Mr. Naomi Mizuno: Japanese Chocolate Master!
Pon Pon Kumachan
Utada Hikaru’s Heart Station TV Commercial
Hakuhō Shō slammed Asashōryū Akinori
Top two Yokozuna, Hakuhō vs Asashōryū
In probably the most important bout of his short but illustrious sumo career, yokozuna Hakuho beat Asashoryu on Sunday to win the first Emperor’s Cup of 2008.
It was Hakuho’s third straight makuuchi division championship, but those victories had taken place with Asashoryu absent, suspended for playing hooky from a regional tour in the summer.
Throughout the second week of the New Year Tournament, the 22-year-old Hakuho had faced questions about how he would match up against his fellow Mongolian, a 21-time Emperor’s Cup winner who had beaten him 10 times in 15 career meetings.
Hakuho’s response on Sunday was to throw Asashoryu to the dirt to win the sixth Emperor’s Cup of his career.
“Since the summer tour, I’ve been working really hard for this bout,” Hakuho said ringside after he had received the cup from Japan Sumo Association chairman Kitanoumi.
“I didn’t want to lose to a yokozuna who was coming back [from an absence]. I didn’t want to let down my supporters–their expectations were very high.
“Of course, now I want to go for four in a row.”
There is no reason Hakuho can’t, although the smart money is on Asashoryu coming back strong after he was bested in a contest of two immensely proud men.
The two yokozuna refused to back down as they prepared for the bout, and once it started, lived up to their rank.
Hakuho was always on the attack but as with everyone who faces Asashoryu, had trouble turning that into victory.
A double-handed belt grip gave Hakuho a chance to force Asa to the bales, but Asa had the same grip on Hakuho’s belt and fought back, returning the contest to the middle of the ring.
Hakuho attacked again, forcing both into Asa’s side of the ring. Asa’s response was to lift his younger compatriot into the air, but it was an empty gesture. When Hakuho touched down, he started a left-hand, overarm throw that seemed to happen in slow motion before Asashoryu somersaulted to defeat.
Asashoryu’s performance over 15 days confirmed his recovery from the stress-related illness that left him a shadow of his former self in the summer. Sunday’s loss and a Day 2 reversal to No. 1 maegashira Kisenosato aside, the yokozuna swept aside every wrestler he met in the ring.
MacBook Air Commercial Song
“New Soul” by Yael Naim
For those wondering what was that song Apple decided to use in their new MacBook Air commercial, it is a beautiful song entitled “New Soul” by Yael Naim. Granted it is not quite as catchy as the iPod nano commercial song “1234″ by Feist (Check it out at My Music Box) but Apple still knows how to pick them. Paris-born, Israeli-raised Yael Naim has a beautiful soothing voice and definitely a talent that should come out more to the limelight for more to hear. Check the songs “Pachad” and “New Soul” at My Music Box at the right side of my blog. Enjoy.
***
New Soul
I’m a new soul I came to this strange world
hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take.
But since I came here felt the joy and the fear
finding myself making every possible mistake.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la …
See, I’m a young soul in this very strange world
hoping I could learn a bit ’bout what is true and fake.
But why all this hate? Tried to communicate
finding just that love is not always easy to make.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la …
This is a happy end
’cause you don’t understand.
Everything you have done
why’s everything so wrong.
This is a happy end
Come and give me your hand
I’ll take your far away.
I’m a new soul I came to this strange world
hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take.
But since I came here felt the joy and the fear
finding myself making every possible mistake.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la …
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la …
Sharapova, the Queen once again
Sharapova’s comeback continues with Australian Open title
MELBOURNE: Nothing could stop Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open this year. Not her usual nemesis, Serena Williams, who was beaten by someone else in the quarterfinals. Not her fragile right shoulder, which remained loose and pain free. Not the summer heat during Saturday’s final, and not her opponent, Ana Ivanovic, who pushed the powerful, deeply motivated Sharapova harder than anyone else in this Grand Slam tournament, but still could not manage to win a set.
Sharapova’s 7-5, 6-3 victory gave her a third Grand Slam singles title to go with those she won at Wimbledon in 2004 and the U.S. Open in 2006. But this victory had a different flavor for Sharapova than the others, largely because it came after a frustrating period in her career in which her shoulder problems and self-doubt knocked her out of the No. 1 spot.
She failed to advance past the fourth round at either Wimbledon or the U.S. Open and finished the year ranked fifth, great news for some young tennis players but not for a diva who despite all the millions she makes off the court remains, at heart, a ferocious competitor.
She was beaten in the semifinals here in 2005 by Williams after holding three match points. She was overwhelmed by Williams in the final last year. But Sharapova’s appetite for the title was palpable from start to finish at this Grand Slam, which required her to hit and think her way through a difficult draw that included two former Australian Open champions in Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin and two other opponents who had reached Grand Slam singles finals.
Serving well and moving very well, she was never even pushed to a tiebreaker, and though Sharapova will remain No. 5 in the world in Monday’s new rankings, nobody who saw her performance here would put much stock in that number.
“If somebody had told me in the middle of last year, I’d be standing on this stage in front of all you guys with the big one, I’d probably say, ‘Forget it,’ ” Sharapova said in her poised, wide-ranging speech to the crowd in Rod Laver Arena.
Sharapova, 20, dedicated her victory to the mother of her coach Michael Joyce, Jane Joyce, who died last year of cancer. “Every single day, every time when we went on the court, Jane was the word that came into our minds,” she said. “I just gained a whole new perspective on life and my injuries and how to treat life with respect.”
“This morning I got a text from Billie Jean King saying, ‘Champions take chances’ and ‘Pressure is a privilege,’ ” Sharapova said. “And I think as an athlete that’s what Ana and I and everyone who plays wants to achieve. We all want to take our chances, and I’m just so fortunate I took mine today.”
Ivanovic, who is the same age as Sharapova, is still waiting for her first major trophy. Although she delivered a more poised performance than the one she produced in last year’s lopsided defeat in the French Open final by Henin, she was still too erratic to mount a serious challenge to Sharapova. Ivanovic finished with 33 unforced errors and only 14 winners and later broke down in tears as she spoke to the crowd, which had tilted her way during the match.
Sharapova, seeded fifth, and Ivanovic, seeded fourth, had split their previous four matches, but had never faced each other in a final, much less a Grand Slam final. Each player, as she normally does, came out swinging with gusto. For Ivanovic, who has often looked tight on big occasions in the past, it looked like a tactical move to help her work through her nerves. But Sharapova did a better job of controlling her power in the early stages.
She broke Ivanovic in the fifth game and swept through her own first three service games without losing a point. At that stage, it was easy to imagine this match accelerating toward a finish that had the resurgent Sharapova holding up the trophy after little more than an hour.
But with Sharapova serving at 4-3, the momentum abruptly shifted. Sharapova played her worst service game of the tournament, serving three double faults, two of them on the final two points of the game. It was Ivanovic’s turn to ride the wave, but with a 5-4 lead and with Sharapova down, 15-30, on her serve, Ivanovic decided to hit a backhand drop shot instead of capitalizing on her fine court position to slug a ground stroke. The ball never came close to clearing the net, and Sharapova evened the score at 5-5 before breaking Ivanovic’s serve in the next game as her forehand kept breaking down under Sharapova’s shriek-infused pressure.
“That was a tough moment, two points from losing the first set, but I just kept going,” Sharapova said.
Ivanovic held firm early in the second set, but she still had to fight much harder to hold her serve than Sharapova did to hold hers. Sharapova finally broke her again in the seventh game, getting some help from an Ivanovic double fault at 30-30. It would not be long before she dropped to her knees in delight as her father, Yuri Sharapov, and Joyce embraced in the stands.
Giants do fall
Another surprise as Federer falls
MELBOURNE: A surprising Australian Open took its latest unexpected turn Friday when Roger Federer, of all people, failed to reach the final after failing to win a set against Novak Djokovic in the semifinal.The loss was not quite the press-stopper it might have been had Federer been at the peak of his powers here, but there had been enough visible cracks in his beautifully designed fortress over the past week for Djokovic’s 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory to feel more like an upset than an earthquake.And yet, even with Federer looking intermittently flat and off rhythm, this was still quite a psychological hurdle to clear for Djokovic, a 20-year-old Serb who will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, an unseeded Frenchman, in Sunday’s final.
Federer had reached a record 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals. He had won the last two Australian Opens, and he has won 12 major singles titles in all.
He also had beaten Djokovic in straight sets in the final of last year’s U.S. Open, a match in which Djokovic had often looked jumpy and had squandered multiple early opportunities. But young tennis players with extraordinary gifts have a way of maturing quickly, and with the pressure mounting on Friday night, Djokovic held very firm in the final two sets, particularly in his own service games.
It’s an “indescribable feeling to beat No. 1 in the world, probably one of the best players this sport has ever had,” Djokovic told the crowd. “I’m very, very proud of myself.”
The Australian crowd, used to more self-deprecation from its champions, reacted ambivalently to that comment, but perhaps Djokovic’s tendency to wear his confidence on his short sleeves is what is required to stop a juggernaut like Federer.
He has been saying he intends to be No. 1 in the world since he was a boy growing up in a war-ravaged country who was trying to find a way to do justice to his talent. He has not stopped saying it since he joined the professional ranks, and matches like this one make it seem more a prediction than a boast.
“It was a tough match, I thought,” Federer said. “You know, a lot of ups and downs, like the usual matches we have against each other. It always comes and goes. But I think he made the more important points today. It was a bit unfortunate for me, but he did play well and served really well when he had to.”
Federer, in contrast, did not. With both players clearly fighting through nerves in the early going, he served for the first set at 5-4 and made three unforced errors in the final four points to allow Djokovic to get back to 5-5.
Serving to stay in the set at 5-6, Federer was broken again, missing a backhand pass he would usually make and then making another unforced error off the same wing.
In all, he would be broken four times in the match, as Djokovic jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second set and then held on the rest of the way as Federer’s level began to rise to a more familiar level. But the pilot light of his game, his whipping forehand, kept flickering under pressure, and Djokovic kept taking his time – bouncing, bouncing, bouncing the ball – and then pounding down big serves.
He saved two set points in the third set at 5-6 and then got to match point in the tiebreaker with two more serves that Federer could not handle. The next and last rally ended with Federer smacking a forehand hard into the tape, with the sound dropping Djokovic to his knees.
When questioned, Federer agreed that the case of food poisoning that cut into his preparation for this tournament might have played a role in his defeat. “Perhaps,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s because of that, but I don’t think I moved as well as I usually do where I’m in a position to hit passing shots as I like to hit them, even with my eyes closed. That wasn’t the case here, except perhaps in the first two rounds.”
The last man to beat Federer here was Marat Safin of Russia in the semifinals of the 2005 tournament. Safin then went on to beat Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in the final, which was the last major final that did not involve either Federer or Rafael Nadal.
But there will be new talent on the new, blue court in Melbourne on Sunday: Djokovic and the 22-year-old Tsonga, who stunned, truly stunned Nadal in straight sets in his semifinal.
***
Giants do fall
No.1 Federer and No.2 Nadal got defeated ? What the … ? Well, who doesn’t get puzzled when they hear that these two tennis giants had fallen, being beaten down by young talents, unseeded Tsonga (22) from France and No. 3 Djokovic (20) from Serbia. The new young talents will meet up in the blue court in Melbourne and well, it will definitely be a fresh scene without the top two in the finals. Yeah, giants do fall. Since I am currently job hunting, it is surprising to see the big GE Money board behind the picture above. After doing a simple search at Google, I came to know that GE Money Australia is currently partnering with the Australian Open in the second of its three-year sponsorship agreement. Click here for details.
World Chocolate Master 2007
Naomi Mizuno of Japan is crowned World Chocolate Master of 2007
After three days of fierce competition the results of the World Chocolate Masters Final have been announced.
The second World Chocolate Masters took place at the first Salon du Chocolat Professionnel held in Paris from October 20 – 22, 2007. Twenty of the world’s greatest chocolate craftsmen took part in this year’s international final, which had the theme of ‘National Myths and Legends.’
The road to victory was long, with the competitors first having to win their national heats earlier in the year to gain a place in this year’s grand final.
Throughout the competition the competitors thoroughly demonstrated the mastery of their art in front of a jury of experts headed by Francisco Torreblanca, the master Spanish chocolatier. The tension increased throughout the three days of intense competition as spectators watched awestruck from the public galleries at the amazing technical skills and dexterity of the competitors who created some real works of art.
In addition to the first, second and third place awards the jury gave special awards for Best Chocolate Praline, Best Chocolate Dessert, Best Chocolate Pastry and Best Chocolate Showpiece.
The results of the 2007 World Chocolate Masters were announced in Paris on October 22nd. The overall winner was awarded the World Chocolate Masters trophy specially created by leading Dutch Designer Rob Verhoeven. The finalists shared a prize package of 100 000€.
Results
- Naomi Mizuno (Japan), Winner of the World Chocolate Masters 2007
- Yvonnick Le Maux (France), second place finisher
- Carmelo Sciampagna (Italy), third place finisher
These candidates were highly commended:
§ Yvonnick Le Maux (France) received an award for his pralines
§ Carmelo Sciampagna (Italy) received an award for his gastronomic chocolate dessert
§ Naomi Mizuno (Japan) received an award for his chocolate pastry
§ Naomi Mizuno (Japan) received an award for his creative chocolate showpiece
***
Friday 30th of March : Japanese pre-selection for World Chocolate Master.
Jusuke Tsukahara, BC Japan Sales Manager, Jean-Marc Bernelin, President of Jury, Eizo Ohyama, Senior Representative of Jury proclaimed Mr. Naomi Mizuno as a winner of “Japanese Chocolate Master”.
Mr. Naomi Mizuno will represent Japan in Paris for the final in October 2007.
Mr. Naomi Mizuno, 28 year-old, the youngest contestant in Japan pre-selection, is working for Futaba Pastry School as a teacher. After participating in many events, he was elated to learn of his success, as this is the first time for him to win a competition. He received the highest scores for most of the evaluation attributes, especially for his high technical skills and his delicious creations. He was filled with emotion during the speech, and said, “this award was the result of the constant challenge every day. I will do my best at the final.”
Mr. Tetsuji Okada, 31-year-old, working for Marriott Nagoya Hotel, won the taste award with his excellent taste presentation, especially for his dipped praline and chocolate cake.The “World Chocolate Masters pre-selection Japan took place at Ecole de Patisserie de Tokyo in Tokyo, co-organized by Japan Confectionery Association and Barry Callebaut Japan Ltd.
In Asia, a total of 5 countries will be represented in the 2007 finals : China, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, and Korea.
This competition in Japan is becoming very famous amongst the elite chocolatiers and pastry chefs. Japan. The representative from Japan in WCM 2005, Mr. Koichi Izumi, became very popular within the gastronomic society after he won the desert category and came 3rd overall winner at the final. Now he is in very high demand from TV programs and famous magazines.
This years, 5 competitors challenged about the theme ‘National Myths and Legends’. All the contestants created a showpiece, produced dipped and moulded pralines, made pastries and produced a dessert form a mystery box.
President of Jury from Barry Callebaut, Jean-Marc Bernelin said, “The level of the competition was extremely high and amongst the best in Asia so far. The artistic part was very good and the taste was excellent.” We are sure that the winner, Mr. Mizuno, will be one of the strongest competitors at the final!
The jury was composed of 5 central confectionery figures: Mr. Eizo Ohyama (Senior representative of the Jury, President of technical guidance committee in JCA), Mr. Susumu Shimada (Vice-president of technical guidance committee in JCA), and 3 of technical guidance committee members in JCA (Mr. Tadashi Yanagi, Mr. Shuichi Sakurai, and Mr. Koichi Izumi).
G8 Summit in Japan
The top leaders of the world, from 8 countries to be exact, will group in Touyako, Hokkaidou, Japan this coming July. India and China top leaders are also invited to join the summit it seems. What will be the topics and what can we expect from this summit ? Environmental issues and solutions ? That’s nothing new but I guess it is high time that these leaders come out with constructive detailed schemes that they can act on in their countries respectively bringing great effect to the world in a whole as a group. Well, China and India are definitely not going to let go of this chance of growing rapidly for they’ve long awaited for this age to come to them and it is obvious that environmental problems are nothing in their eyes right now unless the 7 countries (United States itself ain’t that environmental conscious as a country in a whole) who are pretty environmental conscious now, manages to promote clean energy to empower the growing engines in the giant countries. Oh well, it is something we all can look forward to and somehow learn something about the future from the decisions made in Hokkaidou.
Utada Hikaru, releasing “HEART STATION/Stay Gold” soon
Happy Birthday, Hikki !
Utada Hikaru, Japan’s top diva, who has just turned 25 yesterday will be releasing her 20th single “HEART STATION/Stay Gold” this coming 20th February. Although she went through a divorce with Kiriya, well known for directing her promotion videos, in March last year, she has been actively introducing new hip into her music and this 20th single is definitely going to mark a new point in her music life and yes, I am already enjoying listening to the preview available online. Check out my music box at the side bar on the left to hear them. I particularly love the song “Stay Gold” and I knew it instantly that it was her when I heard this song on the Asience shampoo TV ad by Kao. Just can’t wait to see her singing live on music shows.
***
HEART STATION
肌寒い雨の日 訳ありげな二人
車の中はラジオが流れてた
「さよなら」 なんて意味がない
またいつか会えたら 素敵と思いませんか
「さよなら」 なんて意味がない
またいつか会えたら 素敵と思いませんか
私の声が聞こえてますか
深夜1時のHEART STATION
チューニング不要のダイヤル 秘密のヘルツ
心の電波届いてますか
罪人たちのHEART STATION
神様だけが知っている I Miss You
深夜1時のHEART STATION
チューニング不要のダイヤル 秘密のヘルツ
心の電波届いてますか
罪人たちのHEART STATION
神様だけが知っている I Miss You
忘れなきゃいけない そう思うほどに
どうしていい思い出たちばかりが残るの
離れていても あなたはここにいる
私のハートの真ん中
どうしていい思い出たちばかりが残るの
離れていても あなたはここにいる
私のハートの真ん中
あなたの声が聞こえた気がした
深夜1時のHEART STATION
いつもどこかで鳴っている 二つのパルス
心の電波 届いてますか
恋人達のHEART STATION
今夜もリクエスト来てます I Love You
深夜1時のHEART STATION
いつもどこかで鳴っている 二つのパルス
心の電波 届いてますか
恋人達のHEART STATION
今夜もリクエスト来てます I Love You
私の声が聞こえてますか
深夜1時のHEART STATION
今も僕らを繋いでる 秘密のヘルツ
心の電波 届いてますか
罪人たちのHEART STATION
神様だけが知っている 秘密
深夜1時のHEART STATION
今も僕らを繋いでる 秘密のヘルツ
心の電波 届いてますか
罪人たちのHEART STATION
神様だけが知っている 秘密
***
Stay Gold
大好きだから ずっと
なんにも心配いらないわ
My Darling Stay Gold
無邪気に笑ってくださいな いつまでも
無邪気に笑ってくださいな いつまでも
あなたの瞳の 奥に潜む少年
私の本能を くすぐって止まない
私の本能を くすぐって止まない
ああ どうか そのまま Good Luck
悲しいことは きっと
この先にもいっぱいあるわ
My Darling Stay Gold
傷つくことも大事だから
この先にもいっぱいあるわ
My Darling Stay Gold
傷つくことも大事だから
大好きだから ずっと
なんにも心配いらないわ
My Darling Stay Gold
無邪気に笑ってくださいな いつまでも
なんにも心配いらないわ
My Darling Stay Gold
無邪気に笑ってくださいな いつまでも
就職も決まって 遊んでばかりいらんないね
大人の常識や知恵 身につけるのもいい
ああ 今日は このまま Good Night
変わりゆくのが 人の
心の常だと言いますが
ねえ Darling Your Soul
優しく輝きつづけるわ
大好きだから ずっと
なんにも心配いらないわ
My Darling Stay Gold
無邪気に笑ってくださいな いつまでも
大好きだから ずっと
何にも心配いらないわ
My Darling Stay Gold
無邪気に笑っていられたら いつの日も
India’s Tata Motors : The other NANO
India’s Tata Motors unveils US$2,500 car,
bringing car ownership into millions’ reach
From IHT
NEW DELHI: India’s Tata Motors on January 10th unveiled the world’s cheapest car, a US$2,500 four-door subcompact the company promises will revolutionize the auto industry, bringing car ownership into the reach of tens of millions of people.But the potential of the vehicle has given environmentalist nightmares, with visions of the tiny cars clogging India’s already-choked roads and collectively spewing millions of tons of polluting carbon dioxide into the air.But industry analysts believe the car, christened the Tata Nano, could do for India and the developing world what Ford’s Model T did for America nearly a century ago — make it possible for the vast majority to own their own cars.”It is a potentially gigantic development if it delivers what has been promised,” said John Casesa, managing partner for the Casesa Shapiro Group, a New York-based auto industry financial advisory firm.
“I think there is immense unmet demand for a vehicle of this type, because it effectively eliminates the great leap currently required to go from a two-wheel to a four-wheel vehicle,” Casesa said. “They are creating something that has never existed before, the utility of a car with the affordability of a motorcycle.”
Company chairman Ratan Tata, who introduced the new car at India’s main auto show, said the basic model will sell for 100,000 rupees — US$2,500 (€1,700) — but analysts estimate customers could pay 20-30 percent more to cover taxes, delivery and other charges.
Tata has long promised that he’d create a 100,000-rupee “People’s Car” for India — a country of some 1.1 billion where only seven of every 1,000 people own a car — a vow that was much-derided in the global industry which said it would be impossible without sacrificing safety and quality.
“A promise is a promise,” Tata told the crowd after driving onto a stage in a white, luxury version of the car, his head nearly touching the roof. Four company executives emerged from another, indicating that the car can fit four — or five if they squeeze.
The company was cagey about how they kept the price so low on the basic version and declined to say how much the luxury Nano will cost until it hits showrooms toward the end of this year. The company also refused to let reporters sit in the car, let alone drive it.
But the basic version is spare: there’s no radio, passenger-side mirror, central locking or power steering and only one windshield wiper. If you want air conditioning for India’s brutal summers, you need the deluxe version.
The little car, with its snub nose, sloping roof, and slightly bulbous rear that makes it look like another Indian icon — the mango — could soon have illustrious companions, with Tata in negotiations to buy Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford.
The Nano’s obvious appeal, though, is not its pedigree but its price — targeting people moving up from the lower ends of India’s transportation spectrum, where two-wheeled scooters selling for as little as US$900 are often crammed with entire families.
The Nano’s closest competitor here is the Maruti 800, a four-door selling for nearly twice as much.
In terms of performance it doesn’t offer much more than the Model T. The Nano has a two-cylinder 0.6 liter gasoline engine with 33 horsepower, giving it a top speed of about 100 kilometers (60 miles) per hour, according to Tata. It gets 20 kilometers per liter (50 miles per gallon).
The Model T cost US$825 in 1909 (or more than US$19,000 in today’s dollars, according to the Web site measuringworth.com) and could do 72 kph (45 mph) with its 20-horsepower, four-cylinder engine.
Analysts believe the Nano could transform the auto industry, forcing manufacturers to lower prices, and perhaps find cheaper ways to sell cars than in sprawling showrooms. French auto maker Renault SA and its Japanese partner, Nissan Motor Co., are trying to determine if they can sell a compact car for less than US$3,000.
“Most of the other carmakers are watching this development very closely,” said S. Ramnath, an auto analyst at Mumbai-based brokerage firm SSK Securities Ltd.
For now, the car will be sold only in India, but Tata said it hoped to export it across Asia, Latin America and Africa in two or three years.
Tata initially plans to manufacture some 250,000 Nanos per year, nearly a quarter of the slightly more than 1 million cars sold in India last year.
***
Environmentalists having nightmares
But the car has fueled a host of concerns.
With developing countries like India and China putting more and more cars on the roads, it has created a greater demand for fuel, contributing to sky-high global oil prices. India consumed nearly 120 million tons of petroleum products in 2006-2007, according to the Petroleum Ministry, up from 113 million tons the previous year.
And the idea of such a low-cost vehicle has environmentalists petrified, conjuring images of a huge influx of cars, traffic jams at midnight, hours-long commutes and increasing pollution.
Chief U.N. climate scientist Rajendra Pachauri, who shared last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, said last month that “I am having nightmares” about the car.
“Dr. Pachauri need not have nightmares,” Tata said at the unveiling, promising the Nano met all current Indian emission standards, adding his company did not have the resources to produce millions of new cars.
His promises, though, don’t reassure everybody.
“If you’re talking about urban environment, it will cause serious problems,” said Jamie Leather, a transport specialist with the Asian Development Bank. “The cheaper and cheaper vehicles become, the quicker those pollution levels will increase,” Leather said.
***
What do you think ?
Well, what do you think of this news ? The world’s top 2 countries with the highest population, China and India, are proving that they too are beginning to catch up with the developed countries, saying, “Hey, we are going to, or shall we say, we are already living the life that you in developed countries are living and we will enjoy it as how you are enjoying it.” Developed countries used to laugh and brag about their technologies, enjoying all the conveniences they have brought to themselves, thinking that they will be able to keep all of that to themselves. Unfortunately, their own technologies have created a world that wishes to share the same ease and quality in life and now, they are beginning to fear about the limit of natural sources, a distributed market that they used to monopolized alone and the rest that comes along with the growing of development in the two countries. Oh well, developed countries, it’s time you start sharing methods to live an easy life and at the same time, maintaining a sustainable world for everyone to share together.
Relatives in Japan
Missing you guys already !
See the rest of the pictures here !
***
I am here waiting for you to come for your next trip ! Love ya !
Thanks for smuggling in for me some Maggi mee and Bak Gua !
Enjoying munching the peanuts from Thailand as well now. *hehe*
P.S. Send me the links to all the photos taken here, okay !
Thinnovation : MacBook Air
The all new “super thin” notebook
URL : http://www.apple.com/macbookair/
When I saw Steve Job’s announcement on TV just now, my jaw dropped in awe, my eyes kept staring at the beauty of this MacBook Air. Steve simply knows how to surprise the world of consumerism with his magical super-designed gadgets. iTouch was interesting enough to toil with but this is definitely awesome. For people who have bought themselves MacBooks last Christmas, sorry, you were tricked once again by Steve and don’t you wished you have waited just a little while more? Phew, wonderful design and definitely cool technology used in this very gadget. Will head to an Apple store soon to try it out. Cool display, glowing keyboard, over-size multi-touch trackpad, flip down port hatch, built in camera, no more optical disk and other unbelievable specifications : all made for the wireless world. Thumbs up.
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Steve Jobs at the MacWorld Conference in San Francisco. He confirmed Apple’s foray into online movie rentals.
SAN FRANCISCO: Steven Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, took several big gambles at the Macworld Expo, betting that he could repeat his success in selling digital music by persuading Hollywood to allow Apple to rent digital movies, while at the same time returning to his original Macintosh roots with an elegant – but limited – ultralight computer called the MacBook Air.
Jobs has made his keynote presentation at the opening of the trade show here a consistent marketing tour de force in recent years. And although Jobs did not return to the heights of media frenzy that he reached with the introduction of the iPhone a year ago, his presentation Tuesday trod familiar, and popular, ground.
While introducing products and services from Apple’s best-known areas, Jobs concentrated on the movie rental service and the new notebook computer.
The terms of the service are similar to those offered by other companies. In an interview after the speech, Jobs insisted that Apple was the first distributor to persuade all of the major studios to join in its rental strategy. But the risk for Apple is that consumers may not like the limits placed on their movie viewing.
For the iTunes movie rentals, consumers will have 30 days to begin watching, then 24 hours to finish the movie before it is erased from the hard disk. Jobs said that after extended negotiations, both sides felt this was an obvious strategy.
The movie studios, he said, knew it was time. “We talked to them and talked to them and finally a bit flipped,” he said. “They know the rental model; we came to the conclusion it was the right model.”
In that interview, Jobs took pride in demonstrating the MacBook Air, a 3-pound, or 1.3-kilogram, notebook computer that will sell at a base price of $1,799. Jobs said that in order to reach his goal of making the industry’s thinnest computer, Apple’s designers made a series of trade-offs that the majority of laptop buyers may not appreciate.
The computer uses a 1.8-inch disk drive, on which no more than 80 gigabytes of data can be stored. Memory is limited to a standard two gigabytes of RAM and its processor is slower than those of Apple’s other laptops. The design team jettisoned an optical disk storage device for playing DVDs. Jobs demonstrated a feature called Remote Disk that will make it possible to play the contents of a DVD via a wireless network from another Macintosh or Windows PC. Also, the MacBook Air’s battery is not removable.
Responding to a question about the growing array of media, including digital photographs, movies and music, that now swell most users’ hard drives, Jobs responded, “Maybe this isn’t the computer for you.”
In the interview, Jobs chastised the recording industry for its efforts to handicap Apple and iTunes by offering digital music without digital rights management copy protection through competitors like Amazon.
“They’re trying to create a competitor to iTunes by denying us DRM-free music,” he said. He noted, however, that because one major label, EMI, and independent music producers are selling DRM-free music through Apple, iTunes customers now have access to what he said was about 35 percent of the market without copy protection.
“It’s been frustrating us a little,” he acknowledged. “The music industry and iTunes need to find a way to work together because we’re the best vehicle they have.”
During his presentation, Jobs also demonstrated the first major software upgrade for the iPhone. He surprised analysts by reporting that Apple sold four million iPhones during their first six months on the market, a number significantly above most market research firms’ projections.
He demonstrated a handful of features that have been added to the phone, including a navigation feature that allows the phone to find the user’s rough location on a map by using network databases that record the location of cellphone towers and Wi-Fi hot spots.
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Lost on the 2nd day
I was at the Mitsubishi’s Corporation One Day Internship seminar yesterday and I did not manage to watch this match when it really happened. Able to wake up early today after keeping a steady life routine lately, I was surprised when I got to know about this from my junior’s Facebook status and watched it on sports news on TV. The match was fast but definitely a great match it was. Kisenosato’s right hand tsuppari caught him at the right place and pushed him out of the ring. What a bad lost for Asashōryū but thumbs up to Kisenosato ! They should give more attention to Kisenosato and report news based on his win instead of Asashōryū’s lost. I guess more attention would be given to a Yokozuna. Anyway, the flying zabutons scene was superb ! Really wish to see real sumo live one day.
Japan’s symbol of natural beauty, “Wagashi”
“Wagashi“s are simply beautiful. They are definitely one of the many symbols of Japan’s beauty, a representative of the delicacy and high quality of the traditional art of Japan. The soft blend of colors and carefully made from the beginning to the end, trust me, you’ll be reluctant to spoil the shape of your wagashi when you are really partaking it. You have to visit Japan and see them for yourselves. I love the not-too-sweet taste and of course, viewing the beauty of the wagashi from every angle is another interesting thing to do. A must try.
Introducing Taiyaki & Nattō
Hi there, everyone ! It’s already my 7th year here in Japan and ever since I’ve started my blog since 2004, I believe I haven’t been introducing the culture of Japan much and I thought it should be high time I do something about it. Today, I am introducing you, for those who are not familiar with Japanese food, to what we call as “taiyaki” and “nattō“. Well, the detailed descriptions are as stated above. About “taiyaki“, if you know Doraemon well enough, it is something like “dorayaki“, one of Doraemon’s favorite confectionery. I bought the ones above from a shop nearby my apartment and it is about 80 yen for one. About “nattō“, many foreigners and many Japanese themselves cannot stand the taste and smell. I, myself, could not take it too in the beginning but after going to Kyushu, I began to learn to enjoy it and now, it is one of my favorite Japanese food. It is good for your health and it is publicly known here in Japan to have a good effect in making your blood flow well. Alright, that’s it for today. I’ll introduce more in the near future. Peace.
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