For the last 50 years Japanese car firms have been slowly conquering auto markets around the world with Toyota recently overtaking General Motors as the largest global car manufacturer. Below is an Infographic from Infographiclabs that compares US and Japanese firms along with data on sales over the last few decades.
Check out the entire Infographic at StudyDriving.com
I read about the launch of Google eBooks yesterday when they posted the announcement in The Official Google Blog. I did find myself chewing on the idea for longer than I should have been, so I decided to take a look at some other topic. Needless to say, the bookworm in me just can’t ignore the supposedly more than 3 million books that Google eBooks is supposed to have on offer.
So what makes Google eBooks worthy to read/write/think about?
To be honest, I am not sure. Aside from the fact that it is Google who is behind the new product, I am not clear as to how the “new” concept is beneficial to me (or the average consumer for that matter). Aside from the fact that there are millions of books available on demand – some free, some for a fee, of course – what else has Google eBooks to offer? (Also consider the fact that Amazon, B&N, etc. have lots on their roster anyway.)
One distinct feature of Google eBooks is the fact that all the books are going to be stored in the cloud. This offers convenience above all – that is, if you are located in a country where Internet connection is not an issue. Yes, there are countries where Internet access is still sluggish and not omnipresent. With the cloud as storage, though, readers can pick up where they left off in a book using whatever device they feel like using. The video below showcases this and more.
That’s a pretty cute video, you have to admit. It reminds me of the e-book that Google recently release – 20 Things I Learned. Still, one cannot deny that Google is not offering something revolutionary here, can you? As great as Google is, I don’t think this development is a Cloud 9-instigating one.
News came out recently that Apple had bought HP’s old campus in Cupertino. For exactly what reason, we common people can only make informed guesses. It does seem logical, though, that this property will eventually be transformed into a new campus for Apple. While that in itself is not something one should spend more than one second of thought on, the rumors details surrounding the “mystery” campus just might pique your curiosity.
Architecture enthusiasts will certainly recognize British architect and designer Norman Foster. He is arguably the most known builder of landmark office buildings in Britain, and his company has worked on countless high profile projects all over the world. From the IBM pilot head office in the UK to the Carre d’Art Nimes in France to the Hearst Tower in New York to the Expo MRT Station in Singapore – this is only a handful of what this man has achieved.
In the next year, he just might have another groundbreaking project to take on: the building of Apple City (yes, that is the rumored name of the new campus). While nothing has been confirmed yet, rumor has it that Apple City (I don’t know about you, but there is something that doesn’t sound quite right here) will be based on the concept and design of Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. This city holds the distinction of being the first city without cars and carbon emissions, and this is what Apple City is going to be, if the rumors come true.
I didn’t know about Masdar City before I read about this piece of news, but it does look awesome, doesn’t it? And, I am sure that if Steve Jobs gives Norman Foster the go signal (now that is another story altogether), Apple City just might be THE place to be/see.
Everyone has heard about WikiLeaks by now. Truth be told, I have been avoiding writing about it as everyone and their mom has been jabbering non-stop about the site anyway. However, I simply cannot pass up on this piece of information: how you can get past the “strict” security measures that the U.S. military has in place.
Believe it or not, you simply have to get Lady Gaga on your side. It is that simple. In a report released by The Guardian early this week, it is said that the main culprit behind the information leak is soldier Bradley Manning, 22 years of age. The soldier is said to have taken the information out of secure premises by bringing in a CD-RW labeled Lady Gaga. Once inside, he would delete its contents and copy classified information. Walking out of the the complex with some of the government’s secrets was a simple matter.
Of course, just because it was that easy to steal the information did not mean that Manning would never have been caught. As a matter of fact, he has been in solitary confinement for the most part of this year, where he is awaiting court martial.
This does not change the facts – that more than 200,000 dispatches are now in the hands of the general public, so to speak. And, while I don’t feel like talking about what I think about the whole WikiLeaks issue, I think that Lady Gaga should be given kudos for assisting one of the biggest information heists ever. I wonder if a Michael Jackson CD would have worked as well?
via The Guardian
Even before I read the details about the newest social networking site in town, I was already feeling positive about the whole idea. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I immediately took notice of its charitable goals.
You have to admit, social networking sites are fun and easily fill up idle time, but at the end of the day, their worth in real life might be up for discussion. With this new site that Chris Hughes has set up, things just might have a better impact.
Called Jumo, the site is primarily aimed at building connections between individuals and non-profits or charitable organizations. Charities will be indexed and people can find – or browse – these entities, as well as evaluate them.
In case the name Chris Hughes seems familiar but you just can’t quite put your finger on it, let me point you in the right direction. He is actually one of the co-founders of Facebook and is also known for having been the director of online organizing for Barack Obama’s campaign back in 2008. It is not a surprise that he is the guy behind Jumo, is it?
I have to be honest – I am wondering if Jumo will actually result in people giving more to charities. If you think about it, Facebook offers its own venues for giving, but how many people actually give to charities via this venue? I wonder if Jumo will be able to take things one step further and result in tangible donations for those who are in need the most.
One question: would you sign up for Jumo and be more active in giving because of it?
I don’t know if you this, but Google Earth wasn’t always called as such. It was actually first called EarthViewer 3D and was created by a company called Keyhole, Inc. That first release was in 2001, and it was only in 2004 that Google acquired the smaller company. In 2005, Google Earth 3.0 was released, triggering a huge interest in the digital atlas.
Yesterday, Google announced the sixth version of the program, highlighting the fact that the Google Earth 6 is more realistic than ever. In the entry posted on the Official Google Blog yesterday, three new things were featured.
Basically, with the enhanced Street View, you can “journey from outer space right to your doorstep in one seamless flight.” You can also explore the streets as if you were merely taking a stroll in real life (with your fingers doing the walking, of course).
Trees make everything better, don’t they? The guys at Google seem to think the same thing, and they incorporated 3D models of various kinds of trees. Of course, to add to the realism, they paid close attention to details, enhancing the whole Google Earth experience. (I have to admit that as I was reading the post and looking at the images, I couldn’t help but think of SimCity.)
Historical Imagery allowed users of Google Earth 5 to take a stroll down memory lane when viewing particular location. For example, one can see what Port-au-Prince in Haiti looked like before it got hit by the devastating earthquake. In the latest version of Google Earth, it is even easier for users to go back in time.
Whether or not you have plans of trying out Google Earth 6, take a look at the video below to see it in action.
To experience this for yourself, visit the Google Earth 6 download page.