Just a few short weeks ago, Seven Souls Online was in closed beta and Massively readers were scooping up beta keys to test it out. Now, with closed beta, well, closed and open beta just around the corner, the team at NEOWIZ GAMES sat down to show off the state of the game and its plans for launch. The devs showed some beginner gameplay and then revealed some of the content that's ready and waiting for the higher levels. From jackpots to cubes to rage mode, Lead Community Manager Cesar Gatica and Marketing Manager Joon Yoon explained it all. What the heck are jackpots, cubes, and rage mode? Read on!
First off, the team gave an overview of the nuts and bolts of the game, starting with classes. As Community Manager Gatica explained, there are three classes. The Exiled Avenger is best described as a rogue type, with stealth, dagger, and ranged attacks. The Imperial Guard is basically a melee toon, with a variety of weapons at his dispense, while the Manatech Rebel is looks like a hybrid melee/magic user. There is a fourth class hinted at on the character select screen, but right now its still under wraps and will be revealed later on. The character creator is very detailed, and when open beta arrives, the team plans on holding an in-game event called "infamous character creator" to see how many famous icons players can come up with.
The game takes place in the realm of Akkadia, and when open beta launches, players will be able to access more areas than in closed. The tutorial areas and the UI have the same familiar features that are common in MMOs, with features like minimaps, quest trackers, waypoint paths, and casting hotbars. One of the more unique features, though, is the Jackpot bar. It's based on damage dealt, and when you've dealt enough and filled the bar, you can select from four different prizes and then roll to see what you've won. There is a chance of failure, though!
Another feature that the team showed off is the cube system. When players reach level 10, they gain access to the Cube, in which players can place items and then combine, dismantle, or copy them. Combining unwanted items in the cube gives you a chance of creating a tier pebble, which is a crafting item, and from there you can click on that to get a random item. If you dismantle an tem, it spawns jewels that can be applied to the armor and gives stat bonuses as well as improves the look of the armor. There are currently 10 levels, and when you reach the higher levels you begin to glow silver and eventually gold. If you feel lucky and want to see if you can double your loot, you can put an item in the cube, copy it, and have a chance to create a second copy of the item.
Combat is fast, and based on a combo-system. The more successive hits, the greater the damage you deal. It also opens up special attacks and chain attacks as well as rage mode. When a player does enough damage, he can activate rage, which allows him to do double damage for a certain amount of time. As players level up, the time they remain in rage increases.
While you're out adventuring, there are regular task-type quests, area quests that open up as you enter a certain area, and special storyline quests. The storyline quests are a bit more in depth, and during the demo, the team showed a cutscene involving a traitorous general and his army, who are attempting to take over a palace, and the player is asked to drive them back. As for the zones, when players start off, the areas have an Asian look to them, but as players venture out, the areas take on more of a Medieval-European look. Players can use both portals located throughout the areas to speed up travel and travel hubs that allow them to ride floating futuristic-steampunk motorcycles to various waypoints.
The team also talked about features and content for groups and guilds. Guilds can level up in game, and as they level up, they can earn special buffs. There is group content for up to groups of four as well as overland bosses for groups and larger bosses for raids of over 20 players.
The world is PvP, but there are no factions, so it's pretty much a free-for-all. However, the team has said that it is always listening to what the community wants, and the devs have the ability to switch to a PvE style if the players demand it.
2012年3月7日星期三
2012年2月28日星期二
Nine-year-old can solve Rubik’s puzzle in seconds
IT’S a puzzle which has left most people stumped for almost 40 years.
But nine-year-old Darrin McDonald can solve the Rubik’s Cube no problem – and it only takes him around 90 seconds.
The youngster is such a natural at the puzzle that he has also solved a larger version – which has five squares down each side rather than three – though that takes him around an hour.
He’s also mastered a 15-sided pentagonal version and is now working on the seven-square cube.
Darrin, from Chesser, said he had started out with the regular cube.
“I got that about a year ago,” he said. “It was a present from my mum’s boyfriend. For the first one I used YouTube to work it out, but after that I started trying to figure them out myself and I moved on to the next one and the next one.
“I don’t know why I’m good at it. Everyone was really surprised when I brought it into school and I showed them, I felt nervous, but proud too.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Darrin’s favourite subject at school is maths – but he’s not your archetypal studious puzzler and is more likely to be found getting up to mischief than asking for extra homework, according to class teacher, Chris Kelly.
He said: “It’s great, it’s absolutely terrific. I was just blown away, particularly with the 15-sided one. It’s particularly good with Darrin because he sometimes gets in a bit of trouble but it’s brilliant to recognise his talents – all children have talents in a range of different ways and this is one particular area where his talents are really shining.”
Darrin showed off his incredible skill to fellow pupils at Balgreen Primary in assembly, and has now become a tutor for classmates who want to follow in his footsteps.
“We have problem-solving hours on Tuesday and I teach a group of people, but they find it quite hard,” the youngster said.
His record for completing a standard cube from scratch is one minute and 39 seconds, achieved in school assembly, which puts him just a shade behind Labour leader Ed Milliband, who famously boasted that he could solve the cube in 90 seconds.
He still needs a little practice until he can challenge the world record holder, however, after 17-year-old Feliks Zemdegs completed the cube in just 5.66 seconds at the Australia Melbourne Winter Open competition last year.
Mr Kelly said: “In class we’ve been focusing on problem-solving and thinking skills and how to apply that in lots of other areas.
“So then Darrin brought in his Rubik’s cube and showed it to us, so we started to celebrate that and it’s grown from that.
“He’s got a real talent for maths – a lot of kids don’t recognise they do have talents. Since we started celebrating his talents, his self-esteem has risen, and his ability to be more self-reflective on areas that he’s good at.”
But nine-year-old Darrin McDonald can solve the Rubik’s Cube no problem – and it only takes him around 90 seconds.
The youngster is such a natural at the puzzle that he has also solved a larger version – which has five squares down each side rather than three – though that takes him around an hour.
He’s also mastered a 15-sided pentagonal version and is now working on the seven-square cube.
Darrin, from Chesser, said he had started out with the regular cube.
“I got that about a year ago,” he said. “It was a present from my mum’s boyfriend. For the first one I used YouTube to work it out, but after that I started trying to figure them out myself and I moved on to the next one and the next one.
“I don’t know why I’m good at it. Everyone was really surprised when I brought it into school and I showed them, I felt nervous, but proud too.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Darrin’s favourite subject at school is maths – but he’s not your archetypal studious puzzler and is more likely to be found getting up to mischief than asking for extra homework, according to class teacher, Chris Kelly.
He said: “It’s great, it’s absolutely terrific. I was just blown away, particularly with the 15-sided one. It’s particularly good with Darrin because he sometimes gets in a bit of trouble but it’s brilliant to recognise his talents – all children have talents in a range of different ways and this is one particular area where his talents are really shining.”
Darrin showed off his incredible skill to fellow pupils at Balgreen Primary in assembly, and has now become a tutor for classmates who want to follow in his footsteps.
“We have problem-solving hours on Tuesday and I teach a group of people, but they find it quite hard,” the youngster said.
His record for completing a standard cube from scratch is one minute and 39 seconds, achieved in school assembly, which puts him just a shade behind Labour leader Ed Milliband, who famously boasted that he could solve the cube in 90 seconds.
He still needs a little practice until he can challenge the world record holder, however, after 17-year-old Feliks Zemdegs completed the cube in just 5.66 seconds at the Australia Melbourne Winter Open competition last year.
Mr Kelly said: “In class we’ve been focusing on problem-solving and thinking skills and how to apply that in lots of other areas.
“So then Darrin brought in his Rubik’s cube and showed it to us, so we started to celebrate that and it’s grown from that.
“He’s got a real talent for maths – a lot of kids don’t recognise they do have talents. Since we started celebrating his talents, his self-esteem has risen, and his ability to be more self-reflective on areas that he’s good at.”
2012年2月27日星期一
Another Golden Opportunity
Besides "money," the word "opportunity" may just be the hardest working word in show business. Everybody says they need it, many more claim they have been denied it, some squander it, others misuse it or fail to take advantage of it. In some cases, like with my friend Lindsay Lohan who will be off probation in a week or so, opportunity is now set to knock twice. Just two weeks since the Grammys and tonight we are buzzing about the Oscars. The accolades are flying and the nominations have been made and decided. The question is, do we accept the winner or are there just a lot of different opinions and support basis simply giving a few people a chance "on deck?" Either way, the glitz and glamour of the Oscars is seen around the globe, sparking the imagination of future winners and the dreams of many.
Today, we live in a global community; one that is primarily about movements such as the wildfire sparked in Egypt by one woman on a computer, which then set a revolutionary domino effect into play. The present debate on whether Olivia Spencer and Viola Davis should be receiving awards for playing out the role of maids in "The Help" is not a movement but an argument. We heard the same outcry when Halle Barry got an Oscar for "Monster's Ball" and Denzel Washington for his role in "Training Day." I hear that point. It was clear to me about the acceptance of people of color, when in "Boys in the Hood" Ice Cube said the line "Either they don't know, they don't show, or they don't care about what is going on in the hood." I personally understand that America can never live up to its "true value" until it learns the "economy of us."
But, with that said, are we really looking for actors "playing a role" to do the job of a people? Reality is, if we want these sisters playing a better role or making better points then we should write it, fund it and get behind it. Years ago, Magic Johnson made a move to put his line of theaters across the country. But where is the "Michael Jordan Film Company" to compliment it? I have seen Oscars, Grammys and Championship rings sitting on the shelves of upper scale pawnshops, so I am not much worried about the current Oscar debates. Civil Rights advocate Walter Reuther once said, "When there is hatred in the heart there is no reasoning in the head." One of the responsibilities to winning is "proper preparation." If Olivia Spencer has put in her proper "preparation" for the role she played, let us not minimize her victory because we can't reason in "our head" that she received an opportunity based on a reality of a pain we don't want to face.
When I see the Oscars, I take note that at the end of every interview, the question is asked "Who are you wearing?" The replies are laced with the names of designers from all over the world. Yet, like the brother Hill Harper said recently "You can't be free, if the cost of being you is too high." As for me, wherever I am called to pick up my Gold Statue, what I will be "wearing" is the dreams of those who have yet to make it there. This week I am on my way to Boston to see Darrell Jones and to see what can be done to help shine some light on Boston and Providence's film and hip hop community. I will be holding a showing of my Award-winning short "Hollywood Jerome" as well as looking for talent for my upcoming feature film. Guess you could say I am looking to take it to the streets and see how many awards from the Academy of "Hard Knocks" we can give out! Let us always be mindful that it is not always where you're from, but where you're at . Me, I am always with the people!
Today, we live in a global community; one that is primarily about movements such as the wildfire sparked in Egypt by one woman on a computer, which then set a revolutionary domino effect into play. The present debate on whether Olivia Spencer and Viola Davis should be receiving awards for playing out the role of maids in "The Help" is not a movement but an argument. We heard the same outcry when Halle Barry got an Oscar for "Monster's Ball" and Denzel Washington for his role in "Training Day." I hear that point. It was clear to me about the acceptance of people of color, when in "Boys in the Hood" Ice Cube said the line "Either they don't know, they don't show, or they don't care about what is going on in the hood." I personally understand that America can never live up to its "true value" until it learns the "economy of us."
But, with that said, are we really looking for actors "playing a role" to do the job of a people? Reality is, if we want these sisters playing a better role or making better points then we should write it, fund it and get behind it. Years ago, Magic Johnson made a move to put his line of theaters across the country. But where is the "Michael Jordan Film Company" to compliment it? I have seen Oscars, Grammys and Championship rings sitting on the shelves of upper scale pawnshops, so I am not much worried about the current Oscar debates. Civil Rights advocate Walter Reuther once said, "When there is hatred in the heart there is no reasoning in the head." One of the responsibilities to winning is "proper preparation." If Olivia Spencer has put in her proper "preparation" for the role she played, let us not minimize her victory because we can't reason in "our head" that she received an opportunity based on a reality of a pain we don't want to face.
When I see the Oscars, I take note that at the end of every interview, the question is asked "Who are you wearing?" The replies are laced with the names of designers from all over the world. Yet, like the brother Hill Harper said recently "You can't be free, if the cost of being you is too high." As for me, wherever I am called to pick up my Gold Statue, what I will be "wearing" is the dreams of those who have yet to make it there. This week I am on my way to Boston to see Darrell Jones and to see what can be done to help shine some light on Boston and Providence's film and hip hop community. I will be holding a showing of my Award-winning short "Hollywood Jerome" as well as looking for talent for my upcoming feature film. Guess you could say I am looking to take it to the streets and see how many awards from the Academy of "Hard Knocks" we can give out! Let us always be mindful that it is not always where you're from, but where you're at . Me, I am always with the people!
2012年2月14日星期二
Tiny hidden humans meet the neighbors in Arrietty
Synonymous with the humanistic, eco-minded, pastel-hued elegance of Japanese filmmaker and animation virtuoso Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), Studio Ghibli, which Miyazaki co-founded, has earned its vaunted reputation as Disney's Pixar of the East. Although Miyazaki serves only on the periphery as co-writer and production supervisor, his soulfulness still radiates through The Secret World of Arrietty, a hand-drawn adaptation of Mary Norton's ageless kid-lit series The Borrowers, about four-inch-high humanoids who live beneath the floorboards of those dangerous "human beans." Within the Ghibli catalog, director Hiromasa Yonebayashi's delicate debut (the English-dubbed version is credited to Gary Rydstrom) is an underplotted, near humorless trifle, but in contrast to the shrill, saccharine CGI cartoons — live-action included — that pass for family entertainment today, it's pure magic.
Fourteen years old and literally knee-high to a kitty cat, inquisitive emblem of purity Arrietty ventures to the idyllic rural home above to forage with her somber father, Pod . Among her pop's golden rules of "borrowing" is that only necessary items that won't be missed should be pilfered. Grappling to ledges with a fish hook and string, a grand nighttime kitchen heist — the front-loaded film's most thrilling sequence — yields one measly sugar cube...which Arrietty loses when spooked by the gaze of Shawn , a giant boy with a bum ticker who has been sent to the house for pre-op care from an elderly woman and her meddlesome housekeeper . Back in the teenier kitchen, anxiety-prone mom Homily flips out over her daughter being spotted by the sickly enemy, who is obviously destined to become Arrietty's only friend and unspoken first crush.
Perhaps too fittingly small-scale, the story is trouble-free to the point that it feels slight, though it's full of gorgeous renderings: Shawn matter-of-factly explains the permanence of death to Arrietty while lying in a field that's alive with lush watercolors. The otherworldliness that is Miyazaki's trademark has been tamped down into naturalistic textures, but the look is still as meticulous and confident as the master's handiwork. Beyond the ace animation, there are also inspired sensory delights to be heard, from the sweet theme song by French vocalist/harpist Cécile Corbel, to the way a straight pin unsheathes from Arrietty's dress with a loud, metallic clang like a broadsword to the ears of the little people.
Fourteen years old and literally knee-high to a kitty cat, inquisitive emblem of purity Arrietty ventures to the idyllic rural home above to forage with her somber father, Pod . Among her pop's golden rules of "borrowing" is that only necessary items that won't be missed should be pilfered. Grappling to ledges with a fish hook and string, a grand nighttime kitchen heist — the front-loaded film's most thrilling sequence — yields one measly sugar cube...which Arrietty loses when spooked by the gaze of Shawn , a giant boy with a bum ticker who has been sent to the house for pre-op care from an elderly woman and her meddlesome housekeeper . Back in the teenier kitchen, anxiety-prone mom Homily flips out over her daughter being spotted by the sickly enemy, who is obviously destined to become Arrietty's only friend and unspoken first crush.
Perhaps too fittingly small-scale, the story is trouble-free to the point that it feels slight, though it's full of gorgeous renderings: Shawn matter-of-factly explains the permanence of death to Arrietty while lying in a field that's alive with lush watercolors. The otherworldliness that is Miyazaki's trademark has been tamped down into naturalistic textures, but the look is still as meticulous and confident as the master's handiwork. Beyond the ace animation, there are also inspired sensory delights to be heard, from the sweet theme song by French vocalist/harpist Cécile Corbel, to the way a straight pin unsheathes from Arrietty's dress with a loud, metallic clang like a broadsword to the ears of the little people.
2012年2月13日星期一
UNQUENCHABLE Thirst for Wine Bargains
‘The best wine is the one someone else pays for’ goes the cliché but it is a lifestyle statement for Natalie Maclean, the Canadian prolific writer, TV anchor and author of UNQUENCHABLE- her second book that was released a couple of months ago. The mongrel taster who spent her early childhood in tight economic environment knows the value of money and therefore has an eye for good bargains in wine, even as she warns you not to expect a good wine for $5.
As she writes, ‘I have tasted many inexpensive wines with flavors and aromas that lingered long after I swallowed. It is simply snobbery to suggest that only pricey bottles have the unexplained magic,’ she puts you in a comfort zone where you feel you are not in the hands of a wine snob who is talking down to you but a wine friend who is sincerely helping you look for good wines at affordable price, yet not dumbing down wine.
Perhaps inspired by Bridget Jones Diary, the book is written as a narrative in the first person and takes you through wines from 8 different countries and regions, matching food with the wines anchored around 8 different meals of the week. She starts with wine for a Sunday dinner and progressing through each day, ends with Sunday lunch. It is not a clinical description of the wines and listings; she transports you to various wineries and winemakers and makes you feel a part of the conversation-starting with Wolf Blass and Peter Gago in Australia. Like any good novel, she introduces the protagonist, the wineries, history, cultural background and heritage and soon you realize she is taking you beyond ‘what’s in the glass,’ be it Wolf Blass, Yellow Tail or Penfolds.
Before you are finished with the Sunday dinner, you have also met Stephen Henschke and his viticuturalist wife Prue and tasted their iconic ‘Hill of Grace’. But if you are a certified bargain hunter and before you are disappointed she lets you take a peek at her ‘Field Notes from a Wine Cheapskate’. There is useful information about Insider Tips, Wineries Visited, Best Value Wines, Top Value Producers -that include Angove, d’Arenberg, Evans and Tate, Lindemans, McGuigan, McWilliams, Peter Lehmann. Xanadu, Rosemont and Yalumba- some of the Australian labels imported into India. Point of observation- the ubiquitous Jacobs Creek is missing in the list.
Known to promote food and wine pairings passionately, she even suggests a few dishes for each meal followed by her ‘Terrific Pairings.’ Thus the First Chapter focussing on Shiraz, lists 18 dishes, including a sprinkling of vegetarian fare like ‘Grilled vegetables’ (the book is not written specifically for vegetarians). She does not claim to write in-depth for a country or region so she also gives ‘Resources’ for each section- for instance James Halliday Australian Wine Companion by the best-known Australian author, James Halliday.
Chapter 2-Monday, takes you to Germany- mostly Mosel where you meet the top producers J. J Prüm and Dr. Loosen. Ernie Loosen shares with you his vision ‘when I drink Mosel Riesling, I want to smell the blue slate soil that formed the fruit, taste the memory of the old vines and feel the rain and the sun that year.’ Her average reader may not excited by a Mosel Riesling but hopefully would get inspired by Ernie’s comments, ‘without all of this, wine is just another drink…Blue Nun and Black Tower don’t represent a region or style, they are Coca-Cola brands.’
Her evening is spent at St.-Urbans Hof with the owner Nik Weiss. She takes you through the German appellations system, styles and their characteristics before leaving you at her Field Notes. It is heartening to note that her Best Value Wines include Dr. L and 3 wines from St- Urbans Hoff, available in India through the Wine Park, Mumbai.
On Tuesday, she takes you to her home country on a chopper ride over Niagara Falls. A tour through the ice-wine country is completed with Inniskillin. She focuses on Pinot Noir in Niagara as she spends time at Malivoire Winery where you learn about organic farming as well. It is natural that seemingly she spends a lot of pages on the wine from her own land which may not be as exciting to the non Canadian readers but provide interesting resource material for reference. Like in every Chapter he picks out her favourite wine for dinner from the Best Value Wine list- Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Pinot Noir. As she has pre-warned in the beginning of the book, vintages are avoided.
In ‘Wednesday’ she is in South Africa, taking you to Sicily- Vino under the Volcano, on Thursday. There is sufficient history and background on Sicily and the grapes before she takes you to meet Diego Planeta and his 1000 acres owned by the family at 3 locations, followed by an educative meeting with his equal in Etna, Giuseppe Benanti . A couple of more producers and you are in her anchor territory-the Field Notes where the Insider Tips suggest why ‘Regional food and wine matches often make sense, since the food and wine ‘grew up’ together in the same soils and climatic conditions.’ It’s not a rigid rule as she admits but it partially explains why Indians do not drink wine with food-it was not around a couple of decades ago and we still drink mostly water with food even as wine producers thrust their wines down our palates and gullets.
If it’s Friday, it’s A Smoldering Liquid Tango in Argentina. Visit Cheval des Andes, a JV with Cheval Blanc. You get to meet Nicolás Catena, the well-known winemaker- owner of Catena Zapata. You learn more about the local signature grapes Torrontes and Malbec and how the Argentine wines have been doing well internationally and the country continues to be a place where a wine producer can write his own story. She takes you to Zuccardi Family Wines in Uco Valley before letting you on to her secrets, doling out the usual tips. Interestingly, there are 31 Top Value Producers-the highest number from any country. A great tip for importers in India or wherever they are looking for good value for money wines for their markets.
As she writes, ‘I have tasted many inexpensive wines with flavors and aromas that lingered long after I swallowed. It is simply snobbery to suggest that only pricey bottles have the unexplained magic,’ she puts you in a comfort zone where you feel you are not in the hands of a wine snob who is talking down to you but a wine friend who is sincerely helping you look for good wines at affordable price, yet not dumbing down wine.
Perhaps inspired by Bridget Jones Diary, the book is written as a narrative in the first person and takes you through wines from 8 different countries and regions, matching food with the wines anchored around 8 different meals of the week. She starts with wine for a Sunday dinner and progressing through each day, ends with Sunday lunch. It is not a clinical description of the wines and listings; she transports you to various wineries and winemakers and makes you feel a part of the conversation-starting with Wolf Blass and Peter Gago in Australia. Like any good novel, she introduces the protagonist, the wineries, history, cultural background and heritage and soon you realize she is taking you beyond ‘what’s in the glass,’ be it Wolf Blass, Yellow Tail or Penfolds.
Before you are finished with the Sunday dinner, you have also met Stephen Henschke and his viticuturalist wife Prue and tasted their iconic ‘Hill of Grace’. But if you are a certified bargain hunter and before you are disappointed she lets you take a peek at her ‘Field Notes from a Wine Cheapskate’. There is useful information about Insider Tips, Wineries Visited, Best Value Wines, Top Value Producers -that include Angove, d’Arenberg, Evans and Tate, Lindemans, McGuigan, McWilliams, Peter Lehmann. Xanadu, Rosemont and Yalumba- some of the Australian labels imported into India. Point of observation- the ubiquitous Jacobs Creek is missing in the list.
Known to promote food and wine pairings passionately, she even suggests a few dishes for each meal followed by her ‘Terrific Pairings.’ Thus the First Chapter focussing on Shiraz, lists 18 dishes, including a sprinkling of vegetarian fare like ‘Grilled vegetables’ (the book is not written specifically for vegetarians). She does not claim to write in-depth for a country or region so she also gives ‘Resources’ for each section- for instance James Halliday Australian Wine Companion by the best-known Australian author, James Halliday.
Chapter 2-Monday, takes you to Germany- mostly Mosel where you meet the top producers J. J Prüm and Dr. Loosen. Ernie Loosen shares with you his vision ‘when I drink Mosel Riesling, I want to smell the blue slate soil that formed the fruit, taste the memory of the old vines and feel the rain and the sun that year.’ Her average reader may not excited by a Mosel Riesling but hopefully would get inspired by Ernie’s comments, ‘without all of this, wine is just another drink…Blue Nun and Black Tower don’t represent a region or style, they are Coca-Cola brands.’
Her evening is spent at St.-Urbans Hof with the owner Nik Weiss. She takes you through the German appellations system, styles and their characteristics before leaving you at her Field Notes. It is heartening to note that her Best Value Wines include Dr. L and 3 wines from St- Urbans Hoff, available in India through the Wine Park, Mumbai.
On Tuesday, she takes you to her home country on a chopper ride over Niagara Falls. A tour through the ice-wine country is completed with Inniskillin. She focuses on Pinot Noir in Niagara as she spends time at Malivoire Winery where you learn about organic farming as well. It is natural that seemingly she spends a lot of pages on the wine from her own land which may not be as exciting to the non Canadian readers but provide interesting resource material for reference. Like in every Chapter he picks out her favourite wine for dinner from the Best Value Wine list- Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Pinot Noir. As she has pre-warned in the beginning of the book, vintages are avoided.
In ‘Wednesday’ she is in South Africa, taking you to Sicily- Vino under the Volcano, on Thursday. There is sufficient history and background on Sicily and the grapes before she takes you to meet Diego Planeta and his 1000 acres owned by the family at 3 locations, followed by an educative meeting with his equal in Etna, Giuseppe Benanti . A couple of more producers and you are in her anchor territory-the Field Notes where the Insider Tips suggest why ‘Regional food and wine matches often make sense, since the food and wine ‘grew up’ together in the same soils and climatic conditions.’ It’s not a rigid rule as she admits but it partially explains why Indians do not drink wine with food-it was not around a couple of decades ago and we still drink mostly water with food even as wine producers thrust their wines down our palates and gullets.
If it’s Friday, it’s A Smoldering Liquid Tango in Argentina. Visit Cheval des Andes, a JV with Cheval Blanc. You get to meet Nicolás Catena, the well-known winemaker- owner of Catena Zapata. You learn more about the local signature grapes Torrontes and Malbec and how the Argentine wines have been doing well internationally and the country continues to be a place where a wine producer can write his own story. She takes you to Zuccardi Family Wines in Uco Valley before letting you on to her secrets, doling out the usual tips. Interestingly, there are 31 Top Value Producers-the highest number from any country. A great tip for importers in India or wherever they are looking for good value for money wines for their markets.
2012年2月12日星期日
Telling stories, touching lives
Blackberry shayar or Pied Piper of radio… .call him by whatever name, Neelesh Misra remains the man who understands the pulse of India. The master story teller, who has enthralled millions with his unique radio programme Yaad Shehr, has earned for himself a permanent place in the memoryscape of his listeners that cut across all age groups. Yet the man who has reinvented the whole tradition of story telling credits the stupendous success of his programme to his listeners, the social media and above all to what it does to people.
In Chandigarh for the Festival of Letters organised by Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, he says, “When I started out I had no idea how the concept would go as we had no reference points.” Yet the programme that touched a nerve people didn’t even know existed, got 5.5 million responses on the Facebook itself within three months that too mainly from listeners aged between 13 to 24 years. He quips, “There goes the presumptuous assumption that the youth of today are only interested in the frivolous.” As he has been travelling the length and breadth of India, he has realised the youth of today see the world through a different prism. And it’s this modern India that is changing fast, where seven out of 10 Indians have left home, where many of them feel the pinch of loneliness that is his subject. Indeed, most of what he tells he has experienced, heard or observed. “To be a good writer you need to be a good listener and observer,” he believes.
Being a journalist has helped too, more so to think and write visually. Besides he deems, “As journalists we are privy to a world which others don’t have access to.” So what prompted him to take a hiatus from active journalism? He replies, “For over a decade I was an outsider in Bollywood, writing songs from my Blackberry from distant destinations. Today I am one in journalism.” Looking “in” at the world, he asserts, is a far better vantage point. And right now sharing his perspective are budding writers who meet at his home in Mumbai every Monday. He felt the need for this Monday Mandali for, “In India there is no mentoring in creative arts.” And the first and the foremost rule he expects the young aspiring writers he is training to follow is, “We are socially conscious commentators. We will not ridicule anyone nor discriminate on the basis of caste, creed or religion. Our stories must have a message.”
So how does he reconcile the meaningful purpose of his role as a raconteur with his foray in Bollywood? And the lyricist of over 30 films who has just penned a Mujra song, is ready to write for Jism 2 and has written scripts too. He explains his presence in Bollywood thus, “In the commerce driven world of cinema I try to write concept based songs.” So even in a Mujra song for Agent Vinod there is a thought not just inane tukbandi. Is writing songs, as he has often proclaimed, his first love? He says, “I always wanted to do many things. But be it journalism, song writing or turning dead research into books I am compelled to tell stories.” Even when he goes to deliver a talk on his book The Absent State he turns it around into a story telling session. His biggest grudge against journalism today is, “The moment the narrative begins to tell stories, we relegate it to the category of features.”
No wonder, he feels that as journalists we fail to touch people’s lives. How he affects people is evident from not only the way fans swarm him but also how in a small town in India an old woman on her death bed has begin to include him as part of the family in her morning prayers. Misty eyed he questions, “What can be more humbling than this?” So as he is all set for the new season of his radio show, it’s this love that scares him. Perhaps like Bajrang Bali, he needs a Jamwan to remind him of his strengths. Or may be not.
For the millions that tune into his programme, whom he understands better than they know themselves, are his biggest strength. As he lends voice to their aspirations, dreams and dilemmas, he becomes them and they his USP.
In Chandigarh for the Festival of Letters organised by Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, he says, “When I started out I had no idea how the concept would go as we had no reference points.” Yet the programme that touched a nerve people didn’t even know existed, got 5.5 million responses on the Facebook itself within three months that too mainly from listeners aged between 13 to 24 years. He quips, “There goes the presumptuous assumption that the youth of today are only interested in the frivolous.” As he has been travelling the length and breadth of India, he has realised the youth of today see the world through a different prism. And it’s this modern India that is changing fast, where seven out of 10 Indians have left home, where many of them feel the pinch of loneliness that is his subject. Indeed, most of what he tells he has experienced, heard or observed. “To be a good writer you need to be a good listener and observer,” he believes.
Being a journalist has helped too, more so to think and write visually. Besides he deems, “As journalists we are privy to a world which others don’t have access to.” So what prompted him to take a hiatus from active journalism? He replies, “For over a decade I was an outsider in Bollywood, writing songs from my Blackberry from distant destinations. Today I am one in journalism.” Looking “in” at the world, he asserts, is a far better vantage point. And right now sharing his perspective are budding writers who meet at his home in Mumbai every Monday. He felt the need for this Monday Mandali for, “In India there is no mentoring in creative arts.” And the first and the foremost rule he expects the young aspiring writers he is training to follow is, “We are socially conscious commentators. We will not ridicule anyone nor discriminate on the basis of caste, creed or religion. Our stories must have a message.”
So how does he reconcile the meaningful purpose of his role as a raconteur with his foray in Bollywood? And the lyricist of over 30 films who has just penned a Mujra song, is ready to write for Jism 2 and has written scripts too. He explains his presence in Bollywood thus, “In the commerce driven world of cinema I try to write concept based songs.” So even in a Mujra song for Agent Vinod there is a thought not just inane tukbandi. Is writing songs, as he has often proclaimed, his first love? He says, “I always wanted to do many things. But be it journalism, song writing or turning dead research into books I am compelled to tell stories.” Even when he goes to deliver a talk on his book The Absent State he turns it around into a story telling session. His biggest grudge against journalism today is, “The moment the narrative begins to tell stories, we relegate it to the category of features.”
No wonder, he feels that as journalists we fail to touch people’s lives. How he affects people is evident from not only the way fans swarm him but also how in a small town in India an old woman on her death bed has begin to include him as part of the family in her morning prayers. Misty eyed he questions, “What can be more humbling than this?” So as he is all set for the new season of his radio show, it’s this love that scares him. Perhaps like Bajrang Bali, he needs a Jamwan to remind him of his strengths. Or may be not.
For the millions that tune into his programme, whom he understands better than they know themselves, are his biggest strength. As he lends voice to their aspirations, dreams and dilemmas, he becomes them and they his USP.
2011年12月20日星期二
Upheaval from Koch scandal could slow Vikings stadium discussion
Upheaval within Senate Republican ranks could delay work on a Minnesota Vikings football stadium.
“Obviously, it’s a bump in the road,” said Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead, who is chief House point man for a stadium bill.
Sen. Amy Koch, who resigned last week as majority leader, had become involved in stadium talks during the past month, Lanning said Tuesday, so without knowing who will replace her, questions arise.
“Sen. Koch was engaged in trying to work out a solution,” Lanning said.
Koch left the job on Thursday, then on Friday four fellow senators told reporters the resignation followed them confronting Koch with allegations that she had carried on an improper relationship with a male Senate employee she supervised.
Two questions arise as Senate Republicans face a Dec. 29 deadline for picking a new leader:
-- Will the caucus settle down enough to deal with a stadium when it also must work through the Koch scandal and the need to cut $2 million from its budget?
-- Will the new majority leader support a stadium? One senator mentioned for the job, David Hann of Eden Prairie, does not support public financial involvement, which could slow stadium progress.
Koch was instrumental in setting up recent hearings about stadium location and funding, Lanning said.
The Senate GOP situation “has the potential of causing some added delay,” the representative said. However, he held out hope that a bill could be ready for a special legislative session before the regular session begins on Jan. 24.
Last week, Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, said Democrats need to join Republican stadium supporters because there are not enough votes from either party to pass stadium legislation.
“There is no magic formula that we have suddenly discovered,” Michel said, calling the issue “a huge political Rubik’s Cube.”
Holding a special session before Jan. 24 would be tough, House Speaker Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove said.
“That’s what Morrie wants,” Zellers said, but it is not clear what Democrats want.
“Circling a date on the calendar” does not provide enough votes. Zellers added, saying that is what Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton did this fall when he sought a pre-Thanksgiving special session.
The Vikings’ Metrodome lease expires Feb. 1 and team officials say they need a resolution to the issue soon. They say they cannot make enough money at the Metrodome.
Lanning, however, said the Vikings will not leave after this season. He said they will be play in the Metrodome at least one more season, but after that the team could be up for sale, and likely would move.
Lanning said a stadium agreement must come by the time legislators adjourn in 2012, which a tentative calendar sets at April 30.
The Vikings say they will put $425 million toward building a publically owned stadium, with state and local governments coming up with the rest of the $1.1 billion cost.
“Obviously, it’s a bump in the road,” said Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead, who is chief House point man for a stadium bill.
Sen. Amy Koch, who resigned last week as majority leader, had become involved in stadium talks during the past month, Lanning said Tuesday, so without knowing who will replace her, questions arise.
“Sen. Koch was engaged in trying to work out a solution,” Lanning said.
Koch left the job on Thursday, then on Friday four fellow senators told reporters the resignation followed them confronting Koch with allegations that she had carried on an improper relationship with a male Senate employee she supervised.
Two questions arise as Senate Republicans face a Dec. 29 deadline for picking a new leader:
-- Will the caucus settle down enough to deal with a stadium when it also must work through the Koch scandal and the need to cut $2 million from its budget?
-- Will the new majority leader support a stadium? One senator mentioned for the job, David Hann of Eden Prairie, does not support public financial involvement, which could slow stadium progress.
Koch was instrumental in setting up recent hearings about stadium location and funding, Lanning said.
The Senate GOP situation “has the potential of causing some added delay,” the representative said. However, he held out hope that a bill could be ready for a special legislative session before the regular session begins on Jan. 24.
Last week, Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, said Democrats need to join Republican stadium supporters because there are not enough votes from either party to pass stadium legislation.
“There is no magic formula that we have suddenly discovered,” Michel said, calling the issue “a huge political Rubik’s Cube.”
Holding a special session before Jan. 24 would be tough, House Speaker Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove said.
“That’s what Morrie wants,” Zellers said, but it is not clear what Democrats want.
“Circling a date on the calendar” does not provide enough votes. Zellers added, saying that is what Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton did this fall when he sought a pre-Thanksgiving special session.
The Vikings’ Metrodome lease expires Feb. 1 and team officials say they need a resolution to the issue soon. They say they cannot make enough money at the Metrodome.
Lanning, however, said the Vikings will not leave after this season. He said they will be play in the Metrodome at least one more season, but after that the team could be up for sale, and likely would move.
Lanning said a stadium agreement must come by the time legislators adjourn in 2012, which a tentative calendar sets at April 30.
The Vikings say they will put $425 million toward building a publically owned stadium, with state and local governments coming up with the rest of the $1.1 billion cost.
2011年12月15日星期四
Top 5 Ice Hotels
This is the original ice hotel and the world's largest hotel made of ice and snow (over 5,500sqm). It is built afresh every December with ice from the Torne River in Jukkasjrvi, northern Sweden, 200km north of the Arctic Circle.
Sleep on ice blocks covered in reindeer skins in -5C temperatures. The rooms are decorated with artwork and the furniture is all sculpted from ice.
Swedish Lapland is also Santa's homeland, with fairy-tale landscapes, Christmas attractions and magic in the cold, cold air. It also claims to be one of the best areas in the world to see the elusive Northern Lights.
The stunning Ice Hotel by Romania's Balea Lake, with a backdrop of The Fagaras Mountains, is rebuilt every year – so no two years are the same. If you're looking to get away from it all, then you're in luck as Ice Hotel Romania's location is seriously remote; at over 2000m can be reached only by cable car in the winter, making it an exclusive 10-14 room hotel. The designers use sculpture and lighting to create a unique style and temperatures are held at -2C (it can drop to -20C outside!). Guests stay cosy inside with animal skins, blankets and sleeping bags.
Have a drink in an ice cube glass at the hotel's super-cool ice bar decorated with hand-carved ice sculptures inspired by leading Romanian artist, Constantin Brancusi. There's even an Ice Chapel for marriages or vow renewals.
While you're there explore the charming capital of Bucharest, take an excursion to Bran 'Dracula's' Castle and sky at Poiana Brasov.
The Ice hotel in Canada's Quebec is constructed in a beautiful park just a few minutes from downtown Quebec City and claims to be the most accessible ice hotel in the world.
With 36 rooms and theme suites, the Htel de Glace offers lots of ways to experience the incomparable thrill of a night spent inside an ice hotel. Experience igloo life in a simple, but spectacular, room (protected from the cold by thick fur pelts) or opt for a themed suite, complete with a fireplace, allowing you to enjoy the fascinating interplay between fire and ice. You can even get married in one of the most spectacular 'Ice chapels' on earth!
Norway has not one but three ice hotels (well, one ice hotel and two ice lodges). The Kirkenes Snow Hotel is in the eastmost town of Norway, close to the Norwegian-Russian border and boasts 20 individually decorated rooms and the largest snow dome in Norway.
The Ice Lodge is one of the largest in Norway and part of the Bjorligard Hotel. It has a longer season than most ice hotels because of its altitude (1,250 meters above sea level). The ice hotel is situated by the banks of the Alta River on the edge of the Arctic Circle and its interior and exterior are made entirely out of ice and snow. Inside the ice hotel you'll find majestic sculptures of Norwegian wildlife and ice chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
The Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta has been rebuilt yearly since 2000. It is Europe's northernmost ice hotel, as it is located in the Finnmark region and is approximately 250km from North Cape. The 2,000-square-metre hotel has 30 rooms, including two suites and it is decorated with ice sculptures and ice furnishings, including lighting systems which enhance the different types of crystalline formations.
Sleep on ice blocks covered in reindeer skins in -5C temperatures. The rooms are decorated with artwork and the furniture is all sculpted from ice.
Swedish Lapland is also Santa's homeland, with fairy-tale landscapes, Christmas attractions and magic in the cold, cold air. It also claims to be one of the best areas in the world to see the elusive Northern Lights.
The stunning Ice Hotel by Romania's Balea Lake, with a backdrop of The Fagaras Mountains, is rebuilt every year – so no two years are the same. If you're looking to get away from it all, then you're in luck as Ice Hotel Romania's location is seriously remote; at over 2000m can be reached only by cable car in the winter, making it an exclusive 10-14 room hotel. The designers use sculpture and lighting to create a unique style and temperatures are held at -2C (it can drop to -20C outside!). Guests stay cosy inside with animal skins, blankets and sleeping bags.
Have a drink in an ice cube glass at the hotel's super-cool ice bar decorated with hand-carved ice sculptures inspired by leading Romanian artist, Constantin Brancusi. There's even an Ice Chapel for marriages or vow renewals.
While you're there explore the charming capital of Bucharest, take an excursion to Bran 'Dracula's' Castle and sky at Poiana Brasov.
The Ice hotel in Canada's Quebec is constructed in a beautiful park just a few minutes from downtown Quebec City and claims to be the most accessible ice hotel in the world.
With 36 rooms and theme suites, the Htel de Glace offers lots of ways to experience the incomparable thrill of a night spent inside an ice hotel. Experience igloo life in a simple, but spectacular, room (protected from the cold by thick fur pelts) or opt for a themed suite, complete with a fireplace, allowing you to enjoy the fascinating interplay between fire and ice. You can even get married in one of the most spectacular 'Ice chapels' on earth!
Norway has not one but three ice hotels (well, one ice hotel and two ice lodges). The Kirkenes Snow Hotel is in the eastmost town of Norway, close to the Norwegian-Russian border and boasts 20 individually decorated rooms and the largest snow dome in Norway.
The Ice Lodge is one of the largest in Norway and part of the Bjorligard Hotel. It has a longer season than most ice hotels because of its altitude (1,250 meters above sea level). The ice hotel is situated by the banks of the Alta River on the edge of the Arctic Circle and its interior and exterior are made entirely out of ice and snow. Inside the ice hotel you'll find majestic sculptures of Norwegian wildlife and ice chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
The Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta has been rebuilt yearly since 2000. It is Europe's northernmost ice hotel, as it is located in the Finnmark region and is approximately 250km from North Cape. The 2,000-square-metre hotel has 30 rooms, including two suites and it is decorated with ice sculptures and ice furnishings, including lighting systems which enhance the different types of crystalline formations.
2011年11月16日星期三
Novotel invites guests into the room of the future
Novotel has launched a world first: the hotel room of the future. Created in collaboration with Microsoft, the room, named Room 3120, showcases the latest in cutting-edge technology and innovative design.
Novotel and Microsoft have worked closely together to create the revolutionary room that allows guests to sample the ultimate in hi-tech hotel rooms. The visionary room will take guests on a technological journey with cutting-edge features including a Kinect interface, Sensorit mirror based on Kinect technology, a fitness interface and a Surface multimedia table.
In keeping with the forward-looking theme, the room also includes a brand new, state of the art bed system, which is hidden away from view until it is required.
Last September, Denis Hennequin announced Accor’s new strategic objective to become the global benchmark for the hotel industry and revolutionise the customer experience. In line with this commitment to innovation, Novotel has created a new type of room that makes a clean break with traditional thinking by redefining the use of space and adding cutting edge technologies and amenities.
“We wanted to reinvent the hotel room experience by harmoniously melding design and new digital technologies,” explains Grégoire Champetier, Global Chief Marketing Officer. “It’s crucial to take our customers’ changing habits and expectations into account. In particular, this means rethinking our rooms in digital terms."
Microsoft was at the centre of the room’s design, notably with the integration of the Xbox 360 console and its revolutionary Kinect sensor, which uses body gesture and voice recognition to control games and entertainment. Novotel’s relationship with Microsoft began four years ago when Novotel started offering Xbox 360 consoles in the public areas of its hotels and this project takes the partnership to the next level.
“In the era of technological convergence, Microsoft is as always front and centre,” says Eric Boustouller, CEO of Microsoft France. “In our partnership with Novotel, we are taking this innovative room concept to a higher level with our best technologies. This new-generation room is an invitation to discover the latest advances in consumer technologies in a creative universe with a unique design."
“We wanted to do something fresh, surprising and imaginative,” explains Marcelo Joulia, head of Nao, the architecture firm chosen by Novotel to design Room 3120. “We started by rethinking the basic space, which meant leaving the stuffy old cube behind. We also worked with light and found ways to keep the furniture from being in the way. Multifunctional, flexible and unhindered, Room 3120 adapts to the guest's desires, not vice-versa."
The other features of the room include Kinect interface and an Xbox 360 console. Guests can also try out the brand new SensorIT interactive mirror, also based on Kinect technology, where information tags seem to appear by magic, or turn on the fitness interface. The features in the room are also designed for families, so they can play, surf the internet and be entertained by using the Surface multimedia table for two or more players.
There’s plenty for the grown-ups too, with access to a wide range of multimedia content, as well as music and news. Radio station NOVA (Le Grand Mix) and BFM Business, France’s leading business and financial news outlet, have chosen to partner the Room 3120 project, which makes a point of providing rapid access to world news.
Novotel and Microsoft have worked closely together to create the revolutionary room that allows guests to sample the ultimate in hi-tech hotel rooms. The visionary room will take guests on a technological journey with cutting-edge features including a Kinect interface, Sensorit mirror based on Kinect technology, a fitness interface and a Surface multimedia table.
In keeping with the forward-looking theme, the room also includes a brand new, state of the art bed system, which is hidden away from view until it is required.
Last September, Denis Hennequin announced Accor’s new strategic objective to become the global benchmark for the hotel industry and revolutionise the customer experience. In line with this commitment to innovation, Novotel has created a new type of room that makes a clean break with traditional thinking by redefining the use of space and adding cutting edge technologies and amenities.
“We wanted to reinvent the hotel room experience by harmoniously melding design and new digital technologies,” explains Grégoire Champetier, Global Chief Marketing Officer. “It’s crucial to take our customers’ changing habits and expectations into account. In particular, this means rethinking our rooms in digital terms."
Microsoft was at the centre of the room’s design, notably with the integration of the Xbox 360 console and its revolutionary Kinect sensor, which uses body gesture and voice recognition to control games and entertainment. Novotel’s relationship with Microsoft began four years ago when Novotel started offering Xbox 360 consoles in the public areas of its hotels and this project takes the partnership to the next level.
“In the era of technological convergence, Microsoft is as always front and centre,” says Eric Boustouller, CEO of Microsoft France. “In our partnership with Novotel, we are taking this innovative room concept to a higher level with our best technologies. This new-generation room is an invitation to discover the latest advances in consumer technologies in a creative universe with a unique design."
“We wanted to do something fresh, surprising and imaginative,” explains Marcelo Joulia, head of Nao, the architecture firm chosen by Novotel to design Room 3120. “We started by rethinking the basic space, which meant leaving the stuffy old cube behind. We also worked with light and found ways to keep the furniture from being in the way. Multifunctional, flexible and unhindered, Room 3120 adapts to the guest's desires, not vice-versa."
The other features of the room include Kinect interface and an Xbox 360 console. Guests can also try out the brand new SensorIT interactive mirror, also based on Kinect technology, where information tags seem to appear by magic, or turn on the fitness interface. The features in the room are also designed for families, so they can play, surf the internet and be entertained by using the Surface multimedia table for two or more players.
There’s plenty for the grown-ups too, with access to a wide range of multimedia content, as well as music and news. Radio station NOVA (Le Grand Mix) and BFM Business, France’s leading business and financial news outlet, have chosen to partner the Room 3120 project, which makes a point of providing rapid access to world news.
2011年4月6日星期三
HTC Desire Solves Dodecahedron Rubik's Cube
We have featured a number of different Rubik Cube solving devices here on Geeky Gadgets including the Android Lego creation that was able to solve the puzzle in under 25 seconds. But we have never seen a Dodecahedron Rubik's Cube solver before.
Megaminxer is probably the first robot in the world to solve a Megaminx puzzle or a Dodecahedron Rubik's Cube, which is made up of with 12 faces, each with 5 edges.
The Megaminxer robot is built from LEGO and uses a Mindstorms NXT kit for driving the mechanics, together with a HTC Desire smartphone running a custom Android app is the brain of the device. Watch the video after the jump to see the solver in action.
Megaminxer
The app uses the phone's camera to capture images of each face of the Megaminx which it then processes to determine the colors of the scrambled puzzle. After working out the solution, the app transmits the moves to the NXT controller via bluetooth to instruct it to solve the Magaminx.
Megaminxer is probably the first robot in the world to solve a Megaminx puzzle or a Dodecahedron Rubik's Cube, which is made up of with 12 faces, each with 5 edges.
The Megaminxer robot is built from LEGO and uses a Mindstorms NXT kit for driving the mechanics, together with a HTC Desire smartphone running a custom Android app is the brain of the device. Watch the video after the jump to see the solver in action.
Megaminxer
The app uses the phone's camera to capture images of each face of the Megaminx which it then processes to determine the colors of the scrambled puzzle. After working out the solution, the app transmits the moves to the NXT controller via bluetooth to instruct it to solve the Magaminx.
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