MP3 Players in the Year 2000 Were Not So Good

This is the Creative Nomad Jukebox from the year 2000. It may have been shaped like a CD player to mentally ease technophobes, but it actually had a 6GB hard drive on board. And boy did we love it.

That's not to say that this thing was great—because it wasn't; not by today's standards. It had only a USB 1.1 connection, so uploading all 6GB worth of music took hours and hours. Imagine filling up a 1TB hard drive over a USB 2 connection today, if that gives you any idea of how long the process was. Oh, and it cost $420.

But you know what? It actually a pretty decent player for the year 2000. The 6GB is adequate even now (the lowest iPod Nano today has 8GB), and that 8GB of 5-minute skip protection was good enough for continuous music most of the time, except when you were off-roading or running away from cougars.

Hell, because it was so early in the MP3 player era, it even had extraneous features that were eventually ditched for cost cutting reasons because only a small portion of people used it. There was the stereo line input for recording, dual stereo output for 4-point surround sound as well as WAV and WMA support. Creative did do a good job with firmware support after the thing was released, actually adding functionality to the player when they could have just released a new hardware revision.

So yes, the Creative Nomad Jukebox was heavy, and lost in every way to any Android, Windows Mobile or Apple smartphone today in both price and feature set, but it was pretty damn good in the year 2000. [Product Page (Price dropped to $300 by 2001)]

Decades: where we revisit gadgets we loved from the start of the decade and see how they compare to what we use today.

Gizmodo. Dec 30, 2009.

Teacher killed by drink-driver, three injured

A secondary school teacher was killed early on Thursday morning after being hit by a car in Sau Mau Ping, a police spokeswoman said.
The incident happened at around 8am. A car driven by a 23-year-old man was travelling along Lee On Road in Sau Mau Ping, when the driver suddenly lost control and the car mounted the pavement.

A 44-year-old man named Chu Chi-shing – a secondary school teacher in Putonghua and Chinese history at Ning Po No 2 College – lost consciousness when he was hit by the car. Chu was certified dead by ambulancemen at the scene.

Three other people – a 38-year-old female pedestrian, a 22-year-old female passenger and the driver of the car – were also injured. They were sent to the Union Hospital for treatment.

The car was seriously damaged.

Police have arrested the 23-year-old driver for drink-driving, after alcohol levels in his blood were found to exceed the prescribed limit.

One eyewitness said the car was travelling at 80km to 90km per hour before it crashed.

Investigations by Special Investigation Team of Traffic Kowloon East are under way.

The police spokesman urged anyone who may have seen the incident or who has any information about it is urged to contact the investigating officers on 2305 7500.

The victim who died in the tragic accident was a discipline master – one who dealt with difficult students – for the school. Chu was on the way to join the school's Christmas party before he was hit by the car, said Wong King Hung – vice-principal of Ning Po No 2 College.

Speaking at a press conference, Wong described Chu as a responsible teacher who was highly respected.

“Chu was a popular teacher. After the accident, many students feel very upset and some have been to the scene to mourn. Many have written note cards to express their condolences,” he said.

School teachers and social workers provided counselling to Chu's immediate students and those who witnessed the fatal accident.

Wong appealed to the drivers not to drink alcohol before they drive.

SCMP. Dec 26, 2009.


Question for discussion:
As there have been several accidents caused by drink driving, do you think the government should increase the penalty?

HP camera 'can't see' black faces

A YouTube video suggesting that face recognition cameras installed in HP laptops cannot detect black faces has had over one million views.

The short movie, uploaded earlier this month, features "Black Desi" and his colleague "White Wanda".

When Wanda, a white woman, is in front of the screen, the camera zooms to her face and moves as she moves.

But when Desi, a black man, does the same, the camera does not respond by tracking him.

The clip is light-hearted in tone but is titled "HP computers are racist".

"HP has been informed of a potential issue with the facial-tracking software included on some of its systems, which appears to occur when insufficient foreground lighting is available," an HP spokesman told BBC News.

"We take this seriously and are looking into it with our partners."

BBC News. Dec 24, 2009.

Heavy snow blankets the north-eastern states of the US

The Telegraph.

Mini-Moscow on Sale for Just $3 Million

It took 300 people to construct a 400 square foot model of the USSR's capital city back in 1977. Today you can buy that super-detailed, scaled-down version of Moscow for a mere $3 million.

Stunning, isn't it? Apparently every single of the itty-bitty windows in the model can be lit up and there are effects to simulate day and night time. I guess that it's not surprising that the electricity costs alone are making mini-Moscow enough of an expense to get pushed onto the auction block.

Engadget.

LED traffic lights don't melt snow and do cause accidents

A number of cold weather American states are reporting their dismay at finding out that LED traffic lights are so energy efficient that they do not produce enough excess heat to dissipate any snow that covers them. It turns out, perhaps in an homage to bad engineering everywhere, that the inefficiency of incandescent light bulbs was previously relied upon to keep traffic signals unimpeded. The new LEDs do not achieve the same effect, which has resulted in a few accidents and even a death being blamed on obstructed traffic lights. Feel free to apply palm to face now. It's not all gloomy, though, as the majority of people are said to treat a dysfunctional traffic light as a stop sign (how clever of them), and a tech fix is being worked on as we speak.

Engadget. Dec 17, 2009.

Border security guards kill -- literally kill -- a MacBook

A young American woman travels over to Jerusalem to meet some friends, see the sights, live the life. Overzealous border security officers ask her a bunch of questions, take issue with her answers, and a few well-placed bullets later she is allowed entry into the country with a somewhat altered MacBook in tow. So what can we all learn from this incident? Firstly, back up all the data you consider important; B, Israeli policemen don't mess about; and 3, distressed laptops look gorgeous no matter how they got there -- just look at the way the glass trackpad has wrinkled up from the force of the bullet penetrating near it, it's a borderline work of art. The young lady in question has been promised compensation, but lest you think this is a one one-off you can see pictures of an equally dead Dell at the Flickr link below. We've got a couple more close-ups of the ravaged MacBook after the break.

Engadget. Dec 16, 2009.

Nearly half of high schools to teach in English

16 schools using Chinese to switch completely from September The number of secondary schools teaching in English in Hong Kong will almost double in September when the changes to language instruction policy take effect, according to school profiles released by the government yesterday. Taking advantage of the latest changes in language policy, 16 schools which are now teaching in Chinese will switch to teaching entirely in English. Another 80 schools will adopt a mixed approach - using Chinese for humanities subjects but using English for science subjects. Seven schools will do the opposite by switching at least some classes from English to Chinese. This means 199 schools, or nearly half of the 402 secondary schools in Hong Kong, will be teaching fully or mainly in English. This is the second turnaround of the medium of instruction adopted in local schools. The government adopted the mother-tongue policy in 1998 when all but selected secondary schools were ordered to switch their medium of instruction to Chinese. At present, 110 schools teach entirely in English. In 2006, the authorities announced that schools could teach a class in English if 85 per cent of students in that class were in the top 40 per cent of their age group academically. Schools whose students learn mainly in Chinese could use English for up to a quarter of lesson time to promote "extended learning activities". The policy will start from Form One students in the next academic year. Many schools said they made the switch because of an appeal from parents. Ho Kit-to, principal of Shun Tak Fraternal Association Tam Pak Yu College in Tuen Mun, one of the 80 schools using the mixed approach, said: "Many schools, including us, made the switch because of the market or parents' demand." Dr Anson Yang, principal of King Ling College in Tseung Kwan O which will adopt blanket English-language teaching next year, said all parents, teachers and students were excited about the change. "I believe that students will just learn better," he said. Another school which will soon join the ranks of English-medium schools is Yuen Long Lutheran Secondary School, which has been teaching in Chinese for 50 years. Principal Belinda Chan Yuen-chau said: "Our students are quite ready for this and the school is well prepared." Yim Chin-ming, principal of TWGH Lo Kon Ting Memorial College in Yuen Long, said: "We have been waiting to switch back to English-medium since 1998. "Until the handover, we taught in English and the school never really wanted to switch to Chinese. Almost everyone in the school is delighted with the change." One father, Mr Yip, whose Primary Six son will be affected by the new policy when he starts secondary school next year, said he was confused by the new system. "We now have more choices. Most parents in this town want their children to learn English well and I am just one of those." Michael Tien Puk-sun, former chairman of the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research who is critical of the new policy, said: "These schools switching to English-medium teaching are the first nail in the coffin for mother-tonuge education. In the end, Chinese-medium teaching in junior secondary schools is going to be wiped out altogther." Seven English-medium schools will no longer be allowed to teach entirely in English. SCMP. Dec 15, 2009. As a Form 6 student, do you think it is a good idea for more secondary schools to switch to English as a medium of instruction?

Troubled ATV files complaint over TVB

Troubled terrestrial broadcaster ATV has lodged its first complaint of unfair competition with the Broadcasting Authority, against its rival in the free-to-air television market, TVB.
On Monday, Linus Cheung Wing-lam resigned as chairman and a director of ATV, after a dispute emerged between its two big stakeholders - Taiwanese snack-food tycoon Tsai Eng-meng and the family of Mingly Corp chairman Payson Cha Mou-sing.

ATV's production, administration and public relations vice-president, Ip Ka-po, yesterday said the complaint filed by the broadcaster on Thursday made five main allegations, including some against RTHK.

Ip said TVB had been monopolising the talent pool by signing contracts with actors and singers barring them from making appearances in Hong Kong except with TVB. He said that even actors who had signed the "one-show" annual contract, which guarantees an actor only one half-hour segment of television a year, could not appear on other television stations.

Ip added that ATV even had to re-dub imported dramas it aired if they had been dubbed using TVB actors.

ATV also suspected that TVB had been offering large discounts to advertising clients, discouraging them from placing adverts on ATV, Ip said.

ATV accused public broadcaster RTHK of facilitating unfair competition by TVB against ATV. Ip said RTHK's popular public affairs programme Hong Kong Connection, which has a 30-year history, has never made any appearance on ATV, and RTHK had never explained why. Further, RTHK never let ATV be the first to broadcast its annual music awards show, because singers appearing on the show had contracts with TVB, he said.

The Broadcasting Authority acknowledged that it had received ATV's complaint, and said it would be processed in accordance with the Broadcasting Authority Ordinance.

TVB said it welcomed ATV filing complaints. A TVB spokesman hoped the authority's investigation would clear the air, saying TVB would co-operate with it.

However, Tsang Sing-ming, TVB's deputy controller of external affairs, defended the dominant broadcaster, saying that contracts signed between artists and TVB were willingly agreed by both parties, and it was normal for TVB to lay down clauses protecting its interests.

When it came to advertising, Tsang said, clients requested the best package. And if clients could not afford to place adverts on multiple channels, they might stick to the most effective channel.

When asked about ATV's allegations, an RTHK spokesman said it had been in close contact with ATV to ensure that programmes of various genres could appear on ATV.

The Broadcasting Ordinance prohibits anti-competitive conduct and abuse of dominance.

Despite this, ATV's complaints might not hold up, said Dr Cheuk Pak-tong, head of Baptist University's cinema and television department. ATV should try to do a good job before accusing others, he said.

"It changes management every few years; its financial status is not healthy; its shareholders are fighting with each other. How can the staff feel secure and do a good job to produce quality programmes?" he said.

Cheuk added that the government should listen to the public, and consider action against ATV's licensee status. "If they can't do a good job, maybe they should give the licence to other, capable people," he said.

Samson Tam Wai-ho, chairman of the Legislative Council's information technology and broadcasting panel, said ATV would also be able to file complaints to the panel if the panel later felt that the Broadcasting Authority did not handle the complaint effectively.

SCMP. Dec 12, 2009.

Kao gets special royal treatment at Nobel awards ceremony

Physicist Dr Charles Kao Kuen received his Nobel prize from Sweden's King Carl Gustaf with a special honour.

Because he suffers from Alzheimer's disease, the physicist did not have to approach the king to receive his medal and award.

Instead the king came to him, leaving the podium and walking down to the stage where the beaming "father of fibre optics" walked forward a few confident paces to meet him and shook his hand firmly.

The special arrangement was made by the organisers because of doubts whether the Shanghai-born, 76-year-old retired head of Hong Kong's Chinese University could negotiate the full distance to the podium, where the other laureates were to receive their prizes.

Various parts of the ritual including bowing to and shaking hands with the king, bowing to past prize winners seated on the stage, and to the 1,500-strong audience, were all dispensed with.

A day before the presentation ceremony, Kao's wife of 50 years, Gwen Wong May-wan, after delivering a speech at Stockholm University on behalf of her husband, hinted to media he might receive the prize in person.

Kao, who had been in Stockholm with his wife and children since Saturday said excitedly to the press on Wednesday in a rare complete sentence in English: "The only thing you have to do is practice."

Hours before the ceremony his wife said he did well in rehearsal. Kao won the physics prize for what the Nobel jury said were his "groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibres for optical communication, that has shaped the foundations of today's networked societies".

The award comes with a cash prize of 10 million Swedish kronor (HK$10.8 million), of which Kao will receive half. Two American co-winners of the prize, Willard Boyle and George Smith - for their pioneering work on semiconductors and digital imaging - will split the other half.

It was the third time Kao had received an honour from the Swedish king, after winning the Ericsson Prize in 1979 and becoming a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in 1988.

SCMP. Dec 11, 2009.

Insane Pics Inside Amazon UK's Distribution Center (before Christmas)

It's 'Manic Monday' and shoppers are expected to spend £17million an hour today over the internet. The total outlay will hit £417million in just 24 hours, making it the busiest web shopping day of the year. Sales are expected to peak between 1pm and 2pm when office staff log on from work. Another hectic period will have occured this morning when mothers got home after dropping their children off at school. And the biggest-selling items? They're expected to be Apple iPod Touch, Wii fit, Scalextric and LCD TVs.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1233766/Santas-little-helper-Todays-busiest-online-shopping-day-year-So-ready-biggest-grotto-Lapland.html#ixzz0ZGsvr2PU

Fake fingerprints

A Chinese woman managed to enter Japan illegally by having plastic surgery to alter her fingerprints, thus fooling immigration controls, police claim.

Lin Rong, 27, had previously been deported from Japan for overstaying her visa. She was only discovered when she was arrested on separate charges.

Tokyo police said she had paid $15,000 (£9,000) to have the surgery in China.

It is Japan's first case of alleged biometric fraud, but police believe the practice may be widespread.

Japanese police suspect Chinese brokers of taking huge sums to modify fingerprints surgically.

Local media reports said Ms Lin had undergone surgery to swap the fingerprints from her right and left hands.

Skin patches on her thumbs and index fingers were removed and then re-grafted on to the matching digits of the opposite hand.

Japanese newspapers said police had noticed that Ms Lin's fingers had unnatural scars when she was arrested last month for allegedly faking a marriage to a Japanese man.

The apparent ability of illegal migration networks to break through hi-tech controls suggests that other countries who fingerprint visitors could be equally vulnerable - not least the United States, according to BBC Asia analyst Andre Vornic.

BBC News. Dec 7, 2009.

BMX hero set to strike commercial gold

Hong Kong's first Games winner has marketers salivating over the possibilities

When Steven Wong clinched gold for Hong Kong in the men's BMX final of the East Asian Games yesterday, it wasn't just the spectators who were thrilled.
The marketing industry suddenly found themselves with their own coveted prize - a young, hip sports star they could use to sell everything from sodas to running shoes.

Many brands have already approached the 21-year-old to offer sponsorship and product endorsement deals.

Banks and insurance companies have also expressed an interest in recruiting Wong as an adviser for their internal sports programmes.

With more sponsors, Wong will have access to better training and more events, giving him a chance to climb to a level of sports celebrity that only a handful in the city have reached before.

"Hong Kong previously did not have any young and stylish sports icons. He will be one," said Daniel Chan Yan-nang, director of Action House International, a local sports marketing consultant. "Teenagers will see him as an idol."

Part of that appeal lies in the sport itself. BMX racing is young, emerging into the mainstream largely in the 1980s. Most of the sport's followers are in North America, but Wong's win will boost its profile in Hong Kong.

He couldn't have asked for a better platform: Wong was the flag bearer for the Hong Kong team in the opening ceremony last night.

"To marketers, visibility is essential in choosing a brand spokesperson," Chan said.

He said Wong was interested in getting sponsors for future competitions in Europe and North America. Only when he did well in these races would he have a shot at the 2012 London Olympics, Chan said.

With a Chinese father and a Belgian mother, Wong can barely speak Cantonese - save to introduce himself.

He was born in Belgium and grew up there, but in his youth visited Hong Kong to see family.

He has been spending more time in the city lately.

An athlete does not have to have a Hong Kong passport to represent the city in the Games.

Wong is likely to spend even more time in the city since the construction of the BMX Park at Kwai Chung - built with a grant of HK$20 million from the Hong Kong Jockey Club - will allow him more opportunities to train.

Wong grew up a soccer fan and BMX did not enter his life until he turned 12, when his father gave him a second-hand bicycle.

Before capturing yesterday's gold, he was already a four-time Asian BMX champion.

Wong is expected to shine for years to come as BMX riders can still be in top form when they reach 30.

Chinese University marketing professor Leo Sin Yat-ming said Wong was on the path to becoming a rising star.

"People will definitely remember him after making headlines today," he said.

Asked whether Wong would face a language barrier, Sin said: "The fact that he does not speak Chinese might make him look even more stylish."

The professor said Wong would be the ideal person to promote "young" products, such as soft drinks, gym shoes and sportx equipment.

He said Wong also interested marketers because he was cheaper to sponsor than Olympic gold-winning windsurfer Lee Lai-shan and Asian champion cyclist Wong Kam-po.

"Some might want to invest in him before he gets famous," Sin said.

SCMP. Dec 6, 2009.

Man Builds Detailed Model Cars From Discarded Aluminum Cans

Meet Sandy Sanderson from New Zealand. Needing something to keep himself occupied after breaking his wrist in a motorcycle accident, he started building amazing model cars from discarded aluminum cans. His incredibly intricate work below.

Sandy's something of a renaissance man; draftsman, guitar player, teacher, motorcyclist, instrument maker and model builder. When he was in a motorcycle accident which shattered his wrist and put him out of action for a while, he needed something to do. While finishing a canned beverage he thought of model airplanes he'd seen made from cans and thought why not make cars out of the same material? And thus was born the CanCar. The "Coriba Climax" below is his first effort and while impressive in its own right you see the cars keep getting more and more technically detailed with each successive build. Very cool hobby Mr. Sanderson, and talk about a unique (though somewhat spendy) Christmas present opportunity.

Jalopnik.

Inflation rates by country

Japanese fishing trawler sunk by giant jellyfish

A 10-ton fishing boat has been sunk by gigantic jellyfish off eastern Japan.



The trawler, the Diasan Shinsho-maru, capsized off Chiba`as its three-man crew was trying to haul in a net containing dozens of huge Nomura's jellyfish.


Each of the jellyfish can weigh up to 200 kg and waters around Japan have been inundated with the creatures this year. Experts believe weather and water conditions in the breeding grounds, off the coast of China, have been ideal for the jellyfish in recent months.


The crew of the fishing boat was thrown into the sea when the vessel capsized, but the three men were rescued by another trawler, according to the Mainichi newspaper. The local Coast Guard office reported that the weather was clear and the sea was calm at the time of the accident.

One of the largest jellyfish in the world, the species can grow up to 2 meters in diameter. The last time Japan was invaded on a similar scale, in the summer of 2005, the jellyfish damaged nets, rendered fish inedible with their toxic stings and even caused injuries to fishermen.

Relatively little is known about Nomura's jellyfish, such as why some years see thousands of the creatures floating across the Sea of Japan on the Tsushima Current, but last year there were virtually no sightings. In 2007, there were 15,500 reports of damage to fishing equipment caused by the creatures.

Experts believe that one contributing factor to the jellyfish becoming more frequent visitors to Japanese waters may be a decline in the number of predators, which include sea turtles and certain species of fish.

The Telegraph. Nov 2, 2009.

Solar-powered FM Radio

Flexio is this really awesome radio that’s solar powered and portable. I’m willing to overlook the “only one fixed FM channel” stand for the cute little paper packaging it comes in. I’m sure the dynamics of manufacturing this are going to be reasonable, because one can even use it for promotions and gifts…like ask someone to advertise on its package. The innovative factor comes from the flexible speaker & flexible solar cell. It’s designed to be used within the station-waves range, but could be modified to receive internet radio via WiFi or WiMax.


Designers: Wu Kun-chia, Wang Shih-ju, Chen Ming-daw & Liou Chang-ho

Yanko Design. Nov 30, 2009.

A harbourfront for the people - just a dream?

The people are the rightful owners of the harbour. But they have often been left lamenting what has been done with it and around it without true consultation. It sounds promising therefore that representatives of the harbour's owners - the public - have been promised a say in the development of prime waterfront land in Central, a move that could be a model for other projects. Two sites between IFC and the Central ferry wharves will be the first waterfront project to be developed by a public-private partnership. Members of the public will be included on a committee to advise on design and operation. In a city known for building on its most famous natural asset, and giving little access to the people, it remains to be seen how much weight will be given to public opinion, and how developers feel about being restrained by it. Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor does not strike an optimistic note when she talks of appealing to developers' sense of social responsibility. We hope they have an abundance of it, but it would be bad policy to depend greatly on it.
The government, after all, is to provide the land for a developer to design, build and operate the sites. Granted, the developer will have to reserve 3,000 of the project's 22,000 square metres for non-lettable public facilities, provide a public piazza and a landscaped deck, and build extra commercial space over ferry piers. But Lam has signalled that she might also offer HK$200 million for work on the piers. Hong Kong makes poor use of its harbourside compared with many other cities. As a result, what we have to show are office blocks, luxury housing, shopping malls and a few promenades. In a perfect world, the Central sites would be turned over entirely to landscaped public space integrated with IFC, Exchange Square and the ferry piers. In the real world, public-private development may give us the best deal. It may be too much to expect developers to curb their appetites.

But the harbour is worth daydreaming about now and then on the off-chance such dreams might come true, and even hold good for the development of open space on newly reclaimed land in Wan Chai and two harbourfront sites in Quarry Bay.

SCMP. Nov 30, 2009.

Broadband access for all

EU call for 'universal' broadband

Brussels is considering making broadband access available for all.



The fast growth of broadband has led the European Commission to bring forward a review of the basic telecoms services Europeans can expect.


Current statistics suggest about 36% of households in EU member nations have high-speed net access.


When a majority of EU citizens are using a telecoms service, EC rules dictate that it becomes one every European should be able to enjoy.


Basic access


"High-speed internet is the passport to the Information Society and an essential condition for economic growth," said Viviane Reding, EU Telecoms Commissioner in a statement announcing the review.


"This is why it is this Commission's policy to make broadband internet for all Europeans happen by 2010."


The EC's Universal Service Obligations (USO) demand that all citizens who want them should be able to get access to basic telephone services.


It covers the production of a telephone directory, availability of payphones, specific measures for people with disabilities or those on low incomes and fixed phone access for local, national and international voice calls.


The obligations also include a clause demanding that the fixed line be of sufficient quality to "permit functional internet access". In the UK this has been interpreted to mean a line that can support a dial-up speed of 28.8 kilobits per second.


The EC reviews the USO every three years and in its report kicking off the latest overhaul, it said broadband was growing at a pace that would mean more Europeans were using it than not.


Figures from the EC suggest that from 2003-2007 broadband use in member nations tripled to 36% of households and had an annual growth rate of 20%.


Despite this, said the EC, there were "striking gaps" among member states and the coverage their citizens enjoyed.


In nations such as Denmark, Luxembourg and Belgium, 100% of the population can get broadband if they want it. By contrast, 60% of Romanians cannot get broadband access.


Even in nations such as Germany and Italy, which have booming broadband sectors, about 12% of the population is not covered by high-speed access.


The review aims to find out if the USO needs to be re-written to force telecoms firms to extend broadband to those areas competition will leave bereft of it.


It will also find out if a narrow-band access, aka dial-up, is sufficient to "permit functional internet access" or if the pace of change online means higher speeds are the minimum needed.


The EC is inviting submissions from telecoms firms, governments and citizens with the aim of producing a communique in 2009 and perhaps legislation in 2010.

BBC News. Sep 26, 2008.

20 questions on genetically-modified (GM) foods

Q1. What are genetically modified (GM) organisms and GM foods?

These questions and answers have been prepared by WHO in response to questions and concerns by a number of WHO Member State Governments with regard to the nature and safety of genetically modified food.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. The technology is often called “modern biotechnology” or “gene technology”, sometimes also “recombinant DNA technology” or “genetic engineering”. It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between non-related species.

Such methods are used to create GM plants – which are then used to grow GM food crops.

For the other questions, please click this link and go to the WHO's website.

What is digital divide?

The concept of the digital divide is becoming more and more complex as access to computers and the use of computers, changes over time. When the existence of a “digital divide” first emerged, it revolved around access to computers and related technologies. The high cost of computers create a large divide between people who could afford them, and who had access to all the advantages of a computer, and those who could not.

The falling cost of computers, combined with initiatives in many countries to create community access points or telecentres [link], has meant that more and more people are gaining access to some form of computer. As more people gain basic access to computers, the term “digital divide” has grown to encompass technological literacy and the total cost of running a computer—in other words, the ability, both technical and financial, to make full use of the technology available. The digital divide now takes into consideration access, or lack of access, to the Internet, as well. The digital divide is not only an issue in developing countries. Even in very wealthy countries, various communities face barriers to access, for economic, linguistic, and even generational reasons.

Some organizations and even countries are trying to close the digital divide using free and open source software (FOSS). FOSS allows anyone to modify the software for his or her needs. One common reason to turn to FOSS is language: many software programs do not include language support for more than three or four languages. FOSS programmers can provide translation and localization for the software by changing the software code. To do this with non-open source, or proprietary, software users must wait until the company who made the software translates it.

Different groups are trying to close the digital divide in many other ways. The World Summit on the Information Society was a global policy process where governments, civil society, and businesses tried to solve some of the most pressing issues, ranging from basic access to who controls the flow of information on the Internet (Internet governance and net neutrality). There is also a large group of individuals, called the Digital Divide Network (DDN) [link] who are trying to close the divide in a number of different and innovative ways.

TakingITGlobal.

Cool Evian Roller Babies Ad

Midnight record for Twilight film

The new Twilight vampire movie took a record $26.3m (£15.9m) in midnight showings at North American box offices, studio Summit Entertainment has said.

That beats the previous North American record of $22.2m (£13.5m) for midnight openings, taken by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in July.

Experts have predicted that New Moon will have one of the biggest opening weekends for a non-summer film.

The first movie in the series, starring Robert Pattinson, made $69.6m (£42.1m).

It is expected the sequel will take almost $100m (£60.6m) in the US and Canada over the course of the weekend.

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire holds the current North American weekend record - outside of Hollywood's May to August summer season - with takings of $102.7m (£62.2m) in November 2005.

The biggest ever opening weekend was for Dark Knight - starring the late Heath Ledger - which took $158.4m (£96m) in July 2008.

The new Twilight film follows the romance between high school student Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, and vampire Edward Cullen, played by Pattinson.

The movie adaptations are based on the series of books by American author Stephenie Meyer.

The books have sold 85 million copies and have been translated into more than 20 languages.

BBC News. Nov 21, 2009.

Something to wake you up in a cold winter morning

I'm sure these two bacon advertisements can warm you up.

"Hand-trimmed and hardwood smoked mean it’s always a scrumptious morning."

Oscar Mayer bacon is carefully selected, hand-trimmed and naturally hardwood smoked for hours to bring you that one-of-a-kind flavor well worth waking up for.

"To make great bacon, we take the slow road."

Oscar Mayer bacon is carefully selected, hand-trimmed and naturally hardwood smoked for hours. Because there are no shortcuts to that one-of-a-kind flavor.

New rules don't cover drink-label sweet talk

The Consumer Council has warned that misleading claims such as "less sweet", "unsweetened" and "reduced sugar" on drinks will not be regulated by the food-labelling law that goes into force in July.
The council examined 80 beverages. Yakult contained the greatest amount of sugar - 16 grams of sugar per 100 millilitres. The sugar content in one 100ml bottle of the Live Yakult Lactobacillus drink accounts for 32 per cent of an adult's recommended daily sugar intake.

A Yakult spokeswoman said the sugar in the drink was there to feed the live bacteria in the drink. Lactobacillus is the drink's main selling point. "We will forward the report to our head office in Japan to follow up," she said.

Seven out of 80 different drinks tested by the council bore wording related to sugars such as "less sweet" or "unsweetened", "slightly sweetened", "reduced sugar" or "no-added sugars".

"These wordings and expressions were not considered to be nutritional claims on sugars and as such they are not covered by the law," Professor Ron Hui Shu-yuen, vice-chairman of the council's publicity and community relations committee, said.

The Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) (Amendment: Requirements for Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claim) Regulation 2008 stipulates that "sugar free" food must contain not more than 0.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams or 100ml.

The legal definition of a "low sugar" claim on solid food or liquid food means there must not be more than 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams of solid food, or 100ml of liquid food.

"But the wordings such as 'less sweet' and 'reduced sugar' is description of a beverage's sweetness and is a matter of subjective judgment varying from individual to individual and without a standard measurement," Hui said. "Since these expressions are not considered to be nutritional claims about sugar, they are not covered by the amendment regulation which will come into effect next year."

Ribena Blackcurrant Drink ("less sweet") is one of the examples that might cause confusion, as it contains 9.1 grams of sugar per 100ml - only 0.9 grams less sugar than a can of Coca-Cola.

"Expressions such as 'less sweet' or 'no-added-sugar' on their packaging do not mean that they really contain less sugar or have low sugar levels," Dr Anne Fung Yu-kei, principal medical officer of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, said. "Consumers should not be misled by these wordings, especially diabetes patients."

The council reminded patients that the term "no added sugars" only meant that no sugars were added to the product, but the food might still contain sugars. "The expression should not be taken as meaning the sugar level is necessarily low," she said. Other expressions such as "no MSG", "no hydrogenated oil", "caffeine-free", "with electrolytes", "no added" and "not a significant source of" are also not considered to be nutrient-content claims.

The council urged consumers to read food labels carefully before purchasing. "Do not believe the wording on the package," Fung said. "Read the labels to find out the nutritional facts before paying for a food product." If many manufacturers used subjective expressions as a way to bypass the law, the council said it would suggest that the government legislate on the use of such words and expressions.

Two drinks that bear the words "less sweet" are Low Sugar Vitasoy soymilk and Low Sugar Vitasoy Malted soymilk. A spokeswoman for Vitasoy International Holdings said the two products, containing 4.8 grams of sugar per 100ml and 4.7 grams of sugar per 100ml respectively, complied with the law. "As these products contain less sugar compared to the traditional version, we describe the taste as 'less sweet' on the side of the pack," she said.

The food labelling law will require packaged food to carry "1+7" labels, declaring the product's total energy value and that of seven core nutrients.

SCMP. Nov 17, 2009.

Last Ice Age took just SIX months to arrive

It took just six months for a warm and sunny Europe to be engulfed in ice, according to new research.

Previous studies have suggested the arrival of the last Ice Age nearly 13,000 years ago took about a decade - but now scientists believe the process was up to 20 times as fast.

In scenes reminiscent of the Hollywood blockbuster The day After Tomorrow, the Northern Hemisphere was frozen by a sudden slowdown of the Gulf Stream, which allowed ice to spread hundreds of miles southwards from the Arctic.

Geological sciences professor William Patterson, who led the research, said: 'It would have been very sudden for those alive at the time. It would be the equivalent of taking Britain and moving it to the Arctic over the space of a few months.'

Professor Patterson's findings emerged from one of the most painstaking studies of climate changes ever attempted and reinforce the theory that the earth's climate is  unstable and can switch between warm and cold incredibly quickly.

His conclusions, published in New Scientist, are based on a study of mud deposits extracted from a lake in Western Ireland, Lough Monreagh - a region he describes as having the 'best mud in the world in scientific terms'.

Professor Patterson used a precision robotic scalpel to scrape off layers of mud just 0.5mm thick. Each layer represented three months of sediment deposition, so variations between them could be used to measure changes in temperature over very short periods.

He found that temperatures had plummeted, with the lake's plants and animals rapidly dying over just a few months.


The subsequent mini Ice Age lasted for 1,300 years and was probably caused by the sudden emptying of Lake Agassiz in Canada, which burst its banks and poured freezing freshwater into the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

That would have disrupted the Gulf Stream - the flows of which depend on variations in saline levels and temperature - and allowed the ice to take hold.

Some scientists believe that if the Greenland ice cap melts it could disrupt the world's ocean currents and have a similarly dramatic effect.

An iceberg melts off Ammassalik Island in Eastern Greenland. Some scientists believe that 

if the Greenland ice caps melt, an Ice Age could hit within months

Daily Mail. Nov 16, 2009.

Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe denies drug allegations

The actor is currently filming Harry Potters and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe has "categorically" denied newspaper allegations that he was photographed smoking cannabis.

The Daily Mirror published photos believed to be of the star, taken by a fellow reveller at a London party.

"Daniel does smoke the occasional roll-up cigarette, but he was not doing anything more than this," said a spokeswoman for the 20-year-old actor.

Radcliffe is currently filming the last two parts of the Harry Potter series.

"We categorically deny the allegations regarding Daniel Radcliffe published in today's Daily Mirror," the spokeswoman said.

"We are considering our position and will be taking all necessary action in relation to such allegations," she added.

BBC News.  Nov 13, 2009.

Chinese schools collapse in snow

In China, heavy snowfall has led to the deaths of 38 people in road accidents and collapsed buildings, state-run media have reported.

The deaths included four pupils in schools that collapsed, Xinhua news agency quoted officials as saying.

Nineteen people were killed in traffic accidents that also stranded thousands of motorists, the officials said.

The deaths of thousands of pupils in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake has already raised questions of school safety.

The government promised to improve the quality of school buildings after the earthquake.

Canteens collapse

The heaviest snowfall in northern China for decades snarled road traffic across the region and forced delays or the cancellation of hundreds of flights from airports in several cities, including Beijing.

In Hebei province, two primary school girls and a boy died after heavy snow caused the roof of their canteen to collapse.

Another 28 were injured and were being treated in a local hospital. Schools in the provincial capital Shijiazhuang have been ordered to close.

Another child died in neighbouring Henan province and seven were injured, again when the roof the school canteen collapsed. Three of the students are in a critical condition.

Local media said the storms were tapering off on Friday with road, rail and air traffic beginning to return to normal.

Corruption blamed

School buildings in China are often poorly built, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing.

In the Sichuan earthquake of 2008, thousands of children died when their schools collapsed.

Surrounding buildings remained standing and parents blamed local corruption.

China's Prime Minister Wen Jiabao promised a full and open investigation, but the details were never made public.

Following these latest deaths, one Chinese state newspaper has asked why school safety is still a problem, and demands that China's children be offered better protection.

BBC News.  Nov 13, 2009.

Introduction to podcasts

Dear students,

I want to introduce you to podcasts. The word "podcast" is derived from a combination of "iPod" and "broadcasting". You can find any kind of podcasts you like from a wide variety of programmes. You can find Xbox/PS3/PSP games reviews, photography, films or music. From now onwards, I'll introduce podcasts that may interest you occasionally. Stay tuned!

Regards,
Mr. Fu

1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Some behind-the-scenes videos and interviews of leading actors and actresses of the movie.

Link to iTunes.

2. Discovery Channel video podcasts

Link to iTunes.

3. Grammar Girl

Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Whether English is your first language or your second language, these grammar, pronunciation, style and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer. 

Link to iTunes.

4. The 1UP Show

1UP.com's weekly video podcast. Every Friday, the editors of Electronic Gaming Monthly and 1UP.com go on-camera to share their insights on all the latest games. Find out what to buy now and what to watch out for in the future.

Link to iTunes.

Berlin Block Tetris

How'd They Do That? Berlin Block Tetris

Sergej Hein is a moving image, animation and fine arts student currently studying at the University of East London. His "Berlin Block Tetris" is a fantastic addition to a growing body of homages to the classic video game: there's human Tetris, Tetris on a skateboard at night, Tetris against a building, and now what might be called Soviet-era architecture Tetris. It took Hein two weeks to make this clip -- but just a few minutes to tell us about it:


What gave you the idea to make this video?
The idea is based on a kind of parody about the former socialist building style combined with pop culture. They used to build whole cities where each house was designed identically to create cheap housing for workers. These blocks were so similar that in Soviet times, you could easily wake up at a friends place in another city and still feel like you are in your own flat (there is even a Russian film about it!). Even the furniture was the same. I grew up in such a suburb of Riga, which was part of the Soviet Union at that time. When I moved to East Berlin I was again living in such a "ghetto" as the cool kids used to call them. Walking through that part of Berlin, seeing all these square blocks one day gave me the idea that they actually look like Tetris stones. I thought, "Hmm, why don't you make an animation of that?"

How did you make it? 
Basically the animation consists of two parts: the sky time-lapse and the house with the background. I took a photo of the "block" building on the opposite side of the street out of my bedroom window. Then I had to rebuild the scenery in After Effects. To do that, I used Photoshop to cut out the shapes of the Tetris Stones and rebuild it with the 3D function of After Effects. So basically only the building and the Tetrisstones are 3D; all other elements are 2D images taken out of the source photo. The sky time-lapse is made with my DSLR. I took a photo every five seconds over the duration of three hours and compressed it to 1:21 min.

Why do you think people are fascinated with Tetris?
Tetris is a synonym for pop culture like no other computer game, but it was also invented by the genius Russian engineer Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union in 1984. I think it reminds all of us of the beginning of digitalization; computers became faster and started to become a part of our daily lives. I remember getting a Gameboy with Tetris in 1991 and fighting with my brother about who can play first. Seriously, I was highly addicted! Sometimes our parents had to take away the Gameboy, which always ended in tears. My family was living in East Germany at this time which had just joined West Germany. It was the time of change, everybody was excited, keen to find a place in the new system. The German Unity is now almost 20 years ago. Many things have changed but I think that Tetris will always remind people from all over the world of the early '90s.

Tell us a cool fact about this video that no one would know by looking at it.
A friend was living in a flat located in the fourth Tetris Stone. He got shaken up a bit! But luckily his line did not disappear.

Creator's Corner Blog. Oct 8, 2009.

Subway Ad Makes It Look Like the Tunnel Is About to Collapse

Pretty scary "2012" advertisment currently up in Rio de Janeiro. First off, when the Evil Doers next blow up and flood an underground tunnel somewhere in the world, my bet is, that 'somewhere' will be 'here.'

Slice of city named national geopark

A 49-square-kilometre tract of some of Kong Kong's most rugged land and seascapes has been designated China's 183rd national geopark in a move that officials hope will boost tourism and lead to World Heritage status as early as next year.
The park boasts one of the world's biggest collections of hexagonal rock columns, formed by volcanic activity, among eight distinctive features.

Speaking at a ceremony, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said gaining national status meant the city's geological resources were unique and world-class, and that legal and administrative systems to protect and manage the park were adequate.

"I hope that when people think about Hong Kong, they will not only admire our skyscrapers and be attracted to our busy shopping areas, but also the unique geological formations and natural beauty," he said at the ceremony at the High Island reservoir, site of the hexagonal columns.

Recognition follows an application to mainland authorities earlier this year. Next step, the government said, was to seek World Heritage status from the United Nations next year for the park, the two sections of which stretch from Tung Ping Chau in the north to the Ninepins in the south.

Tourism Board chairman James Tien Pei-chun said the park had great potential to attract visitors but, having spent half an hour travelling from Central, he said transport arrangements needed to be improved to make it easier for people to get there.

"Natural attractions aren't a great source of income, but they diversify the activities for tourists in Hong Kong," he said.

Senior geopark officer Dr Yeung Ka-ming said the park was not very big but was "the largest in the world in terms of the number and the diameter of hexagonal rock columns". The columns were formed 140 million years ago when volcanoes erupted. The volcanoes eventually collapsed, leaving vast depressions called calderas that eroded over millions of years to their appearance today.

The park's features will be covered by three zones - core protection, special protection and comprehensive protection - with different levels of access. Sensitive or hazardous areas will be restricted to boat trips, while hiking trails will be provided in others, such as Tung Ping Chau, Tolo Channel and High and Sharp islands.

Yeung said more work had to be done before an application could be made for the park to join Unesco's network of geoparks. "More than HK$1 million will have to be spent on finding a competent management team that puts conservation before anything else, and on raising Hongkongers' interest in earth science before we will stand a chance," he said.

No new law was required as the geopark areas would be protected by the Country and Marine Parks Ordinance by next year, Yeung said.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is organising educational activities, including guided tours on Sundays and public holidays, from later this month to March, and "rock classroom" activities will be held for schoolchildren at the Lions Nature Education Centre in Tsiu Hang, Sai Kung.

Department director Alan Wong Chi-kong said 20 staff would be hired to manage the park and prepare for world geopark status next year. The department had already provided training and guidelines to the tourism sector. "The park offers the city a chance to keep up its international status," Wong said. "Eco-tourism can boost the economy, as a shopping paradise might no longer be attractive enough to mainland visitors."

The Tourism Board will promote the park overseas, including Japan, as the city's eco-tourism attraction.

SCMP. Nov 4, 2009.