Marmaduke (2010)

Marmaduke is a live action film adaptation of Brad Anderson's comic strip of the same name. The film centers on a rural Kansas family and their pets – a Great Dane named Marmaduke (voiced by Owen Wilson) and a Balinese cat named Carlos (voiced by George Lopez) – as the family relocates to California.

Plot: Marmaduke is a Great Dane living in rural Kansas with a cat named Carlos. His owner, Phil (Lee Pace), works for Bark Organic dog food. Phil is very strict, from Marmaduke's perspective.

One day, Carlos tells Marmaduke that he overheard Phil saying that they were being transferred to Orange County. They move from Kansas into their new house in California. Phil's boss, Don Twombly (William H. Macy), has the goal of getting Bark Organic into every Petco store in the country. Phil and Don meet at the dog park to discuss Phil's assignment – an ad campaign to win over Petco. There, Marmaduke meets a beautiful Rough Collie named Jezebel (Fergie), whose boyfriend is Bosco (Kiefer Sutherland), a controlling and violent Beauceron with two Miniature Pinscher minions named Thunder and Lightning (Damon Wayans, Jr. and Marlon Wayans). Bosco intimidates Marmaduke, who does not want to fight.

Marmaduke then meets Mazie (Emma Stone), who develops a crush on Marmaduke. He also meets Giuseppe (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a Chinese Crested dog who is afraid of everything, and Raisin (Steve Coogan), a highly intelligent but decidedly minute Dachshund. They get together at night and crash a pedigrees-only party thrown by Bosco, only to be scared away by Bosco. Marmaduke asks Mazie to help him get a girl, whom she presumes is herself but is actually Jezebel.

British supermodels set to perform at London Olympics

Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss are among some of the fashion industry's big names reportedly set to take to the stage for the London Olympics closing ceremony.

While the show's organizers are keen to keep the plans under tight wraps, leaked documents reported in the British press July 15 that supermodel Moss will lead a tribute to British fashion.

The 38-year-old south London native will reportedly make her way along a huge catwalk alongside fellow supers Naomi Campbell, Stella Tennant, Lily Cole and Georgia May Jagger for the August 12 extravaganza.

Famed British couturiers including Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton and Stella McCartney -- who designed the Team GB kits -- are set to dress the models, who will allegedly take to the runway to David Bowie's classic hits "Fashion" and "Rebel Rebel."

While the spectacle isn't guaranteed -- a London 2012 spokesperson stressed the list of performers could change and told The Daily Mail "we won't comment" -- the news certainly gives fashionistas a reason to tune in.

Other big names linked to the closing ceremony include Queen, Take That, The Who, George Michael and Annie Lennox.

UK -- One in seven schools fails to send a student to top university

More than one in seven schools and colleges is failing to send any pupils to top universities, figures show.

Almost two-thirds do not send any students to Oxford or Cambridge, according to government data, while four schools and colleges in England did not send any pupils to university in 2009-10.

The Department for Education figures for state schools suggest that selective, or grammar, schools are much more likely to send pupils to Oxford and Cambridge than other schools.

Some 1,395 schools, around 64.5 per cent, which entered pupils for A-levels or equivalent qualifications, did not send any pupils to Oxford or Cambridge. Between them, these two universities have around 6,700 places for undergraduates each year.

In addition, 330 schools and colleges, around 15 per cent, did not send any students to one of the Russell Group of leading universities.

Of the top 13 schools and colleges sending pupils to Oxbridge, all but one were selective, while of the top 14 schools and colleges sending pupils to any Russell Group university 12 were selective.

The leading school was Colchester Royal Grammar in Essex, which saw 16 per cent of its pupils gain Oxford or Cambridge places in 2009-10.

The four which sent no students to university were the John Madejski Academy in Reading, Berks; Handsworth Wood Girls’ School in Birmingham; Avon Valley College, near Salisbury, Wilts; and Tividale Community Arts College in Oldbury, West Midlands, which has since become the Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, which represents academics, said: “There is still a postcode lottery in the UK when it comes to education. We cannot afford to have areas in the country where it is unheard of for people to go to Oxford and Cambridge.”

Lord Hill, the schools minister, said: “It is interesting to see how well some local authorities in more deprived areas, and some schools and colleges in those authorities, do in terms of students going to our best universities, compared with those in other parts of the country.”

Reading had the highest proportion of pupils (28 per cent) going to a Russell Group university, as well as the biggest number going to Oxbridge (7 per cent). Of the top 10 local authorities sending pupils to leading universities, six had at least one grammar school.

The statistics also reveal that almost two-thirds of young people (64 per cent) were in “sustained” education (meaning they were in education for at least six months) after taking A-levels or other qualifications. Just over half (52 per cent) were at university, with 8 per cent at a Russell Group institution and 1 per cent at Oxford or Cambridge.

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Having destination data is useful ... However, these figures only give us a snapshot of one year group. We need three years of data in order to start talking about trends.”

Stephen Twigg, the shadow education secretary, said the figures showed there was “still a major divide between rich and poor in our education system”.

Original source here

Student Life: How to dress for less

In the first of our series of guides to preparing for student life, Ellie Pithers explains how to create a university wardrobe without crippling your student loan.

When that student loan first lands in your bank account, it can be tempting to tear into it right away. After all, nobody wants to arrive at university with the same, overworn old clothes.

But the first rule of student budgeting is simple: splurging is verboten.

So if you're off to university this summer, here's a quick guide to what you can be doing to spruce up your wardrobe for less:

Make a list: You should be good at this if you did any revision for your A-levels (i.e. constructed colour-coded revision timetables, occasionally in 3-D format). Decide how much money you will need for necessities (baked beans, books, beer) and set aside an amount to spend on clothing per month. Then stick to it.

Mind the gaps: Ascertain where gaps loom in your wardrobe, and buy accordingly. Necessities include skinny jeans, a Fair Isle sweater, and artfully scuffed trainers but, at the risk of sounding mumsy, the lynchpin of the undergraduate wardrobe is a decent coat. You may have slunk through your sixth form years with a manky old pashmina or an oversized hoodie for insulation, but there is no university in Britain so tropical as to make a coat a mere sartorial flourish.



Cash in on discounts: With your induction to university comes the hallowed NUS extra card, and a range of discounts worthy ofSupermarket Sweep. Most useful are Topshop, Topman, ASOS, Office and Amazon, all of whom offer discounts of 10% or more. Also keep a beady eye on local discounts available to you with your campus card – sometimes these can outstrip NUS’s bountiful offers – and sign up to email newsletters to keep abreast of special student shopping events.

Learn to love charity shops: Some degree of chance is inevitable when rummaging through charity shops, but genuine gems can be unearthed, and they are all the sweeter for the quest (and 50p price tag). Don’t be put off by the eccentric staff or funky smell – start small with the jewellery section, and go from there. Personal triumphs include a natty black sequinned waistcoat, nabbed for a fiver on the way home from lectures, and a jade cameo ring that makes one feel mildly aristocratic.



A borrower and a lender be: Polonius’s contrary advice to his university-bound son may well roll off your parents’ tongues as they propel you down the motorway come September. What Polonius forgot to point out is that swapping unwanted clothes with an equally stylish friend is totally kosher.

Think outside the box: See that scarf lurking miserably beneath your bed? In times of dire finances (or washing powder outage) the intrepid stylish student must be brave enough to experiment with scarves as skirts, cinched with a sturdy belt. As with all fashion experiments, cycling shorts must be worn underneath – just in case.

More work-based 'studio schools' announced

Fifteen new "studio schools" are to be set up in England for pupils aged 14 and over, combining academic studies and work-based training.

They are backed by employers including Hilton Hotels, Michelin tyres, Ikea and Aston Villa Football Club.

Pupils do weekly work experience and follow "nine-to-five" hours with the aim of getting them ready for work.

Supporters say the schools will improve employability, critics that they could push pupils down a path too young.

The studio schools will be generally smaller than other schools - typically having 300 pupils, aged from 14 to 19.

All will offer GCSEs in English, maths and science, the government says, as well as A-levels and vocational qualifications, but will offer a more practical way of learning.

The idea behind them is to involve businesses so that pupils leave school with the skills needed by local and national employers.

Highly skilled workforce

A total of 11 studio schools are due to open this September, including one in West London, supported by the BBC, Fulham Football Club and Disney.

One in Liverpool which is specialising in "gaming and digital futures" is backed by Sony and Liverpool University.

The 15 announced on Wednesday are expected to open in 2013 or 2014, with 10,000 pupils attending them.

They include the Southampton Studio School, backed by Southampton City College, which will specialise in the "marine and cruise industries", which employ a lot of people in the area.

Another, in Birmingham, will focus on the catering and hospitality industry and involves Aston Villa Football Club, Hilton Hotels and National Express.

In Devon, a studio school is being set up at Torbay Hospital with the aim of preparing students for careers in health and social care.

It is the result of a partnership between South Devon College and two NHS trusts.

Adrienne Murphy, joint director of Human Resources for the NHS trusts, said it was fantastic news: "This will give young people across South Devon the chance to gain first-hand experience in health and social care careers.

"The partnership will further develop the strong links that we already have with the college and enable Torbay Hospital and the health and social care community to continue to build up a strong and highly skilled workforce fit for the future."

Students in studio schools will be expected to do at least four hours of work experience a week. Those who are over 16 will do at least two days work per week, for which they will be paid.

The first two Studio Schools opened in September 2010 in Luton and Huddersfield.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said: "Studio schools benefit both business and young people - they are a brilliant way for employers to become involved in helping give young people what they need to get good jobs.

"They are aimed at children who learn in more practical ways and offer good qualifications alongside the kind of skills employers want.

"Studio Schools teach a rigorous academic and vocational curriculum in a practical way.

"It is fantastic that so many successful employers are getting behind the studio school movement."

'Nail in coffin'

The schools are part of the government's strategy to improve vocational education, like University Technical Colleges (UTCs), which are also for young people aged from 14.

The government says the UTCs will be more technically based.

The National Union of Teachers says the schools are unnecessary and will further fragment the state school system while taking pupils and funding from other neighbouring schools and colleges.

It also says studio schools are likely to focus on a narrower range of vocational subjects, beyond the basic core of English, maths and science, when pupils should have "a broad and balanced education".

Nansi Ellis, for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said the schools were "another nail in the coffin of state education" and that the union was against children making career choices too young.

The studio schools announced on Wednesday are:
Kajan Hospitality and Catering Studio, Birmingham
Waverley Studio College, Birmingham
The Stoke Studio College of Manufacturing and Design Engineering
The Da Vinci Studio School of Creative Enterprise, Letchworth, Hertfordshire
New Campus Basildon Studio School
Goole Create Studio School, East Riding, Yorkshire
Southampton Studio School
Devon Health Studio, Torbay
The Walsall Studio School
Midland Studio College, Nuneaton
The Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio
The Rye Studio School, East Sussex
Liverpool Tourism and Culture Studio
Film, Theatre and Costume Studio, Bradford
Health Occupations Studio, Bradford

Obama announces $1 Billion 'Master Teacher' Program

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration unveiled plans Wednesday to create an elite corps of master teachers, a $1 billion effort to boost U.S. students' achievement in science, technology, engineering and math.

The program to reward high-performing teachers with salary stipends is part of a long-term effort by President Barack Obama to encourage education in high-demand areas that hold the key to future economic growth — and to close the achievement gap between American students and their international peers.

Teachers selected for the Master Teacher Corps will be paid an additional $20,000 a year and must commit to participate multiple years. The goal is to create a multiplier effect in which expert educators share their knowledge and skills with other teachers, improving the quality of education for all students.

Speaking at a rally for his re-election campaign in San Antonio on Tuesday, Obama framed his emphasis on expanded education funding as a point of contrast with Republican challenger Mitt Romney, whom he accused of prioritizing tax cuts for the wealthy over reinvestment in the nation.

"I'm running to make sure that America has the best education system on earth, from pre-K all the way to post-graduate," Obama said. "And that means hiring new teachers, especially in math and science."

The administration will make $100 million available immediately out of an existing fund to incentivize top-performing teachers. Over the longer term, the White House said it plans to launch the program with $1 billion included in Obama's budget request for fiscal year 2013.

But the House and Senate both voted down Obama's budget earlier in the year, making it far from certain that Obama will be able to get congressional approval to spend $1 billion on master teachers.

An aide to Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, noted that the federal government already has more than 80 teacher quality programs and said it would be foolish to pump money into programs that may be duplicative or unproductive.

"Republicans share the president's goal of getting better teachers in the classroom," said Kline spokeswoman Alexandra Sollberger. "However, we also value transparency and efficient use of taxpayer resources."

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said he expected the two parties to come together to support achievement in areas of high demand.

"This initiative has nothing to do with politics," Duncan said. "It's absolutely in our country's best long-term economic interest to do a much better job in this area."

A report released in February by the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology found that the U.S. must increase by 34 percent the number of students receiving degrees in science, math and related fields to keep up with economic demand.

The program will start with 2,500 teachers divided up among 50 different sites, the White House said, but will grow to include 10,000 teachers over the next four years. Obama, in partnership with a coalition of groups including the Carnegie Corporation of New York, has set a goal of producing 100,000 additional math and science teachers over the next 10 years.

Original source here

Overseas students 'cannot leave or stay' in visa delays

Overseas students in the UK are complaining they are trapped in a legal limbo by visa delays which mean they do not have the right either to stay or go back home.

Students claim they have waited for up to five months without their passports.

Hundreds have signed a protest petition claiming their "basic rights" are being denied by delays in processing visas.

The UK Border Agency said applications from students would be "worked through by the end of the summer".

'Complete outrage'

The National Union of Students (NUS) says this is becoming a "serious problem" and a "complete outrage" which puts at risk the ability of UK universities to attract overseas students.

A US student, Jordan Junge, who has just finished a £17,000 masters degree at the London School of Economics, says she has been waiting for almost five months for her visa to be processed and her documents returned.

The student from Colorado says that this became "extremely stressful" when her grandmother was taken seriously ill and her parents told her to come home.

"Even if you order a pizza from Domino's you can track its progress - but I've no idea about what's happening to my passport."

She says that there are other students who have children that they cannot get back home to see.

Ms Junge says she wanted to carry out further study at the LSE which would have involved travelling outside the UK this summer, but the uncertainty over her documents is making this "very unlikely".

And she says that the tightening of the student visa system is putting off many other US students.

Along with other students, she was particularly concerned about the inability to communicate with UKBA, and so far the information she has obtained has come via her MP.

'Deplorable service'

A Canadian PhD student in Edinburgh, who submitted documents at the beginning of April, says the delays have been "incredibly stressful and distressing" - and she is still uncertain whether she will be able to catch her flight home in a few weeks.

An online petition, signed by more than 600 people, says "the deplorable quality of service provided by the UKBA ill befits a nation like the United Kingdom".

The overseas students who have been caught in this delay are those who have finished their courses and have put in applications to remain longer in the UK.

These post-study visa applications cost more than £500 to process and require students to get their fingerprints taken and to submit their passports.

The visa rules changed in April - and it has been suggested that this prompted an increase in applications ahead of the deadline which has left individuals caught in a bureaucratic backlog.

A South American student, who has just finished a PhD, told the BBC that it had put students in an impossible position.

He said students could not apply for jobs in the UK because they had no proof of their right to be in the country - and they could not go abroad or return home for work because they had no passports to travel.

A UKBA spokesperson said: "Students should come to the UK to study not work. That is why this April we stopped the automatic right for students to stay on and find work after their studies.

"The remaining applications will be worked through by the end of the summer and applicants will be contacted once a decision is made.

"Anyone who wishes to withdraw their application and have their documents returned can do so by contacting the immigration inquiry bureau."

But Daniel Stevens, international students' officer for the NUS, said: "It is clear that delays to the processing of visa applications is becoming a serious problem.

"International students are facing the direct financial and emotional costs of an under-resourced UKBA.

"Having paid thousands of pounds in visa application fees and after facing a raft of bureaucratic procedures, their applications have now been put in put in a pile with little hope of being processed in a timely manner.

"As a result, vulnerable students are now stuck in the UK unable to work, unable to go home to their families and unable to get on with their lives."

James Pitman, UK managing director at the Study Group international education firm, said: "We need to make the UK as appealing an education destination as possible - hold-ups like these do not help."

Earlier this year, a group of UK universities called on the government to remove overseas students from immigration figures.

But the government rejected such suggestions, saying that targets to cut immigration could be achieved without "fiddling the figures".

Original source here

NIF Fires 500 TW Laser Shot, Saves Itself A History Page In Guinness

Physicists at National Ignition Facility of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have marked a page in the history by record making laser-shot at the power of 500 trillion watts.

The laser system developed by NIF used 192 laser beams to fire that many terawatts and 1.85 MJ (mega joules) of ultraviolet laser light. 500 TW is more than 1000 times the energy whole Unite States consumes at any given moment in time, and 1.85 MJ of energy, when compared to any other laser consistently producing energy, is 100 times powerful.

This laboratory based fusion ignition is an extraordinary achievement of NIF team that spent 15 years in hard work before such historical moment happened in time.

This line of development has inspired UK, China, France, Russia, and Japan to built laser facilities in their respective countries that can also, one day, break records in fusion recreation.

'SMART VILLAGE' SETS EXAMPLE FOR POVERTY RELIEF

A model village in Mayalsia is changing the way communities tackle poverty. Rimbunan Kaseh, a rural village sitting on 30 acres of land near Kuala Lumpur, was built to serve as an example of how to address rural poverty issues by promoting environmental sustainability with technology. The project was detailed at this year's Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council meeting in San Jose, Calif. The GSIAC is made up of international leaders from several countries to find ways to build sustainability and a stronger economy for the Asian country.

The community offers education, training and recreational facilities, as well as 100 affordable post- consumer material built homes, selling from $16,000 to $20,000. A closed-loop agriculture system is a big part of the community, providing food and income for its residents. ‘Closed loop’ means that everything in the community is inter-connected, for example: An aqua-culture system raises fish for a protein-rich food supply, waste from the fishtanks is then used to irrigate plants to grow fresh produce. The produce is grown in hydroponic pots that can detect soil moisture, which makes it easer to water plants accurately without wasting water. All of these processes come together to provide reliable food supply and augment resident’s income by $400 to $650 a month. Sustainability is also supported with the communities solar power capabilities, biomass energy and mini-hydro electricity.

Ribunan Kaseh offers everything typical communities do like schools, playgrounds and places of worship, with a high-tech twist. Educational facilities are equipped with 4G Internet service that supports e-learning and e-health services. Ellis Rubenstein, President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences, said at the GSIAC meeting, “Integrated smart communities could transform services available to Malaysia's citizenry while creating thousands of jobs, complementing GSIAC's unprecedented alliance to improve education in that country at every level from cradle to career.”

More “smart villages” are planned for the area, with up to 12 sites in the near future. While it’s centralized to Malaysia for now, this example could set a new precedent in creating change for people experiencing poverty all over the world.

Spacecraft 3D, An Augmented Reality App For iPad And iPhone

NASA has released the Spacecraft 3D app for you iPhone and iPad that gives an augmented reality involving you in two of space agency’s missions including Curiosity, and twin GRAIL.

The app enables its users to print-off certain 3D imagery and then it by using the either of two iDevices’ camera overlays the information on the screen with graphics and animations added. When iPad or iPhone’s camera is pointed at the 3D image taken on the paper it becomes alive in front of you. Spacecraft 3D also lets you to take capture your real time pictures.

NASA has a plan stored to add three more spacecrafts into the app in near future; Cassini, Voyagers, and Dawn.

Meanwhile, download and enjoy the look and feel of Mars and Moon with this augmented reality app that uses the 3D environment models originally created for NASA’s web application.

Artificial Intelligence: Are We Ready for It?

When someone says ‘behavioural science’, my mind starts thinking about psychopaths and serial killers. But in the tech world it’s perceived as something entirely different and a lot less violent. Scientists have long studied behaviours, needs, feelings and how they effect human interactions in a bid to simulate human behaviour in machines. Behavioural study is used with natural language processing so that computers understand humans and can in turn simulate them. Machine says hello has put used AI to demonstrate real life applications.

Alfie Atkins Says Hello: Alfie is like a virtual friend. He greets the kids when they come close enough and then engages them in a number of activities. He dances with them, plays hide and seek and interacts with them. The best part is that he gauges how the children are reacting to his gestures and responds accordingly. So if the kid is being too mischievous Alfie can get angry. If he is enjoying himself he will appear happy. There can be numerous applications of Alfie in everyday life. Single child parents can get their child a little Alfie to play with.  It can do occupational therapy sessions with kids who have minor disabilities by getting them interested in the exercise.

Interactive Animals: If you thought James Cameron was the only one who had the smarts to think up new species, you are totally mistaken. Machine says hello has collaborated with Linköping University to create a whole zoo of fantasy animals that interact with each other and with the visitors at the Visualization centre.

REUSABLE WATER SYSTEM FOR BEVERAGE PRODUCERS

A new technology unveiled by GE could potentially saves millions of gallons of water a day that would otherwise go down the drain at beverage bottling companies. The technology is a water purifying program called AquaSel, and in initial tests at an Asian bottling plant, it reduced wasted water to less than 1 percent of the total amount brought in.

To use local water for bottling beverages, companies typically purify it using a process called reverse osmosis, which forces water through a membrane to remove unwanted salts. Normally after using reverse osmosis, the company can use 80 percent of that water for beverage production. The remaining 20 percent contains salt concentrations and is called brine, which is dumped as waste.

GE’s system treats the waste water using a technology called a non-thermal brine concentrator (NTBC). It contains a component that removes salt from the brine and then uses a chemical and mechanical process on the remaining solution to precipitate salt crystals out of it.

The process has significantly reduced the amount of freshwater needed by 10 to 20 percent. That amount may seem small, but when it amounts to millions of gallons saved annually, it can make a huge difference in how water is used and conserved all over the world.

Microsoft reveals new Office features for Windows Phone 8

The new version of Microsoft Office will be fully tailored to the Windows Phone 8 platform, allowing users to go between their computer and mobile seamlessly, according to a company blog post.

Revealing more detail about how the new suite will work on Microsoft’s latest mobile device, John Jendrezak, Partner Group Program Manager at the technology giant wrote that the ‘resume reading features’ in Office 2013, which let you carry on reading where you left off with settings intact will extend to the mobile device as well.

On Monday, Steve Ballmer, the chief executive of Microsoft, revealed apreview of Office 2013, which integrates comprehensively with the web, can edit PDFs and is built to use Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system for tablets and PCs.

Not due to launch until next year, Ballmer claimed the software was “a new generation that brings some of the same boldness and beauty that we’ve shown you in Windows 8 and Windows Phone”.

He added: “This is the most ambitious release of Microsoft Office that we’ve ever done”, and emphasised that it was aimed as much at students, busy families and consumers as it was aimed at businesses.”

Microsoft Office, used by more than a billion people and running on around 90 per cent of business PCs, is the single largest component of Microsoft’s revenue, bringing in more than $15 billion per year for the company.

Jendrezak also disclosed on the Microsoft blog that it will be optimising its Office Web Apps for mobile use. It is creating ‘touch-friendly’ user interface controls and a new user interface for Office 2013 in the Windows Phone 8 - which will have a ‘recent section’ that allows users access to their latest cloud synced documents which could have been edited on a different device.

The new look Office on mobile will go live in Windows Phone 8 by the end of 2012.

Ballmer explained that the range of Office’s applications, including Word, Outlook, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint have all been updated to improve how they use the touch interfaces increasingly required by users who have phones and tablets. More than half of all users now have three devices or more, and 60 per cent say they use the same devices in their work and personal lives, Microsoft claims. Although note-taking programme OneNote has been comprehensively redesigned to include touch support, the bulk of the applications have been polished to improve their overall functionality so they work better on both tablets and PCs.

Google Nexus 7 review

Google's Nexus 7 is the best 7" tablet on the market and a bargain too. It's even arguably the best tablet overall says Matt Warman

When Google announced that it was making its own tablet, many quite rightly observed that few of the company’s previous products had been the greatest successes in the mass market. While 2008’s G1 handset, in the distant past, delighted some geeks, it was hardly a device to challenge the iPhone. For the search giant to take on the mighty AppleiPad was, at least, ambitious.

Google, therefore, hasn’t done that. Its new Nexus 7 tablet takes on Amazon and the Kindle instead, and aims to encourage users to watch more films and read more books on a small screen than previously. It does not hope to surprise and delight in quite the same way that Apple’s many apps do. Whether it’s Angry Birds or Draw Something, the next craze is unlikely to be driven by the Nexus 7, in part because of the relative lack of Android tablet-specific software.

In fact this is a tablet that is ruthlessly functional – its screen is excellent (1280x800 is passable HD), its battery life an implausible nine hours that kept me entertained from London to San Francisco, its speed powered by an advanced quad-core processor that seems at 1.3GHz to respond more intuitively than ever to the touch of an impatient user’s fingers. These are not qualities previously associated with Google’s devices, but now they are simply what make the device good enough to demand serious attention in a sea of other Android tablets.

Indeed Asus, the manufacturer, has not excelled its previous standards of design, which with the popular Zenbook laptops have been all beautiful brushed steel. Here costs have been shaved through offering big margins around the screen and a plain black unit. Build quality is excellent and robust, with not a mark on it after my weeks of vigorous, regular use.

The software is also the best Google has ever made, but this is a media consumption device more than anything else. So yes, Jelly Bean offers a host of features that utilise Google’s search capabilities to provide signed-in users to instant access on, for instance, the time back home if they’re travelling, or the weather and local sport scores if they’re not. Swiping up from the bottom of the screen brings up this ‘Google Now’ stack of cards, but in fact it’s renting films or buying books that the firm hopes will happen most.

Reorganising apps and widgets on the homescreens is now easier than ever, but this is a tablet aimed at people who, in all probability, have not used an Android tablet before. There’s a front-facing camera for video calls, which few seem likely to use, but is nice to have, just as there is improved dictation and voice recognition, which few people, at least for now, seem to be taking up with huge enthusiasm.

This is why the Nexus emphasises the ‘Play Store’, rather than its Android roots. When you first fire it up the main screen is about movies and novels, and for the first time the peerless Chrome web browser comes as standard. This makes the Nexus 7 an irresistible, inexpensive 7” tablet. At £159, it’s now very much more difficult to justify buying any sort of Kindle – with the Kindle Touch at £109, the extra £50 for a device that does so much more than just read books is very inexpensive. The £15 included to spend at the Play Store is an added bonus, tempting people in and making it much more likely they’ll spend more. Amazon offers films to buy, compared to Google’s rent-only option. Whether that matters is a personal choice, but for myself I have no desire to own media if I can inexpensively access it whenever I want to. In this context, the relatively low 8GB storage seems less problematic, but if I were buying a Nexus 7 tomorrow I’d want the 16GB version nonetheless. The possibility for expansion via a MicroSD card would have been a useful addition. More content is available in America, but Google’s reach is only becoming more global.

The Nexus 7 is not, however, likely to tempt many iPads users away from their devices. The smaller 7” screen is portable in a way that the iPad is not, but it consequently compromises the amount of screen available. The Nexus 7 is a functional mass market device akin to a newspaper, while the iPad is a glossy magazine with which to relax. When reading, that’s obvious because magazines on the Nexus 7 feel cramped, while books feel fine.

That raises questions, of course, over whether the two devices are really better companions than rivals. The iPad for home and the 340g Nexus 7 for throwing in a bag and taking anywhere. Both will let you check your email, but neither is ideal for typing a novel-length reply. There is, of course, the issue that the Nexus 7 lacks 3G connectivity that iPad users can spend extra money purchasing; in my use this lack was occasionally inconvenient, but only when I really wanted to check something online. With the device clearly aimed at media consumption, there’s few who would really want to download a film over 3G.

But anyway, that comparison would be to misunderstand Google’s ambitions: the Nexus 7 is not for geeks or tablet fans. It’s for a much wider market.

The superb Nexus 7 is, overall, the device that deserves to take tablets from a niche category dominated by the iPad to a truly mass-market phenomenon. The Kindle is still killing most printed books; tablets will reshape how we perceive films, TV, music, and books once again. The iPad kick-started that, but it is cheaper, excellent devices such as the Nexus 7 that will begin a new phase. A smaller iPad, much rumoured, may yet be the device to finish the job. Such renewed competition between Apple, Asus, Google and others is only to be welcomed – it will hasten the future.

Texting overtakes talking in UK, says Ofcom study

People in the UK are now more likely to text than to make a phone call, according to new research from Ofcom.

While 58% of people communicated via texts on a daily basis in 2011, only 47% made a daily mobile call, said the country's communications industry regulator.

It said the shift away from traditional ways of keeping in touch was being led by young people aged 16-24.

The new trends were revealed in its annual communications market report.

The average UK consumer now sends 50 texts per week while fewer calls are being made on both fixed and mobile phones.

For the first time, there was a fall in the volume of mobile calls - by just over 1% - in 2011, while landline calls were down by 10%.

Overall time spent on the phone fell by 5% in 2011.

James Thickett, Ofcom's director of research, said: "Talking face to face or on the phone are no longer the most common ways for us to interact with each other."

This shift is partly down to greater ownership of internet-connected devices. The data suggests:

• 39% of adults now own a smartphone, a 12% increase on 2010.
• 42% of these now say their smartphone is the most important device for accessing the internet, with 42% regularly using social networking sites and 51% using e-mail.
• The average consumer spends 90 minutes a week accessing social networking sites and email.
• Tablet ownership is also on the rise, with 11% owning such a device, up from 2% last year.

According to Ofcom, tablets are most often used in the home as a "snacking version" of the home PC.

"People are using them to check the weather, train times or send a quick email," said Mr Thickett.

E-readers are also on the rise. 10% of people in the UK now own them, with 41% saying that they were reading more as a result.

Robo-shopper

According to the report, 96% of 16 to 24-year-olds are using some form of text-based application on a daily basis to communicate with friends and family; with 90% using texts and 73% using social networking sites.

The report suggests smartphones are also changing people's shopping habits, encouraging so-called Robo (Research offline buy online) shopping.

Families are gathering around one main home TV again, the report found

Over half of smartphone users claim to use their phone in some way when out shopping.

This includes taking photos of products (31%); making online price comparisons (25%); scanning bar codes to get more product information (21%); reading product reviews online (19%); and researching product features (19%).

But the idea that the internet is killing another traditional activity, watching TV, may be overplayed.

There is a trend towards big screens - more than one third of TVs sold in the UK in the first quarter of 2012 were either "super-large" (33in to 42in) or "jumbo-sized" (43in and over).

Internet-enabled smart TVs are also growing in popularity with 5% of UK households now owning one, giving consumers the ability to "turf" - both watch TV and surf the web.

Over two-thirds claim to have used the internet connection on their smart TV.

"Ten years ago people were deserting the living room, the trend was for children to have TVs in their bedrooms," said Mr Thickett.

"But since the digital switch-over, people haven't been replacing analogue TVs and the whole family are coming back into the living room, bringing their own devices with them." (BBC)

The City of Light becomes the city of design

Paris has set the benchmark for some of the greatest art exhibits in the world, and tourists flock here year-round to see the next big thing. But now the City of Light is making waves with a new type of gallery that is blurring the line between art and design.

Graphic, product, and industrial design influenced by art and fashion, and vice versa, are the focus of this new design movement. Parisian boutique galleries function as both exhibitors and production studios, showcasing top designers as well as producing and selling their work in limited editions -- and hotels and restaurants are capitalising on this new talent to design their environments.

The epicentre of the Parisian design scene is the ultra-hip Marais district, home to the best shops and galleries. Carpenters Workshop Gallery, a studio founded in 2004 was the first to set the stage for design as art. Its aesthetic focuses on bold and iconic works, featuring both emerging and established designers. There is a playfulness and humour in many of the pieces here, such as Italian architect and designer Andrea Branzi’s shelving systems that place industrial steel next to birch tree trunks which are treated to last forever. A giant chandelier by Dutch designers Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta is made from individual dandelion seeds, each one meticulously plucked and glued to a state-of-the-art LED bulb.

The three-year old NextLevel Gallerie featuring French and international designers presents up to seven exhibitions a year with a focus in decorative arts and photography. NextLevel Gallerie maintains a rotating showroom and production studio of past and present artists. The current showcase is byfeatures Canadian designer Philippe Malouin, whose impressive chandeliers and furniture built entirely of brass tubes and connectors make for the most polished construction-site-looking decor imaginable.

In the northern end of the Marais is Gallerie BSL, which specialises in the contemporary industrial design of lighting as unique pieces or limited editions. A recent collection by gallery mainstay Nacho Carbonell showcases circular lamps dripping in natural crystals, seemingly ready to come alive at any moment. The works look as through they are lifted straight from an underground geomorphic wonderland, but the intense craftsmanship behind these sculptures made of epoxy resin and LED lights is evident.

Many local restaurants, hotels and shops pride themselves on being a part of the Parisian design movement with their own museum-quality interiors. After working up an appetite gallery hopping, head to Derrière, located in the heart of the Marais,  for its simple dishes in a carnival-like environment. Algerian-born owner Mourad Mazouz collaborated with Franco-American designer Bambi Sloan to turn this former sweatshop into one of Paris’ most popular hangouts for creative types. Enter through the bamboo courtyard and step into a room piled with Moroccan rugs, old records and other flea-market finds and grab a drink around the ping-pong table. Head upstairs to find shabby-chic apartment decor and take a seat on the bed for lunch or walk through the antique armoire to find the secret smoking chamber.

The just-opened W Hotel Opéra is a decadent base from which to explore the city’s best design. The building, designed by the Rockwell Group, uses a flowing design throughout the hotel -- literally, through the lights moving up and down its walls, and symbolically, as people spill out onto the street corners from its ground floor nightclub. Two giant resin bar counters in its molecular-tapas Arola Restaurant  bend and fold in a fashion similar to the melting watch in Dali’s The Persistence of Memory. Much of the interiors are temporal, such as with ever-changing walls tagged by street artists shoboshobo and Zevs.

Make a stop at David Lynch’s own club, Silencio  -- this member’s only club opens its doors to the public after midnight. Climb down a darkened staircase lined with  rotating photography exhibit and walk through a sparkling hallway covered entirely in gold leaf. Inside, red curtains hang over the stage which features a different local avant-garde act every night of the week. Grab a flute of champagne and take a seat on the 1950s-inspired furniture, carefully selected by the auteur himself.

Actor Christian Bale reflects on years as 'Dark Knight'

LOS ANGELES: The Dark Knight rises in movie theaters this Friday on the wings of huge anticipation for the final film of director Christopher Nolan's "Batman" trilogy, but there is one man who remains calm in the face of the media hype, Batman actor Christian Bale.

Bale slips into the bat costume of Gotham City's crime-fighting superhero for the last time in "The Dark Knight Rises," which like its predecessors has received strong early reviews.

Chosen by British director Nolan for his franchise reboot, which soared with 2005's "Batman Begins," Bale's stone-faced portrayal of conflicted billionaire Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman, was key to the movie's success.

The follow-up, 2008's "The Dark Knight," solidified Bale's status as a leading actor, and "Dark Knight Rises" will be his swan song in the role.

"I'm real proud of having achieved what we had set out to do," he told reporters at a news conference promoting the film. "It was a very important moment for me. It was an important character.

"It's the only time I've ever played a character three times in a row and the movies themselves have changed my life and changed my career."

Both movies earned praise from fans and critics alike. The first raked-in $372 million at box offices worldwide, and the second an eye-popping $1 billion. Bale went on to numerous other parts and eventually nabbed an Oscar for his role as a drug-addicted ex-boxer in "The Fighter."

When shooting of the "Dark Knight Rises" was done, Bale told reporters, he wanted time alone to think about the past seven years.

"I just went down and sat in a room and realized this is it," said Bale of the time the cameras stopped rolling. "I sat in that moment with the realization that we're done."

"Dark Knight Rises" picks up eight years after "Dark Knight." The caped crusader has disappeared from public view and is a fugitive thought to be responsible for the death of Gotham City D.A. Harvey Dent. The man behind the mask, Bruce Wayne, has become a recluse and is rarely seen in public.

But both are forced out of hiding when cat burglar Selina Kyle, played by Anne Hathaway, arrives in Gotham and a masked terrorist named Bane, played by Tom Hardy, shows up to take over the city. Batman comes out of hiding to stop them.

TWISTS AND TURNS

With many twists in a complex story, revealing more requires a spoiler alert. Suffice it to say that critics - not the easiest to please with superhero movies - are mostly happy.

The movie scored an 83 percent positive rating from seven early reviews on film website moviereviewintelligence.com. Time magazine's Richard Corliss called it "a film of grand ambitions and epic achievement."

Reprising their roles are Michael Caine as Alfred the butler, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. Newcomers include Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Hardy, all three of whom worked with Nolan on his 2010 Oscar winner, "Inception."

Also new to the group is Hathaway, who essentially takes on the role of Catwoman, though that comic character's name is never directly referenced in the film.

"I loved that the focus was on who she was as Selina ... and she didn't change when she put on the suit - it was just kind of her uniform," Hathaway said of her character.

The actress said she had to get into fighting shape for the action scenes and that being in such good physical condition gave her a strong mental attitude that made it a "complete transformation" for her in the role.

While the Batman series has had its share of villains, including "Dark Knight's" The Joker, which earned actor Heath Ledger a posthumous best supporting actor Oscar, this final installment sees Batman meet his match in Bane.

Bale calls him "the first adversary of Batman that you know can probably whip his butt, which we've never seen before."

When Nolan called Hardy to offer him the role, he said he had to explain both the good and bad aspects of playing the tough guy behind a mask.

"The good news is I have a terrific part for you," Nolan recalled telling him. "The bad news is, your face is going to be completely covered for the whole film and you're going to have to (convey) this character through just your eyes and voice."

Now that it's all over, Nolan said he had no idea what his next movie would be. Like Bale, he needs some time to reflect.

"I'm going to go on a holiday and just relax and (enjoy) not knowing what I'm going to do next," he said.(Reuters)

Headline July 19h, 2012 / The Rule Of Toady Distribution!

"The Rule Of Toady Distribution!"

It is important to stop here, think and understand that couple of other specimens, who may exhibit Toady like characteristics, ''but are not Toadies!'' And never will be! The first is the complete loyalist, often known as the organisation man.

For example 'The Samurai'. The loyalist believe unswervingly in their mission and in their organisation, and it matters not to them who wields authority, who gets the recognition. They labour selflessly and in total anonymity, to serve a higher cause: A better world for all!! 


If at times they appear ready to do anything for their dreams or protect the boss, it is only this that boss represents the overriding interest of the organisation. American Oliver North was a complete loyalist. So remember that a true Toady feels no loyalty to person or company; his sole concern is his ownself, and if the boss gets canned or the company goes down the tube, the Toady wastes no time shedding tears! 

In these recession laden and miserable times, if you see a Toady calling around for job interviews, it maybe a great time to bring your resume up to date. Why are Toadies allowed to flourish?? Toadies thrive because people in power like to have them around. 


Historians are fond of noting that the Romans pressed slaves into service to remind victorious generals that they too were mortal. No one has ever come with an instance, however, when one of those slaves ended up with a nice job in the administration. What boss really wants to be told he's no different from everybody else and that he's very capable of being wrong? Hahaha! 


With the beginning of each new administration in Washington, or all over the world, well meaning Presidents invariably bring in someone whose purpose, they announce, is to level with them, to tell them when they are getting puffed up or losing sight of their high purpose. Just as invariably, that designated wet blanket ends up farther and farther down the hall from the Oval Office, until he's forgotten altogether. Not True, for the other part of the world!! Believe that!!


Or I will give you hundreds of examples. But to be fair, I repeat, to be fair, only a Saint could feel much affection for someone who comes into the office everyday to say to chief, ''You screwed up again!'' Or.....And though anybody with any brain at all is going to be suspicious of the character who minces in with a daily serving of ''Sir, I once again marvel at the elegance of your thinking!'' 


It is hard not to be warmed by such sentiments. Since early childhood we are all conditioned to like hearing nice things about ourselves, and Toadies mostly supply what most of us go on demanding! Haha! 


Thank you all and catch ya on and on!

Good Night and God Bless!

SAM Daily Times - The Voice Of The Voiceless

School makes electronic kit compulsory

Year 9 students at a Nelson college will be required to bring their own electronic devices to school from next year, in a move the school says will "revolutionise" education.

Garin college is making the devices mandatory for students and has suggested four options with price estimates: netbooks at $300 to 500; laptops at $500 to $2000; MacBooks at $1500 to $2500; and iPads at $500 to $800.

Principal John Boyce said Garin had been researching the move for about three years, had consulted year-eight parents and was ready to take the plunge.

"I believe that if everyone has a computer, the way teachers teach and the way students will learn will be revolutionised."

Lessons and exercises for about 100 year nines would be delivered via a learning management system called Moodle, enabled by fast internet delivered by the Nelson Loop fibre-optic computer network system used by schools in the region.

"Our teachers have had laptops for 10 years. We use them all the time. The Government just updated all our wiring. The whole school is wireless. It just seems logical," Boyce said.

He said the move would lead to a "flipped curriculum", where students would have a lot more control over their independent learning. They would read material put on Moodle by their teachers at night and come to school the next day with questions relating to what they had learned.


"Students will have all the information they need at their fingertips, so over the next few years there will be a real change in mindset. Education will no longer be about facts - it will be about students using facts, thinking, creativity and design.

"Even next year, I expect to see students deepening their understanding of what they learnt [the night before], rather than whole classes marching through material together."

Read Complete News Here

Olympic and Paralympic medals kept safe in Tower of London

The medals to be awarded at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics have been securely stored at the Tower of London until Games-time.

All-in-all, 302 sets of medals will be up for grabs at the London Games with the first prizes to be presented in one of the women's shooting events on July 28.

It took several tons of gold, silver and copper to make the medals with the precious materials brought from the USA and Mongolia.

For security reasons the organizers found, probably, the safest place in the British capital for them – at the Tower of London, as it has been used for over 600 years to store the crown jewels.

"It's the safest house in London. It's iconic, it’s looked after precious jewels and the crown jewels for many, many years… and, of course, it sits in one of our host boroughs as well – so it was an obvious choice," said the chairman of the Games’ Organizing Committee, Sebastian Coe.  (rt.com)

Capello to become highest paid coach in the world

Fabio Capello is expected to sign a two-year deal with the Russian Football Union, will reportedly earn $12mln as head coach of the Russian national team.
According to the Daily Mail, the Italian will earn twice as much as he did, when he was at the helm of the English national football squad, thus becoming the highest paid football manager in the world.
Capello’s son and agent Pierre Philip is currently in Moscow to finalize the remaining details of his father’s contract. As the acting head of the Russian Football Union, Nikita Simonyan, said on Monday, all the formalities are to be settled by Thursday.
Earlier this week, Capello was announced as the replacement for Dick Advocaat. The Dutchman lead Arshavin and Co. to a Group stage blunder at the Euro 2012, before leaving to join PSV Eindhoven.
The Italian is expected to make his debut at the new post on August 14, when Russia plays a friendly game against Cote d’Ivoire.

AC Milan's Ibrahimovic signs for big-spending PSG

Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has completed his move to Paris Saint-Germain, the Qatari-owned club's sporting director Leonardo announced on Tuesday. His transfer takes PSG's spending this summer to over €100 million.
              
The 30-year-old - who has previously played for among others Barcelona and Juventus - will be paid a reported 15 million euros ($18.4 million) a year, making him the highest-paid player in Ligue 1, should he pass a medical on Wednesday morning.


Ibrahimovic's arrival along with AC Milan team-mate Thiago Silva - who signed last week - comes at an estimated cost of between 70 and 80 million euros while they have also signed in the past couple of days young Italian defensive midfielder Marco Verratti from newly-promored Serie A side Pescara.
           
PSG - who will play in the Champions League next season after finishing second in the league last term - also shelled out a reported 30million euros for Argentine international Ezequiel Lavezzi from Napoli earlier this month.
           
Signing high profile players like Ibrahimovic will come as some relief to Leonardo who had seen earlier efforts to sign Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Argentinian Carlos Tevez (Manchester City) and another Argentinian Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid) come to nothing.   (BBC.co.uk)

German scientists create world's lightest material

German scientists have invented the world's lightest material - which is also strong, regains its shape after being squashed and even conducts electricity. Scientists believe the material will have a wide range of uses.


Aerographite made by scientists at Hamburg and Kiel universities, is 75 times lighter than polystyrene and four times lighter than the previous record holder for the world's lightest material.

The jet-black, carbon-based material is causing a stir in scientific circles across the world, wrote Die Welt newspaper on Tuesday.

“Our work is causing great discussions in the scientific community. Aerographite weights four times less than world-record-holder up to now,” co-author Matthias Mecklenburg, a PhD student at the Hamburg University of Technology told the paper.

Weighing just 0.2 milligrams per cubic centimetre, Aerographite is also water repellent, conducts electricity and, unlike many other light materials, is able to withstand high pressures.

“Other materials become weaker and less stable when exposed to such stress. Also, the newly constructed material absorbs light rays almost completely. One could say it creates the blackest black,” said Hamburg Professor Karl Schulte.

“It is able to be compressed up to 95 percent and be pulled back to its original form without any damage,” Professor Rainer Adelung of Kiel University told the paper.

“Up to a certain point the Aerographite will become even more solid and therefore stronger than before,” he added.

The new material consists of a network of porous carbon tubes that is interwoven at nano and micro level, explained scientists from Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel and the Hamburg-Harburg University in a paper in the "Advanced Materials" scientific journal published on July 10.

“The lightest material in the world until now - a nickel-based material that was presented to the public about six months ago - is also constructed of tiny tubes. But nickel has a higher atomic mass than carbon. Also, we are able to produce tubes with porous walls. That makes them extremely light,” co-author Arnim Schuchard a PhD student at Kiel University told the paper.

Although it could be another 30 years before the material finds its way into industrial production, its unique combination of properties mean it has great potential, wrote the paper.

As a lightweight, conductive material Aerographite would ideal for use in Lithium-Ion batteries - in electric cars or bikes for example. Using Aerographite would reduce the amount of electrolyte needed, bringing down the overall weight of the batteries.

Scientists also think the material could be used to make plastics conduct electricity without adding to their weight - and to avoid the build up of static electricity.

Aerographite could be also used in electronic systems on aircrafts and satellites - which must be made from highly durable, lightweight materials.

The Local/jlb