Apple is offering service called "Friend Bar" at Apple Store in the States where the high knowledgeable Apple employee can help them or have a conversation about their products. Make an appointment at a "Friend Bar" and people with Apple Care Warranty are free. You can also consult over phone for a 24 hour service and they will listen and continue the customers' conversations, even if it's Mac related or other tech related.


New Apple Friend Bar Gives Customers Someone To Talk At About Mac Products

Prezi - What did I do in the last 4 month

Prezi
this is what I learned in Computer Study 2 - Hypermedia

Hypermedia 2010 4/1~7/30 on Prezi

Lawsuit against Apple and At&T

There was a monopoly abuse lawsuit against Apple Inc and AT&T Inc's mobile-phone recently!!! Well, many people suspected that iPhone possibly take over the market and it almost did...

Apple secretly made AT&T its exclusive iPhone partner in the US for five years now and the lawsuit includes any iPhone buyer with a two-year AT&T agreement since June 2007 is dampening competition and driving up prices. In order to stop this, AT&T announced that they are going to stop offering its unlimited pricing plan for new subscribers to its mobile data services in order to improve the speed of its network by cutting down on network-clogging downloads. at early in June of 2011. From June 2008, iPhones was in "locking"mode so that they can only be used on AT&T's network.

The lawsuit seeks an control Apple from selling locked iPhones in the U.S. and from determining what iPhone programs people can install.

Monopoly abuse lawsuit against Apple and AT&T

Google Me

Google Me?!?! Whay is that? Rumors says that "Google Me" service is in work

Is Google ready to compete with popular social network especially with Facebook? Apparently, Google is working on a Facebook competitor to be called Google Me. There’s been much debate since about what such a service might look like, with some think that it could be a combination of Google Buzz and Orkut and others are expecting it to be an improved Google Profiles, in which users could add Facebook-like features to their profile pages.

Although there is little evidence of a Google Me project, the idea that the search and advertising giant might be trying to build together a Facebook competitor is at least plausible. Could Google come up with a worthy competitor against Facebook? Anything is possible, but so far there’s little reason to believe that the search giant could come up with a service that represented a real threat. Orkut may be popular in South America and India, but has shown no signs of growing outside of those countries. Could Google use it as the basis for something that takes parts of Google Buzz, parts of Google Profiles, parts of Google Wave and parts of Blogger to construct a comprehensive social network? Theoretically, but that sounds more like a "old school" strategy than anything else, stitching together pieces of half-dead services and hoping they come alive.

Is 'Google Me'Ready to Challenge Facebook?

Prezi

Prezi is the new tool that I learned recently... it's basically a presentation similar to PowerPoint but a web-based tool that tells a story, presentation, or anything that you want to share on a single canvas instead of traditional slides.

Text, images, videos and other presentation objects are can be uploaded on a humongous canvas, which you can also grouped together in frames. The canvas allows users to create non-linear presentations that you can't do in traditional slides, which means that the presenter can set zoom and zoom in and out just like Goolge map's visual map.

The presenter can also set a guide through different objects and frames anyway he or she wants it to be. Information can be in different places but automatically guide in the order of the information to be presented. The presentation can be developed in a browser window and then downloaded so that it is not necessary for a an internet connection when showing the presentation.

Crash in Russia

There is a new member of Mercedes called Mercedes SLS AMG. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a luxury grand tourer automobile developed by Mercedes-Benz AMG to replace the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.The car is the first Mercedes automobile designed in-house by AMG and is described by Mercedes as a "spiritual successor to the 300SL Gullwing." The vehicle was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. Sales will begin in mid-2010 in Europe with MSRP of €177,310 (incl. taxes) and in the United States in mid-2011 for less than $200,000. The SLS AMG is featured as the cover car for the upcoming Playstation 3 racing game Gran Turismo 5, and is the safety car for the 2010 Formula 1 season.


However, the big topic is that one of the Mercedes SLS AMG in Russia was totaled in public, which isn't even on sale yet. It is revealed that a black Nissan Murano crossover was also somehow involved in the crash. Interestingly, the license plate number of the car tells us that the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing was a press/demo car used in many photo shoots and videos in Russia.



AMG
TopGear: Mercedes SLS AMG

Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli is one of the most famous animation Companies in Japan and probably to many other countries, especially for the anime fans. Studio Ghibli produced 17 movies, 12 short films (TV, Ghibli Museum, and OVA), 6 music videos, 13 commercials, and 11 other works that does not fall into any categories that I mentioned previously. But 2 new movies are coming out, which one in in July 2010!!!

I'm not an anime fan, but I love Ghibli's work for it's art work, entertaining story lines, and plots for many movies and, for that reason, I've seen all of Ghibli's work that are made and I LOVE them all, but 3 of my favorites out of all Ghibli works are Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Grave of the Fireflies in this order.

Since I know that there was a museum, I decided to visit Ghibli Museum and I visited the museum so many times since I came to Japan! The museum is located in Mitaka and it's actually close to where I live now. Entry fee and souvenirs not expensive at all compared to other museum. Entry fee is 1,000 Yen but need to buy at least 1 week in advanced. (Ticket Information)


Studio Ghibli's works of the movies

• Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - (March 11, 1984) directed by Hayao Miyazaki
• Castle in the Sky - (August 2, 1986) directed by Hayao Miyazaki
• Grave of the Fireflies - (April 16, 1988) directed by Isao Takahata
• My Neighbor Totoro - (April 16, 1988) directed by Hayao Miyazaki
• Kiki's Delivery Service -(July 29, 1989) directed by Hayao Miyazaki
• Only Yesterday - (July 20, 1991) directed by Isao Takahata
• Porco Roso - (July 18, 1992) directed by Hayao Miyazaki
• Ocean Wave - (May 3, 1993) directed by Tomomi Mochizuki
• Pom Poko - (July 16, 1994) directed by Isao Takahata
• Whisper in the Heart - (July 15, 1995) directed by Yoshifumi Kondo
• Princess Mononoke - (July 12, 1997) directed by Hayao Miyazaki
• My Neighbor the Yamadas - (July 17, 1999) directed by Isao Takahata
• Spirited Away - (July 27, 2001) directed by Hayao Miyazaki
• Cat Returns - (July 19, 2002) directed by Hiroyuki Morita
• Howl's Moving Castle - (November 20, 2004) directed by Hayao Miyazaki
• Tales from Earthsea - (July 29, 2006) directed by Goro Miyazaki
• Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - (July 19, 2008) directed by Hayao Miyazaki

01986-08-0201989-07-2901991-07-2001992-07-18 01993-05-0301994-07-1601997-07-1201999-07-17 02001-07-2702002-07-1902004-11-20 02006-07-2902008-07-1902010-07-17
New:

• The Borrower Arrietty (July 17, 2010) directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi
• The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (unknown) directed by Isao Takahata

Ghibli Museum
Online Ghibli

NEW Social Sight: Voice Thread

Voice Thread is a new social network site that I just found out this May. Unlike other networks, the user can share any information by using text, video, voice, PowerPoint, and doodling on the slides. It's a very useful site to learn new things, useful or not. User can upload files like pictures, Powerpoint, Google Documents, etc, and user can also record a camcorder and add your voice on this site. Then, everyone can make comments or discus or even ask questions on specific thing on the slides and view can also make voice comments and doodle on each slides, too.

In my Voice Thread, I discussed about the hydrogen fuel vehicles . I used my PowerPoint slides about hydrogen fuel vehicles that I made for the other class that I'm taking and made minor edits to it. Rather than "ppt" file, I needed to conver the original file into "jpeg' file so I can fit the format on Voice Thread. After I upload my file onto the site, I just gave it a title and left voice comments on slides that needed more information. Then viewer can make comments on each slide and reply back so we can have an discussion.

My comments turned into discussion that they showed their concerns about hydrogen vehicle and the environment. I am sure that my topic is complex so I think it was hard for them to comment about specific detail. That's why it was broader comments than the topic.

VoiceThread is a great tool for educational and communicative use, but I think it have a certain limitations. There are a lot of educational posts; however, there would probably will be educational posts that can be too radical for some viewers or have a wrong information, which viewers might get a wrong ideas. Fortunately, I haven't seen it yet.

My VaiceThread
VoiceThread

Most people have heard of Skype and many people use them. For people who hasn't used Skype at all, it's basically an free video chat/calling over the internet for domestic calls and international calls that are offer in Windows and Mac. You can also chat(type) and share documents, too. I was just on Skype right now and thought that Skype got better since it first came out... I like using this and it pretty good and cheap but connection is sometimes bad.

Since iPhone 3G came out, the Skype has made an application for iPhone 3G and on. Recently, I got a message from Skype that Skype-to-Skype call on 3G network for free until end of 2010, which is a good news until that time come!!! wow, I can make so many international calls with this. I was wondering how phone companies will make any profit if Skype was free on cell hone, even though I would like to paying as little as possible.

Skype
Skype to charge iPhone users for 3G network calls

Genesis of a New Japanese Mercedes

There is a new family member in Lexus starting from this year and it's the very first super-car/exotic that Toyota/Lexas has ever made. I was waiting for 10 years since Lexus published the concept drawing. The new member is called Lexus LFA. The 1st debut was October 24 in Tokyo Auto Salon. You might have seen similar one in the early 2000's and they made 3 concept models that lead to this. This car was originally made for 24 Hour Le Mans and GT races, which Lexus finally decided to release it to the public. Despite being a Lexus, it's not like the other Lexus models. Lexus took their time of 10 years to make their very first super-car that can compete with Ferarri, Lambrogini, Pagani, etc.

The starting price for this monster is $375,000, expensive for a Lexus and the production date is from December 2010 to December 2012. However, only 500 of LFA will be sold. It's a 4.8L V10(72°) that gives out 552hp[same as Lambrogini Gallardo] with 354 lb-ft/480 Nm/48.9 kgf-m of torque @6,800rpm. Top speed is 202mph(325km/h)[faster than Aston Martin DBS], which accelerate from 0~60mph(0~96.6km/h) at 3.6 seconds [same as Ferarri 599].　I am amazed by the complex detail that this car has. Some details are explained in the Top Gear review video(below); for example, this V10 is small as a V8 and as light as a V6 engine.

I totally fell in love with car and I would buy it if I can afford it. It's gorgeous, nice engine sound, and it looks like it has a nice performance... Get a glimpse at the LFA starting from December, this year if you have a chance or go to Lexus's show room or go to Lexus' museum to check it out.

Lexus LFA official site
Lexus official site

"Top Gear" and "Motor Trend" are the popular and well-known car journalist companies that reviewed Lexus LFA. bellow are the videos.

Whole New Revolation

Eco-friendly is the big topic nowadays... Many products, technologies, houses, buildings, factories, and so on are becoming eco-friendly and still improving to become even more. Factory is one example. In developed countries, more and more new factories are being built, which means that less pollution because they have new technologies.

You may notice that houses are becoming "eco" by using less energy. For example, in Japan, many new houses have walls and the roofs that does not let heat out during winter and not letting heat into the house during the summer, which means that we can use less energy on air-conditioner and heater. Solar-panels and wind-to-electricity generators are also being used in many new houses in Japan so we can rely less on man-made electricity that we deprive on oil that causes pollutions.

Most automotive industries are always trying to think of improving performance with less energy used, design, and alternative fuel. Hydrogen fuel vehicle is the recent creation in automotive world. Some models are in production now, but limited amount vehicles and at a limited authorized dealers. It's eco-friendly. It's also fuel efficient. But it costly and still need improvements.

This all sounds good but there is a problem... its costly and pollute to make them (at least in the short-run). However, I am totally for this idea.

Ecofriendly Design & Construction -Improving Home Design-
Eco Friendly House Garden Lighting

Playstation

I was always a Sony Playstation fan since i was a little kid. I owned all council once in my life time , but now, I only own 2nd version of the original 80GB Playstation 3 that have 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, 2 USB ports, and DualShock 3 controller. Unfortunately, it doesn't play the PS2 games. Based on the rumor, PS4 may come out soon!!! I was so excited to know what it will look like so I just surfed the net until I found and found few worthy information.

PS4 Console looks so sexy! The designer is Tai Chiem who has quite a talent in designing concepts that typically blow your mind away. This concept looks brilliant and would go down well in any lounge/living room/gaming room.

The glass finish looks amazing and is functional as well, for example, touch glass. This with the sleek and elegant design makes it an item that any hardcore gamer or even the occasional gamer would want to have. The controller has a glass finish as well, but just imagine having to buy a new controller every time you die just before completing a stage and “accidentally drop” the controller (yes a lot of us had that moment).

Based on Sony Playstation 4 Expected to Arrive Soon, Sony was think of releasing of releasing the PS4 during 2010 but it doesn't look like it's happening. The hardware that includes in it is so awesome.

(Sony Playstation 4 Expected to Arrive Soon)

Is Apple Evolving Too Quickly?

As you may noticed that iPhone is a very very popular product from Apple because of any reason(s) that lead people to buying it, which can including convenience, stylish, "I want one because a lot of my friends has one", and so on. Apple already came up with 1G, 2G, 3G, and 3GS, but the company is coming out with 4 G!!!! It is said to be released some time during June or July of this year, based on the rumors.

It will probably be a big hit again but what happen to the people who recently bought the 3GS??? They might be regretting because they should of wait until 4G. I recently bought iPhone 32GB 3GS this year on January 1st and I was very happy about it, and I'm still happy that I chose iPhone over other phone even thought its little bit more expensive and this is my fist time owning any Apple products in my life. When I heard 4G is coming out sometime soon, I was saying to myself: "What? New model already?!?!" Since 3GS has been released, it has only been roughly about an year and then 4G has been announced.

However the released date for 4G has been pushed back few too many times. Based on one blog "Apple Lost Another 4th Generation iPhone?New Photo of Prototype iPhone", Apple made a new prototype for the 4th Generation iPhone because the older prototype was leaked into public before Apple can officially announce the 4G.


Apple Lost Another 4th Generation iPhone?New Photo of Prototype iPhone
http://www.softsailor.com/news/25436-new-iphone-4g-release-date-is-june-7th.html

Is General Motor Still in Deep Pit-Hole?

General Motor has been said to be in bankruptcy for a while. I am pretty sure that consumers won’t buy a car from a bankrupt company that lead to the reason why GM says its sales would drop even faster than they are now while it’s in bankruptcy court. Plus, the bargain hunters who might want to buy a GM car would want a discount or further negotiate, in my opinion. If GM is right and their sales drop by 2.5 million vehicles and rebates climb another $4,000 a car, the company would need another $11 billion in addition to the $12 billion they already say they need for a loan. That’s $23 billion in DIP financing that the government has to support just for GM!!!!.

The notion that consumers will shun the cars of a bankrupt carmaker is unproven. But what those bleating for a GM bankruptcy are calling for is the government to lend, instead of $12 billion to $18 billion, maybe $23 billion to $29 billion. And they are willing to do it without knowing if buyers will come back to GM brands after the public beating that the company will take in the press for ending up in bankruptcy. No one will know what will happen next to General Motors.

However, based from Bloomberg Businessweek, they said: "GM paid off $8.4 billion in loans to the U.S. Treasury and the governments of Ontario and Canada about five years early" (Bloomberg Businessweek Autos). But I think that they haven't yet since returning $8.4 billion soon after they decleare boarderline of bankruptcy. If they did manage to recover and pay back, I would have seen it on TV and other major publications. Anyways, what do we know? GM is starting to to recover, but it's going to take some time.


AutoBlog
GM Bankruptcy: The Big Domino Crisis

What's happenng to the gas price?

For the past decade gas prices are not stable at all. In the early 1990’s gas prices were low $1-range per gallons for major cities and many other places throughout the States. In the 90’s, prices only fluctuated within $1-range/Gallons, but when it hit year 2000 right when George W. Bush came into office, the gas prices sky rocketed because of the war. In Los Angeles Counties, prices went high up as much as low $4-range/Gallons. Since then, it’s still fluctuating. Japan used to be between 90 Yen to 97 yen/Liter during the 90’s.
For the past 5 years the average gradually went down, but this week it went up again. Japan is currently at the average of 137 Yen/Liter. We really don’t want to pay a lot of money just on gasoline, especially people who uses gasoline a lot almost or every day. Companies who uses transportations as a main source of business is probably having a hard time lowering the cost of gases.
Recently, interesting thing is that Suzuki is re-launching a “Free Gas for Summer” promotion May 1st to August 31st for their new approved models from aurthorized dealers. (further detail: “Free Gas for Summer” promotion). I think that this is a good way to promote being-active-in-an-economy and the company itself because the high gas price will tend to discourage people or the consumer will drive less often to the store to buy products or services. Even if it was only use for fun use, economy will gain because people will tend to stop somewhere that will help the economy.
Expensive gas prices has discourage me from driving too much and, if I had this kind of promotion that Suzuki was doing, I would be out more and done something tat I haven’t realized that it was helping the economy.

First

Ok... my first one for this class. I'm good to go. I'm still working on more

Toyota Gets Hammered Down

Recently, Toyota is going through many critical crisis of recalls in the since the beginning of this year. Since the beginning, claims about the cars out of the variety cars have jumped up from all over the world including Japan. This cost is estimated more than $3billion for Toyota with more than 130 lawsuits against Toyota. Recent problems, since the end of 2009, include sudden acceleration or Sticky gas pedals, brake not as responsive from time-to-time, and car rollover.

On March 21 if I remember correctly, I saw Toyota’s president, Mr. Akio Toyoda, made a public speech on ABC News about how United States’ government is behind this attack on Toyota because American’s major car company, General Motors, that makes most part of American’s economy, like Toyota with Japan, went bankrupt and it is now on U.S. Government’s support. For that reason, American government and General Motors don’t want Toyota to take all the fame and take most of the market in automotive industries. ABC News, FOX News, and many other U.S. broadcasts and many publications criticized this speech that politicians are not behinds this.

European and Asian citizens and government had the same problems and recalls as much as U.S.A. had with Toyota’s accelerator problems, break problem on Toyota Prius, and so on, but I am hearing more claims and criticism, even now, from United States than European countries. I do not doubt that there were sticking accelerator pedal, brake problem, rollover problem, and other problems that Toyota have to fix before there are more casualties and damages then they have to deal now.

I don’t know what is true or not, but based on the rumors that I heard and other publications from Japan and some European companies that I read, Americans are making a big fuss about the whole recalls to make the incidents worse. I do agree that each recall is important so that there will be fewer danger to the users. However, I also think that lawsuits and cases are becoming too much out of hand. I’m not saying that I know everything when I say this. I believe that Toyota needs to recall their own products, especially sticking gas pedals and brake that is not properly functioning on Prius in recent issues. When I heard about the rollover and claims against Toyota just on recent Toyota Land Cruisers, I was little bit skeptic because there is a warning for the driver that the car may rollover. So I was predicting of driving mistakes like over-speeding into a curve or turning too sharply or something like this, but that is not the case for everyone who used Land Cruisers.

NEW TOYOTA RECALL! 2.3 MILLION CARS broadcast by "ABC World News" about Toyota recall about gas jam

Largest Toyota Recall broadcast by CBS News

(source of the article)
Southern California court gets Toyota lawsuits

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36328244/ns/business/

Toyota’s legal tactics: Deception and evasion

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36391413/ns/business-autos/