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

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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.