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A notable lack of 3-D TVs material …

laimisk — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:15:20 +0000

Samsung and Panasonic will start selling 3-D TVs in U.S. stores this week, inaugurating what manufacturers hope is the era of 3-D viewing in the living room. But because the sets require bulky glasses, and there is for now little to watch in the enhanced format, it will take at least a few years for the technology to become mainstream, if that happens at all.

Samsung Electronics Co. announced Tuesday that it is selling two 3-D sets this week. For $3,000, buyers get a 46-inch set, two pairs of glasses and a 3-D Blu-ray player.
Want to be the first one on your block with a 3-D television? It will cost you about $3,000.

Panasonic Corp. has said it will start selling 3-D sets Wednesday.

The sales debut comes as moviegoers have shown considerable enthusiasm for the latest wave of 3-D titles in the theater. Last weekend, “Alice in Wonderland” grossed an estimated $116.2 million at the box office, beating the first-weekend receipts of “Avatar,” the winter’s 3-D blockbuster.

Although it’s clear that 3-D sets for the home will appeal to technology and home-theater enthusiasts, it remains to be seen whether other consumers will be enticed to spend at least $500 above the price of a comparably sized standard TV and Blu-ray player.

TV makers hope so, because sets with the last big technological improvement — high definition — have come way down in price, below $500.

One challenge will be that the 3-D effect requires viewers to wear relatively bulky battery-operated glasses that need to be recharged occasionally. They are not like the cheap throwaways that have been used in theaters since the 1950s.

When you’re wearing these 3-D TV glasses, room lights and computer screens may look like they’re flickering, making it difficult to combine 3-D viewing with other household activities. Anyone who’s not wearing the glasses when the set is in 3-D mode will see a blurry screen. (The sets can be used in 2-D mode as well, with no glasses required.)

To give buyers something to watch, Samsung is including a 3-D copy of “Monsters vs. Aliens” on Blu-ray disc with its packages, in a deal with the studio, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. Its CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg, said it will convert its “Shrek” movies to 3-D for Samsung TV buyers later this year.

We continue to see this amazing level of enthusiasm and excitement for 3-D. The rate of adoption for this into the cinema has been a rocket ship these last couple of months.

Sets with 3-D-capability have been available for a few years from Mitsubishi Corp. But 3-D for the home is now coming together as a complete package with the arrival of more 3-D television models, as well as 3-D video players and 3-D movies.

But there’s still a notable lack of 3-D material to watch.

Eventually, sports and other programming that will benefit from a more immersive experience should be offered in 3-D. ESPN has said it will start a channel that will broadcast live events using the technology, starting with FIFA World Cup soccer in June. The sets could also be used for 3-D video games, when game consoles catch up to the new technology.

Samsung, the world’s largest maker of TVs, has high hopes for 3-D. Tim Baxter, head of the company’s U.S. electronics division, said he expects 3-D systems to be in 3 million to 4 million of the 35 million TV sets sold in the U.S. this year by all manufacturers.

Research firm iSuppli Corp. puts the figure at 4.2 million units globally this year. It expects the numbers to ramp quickly, to 12.9 million next year and 27 million in 2012. For comparison, there were more than 210 million TVs sold worldwide year.

Sony Corp. said Tuesday it will start selling 3-D televisions in June. U.S. prices were not revealed, but the sets will cost $3,200 and up in Japan. The company hopes that 10 percent of the TVs it sells in the next fiscal year will be 3-D units.

Sony also plans to issue software upgrades for its PlayStation 3 game consoles and some of its Blu-ray players so they will be able to play 3-D discs.

Panasonic has not revealed what its sets will cost. It’s taking a slightly different tack than Samsung, by introducing 3-D only on plasma screens, for maximum image quality. And rather than selling 3-D sets broadly, it’s going only through Best Buy Inc.’s Magnolia Home Theater stores.

Samsung’s two new sets will be followed by another 13 3-D-capable models in the next two months. Soon, 3-D packages with plasma sets will be available for about $2,000.

ISuppli analyst Randy Lawson said it’s a fairly simple, inexpensive move for manufacturers to modify their high-end sets to be 3-D-capable. That’s part of the reason iSuppli expects a quick increase in sales of such 3-D TVs. Whether people will use the feature is another matter.

Consumers should be more interested in the ability to connect the TV to the Internet, Lawson said. That feature, which started showing up last year, is more immediately useful, because it gives access to a vast array of online movies and TV shows.

I don’t believe that everyone will be watching 3-D all the time in two to three years. I don’t think it will be a predominant concern among average consumers.

Cocaine is cheaper… than a cup of coffee

laimisk — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:46:07 +0000

Britain is one of the prime receivers of cocaine in the Old World. That cocaine has gained popularity with the help of celebrities and successful businessmen. Many celebrities use cocaine and do not receive any punishment for it. Moreover, successful entrepreneurs may often look absolutely normal and take high positions in the society despite their addiction to cocaine.

British supermodels Kate Moss and Jodie Kidd would often make headlines because of their fondness for cocaine. Singers Katherine Jenkins and Amy Winehouse publicly stated that they used cocaine.

A cocaine scandal occurred in the British armed forces in 2004, when (...)
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U.S. economy

laimisk — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:08:17 +0000

In February the US economy shed fewer jobs than in January, but companies are still not eager to hire. The better picture of unemployment situation will be clearer, when the Labor Department issues a report about the number of jobs not including the agriculture.

Consumer spending improved slightly in many Districts since the last survey, but severe snowstorms limited activity in some Districts. Manufacturing activity strengthened in most regions, particularly in the high-tech equipment, automobile, and metal industries.(...)
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Go Blonde in Latvia

laimisk — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:21:15 +0000

Go Blonde parade in Riga, Latvia – more than 500 blonde girls marching in town dressed in white and pink, with white stockings
The Blonde Parade through Riga is part of a Go Blonde in Latvia. There will be a ball, with prizes for, among others, the best blonde lawyer, journalist and politician, and a blonde tennis tournament and blonde golf contest, with lessons for beginners.
Beautiful blondes are said to brighten the dullest occasion – and now they are rallying to fight off economic gloom.

Latvia’s is not the first attempt to solve the world’s troubles with blonde ambition: last year it was announced that the Party of Blondes would seek the presidency in 2012.

GPS, Never Get Lost Again

laimisk — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:24:40 +0000

Have you ever been lost in the woods? Have you ever wanted to go back to that great fishing spot but can’t remember where it was? Have you ever found yourself wandering aimlessly in an unfamiliar part of the city having to ask people for directions? It happens more often than we would like that we find ourselves taking a wrong turn, and taking twice as long to find our way back. Well luckily, there is the perfect tool to guide us safely: It’s called Global Positioning System.(...)
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What is so unique about the Swiss

laimisk — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:23:21 +0000

The answer is there is nothing particularly different about the nation or its people. They like to work hard, play hard and provide a good life for their families. So do the citizens of most other nations when given the opportunity.

The European Union and the United States should consider the successful freedom model of Swiss confederation government rather than the failed top down examples of other nations and empires. Few would question that Switzerland is the most secure, stable, and freedom-oriented nation in the world.

They prefer peace and diplomacy to war and aggression but will fight to defend their independence and liberties. They prefer (...)
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The story may sound very strange

laimisk — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:49:49 +0000

A Canadian researcher managed to take a picture of the face of the legendary hairy giant – the mascot of the Winter Olympic Games 2010.
Randy Brisson, a well-known Canadian cryptozoologist, shared hot information with his Russian colleagues. The researcher sent a photograph of the North American Bigfoot to Igor Burtsev and Dmitry Bayanov, the directors of the International Center for Hominology. The Canadian took the picture of the creature in Vancouver, the capital of Winter Games 2010.(...)
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To looking for certified professionals

laimisk — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:09:25 +0000

Not everyone has a natural gift of healthy hair, nails and overall striking appearance.
Luckily, the modern beauty industry offers the solution for a moderate price.
Their ad pictures are perfect, but what is left behind the scenes?

Nail Extensions

Your nails are covered with special gel of acryl. Another option – artificial nails glued on top of your natural ones.
Possible side effects. Mycologists (nail specialists) name the most common ones: dry, brittle, splitting natural nails
under gel or acryl after removal of extensions. When you do dishes or clean using detergents, your natural nails under
the extensions may deteriorate.(...)
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The nuclear waste

laimisk — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:02:33 +0000

Three European countries will within 15 years begin disposing of their nuclear waste deep underground, even though the public is not solidly behind the move, officials said.

In Finland, a deep geological repository where spent nuclear fuel will be disposed of is due to come onstream in 2020, said experts who addressed a forum at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Sweden will follow three years after its Nordic neighbor, and “France plans to start operating a deep geological repository (...)
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What ? Jesus Christ was “gay” …

laimisk — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:37:55 +0000

The pop superstar Elton John stirred controversy in a magazine interview Friday when he claimed that Jesus Christ was “gay.”

“I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems,” John said in an interview posted on the website of US celebrity news magazine Parade.

“On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don’t know what makes people so (...)
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