Coffee Break

Actress/DJ Michelle Rodriguez might man the decks in KL

2011-03-25T17:07:00.004+08:00

Yep, you heard us right; sources tell us actress/DJ Michelle Rodriguez might be coming to town!

She's known as the 'Fast & Furious' actress and recently appeared in 'World Invasion: Battle LA', now you might be able to see her in flesh. Yep, sources tell us that the one and only Michelle Rodriguez will be spinning in a new club called, Lust, in KL on 29 April. according to (msnbuzz)

more pictures after the jumnp

Video: world’s narrowest garage

2010-01-28T19:31:00.001+08:00

If you're an estate agent, you must give the man in this YouTube video a job. Immediately. Watch how he turns what can best be described as an ‘alleyway' into an ‘ample garage' with expert judgement and much comedy.

Then flick through the video and prepare to giggle as he exits his vehicle and steps directly into his living room, adding literally four pounds to the value of his house. People would pay millions for that convenience in central London.

If you've parked in a tighter spot without scraping your doors on brickwork, we'd like to hear about it. Post your comments below, please.

For the laughs

2010-01-12T03:44:00.004+08:00

2012 movies Trailer HD

2009-11-17T13:39:00.004+08:00

Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. A global cataclysm brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.

for Malaysian viewers, you could get you're tickets now at Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC)

have fun...

Installing Garmin mobile XT into Nokia E71 and 6110

2009-10-29T18:58:00.005+08:00

after a long and extensive search over the internet for a suitable GPS application that provides turn-by-turn navigation, i've finally settled with Garmin Mobile XT, in order for it to work you'll need a phone with a built in GPS, or at least a stand-alone bluetooth GPS receiver.

it should work with almost any GPS enabled nokia, and with the latest GPS-enabled smartphones and Palm Treo, Samsung Blackjack, Motorola Q, T-Mobile Dash and more.

WARNING: first off all please back up all you're phone data, and memory card before you proceed any further, i had to learn the hard way.

Here’s how to install Garmin Mobile XT on your Nokia:

1. Download to your computer the Garmin Mobile XT for Symbian S60 3rd Edition, Ver. 5.00.10 from this link.

2. Download to your computer Garmin Mobile XT Free Basemap, Ver. 4.xx.xx from this link.

3. Download to your computer Garmin Mobile XT Support Files, Ver. 4.xx.xx from this link.

4. Download GM-MySInMXT.exe from this link. (these are Malaysia and Singapore maps set, you have to be registered before you could access the site) (or you could alternatively search for other maps)

5. Connect your Nokia (via memory storage) or memory disk to your computer and make sure it’s detected by your computer. i find it more convenient to connect it through a memory card reader.

6. Now, run the recently downloaded files on the computer, one after another (just by double clicking), in this order:

v4.xx.xxx Support File,
v4.xx.xxx Basemap File
GMXT v5.00.10
Garmin Mobile XT for Symbian S60

When prompted to choose storage space, always choose the phone’s memory (or memory card).

7. Disconnect phone memory from computer. It’s time to configure Garmin on your phone. Go to your phone’s File Manager >Garmin >Applications >Symbian >RES >GarminMobileXT.sis and install the .sis

If you can’t find GarminMobileXT.sis, check the root directory, it should be there. Install the .sis as per normal. (if still not found just search in the folder)

8. After that, in your phone go to Applications> run Garmin Mobile XT. It won’t connect to GPS satelite yet, so just ignore it.

9. You should have received your device unlock code from the manufacturer of Garmin, however if you haven’t, there are instructions on the Internet to guide you on how to get yours ;)

10. Copy the device unlock code and paste it in a notepad, then save the file as SW.UNL

11. Reconnect your phone/memory to your computer.

12. Copy the SW.UNL file into this phone directory \Garmin\

13. Then, run GM-MySInMXT.exe, and copy gmapsupp.img into \Garmin\

14. Disconnect your phone from your computer.

15. Go to Applications >Garmin Mobile XT >Settings >System >Remote GPS >Select ‘Use Attached/Built-in GPS’ >Enable and it’s all done.

16. Wait for satellite signal to strengthen and then you can start navigating around various places with confidence!

NOTES:

>this method was installed successfully on Nokia 6110 navigator and also Nokia E71.

>Garmin Mobile XT was preferred as there's no charge for viewing the maps once you download them into your phone you'll have FREE navigation, or at least for Malaysia.

>i tried to install Middle East maps as well, but you'll need to find the maps and download them following the same method.

Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for any damages to your phone or any loss of data during the installation, I'm only sharing my experience with you, so please use it responsibly.

you're own photographer

2009-08-23T03:00:00.003+08:00

sony unveils party shot, an automatic photographer.

Sony has announced the Party-shot personal photographer, an automated photo-taking cradle. The device uses the DSC-WX1 and DSC-TX1's face- and smile detection functions to detect photo opportunities in social environments. The Party-shot sits on a table or tripod and tilts and pans to locate and follow potential subjects. It will also recompose its shots based on the rule-of-thirds.

Key Features:

Automatic
Snaps pictures at an event - automatically.
Intelligent
Intelligently searches and tilts to follow subjects and take photos.
Dual Shooting Modes
Smile ShutterTM technology automatically detects smiles and Face Detection technology recognizes faces to take photos at the right moment.
Composition
Intelligent composition uses the rule of thirds to compose great shots.
Motion Detection
Motion detection seeks out movement to take photos at the right moment.
Customize
With one touch of the Menu button, you can set the Rotation Angle, Shooting Frequency, and Flash.
Flexible Power
Power up your Party-shot with either two AA alkaline batteries, or with the AC adaptor (AC-LS5 or ACS5K), sold separately and not included.

full review [dpreview]

HP Mini 1001TU

2009-03-07T00:08:00.000+08:00

The HP Mini 2133 was one of the most stylish not-quite-netbooks we saw last year. It was one of the few that looked like a real notebook, but at the time we bemoaned the inclusion of Vista.

So it’s pleasing to note that the new Mini includes XP Home as the installed operating system. Microsoft’s XP licensing deal means that as a result the RAM in the Mini 1001TU is reduced to 1GB, rather than the 2133’s 2GB, but XP with 1GB performs better than Vista with 2GB, as our recent RAM performance tests showed.

While we benchmark all the netbooks and notebooks that come through our labs, we’ve found amazing consistency for the Atom N270 processor. Even so, the HP Mini rates on the higher side of performance.

It’s score of 0.41 is better than the other nbetbooks we’ve seen bearing this processor – The Eee PC 901 scored .39, for example, and the Wind 0.38. But it’s not in performance that the HP Mini stands out.

Instead, it’s style and usability where HP has focused its efforts. The lid has a silver spiraling pattern across the piano black surface, making it the most attractive netbook we’ve seen.

The Mini-note 2133 had a beautifully stylish silver keyboard, and the only way in which the 1000 is inferior is in colour – the keys are ... [Read full story]

Zelco Outi Bone-Conducting Headphones

2009-03-05T00:01:00.003+08:00

These new and a bit strange headphones are actually quite cool in the way they function and especially the sound quality they provide. Outi earphones clip comfortably and securely outside the ears, providing comfortable and quite nice new look and feel. The headphones work by transmitting vibrations through the skin and cartilage (bone-conducting technology), they create a dynamic new sensual, surround sound that doesn’t just let you watch a movie or listen to your favorite music on the go, it lets you be a part of it. And because these headphones are not inserted into the ear, they avoid damaging the listener’s hearing as past generations of earphones have done…

Outi earphones plug into any MP3, iPod, portable CD and DVD player, most cell phones, gaming systems, radios or any other audio/visual device with a standard 3.5mm jack. The kit includes: Outi amplifier with 4-step switch (off/low/medium/high) to control vibration output, a clip to attach amplifier to clothing or bag/backpack, USB cable for charging, AC adapter and a storage pouch. It takes about an hour and a half to fully charge the built-in lithium-ion battery inside the headphones. When fully charged these headphones will provide 6-8 hours of continuous listening pleasure…

You can get the Zelco Outi Bone-Conducting headphones for $99.99

- To order these high-tech bone-conducting headphones…

FiiO E5 Portable Headphones Amplifier

2009-03-02T23:55:00.005+08:00

The Fiio E5 portable headphone amplifier is probably the world’s smallest headphone amplifier that is designed to improve not only the volume, but also the sound quality of almost any digital audio player such as a MP3 or MP4 Player, Mobile Phone, Laptop, or just about any other portable music device. It is an upgraded model of the Fiio E3 Headphone Amplifier which is already very popular around the world because of it’s great results and very affordable price. And the best of all is that the new E5 not only retains all the features of the E3, but also manages to improve on all the drawbacks that the previous model had. So if you want to use a higher quality headphones with your portable music device than the ones you got it with you probably have to check out the Fiio E5 and the benefits that this portable and inexpensive device can provide in order to boost the volume and improve the bass performance…

The Fiio E5 portable headphones amplifier comes in a very small case that has a clip on it’s back so you can easily... [ Read the rest of the story ]

Samsung unveil a solar powered phone, earth friendly

2009-02-19T17:37:00.004+08:00

FEATURES

* Blue Earth is the world’s first solar-powered touchscreen handset.
* The “Blue Earth” phone is equipped with a solar panel located on the back of the handset’s battery, with a 10-minute charge from the solar panel would allow a user to make a call for three minutes
* While the panel will extend time between recharges it will not replace conventional charging altogether.
* Made from PCM, a recycled plastic from water bottles, the phone boast an “eco” mode for efficiently adjusting screen brightness, backlight duration and Bluetooth usage.
* An “eco walk” app / built-in pedometer to tell you how much CO2 emission you’ve saved by walking instead of driving.
* Detailed technical specs, pricing or release dates are unknown yet.

1474 Megapixel Photo of President Obamas Inaugural Address

2009-01-26T15:10:00.002+08:00

In amount it measures 1474 megapixels and allows you to ascent correct in to wager faces of the grouping watch in whatever cases.

To create this large ikon the artist utilised Gigapan. What it allows you to do is fix images together… I’ll permit the artist vindicate better.

I prefabricated a broad ikon display the nearly digit meg grouping who watched President Obama’s speech address. To do so, I clamped a Gigapan Imager to the barrier on the northerly media papers most sextet feet from my picture position. The Gigapan is a robotic camera increase that allows me to verify binary images and fix them together, creating a large ikon file.

My test picture is prefabricated up of 220 Canon G10 images and the enter is 59,783 X 24,658 pixels or 1,474 megapixels. It took more than sextet and a half hours for the Gigapan code to place unitedly every of the images on my Macbook Pro and the complete TIF enter is nearly 2 gigabytes.

You hit to analyse it discover and ingest the ascent feature acquirable to ascent correct in at an awful take of detail.

More info and the broad effort crapper be institute at David Bergmans site.

Written by Gadget Venue.

1474 Megapixel Photo - President Obamas Inaugural Address

Bug Labs: Build your own dream gadget

2009-01-24T04:43:00.002+08:00

by [CNET CES 2008]
It's the rare product that excites CNET editors across all categories. The Bug Labs platform, which has been the subject of several conversations around the CNET booth, is one such rarity.

Described as "the Lego of gadgets" by Webware's Rafe Needleman, the Bug Labs platform starts with a minicomputer, the Bug Base, onto which you can snap multiple modules, such as a digital camera or an LCD screen. You can then program your own software to run your custom gadget or download software others have written from the Bug Labs site. Need a GPS-enabled digital camera that will automatically upload your images to Flickr? With the Bug Labs platform, you can build one.

Aside from being eager to tinker with the product, we're thrilled to see such an innovative approach to consumer electronics. The Bug Platform is totally open source, highly configurable, and designed to go wherever consumers' imaginations take them. Plus, the company has a unique "early adopter" pricing scheme, in which the price is lower during the first 60 days; this is a great way to encourage people to start developing software to share.

For more information, check out Tom Merritt's video from the CNET Stage.

Motorola Rokr E8

2009-01-11T14:28:00.002+08:00

A winner of the the year 2008, one of the best smart phones out there. The Motorola ROKR E8 comes with a very snazzy dynamic keypad that changes depending on which feature you are using. As you can see on the next picture if you are using it as a phone, then the ROKR E8 shows a conventional numeric keypad - if you're using the camera, then it shows camera controls, and for multimedia playback the ROKR E8 shows music keys. Motorola calls this technology ModeShift and in the case of the E8 is is combined with a speed sensitive "FastScroll" navigation wheel, which makes it easy for users to scroll through media libraries or menu options.

Motorola aren't saying exactly how the ROKR E8's ModeShift keypad works - looking at the positioning of the virtual keys, it does appear to be a logical extension of the fixed hidden controls that we first saw on the LG Chocolate, with each button in a unique position. This makes more sense than the expensive Optimus Maximus approach where everything is an individual active display.

Get past the clever keypad, and the Motorola ROKR E8 turns out to be a pretty capable multimedia phone. It can play back MP3, MIDI, AAC, WMA, WAV, AMR and RealAudio music formats, comes with 2GB of internal memory (expandable to 4GB with a microSD card) and it has a landscape format (wide) 2" 320 x 240 pixel display for video playback. The ROKR E8 can also be used with a variety of wired and wireless headsets and speakers. There's an FM radio too.

Somewhat disappointingly, there's no SDHC support for high-capacity memory cards, the camera is a basic 2 megapixel affair with no autofocus or flash and the ROKR E8 lacks 3G or WiFi. Of all these shortcomings, the memory is probably the most significant - 2GB or 4GB is less than even the Apple iPod Nano.

Motorola say that the ROKR E8 will be available during Q1 2008, although no pricing information is currently available.

source [Mobile Gazette]

Bahrain World Trade Center

2009-01-04T13:56:00.001+08:00

The first skyscraper to integrate large-scale wind turbines suspends three 1,200-megawatt units between its matching 787-foot office towers. The turbines, which were completed in April, supply 15 percent of the electricity for the two buildings—roughly the same amount used by 300 homes.

Bahrain World Trade Center secondary:

To maximize energy output, the tapered towers funnel wind between them, creating a negative pressure zone behind the buildings that draws more air through the gap. This suction effect increases wind speeds by up to 30 percent at each of the 95-foot-long rotors to boost electricity production. It also redirects wind gusts hitting the tower by up to 45 degrees off center so that they hit the turbines at a nearly perpendicular angle for optimal electricity generation.

Best Flash Games of 2008

2009-01-03T13:44:00.004+08:00

happy new year to all, this would be the first post for this year, hope you have fun playing these games.

The list of top 10 games is below.

1. Bloons, created by Ninja Kiwi. A monkey and some darts versus an army of balloons.
2. Hotel Online, created by Realore Studios. Hotel management action game: keep your guests happy with room service, coffee, etc. or lose popularity.
3. Bubble Struggle 2, created by Krešimir Cvitanović. Can one heroic piglet with a speargun defeat waves of falling balls?
4. Papa’s Pizzeria, created by Flipline Studios. Baking action: make money by cooking your pies on time with the right ingredients.
5. Fancy Pants Adventures 2, created by Borne Games. Cool platformer action with appealing visuals and stick-drawing animation — and my personal favorite from this list.
6. Tower Bloxx, created by Digital Chocolate. Another fave: construct a city of skyscrapers by dropping ready-made floors from cranes, but beware wobbly towers.
7. Cube Crash, created by Ocean Breeze Games. Score points by scooping up connecting rows of like-colored cubes.
8. Bricks Breaking, created by Novel Games, distributed by MindJolt Games. Near identical to Cube Crash (above), just less visually attractive.
9. Paris Oh Paris, created by Shaun’s Flights. Possibly NSFW (and definitely cheesy), toss greasy food at the famously annoying, underfed celebrity.
10. Stunt Dirt Bike, created by YouGame.com. Jump cars and other obstacles with your dirt bike in this 2-D side-scrolling game.

source [link]

Associated Press 2008 moments

2008-12-25T13:48:00.005+08:00

In this Sept. 11, 2008, file photo, the New York skyline is punctuated by the "Tribute in Lights," representing the towers of the World Trade Center, as seen from the Staten Island Ferry.

In this Sept. 16, 2008, file photo, He Pingping from Inner Mongolia, China's autonomous region, the world's smallest man sits underneath Svetlana Pankratova from Russia, the Queen of Longest Legs, as they pose at Trafalgar Square in London.

In this Aug. 27, 2008, file photo, a reveler throws tomato pulp at another during the annual food fight, the Tomatina, in the small Spanish town of Bunol, Spain.

In this July 18, 2008, file photo, Lauren McGraw, 16, of Chandler, Ariz., sinks into a mud pit as she runs the obstacle course at the annual Mighty Mud Mania at Chaparral Park in Scottsdale, Ariz.

In this Sept. 15, 2008, file photo, fish remain stuck in a fence as flood waters recede caused by Hurricane Ike in West Orange, Texas.

In this Feb. 6, 2008, file photo, Indian children peek out of a tent at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India.

In this April 24, 2008, file photo, Hungarian Puli sheep dog, Fee, jumps over a hurdle during a preview for a pedigree dog show in Dortmund.

In this March 2, 2008, file photo, one of Tim Osmar's sled dogs looks out of its pen before the start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Willow, Alaska.

In this Oct. 13, 2008, file photo, Philadelphia Phillies' Jimmy Rollins breaks his bat as he grounds out during the seventh inning in Game 4 of the National League baseball championship series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles.

In this May 11, 2008, file photo, Force India Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy is seen in midair as he crashes with Williams Formula One driver Kazuki Nakajima of Japan at the start of the Turkish Formula One Grand Prix at the Istanbul Park circuit in Istanbul.

In this Oct. 11, 2008, file photo, Samuel Peter from Nigeria gets a punch from Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine during their WBC heavyweight boxing world championship fight in Berlin. Klitschko won the fight after round nine due to a technical knock out.

In this June 5, 2008, file photo, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher James Shields, right, takes a swing at Boston Red Sox's Coco Crisp after Crisp was hit by a pitch and charged the mound in the second inning of a baseball game in Boston.

In this June 3, 2008, file photo, former mayor of Madrid Alvarez del Manzano, first row, second left, shows his emotions as a bull jumps over the barrier during a San Isidro bullfight in Madrid.

In this Aug. 16, 2008, file photo, a diver practices in the Beijing's National Aquatics Center.

In this Nov. 23, 2008, file photo, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Antwan Barnes, right, tackles Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook during the second half of an NFL football game in Baltimore.

In this July 30, 2008, file photo, an Afghan bodybuilder flexes his muscles as he makes preparations to participate in the Mr. Afghanistan national bodybuilding competition in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan.

In this Aug. 6, 2008, file photo, members of Spain's Olympic synchronized swimming team practice in the pool in Beijing, two days before the start of the Beijing Olympics.

In this July 9, 2008, file photo, customers walk on the glass staircase in New York's Apple store.

In this Oct. 2, 2008, file photo, Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin winks as she speaks during her vice presidential debate against Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden(D-Del.) at Washington University in St. Louis.

In this Feb. 7, 2008, file photo, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is silhouetted by a light as he speaks at Tulane University in New Orleans.

In this April 18, 2008, file photo, an Afghan man sprays water on his rooster during a cock-fighting tournament in Kabul, Afghanistan.

In this May 24, 2008, file photo, Pope Benedict XVI's skull cap is blown away in a gust of wind prior to his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

In this May 28, 2008, file photo, President Bush and graduate Theodore Shiveley from Plano, Texas, bump chests at the United States Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo.

In this March 9, 2008, file photo, a Pakistani lawyer runs away from tear gas fired by police officers outside the residence of the country's deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mahmood Chaudhry during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan.

In this June 16, 2008, file photo, a child armed with plastic toy weapons, approaches a U.S. Soldiers of 1-6 battalion, 2nd brigade, 1st Armored Division patrols in the Shiite enclave of Sadr city, Baghdad, Iraq.

In this May 2, 2008, file photo, U.S. Marines, from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, return fire on Taliban positions near the town of Garmser in Helmand Province of Afghanistan.

In this Nov. 2, 2008 file photo, Pakistani Sunni Muslims devotees return back to their homes on a packed train after attending annual religious congregation in Multan, Pakistan.

In this May 26, 2008 file photo, Chinese rescue workers line up in the city of Yingxiu in China's Sichuan province while searching for victims of the devastating earthquake.

In this Sept. 13, 2008 file photo, boats and debris are piled up in Galveston, Texas after Hurricane Ike hit the area.

In this Nov. 13, 2008 file photo, motherless orphans and lost children rest at the Don Bosco Ngangi center in Goma, eastern Congo.

In this march 19, 2008 file photo, penitents of the 'Stmo. Cristo de las Injurias' light their candles before a Holy Week procession in Zamora, northern Spain.

In this Sept. 12, 2008 file photo, a Palestinian woman is seen on her way to pray for the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City.

all images are a copy right of [Associated Press]

10 Most Fascinating Tombs in the World

2008-12-24T18:33:00.001+08:00

There is perhaps nothing else so distinctive of the condition and character of a people as the method in which they treat their dead.
- William Tegg, 1876

Throughout the history of human civilization, different cultures mourn and treat the dead differently. Some, like Tibetan Buddhists, have no use for burials as they dispose the dead by feeding corpses to vultures or by burning them in funeral pyres. Most cultures, however, show their respect by burying the dead, sometimes in complex and ornate tombs, crypts, and catacombs.

This article takes a look at ten of the most fascinating final resting places around the world, from the largest prehistoric burial mound in Europe to the the tombs of pharaohs to the most beautiful mausoleum in the world:

Newgrange

The burial mound of Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland is definitely one of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in the world. Build between 3300 BC - 2900 BC, it is the also the world’s oldest surviving building (it’s older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt).

Newgrange is impressive: the circular mound is 250 feet (76 m) across and 40 feet (12 m) high. It covers an entire acre (4046 m²). A long tunnel under the mound leads to a high-domed burial chamber, a corbelled vault with ceilings made of huge, interlocking stone slabs.

The entrance to Newgrange is marked with a huge curbstone that is elaborately carved with "megalithic art," which includes spiral and concentric arc motifs chipped into the stone with flint tools.

Newgrange burial mound. Image: mike nl [Flickr]

The wall of Newgrange. Image: Barbara y Eugenio [Flickr]

The engraved slab in front of Newgrange’s entrance. Image: mike nl [Flickr]

Tana Toraja

The Toraja people in Sulawesi, Indonesia, have what is probably the most complex funeral ritual in the world. When someone dies, the funeral is attended by a lot of people and can last for days! But that’s not the strange part - this is: the funeral ceremony is often held weeks, months, or even years after the death (to give the family of the deceased time to raise enough money for expenses).

Torajans can wait that long because they believe that death is not a sudden event but instead a gradual process towards the afterlife (if you’re wondering about the smell - the dead body is embalmed within the first few days of death, then stored in a secret place until the funeral ceremony).

After much partying (including the slaughter of one or several water buffaloes), the dead is buried in a stone cave carved out of a rocky cliff. A wood-carved effigy called tau tau, carved with the likeness of the dead person is then placed in the balcony of the tomb to represent the dead and watch over their remains.

Toraja cave tombs with balconies, filled with tau tau. Image: Kaeru [Flickr]

"In Tana Toraja, everything revolves around death. The graves can be very sophisticated yet sometimes, long after the coffins are destroyed by time, people gently place bones along natural cave ‘racks’. Often, the bones are offered cigarettes or various offerings. This is supposed to prevent dead ancestors from bringing bad luck and otherwise making the lives of the living miserable."
Image: phitar [Flickr]

Westminster Abbey

The gothic church Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom was established by Benedictine monks in the tenth century (and rebuilt in the 13th century by King Henry III) - since then it has evolved into both the coronation church for English royalty and the final resting place of monarchs.

Though at first Westminster Abbey was the burial place of kings, aristocrats, and monks, it soon became the tomb-of-choice (if there is such a thing) for the who’s who in England. Poets and writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, and Alfred Tennyson; as well as scientists like Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Ernest Rutherford were all interred there.

Westminster Abbey. Image: Inetours

Newton’s grave at Westminster Abbey. Image: Sacred Destination

Giza Necropolis

There are more than 100 pyramids in Egypt, with the largest and most famous being the complex of pyramids in Giza Necropolis, Cairo, Egypt. This complex consists of the Great Pyramid of Giza (tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu or Cheops), the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, the Great Sphinx statue, as well as several other smaller satellite pyramids.

Let’s take, for instance, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. When it was completed in 2560 BC, the pyramid was 481 feet (147 m) tall with each base side being 758 feet (231 m) wide. The blocks weigh about 1.5 tons each, with the internal granite blocks used as the roof of the burial chamber being about 80 tons each. The ancient Egyptians knew what they were doing: the base sides have a mean margin of error of only 2 1/3 inch (58 mm)! Needless to say, it is an amazing work of engineering.

The Pyramids of Giza. Image: liber [Flickr]

The Great Sphinx. Image: ironmanix [Flickr]

The Pyramids of Giza are not too far from the urban sprawl of Cairo.
Image: graspnext [Flickr]

Valley of the Kings

Even if you don’t know much about the Valley of the Kings, a burial ground of ancient Egyptian pharaohs and one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, chances are you know about one of its occupants: King Tut and the Curse of the Pharaohs that accompany his grave.

In 1922, Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered and opened the tomb of Tutankhamen - despite warnings that "Death shall come on swift wings to him who disturbs the peace of the King." Lord Carnarvon, the funder of the expedition, was the first to die: he was bitten by a mosquito and later accidentally lashed the bite while shaving. His wound became infected and he died of blood poisoning.

Whether the "mysterious" deaths associated with the Curse of the Pharaoh actually had anything to do with opening of the tombs or just great copy to sell newspaper, scientists did recently discover that the tombs indeed contained potentially dangerous molds, bacteria, toxins, and even hazardous gases.

Valley of the Kings. Image: Shelby PDX [Flickr]

The tomb of King Tut in the Valley of the Kings. Image: Hajor [wikipedia]

Tomb of Ramses III in Luxor, Valley of the Kings. Image: Peter J. Bubenik [wikipedia]

Sarcophagus of the Pharaoh Merenptah in the KV8 tomb of the Valley of the Kings.
Image: Hajor [wikipedia]

Luxor Temple. Image: mike nl [Flickr]

Catacombs of Paris

Officially called les carrières de Paris or "the quarries of Paris," the Catacombs of Paris is a network of underground tunnels and rooms that used to be Roman-era limestone quarries.

In the late 1700s, Paris was suffering from diseases caused by improper burials and mass graves in church cemeteries. Local authorities decided that they would remove thousands of bones and place them stacked in the abandoned underground quarries.

Today, the entrance to the catacombs is restricted and only a small portion of the 186 miles (300 km) worth of underground tunnels is accessible to the public. Secret entrances to the Catacombs, however, dotted Paris - urban explorers have found access via sewers, manholes and even the Paris Metro subway system.

Catacombs of Paris. Bones from the former Magdalene cemetery, deposited in 1844 in the western ossuary (bone repository) and transferred to the catacombs in 1859. Image: Vlastimil Juricek [wikipedia]

Wall of bones in the Catacombs of Paris. Image: Ivan Paganacci [Flickr]

Terracota Army

In 1974, local farmers in Xi’an, China, discovered a vast underground complex of mausoleum while drilling for water. They had serendipitously stumbled upon the burial ground of Qin Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor and the unifier of China.

According to legends, the First Emperor was buried alongside great treasures inside a tomb with pearl-laced ceilings (in a pattern that represented the cosmos) and channels dug in the ground with flowing mercury to represent the rivers of China. But the most famous feature of the tomb is the Terracota Army, about 8,000 life-like and life-sized statues of soldiers buried alongside Qin Shi Huangdi to help the Emperor rule in the afterlife.

Terracota army. Image: MichaelTyler [Flickr]

Image: mkools [Flickr]

Each face and pose of the Terracota army soldier is distinct from the others. Image: Peter Morgan [wikipedia]

Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo

When the Capuchin monastery in Palermo, Italy, outgrew its original cemetery in the 16th century, monks excavated the catacomb below it and began a bizarre tradition that lasted until the 19th century.

The Capuchin monks mummified the bodies of the dead, dressed them up in everyday clothing and then put them on display on the monastery walls. Apparently, it was quite a status symbol to be entombed in the Capuchin monastery - prominent citizens of the town would ask to be preserved in certain clothing or even have the clothes changed on a regular basis according to contemporary fashion!

When the last body was interred in the late 1800s, there were 8,000 mummies on the walls of the Capuchin monastery and in the catacombs.

Capuchin Catacombs. Image: deadgoodbooks [Flickr]

Mummies on the wall of the Capuchin Catacombs. Image: Kircher Society

Sedlec Ossuary

The Sedlec Ossuary resides in a small Roman Catholic chapel in Sedlec, Czech Republic. If you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t have guessed that inside the unassuming building is an ossuary containing about 40,000 human skeletons artistically arranged to form decorations, chandeliers, and furnishings!

In the 13th century, an abbot returned to Sedlec with a small amount of earth from Golgotha, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, and sprinkled it all over the abbey’s cemetery. This made the grounds of the church a desirable burial site and over centuries thousands of people were buried there.

In 1870, František Rint, a woodcarver was hired to put the heaps of bones in order. He decided to make a work of art out of the skeletal remains: a chandelier made from skull and bones, a coat of arms of the family that paid him to do the work, and even an "artist’s signature" done in bone, of course!

Little would you suspect what lies inside … Image: currybet [Flickr]

Entrance to the Sedlec Ossuary. Image: Curious Expeditions [Flickr]

The chandelier at Sedlec Ossuary. Image: B10m [Flickr]

The Schwarzenberg family’s coat of arms, done with at least one of every
bone in the body. Image: goldberg [Flickr]

Taj Mahal

No article on tombs is complete without the Taj Mahal, a magnificent mausoleum in Agra, India. The Taj Mahal was built in 1631 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who was devastated when his wife Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth. Grief stricken, he ordered that the most beautiful mausoleum be built.

Taj Mahal is an amazing architectural wonder: the marble tomb in the center of the complex is flanked on four corners by minarets. The massive central dome, called the onion dome because of its shape, is striking in its symmetrical perfection. Finials and calligraphy are everywhere.

Inside the Taj Mahal is even more ornate: Precious and semi-precious gemstones are inlaid into the the intricately carved marble panels that serve as walls. The caskets of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan are decorated with gems and inscribed with calligraphy, reciting the 99 names of God.

The story of the Taj Mahal actually didn’t end with the completion of its buildings: shortly after its completion, Shah Jahan fell ill and a power struggle amongst his four sons ensued. The victor, Aurangzeb, locked the king in the Fort of Agra, where he remained until he died. Legend has it that he spent the remainder of his life gazing at the Taj Mahal, the tomb of his beloved wife, from the window of his prison.

Taj Mahal from a distance. Image: Christopher Chan [Flickr]

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Image: micbaun [Flickr]

The tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Image: William Donelson [wikipedia]

Bonus:

Here is another one that didn’t quite make the list:

City of the Dead in Northern Ossetia, Russia

In the remote, rugged Gizel valley of Northern Ossetia, Caucasus, Russia, there is a set of stone buildings that from a distance look like a regular village - but with one important detail: it is not for the living. A closer look inside the buildings with slanted slate roof reveal something gruesome: mummified bodies dressed in their best clothes and shoes with hair tidily combed.

Local legends have it that in the 18th century, a plague swept through Ossetia. The clans built quarantine houses for sick family members, who were provided with food, but not freedom to move about, until death claimed their lives. A slow and painful way to go, indeed.

City of the Dead in Northern Ossetia. Image: dziadek.mroz [Flickr]

Image: dziadek.mroz [Flickr]

source [link]

Sony’s First Touchscreen Walkman Revealed

2008-12-19T03:08:00.004+08:00

Sony is set to debut a new 16 and 32GB drag and drop Walkman during CES 2009, according to trusted inside sources. This will be the most advanced music, video and photo Walkman music player ever released by Sony to date. While it was revealed before to Wired that Sony’s new Walkman would have Wi-Fi capabilities, we have now learned that Sony’s new Walkman will also be touchscreen and WQVGA. The touchscreen will not be the usual LCD, but a brilliant three inch OLED with a contrast ratio around 10k. OLED display capabilities in terms of color reproduction are far beyond the average LCD, which means 100% color reproduction across a wider viewing angle.

While most of the usual menu structure of the current Walkman series will be retained in this new model, there are several new exciting features included. For example, upon listening to an artist, you may click on the artist name and watch music videos of the artist on YouTube through Wi-Fi (WPA and WEP support included). Additionally, there will be a Youtube icon on the main screen that will allow full access to the website - search, pause, FF/RW included very similar to Youtube access on the iPhone/iTouch. Additionally, this new Walkman will be able to subscribe to audio podcast and Crackle video feeds; this means automatic download of new updates, the ability to delete old feed content, all over Wi-Fi. Audio codec support includes MP3, WMA, AAC, PCM, while video codec support is AVC (h.264), MPEG-4 and WMV.

for the complete review [LINK]

World's first refrigerated BEACH, Dubai of course

2008-12-17T13:11:00.003+08:00

The world's first refrigerated beach is to be built at a luxury hotel in Dubai so the filthy rich holidaymakers don't burn their feet on the scalding hot sand.

The revolutionary beach will sit next to the new Palazzo Versace hotel and will include a system of heat-absorbing pipes built under the sand and giant wind blowers, designed to keep tourists cool in the searing 40-50C heat.

The hotel, which is due to open late next year or early 2010, will be controlled by thermostats linked up to computers and feature a cooled swimming pool.

(Above and below) Artist's impressions of the Palazzo Versace Hotel in Dubai. The refrigerated beach will include a system of heat-absorbing pipes built under the sand and giant wind blowers

However, the plans have been criticised by campaigners who are infuriated by the potential impact on climate change.

Rachel Noble, of Tourism Concern, said: 'Dubai is like a bubble world where the things that are worrying the rest of the world, like climate change, are simply ignored so people can continue destructive lifestyles.'

The lavish project will enhance Dubai's appeal to the celebrity jet-set and increase competition to a region that already houses the world's first seven-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab.

Luxury: The first Palazzo Versace hotel in Australia. The second luxury hotel is set to open in Dubai late next year

However, the city's continued expansion will also add to its huge carbon footprint. Each person living in Dubai has a carbon footprint of more than 44 tons of CO2 a year.

Despite the environmental fears, Versace says the beach will be environmentally sustainable.

Soheil Abedian, president of Palazzo Versace, said: 'We will suck the heat out of the sand to keep it cool enough to lie on. This is the kind of luxury that top people want.'

A source added: 'The super rich want pure luxury. They don't want to walk on scalding sand.'

A British firm, Hyder Consulting will oversee the project, and it is hoped the 10-storey hotel will help attract some of the 800,000 Brits who visit Dubai each year.

There is already one Palazzo Versace hotel, operating on Australia's Gold Coast, which has attracted the rich and famous. Fifteen more hotels are in the pipeline.

source >> [Daily Mail Reporter]

Bangladesh to open own Taj Mahal

2008-12-10T02:44:00.003+08:00

A life-size replica of the Taj Mahal, often described as the world's most beautiful building, is due to open for visitors in Bangladesh.

The replica has been built by a Bangladeshi filmmaker.

Ahsanullah Moni said he wanted his countrymen to experience the beauty of the Indian monument even if they were too poor to travel to see the original.

The 17th Century Taj was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal.

The emperor is buried next to his queen in the monument in the northern Indian city of Agra, which is visited by millions every year.

The $58m (£39m) replica has been built in Sonargaon, a small town in the Bangladeshi countryside.

'Marble and diamonds'

Mr Moni, who is a successful director of Bangladeshi films, says he hopes his replica, which has been built an hour's drive from the capital Dhaka, will also attract foreign visitors.

It took 20 years and 20,000 workers to build the original Taj.

Thanks to modern technology, construction of Mr Moni's Taj has taken five years and fewer people.

But it has been neither easy nor cheap.

Mr Moni says he has imported marble and granite from Italy and diamonds from Belgium.

Architects were sent to India to copy the dimensions of the original.

Work on the surrounding grounds and ponds has still not been completed.

Only then will Bangladeshis be able to judge whether Mr Moni has truly copied the beauty and purity of the original Taj Mahal.

source [BBC news]

World’s First and Only Digital Camera Swim Mask

2008-12-07T13:36:00.004+08:00

This is the world’s first and only digital camera and swim mask in one. Designed for underwater photography, it is safely attached to your swim mask. The scheme enables you to swim freely while you take pictures underwater.

The camera boasts a 5-megapixel lens and it can take pictures up to a depth of 15 feet (4.6 meters). The camera is capable of taking both still images and videos. This camera swim mask is perfect for summer snorkels and ordinary swimming pool day.

Durable tempered glass makes up the camera swim mask’s eyes piece. It also has crosshairs that serve as the camera’s viewfinder. The only thing that the underwater photographer needs to do is to look and shoot. It is even easier than taking pictures in land as through this camera, you don’t have to worry about camera shakes other photography rules and standards.

There is also an LED indicator inside the mask informs you if you are in video or picture mode. Images can be downloaded to your PC or Mac thru the USB port. It has a 16 MB (expandable) storage that can store up to 30 high resolution images or equivalent to a 52-second video. The Digital Camera Swim Mask needs two AAA batteries to operate.

source [The China Post]

What Inflation Looks Like

2008-12-02T11:22:00.004+08:00

(CNN) -- Zimbabwe's troubled central bank introduced $100 billion banknotes Saturday in a desperate bid to ease the recurrent cash shortages plaguing the inflation-ravaged economy. The bills officially come into circulation Monday, although they were on the foreign currency dealers market Saturday.

As high as they are, though, the bills still aren't enough to buy a loaf of bread. They can buy only four oranges.

The new note is equal to just one U.S. dollar

[Via Joe Jet]

The Greatest Show on Earth!

2008-11-17T07:10:00.004+08:00

Kipnis' outer limits theater, or what $6 million will buy.

When it comes to home theaters, I thought I'd seen it all. But nothing's come close to this. First, I'm going to try to describe the sheer magnitude of Jeremy Kipnis' theater. His Stewart Snowmatte laboratory-grade screen is the biggest I've ever seen in a home, and in the back of the theater, there's a Sony ultra-high-resolution (4,096-by-2,160) SRX-S110 digital projector. I'm looking everywhere, jotting down questions, and Kipnis sounds almost giddy talking about his theater's capabilities. He refers to his baby, the Kipnis Studio Standard (KSS), as "The Greatest Show on Earth." And from the looks of it, he may be right.

Partial Equipment List for the Kipnis Studio Standard Beta CinE:

Picture Elements:
Sony SRX-S110 Professional Video Projector
Stewart 18-by-10-foot Snowmatte 1.0 Gain Laboratory-Grade Motion Picture Screen

Players and Sources:
Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray Player
Sony PlayStation 3 Gaming Console
Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD Player
JVC HMDH-5U D-VHS Recorder
SATA Drive (72 HDTV Hours Total)
Mark Levinson N° 51 DVD/CD Media Player
Pioneer HLD-X0 Hi-Vision HDTV MUSE Laserdisc Player

Surround Processing and Decoding:
Theta Digital Generation VIII 32-bit 8x Oversampling Dual Processors (13)

Amplification:
Mark Levinson N° 33h Amplifiers (2)
McIntosh MC-2102 Amplifiers (30)
Crown Macro Reference Gold Amplifiers (3)

Speakers:
Snell 1800 THX Music & Cinema Reference Subwoofers (16)
Snell THX Music & Cinema Reference Towers (8)
MuRata ES103A Super Tweeters (10)
Snell THX Music & Cinema Reference LCR-2800 Center-Channel Speakers (3)

for a full review and more photos...
source [Link]

Exploding MRI

2008-10-31T18:54:00.003+08:00

have never imagine an MRI exploding, i mean i expected medical equipments to be the safest of all, but see for yourself.

A medical physicist in Alabama has noticed what could be a disturbing trend: exploding MRI magnets. Dr. Wlad Sobol of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, describes what may have caused the incidents and offers advice for avoiding potentially catastrophic incidents at medical facilities

source [Link]