Potent(r)iaL

I'm watch

2011-06-23T00:14:00.003+07:00

Would you shell out $360 dollars for a watch that runs Android, makes calls, previews your text messages, gives you weather, stock prices, Facebook and Twitter updates and-- oh yeah --tells the time?

The makers of i'm Watch are betting on it. They've created a watchphone with 64 MB of Ram, 4 GB of storage, 2 hours of talk time and 48 hours of standby time, in a really gorgeous package.

But we have our doubts about this diminutive watchphone. For one, must we speak directly into the watch? Or will it be connectable to a Bluetooth device? It looks like it has a headphone jack, but something about connecting a cord to a watch seems not so convenient for talking on the phone. And how many of those text messages will we really be able to read on the i'm Watch's tiny screen? We're assuming that actually composing a text message will be impossible, no?

We wouldn't be holding the device to such high standards but at $360 it certainly rises above the price of most standard accessories, to say the least. To be able to compete in this price category, the watchphone will have to perform...not just sit around looking pretty.

But yeah, it is truly one beautiful device. Check out video of the i'm Watch below:

Here are the specs:

i.MX233 processor (ARM926EJ-S)
64 MB RAM
4 GB Flash
1.54″ 240 by 240 pixel (220 ppi)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Standby 48 hours w/o Bluetooth
Standby up to 30 hours w/ Bluetooth
Talk time up to 2 hours
70 gr weight for Color version

Let’s take a closer look:

The watch looks very slim:

Inputs/Outputs:

It looks like the 3.5mm headphone jack also is used to power it, so some sort of special USB cable must be included.

The Controls:

ต้องยอมรับเลยว่าปัจจุบันกระแสเครือข่ายสังคม หรือ Social Network นั้นมีความร้อนแรงต่อเนื่องจริงๆ ซึ่งไม่เพียงแต่สมาร์ทโฟน หรือแท็บเล็ต ที่ทำให้ผู้ใช้งานสามารถอัปเดตข้อมูลข่าวสารบนสังคมออนไลน์ได้โดยไม่ต้อง เปิดคอมพิวเตอร์ ล่าสุดบริษัทสัญชาติอิตาลี เปิดตัวนาฬิกาข้อมือระบบปฏิบัติการแอนดรอยด์ ที่ช่วยให้ผู้ใช้งานสามารถอัปเดตเฟซบุ๊ก, ทวิตเตอร์ และเช็กอิน Foursquare ได้บนหน้าปัดนาฬิกาแบบสัมผัสขนาด 1.54 นิ้ว

i'm Color

สำหรับนาฬิกาเรือนนี้มีชื่อว่า "i'm Watch" จากบริษัท Blue Sky s.r.l. ที่ประกาศว่านี่เป็น Smartwatch เรือนแรกของโลก โดยมีความพิเศษอยู่ที่ผู้ใช้การใช้งานระบบปฏิบัติการแอนดรอยด์ สามารถใช้งานโทรศัพท์มือถือผ่านลำโพงขยายเสียง หรือไมโครโฟนสนทนา รวมถึงการรับ-ส่งข้อความ อีเมลได้เหมือนการใช้งานสมาร์ทโฟนปกติ

ที่น่าสนใจก็คือ i'm Watch มาพร้อมแอปพลิเคชัน เฟซบุ๊ก, ทวิตเตอร์และโปรแกรมโลเคชันเบสอย่างโฟร์สแควร์ ซึ่งช่วยให้ผู้ใช้สามารถอัปเดตข้อมูลต่างๆ ได้โดยไม่ต้องเสียเวลาหยิบสมาร์ทโฟน หรือแท็บเล็ตออกจากกระเป๋า

ไม่เพียงแต่แอปพลิเคชันที่ให้มา บริษัทผู้ผลิตยังเตรียมเปิดให้นักพัฒนาสามารถเข้ามาสร้างแอปพลิเคชันสำหรับ นาฬิกาเรือนนี้ โดยจะทำการเปิดร้านค้าออนไลน์ที่มีชื่อว่า "i'm store" เพื่อใช้เป็นแหล่งรวมแอปพลิเคชัน ให้ผู้ใช้งาน i'm Watch ได้เข้ามาดาวน์โหลดกัน

ในส่วนของสเปกการใช้งานพื้นฐาน "i'm Watch" ใช้ซีพียู ARM9 IMX233, RAM 64 MB และหน่วยความจำแบบแฟลช 4กิกะไบต์ มีหน้าจอแสดงผลแบบ TFT ความละเอียด 240 x 240 พิกเซล ขนาด 1.54นิ้ว แบตเตอรีความจุ 600mAh ที่สามารถชาร์จเพิ่มผ่านพอร์ต USB มีช่องต่อหูฟังขนาด 3.5มม. รองรับการเชื่อมต่อบลูทูธเวอร์ชัน 2.1 + EDR และสามารถโอนถ่ายข้อมูลกับสมาร์ทโฟนระบบปฏิบัติการแอนดรอยด์, ไอโฟน 4 และแบล็กเบอรีได้

i'm Jewel

ตัวเรือนมีให้เลือก 2 แบบคือ "i'm Jewel" มีสีให้เลือก Yellow Gold, Pink Gold, White Gold & Titanium และ Black Gold โดยจะเริ่มวางจำหน่ายในเดือนกันยายน 54 ในราคาเริ่มต้นที่ 599 ยูโร หรือประมาณ 26,000 บาท ในขณะที่แบบมาตรฐาน หรือ "i'm Color" มีให้เลือกสีขาว, ชมพู, ฟ้าอ่อน, แดง, เหลือง, เขียว และดำ วางจำหน่ายในราคา 249 ยูโร หรือประมาณ 10,900 บาท

i'm Jewelâ€“Tech Collection from im watch on Vimeo.

More information

สามารถดูคุณสมบัติของนาฬิกาตัวนี้ได้ตามวิดีโอนี้ได้เลยค่ะ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF_XiCApFe8

More information : http://www.imwatch.it/

Cradit essey : (Eng) http://www.androidpit.com/en/android/blog/395608/i-m-Watch-The-Watch-that-Runs-Android

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/06/06/im-watch-android/

(Thai) http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=206583966049437

Thank Video From : Vimeo, Youtube

Charity blogger travels world on goodwill

2009-03-26T18:15:00.002+07:00

LONDON, England -- A British blogger is trying to travel as far around the world as possible in 30 days, relying only on the goodwill of people using social networking site Twitter.

Paul Smith poses in New York in a picture posted on his Flickr page.

Paul Smith aims to travel to Campbell Island in New Zealand, the opposite side of the planet to his home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in northern England, and back again "to see if it's possible ... because it might be fun."

He also aims to raise money for a water charity, and has so far had more than $6,400 pledged in online donations.

Smith's self-imposed golden rule is that he can only accept offers of travel and accommodation from people who use Twitter, a micro-blogging service that allows people to "tweet" what they're up to (or what they're thinking about) in 140 characters or less.

Smith is also banned from making any travel plans more than three days in advance and has to leave each location within 48 hours of arriving.

He has been successful so far. Since starting his odyssey on March 1 with just a ferry ticket to the Dutch city of Amsterdam the journalist has visited France and Germany, before working his way across the United States.

Smith has more than 800 people following his progress on his Twitter page on which he has posted 1,000 updates this month. He has hitchhiked his way across the USA, stayed in plush hotel rooms and on airbeds on floors, met a Hollywood star and been interviewed on several TV shows.

On March 21 Smith flew from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand through the generosity of an airline and is now trying to reach the uninhabited Campbell Island in his remaining days.

But in his most recent blog, posted on Monday, he admitted he faced an uphill battle against officialdom to travel to the UNESCO World Heritage site.

When told that traveling to Campbell Island required a long application process and asked if he would settle for visiting a nearby island instead, he wrote, "Absolutely not. Stewart Island sounded all very well and good, but I couldn't give up on Campbell Island yet.

"With nine days to go, I couldn't suddenly move the goalposts -- why would anybody continue to support me if I gave up and changed the rules?"

Art, pizza and one crazy night in Chicago

2009-03-26T18:09:00.002+07:00

CHICAGO, Illinois -- Whether entrenched in business meetings or stuck on a layover, you may find yourself in Chicago with limited time to spare. But this vibrant city has so much to offer that it's worth using every free moment to see something new. Here are some of the things I managed slip in on a recent business trip to Chicago.

Underneath the "Cloud Gate" sculpture, the perspective gets distorted in the reflection.

Museum: The famous Art Institute of Chicago (111 S. Michigan Ave.) has enough rooms of artwork to keep a person exploring for days; unfortunately, I got there just before it closed at 5 p.m. Still, it was worth a peek.

In 15 minutes, you can see the impressive gallery of Impressionists, including Renoir and Monet, and dash through to some of the nearby rooms to glimpse medieval religious art. Allot more time to explore, if your schedule allows! For those who plan a little better, a number of works by painter Edvard Munch, famous for "The Scream," are on display until April 26.

Stand back from "Cloud Gate," and you will see part of the city reflected in the sculpture.

Public art: Hey, look, it's a giant bean! Just a few blocks north of the Art Institute, this gigantic reflective sculpture called "Cloud Gate" weighs 110 tons, stands 33 feet high and is made of stainless steel plates. British artist Anish Kapoor designed it with liquid mercury in mind, says the Millennium Park Web site. Chances are, there's probably a bunch of tourists taking pictures of themselves reflected in it.

International food: Chicago has a plethora of cuisines from around the world. For my first dinner, I went to the Berghoff (17 W. Adams St.), a German restaurant near Millennium Park downtown. Even if you're alone, this is a fine place to sit at the bar, munching delicious wiener schnitzel and potatoes, and have casual conversations with the locals. The service is excellent, so if you're in a rush, you'll probably make your next appointment.

Bonus: Take the famous El train back to your hotel; there's a stop right on Adams Street.

Views: Night has fallen, and so has the temperature, but the adventure is just beginning. For a breathtaking view of the surroundings, take the fast elevator up to the Signature Room at the 95th in the John Hancock building (875 N. Michigan Ave.) and ponder the panoramic scenery over cocktails and snacks in the lounge on the 96th floor. The Chicago area is so flat that you can see for miles: endless rows of streetlights extending into the horizon. A chocolate martini and a view like that go well together.

Music: If you're still restless and eager for adventure, head to a different neighborhood. Lincoln Park, a trendy area north of downtown, has a slew of bars that cater to the young and the young at heart. Duffy's Tavern (420½ W. Diversey Parkway) will have either a live band or the standard selection of pop music. The local beer on tap, called 312 after the city's area code, has a refreshing lemon-wheat taste.

Movies: Can't sleep? Now that you've seen some of the city, maybe you'll recognize it in films. Chicago locals seem extremely proud of the presence of their city in last summer's Batman hit, "The Dark Knight." Try watching it on mute so you can focus on the scenery rather than the shooting, and maybe that will help you doze off.

Pizza: Don't leave Chicago without trying some of the famous deep-dish pizza. I was rushing to make my flight, but fortunately Giordano's (various locations throughout the city) accepts take-out orders half an hour in advance, even in the morning. Since there was a huge line for dinner the night before, in the morning I ended up ordering ahead and then eating half of it right there at the restaurant while my colleagues unhurriedly ordered at the table. Before their food came, I ran to get a taxi to the airport with pizza box in hand.

Update: Airport security did not question the cheesy goodness oozing in the box in my carry-on bag. The next day, the pizza took at least half an hour to reheat, but it was still pretty tasty.

Love on the Fly: Volunteer Vacations

2009-03-21T14:17:00.002+07:00

A Cross Cultural Solutions volunteer poses with school children in Ghana.

If you've had your fill of moonlit beach walks and peach-colored drinks, try something altogether different. I recently spoke with several couples whose idea of a passionate vacation involved less hand-holding and more giving a hand: they spent their vacation time volunteering.

Jamie Cann and his wife, Mary, returned recently from a trip to Tanzania. Jamie spent his days in a home for orphans and vulnerable children, teaching English and playing soccer with the kids. Mary taught English and math at a nearby primary school. "It was an incredible experience for us to share," says Jamie of the trip they booked through Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS), an organization that matches would-be volunteers with teaching, health-care and community development projects in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. "To do something like this, to share such an important, meaningful, experience has strengthened our relationship."

For Karen and Michael Crisafulli, the feeling is mutual: the pair actually met on a volunteer vacation in 1993 in Saragosa, Spain, where they helped with an archaeological study of farming societies in the area. Their trip was arranged by the EarthWatch Institute, a scientific research and education group focused on the environment. The Crisafullis have taken an EarthWatch trip every year since they met — Karen's favorite vacation to date was to Tuscany, where the couple spent two weeks restoring ancient fountains and tabernacles — though not every expedition has been taken together. "One year, he wanted to go to Belize in the middle of summer," says Karen. "The more we shopped for mosquito repellent and rain gear, the less I felt I could do it." Instead, she went off to the wilds of Virginia for an "interdisciplinary study on animals in the woods."

There is indeed a volunteer vacation for every persuasion. Depending on your particular passions, preferences and areas of expertise, you can go to Thailand to help rebuild ocean reefs damaged by the tsunami, or to New Orleans to rebuild houses. For the highly skilled there is a universe of choice — dentists and doctors are in demand all over the globe — but anyone can help schoolchildren learn math or gather rare plants in the Amazon as part of a conservation effort. And one need not be a saint to truly enjoy a volunteer vacation. The couples I interviewed said that one of the most rewarding things about volunteering was simply being immersed in an entirely different culture — something that might be said of every great journey. As for cost, although volunteer trips aren't exactly cheap, they may be tax-deductible, depending on the individual organization.

The payoff for couples can also be great: doing good on your time off can inspire a whole lot of love, if not exactly the traditional kind. I asked Karen Crisafulli, a 62-year-old retired schoolteacher, delicately, if there were any opportunities for romance on volunteer vacations. "No. I can say that unequivocally," she laughed.

But they breed a sense of togetherness that you might not have gotten otherwise. "I wouldn't characterize our trip as romantic. We've done romantic vacations, and this was not, but at the same time, it was better," says Jamie Cann. Also, many couples choose to volunteer in the same town, but work on separate projects — because communities and couples have different needs and talents — which they say makes you better appreciate your partner at the end of the day. Dava Antoniotti, who started working at Cross-Cultural Solutions after she and her partner, Kristin Lukasik, returned from a CCS-arranged trip to Peru, says the pair's recent stint in Morocco was the ideal balance of volunteering and couple-time. "I was working with special needs children. Kristin was working at a school," Antoniotti says. "Even though we were apart for four hours a day, we were together the rest of the time — which is fine because you don't want to overdo it," she laughs.

Joe Grant, 25, and his then girlfriend, now wife, Deanne, went the opposite route, spending six months together in the Masai Mara in Kenya building schools with Free the Children, an international organization whose goal is making primary education accessible for children everywhere. "I think the biggest challenge was just dealing with the suffering that some of the local community went through," says Joe. "It was hard to see the reality of really young kids dying of diarrhea."

But "it was a beautiful setting, beautiful people. Once you pass the hurdles of getting sick — and the scary snakes — it was really pretty great," he says.

Even though volunteer vacations don't leave much room for candles and flowers, says Antoniotti, they have been rejuvenating for her relationship. "Not that a typical vacation isn't fun, but if it's really easy, you don't have those experiences that stretch you," she says. "It's like in exercise how they say tiny tears in your muscles allow you to get stronger. Little things that take you outside of your comfort zone challenge you as a couple and make you stronger."

San Diego: The new super-yacht capital?

2009-03-21T13:59:00.001+07:00

LONDON, England (CNN) -- It carries the nickname "America's Finest City," and right now it appears San Diego is living up to the hype.

Growing on the water: San Diego is becoming an increasingly popular super-yacht destination.

Though the international financial crisis has precipitated economic woe across the United States, developments in San Diego's super-yacht industry don't appear to be slowing.

Fifth Avenue Landing, a stylish new facility promising the ultimate docking experience for super-yachts up to 300 feet long, has just opened in city's downtown area. The marina, which is close to local attractions and top hotels, boasts 12 high-quality berths, each offering a concierge service.

This impressive project is just the latest step in a significant development program for the west coast city, which is which is now beginning to compete with its northern neighbor, Los Angeles, as a destination for super-yacht owners.

In 2005, Forbes rated San Diego as the fifth wealthiest city in the U.S. and in the years since, for the super-yacht industry particularly, the region has continued to develop rapidly.

Today, the city is buzzing with super-yacht designers, builders, and brokers, and it now has plenty of facilities to accommodate the industry. There's also the annual "YachtFest" show, which will be going ahead in September this year and is expected to attract interest from super-yacht makers and owners around the world.

Numerous marinas have sprung up amid the increasing interest in the city, with Kona Kai Marina, Shelter Island Marina, and The Wharf, among some of the most notable developments.

Outside of the private super-yacht industry, San Diego is also home to the largest shipyard on the west coast of the U.S. -- General Dynamics' National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. Many cruise lines pass through the port and there are plans for a new cruise ship terminal to open in 2010.

Much of the success in attracting super-yachts has been credited to the San Diego Super-yacht Association (SDSA) -- a collective of local super-yacht designers, builders, brokers and other interested parties that was formed in 2006.

Super-yacht director of Marine Group Boat Works and founding member of the SDSA, Fred Larsson, told CNN that the key to San Diego's recent profile boost was realizing the economic needs of the industry.

"San Diego had the basic requirements of super-yachts covered already with the natural deep water harbor, year round superb weather, geographic location as the gateway to the Pacific and a wonderful youthful city. Then when you add the super-yacht facility upgrades it's a no brainer. San Diego has it all," he said.

Larsson said the SDSA had been instrumental in developments as the combination of shipyards, marinas and suppliers working together means they have a good all-round knowledge of what super-yacht owners want when they come to port.

The combination of major refit facility improvements, new marinas, marina expansions and an effective marketing campaign are behind the success, he added.

Despite the international financial crisis, which threatens to hurt the super-yacht industry around the world, Larsson said that San Diego should not suffer too much as interest from owners is still growing.

"Due to the sheer size of the city and nearby cities there is so much for owners and crew to do here on their time off, the beaches are fabulous, Vegas is an hour away, there are 100 golf courses in and around San Diego.

"It's a metropolitan feel with small town charm. That's what makes us different," he said.

Vancouver: Perfecting city life with the great outdoors

2009-03-21T00:51:00.002+07:00

Vancouver is regularly at the top of the world's most livable list of cities.

Too perfect? Vancouver boasts that it has it all, and many visitors will agree.

Winters generally don't get too cold (for Canada) and residents say if you experience the city in the summer you'll realize why its inhabitants exude a feeling of self-satisfaction and belief they do have it all. It's enough to have most other Canadians hate their smug West Coast cousins.

But visitors don't need to harbor any jealous thoughts: you can either grab a coffee (Local residents seem fueled by the stuff, but don't get things done any faster) and go all out trying to cram as much in as possible in a short visit, or be a bit more local and just take it easy, finding your own pace in the city.

Starting off in the city's downtown area you can work your way through various neighborhoods or head out into the great outdoors -- one of the city's main draws.

The proximity of the ocean, mountains, forests and islands to the city center make an excursion into "big nature" on a short trip not just possible, but probable. Public transport is efficient enough to be able to get you around town and into the nearby mountains.

The outward-bound nature of the place is happily countered by a laid-back vibe -- this is the West Coast after all -- where pockets of hippie counterculture exists with counterculture of the consumer variety.

Next to downtown Vancouver is Gastown, the city's historic area. Like many North American "old towns" it suffers for being a little too touristy, attracting day-trippers fresh off cruise ships. The turn of the century houses and cobbled streets are charming and the area is slowly shaking off its tourist trap image with more upscale bars and boutiques moving in to attract locals.

Vancouver has a rich mix of cultures and east of downtown around Pender and Carrall streets is the city's Chinatown. Worth a visit, it's the second-biggest Chinatown in North America, where you can sample sights, sounds and tastes more akin to Hong Kong than frontier Canada.

The area in between downtown and Chinatown is Vancouver's skid row, a scene of urban decay and poverty, so best to be avoided -- a reminder that there are still big city problems here.

Away from the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese garden and noodle joints, on the other side of downtown is Yaletown. The old warehouse district on the edge of False Creek has been gentrified with boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants and is a refined spot for a mid-morning coffee or bite to eat for lunch.

Gourmands would do worse than take a trip to Granville Island (it's really a promontory) and the public market place. Some of British Columbia's finest fresh produce as well as delicacies from across the world are housed in its covered market. Pick up some salmon jerky for a taste of real local flavor.

Post-prandial activity can vary depending on energy levels. Take a 15-minute water taxi ride from Granville Island to Bowen Island for a different scene and to enjoy a gentle stroll, or head to Stanley Park. It is just one mile from downtown and about 1,000 acres in size, so stick to the seawall path, where the cyclists, dog-walkers and roller-bladers roam, unless you want to make more of a day of it.

You'll also have some great views of the ocean and city. If the weather takes a turn for the worse while in the park, Prospect Point lookout or the aquarium offers some respite.

You can even feed otters at the aquarium, and if you've forgotten to book a hotel room for the night you can sleep with the fishes' (not in a threatening mafia way), but next to the Beluga whale tank, as the aquarium occasionally offers family sleep-overs.

The more adventurous spirited can head to Vancouver's north shore and the edge of the wilderness. Mount Seymour, Cypress Mountain and Grouse Mountain tower to the north of the city and are ski-able during winter months.

Hardcore locals do the "Grouse grind" daily during the summer -- a two-mile hike to the top of the mountain that can be done by mortals in reasonable shape in a few hours. At the top are rewarding views of Vancouver below, plus bears and wolves (in enclosures). For those wanting a more relaxed Grouse Mountain experience, a cable car ride can help you skip the exercise stuff.

A walk over the Burrard Street Bridge at dusk can offer some stunning sunsets, alternatively a sundowner the café towards the yacht club out past Jericoh Park is a more relaxed spot for taking in the setting sun.

If you want to delve deeper into the region's history and First Nation culture push on toward the University of British Columbia and the Museum of Anthropology.

Another anthropological experience can be had a nearby Wreck Beach, the city's famous nudist beach.

While the city's good for the outdoors stuff, its reputation as being laid-back with an excellent music scene and variety of places to eat remains intact.

If Yaletown is a bit to mainstream upscale for your tastes, Commercial Drive toward the east of the city is more culturally mixed with a hipster vibe and a number of live music bars and places to eat.

By English Bay lies Kitsalano, where skinny-latte-sipping yoga bunnies can be seen saluting the sun or dog walking during the day.

If you're fortunate enough to be here in the summer, Kitsalano is home to the city's annual summer Bard on the Beach season of al fresco Shakespeare plays.

Regardless of the season there are some excellent restaurants and bars to round off an evening -- Sophie's Cosmic Café is a no-frills local gem.

Florence: A seasonal guide

2009-03-21T00:48:00.001+07:00

Hot summers when the city is crammed with tourists; cooler winters when the rain can swell the Arno: Florence is an all-year-round destination. Here are some of the city's seasonal highlights.

A Verdi player finds a gap in the Azzurri team's defence during the 2003 Calcio Storico

Vintage clothes
For a long time, image-conscious Italians wouldn't be seen dead in second-hand clothes. But recently they have started to catch up with the rest of the world when it comes to coveting the nearly new and Florence is host to the biggest used clothes fair in Italy. It's held twice yearly in February and July (Stazione Leopolda; +39 055 246 6198).

Christmas in Florence
Not only is the city wonderfully deserted at this time of year, but the lights that adorn every shop window give the place an almost magical feeling. You can buy everything from amber to reindeer skins at the Christmas market (Mercato di natale) in the Piazza Santa Croce from the beginning of December. Go ice-skating in the Piazza della Liberta or make for the Piazza della Republicca, home to Florence's enormous Christmas tree sparkling with 16,000 lights. On Christmas day, High Mass at the Duomo is an unforgettable

Scoppio del Carro, Easter Sunday
Exploding the cart, or "scoppio del carro," at Easter is one of the oldest and most important Florentine traditions. Decorated white oxen drag an elaborate cart stuffed full of fireworks from the Porta al Prato to the Piazza del Duomo. A dove-shaped rocket in the Duomo is lit and shoots along a wire to the cart where it ignites the rest of the fireworks: impressive pyrotechnics ensue. Tradition has it that if the first rocket flies straight, it will be a lucky year for Florentines.

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, April to June
The May Music Festival is a series of classical music concerts, recitals, and operas and ballet held in venues across the city. It is internationally acclaimed and tickets are hot property, so check the Web site for scheduling and book in advance (www.maggiofiorentino.com )

Calcio Storico Fiorentino, June 24-28
This traditional game is a testosterone-fueled mix of football and fighting played by young men from the four Florentine quarters: San Giovanni, Santa Maria Novella, Santo Spirito and Santa Croce. They may look amusing in their medieval-style pantaloons but there is nothing funny about the level of competition in this fierce sport -- players often seem more preoccupied with fighting each other than getting the ball in the net, which runs the length of the pitch. An amazing spectacle, especially because it is held in the shadow of the beautiful Santa Croce church in the piazza below.

Festa del Grillo (Cricket Festival), Ascension Day
If you are feeling low on luck, the cricket festival, which heralds the start of spring, could boost your fortunes. Singing crickets are thought to bring good luck and in days gone by children would fashion cages and hunt for crickets to take to the Parco delle Cascine. Nowadays, the crickets are likely to be fake, but you can buy them housed in endearing pastel-painted confections with windows and roofs -- and they are still considered lucky.

Sweden's Icehotel the ultimate place to chill

2009-03-16T15:35:00.000+07:00

I've never been a fan of the cold. As a kid, my favorite part of skiing was the hot chocolate, and I relished blizzards for the snow days, not the snowball fights. So when I booked a trip to the Icehotel in northern Sweden, my family and friends were amused -- and a bit concerned, especially when I got sick days before my flight. "You can't go to the Arctic with a cold!" my mother admonished.

The hotel in northern Sweden opens every year in early December and closes at the end of April.

But I had good reason for wanting to sleep in a glorified freezer: As an environmental reporter, I was curious to see a place where people have turned snow and ice into a moneymaker, one that's spawned copycats in frigid spots from Canada to Romania.

Conceived by Yngve Bergqvist, a river-rafting guide who wanted to lure visitors to the Arctic north during the winter, the Icehotel started out in 1990 as nothing more than a crude igloo. Now, it's a fanciful ice castle that's rebuilt every November with an unparalleled level of artistry -- which explains why each winter 16,000 guests pay hundreds of dollars a night to sleep on a slab of ice and thousands more make the trek just to tour the rooms for the day.

The 30 most elaborate suites are the handiwork of a team of artists -- sculptors, painters, architects, even comic book illustrators -- many of whom have never worked with ice before. Wielding chain saws and chisels, they spend weeks crafting frozen furniture while electricians install lights to provide an ethereal glow. Surreal? Exceedingly.

This winter, German furniture maker Jens Paulus and American industrial designer Joshua Space created a space-station room straight out of "Star Trek," with giant carvings of the sun and moon on opposing walls and twinkling lights in the ceiling. British decorator Ben Rousseau and graffiti artist Insa devised the Getting Cold Feet suite, with oversize high-heeled ice shoes beside the bed. Twenty-nine unadorned snow caves offer a somewhat less pricey and more purist experience.

24 hours in Sydney: Cocktails, scenic walks ... and sharks?

2009-03-16T15:28:00.002+07:00

Across the Board, Luxury Travel Is on Sale

2009-03-11T16:56:00.001+07:00

Travel deals, news and updates for the week of March 9, 2009

AIRLINES & AIRPORTS

Safety First. The Federal Aviation Addministration (FAA) has fined Southwest a $7.5 million penalty for operating 46 planes on over 50,000 flights without performing mandatory maintenance checks — for example, failing to monitor fuselage fatigue and cracking. Southwest also agreed to rewrite its maintenance manuals, add more on-site technical representatives to oversee maintenance, and designate a full-time head of quality assurance. The FAA says the airline is now in compliance with official regulations, so passengers shouldn't be worried; in fact, Southwest has agreed to go above and beyond mandatory safety checks, the FAA says.

Triple Play. American Airlines is offering triple AAdvantage miles for nonstop flights between Boston and three California cities — L.A., San Francisco or San Diego (service to the last starts April 7). Use promotional code BOS3X when booking through May 31.

Please Support Our Travelers. The travel industry is asking Congress and President Obama to stop slamming executives for traveling. The decrease in business travel, the industry says, hurts local economy, down to the bellboy and hotel housekeeper who are laid-off due to decreased occupancy. A survey by the U.S. Travel Association says that 20% of companies (that have not received taxpayer assistance) have canceled events due to recent focus on boondoggles. Which means, lots of rooms open in Vegas.

Spirit Charges Customers for Flying. Last week there was talk of RyanAir charging passengers to use the on-board toilet. This week Spirit Airlines announces that it will charging you a fee to buy a ticket, even when you purchase online. It's $4.90 a pop, listed as a "passenger usage fee" and included in the advertised price of the ticket.

Slumdog Sights. Qantas is starting up service from seven Australian cities — including Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney — to Mumbai starting June 2. The flights take off three times per week, connecting through Singapore. Outbound flight to Mumbai leave on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Return flights operate on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

First-Class Spa. Lufthansa has opened a spa lounge for first-class customers in Concourse B of the Frankfurt Airport. Passengers can book massages, facials and other treatments, and pay for them with miles or cash. The spa has six large private bathrooms, where you can shower or take a Jacuzzi or even play with the rubber duckies dressed in dirndls and lederhosen that float in the bath. There's also a room with a Wii console and fitness and sport games to pass the time. To round out the pampering, Lufthansa provides limousine service from the lounge for passengers whose flights depart from terminals A and C.

Member Bonus. Marriott Rewards members can redeem hotel points to buy a Priority Pass membership, which gives access to 600 VIP airport lounges worldwide. The price starts at 20,000 points and you can get one of three membership levels: standard (pay per lounge visit), standard plus (free access 10 times a year) or prestige (unlimited access). If you'd rather hang onto your hotel points, use cash and save up to 20% off the cost of standard plus ($199, with discount) and prestige ($359, with discount). Right now, you get three extra months of membership, making that 15 full months of thumbing your nose at the poor schlubs wandering around in the terminal.

HOTELS & PACKAGES

This Deal, Just For You. Morgans Hotel Group — which includes the Royalton in New York City and St. Martins Lane in London — has a new, more streamlined and user-friendly website. With full-screen pictures of the properties, you can see exactly what you're getting, and the calendar allows you to change dates easily, showing you immediately which rooms, at what price, are available. A related list of local restaurants, boutiques and things to do pops up as well — if you book a room in London during the end of March, for example, the site recommends that you check out the Oxford and Cambridge boat race on the Thames on March 29. To celebrate the site launch, Morgans will give TIME.com readers an exclusive offer — book two nights and get one night free (click here). Or call 800-606-6090 and use the promotional code SPTIME. Rates start at about $149. Book by March 31 for travel through May 31.

Easter Eggs. If you're planning to spend Easter in England, check out the Andaz, Hyatt's new brand, which is offering a stay at its Liverpool Street location, near Liverpool Street Station, for the cost of a chocolate Easter egg in Britain: 2.75 pounds ($4). Each week, starting March 10, the hotel will release a few rooms into the reservations system, which are available for stays between April 9 and 14. Hop to it! 40 Liverpool Street, London EC2; +44-(0)207-618-5061

For Warhol-ics. Warhol's Wide World at the Grand Palais museum in Paris is the first exhibition of 250 Andy Warhol paintings and prints — about 150 of which are coming out of private collections for the first time. Six Concorde Hotels & Resorts located around Paris have an exclusive partnership with the museum to give their guests VIP tickets (you'll get to jump to the front of the line to see what some people are calling one of the biggest art events of the year). If you really want to keep with the art theme, ask for the Pissarro suite at the Hôtel du Louvre (one of the Concorde hotels), where the artist lived and painted. Room rates start at $260 and include breakfast and a box of Warhol-themed chocolates. The offer is good from March 18 to June 29.

Cheap Sleeps. If you're staying within the shores of the U.S. or Canada and are looking for modest accommodations, Country Inns & Suites, which offers free Wi-Fi, hot breakfast and morning newspapers, is giving guests 33% off each night of a three-night stay through April 30 at any of its 450 North American properties, plus a dining coupon at the T.G.I.Fridays restaurants. With the discount, nightly rates start at $70.

Three for Two. Stay two nights at any W Hotel worldwide and get a third night free of charge with the "Night on Us" promotion. Rates vary, but you can get a room starting at $169 in Chicago, $229 in New York City and $259 in L.A. Some properties ask for a Thursday through Saturday arrival, but others are more accommodating. Mention promotional code TNR through Sept. 30. 877-946-8357

Man's Best Friend. For pet-lovers who can't bear to leave their companions behind, Washington State's Salish Lodge & Spa, perched above the Snoqualmie Falls about half-an-hour from Seattle, has for the first time opened its doors to dogs. In the rooms, each of which has a wood-burning fireplace, you'll even fresh-baked dog biscuits and an in-room pet dining menu. There's an additional one-time $50 cleaning fee you'll have to pony up, even if Fido is neat as a pin. Rates start at $229. 6501 Railroad Avenue S.E., Snoqualmie, WA; 800-272-5474

'Tis the Season. It may be cold in the Northeast now, but Spring is coming and Washington, D.C., will soon hold its annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which celebrates the 3,000 blooming trees that were given to the city in 1912 by the mayor of Tokyo and planted by First Lady Helen Taft. To entice you to visit, the Willard InterContinental hotel — where the first Japanese delegation to the U.S. stayed in 1860, after trade opened between the two countries — has a "Very Cherry" package. Choose your bonus: breakfast for two, a room upgrade or a second room at half-price for children under 18. There is also a Cherry Blossom tea served each afternoon, with cherry pastries, for $39. Room rates start at $349. The package is available March 13 to April 12 — note that peak blooms are predicted April 3 to 9. 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.; 202-628-9100

DINING

Road Rules. If you're on the road and trying to watch your waistline, check out the newly re-launched Healthy Dining Finder, created with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Punch in your zip code and your desired price point, and you'll get a customized list of dining options along with dietitian-approved dishes, culled from the menus of 60,000 restaurant locations nationwide — everything from the 420-calorie veggie burger at Burger King to the 430-calorie miso-marinated sea bass at Chaya in Venice, Calif. The site doesn't currently offer information for people with food or gluten allergies, but that's coming.

TRANSPORTATION

All Aboard! Riding on Amtrak's Acela Express trains just got cheaper. The railroad is offering 25% off prices for tickets purchased 14 days in advance, meaning a one-way ticket between Washington, D.C., and New York City can cost as little as $99, and between New York and Boston, just $79. The sale lasts through June 26, with limited availability.

Ship Ahoy. The Yachts of Seabourn company is holding a one-week "Stimulate your Summer" sale with up to 65% off any of 14 luxury European one- or two-week trips this summer. Sail around Corfu and the Croatian coast, or cruise Norway's fjords with fares starting at $2,840 per person, for a double-occupancy 277-sq.-ft. stateroom. Book between March 9 and 16 for travel in June and July. 800-929-9391

TECHNOLOGY

Fine Print. Amazon has released a Kindle app for the iPhone. If you already have a Kindle, the app allows you to read the same material on your Kindle and iPhone, without losing your place when you switch devices. Just download the free app from iTunes, register your iPhone with Amazon to send books to your device and start saving paper while saving the publishing industry.

Taiwan's Toilet Restaurant

2009-03-06T10:30:00.002+07:00

By Natalie Tso / Taipei Monday, Mar. 02, 2009

"There's poop everywhere! Y-u-c-k," says 6-year-old Jordan Lien as he and his family dine at the Modern Toilet, a popular Taiwanese restaurant chain that's expanding into China and other parts of Asia. The boy was looking at the poop-shaped lights and dish covers and the curry on toilet-shaped plates.

Diarrhea for dinner? That's the point. "It's supposed to shock and confuse the senses," says Modern Toilet manager Chen Min-kuang. But as Jennifer Finch, an American who was dining there, described it, "They do it tastefully. It's all very clean."

Every customer sits on a stylish acrylic toilet (lid down) designed with images of roses, seashells or Renaissance paintings. Everyone dines at a glass table with a sink underneath. The servers bring your meal atop a mini toilet bowl (quite convenient, as it brings the food closer to your mouth), you sip drinks from your own plastic urinal (a souvenir), and soft-swirl ice cream arrives for dessert atop a dish shaped like a squat toilet.

I went there on a Wednesday evening, and the place was packed with students and families who were having a jolly time eating out of the john. "It's very progressive and irreverent, like a practical joke," says junior high school teacher Chen Kin-hsiang, who went because her students raved about it. "It's a little gross when you see other people eat," she says, "but when you're eating, you don't notice it, 'cause you're hungry and the aroma is appetizing." Smell is one poop-like quality the chef does without.

The reasonably priced food includes curries, pasta, fried chicken and Mongolian hot pot, as well as elaborate shaved-ice desserts with names like "diarrhea with dried droppings" (chocolate), "bloody poop" (strawberry) and "green dysentery" (kiwi). Despite the disturbing descriptions, the desserts were great. But after seeing curry drip down a mini-toilet, I may never have that sauce again.

The Chinese can take this, Finch muses, because they are more nonchalant about bodily functions, such as burping, farting or even going to the bathroom — an act performed squatting sans doors in some places in China. But many Westerners enjoy the novelty of toilet dining too. Chris and Julia Harris took their visiting mother, who they say is obsessive-compulsive about cleanliness, to "freak her out," but she had a great time (though she refused to drink out of a urinal). The only people who have a hard time, says Chen, are the elderly who have exclaimed, "I will not eat on the toilet!" (Folding chairs and normal dishware are available for the faint of heart.)

Toilet creations aren't new to China. The ancient Chinese may have been the first to use the throne — a flush toilet was found in a tomb of a Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to A.D. 24) king — and they invented toilet paper in the 6th century. Modern Toilet owner Wang Zi-wei, 29, an ex-banker, got his idea from the Japanese robot cartoon character Jichiwawa, who loves to play with poop and swirl it on a stick. Inspired by that image, Wang began selling chocolate ice cream swirls on paper squat toilets. Customers loved them and wanted more edible excretion experiences, so he opened Modern Toilet in 2004. The theme-restaurant chain now has seven outlets in Taiwan, one in Hong Kong and one opening in Shenzhen, China, this week. Plans for other cities in China, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are also under way. Dinner à la latrine, anyone?

2009-02-09T13:37:00.002+07:00

Street Smarts in Bangkok

Josef Polleross for The New York Times

Yaowarat Road in the Chinatown district, one of the best places in Bangkok for street food.

SURROUNDED by groups of civil servants greedily slurping bowls of soup at Chote Chitr, a tiny, family-run restaurant in the older part of Bangkok, our table soon overflows like a Thai Thanksgiving. The yam makhua, a salad of grilled long eggplants topped with tiny dried shrimps, combines the tang of fresh shallots with expert charring. Prepared by the hand of a skilled griller, the vegetables retain a smoky crunch on the outside, but a first bite pierces the crackling char and reveals a juicy eggplant so sweet it resembles a ripe peach, full of lime juice and fish sauce that has soaked into the flesh.

Street Eats in Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand

Letters: Bangkok Street Food (January 20, 2008)

Next comes Chote Chitr’s gaeng som, a soup flavored with tamarind and palm sugar, packed with chunks of coarsely chopped cauliflower and large, meaty shrimp, their fat melting into the hot broth. Native to southern Thailand, where cooks use the abundant local seafood, gaeng som has a dense mouth feel, because the chef has added finely ground fish flesh into the stock, thickening it like roux.

Chote Chitr, which has been around some 90 years, prides itself on cooking recipes developed by ancient Thai royal courts, and its wall menu lists hundreds of dishes. These often rely on traditional ingredients tough to find today, and Chote Chitr’s cooks say little about how they uncover them. Dodging longtime customers and a small dog in the tiny dining room — just five simple rectangular tables packed together and open to the street — the chef brings out a plate of mee krob, crunchy stir-fried vermicelli flavored with a caramelized sauce of palm sugar, ginger, lemongrass and som saa. A fragrant, tart variety of orange now almost extinct in Bangkok, the som saa balances the sticky sweetness in the dish, which in the hands of a lesser chef can taste like strands of rock candy.

A decade ago, when I first moved to Bangkok, a friend who had emigrated there long before me let me in on a secret: the best food in Thailand is served by street vendors and at basic mom-and-pop restaurants. To prove his point, he dragged me to Chote Chitr, tucked into a side alley and decorated with nothing but a wall calendar. I saw no foreigners, and we pored through a menu all in Thai. We sampled the specialties, and I was quickly convinced, eating the same dishes then that I would enjoy 10 years later, and dozens of times in between.

That Chote Chitr would prove a culinary revelation shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise: small places often prove to be the best eating spots in many cities. But for historical reasons Bangkok may boast the finest street food on earth. The city has long attracted migrants from across Asia, so its street cuisine, both at vendor carts and in tiny restaurants, blends many styles of cooking. Even a simple snack like murtabak mixes Malaysian-style roti pancake with curry fillings that betray Indian and Burmese spices.

THAI habits also lend themselves to street meals. Since Thais normally eat many small meals rather than three squares and traditionally prefer to meet outside the house, street food suits them. Many Thai dishes can be cooked relatively quickly, and Thais are fastidious about cleanliness, important to customers worried about eating alongside a road.

But every trip to Thailand prompts me to wonder: can Bangkok remain the world leader in its simple culinary prowess? In an era of the globalization of street food, when the Internet now allows food lovers to share tips, will Bangkok’s street food lose its edge?

After culling through Thai food Web sites, I often arrive in Bangkok carrying a list of street dishes I must try — unripe mangoes dipped in sweet chili sauce, charcoal-grilled fish sausages, tacolike shells filled with shredded coconut. Every time I mention my list, real Thai gourmets tell me noodles, the ultimate quick snack, should be the real test of any street stall.

“Noodles are one of the great Thai secular religions,” wrote the longtime Thailand food critic Ung-aang Talay, adding that Thais think nothing of plodding across Bangkok to sample a new dish. Nearly every street in Bangkok has a vendor selling thin, slightly sweet egg noodles; wide, chewy rice noodles; pad Thai topped in gooey omelets. Even, occasionally, the northern Thailand noodle specialty known as khao soi. As the Thailand food blogger Austin Bush has suggested on his knowledgeable site — www.realthai.blogspot.com — khao soi reflects the many foreign influences on Thailand cuisine. Khao soi blends egg noodles with a mild, Indian-style broth and toppings of crispy noodles, shallots and pickled cabbage, a Burmese touch that adds an acidic flavor cutting the rich, oily curry.

Like rock bands, the best noodle slingers attract groupies. Normally, a plate of noodles costs the equivalent of less than a dollar, but at Raan Jay Fai, a simple open-air restaurant in old Bangkok, noodles run four times as much. Outside Raan Jay Fai, lines of cars, tuk-tuks and motorcycles crawl through the hot air, belching exhaust toward Jay Fai’s al fresco seating. Still, at Jay Fai’s opening time of around 4 in the afternoon, a line waits to be served, and the cook throws handfuls of chicken chunks and noodles into a pan as if she were a metronome on double time.

I tried Jay Fai noodles stir-fried with spicy Thai basil, a dish also called drunken noodles. Some Thais believe the dish got its name because street cooks serve it into the wee hours, when their clientele is the drunkest. The broad rice noodles come out of the pan thin and chewy, as if they could tear easily. Yet they never turn tough, and the chef has thrown in large bits of sweet Thai basil, the edges seared with a slight soy aftertaste.

Raan Jay Fai opened far from central Bangkok, near the older part of town, which contains a large percentage of vendors who have stuck to traditional recipes. Not far away, in the heart of Little India, a solitary man stands over a giant wok crackling with oil, focused on his task. All around him, shoppers lugging bags of saris, incense and Bollywood videos squeeze past one another on the sidewalk, spilling into the street and sometimes knocking a passerby to the ground.

For less than the equivalent of 50 cents the man hands out bags of pakoras and crisp vegetarian samosas. As you bite into a samosa, the triangular pastry yields an almost liquid mix of potatoes and spices, like a Shanghai-style dumpling filled with soup. This being Thailand, it also packs a punch, with far more ground chilies inside than in the samosas you would encounter in a New York Indian restaurant.

Though Thailand easily absorbs cuisines like Indian, Malay or Cambodian, one influence dominates. Thais of Chinese heritage run many Bangkok industries, and at night they gather to talk shop at the city’s basic Chinese-Thai restaurants, many of which serve fresh ingredients cooked simply and quickly. Some, like the famous Somboon Seafood, have been around so long they’ve become Bangkok institutions. At Nguan Lee, a typical Chinese-Thai joint, waitresses bring out fresh local sea bass, plucked from tanks outside and steamed with chilies, chopped raw garlic and a broth of lime juice and rinds of kaffir lime. Not just sprinkled on top, the chilies have been embedded into the fish meat, so they pop out of the soft flesh onto the tongue.

Still, Nguan Lee, becoming popular with visitors, seems to have watered down the garlic in this dish. A friend recommends a more full-on garlic experience, plaa tod kratiem phrik Thai, fish coated in garlic and thin chilies and then deep-fried. This satisfies the garlic craving. The fish skin crunches like cornflakes, and squirts hot, oily garlic into my mouth, like garlic’s purest essence. Inside the crunchy crust, the sea bass remains tender.

One step down from a real sit-down restaurant like Nguan Lee are the kap gaeng (with rice) joints, collections of street stalls serving various curries over rice. Kap gaeng outlets reveal the diversity of Thai regional cooking, often lost at restaurants in America, which tend to focus on the better-known dishes of central and northeastern Thailand. At Talad Loong Perm, a collection of stalls near Thai Airways’ main office in Bangkok, a market that made Food & Wine’s 2007 “Go List,” vendors stir crimson, orange and yellow curries floating with wisps of coconut milk. One chef ladles out gaeng leung, a southern curry flavored with chunky squash and turmeric.

I timidly taste a spoonful of gaeng pa, or jungle curry, maybe the hottest dish in Thailand — the intense chilies and bamboo shoots traditionally used to cover the flavor of wild game or nearly spoiled meat. Jungle curry may have served a purpose in rural areas, but it is made these days with tender chicken, and the fire overwhelms any flavor of the bird, leaving the lips scalded and unable to taste.

Knowing I love trying many dishes at the same meal, on one trip to Bangkok my friend Noy takes me around to Bangkok’s modern indoor food courts, upscale versions of kap gaeng. Food Loft, which sits atop the upscale Central department store, has become the hottest version — several levels of comfortable booths packed with beautiful people wearing wrap-around shades. Food Loft’s gaeng som packs the proper mix of tart and sweet, but it tastes thin, and seems to have none of the hearty ground-up fish. It gets worse: the fresh spring rolls, veggies and shrimp wrapped in a soft wonton skin, come served with a gluey sauce that tastes too much of corn starch.

Disappointment never lasts long on the streets of Bangkok, though. Back at Chote Chitr, the chef welcomes a friend and me by name. After greedily slurping down gaeng som and a salad made from banana flowers, we consider stepping outside for dessert, since a shop nearby sells glutinous rice cooked in coconut cream.

But we don’t want to leave, and settle on one of Chote Chitr’s specials, a reimagining of the classic traditional Thai papaya salad, som tam. Instead of making som tam with unripe papaya, Chote Chitr uses pineapple and mango, with salty fish sauce drawing out the natural sugar of the so-ripe-they’re-ready-to-turn fruits. I vacuum them down, waddle into a cab, and fall asleep on the ride home, thinking about my next meal.

POINT AND ORDER

GETTING THERE

Thai Airways flies nonstop between Kennedy Airport and Bangkok. Flights in early February start at $1,015. Other airlines (United, Continental, American, Northwest, Japan Airlines and All Nippon, among others) change planes and sometimes carriers en route, often in Tokyo.

WHERE TO EAT

Many simple Bangkok restaurants have no working phone (and few employees who speak English), so it may take some time to find them. You might also have to resort to the timeless point-at-what-looks-tasty method of ordering. Have your hotel write down the name and address in Thai, and embark upon your street food hunt with considerable patience. Dinner for two at most of these restaurants will cost less than 500 baht, about $16 at 31 baht to the U.S. dollar.

Raan Jay Fai, 327 Mahachai Road, (66-2) 223-9384, is near Wat Saket in the older part of Bangkok

Nguan Lee, corner of Soi Lang Suan and Soi Sarasin, is in the central business district; (66-2) 250-0936.

Chote Chitr, Prang Pu Thorn alley, off Tanao Road, is in the old part of Bangkok.

Samosa seller: near the corner of Phahurat and Chakraphet Roads in Little India. Look for a small alley with a sign above it that says “Sunny Video Indian Movies.” Often open only during the daytime.

Food Loft, top floor, Central Chidlom department store, at the corner of Ploenchit Road and Soi Chidlom, is in the central business district; (66-2) 793-7070; www.central.co.th.

The best areas for street snacks include the side streets off of Yaowarat Road, in Chinatown; Talad Loong Perm (Loong Perm market), on 89 Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road, is in the northern part of Bangkok, just behind the Thai Airways building.

Baiyork Hotel

2009-02-07T17:47:00.006+07:00

Sky Coffee Shop

Our Sky Coffee Shop on the 18th floor offers casual dinning with a variety of International & Thai cuisine. Window seats to get a closer view of the city are available on request.

Open 24 hours daily

SPECIAL 10% DISCOUNT FOR IN-HOUSE GUESTS.

RECOMMENDED!!

The most delicious "Tom Yum Goong ” in the world

We proudly invite all guests to taste the most delicious “Tom Yum Goong (Prawn Spicy Soup)” in the world, the winner of Gold Medal of the international competition of THAIFEX & HALFEX which was organized by Department of Export Promotion, Ministry of Commerce.

This most delicious Tom Yum Goong is served at the Sky Coffee Shop on 18^th floor & Bangkok Sky Restaurant on76th & 78th floors and Crystal Grill on 82nd floor.

Japanese Bento Set

Enjoy the Japanese Bento sets of Tonkatsu,Tempura and seafood, cooked with fresh & special ingredients. All sets are delicious with reasonable prices, from Bht.250++ and up

Bangkok Sky Restaurant

Bangkok Sky Restaurant on 76^th & 78^th floors

International Buffet and Seafood

Baiyoke Sky Hotel has recently upgraded our skyhigh buffet on 76^th & 78^th floors by adding the seafood buffet - All you can eat!!!

Enjoy the river prawns, rock lobsters, scallops, crabs, cooked in various styles, grilled salad, cocktail, spicy seafood soup, fried crab in curry paste, steamed prawns in salt, Tempura Seafood or seafood Teppanyaki with unlimited soft drinks for both meals, lunch and dinner, inclusive of free admission to the Observation Deck on 77^th floor and Revolving View Point on 84^th floor. The restaurant features the greatest International and seafood buffet in Thailand. Enjoy the panoramic view of Bangkok and the tasty buffet and be entertained and have fun with the "Robot", the "Joker" and more.

Open daily : International Buffet Breakfast from 06.00 – 10.00 hrs.
International Seafood Buffet Lunch from 11.00 – 14.30 hrs.
International Seafood Buffet Dinner from 17.30 – 22.30 hrs.

SPECIAL 50% DISCOUNT FOR IN-HOUSE GUEST

Stella Palace Chinese Restaurant

Stella Palace Restaurant
International Buffet & Seafood Hot Pot on 79^th floor

Enjoy the International Buffet & Seafood Hot Pot in private atmosphere with the limited of 120 seats, a strong recommendation of our 2 popular signature dishes, “Emperor Seafood in hot pot”, and our “Emperor Chinese Steamed Bun”, plus our long line of cuisine roast sucking pig Hong Kong Style, roast Peking duck, Kiren chicken, shark fin soup with crab meat, steamed prawn with garlic, sauteed crab with curry powder, shrimp cocktail, clear bamboo pith with black mushroom soup, fried prawn and chicken with cashew nut, sauteed ducking with five Nuts, Sashimi & Sushi, Dim-Sum, Chinese pan cake with plum paste, watermelon and sago shake and many more.

The alternative choices of a la carte and Chinese set menus with more than 100 selective delicious dishes, lobster Sashimi, King lobster salad, enchanted “Monk Jump Over the Wall”, steamed crab claws with soya sauce, mixed seafood soup, baked rice Stella Style, fried abalone With Oyster Sauce, Stir Fried Prawn With Pine Kirneis, Fried Soft Shell crabs with X.O. Special Emperor Dim Sum, the most characteristic menu of Chef Wichai Sukkee is strongly recommended. Sauce and V.I.P private rooms with karaoke are also available for your pleasure.

The Stella Palace Restaurant on 79^th floor is the highest Chinese restaurant in Thailand with full view of the beautiful Bangkok, meal prices are inclusive of free admission to the Observation Deck on 77^th floor and the Revolving View Point on 84^th floor.

“ Emperor Seafood Hot Pot "

The Stella Palace Chinese Restaurant on 79th floor of the Baiyoke Sky Hotel (Baiyoke Tower II) has now upgraded the seafood buffet dinner.
Enjoy this special “Emperor Seafood Hot Pot” during your buffet, taste the flavour of the freshness of prawn, fish, crab, squid, shell and fresh vegetables in our herbal clear soup, served with 2 special top secret sauces.

Luxury Caravan Buffet

The most superb grand premium of selective cuisine from every corner of the world in fusion pattern with special unique decoration, either Crispy Salmon, Lobster Tom Yum, Pad Thai, Jumbo Hoi Tod or other original cuisine is particularly perfect for your meal such as Beef Tenderloin Steak, Australian Striploin, Lamb Chop, Roasted Suckling Pig and Peking Duck Hong Kong Style, Shark Fin Soup.

Enjoy a long convoy of more than 10 culinary caravans which shall be served right at your table in the private room.

The wagons of the Luxury Caravan Buffet will be moved on for dinner from January 23, 2009 onwards at Bht. 820.- net / person.

(Cash back at Bht.200.- net / person when there is no food left on your table)

Service hours: Monday – Friday Dinner: from 17.30-23.00 hrs.

Saturday – Sunday Lunch: from 11.00-14.00 hrs.

Dinner: from 17.30-23.00 hrs.

Crystal Grill

CRYSTAL GRILL ON 82^ND FLOOR - Grilled & Seafood Buffet Restaurant

The greatest & highest grilled & seafood buffet with a long array of superb cuisine from special selection of local and imported meat and ingradients with unlimited fresh seafood, easy & cozy atmosphere with panoramic night view of the prestigious Bangkok through the full length of 5-meter glass panes.

CRYSTAL GRILL is combined with private atmosphere and international service with the introductory price is only at Bht.620.- net per person, inclusive of entrance fee to view the beauty of the prestigious Bangkok at the Observation Deck on 77^th floor & Revolving View Point on 84^th floor.

Open daily for dinner from 17.30 - 24.00 hrs.

Enjoy the magnificent view of the city from the Crystal Grill, the highest & finest dining grilled & seafood buffet restaurant on the 82nd floor and experience various choices of our delicious cuisine, the imported Australian beef and lamp should not be missed as they are mysteriously prepared and cooked with our Mexican secret flavouring and ancestral recipes.

“Crystal Grill” a perfect place to spend your easy evening, sit back & relax and see what the million people in Bangkok are doing below or glimpse at the marvelous sky at night through the full height of our 5-meters windowpanes.

“Goong Ra-Bum Yum Ma-Maung”

The Crystal Grill on 82nd floor of the Baiyoke Sky Hotel (Baiyoke Tower II) is promoting the special menu of “Taste & Grumble Along” television programme, “Goong Ra-Bum Sum Ma-Maung” created by Sous Chef Parneet Suwanta.

Enjoy the crispy fried mango with fried wrapped prawns, this special dish is served with Thai spicy sweet & sour sauce with a plus of a long line of more than 100 dishes. The introductory price is Bht. 620.- net inclusive of free admission to the Observation Deck on 77th floor and the Revolving View Point on 84th floor.

Roof Top Bar & Music


FOOD & BEVERAGE OUTLETS
* Sky Coffee Shop 24 hours service	18^th floor
* Fruit Court...Fruit Buffet Service Hours 9.00 - 24.00 hrs.	18^thfloor
* Tee Off Coffee Service Hours 6.30 - 21.00 hrs.	18^thfloor
* Bangkok Sky Restaurant Inter'l Buffet Lunch : 11.00 - 14.00 hrs. Inter'l Buffet Dinner : 17.30 - 22.30 hrs.	76^th& 78^th floor
* Stella Palace Chinese Restaurant Service Hours 18.00 - 23.00 hrs. International & Chinese Buffet Dinner : 18.00 - 23.00 hrs. International & Chinese Buffet Lunch : 11.00 - 14.00 hrs. (Saturday and Sunday)	79^th floor
*Crystal Grill...Grilled & Seafood Buffet Restaurant Service Hours 17.30 - 24.00 hrs	82^nd floor
* Roof Top Bar & Music Service Hours 10.00 AM - 01.00 AM	83^rd floor

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*Yakiniku*

Tee Off Café on 18th floor of the Baiyoke Sky Hotel
(Baiyoke Tower II) is pleased to recommend the most special delicious Japanese menu “Yakiniku”. Enjoy grilling the Australian sliced imported beef which is mixed with tasty sauce, served with Tsugeru Tare Sauce with extra garlic and fresh chili to match the favourite of Thai flavour, plus Japanese saladand sea weed soup. Enjoy this special menu at the highest open air golf range and glimpse the view of the beautiful Bangkok. Price starts from Bht. 350
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*Fruit Buffet @ the Fruit Court*

The new trend of health consciousness!
Enjoy the freshness and delicacy of seasonal Thai fruits, the king of Thai fruits – durian, the queen of Thai fruits – mangosteen, plus mango, banana, coconut, rose apple, watermelon and many more, try the mouthwatering preserved fruits, fruit sherbet, fruit blend, fruit cake and some of our other bygone fruit products. All you can eat at Bht. 180.- net per person at the Fruit Court on 18th floor

For more information & restaurant reservation, please contact

Tel : 66 (0) 2656 3000, 66 (0) 2656 3456 ext. 4

E-mail : callcenter@baiyoke.co.th

Website : www.baiyokehotel.com

8 tips for circling the globe

2009-02-05T00:51:00.000+07:00

Dreaming of an around-the-world trip? Budget Travel asked eight nomads for long-term travel tips and tricks.

Look for banks with low transaction fees abroad, one world traveler suggests.

1. THE ROUTE "Many people are too ambitious and want to make 14 stops in four weeks. I like to spend at least a week in each place to become really familiar with it." -- Tom Michelson, corporate vice president, AirTreks, an airline broker that specializes in around-the-world tickets

2. DOCUMENTS "Before a long trip, you often can't get all of your visas because some are valid only for three to six months. Instead, pick them up at travel agencies along the way. For example, if you need a Cambodian visa, buy it in Thailand." -- Alex Boylan, host, "Around the World for Free," an online reality series

3. FLIGHTS "Air brokers offer the best prices on around-the-world tickets -- your total might be half of what you'd pay if you bought each leg individually. Airline partnerships such as Star Alliance also sell multiflight tickets, but theirs tend to be pricier." -- Gayle Forman, author, "You Can't Get There From Here: A Year on the Fringes of a Shrinking World"

4. HEALTH INSURANCE "American insurers typically don't cover everything abroad. We bought extra insurance through World Nomads, which has policies ranging in length from one week to six months." -- Jennifer Baggett, Amanda Pressner, and Holly Corbett, travel bloggers, LostGirlsWorld.com.

5. ATM CARDS "Find banks with low transaction fees abroad. I opened an account with Capital One because it didn't charge conversion fees for most foreign ATM withdrawals." -- Brook Silva-Braga, director, "A Map for Saturday," a travel documentary

6. PACKING "Test the weight of your backpack at home: You should be able to wear it around for a half hour without getting sweaty or feeling like your spine is going to crumble." -- Doug Lansky, author, "First-Time Around the World: A Rough Guide Special"

7. GUIDES "Instead of lugging books around, research hotels and sights online and take notes. For free maps, visit the tourism bureau in each city." -- Colm Hanratty, editor, Hostelworld.com

8. ENERGY "Bring bouillon cubes -- I drank a cup of broth every day to replenish all the salt I sweated out." -- Charley Boorman, coauthor, "Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Across the World"

Record Heat Wave Hits Australia

2009-02-05T00:46:00.002+07:00

Melbourne recorded its hottest ever three-day heatwave after the temperature hit 43.8 degrees Celsius (110.84 Fahrenheit), the third day above 43 Celsius.

Mick Tsikas / Reuters

n the final days of 2008, residents of Australia's southeast might have been forgiven for thinking summer had finished early. On the island state of Tasmania in the far south, freezing gales blew, blanketing mountains with snow. In the state of Victoria, in the southeastern corner of the mainland, the number of sunny hours a day dropped from the normal 8.3 to a mere seven. "Where has our summer gone," moaned a newspaper report, while some readers commented that it made you wonder if global warming was real.

Three weeks later and the complaints are rather different. A scorching northwesterly wind has blasted much of southeastern Australia for almost a week, creating the worst heat wave in the region for 70 years. Dozens of people reportedly died in the heat, many of them elderly. More than half a million homes and businesses lost power for days, railway lines buckled and bushfires burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed at least 29 homes. "We're in uncharted waters, unprecedented condition. It's the hottest week since records began," the Premier (Governor) of Victoria John Brumby told reporters as he toured bushfire ravaged areas over the weekend. (See "Australia's Hidden Islands".)

In South Australia, Premier Mike Rann warned: "Everyone has a responsibility to care for the elderly and children who were the most vulnerable." He also had to explain why the state's power supply had collapsed as tens of thousands of residents turned on their air conditioning.

The heat wave began on Jan. 28. In Adelaide, South Australia's capital, 1.1 million inhabitants baked as the capital recorded its hottest day in 70 years and more than 26 sudden deaths were reported by the South Australian ambulance service. At one point the mercury tipped 114 Fahrenheit (45.7 C.). The night brought little respite with temperatures dropping to 93 F. (33.9 C.)�the hottest night in the city on record. (Raising the Bar on Fighting Climate Change.)

Melbourne experienced its hottest week since the mid 1800s when temperature measurements were first taken. Victorian Police said that at least six people could have died from heat-related conditions. The economic cost to Victoria was expected to top $62 million. Matches at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne were delayed when organizers closed the centre court for 45 minutes. Commuter trains were thrown into chaos as lines buckled and power blackouts halted services.

Victoria-based Weather Bureau meteorologist Dr Harvey Stern blamed weeks of westerly winds for blocking colder blasts of air that would normally reduce temperatures. "It's very unusual for Melbourne. The only similar heat wave was in 1908 but that wasn't as hot," he says.

To make matters worse, bushfires fanned by the northwesterly winds raged through tinder dry inland regions. Near the Strzelecki Mountain range, about 62 miles (100km) southeast of Melbourne, arsonists were blamed for starting a fire that burned out more than 15,000 acres and cut a swathe through the tiny town of Boolarra. Boolarra resident Peter Stasinowsky, who stamped out embers with his feet and used a garden hose to save his home, described the blaze as "bloody huge."(Read "In Tongues of Flame".)

"It came over the hill pretty ferociously and it jumped over into the centre of town where there's a bit of bush. I wouldn't hazard a guess how big it was. They had a hell of a fight to stop it. The heat had something to do with it but we think it was deliberately lit," says the local builder.

Even Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was confronted with the issue when an elderly parishioner collapsed near him on Feb. 1, during a church service in the Australian capital Canberra. In what was a dream photo op for any politician, Mr Rudd was photographed carrying the parishioner out of the church and later urged residents to "pop in and check" on their neighbors in the extreme heat.

Australia's Minister for Climate Change Penny Wong told the media the heat wave was "consistent with climate change, and all of this is consistent with what scientists told us would happen." But some readers remained skeptical. "One swallow does not make a summer�a few stinking awful days doesn't mean the climate is changing either," one person emailed to the Canberra Times. It was not clear where in Australia he lived.

On the taco trail in L.A.

2009-02-02T23:36:00.001+07:00

Across the city, Angelenos fuel up at gleaming, brightly painted taco trucks for a dinner or late-night snack of tortas, quesadillas and burritos (but mostly tacos). Here are a few of the best trucks.

El Chato's tacos are tiny but pack in lots of flavor.

Stationed at a mid-city intersection, El Chato serves dishes that are almost elegant, in spite of the streetside location. The tacos ($1) are tiny two-biters topped with sweet onions sautéed with fiery halves of chili peppers, plus limes, lemons and radishes. The sauce that accompanies specialties such as carne asada (marinated grilled beef), al pastor (pork) and cabeza (beef head and cheeks) is smoky and unusual: there might even be some lemongrass in there, though of course the cooks would never spill the secret of their cult success.

Southwest corner of Olympic Blvd. and La Brea Ave., Mid-City West, 8 p.m. to midnight Mon.-Thurs., 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fri.-Sat. Dishes $1-$4.

Taco Zone may be the most popular food truck in town, judging by the constant line of hungry citizens clamoring at its window nightly. With a wide sidewalk ideal for sprawling with your crew and Echo Park's hippest bars nearby, the location is great for people-watching. Just about everything here deserves its reputation, but since you have to choose, go for a quesadilla: this is one of the few trucks serving the cheesy creation. Try it with suadero (chopped sirloin) and top it with whatever sauces and garnishes are offered along the side of the truck -- spicy avocado sauce, pico de gallo, onions, cilantro and peppery red salsa.

Going a bit overboard with the mouth-burning options is fine here, as they can all be counterbalanced with some heavenly horchata. This soothing drink of rice, almond flour, sugar, vanilla and plenty of cinnamon is made daily by the friendly ladies who make the truck so welcoming. Budget Travel: Check out some of L.A.'s tastiest taco trucks

Corner of N. Alvarado St. and Montana St., Echo Park, 7 p.m. to midnight Sun.-Thurs., 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. Dishes $1.50-$5.

Tacos Arabes has the name of its house specialty painted on its window. Tacos arabes were fusion before the term existed: The story is that in the 1930s an Iraqi or Lebanese immigrant in Mexico put his own spin on tacos, using Middle Eastern seasonings such as cumin and turmeric and a wheat tortilla. Another specialty here is the corn tortillas. They're handmade in the tortilleria next to where the truck parks, and their freshness really comes through. Specialists making the tortillas work late into the evening, and diners can spot them in action, forming the cornmeal disks that will soon be topped with beef, pork, chicken and sautéed vegetables.

Northwest corner of Sunset Blvd. and Logan St., Echo Park, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Mon.-Sat. Dishes $2-$4.

Rich experiences a bargain in Costa Rica

2009-01-28T01:47:00.001+07:00

If you consider new experiences and foreign cultures an investment, Costa Rica might be a better option than the stock market right now.

Manuel Antonio National Park is a popular destination for Costa Rica visitors.

The country boasts a rich assortment of wildlife, including these white-faced monkeys.

Horseback tours are available to Nauyaca Waterfalls in southern Costa Rica.

Flights are reasonable -- I paid roughly $370 from Atlanta, Georgia, on short notice -- and if you're smart, so are meals.

Sodas, small roadside stands which have minimal seating but maximum eating capacity, serve traditional dishes such as gallo pinto, a religiously devoured dish of rice, beans and alternating spices, or chicharrones, a typical fried meat dish. Cheap and delicious, they're a great way to dine your way through the country for just a few dollars.

And in Costa Rica, even indulging is cheap: For the most part, top-flight restaurants won't cost you more than $25 a person.

I was able to save some money by traveling with my friend Cristina and her family. But even if you don't know anyone in Costa Rica, you can experience the authentic Costa Rican Tico style without going broke. Just follow me.

South to San Isidro

First thing to do upon arriving in the capital, San Jose, is head south. As in all tourism-driven countries, there are decidedly more expensive and increasingly non-indigenous sections of country, the north being the perpetrator here. For us, San Isidro, a small city in the southern part of the country, was our first stop.

We drove, but if you don't want to shell out a few hundred dollars for gas and the weekly rental of a car, buses are cheap and trustworthy. The quickest route to San Isidro is along the Pan-American Highway, a winding, throttled roadway through mountains and rainforest.

Spinning through the fog and rain, our car pumping along, the silhouette of valleys along cliffs edge on either side of us, I began to ask myself when this trip would level out. As we approached our destination and the pulsing lights of the city in the valley below burgeoned, I had my answer.

San Isidro sits amidst the hills on the edge of Chirripo National Park. What seems like a sluggish little town proves otherwise, as the center of the city is vibrant and rhythmic, bustling with people, shops and a multitude of restaurants. The main square, at the base of the town's largest church, is attractive with its surrounding cafes, markets and stores.

Particularly appealing is the Central market, open every day but Sunday until 5 p.m. The true character -- and cheapest meals -- of San Isidro are uncovered here, where bakeries, food stands and sweet shops act as a culinary history of a people . The empanadas, ceviches and plates of rice and beans -- with their Spanish roots -- were especially tantalizing.

Waterfalls and surf

The next day, we headed off toward the coast, but not before stopping to take a trip through the rainforest on horseback to Nauyaca Waterfalls. For $45, Don Lulo's Nauyaca Waterfalls provides the horse, escort and grub.

I admit I'd never been on a horse before, and the lack of control I felt at first wasn't altogether pleasing. Despite some startling missteps by my horse, Yogi, I felt safe most of the time, and the trip was capped off with an amazing lunch of chicken, beans, rice and batidos, a popular Costa Rican drink consisting of fruit blended in water or milk.

From the falls, we shot to Dominical, a small surf enclave with a rugged unmarked beach. We checked into Tortilla Flats, a hotel that sits 20 feet from the beach. For $20 a night, its location can't be beat, even if its spartan rooms left a bit to be desired.

The town has a bounty of small eateries. With multiple choices, including a sushi restaurant and a Mex-American bar, we chose a small deserted soda to dine in. The open air and scanty seating assured us that this was the place locals -- and thus fine indigenous food -- could be found. We were right.

Wildlife in Manuel Antonio

Last Stop: Manuel Antonio. This resort town sits on the edge of a national park. Frequented by movie stars and everybody else, the main road is lined with fancy hotels and restaurants. But the beauty of the place is that it's not a one-note town. Scattered amongst the resorts are affordable accommodations that don't skirt quality. At Villas El Parque, one such lodging, our room's expansive views of the ocean were enthralling.

A variety of restaurants, from tourist traps to small gastronomic gems, litter the mountainside. El Avion might be of interest, as it's built around an old C-123 that was the sister plane of the one at the center of the 1980s Iran/Contra affair. Salvaged from the San Jose airport in 2000, it now acts not only as a novelty but also as a nightclub.

The park itself is the main draw. Though it is smaller than most other national parks, its assortment of wildlife is astounding. You've got to be quick to catch a glimpse of the endangered squirrel monkey or a colorfully brilliant toucan. If a slow pace is more your style, lovably indolent sloths abound.

I suggest hiring a tour guide. For a minimal fee, their quick vision and knowledge of the park's life forms will no doubt ease any reluctance you might have about not going it alone. For a day's worth of fun, you won't spend more than $25 a person.

For the week, I struggled to spend $300 in this tiny country, ironic when one considers that the English translation, Rich Coast, was coined when Spanish explorers came ashore in the 1500s and found natives wearing gold bands in their ears.

Depending on your budget, anything from zip-line tours to windsurfing and scuba diving to climbing the edge of volcanoes can be accomplished in Costa Rica. The Tico lifestyle is enticing. A relaxed and languid pace reminds you of exactly what life is about -- and how not to go broke trying to discover it.

Scottish fish and chip shop is UK's best

2009-01-26T14:38:00.000+07:00

LONDON, England -- A Scottish fish and chip shop visited by Prince William, Robert De Niro and Tom Hanks has been crowned the best place in Britain to eat the national dish.

Robert and Alison Smith, the owners of the Anstrhuther Fishbar in Fife, celebrate their success.

The UK is in recession, but the nation's traditional takeaway dish is showing no sign of a downturn.

Sales rose at 9,500 chippies in Britain by 1.7 percent last year, according to Seafish, a seafood industry group.

The Anstrhuther Fishbar in Fife, Scotland was crowned the best chippy of 2008 following a rigorous selection procedure that included a customer vote, taste tests and two intense rounds of shop inspections.

"Fish and chip shops are well-placed to prosper in the current economic climate as they offer value for money and a quality product with a feel-good factor," competition judge Andy Gray said.

"Despite the credit crunch, people still want to enjoy small luxuries. Fish and chips are a national institution which have survived the test of time and will be around for many years to come."

Fishbar owner Robert Smith said that the start of 2009 had been the busiest January since the harbor front shop opened in 2003. Smith, who also owns a fish processing business, said dedication was the key to the shop's success.

"We are passionate about our business and we just do it right," he said.

Fish and chips is the most popular hot takeaway in Britain, with 276 million meals eaten every year, according to Seafish figures

Baby ape takes flight -- monkey business class

2009-01-26T14:35:00.000+07:00

A baby ape born in the UK is settling into a new life in a German zoo after flying from Birmingham to Frankfurt -- monkey business class.

Bili the bonobo is to be fostered by an ape at Frankfurt Zoo.

The three-month old male bonobo -- who is to be fostered by a family of German apes after being rejected by his natural mother -- was considered too young and too fragile to travel cargo class, a spokeswoman for the UK's Twycross Zoo told CNN.

Instead, the tiny ape named Bili checked in for the Lufthansa flight with special travel documents -- including a fake passport in the name of "Bili the Bonobo" -- before taking a seat in the cabin alongside a handler from Frankfurt Zoo, who had flown over to accompany him on his unusual journey.

"He was with his keeper all the way to make him feel more comfortable and relaxed, rather than being in a crate," said spokeswoman Kim Riley. "I just wish I'd been there to see the other passengers' faces."

Bonobos, which originate from the Democratic Republic of Congo, are considered particularly intelligent primates. They are the human species' closest relation in the animal world, sharing 99.6 percent of our DNA.

Bili was rejected by his mother after falling ill shortly after his birth and has required extensive nursing and medical care.

Zookeepers in Frankfurt hope he can bond with an adult female bonobo which has been trained to assist with hand rearing babies.

The zoo's bonobo community will also play and interact with Bili, helping him to acquire social skills. Bili will spend 30 days in quarantine at the zoo before being introduced to his new family, Riley said.

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2009

2009-01-24T02:20:00.002+07:00

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2009 CELEBRATIONS AROUND THAILAND
23 January - 4 February 2009

Sino-Thai trade and cultural ties span the centuries. In times past, sea-farers, marine merchants and traders sailed up the kingdom’s rivers with vessels laden with merchandise and precious goods including Chinese tea, silk and fine porcelain. As trade between the two countries flourished, permanent settlements of peoples of various ethnic Chinese origin were soon established. While the early settlers quickly adapted to their new way of life and adopted Thai ways, they also continued to maintain strong cultural ties and practiced the customs and traditions diligently observed by their forefathers. Of these, the celebration of the Chinese New Year remains the most important of annual festivals on the Chinese lunar calendar observed in the various regions of Thailand.

“Chinese New Year in China Town in Thailand” will take place from 23 January to 4 February 2009. Festive celebrations are typically staged in areas where there is a significant Thai-Chinese community such as the Yaowarat district in Bangkok and in the provinces of Ayutthaya, Ratchaburi and Suphan Buri in Central Thailand; in Chon Buri/Pattaya on the Eastern Seaboard; Phuket and Songkhla (Hat Yai district) in the South, Nakhon Ratchasima in the Northeast, Nakhon Sawan and Chiang Mai in the North.

During the event, there will be seven amazing performances from seven regions and provinces of China, namely, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China, Hainan Province bordering the South China Sea, Shandong Province, Anhui Province, Heilongjiang Autonomous Region, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Jilin Province, with the installation of the “Kuan Im Goddess” being presented as an additional highlight. HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will preside over the opening ceremony at Yaowarat — Bangkok’s China Town — on 26 January, 2009.

With the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) receiving the full support of the public and private sector and the active involvement of the Chinese Embassy, airlines, and other related organizations, the Chinese New Year festivities being held in Bangkok’s Chinatown and the following key provinces, namely, Phuket, Nakhon Sawan, Songkhla (Hat Yai district), Chon Buri (Pattaya district), Chiang Mai, and Nakhon Ratchasima are being hosted on a grand scale.

While a variety of contemporary elements have been incorporated through the passage of time, Chinese New Year celebrations throughout Thailand are a reminder of the rich cultural and artistic legacy and wealth of history preserved in these ‘living museums’.

The 2009 Chinese New Year Festival is being jointly organized by TAT, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Embassy Of The People’s Republic Of China in Thailand in Bangkok on behalf of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, Bangkok’s Samphantawong district, Samphantawong community and Thai-Chinese associations throughout Thailand.

CENTRAL THAILAND
	BANGKOK CHINA TOWN CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL 2009 Yaowarat district of Bangkok 26-27 January 2009

	BANGKOK: CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS AT CENTRAL WORLD At CentralWorld, Bangkok 26 January 2009 from 13.00 hrs. onwards

	AYUTTHAYA CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL 2009 District of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya province 27-31 January 2009 Along Naresuan Road from Talat Chao Prom market to the Chao Ai Chao Yee Shrine

	RATCHABURI CHINA TOWN CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL 2009 23- 31 January 2009 Along the main city streets in the Ratchaburi provincial centre

	SUPHAN BURI CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL 2009 At the Suphan Buri City Pillar Shrine in Suphan Buri 25 January - 8 February 2009

EASTERN SEABOARD
	PATTAYA CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL 2009 At the Central Festival Shopping Center by Pattaya Beach and South Pattaya Port (Bali Hai Pier) in Pattaya 24, 26-27 January 2009

SOUTHERN THAILAND
	PHUKET CHINESE NEW YEAR - 10TH OLD PHUKET FESTIVAL 31 January - 2 February, 2009/ 18.00 - 23.00 hrs. At Queen's Park, Along Thalang Road, Krabi Road, and Soi Rommani

	SONGKHLA: HAT YAI CHINESE NEW YEAR 2009 At the Hat Yai Municipality Public Park and Sanehanusorn Road, Hat Yai city centre 26-28 January 2009

NORTHERN THAILAND
	NAKHON SAWAN – PAK NAM PHO – CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL 2009 Downtown, Amphoe Mueang (provincial centre), Nakhon Sawan 19-30 January, 2009

	CHIANG MAI CHINESE NEW YEAR 2009 Along Kuang Meru Road., China Town in Chiang Mai 26-27 January 2009

NORTHEASTERN THAILAND
	NAKHON RATCHASIMA CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL 2009 Thao Suranari Monument, Nakhon Ratchasima provincial centre (Amphoe Mueang) 26-27 January, 2009

IMPORTANT
Event dates and programme details may be subject to change.
Many of the festivals and events listed on Thailand's official calendar of annual events are traditional Buddhist or folk festivals, the date of which is either determined by the Buddhist lunar calendar and waxing and waning moon. These are not staged events. The festivals reflect the rhythm of life in rural Thai villages and local traditions as observed in times past. To ensure you have the most updated information, please reconfirm details prior to travel.

Contact:
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Email: info@tat.or.th
Website: www.tat.or.th
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 (120 automatic lines)
Fax: +66 (0) 2250 5511 (two automatic lines)

FOR EVENT INFORMATION,
please call 1672.

Address:
1600 Petchaburi Road, Makkasan, Rajatevee
Bangkok 10400
Thailand

LONDON

2009-01-22T19:39:00.001+07:00

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Fifteen crew members of a South African Airways flight spent the night in jail after customs officials found marijuana and cocaine worth nearly half a million dollars hidden aboard a long-distance flight to London, British customs officials said Wednesday.

South African Airways said it has a zero-tolerance approach towards any criminal activity.

The 10 women and five men -- who include three pilots -- were detained on arrival from Johannesburg, South Africa, after customs officials found 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of marijuana and 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) of cocaine in three pieces of baggage, HM Revenue and Customs said.

The drugs are estimated to be worth a total of £310,000 ($428,000), customs officials added.

Border agents arrested the crew at London's Heathrow Airport on suspicion of involvement in smuggling prohibited drugs into the United Kingdom, customs spokesman Bob Gaiger said. He said he was not able to disclose what led investigators to believe the suitcases belonged to the crew members.

Customs officials interviewed the crew members overnight, and all were released on bail Wednesday pending further inquiries, Gaiger said. They were not charged, according to the airline.

South African Airways said it launched its own investigation involving the airline's security and the South African Police Service.

"SAA has a zero-tolerance approach towards the use of the airline's services for any criminal activity," airline spokeswoman Robyn Chalmers said.

2009-01-20T13:21:00.002+07:00

WASHINGTON - On their son's last night as president, a melancholy former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, made an impromptu visit to the White House's press briefing room and told reporters how much they'll miss the building.

Ex-President George H.W. Bush says he'll miss coming and going from the White House.

"We will miss coming and going, but it's time to move on," said the former president, who was a frequent visitor during his son's two terms in office.

"The Bushes are going to a happy life."

When a reporter suggested that perhaps one of their other sons, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, will take the White House someday, the former president smiled.

"Maybe Jeb will do something. I'd like to see him try," the former president said.

Barbara Bush, who was first lady from 1989 to 1993, said the hardest part of the night was saying goodbye to the White House residence staff a second time.

"In tears twice," she said, her eyes red.

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She added that she and her husband are looking forward to attending Tuesday's inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.

"Very exciting day," she said.

In addition to the inauguration, the former first couple was to attend a final dinner at the White House with current President Bush, first lady Laura Bush and the first couple's two daughters, Barbara and Jenna.

As the former first couple left the briefing room, some reporters and photographers spontaneously started clapping out of respect.

Life's a beach with dream Australian island job

2009-01-13T16:44:00.001+07:00

(cnn) - It sounds far too good to be true: a salary of more than $100,000, a free home on a palm-fringed island and all the snorkeling you can be bothered with.

The successful applicant will have plenty of time to explore the Great Barrier Reef.

However, it is true and a very clever marketing ploy to boot.

Australia's Tourism Queensland has garnered worldwide media coverage by advertising the "best job in the world" -- the post of caretaker on Hamilton island in the Great Barrier Reef.

The six-month contract, according to Tourism Queensland, comes with flexible working hours and the successful applicant's "key responsibilities" include exploring the area to discover what is on offer and to report back weekly via blogs, photo diaries, video updates and media interviews.

Sounds taxing doesn't it?

The group said other responsibilities would include cleaning the pool, which comes with your free home, feeding the fish and collecting the mail (this would be done by joining the aerial postal service for a day or two to get a good view of the neighboring islands).

You might also take time out from your busy schedule to check out the turtles and passing whales.

WASHINGTON

2009-01-12T12:36:00.001+07:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- JetBlue Airways and two TSA screeners will pay $240,000 to settle an Iraqi man's claim he was denied access to a flight until he covered a T-shirt that read in English and Arabic, "We Will Not be Silent."

JetBlue and two TSA screeners settled a lawsuit for $240,000, but denied any wrongdoing.

In the settlement, JetBlue and the TSA screeners deny any wrongdoing, saying they only wanted to resolve the 2½-year-old federal lawsuit.

But Raed Jarrar, an Iraqi who immigrated to the United States three years ago, cast the settlement as a victory, saying the payout would discourage airlines and airport security officials from imposing restrictions in the future.

ACLU attorney Aden Fine, who represented Jarrar, also called it a victory. "A $240,000 award should send a clear and strong message to all TSA officials and to all airlines that what happened here is wrong and should not happen again," he said.

The TSA screeners -- Garfield Harris and Franco Trotta -- declined comment, referring questions to their attorneys, who also declined comment, and the TSA.

TSA spokesman Christopher White, while noting that the TSA was not a party to the suit, said "There is absolutely no intention to take disciplinary action against the employees involved."

High and Dry in Chile's Atacama Desert

2009-01-11T13:16:00.001+07:00

Where's the hotel? Luxury properties are coming to the Atacama

Robert Harding World Imagery / Corbis

When the latest 007 flick Quantum of Solace exploded on the world's screens last year, its desert climax highlighted the fact that South America is not all steaming jungles and snowcapped peaks. The continent is also the site of the most arid place on earth — the stunning Atacama Desert in northern Chile.

The area is a fitting locale for part of the film's plot, which involves the sinister Quantum organization in an attempt to cut off a country's precious supply of fresh water. Only parts of Antarctica see less rainfall than the Atacama — a strip of land about 600 miles (1,000 km) long, sandwiched between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. NASA has conducted training missions there, since the rugged landscape is the closest to a Martian surface on our planet, and some of the world's most powerful telescopes are located in the Atacama because its air has little to no moisture. Indeed, parts of the desert are so dry that no life grows — not even bacteria. Of course, all this makes the Atacama seem like the world's most unlikely place for tourism, but its remoteness and superlatives are exactly the things that attract travelers.

"When we opened in 1998, everyone thought we were crazy," says Maurice Dides, the manager of the Hotel de Larache, www.explora.com, located near the sleepy, sandy, stucco village of San Pedro de Atacama. "Now, we are doing renovations just to keep up with all the new properties opening up here."

Since 2006, a number of lodgings have popped up around San Pedro, each more tasteful and upscale than the last. The intimate Awasi, www.awasi.com, feels like the kind of private compound a Hollywood celebrity would relish, while the brand new Hotel Kunza, www.hotelkunza.cl, with its desert-themed spa, is taking a page out of the Four Seasons book. Although put on the travel map by trailblazing backpackers over a decade ago, San Pedro now sees the famous and the well-heeled: Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore have both visited. Small wonder that even more lavish resorts in San Pedro are on the drawing board.

Most lodges in San Pedro include meals, drinks and excursions into the desert in their room price. Die-hard adventurers trudge up the 100-meter-plus mocha sand dunes of the Valle de la Muerte and surf down them on specially outfitted sand boards. Others opt for hikes up the cone-shaped Licancabur volcano, on the border between Chile and Bolivia, with its 19,420-ft. (5,920 m) summit topped by Incan ruins. On any given morning, you'll find groups of travelers dipping into the steaming hot springs at the Tatio Geysers, where over 80 vents make it the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere. The Atacama's high-altitude plains are also home to flamingo-filled salt lakes, where dainty vicuñas (smaller cousins to the llama) go to drink while strange-looking vizcachas (looking like a cross between a rabbit and a squirrel) hop by.

Some political tensions hang in the desert air. Bolivia still claims parts of the Atacama won by Chile in the 1800s War of the Pacific, and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Bolivian President Evo Morales continue to work on patching up the ongoing border dispute. More recently, black flags have fluttered over San Pedro and other Atacama towns in protest at a planned water project that will divert resources from the Tatio Geysers and other Atacama water sources for state-owned mining projects. "Nobody has told us how these water resources are going to be replenished. Who will assure us that we are going to be able to continue to live in this region?" asks Sandra Berna Martinez, mayor of the San Pedro district.

Perhaps 007 will have a solution.

London, Countdown New Year, 2009

2009-01-04T15:45:00.008+07:00

London, Countdown New Year, 2009

http://www.blogger.com/video-play.mp4?contentId=3f6637161fa1f9fd&type=video%2Fmp4

New Year ^^

2008-12-30T14:13:00.004+07:00

New Year London , 2009

The New Year is an event that happens when a culture celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of the next year. Cultures that measure yearly calendars all have New Year celebrations

Sydney leads the world in one of the first major New Year celebrations each year.

London too has a major New year celebrations.

In countries governed by the Gregorian calendar, the celebration of New Year is celebrated on January 1, the date that is considered the most festive of them.

Traditionally, the Roman calendar began the first day of March. However, it was in January (the eleventh month) when the consuls of ancient Rome assumed the government. Julius Caesar, in 47 BC, changed the system, creating the Julian calendar, with some modifications in the time of Marco Antonio consul in 44 BC, the emperor Augustus Caesar in 8 BC and finally by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, is used today. In this year begins on January 1. Subsequently, the Gregorian calendar had the habit and the celebration was marked with a religious significance during the Middle Ages and later centuries.

With the expansion of Western culture to the rest of the world during the twentieth century, the January 1 date became a universal in nature, even in countries with their own New Year celebrations (e.g., China).

At present, the celebration of New Year is a major event in the world. Major events are held in major cities around the world New Year's Eve (New Year's Eve for the December 31), being accompanied by the largest fireworks events. The largest events in the world are focused on:

While in Sydney was launched at midnight over 80,000 fireworks to more than one and a half million attendees, being the most-watched event on television worldwide last year at Valparaiso receive more than two million visitors to witness the largest fireworks in a natural setting and the huge worldwide; a total of more than 21 kilometers of fireworks on the bay, from the commercial port city of Valparaiso to Concon, Chile, all in 25 minutes of entertainment. In New York, the celebration is focused around a big crystal ball that descends on a crowd in Times Square, is also the party with the largest number of attendees last year: more than three million people. Moreover, much of the huge holiday clubs.

In the culture of Latin America there are a variety of traditions and superstitions for these dates as a way of omens for the coming year. The uncorking a bottle of champagne at 0:00 1. January still remains a symbol of New Year's celebration.

The New Year feast is closely related to the celebration of Christmas Eve, Christmas and Hannukah. Due to the closeness between all these parties is that much of the world sees the last week of the year as the beginning of the holiday period, either in winter (in the Northern Hemisphere) or summer (in the Southern Hemisphere).

According to the Judeo-Christian tradition, on January 1 coincides with the circumcision of Christ (eight days after birth), when the name of Jesus (Luke (II: 21)).

Boxing Day

2008-12-27T12:45:00.003+07:00

Boxing day, 2008

Boxing Day
Line for Boxing Day sale outside a Future Shop store in Canada.

Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, countries in the Commonwealth of Nations with a mainly Christian population, and parts of the United States. In South Africa, this public holiday is now known as the Day of Goodwill. It is based on the tradition of giving gifts to the less fortunate members of society. Contemporary Boxing Day in many countries is now a "shopping holiday" associated with after-Christmas sales.

This day is historically England's name for St. Stephen's Day. Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr, being stoned to death in Jerusalem around A.D. 34-35. St. Stephen's Day is usually celebrated on December 26, which is a public holiday in some countries or areas in Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, Alsace, northern part of Lorraine, Catalonia) and around the world with predominantly Christian populations. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, St Stephen's Day is celebrated on the 27th of December, although in Greece the Greek Boxing Day (Synaxis Theotokou, Σύναξις Θεοτόκου) is also celebrated as a public holiday on the 26th of December and is not related to the English version.

In Ireland the Bank Holidays Act 1871 established the feast day of St. Stephen's Day as a non-moveable public holiday on December the 26th, although since partition the name "Boxing Day" is used by the authorities in Northern Ireland and it has become a moveable public holiday in que with the rest of the UK. The Banking and Financial Dealings Act of 1971 established "Boxing Day" as a public holiday in Scotland. In the Australian state of South Australia, December the 26th is a public holiday known as Proclamation Day.

It is usually celebrated on the 26th of December, the day after Christmas Day however, unlike St. Stephen's Day, Boxing Day is not always on the 26th of December: its associated public holiday can be moved to the next weekday if the 26th of December is a Saturday or Sunday. The movement of Boxing Day varies between countries.

Semantic Web

2008-12-24T17:14:00.005+07:00

The "semantic Web" does not sound like it's fun and easy to use, but it could make surfing Web 3.0 a more rewarding and interactive experience. Some believe it could even lead to a new form of artificial intelligence.

Spotlets pop up on a 'semantic Web' kiosk run by a pair of German researchers.

The idea behind the semantic Web, very broadly, is that things on the Internet will be described with descriptor languages so that computers can "understand" what they are.

An object might be a marked as a car part or a person, for instance. If objects were thus identified, an enormous network of linked data would emerge and machines, with their vast processing speeds, could suggest surprising and useful links that the human mind could never come up with, posing the possibility of a new sort of artificial intelligence.

The semantic Web is considered a key part of the upcoming "Web 3.0." It's starting to occur here and there, but widespread adoption is still a long way off.

A pair of German researchers have created an experimental kiosk that lets you easily use semantic Web capabilities -- even if you have no idea what they are. All that is needed is an iPhone and a finger with which to drag icons around on the kiosk's touch screen.

The kiosk takes advantage of the fact that MP3 files are "things" that have already been described in ways that machines can understand. That's because they have ID3 tags, which supply information on the artist and album.

http://s4.dancingsantacard.com/default.aspx?santa=3410763

BEIJING, China

2008-12-23T12:10:00.003+07:00

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- China in 1978 was stranded at a political crossroad. It was just emerging from the chaos of the Cultural Revolution and the death of Chairman Mao. Deng Xiaoping had emerged as the new leader, but Mao's dogma remained deep-rooted and seemingly immutable. In and outside the Communist Party, a debate raged: Where to, China?

CNN Beijing Bureau Chief Jaime FlorCruz worked on a farm in China's Hunan province during the 1970s.

Inside a Beijing factory during the early 1970s, long before "Made in China" became the national brand.

Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping embraces former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in Beijing in 1987.

-------------------------------------

On December 18, 1978, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping gave his answer. In a Communist Party meeting in Beijing that day, the political elite adopted Deng's pragmatic program and launched economic reforms. New China was born.

People paraded in the streets to celebrate. Families gathered around the dinner table, uncorked wine bottles and toasted each other.

Thirty years hence, China's radical makeover is apparent.

China now is nothing short of an economic miracle. Its economy has grown at an average of 9.8 percent since 1978, making it the fourth largest economy in the world. Incredibly, China has pulled off the equivalent of reform, renaissance and industrial revolution in 30 years. Watch what Deng unleashed »

It's incredible because only three decades ago China was so poor and isolated.

I saw it up close when I worked on a farm in Hunan province, Chairman Mao's hometown, not long after I first arrived in China in 1971. For several months, I worked there with a production team planting rice, picking tea leaves, feeding pigs and digging ditches. Farmers worked hard and lived Spartan lives. Once, I attended a meeting to honor model workers; they were awarded bath towels and wash basins.

Watch FlorCruz describe China's transformation since his arrival in 1971 »

Christmas day

2008-12-22T12:32:00.003+07:00

Christmas (IPA: /krɪsməs/), also referred to as Christmas Day or Christmastide, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that marks and honors the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.The birth of Jesus, which is the basis for the anno Domini system of dating, is thought to have occurred between 7 and 2 BC. December 25 is not thought to be Jesus' actual date of birth, and the date may have been chosen to correspond with either a Roman festival,or with the winter solstice.

Modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, church celebrations, and the display of various decorations—including the Christmas tree, lights, mistletoe, nativity scenes and holly. Santa Claus (also referred to as Father Christmas, although the two figures have different origins) is a popular mythological figure often associated with bringing gifts at Christmas. Santa is generally believed to be the result of a syncretization between St. Nicholas of Myra and elements from pagan Nordic and Christian mythology, and his modern appearance is believed to have originated in 19th century media.

Christmas is celebrated throughout the Christian population, but is also celebrated by many non-Christians as a secular, cultural festival. The holiday is celebrated around the world. Because gift-giving and several other aspects of the holiday involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, Christmas has become a major event for many retailers.

http://s4.dancingsantacard.com/default.aspx?santa=3410763 fun fun

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/07/01/daily.snapshot/index.html

Second life

2008-12-19T16:22:00.001+07:00

Second Life (abbreviated as SL) is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab which launched on June 23, 2003 and is accessible via the Internet. A free client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars. Residents can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property and services with one another, or travel throughout the world, which residents refer to as the grid. Second Life caters for users aged over eighteen, while its sister site Teen Second Life is restricted to users aged between thirteen and eighteen.

Built into the client is a simple primitive based three dimensional modeling tool that allows any resident to build virtual objects. This can be used in combination with a scripting language called Linden Scripting Language which can be used to add functionality to objects. More complex three dimensional Sculpted prims, colloquially known as sculpties, textures for clothing or other objects, and animations and gestures, can be created using external software. The Second Life Terms of Service ensure that users retain copyright for any content they create, and the server and client provide simple Digital rights management functions.

Second Life has an internal currency, the Linden dollar (L$). L$ can be used to trade goods, land and services with other users. Virtual goods include buildings, vehicles, devices of all kinds, animations, clothing, skin, hair, jewelry, flora and fauna, and works of art. Land in Second Life is a valuable and scarce commodity and can be bought, sold or rented. Users may also offer items or services to other users in exchange for L$; services include "camping", working in stores, business management, entertainment (which prominently includes adult entertainment), custom content creation, and other personal services. L$ is usually purchased from other users with real-world currency; Linden Lab and others offer a brokerage service for these transactions. The most popular usage for the exchange of L$ for US$ is in order to pay Second Life's subscription fees. In spite of attracting large volumes of press coverage, only a very small percentage of Residents derive a net income from the economy.

In 2008, Second Life was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards Philip Rosedale, President of Linden Lab, accepted the award. for advancing the development of online sites with user-generated content.

		Second Life

		Developer(s)	Linden Research, Inc
		Engine	Proprietary, free, and open source software Physics: Havok 4 Audio: FMOD
		Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows Windows 2000 SP4 Windows XP SP2 and SP3 Windows Vista Mac OS X (10.4.11 or higher) Linux i686
		Release date(s)	23 June 2003

		System requirements	Broadband Internet access 512MB RAM 50MB HD space (1000MB for Disk Cache) 800 MHz x86 CPU or better (Win, Linux) 1GHz G4 or better/Intel Core Processor (Mac) Graphics nVidia GeForce 2, GeForce4 MX or better ATI Radeon 8500, Radeon 9250 or better
		Input methods	Keyboard, Mouse, Gamepad but minimum movement, 3Dconnexion Space Navigator.