Xperia™ Tablet Z

 

Sony Xperia Tablet Z comes with the same water-resistant and dust-resistant qualities. The tablet which is a 10.1 inch device comes with a full HD display with 1920 x 1200 pixels resolution. Like most of Sony’s phones and devices of the Xperia range, the Sony Xperia Tablet Z too come with Sony Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tablet runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.1.On the processor front, Sony Xperia Tablet Z comes with a quad-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm processor. The RAM is a 2 GB and as mentioned above, in India, the tablet will come in 2 different internal memory options. There is also an expandable card slot which supports up to 64 GB expansion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Xperia Tablet Z comes with a 8.1 MP rear end camera with 16X digital zoom. There’s no flash though. Xperia Tablet Z supports HD video recording (1080p) and comes with Exmor R sensor . The front camera is a 2.2 MP for video-calling. The tablet comes with a generous 6000 mAh battery.

 

 

 

 

While the specifications sound good and Sony also claims the tablet to be the slimmest and lightest in the world, the Xperia Tablet Z sounds to be a tad over-priced. With a price-tag of over Rs 40,000 the tablet clearly falls in the premium segment where it’ll compete with Apple. Apple iPad being priced lower than Sony

 

Xperia Tablet Z

Sultan Ahmed Mosque(Blue Mosque)

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is an historic mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction.

3D View of the Mosque

 

Architecture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sultan Ahmed Mosque has one main dome, six minarets, and eight secondary domes. The design is the culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque and Byzantine church development. It incorporates some Byzantine elements of the neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period. The architect, Sedefkâr Mehmed Aga, synthesized the ideas of his master Sinan, aiming for overwhelming size, majesty and splendour

Exterior

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The facade of the spacious forecourt was built in the same manner as the facade of the Süleymaniye Mosque, except for the addition of the turrets on the corner domes. The court is about as large as the mosque itself and is surrounded by a continuous vaulted arcade (revak). It has ablution facilities on both sides. The central hexagonal fountain is small relative to the courtyard. The monumental but narrow gateway to the courtyard stands out architecturally from the arcade. Its semi-dome has a fine stalactite structure, crowned by a small ribbed dome on a tall tholobate.

A heavy iron chain hangs in the upper part of the court entrance on the western side. Only the sultan was allowed to enter the court of the mosque on horseback. The chain was put there, so that the sultan had to lower his head every time he entered the court to avoid being hit. This was a symbolic gesture, to ensure the humility of the ruler in the face of the divine.

The six minarets were a matter of contention and a first, since four minarets were the common maximum. Only after one more minaret was added to the Masjid al-Haram, Grand Mosque, in Mecca was the six minarets issue settled.

Interior

 

 

 

 

At its lower levels and at every pier, the interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles, made at Iznik (the ancient Nicaea) in more than fifty different tulip designs. The tiles at lower levels are traditional in design, while at gallery level their design becomes flamboyant with representations of flowers, fruit and cypresses. More than 20,000 tiles were made under the supervision of the Iznik master potter Kasap Haci and Baris Efendi from Avanos (Cappadocia). The price to be paid for each tile was fixed by the sultan's decree, while tile prices in general increased over time. As a result, the quality of the tiles used in the building decreased gradually. The upper levels of the interior are dominated by blue paint. More than 200 stained glass windows with intricate designs admit natural light, today assisted by chandeliers. On the chandeliers, ostrich eggs are found that were meant to avoid cobwebs inside the mosque by repelling spiders The decorations include verses from the Qur'an, many of them made by Seyyid Kasim Gubari, regarded as the greatest calligrapher of his time. The floors are covered with carpets, which are donated by the faithful and are regularly replaced as they wear out. The many spacious windows confer a spacious impression. The casements at floor level are decorated with opus sectile. Each exedra has five windows, some of which are blind. Each semi-dome has 14 windows and the central dome 28 (four of which are blind). The coloured glass for the windows was a gift of the Signoria of Venice to the sultan. Most of these coloured windows have by now been replaced by modern versions with little or no artistic merit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most important element in the interior of the mosque is the mihrab, which is made of finely carved and sculptured marble, with a stalactite niche and a double inscriptive panel above it. It is surrounded by many windows. The adjacent walls are sheathed in ceramic tiles. To the right of the mihrab is the richly decorated minber, or pulpit, where the imam stands when he is delivering his sermon at the time of noon prayer on Fridays or on holy days. The mosque has been designed so that even when it is at its most crowded, everyone in the mosque can see and hear the imam.

The royal kiosk is situated at the south-east corner. It comprises a platform, a loggia and two small retiring rooms. It gives access to the royal loge in the south-east upper gallery of the mosque. These retiring rooms became the headquarters of the Grand Vizier during the suppression of the rebellious Janissary Corps in 1826. The royal loge (hünkâr mahfil) is supported by ten marble columns. It has its own mihrab, which used to be decorated with a jade rose and gilt and with one hundred Qurans on an inlaid and gilded lecterns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The many lamps inside the mosque were once covered with gold and gems. Among the glass bowls one could find ostrich eggs and crystal balls.All these decorations have been removed or pillaged for museums.

The great tablets on the walls are inscribed with the names of the caliphs and verses from the Quran. They were originally by the great 17th-century calligrapher Seyyid Kasim Gubari of Diyarbakir but have been repeatedly restored.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brief About Mosque

Pamukkale,Turkey

 Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.

The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2,700 metres (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide and 160 m (525 ft) high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away.

Tourism is and has been a major industry. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years. As recently as the mid-20th century, hotels were built over the ruins of Hieropolis, causing considerable damage. An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools. Wearing shoes in the water is prohibited to protect the deposits.

Pamukkale, which has been used as a spa since the second century BC in Turkish.

The travertine features have their origins in the shifting of a fault in the valley of the Menderes river (between here and Denizli). As the fault shifted, very hot springs with a very high mineral content (notably chalk) arose at this location. Apart from the slightly radioactive minerals, the calcium and hydrogen carbonate react to create calcium carbonate (also known as travertine) and limestone. This is what gives Pamukkale its whiteness and created the pools.

It can get quite hot in summer, a hat and especially sunglasses will certainly be very helpful against the sun and the reflecting sun rays from the chalky cascades. On the other hand, the cold winter climate could make the experience slightly uncomfortable. Climbing up the cascades barefoot, with cold water running downstream will be a tough task
 Get in

The nearest major city is Denizli, where you will likely arrive first before getting to Pamukkale.

 By plane

    Closest airport is Denizli - Cardak Airport is 65 km or 1 hour away and there are flights twice daily to Istanbul.

    Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is another alternative to the area. Pamukkale is 252 km from the airport, a drive of about 4 hours (4-1/2 to 5 hours by bus)or 6-7 hours by train.

 By train

The nearest train station is in Denizli, which currently has services from Izmir only. The Istanbul service (Pamukkale Express) was suspended in 2008, presumably because of track renovations, and it is not certain when/if the services will re-start.
 By bus

Bus to Pamukkale/Denizli can be found from almost all the cities of Turkey. Bus services include water, hot drinks and a snack. There are virtually no bus companies that take you directly to Pamukkale despite what the ticket sellers tell you. The bus will drop you in Denizli and then you have to get on the free minibus to Pamukkale (about 20 km away).

Channel Tunnel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Channel Tunnel (French: Le tunnel sous la Manche; also referred to as the Chunnel) is a 50.5-kilometre (31.4 mi) undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent, in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais, near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is 75 m (250 ft) deep. At 37.9 kilometres (23.5 mi), the Channel Tunnel possesses the longest undersea portion of any tunnel in the world, although the Seikan Tunnel in Japan is both longer overall at 53.85 kilometres (33.46 mi) and deeper at 240 metres (790 ft) below sea level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

he tunnel carries high-speed Eurostar passenger trains, Eurotunnel Shuttle roll-on/roll-off vehicle transport—the largest in the world—and international rail freight trains. The tunnel connects end-to-end with the LGV Nord and High Speed 1 high-speed railway lines.

Ideas for a cross-Channel fixed link appeared as early as 1802,[9][10] but British political and press pressure over compromised national security stalled attempts to construct a tunnel. The eventual successful project, organised by Eurotunnel, began construction in 1988 and opened in 1994. The project came in 80% over its predicted budget. Since its construction, the tunnel has faced several problems. Fires have disrupted operation of the tunnel. Illegal immigrants and asylum seekers have attempted to use the tunnel to enter the UK, causing a minor diplomatic disagreement over the siting of the Sangatte refugee camp, which was eventually closed in 2002.

Eurotunnel

Yuichiro Miura, 80, oldest to summit Mt Everest

 

An 80-year-old Japanese man who has had four heart operations in recent years became the oldest person to climb to the top of Mount Everest on Thursday - although his record may last only a few days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An 81-year-old Nepalese man, who held the previous record, plans his own ascent next week.

Yuichiro Miura, who also conquered the 29,035-foot (8850-metre) peak when he was 70 and 75, reached the summit at 9:05 a.m. local time, according to a Nepalese mountaineering official and Mr Miura's Tokyo-based support team.

Mr Miura and his son Gota made a phone call from the summit, prompting his daughter Emili to smile broadly and clap her hands in footage shown by Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

"I made it!" Mr Miura said over the phone. "I never imagined I could make it to the top of Mount Everest at age 80. This is the world's best feeling, although I'm totally exhausted. Even at 80, I can still do quite well."

Nokia Asha 210 (Dual SIM): Your next social phone?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Display, Design, and Aesthetics

Nokia is still a traditional mobile phone maker. Of course the tech vendor has experimented a lot with its Lumia range and to some extent they do succeed in it. Lumia range caters to upper segment, while the Asha handsets are specifically targeted at budget crunched youth. The Nokia Asha 210 is one gorgeous piece of engineering. It shares some chemistry with Lumia 520. The device has a built in 2.4-inch QVGA display with resolution of 320 X 240 pixels. It weighs 99.5grams, and measures 11.8mm in terms of thickness. The handset doesn't come with a touch screen instead uses full QWERTY-Keypad. The highlighted feature of the Asha 210 is the presence of WhatsApp key. All together, it's the most beautiful handset announced under Asha range

Processor, OS, and battery

Everyone should know by now that the devices under Asha range comes with S40 OS. It is far better than open Java platform. At least you can take advantage of WhatsApp and Foursquare on the go. Packing 32MB of RAM, and expandable storage up to 32GB; it can be used as a dedicated music phone or social phone for that matter. Nokia has managed to place a 1200mAh battery inside the device.

Camera, connectivity options, and price

The Asha comes with a 2-mega pixel rear facing camera. It can even record video at 10 frames per second (fps). The built in MP3 player, FM radio, and Wi-Fi would surely lure many to buy this handset. It won't support 3G, as per company's official site. Nokia could sell the handset for Rs.3999 in the market.

Sailfish OS smartphone called Jolla

 

A team of former Nokia employees has come up with a new smartphone called Jolla, pronounced Yol-la, with the same operating system MeeGo, now renamed Sailfish, which was abandoned by Nokia in 2011 in favour of Windows Phone.The phone, which will be sold only online, will be made available by the year-end.

According to the BBC, the phone has a 4.5-inch screen, 8 mega-pixel camera, supports 4G and is compatible for Google's Android apps.

Interestingly, the smartphone has a feature, what the company headed by Mr. Saarnio calls as 'The other half'.

The colored back of the phone is interchangeable which allows the user to also change the OS, which many speculate to be working on Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saarnio calls it is an interesting way to show that you 'belong' to something.

When Nokia abandoned its joint venture with IBM on the creation of the new OS to rival the likes of Google and Apple, many of the employees including Saario left the organization but continued to work on MeeGo.

According to the report, the new smartphone company is open to other smartphone makers, including Nokia, to use their operating system Sailfish

Jolla Preview

Eesha Khare invents a revolutionary Phone charger

 

An 18-year-old Indian-American girl has invented a super-capacitor device that could potentially charge your cellphone in less than 20 seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eesha Khare, from Saratoga, California, was awarded the Young Scientist Award by the Intel Foundation after developing the tiny device that fits inside mobile phone batteries, that could allow them to charge within 20-30 seconds.

The so-called super-capacitor, a gizmo that can pack a lot of energy into a tiny space, charges quickly and holds its charge for a long time, NBC News reported.

Khare has been awarded USD 50,000 for developing the tiny device. She has also attracted the attention of tech giant Google for her potentially revolutionary invention.

According to Khare, her device can last for 10,000 charge-recharge cycles, compared with 1,000 cycles for conventional rechargeable batteries.

"My cellphone battery always dies," she said when asked about what inspired her to work on the energy-storage technology.

Super-capacitors allowed her to focus on her interest in nanochemistry "really working at the nanoscale to make significant advances in many different fields."

The gadget has so far only been tested on an LED light, but the good news is that it has a good chance of working successfully in other devices, like mobile phones, the report said.

Khare sees it fitting inside cellphones and the other portable electronic devices proliferating in today's world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"It is also flexible, so it can be used in rollup displays and clothing and fabric. It has a lot of different applications and advantages over batteries in that sense," Khare added

Technical specifications:

In her project summary, Khare has clearly mentioned her objectives, methods and results.

Her goal was to design and synthesise a super capacitor with increased energy density while maintaining power density and long cycle life.

She designed, synthesised and characterised a novel core-shell nanorod electrode with hydrogemated TiO2(H-TiO2) core and polyaniline shell. H-TiO2 acts as the double layer electrostatic core.

Good conductivity of H-TiO2 combined with the high pseudo capacitance of polyaniline results in significantly higher overall capacitance and energy density while retaining good power density and cycle life.

This new electrode was fabricated into a flexible solid-state device to light an LED to test it in a practical application.

Khare then evaluated the structural and electrochemical properties of the new electrode. It demonstrated high capacitance of 203.3 mF/cm2 (238.5 F/g) compared to the next best alternative super capacitor in previous research of 80 F/g, due to the design of the core-shell structure.

This resulted in excellent energy density of 20.1 Wh/kg, comparable to batteries, while maintaining a high power density of 20540 W/kg. It also demonstrated a much higher cycle life compared to batteries, with a low 32.5% capacitance loss over 10,000 cycles at a high scan rate of 200 mV/s.

Therefore, she successfully managed to introduce this new energy device to replace conventional batteries in flexible electronic devices.

 

Charge your cellphone in less than 20 seconds

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

 

Madame Tussauds, historically associated with London, is the most famous name associated with wax museums. In 1835 Madame Tussaud established her first permanent exhibition in London's Baker Street. There are also Madame Tussauds in Dam Square, Amsterdam; Berlin; Hong Kong; Shanghai; and three locations in the United States: the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Times Square in New York City, and new ones in Washington, D.C. and Hollywood. Louis Tussaud's wax museum in San Antonio, Texas, is across the street from the historic Alamo. Another is located on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.One of the most popular wax museums in the United States for decades was The Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, California, near Knott's Berry Farm. The museum opened in 1962 and through the years added many wax figures of famous show business figures. Several stars attended the unveilings of the wax incarnations. The museum closed its doors on October 31, 2005, after years of dwindling attendance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, the most enduring museum in the United States is the Hollywood Wax Museum located in Hollywood, California which features almost exclusively figures of movie actors displayed in settings associated with their roles in popular movies.

LIST OF INDIAN WHO ARE IN TUSSAUDS WAX MUSEUM