Google phone to be on market soon 
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-14 09:22:18
Google Inc. has designed its own smartphone and plans to sell directly to consumers as soon as early 2010, according to media reports.
The phone, called the Nexus One and made by smartphone maker HTC, runs the search giant's Android operating system and will be sold online, bypassing wireless carriers in a rare strategic move.
Google first announced the phone had been undergoing testing by its employees in a blog post last weekend, and Wall Street Journal confirmed the device and name hours after.
The Internet giant is taking a new and potentially risky approach to selling the device, experts said. Without a mobile carrier partner, Google will ask its consumers to buy the phone online and buy cellular service for the device separately, which the Americans almost never do.
It is a significant move for the Internet giant on the mobile industry potentially challenging mobile carrier partners in the process and shaking up the business model of the mobile industry.
Google hasn't sold hardware in the past and the move may be a big step for the company into direct sales.
BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhuanet)
Claudia Schiffer plans to create own fashion label
by Astrid Wendlandt, Reuters|02 December 2009
Berlin, Germany: After lending her image to fashion designers for more than two decades, supermodel Claudia Schiffer says she is now ready to create her own fashion business, which could include cashmere wares and handbags.
The 39-year-old-German born model on Tuesday Nov 17said she was looking to give her life a new direction and was on the lookout for partners to back the launch of her brand.
"I would love to create my own lines now," Schiffer told a luxury conference in Berlin organized by the International Herald Tribune.
"I want the brand to be timeless and classic, with a fashion sensibility."
Many celebrities before Schiffer have launched their own trademarked products, ex-pop star Victoria Beckham is getting rave reviews for her evening dresses, Jennifer Lopez launched her own perfumes and Paris Hilton got into luxury watches.
But Schiffer said the product would have to "speak to her" and be close to her personality.
"Consumers are not stupid. They do understand if you don't believe in your product," she said.
Schiffer said she was looking for business partners, who did not necessarily have to be German, and she aimed to give the brand a global reach instantly.
"I would love to do cashmere, it is something I wear all the time myself...I would love to do something that is a bit more price friendly and...a lot of cashmere is very classic, I would like to create something that is a bit more fashion," she said.
But while pursuing her new business interests, Schiffer, who has recently been featuring in Yves Saint Laurent, Salvatore Ferragamo and Alberta Ferretti ad campaigns, said she hoped to continue being a model for "as long as possible."
Schiffer began her modeling career in the late 1980s and is remembered for her Chanel and Guess jeans campaigns among many others. The model said that despite her very public persona, she was a shy person who was cautious and valued loyalty.
"It takes me some time to warm up, but once you are friends with me I am friends for a long time," she said.
"I am very loyal."
Schiffer, who has been living in England for the past nine years, said she often sought to get away from the limelight.
"I do enjoy having a quiet life and on the weekends, we go away to the countryside and do normal things which make me feel good."
(Asiaone.com)
Giorgio Armani Extends
Designer Touch to New Mobile
by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, Reuters|28 October 2009
Milan, Italy: Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani presented a new 700-euro ($1,445) mobile phone, a stylish device aimed at complementing the designer's suits.
Founding designer Giorgio Armani, widely regarded as the doyen of Italian fashion, made a brief public appearance at the launch of the Armani-Samsung smartphone, which also has the new Microsoft software for mobiles.
Microsoft Corp introduced Windows Mobile 6.5 this week, which allows phones to play music, open Word and Excel documents and be synchronized over the Internet.
The sleek phone has both a touch screen and a key pad. It also includes a video player and GPS navigation, as well as bronze detailing "which coordinates perfectly with Giorgio Armani suits," according to a statement.
Armani, 75, did not speak at the presentation, only posing for photographs, but said in the statement he sought to create a phone "perfect for today's managers."
Armany, who suffered a bout of hepatitis this year, announced three senior management changes in late September, signaling an easing of his workload.
Armani, known for his classically elegant lines and muted colors in clothes, said last month he was reshuffling his agenda to take better care of himself after the illness.
The smartphone is the third phone Armani has designed for South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.
Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, wearing a tie signed by Armani, said the phone was "a statement of style" and his company was not looking to work with other designers, adding this partnership with Samsung and Armani was "a unique thing."
Source: plushasia.com
Jacko's crystal glove scoops $49,000 at auction
Sep-7-09 7:00pm2009-09-07T05:00:17
From: afp.com 
A crystal-encrusted white glove worn by late pop icon Michael Jackson has sold for 49,000 US dollars in Australia, doubling the auctioneer's estimate after a frenzied bidding war.
Auction house Bonhams & Goodmans said the glove, which went under the hammer in Melbourne late on Sunday, was the first to go on sale since the superstar's death on June 25.
The right-hand glove, made of white spandex and covered with hand-sewn clear crystals, was snapped up by the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in the United States.
Bonhams & Goodmans said Jackson wore the trademark glove to the Sydney premiere of his film "Ghosts" on November 15, 1996.
The King of Pop was in Australia for the HIStory World Tour at the time and earlier in the day had married his second wife Debbie Rowe.
Music journalist Peter Holmes and his friend Bill Hibble were apparently among the few audience members who laughed at the jokes in the short horror spoof and Jackson threw the glove to Hibble in thanks.
Hibble has since died and his father put the glove up for sale.
Las Vegas Hard Rock curator Warwick Stone said the glove would sit alongside memorabilia from Elvis Presley and Sex Pistol guitarist Sid Vicious.
"Michael Jackson gave it to someone in public in Australia and most collectors of Michael Jackson memorabilia knew about this glove," Stone told public broadcaster ABC.
"I've got the chain that used to hang around Sid Vicious's neck, I've got one of Elvis's .357 magnums which he used to shoot TVs with."
Stone said three more Jackson gloves were scheduled to come on to the market in the United States later this year but added: "I think I got the bargain."
-zimbio-
Michael Jackson Laid to Rest
Written by BangShowbiz on Sep-5-09 12:52am2009-09-04T10:52:28 
Michael Jackson was laid to rest at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park last night in a ceremony attended by his family and a host of celebrity friends. Among the stars who paid their last respects were Elizabeth Taylor, Macaulay Culkin and girlfriend Mila Kunis, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Gladys Knight, Rev. Al Sharpton, Corey Feldman, Kenny Ortega and Michael's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley.
The service was due to start at 7 pm, but guests were kept waiting by Michael's family. Their cars did not start the journey to the service until 7.30 pm, with the ceremony finally getting underway around two hours later than planned.
Michael's children Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II (aka "Blanket") arrived with his parents Joe and Katherine. They spent time with their father's casket before the service began, putting a crown on it in reference to his King of Pop moniker. The children sat in the front row, with a picture of the singer in front of them and lilies and roses decorating the stage.
Gladys sang "His Eye Is On The Sparrow," while songwriter Clifton Davis performed Jackson 5 song "Never Can Say Goodbye." After the ceremony, the Jackson brothers carried the gold coffin into the Great Mausoleum.
The family released a statement saying: "The Jackson Family wishes to once again thank all of Michael's fans around the world for their generous outpouring of support during this terribly difficult time. Their expressions of love for Michael and his music have sustained the Jackson Family."
After the service, it is understood some of the mourners travelled to Pasadena's Villa Sorriso eatery.
Michael died aged 50 on June 25 of acute Propofol intoxication.
-zimbio-
Read More..
Michael Jackson Has Earned
$99 Million Since His Death
Written by BangShowbiz on Aug-15-09 12:28am2009-08-14T10:28:02
Executors of Michael Jackson's estate claim money from a film deal and merchandising contracts has "flooded" into Michael's bank accounts since he died in June.
They predict the pop superstar will make another $99 million by the end of the year, and expect him to overtake Nirvana rocker Kurt Cobain and Elvis Presley -- who have made $745 million and $599 million respectively from beyond the grave -- as the highest-earning dead celebrity in the next 12 months.
Lawyer John Branca, who is co-executor of Michael’s estate, said:
Clearly this will be a new record for estates that likely will not be broken. Elvis’s estate makes $54 million a year. This will be a bigger estate. Branca and fellow co-executor, music executive John McClain, have put together a series of deals for commemorative coins, school supplies, a coffee-table book and a film. They have also been retrieving funds held for Michael by anonymous creditors, thought to amount to "several million pounds," and tallying the value of the singer's property, memorabilia and art collections.
Meanwhile, law enforcement sources claim Michael's Dr. Conrad Robert Murray had Propofol hidden in the singer's house. Police officers found three large bottles and five smaller vials of the anesthetic stashed in a closet in Murray's bedroom at the star's Los Angeles home.
They also believe Murray received regular shipments of the powerful drug -- reportedly used to help Michael sleep, and believed to have played a part in his death -- through FedEx, which he then hid in other locations.
The search warrant used to raid the Las Vegas pharmacy frequented by Murray showed investigators were looking for FedEx records relating to "the purchase, transfer, receiving, ordering, delivery and storage of Propofol to Dr. Conrad Murray." Police were also looking for credit card receipts relating to a purchase of Propofol the doctor made in May.
-zimbio.com-
CSL Blueberry-i 
By ZAM KARIM
TAKING a leaf out of its more illustrious competitor's book, CSL's Blueberry-i mobile phone sports a black, shiny housing with a silver trim around its edges.
Even its Qwerty mini keyboard resembles RIM's BlackBerry to a certain extent.
However the design similarities between CSL's offering and the BlackBerry Bold 9000 handset is only skin deep - as at the end of the day, the Blueberry-i is definitely no BlackBerry.
As a matter of fact, take away the casing and what you would get is a basic mobile phone with a few surprises thrown in.
Looking closer
The phone, which sits firmly in the palm, has a shiny housing and display that attracts fingerprints and dust.
Apart from the mini USB port at the bottom, users will find no other buttons on the sides. The port is used to connect multiple accessories, including the charger, data cable as well as the included USB earphone.
Despite its avant-garde look, the Blueberry-i only offers pretty basic features that include dualband GSM, GPRS, VGA camera and Bluetooth connectivity with A2DP profile.
The extra surprises are dual SIM card slots, multiple language support (Chinese, English and Bahasa Malaysia) and a password-protected SMS inbox.
Also available are a list of Islamic features, including the Azan call to prayer, Kiblat directional finder and an optional Al-Quran reading application.
It offers a meagre 1MB of user memory but users can expand the storage capacity via the built-in microSD card slot. A 2GB card is included in the package.
The card slot is behind the battery so the memory card is not hotswappable.
2-in-1
The two SIM card slots can be used simultaneously but you can close one when it is not in use. Switching between the two numbers is easy thanks to the two dedicated buttons on the phone - each time you want to dial a number, just press the one associated with the SIM card to do so.
It was really simple and fuss free and that's how we like it.
It is a great feature especially for those who travel a lot since you can easily slip a prepaid SIM card into the phone while keeping the original SIM active.
Moving on, we also noticed that the volume of the built-in speaker was extremely loud. It was so deafening that we kept it reduced to only the first level (there are seven levels altogether) most of the time.
The only time we pumped up the volume was when we wanted to listen to MP3 music with some friends. It was like having a portable mini hifi indeed. Even at the highest volume level, we didn't detect any cracking in the audio.
The bundled headset provides a good listening experience but since the phone only has a mini USB port you can't use your favourite standard 3.5mm-based headphone in its place.
But thanks to its Bluetooth with A2DP profile support, you can still replace the earphone with a Bluetooth headset instead.
Speed texter
Typing messages on the Qwerty keyboard is another reason - apart from the look or the excellent built-in speaker - why one would want to get this phone in the first place.
Feedback from the keyboard was good, with a distinct click for each key press. You can even type easily using one hand.
There is no predictive text input to help users but since one can type quite fast on it we were willing to forgive the omission.
The subtle white light that illuminates the keyboard makes it easier to read in areas with low light and it also adds a sense of class.
The Blueberry-i comes with a VGA camera and as such you should not expect much. There are some basic settings like white balance, scene mode and effects but they didn't really add much.
Video recording is possible but the end result was almost always choppy.
The lens is protected by what looks like a hard clear glass cover. Users can clean the fingerprints, dust or grime off it easily but we don't think that it is scratch-proof though.
Conclusion
Plenty of mobile phone users just want to make calls and do not want to bother with other features such as the camera or multimedia capabilities. That's why basic phones are still sold in the market and are still popular despite all the fancy phones around.
Coupled with its low price tag, good looks and equally important, dual SIM card slots, the Blueberry-i certainly fits into that category.
Pros: Qwerty keyboard is great for texting; dual SIM card support; loud speakers; low price.
Cons: Bad picture quality; basic specifications.
CSL BLUEBERRY-i
Dual-band phone Camera: 0.3-megapixels (VGA)
Display: 2.2in QVGA 262,000 colours ( 220 x 176-pixels)
Messaging: MMS, SMS, e-mail
Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPRS
Phone memory: 1MB
Expansion slot: MicroSD
Battery type: 700mAh lithium-ion
Standby/talk time: 180/3 hours
Other features: Dual SIM card slots, Qwerty mini keyboard, FM radio, MP3 player, MPEG4 playback, video and sound recorder, e-book reader, Java applications
Weight: 103g
Dimensions (w x d x h): 110 x 50 x 16mm
Price: $178.50
This story was first published in The Star/Asia News Network.
-asiaone-
Mont Blanc Meisterstuck
"Signature for Good" 
by Amanda Jayne Lee, Plush|22 July 2009
The classic Montblanc, Montblanc Meisterstuck 149, celebrates 85 years of writing this year.
A renowned collector's item, it is a symbol of excellence and an icon for pure writing culture and prestige.
The Meisterstuck design is famed for its elegant design - 3 gold rings in the middle and its 18 carat gold nib - which takes more than 150 work steps to produce and is painstakingly checked by experts.
In celebration of their 85th year, Montblanc unveils the Montblanc Meisterstuck "Signature for Good" Special Edition.
The pen is to signify the support and partnership it has had with UNICEF. The "Signature for Good" collection has been especially created to help raise funds to support UNICEF in its work addressing inadequate schooling and illteracy.
Inspired by the UNICEF hallmark and UNICEF's logo colour, blue, the special edition pen is designed with a golden inlay in the distinctive shape of the olive bush and a precious blue sapphire in the top of the cap.
The new version of the Montblanc Meisterstuck comes as a fountain pen, roller ball, ballpoint and mechanical pencil in the versions of "Le Grand" - the bigger broader version of the Meisterstuck - and "Classique" - the most popular of sizes.
Each purchase of the pen will benefit children without proper access to education.
-plushasia.com-
World's top 7 hotel beds 
SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - For travellers who need a good bed for a good night's sleep, travel guidebook publisher LUXE City Guides has come up with a list of 7 of the top hotel beds around the world.
This list is compiled by Luxe City Guides' (www.luxecityguides.com) editorial team and is not endorsed by Reuters.
1. The Bowery Hotel, New York
The Bowery Hotel's custom-built American-style wooden beds look as plump and comfy as they feel. Serta mattresses are enveloped in custom 400 count Egyptian cotton sheets, plus down duvets, two firm and two soft down pillows, or if you're sensitive, a choice of hypo allergenic pillows and duvets. Leave the curtains open for views of the twinkly Manhattan skyline.
2. The Setai, Miami
With its 700 count sateen cotton treats from Christian Fischbacher of Switzerland, Dux beds with a 2.5 inch latex top pad and a choice of down, feather or hypo allergenic handmade pillows from Singaporean company Ploh, it's hard not sleep. Wake up with the views of the sunrise over the Atlantic.
3. Sofitel Watertower, Chicago
The trademarked SoBed sleep system is actually a Serta mattress topped by a Pacific Coast featherbed and duvet, custom 250 count linen and foam and feather pillows. If you can't stand another night without a SoBed, you can buy one through the hotel.
4. Hollywood Roosevelt, Los Angeles
After a night at LA's notorious party pad, you can sleep between custom 400 count sateen Sferra linens on a Sealy Palatial Crest Cushion with squishy pillowtop, and 26" square goose down pillows (hypo-allergenic upon request).
5. The Connaught, London
Sleep on the hotel's own signature Maybourne Deluxe barrel-shaped pocket spring mattress, with a poly-fiber pillow top, own brand 50/50 feather and down pillows and lovely Rivolta Carmignani 300 thread count cotton sheets. The window shades block out light completely and just add private butler and Asprey Purple Water toiletries for absolute luxury.
6. Park Hyatt, Sydney
Lie on an oversized Sealy Hyatt Grand Pillow Top king with 50 percent down and 50 percent feather pillows, snuggling under a cozy down and feather duvet and Australian 'Royal Collection' 300 thread count linens. Wake to a view of the iconic Sydney Opera House and the dazzling harbour.
7. JIA, Shanghai
The bed is Sealy Hotel Luxury Pillow Top, the linen 300 count, the pillows a choice of soft or firm feather and down or hypo allergenic and the duvets 80 percent down, but what makes JIA Shanghai really sleepworthy are extras such as eye shades, ear plugs, aromatherapy oils and even electronic lullaby tunes. If you're in a suite, you can even have a crackling fire DVD.
(Editing by Belinda Goldsmith/asiaone)
Nielsen: 31.1 Million
Watched Jackson Memorial
Jul-8-09 7:18am2009-07-07T17:18:21
From: ap.org
Jermaine Jackson performs during the Michael Jackson public memorial service held at Staples Center on July 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Jackson, the iconic pop star, died at the age of 50 at UCLA Medical Center after going into cardiac arrest at his rented home on June 25 in Los Angeles.
(Getty Images)
Some 31.1 million people in the United States watched the Michael Jackson memorial on television, with millions more catching video streams on their computers.
The Nielsen Media Research estimate on Wednesday provided only a slice of the audience for the Los Angeles event. But it did offer insight on how the memorial compared to other events: President Barack Obama's inauguration in January was seen by 38 million people on TV, and the "American Idol" finale in May had 28.9 million viewers.
Eighteen different networks carried the memorial live, including all the big broadcasters and cable news stations, along with MTV, BET and the three largest Spanish-language stations. It had an audience share of 56, meaning that 56 percent of the televisions turned on during the memorial were tuned into Jackson.
Nielsen does not immediately have an estimate of Jackson's worldwide audience, a task that could take weeks.
Twelve years ago, 33.2 million people in the U.S. watched Princess Diana's funeral. That happened early on a Saturday morning, as opposed to the middle of a workday, and people then didn't have the option of watching it on their computers. Complete estimates of the Internet audience were not immediately available, but individual Web sites reported some heavy traffic. MSNBC.com said it streamed nearly 19 million videos on Tuesday, a record for the site. Video streamers spent an average of 12 minutes on the site, MSNBC.com reported.
CNN.com said it had 10.5 million live streams, the second busiest day in its history. It streamed nearly 27 million videos on Obama's inauguration day. ABC News said its Web site had nearly 6 million video streams, with traffic up 70 percent over a typical day.
The event combined musical moments from the likes of Usher, Jennifer Hudson and Mariah Carey with remembrances from Brooke Shields, Magic Johnson and others. Brief heartfelt remarks by Jackson's 11-year-old daughter at the end stole the show.
Former President Reagan's funeral in 2004 was seen by 20.8 million viewers in the daytime hours, but his prime-time burial had an audience of 35.1 million people, Nielsen said. The opening ceremony of last year's Beijing Olympics had 34.2 million viewers.
Even for those viewers who watched Tuesday's Jackson memorial, there was still an appetite for more in prime time. ABC, CBS and NBC each had Jackson specials at 10 p.m. EDT and they had a combined audience of 20.5 million viewers. ABC won bragging rights for its Elizabeth Vargas-hosted hour focused on Jackson's children, with a leading 8.6 million viewers.
-zimbio-
Michael Jackson's final
resting place a mystery
By MARK KENNEDY, Associated Press Writer Mark Kennedy, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jul 9, 12:58 am ET
LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson's glimmering casket took center stage at the Staples Center, sitting for more than two hours as celebrities memorialized the King of Pop under the watchful eyes of millions. And when the ceremony was over, it was gone.
By law, the golden casket that presumably held Jackson's body should be exactly where his death certificate says it is: back at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills cemetery, the site of a private family memorial service held before the Staples ceremony. Los Angeles County records show the cemetery as the temporary location, where it must stay until those records are officially updated.
But where Jackson's body will eventually be laid to rest remained a mystery, fed by the same level of rumor and speculation that surrounded much of his life. Will he be interred at Forest Lawn? Is Neverland Ranch still a possibility?
What if he's not buried at all, but cremated? The family isn't talking — and may not even have decided yet.
The casket was first seen leaving the mortuary at Forest Lawn, where it got into a hearse for the 10-mile trip to the Staples Center. But before the service even started, the hearse was seen leaving the facility — empty — and wasn't spotted again.
But to keep in good standing with the law, the casket would have needed to return to Forest Lawn at some point, presumably after the crowds went home and the television cameras were long gone.
Robert J. Biggins, a former president of the National Funeral Directors Association, said Jackson's body is likely in his casket which he identified it as a custom-made, top-of-the-line coffin made by the Indiana-based Batesville Casket Company that is called a "Promethean." The casket is probably in a temporary holding area — perhaps a mausoleum — pending a final location, he said.
"This happened so quickly that it's something that has to have an awful lot of thoughtful consideration," said Biggins, who is the owner of Magoun-Biggins Funeral home in Rockland, Mass. "This is bigger than your average burial."
Conjecture about Jackson's final resting place has been as fraught as the rumors about where his memorial service would be held in the days before the Staples Center was announced. His 5-page will, signed in 2002, does not include final wishes for his body.
Forest Lawn is one likely possibility. If Jackson is buried there, he would join other celebrities such as Liberace, Gene Autry, Bette Davis and Andy Gibb. Recently deceased actor David Carradine and "Tonight Show" sidekick Ed McMahon also are buried there.
The Jackson family seems divided over whether the body should go to Neverland, which would surely turn the Santa Barbara County ranch into a West-coast Graceland. But Jackson abandoned the 2,500-acre estate after going into seclusion following his acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005, and many of the things that made it unique — the merry-go-round, Ferris wheel and zoo — are gone.
Billionaire Thomas Barrack, who owns Neverland in a joint venture with Jackson, has expressed an openness to the idea of having the singer's body buried at the ranch. The family would need to get permission from local land-use officials to bury Jackson on private property, then submit an application and paperwork with the state Cemetery and Funeral Bureau.
The state application would then need to be approved by the funeral board, a process that could take anywhere from seven to 30 days.
Beyond that, accessibility remains an issue at Neverland. A single two-lane highway leads to the property about 130 miles north of Los Angeles, and infrastructure changes would likely be necessary to accommodate the additional traffic.
Another possibility is cremation. State law requires that the person who has control of the cremated remains obtain written permission of the property owner or governing agency to scatter on the property.
Funeral experts said the delay in Jackson's funeral may be due to the fact that such celebrity deaths create logistical, security and legal headaches.
"One of the issues you're going to run into with any high-profile name, whether it be a former president of the United States or somebody of Michael Jackson's stature, is what does the cemetery — if it's to be a burial — do to establish security, to protect the remains, to protect the privacy of the family during the service, to protect remains afterward and what kind of built-in overhead comes with it," said Paul Elvig, former president of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association.
Experts said even a two-week delay between death and funeral is not unusual. The body of singer James Brown was kept in a sealed gold casket inside his South Carolina home for more than two months before being interred in 2007 at the home of one of his daughters.
"You're probably talking more about an impatient public and an impatient press wanting to know what's going to happen and that impatience needs to be understood," Elvig said. "If a body's been properly prepared by an embalmer, it can be held for a considerable period of time with minor touchups to it."
Biggins said he is even encouraged by the delay.
"I think the fact that there's this pause is a wonderful thing because it's being given thoughtful consideration," he said, "to make sure this is done right and this is done in a way that honors his legacy."
Michael Jackson's family
silent on burial plans
By Jill Serjeant Jill Serjeant – Wed Jul 8, 8:59 pm ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – More than 31 million Americans watched Michael Jackson's public memorial on television, but mystery surrounded the whereabouts of his body on Wednesday and plans for his burial.
A day after Jackson's casket was taken to a Los Angeles basketball arena for an emotional memorial for fans, friends and his family, attention returned to how Jackson got his hands on powerful prescription drugs reportedly found in his rented mansion after his sudden death on June 25.
Sales of Jackson's albums soared for a second week, with his solo albums jumping another 90 percent to 800,000 copies in the United States, tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan said.
Nielsen Media Research said 31.1 million Americans watched Tuesday's Los Angeles memorial live on television. The figure is lower than the TV audience of some other recent events.
Some 49.5 million Americans tuned in for President Barack Obama's first White House news conference in February, and 35 million watched former President Ronald Reagan's 2004 burial live on TV.
The Nielsen figures do not include viewing on the Internet or other platforms, which has grown rapidly in the last few years.
The Jackson family spokesman did not return calls for comment on burial plans for the "Thriller" singer, who died of cardiac arrest at age 50.
NO REQUEST FOR NEVERLAND BURIAL
California officials and those in Santa Barbara County said the family has not asked for the required special permission to bury Jackson at his abandoned Neverland Valley Ranch in central California.
Media reports said the Los Angeles coroner's office was conducting neuropathology tests on part of Jackson's brain, which could be behind the delay in the family's burial plans.
One of Jackson's doctors, Beverly Hills dermatologist Arnold Klein, on Wednesday denied he was one of the targets of a police investigation over drugs seized from Jackson's home after his death.
"I was not one of the doctors who participated in giving him overdoses of drugs or too much of anything," Klein told ABC's "Good Morning America" in an interview.
"I always was concerned about him. No matter what he wanted, someone would give it to him," he said. Klein also denied media reports that he was the sperm donor of Jackson's two children with his ex-wife Debbie Rowe.
A spokesman for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the elaborate memorial cost the cash-strapped city $1.4 million, "far less" than an initial estimate of $3.8 million.
City officials had braced for as many as 250,000 fans to show up at the Staples Center. The actual number was closer to 1,000. Donors chipped in $17,000 after the city set up a website asking for cash to cover the cost, he added.
Jackson's music is enjoying the commercial success that eluded the "King of Pop" in recent years.
The singer's "Number Ones" compilation was the top-selling album in the United States during the week ended July 5, and his 1982 blockbuster "Thriller" took second place.
(Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; editing by Mohammad Zargham)
Fans scramble for Jackson tickets 
More than half a million Michael Jackson fans have already applied for 17,500 free tickets to the singer's public memorial service next week.
Jackson, who died last week aged 50, will be remembered at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Tickets will chosen at random from names registered at staplescenter.com.
Police in Los Angeles expect as many as 700,000 people may try to reach the arena but it will be sealed off to those without tickets.
As of 1730 on Friday (0030 GMT Saturday), more than 524,330 people had registered for tickets, Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine said in a statement.
A total of 11,000 free tickets are to be issued for the service. Fans from around the world can apply.
Another 6,500 tickets will be issued for a simulcast of the service at the nearby Nokia theatre. It means a total of 17,500 fans will be able to see the events free.
Officials said 8,750 pairs of tickets would be allotted to the successful entrants after 1800 Saturday (0100 GMT Sunday) and notifications would go out later on Sunday.
Those selected will be able to get their tickets via Ticketmaster on Monday, officials said.
Originally, the Staples Center website said only US residents could apply for tickets, but AEG's Randy Phillips later told the BBC that that was not the case.
Officials appealed to other fans to watch the memorial service from their own homes, amid fears that thousands of people without tickets could flood the area.
"If you do not have a ticket, if you are not credentialed, not only will you not be allowed at these venues, you will not be allowed in this area," said Los Angeles assistant police chief Earl Paysinger.
Big screens
Jackson had been rehearsing for his London concerts at the Staples Center.
In a press conference, family representative Ken Sunshine said they wanted to accommodate as many fans as possible.
"It is all about the fans," he said.
Officials said that no funeral procession would take place and the memorial service would not be shown on big screens outside the venues. Free pool feeds will be made available to media organisations for broadcast, they said.
Earlier, a lawyer for Michael Jackson's former wife Debbie Rowe said she was undecided about whether to fight for custody of her two children with the star.
On Thursday, Ms Rowe won a delay in a custody hearing while she decides if she wants to raise Michael Joseph Jackson Jr, known as Prince Michael, 12, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11.
The singer's youngest son - seven-year-old Prince Michael II - was born to a surrogate mother whose identity has never been revealed.
In his will, Jackson stipulated that his mother, Katherine, 79, should have permanent custody of all three children. She currently has temporary custody of them.
A judge has delayed a guardianship hearing - scheduled for Monday - until 13 July at the request of Ms Rowe and Katherine Jackson.
Mystery death
It is still not known what caused Jackson's death last week at the age of 50.
He collapsed at his home and was pronounced dead two hours later at the UCLA medical centre.
An autopsy was conducted but results are not expected for several weeks. The Jackson family had a second autopsy performed and those results are also pending.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's office has said there is no evidence of foul play.
It added that the results of toxicology tests could take weeks to come back.
Jackson service set for Tuesday
A memorial service for Michael Jackson will be held on Tuesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles where he had been rehearsing for his London concerts.
His family announced the event as concert promoters AEG Live released a video of the singer rehearsing for the O2 gigs, two days before his death.
Some 11,000 free tickets will be made available for the service.
Meanwhile, a lawyer for Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe says she is undecided about whether to fight for custody.
Tuesday's memorial service will start at 1000 (1700 GMT).
Footage of Jackson, recorded on 23 June, shows the star singing and dancing as he performed his hit They Don't Really Care About Us - incorporating elements of History and She Drives Me Wild.
The star was rehearsing for a 50-date residency at the O2.
Randy Phillips, president of AEG Live, which also owns the Staples Center, said there were more than 100 hours of rehearsal footage which could be turned into a film and live albums.
"We have enough audio to make two live albums, and he's never done a live album," he added.
"This is really the last great work of a 21st century genius."
Meanwhile, Benny Andersson has quashed rumours that Abba would reform to take over Jackson's O2 dates.
"No-one's asked us, and if they did we wouldn't say yes," he said in an interview filmed for BBC One's Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.
Hearing delayed
On Thursday, Ms Rowe won a delay in a custody hearing while she decides if she wants to raise Michael Joseph Jackson Jr, known as Prince Michael, 12, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11.
The singer's youngest son - seven-year-old Prince Michael II - was born to a surrogate mother whose identity has never been revealed.
Jackson's will asks for his mother, Katherine, 79, to have permanent custody of all three children.
A judge has now delayed a guardianship hearing - scheduled for Monday - until 13 July, at the request of Ms Rowe and Katherine Jackson, who has temporary custody of the children.
It follows media reports that Ms Rowe wanted to look after her children.
But her lawyer, Eric George, told reporters: "I am representing to you now. Debbie has not reached a final decision concerning the pending custody proceedings."
On Thursday, it was revealed that Jackson had left Ms Rowe out of his will.
"I have intentionally omitted to provide for my former wife, Deborah Jean Rowe Jackson," the document stated.
Rowe married Jackson in 1996 but filed for divorce in 1999. She gave up custody rights to the children but sought them again in 2003.
They agreed a settlement in 2006 but the terms were never disclosed.
In 2003, Ms Rowe appeared in footage released by Jackson in response to a controversial ITV documentary, which raised allegations of inappropriate behaviour with children by the star.
In it, Ms Rowe described her family as "non-traditional", saying her children were her gift to Jackson.
"My kids don't call me mom because I don't want them to," she said. "These are Michael's children."
-BBC-
Jackson body 'going to Neverland'
A host of television satelilte trucks are already in situ outside the property
Fans and reporters have continued to gather outside Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch after reports that his body will go on public view there.
Various sources claim a public viewing has been scheduled for Friday ahead of a private funeral on Sunday.
Vehicles and workers have been going in and out of the property, located about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Jackson's will has now been filed in a Los Angeles court.
Dated 7 July 2002, the document reveals that the star chose not to provide for his former wife, Debbie Rowe, and gives his entire estate to the "Michael Jackson Family Trust", AP said.
The documents estimated his estate at that time at more than $500m (£303m).
Tourist shrine
Members of Jackson's family have met police and the California Highway Patrol to discuss funeral arrangements.
Unconfirmed reports suggest Jackson's body may be placed in a glass coffin and be transported from Los Angeles to Neverland in a "fairytale carriage".
According to a California Highway Patrol spokesman, however, "details are still pending".
It is unclear whether Jackson can be legally buried at the 2,500-acre property, which he bought in 1987 but had not lived at since 2005.
The site could reportedly be turned into a permanent tourist shrine to the singer, akin to Elvis Presley's Graceland home in Memphis.
Meanwhile, Jackson's tour promoter has said the star's ill-fated London show could be turned into a tribute gig featuring his family.
Randy Phillips, president of AEG Live, told Sky News he was "discussing with the family" the possibility of mounting the show in some form.
"I would imagine it could be done as a tribute with the family, with the brothers performing, some sisters, and the stars that were influenced by him," he said.
"The world needs to see this production. It would have been, which is the tragedy here, one of the most amazing shows ever."
Insomnia Mr Phillips denied claims that Jackson had been daunted by the upcoming concerts and was too frail to perform.
According to a nutritionist who was working with the singer, however, he had been battling persistent insomnia.
In an interview with CNN, registered nurse Cherilyn Lee said she had repeatedly rejected his demands for the drug Diprivan, a powerful sedative which is given intravenously.
"This was a person who was seeking help, desperately, to get some sleep, to get some rest," she told the US news network.
It has been alleged that Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants at the time of his death.
According to actor Lou Ferrigno, however, the 50-year-old singer had been entirely focused on his health in the run-up to his 50 London concerts.
"I've never seen him take drugs," said the Incredible Hulk star, who Jackson had been working out with.
"He was always talking about nutrition.
"When he was with me, he wasn't different. He wasn't stoned. He wasn't high. He wasn't being aloof or speedy
-BBC-
Michael Jackson dies at 50 
Pop star Michael Jackson has died in Los Angeles, aged 50.
Jun-26-09 4:01am 2009-06-25T14:01:45
UPDATED 3:23 PM: Legendary musician Michael Jackson has died, law enforcement sources have confirmed.
TMZ reports that someone at Jackson's Holmby Hills home called 911 at 12:21 pm. When paramedics arrived at his home, he was not breathing. The Los Angeles Times reports by the time he reached the UCLA Medical center, Jackson was in a coma. He was pronounced dead by doctors this afternoon.Paramedics were called to the singer's home around midday local time on Thursday after he stopped breathing.
He was pronounced dead two hours later after arriving at hospital in full cardiac arrest, said Fred Corral of the LA County Coroner's office.
The star, who had a history of health problems, had been due to begin a series of comeback concerts in the UK on 13 July.
Concerns were raised last month when four of the concerts were postponed, but organisers insisted the dates had been moved due to the complexity of staging the show.
A spokeswoman for The Outside Organisation, which was organising the publicity for the shows, said she had no comment at this time.
Broadcaster Paul Gambaccini said: "I always doubted that he would have been able to go through that schedule, those concerts. It seemed to be too much of a demand on the unhealthy body of a 50 year old.
"I'm wondering that, as we find out details of his death, if perhaps the stress of preparing for those dates was a factor in his collapse.
"It was wishful thinking that at this stage of his life he could be MJ again."
Uri Gellar, a close friend of the star, told BBC News it was "very, very sad".
Hip hop star P Diddy wrote on Twitter: "Michael Jackson showed me that you can actually see the beat.
"He made the music come to life! He made me believe in magic. I will miss him!"
Speaking outside the UCLA medical centre in Los Angeles, civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton paid tribute to his friend.
"I knew him 35 years. When he had problems he would call me," he said.
"I feel like he was not treated fairly. I hope history will be more kind to him than some of the contemporary media." 
Musical icon
Paramedics were called to the singer's house in Bel Air at 1221 following an emergency phone call.
They performed CPR on Jackson and rushed him to the UCLA medical centre, where crowds have since gathered.
Jackson began his career as a child in family group The Jackson 5.
He then went on to achieve global fame as a solo artist with smash hits such as Billie Jean and Bad.
Thriller, released in 1982, is the biggest-selling album of all time, shifting 65m copies, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
He scored seven UK number ones as a solo artist and won a total of 13 Grammy awards.
Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, which awards the Grammys, also paid tribute: "Rarely has the world received a gift with the magnitude of artistry, talent and vision as Michael Jackson.
"He was a true musical icon whose identifiable voice, innovative dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and sheer star power carried him from childhood to worldwide acclaim."
"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced Thriller, Bad and Off The Wall.
"He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."
Family
The singer had been dogged by controversy and money trouble in recent years, becoming a virtual recluse.
He was arrested in 2003 on charges of molesting a 14-year-old boy, but was found not guilty following a five-month trial.
The star had three children, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II.
He is survived by his mother, Katherine, father, Joseph and eight siblings - including Janet, Randy, Jermaine and La Toya Jackson.
Jackson Family Attorney:
Jackson Was Surrounded By Enablers.
It is not yet known what caused Michael Jackson's death from cardiac arrest; an autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow. But the Jackson family's attorney, Brian Oxman, called CNN to shed light on Michael's medical condition.
Oxman wanted people to know that Michael was not gravely ill, as had been rumored for months. The singer was, however, debilitated by a dependence on prescription medication. He told CNN in a shaking voice:
Michael has always been in very fine physical condition. The one thing which has bothered me so much is the discussion that one day he was going to be dead, and...I don't know if this is that day, I can only tell you that this is something that was not unexpected...the medications which Michael was under, this family has been trying for months and months and months to take care of Michael Jackson.
The people who have surrounded him have been enabling him. If you think the case of Anna Nicole Smith was an abuse, it's nothing in comparison to what we have seen taking place in Michael Jackson's life. Oxman also confirmed that Jackson was struggling to get in shape for the 50 performances he had scheduled at London's O2 Arena.
MICHAEL JACKSON 1958-2009
Full name: Michael Joseph Jackson
Born: August 29, 1958, Gary, Indiana, US
Also known as: The King of Pop, Wacko Jacko
Biggest hits: I Want You Back, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, Bad, Black or White, Earth Song
-BBC/zimbio-
The future of cars? 
THE Hoverpod could very well revolutionise air travel.
Australian company Entecho has come up with a prototype of a flying machine that resembles a flying saucer and uses fan technology to give it lift.
The CAV or compact air vehicle has vertical take-off and landing ability, and can be launched from anywhere and fly over any surface like water, sand or snow.
The vehicle can hover up to 1.5m above ground and can cruise at maximum speed of 120kmh.
The disc-shaped chassis carries a person or payload in the centre.
Air is drawn from the upper side of the aircraft, then forced downward through the rotors, which spin inside the shell of the aircraft.
The resulting pressure propels the aircraft off the ground.
Flexible skirt
At the bottom of the aircraft is a flexible skirt which can be pulled or released. This directs the flow of air and consequently, the direction of the aircraft. Steering is done using a joystick.
The huge blades which enable it to hover are hidden, making it safer as compared to helicopters, which have exposed blades.
The Hoverpod will also save space and operational cost as it does not need runways or airports. It can fit in a garage.
The Hoverpod can be used for recreational activities such as beach rides and for emergencies like marine rescue operations.
The Hoverpod is still in the development stage, but it is believed by the time it becomes a reality, the flying car should be able to deploy solar or even fuel cell technology to power its flight.
Rotor
The compact auto vehicle rotor is a cylindrical drum fan which rotates about the central vertical axis of the craft where the rider is.
Airflow
As the drum fan rotates, it pumps air radially through its blades. The air is drawn in and is then accelerated as it passes through the fan. It is then directed downward by the skirt, creating lift.
High pressure
High-pressure regions form as a result of the air being accelerated through the ducts by the rotating fan blades. These regions of high pressure produce powerful lifting forces.
Lift off
The vehicle is lifted as a result of all the forces joining together.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
-ASIAONE-
Medicine abuse: Aspirin to
'keep oily skin at bay' 
By Cheryl Lim
A "KITCHEN beauty remedy" used by some women here is giving doctors and dermatologists reason for concern.
Crush some aspirin tablets, mix them well in water until they form a paste, then apply the paste on the face.
That is how some women are tackling the problem of oily skin.
The problem is that there is no clinical proof that this will work, and the women run the risk of developing a bad allergic reaction.
Aesthetic doctor Calvin Chan of Calvin Chan Aesthetic and Laser Clinic sees about five patients a year who approach him with problems caused by such "home remedies".
He said: "The worst-case scenario is an allergic reaction but the odds of it happening are low."
Such reactions include "patchy redness, peeling, itching and red bumps".
Plastic surgeon J. J. Chua of JJ Chua Rejuvenative Cosmetic and Laser Surgery described the practice as "very primitive".
He said: "Commercialised products have a vehicle in which the ingredient is carried, that delivers a calculated and constant amount of the active ingredients."
Still, women here believe that the salicylic acid - a common ingredient in skincare products - in aspirin will help solve their problems with oily skin.
One of the remedy's fans is 55-year-old housewife Camy Teo, who heard of it from a friend. She said: "Initially, I was sceptical, as I always saw aspirin as medicine. But my skin looks clearer and feels smoother after using (the paste) just once."
But doctors do not recommend such remedies.
Dr Chua said that the danger involved in using the homemade paste is akin to that in experimenting with the unknown.
"If you want a perfumed shower cream, you buy one in the fragrance you like. You don't buy an unperfumed one and pour your perfume into it. These experiments... should not be done by yourself, it should be done by others, like skincare
-Asiaone-
Porsche sales down 15%
as crisis hits luxury cars
by AFP|22 June 2009 
Frankfurt, Germany: Sales at the German luxury sports-car maker Porsche have crashed in another sign of problems for high-end auto manufacturers, company data showed on Friday.
Sales fell by 15 percent in the first nine months of Porsche's fiscal year to 4.6 billion euros ($9.3 billion).
The result, which covered the period from August 1 to April 30, did not include sales at Volkswagen, the biggest European auto manufacturer, in which Porsche holds a stake of 51 percent.
Porsche said its operating profit was also less than in the same period a year earlier, but did not provide figures.
"A look at global unit sales makes clear that no region is being spared the sharp decline in automobile markets," a statement said.
Deliveries fell by 27.6 percent to 53,635 vehicles on a 12-month basis, as luxury cars in particular paid a price for weaker consumer sentiment.
Small car sales have resisted the slump in Germany and elsewhere better, owing in large part to car scrapping premiums offered by many governments.
At Porsche, sales of its iconic 911 model fared much better than that of the Cayenne sports utility vehicle, but were still off by 18.2 percent.
Looking ahead, the company declined to give a precise forecast but said sales were likely to fall below the level in its previous fiscal year.
Porsche ran up debt of nine billion euros trying to increase its stake in VW through the use of complex stock options.
The two groups have agreed to merge, but the talks have hit obstacles and Porsche is now seeking investment from the Gulf state of Qatar, which would be a major shift for its present owners, the Porsche and Piech families.
On Tuesday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani told reporters that the results of talks with Porsche should be revealed within three weeks.
"We are still negotiating over the share to be acquired," he said. "We have not disclosed any details, nor has Porsche, because there is an agreement between the two parties not to divulge any information," he said.
German media reported this week that Qatar was ready to buy at least 25 percent of Porsche, which would allow it to pursue its takeover bid for VW.
Porsche has also asked for a German state credit of 1.75 billion euros after struggling to obtain loans from private banks as credit markets tightened up.
It is not expected to obtain the loan from the German state-owned KfW bank however.
-plushasia.com-
Hydrogen car to be 'open source' 
The manufacturer of a hydrogen car unveiled in London on Tuesday will make its designs available online so the cars can be built and improved locally.
The Riversimple car can go 80km/hr (50mph) and travels 322km (200mi) per re-fuelling, with an efficiency equivalent to 300 miles to the gallon.
The cars will be leased with fuel and repair costs included, at an estimated £200 ($315) per month.
The company hopes to have the vehicles in production by 2013.
Next year, it aims to release 10 prototypes in a UK city which has yet to be confirmed.
Riversimple has partnered with gas supply company BOC to install hydrogen stations for the cars in the city where the prototypes are launched.
'Open source' model
The car itself is an amalgam of high-efficiency approaches in automotive design.
Its four motors are powered by a fuel cell rated at just six kilowatts, in contrast to current designs that are all in excess of 85 kilowatts - required because the acceleration from a standing start requires a great deal of power.
Riversimple's solution is to power the car also from so-called "ultracapacitors", which store large amounts of electric charge and, crucially, can release that charge nearly instantly to provide the power needed to accelerate from rest.
The ultracapacitors are charged as the vehicle brakes to a halt, converting the energy of the moving car into stored energy.
Without a combustion engine, gearbox, or transmission, and with a shell made of carbon fibre composites, it weighs 350kg.
The company claims that it is closer to market than any of its start-up competitors, but what sets them apart is an unusual business model.
"Riversimple has effectively rethought the whole of what in the business school world we call the 'value chain' of the auto industry," said John Constable, chair of the Riversimple project.
The company asserts that in the leasing model, the vested interest for the manufacturer is in producing long-lasting, fuel-efficient, high-quality products, since it bears the cost of both hydrogen and repairs.
Its partnership with BOC is designed to resolve the chicken-and-egg question of who would build the infrastructure required to refuel hydrogen cars when there are none on the road. Meanwhile, would-be hydrogen car buyers are concerned about the dearth of re-fuelling stations.
"You can incrementally put in a template package of one re-fuellling point and 50 cars in different cities, and each city one by one can build an urban hydrogen infrastructure, and that incrementally builds a nationwide infrastructure," said Hugo Spowers, the former race car designer who conceived the Riversimple idea in 1999.
The company will distribute the engineering designs to the 40 Fires foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that will make the designs "open source".
The idea, they say, is to allow local manufacturing in small plants. This stands in contrast to the "economies of scale" that drive current plants to huge sizes and workforces.
In addition, designs can be adjusted for local markets, using locally sourced parts or materials.
The agreement will be such that if the designs are improved by a local manufacturer, those improvements will be sent back, so that what the company refers to as its "network of manufacturers" can contribute to the overall development of the product line.
By Jason Palmer
Science and technology reporter, BBC News
Goodbye desktops, hello notebooks 
By Adli Yashir,
a correspondent/ Internet coordinator with Berita Harian
THE last time I bought a desktop PC was way before my teenage daughter was born. Since then, notebooks have been my preferred choice simply because they allow me to bring my work home and give me the flexibility to work away from the office.
It seems I am not the only one.
According to research firm iSuppli.com, notebooks have become increasingly popular.
Notebook shipments exceeded desktop shipments for the first time in the third quarter of last year - some 38.6 million notebooks were shipped compared to 38.5 million desktops.
Recently, I was tasked to develop new media content for my newspaper.
So apart from writing stories, I would also be in charge of creating videos, flash animation and graphics content.
This new assignment called for new equipment.
Desktops are out of the question as I needed a PC that allows me to work at home, at the office and when I travel.
My five-year-old Dell business laptop barely had the computing muscle to edit photos, let alone videos.
Calls to several contacts in the industry provided me with this option - a desktop replacement notebook.
These rigs are portable computing machines that come close, in features and capabilities, to that of a full-sized desktop computer.
They are usually larger than standard notebooks, have more components and a wide range of ports and slots.
Naturally, these big boys do not come cheap.
The Toshiba Qosmio, for example, can set you back $4,199.
At the top of my checklist is to look for a notebook with a powerful processor, one that allows me to work with Adobe Photoshop or Premiere with e-mail and Microsoft Word running in the background.
Toshiba's Qosmio G50-AV871 is one potential candidate.
It has an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66GHz processor.
You can bump the memory up to 9GB RAM.
The 17-inch Macbook Pro is also a worthy option.
The top-end machine sports a 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with up to 8GB RAM.
Plus you get the cool iLife09 software bundle that lets you edit movies and videos.
Working with graphics and video content always require a bigger screen - it is better to see colour and video elements clearly.
I would put my money on a notebook with at least a 16-inch screen, which comes with a true 16.9 aspect ratio - great for viewing widescreen movies or editing high-definition videos.
A good desktop replacement notebook should also come with an equally powerful graphics card.
I would go for a machine that comes with a dedicated graphics card.
One example would be the Asus W90Vn.
This baby is rigged with an Nvidia GeForce 9800M GS with 1,024MB dedicated VRAM up to 2,047MB TurboCache.
What is equally important when working with video or graphics content is the amount of storage space.
When you deal with graphics and videos, it is always safe to have lots of hard disk space.
Here is why: A six-minute video captured using MOV format takes up 1.3GB of space.
My video documentary project about the Amanpulo Resort in the Philippines took up 13GB of hard disk space.
To wrap it all up, I would also look at the following good-to-have features in a desktop replacement notebook.
It is good to have lots of ports and slots - especially USBs - so that I can connect an external memory drive, a FireWire to capture videos and a high definition multimedia interface to transfer high-definition images to a larger screen.
A Blu-Ray DVD Combo drive should also come in handy.
I could watch high-definition movies on my days off.
This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.
-asiaone-
Acer unveil new laptop PCs
Tue, Jun 02, 2009
AFP
TAIPEI, TAIWAN - The world's two leading makers of mini laptops Tuesday introduced their latest computers at the opening of Asia's leading information technology trade fair.
Asustek Computer added the latest netbook products to its slim 'Eee PC' family, which has boosted the company's global market share since 2007.
Acer, Asustek's rival, unveiled its first Aspire One netbook featuring the Android operating system. The company said it will provide users with faster connection to the Internet, further enhancing efficiency on-the-go.
Equipped with a 10-inch (25 cm) display, Asustek's Eee PC Seashell 1008HA touts a 18 mm profile and weighs only 1.1 kilogrammes (2.42 pounds), making it easy to carry. It is installed with a battery that lasts up to six hours.
"Getting thinner is the trend as users pursue mobile Internet," an Asustek official said. It will sell for around 430 US dollars.
The company also launched its U series, with one of the world's first notebooks powered by Intel's consumer ultra low voltage (CULV) processor, which allows its battery to operate for up to 12 hours.
The series will be priced a minimum of 30,800 Taiwan dollars ($1370).
With a market share of 4.2 percent, Asustek was eighth in the world PC vendor rankings, according to the Taiwan-based think tank Topology Research Institute. It moved up two notches last year with a share of 5.30 percent.
Acer's Android is a free, open source, and fully customisable mobile platform. Acer said Aspire One netbooks with Android will hit the market in the third quarter this year, declining to specify prices.
ASIAONE
Touchscreen PCs more hype than reality? 
A model poses with a Microsoft Multi-Touch-enabled computer installed with Windows 7 during the 2009 Computex exhibition in Taipei on Tuesday.
By Kelvin Soh
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Touchscreen technology is sweeping the consumer electronics market as technology brands hope to come up with the next iPhone, but these new toys could be little more than plenty of hype especially in the PC market.
Major phone and PC makers such as Nokia, Research in Motion Hewlett-Packard and Asustek have launched touchscreen-enabled products, aiming to ride the trend of what they expect to be the next big thing.
Microsoft's impending launch of its next-generation Windows 7 operating system is expected to give the budding technology a further boost, bringing a software that supports such capabilities into millions of home and office PCs.
But most consumers may not find touchscreen PCs very different from their usual laptop or desktop PCs, and the technology is unlikely to spread beyond mobile phones.
"I don't think it's going to be the next big thing by any means, but just more and more brands are going into it," said IDC analyst Jay Chou.
"The software's still in an embryonic stage, and until that changes, hopefully with Windows 7, it's still going to be a while more before we see things taking off."
Touchscreens, once only commonly found in supermarket checkout counters and airports and banks, jumped to the forefront of consumer technology thanks to Apple's popular iPhone, inspiring a whole list of knock-offs in the process.
PC brands' previous forays into touchscreens have fizzled, with products such as the tablet PC not living up to its initial hype when they were first launched more than a decade ago, with its popularity has dwindling.
The old-fashioned keyboard and mouse could still be the best way to use a PC, with user interaction habits notoriously hard to change, especially if there is a dearth of software support.
"I think it sounds like a lot of hype," said Gartner analyst Tracy Tsai. "It seems impractical to me for a person to use touchscreens on a computer, and when you're using a device so big, it really adds little value to the overall experience."
Touchscreen PCs have been around for a while now, but high costs and limited functionality have kept them to niche devices. These type of PCs make up less than 1 percent of all computers sold worldwide. While most analysts expect this figure to climb, few see it growing as quickly as some computer brands expect.
"The biggest question to me is how much value does a touchscreen add to your computer? Probably not very much, and if that's the case, why would I want to pay more money for such a computer," said iSuppli analyst Peter Lin.
Investors have been pumping money into companies that make touchscreens, with shares of component makers such as Wintek quadrupling this year while recently-listed Young Fast has more than doubled.
Research firm DRAMeXchange expects revenue at these companies that manufacture touchscreens to grow nearly 17 per cent annually to about T$49.79 billion (US$1.5 billion) in three years, betting that more PCs and other tech gadgets will be equipped with touchscreens.
IT'S ALL ABOUT COSTS
High cost associated with touchscreens could set back the technology a few more years until prices come down, with the cost of manufacturing a panel and its required chips jumping manifold on a PC when compared to a smaller smartphone.
Specialist manufacturer Wintek estimates it costs about US$10 to make a 3-inch touchscreen frequently used in smartphones, but said costs can increase exponentially when the size increases.
"It really depends on the specifics of what the client wants, but prices can change and will of course be different when there are specific requirements that a client wants," said James Chen, a Wintek spokesman.
Touchscreen chip designer Elan Microelectronics, which counts Dell and HTC among its clients, estimates that adding a touchscreen to a desktop computer would increase its price by more than 10 percent.
"We've got to wait for the cost to come down a little before the kind of growth we're seeing right now in mobile phones can spread to computers," Elan's Chairman I.H. Yeh told Reuters at during the PC trade show Computex.
"Right now, I think it's still an issue whether or not consumers are willing to fork out an extra 10 percent for a touchscreen on their computers."
And not all consumers are buying into the hype surrounding touchscreens, especially as the current lean times force many of them to pull back on their discretionary spending and focus on what they really need.
"It's more expensive, and the money can be put to better use somewhere else," said 44-year-old John Lai, as he looked at the rows of computers on display at a computer shop.
(Editing by Anshuman Daga)
ASIAONE
Leica M8.2 Digital Rangefinder 
Even for most people who grew up using film cameras, the term 'rangefinder' would probably still not ring a bell.
The camera preferred by photojournalists, rangefinders were seen as the best cameras during the 1930s to the 1970s, before the invention of the current photography darling - the SLR.
Photography hobbyists still using rangefinders today will probably tell you that their camera of choice is an expensive affair, and new cameras typically cost at least the price of a professional DSLR.
The Leica M8.2 is one of two digital rangefinders available in the market today, and we took it on a travel review of Japan to see how this camera, said to be the holy grail of cameras, performed.
My first impression of the M8.2 is that the design really lives up to the legacy that is the Leica brand. Staying true to the traditional rangefinder design, the M8.2 still sports the classic 'Leica look'. Sitting side by side with my Leica IIIa from 1936, you can tell the cameras are relatives, albeit made a millennia apart.
With a very neat, sleek finish, the M8.2 would have looked perfect if not for the glossy leatherette texture that makes up the camera's body. While using real leatherette is probably a thing of the past, the glossy texture of the body seems to give the M8.2 a slightly plasticky feeling that didn't go well with the chrome finish on the rest of the camera.
The traditional swing-lock and plate base of the Leica rangefinders is one more element of design that remained unchanged in the M8.2. While those using the older models will have to remove the plate base to access the film, the SD card slot and battery is what users have to disembowel the M8.2 to access.
One might find this aspect of design slightly nostalgic, but I've learned that it can be a pain after a while, especially if you are in a rush or need to change an SD card quickly while on the move or in the most unlikely of places - such as dangling off an abandoned railroad bridge.
While the M8.2 might look as bulky as your regular DSLR on a tech specs sheet, the camera is actually much more compact than it looks. Summarit-M 50mm/f2.5 lens is half the size of a regular DSLR's and the M8.2's body is only slightly larger than a prosumer compact digital camera, meaning that it is very easy to carry around.
Rangefinder users prefer their cameras largely for the fully manual settings that they can use in opposition to the full-auto cameras of today. If you're an experienced hand at taking good snaps on manual settings then the M8.2 has a lot to offer and explore.
The M8.2 has five different ISO settings - 160/320/640/1250/2500, which are a strange choice compared to the standard rounded off numbers 100/200/400/800/1600 etc. The low to mid-ISO settings look very good, but I thought pictures looks less appealing on the higher settings of 1250 and 2500 as compared to other professional cameras.
White balance settings on the camera come with six presents, manual, custom temp and an auto-mode. They are adequate, but not particularly outstanding. Also, the simple aperture priority mode is not as fancy as what you would find in some of the newer DSLRs, but it does have its charm when you get the hang of it.
As a digital camera, the M8.2's user interface is simple and easy to use. I found the location of the buttons not exactly in optimal position, but it doesn't really seem that much of a problem once you have familiarized yourself with them.
The Verdict
For those new to photography the Leica M8.2 might intimidate, which is why I would recommend this to those who have at least some experience using a camera with manual settings.
The M8.2 is an ideal camera for existing rangefinder users interested to take the digital leap. While this is a very expensive investment to make, the M8.2 is a camera you can rely on to take stunning pictures once you understand how it works.
by Jasmine Osada Mariko, Plush|05 May 2009
Asiaone
