Re-Strike

Electronics retailer Best Buy has installed vending machines at 8 major US airports. It's a pilot program for the company's new Best Buy Express kiosks, which are large vending machines that carry cell phone and computer accessories, digital cameras, flash drives, MP3 players, headphones, gaming devices, travel adapters, and other items that are likely to appeal to customers on the go. Prices are similar to those in Best Buy stores.

Best Buy is targeting travellers in search of last-minute gifts, as well as those who need a replacement for a gadget or accessory they forgot to pack or lost along the way. The kiosks can currently be found at airports in Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Minneapolis (MSP) and San Francisco (SFO). Four more will follow over the next few weeks.

It's an interesting move by Best Buy. The convenience factor is an obvious draw for travellers in a hurry, especially at airports with limited shopping options. But the branding on a vending machine by a well-known retailer is also a clear visual signal, instantly recognizable by consumers, which is a real advantage at busy and cluttered airports. One for other retailers to experiment with, too? How about a vending machine by Target, carrying their top 20 small items? Or one by Whole Foods, offering organic snacks?

A member of staff at Sotheby's in London, holds a 72.22-carat pear shaped D-color (finest white) flawless diamond that was auctioned off in Hong Kong. It was priced at $10,260,000. Mmmm.... that's really Expensive.

Boss said to secretary: For a week we will go abroad, so make arrangement.

Secretary make call to Husband: For a week my boss and I will be going abroad, you look after yourself.

Husband make call to secret lover: My wife is going abroad for a week, so lets spend the week together.

Secret lover make call to small boy whom she is giving private tution: I have work for a week, so you need not come for class.

Small boy make call to his grandfather: Grandpa, for a week I don’t have class ‘coz my teacher is busy. Lets spend the week together.

Grandpa(the 1st boss :) ) make call to his secretary: This week I am spending my time with my grandson. We cannot attend that meeting.

Secretary make call to her husband: This week my boss has some work, we canceled our trip.

Husband make call to secret lover: We cannot spend this week together, my wife has cancelled her trip.

Secret lover make call to small boy whom she is giving private tution: This week we will have class as usual.

Small boy make call to his grandfather: Grandpa, my teacher said this week I have to attend class. Sorry I can’t give you company.

Grandpa(boss) make call to his secretary: Don’t worry this week we will attend that meeting, so make arrangement !!!

What: Colgate launches the 'Smile Please' offer where winners will get a chance to flash their smile in a Colgate advertisement.

Details: Colgate-Palmolive (India) has announced a unique offer -- the Colgate Smile Please Offer -- which promises to make its lucky winners famous! The best smiles get the unique opportunity to be featured in select Colgate print and television commercials.

How: Participants can fill in a simple form available in the Colgate Smile Please Offer website or any pack of Colgate Dental Cream (other than 20gm) and send their photograph, sporting the best smile, along with the form to the address mentioned therein. The 100 best smiles, selected by Colgate, will be featured in Colgate Smile Please newspaper advertisements and five lucky winners will be flashing their smiles on Colgate Smile Please television commercials.

It may sound like a funny thing to want to know about, but how can you tell a rooster from a hen? In reality, distinguishing between a rooster and a hen is not all that hard to do, but many people that answer this question see the humor in it.

From my observation, roosters have a more prominent array of feathers around the head; in other words, the male chickens are really more colorful and prettier than the hens are. The hens will have a slight bit of feathers around the neck area and head, but those feathers will not be as colorful or as plentiful as the roosters' feathers will be, kind of like male peacocks feathers are more plentiful and prettier than the females are. Too, as is alluded to in some of the articles, roosters do usually stand taller than hens and look a bit more sleek than hens do. It is all up to the fact that, when full-grown, it is much easier to to tell a rooster from a hen than it is when they are first hatched.

The Honda FCX Clarity is slated to be the first commercial hydrogen powered car. First road tests have the 2009 model hitting over 90 miles per hour, and the vehicle has a modest 134 horsepower. The Clarity's only emissions are steam, no harmful gases whatsoever.

Honda's plans for the first three years of FCX Clarity's production is to get the vehicle into the hands of 200 lessees. The car will only be made available through a 3 year lease, no outright purchasing plans have been made available. The cities of Irvine, Torrance, and Santa Monica California will be the starting point for distribution as well as hydrogen fueling station availability.
Vehicle Spcs:

Base price: Three-year lease, $600/month

Engine: Fuel cell and 288-volt lithium battery, 134 hp/189 lb-ft

Transmission: Direct-drive electric motor, front-wheel drive

Length x width x height: 190.3 x 72.7 x 57.8 in

Wheelbase: 110.2 in

Curb weight: 3582 lb

Fuel economy (EPA city/hwy): 68 mpg combined EPA cycle (est.)

Major standard features: Power windows/locks/mirrors; AM/FM/CD/XM/MP3 audio system with iPod input and steering wheel-mounted audio controls; dual-zone climate control; remote keyless entry; tilt/telescope steering wheel; alloy wheels; voice-operated navigation; active (radar-guided) cruise control

Safety features: Anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control; dual front, side and curtain airbags; tire pressure monitors

Warranty: All maintenance provided during three-year lease

Information about the Honda company and the American Honda Motor Company can be found Here

The continuing rise in oil and gas prices has spurred a widespread interest in gasoline alternatives, primarily biofuels. Chief among these are ethanol and biodiesel, which can now be found in gas stations across the country as additives to fuel at the pump. But there is a fundamental problem with most of the ethanol and biodiesel produced today; the crops (and farming methods) that are used to produce these fuels require very high petroleum inputs, enough to make them unrealistic for anything but a fuel supplement. This is where algae comes into play.

The interest in algae as a biofuel source is largely due to the recognition of this humble pond plant's amazing properties. Depending on the species and growing conditions, algae have an oil content ranging between 2% and 40% (though some estimates go higher). A number of other fuel crops such as canola, mustard, and palm have oil contents equal to or exceeding 40%, but what makes algae unique is that it requires almost no nutrient input and can be grown on non arable land. As long as it has water, air, and sunlight, algae will grow. In fact, a lack of nutrients increases the oil content in algae. But what makes algae truly amazing is that its primary nutrient source is carbon dioxide. Algae, as it turns out, sequesters more carbon than almost any other plant. Of course if it is used for biodiesel, some of the carbon dioxide will be re-released into the atmosphere when it is burned, but this presents a far more sustainable solution than other oil crops.

When grown in a pond, algae can produce as many as 10,000 gallons per acre. Compare that to palm oil, which yields around 600 gallons per acre and you will start to why algae seems so promising. Because it requires so little, algae can be grown almost anywhere there is sunlight.

While algae may seem like green gold, growing algae in open ponds has a few major downfalls. For one, it is highly susceptible to contamination by other species of algae. Contamination could potentially cause significant loss in oil yields. Weather can also play a major factor in reducing yields or even killing a crop.

But two companies Valcent Products and Global Green Solutions have teamed up to find a solution to these issues. Together, the two companies have developed Vertigro, a closed loop system for growing algae. The system grows algae in a vertically contained bio-reactor which the companies claim will significantly reduce risk of contamination. Even if there is contamination, Vertigro's large vertical modules (similar in appearance to a wall of ziplock bags) make it possible to isolate contamination before it spreads throughout the whole system.

The company also claims that it can yield upto 20,000 gallons per acre per year with the technology, double the capacity of open pond systems. According to Valcent CEO Glen Kurtz "if we took one tenth of the state of New Mexico and converted it into algae production, we could meet all of the energy demands of the United States." While this may be a lofty claim, it is hard to deny the lure of such promising technology. The real key to success now is to find investors who are willing to put their stakes in the technology.

Thursday, India and Malaysia raised gasoline prices. The two countries have been under the burden of fuel subsidies. The hike in price was announced on Wednesday. Indonesia and Taiwan had announced it a week ago. Indonesia raised the fuel prices by 30% where as Malaysia registered a 40% hike.


This was the second time of the year when India went on to increase fuel prices. There was a hike of 11%. Not only petrol - diesel and cooking gas prices climbs up. The gasoline prices were being raised 5 rupees a liter and diesel prices 3 rupees a liter on Wednesday midnight. Now the current gasoline price in Delhi is 50 rupees and varies in other states depending on taxes.