Luxury instant $90 cup noodles from Harrods

Famous UK department store Harrods has launched a luxury Pot Noodle - the Posh Noodle sells for £29.95 with all the proceeds going to charity. To add to the exclusivity, only a limited quantity of 100 are made.

The vegetarian-friendly posh noodle comes in a hand-flocked and gold-leafed pot. It also comes with a fork and table linen.

Luxury bathroom design by Lineatre

http://www.luxuo.com/page/2


The collection includes two built-in under sinks cabinets made of solid wood and marble tabletops, mirror in wooden frame with gold trim, low tables and other accessories.

You can also choose from a variety of plenty of marble styles, hand-painted cabinets and trim styles.

And if you really want your bathroom to glitter and shine, you can opt for the Swarovski crystal studded metal handles.

Capella Hotel Launch on March 31st 2009

Models pose in Gucci dresses before a presentation of the Gucci Spring/ Summer 2009 collection at the Capella Hotel in Singapore March 31, 2009.

Gucci held the collection at Capella, a six-star luxury hotel that opened last week despite Singapore being in recession and the economic crisis affecting tourism numbers across the region.

The $260-million hotel is set within more than 12 hectares of sprawling land and lush greenery. It boasts 111 rooms, including 32 private villas – the first of its kind on Sentosa which come with their own pools.

Designed by acclaimed interior designer Jaya Ibrahim, founder of Jaya and Associates, the warm and inviting palettes of the rooms reflect the underlying influence of the tropical setting.

Featuring prominently the use of rattan and wood, the rooms are spacious, comfortable and relaxing.

But a night’s stay at the hotel can set you back by at least S$750 ($499). Villa stays cost at least S$1,800 ( $1,185) a night !

A Sweet Valentines Day with Bvlgari chocolates

article can be found at : http://www.luxuo.com/gastronomy/page/2



Him and Her, two exclusive chocolate pralines handmade by Miura Naoki, celebrates Valentine’s Day in Il Cioccolato, a top quality chocolate shop in Bulgari’s Omotesando twin store of Tokyo.

Elegant and refined gift boxes includes these two different melodies for the palate: Her represents the courage to break the rules with white and extra dark chocolate blended with floreali notes and strawberries accents. Him is a small poem of taste, born from the union of the paste of cocoa with coffee and grappa.

Macaron keychains , where to find ??

Access to French macarons is not readily available if you live in the US for the most part.

However if you are lucky enough to live in Japan, things are different.

Not only are French macarons shops on almost every corner But also there is a ton of macaron toys and souvenirs to be had!


PIERRE HERME COLLABORATE WITH LIPTON

SO WHO IS GOING TO JAPAN ???

Luxury Hotel for Dogs and Cats !!

A luxury £2.5 million Pet Hotel, called Elmtree, has opened its doors as London’s first luxury boarding kennels and cattery and is offering pampered pooches and frisky felines somewhere to stay when their owners go away.

The Enfield establishment was designed by property developer and pet fanatic Ray Fawehimi on the edge of green belt land in the London borough. Mr Fawehimi, who owns both a cat and dog himself, said he has a vision of opening a guest house for pets so he demolished his house which stood on the site and built the animal hotel.

















From its glamorous reception, adorned by a wall lined with dog biscuits of varying sizes and tastes to greet all guests, to its indoor canine gymnasium with toys to stimulate the guests, under-floor heating, well-designed individual guest ‘rooms’ and acres of outside space including a small lake, this is pet heaven


He added that he has hired a “great pedigree” of staff and is now ready for business. “Our manager, Diana Skoyles, previously worked with Sparsholt College, teaching animal care, and previously worked for the Blue Cross. We have six staff members in total and there is always someone on duty and awake throughout the night,” he explained.

The services offered include all the usual boarding amenities like individual kennels, accommodation of any special diet requirements, and daily walks, plus they also have luxury pet bedding options (if you don’t want to bring your own), exercise and play rooms, and even in-kennel web cams so you can keep constant tabs on your pet while you’re away.


The Hotel has 29 cat “rooms” and 55 dog “rooms” - but pairs of dogs or cats who normally live together will room together to avoid upsetting them. There is an isolation ward for any animals who fall sick and an on-call vet in case of need. The luxurious bathroom has hydraulically operated baths and pedicures are available, so that dogs can enjoy full grooming parlour services on the premises.

Even the underfloor heating has been well-planned: for cats there is a choice of sleeping position as the designers recognised that some cats prefer to be on an elevated level (with a cat flap from the mezzanine sleeping area) whilst others would prefer to be at ground level, to enjoy the underfloor heating. The lower bedding area, too, has a cat-flap also leading to the cool, anti-glare glassed sun-room.


Prices start at £20/day for dogs and £12/day for cats. Owners are welcome to view the hotel but for those pressed for time, the Elmtree Hotel Pet Taxi can fetch and carry your pet !


QUITE CHEAP !
SPENCER PLEASE PACK YOUR LUGGAGE AND GO !

Victorian Cosy cottages for DOGS !

SPENCER , DO YOU NEED THIS ?? REALLY >?????






http://www.luxuo.com/pets/page/2




After showing you the luxury doghouse complete with spa and 52-inch plasma TV, we bring you another kennel that brings luxury to your beloved pooch.

Designed for uber-rich fashion-conscious pet owners, the Victorian Cozy Cottage Kennel Dog House is a safe haven for your best friend.

For the proper pup that appreciates the finer things, the house is designed with a gingerbread trim and gable that surrounds a 6 x 8-foot space for Fido to frolic in fair weather and a covered snooze nook to escape into when it is time to put paws to rest.

cute handphone accessory

http://www.luxuo.com/gastronomy




Last time, Lipton teamed up with Pierre Herme and this time, collaborate with the Westin Tokyo!

These freebies are named “Tea time accessory collection”. Eight kinds of faux cakes or cuties are ready for tea time. Via: 8tokyo

New 2009 Rolex collection : Datejust 36mm

As part of its 2009 collection, Rolex unveils the new Rolex Datejust 36 mm.

In polished steel with either a white or yellow gold bezel emblazoned with 52 diamonds, the new Datejust 36 mm is a resolutely feminine version that continues the Datejust tradition.

The Datejust 36 mm classic pieces are available in eight different models each featuring exquisite dials (four floral motif dials, two mother of pearl dials and two wave dials).




this article is extracted from : http://www.luxuo.com/watches/datejust-36mm-rolex.html#more-10449

Daniel Boulud Restaurant in Las Vegas

this article is from : http://skinny-epicurean.blogspot.com/








Daniel Boulud Brasserie is a casual offshoot of the original Daniel Boulud Restaurant in NYC. Located at the basement of the grand Wynn hotel, the Brasserie offers a really good value tasting menu between 5pm to 7pm. Not only that, if you stay past 8pm, you would also get to watch the Wynn's fountain show that shows at 15 minute intervals starting at 8pm.

The food focuses on classical French food and style of cooking and whilst quite ordinary, was perfectly executed so this meal turned out to be one of the most enjoyable one for me. The waiter was casual and friendly yet professional. The bread was interesting too - one of them had poppyseeds and the other had figs and walnuts.






My warm frisse salad with roasted mushrooms and poached egg was a lovely start to dinner. The soft, runny yolk added a richness to the earthy mushrooms and different flavours and the textures just all blended and melded in my mouth.






The scottish salmon with asparagus was perfectly pink and raw in the middle and had an interesting meyer lemon and radish relish that was sourish and did a good job in preventing the palate from becoming too tired. The skin was so crispy I savoured each bite of it. I cannot understand why most Westerners do not eat the skin of the fish. The first thing they do is to lift up the skin and set it aside. What a shame! Anyways, the portion was generous as well so we had to share dessert.



Dessert was a chocolate hazelnut fondant with nougatine crunch and coffee ice cream. It was a good dessert with tried and tested pairing but oh my gosh, the ice cream was sooo good. The bittersweet effect from the coffee grounds and the sweet cream was a match in heaven and I could only complain that the scoop was too small!



We got a complimentary bowl of mini citrus madelines because my friend's steak was slightly overdone. These were surprisingly really fluffy and light, almost ethereal and just not like most madelines that are heavy and dense like muffins. It was a pleasant surprise and a sweet ending to dinner.


Wynn Las Vegas
3131 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89136

(888) 320-7110
www.danielnyc.com

The Singel 404

i tot i saw singtel 404
but this foodie place is in amsterdam





I’ve been away. After about two weeks of sleeping in foreign beds and waking up to a hammered jet lagged feeling; I’ve just made it home.

The feeling of being home is a strange feeling. You can be perfectly alienated at home and at home in a completely foreign environment. This trip I went back to a place that I called home for a while, parts of it still looked foreign and other parts looked and smelled familiar. The supermarket that was a seven minute walk away from my then home, my supermarket, had the same smell that it had five years ago. Thankfully not one of those bad smells, but just a distinct smell that was strangely reassuring.

After walking down the aisles of the Albert Heijn and reacquainting myself with the delights of pindakaas (the Dutch version of peanut butter that taste nothing like the smooth Skippy’s/peter pan types that I grew up eating), stroopwafels those waffles that justify are thin enough to hold the maximum amount of caramel, speculaas a Dutch spiced biscuit that I was seriously addicted to and the cheese, I started feeling more at home.








Once I pulled myself out of the supermarket, I did the next thing that was top on my priority, to eat at my favourite sandwich shop in Amsterdam. Anyway, the Singel 404 is small, so you need take any choice table that you get and if the sun decides to come out, sitting along the Singel to watch the boats, bikes and people pass it a great way to spend lunch. The menu here is huge – with nearly fifty different bread + ingredients options ranging from the failsafe toastie, club sandwiches, and my personal favourite section: specials where they have great combinations – it is hard not to at least one option that you would like. Or the last option is for you can be an impossible person like me on my first visit where I insisted on creating own sandwich despite the dizzy array of choices, but I am not too sure if this option is still available.

This trip I made it to the Singel 404 twice – for lunch and brunch. In the peak lunch hour, it is annoying having to stand around and to watch people eat whilst you are starving but in a seriously twisted manner, there is perhaps a magnified sense of gratification when you grab a choice table and savour lunch with conversation. For brunch, I made it there really early and so I enjoyed a full twenty minutes of quietness from me being the solo diner in the lunchroom. Everything I’ve ever had in this place is good. Everything. That and I’ve had fabulous memories at this place. Needless to say, I love it.

Singel 404
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tel: +31-204-280154

i seek to find the best foods in asia

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Hong Kong
this article is from : http://eatbma.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html
(the travelling hungryboy)
>>>>




It totally blew past my expectations, be it the tiny foie gras ravioli, the crunchy salt crystals in the amuse bouche, or the rich pork on toast topped with truffles. Even the little wad of marzipan that was used to secure a porcelain cup of fries to the plate of steak tartare was playfully impressive. Fresh high-quality ingredients were the key, and the maitre d' was warmly engaging.


I'm not a huge fan of fancy food as it oftentimes becomes too dependent on truffles, and I usually question whether it's worth the high prices. This place changed my mind about that (although that was easy for me to say given that our friend picked up the tab tonight). Michelin gave this place two stars; combine that with Yung Kee, the one-starred Cantonese goose place from this morning, and I guess we had a three Michelin star day today.

this is how i spent my sunday

dreaming what a voice !
rewind and play x 90 times
thank you very much susan boyle !

Susan Boyle on Britains Got Talent 2009!! Incredible Voice!! @ Yahoo! Video

2009 resolutions

1) i will read all my emails
2) i will delete my 20000 emails and keep inbox to 500 mostmost
3)

What should you be when you grow up ?

juz did a quickie test on this website
http://www.testq.com/career/quizzes/results/5

You should work with Things
Practical, logical, and thorough, you’re probably most at home with things you can tinker with, upgrade, and destroy. People are nice to have around of course, but you’d rather spend most of your time dealing with material things that you can usually rely upon to follow the rules, and you might like to be the person who makes those rules in the first place.

And it’s an even better thing for you that careers that deal with concrete objects tend to be well paid, interesting, and highly respected. So take some time to think about careers in fields like engineering, logistics, and architecture — the possibilities for a thinker and doer like you are pretty much endless.

Why is a Christmas tree better than a woman ?

10. A Christmas tree doesn't care how many other Christmas trees you have had in the past.
09. Christmas trees don't get mad if you use exotic electrical devices.
08. A Christmas tree doesn't care if you have an artificial one in the closet.
07. A Christmas tree doesn't get mad if you break one of its balls.
06. You can feel a Christmas tree before you take it home.
05. A Christmas tree doesn't get mad if you look up underneath it.
04. When you are done with a Christmas tree you can throw it on the curb and have it hauled away.
03. A Christmas tree doesn't get jealous around other Christmas trees.
02. A Christmas tree doesn't care if you watch football all day.
01. A Christmas tree doesn't get mad if you tie it up and throw it in the back of your pickup truck

Why is a Christmas tree better than a man ?

A Christmas tree is always erect.
Even small ones give satisfaction.
A Christmas tree stays up for 12 days and nights.
A Christmas tree always looks good - even with the lights on.
A Christmas tree is always happy with its size.
A Christmas tree has cute balls.
A Christmas tree doesn't get mad if you break one of its balls.
You can throw a Christmas tree out when it's past its 'sell by' date.
You don't have to put up with a Christmas tree all year.

Triangle House / JVA

Architects: Jarmund/Vigsnæs AS Architects MNAL
Location: Nesodden, Norway
Client: Heidi Gaupseth og Geir Kløver
Year of Design: 2004-2005
Year of Construction: 2005-2006
Primary Architects: Einar Jarmund, Håkon Vigsnæs
Collaborators: Alessandra Kosberg, Stian Schjelderup, Roar Lund-Johnsen
Structure: Siv.Ing. Otto Bjørgum MRIF
Contractor: Torgeir Brune Bygg og tømrermester
Constructed Area: 360 sqm
Photographs: Ivan Brodey

This house is situated with views towards the sea between the branches of the surrounding pine-forest. The permitted aerial building lines define the plan and even the heights of the roofline.

While the exterior views are singularly framed by the window openings, closely related to individual spaces, the interior is treated in a more fluent way with overlapping sequences of space and light in section and plan. This duality of focal and flow is the theme of the building.

The exterior cladding of wooden panels is related to guideline of the window openings.
The interior is clad with OSB-boards, the floors are cast in concrete and partly covered with sisal mats.
The bathrooms are paneled with brushed aluminum panes and mirrors.

A vast collection of books will cover the walls and soften the acoustics. The owners claim that they sleep very well in this house.

Juvet Landscape hotel

Don’t you think it is a beautiful retreat for blogger or even retirement? Perhaps you might disagree my point. But I think it is a incredible architecture settlement in its beautiful landscape, Gudbrandsjuvet in Norway.

In fact, this is a hotel tourist project Juvet Landscape Hotel with 6 unique plans designed by Jensen & Skodvin Architects. Each hotel room has its own incredible view over the dramatic landscape.

+ architect’s statement, Jensen & Skodvin Architects

One of the local residents at Gudbrandsjuvet, Knut Slinning, is building a landscape hotel. The idea emerged at another site, Aurland, but was not realized there.

Basically each room is a detached small independent house with one, or sometimes two of the walls constructed in glass. The landscape in which these rooms are placed is by most people considered spectacularly beautiful and varied and the topography allows a layout where no room looks at another. In this way every room gets its own surprising view of a dramatic piece of landscape, always changing with the weather and the time of the day and the season.

On the rink: Posh and Becks at winter wonderland , Hyde Park London UK

Advance tickets for London's largest ice rink have gone on sale.

The 1,300 square-metre rink in Hyde Park is part of the hugely popular Winter Wonderland event, timed to coincide with Christmas.

Last year the show attracted more than half a million visitors, including celebrity couples David and Victoria Beckham and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. And this year promises to be bigger and better than ever.

Returning for 2008 will be the Giant Toboggan snow slide, the 53- metre observation wheel and the authentic German market. New attractions include the Mir ror Maze, the Haunted Mansion, Sleigh Ride and the Bungy Dome.

For the little ones there are carousels and arts and craft stalls and the opportunity to meet Father Christmas at Santa's grotto.

Winter Wonderland, which is open 10am-10pm every day from 22 November until 4 January, is free to enter, with tokens for all rides and attractions available to buy on the day.

However, tickets for the ice rink, which is sponsored by London Lite, and giant wheel are available to purchase in advance at £7.50-£12.50.

Hyde Park , London

Stop by the House of St Nikolas to wander amongst the tastefully decorated Tyrol-style chalets or check out the Bavarian Village, tucked snugly under the Snow Slide it comes with its very own Oomph Band!

Café Grell is the only two-storey café at WINTER WONDERLAND - enjoy the table service as you watch the skaters from a birds eye view. The German Christmas Market has a range of wooden huts offering continental food whilst you shop including sweet treats such as Stolen and Gingerbread to a savoury delights including a Bavarian Hog Roast and seasoned steaks.

All of these cafes and bars have outdoor seated areas so you needn't miss a single second of the WINTER WONDERLAND action. Hearty German sausages, chilled beer and mulled wine are sold across the site - one café will even be selling a half metre Bratwurst!

Reflections at Keppel Bay

http://www.keppelland.com.sg/res_sg_reflections.asp

Location : Keppel Bay View

Type of development : Condominium

Tenure : 99-year leasehold

No of Units : 1,129 units
Some 650 units launched to date

Sales Status : 98% of launched units sold (30-Sep-08)


Reflections at Keppel Bay is the second phase of the residential development in the Keppel Bay waterfront precinct.

Designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, Reflections at Keppel Bay comprises a total of 1,129 luxurious waterfront condominium units housed in six glass towers of 24 storeys and 41 storeys as well as 11 blocks of 6- to 8-storey villa blocks. It offers choice units of 1- to 4-bedroom apartments and penthouses with sizes ranging from 700 sf to a super penthouse of 13,300 sf.

The towers will all be topped with sky gardens on sloping roof lines. Sky bridges will connect each pair of towers, providing pockets of open spaces high above the ground and platforms for appreciating the panoramic views of the sea and the lush surroundings.

This iconic development will feature a sculpture-like clubhouse with a full range of recreational facilities to meet the lifestyle of discerning homeowners. Every detail and aspect of design will optimise interaction with the sea and the commanding views of its scenic surrounds including Mount Faber, Keppel Club Golf Course, Labrador Park, Sentosa Island and its upcoming integrated resort, and the city skyline.

Homeowners of this exclusive development will enjoy 10 years of free membership and five years free subscription at Marina at Keppe Bay, opened in January 2008. Located on the privately owned Keppel Island and linked to the mainland by the iconic Keppel Bay Bridge, Marina at Keppel Bay features 170 berths which can accommodate boats ranging fromm 20 feet to mega yachts of more than 200 feet long.

Members will enjoy lifestyle facilities that include a clubhouse with a member's lounge, gourmet restaurants, recreational amenities and leisure charter services to access neighbouring islands

For more information, please visit the project website at www.reflectionsatkeppelbay.com.sg,

Sweden plans to be world's first oil-free economy

John Vidal, environment editor The Guardian, Wednesday February 8, 2006
Article history

Evergreen... Sweden will develop biofuels from its forests. Photograph: Mattias Klum/Getty Images

Sweden is to take the biggest energy step of any advanced western economy by trying to wean itself off oil completely within 15 years - without building a new generation of nuclear power stations.

The attempt by the country of 9 million people to become the world's first practically oil-free economy is being planned by a committee of industrialists, academics, farmers, car makers, civil servants and others, who will report to parliament in several months.

The intention, the Swedish government said yesterday, is to replace all fossil fuels with renewables before climate change destroys economies and growing oil scarcity leads to huge new price rises.

"Our dependency on oil should be broken by 2020," said Mona Sahlin, minister of sustainable development. "There shall always be better alternatives to oil, which means no house should need oil for heating, and no driver should need to turn solely to gasoline."

According to the energy committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, there is growing concern that global oil supplies are peaking and will shortly dwindle, and that a global economic recession could result from high oil prices.

Ms Sahlin has described oil dependency as one of the greatest problems facing the world. "A Sweden free of fossil fuels would give us enormous advantages, not least by reducing the impact from fluctuations in oil prices," she said. "The price of oil has tripled since 1996."

A government official said: "We want to be both mentally and technically prepared for a world without oil. The plan is a response to global climate change, rising petroleum prices and warnings by some experts that the world may soon be running out of oil."

Sweden, which was badly hit by the oil price rises in the 1970s, now gets almost all its electricity from nuclear and hydroelectric power, and relies on fossil fuels mainly for transport. Almost all its heating has been converted in the past decade to schemes which distribute steam or hot water generated by geothermal energy or waste heat. A 1980 referendum decided that nuclear power should be phased out, but this has still not been finalised.

The decision to abandon oil puts Sweden at the top of the world green league table. Iceland hopes by 2050 to power all its cars and boats with hydrogen made from electricity drawn from renewable resources, and Brazil intends to power 80% of its transport fleet with ethanol derived mainly from sugar cane within five years.

Last week George Bush surprised analysts by saying that the US was addicted to oil and should greatly reduce imports from the Middle East. The US now plans a large increase in nuclear power.

The British government, which is committed to generating 10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2012, last month launched an energy review which has a specific remit to consider a large increase in nuclear power. But a report by accountants Ernst & Young yesterday said that the UK was falling behind in its attempt to meet its renewables target.

"The UK has Europe's best wind, wave and tidal resources yet it continues to miss out on its economic potential," said Jonathan Johns, head of renewable energy at Ernst & Young.

Energy ministry officials in Sweden said they expected the oil committee to recommend further development of biofuels derived from its massive forests, and by expanding other renewable energies such as wind and wave power.

Sweden has a head start over most countries. In 2003, 26% of all the energy consumed came from renewable sources - the EU average is 6%. Only 32% of the energy came from oil - down from 77% in 1970.

The Swedish government is working with carmakers Saab and Volvo to develop cars and lorries that burn ethanol and other biofuels. Last year the Swedish energy agency said it planned to get the public sector to move out of oil. Its health and library services are being given grants to convert from oil use and homeowners are being encouraged with green taxes. The paper and pulp industries use bark to produce energy, and sawmills burn wood chips and sawdust to generate power.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/feb/08/frontpagenews.oilandpetrol

Sweden: Breaking Dependence on Oil is “A Matter of Political Will”

Speaking at the “Peak Oil and the Environment” conference, Sweden’s Minister for Sustainable Development, Mona Sahlin, outlined some of the approaches the country is taking in pursuit of its recently articulated policy target: the creation of the conditions necessary to break Sweden’s dependence on oil by 2020.

The government appointed a broad-based expert council, The Commission on Oil Independence, in December 2005. This spring, the Commission, led by Prime Minister Göran Persson, is reviewing actions necessary to achieve the new policy target.

...there is, indeed, an increased sense of urgency. If we prepare now, the transition to a sustainable energy system can be smooth and cost-efficient. If we wait until we are forced by circumstances, the transition may be costly and disruptive.

Sweden, which already has a high percentage of hydropower, has set up an ambitious target to increase the use of electricity from renewable energy sources. Wind power, the Minister noted, is probably the renewable energy source with the greatest potential in the short- and medium-term in the Sweden. To that end, a high-level wind-power council has been established and tasked with the responsibility for the overall coordination of the continued expansion of wind power.

Transportation, however, given its almost total dependence on oil, presents a much more difficult problem, and one Sweden is looking to tackle with biofuels.

Breaking dependence on oil in the transport sector will probably be the greatest challenge and the Government therefore has an ambitious policy to increase the percentage of renewable fuels.

Today, around 15 percent of new cars sold are environmentally friendly cars that run on ethanol or biogas. But this is not enough to break the dependence on oil. For the individual, it has to pay to choose an environmentally friendly car.

Carbon dioxide neutral fuels must be cheap—they are exempt from both carbon dioxide tax and energy tax for a five-year period. Environmental cars will be exempt from congestion charges and will have access to free parking in some municipalities. Cars that are classified as a taxable benefit and run on environmentally friendly fuel will continue to enjoy tax relief. The Swedish Government will give priority to purchasing environmentally friendly cars.

Sweden is also working actively in the EU for us to permit a higher blend of ethanol in petrol, a measure that would quickly have a great positive effect. The readjustment of the transport sector requires both international and national efforts with broad contributions by researchers, industry, users and the state.


Environmental technology has become Sweden’s 8th largest export trade, and the environmental sector in Sweden is the industrial sector with the largest economic growth. By leading in development, Sweden intends to be in a position to succeed in the export market as well.

Breaking the dependence on oil is, in my view, a matter of political will. A consistent policy will turn obstacles into opportunities. To hide behind excuses of ignorance or economic considerations is not leading us to a sustainable future.

May 13, 2006 in Biodiesel, Biomass, Biomass-to-Liquids (BTL), Biomethane, Ethanol, Europe, Policy | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBack (0)

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Sweden was the first European country to adopt three-way catalysts in the 80s, followed by Switzerlan and Austria. Eventually, Germany forced the then EEC to follow suit, prompting a continent-wide transition to lead-free gasoline in 1991/92. France, Italy and Spain were rather more reluctant at the time but eventually went along.

It therefore comes as no surprise that Sweden, Switzerland, Austria and Germany are once again in the vanguard of the switch to biofuels. The Nordic focus on alcohols and biogas is mostly due to available waste streams from paper mills and furniture producers. Further south, farmers can grow rapeseed, a biodiesel feedstock.

The EU has set itself a target of 20% biogenic fuels in the road transportation sector by 2020. Meeting it will likely require the early adoption of 2nd generation biofuel processes, despite the relatively high price.

In this context, it is surprising that Sweden is limiting its low-tax pledge on biogas as a transportation fuel to just five years, except for company cars. Germany has pledged low taxes on gas-powered vehicles so through 2020 (for NG, though that may contain scrubbed biogas), leading to the belated establishment of a distribution infrastructure and the production of CNG-powered passenger cars.

Opel has already raised the compression ratio of its monovalent-plus engines to 12.5 to take advantage of the high octane rating. Once fuel availability is no longer a problem, ratios of 14 will be common, extending operating range. Efforts are underway to raise the safe maximum pressure limit in the tanks from 200 to 300 bar.

Btw, Italy has the largest deployed CNG fleet in Europe.

NOTE: In Europe, gasoline (liquid) is called "petrol". The term "gas" is used for methane (+ other gaseous fractions).


http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/05/sweden_breaking.html

Minori restaurant Singapore

81 Clemenceau Avenue
#03-15/16 UE Square
Telephone: (65) 6737-3353

Website: http://www.minori.com.sg
Category: Japanese

One of the chief reasons Singaporeans love a Japanese a la carte buffet is the unlimited orders of sashimi. At Minori, you get a choice of salmon, tuna, yellowtail, snapper, black king fish, octopus and cuttlefish. However, I think sashimi at Ikoi’s is sliced much more generously, and tastes better too.

I will go through the rest of the food just very briefly. We ate a lot of dishes - really easy to do so as the portions served are very small. The potato salad was creamy but light-tasting, served on an interesting raised glass platter.

The California maki was messy but tasted passable. We had a repeat portion of this.

Handrolls here are not spectacular. Mainly because the dried seaweed sheets they used had a musty odour. Probably an inferior quality or type of seaweed used. And it wasn’t crisp nor easy to bite through.

Minori also differs from Hanabi in that it offers grilled skewered items, mostly of chicken parts. The “buta to garlic” is probably the only pork item there, fatty pork belly cubes strongly laced with garlic. The tebasaki (chicken wings) strangely butterflied here, tasted a bit too plain. Kawa (chicken skin) was not crisp enough.

The tsukune (minced chicken meat balls) were huge. They and the yakitori tasted alike. Just all right. Lacked serious punch.

This is the SMALLEST ever tempura moriawase set I have ever seen. Two prawns and three thin slices of vegetable. I guess it’s a small eater’s single portion only. Average tasting, and the batter could be lighter.

The Kabocha korokke - pumpkin croquette- was a pleasant surprise. Sweet creamy pumpkin mash greets you as you bite through the crisp breaded exterior. It can be really hot though, so beware.

Moyashi itame (teppanyaki beansprouts): Plain looking but intensely garlicky beansprouts from the teppanyaki section. Not bad.

Morokyuri miso (cucumber with bean paste) appetiser: Refreshing kyuri (Japanese cucumber) in this appetiser but I didn’t care much for the miso bean paste - a bit too close to “taucheo” (Chinese bean paste) for my liking.

Sushi isn’t their forte, I guess. Or maybe I just really don’t like that dried seaweed that they use. It made me long for the good quality, crisp seaweed that Sushi Kikuzawa uses.

Hiyayako: Two bites and this one dish is gone. Cold tofu in soy sauce topped with bonito flakes and scallions.

Everything here is in tasting portions. Which is nice too, it lets you try more dishes from across the menu. The saba shioyaki is all right but your mind is on the next item already.

Momo sarada (peach salad): This was quite nice, a sweet fruity salad with a tart, soy-sesame dressing. The peach is of the canned variety, of course.

Fukahire chawanmushi and Pumpkin chawanmushi: There are two kinds of chawanmushi here, the kabocha (pumpkin) one just has the addition of a layer of pumpkin puree on top. The mixture is a really surprising attack of flavours on your palate - both sweet and savoury combining to jolt your senses. The egg custard is quite smooth. and has lots of nameko mushrooms at the bottom. Yum.

Tori karaage (fried chicken nuggets): This was one of the unexpected highlights. I thought they did their tori karaage really well. There is no oilyness on the surface and the meat inside is tender and juicy. Nicely seasoned.

Gyuniku shogatayaki (beef with special sauce): I have seen people rave about this here. It’s like a richer-flavoured version of Yoshinoya’s beef. The soft beef slices taste almost buttery. We got served a really large portion too.

Shake Wafu Teppan (salmon with special sauce): The salmon teppan special dish was too salty and sweet for me. Very strong hint of mirin (sweet rice wine) in the soy mixture.

Salmon sashimi: Understandably, they aren’t the most generous with their sashimi servings. Don’t expect the best of fish slicing skills here either. Some of the sashimi were still sinewy. But for the price, I don’t think anyone will complain.

Nankotsu karaage (chicken cartilage): This is very similar to the tori karaage, just that it involves the breastbone cartilage. I just love cartilage. Is that really odd? I remember even my Japanese friend looking at me strange when I ordered this at Nanbantei in Tokyo some years back.

Minori serves free-flow green tea and water as part of the buffet. Alcoholic drinks and desserts (mostly ice cream) are available separately. If you don’t want the buffet, you can opt for their set meals.

In summary, Minori’s food is fairly competent across the board but is still very average. Much like a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. The variety is undoubtedly better than at most joints, but many of the dishes involve same ingredients done differently (as sushi, maki, handroll etc). Personally, in terms of all-you-can-eat places, I’d rather head to Ikoi or Sushi Kikuzawa for a more fulfilling experience.

MINORI DINING AND SAKE BAR
(full buffet menu available online but prices not updated)
81 Clemenceau Avenue #03-15/16 UE Square
Tel: 6737-3353
Open: 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6 to 10.30pm
Lunch $28
Dinner $33 (price raised)

11th July 2008 - Apple iphone 3G

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2008-07-08-iphone-3g-review_N.htm

Apple will be selling a white version, as well.

The design changes aren't merely aesthetic. They're a nod to iPhone's 10 internal wireless radios. Plastic, unlike metal, is transparent to radio waves, improving reception, Apple says.

The headphone jack is now flush so it can accommodate any standard (3.5-mm) headphone, a welcome development to those of us who needed a clumsy adapter to use our favorite non-Apple headphones.

You can use iPhone's internal microphone to talk if your own headphones don't have one. Just be sure to really snap in your headphones; otherwise, sound comes through the iPhone's own speakers, not the headphones.

GPS

By "triangulating" signals from Wi-Fi and cellphone towers, the iPhone could previously determine your general location. GPS adds live tracking and may deliver more precise results.

I was pretty impressed by the accuracy on the new device as I drove along in my car, searched for nearby pizza places, and requested directions.

Alas, the feature begs for the audible turn-by-turn directions found on Samsung's Instinct and others. (Again, I'm hoping a third-party developer will fill the void.)

Pictures

IPhone remains a fabulous photo viewer. But Apple hasn't done much to improve its 2-megapixel camera. You still can't zoom, shoot video or use a flash. Taking pictures is a tad clumsy.

But the presence of GPS means pictures can be "geo-tagged" with the location in which they were taken. After syncing images with a computer, you might plot their location on a map. Geotagged pictures ought to work well with social-networking applications.

A nice new feature built into the iPhone 2.0 software lets you easily save a Web image to your phone or a picture that arrives via e-mail. You can use the image as the phone's "wallpaper" or sync it to your computer.

You can also post pictures to Apple's new MobileMe Gallery on the Web, part of a $100-a-year subscription service. The MobileMe service, the latest iteration of what used to be called .Mac, was also not ready for testing.

Audio quality

Apple has improved overall audio quality of the device. The speaker phone sounded better, as did music played directly through the phone's speaker.

Of course, it all still sounds better wearing headphones.

Parental controls

A new "restrictions" feature (found in Settings) means Mom and Dad can prevent the kids from downloading any applications, or from accessing the Safari Web browser, YouTube, or iTunes.

Turn on the YouTube restriction, for example, and the icon for the video site disappears from the iPhone home screen.

Powering up

There's a new small, easy-to-travel-with power adapter. Apple says you'll get five hours of talk time on a 3G network, double on Edge, and up to 300 hours of standby.

You can turn off 3G to preserve the battery. I started receiving low battery warnings toward the end of a busy work day; I found myself charging the device overnight, the same as with the older iPhone.

But I couldn't juice up the latest device using my Bose SoundDock or Belkin car kit. Apple says there will be adapters to permit charging with certain older accessories.

Technical explanation: The new iPhone only supports USB circuitry, not another method known as FireWire.

Wish list

As with its predecessor, iPhone 3G doesn't support popular Web browsing standards such as Adobe Flash, Windows Media Video or Java. And there's still no removable battery.

I'd have also loved Apple to add a slot for expandable memory. It did not.

While not everything on my wish list made it onto the new device, Apple has raised the bar with iPhone 3G. To which I offer an enthusiastic thumbs up.