Thursday, December 27, 2012

The smallest, cheapest computer in the world - Raspberry Pi

Resembling little more than a credit card-sized scrap of exposed circuit board, the Raspberry Pi is a fully programmable PC that runs a free, open-source Linux operating system, plugs into any TV, can power 3D graphics and connects to the Internet.

In a world where computers are increasingly powerful and are concealed within ever more glossy slabs of aluminum, the Raspberry Pi (RPi) offers surprising proof for the virtue of moderation.
Resembling little more than a credit card-sized scrap of exposed circuit board, the RPi is a fully programmable PC that runs a free, open-source Linux operating system, plugs into any TV, can power 3D graphics, connects to the Internet and, with a little ingenuity, be used to create your own personalized robot slave.

The computer's miniature frame is crowded with two USB ports, an SD card slot, an Ethernet connection and microchip in the middle -- all powered by a universal USB mobile charger.


Not only is it the world's smallest personal computer but, perhaps most importantly of all, at just $25 the RPi is also the world's cheapest. Eben Upton, the UK-based University of Cambridge professor and inventor behind the wallet-friendly PC, says he set out to create a computer so affordable that every child in Britain could have one. With its rough-around-the-edges aesthetic, however, he didn't expect it to catch on very fast and, in the early days of development, set a sales target of 10,000 units within his lifetime.

But when the RPi launched in February of this year, demand far outran supply, and all 10,000 sold out immediately -- crashing the distributing websites in the process.




Thursday, December 20, 2012

Wedding celebration in Arab Countries. Firing in Air




Kindly ignore the title in the Youtube video. These are not terrorists but people celebrating the wedding.
In Arab countries it is normal for the guests to fire in the air during the wedding celebrations :)

But in recent years most of the people are against the firing as there have been many cases of injuries and casualties because of the bullets falling down on people.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Chinese myna bird placed under house arrest for shouting 'f*** you' at visitors to zoo


Naughty: Myna birds are famed for their ability to mimic speech (file picture)

A rude myna bird has been put in solitary confinement at a zoo after shouting 'f*** you' at visitors. 
The bird had been trained to welcome people to Jiufeng Forest Zoo in Wuhan, central China, but keepers were shocked to hear it insulting tourists in recent weeks. 
Staff believe the bird picked up the rude words from visitors and signs have now been put up warning zoo-goers about teaching mynas bad language. 
A sign erected at the zoo read: 'Please do not use foul language to get a rise out of the Myna.'
The common myna bird has been isolated to stop the other birds from copying the rude words. 
Keepers say they will withhold food from the common myna bird when it swears and play tapes of polite words to change its bad habits. 
Caretaker Li Yun said he had heard some tourists try to teach the birds rude words. 
He told China's Global Times: 'The bird has a good memory. It's possible that some visitor taught it how to say these things.'
He said the birds are 'good mimics' and quick learners. 
Eight talking mynas were introduced to the zoo in 2010 from Vietnam and four of them were put on show to welcome visitors.
They were taught to speak in full Chinese sentences and welcomed people with phrases such as 'I wish you prosperity' and hello and goodbye. 
Myna birds are native to Asia and is a popular pet for its ability to mimic language.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

The world's first magnetic strip credit card up for sale


One of only two prototypes of the very first magnetic strip credit cards developed by IBM is up for sale for the first time.
Sotheby's are offering the relic of financial history for sale at their New York branch, with an estimate of between $10,000 to $15,000.
Made of card, with its magnetic strips printed stuck somewhat askew across both sides, the card has been carried for nearly 50 years in the wallet of its developer Jerome Svigals.
Relic of financial history: This unassuming oblong of brown card is one of only two of the original prototypes of the modern day credit card developed by IBM in the late Sixties
Relic of financial history: This unassuming oblong of brown card is one of only two of the original prototypes of the modern day credit card developed by IBM in the late Sixties



Credited with making possible today's trillion dollar consumer credit industry, the card is a unique piece of financial history.
While credit cards for individual companies had been in use in the U.S. since the Twenties, it was only in the Fifties that the idea of a universal credit card came into general use and acceptance.
However, these raised letter cards required extensive customer service and substantial time to process.
Seeking to create an application that would increase computer sales, IBM set about transforming the raised letter credit card to make it more efficient.
Going under the hammer: The card is available for sale at Sotheby's at an auction set for December 14, with an estimate of between £10,000 and $15,000
Going under the hammer: The card is available for sale at Sotheby's at an auction set for December 14, with an estimate of between £10,000 and $15,000

Mr Svigals' prototype card goes on sale December 14 as part of a fine books and manuscripts sale at Sotheby's in New York. 
On one side the magnetic strip has come away and been stuck back down with sellotape, but it is not thought to have affected the value of the almost unique item.
The only other example is kept at the Computer History Museum in California.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

The top ten skyscrapers of the year named.. Kuwait's Al Hamra Tower Second !


It would be a tall order to beat this lot.
The top ten skyscrapers of the year were named yesterday with a stunning New York residential block taking top spot.
Eight Spruce Street, in Manhattan, picked up the Emporis Skyscraper Award where judges chose the best buildings which were completed in 2011.
Sky's the limit: Eight Spruce Street, in Manhattan, picked up the Emporis Skyscraper Award for the word's best skycraper
Sky's the limit: Eight Spruce Street, in Manhattan, picked up the Emporis Skyscraper Award for the word's best skycraper

The 76-storey tower, designed by Frank Gehry, is the 12th largest tallest residential block stretching 265-metres into the sky.
Its stunning design consist of cladding made up of 10,500 stainless steel panels, almost all of them different shapes.
This means that as you move around, its shape constantly changes - with judges saying the building 'stands out even in Manhattan's already remarkable skyline'.
The Al Hamra Tower in Kuwait took second place
Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, stand at 217.5 and 305.3 metres
High flyers: The 412 metre Al Hamra Tower in Kuwait City (left) took second place while Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, which stand at 217.5 and 305.3 metres (left) took third 
KK100 in Shenzhen, China stands 441.8 metres tall
Victoria Tower, Stockholm is 117.6 metres tall
Impressive: KK100 in Shenzhen, China stands 441.8 metres tall and Victoria Tower, Stockholm reaches 117.6 metres


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

French police arrest Chinese pair with 1.8 MILLION euros in cash stitched inside car seats


Two Chinese men were arrested at a French checkpoint near Strasbourg last month with more than 1.8million euros in cash hidden in their car seats, according to French Customs.
The find, consisting of over 38,000 denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euro notes, was hidden behind the seatback of an Audi A6. 
Customs made ​​the discovery during a check on the tollgate of the A4 motorway at Schwindratzheim.
The find, consisting of over 38,000 denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euro notes, was hidden behind the seatback of an Audi A6
The find, consisting of over 38,000 denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euro notes, was hidden behind the seatback of an Audi A6
The arrest was made on November 11, but Customs only made the finding public today because of the needs of the investigation
The arrest was made on November 11, but Customs only made the finding public today because of the needs of the investigation

The arrest was made on November 11, but Customs only made the finding public today because of the needs of the investigation, according to Customs official Marc Steiner.
The two individuals, who were living in Portugal, had travelled to Paris by plane.

There, they picked up a car, said they had intended to drive to Vienna, Austria, for a holiday, according to Mr Steiner.
They remain in custody.
Enlarge The two men had claimed they were en route to Vienna for a holiday
The two men had claimed they were en route to Vienna for a holiday
The pair are Chinese but reside in Portugal. They remain in custody
The pair are Chinese but reside in Portugal. They remain in custody




Monday, December 3, 2012

The paintings which are full of life: Incredible body art transforms people into living creatures and moving landscapes


Artist Gesine Marwedel's paintings are full of life - quite literally.
The German creates her stunning images not on a traditional blank canvas but on the bodies of people, as these breathtaking pictures reveal.
Using her subjects' limbs to create angles for her intricate work, she transforms them into moving masterpieces that represent landscapes and animals.
A model is turned into a human swan in this incredible piece of body art work
A model is turned into a human swan in this incredible piece of body art work
A desert scene, complete with camels, is represented on this woman
A desert scene, complete with camels, is represented on this woman
World cities are merged as Gesine Marwedel tries her hand at a more urban style
World cities are merged as Gesine Marwedel tries her hand at a more urban style

In one incredible image, a subject is turned into a human swan, while her other works show desert scenes, a bleak mountain, and a breathtaking cityscape that merges what appears to be Barcelona and Sydney.
Ms Marwedel, from Dortmund, has also turned one person into a flamingo, and ethched eye-catching paintings of an iguana and a tiger.

All her body art is created using eudermic colours, which are natural and based on mineral water and thermal mud.
The 25-year-old, who has attracted a large following in her native country, says she was inspired to paint after working at an Indian orphanage on completion of her university degree.
A bleak mountainscape under a moonlit sky transforms this woman
A bleak mountainscape under a moonlit sky transforms this woman
Amazing Body art by Gesine Marwedel\n©exclusivepixAmazing Body art by Gesine Marwedel\n©exclusivepix
Both men and women are used by the talented artist, whose highly intricate works reveal an incredible eye for detail. A jigsaw puzzle and eyes are shown here
Half-man, half-tiger: With meticulous attention to detail, a tiger painting merges into the model's natural form
Half-man, half-tiger: With meticulous attention to detail, a tiger painting merges into the model's natural form
Most people would jump out of their skin if they had an iguana on them but, luckily for this woman, it's just a painting, albeit incredibly lifelike
Most people would jump out of their skin if they had an iguana on them but, luckily for this woman, it's just a painting, albeit incredibly lifelike
German Gesine Marwedel has attracted a cult following in her native country with work like this
German Gesine Marwedel has attracted a cult following in her native country with work like this
She describes her style as 'mostly realistic or surrealistic' and also paints on traditional canvas using oil.
Traditionally, body art was, and still is, popular among tribal people.
It still survives in its ancient form among the indigenous people of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Gesine Marwedel gets to work on one of her subjects, this time painting a tree on a beach
Gesine Marwedel gets to work on one of her subjects, this time painting a tree on a beach

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

PeterPan Musical in Kuwait

The magical musical of the boy who didn’t want to grow up. He takes Wendy and her brothers to Neverland to evil Captain Hook and his pirates, the Injun chief, Tiger Lily and the Lost Boys with his naughty fairy Tink. 
Performed by One World actors. Very limited seating. Their target is 5,000 KD for BACCH! With the box office at BACCH and every ticket stamped by the ministry you can guarantee every dinar gets to where it should. 



Tickets Cost 10 KWD.

Contact peterpanatbacch@gmail.com.
One World (theatrical company) was last seen performing A Midsummer Night's Dream and Titanic at the British Embassy.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Adorable video of kitten giving his feline friend the purrfect massage


Kneading those tiny paws in and out of a feline friend's backside, this adorable video captures a cat giving another cat a message.
Stretching out, the white and black cat flicks his tail with pleasure as his friend gets to work on his lower back, pushing every little claw into his thick coat.
The striped black and brown masseuse takes a few moments to turn and look at his friend's reaction to his efforts, before lazily sliding its paws toward his belly.



Sunday, November 25, 2012

Kim Kardashian Coming to Kuwait on November 28th 2012

According to news Kim Kardashian is coming to Kuwait this Wednesday November 28th 2012 for the inauguration of the Millions of Milkshakes at the Avenues Phase III. The inauguration will be on November 29th (Thursday) 2012.
On the 30th she will  be having V.I.P Dinner at LeNotre and also she might be visiting 52 Degrees at Tilal Complex in Kuwait.
She will leave for Bahrain on December 1st. According to her official Video she seems very exited about the visit to Kuwait and she wishes to meet all the people.
Check out the official video below




Currently Mark from 248am is having a competition for Kim Kardashian meet and greet Giveaway based on the question "What would you ask Kim Kardashian if you could ask her just one question? "

These tickets will allow you to meet Kim Kardashian at Millions of Milkshakes during the opening as well as take pictures with her.The normal price for the Meet and Greet Ticket is 350 KWD !!!


You can check it out in this link Kim Kardashian meet & greet giveaway



Thursday, November 22, 2012

Beware the cash trap! Claw-like devices inserted into ATM slots can steal notes in latest hole-in-the-wall scam


Most bank account holders have heard of card skimmers, the insidious devices that steal your details from inside a cash machine.
Now, however, there is another danger to watch out for at the hole-in-the-wall - the 'cash trap'.
The simple, claw-like implement sits inside the slot that dispenses notes and grabs hold of customers' money until the thief returns to collect the loot.
Invisible crime: Claw-like cash trap devices, which are inserted into ATMs to grab cash before it can be dispensed to the customer
Invisible crime: Claw-like cash trap devices, which are inserted into ATMs to grab cash before it can be dispensed to the customer
Rife: The simple contraptions inserted into cash-dispensing slots have been spotted in Lincolnshire and across Europe
Rife: The simple contraptions inserted into cash-dispensing slots have been spotted in Lincolnshire and across Europe

The devices have been used at cash points across Britain, with 2,479 reported cases in the first half of 2012.
Fraud losses through cash trapping and other ATM scams across the UK came to £29.3million last year, according to Financial Fraud Action UK, although this is said to be dropping since chip and pin was introduced in 2004.


Such scams are already rife across Europe. Thieves stole more than a million euros from French cash machines this year using devices that prop open note-dispensing slots, according to security experts.
Police have warned account holders to be vigilant, but many devices are impossible to spot.
Some are designed to look like part of the machine and attached to the front, and others - such as the claw - are completely hidden inside the ATM.
This can mean that customers remain unaware of the problem and simply assume there is a fault with the ATM, failing to report the crime.
Jaws: cash trapping device is shown removed from the machine. Police have warned customers to look out for anything unusual at ATMs
Jaws: cash trapping device is shown removed from the machine. Police have warned customers to look out for anything unusual at ATMs

The European ATM Security Team advises customers to immediately report all incidents to the bank.
In August, Lincolnshire Police issued a warning to cash machine users after fraudsters tampered with three machines in Spilsby and Louth, pocketing hundreds of pounds from one transaction.
Officers warned anyone who spots anything unusual on an ATM, finds a device or notices part of the machine falling off to contact the police as soon as possible. 

A SERIES OF SCAMS

The tricks used to steal money from bank accounts are sophisticated, varied and widely used. Here is how they have developed:
Spring traps: Once a card has been inserted, these prevent it from being returned to the customer and stop the ATM from retracting it.
Cash traps: Claw-like implements are inserted into cash-dispensing slot to 'capture or skim some of the dispensed bills'.
Jammers: An oversized fork-like device is jammed into the cash dispenser slot to keep it open following a normal ATM transaction.
Skimmers: Thieves lift the data from cards through handheld skimmers or via magnetic strip readers. The data can then be re-encoded on to blank cards and used at ATM along with victim’s PIN to withdraw cash.
Transaction reversal fraud: Involves 'tricking' ATM into not debiting some of the cash that has been taken or manipulating the ATM to pay more than the balance available. Can be done via clips or fingers or by removing some notes so machine does not realise it has dispensed them. 
A spokesperson for the force said: 'Unfortunately, there was insufficient forensic and CCTV evidence [in Louth] to progress the investigation and no arrests were made.  
'The Spilsby incidents related to ATMs possibly being tampered with and no actual thefts occurred.  
'The banks don’t always notify police in these cases if no crime has taken place and their own fraud departments investigate the matter.
'ATM tampering is obviously a nationwide issue and we work with the banks to raise awareness and educate the public about how to protect themselves from fraud and what things to be on the lookout for.'
Most of the crimes apparently take place outside of normal banking hours.
A spokesperson for EAST said: 'The criminals operate by cash being collected by a customer. As far as a customer is concerned everything can be going fine with their transaction and the receipt - if they get one - can say "£20 taken out", but they've got no money.
'The cash trap is normally placed across the front of the cash dispensing slot, either with adhesive or a spring. The claw is one variant, which is placed inside machine and is a little more sophisticated.
'The criminals make one transaction and insert the device while the slot is open.
'We saw a significant increase in these attacks in 2011, with 15 European countries reporting such crimes, and a surge in the second half of the year.
'The success of chip and pin seems to be driving criminals from high-tech card skimming to low-tech techniques such as cash trapping.
'This can be combined with other ways of manipulating the ATM.'
It is estimated that in the first six months of 2004, more than £40.5million was fraudulently taken from customers' accounts using card skimming in London and the South-East alone.
In March 2005, Dover-based Kenneth Mennie had £1,500 stolen from his Lloyds TSB current account after his debit card was copied and used in Thailand.
Four months later, five Romanians stole up to £1.2m by sticking false fronts to ATMs across London to skim unwitting customers' cards and film their PIN numbers being entered.
A laptop found at the gang's safe house contained details of 1,236 bank cards.
It is believed most of the cash was channelled to Romania in a 'fruitful and sophisticated fraud'.
Helping themselves: Thieves stole more than a million Euros from French cash machines this year using a similar technique, pictured, in which cash-dispensing slots are propped open after normal transactions
Helping themselves: Thieves stole more than a million Euros from French cash machines this year using a similar technique, pictured, in which cash-dispensing slots are propped open after normal transactions

Since the advent of chip and pin, however, cash traps may be the most worrying trend, because they are simple, cheap and spreading fast.
Earlier this year, industry experts reported on the danger of 'robbing by radiowave' - in which thieves access 'contactless' cardholders' details simply by walking past them in the street and activating a handheld machine.
A spokesperson for Vocalink told MailOnline they had seen a move back to more traditional methods of fraud such as shoulder surfing since chip and pin came in.
Cardholders who are given a contactless card when their old one expires can unknowingly surrender their details to a thief by simply walking past them in the street.
The technology in the card, known as radio frequency identification (RFID), transmits bank details via its own radio signal, and is accepted in many High Street chains, including Co-op, Boots and Pret-a-Manger.
Lucrative scam: A simple fork, pictured, can be placed inside the machine to hold it open after customers have left
Lucrative scam: A simple fork, pictured, can be placed inside the machine to hold it open after customers have left

It does away with the need for a customer inputting their PIN when buying goods, and was designed to reduce queues at the checkout.
However, a fraudster with a contactless cardreader can easily collect the 16-digit credit card number, expiry date and  name – known as RFID skimming – from anyone who walks past carrying one of the new cards.
They then have enough information to rack up huge bills at any internet shopping site that does not demand the three-digit security code on the back of the card.
David Maxwell, a former policeman and director of RFIDprotect, a firm which specialises in protection against card fraud, said: ‘It has been a big problem in America for a while and is getting to be a big problem over here.’
Cards can be protected from RFID skimmers by being wrapped in tin foil or being kept in special foil-lined wallets.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Miracle baby born with heart that beat OUTSIDE her body now recovering after life-saving surgery

A baby girl who was born with her small heart beating outside of her body is now remarkably recovering after a revolutionary surgery saved her life.
Audrina Cardenas was born with a rare congenital disease where her heart formed outside the chest; though the disease affects only one in eight million, 90 percent of infants with the condition are stillborn or die within days of their birth.
But after hours of complicated surgery at the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Audrina is recovering, and her mother Ashley couldn’t be more thankful.


heart
Miracle: Audrina Cardenas, who suffers from a rare congenital heart condition that caused her to be born with her heart outside of her body is recovering after surgery
Overjoyed: New mother Ashley Cardenas, center, looks at her daughter Audrina after the successful surgery
Overjoyed: New mother Ashley Cardenas, center, looks at her daughter Audrina after the successful surgery

Audrina had ectopia cordis, causing her heart to be located outside of the body. Incredible video taken during the surgery shows it beating at a steady pace.
Her mother found out about her daughter’s life-threatening condition at a routine check-up at 16 weeks. 

    Ms Cardenas said she was given three options, each of them difficult in their own right –abort the baby, carry her to term knowing she would die shortly thereafter, or have doctors construct a hole in her unborn baby’s chest to make room for the heart.
    She told the Houston Chronicle that her choice to have her newborn daughter operated on was incredibly difficult. ‘You’ll never know what it feels like to make that decision until you’re faced with it,’ she said.
    Modern medicine: Doctors at Texas Children's were able to successfully place the newborn's heart back into her chest during a six-hour surgery
    Modern medicine: Doctors at Texas Children's were able to successfully place the newborn's heart back into her chest during a six-hour surgery
    Discovery: The mother first found out about her daughter's potentially-deadly condition during a routine ultrasound at 16 weeks
    Discovery: The mother first found out about her daughter's potentially-deadly condition during a routine ultrasound at 16 weeks

    Monday, November 5, 2012

    'Transparent' car which projects outside world on interior is developed to help drivers with parking


    James Bond once drove an invisible car in a high-speed car race across a frozen lake.
    Now a car akin to the remarkable vehicle could soon be driven for real.
    A ‘transparent' vehicle that projects the outside world on its interior has been developed by Japanese researchers. 
    James Bond drives the car which can be made invisible in Die Another Day - a vehicle akin to the 'transparent' car that is being developed
    James Bond drives the car which can be made invisible in Die Another Day - a vehicle akin to the 'transparent' car that is being developed

    It is being designed in Tokyo to help drivers with parking, projecting a panoramic view of the area behind the car onto the rear seats.
    The view would include children, animals, or objects such as bollards that may be invisible below the rear window.
    Drivers who struggle to parallel park may find this invention particularly useful.

    The car appears transparent from the inside, allowing drivers to 'see through' the rear bodywork.
    In the James Bond film Die Another Day, the spy's Aston Martin Vanquish is made invisible by replicating the background using a light-emitting polymer skin.
    The feature, accompanied with automatic guns that popup from the bonnet cooling vents and spikes on the tyres, proves very useful during a chase with a Jaguar XK-R on the frozen lakes of Iceland.
    But this real device is a little less advanced.
    The way it works is two cameras on the boot lid capture a full view of the scene behind the car.
    The car appears transparent from the inside, allowing drivers to 'see through' the rear bodywork (pictured is the race scene in the Bond film)
    The car appears transparent from the inside, allowing drivers to 'see through' the rear bodywork (pictured is the race scene in the Bond film)

    The Sunday Times reports that the images are combined by computer and reflected onto the seats to create the illusion that the back of the car is transparent when looked at from the driver's seat.
    Masahiko Inami, from Tokyo's Keio University, said, as reported in the newspaper: 'The driver will feel like he's driving a glass car.'
    Mr Inami works at the university where the technology was developed and fitted to a Toyota Prius.
    A Japanese car manufacturer is said to be already working with the laboratory to put the technology into production.
    Other ideas being developed by researchers include making other parts of the car transparent.
    This encompasses a prototype transparent door that would enable lorry drivers to see if a cyclist pulled up alongside them at a junction.
    This could potentially prove extremely useful in reducing road deaths.
    Research last year by Accident Exchange found that 200,000 accidents are caused by reversing vehicles each year in the UK, with the majority of them being the fault of the driver who was travelling backwards.

    Wednesday, October 31, 2012

    Level Shoe District - World's biggest shoe store opens in Dubai

    The world's largest collection of shoes for sale opened Friday in Dubai, a city dotted with luxury malls and high-end boutiques.

    Called the Level Shoe District, the store takes up 96,000 square feet of real estate. It's stocked with 15,000 different styles from 250 brands. That's enough footwear for even Carrie Bradshaw-level shopaholics to swoon.
    "The whole idea is to create a place for men and women who love shoes, who are passionate about shoes, who are addicted to shoes, who are obsessed about shoes," Patrick Chalhoub, chief executive of Chalhoub Group, the force behind the megastore, told Bloomberg.
    Luxe brands such as Gucci and Prada dominate the floor, with the store putting out many designer styles earlier than any other store in the world, he said.
    Shoes are "a developing market and it has been developing even through the crisis because people do not stop dreaming," Chalhoub said.
    Retailers have been scrambling to cater to shoe lovers.
    Macy's previously laid claim to the title "world's largest shoe store" when it opened a 39,000-square-foot floor this year dedicated to decor for your feet at its flagship store in Manhattan.
    Saks Fifth Avenue in New York recently added 7,000 square feet to its shoe department -- already granted its own postal ZIP code a few years ago -- and built a dedicated elevator and private VIP room.
    And Barneys New York recently launched a unisex designer shoe store that is 40% roomier with 350 more styles.
    Don't Forget to check out the making of the store in the video below