Massive ice shelf collapsing off Antarctica

Scientists are citing "rapid climate change in a fast-warming region of Antarctica" as the cause of an initial collapse of the Wilkins Ice Shelf. The damage got started at the end of February when an iceberg dropped off and triggered the "runaway disintegration" of a 160-square-mile portion of the 5,282-square-mile shelf.

The ice shelf, which scientists speculate has floated in the Antarctic region for hundreds of years, is succumbing to recent rises in temperature in the area--an average of 0.9 degree Fahrenheit every 10 years for the last 50 years.

This series of pictures that show the beginning of the breakup were taken by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer sensor, which flies on its Earth Observing System Aqua and Terra satellites.

Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center/NASA

Click the link to CNet News for more information.

Do you want to own a Tablet Macbook?

Review: Modbook Tablet Is a Designer's best friend forever

One look at Axiotron's slate Modbook tablet and it's clear the company has given Apple's 13-inch entry-level laptop the full Steve Austin treatment. Well, minus the 20:1 bionic eye with infrared capabilities. Nevertheless, the end result is a better, (slightly) faster, and, yes, even stronger Mac tablet. Sure, it's the only Mac tablet for now, but this baby is certain to give anyone who dabbles in the dark graphical arts exquisitely rendered heart palpitations.

One minor nit before we start examining the goods. Some reviews have described the Modbook as a touchscreen device. While, technically, this is true, it's important to note we're not talking capacitive touching here. In fact, you can only use the provided Wacom digitizer pen and its 11 nibs as an input device. While that lack of skin on screen action, coupled with its high price, probably keeps the Modbook from being a truly mainstream device, it is by no means a deal breaker.

The tablet touts both Bluetooth and the standard two USB ports should you want to use it with a full-size keyboard and mouse. Hell, you can even mount it on your wall or hook it up to an external monitor via the standard mini-DVI port (like we did), if you prefer a slightly larger screen to show off your squiggly Garfield drawings.

In fact, given that the Modbook is essentially a niche device, it's still impressively versatile. It comes pre-loaded with Apple's Leopard, including the OS's surprisingly accurate built-in Inkwell handwriting recognition software. Using their formidable engineering kung fu, the folks at Axiotron also crammed a GPS unit into the Modbook, which -- ahem -- lets you geo-locate to your heart's content.

As far as looks go, Modbook stays true to Apple's overriding aesthetic sensibilities. It's clear Axiotron has done some Frankensteining here and there (the bottom portion of the tablet is identical to the MacBook while the top half is basically a Wacom Penabled Digitizer), but the Modbook still looks like something Steve Jobs could potentially unveil from an envelope. Both the shell and interior display frame are built from aircraft-quality magnesium alloy -- not that anodized crap. Axiotron also went for the trifecta of metal plating -- that's nickel humping copper and topped off with a little chrome for good measure. While that combination certainly attracts smudges, it's also extremely scratch-resistant.

Our only major quibble with the Modbook is its lack of graphical zing and relatively small screen. For designers, Intel's standard GMA X3100 with 144 MB of SDRAM doesn't exactly do the trick, and it would've been nice to include something like Nvidia's GeForce 8600M GT cards that come standard on MacBook Pros. Similarly, the 13-inch screen size, while bigger than other slate-style tablets out there, still isn't the ideal dimension for a device that purports to be ideal for artists and designers.

So yeah, it's clear the Modbook isn't for everyone. If your days consist of endless spreadsheets or you're some hack banging out gadget reviews, the $2,300 base price is a hard thing to justify. That said, the fact that Axiotron has transformed a run-of-the-mill MacBook into a hyper-specialized device is probably a smart move considering Apple is undoubtedly working on its own mainstream 'Macblet'. —Bryan Gardiner

WIRED: Built-in GPS. Badass handwriting recognition software accurately renders chicken scratch into coherent words. Durable screen and shell makes porting this pricey device a relatively worry-free ordeal.

TIRED: Did we mention this is a pricey (US$2,290) device? Stylus pen occasionally loses connectivity or freezes and requires reset. Heavy; weighs as much as a 15-inch Macbook Pro (5.5 lbs).

US$2,290, axiotron.com

Wired.

Olympic torch lit despite protest

The Olympic torch has been lit at a ceremony in Greece that was briefly disrupted by pro-Tibet activists.
Protesters from media rights group Reporters Without Borders broke through the cordon of 1,000 police officers in Olympia as China's envoy spoke.

Activists had vowed to protest over the violence in and around Tibet.

The torch will now be carried in an around-the-world relay through 20 countries, before arriving in Beijing for the start of the Games on 8 August.

As Liu Qi, head of the Beijing Olympic organising committee, spoke ahead of the torch lighting, three men broke into the ceremony venue.

One ran up behind him attempting to display a black flag depicting the Olympic rings made from handcuffs.




The men were from the France-based media rights watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders, or RSF), which has called for a boycott of the opening ceremony of the games.

They were quickly bundled away by police and Mr Liu continued his speech uninterrupted.

The live television coverage, beaming the scene around the world, quickly cut away from Mr Liu and the protesters until they had been removed.

"We cannot let the Chinese government seize the Olympic flame, a symbol of peace, without denouncing the dramatic human rights situation in the country," RSF said in a statement.

Later, as the torch began its journey, pro-Tibet activists unfurled banners and shouted slogans before Greek security wrestled them away.

'Boycott unwanted'

Actors dressed in ancient Greek costume then lit the torch in the traditional manner by using a parabolic mirror to focus the sun's rays.

There were fears that stormy weather would prevent the torch being lit in the customary way.

The ceremony, beside the Temple of Hera, was moved forward by an hour and the sun shone through a break in the clouds.

The head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, has defended the decision to hold the Games in China saying: "The major political leaders don't want a boycott".

In his speech during the ceremony, Mr Rogge said the Olympic torch relay and the Games should take place in a peaceful environment.

"The torch is the link between all athletes and citizens of this world; between all of us who believe in Olympism and the virtue of sport. It has the force to unite humanity and to stand for harmony."

He told the Associated Press news agency on Monday that he was engaged on a daily basis in "silent diplomacy" with Beijing on Tibet and other human rights issues.



Tibet unrest

Tibet activists are angered that the torch's 136,000-km (85,000-mile) route will take it through the Himalayan region and Mount Everest, which straddles the border between Nepal and Tibet.



China sent troops to Tibet in 1950 and since then there have been periods of unrest and sporadic uprisings as resentment of Beijing's rule has persisted.

The latest round of anti-China protests began in Tibet's main city, Lhasa, on 10 March - the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising - and gradually escalated.

Lhasa saw at least two days of violence and there have also been protests in provinces which border Tibet.

China says 19 people were killed by rioters and accuses Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama of inciting the violence.

The Tibetan government in exile says at least 130 people have died in a crackdown by Chinese troops and deny any role in the protests.

BBC News.

Shanghai villagers told to make way for Disney park

Work on Shanghai's Disneyland - set to pose serious competition to the struggling Hong Kong Disney park for the crucial mainland tourist trade - could begin as early as the first half of next year, villagers living on the site have been told.

This emerged little more than two weeks after the city's mayor, Han Zheng , announced that Beijing's approval had been sought for the park to go ahead.

If the start date is confirmed it would mean the first phase would be operating soon after the 2010 World Expo shoves the city into international spotlight.

About 4 sq km of land belonging to four villages in the Chuansha area of Pudong have been earmarked for the park, according to villagers who have been told they will have to move to nearby Shilong.

About 3,200 families, many of them farmers, live in the four villages - Qigan, Zhaoxing, Jiajia and Xueqiao, about 40 minutes' drive from the city centre.

Residents said leaders of their village production teams, who told them about the plans, had said Qigan and Zhaoxing were earmarked for the first phase and they would have to go by early next year.

The Hong Kong government would not comment on whether it knew of the plan before Mr Han's disclosure on March 6.

A non-executive director of Hong Kong Disneyland is understood to have been told informally during a visit to Shanghai in February.

The Shanghai city government was also non-committal, with a spokesman saying: "We don't have any particular department to deal with questions about Disney."

Alannah Hall-Smith, Disney's vice-president for corporate communications in Asia Pacific, said: "There is no deal and there is no announcement."

A Qigan resident, giving his name only as Mr Hua - the village's clan name - pointed to a field in front of him, saying: "This is where they said a Disneyland will be built. The whole area, about 4 sq km."

He said he had "no special feeling" about the plans, although he didn't want to move. "They've been talking about it for 10 years but nothing has happened so far," he said.

A woman said most people did not want to move.

"We have a quiet and inexpensive life here," she said. "We farm and eat what we produce, and things are also cheap here. They said the Disneyland in Hong Kong was too crowded and a new one was needed to be built in Shanghai. Is it true?"

Despite the imminent move, villagers say there has been no word on compensation.

Mr Han broke the news about the Disney plan on the sidelines of the National People's Congress meeting in Beijing.

He said the project would be divided into several stages to reduce commercial risk and avoid any extreme impact on the Disneyland in Hong Kong, which is battling to meet its attendance targets.

Mr Han made a similar announcement in Beijing in 2006 but the plan was put on hold after the then-Shanghai party chief Chen Liangyu was implicated later that year in a corruption scandal involving social security funds.

Apo Leong, director of Asia Monitor Resources Centre, said: "Disney should comply with international standard on resettling those affected. It should discuss it with the people, instead of just telling them to leave. It also needs to comply with international environmental standards."

SCMP. Mar 24, 2008.

Hong Kong-born Ma Ying-jeou wins Taiwan's Presidential Vote

TAIPEI (AFP) — Taiwan's opposition candidate Ma Ying-jeou surged to a landslide victory Saturday in a presidential election dominated by concern over the economy and hopes for better ties with China.

"This is a victory for people who hope for change and openness and reform," he told his jubilant Kuomintang (KMT) supporters after trouncing ruling party chief Frank Hsieh by almost 17 percentage points.

Soft-spoken and Harvard-educated, Ma has promised to work for closer ties with Beijing, including a peace treaty to end decades of hostilities, and to revive Taiwan's stuttering economy.

US President George W. Bush sent his congratulations to Ma, saying his win was a new chance for China and Taiwan to resolve their differences.

"I believe the election provides a fresh opportunity for both sides (China and Taiwan) to reach out and engage one another in peacefully resolving their differences," he added in a statement.

The vote had been closely watched by Beijing and Washington for signs of a new approach after eight years of recurring tensions under outgoing President Chen Shui-bian.

Final official figures by the election commission showed that Ma won 58.45 percent of the vote, and Hsieh 41.55 percent.

"Your voices are heard. People have the right to demand a better life. Only change can bring hope, only change can provide opportunities," Ma said as his supporters partied with songs, dancing and firecrackers.

At the same time, Hsieh conceded defeat in front of despondent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters at his own headquarters.

"We accept defeat. It's my own defeat, it's not the defeat of the Taiwanese people. Please don't cry for me," he said.

Ma will formally take over on May 20, when Chen steps down after serving a maximum two terms.

His victory gives the KMT overall control of the nation, as they had also crushed the DPP in parliamentary elections in January on the back of economic malaise and weariness at the strained relations with China.

Soochow University professor Liu Bih-rong, who specialises in cross-strait relations, said predicted relations with China would now improve at a faster pace.

"It shows that the Taiwanese people have given the KMT the mandate to open direct links and push for the one common market with China," he told AFP.

Ma told a press conference he would strive to improve relations with both China and the United States, but that before any peace treaty with Beijing it had to dismantle the more than 1,000 missiles targeted on the island.

Otherwise, "we have already reached some consensus on the normalisation of economic ties, direct air links, and on allowing more Chinese tourists, and it will be relatively easy to reach an agreement on those issues," he added.

China still claims Taiwan for itself and has threatened an invasion if it declares independence, confining the US-allied island to a murky limbo of de facto but unrecognised sovereignty.

The two have had virtually no direct links since the island split from the mainland in 1949 after a civil war.

Ma has proposed an overhaul of economic ties to allow Taiwanese companies access to the vast mainland market while permitting Chinese investors to pump funds into the economy here.

The island is the world's 17th largest economy, mainly on the back of its information technology sector, but is losing jobs and investment to mainland China, while incomes are stagnant.

Separately, two referendums on joining the United Nations failed to muster enough turnout to make them valid, with less than 36 percent of voters making the effort.

The referendums were controversial because Taiwan lost its UN seat in 1971 to China, which has blocked its 15 attempts since then to rejoin.TAIPEI (AFP) — Taiwan's opposition candidate Ma Ying-jeou surged to a landslide victory Saturday in a presidential election dominated by concern over the economy and hopes for better ties with China.

"This is a victory for people who hope for change and openness and reform," he told his jubilant Kuomintang (KMT) supporters after trouncing ruling party chief Frank Hsieh by almost 17 percentage points.

Soft-spoken and Harvard-educated, Ma has promised to work for closer ties with Beijing, including a peace treaty to end decades of hostilities, and to revive Taiwan's stuttering economy.

US President George W. Bush sent his congratulations to Ma, saying his win was a new chance for China and Taiwan to resolve their differences.

"I believe the election provides a fresh opportunity for both sides (China and Taiwan) to reach out and engage one another in peacefully resolving their differences," he added in a statement.

The vote had been closely watched by Beijing and Washington for signs of a new approach after eight years of recurring tensions under outgoing President Chen Shui-bian.

Final official figures by the election commission showed that Ma won 58.45 percent of the vote, and Hsieh 41.55 percent.

"Your voices are heard. People have the right to demand a better life. Only change can bring hope, only change can provide opportunities," Ma said as his supporters partied with songs, dancing and firecrackers.

At the same time, Hsieh conceded defeat in front of despondent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters at his own headquarters.

"We accept defeat. It's my own defeat, it's not the defeat of the Taiwanese people. Please don't cry for me," he said.

Ma will formally take over on May 20, when Chen steps down after serving a maximum two terms.

His victory gives the KMT overall control of the nation, as they had also crushed the DPP in parliamentary elections in January on the back of economic malaise and weariness at the strained relations with China.

Soochow University professor Liu Bih-rong, who specialises in cross-strait relations, said predicted relations with China would now improve at a faster pace.

"It shows that the Taiwanese people have given the KMT the mandate to open direct links and push for the one common market with China," he told AFP.

Ma told a press conference he would strive to improve relations with both China and the United States, but that before any peace treaty with Beijing it had to dismantle the more than 1,000 missiles targeted on the island.

Otherwise, "we have already reached some consensus on the normalisation of economic ties, direct air links, and on allowing more Chinese tourists, and it will be relatively easy to reach an agreement on those issues," he added.

China still claims Taiwan for itself and has threatened an invasion if it declares independence, confining the US-allied island to a murky limbo of de facto but unrecognised sovereignty.

The two have had virtually no direct links since the island split from the mainland in 1949 after a civil war.

Ma has proposed an overhaul of economic ties to allow Taiwanese companies access to the vast mainland market while permitting Chinese investors to pump funds into the economy here.

The island is the world's 17th largest economy, mainly on the back of its information technology sector, but is losing jobs and investment to mainland China, while incomes are stagnant.

Separately, two referendums on joining the United Nations failed to muster enough turnout to make them valid, with less than 36 percent of voters making the effort.

Agence France-Presse

Should sex trade be legalised?

International study backs legal sex trade
We'll pay tax if our work is legal, say prostitutes
Hong Kong should legalise the sex trade, according to preliminary findings of a three-year study of prostitution in the city and around the globe. But it does not recommend setting up a red-light district.

Zi Teng, a support group for sex workers that commissioned the study, noted that the demand for sexual services would not disappear and that sex workers were willing to pay tax within a regulated industry.

"Therefore, the government might as well legalise it and regulate it like other trades such as catering," said Elaine Lam Yee-ling, spokeswoman for the group.

Zi Teng said it commissioned a British group in 2005 to research how the industry was regulated on the mainland, in Britain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries.

Preliminary results of the research will be released later this year, but Ms Lam said they would show that legalising the sex trade seemed to be the best path for the city.

"Problems are less complicated in countries where prostitution is legal, as police no longer have to make efforts to crack down on the trade," she said. "The administration just has to regulate the sex trade according to other ordinances such as fire safety or hygiene."

The study also found that setting up a red-light district was not an acceptable option for the city, as sex was still considered a taboo subject and the general public could not accept such an idea. "It would be difficult to find a place to locate a red-light district, as there would surely be strong objections from district councils and residents in the area."

The group said sex workers were willing to be regulated as other trades and to pay tax. "Sex workers have no problems about paying tax if they can be treated as other normal taxpayers who enjoy protection and respect in society," Ms Lam said.

"The government should devote some resources to educating the public that sex workers are no different from other workers and that they should not be discriminated against because of what they do for a living."

Private data of sex workers' clients would not be revealed if sex workers had to submit information when filling out tax forms, she said.

SCMP. Mar 22, 2008.

Mobile calls on Emirates flights

Dubai-based airline Emirates has become the first commercial airline to allow passengers to make mobile phone calls during flights.

Emirates said the first permitted mobile phone call was made on a flight between Dubai and Casablanca.

The aircraft, an Airbus A340, is fitted with a system which stops mobiles from interfering with a plane's electronics.

Emirates plans to extend the system to more aircraft and later this year add BlackBerry and other data services.

According to the airline, the mobile service will only be activated when the aircraft is at cruising altitude and the cabin crew will be able to monitor and control the use of the system.

Passengers will be able to receive and send text messages, but the crew will be able to prevent voice calls at certain times, such as during night flights.

Passengers will also be requested to keep their phones on "silent" mode, said the airline.

High demand

Emirates said it decided to introduce the use of mobile phones in its fleet after experiencing high demand for the phones already installed in aircraft seats.

The airline had to obtain approval from international air safety organisations before adopting the system, which was developed by the AeroMobile company.

"We have gone to considerable lengths to ensure that all safety and regulatory issues have been fully addressed", said AeroMobile Chief Executive Bjorn-Taale Sandberg.

Emirates flies to more than 60 countries and is owned by the government of Dubai.

BBC News.

Woman stuck after two years on toilet

An American woman's body had became attached to her boyfriend's toilet after she sat on it for two years, police in Kansas said.

"She was not glued. She was not tied. She was just physically stuck by her body," said Bryan Whipple, the sheriff of Ness County.

It appeared Pam Babcock's skin had grown around the toilet seat, he added. "It is hard to imagine. ... I still have a hard time imagining it myself."

The 35-year-old initially refused emergency medical care but her boyfriend, 36, and police officers finally convinced her to go to hospital.

"We pried the toilet seat off with a pry bar and the seat went with her to the hospital," Mr Whipple said. "The hospital removed it."

The county attorney still has to decide whether any charges should be brought against Kory McFarren, the boyfriend.

Mr McFarren told investigators that he brought his girlfriend food and water, and asked her every day to come out of the bathroom.

"And her reply would be, 'Maybe tomorrow'," Mr Whipple said. "According to him, she did not want to leave the bathroom."

advertisement

The house in Ness City had a second bathroom that he could use.

On Feb 27, Mr McFarren called police to report that "there was something wrong with his girlfriend", Mr Whipple said, adding that the man never explained why it took him two years to pick up the phone.

Officers found Miss Babcock sitting on the toilet - fully clothed, except for her tracksuit bottoms pulled down to her mid-thigh.

She was "somewhat disoriented" and her legs looked like they had atrophied, the sheriff said. "She said that she didn't need any help, that she was OK and did not want to leave."

She was taken to a hospital in Wichita, about 150 miles away, where she is in a fair condition.

However, Miss Babcock has since refused to speak to police. Authorities said they did not know if she was mentally or physically disabled.

James Ellis, a neighbour, said Miss Babcock's mother died at a young age and she was apparently mostly kept inside the house where she grew up.

"It really doesn't surprise me," Mr Ellis said of the bathroom incident. "What surprises me is somebody wasn't called in a bit earlier."

The Telegraph, UK.

Casual games make a serious impact

For many years video games have been all about the hard core player.

These people, typically young men, have the time, budget and patience to spend hours crafting an empire or honing their skills on a first-person shooter. But that focus is shifting dramatically thanks to a very simple game that involves creating rows of matching jewels.

When it first appeared in 2001 the game was known as Diamond Mine but is best known as Bejeweled.

Since then creator Popcap has sold more than 10 million copies of Bejeweled and the game has been downloaded more than 150 million times.

Name calling

In technical terms Bejeweled is known as a casual game because it can be played for a few minutes rather than for the hours that games such as World of Warcraft demand.

James Gwertzman, director of business development at Popcap, said just because Bejeweled and its ilk can be played for a few minutes at a time doesn't mean they are without merit.

"There's nothing necessarily casual about playing them," he said. Popcap estimates that players rack up 600 million hours playing its online games every year.

Importantly for the gaming industry the people raking up these hours are not traditional gamers.

"Popcap players are 65% female and 70% of them are over the age of 30," said Mr Gwertzman. "It's a demographic that's been completely and utterly written off as gamers."

The stellar growth of casual games is making that much less true than it used to be.

Figures gathered by the Casual Games Association suggest the industry is growing by 20% year on year and in 2007 the market for these titles was worth $2.25bn.

That growth is fuelled by the fact that almost anyone can play them, playing a level or screen takes a short amount of time, they are on consoles, PCs, phones and dedicated gaming gadgets and are either free or very cheap to buy.

By contrast games for the hard core take time to master, soak up huge amounts of time, are only on consoles or high-end PCs and are expensive.

Rising tide

Bejeweled blazed a trail but since then games such as Maple Story, Diner Dash, Jewel Quest and Mystery Case Files have expanded what can be defined as a casual game.

Perhaps the biggest casual gaming success has been Nintendo's Wii which in 2007 became the must-have console largely due to its appeal to the young and old who were never likely to spend time with a first-person shooter.

Toby Rowland, co-founder of casual game site King.com, believes social and technological forces have conspired to bring about the rising interest in casual titles.

The number of people who have grown up with games is increasing meaning there is an ever larger pool of potential players.

More importantly though, he said, were the advances in underlying technology that have made it easier than ever to get good games to people no matter if they are playing on a phone, console or low end PC.

"Broadband penetration is one of the big drivers on the industry and the other is the advance in the quality of Flash technology itself," he said.

According to Adobe more than 98.8% of the PCs being used in mature markets can run programs written in Flash.

Flash was important for more than just making titles look good, said Mr Rowland, it also helped designers make their creations easy to play but hard to master - one of the key qualities a game needs to maintain interest and keep people coming back.

Get the mechanics right and people will return time and again in an attempt to master a game. On King.com, said Mr Rowland, the average casual player stays for 40 minutes - a stickiness many other websites would envy.

The latest trend in casual gaming online follows some of the broader movements seen online. Increasing numbers of casual games allow players to take on others, compare scores and strategies and introduce a community element to the experience.

Others, based around sites such as Kongregate, allow amateur game makers to upload their own creation for others to try. The ubiquity of Flash and other easy to use coding tools has encouraged many to give it a try.

"They do not seem, on the surface, to be that hard to make, but it's a lot harder than most people think," warned Mr Gwertzman.

"There's no formula here," he said. "You cannot engineer fun."

That is something people have to discover for themselves.

BBC News

To be or not to be?

Dear 6AB1 students,

As I told you all in today's lesson, I've been unhappy with the fact that no one are bothered to visit this blog anymore. For now, I want to collect information about our way ahead. Should I continue or not? If you think I should, please give me suggestions on the type of materials I should post.

There is one important thing I want to state now. If there's no reply to this, I will simply stop updating in 3 days' time.

Regards,
Mr. Fu