iPad1 still a good choice

iPad1 still a good choice
Magnus Nystedt
Now that Apple’s iPad 2 has been released and is set to arrive in the Middle East at some point soon, the question is whether you really need it?

The answer is, for most of us, pretty obviously “no, we don’t”. But I’m specifically talking about the choice between Apple’s new iPad and all its bells and whistles and the original iPad, released just a year ago. Perhaps you own an iPad 1, and you’re considering whether to upgrade or perhaps you are thinking about buying your first iPad; let’s look at your choices

With iPad 2, you get mainly three things: cameras, more speed, and a slimmer design. The slimmer design is the point that is most subjective, although there’s no denying that Apple did an amazing job packing more into a smaller space while keeping battery life the same.

Cameras are no doubt a great attraction, and an obvious reason to get the latest model. The camera on the rear may shoot 720 HD video but it takes stills only at 960x540 pixels, not even a megapixel worth. The front-facing camera only supports 640x480 and is good only for video conferencing. If you plan on use FaceTime for video conferencing you should be aware that in the UAE, that service is blocked and the application will most likely not installed on official iPads sold here.

The added speed in iPad 2 is probably where you would see most difference in everyday use. Apple’s dual core A5 processor adds significant boost in processing power and better graphics also helps to make iPad 2 really fast. If you like to play games, especially graphics-intensive 3D games, you will definitely see a difference. What also matters is double the RAM in iPad 2; 512MB up from 256 in the original model.

One important thing to remember is that the software is the same on the two iPads. Currently the latest version is iOS 4.3.1 and it runs just as well on both. With Apple’s track record of keeping older products running on the latest software, there’s no need to worry about the original iPad becoming obsolete anytime soon.

With all what’s new in iPad 2 you’re wondering why should you even look at buying the old model? Well, the truth is for most of what you would do with the tablet, like browsing the Web, e-mail, social networking, reading a book, etc. you will not see any difference. So then you’re left with whether you need the cameras and I would put it to you that most users may say they want cameras but will hardly, if ever, use them.

The bottom line is this: you can save some money by going for Apple’s first-generation iPad and it can do almost everything the new one can and just as well. So, why not look beyond the “latest and greatest?” Even if you buy the original iPad, I’m sure you’ll be very happy with it as it is still quite simply a stunning product.

from - http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle09.asp?section=technology&xfile=data/technology/2011/April/technology_April30.xml

Osama Bin Laden history

Who Is Osama Bin Laden?

by Michel Chossudovsky
Professor of Economics, University of Ottawa

A few hours after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, the Bush administration concluded without supporting evidence, that "Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda organisation were prime suspects". CIA Director George Tenet stated that bin Laden has the capacity to plan ``multiple attacks with little or no warning.'' Secretary of State Colin Powell called the attacks "an act of war" and President Bush confirmed in an evening televised address to the Nation that he would "make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them". Former CIA Director James Woolsey pointed his finger at "state sponsorship," implying the complicity of one or more foreign governments. In the words of former National Security Adviser, Lawrence Eagleburger, "I think we will show when we get attacked like this, we are terrible in our strength and in our retribution."

Meanwhile, parroting official statements, the Western media mantra has approved the launching of "punitive actions" directed against civilian targets in the Middle East. In the words of William Saffire writing in the New York Times: "When we reasonably determine our attackers' bases and camps, we must pulverize them -- minimizing but accepting the risk of collateral damage" -- and act overtly or covertly to destabilize terror's national hosts".

The following text outlines the history of Osama Bin Laden and the links of the Islamic "Jihad" to the formulation of US foreign policy during the Cold War and its aftermath

In the Wake of the Cold War
In the wake of the Cold War, the Central Asian region is not only strategic for its extensive oil reserves, it also produces three quarters of the World's opium representing multibillion dollar revenues to business syndicates, financial institutions, intelligence agencies and organized crime. The annual proceeds of the Golden Crescent drug trade (between 100 and 200 billion dollars) represents approximately one third of the Worldwide annual turnover of narcotics, estimated by the United Nations to be of the order of $500 billion.14
With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, a new surge in opium production has unfolded. (According to UN estimates, the production of opium in Afghanistan in 1998-99 -- coinciding with the build up of armed insurgencies in the former Soviet republics-- reached a record high of 4600 metric tons.15 Powerful business syndicates in the former Soviet Union allied with organized crime are competing for the strategic control over the heroin routes.
The ISI's extensive intelligence military-network was not dismantled in the wake of the Cold War. The CIA continued to support the Islamic "jihad" out of Pakistan. New undercover initiatives were set in motion in Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Balkans. Pakistan's military and intelligence apparatus essentially "served as a catalyst for the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the emergence of six new Muslim republics in Central Asia." 16.
Meanwhile, Islamic missionaries of the Wahhabi sect from Saudi Arabia had established themselves in the Muslim republics as well as within the Russian federation encroaching upon the institutions of the secular State. Despite its anti-American ideology, Islamic fundamentalism was largely serving Washington's strategic interests in the former Soviet Union.
Following the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, the civil war in Afghanistan continued unabated. The Taliban were being supported by the Pakistani Deobandis and their political party the Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Islam (JUI). In 1993, JUI entered the government coalition of Prime Minister Benazzir Bhutto. Ties between JUI, the Army and ISI were established. In 1995, with the downfall of the Hezb-I-Islami Hektmatyar government in Kabul, the Taliban not only instated a hardline Islamic government, they also "handed control of training camps in Afghanistan over to JUI factions..." 17
And the JUI with the support of the Saudi Wahhabi movements played a key role in recruiting volunteers to fight in the Balkans and the former Soviet Union.
Jane Defense Weekly confirms in this regard that "half of Taliban manpower and equipment originate[d] in Pakistan under the ISI" 18
In fact, it would appear that following the Soviet withdrawal both sides in the Afghan civil war continued to receive covert support through Pakistan's ISI. 19
In other words, backed by Pakistan's military intelligence (ISI) which in turn was controlled by the CIA, the Taliban Islamic State was largely serving American geopolitical interests. The Golden Crescent drug trade was also being used to finance and equip the Bosnian Muslim Army (starting in the early 1990s) and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). In last few months there is evidence that Mujahideen mercenaries are fighting in the ranks of KLA-NLA terrorists in their assaults into Macedonia.
No doubt, this explains why Washington has closed its eyes on the reign of terror imposed by the Taliban including the blatant derogation of women's rights, the closing down of schools for girls, the dismissal of women employees from government offices and the enforcement of "the Sharia laws of punishment".20

from - http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO109C.html

Apple White iPhone 4

Apple White iPhone 4


Since getting confirmation last week from Apple that the white iPhone 4 is absolutely, positively going to launch in the very near future, we've been flooded with rumors about just when the smartphone will finally be available. We've seen it in Verizon's computers, and heard from Europe that the phone might be showing up on April 26. Now there's one more date to throw in the running, with a report out of England saying the iOS device may arrive this week, on April 20.

ThreeUK is offering the white iPhone 4 on pre-order, advising interested customers that the earliest they should expect the device to ship would be this Wednesday, the 20th. There is some concern that this information may be a typo; after all, Apple only confirmed the phone a few days ago, with nothing more committal than saying it would be out this spring. You'd think that if the company bothered to make a statement regarding the phone's release just a week before its launch, it would have something a little more concrete to reveal regarding the phone's availability.

It's probably not a smart move betting on this rumor, but it's one more possibility of which you should at least be aware.
from - http://pocketnow.com

Japanese Table Manners

Japanese Table Manners
When drinking alcoholic beverages, it is a Japanese custom to serve each other, rather than pouring the beverage into one’s own glass. You are supposed to periodically check your friends’ cups, and serve them more once their cups are getting empty. Likewise, if someone wants to serve you more alcohol, you should quickly empty your glass and hold it towards that person.
While it is considered bad manner to become obviously drunk in some formal restaurants, for example in restaurants that serve kaiseki ryori (Japanese haute cuisine), the same is not true for other types of restaurants such as izakaya, as long as you do not bother other guests.
Do not start drinking until everybody at the table is served and the glasses are raised for a drinking salute, which usually is “kampai”. Avoid using “chin chin” when drinking a toast, since in Japanese this expression refers to the male genitals.
Individual vs. Shared DishesIt is common to have several dishes being served that is to be shared. Unlike western culture where food is served individually, in Japan, dishes are shared because it’s part of their food culture. If you are being served shared dishes, you are supposed to move some food from the shared plates onto your own plate by yourself, using the opposite end of your chopsticks (if you have used them already) or with special chopsticks that may be provided for that purpose.

from - http://everyday.3yen.com/2007-02-01/japanese-table-manners/

The Best CPU For Your Money?

The Best CPU For Your Money?

By that, I mean the CPUs that offer the best performance at a given price.
Why would you want that?
Because You Want:

1. The best bang for the buck
2. The best CPU for your money
3. The highest performance possible!

If you have the time, reading detailed CPUs reviews and specs are a lot of fun. However, most of us don’t have the time to do the research and just want the answers. In other words, what you want to know is what is the best CPU within your budget.
So if you don’t have the time to do the research, or just don’t care to do it, don’t worry. I’ll come to your help with this guide of the best CPUs for your money.

Keep in mind:

I’ll use this opportunity to remind you that this article is only a guideline for the prices I’ve seen on April 21st. You’re letting yourself down if you’re not looking for deals when you decide to purchase.

• Prices and availability change everyday. I can’t keep up with accurate pricing everyday, but I can suggest to you great CPUs that you won’t regret buying at the price ranges that I list. If you find what you think is a good deal on a CPU, make sure to compare the CPU against other before making your decision. AnandTech offers this great tool to compare various CPUs in various tests.
• This list is based on the best U.S. prices from NewEgg or Amazon. In other countries or in a retail stores, things might be different. All prices are based on new CPU prices, no used or open box CPU are listed; they might be a good deal, but they come with trade offs, such as limited return policy, limited warranty, etc.Make sure to double-check the CPU socket and other factors that affect compatibility.

from - http://www.hardware-revolution.com/best-cpu-spring-2011/

what do you think of gay

what do you think of  gay



-I believe that there is a time and a place for everything and irrespective of sexual orientation, sexual activity in a public house is not one of them.

Edit.
I am not sure about that but I would think that if it was 'heavy' the answer would be yes.
People need to bear in mind that it is not so long ago that any homosexual behaviour in public was a criminal offence and punishable by a prison sentence, in fact I believe that overt sexual contact even between heterosexual couples in public is still considered 'lewd behaviour' by the police and punishable under the law

- Childish and self destructive actually, most people don't mind a peck but couples of any orientation snogging in public are enough to make most people squirm, by rubbing peoples noses in it this way they lose any sympathy from the public at large for the seemingly heavy handed way the publician dealt with the matter although from his point of view such behaviour at the time could well have sparked some disorder from any homophobic trogladites who may have been sitting in the pub at the time and the safety of
other customers has to be a factor.

A quiet word in their shell likes may well have sufficed.

- I think it was a massive over-reaction on the part of the pub staff to a couple kissing - a quiet word would have probably done the job.

And I think it's a massive over-reaction on the part of the gay campaigners which resulted in the John Snow pub closing early.

Perhaps if people actually talked to one another, instead of throwing people out of pubs, and organising mass kiss-ins .....


EDIT: Can 'Old Master' (aka Yerbury) really provide evidence for how 95% of the population thinks and feels? No, of course he can't!

Mr Yerbury - Nemesis, me? Surely not. But I will question unsubstantiated statistics like "95% of the population are repulsed by their behaviour". At least you understand that if you make the assertion it's your place to provide the evidence, not mine to provide proof which refutes it.

Some people are too stupid to understand that. Now, why on Earth would Redmonk feel the need to respond to the last statement? And what was he on about?

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110416023032AAUItQB

how do you think with thai girl ?

how do you think with thai girl ?

- I believe that Thai guy can do that also, not just farang ...it's just happend to you by one farang, dont hate all farang in thailand, not fair for them. Also if some girls do that, and then it's make farang think that all thai girls are, it's not fair for all thai girls ... I dont know why Thailand have famous about this such thing ...You should mad on some thai girls who make farang think that all thai girls are same.

One of my friend who just been here first time asked me when we were at soi nana area" why alot of thai girls along with farang guy?" seems here sales girls ... OMG! I dont know what should I answer him, I cant deny that some girls do that.

- Sure many Thai girls do that. But do not look down on them. Many have to do that to make money for there family. They have little education and not very good paying jobs and if they not do then there mother and father, brother and sisters not eat. Not everyone lucky like some of you girls who have good parents and have successful jobs. Many girls come to BKK only for that reason. To make money for there family