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.

Kids in the Kitchen: mini pumpkin pies

At this time of year little ones up and down the land are excited at the prospect of free food in exchange for a fright.

It's a great opportunity to have a party and as it is a child-friendly time the kids can muck in with the production as well as the eating. This year we will be making spooky pizza faces, wormy bug pasta and ghoulishly green apple and avocado smoothies.

The Americans are the masters of Halloween celebrations and they have used the pumpkin - something we usually carve out then throw onto the rubbish tip - to its full potential in a whole range of delicious pumpkin related recipes, including desserts.

Pumpkin pie is a fabulous concoction of pureed pumpkin, sugar, cream and eggs and if you can get your head around the fact that there is a vegetable in the mix you will love it.

I like to use molasses-packed sticky black treacle in mine, and they can be made into individual ‘pies’ for little hands by using mini pudding moulds such as in this recipe or jam tart cases. They are seasonal, delicious and frightfully fantastic. Happy Halloween.

Mini pumpkin and black treacle pies

One pack of short-crust pastry

500g peeled and chopped pumpkin

300ml double cream

100g muscovado sugar

3 eggs, beaten

3 tbsp black treacle

½ tsp ground cinnamon

A little ground nutmeg

1 tsp ginger

1 - Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Roll out the pastry then portion and line some mini pudding moulds leaving the edges overlapped. Put into the fridge to rest.

2 - Bring a pan of water to the boil then cook the chopped pumpkin until tender. Blend to a puree.

3 - Pour the cream into a pan then add the sugar and spices and heat up to just under boiling point.

4 - Pour in the eggs and whisk well, then add the black treacle. Stir in the pumpkin puree and pour into the pudding moulds.

5 - Bake for 25-30 minutes or until just set.

The Times. Oct 28, 2009.