Summer 2012
8 L.E.
*Summer issue* Touch Screen
technology for the whole family
ING ost AMAZ m 's d l the wor
E R U T C E T I H ARC A QUICK WORD WITH
CAIROKEE
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foreword Hello Readers, It has been a very tough year on all of us, on a personal level and most importantly that it has been tough on our beloved country. A year full of actions, bad moments, good moments and great days; Presidential elections - the day of freedom. So, let’s take a break and think about our summer, vacationnn, shopping, diet, beach, sun, etc... The most important gadget on your trip is your mobile phone, I know it’s very difficult this summer to choose the right mobile; all the big companies launch the latest mobiles which are all AMAZING, mobiles with unbelievable options that help you to have everything at hand, so you will need time to choose but you can find out about these new mobile phones in our gadget section. To have a great and easy vacation you need to have all the gadgets that help you enjoy your moments, capture the best places and smiles, so the second most important gadget you need is a Camera to catch all what you want to remember and re-watch later; you need a high resolution camera, high sensitivity, wide lens, waterproof case, and a lot of other important things should be in your camera, so go through our pages and enjoy the variety of cameras in the middle eastern market. Summer means music, new albums, we met Cairokee and we did a small and useful interview to know the main info about these amazing guys, they are the band of the revolution. Don’t eat a lot on your vacation so as not to gain any unwanted weight, check what you should eat and drink to stay fresh and hydrated for the whole trip. I will not say more about the issue, so check the articles and send us your feedback and new ideas at info@technostylemagazine.com I want to Thank you Hoda our amazing designer, this will be her last issue with Technostyle, I want to thank her again for her effort and for being a part of our success from our 0 issue, I wish you the best of luck :)
Riham Fouad
I have good news for all my readers and clients: The first one is that Technostyle Magazine will be the media sponsor of Gitex Dubai from 14-18 October 2012 and that’s happened thanks to all our loyal people. The second one is that Technostyle Magazine from the first of October will be also the first online magazine, so you’ll be updated everyday with what’s new in the field of technology where the sky is the limit. Follow us on Twitter: TechnostyleMag and Facebook: Technostyle Magazine Have a nice summer and enjoy it with Technostyle Magazine . See you In October :)
Technostyle Magazine is published by Dinari 1021 Cornish El Nil St., Cairo - Egypt. Tel./Fax: (+202) 2365 10 67 Mobile: (+2) 0100 666 88 24 E-mail: info@technostylemagazine.com All rights are reserved to the publisher. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden save with the permission in writing of the publishers. Issued under the registration no. 34013. Printed at International Printing House (IPH). Technostyle Magazine is distributed by Al-Ahram.
contents
8
Unveiled Grab that Gadget
18
Music
20
Design
30
Cairokee
Architectural Wonders
Feature Part 2
Feature Touch Screen Technology
Food Beat The Heat
Horoscope Summer Horoscope
Travel Sands of Time
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38
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TechnoStyle Team
Managing Director Editor in Chief Content Director Marketing Manager Senior Staff Writer Contributing Writers
Riham Fouad Ashraf Al. Wardani Hoda Youssef Ghada Fouad Karim Zein Heba Abdul Shahid Mena Ghali Sarah El Etribi Art Director / Designer Hoda Youssef NYC Correspondent Donia Bashir Distribution Team Ramy Akram Mohamed Ahmed Adel Mohamed
unveiled
This is our choice of gadgets that are halfway between fashion and personality, they are devices that can travel with us or be appreciated at home, and that make a point about who we really are, or perhaps the style that we want to be known by...
Grab That Gadget!
the New BlackBerry Bold 9790 Smartphone in Egypt Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced the launch of the new BlackBerry® Bold™ 9790 smartphone in Egypt. The powerful BlackBerry Bold 9790 features a compact design and offer users a fully loaded, high performance smartphone with the dual benefits of a high resolution touch display and a highly tactile keyboard.
Canon Middle East unleashes the EOS 5D Mark III Canon Middle East announces the latest addition to its world-famous EOS range with the launch of the new EOS 5D Mark III. The EOS 5D Mark III builds on the performance of the legendary EOS 5D Mark II, offering improved speed, greater resolution, enhanced processing power and extended creative options for both stills and Full HD movies – providing unparalleled artistic freedom for the most demanding photographers. Incorporating feedback from photographers worldwide, the EOS 5D Mark III offers improved performance in virtually every area. A new 22.3 Megapixel (MP) full-frame sensor offers the ideal balance of resolution for stills and HD movies and up to 6 frames per second (fps) shooting, whilst a 61-point AF system and 63-zone metering provide greater speed, flexibility and accuracy. Powered by the latest DIGIC 5+ processing technology, the EOS 5D Mark III also features enhanced video functions, offering improved image quality alongside greater audio control – redefining creative possibilities for photographers and amateur videographers alike.
True to the BlackBerry Bold brand, the new BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone is powerful, full-featured and built with premium materials and finishes. It combines a high-resolution and highly responsive touch display with a highly tactile keyboard and a precise optical trackpad, but comes in a narrow design that is easy to carry and exceptionally comfortable to hold. With the BlackBerry® 7 OS and powerful 1 GHz processor, the BlackBerry Bold 9790 delivers fast, smooth performance for browsing the web, running apps, working with documents, and enjoying multimedia. It includes 8GB of onboard memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB of additional storage.
Canon unveils the PowerShot S100 For photography enthusiasts searching for the ultimate expert compact digital camera with leading image quality and the manual control offered by a DSLR; the Canon PowerShot S100 has arrived. PowerShot S100 – key features: High-sensitivity 12.1Megapixel Canon CMOS (1/1.7 type) HS System with powerful DIGIC 5 Ultra-wide 24mm, f/2.0, 5x zoom lens. Intelligent IS Lens Control Ring, NR Control & RAW GPS Full HD, HDMI Large 7.5 cm (3.0”) LCD High-speed Burst HQ Smart Auto , Multi-area WB Optional Waterproof Case
Canon EOS 5D Mark III – Key features: 22.3 Megapixel full-frame sensor 61-point autofocus Up to 6fps continuous shooting Native ISO 100-25,600 sensitivity Full HD video with manual control 14-bit DIGIC 5+ processor Enhanced Weather sealing 8.11cm (3.2-inch) 1,040,000-dot screen HDR mode with presets
9
unveiled Premium HTC One X, now available in Egypt The HTC One X features a beautifully crafted polycarbonate unibody that has the ruggedness of metal but is super lightweight. With seamless construction, the unibody combines a unique high gloss ‘piano’ finish and a matte back. HTC One is blazing fast with the new NVIDIA® Tegra 3 Mobile Processor for clear graphics, faster applications and longer battery life. It includes a 1.5GHz Super 4-PLUS-1™ quadcore with an integrated fifth Battery Saver Core and a highperformance 12-Core NVIDIA® GPU. The HTC One also has an amazing 4.7-inch, 720p HD screen crafted from contoured Corning™ Gorilla Glass.
Epson launches economical, eco-friendly 64-inch printer that can cut signage production costs in Middle East Epson has announced the Middle East launch of the SureColor SC-S30610, a 64-inch (162.5cm), four-colour (CMYK), ecosolvent roll-fed printer, that builds on the success of Epson’s wide-format printer range for signage and POS applications. The launch of the SC-S30610 sets a new price/performance ratio in this highly competitive sector. Designed from the ground up to offer efficient and environmentally-friendly production at the lowest total cost of ownership, the SC-S30610 enables print firms, signmakers, digital copy shops and repro centres to expand their service offering. The SC-S30610 can produce everything from posters, signs, banners, backlit panels and POS materials to vehicle wraps, interior decorations and exhibition displays. A wide range of roll media is supported, allowing users to print reliably and costeffectively on vinyl, PVC and clear film, photographic paper and a range of popular banner substrates.
Creative’s WP-450 Bluetooth headphone We live in a day and age when technological developments happen in a blink of an eye, and how. We were pleasantly surprised when we recently reviewed Creative’s WP-450 Bluetooth headphone. Gone are the days when you needed to carry a pair of headphones for music and a headset for hands-free phone calls. With the Creative WP-450 with “invisible mic”, we are convinced that one can enjoy the best of both worlds with excellent audio quality thrown in. It features precise Neodymium drivers meticulously tuned by Creative’s acoustic experts, and is crafted to produce accurate and dynamic sound. The built-in invisible microphone with WP-450’s ClearSpeech Engine™ suppresses external noise and digitally enhances speech clarity, allowing you to chat clearly over your mobile phone, even under noisy and windy conditions. When you’re done talking, you can resume listening to your favorite tunes automatically. And because it has Bluetooth connectivity with apt-X, it delivers high-fidelity wireless audio from compatible Bluetooth devices, while keeping your hands free to do everything else!
Samsung’s Cutting Edge Wi-Fi-enabled longzoom Camera Series The cutting edge range enables users to capture incredible detail through the advanced zoom lenses; making it simple to get upclose shots that were once out of reach. Introducing this unique range of cameras; Samsung is pioneering in offering a number of features for the first time in its history including the WB150F, which is equipped with an impressive 18x optical super zoom lenses as well as a resolution of 14.2 Megapixels. The innovative range also includes the WB850F camera, with the 21x optical zoom and a resolution of 16.2 Megapixels. Finally, the ST200F features a 10x optical zoom lenses. The WB850F also features pioneering BSI CMOS sensor technology to reduce image noise and distortion, even in low light conditions. This crystal-clear detail can then be experienced in all its clarity on the 3.0” VGA AMOLED screen featured on both models. From any Wi-Fi hotspot, users can email photos or share them on social networks post videos in a few simple steps. Moreover, the WB150F features a Remote Viewfinder application, where users can control the camera, even from 10 meters away, by using their smartphone. Available for selective smartphones, the Remote Viewfinder application lets you preview images, adjust the camera settings, zoom in and out, frame the scene, and tag the shot with the location — all from your phone, wirelessly.
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unveiled Canon Middle East launches new affordable web-enabled All-In-One – PIXMA MG4140 The HTC One X features a beautifully crafted polycarbonate unibody that has the ruggedness of metal but is super lightweight. With seamless construction, the unibody combines a unique high gloss ‘piano’ finish and a matte back. HTC One is blazing fast with the new NVIDIA® Tegra 3 Mobile Processor for clear graphics, faster applications and longer battery life. It includes a 1.5GHz Super 4-PLUS-1™ quad-core with an integrated fifth Battery Saver Core and a high-performance 12Core NVIDIA® GPU. The HTC One also has an amazing 4.7-inch, 720p HD screen crafted from contoured Corning™ Gorilla Glass. Epson’s WorkForce Pro range Epson has announced the Middle East launch of the WP-4095 DN and WP-4595 DNF, two new models under the WorkForce Pro range of color laser printers. The latest additions have been designed specifically to offer cost and energy efficiency, high quality output and durability across the Middle East’s enterprise workgroups as well as small and mediumsized businesses. The two models are being positioned as strategic solutions for the growing demands of local workgroups for a fully reliable and high performance color laser printer. Both the WP-4095 DN and WP-4595 DNF offer the emulations that today’s IT managers expect, along with performance, great reliability and up to 50 per cent lower cost per page than other laser printers in the market. The latest additions offer a genuine alternative to laser products and provide further cost savings due to a super-fast automatic double-sided printing function, reducing paper usage.
Pacemaker® is back. Mix, scratch and loop on the Pacemaker App! Pacemaker Device, the world’s first mobile DJ system, was launched with a bang in the spring of 2008. It showed that anyone could be the DJ, anytime, anywhere. Now the technology has been ported into an app for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, making Pacemaker into a touch based experience, more accessible than ever before! Developing Pacemaker® for the BlackBerry PlayBook means that the internationally awarded user interface has been revamped to fit a touch interface. “We understood that with the abilities of a touch interface, we could raise the user experience and usability to new levels,” says Jonas Norberg the inventor of Pacemaker Device and CEO of Pacemaker. “We took the original Pacemaker idea and combined it with the powers of a touch platform. I must say that I am very happy with the result!”
New Sony Xplod CD/DVD Car Audio Receivers Connect Listeners to their Music like Never Before Sony, the leading consumer electronics brand, announced the launch of five new Xplod A/V receivers (XAV-701BT, XAV-741, XAV-601BT, XAV64BT, XAV-63). Offering enhanced iPod/iPhone control, a wide range of smartphone and USB connectivity options, multi-channel surround sound and more, Sony’s latest in-dash receivers provide rich, immersive music and video experiences while on the move. The new Passenger App Control allows users to connect an iPod® or iPhone® via USB to display their favourite TV shows, movies, and compatible applications onscreen1. Bluetooth connectivity on the XAV-701BT, XAV-601BT and XAV-64BT with an external microphone completes the package, enabling true hands-free calling while driving. The XAV-701BT/741/601BT A/V receivers feature high-quality WVGA panel displays with full touchscreen capability and a myriad of ways for passengers to share their favourite multimedia when on the road. Meanwhile, dual USB connectivity allows for simultaneous connection to USB mass storage devices such as the Walkman® digital music player for music playback and control over the display of album artwork and playlists.
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Canon introduces PowerShot D20 underwater camera Housing advanced Canon imaging technology in a robust and sporty body, the PowerShot D20 is waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof and dustproof – ideal for hurtling down the rapids or conquering a mountain and bringing back the photos to prove it. The PowerShot D20 is packed full of versatile technology including the advanced HS System, designed to produce fantastic picture quality, even in challenging low-light conditions. Sliding easily into a rucksack or attached to a carabiner, the PowerShot D20 is compact, lightweight and built to withstand the rigours of any adventure – freeing users to push themselves to the limits without worrying about their camera coping with the ride.
SanDisk Announces Its Fastest, Thinnest and Highest-Capacity USB Flash Drives The 128GB Cruzer Glide USB flash drive is SanDisk’s highest-capacity USB drive ever, and features reliable, secure and portable storage for photos, videos, music and other files. The drive is an ideal companion for anyone using ultra-thin notebooks, which are often limited to 128GB of storage. In such a configuration, the Cruzer Glide USB allows consumers to double their available storage with a convenient portable solution. Backed by a two year limited warranty, the Cruzer Glide USB flash drive is available worldwide now in 4GB to 64GB capacities. The 128GB capacity will be available worldwide in Q3 2012.
feature wedding
Lenovo’s Top 10 Tips to Power Down
1
The brighter the monitor, the more energy it uses. You can reduce your monitor’s brightness when it is in a dark room as our eyes will be more sensitive to light. A dimmer display will also help reduce eye strain.
3
Use an LCD Monitor Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitors use an average 50–70 percent less energy in on-mode than conventional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors. At eight working hours a day, the energy saved choosing an LCD over an equal sized CRT could typically be well over 100 kilowatts/year.
2
Screensavers are not energy savers. In fact, certain graphicsintensive screensavers can cause the computer to burn twice as much energy and prevent a computer from entering sleep mode. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), turning off the screensaver can save you USD 25–75 a year on energy costs.
4
Configure your monitor to enter a power-saving mode after 20 minutes of inactivity, and your hard drive to turn off after 30 minutes of inactivity. This can be done from the Power Options icon located in your Windows Control Panel. By changing these settings you can help reduce the power your computer draws when you are not using it.
5
If you are going to be away from your computer for more than two hours, shut down your computer. On average, your computer can still be drawing about 100 watts. An alternative would be to place it in standby mode. Despite popular belief, shutting down and starting up your computer daily is a good habit for proper PC maintenance.
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6
Switch off your laptop, tablet or mobile phone chargers once it has finished charging. If you don’t, it will continue to drain almost as much energy as when charging and generate 35-70 kg of avoidable carbon dioxide each year.
9
Recycle old PCs and peripherals. By recycling, hazardous metals are extracted and plastic pieces are removed and reused to make new products. You can find out more about Lenovo’s recycling services by visiting this webpage for product recycling initiatives in your region.
On average, 40 percent of electricity used to power home electronics is still consumed while the products are turned off! This is equivalent to 10 percent of total home electricity consumption. By unplugging appliances, you can decrease your electricity bill and help the environment. A simple option is to connect multiple devices to a plug bank and then simply unplug that.
8
Clean up your PC’s operating system This will reduce idle load because programs running in the background will use up more power. To check idle load, launch the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del.
10
Buy green When purchasing a PC, look for the ENERGY STAR® rating to identify energy efficient equipment. ENERGY STAR® computers power down to a sleep mode that consume 15 watts or less power, which is around 70 percent less electricity than a computer without power management features.
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music
Have you met Members: Amir Eid: vocals and guitar Sherif Hawary: Lead guitar Tamer Hashem: Drums Sherif Mostafa: Keyboard Adam el Alfy: Bass Guitar What are the problems that face you while dealing with one another? We don’t really face a lot of problems together, each one of us has a role thegy are responsible for and so we barely interferes with each other’s work. We give each other advice about work and we agree to disagree. Other than that we have normal arguments that any group of friends have because we have been raised together like brothers and so we have fights like arguing over how high or low the air conditioner is. Just like brothers. We are humans after all.
How did your music evolve? We started in 2003, tried to find our way and try new things and songs and we kept searching for ourselves and what we really want to say to the people and in 2007 after going in many directions we finally found the message we want to deliver which is being the voice of the people and reflect their lives and help each person find their path and what they want to be and do in life. The first song we wrote was only for us to listen to. We went to a studio and recorded a song just for us. It was released later though. If each of you wasn’t part of a band, what would you want to do? We all hated work and never wanted to get a job anyway and so we took music as an excuse to focus on something else. Non of us wanted to do anything else.
“We were born to make music”Amir Eid. What topics do you want to sing about in the future? We want to sing about self discovering and we did write a song for the new album about that. The new album is called “wana a3ed ma3a nafsi”, which tells a story about how a person sits alone in peace and tries to find answers in life and discover himself and the world around him. A little about each one: Amir Eid Age: 28 Horoscope: Sagittarius His dream: Going around the world and getting their voice to everyone and winning awards and writing albums that really reflet people’s voices in addition to changing the
Cairokee? understanding of Arabic music in the minds of people. Graduated from: Information technology Interests: Drawing and motorcycles How he gets his ideas for the songs he writes: Things that provoke him in life which he thinks he should say an opinion about. For example when he wrote “Esbat Makanak”, it was because people were starting to doubt themselves and were not confident and he wanted to encourage them. What irritates him during performing: If the sound system has a problem What irritates him during recording: if a stranger is present The gadget he can’t love without: His studio computer Sherif Hawary Age: 27 Horoscope: Pisces
His dream: he doesn’t know Graduated from : Business Administration Interests: internet games How does he get ideas for their music: sometimes he comes up with good music that they put words to. What irritates him during performance: if the sound of the audience is too loud What irritates him while recording: he likes to be completely alone while recording. Tamer Hashem Age: 27 Horoscope: Leo His dream: That they become the best band in the world Interests: Sports, surfing How does he get ideas: he adds to any idea they have What irritates him while performing: if he can’t hear Sherif Hawary
What irritates him while recording: He argues a lot with Sherif Mostafa because he is the one that records his work for him. Sherif Mostafa Age: 22 Horoscope: Capricorn Graduated from: Marketing Interests: sports, squash, motorcycles Adam El Alfy Age: 26 Horoscope: Cancer Graduated from: Business Administration Interests: all animals What irritates him while performing: Spotlights What irritates him while recording: too much noise and a loud crowd
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design
p To 10
Modern Architectural Wonders Natural landscapes and beautiful beaches have always been on tourists ‘must see’ lists. But now, the list must be completed with these man made attractions, true wonders of modern times. If you consider yourself a trip addict, you should consider visiting at least a part of them, if not all.
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design
Bird’s Nest - Beijing National Stadium The stadium was built for the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. It was designed by architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron from Herzog & de Meuron, project architect Stefan Marbach, artist Ai Weiwei and Li Xinggang. Architects from all over the world are allured to China because of the endless possibilities and the people’s openness to adventurous projects. According to a 2004 report in Architectural Record, China uses up 54.7% of the concrete and 36.1% of the steel produced in the world. In order to create something unique, the architects have studied Chinese ceramics and came up with the idea of the nest. Two independent structures, a red concrete seating area, shaped as a bowl and the outer steel frame form this extravagant structure. The original plans also included a retractable roof, but the idea was dropped after a collapse of a roof at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport.
Called “The Bird’s Nest” because of its appearance, this is also a compliment, Li Xinggang says: “In China, a bird’s nest is very expensive, something you eat on special occasions.” Barcelona Pavilion The building was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It’s purpose was to be the German National Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona. It had to accommodate the official reception presided by King Alphonso XIII of Spain along with the German authorities. Built exclusively from lavish materials, such as glass, marble, travertine and golden onyx and in a simple form, it is a work representative for the Modern Movement. Even though the building was supposed to host the exhibition, the building itself was to become the exhibit. Having been built for the exhibition, it was intended to exist only temporarily so in 1930 is was disassembled. But because it was such an important work, in 1980, the Urban Planning Department of the Barcelona City Council decided to recreate the pavilion, using the original plans. Architects Ignasi de Solà-Morales, Cristian Cirici and Fernando Ramos researched and supervised the reconstruction of the Pavilion. The new building was opened on its original site in 1986, after three years of work. Bergisel Ski Jump What makes this ski jump so out of the ordinary
is that it’s a mix between sports facilities and public spaces. Beside the actual ski jump, it includes a cafe and a viewing terrace. There are two elevators which take the tourists up to the 40 meters high cafe, from where they can admire the alpine landscape and watch the athletes below fly above the Innsbruck skyline. Having a length of about 90 meters and a height of almost 50 meters, it’s actually a combination of a tower and a bridge. It was designed by the London firm Zaha Hadid Architects and has become an important point of reference for the surrounding mountain landscape.
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao North American architect, Frank O. Gehry is one of the most important and influential architects of the time. Designing buildings form innovative
materials like steel, copper, zinc, titanium he creates unique forms and shapes. He is particularly attentive to the surrounding context, cultural and visual. For this reason, at street level the building is quite modest blending with the traditional surroundings. On the other hand, from the river side it is a spectacular monument. The design of the building was possible due to state-of-the-art 3D computer program. Computer simulations of the building’s structure made it possible to create shapes impossible to construct by architects of earlier times. CCTV Building China Central Television Headquarters is a 234 meters (768 feet) tall skyscraper in Beijing Central Business District. The building was designed by Arup, the firm who also worked on other important projects like the Sydney Opera House and the Beijing National Stadium. The architects in charge for the building were Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren from The Office for Metropolitan Architecture. Work started in September 2004. At
first there were two L shaped buildings, joined together on December 26, 2007 to form one impressive structure. This linking level has 4 meters wide glass floors allowing visitors to peer down to a 162 meters drop below their feet. The total cost was estimated at €600 million ($750 million). It was supposed to be completed in 2008, but
because of the opposition against the costs. it was delayed until 2009. Today it’s the headquarters for China Central Television and it employs 10,000 people. Niterói Contemporary Art Museum This flying saucer building was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, with the assistance of structural
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design
engineer Bruno Contarini. It is 16 meters high and the cupola has a diameter of 50 meters. It is set on a cliff, with offering views of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, and Sugarloaf Mountain. Completed in 1996, the modernist structure is one of the city’s main landmarks. A wide access slope leads to a Hall of Expositions, with a capacity for sixty people. The Niterói Art Museum presents a selection of the best Brazilian contemporary art, focusing on sculpture, textiles and painting. The collections are frequently changing.
Porsche Museum The first Porsche museum was opened in 1976, but it was relatively small, being able to hold 20 exhibitions in rotation. The collection had 300 restored cars, in very good condition and driving order. The museum’s location had been the same for 30 years, but when the collection reached 400 cars, it was time for a new museum. In 2005, work at the new Porsche Museum began and it took four years and 100 million euros until the new museum could welcome its first visitors. Today, the exhibition focuses firmly on the vehicles showcased. In the first year only, more than 500,000 people came to admire the cars. 170 European architects had applied to get the contract, but out of the ten finalists Viennese office Delugan Meissel was chosen for
the project. The museum is built on three massive concrete pillars and the design is absolutely spectacular. Inside the museum, if you follow the natural route, you will be taken on a trip through Porsche’s history. Aligned along the walls are production cars placed in chronological order. The centre sections are reserved for the racing cars and special rotating displays.
Sydney Opera House One of the most distinctive buildings of the 20th century, a landmark not only for a city, but for a whole country. Danish architect Jørn Utzon received the Pritzker Prize in 2003, for creating this building. Today, the Sydney Opera House is the busiest art center in the world, with over 1,500 performances per year and 7 million visitors. The building’s design is modern expressionist, with a roof formed out of shell shaped precast concrete panels, each of them being a section of a hemisphere. They are covered with 1,056,006 glossy white- and mattecream-colored Swedish tiles. It is 183 meters (605 feet) long and 120 meters (388 feet) wide. The four main companies which perform on its stages are Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, Sydney Theatre Company and Sydney Symphony with 1.2 million people attending the shoes each year. The Palm Islands are located off the coast of the UAE, in the Per-
sian Gulf, adding 120 kilometers (72 miles) of beaches to the city. They have a large number of residential properties and entertainment centers. The three islands are The Palm Jumeirah, The Palm Jebel Ali and The Palm Deira. The sand from which The Palm is made was dredged from the bottom of the Persian Gulf. 100 million cubic meters of rock and sand were used only for the first two of the islands. Palm Deira was the last one of the islands to be built, using 300 million cubic meters of sand. These thermal baths in Vals are what made the small alpine village known all over Switzerland and we could say to the rest of the world. In the 1908s, the community of Vals bought a bankrupt hotel and assigned the task to transform it into a thermal bath to Peter Zumthor. The structure is made solely from local Valser quartzite and concrete and its geometric shape reflects a huge rock embedded in the hillside. Water, steam and heat add to the definition of areas within the ritual of the bath. The entrance is through an underground tunnel, with copper pipes coming out the walls, pouring the Valser water. As you’ll come out the changing rooms, you’ll reach a balcony that overlooks the baths and you’ll be ready to start experiencing the thermal baths. Because of its success, two years after it was built, it was declared a protected building.
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feature
The
By: Heba Abdul Shahid
awkward moment when… Lately awkward moment jokes have become very famous. You start to realize your life is a big awkward moment basically. So I decided to give you something to laugh about and write about the things you might think are very awkward or things that happen to you and you wonder if it happens to anyone else! It is funny how some things in life happen to everyone everywhere at any age! For example starting from when we were kids… that annoying kid
in every birthday party that yells “CHA CHA CHA”… this shit was really sad. Or that walk of shame you have to do when you find something you really like at a store and look at the price tag and are forced to walk away.. Or the common belief that microwave minutes are longer than normal minutes. I personally think they are! I believe they are not just think it! Or texting half asleep and looking like this (o_). We all experienced those moments when we lay in bed wondering if it is worth it to
get up and pee or not. Or we experienced taking a picture of ourselves that we love but as we continue to stare at it… it gets uglier. We all got that feeling we get when we press SEND on a risky text. And of course we have all tried to record ourselves singing to see if we’ve got a talent, but failed. We all thought that it was a “punishment” at school when they seated us boy girl boy girl.. how sad is that? We all thought for once at least of how funny the commercials would be if they legalize weed :D
And we definitely all used at least one of those lies: “ I’m fine”, “That was my last piece of gum”, I’ll call you back”, “I’m on my way”, or “ I never got your text”.. and the biggest universal lie of all “I have read the terms and conditions”. There are those sarcastic things we also experience like the amazing moment when you don’t die from NOT sending a chain letter. Or taking a picture of our eye.. why do we do that? Or reading a text from someone and hearing exactly how they would have said it. We have all experienced that PANIC when we try to press END CALL on an accidental phone call. We have all pretended to be stars of a music video when a sad songs plays in our cars. Or saving a file on your computer as “jshdgfshjgf” because you’re just too lazy to type a name. or being a fearless bastard who likes a status that is clearly about you! We all got pissed at someone at some point because they had the energy to bring up a subject but no energy to
explain why and so they go like “never mind”. We all tried pressing the elevator button multiple times quickly thinking it might help make it arrive faster. Or we have looked at pictures of ourselves from years behind and wondered how our parents let us leave home looking like that. We all have that mysterious toothbrush in our bathrooms that no one uses and no one throws away. Or we stood in the shower far more longer than we should just to enjoy the warmth of the water or think about something. And we have also been trapped in the corner of the same shower because the water decides to go freezing cold or boiling hot all of a sudden. We have all tried to accomplish a task before the microwave hits 0 like our lives depend on it. Or charged our phones 5 minutes before we leave home like it will ever make a difference. Or raising our phones 6 inches up to get better signal. Really? That will do it? We have all done this but maybe never noticed it that we al-
ways try a new pen before buying it using squiggly lines and not straight ones. We all have got so pissed at stupid questions we get from others like “are you asleep”? or “Did you get a haircut?” or calling you at home and asking “Hey, where are you?”. We all wondered what to do with our eyes at a dentist’s office... look at the ceiling? Close them? Open them? Stare at him? We have all eaten raisin cookies thinking they were chocolate chip cookies and some of us have trust issues because we all know what it means when you are totally fine but by the seventh time someone asks if you’re mad… YOU GET MAD!. We all have one song that plays really loud on out ipods and scares the shit out of us. Or suddenly typing much faster in caps lock when you are mad! We have all wanted to walk up to a stranger hand them a suit case, whisper you know what to do and runaway. Like in the movies. And we all wondered who ties up our headphones in knots while we are asleep! We all used winky faces to
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We’ve all “accidentally” texted someone on purpose
make something sound more dirty… like for example “we need whipped cream” vs. “we need whipped cream ;)”… get what I mean? When we were kids we all talked into the fan to make a robot sound. And we all wished we could hold on to the ceiling fan and play. And what pisses us most is when a website asks “are you human?”… no obviously a unicorn. And I have also always wondered why my phone rings for far much longer when I am ignoring a call and why there is always one person that I replay the conversations I had with in my head. We have all know the most cruel type of pain in the world, the pain of stepping on a lego. And of course we all covered our answers while taking a test in school… not to keep others from cheating but because we are afraid that the teacher will walk by and see how bad we screwed up the answers. Or spending 10 minutes on a math question and at the end the answer you get isn’t even one of the choices! We also at some point panicked because we were talking bad about someone who had just gotten off the phone with us and so we look at the phone quickly making sure they aren’t still on the line. And we all have that one song that fits our lives perfectly. We
all barked at a dog at some point to show them who’s the boss. We have all wished to read other people’s minds and then realized that if you did, you would go crazy. We have all eaten something super sour and made a sexy face. And we all sold a part of our body for money when we were young..”tooth fairy”. We all got a mental picture of someone naked when someone told you “let’s talk later, I have to go shower”. We all chewed on a pen that we borrowed or sat there feeling awkward when your friend’s parents yelled at them. We all got a pet at some point that walked in your room stared at you, turned around and left. And although we all know our rooms by heart we always sexually rub the wall to find the switch. We all lay in bed one night and all of a sudden remember something we had lost and got up to search the whole house for it. We all have the urge to look our best on our birthday and we all noticed that in movies whenever they say “things can’t get any worse”, it rains. We all ran up stairs like gorillaz because it is easier and we all thought that limos were only for famous people when we were young. We all drew the sun at the corner of the paper and pressed random buttons on a fighting
game. We’ve all “accidentally” texted someone on purpose or closed the fridge door really slowly to watch the light go off. We all played super Mario and moved your whole body while doing it. We all made a baby cry and tried to make them laugh quickly before getting caught. We all got re-pissed about an old situation when we remembered it later. We all googled something we are ashamed of and tried to find ourselves online. We all wondered about things like who decided a week should have 7 days and how were hours divided… and we are all lazy enough to look at this “87234236498265323” and not actually read the number. Or drop something and deciding you don’t need it because you don’t want to reach down and get it. And what I am dead sure of is that we are all smiling as we finish reading this..
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o i h c c Pino l e f d a kh ! a b o o anb l Shahid
By: Heba Abdu
Those of you who did not get a chance to read my previous article “Edeeni fel anbooba” will not quite understand the title of this one. But once you read this one I guarantee you that the first thing you’ll do is read the other one. So basically because the previous article was not enough to describe the comedy reality show we live in where I work, I decided there should be a series of articles about it. Just to keep you laughing and thanking God for whatever you do for a living. So during the past month only there has been a lot of incidents with my boss that I had to stop and write about. This guy never fails to surprise us. I live with the fear of liking him someday because of how he makes my day when he does one of his stupid things and makes us all laugh. I wonder how one person can hold that much stupidity… Tab3an you know how he calls to give me a certain task or whatever and in between every line he says he suddenly shouts “betekteby waraya?!”… “ah bakteb”… “La2 ekteby 3al computer”.. “ mana bakteb fe notebook”… “La2 la2 3al computer 3ashan mayde3sh”… ENTA MAL AHLAK akteb fain… enshalla akteb 3ala komi ana 7ora ya3ni el mohem a3melak shoghlak. He is such a nagging kid! Zanan zan msh tabeeeee3i. and he asks us for the weirdest shit! I mean earlier this month he asked us to design and edit his personal resume (CV). Leeh? So we start working on it and then I go ahead to edit the text only to find that it looks more like a flyer
than a CV. He has a big title at the top in bold that says something like “THE COMBINATION OF INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND LOCAL OUTLOOK” 7aga rkheesa kida.. Tab maho enta mesh menazel e3lan 3an Montag gedeed. W eli 3asabni ba2a is that his “personal achievements” are all basically the projects we did in the company that he did not add anything to. So he claims he designed and produced everything we worked our asses on. wana tab3an mish haskot! 2oltelo this looks like our company profile rather than your CV. El bege7 ye2oli “Asdek eh?” mafrood ana kida ageeb wara ba2a wa2olo la mosh asdi 7aga tab3an! … la2 khalis. Mosh ana. Ro7t aylalo ya3ni el achievements de are not your personal achievements and you can’t add them as your own! Tab3an 3amal agnaby w nafadli w 3adi. W ghaleban ba2a eli ana bada2t ashok feeh en el ragel da taba3 monazama erhabeya aw beytager fel mokhadarat and he uses his stupidity as a shield en el nas matshokesh feeh. Lately he has been acting like a criminal who’s hiding from everyone. Fag2a maba2ash 3ayezna nedakhal ay 7ad mane3rafoosh el sherka. Shwaya shwaya haygeblena babysitter. “Matdakhaloosh 7ad khalis! Gheer lama tes2alooni! W ay 7ad yetkalem fel telephone mat2ololoosh ana fain w matrodoosh 3ala ay as2ela!” …. Eh el gaw da?! Two weeks ago a client came to the company asking about our services because he wanted to design and produce some business cards. We called to tell him fa khalana nakhod
mel ragel esbat shakhseya w n2olo la2 emshi we7na haneb2a nkalemak.. momken business card? El ragel ra7 ayelena.. “ama ana aslan gai a3mel cards… haykoon m3aya ezay?!” kan nefsi a2olo ma3lesh o3zorna asl el 3abeet eli mshaghalna 7aweeet shwaya. He calls me 3ala maktaby and asks “heba enti fain”? mmm… fel 7ammam w wakhda wasla. Ya3ni hakoon fain? A2olo enta mkalemni fain? Mesh 3ala maktabi? Ye2oli ah.. a2olo yeb2a ana fain? … eli howa ba7es eni a3da ba3alem bent okhti basic logic rules aw bal3ab m3aha 3arosty. 2ali eh ba2a? I want you to edit our company manual and add every single detail to it. Add even the smallest things like the fact that we have to have our phones on silent or that when a client comes to the office we offer him tea or coffee in a mug with the company’s logo on it. (e7na aslan 3andena mug wa7ed lel deyoof w kobayet maya wa7da) ya3ni law galna aktar men wa7ed malnash feeh ba2a bel door, khallas shayak 3ashan zemeelak yeshrab! 7ab ba2a ye3mel 7araka kida generous w yegeeb hedeya le 2 of my colleagues for their good performance lately. So he gets each “nos gneeh dahab” … ay rokhs w khalas fahmeen asdi? Mabey7ebesh 7aga kamla abadaaaaan. El mohem he sent them the gift and called us all for a meeting on skype to celebrate that occasion and let two of our colleagues who work abroad join too to show them howa ad eh ragel mobazer w bey2adar el nas eli
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3ando. And he thanked them for their performance w bta3 w el ay kalam da and made them stick the nos geneeh dahab at the camera to show it to the colleagues abroad. Tab3an ya3ni 7araka gaw Persil “kesebty m3ana gneeh dahab ya 7agga!” w hya twary el camera w t3ayat w eli 7awaleeha yzaghrato w kida. 7aga ya3ni moheena gedan. Fa awil ma da 7asal ro7t ana I shouted “DAHAB DAHAB DAHAB!!!! DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DAHAB DAHAB”.... W delwa2ty tale3lena ba2a fe fekra gdeeda meno lelah eli edahalo… website gedeed 7aga kda zay facebook bas for business networks. We have to post all our tasks online and post statuses and photos and communicate through it and comment and shit. Eli howa e7na fadyenlak? W yekalem kol wa7ed feena.. “mosh 7ateen soora leeh? La2 7oto soora!”.. and he claims en kol ta3amolatna mafrood teb2a 3aleeh. So he calls and tells me “Bosi, ana 3ayezek tektebeeli mosh 3aref eh w te3meli eh w tkalemi meen WANA 7ATETLEK EL TASK 3ALA EL WEBSITE! E7NA MABNETKALEMSH BEL BO2 HENA”… tab yabn el ka2eeba betdaya3 wa2ty leh? Ya3ni ana a3od asma3ak bet2ool ay kalam WAKTEB WARAK w KAMAAAAAAAAAAAN adkhol 3la el website and post shit? La2 keteer. W ba3deen 3ayez ye3mel “wall of fame” 3andena fel sherka. There is
a room kida with a lunch table that is supposed to be called the “fun room” where we take our breaks. He wants a wall of fame there. W 3ayzako tekhameno kida hay7ot a 3al wall of fame de? Edrabo aghba w ahbal 7aga momken tefakaro feeha! Okay.. 3ayez ye7ot sowar 2 babies. Meen el two babies? Ebn wa7da shaghala m3ana w ebn wa7ed shaghal ma3ana… wall of fame of “the future generation”… tab ana ashtem wala a3mel a? ento law fahmeen ana my swearing skills improved ezay besababo msh hatsada2o. ya3ni gheer en homa msh welad okhto 3ashan ye3ala2 sowarhom. W gheer en asasan their parents mabeyte2oosh eli gabook. W gheer en enta YOU NEVER EVEN SAW THE KIDS. W gheer en e7na fe sherka mish nursery, with all do respect homa mish el atfal el mo3geza aw masalan enta your investing feehom 3ashan in the future they take over your company. Malak fe eh matozbot kida w te32al w telbes eli 3al 7abl. W akheeran nazereyet el mo2amra. Boso ya gama3a el ragel da fe3lan 3ayesh 7ayato fe film thriller. Howa moktane3 tamaman be kida. En kol 7aga kedba. W kol 7aga “HAGS” w kol 7aga ay kalam ELA ELI HOWA BEY2OOLO. Like I said before in the article before this one, MOBALAGH FEEH. So he goes to Abu Dhabi and spends a weekend there or something and when he comes back, he calls my friend here at work to talk
about all the amazing things he saw in Abu Dhabi. Tab3an howa aslan ra7 yumeen laf el balad kolaha ana mabahazarsh. Asl da mayedfa3sh fel tazkara gheer law sab el deen men el estefada. El mohem, ye2olaha a ba2a? “ana shoft el game3 eli fe Abu Dhabi!! Takhyalai!? Kolo dahab kolo dahab… bey2oolo eno metkalef 2 melyar! BAS MATSADA2EESH!! MATSADA2EHOMSH DOOL KAZABEEN”… tab enta mal shaklak?! W ba3dain mansada2sh leh enta m7asesni en ana law sada2t 7ayaty hatetghayar. Asada2 masada2sh ana 7ora ya akhi danta sa2eel awi. Masalan lama our friend here khalef walad.. he calls him w y2olo.. “Ha, gebt a?” 2alo walad… ra7 da ba2a “WOOOOOOW BRAVO!” bravo a ya zeboon enta? Howa a ya3ni masalan esta3mel technique mo3ayan 3ashan yegeeb walad? Walla delwa2ty bravo leli ygeebo walad w law kan 2alo bent kan 2alo ma3lesh tet3awad? Ana mish fahma ya3ni! Fakarni be film mohamed henedi lama dakhal 2al le “SOSO” … 3ayza walad yebga bab el gosayareen… Wa7da sa7bety katabet status 3al website eli howa dakhalna feeh da “menak lelah ya cornich” 3ashan we7na gayeen fel taree2 the traffic was really bad. He read the status w 7asesni en el cornich da ye2rablo. “MALO EL CORNICH!!! MALO! FE EH”… shes like “la2 3adi ya3ni za7ma”.. yero7 ayelaha
“MESH LE DARAGET MENAK LELAAAAAAAAH”… eh da? Fe eh? Enta 3aref ya3ni a cornich wala enta shamem 7aga? W 3ashan howa nazareyet el mo2amra w el ta7weer la7sa dmagho, akher 7aga ba2a eno 3ayez ye3mel presentation fe gam3a bara “Yebtedeeha bekedb…” , “w afdal akdeb akdeb akdeb bas medi wesh serious awi laken waraya sorty teb2a 3al projector w manakheeri 3amala tetwal zay Pinocchio”.. ana hena mish ha3alak. Ana hasebko ento te3alako aw tatalafazo kol wa7ed bera7to ya3ni… Ya gama3a ana bashtaghal fe Sit-com mish fe sherka. El ahbal 7atetlena sorto 3ala el business website da w howa metsha3la2 beye3mel bungee jumping. Modeer mo7taram 7atet sorto bungee jumping. El fekra en e7na mara la2eena el soora de on facebook and we thought he would be embarrassed law 3eref enena shofnaha. TELE3 FAKHOOR BEEEEHA! La2 w eh.. kan metsawar m3a a known political figure bas tab3an kan shaklo fel soora shabah el lamo2akhza. Fa khala el designers hena yesheelo wesho w yerakebo wesho men soora Tania… mish de el moshkela .. el moshkela en el soora eli ekhtar enaha tet7at badal the original soora shaklo feeha shabah el lamo2akhza el WE7SHA Kaman. Soora saye2a! w de eli howa ekhtarha! Motakhayaleen? Wait for next issue w yawmeyat ebn el habla :D
“w afdal akdeb akdeb akdeb bas medi wesh serious awi laken waraya sorty teb2a 3al projector w manakheeri 3amala tetwal zay Pinocchio”
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Touch Screen technology for the whole family
Have you ever distracted a four year old child by handing them a Tablet PC or a Smartphone? Within moments a stunning transformation comes over the child as they quickly manage to open applications and use their fingers to interact seamlessly with the touch-screen interface, bringing the device to life. To the constant amazement of Generation X, technology appears to come naturally to children from a young age, signaling the dawn of a new generation, “Net-Gen�.
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Whilst some parents may be inclined to see a childs interaction with technology as a sign of a ‘little genius’ in the making, many teachers are quickly realizing how touchbased devices are an enabler of children’s motor and cognitive skills development. Touch-screen devices are also influencing consumer behavior, making the user interface a more natural, instinctive and basic mode, with which people of all ages and backgrounds can interact with computerized and digital realms. The effect of touch-screens is clearly appealing to young children who are fascinated by the instant reaction provided, however touchbased devices are also dramatically minimizing the learning curve associated with effectively and efficiently operating computer technologies across generations. Children, the elderly and consumers in emerging markets are all tapping into the increasingly online-world via touch-based
technologies, be it a mobile device or tablet. The days when people’s first technological experiences will be by interacting with a mouse, keyboard and standstill monitor are soon to be, if not already, long gone. Today, with the simple touch of the screen, people around the globe are gaining access to the insurmountable ease and potential offered by computer programs and the Internet, including access to e-learning content, e-banking and online communication and social networking. Tablet PC’s in particular are becoming an important platform for the advancement of touch-screen capacities to really take off. Touchscreens have become more accurate, responsive and durable, making them increasingly efficient and easy to use. The advent of multitouch, referring to a screen’s ability to recognize more than one point of contact, and the digitizer pens or styli, offer users more control
when taking notes or interacting with the tablet. Touch-based devices like tablet PC’s offer large storage space, accompanied by light-weight mobility and strong processors. On multiple platforms and operating systems, tablets provide users with high tech capabilities such as full flash support, HD display, integrated cloud storage, data encryption, and security features. Beyond these more invisible, ‘techy’ benefits, tablets can come preloaded with applications designed to make the device useful to the user right out of the box, without having to go through the hassle of setting up a device from scratch. Bottom line, tablets bring the majority of the benefits of nontouch computers to the user in a fashion that is easier to interact with, carry around and integrate into one’s own daily activities at a reasonable price.
Tablets are beneficial to all members of society; from supporting a child’s first learning experiencing on computing device, to the individual looking for a device that complements his or her mobile needs, through to the company looking to equip its employees with a convenient and secure device. Each user has unique technology needs and the advantage of tablets is that they lend them self to all tech-requirements.
In 2012 the tablet market is set to grow and with it will come more powerful devices with applications that offer greater access to content. In addition, convenience factors such as how quickly the tablet boots into action, wireless keyboards and enhanced capabilities will also come in to play. Style and form factors will also evolve to suit users fashion sense, making the table PC an essential component of user’s tech-world.
For parents who want to introduce their kids to the computer world, the volunteer in the remote village who wants to teach mothers how to get medical advice online, or the daughter living oversees that wants to communicate with her parents more easily, the touchscreen Tablet PC paves the way to making connections and improving quality of life in a way that is much easier today than it has been ever before.
We believe that in the future users will be able to seamlessly interact with and across all their devices - smart phones, tablets, PCs and smart TVs - what we call the convergence of the ‘four screens’. With this convergence and technological developments to support cloud competing, users will soon find they are making the transformation from personal computer to personal cloud. By integrating hardware, software and cloud
services, we intend to break the limitations of separate physical devices to enable users to enjoy the Internet at any time and place, with any terminal. To put it simply, navigating the digital realm, finding a way to maneuver around our increasingly computerized world, will never be the same again. Our fingers are pointing to a screen that is the window to our futures.
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Beat the heat Holy heat wave. It’s been sizzling hot where we are on the East Coast and you can bet that our stoves are taking serious siestas this week. Desperately seeking new ways to beat the heat—in addition to gulping water, taking frequent dips in the pool, and lingering at the air conditioned office—we were curious as to which foods (meatfree, of course!) have the strongest cooling power. What we learned was a little surprising. While popsicles, ice cream, and lemonade are summertime staples, your body has to heat up these freezing cold foods before it can digest them, meaning you produce a little extra warmth. Same goes for meat consumption—it takes a lot of energy to digest complex bits of protein, and energy equals heat. Another surprise: Hot sauce can help keep you cool. Since spices induce sweat, they help rev up your body’s natural cooling system. Ready for a cool down? Give these five no-heat-required vegetarian recipes a try!
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Mango - Mint Virgin Mojitos Ingredients Serves: 8 Prep: 15min |Cook: 0min |Total: 15min 4 limes 40 mint leaves, thinly sliced 5 C mango nectar 5 C club soda Directions 1. Cut 1 lime into 12 thin slices and squeeze remaining limes to get 6 tablespoons juice. 2. Combine juice, mint, nectar, and soda. 3. Pour into 8 tall glasses filled with ice. Garnish each with lime slices.
Gazpacho Salad II We turned a favorite chilled summer soup into a salad-with lots more fresh vegetables and spicy flavor. Loaded with juicy tomatoes, this dish requires just a hint of dressing. Ingredients Serves: 4 Prep: 20min |Cook: 1hr 0min |Total: 1hr 20min
Cold Tomato and Cucumber Soup Ingredients Serves: 4 Prep: 20min |Cook: 0min |Total: 3hr 20min 2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 1 large clove garlic 1 large cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and finely chopped 1 cup tomato juice 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Directions 1. In 2 batches in a food processor, process the tomatoes and garlic until smooth. Place in a bowl. 2. Add the cucumber, tomato juice, basil, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours, or until very cold and the flavors have blended.
2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes 1 cup chopped red or yellow bell peppers 1 cup chopped green bell peppers 1 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumbers 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 scallions, chopped 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon lime juice or lemon juice 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon 3 cups torn leaf lettuce 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Directions 1. MIX the tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, onion, scallions, parsley, and basil in a large bowl. 2. MIX the lime juice, vinegar, honey, garlic, and tarragon in a small bowl. Pour over the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. 3. ADD the lettuce, salt, and pepper just before serving. Toss well.
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Cool Lime Pie Frappe Get the taste and creamy texture of key lime pie without the 20 g of fat per slice by sipping this light but luscious drink instead. Thawing the frozen yogurt slightly helps it slide out of the container easily. Ingredients Serves: 2 Prep: 5min |Cook: 0min |Total: 5min
Veggie Rolls With Mango Ginger Dipping Sauce A sweet and sour sauce tempers the spicy radish sprouts in this produce packed roll. Ingredients Serves: 8 Prep: 5min |Cook: 0min |Total: 5min
2 C 1 pt fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt (we used Stonyfield Farm Organic), softened slightly at room temperature 1/4 C fat-free milk 2 tbsp freshly squeezed limejuice (1 lime) 1/2 tsp freshly grated lime zest (1/2 lime) 2 tbsp whole grain graham cracker crumbs Directions 1. Puree frozen yogurt, milk, lime juice, and lime zest in blender until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses. Sprinkle each with graham cracker crumbs.
DIPPING SAUCE: 4 tbsp mango fruit spread 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 1 tbsp fresh lime juice 1/2 tsp finely grated ginger 1/4 tsp hot sauce finely grated peel from 1 small lime ROLL: 8 large rice paper wrappers 1/4 C cilantro leaves, rinsed and patted dry 3 oz thai style baked tofu (such as white wave or wild wood), thinly sliced 2 C radish sprouts 1/2 C shredded carrots 16 snow peas, rinsed and patted dry, ends trimmed 8 small, tender leaves boston or romaine lettuce, rinsed and patted dry Directions 1. In small bowl, whisk together all dipping sauce ingredients. Set aside. 2. To prepare rice paper: Fill a shallow bowl with hot water. Dip one sheet at a time until it becomes piable (about 5 seconds). Lay the wet wrapper on a damp towel and let it rest a few seconds until it’s soft and slightly tacky. 3. Place two to four cilantro leaves on lower third of wrapper and cover with two or three tofu slices. Top with 1/4 cup sprouts, 1 tablespoon carrots, and two snow peas. Fold one lettuce leaf in half and place on top. 4. To roll: Place the filling on the lower third of the rice paper, an inch or so from the edge. Fold up the bottom and over the filling. Then, tuck in the sides toward the center and roll upward tightly. Repeat until all wrappers and ingredients have been used. 5. Cut each roll in half. Serve immediately.
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TechnoStyle News 1st Edition
RIM Launches BlackBerry 10 Platform
Developers get powerful tools in advance to build apps that deliver highly engaging mobile experiences for users BlackBerry World 2012 / BlackBerry 10 Jam – Orlando, FL – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) unveiled its vision for the BlackBerry® 10 platform at the BlackBerry World™ conference in Orlando, Florida and released the initial developer toolkit for native and HTML5 software development. The toolkit is available in beta as a free download from http://developer.blackberry.com. “BlackBerry 10 builds upon the core values and exceptional user experiences that have attracted more than 77 million BlackBerry customers around the world today,” said Alec Saunders, Vice President, Developer Relations and Ecosystems Development. “Developers building for BlackBerry 10 will be able to easily create the kind of cutting-edge apps that deliver truly engaging experiences and ‘wow’ customers, whether through integration with
native features and other apps like BBM or by leveraging the new signature design elements of this new and powerful mobile computing platform.” “There is tremendous interest, anticipation and momentum building toward the launch of BlackBerry 10 devices, and today we’re extremely excited to release the BlackBerry 10 developer beta tools for general use,” said Christopher Smith, Vice President, Handheld Application Platform and Tools at Research In Motion. “Developers can use this first beta of the tools to get started building apps for BlackBerry 10 and as the tools evolve over the coming months, developers will have access to a rich API set that will allow them to build even more integrated apps. The toolkit we are delivering today also meets developers on their own terms. Whether using the powerful Cascades framework, writing direct native code or developing in HTML5, BlackBerry 10 will empower developers to create attractive and compelling apps that excite customers.”
Summer 2012 Myriam Fares, Google+ Hangout Ambassador, Hangs Out with her Fans
Lebanese star, Myriam Fares, hosted her first Google+ hangout as Google+ Hangout Ambassador. Over 5,000 fans from around the world registered to participate in the hangout with Myriam Fares. Nine lucky fans were given the chance to talk directly with her in a live hangout. The fans were from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia and Canada. Some fans were so happy they cried when they first saw Myriam Fares during the hangout. “I’m so excited to talk about Google+”, said Myriam Fares following her hangout. “Especially hangouts on Google+, which allow me to connect with all of my fans and bring me closer to them, wherever I am in the world. It is not just limited to my experience. My fans can also connect with each other in a unique and special way.” During the hangout, Myriam Fares discussed her recent projects and what she does on a daily basis. Viewers were given a sneak peek into her forthcoming album as Myriam Fares sang part of her new song. Google+ is much more than an innovative social network. It brings together Google tools to provide a better a web experience for users. Through its circles feature,
1st Edition
Summer 2012
Canon Middle East Empowers Local Female Talent to Achieve Artistic Heights
Global imaging brand supports women achievers in celebration of International Women’s Day Thousands of women in the Middle East are joining others around the world to celebrate International Women’s Day, marking achievements made by women across all fields of society. In the field of photography and film-making, female artists across the region have been making headway in their profession through pioneering achievements and international recognition, thanks to the support of Canon Middle East. “Canon empowers creativity and wants everyone to be passionate about the power of image and the emotions that it can evoke. Visual imagery has – and always will – play a key role in how we perceive the world,” said Hendrik Verbrugghe, Marketing Director, Canon Middle East. “We are proud to help empower local female talent to share their vision through the realm of photography and film-making. In recent years, we have seen some amazingly talented women come to the fore in these creative fields, and we hope to inspire even more to do the same in the years to come.” One of Canon’s brand ambassa-
dors, recently declared as one the 100 most powerful Arab women in 2012 by Arabian Business, is Emirati Producer and CEO, Nayla Al Khaja. Her film production company, D-SEVEN Motion Pictures has been a huge driving force behind the growth of filmmaking in the UAE and wider region. Her Dubai and Abu Dhabi based film clubs play a key role in showcasing the best of independent cinema. Nayla commented: “Each year we see more female filmmakers and photographers achieve recognition and awards for work that is truly inspiring and of high standards. With the support of companies like Canon, I am confident we will continue to discover and encourage new talent, who will contribute to the flourishing of cinematic and photographic arts in the region as a whole.” Among the women who have made a mark with their work include Dubai-based Charney Magri, who is known for her striking fashion, beauty and luxurious lifestyle imagery. Canon has provided the award-winning photographer with the EOS 5D Mark II DSLR camera to produce stunning images in her photo-book, ‘Women of the UAE’.
Citystars Properties Breaks the Guinness World Record with the Largest Crystal Lagoon on Earth
Crystal Lagoon Sharm El Sheikh has been officially recognized by the Guinness World Records™ as the largest crystal lagoon in the world, offering the Lagoon developer, Citystars Properties, a special occasion to celebrate. The 120,000 m2 Crystal Lagoon that clinched the world title is designed by the worldrenowned Chilean Architect Fernando Fischmann. Engineer Yehia al-Meteini, General Manager of Golden Pyramids Plaza, and Chairman of Golden Coast – the developer of the Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada Citystars projects, expressed his great pride in this historic achievement. “ The record-breaking Lagoon will add a new dimension to the Tourism and Real Estate markets, not only in Egypt, but also in the Arab region at large,” predicted al-Meteini. “Arab developers are quite capable of carrying out large-scale developments, and compete with key global developers, in terms of luxury and grandeur,” the top executive of the giant real estate developer stressed out. “Crystal Lagoon Sharm al-Sheikh comes in harmony with our earnest endeavor to stay on top of multiuse developments market, in Egypt and to set new internationallyrecognized benchmarks, for urban and seaside resorts,” highlighted al-Meteini.
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news 1st Edition
Summer 2012
Lenovo appoints Gianfranco Lanci to Head EMEA Business New leader outlines ambition for Lenovo to become top three PC company in EMEA by 2013 Lenovo, the second largest PC company in the world, announced the appointment of Gianfranco Lanci as senior vice president (SVP) and president of Lenovo EMEA. Lanci, formerly CEO and president of Acer, will help lead the continued rapid growth of Lenovo’s business across the region. Lenovo has been the fastest growing major PC company in the world for more than two years and last year acquired MEDION in Germany to help fuel continued growth in Europe. Lanci is outlining plans to drive Lenovo to becoming a top three PC company in EMEA by 2013. “The last year has seen turmoil and uncertainty in the PC market for a number of players, but our strategy has remained consistent throughout – to protect and grow our heritage THINK business, while attacking new markets such as the consumer space,” said Lanci, whose tenure as EMEA president officially began on April 2nd. “We are already strong in Russia and Germany in the consumer sector and our strategy for this year is to roll out IDEA consumer products to many more countries across EMEA.” Lenovo chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang added: “For Lenovo, we recognise we are entering a new era – the PC-plus age – in which the PC remains central to the digital lives of millions of people and business and at the heart of an ecosystem of tablets, smart phones and smart TVs. In this new era we must not only continue to win in commercial
Horizon Holdings Launches New Digital Capability, Blue Barracuda in the Middle East spaces, but also expand our global consumer presence in PCs and other personal technology devices. Gianfranco Lanci brings great experience, leadership and expertise to Lenovo in exactly these areas. I am certain he can help drive us forward to achieve these goals in EMEA and around the world.” Lanci noted that the rise of tablets and movement of new form factors in PC, like thin Ultrabooks into the mainstream, creates many new opportunities for Lenovo. “EMEA is a strategically critical market for us. We must maintain our commercial leadership – we are number one in the world in commercial – while dramatically expanding our consumer and SMB presence across the region. This will help us achieve 10% share in the top 10 countries in EMEA and realise our longer term objective of becoming a top three player in EMEA.” Gianfranco Lanci’s appointment as president of Lenovo EMEA follows the company’s reorganisation, effective 2nd April 2012, which creates four new geographies - EMEA, APLA (Asia Pacific / Latin America), China and North America. The reorganisation will create more efficient, fast-moving and focused geographies that can implement the company’s ‘Protect & Attack’ strategy more deeply and effectively around the world. This strategy has enabled Lenovo to “protect” its core businesses in China and the global commercial space to drive profits, while investing to “attack” growth in emerging markets, consumer devices and the mobile internet.
Newly Fortified Agency Gives Strategic Edge to Horizon Group’s Regional Service Offerings Horizon Holdings, the Middle East’s leading advertising, marketing and communications group, today launched its new digital services offering Blue Barracuda, which will effectively complement Horizon Group’s services to existing and new clients across the Middle East region. Laurence Boschetto, worldwide CEO and president of Draftfcb, Rafic Saadeh, chairman and CEO Horizon Holdings, and Gregory Tikhanoff, President and COO Horizon Holdings, jointly made the announcement at The Address Downtown Hotel in Dubai. The conference was also attended by Martin Talks, Draftfcb’s global digital lead and founder of Blue Barracuda, along with Lee Brett, general manager of Blue Barracuda, and Dina Saadeh, account director-digital. Blue Barracuda, a London based digital agency which was recently acquired by Draftfcb, will now support Horizon Draftfcb by providing full-service digital strategies across all aspects of digital communications. The agency’s capabilities will include a range of digital services from digital strategies and campaign planning, CRM, retail, to full-service execution.
1st Edition
Summer 2012
Samsung Named “Device Manufacturer of the Year” by GSMA
Samsung’s mobile device innovations and the Android-powered GALAXY S II are awarded much deserved titles in Mobile World Congress 2012 Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider was named “Device Manufacturer of the Year” by GSMA; a global organization that represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. During the annual Mobile World Congress 2012, GSMA also named Samsung’s Galaxy S II the “Best Smartphone”. Awards were announced in a ceremony hosted by Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, Spain. The awards highlight Samsung’s dedication to the introduction of innovative devices that meet users’ needs and preferences. Samsung’s Mobile devices portfolio offers users the world’s widest range of mobile phones, tablets, multimedia players and mobile related products and solutions; from cutting-edge smart mobile devices to mass-market smartphones; that have been successful in dominating the mobile phone markets. With a unique product line-up that supports
all major operating systems, Samsung gives consumers the choice to define their own mobile experience. Samsung’s flagship device, the Galaxy S II was recognized for its powerful performance and the overwhelming variety of features it offers. Highlighting the strength of the Galaxy S II, in the global market, Samsung recently announced their global sales of the device had surpassed 20 million units in just 10 short months; making it the fastest selling phone in Samsung history. “We are honored to be recognized by such a prestigious organization, like GSMA. Awards such as this one are a testament to Samsung’s innovation, quality products, and attention to consumer preferences. In 2011, Samsung sold over 97 million smartphones; a clear indicator that we are on the right track,” said Duke Park, Samsung Egypt General Manager. “The GALAXY S II has set a new standard for smartphones, taking speed, screen and content to a whole new level. We are extremely proud of how this device has changed the way the market and consumers experience mobile technology.”
Marriott Egypt Hotels join hands with “Care with Love” and “Friends of Children with Cancer”
As part of Marriott’s “Spirit To Serve Our Communities” Culture, Marriott Hotels in Egypt recently signed a partnership agreement with “Care with Love” and “Friends of Children with Cancer”. The agreement came to reassure Marriott Egypt Hotels’ commitment for action with The Clinton Global Initiative through supporting their Health and Hope Oasis project, which is Egypt’s first center to provide holistic approach to support children with cancer and their families while in the treatment phase. In 2011, Care with Love, in partnership with Friends of Children with Cancer, committed to create the “Health and Hope Oasis” in Egypt to host and support children with cancer and their families throughout the duration of medical treatment, during which time most patients must live away from their homes. The center will ensure consistent and timely access to high quality medications for all children, while raising awareness among parents and families of the importance of completing medication courses, safe hygienic practices, and appropriate nutrition during recovery. HHO will also provide temporary employment and volunteer opportunities for parents in residence at the center. The Health and Hope Oasis will serve approximately 5,000 children over the course of two years, with the goal of significantly improving cancer survival rates among children in Egypt.
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news 1st Edition Visa Goes for Gold as Sponsor of London 2012 Olympic Games
Visa, one of the world’s leading payment solution providers, is celebrating its long-standing worldwide sponsorship of the Olympic Games with one its biggest ever regional campaigns. As an Olympic partner since 1986, Visa continues to be the exclusive card of the Olympic Games and official payment service of the International Olympic Committee with Visa being the only card accepted at all Olympic venues for all official Olympic-related transactions. As part of its sponsorship, Visa is delivering a high impact advertising campaign across the Middle East, and is also offering Visa cardholders in each market the chance to win a oncein-a-lifetime trip to London to see The Games in action for themselves. ‘Go World’ advertising across the GCC Visa’s eye-catching ‘Go World’ campaign was unveiled to the public last month featuring an interactive 3-D activation in Dubai, which enabled Visa to promote its involvement with The Games in a fun and engaging way. The high impact advertising campaign has now been rolled out across the GCC and will be launched this month in Egypt. The extensive campaign will run until July and with a series of below-theline initiatives, including a dedicated PR and social media campaign, complimenting the advertising campaign. Win a chance to go to London 2012 Olympic Games As part of Visa’s worldwide sponsorship of The Games, Visa will be running a series of promotions giving over 100 Visa cardholders across the region the chance the unique opportunity to attend the Games in London with a friend during the summer.
Summer 2012
Leo Burnett wins big at Lynx & MENA Cristal
Raja Trad Advertising Person of the Year & Leo Burnett Advertising Network of the Year Leo Burnett MENA rounds up 2011 campaigns and kicks off 2012 named “Advertising Network of the Year” in Dubai Lynx Awards Ceremony and MENA Cristal Festival, after a year of unprecedented and untraditional campaigns. Leo Burnett dazzled the advertising World with the great award winning campaigns taking the lead in the biggest events in the advertising and communications industry in the region. Dubai Lynx Advertising Festival and the Awards Ceremony were held from 4th till the 7th March 2012 in Dubai, where Leo Burnett MENA had a big share of awards landing “Advertising Network of the Year”, of which Leo Burnett Cairo had its share of the awards winning 3 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze awards Besides landing network of the year, Raja Trad - CEO of Leo Burnett Group MENA and member of the Leo Burnett Worldwide Global Leadership Council (GLC), was presented with the Advertising Person of the Year award. The Dubai Lynx Advertising Person Award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to advancing the reputation and profile of the communications industry in the MENA region. The recipient of the award is selected by the organisers of the Dubai International Advertising Festival “With great passion and com-
mitment, not only has Raja Trad achieved great success for the Leo Burnett Group in the Middle East and North Africa, but he has raised the profile and made an exceptional contribution to the development of the region’s advertising and communications industry,” says Terry Savage, Chairman of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the Dubai International Advertising Festival, who, with Motivate Publishing, are joint organisers of the festival. “We are delighted to honour Raja with this well-deserved accolade.” When receiving the award Raja Trad said “It is an honour to be recognised this evening by such a distinguished body of people, and I humbly accept this distinction on behalf of my fellow Burnetters across the MENA network who, just as I do, believe in a shared vision and a culture of seamless collaboration. This honour is a recognition of all of our efforts – of the efforts of every man and woman of every agency, who have worked so hard to improve the quality of the industry. Together, we need to continue challenging ourselves to tirelessly raise the bar even further, to create communication that touches hearts and minds, and to create big ideas guided by human purpose that help us transform human behaviour.” In MENA Cristal, overall, the Leo Burnett MENA network, which was named “Network of the Year” at the Cristal as well, was awarded 7 Grand Prix, 17 Gold, 9 Silver and 23 Bronze, taking home a total of 56 awards.
1st Edition
Summer 2012
www.3alkanaba. Yahoo! Maktoob Launches -the new Ramadan Destination in English com online TV guide
Includes recipes and health tips, glossary of terms, and interesting facts about Ramadan Yahoo! Maktoob has launching a dedicated Ramadan destination on the English Yahoo! Maktoob, which comes to complement its Arabic Ramadan offering, and is targeted towards English speaking Muslims and non-Muslims who might want to learn more about this time of year. The dedicated destination (http:// en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/ramadan/) is for anyone wishing to enhance their knowledge of Ramadan through rich content that consists of trivia, factsheets, glossary of Ramadan terms, e-greeting cards, and features designed to help nonMuslims understand, enjoy and explore the Holy month. Features also include health tips and delicious recipes. With the start of Ramadan, the site
will include a prayer and iftar schedules, and will feature Yahoo! Maktoob’s original video productions, which will be subtitled in English. In the lead up to Ramadan, Yahoo! Maktoob Research conducted a survey across MENA and found that over half of respondents go online as the first step to gathering information during Ramadan, while 45% believe that the Internet improves communication with loved ones and 42% feel the Internet makes life easier and more convenient during Ramadan. 63% of those seeking information online are seeking mainly news while 62% go online for religious content. Cooking recipes are also one of the favorite topics with 50%. Social networking sites and forums also play an important role as people want to share experiences and congratulate family and friends during this yearly occasion (64%).
Pampers Premium Care launches Baby Photo Contest
The highlight of the campaign is Pampers Premium Care Baby Star Photo Contest, taking place on Facebook, Pampers premium care fan page www.Facebook.com/PampersEgypt
and enabled through the Pampers Premium Care weekly tours. This is where 5 babies’ photos which receive the highest number of votes will become the Pampers 5 Stars. Pampers Premium Care will reward the Grand prize lucky winner with a fascinating family trip to the magic world of Euro Disney, the second will receive a Nursery Makeover from the renowned baby Store “Mother Care”, while Runners Up prizes will be a One year supply of Pampers Premium Care diapers.
www.3alkanaba.com is the first Egyptian online TV guide catering to Egypt and the MENA Region. You now have a complete overview of all English and Arabic channels, with news and details on all shows, series and films. You can create your personal watch list and choose the way to be reminded and never miss a show. The Arabic version will be online very soon as well as new state- of-the- art features that will revolutionize your viewing behavior. “Among the main features of www.3alkanaba.com is that you can see all listings, choose what you want to see, get the latest news on your favorite celebs and shows and use the channel’s life streaming to watch episodes you have missed”, explains Rania Zahra, Digital Media Director at Media & More. With hundreds of shows and programs Ramadan’s TV entertainment is quite a jungle, in which easily lose sight on when and where your favorite show airs and often miss it. As part of the soft launch of 3alkanaba.com a small facebook app helps you create your personalized Ramadan watch list in 3 simple steps on 3alkanaba.com fanpage on facebook. This app creates your personal TV grid that can be printed out or sent to you by mail. www.3alkanaba.com is not about TV in Ramadan, “nevertheless Ramadan is the time of the year where everyone in Egypt and the Arab world watches Egyptian TV and it is also the only month of the year where we get high quality TV productions that fiercely compete for our attention.
unveiled
Instagram…
from snap to clap By: Karim Zein
There are countless moments in our lives that really need documentation. The professional bread guy with over a 100 loaves on top of his head riding his bicycle in complete serenity is one example. Because it is somehow inconvenient for some to be holding a camera all around snapping these moments, their smart phone’s camera does the job and it does it neatly. Manufacturers these days are working so hard on mastering high definition cameras meeting the great demand of consumers for a decent camera phone. Coming from this instant snap or “Photography on the go” came one of the highest rated apps, Instagram. Before owning an Android phone it has been really tough for me taking photos with the 3.4 standard megapixel lens on the Blackberry. It did the job of snapping the moment but there wasn’t really much art in it. My android phone gave me the option of adding effects to the pictures but I was hungry for more effects and more options. I came across Insta-
gram, an app that allows you to instantly snap photos and add superb effects to them on the go with an option of uploading directly to Facebook, Twitter, or even Tumblr. Instagram has around 17 effects in addition to blur and a sort of HDR look that you can add to your images. It also has presets for picture borders for a more personal touch. Instagram in itself is a social photo sharing heaven. You can upload your pictures on your account and expect likes or even comments on your pictures. People can follow your account to check your photo updates on a daily basis which really revolutionizes photo sharing as we know it. It is not restricted to Facebook anymore. I’d suggest you use Instagram with phones featuring 8 MP cameras and above for pure picture beauty. I’ve taken the three pictures featured in the article with my HTC Sensation XE and played a little with the filters on Instagram.
As much as there are a lot of apps that allow you to add effects, Instagram is really one of the simplest and most beautiful apps I’ve used on my phone yet I’d recommend adding more effects and more customizability to the images we take. I’d also like to see an Instagram Video Editor app that is sort of like the iMovie one on the iPhone where I can take instant videos and add subtitles or effects to my videos at great ease.
By: Sarah El Etribi
Losing any formerly owned vision losing all but undesired collision, I’m lost for words- for contemplation. I’m no one without my pretence Silenced; my helplessness immense. For notions: I’m blank. Losing track of tangible timeof sense and sensibility losing track of life altogether; I lost my self-crafted tranquility. In thoughts: I sank. Losing my air- neglecting my soul losing existence and self-control I’m heartless, hollow, ever so wholly Nevertheless I’m here, undesirably. Our hearts combined: now dank
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horoscope
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
Wayne Gretzky
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Aries (March 21 - April 19)
Libra (September 23 - October 22)
Taurus (April 20- May 20)
Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
New interests, projects, and learning endeavors are featured in July, dear Aries, and these may come about due to professional pressures or challenges. Career shifts can be sudden. More contact with family, siblings, and friends is pleasurable and helpful. This month, you begin a year-long trend in which teaching, authoring, and communications in general can bring great benefits to your life. Your work could involve more short trips or commuting, or you might work more heavily in the communications industry. Look for opportunities to expand your knowledge and skills set. This month, you begin a year-long trend that brings more oomph to your earning power, dear Taurus. A significant gift or bonus may come your way. This is a good time to work with financial institutions, go for a raise, or apply for a loan. You may need to curb an inclination to overspend, however. You have opportunities to increase your income through education, travel, or by expanding your reach/audience in business during this period. This month, some backtracking is necessary. After the 27th, you�re ready to push your plans forward.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20)
This month, you begin a fabulous year-long trend that boosts your self-confidence and brings personal opportunities to advance into your life, dear Gemini. It can be easier to find a close relationship, and for partnered Geminis, a partner has their best interests at heart and is especially supportive. Problems that have been holding you back in the past are likely to lift in the year ahead. However, this month there may be some disruptions to a friendship. It�s not the best month for lending money or collecting on loans.
Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
Your private life is especially animated in July, dear Cancer. You are beginning a year-long trend that brings great benefits from helping others, volunteering, and other forms of service. Spirituality is strong and your innate compassion is highlighted. However, you could experience conflict between the demands of a partnership and the demands of career this month. Finding a balance between the two, instead of pushing or rebelling against either, is the challenge now. You should also guard against hasty or impatient actions, which can make you more accident-prone.
Leo (July 23- August 22)
This month, you are beginning a year-long trend that brings great energy and many benefits to your social life, dear Leo. Wonderful opportunities can arise for new friendships and through current friends and connections. Some of you may find romance through friends, groups, and associates. Some might bring creative energy or skills to a group setting. However, some drama is likely with a friend this month, which may not be resolved until after the 27th. Your ambition to improve your income is strong. Romance is emotionally-charged and exciting in July.
Virgo (August 23 - September 22)
Although career matters can be tricky this month, dear Virgo, you’re beginning a year-long trend that will boost your professional life, and your reputation, to new heights. This can be a time of career advancement and success in business. Business-related travel or the reaching of a wider audience is possible during this cycle. Your status is set to change for the better, and a family member could receive an honor. However, this month you may be dealing with temporary problems with cash flow. A romantic relationship can be difficult to define.
“
Horoscope
“
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
You are beginning a year-long trend in which opportunities to travel, study, and otherwise expand your personal horizons are likely to present themselves, dear Libra. Teaching, writing, publishing, promotional activities, travel, legal matters, and studying are all well-starred in the period ahead. However, this month you could be facing some challenges balancing the needs of a partnership and the demands of family. You can be pulled in many different directions with less time to pursue your own personal goals. Tame restlessness and tend to your responsibilities as best as you can. You are beginning a year-long trend that brings more support from others, financial gain, and stronger opportunities to grow a deep relationship, dear Scorpio. Your sense of security or wealth can increase through a relationship with a partner. Sources of income might also come through counselling work or the handling of others’ finances and resources. This month, however, your schedule may be hectic, particularly on a social level, and there can be some challenges organizing your finances. Avoid jumping into new endeavors that require big outlays of cash.
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)
This month, avoid risky financial moves, dear Sagittarius. Unsettled money matters may need your attention now. While close relationships can be tricky until after the 27th, you are beginning a year-long trend that brings great energy for forming or enhancing warm close relationships and partnerships, whether personal or businessrelated. Good publicity may come your way. Resolutions are likely to be found for long-standing problems in relationships. You are taking charge of your career in July, as your ambition is stimulated and others are taking note of your competence.
Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)
While work can involve some minor frustrations until after the 27th, dear Capricorn, you are beginning a year-long trend this month in which you can improve your working life considerably. Work tends to be very available to you, and possibly too available at times, so that you may have to choose between alternatives or you could take on too much. Overall, however, work is likely to be very rewarding. Health is likely to improve in the year ahead. Home life may be unsettled in July, but should calm down in July.
Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)
While your romantic life may be on the tricky side until after the 27th, dear Aquarius, you are beginning a year-long trend that brings wonderful opportunities to boost your social life, explore your creativity, and find new avenues for entertainment and self-expression. For some of you, a friend could turn into a romantic partner, or could introduce you to one during this cycle. Even so, watch for a tendency to misplace your faith in someone this month. Be strict with yourself and others when it comes to your money.
Pisces (February 19 - March 20)
You are beginning a year-long cycle in which your home life is set to improve considerably, dear Pisces. You may be working from home, with family, or in real estate and domestic fields during this cycle. While it�s a strong cycle in which to invest in real estate and in your home, this month, idealism may cloud your judgment. There may be some tense undercurrents or conflicts over money that disrupt a friendship in July. Relationships are lively and moving forward. From the 19th forward, romance and recreation figure strongly.
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travel
SANDS OF TIME 10 Most Interesting Beaches Let’s face it, beaches can be beautiful, but they can also be…boring. That’s why we sought out sunny places with stories to tell (the capture of notorious pirate Blackbeard, for example) so that when you tire of sunbathing and reading Budget Travel, you have another reason to savor the location.
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travel These days, it seems like everybody has a list of the world’s “most beautiful” beaches. The sheer quantity of sand and sea on this planet makes that an easy list to compile. But after a while, a lot of the world’s coastline starts to sound the same (sugary strands, azure water, the gentle sway of palm trees). In fact, it starts to sound—dare we say it—downright mundane. With that in mind, we set out to find destinations with legacies. To pass our test, a beach not only had to have the kind of story you would want to share with your friends, but it also had to be the kind of place where you would want to lay your towel. That’s why you’ll find places like Malmok Beach in Aruba (site of the largest deliberate shipwreck in the Caribbean) and not the D-day beaches of Normandy, which, while deserving of a visit for their historical value, don’t rank high on a sunbather’s list. Without further ado—10 places where you can soak up a little culture with those rays.
Ocracoke Island, North Carolina Discover the island where one of the world’s most famous pirates was captured. This island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina sits in middle of what was in the 1700s a busy thruway for large trade vessels carrying goods from all over the world. Naturally, with all this booty to be had, the place was swarming with pirates, too. Legendary pirate Edward Teach—a.k.a. Blackbeard—moored at Ocracoke before accepting a pardon and promising to quit the plundering life. But within weeks, he was back at it, so the Virginia governor gave the order for Blackbeard’s capture, which happened on Ocracoke in 1718. Today: Ocracoke has 16 miles of coastline, with pristine beaches ideal for fishing, shell gathering, swimming (some have lifeguards on duty), and lazing about. Getting There: Unlike other Outer Bank islands, which are connected by bridges, Ocracoke is only accessible by ferry, private plane, or
boat. A free 40-minute ferry transfer is available year-round from Hatteras; the ferry that leaves from Swan Quarter requires reservations and takes a little over two and a half hours. ocracokevillage.com. Malmok Beach, Aruba Site of one of the largest (and most deliberate) shipwrecks in the Caribbean. In the early years of World War II, the German freighter Antilla—which carried supplies to the submarines patrolling the waters off the coast of Venezuela—was allowed to dock in Aruba. Though Aruba was initially a neutral zone, the island joined the Allies once Germany invaded Holland in 1940 (Aruba was a member of the Dutch Antilles at the time). The Antilla was ordered to surrender. The captain agreed to yield the next morning, but when the police arrived, there was no ship. Turns out the captain had sunk it himself, just off of Malmok Beach, so it wouldn’t fall into Allied hands. Today, the 400-foot Antilla is one of the largest wrecks in the Caribbean and is home to diverse marine life including giant ruby sponges, coral forma-
tions, lobsters, and a variety of tropical fish. Today: Thanks to the Antilla, Malmok Beach attracts both history buffs and snorkelers and divers, who love exploring the ship’s remains in the clear waters. Because the ship sits in only 60 feet of water, divers enjoy a lot of “tank time” at the wreck, though it’s so large that you’ll need several dives to explore it all. If you’re not into diving, take the steps down to Boca Catalina, a secluded bay that’s great for swimming. Getting There: Malmok Beach sits near the northwestern tip of Aruba, on the Caribbean Sea. Bells Beach, Australia Home to the world’s longest-running surfing competition. Tempted by its great breaks, local surfers were flocking to this sandy strip along Australia’s southern coast as early as 1949, even though access at that time was not so easy. About a decade later, an enterprising young man by the name of Joe took matters into his own hands. He
paid 30 pounds ($60) to hire a bulldozer and clear a road from the cliff to the beach. He recouped the costs by charging fellow surfers a pound to use his road—and this famous surf spot was officially born. The first Bells Beach Surf Classic—now called the Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival—took place here in 1961. Today: Currently the longestrunning surfing competition in the world, the Rip Curl festival happens here every Easter. Still among the top break spots in the world (and not recommended for novice surfers), Bells Beach was featured in the classic surfing film The Endless Summer and was the setting for the finale of Point Break. Getting There: Bells Beach is located on Great Ocean Road, about 67 miles southwest of Melbourne. Nearby towns include Torquay and Jan Juc. Wineglass Bay, Australia One of the darkest whaling histories in the world. Located in Tasmania, this beach
often shows up on “world’s most beautiful” lists—but its past is not so picture-perfect. In the 1820s, whalers descended on the bay, sparking conflict with the native Pydairrerme aboriginal tribe. From their shore bases, the whalers would set off in small boats to chase and harpoon whales; once they caught one, they’d tow the carcass back to shore, where they’d butcher it and boil the blubber down for oil. (The oil was sent back to England to be used for lighting, and the whalebones for ladies’ corsets.) Whenever the whalers were working, all that whale blood would stain the bay dark red—earning it the name Wineglass Bay. Whaling only lasted about 20 years on the peninsula. Today: Wineglass Bay is part of Freycinet National Park, which takes up most of the Freycinet peninsula on Tasmania’s breathtaking east coast. The park is popular for sea kayaking, boating, rock climbing, and bush walking, while the beach attracts travelers from around the world. Getting There: Wineglass Bay is about two and a half hours by car
from the airports at Hobart and Launceston, both of which are serviced by flights from Sydney and Melbourne. Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts America’s first oceanfront national park. This beautiful part of the Massachusetts coast stretches 40 miles from Chatham to Provincetown. Back in the early 1900s, the area was mainly made up of private land and was a favorite with the Kennedy clan, who spent their summers on the cape. When John F. Kennedy landed in the Senate, he sponsored legislation to make the area a protected national park. In 1961, when he was president, he was able to officially establish the Cape Cod National Seashore, making it the country’s first-ever oceanfront national park. Today: More than 4 million visitors a year enjoy the Seashore’s pristine lighthouses, wild cranberry bogs, waterways, biking trails, and six swimming beaches; the latter include Coast Guard Beach in East-
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ham and quiet Marconi Beach in Wellfleet, which is framed by an 85foot sand cliff.
and “morality” issues to keep the place fun and—true to their mission—family-friendly.
Bournemouth, England The birth of the modern seaside resort.
Getting There: The National Seashore is just under a two-hour drive from Boston. Most of the national park stops are found along Route 6 between Eastham and Provincetown. nps.gov/caco. Wreck Beach, Vancouver, Canada Canada’s first legal clothing-optional beach.
Today: During the summer, as many as 14,000 weekend visitors may drop by Wreck Beach for some fun in the sun—and not always in the buff. Sticking to the motto of “Nude isn’t lewd, but gawking is rude,” the dedicated regulars are happy to have sunbathers who choose to stay clothed, but they do take privacy, respect, and courtesy seriously (so no photos). There are unofficial gay and couples areas, and a Vendors Row where you can pick up everything from sarongs to gourmet eats. (Beware the unlicensed hawkers peddling homemade baked goods and not-solegal substances.)
In England, the concept of the modern “seaside resort” really took off in the 1700s, as doctors began touting the health benefits of ocean water and the coastal climate. At the time, beach visitors would disrobe in “bathing machines”—a small changing room on wheels that would get pulled into the water by horses, making it easy for the ill or elderly to step directly into the sea. In Victorian times, women—including Queen Victoria herself—used bathing machines to help protect their modesty, but as the popularity of sunbathing grew in the 1900s, these movable shacks were ditched in favor of stationary huts or tents— typically rentable by the hour, day, or week—that served as a bather’s private beachside base. Bournemouth built the U.K.’s first municipal beach huts in 1909.
Though Vancouver’s Pacific Spirit Regional Park features several sandy spots, including Acadia Beach and Tower Beach, the most legendary is four-mile-long Wreck Beach, Canada’s first legal clothing-optional beach and one of the biggest of its kind in the world. Set 542 steps below the park’s Trail 6, the secluded area became popular with naturists in the 1960s and ‘70s. In 1977, the Wreck Beach Preservation Society was formed to help protect this unique haven; over the years, they’ve successfully rallied against encroaching construction, environmental threats, and privacy
Getting There: Wreck Beach is on the western-most point of Vancouver, near the University of British Columbia campus. The C20 TransLink bus will take you to the Trail 6 sign at the intersection of Northwest Marine Drive and University Boulevard. From there, it’s 542 wooden steps down to the beach.
Today: Nearly 2,000 beach huts of all shapes and sizes now line the five-and-a-half-mile promenade of popular Bournemouth Beach—
about 70 percent are privately owned and the city council operates the rest. Huts typically come equipped with deck chairs, curtains, and a small gas stovetop. Getting There: Bournemouth is set on England’s picturesque south coast, a little over a 90-minute train ride from London’s Waterloo Station. Robin Hood’s Bay, England Known for a smuggler network so extensive it included the clergy. There’s evidence of a settlement here as far back as 3,000 years ago—and still plenty of fossils to be found along its marshes—but this village on England’s Yorkshire Coast is most famous for being a smuggler’s haven in the 1700s. Protected by marshy moorland on three sides, the bay served as an epicenter for the tax-free smuggling of contraband like tea, silk, gin, and tobacco traveling via ship from places like France and the Netherlands. So big was the operation that it’s said that fishermen, farmers, the gentry, and even the clergy were involved. During struggles between the smugglers
and tax men, bay wives would pour boiling water out of the windows of the houses onto law enforcement. There were so many secret passages that a smuggled bale of silk could supposedly travel from the bottom to the top of the village without leaving the houses. Today: This charming village is popular for its family-friendly beaches, rock pools, and surrounding national parks, and offers plenty of pubs, tearooms, and cafes for post-beach dining. Fossil hunters may also luck out by finding a souvenir or two along the marshes. Getting There: Regular train service runs from London to York; change there for a train to Scarborough, from where bus service is available to the bay. Ferries also run daily from Rotterdam to Hull, one hour away. Capri, Italy Famous for ancient beach parties. When the ancient Romans went on vacation, they went all out, embarking on grand tours of important
sites—including Greece and Egypt— that could last up to five years. The journeys would often start closer to home, though, with a first stop at the seaside resorts along the Bay of Naples. For several hundred years, Rome’s super rich would vacation in Baiae, a fashionable town with medicinal hot springs, beautiful villas (including those of Julius Caesar and Nero), and hedonistic parties. Today: Though Baiae was deserted by 1500 (its ruins now lie under the Bay of Naples), a modern-day equivalent would be Capri, the seeand-be-seen island in the bay. Still a playground for the jet set, Capri’s beaches are mainly rocky, but popular nonetheless. The lovely beach at Bagni di Tiberio, near the island’s fishing district, was once the site of Emperor Tiberius’s seaside palace. Getting There: There is regular ferry and hydrofoil service between Naples and Capri; the ride is between 40 to 80 minutes. capri.net. St. Thomas, Virgin Islands One of the first beach destinations for cruisers.
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unveiled Though ocean liners were transporting travelers and cargo across the Atlantic from the mid-1800s, it wasn’t until 1900 that a ship was specifically built for leisure cruises as we know them now. Dubbed the Prinzessin Victoria Luise, the luxury ship was constructed for the Hamburg America Line and included 120 first-class staterooms, a gym, and even a darkroom for amateur photographers. The ship departed New York on January 26, 1901, for its first official cruise, which included a stop on the island of St. Thomas. The vessel continued to sail though the Caribbean and Mediterranean for nearly five years, until it accidentally ran ashore in Jamaica in 1906.
Today: St. Thomas is one of the busiest cruise-ship ports in the world; in high season, up to 10 ships a day might dock at its various terminals. Aside from duty-free shopping, visiting the beaches is one of the top activities for cruisers, and popular choices include Magens Bay on the north side and Lindbergh Bay’s Emerald Beach on the south. To experience a bit of what those original cruise passengers did, though, head to the pristine beach on car-less Water Island. Getting There: Water Island is about half a mile from St. Thomas and linked by regular ferry service from Crown Bay Marina, a short walk from the Crown Bay cruise-ship dock.
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o t e b i r c s Sub F F O % 5 t 1 e g & HTC Night @ Tamarai
Send to: .com e in z a g a m style o n h c e t @ info
HTC launched the new HTC One Xperience with the famous lebanede DJ Ralph @ Tamarai, the green night was full of surprises and dancing.
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