5-megapixel rear camera supporting 720p video recording. Moreover, the Android phone runs on 4G network, this means you can use the smartphone to watch live TV with T-Mobile TB in mobile HD.

T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G Android phone will be available late March 2012 for $149.99 USD with a new two-year contract. If you’re interested, jump to T-Mobile official site for more details.

source:gadgetsin.com

World's Strangest House

2012-03-16T11:39:00.002-07:00

In a project named “The world stands on its head”, the creators of this upside down house just wanted to do something different, they didn’t have any special reason for building it. The house was designed for a special exhibition in Trassenheide Germany and is open to the public for visiting.

You’ve probably heard about or maybe seen houses with the exterior upside down, but what about a house that is completely upside down, even the furniture?

Top 10 Netbooks

2012-03-16T11:37:00.001-07:00

Lenovo ThinkPad X100e

Potent, High-resolution Netbook with Anemic Battery Life

The Lenovo ThinkPad X100e seems to have an ultraportable theme that reflects it as one of the top Netbooks we have. It’s faster than the usual Netbooks with high-resolution screen puts up a charm to it. Even the hard-drive’s size and that of keyboard is big that usually lalliputian laptops carry. Anyway, having all these cool features, the one drawback is definitely the price factor. Somehow the price revolves in between $499 to $599.

HP Mini 5103

A small display Secure Corporate Netbook

The HP Mini 5103 is a business-oriented Netbook, has come up with the following features: great touch screen with keyboard and touchpad which makes you do stuff very fast. The incorporated security and business features makes a charm to it. However, the performance isn’t that satisfactory but the large screen display might get some people into it. The price range varies from $399 to $1000, including extended services and warranty plans.

Asus Eee PC 1215N

Doesn’t look like a Netbook!

The Asus Eee PC 1215N is similar to its predecessor Eee PC 1201N but the stand-out features of Asus include 12.1-inches LCD display with a resolution of 1366×768-pixels. It is one of the best Netbooks of the era; comprises of D525 Intel Atom CPU, a dual-core processor which supports hyper-thread technology. The clock rate is 1.8GHz and handle up to four simultaneous-process-threads.

Gateway LT2118u

Stylish with great battery life

The Gateway LT2118u one of the best Netbooks which I have ever across! You’ll get amazed that you’ll get a notebook in just $350 [prices may vary]. Carries Intel’s Atom N450 CPU with 1GB of memory as well as 3150 GPU, 250GB hard-drive, 10.1-inches display supports 1024×600-resolution, makes it wonderful for everyone. The battery time is 11 hours and 17 minutes.

Asus Eee PC 1015PED

Standard featured Netbook with great battery life

The Asus Eee PC 1015PED holds quality features in it in just $369. Comparing it rest of the Asus Eee series notebooks, 1015PED is one of the top Netbookssupports Intel Atom N475 CPU and Bluetooth. With the rounded appearance and softer look adds charm to it.

Acer Aspire One 532h-2326

The Acer Aspire One 532h-2326 has a touchpad and keyboard in affordable price tag.

Toshiba Mini NB305-N310

The Toshiba Mini NB305-N310 has a comfy keyboard with a giant touchpad. This professional-looking Netbook is one of the top Netbooks, but something disappointing is that you cannot watch web video on it.

Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 is lil-bit expensive because of high-class features installed.

Samsung N210

The Samsung N210 is easy-to-navigate in various lighting conditions, but the colors seem lil-bit washed out. Otherwise could have been the best laptop.

Asus Eee PC 1001P-MU17

The Aus Eee PC 1001P-MU17 has near-instant way in to web-highlights, otherwise supports standard Netbook.

Top 7 Hidden Secrets Of Apple IOS 5

2012-03-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

Apple’s new operating system iOS 5 has become all the rage these days, with so much being written regarding the features of iOS 5, across the blogosphere. This new OS update by Apple really has a lot for all the iPhone users to look forward to, in terms of new features as well as the improved on features. Assuming that you must have got the wind of the new features andhighlights of iOS 5, here are some hidden secrets of Apple iOS 5, which you might not have seen somewhere else, these little secrets are actually an essential step forward on the part of Apple in its quest to offer iPhone users what they want. Take a look at the hidden secrets of Apple iOS 5.

1. Option of User-Defined Shortcut Keys

If you are one of those who feel that iOS 5 leaves a bit to be desired as far as auto-correction feature is concerned, you are mistaken as iOS 5 does allow you to make user-defined short cut keys for the words you often have to type. This option is difficult to find though, you have to go to Settings and then toGeneral then tap on keyboard you will see a prompt at the bottom, so tap the prompt to add new short cut for any word you find difficult to type.

2. Custom Vibrations for Stealth Alerts

This is one of the excellent hidden secrets of Apple iOS 5 that allows you to be notified of a call you are waiting for but don’t want to disturb the proceedings of a meeting, set your profile to silent and assign a mild vibrating alert to the contact, whose call you are waiting for. In order to use this option go to Contacts, select a contact and tap it, go to vibration and create a new vibrationand tap the new vibration to get yourself used to it.

3. LED Flashes for Visual Alerts

Normally there are 3 options as far as receiving iOS notifications, you can set an audio alert, vibrating and if you are one of the silent types you can use silent or no alert at all. But iOS 5 brings this excellent feature that allows you to set a visual alert for your iOS notification. This one of the best hidden secrets of iOS 5 is buried in Settings, then toggle on LED Flash for Alerts.

4. Instant Definitions

This is one of the best hidden secrets of iOS 5, which allows you to have a way with words by giving you different definitions of a particular word you have selected. So if you want to type the best words and phrases then this suggest feature will help you a great deal.

5. Private Browsing

With this hidden feature the default web browser of iPhone Safari will not keep track of the pages you visited. All you have to do is go to Safari’s settings menu, go to Private browsing and tap private browsing to activate it.

6. Storage Capacity of iDevice

This feature lets you control the storage capacity by moving as well as deleting the associated files of the apps you have been using, you can also delete the app as well as its files.

7. Alternate Map Routes

Last on our list of best hidden secrets of Recover Stolen Imesages is alternate map routes, which given you alternate routes of reaching a particular place.

source:bestiphoneappss.com

10 Real True Honest Predictions For 2012

2012-03-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

by Will Conley

There has been much talk and hand-wringing over the Mayan predictions for the year 2012. Some say the world will end. Others say 2012 will mark a new beginning in the human condition, a wonderful transformation of consciousness into a higher plane of awareness. Well, we had our gods of choice check it out, and they told us it’s all bull. That is to say, the specific predictions — apocalyptic earthquakes and such — are not actually the way things are going to shake out.

Don’t get us wrong, things are about to get ugly, that’s totally true, but not in the way you thought they would. And yes, there will be a shift in consciousness, but by “shift” we mean the same way in which your dog “shifts” as he tends to a private itch by sitting on the carpet and spinning around in circles.

The following revelations were handed down to us by said gods of choice through the prophet Will Conley, whose qualifications for this sort of thing include a journalism background and a New Year’s Eve hangover. The revelations were inscribed by lightning onto his upper arm in the form of a tattoo.

The information contained herein is guaranteed to be accurate. We offer it to you as a public service out of the goodness of our hearts. It’s not like we stand to profit from your very genuine fears. It’s not like we have a vested interest in exacerbating your deep-seated and debilitating anxieties about the future of your existence. We just care!

The following is a direct transcript of that glorious tattoo of true predictions.

And lo, it is written:

1. The Bloods and the Crips will join to form a new political party called the “Blips.” They will run for public office at all levels of government, and the people will elect a Blip as President of the United States. Within four weeks, every major political logjam that plagued America throughout the early 21st century will be completely eradicated. The debt ceiling will be raised, no problem. Standard and Poor’s will reinstate America’s AAA credit rating, with an extra A “just because.”

2. The Earth’s geological turbulence will finally settle into a restful, philosophical state of bliss, after which the Earth will smoke a cigarette and cuddle with the moon. Nine months later, two additional moons will be born and appear in the daytime sky, thus explaining what all the rocking and rolling was really about. Being that the moon and the Earth are both widely believed to be female, Sean Hannity will roundly condemn the immorality of the celestial affair, calling it a “terrible example for our nation’s children.”

Parental discretion is advised.

3. In an effort to understand the nature of evil, Swiss scientists will acquire and splice genetic material stolen from the bodies of Kim Jong-il and Osama bin Laden. Then they will grow the admixture in a big Petri dish and animate the resulting two-headed Hydra with a bolt of lightning channeled through a metal spire on a stormy night. As a safety precaution, they will also animate a blending of (late Czechoslovakian activist and president) Václav Havel and tech demigod Steve Jobs, who together will take the form of the mythological Thunderbird. The ensuing cage match will involve suitcase nukes, roadside bombs, brilliantly crafted political treatises encased in velvet, and Angry Birds. The winner will be decided by fair and equitable election via iPhone voting.

4. The unemployment rate will reach 100% by June. By September, that percentage will have increased to upwards of 150-200%, due to a rift in the space-time continuum that allows babies to be born, grow up, go to college, and become unemployable even before the moment of conception. A happier effect of the space-time rift will be that health insurance premiums and payouts will make sense.

5. The Occupy protest will end with everybody getting what they want, and the Federal Reserve will shut down forever. The Federal Reserve’s last press release will read, “YOU JUST GOT PUNK’D! HA HA HA! Oh, man. Whew. You totally fell for it. Here’s all your gold and silver back. Don’t worry, it’s all there, plus a complimentary beverage. Thanks for being such a good sport about it. Give it up for the American people, ladies and gentlemen.”

6. A six-year-old girl genius named Sally will accidentally create a supercomputer based on the rate of chocolate chips melting in her pocket. The answer to life, the universe, and everything will be revealed not as 42, but “Mmm, chocolate sauce.” Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy nerds throughout the world will groan, facepalm, and headdesk upon hearing this surprising news.

7. Andy Richter and Conan O’Brien will be hired back by NBC to host The Tonight Show. In an effort to step up their comedy game, Andy and Conan will don Guy Fawkes masks and dynamite vests. With the studio doors locked, they will stage a hilarious takeover of the NBC airwaves and amusingly hold the audience hostage. Their demands will include world peace and a non-hierarchical social system. The leaders of the world, finally realizing the error of their ways through this humorously strong-armed stunt, will collectively say, “You know what? They’re right. Let’s play nice.” Harmony and tranquility will rule the world. Three seconds later, Andy and Conan will be executed for treason and everything will go back to normal. Nielsen will cook the ratings to make it all look sad and unfunny. But you’ll laugh.

8. Prince William and Kate Middleton will undergo the most beautifully lavish divorce in the history of the royal family. Everyone who’s anyone will attend, including Jack Nicholson, Pee Wee Herman, and an animatronic SpongeBob SquarePants. The signing of the papers will be heralded by a symphony of kazoos playing the Benny Hill theme. In accordance with the prenup, Buckingham Palace will be sawed in half. Big Ben will be pushed the rest of the way over. The prince will kiss Kate’s behind goodbye.

Big Ben is not owned by the royal family, but who cares. Push it.

9. Casey Anthony will be acquitted of drowning five kittens, clubbing a litter of baby seals, pepper-spraying a giraffe in the face, causing a catastrophic oil spill in the Mediterranean Sea, undermining the world economy with false currency, launching a full-scale nuclear war, erasing the galaxy, disproving God, and, in an ironic move, peeing on an atheist in public. Eyebrows will rise.

10. The space shuttle program will start up again in earnest, this time with the mission of “going where no one has gone before, but mostly just to the moon, or maybe just out for a quick jaunt, or maybe just screw this.” Richard Branson will see this as a fabulous new opportunity to market a private space shuttle program that never gets off the ground but looks awesome in the marketing materials. Oops, sorry, this was last year’s prediction.

And there you have it, folks. Ten real, true predictions for 2012. Honest.

Will Conley has been predicting things for thousands of milliseconds, and thus far has never been wrong

source:thisblogrules.com

Hard Drive Parts Turn Into Fun Toys

2012-03-16T11:24:00.001-07:00

Old computers don’t have to be thrown away. You can use their parts to be creative and make several cool stuff. The staff members of the Russian computer and IT store “Vist” have taken old hard drive parts and put it together to several funny and cute toys. A car and something that looks like a bird. Fun way to use something they are working with every day and create something completely different.

For me it looks like small metal pieces brought together, but for one that understands computer parts and works with it, it’s clear what exact pieces they used for the toys. Something that can remind of these little toys is this rubberbot – a robot made of rubber.

Amazing Floating Village

2012-03-16T11:20:00.001-07:00

In Cambodia there is three villages that are attached together and called Kampong Phluk. The interesting thing about them is that they float on the Tonle Sap lake that lies about 16 km southeast of Siem Reap. The houses in these villages are built on wood poles that vary from 6-8 meters.

The 3000 inhabitants feed themselves in the flooded mangrove forest surroundings that consist of much wildlife. When there are dry seasons the water level goes down so the houses are in a way levitating over it which can look pretty funny.

The lake Tonle Sap always reverses direction during the wet season, which makes it fill the lake, and it can thank the Mekong river for that. It is then one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, and hundreds of waterbirds live by it. Something completely similar are these floating islands on lake Titicaca in Peru.

The Biggest Tree House Ever Made

2012-03-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

This has to be every children’s dream; a gigantic tree house. The self-taught carpenter and landscape architect Horace Burgess built this great tree house in Crossville TN after God told him to do so, as he claims himself. He started building in 1993 and hasn’t finished yet. It consists of 10 floors and weighs 5700 pounds.

Each floor is about 11 feet high and measures between 8,000 to 10,000 square feet, and it’s 97 feet tall. 400 to 500 people visit this tree house every week, and you can find people from each state that comes to see this madness. Of course this great house will enter soon into Guinness book of records, Burgess will just have to have the right measures first.

As for now he is still adding new pieces to the house that are recycled lumber from garages, storage sheds and barns. What to do than to wish him good luck with this awesome project. Some other great tree houses are these ones in Costa Rica where people actually live in their own little world.

source:planetoddity.com

23 Daily Items Made From Bamboo

2012-03-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Growing nearly three feet in a single day, bamboo is a super-sustainable, renewable resource that is far more versatile than you might think. Not only is it used to make flooring, fabric and furniture, it can also be used as the basis of bicycles, computers, vehicles, product packaging, helmets and even entire buildings. Check out these 23 (more!) everyday items made of bamboo.

Computer Monitor, Keyboard & Mouse

(images via: igreenspot, chalet-bamboo, geek-news.mtv.com)

Offices could get a much warmer and more welcoming feel if these beautiful bamboo keyboards, mouses and even monitors were to replace plastic as the material of choice. The Bambouse by designer Wen-Ting Tseng from Taiwan is simple and elegant, and the 19-inch monitor debuted in 2007 at a cost of nearly $500. The keys and outside shell of the keyboard disguise its plastic components.

Beautifully Strong Buildings

(images via: world architecture news)

A house made of grass doesn’t sound so strong, but the fact is, bamboo is an extremely durable material that can produce amazingly unique architecture like the five structures shown here. Bamboo grows up to 39 inches per day, making it a very sustainable choice as a building material.

Bamboo Taxi Cabs

(images via: examiner)

In the Philippines town of Tabontabon, bamboo is a plentiful resource, so it’s no wonder the mayor chose it to create a fleet of ultra-green taxi cabs that run on coconut biodiesel. The cabs are covered in bamboo poles and woven palm leaves, and some of them have received complex and colorful paint jobs.

Sustainable Speakers

(images via: inhabitat, green diary)

Audiophiles might be picky about whether bamboo delivers the kind of performance they demand, but it sure does make speakers look more attractive. The above bamboo speakers include the Seren Audio model shaped like a pair of whales, which also include leather in their construction, as well as a pair of small USB speakers that preserve the look of a real bamboo stalk.

Ipad 2:Buy It For Less Price

2012-03-12T05:11:00.000-07:00

An upgrade to a product line usually brings bargains for the older models, and some iPad shoppers are watching for the iPad 2 deals to break. But you don't have to wait until the third-generation iPad ships on March 16 find a deal on an iPad 2. Major national retailers, including Apple itself, have already slashed prices on last year's Apple tablet.

Apple recently implemented the new pricing and other retailers quickly followed suit, but not every retailer has jumped on the iPad 2 price cut bandwagon. Here's where you can snap up Apple's 2011 iPad for less than its original $499 price tag.

Apple Store

Apple has already implemented its discount pricing on the 16GB Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models selling for $400 and $530 respectively, in both black and white.

If you're looking for something even cheaper, or an iPad 2 with more memory, Apple is selling refurbished versions of the iPad 2 with Wi-Fi for $350 (16GB), $450 (32GB), and $550 (64GB). If you want Wi-Fi + 3G it will cost $480 (16B), $580 (32GB), and $680 (64GB). Color and availability could change.

Refurbished devices are typically defective units that have been returned to "just like new" condition and sold at a discount. Apple refurbished iPads come with the company's typical one-year warranty. Apple limits iPad 2 purchases to two per customer.

Best Buy

Best Buy is matching Apple's iPad 2 pricing for the 16GB Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 3G pricing at $400 and $530 respectively, in both black and white.

You can also get other versions of the iPad 2 for $100 cheaper including the 32GB iPad 2 for $500 in both colors, or the 64GB Apple tablet is available for $600. For Wi-Fi + 3G, you can get the 32GB version for $630 and the 64GB version for $730.

Walmart

Walmart is matching Apple's new pricing with the 16GB iPad 2 for $399 in white or black, and the Wi-Fi + 3G version for $529.

You can also get the 64GB Wi-Fi only version for $650, $50 cheaper than pre-third generation iPad pricing. Walmart's prices were available online and in store.

Radio Shack

RadioShack is selling the iPad 2 only in its stores for $100 cheaper than original pricing. Availability will vary in your area, but calls to several Radio Shack locations on the east coast suggests that you are more likely to find 16GB ($399) and 32GB ($499) Wi-Fi only devices, and 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G ($529) models. If you plan to buy from Radio Shack you might want to call ahead and see what your local stores have in stock.

Where Not To Buy, Yet

So far, Amazon and third-party retailers selling via the site have yet to drop iPad 2 prices. The best price the online retailer offered at the time of this writing was $433 for a 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad 2.

Target also hasn't budged on pricing, and you should steer clear of eBay sellers for now as well. That being said, if you can't find a cheap iPad 2, keep your eye on pricing wherever the iPad 2 is sold near you. As we get closer to March 16, iPad 2 pricing is likely to drop at most major, and possibly local, retailers.

iPad (Third Generation) vs iPad 2

The biggest feature addition to the new iPad is its improved display resolution of 2048-by-1536 at 264 pixels per inch, over the iPad 2's 1024-by-768 resolution. The screen size remains the same at 9.7 inches. The new iPad also has a new A5X processor with an improved GPU for better graphics processing.

Units also have a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p video capture, bumped over the iPad 2's 720p video recording. Bluetooth is upgraded from Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR to the new Bluetooth 4.0, and those looking for wireless broadband will appreciate the zippier LTE 4G speeds over the iPad 2's 3G connectivity. The new iPad is available for advance orders now and is scheduled to hit store shelves on March 16.

source:pcworld.com

Reliance CDMA Tab Price In India

2012-03-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

Reliance Communications has launched their new CDMA technology based tablet – Reliance CDMA Tab – running on the widespread Reliance CDMA network . It is a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen display tablet pre-loaded with the Android OS v2.3 and powered by a 800MHz processor . There are two camera in the tablet , each at rear and front with front one for the video calling support . You can access Reliance’s high speed CDMA connectivity to access Internet on it and it also comes with various bundled data plans . The new Reliance CDMA tab is CDMA tablet version of the Reliance 3G Tab .

Reliance CDMA Tablet specifications :

Operating System : Android v2.3 (Gingerbread)
Processor : 800 MHz
Display : 7-inch Capacitive multi-touch , 800 X 480 pixels resolution
Weight : 389 gms
Camera

Rear : 2 megapixel
Front: VGA

Battery : 3400mAH Li-On

Talk time : Upto 9 hours
Standby time : up to 300 hours

Expandable storage : upto 32GB (4GB included)
Audio Player support : AAC, AAC+, AMR/AMR-NB, MP3 MIDI, Ogg PCM/WAV
Video Player support : MP4, H.263,H.264
Image support Format : BMP/PNG/JPEG
Connetivity : Bluetooth , WiFi , Wi-Fi Hotspot , GPS Navigation
FM Radio
Mobile TV

Reliance CDMA Tab Price in India : The new Reliance CDMA Tablet Price is Rs.12,990 . It is available at Reliance World and Reliance Mobile stores

Ipad 3 Expectations

2012-03-10T09:05:00.001-08:00

(CNN) -- When Apple holds a press event Wednesday, everyone who's paying attention expects to see the much-anticipated iPad 3.

The latest version of the device that virtually defined the tablet market after its introduction in 2010, the iPad 3 will arrive at a time when competitors are beginning to put up a bit of a fight.

Amazon made a splash with its simpler, cheaper Kindle Fire over the holidays, and rival bookseller Barnes & Noble has countered with its popular Nook Tablet. The Acer Iconia A500 offers more memory than the iPad 2, while other companies have begun flooding the market with devices that are smaller and cheaper than Apple's standard-bearer.

And, just this week, Microsoft rolled out its Windows 8 operating system for tablets, suggesting that Windows-based tablets could be making a serious run.

So, what will Apple do to try to maintain its dominance? As usual, Apple has remained tight-lipped about what it's announcing. The company hasn't even officially said the event is for the iPad.

But it's been almost a year since the iPad 2's release, making the timing right for a refresh. And with the tech-centric South by Southwest Interactive Festival starting next weekend, it would make sense. Last year, Apple announced at the last minute it would be selling the iPad 2 at the Austin, Texas, event -- ensuring buzz among the tech influencers there.

Few people outside Apple know for sure what CEO Tim Cook will unveil next week. But assuming it's a new iPad, speculation and leaks have focused on a few possibilities:

Clearer display

This image was on the invitation Apple sent out for its Wednesday launch event. It looks like an iPad, right?

One tidbit that's cropped up over and over is that Apple manufacturers have cranked out a display screen that would be a huge leap from the current model.

The story, largely originating from China where Apple products are made, is that the iPad 3 will have a 2048-by-1536-pixel retina display. That would be a major leap from the iPad 2's 1024 by 768 pixels and rival the display on high-definition television.

There have even been reports, based on parts listings provided to suppliers, that the new gadget could be called the iPad HD. (For the record, suppliers aren't told Apple's marketing plans, so take that with a grain of salt.)

Many tech observers who looked at Apple's digital media invitation to the event suspect the crisp, clear partial image of what looks like an iPad is showing off the new display.

2011: Apple launches iPad 2

The impact could mean more vivid gaming and movie watching as well as easier reading -- a claim that Amazon has been able to make so far with its E-ink Kindles.

However, some observers believe a higher-resolution screen could pose a problem for app developers who haven't prepared for it. Some apps that don't boost the pixel count of their graphics could look blurrier than they do on the iPad 2.

Siri

When the iPhone 4S rolled out this year, Siri was perhaps the main feature that numbed the techie pain of not getting a radically updated iPhone 5. (What's in a name, indeed?)

Some folks focused on the voice-activated "personal assistant's" limitations, but the ability to talk to a tiny, handheld computer and have it talk back, much less perform helpful tasks, captured the imaginations of many new owners.

Perhaps in an effort to lend the 4S some pizazz, Apple didn't enable the app on its older phones. But it's hard to imagine why the chatty helper wouldn't be included on the top-of-the-line iPad.

A cheaper iPad

Some observers say Apple may try to challenge less-expensive tablets on the market. At $199, the Kindle Fire is $300 cheaper than the least-expensive iPad.

The Christian Science Monitor quotes an unnamed source saying that Apple is working on a simpler, 8-gigabyte version of the iPad. Currently, the lowest-end iPad has 16 gigabytes of storage, running up to 64 gigabytes on the high end.

The emergence of cloud-based storage has, in some ways, mitigated the importance of storage space on devices such as tablets. And 8 gigabytes would put a cheaper iPad on par with the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. Even if the offering were a simplified iPad 2, attacking the competition on two fronts could help Apple stem the swelling tide of competition.

Remember also, when Apple introduced the iPad 2 a year ago, it dropped the price of the original iPad by $100.

Better camera

The first iPad had no camera, which helped the iPad 2 make a splash when Apple rolled it out with front and back-facing cameras and the ability to run FaceTime, its video-chat app.

Reports out of China suggest the iPad 3 could have the same, 8-megapixel camera from Sony that the iPhone 4S does. That camera has earned raves from users, who call it a major upgrade from the camera on the iPhone 4.

The iPad 2 delivers still photos at about 720 pixels. Of course, we've never quite understood who'd be taking still photos with a nearly 10-inch tablet, and the current camera is fine for shooting video. But maybe somebody will be impressed.

It's not just an iPad

OK, we admit this possibility would be the biggest surprise in recent tech-world memory. But since Apple hasn't officially said, we'll throw this one out there.

Let's say, contrary to all the evidence, Apple decides to swerve and announce something else. What might it be?

The leading guess? An Apple TV set -- the next mythical product for which Apple watchers have been waiting.

(Some observers have read the tag line on Apple's press invite -- "We have something you really have to see. And touch." -- to suggest the company will unveil not one but two gadgets.)

Analysts who study Apple's supply line say they've already seen prototypes of a fully integrated Apple TV.

And, last month, Best Buy sent some customers a curiously detailed hypothetical survey question, asking if they'd be interested in a flat-panel, high-definition TV running Apple's iOS system with access to Apple's iCloud service. The hypothetical price tag? $1,499.

Again, we don't expect this development. But should a new iPad not happen, we think an Apple TV is the next best bet.

source:edition.cnn.com

Zoom Facebook Photos Just By Mousing Over Them

2012-03-10T09:00:00.002-08:00

'm a big fan of anything that makes Facebook less of a hassle. Don't get me wrong--I like Facebook a lot, but certain aspects of the service can be annoying.

For example, when you're perusing your news feed, you might see a photo that's of interest--but too small to see in sufficient detail. So you click to make it larger, than have to click again to close it.

Hey, you don't have all day! And don't get me started on all that extra wear and tear on your mouse.

Fortunately, there's a way to enlarge Facebook photos without a single click. All you need is the right extension for your Web browser: FB Photo Zoom for Chrome and Thumbnail Zoom for Firefox.

Once installed, you'll discover a much easier way to interact with Facebook photos: just mouse over them. In other words, move your cursor on top of any photo in your news feed, then wait a second. Presto: the image appears full-size.

If you're a Firefox user, you'll be glad to know that Thumbnail Zoom also works with Amazon, Twitter, and loads of other sites that use thumbnail images. (Alas, Craigslist isn't one of them; for that, check outCraigsList Image Prefetcher.)

I've been using FB Photo Zoom in Chrome--and loving it. Definitely worth a look if you're a Facebook fan

Top 10 Tech Trends Of 2012

2012-03-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

Pete Cashmore is the founder and CEO of Mashable.com.

1. Touch computing

New input methods will be the dominant trend of 2012. Tablet computers such as the iPad might seem like a nice alternative to desktop and laptop computers, but I believe they're more than that: They're replacements. Just as the command line (remember that?) gave way to graphical user interfaces, so the mouse will be superseded by touchscreens.

The signs are obvious: Windows 8 and Mac OS X Lion, the latest desktop operating systems, borrow heavy from their mobile counterparts. These new interfaces essentially impose a touchscreen-inspired interface over the traditional desktop environment.

Over time, this half-step will become a whole one, and mobile operating systems will dominate. The transition won't be complete by the end of 2012, but we'll be much further down the path, and using computer mice much less often.

2. Social gestures

In the social media realm, social gestures appear to be the leading trend of 2012. Launched by Facebook in September, this so-called "frictionless sharing" functionality removes the need to click a button to share media with your friends. Instead, everything you listen to, read or watch is automatically posted to your profile once you approve the relevant app.

If you've seen apps such as Spotify or Social Reader in your Facebook news feed, you're already aware of these features.

The trend makes sense for social networks: With 800 million people already on Facebook, its growth is bound to slow. But if sharing becomes automatic, the volume of content on Facebook will grow at an accelerated pace. There's a big problem, however: Users may be "creeped out" by all this automated sharing of their Web activity and grow suspicious of the apps using it.

3. NFC and mobile payments

Google Wallet, Google's mobile-payment system, may become more widespread in 2012.

Next year is likely to be the year when mobile payments blossom. While we've seen a great deal of innovation in mobile payments technology this year -- including the success of Square's iPhone dongle, allowing anyone to accept credit card payments -- 2012 is the year of NFC.

What's that, you ask? Near Field Communication essentially lets you replace your credit cards with your phone: Wave an NFC-enabled phone near the credit card reader in a store (or taxi cab), and the money is deducted from your account.

By 2013, 1 in 5 cellphones are expected to be NFC-equipped. Early contenders include Google Wallet, Visa Wallet, Serve (by American Express) and ISIS.

4. Beyond the iPad

If touch computing is the future, then the iPad is surely king. And yet the iPad came up against serious competition in the latter part of 2011: As I wrote previously, I expect the new Amazon Kindle Fire to outsell the iPad in 2012. Why? Simply put, the iPad costs $499 while the Fire costs $199.

Amazon's advantages don't stop at the price point, however: The company owns an entire content store of movies, e-books, TV shows and other media. With tablet devices, the hardware is somewhat important but the content available for the device is absolutely critical: With plenty of media available for the Fire right away, it's an appealing proposition.

Why does one device constitute an entire trend? Well, as a true competitor to the iPad emerges, content producers, distributors and even app developers may have an entirely new platform on which to push their wares. (And yes, the Kindle Fire does indeed run Google's Android operating system, but Amazon's version is so unlike other Android tablets that neither users nor app developers will perceive it as "yet another Android device" -- it's a whole new platform.)

5. TV Everywhere

So you thought you'd be able to watch all your favorite shows online and get rid of your cable subscription for good? Not so fast!

The cable companies have a cunning plan: They'll let you watch live TV, plus on-demand movies and TV shows, on your connected devices if you keep your cable subscription. Dish Network, Time Warner and Comcast are among those offering the service.

TV Everywhere has been buzzed about since 2010, of course, and could be a dud -- but the rise of tablet devices would seem to create increased demand for a "TV in your hands."

6. Voice control

Here's another trend that's got a moderate chance of taking off in 2012: Voice control.

Siri, the voice-control feature in the iPhone 4S, may spread to other devices.

The novelty of Siri on the iPhone 4S -- which allows you to send texts, create reminders, search the Web and much more using just your voice -- may be the start of a new trend in voice controlled devices.

Surely voice control has been around for years? Yes, but it wasn't very accurate.

Siri and its ilk define a new era in which we talk, and our devices understand -- often on the first attempt. Other device makers will likely follow suit. What's more, Apple may use voice control to replace the TV remote.

7. Spatial gestures

Other input methods are gaining traction too: Microsoft's Kinect, for instance, has given rise to interfaces that use spatial gestures. Just like in "Minority Report," your devices can be controlled simply by waving your hands in the air.

Thanks to the many innovators who have hacked Kinect to work with other platforms, we may see more devices using this input method next year.

8. Second-screen experiences

"Second-screen experiences" is a buzz-phase among TV and movie execs these days. It refers to apps (mainly on the iPad) that listen to the audio output of your TV and display content related to the show or movie you're watching. The chances are that you already use your tablet computer or phone while watching TV, so there's ample opportunity to make the viewing experience a more interactive one.

Disney already has second-screen apps for movies such as "The Lion King" and "Bambi," while multiple TV networks have similar offerings: We can expect many, many more to be released in 2012.

9. Flexible screens

Personally, I just can't wait for flexible screens: These awesome new bendable interfaces will let you zoom in, zoom out and scroll around a page simply by twisting your phone or tablet.

Nokia and Samsung have both hinted they may release phones with bendable displays in 2012. The really exciting stuff, however -- like paper-thin devices that roll up to fit in your pocket -- is still years away.

10. HTML5

Can I squeeze in one more trend? It's HTML5 -- the fifth iteration of the HTML standard -- and it lets developers create richer, more interactive applications than ever.

Why does this matter? As developers tire of building applications for every operating system out there -- from Android to iOS to Windows Phone and beyond -- HTML5 offers the opportunity to build an app once and have it work everywhere.

The rise of HTML5 is bound to be accelerated by a recent revelation: Adobe is killing off Flash for mobile devices, meaning one of the primary methods of serving videos and rich applications on mobile phones is about to disappear. HTML5 will fill that gap. For us as consumers, that means richer applications and experiences on all our devices.

In short, 2012 is all about new ways to interact with our devices through touch and voice control, new lightweight ways to share content, a revolution in mobile payments and a plethora of rich Web applications -- not to mention the hundreds of new innovations that we've yet to dream up. I can't wait

source:edition.cnn.com

2012 New Car Buying Resources

2012-03-10T01:28:00.002-08:00

Are you in the market for a new car? If you need to get rid of your current vehicle, chances are you’re better off selling it yourself but occasionally a trade-in is more feasible, especially if your car is a piece or you need a fresh set of wheels fast. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a stock new-lookingHonda Civic you want to sell yourself or a lifted Toyota Tacoma, Autotrader.com and Craigslist are great places to start. We’ve sold every car we’ve put on there – sometimes you have to wait it out for a few weeks or months, but there’s always a buyer that’s looking for the car you’re selling.

When it comes time to buy the new car, there are tons of great websites too that can make your search easy and limit the amount of time you spend in the dealer, not to mention to save you some money. A few major decisions must be made when looking to buy a car or truck though such as, “How much down payment should I put down?” Or “Should I take the zero-down offer and keep the money in case I need it for something else later?” How about, “Should I pay for the car in cash, or would choosing a used car be more affordable and simply a better choice for me than a new car?” Be real with yourself.

There are many places to research online, including Automotive.com of course, which allow you to buy a new car without the hassle of negotiating, unlike say, browsing on AutoTrader.com and then contacting the dealers yourself. Shopping for a car online has become an extremely popular and beneficial alternative to those who don’t like to haggle with dealer salespeople OR who don’t have time to run around and visit each lot. Internet shopping allows for a vast selection of vehicles from the comfort of your own home. For example, Automotive.com allows you to build a car, spec out the features and options you desire via check boxes, and then hit “Submit”. They research all the dealers in your area to see who has the exact car you’re looking for. If the car or truck that you want isn’t found in your local area, Automotive.com will tap into its national network of dealerships until it finds it. Many times dealers will arrange for the car to be shipped to you for a nominal charge.

The greatest benefit of internet shopping though is the car prices. When you go through a company such as Automotive.com, you’re benefiting from the sales volume they send to dealers and more often than not receive discounted pricing. Ever heard the tip of dealing with the “fleet manager” at a dealership to get some real discounts? Same story when you buy online, except you’re going through the “Internet Sales Manager.” Plus you don’t have to negotiate!

Some of our personal friends who’ve used Automotive.com have purchased everything from a Chevy Camaro in fully-loaded SS-trim to base model KIA cars and saved several hundreds to several thousands off a normal price. In many case, you will be able to purchase under invoice price. Besides saving money, browsing for a car online opens up the door to endless car reviews, MPG ratings and specifications that are just a click away. Also, learn about special deals in your area as well finding out about all of the current manufacturers rebates in effect.

Top Concept Cars At 2012 Canadian International Autoshow

2012-03-10T01:26:00.002-08:00

Concept cars always amuse an auto show crowds with notions of what the future of motoring has in store. With most automakers recovering from their pre-recession belt tightening, the auto show is once again a place where imagination is welcomed to shine. Through my recent pilgrimage to the 2012 Canadian International Autoshow, I caught a glance at the future ideas of auto manufacturers.

While there were no concept cars making global premieres at the 2012 Canadian International Autoshow, this year’s sampling of modern design and engineering was an up-close awakening.

Jaguar C-X16

Loosely derived from the C-X75 concept that commemorated Jaguar‘s 75th anniversary, the C-X16 is a more production-polished design that continues to explore advanced powertrains integration with their sports cars. Instead of employing the radical gasoline/electric turbine powertrain of the C-X75, the Jaguar C-X16 utilizes a conventional supercharged 3-liter V-6 engine in concert with an electric drive system. Jaguar predicts this arrangement can equate to 0 to 62-mile per hour acceleration of 4.4 seconds and a top speed potential of 186 miles per hour. Electric power is available through a steering wheel-mounted boost button providing a shear blast of momentum.

A stunning aluminum-bodied vehicle built with Jaguar’s design DNA, the Neutron White CX-16 projects the classic elegance associated with the British brand. Inside, a Vermillion Red two-seat interior is said to be lay out like an airplane cockpit with toggle and joystick controls easily accessible to the driver. The Jaguar C-X16 also adds carbon fiber and aluminum trim pieces inside for a full race car inspired experience.

Volkswagen Bulli

Several years back, Volkswagen has to admit they lost touch with the virtues that made their brand the first truly successful imported car to North America in the 1960s and 1970s. Attempting to insert themselves within a premium car marketplace close to their own Audi product line-up, Volkswagen fans grew wary of the “VW” badge based on elevated prices and suspect quality. Since the 2009 introduction of the new Golf, Volkswagen has renovated their image further with more affordable Jetta and Passat sedan. Revisiting the Microbus design and premise, Volkswagen gives the new generation of automotive enthusiasts a taste of old school van styling.

The second concept based on the original Microbus in a decade, the Volkswagen Bulli premiered last year as a unique compact vehicle study. Only 3.99 meters (157.09 inches) in total length, the use of Volkswagen’s historical van silhouette assures a specious interior. Fitted with an experimental electric powerplant, the Bulli displays flexibility of accommodating a vast arrangement of other efficient powertrains.

It’s entirely questionable what the future of the Bulli has in store. President and CEO of Volkswagen Canada John White’s words on the Bulli concept stated “…its future looks bright indeed.” Will the concept vehicle become the direction for a new production car or become a recollection rarely recalled in the future (similar to the flower power generation’s acknowledgement of themselves in the 1960s).

Kia GT

First shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show by Kia, the four-door, rear-wheel drive GT concept vehicle represents a forward look into the South Korea automaker’s future designs and technologies.

A 396-horsepower sport sedan, the Kia GT concept mirrors the styling stance designers of the Audi A7 and theMercedes-Benz CLS-Class took in creating a four-door coupe-type appearance. Based on a long 112.6-inch, the GT concept’s exterior lines elegantly roll along the triangular headlamps and flow overtop of a sports car racing roof. The wide wheelbase also assists in passenger room inside of a four-seat cabin accessed through front and rear hinged doors. According to the manufacturer’s press conference at the 2012 Canadian International Auto Show, the Kia GT Concept is wrapped in sheetmetal also draws inspiration from the European sports cars of the late 1960s and 1970s.

Always tough to gauge how seriously a car brand accepts its design studies, recently received renderings indicate that Kia is indeed focused on directing the GT concept on to a production line. Sketches of a rear-wheel drive Kia sedan even bare a striking resemblance to the GT concept car.

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept

Taking three years to reach the Canadian Auto Show circuit since its debut at the 2009 Chicago exhibition, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept is still a cutting-edge design. A show car built to respect Corvette’s past, the Stingray Concept explores some drastic touches that may astonish current fans of the American sports car in either a positive or a negative way.

Strong hints of the 1963 to 1967 version of the Chevrolet Corvette is detailed through the bulging fender and by the split rear window of the Stingray Concept but the vehicle remains ultra-modern in overall design. Much like other exotic supercars that insist on greeting motorists with flamboyance, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept incorporates scissor-opening doors. Featuring a high-tech interior compartment for two occupants, the powertrain is also quite evolved said to be a high-power gasoline/electric hybrid setup.

With a new Chevrolet Corvette on the way, the popularity of the Corvette Stingray Concept will be realized by the adoption of styling cues. From analysis of pre-debut renderings for the C7 Corvette, the Stingray Concept appears to have been a worthwhile endeavour.

BMW Vision ConnectedDrive

Sports cars are known to invoke some of the purest sensations of human and driving machine working in unison. Making its North American debut at the 2012 Canadian International Auto Show, the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive roadster show car demonstrates how the German auto company pictures the near spiritual interaction of unlikely pairing in a 21st century connected world. A sparkling spectacle of German motoring design, the 20-inch wheels and fiber optics of the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive draws attention to a new theory of how a vehicle can interact with people as well as environment.

A concept vehicle created for furnishing occupants with a highly sensual driving experience, the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive promotes a heavily intuitive electronic connection to the world. For the driver, the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive avails an advanced heads-up display that can be programmed with a rich assortment of driving data. An augmented reality view is available to the motorist projecting 3-dimensional icons of the road ahead. A Passenger Information Display on the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive provides extensive information access for everything from navigation to music. The BMW Vision ConnectedDrive concept roadster’s further interacts with surroundings thanks to a cloud computing supported Emotion Browser that finds and relays relevant information on locations and destinations.

Acura NSX

Poor Acura! Entering North America as the first Japanese luxury car badge, the Honda-owned has been struggling to find an ace in the hole against Lexus and Infiniti in recent years. A premium car division looking for an image, Acura chose to revive their most beloved nameplate at the 2012 North American International Auto Show as a show car on the verge of production. Seven years since the last Acura NSX supercar pleased the exotic car enthusiasts as Japanese engineering taken to the limits of performance, the 2012 concept car rekindles the excitement of the revered original.

A charming silver supercar shape, the Acura NSX concept was near show stopping at the 2012 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto. A low, aerodynamic figure, the 2012 concept car version of the Acura NSX conceals Super Handling all-Wheel Drive, dual-clutch transmission and a hybrid powertrain combining a direct-injected six-cylinder engine with two electric motors. The 400-horsepower Acura NSX premiere on the auto show circuit has been a run away success for the Honda-derived product. Acura will be hoping that the NSX supercar’s enthusiasm and gawks at the Toronto auto exhibit will translate into sales demand.

Information source: American Honda Motor Company, BMW AG, General Motors, Jaguar/Land Rover, Kia Motors America, Volkswagen AG
Photo and video source: Chris Nagy

5 Reasons To Buy Ipad 2

2012-03-09T06:07:00.002-08:00

Apple has been producing amazing products since the beginning and in the last few years the release of the MacBook Air and the iPad have been game changers. And yet here comes another excellent revision of an already awesome product; the iPad.

Now that we’ve all gotten over the lack of cut and paste functionality of the iPhone, we’ve downloaded a million apps, and we’ve worn through countless lithium polymer batteries in the process, what more can Apple do to keep us shelling out cash for their latest and greatest?

I was so excited that on the 2nd I went down to the Apple Store in Phoenix, Arizona to see what all the fuss was about and talk to the Geniuses to get their input and for me there are five things in particular that have me ready to go buy an iPad 2:

Built-in magnets which eliminate the need for a case to protect the device
A much faster dual-core processor so we can use and build more robust and useful applications
A one month standby time to reduce trips to the charger
PhotoBooth and FaceTime on the iPad 2 is stunning and extremely convenient, we can now finally use Skype correctly on it
The same great price (comparatively speaking that is), if you don’t have enough in your pocket, just go for the 16GB version which in my view is already pretty decent

GadgetLite.com

World's 1st Electric Airplane

2012-03-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

The world’s first electric airplane comes from Sonex and we can say that it looks promising. Of course, electric airplanes aren’t as safe as electric cars or bikes, especially if you run out of power in mid air, so we’re doubting that we’ll see them anytime soon as passenger aircrafts, but that doesn’t mean that electric airplanes do not exist and that they don’t work.

The electric airplane from Sonex can fly and it was taken for a test fly recently. In order to prove that their airplane is safe, Sonex chairman and E-Flight captain John Monnett flew together in the electric plane.

Everything went well, and these two have proven that electric planes are real and that they are safe. Only thing that Sonex has to do, is to find a way to extend the flight duration, therefore, we doubt that we’ll see electric airplanes in stores anytime soon

source: GadgetLite.com

Wireless KeyMouse

2012-03-09T05:54:00.000-08:00

If you hate dealing with cables and want your office desktop more organised, you might be interested in this latest gadget released by Brando, the idea is simple – what if you could combine both wireless keyboard and mouse into a single device into something the size of a TV remote controller?

Brando’s wireless Keymouse II might look like a complicated remote controller, but it’s actually a wireless mouse that has built in keyboard functionalities as well. When you want to use Brando’s wireless Keymouse II as a mouse, you simply need to move it through the air in order to move your cursor, and if you want to use it as a keyboard, you simply need to flip it, and start typing. As for the keyboard, Brando’s wireless Keymouse II has a full QWERTY keyboard along with dedicated media buttons that light up in the dark. As for the range of this device, thanks to the 2.4 GHz wireless USB dongle, you can control your computer remotely up to 15m distance without any problems.

Brando’s wireless Keymouse II is compatible with Windows XP or higher, Mac OS X and Linux, and it’ll cost you $59, not too pricey and definitely worth a try