New Life

The futuristic Rolls-Royce 103EX

2020-04-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

The first all-electric concept from Rolls-Royce will now be on display at the company’s headquarters as a symbol of the brand’s dedication to be a leader even as the auto industry goes through a technical revolution unlike any seen since last century.

Rolls-Royce 103 EX

The company’s first autonomous car, which has also been called the Vision Next 100, was unveiled to a collective gasp from the auto industry at London’s Roundhouse in 2016. Referred to by the brand as “one of the most important cars we have ever built,” the vehicle features an all-electric drivetrain, autonomous drive and enhanced artificial intelligence that does everything from charting out the most efficient route to keeping track of your daily schedule. While the 103EX looks like something ripped from a Ridley Scott sci-fi flick, the car still has a sleek elegance that makes clear it’s a Rolls-Royce.

“As our first fully autonomous electric vehicle, 103EX was a huge statement of intent. In its technical innovation, it showed unequivocally that Rolls-Royce regards electric power as the future of automotive propulsion,” Rolls-Royce Motorcars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said. “It also demonstrated our radical vision of effortless, autonomous, connected, spacious and beautiful luxury mobility, with each car as individual as the customer themselves.”

As off now Rolles Royce hasn't put up any production plans. To see the 103EX’s tech appear in other Rolls-Royce vehicles will not be too-distant future.

Indian travel industry crisis.

2020-04-21T04:33:00.002-07:00

Indian tourism could run into thousands of crores of rupees.

The coronavirus pandemic could deal a crippling blow to the Indian travel and tourism industry, specially with the government suspending all visas, with the economic impact being assessed to run into thousands of crores of rupees. According to industry chamber CII, this is the one of the worst crises ever to hit the Indian tourism industry impacting all its geographical segments - inbound, outbound and domestic, almost all tourism verticals - leisure , adventure, heritage, MICE, cruise, corporate travels.

The whole tourism value chain across hotels, travel agents, tour operations, destinations, restaurants, family entertainment venues and air, land and sea transportation have been hit.

In an impact assessment of the coronavirus pandemic, CII Tourism Committee said inbound foreign tourism of over USD 28 billion in value terms accounts for an average 60-65 per cent between October to March.

"As the news of the virus started picking up from November, the percentage of cancellat ..

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Flights not to operate untill May 3rd.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) India has announced that all domestic and international scheduled airline operations in India will remain suspended until 2359 hours of May 3, 2020. The office of DGCA also announced the continuation of travel and visa restrictions relating to Covid-19. The statement said the restrictions will not apply to international all cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA.

This move came in after Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi extended the nation-wide lockdown period until May 3 in his today’s address.

Commenting on this, India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri tweet reads, “There were good reasons for the lockdown to be extended until May 3. We can consider lifting restrictions on both domestic and international flights thereafter.

“I understand the problems being faced by people who need to travel and request them to bear with us.”

Airlines have been the worst hit due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown as the business has come to a grindfing halt. Air Deccan had to shut its services owing to significant drop in business. Many airlines have asked their employees to take pay cut while other stringent measures could come into force once the airlines resume operations.

Indian carriers are estimated to report a consolidated net loss of over $600 million (over Rs 4,230 crore) in 2019-20, according to aviation consultancy CAPA as it downgraded its full-year profitability projection made in June.

In June, it projected a consolidated net profit of $500-700 million in the optimistic case.

Currently, there are four budget carriers and two full service airlines -- IndiGo NSE 0.65 %, GoAir, SpiceJet, AirAsia India, Vistara and Air India. Noting that it has revised downwards full-year profitability projections for all carriers, it said the industry has failed to capitalise on Jet Airways' closure and relatively softer fuel prices, as evidenced by an estimated industry loss of $350-400 million in the second quarter of the current fiscal.

"The potential benefits of consolidation and capacity rationalisation in the wake of Jet's demise, and relatively benign fuel prices, have largely been squandered. Carriers pursued very a ..

Travel industry not taking off any time soon

2020-04-21T04:13:00.001-07:00

Relaunch plan for August

Adventure tour operators Exodus Travels and Headwater Holidays are extending the suspension of all their tours until August 16th.

The move comes as a result of the ongoing global impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Customers will receive an ABTA bonded refund credit note which can then be used towards any new booking made by January next year.

Travel will be permitted on any date up until the end of March 2022.

Refund Credit Notes can be exchanged for refunds from January next year if a booking is not made by then.

All travel agent partners with passengers booked on tours affected by this suspension are being contacted by the tour operators to discuss the available options.

The global market value of travel intermediaries was US$332 billion in 2019 having increased by 6.2 per cent from the previous year, highlighting the significance of this sector.

The princess Cruises

Princess Cruises has temporarily revised its final payment dates and cancellation policies for cruises departing up to October 15th.

The line has implemented the updated ‘Cruise with Confidence’ policies in order to offer its guests more flexibility and peace of mind when making decisions regarding their cruise holiday during the evolving global Covid-19 situation.

Guests who were due to depart on a cruise from July 1st-July 31st can cancel up to 48 hours prior to departure, while guests who were due to depart from August 1st-October 15th can cancel up to 30 days prior to departure.

In both instances, guests will receive a refund of all monies which have been paid and are no longer due.

WHO warns that 'the worst' of the coronavirus is yet to come

2020-04-21T00:50:00.003-07:00

Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Monday that "the worst is yet ahead of us" concerning the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us," he said during a press briefing.

Ghebreyesus compared the virus to the 1918 flu that killed 675,000 people in the US and tens of millions around the world. But he argued that the world now has the technology to prevent "that kind of crisis."

"Let's prevent this tragedy," he said. "It's a virus that many people still don't understand."

This comes as countries around the world are beginning to reopen as they've seen decreasing infection rates. Some of these places, including Singapore, are already seeing their cases spike again.

President Donald Trump has begun urging governors to reopen their states despite experts' warnings that doing so too soon would provoke a devastating resurgence of the virus. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's leading infectious disease expert, says the development of a vaccine is at least one year to 18 months away.

Ghebreyesus didn't explain exactly how he expects the virus' toll to intensify.

As of Monday, the virus has infected almost 2.5 million people in more than 200 countries and territories and killed at least 166,000 people, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Monday that "the worst is yet ahead of us" concerning the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us," he said during a press briefing.

"Let's prevent this tragedy," he said. "It's a virus that many people still don't understand."

This comes as countries around the world are beginning to reopen as they've seen decreasing infection rates. Some of these places, including Singapore, are already seeing their cases spike again.

Ghebreyesus didn't explain exactly how he expects the virus' toll to intensify.

As of Monday, the virus has infected almost 2.5 million people in more than 200 countries and territories and killed at least 166,000 people, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

A total of 211 countries have reported case of COVID -19 caes. Every continent except Antarctica has been affected by this deadly pandemic. The US predicts over 200000 deaths. But that can be considered only as a initial prediction. It can go worse than that. Unless every country and its citizens are ready to fight it together.

Oil prices moves below ZERO

2020-04-21T00:30:00.002-07:00

The price of a barrel of benchmark U.S. oil plunged below $0 a barrel on Monday for the first time in history, a troubling sign of an unprecedented global energy glut as the coronavirus pandemic halts travel and curbs economic activity.

The contract for West Texas intermediate crude, or WTI, is the benchmark for U.S. crude oil prices. On Monday, the day started like any other gloomy Monday in the oil market’s worst crisis in a generation. It ended with prices falling below zero, thrusting markets into a parallel universe where traders were willing to pay $40 a barrel just to get somebody to take crude off their hands.

The move was so violent and shocking that many traders struggled to explain it. They grasped wildly at possible causes all day long -- had some big firm got caught wrong-footed? Or were inexperienced retail investors flummoxed by a market quirk? -- but had no tangible evidence of anything to point to.

West Texas Intermediate futures have been the benchmark for America’s oil industry for decades, seeing the market through booms, busts, wars and financial crises, but no single event holds a candle to this. By the end of trading, the contract had slumped from $17.85 a barrel to minus $37.63.

Prices rebounded back above zero on Tuesday, but still were trading at just $1.38 a barrel at 12:21 p.m. Singapore time. The price of a barrel of crude varies based on factors such as supply, demand and quality. Supply of fuel has been far above demand since the coronavirus forced billions of people to stop traveling. The price plunge was partly due to the way oil is traded. A futures contract is for 1,000 barrels of crude, delivered into Cushing, where energy companies own storage tanks with roughly 76 million barrels of capacity.

In one way, the negative plunge was just an extreme glitch as traders prepared for the expiry of the contract for delivery in May. Elsewhere, the market proceeded as normal -- Brent futures, the benchmark for Europe in London, ended the day down sharply, but still above $25 a barrel. WTI for June delivery changed hands at $20 a barrel.

But the negative prices also revealed a fundamental truth about the oil market in the age of coronavirus: The world’s most important commodity is quickly losing all value as chronic oversupply overwhelms the world’s crude tanks, pipelines and supertankers. Ultimately, traders were left desperate to avoid having to take delivery of actual oil because nobody needs it and there are fewer and fewer places to put it.

Despite the OPEC+ deal to cut 10% of global production, lauded by U.S. President Donald Trump little more than a week ago, the oil market’s crisis is worsening. The rout will send a deflationary wave through the global economy, complicating the task facing central banks trying to keep economies afloat as the pandemic continues to paralyze business and travel worldwide.

The price collapse could redraw the global map of power as petrostates like Russia and Saudi Arabia, which enjoyed a resurgence over the last 20 years thanks to an oil windfall, see their influence diminished. Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc and other oil giants are ripping up business plans, desperate to preserve cash.

WTI is the world’s most traded financial oil contract, a benchmark followed from Zurich to New York to Tokyo. But when each month a futures contract nears expiry and traders roll their positions into further-out contracts, the real, physical world of WTI becomes very small -- centered on Cushing, an oil town in Oklahoma where a massive hub of pipelines and storage tanks serves as the actual delivery point for barrels.

In the past three weeks, crude has been flowing into Cushing at a breakneck speed, averaging 745,000 barrels a day and taking in more oil than a medium-sized European nation like Belgium consumes. At that rate, the tanks there will be full before the end of May, something that has never happened before.

The days before expiry are often volatile as traders make the shift from a paper to a physical market. Until a few days ago, the May contract had been supported by huge financial flows by retail and institutional investors pouring money into oil through exchange-traded funds.

The largest crude ETF, known as the U.S. Oil Fund, received billions of dollars in fresh funds in recent weeks, accumulating a fifth of all the outstanding contracts in the May futures contract. But last week, it rolled its position into the June contract, and evaporated from May. Without the fund, the contract was abandoned to the the forces of physical supply and demand.

As the market opened early in Asia’s Monday morning, the May contract traded at $17.85. As New York traders were firing up workstations in their makeshift home offices, it was below $15.

The future of our Airlines.

For cash-strapped airlines, the decline in crude prices will make it cheaper to operate flights that are already nearly empty as people remain homebound due to the coronavirus.

The plunge in crude futures also indicates that the market does not expect airlines to add back many flights to their slimmed down networks any time soon, said Raymond James analyst Savanthi Syth.

Zika virus

2016-02-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

A new threat into the medical world. And it seems cure and vaccines are sometime away from reaching the needful. Now lets get into some details of what we are facing here.

Zika virus disease (Zika) is a disease caused by Zika virus that is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections.

Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 and is named after the Zika forest in Uganda. In 1952, the first human cases of Zika were detected and since then, outbreaks of Zika have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Zika outbreaks have probably occurred in many locations. Before 2007, at least 14 cases of Zika had been documented, although other cases were likely to have occurred and were not reported. Because the symptoms of Zika are similar to those of many other diseases, many cases may not have been recognized.

In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil and on Feb 1, 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Zika virus a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Local transmission has been reported in many other countries and territories. Zika virus likely will continue to spread to new areas.

Transmission

Through mosquito bites

Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito (A. aegypti and A. albopictus). These are the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.

These mosquitoes typically lay eggs in and near standing water in things like buckets, bowls, animal dishes, flower pots and vases. They prefer to bite people, and live indoors and outdoors near people.
- Mosquitoes that spread chikungunya, dengue, and Zika are aggressive daytime biters. They can also bite at night.
Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on a person already infected with the virus. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people through bites.

Rarely, from mother to child

A mother already infected with Zika virus near the time of delivery can pass on the virus to her newborn around the time of birth, but this is rare.
A mother can pass Zika virus to her fetus during pregnancy. We are studying how Zika affects pregnancies.
To date, there are no reports of infants getting Zika virus through breastfeeding. Because of the benefits of breastfeeding, mothers are encouraged to breastfeed even in areas where Zika virus is found.

Through sexual contact

Zika virus can be spread by a man to his sex partners.
In known cases of likely sexual transmission, the men had Zika symptoms.
In one case, the virus was spread a few days before symptoms developed.
The virus is present in semen longer than in blood.

Through blood transfusion

There have been multiple reports of blood transfusion transmission cases in Brazil. These reports are currently being investigated.
During the French Polynesian outbreak, 2.8% of blood donors tested positive for Zika and in previous outbreaks, the virus has been found in blood donors.

Prevention

No vaccine exists to prevent Zika virus disease (Zika).
Prevent Zika by avoiding mosquito bites (see below).
Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus bite mostly during the daytime.
Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus also spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.

If you have a baby or child:
- Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months of age.
- Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs, or
- Cover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito netting.
- Do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, and cut or irritated skin.
- Adults: Spray insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to a child’s face.
Treat clothing and gear with permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated items.
- Treated clothing remains protective after multiple washings. See product information to learn how long the protection will last.
- If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions carefully.
- Do NOT use permethrin products directly on skin. They are intended to treat clothing.

The Oscars 2016

2016-02-19T22:18:00.002-08:00

Its time for the oscars again. And

The nominees are

Being a fan of Leo. i would like to see him garb his first oscar for his role in Revenant. Good luck leo. The day is on Feb 28th. Lets wait and see who the winners are.

The winners of 2015 were...

Best Picture
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole, Producers (WINNER)
“American Sniper” Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan, Producers
“Boyhood” Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland, Producers
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson, Producers
“The Imitation Game” Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky and Teddy Schwarzman, Producers
“Selma” Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers
“The Theory of Everything” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce and Anthony McCarten, Producers
“Whiplash” Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook and David Lancaster, Producers

Actor
Eddie Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything” (WINNER)
Michael Keaton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper in “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game”

Actress
Julianne Moore in “Still Alice” (WINNER)
Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones in “The Theory of Everything”
Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon in “Wild”

Director
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu (WINNER)
“Boyhood” Richard Linklater
“Foxcatcher” Bennett Miller
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson
“The Imitation Game” Morten Tyldum

Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash” (WINNER)
Robert Duvall in “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke in “Boyhood”
Edward Norton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Mark Ruffalo in “Foxcatcher”

Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood” (WINNER)
Laura Dern in “Wild”
Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Meryl Streep in “Into the Woods”

Adapted Screenplay
“The Imitation Game” Written by Graham Moore (WINNER)
“American Sniper” Written by Jason Hall
“Inherent Vice” Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Theory of Everything” Screenplay by Anthony McCarten
“Whiplash” Written by Damien Chazelle

Original Screenplay
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo (WINNER)
“Boyhood” Written by Richard Linklater
“Foxcatcher” Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Screenplay by Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
“Nightcrawler” Written by Dan Gilroy

Animated Feature
“Big Hero 6” Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli (WINNER)
“The Boxtrolls” Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable and Travis Knight
“How to Train Your Dragon 2” Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold
“Song of the Sea” Tomm Moore and Paul Young
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” Isao Takahata and Yoshiaki Nishimura

Documentary Feature
“CitizenFour” Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky (WINNER)
“Finding Vivian Maier” John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
“Last Days in Vietnam” Rory Kennedy and Keven McAlester
“The Salt of the Earth” Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and David Rosier
“Virunga” Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Original Song
“Glory” from “Selma”
Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn (WINNER)
“Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie”
Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson
“Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights”
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me”
Music and Lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond
“Lost Stars” from “Begin Again”
Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois

Foreign Language Film
“Ida” Poland (WINNER)
“Leviathan” Russia
“Tangerines” Estonia
“Timbuktu” Mauritania
“Wild Tales” Argentina

Original Score
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Alexandre Desplat (WINNER)
“The Imitation Game” Alexandre Desplat
“Interstellar” Hans Zimmer
“Mr. Turner” Gary Yershon
“The Theory of Everything” Jóhann Jóhannsson

Film Editing
“Whiplash” Tom Cross (WINNER)
“American Sniper” Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach
“Boyhood” Sandra Adair
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Barney Pilling
“The Imitation Game” William Goldenberg

Visual Effects
“Interstellar” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher (WINNER)
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist
“Guardians of the Galaxy” Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould
“X-Men: Days of Future Past” Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer

Cinematography
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Emmanuel Lubezki (WINNER)
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Robert Yeoman
“Ida” Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski
“Mr. Turner” Dick Pope
“Unbroken” Roger Deakins

Costume Design
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Milena Canonero (WINNER)
“Inherent Vice” Mark Bridges
“Into the Woods” Colleen Atwood
“Maleficent” Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive
“Mr. Turner” Jacqueline Durran

Makeup and Hairstyling
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier (WINNER)
“Foxcatcher” Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard
“Guardians of the Galaxy” Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White

Production Design
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock (WINNER)
“The Imitation Game” Production Design: Maria Djurkovic; Set Decoration: Tatiana Macdonald
“Interstellar” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
“Into the Woods” Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“Mr. Turner” Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts

Animated Short Film
“Feast” Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed (WINNER)
“The Bigger Picture” Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees
“The Dam Keeper” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi
“Me and My Moulton” Torill Kove
“A Single Life” Joris Oprins

Live Action Short Film
“The Phone Call” Mat Kirkby and James Lucas (WINNER)
“Aya” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
“Boogaloo and Graham” Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney
“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)” Hu Wei and Julien Féret
“Parvaneh” Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger

Documentary Short Subject
“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry (WINNER)
“Joanna” Aneta Kopacz
“Our Curse” Tomasz Sliwinski and Maciej Slesicki
“The Reaper (La Parka)” Gabriel Serra Arguello
“White Earth” J. Christian Jensen

Sound Mixing
“Whiplash” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley (WINNER)
“American Sniper” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga
“Interstellar” Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten
“Unbroken” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee

Sound Editing
“American Sniper” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman (WINNER)
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Martín Hernández and Aaron Glascock
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” Brent Burge and Jason Canovas
“Interstellar” Richard King
“Unbroken” Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro

iPhone 7

2016-02-18T23:59:00.004-08:00

iPhone 7 release date

If we were betting people we'd say the iPhone 7 will probably arrive in September 2016. Apple tends to stick to a schedule, and the last few iPhones were launched in September.

But according to a 'reliable source' Apple might actually bring it to market earlier. Sadly, how much earlier is unclear, but it will take a while to even finish development and manufacture of the phone, so we wouldn't expect to see it before the summer.

There are numerous reports pointing towards an Apple event in March, although the iPhone 7 is highly unlikey to make an appearance then. We'll probably see the iPad Air 3, iPhone 5SE and Apple Watch 2 instead.

iPhone 7 design

The iPhone 6S looked a lot like the iPhone 6, but it's likely to be all-change with the iPhone 7. Exactly what form that change will take remains to be seen, but there are some rumors.

The iPhone 7 could be built to last too, as according to Mac Otakara there are a number of iPhone prototypes with "ruggedized" features, which could mean a water- and dust-resistant phone is on the way.

Another suggestion of a waterproof iPhone 7 comes from the Apple supplier Japan Display. The supplier has come up with a new technology called "Pixel Eyes", that is now in its second generation, but it makes it easier to use the screen while you have wet fingers.

That's always an issue with waterproof phones such as the Sony Xperia Z line, so the fact Apple's main supplier is looking to stop the problem may be a big hint at what the iPhone 7 will do.

We could also be in store for the thinnest iPhone ever, as rumors suggesting Apple will ditch the bulky 3.5mm headphone jack begin to gather pace. That would see a great dependence on Bluetooth headphones - could we also see a wireless set of buds included in the box?

A new design tweak rumor which will likely please many suggests Apple will ditch the camera bump which has been present since the iPhone 6/6Plus - with the firm going for a sleeker finish on the iPhone 7. As well as a totally flat rear, it could also be uninterrupted as the same report points towards the removal of the antenna bands.

iPhone 7 screen

The iPhone 7 could be in for a big resolution jump if a DigiTimes source is to be believed, as Apple is apparently likely to move to glass-on-glass screens, which in turn opens up the possibility of a QHD or even a 4K display.

A lot of Android phones already have QHD screens, and the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is 4K, so it's possible that Apple will pump up the resolution of its next flagship, but given that the iPhone 6S isn't even 1080p we're sceptical that it'll get anywhere near 4K.

iPhone 7 release date

If we were betting people we'd say the iPhone 7 will probably arrive in September 2016. Apple tends to stick to a schedule, and the last few iPhones were launched in September.

iPhone 7 design

The iPhone 6S looked a lot like the iPhone 6, but it's likely to be all-change with the iPhone 7. Exactly what form that change will take remains to be seen, but there are some rumors.

MC makes the chips, as has been rumored, then some space could be saved, which might help Apple slim it down without making sacrifices in other areas.

Another rumor suggests the iPhone 7 will have an all-metal design with a bezeless display. It would be a big change for the iPhone design, but bringing in a new kind of screen technology would be a sensible move for Apple.

That's always an issue with waterproof phones such as the Sony Xperia Z line, so the fact Apple's main supplier is looking to stop the problem may be a big hint at what the iPhone 7 will do.

iPhone 7 screen

If the iPhone 7 does get higher resolution it might get bigger too, especially as rival phones are growing in size all the time. We're not convinced though – we'd still bet on seeing 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models.

Then there's the first image of the LCD backlight on the iPhone 7. It comes from trusted French blog NoWhereElse and shows the panel from the iPhone 7 up against the iPhone 6S.

All the connectors are in different locations around the phone suggesting there will be a few design changes on the next iPhone.

A jump in resolution might not be the only way the iPhone 7 imitates Android though, as there's also talk that it could switch from an LCD display to an OLED one, much like Samsung uses on most of its phones.

One new rumor suggests the iPhone 7S will be the first Apple phone to feature an OLED display. The rumour comes from Apple telling supply chain sources that it will be switching from LCD panels to OLED panels in the next couple of years.

Sadly it doesn't seem like the technology will be here in time for next year's iPhone 7 and we'll have to wait for the iPhone 7S. That said, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has dismissed the rumor, arguing that Apple won't likely switch to AMOLED before 2019.

The iPhone 7 screen could be hard to smash, as an Apple patent has been unearthed showing bumpers which burst out from the edges of the screen to ensure it doesn't touch the floor when dropped. Patents often don't turn into products, but you never know – and it would certainly be nice to see a stronger screen.

3D Touch is bound to make a return, though it's likely to be improved in some way, perhaps by enabling you to scroll through the previews of content you 'peek' into, rather than just having static previews.

iPhone 7 rivals

The iPhone 7 is likely a way off yet, so it's main rivals won't have launched yet either. But as usual Samsung is sure to be a big competitor, with the Samsung Galaxy S7 in particular likely to give it pause.

Rumors point to a big screen, a spectacularly powerful processor and all the style and features found in the Samsung Galaxy S6.

The HTC One M10 is likely to be a worthy alternative to Apple's handset too. Coming from HTC it's sure to look good, but little is known about it so far.

There's also talk of a 4.0-inch iPhone 7C in the works. We haven't seen a C edition of the iPhone since the iPhone 5C so we expected one to launch alongside the iPhone 6S, but sadly there was no news.

The latest rumours suggest we'll see one alongside the iPhone 7, but it's not quite clear whether it'll be called the iPhone 6C or iPhone 7C. Some sources have been whispering about the phone coming with a metal back, unlike the cheap feeling plastic iPhone 5C.

Check out our iPhone 6C release date, news and rumors

iPhone 7 camera and battery

Apple overhauled its camera tech for the iPhone 6S, replacing its old 8MP snapper with a shiny new 12MP one and boosting the front-facing camera up to 5MP.

Given that Apple tends to stick with camera components for a long time we wouldn't expect to see a change in megapixels for the iPhone 7, but there's a good chance it will have performance tweaks and additional features to help set it apart. Optical image stabilization perhaps?

As for the iPhone 7 Plus, trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo at KGI Securities in Korea believes the larger phone may go for a dual-camera set up. It would allow for optical zoom and give a wider field of view in shots - but it's not exactly certain why this feature would only be on the phablet version of the iPhone 7.

The analyst also said he believes there may be two versions of the iPhone 7 Plus, one with this camera set up and another without. It's all just speculation right now, but there may be something in.

As for the battery, there's no news yet. It was one of the greatest failings of the iPhone 6S, so we're really hoping for some improvements here. Sadly, though, if the phone does slim down further as is being rumored there's not much hope of a big juice pack.

iPhone 7 OS and power

The iPhone 7 could be in for a huge performance boost, with whispers on Weibothat the phone will pack a hexa-core A10 chip, up from just a dual-core processor in the iPhone 6S. We're sceptical that Apple would go for that much of a jump, but it's an exciting thought.

We're not likely to see any more RAM in the iPhone 7, as Apple only just pushed the iPhone 6S up to 2GB, so it will likely stick with that for a while yet.

As for the OS, we'd expect to see the iPhone 7 land with iOS 10, since we're up toiOS 9 on the iPhone 6S. But rumors of what we'll see in iOS 10 are thin on the ground

Oil prices fall on oversupply concerns after U.S. crude stocks hit record

2016-02-18T23:34:00.002-08:00

Oil futures fell in Asian trade on Friday as a record build in U.S. crude stocks stoked concerns about global oversupply, outweighing moves by oil producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia to cap oil output.

U.S. crude inventories rose by 2.1 million barrels last week, to a peak of 504.1 million barrels, the third week of record highs in the past month, data from the U.S. government's Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed on Thursday.

That came as Iraq's oil minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Thursday that talks would continue between OPEC and non-OPEC members to find ways to restore "normal" oil prices following a meeting on Wednesday.

"The market is expecting continuing inventory builds," said Tony Nunan, oil risk manager at Japan's Mitsubishi Corp in Tokyo.

"Key to any deal (to cap production) is Iran. But Iran has been clear, saying it wants to get back to its pre-sanctions (production) level," Nunan added.

"Everything is pointing to the end of this year (before there is an agreement) when Iran gets to 4 million barrels per day. By that time the pain will be so great everybody will come to the table (to agree output caps)," Nunan said.

Click here for latest oil prices - http://www.oil-price.net/

The future oil prices plays and huge role in deciding the future of GCC countries and their development. Over the past 40 years they have moved to great heights fuelled by rising demand for crude oil. But the development of other sources of energy like solar power, emergence of Shale_oil has lead to the downfall of crude oil prices.

Learn more about shale oil and its production process. Guide to shale oil

World’s largest model airport

2011-05-05T02:52:00.000-07:00

It took a grand total of six years to build but an incredible new miniature model, called Knuffingen Airport, based on Hamburg’s airport, has finally opened to the public.
It’s on display at Miniatur Wunderland, in Hamburg, and features 40 aircraft that take off and land and 90 vehicles that trundle around the runways automatically.
Making something this small.
The attention to detail is astounding. The planes park themselves and passenger walkways slowly move into place.
The tow trucks even feature little flashing orange lights and the petrol tanks can be seen indicating which way they are about to turn. What's more, the airport lights up spectacularly to create an entrancing night scene.

Osama killed and buried in sea

2011-05-05T02:46:00.000-07:00

Obama refuses to release Bin Laden death photos - but graphic images ARE revealed of three men killed alongside Al Qaeda chief

It follows fierce debate among the President's senior advisers, many of whom had pushed for him to release the gruesome final shots of the Al Qaeda leader.
It was hoped that releasing the images would also put an end to any wild conspiracy theories that Bin Laden was still alive.

But within minutes of the White House announcement, graphic photographs - thought to show Bin Laden's son, a trusted courier and another aide killed in the raid - were made public today.

The photographs, released by Reuters news agency, show the graphic aftermath of the raid on Bin Laden's Abbottabad compound.
They were taken about an hour after the U.S. assault and show the three dead men, believed to be courier Arshad Khan, another trusted aide and Bin Laden's son Khalid, lying in pools of blood without weapons.

The President announced the Americans were ‘95 per cent sure’ it was Bin Laden before they shot him – and ‘absolutely certain’ afterwards, following DNA tests.
During an interview with CBS television's 60 Minutes, the President confirmed the pictures would remain secret however.

‘It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence or as a propaganda tool.
‘That’s not who we are. We don’t trot this stuff out as trophies.
‘The fact of the matter is, this was somebody who was deserving of the justice that he received. And I think Americans and people around the world are glad that he has gone.

'The bottom line is that we got Bin Laden and I think we have to reveal [that] to the rest of the world'

'I think that given the graphic nature of these photos it would create some national security risk.’
He claimed there was no doubt among Al Qaeda members that their leader was dead, adding: ‘So we don’t think that a photograph in and of itself is going to make any difference’.
The debate about whether to release the Bin Laden photograph came amid reports from those who have seen it that it is horrific – supposedly featuring an empty eye socket and visible brain matter through a bullet wound to the skull.
There are apparently other, less gory images of Bin Laden’s hurried burial at sea, but they are not so clearly identifiable as the world’s most wanted man.
As a result there had been ongoing argument inside the White House about whether to provide pictorial evidence that may shock millions, and still fail to silence conspiracy theorists who could continue to claim any photographs were faked.
Last night CIA director Leon Panetta said that ‘ultimately’ a photograph of Bin Laden’s corpse will be released - although the President has contradicted him today.

The U.S. went to 'extraordinary measures' to show respect to Bin Laden in his burial, Mr Carney said.

He added: 'There is no doubt question at all that Osama bin Laden is dead. Americans feel a great sense of closure because of that.'
'This decision (not to release the photo) applies to all visual evidence.'
Mr Carney also added that U.S. forces had gone to 'considerable' efforts to give the Al Qaeda leader an appropriate Islamic burial.
'The respect that was shown to him and his body were far greater than the respect Osama Bin Laden showed to any of the victims of 9/11.'
Sources say Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defence Secretary Robert Gates were advising the President that its release could invigorate an Islamic backlash, particularly in the run-up to Friday prayers.
Photographs were taken of the corpse, it is understood, at the scene, at a U.S. army base in Afghanistan, and on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier before the burial at sea.
One official shown a series of photographs of the body told reporters they looked like images from ‘a bad crime scene’, adding ‘It’s what you’d expect from somebody shot in the head with a high-calibre bullet’.
America has published ‘proof of kill’ photographs before – but provoked outrage across the Islamic world by doing so.
The pictures concerned were of Saddam Hussein’s sons Uday and Qusay, killed by U.S. soldiers in Iraq in July 2003.
In the absence of a picture to show that Bin Laden is dead, some have claimed that the raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, was fiction - and the world's most wanted man had not been killed.
The disclosure of images would have provided further closure to Americans nearly a decade after the September 11, 2001, attacks that he masterminded.
It could also disprove those who doubt the death of Bin Laden, who was shot in the head and chest in the fortified compound.
The internet is abuzz with claims that Bin Laden died long ago – perhaps of liver or kidney failure, perhaps killed in the allied assault on the Afghan Tora Bora mountains in 2001, perhaps assassinated at some other time.
The argument goes that his body was kept hidden, and his death a secret, so that America could justify the continuation of the War on Terror, along with billions in military expenditure. Only now, some suggest, has America decided it is time to announce his death, along with an elaborate cover-story.

Tsunami hit Japan 2011. 15897 dead.

2011-03-11T01:26:00.000-08:00

A magnitude-8.9 earthquake hit northeastern Japan on Friday, generating a tsunami as high as 10 metres that hit the coast of Miyagi prefecture, officials said. At least 15,899 deaths, 6,157 injured, and 2,529 people missing including a number of children who were sucked into the sea, the public broadcaster NHK reported.

Waves swamped buildings and swept away cars, boats, crops and even buildings. People gathered on the roofs of inundated buildings and houses. Women waved white handkerchiefs from windows, seeking help. NHK showed footage of submerged vehicles in Kamaishi, Iwate prefecture, as the tsunami hit the city's coast and of many houses in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, being washed away by quake-generated waves. High tsunami waves also hit Hiroo on Hokkaido, Japan's northern island. The agency warned more waves up to 4 metres high would hit the coast of eastern Japan.

A tsunami advisory was issued in wide swathes of the eastern coast and around the Pacific.

The quake was earlier reported at magnitude 7.9 by Japan's Meteorological Agency. The US Geological Survey upgraded it to 8.9 on the Richter scale. The quake, which hit at 2.46pm shook buildings in Tokyo violently and some caught fire.

The US Geological Survey said the initial quake was followed by at least eight large aftershocks, the strongest measuring magnitude 7.1 and striking 40 minutes after the first tremor. Media reported extensive damage to buildings in and around Tokyo and the collapse of roofs on Tokyo buildings.NHK showed footage of fire at petrochemical complexes in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo.

Narita International Airport and airports in Senda, Iwate Hanamaki, Aomori and Yamagata were closed, the Jiji Press agency said. NHK showed footage of the Sendai Airport submerged. Nuclear power stations on the Pacific coast in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures shut down operations automatically after the quake hit.

More than 4.5 million households experienced power outages in the metropolitan area, Tokyo Electric Power Co said. Almost all the households in eastern Japan experienced power failures, NHK said.Japanese train service, including bullet trains, were suspended in northeastern and central Japan.

We believe Toyota likely lost production of roughly 300,000 vehicles in Japan and 100,000 overseas from mid-March through the end of April. April vehicle sales plummeted 69%, and we think the company may post a loss of nearly $2 billion for the quarter ending June 30th. Inventory at overseas plants will likely be depleted sometime during the second quarter, and production probably won’t return to normal until November or December. In fact, production at all its Japanese plants has only been running at about half capacity since April 18th.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii issued tsunami warnings for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas and tsunami watches for Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hawaii, Guam and other Pacific islands.

Four Uncompromised, New Panamera

2011-02-09T01:59:00.000-08:00

Concept
The 7-speed PDK – fitted as standard in the Panamera 4, Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo and available as an option in the Panamera and Panamera S – has both a manual gearshift and an automatic mode and enables smooth gear changes with no interruption in the flow of power.

Drive
With millisecond precision, DFI injects fuel at up to 120 bar directly into the combustion chamber by means of electromagnetically actuated injection valves.
The spray and cone angles have been optimised for torque, power output, fuel consumption and emissions by enabling a homogeneous distribution of the air/fuel mixture, and, therefore, effective combustion. At up to 3,500 rpm, the engine operates with dual injection for faster heating of the catalytic converters after a cold start and for greater torque in the upper load range.

Safety
As standard, all Panamera models are equipped with enhanced Porsche Stability Management (PSM), which maintains stability even at the limits of dynamic driving performance. Sensors continuously monitor the direction, speed, yaw velocity and lateral acceleration of the car. Using this information, PSM is able to calculate the actual direction of travel at any given moment. If the car begins to oversteer or understeer, PSM applies selective braking on individual wheels to restore stability.

Comfort
The Panamera Turbo comes equipped with Porsche Communication Management (PCM) as standard (optional for all other Panamera models).
PCM is the central control unit for audio, navigation and communications. It is powerful and multifunctional, yet easy to operate.
The front seats with integrated headrests offer a high degree of comfort. During cornering, they hold your body firm but without restricting your freedom of movement.
Seat adjustment is fully electric as standard with controls on both the driver and front passenger sides for seat height, squab and backrest angle, and fore/aft position. A driver memory package, available as an option, enables the driver’s seat and exterior mirror positions to be saved and restored automatically.

In the Panamera Turbo, the front seats offer even more functionality. The 14-way power seats with memory package for both driver and front passenger are standard (optional for all other Panamera models). In addition to featuring an electric steering column adjustment facility, this includes electric four-way lumbar support, electric seat squab length adjustment and personal memory for seat, steering wheel and mirror positions. The courtesy lights (LEDs in the exterior mirrors) are a component of the driver memory package and 14-way power seats with memory package. For music the BOSS system comprises 9 amplifier channels with a total output of 585 watts. Its 14 loudspeakers and 200-watt active subwoofer deliver a balanced acoustic pattern and transform your Panamera into a concert hall.

All Panamera models are equipped as standard with tinted heat-insulated glass and a grey top-tint on the windscreen. Available as an option is a thermally and noise insulated glass for all round more efficient reflection of infrared radiation. Enjoy an even more pleasant climate and peace and quiet in the passenger compartment.

The front side windows of the Panamera model range have been treated with a water-repellent coating so that not only water but also dirt runs away more easily, thereby providing optimum visibility even in poor weather. (Note: surface finish requires occasional renewal depending on vehicle usage.)

Engine specs

220 kW (300 hp) at 6,200 rpm

0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.8 s

Top speed: 261 km/h (162 mph)

Combined: 9.3 l/100 km (30.4 mpg)*/**

CO2 emissions: 218 g/km