Communities roll up sleeves to tackle Jakarta’s junk

Novel ideas and approaches will be the focus of an event this weekend, as 55 community groups have joined forces to promote ways to overcome Jakarta’s mounting waste problems.
The event, to be hosted by the Bank Mandiri Museum in West Jakarta, is part of a campaign to encourage residents to minimize waste.
“Zero waste means nothing is wasted,” said Shanty Syahril, the coordinator of the event being organized by Kumpul-kumpul.
Kumpul-kumpul or Kumkum, meaning to gather, is an assembly of different interest groups including bloggers, hobbyists and environmental communities, who collaborate and share knowledge on a variety of topics.
Among the groups are Bike2Work and KRL Mania.
Shanty said the event, which will feature a bazaar, movie screenings and discussions, will campaign for zero waste out of concern for Jakarta’s rubbish problem, as well as the fact that many so-called green events ended up creating massive amounts of rubbish themselves.
Visitors are advised to bring their own eating utensils, water bottles and foldable bags, since stalls will not provide styrofoam containers or plastic bags.
“Around 20 stalls will sell food and environmentally friendly merchandise,” Shanty said.
Kumkum will also advise visitors to come using a carpool or public transportation (such as the Transjakarta busway) to reduce vehicle emissions.
The event has received support from the museum, which regularly provides a free space for two to three events per month.
“We welcome communities to hold events of cultural and educational value, in accordance with the museum’s spirit,” Bank Mandiri Museum head Hirman Setiawan said.
The educational value of the event was commendable, especially in the light if Jakartans’ littering habits, where most residents know better but are too lazy to reduce their waste or dispose of it properly, he said.
Styrofoam and plastic bags, for example, are ubiquitous in Jakarta where most vendors use them as quick and easy packaging solutions, only to be disposed of just as quickly by customers who often throw them into gutters, rivers, streets and vacant lots, Hirman added.
As a result, Jakarta has a massive rubbish problem, not limited to styrofoam and plastic bags. The city’s once clear rivers have been replaced with murky brown open sewers emitting a noxious stench from rotting rubbish heaped onto their banks.
Although the zero waste movement will not automatically change many years of littering habits, it will promote awareness of the need to form new habits, starting with a small group of people who will hopefully retain the habits beyond the event and for the rest of their lives, Shanty said.
“The true mission of this event is to inspire,” she said.

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Arts gains marketing leverage at niche malls

With the recent mushrooming of art galleries in malls, people are reportedly admiring art more, without having to travel to the well-known art district of Kemang in South Jakarta .
Take Koong Gallery as an example. The open, spacious gallery, located at Plaza Indonesia’s first level, is also near a café.
“It is important to calculate where an art gallery within a mall should be located.
“From its layout to its arrangement, all play parts in attracting passersby, possibly becoming prospective clients,” said gallery salesman Human Hasan, 24.
Koong Gallery has been operating at Plaza Indonesia in Central Jakarta for one year, but was forced to a close for six months last year due to the expensive rent the mall imposed, Hasan told The Jakarta Post recently.
Plaza Indonesia is home to another art gallery, CGartspace, which has been at the mall for 12 years.
CGartspace is owned by Christina Gou, known as the first to recognize the potential for malls to house art galleries.
Across from Plaza Indonesia, an art district within a mall was opened to the public Feb. 27.
The Jakarta Art District, as it is called, is a space showcasing a multitude of contemporary artwork, located at Grand Indonesia’s East Mall Lower Ground.
The district houses nine art galleries, such as Edwin’s, the Vanessa Art Link and the Nadi Art Gallery.
“It’s good to see the city is accommodating people who want to enjoy art in a centralized place,” said Nadi Gallery saleswoman Lina.
People can easily access art when it is under the one roof, continued Lina, who has been working in the art industry for around five years.
The Nadi Gallery has also gained the interest of Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ) students and other universities.
“They come here to study and search art catalogues,” said Lina
Next to the Nadi Gallery is the Vanessa Art Link, established in 2007 by art collector Vanessa Sutanto.
Vanessa said earning displays at malls is a sign of a changing lifestyle. She also said art style would change in turn.

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Think before you upload: A lesson from Facebook

The phrase “what's done is done” coined by Shakespeare seems irrelevant in this digital age, as in a digital world everything lasts forever.
This includes content on Facebook where what's uploaded apparently cannot be undone.
The phrase  is, however, fitting to describe the experience of 23-year-old student Clara “Devi” Adheline Supit, a photo of whom has been circulating on the site without her permission.
Clara has reported the case to Bogor Police, and the police have questioned people in relation to the case, including Misly, Devi’s friend, who was believed to have initiated the photo in question.
Misly asked Devi to pose naked two years ago to help Misly’s former boyfriend, Joshua, who was having erection problems..
With the intention of helping her friend, Devi accepted the offer. Devi was also paid after the photo shoot, but asked that the photos were not publicized.
However in April the photos of Devi, including her naked, were circulated using the Facebook social networking site.
Based on early findings, the police have named Joshua a prime suspect. He will face up to six years in prison or fines of Rp 1 billion if found guilty.
Devi’s case adds to an already long list of Facebook-related crimes. Last year there were several kidnapping cases last year where culprits knew their victims through Facebook.
Psychologist Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono highlighted the phenomenon as the downside of the Internet-based social networking.
“Facebook has been categorized as a new medium. People are getting used to it... It can either be our friend or foe,” said Sarlito, advising the public to use the site carefully to avoid possible backlashes.
Sarlito owns two Facebook accounts.
Similarly, sociologist Kahardityo Suprapto suggested people use Facebook carefully.
“What you upload today will last forever and can easily be traced, you can do it with certain software. So do be very careful with it as it bears life-long consequences,” Kahardityo said.
Facebook users, especially those who don’t know how to use it prudently, are the most at risk of possible abuse from unscrupulous users. The absence of age limits on Facebook users has also been a problem as many children have joined without her parents’ knowledge or supervision.
Jakarta is home to the world’s fourth-largest Facebook population, with almost 15 million users in 2009.
The latest report from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in London showed an increasing trend of sexual crimes related to the site. The number criminal cases involving Facebook had quadrupled in the first three months this year, to 252.

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It’s not about coffee any more — what matters is comfort

Caffeine, social life and work blend into one cup in Jakarta.
Nowadays, Jakarta’s cafés serve not only caffeine, but also as comfortable places for people to balance their social and working lives.
People like to go to cafés to meet friends and loved ones, but also bring their paperwork and spend hours there in corners where people can still detect their social presence.
They also bring their clients to score deals, hold meetings and even English lessons.
Thea Rizkia was among a group who recently held regular English conversation classes at a Starbucks café in the city.
“We met there because the place was so comfortable,” the 27-year-old working mother said.
One of their sessions would last up to two hours. Everyone bought at least one cup of coffee during the sessions.
Thea had stopped attending the classes last year when she became pregnant.
But it’s likely that it’s not just Thea who goes to cafés not for coffee but for the comfy venues they offer.
More people and communities are using cafés as meeting points
where they can gather, mingle and discuss everything, said Yogi D. Sumule, the owner of Coffewar, a café in Kemang.
“Many communities come to my place. These people like to spend hours in my café,” said Yogi, who sometimes has to keep his  café open until dawn to satisfy his clients’ needs.
“They came in a group, bought one cup and spent hours there.”

Believing that these groups will be good for business, many café owners have tried to maximize their service to lure customers.
Bakoel Koffie café provides special rooms for group meetings.
Bakoel Koffie owner Syenny Chatrine Widjaja said the provision of the meeting rooms  was in response to the changing function of cafés in Jakarta from places to drink coffee to social venues.
“We are among the first coffee chains that provides free wi-fi for customers,” Syenny claimed, adding this service was subsequently offered by Starbucks and Coffee Bean, which previously charged customers for the service.
“It’s a just goodwill from us,” she said.
Clients responded positively to this gesture, but sometimes they misuse it.
Yogi said he had seen a group once taking advantage of the hospitality at his friend’s café.
“They came in a group, bought one drink and spent hours there,” Yogi said, relieved he had never had such customers at his own café.
It is undeniable that the ubiquitous Jakarta cafés with their comfortable sofas, soothing music and free wi-fi  have become havens  not just for social gatherings and business.
The mobile office concept — where people can avoid offices and instead work online from cafés — is now on the rise among people in the city thanks to changing work habits and the availability of free wi-fi connections at cafés.
One person who had made a café her “second office” was civil servant Kartika Winta Aprilliany, 27.
“The place is less stressful than any office. I like to spend hours here and do my work here,” Kartika said.

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Govt drops designating plantations as forests

The forestry ministry dropped its controversial initiative to classify oil palm plantations as forests after strong protests from environmental activists on fears that it would speed up deforestation.
The statement was made by the ministry’s head of research and development Tachrir Fathoni on the sidelines of a seminar on Indonesian forestry following the Copenhagen climate talks.
“We have dropped it. No more talk about it,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
He said the ministry acknowledged that any changes on forest definitions should be made by amending the 1999 forest law.
The law defines forest as an integrated ecosystem in the form of land comprising biological resources, dominated by trees in natural forms and surrounding environment, and which cannot be separated from each other.
The same statement was also made by Nur Masripatin, the ministry’s director of the center for social economics and policy research.
“Indonesia will not include palm plantations as part of forest although some countries have done it,” she said on the sideline of seminar.
Malaysia, the second largest producer of palm oil after Indonesia, uses the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) standard to identify forest — which is land with tree crown cover of more than 10 percent and an area of more than 0.5 hectares with trees reaching a  minimum height of five meters.
The forestry ministry planned to draft a ministerial decree to include oil palm plantations as forest after the Copenhagen meeting.
But a group of activists from  Greenpeace Indonesia and the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) criticized the government over its plans accusing the authorities of not being serious on promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Greenpeace Indonesia then put a giant banner at the ministry of forestry building reading “plantations are not forests”.
Greenpeace said inclusion of ‘plantations’ in the definition of forests, would lead to massive concealment of emissions from the destruction of peat land and forests.
On Tuesday, Walhi welcomed the decision from the government to drop the plan.
“The ministry’s decision to not include plantations in forest is correct, the most important thing
now is the ministry should exclude the industrial forest concessions (HTI) as part of the forest,” Walhi’s forest campaign director, Teguh Surya.
HTI usually carries monoculture plants like acacia for paper mills.
He said that the ministry should also audit the existing oil palm plantations which converted forest areas without permits.
“Forestry Minister [Zulkilfli Hasan] should gather the courage to withdraw the licenses of oil palm plantations operating in forest areas,” he said.
The Agriculture Ministry earlier said it planned to use 1.8 million hectares of land designated as industrial forests (HTI) for oil palm plantations.
Agriculture Minister Suswono said that of 9.7 million hectares of land available for oil palm plantation, some 7.9 million hectares was already developed, leaving 1.8 million hectares designated as HTI.

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Poor memory and denials plague bribery trial

Forgetfulness, rebuttals and claimed ignorance of events seem to plague the hearing of the multimillion dollar bribery case that has implicated many former lawmakers, with witnesses tarnishing court proceedings with poor answers that have irritated the panel of judges.
Top brass Golkar politician Paskah Suzetta, also a former state minister for national development planning, repeatedly rebutted all allegations against him in Tuesday’s hearing, including denying ever having received traveler’s checks worth Rp 600 million (US$60,000) from defendant Hamka Yandhu after the election of Miranda Swaray Goeltom as a central bank deputy senior governor in 2004.
Paskah was then the chairman of the House of Representatives’ Commission IX overseeing banking and financial issues, which was responsible for the election process.
He refuted previous testimony of of an employee at a car dealer that he had bought a Honda CRV using cash and five traveler’s checks.
“The car was purchased with the money I got from selling my son’s [Suzuki] Escudo, his savings and donations from my other children,” he said in Tuesday’s trial of Hamka, a former lawmaker from the Golkar Party, at the Corruption Court.
Hamka is accused of receiving traveler’s checks worth Rp 7.35 billion from a third party to support Miranda’s election.
He allegedly kept 45 sheets of the checks he received for himself. The checks were worth Rp 2.25 billion. He distributed the remaining checks to 11 members of the commission from the Golkar faction.
The case has also implicated 19 politicians from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), four from the United Development Party (PPP) and another four from the Indonesian Military/National Police faction.
Another witness, Baharuddin Aritonang, a former Golkar legislator and former member of the Supreme Audit Agency, also refuted the earlier testimony of his staffer that he had asked the latter to cash in checks worth Rp 200 million. Baharuddin allegedly received seven sheets of checks worth a total of Rp 350 million. This, too,
he denied.
But the hearing on Tuesday was in for more confusing moments as another witness, Sumarni, a secretary of amnesiac businesswoman Nunun Nurbaeti, took to the stand.
A Corruption Court justice called Sumarni “Miss Forgetful” after she repeatedly answered questions with “I don’t remember”.
“I don’t remember if it was Ibu Nunun or another [male] director at the company that had asked me to cash in the traveler’s checks,” Sumarni said.
The secretary at Nunun’s PT Wahana Esa Sembada was referring to 20 sheets of traveler’s checks worth Rp 1 billion she cashed in 2004. Nunun allegedly arranged the delivery of the traveler’s checks worth a total of Rp 24 billion to 39 lawmakers after Miranda’s election.
Another judge asked Sumarni, “When the person instructed you to cash in the checks, was the voice a woman’s or a man’s?”
The question again resulted in another “I forgot” answer, sending a wave of laughter through the audience at the trial.
Judges, bewildered by her answers, determined to bring Nunun to testify before the court to confront the testimony from these two witnesses. Nunun, who is now in Singapore, has missed several court summons due to her illness.
A judge told the prosecutors, “One way or another, bring Nunun to this court”.
In previous hearings, Miranda, who took the stand as a witness also gave the judges “I don’t remember”  as her answer to many questions.
She said she forgot whether she was the host or the guest in a meeting at a South Jakarta hotel where she gave a presentation to several PDI-P lawmakers.
She replied in a similar vein to a question why she had meetings only with PDI-P and military/police factions but not with Golkar.
PDI-P legislator Panda Nababan, who stood witness earlier, also answered “I cannot recall” when asked whether he was a guest or host at the same meeting.
He also repeatedly replied “I don’t know” to the questions, prompting the panel of judges to order him to “contemplate” his answers.

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A clever concept for Wi-Fi hot spots

There are dozens of Wi-Fi routers out there. I have a couple of different models like the LinkSys and a 3Com on my shelves. Recently, a friend lent me another wireless router called Fonera 2.0n.
At first glance, it seems like any old-fashion router — a box with four RJ-45 ports for wired connection, with one RJ-45 for a broadband connection at the back and aerials.
The only thing that sets the Fonera apart is the USB port on the front panel.
It turns out this product features many technological advances. We need to spend a bit of time flicking through the manual before understanding how this technology works.
Before we continue, let me backtrack a bit and describe how companies like AT&T now serve their mobile customers worldwide.
If you are a globe-trotting professional and you need an Internet connection in your hotel room, you need to first access the hotel’s welcome page, find the Wi-Fi service page, specify the length of Internet connection and then enter your credit card number. If you stay in a budget hotel, you may even have to go to the front desk and buy a voucher.
Service providers are clever. They have created a pricing scheme that almost always tries to lead us to buy a voucher for 24 hours when in reality we will only use the internet a couple of hours each night. To help traveling employees stay connected without the hassle of having to look for a hot spot and pull out their credit card, AT&T has built 25,000 hot spots in countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, UK, China and more, available in coffee shops, bookstores, hotels, airports, restaurants and convention centers — all paid for by their headquarters.
Enter a company from Spain called Fon (www.fon.com). Fon also wants to make available a network of hots pots around the world. The main difference is that Fon does not need to build and maintain Wi-Fi networks.
It works like this. If you are an owner of a Fonera router, you are a member of the Fon Community and can access the Internet through a growing number of Fon hot spots, around the world.
The community reportedly has two million members and one-and-a-half million live hots pots globally. Fon community members can share their hot spots. They can even sell the service to non-members and earn some money — provided their ISP permits it.
A Fonero — a Fon user — can use the Fon Spot service for free to browse the Internet, make calls using Skype, send and receive emails or communicate with instant messaging.
So, the basic principle is “I let you use my Fon Spot, in return I can also use your or someone else’s hot spot.”
How does Fon generate additional revenue besides the sale of routers? Here is the scheme: A Fonero can register as a Linus (the pioneer of the Open Source movement) or a Bill (the founder of Microsoft). All Linuses can use Fon Spots for free, as described above. All Bills, on the other hand, will be charged a small amount that will be split 50-50 between the owner of the hot spot and Fon. Does it sound complicated? It’s not.
Even if you do not want to share your Fon Spot with Linuses or Bills — they are password secured — you still can enjoy several powerful features of the Fonera 2.0n router.
First, the router allows owners to up or download torrents and files from the Internet without having to turn on your PC or notebook. The data can be stored in any USB 2.0 storage device such as an external hard disk or a thumb drive.
You can also directly upload photos, videos and other materials directly to web 2.0 services such as YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, bypassing the computer. If you need to download a large file from RapidShare, all you have to do is create a RapidShare account.
You can also connect a USB webcam and a printer to the Fonera 2.0n using the USB hub, and it will host them all. What is also amazing is that, if you do not have fixed broadband in your home, you can use your 3G connection and convert it into Wi-Fi. Just plug your 3G modem dongle into the router’s USB port.
How do we know if someone is using our Fon Spot or that our file download is complete without turning on the computer? Owners can set up their account to receive updates over Twitter.
Fonera 2.0n costs Rp 899,000 (US$100), which quite reasonable given the benefits of being a Fonero. In comparison, LinkSys WRT120N-SG costs $55, but does not come with the functionality of the Fonera 2.0n.
If you frequently travel abroad, I would highly recommend this product so you can make the most of other Fonera’s Fon Spots in the global Fon Community.

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GPNC Korea announces the first me-too Android HDTV

Anyone opposed to another Android packing TV announced by a foreign manufacturer of questionable validity? We figured you weren't, so say hello to GPNC Korea's television running Android 1.5 on a 833 Mhz ARM Cortex A8 chip. While it's claiming NTSC and ATSC support among other broadcast standards, the USA doesn't appear to have made the cut for availability, with 10 different countries including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Poland, Australia and Dubai. Practically identical to People of Lava's effort, it is slated for 42-, 47- and 55-inch LED-backlit versions with on real price or date, and even this promo pic looks very familiar. GPNC managed to keep the screen clear of error messages this time, but its website is flagged by Google as "dangerous" so we'd probably wait for something more official before making any attempts to preorder. At this rate, these TVs will be as ubiquitous as Android/ARM tablets before long -- let's hope Sony and Intel spill the details on those Google TV plans sooner rather than later.

[Via Android Community]

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MacBook Pro Core i7 review

While the MacBook Pro is just another Intel-based computer with standard internals, slightly inflated price tags, and a familiar (if legendary) design sense, Apple having the absolute corner on the market for building machines that legitimately run OS X can be a little rough on the upgrade obsessed. Waiting 10 months for a new computer, without an industry full of hungry competitors with wild alternatives to quench your thirst, can be difficult, and the January launch of Intel's new Core i5 and Core i7 chips for laptops further fueled the saliva. Still, Apple would like you to believe these new MacBook Pros with their 2010-ready internals and same-as-last-year good looks have been worth the wait. Find out for yourself in our full review after the break.

MacBook Pro Core i7 unboxing

Look and feel

It's almost silly to talk about the look and feel of the MacBook Pro, because outside of the ExpressCard for SD card swap (grrr) and the sealed in battery (conflicted grrr), both of which happened in last year's refresh, the laptop has remained virtually unchanged externally for almost two years. Of course, that's not at all a bad thing. Despite many pretenders to the throne, Apple is still the class leader in looks, with an understated aluminum and glass design that isn't close to going out of style.

Still, we have a few gripes about the design in actual use that we wouldn't have minded Apple addressing in this round. First off, the sharp aluminum edges scream classy, but they also cut into the wrist when we're at an ergonomic disadvantage. We don't need pillows, but some mild concession to our human flesh would be nice. There's also the frustration of the too-close-together and too-few-in-number USB ports of the left side. It's one thing to have only two USB plugs, but when putting a thumb drive in one obscures the other you have a real problem. A standard HDMI port would also be nice, but we know Apple has its principles.

The other major problem we've had with previous generations of the unibody MacBook Pros is the use of the bottom plate as a secondary heat sink of sorts -- which turns our lap into a tertiary heat sink in the process. Happily we can say the situation has been much improved in the new version, at least in average use, though it's still possible to get the machine to uncomfortable temperatures with a little bit of effort. Sure, it's nice that there's hardly any fan noise ever, but at some point the laptop becomes hot on top as well, causing our left palm and wrist to sweat -- we'd say that's as good a time as any for the fan to kick into gear.

Keyboard, touchpad and screen

No big surprise, but we couldn't feel a single difference between the new keyboard and the last generation. We love the island keyboard aesthetically, but part of us still pines for those old, indented Apple laptop keys.

One of the biggest changes to the new models, as silly as it sounds, is the "inertial scrolling" Apple has added to the touchpad. This is very much like the motion on the iPhone (though of course you still use two fingers to scroll), or the motion available with some free-spinning scroll wheel mice, allowing the page to coast a little before slowing to a stop. It's completely intuitive, comfortable, and helpful, but if you loathe it for some reason you can turn it off in system preferences. According to Apple it's only a software change, but as far as this showing up on existing systems with glass trackpads, Apple's lips are sealed.

Sadly the review model we were provided doesn't have the new high resolution display option -- 1680 x 1050 instead of the standard 1440 x 900, which seems like a no brainer upgrade at $100 -- so we can't speak to that panel's quality. Still, our boring old pixel-poor display is still a pleasure, with 100 percent brightness often a bit much indoors, great color, and great viewing angle. Up next to our 6 month old previous-gen MacBook Pro, we'd say the colors are just a tad warmer and blacks just a tad deeper, but Apple claims the LCDs are at least specced exactly the same.

Performance, graphics and battery life

This is really where everything is at for these new machines. Apple's finally upgraded to the Core 2010 processors, which bring with them cores galore, along with Turbo Boost tech for automatic overclocking of the chip based on demand. Software utilization of multiple cores has come a long way, but it's still not perfect, so Turbo Boost switches off a couple of the extra cores when they're not needed to make room for overclocking of the remaining cores -- to pretty dramatic effect at times. We're testing out the top-of-the-line 2.66GHz Core i7 machine with NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M 512MB graphics, 4GB of RAM, and 500GB HDD, which retails for $2,199.

We aren't what you would call power users in a rendering-Pixar-movies sort of way, but we can still tax a machine just fine. We're usually running a couple browsers at once, frequently batch process piles of photos, edit videos the quick and dirty way in iMovie or QuickTime, and dabble with GarageBand from time to time. Slowdowns and hiccups are the norm on even the best machine with what we've got going on. Unsurprisingly, Core i7 hasn't made this all go away. Instead, it's just made it happen less. It's obvious that the machine can juggle just a bit more at once, launch apps a bit faster, pop open dialogues just a bit quicker, and so forth. Of course, this is all hard to quantify and is rather subjective, but we feel it.

To really bust on the processor more specifically we fired up some Flash video, pitting our new Core i7 Pro against an "old" MacBook Pro with a 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 4GB of RAM. Both machines are actually pretty strong when running a single bit of Flash at a time, but it's when a couple dozen tabs are open all slamming the processor at once that things get difficult. We fired up Hulu in 480p (the new Glee episode) and a 1080p Avatar trailer on YouTube with both machines managing to keep both videos playing smoothly. Once we added a second 1080p YouTube trailer on each machine, however, the Core 2 Duo machine began to choke, while the Core i7 juggled all three videos successfully.

On a more empirical front we ran some HTML and Flash tests using GUIMark. With Firefox 3.6.3 and Flash 10.0.45.2, we managed 21.31 FPS on HTML and 21.04 FPS on Flash on the new machine, while the old MBP only managed 15.99 FPS and 16.1 FPS, respectively.

We also tried out a 720p video export in iMovie. Of course the GPU gets called in for previewing live effects and whatnot, and we found the entire UI very responsive, but video exports are still a CPU affair, and the new machine thrashed the old one with a 5 minute export vs. 9 minutes.

Here are some more standard benchmarks:

	GeekBench	XBench OpenGL	XBench CPU	XBench Thread
MacBook Pro 15 - 2010 (2.66GHz Core i7, NVIDIA GT 330M)	5395	228.22	218.96	486.60
MacBook Pro 15 - 2009 (2.66GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA 9600M)	3700	163.44	188.62	319.58

Now to the issue of GPU switching. We had a long talk with Apple where they explained to us how this technology is different than Optimus (at least in the software implementation, it's obviously the same card underneath), and we're pretty impressed with what Apple has pulled off. Basically, Optimus turns on the GPU if its needed, and then runs both the Intel graphics and the discrete card simultaneously, pushing the GPU-produced imagery through the Intel chip before it hits your screen. Apple's solution actually switches fully between the cards seamlessly, with the Intel graphics on only in a power sipping mode but not in use at all for rendering when the NVIDIA GPU is in play. The other big difference is that Optimus detects its necessity based on a cloud-stored whitelist of apps that NVIDIA has, which could potentially become out of date or at least have difficulty in keeping up with app releases (though users get the flexibility of manually enabling apps). Meanwhile, Apple's solution is based on deeper OS-level stuff, with OS X figuring out what sort of technologies an app is going to call on (like OpenGL, for instance) and turning on the GPU accordingly.

Still, there are drawbacks to even Apple's approach. For instance, a heavy hitter like Photoshop will turn on the GPU, even if you just leave it on in the background while you're working with some text. If you really want to sip power you'll have to quit any applications that use the GPU when they're not needed. The problem with that is that Apple isn't providing any way for people to know if an application is activating the GPU or not. We're sure there will be a 3rd party utility soon enough (Apple even agreed with our assumption), and we even understand why Apple might want to hide this info from Joe User, but we know plenty of power users who wouldn't mind having this info surfaced.

On a similar front, Apple has really outdone itself in restricting your GPU flexibility. There are only two options for automatic graphics switching: on and off. If it's on, it'll act as we've described, if switching is off then the GPU will run at all times. Apple says this only knocks the battery life down from 9 hours to 8, but since in real life we're not getting anywhere close to 9 hours of use, we're pretty sure we'd rather hang on to that "bonus" hour of juice at times and run integrated only. Part of Apple's reasoning is the fact that Intel integrated graphics are no match for the GeForce 9400M chip of last generation, but when you need to squeeze every last minute out of your battery, flexibility is key.

Luckily, most regular computing operations like browsing, writing, playing video (iTunes works fine with Intel's integrated graphics), and just hanging out work fine without discrete. In fact, one of the biggest GPU utilizers hasn't even hit the market as of this writing: Adobe's CS5 will make great use of the GPU, as do Apple's Aperture and Final Cut Pro. Games of course are the most reliant on a GPU, but unfortunately the state of gaming on the Macintosh is pretty abysmal. Your best bet is Boot Camp, and we haven't had a chance to give it a shot on this machine. As GPGPU computing (like Apple's OpenCL) takes off, the GPU will be increasingly important to the average user, but for now automatic graphics switching is hardly an excuse for a regular Mac user to upgrade if they've already gone unibody.

So, how does all this added number crunching play out in battery life? Well, it's confusing, that's for sure. Since we don't have a reliable way yet of knowing when we're tapping into the GPU or not, it's hard to know exactly if what we're doing is helping or hindering battery life. Still, in regular use we're certainly not bumping past that magical 6 hour mark, and we'd have to really work for Apple's quoted 8-9 hours of battery. Through a day of "regular use," which involved some benchmarking and some iMovie, but mostly just web browsing and typing, with screen brightness hovering around 60-75 percent, WiFi on and an hour of Bluetooth we managed four hours and 34 minutes of juice. The video rundown test actually fared better, with five hours and 18 minutes of SD video with the screen at 65 percent brightness, WiFi and Bluetooth on. Obviously what we assumed was "casual" use isn't so casual, and we'll be tweaking our usage of the laptop accordingly to figure out how much juice we can get -- until someone comes up with a hack to switch to integrated only, of course.

	Battery Life*
MacBook Pro 15 - 2010 (2.66GHz Core i7, NVIDIA GT 330M)	5:18
Sony VAIO Z (2.53GHz Core i5, NVIDIA GT 330M)	4:25
HP Envy 15 (1.6GHz Core i7-720QM, ATI HD 4830)	2:00

* Standard definition video rundown test, brightness 65 percent

It must be said, Apple's battery life is really industry leading when it comes to a Core i5 or Core i7 machine with discrete graphics, but compared to their already high benchmark from last generation, it seems less impressive.

Wrap-up

Basically, it's exactly what it says on the tin: a faster MacBook Pro. In fact, the biggest news here might be how little Apple is changing, or maybe the fact that the base model 15-incher is now $1,799 (instead of $1,699) due to the loss of an integrated-only option. It seems as if the tweaks Apple has made to the battery are more or less a wash, and while the added CPU power is certainly felt, there just isn't the necessary gaming contingent on the Mac to make the new GPU useful to most folks -- though the pro users that've been eyeing those pro mobile graphics cards available to their PC counterparts will certainly feel otherwise. Apple has carved an amazingly large niche out for itself by building incredibly expensive laptops incredibly well, and this generation is no exception, but we're not convinced there's enough here to warrant an upgrade for people who bit last year.

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Apple Rolls Out the New MacBook Pro

Finally, an Apple story that is not about the iPad.
The popular computer company introduces its new line of MacBook Pro laptops, over 300 days after the previous line was introduced, featuring faster processors, the latest graphics chips, and longer battery life. The MacBook models consist of 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch versions.
This comes after a long clamor for Apple to update its MacBook to include Intel’s Core i5 and i7 processors, a piece of hardware many contemporary laptops have. These processors give laptops up to 50 percent boost in performance and are now featured in the 15- and 17-inch models.
The new batch of MacBook Pros also include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 33M, along with a choice of graphics memory options. These laptops can now automatically switch between low power and high performance modes without having to reboot or log out.
The 15-inch MacBook also has the option of a higher resolution screen at 1680 x 1050 compared to the standard 1440 x 990. This model becomes an ideal tool with online gaming and watching HD-quality videos.
As with the battery life, all models can now operate for up to 10 hours, although expect these claims to be shorter in real life.
All three models are now available at the Apple Store and authorized resellers. Prices range from US$1,199 to $2,299. Built-to-order options are also available.
Source: Wired and CNN

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OtterBox Defender Series Case for Your iPhone 3G

If you value your iPhone 3G or 3GS more than your life, then protect your gadget by encasing it within this OtterBox Defender Series case. This is not just your ordinary phone pocket, as the OtterBox Defender is the toughest case available for your iPhone. Its three-layer design protect the device from bumps, drops, scratches, and dust, keeping the iPhone like brand new. However, it does not protect the phone against water.
The OtterBox Defender does not interfere with your usage of the iPhone as you have complete interaction of the device’s functions without having to take off the case. A ratcheting belt clip is also included in your purchase.
The OtterBox Defender Series case for iPhone 3G and 3GS is now available for only US$49.95. It comes in black, pink, and white.
Source: OtterBox

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Flip Slide HD Now Available

Cisco’s latest baby, the Flip Slide HD, now lands on retail shelves. A member of the popular Flip line of portable video cameras, this one features a pop-up three-inch screen. It folds down and the display becomes a resistive touchscreen, but you can pop it open when playing the video back for easy viewing. Opening the gadget also features a capacitive touch slider control below the screen.
The Flip Slide HD comes with stereo speakers, HDMI out, and a headphone jack for those who opt not to disturb the peace during playback. The camera is similar to the Flip Mino HD, a 720p video-capable camera with no image stabilization. The storage, however, is upped to 16GB for four hours of record time and 12 hours of compressed video storage.
It is now available in Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and on Flip’s online store, starting at US$279.99.

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HTC Incredible Specs Leaked

Although we only have to wait until April 29 before the formal launch of the HTC Incredible on Verizon Wireless, some people apparently do not have the patience as a full spec sheet was thrown out in the open fields of the Internet.
The incredible features include Android 2.1 with HTC Sense UI, a Snapdragon processor, 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, 8GB internal storage, 802.11b/g/n compatible WiFi, and a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED screen with 800 x 480 resolution.
Users can also expect the best that Android can offer like support for Flash Lite 4.0, Google Maps with navigation, and other Google services like Voice Commands, YouTube, Gmail, and Calendar.
No final price reveal, though, but it’s only takes a few days of waiting to know about it.
Source: MobileCrunch

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Lenovo Skylight Delayed

DigiTimes claims that its sources say that the Lenovo would be delaying the release of its Linux-based Skylight smartbook from April to July, saying that “control is not able to act as smoothy as the iPad.” It comes to the heels of another similar delays made by HP on its Slate tablet as it adjusts features and pricing. We will see whether the delays would be worth the wait.
Source: DigiTimes, via Engadget

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Scandyna Megapod Speakers

Most speakers are made for their performance and not usually for how they look. This results in speakers not becoming known for how well they are designed. Most of them are better off being listened to and left somewhere out of sight most of the time.
One thing that the Scandyna Megapod Speaker truly doesn’t lack is in the looks department. Just one look and you will immediately know that it is a speaker of a different level. Its visual design takes a on higher level in terms of its appeal. It is something that owners would surely place somewhere visible in the home.
The Scandyna Megapod Speaker is far from ordinary and is available at Amazon for US$2149.

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Sony Walkman W250 Water Resistant MP3 Player

If you thought listening to your favorite tunes is better off while in dry land, then think again. You can now have the opportunity listening to your favorite mp3 tunes when you go to the beach or swimming pool while being in the water. It is all thanks to the new Sony Walkman W250 water resistant mp3 player.
Sony has just recently announced its new line of mp3 players. This time it is water resistant and is safe enough to use while in the water as long as it is not immersed.  There’s no mention yet on how much it would cost.

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Police expected to unveil more suspected case brokers

The presidential anti-judicial corruption taskforce expects the police to declare more suspects following the implication of former official Sjahril Djohan in alleged case brokering practices involving law enforcers.

Taskforce secretary Denny Indrayana said Wednesday that Sjahril would lead the investigators to other case brokers and a bigger picture of the practices within the law enforcement agencies.

“We are optimistic and convinced the account of Sjahril will pave the way for a new development in the investigation into the judicial mafia practice,” Denny said.

The taskforce observed on Wednesday the police’s questioning of Sjahril, who was later named a suspect. The police have now declared eight suspects in connection with the case, which evolved around a money laundering and embezzlement case involving tax official Gayus Tambunan.

Denny said taskforce chief Kuntoro Mangkusubroto and National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri would hold a joint press conference soon to provide details of the ongoing investigation.

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UK retailer withdraws padded bikini bras for kids

A major British clothing retailer withdrew a children's bathing suit from sale Wednesday after a front-page tabloid story criticized the store for selling padded bras on bikinis aimed at 7-year-olds.

The bikinis also angered children's advocates and top candidates in Britain's upcoming national election, who say it was yet another product that sexualizes children and encourages them to grow up too fast.

"It's a shame it was ever put on the shelves in the first place," said Justine Roberts, founder of the Mumsnet, a parenting Web site that attracts a large, vocal audience. She nonetheless praised the decision to pull the bathing suit from the shelves.

Primark, a popular discount chain, is not the first retailer to draw criticism for offering padded bras for kids younger than 10. But the outcry of protest is prompting a growing number of companies to pledge support for Mumsnet's "Let Girls Be Girls" campaign.

The popular online forum said such clothing indoctrinates the idea that sexiness is the most important quality for girls and "encourages a culture in which children are viewed as sexually available."

Announcing the immediate withdrawal of the product, Primark promised to donate any profits already earned from the item to a children's charity. The product line, it added, "sells in relatively small quantities.

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SBY says Koja violence avoidable

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono regretted a clash between local people and public order officers in Koja area, North Jakarta which he said could have been avoided.

“The incident should have been prevented and avoided,” Yudhoyono told a press conference at his office late on Wednesday night. He called for persuasion rather than use of force in dealing with such a sensitive case like eviction, which might be legitimate.

He said officers should thoroughly observe any development in the field before taking any measure. Although the measure is lawful, it must be delayed for some time if the condition is not favorable, he added.

The clash erupted as the public order officers attempted to evict a cemetery of Muslim figure known as Mbah Priok. The place is deemed as a historical site by local people.

The President also ordered the Jakarta administration to cover medical costs of those injured in the clash, which also claimed a life.

 “I have just received information from the deputy governor a public order officer from West Jakarta died at the hospital,” Yudhoyono told a press conference at his office late on Wednesday night.

The President extended condolences to the family of the officer.

“An investigation into the cause of the clash can be conducted later. The more important is medical treatment for those injured,” he said.

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Doubts shadow schools’ merger plan

The Education Agency’s plan to downsize the number of state elementary schools is raising doubts on whether it would effectively improve education in the city.
Ami, 41, a mother of two daughters who study at State Elementary School (SDN) Kenari No. 04 in Senen, Central Jakarta, said she hoped that the new principal could maintain access to the school’s facilities.
“I hope the upcoming principal will give the same opportunity for students to make use of the facilities and do the same afterschool activities,” she said.
Ami said the school, which is within the same compound as other five state elementary schools, said only the ones that operate in the mornings had access to dancing and drum activities.
A room for computer activities, she said, was only accessible to certain schools.
Ami said she hoped the appointed principal would be able to upgrade the quality of the students, so they could be equal to their peers in the complex.
A lack of space prevents several schools in the city from having their own buildings and supporting facilities, forcing them to take turns in using buildings and facilities.
The regular arrangement is schools with odd school numbers in one compound have morning schedules while the ones with even numbers come in the afternoons.
Teachers and principals of the schools also share faculty and principal rooms.
SDN Kenari No. 01 to 06, use the same U-shaped three-storied building for their daily activities.
The six schools share a small school yard, a library and a mosque.
In the recent plan, the agency would merge schools located in the same complex, which share the same building and yard, into one management.
“Principals who are not selected will go back to teaching,” said Taufik Yudi, head of the Education Agency.
Temporary data from the agency said the state schools that would be merged included SDN Kebayoran Lama Selatan No. 05 and 07, SDN Cipete Utara No. 09 to 12, South Jakarta and SDN Grogol Selatan No. 01 to 04 in West Jakarta and SDN Kenari 07 to 12 in Central Jakarta.
Wayan Sularto, a sport teacher that teaches in two of the Kenari schools, said the merge means that a principal would have to deal with hundreds of students and dozens of teachers.
“It will not be easy for the principal,” he said.
“Getting used to leading a larger school requires time.”
Karmin, the principal of SDN Kenari No. 4,  smiled nervously as he talked about the merge plan.
The plan, which requires less principals, would result in the demotion of five principals.
“Isn’t it a pity? We, principals, don’t know what our fate will be,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
He said it would be inconvenient for principals to step down from their position and become full-time teachers. 
Karmin, who has been overseeing 150 students at his school for two years, will have to compete with five other principals in the complex to become the only principal over 600 students.
A number of students said they did not mind having new principals.
Trisna, a student at SDN Kenari 2, it would not matter for her to have a principal from another school.

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Court ruling won’t affect education budget

The Constitutional Court’s ruling that annulled the educational legal entities law, giving universities greater autonomy to develop their resources, will not affect the state budget allocation for education, an official said Friday.
“The Constitution has stipulated that the allocation for education should be at least 20 percent of the total state budget,” National Education Ministry spokesman Muhajir told The Jakarta Post.
The government for the first time in 2008 managed to increase the education budget to 20 percent of the 2009 state budget. It was Rp 224.44 trillion (US$24.45 billion).
The ministry’s higher education director general Fasli Jalal said the subsidy for higher education in 2009 was Rp 18 trillion, Rp 2 trillion higher than the previous year.
The subsidy was used, among others, to pay salaries and fund scholarships.
The court Wednesday ruled that the law was unconstitutional. The panel of judges criticized the law’s shortcomings in ensuring equal access to education for economically advantaged and disadvantaged people.
The 2009 law stipulated that the government paid for a minimum of one-third of operational funds in intermediate educational legal entities and half of the fund in higher educational legal entities.
Under the law, the educational legal entities can generate a maximum of one third of operational funds from the public in the form of tuition fees and donations.
This, among others, has been the source of nation-wide criticism against the short-lived law.
Students throughout the country have cried their protests of being burdened with higher fees. The law, they said, allowed for the commercialization of education.
Utomo Dananjaya, education observer among petitioners of the judicial review request of the law, said the government must return to its constitutional mandate to pay for the nation’s education.
The source of the education budget, he added, should come from tax.
He, however, warned that 20 percent of the state budget allocated for education should not include teachers’ salaries.
“Concerning Malaysia, it allocated 35 percent of their state budget for education and that does not include teachers’ salaries,” he said.
“They gained their independence 15 years after Indonesia but now they are 20 years more advanced.”
An analyst from Indonesia Corruption Watch, Ade Irawan, however, believes that the education budget will not cover free, quality education as mandated to the government by the constitution.
“Twenty percent is a minimal figure, of course it can burgeon to meet the needs of our education,” he said.
“The court ruling to repeal the law, he went on, charged the state “to have an abundance of money to fund education”.
“Should the court decide to keep the law, Indonesia will run with a private education system. This means people will need money if they want to enjoy education. The state will be less burdened.”
Ade added that the education budget would not be much use and would include teachers’ salaries.
He said that the aim to provide free education would not be the state’s duty.
On the other hand, the annulment of the law has confused several university rectors as they have been preparing programs to meet the requirements to be educational legal entities.
Rector for Semarang State University in Central Java, Sudijono Sastroatmodjo, said that he was preparing for the university to become a legal entity in 2011.
For now, he said he would wait for further instruction from the national education minister.

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Another clash breaks out in North Jakarta

Another clash between the Jakarta administration public order officers and local people over a disputed eviction against a cemetery in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.

News portal kompas.com reported that the clash broke at a Cilincing-Dobo traffic junction at around 2 p.m.

Thousands of people were involved fighting against around 2,000 public order officer and 600 police officers.

The clash put traffic on Jl. Cilincing Raya into a halt.

Local people deemed the cemetery called Habib Hasan bin Muhammad al Haddad or Mbah Priok cemetery, as a historical site and vowed to defend it from any eviction plan.

Previously, public order agency head Harianto Badjoeri, said that the body of  Habib Hasan, who is a religious leader born in 1727, had been removed to another cemetery.

Harianto said that the administration was attempting to evict illegal building around the cemetery.

“We are not going to evict the cemetery. We are going to renovate it,” he said.

The administration says that the cemetery uses a plot of land belonging to state port operator PT Pelindo II, who plans to construct a canal and a freight terminal using the plot of land.

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PKS lawmaker condemns Koja violence

A Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) senior politician condemned on Wednesday a Jakarta government attempt to evict a cemetery in Koja, North Jakarta, which turned violent earlier in the day.

"The Koja chaos reflects development policies that do not respect local wisdom by taking shortcuts through violence," Hidayat Nur Wahid said on his Twitter account on Wednesday.

A clash broke out as local residents resisted public order officers’ eviction attempt. The angry people were seen throwing stones and wielding machetes during the clash.

The cemetery is believed to be the resting place of Habib Hasan bin Muhammad al Haddad, also known as Mbah Priok, a religious leader who was born in 1727.

The local administration says that the cemetery uses a plot of land belonging to state port operator PT Pelindo II, that plans to construct a canal and a freight terminal using the plot of land.

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Death toll in China earthquake climbs to 400

Chinese state television says that the death toll from a strong earthquake in a western province has climbed to 400.

CTTV quoted emergency official Pubucairen as saying Wednesday that the number of injured has risen to more than 10,000 as rescue workers struggle to dig trapped people out in Qinghai province. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake measured a magnitude of 6.9.

Rescue efforts have been hindered by telecommunications problems, with phone lines down.

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Personal Technology: ‘Hotel Infections’

I am still amazed at how poor the service industry is concerning technology. Cavalier, even.

They may take care trying not to poison you, and put those annoying notes about helping the environment by not cleaning your towels unless you drop them on the floor (what kind of person doesn’t hang up their towels on the rail provided?) and those silly bits of paper across a toilet bowel designed to inform you that someone has a) cleaned the toilet, b) gone to the trouble of putting a piece of paper across your toilet bowl without necessarily having cleaned the toilet or c) declared the toilet bowel a crime scene.

But they do not care about infecting you with other kinds of virus.

Case in point. I was in the Philippines recently to look at preparations for an automated e-voting election in May.

My first interaction with technology was to visit the Manila Pavilion Hotel’s business center.
And it wasn’t a good omen: no antivirus software on their computers.

Windows is smart enough these days to tell you this, but it is just a little flashing icon along thousands of others, but I had little choice than to insert my USB drive into the available slot and hold my breath.

I tried not to read too much into the absence of protection for the hotel’s hardware and its guests’ data. It might not, I decided, tell us much about the potential for disaster in an election that is supposed to be largely electronic, but the staff’s attitude might.

When I told the only person on duty in the pokey little three-computer room that her PCs were not running antivirus, she nodded.

“Yes,” she said flatly, as if to say that was a luxury this US$120 a night hotel couldn’t afford.

I decided to at least try and be helpful by pointing out the obvious.

“It might be worth installing some, you know. Nowadays they’re free,” I said, adding, given that she showed no sign of having moved from her seat since the Marcos Administration:
“And they don’t take much maintenance.”

For my trouble she let fly, still seated, with one of those dismissive smiles that made it clear that wasn’t about to happen and, more importantly, my input wasn’t welcome.

I left and headed back to my room to see what damage had been wrought on my little thumb drive.

Unsurprisingly, it was infected with the Slogod.F worm that is described as “dangerous and self-propagates over a network connection”. A nasty little thing that is not exactly new: it’s been around since at least 2007. In other words, it doesn’t look like this particular computer had antivirus running on it for a while.

Not the end of the world for me: if you’ve got antivirus running on your computer you can easily check any external drive you plug in and run a scan on it before you let it do anything (this should be the first thing you do unless you know exactly where it’s been.)

But  a hotel should not allow this kind of thing. Or indeed, any self-respecting establishment that provides computers for customer use.

If you want me to get started, I find this kind of thing reflective of a deeper problem with the hotel industry: lots of money is spent on the fittings flashy things — this one had a lobby upgrade, but the rooms were rooted in the 1970s, complete with carpets you would not want to walk barefoot on — but not on the things that matter.

Guests spend their time in their rooms, not in the lobby, so why not spend money there first?

The same is increasingly true of technology. Everyone now travels with their cellphone and probably a netbook or laptop.

But Wi-Fi is usually atrocious, or expensive (or both) and heaven help anyone trying to buy a local SIM card in the hotel to avoid ruinous roaming fees. Atop that, printing documents in the business center are something like $1 a page — meaning that printing a 20-page document costs the equivalent of a hardback book.

And then to get infected with a virus as well?

Not quite the holiday experience I was looking for, frankly.

So, hotels and other establishments, get your IT acts together and make part of our stay a lot more pleasant, or we won’t come back.

Oh, and the automated election? I’m sure that’ll go swimmingly. But my USB drive stays in my pocket.

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Looklet be a virtual stylist

Have you ever not known what to wear in the morning? Do you have a dream to wear a well-known international fashion designer?
But hey, you can have them all! Here we go. Looklet.com makes it possible. Looklet is a site that has existed since 2009 and was developed along with the rise of cyber technology.
It is a digital styling studio where you are allowed to mix and create a look from every garment. Pick real clothes from the virtual wardrobe, put them on a model you choose, select the background you want and save it to show other Looklet users.
It inspires you without  making you lose your own touch of personal savor in creating fashionable looks.
Looklet requires you to sign up before you can save a new look on your page. The registration process is not complicated - fill in the username you want, email, password and your country.
After you sign up, you can edit your personal information, and upload a profile picture and description of yourself. Then, you can begin adding friends.
Challenge yourself with creativity to amaze other users on Looklet and let them send a “heart” to your page. Users can click on a “heart” button to show they love your look.
Users can only “heart” your page once. The more hearts you get, the more popular you become. Once your page becomes recognized as a popular look, you’ll likely gain more followers who add and view your page.
All items on Looklet are provided and selected by a Looklet stylist. Right now, there’s more than 3,500 items on Looklet. There are many categories to select including tops, suits, dresses, hosiery, skirts, jeans, jewelry, bags, shoes, scarves, bikinis, underwear, tattoos and accessories (such as umbrellas, dolls, masks, bottles, books and wings), jackets, hats, and many more.
It doesn’t end just like that. Those clothes, shoes and bags are also listed from clothing lines, brands, and designers around the world. They are also known for being pricey.  
But Looklet is a virtual paper-doll in 21st century, however. You are permitted to pick a beautiful top by Diane Von Furstenberg, a wonderful dress by Hugo Boss from the runway, shoes by Christian Louboutin, an adorable handbag by Marc Jacobs, and see the various Mulberry, Bianco, Forever 21, Max Mara, Tod’s, and other collections on Looklet to mix and match on your model.
Another good thing is Looklet has a styling contest for its users to win a prize. Last month was a Tommy Hilfiger jacket valued at US$470. Before joining the contest, you need to have one prize-item used in one of your looks and a competitive “heart” total to compete with others.
Moreover, Looklet has its virtual magazine and the editorial content – all revolving around the application – in which models, celebrities, designers, fashion role models, and featured users in the real world are reviewed and interviewed. They are asked to make Looklet looks of their own.
One thing that would make Looklet better is if there was a male version.
Looklet, however, is all about the love for creativity, style and new-technology fun where you can create great looks. Do not be surprised if you become addicted.

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Bali Nine convict files appeal based on fresh evidence

Australian drug convict Martin Eric Stephens, one of the nine members of drug ring known as Bali Nine, has formally appealed to the Supreme Court on grounds of new evidence released by the Australian Federal Police.

The plea, which seeks to have Martin’s life sentence reduced or quashed, was filed by his legal team to the Denpasar District Court on April 9, court registrar Gede Ketut Rantam said Tuesday.

“We are still administering the papers before holding a session on May 7,” he said. After the trial is completed, the papers would then be forwarded to the Supreme Court for its ruling.

The papers cited a letter from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), which said it had found new evidence that “Martin’s role in the attempted smuggling of heroin from Bali to Australia was considered by the AFP to be minor.”

“There is no indication that Martin was an organizer or aware of the details relating to the crime. Nor does the AFP possess information to indicate that he has been involved in previous drug-smuggling offenses,” the report said.

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Lawmakers play down pressure on Sri Mulyani

Lawmakers who had said Sri Mulyani Indrawati should be held accountable for state losses linked to the Bank Century bailout played down their pressure on the Finance Minister on Tuesday, accepting her at a hearing to discuss the revision of the 2010 state budget.

Emir Moeis, the chairman of House of Representatives Commission XI overseeing financial affairs, said the commission had accepted Mulyani to continue to represent the government on all matters related to the state budget.

Previously in a hearing on Monday, Mulyani’s presence had roiled tempers and resulted in an intense debate between lawmakers as to whether she could still represent the government after a House plenary session on March 3 concluded that she should face due legal process for her part in the Century bailout.

The hearing on Monday ended with a suspension and request for Mulyani to either be accompanied or replaced by Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa.

On Tuesday, the President bowed down to pressure from the lawmakers and assigned Hatta to accompany Mulyani.

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Israel tells its citizens to get out of Sinai now

Israel issued an "urgent" warning Tuesday to its citizens to leave Egypt's Sinai Peninsula immediately citing "concrete evidence of an expected terrorist attempt to kidnap Israelis in Sinai."

The statement from the Israeli prime minister's anti-terror office took the unusual step of calling on families of Israelis visiting the Sinai to establish contact with them.

The commander of the anti-terror office, Brig. Gen. Nitzan Nuriel, acknowledged that there had been rumors that Israelis have been kidnapped in the Sinai. "We don't work according to rumors," he Israel TV. "We work according to firm intelligence." He said it would "take some time" to disprove the rumors, which circulated all day Tuesday.

"It is very possible that at this moment, there is a terror cell that has the intention and has a plan in operation to kidnap an Israeli and bring him to Gaza," he said.

Palestinian militants in Gaza have been holding an Israeli soldier captive for more than three years.

Nuriel said the kidnappers were likely to strike along the Red Sea coast, a favorite spot for Israelis. "Sinai is a big place," he said, "and it is not impossible to kidnap an Israeli from one of the beaches in the present circumstances."

Nuriel told another TV station that about 1,200 Israelis are in Sinai now.

Egyptian police have been searching the Sinai throughout the day for any missing Israelis but found no evidence that anyone was missing, according to two Egyptian security officers speaking under customary conditions of anonymity.

While tens of thousands of Israelis routinely vacation in the Sinai over the Passover holiday, most return after the weeklong festival, which ended a week ago.

In unusually strong wording, the Israeli anti-terror office called "on all Israelis residing in Sinai to leave immediately and return home. Families of Israelis residing in Sinai are asked to contact them and update them on the travel warning."

Israel's anti-terror office has a standing travel advisory telling Israelis to stay out of the Sinai desert because of the threat of terror attacks. However, many Israelis routinely ignore the warning and vacation in the desert and along its Red Sea coast.

In 2004, suicide bombers attacked Egypt's Taba Hilton Hotel, just across the Israeli border, and several campsites where Israelis are known to vacation. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds wounded.

Israel controlled the Sinai from its capture in the 1967 war until returning it to Egypt in 1982 in the framework of a peace treaty between the two nations. The desert is just across the border, and many Israelis flock to the inexpensive seaside resorts nestled at the foot of stark desert mountains - all within driving distance.

The Sinai has been the scene of number of terrorist attacks, including bombings in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh in 2005 and Dahab in 2006, which killed dozens. Disgruntled Bedouin influenced by extremist groups were implicated in the attacks.

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Construction of Sunda Strait bridge to start in 2012: Bappenas

Infrastructure Deputy at the office of the Minister of National Development Planning Deddy S. Priatna predicted the construction of the Sunday Strait bridge would likely start at the beginning of 2012.

“At the beginning of 2012, (the construction of the bridge) will start... and is expected to be completed in 2017 or 2018,” Deddy said after a coordination meeting at the office of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy in Jakarta Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

According to Deddy the construction of the Sunda Strait bridge required various preparations, including feasibility study and the bridge design. “The feasibility study requires at least 1.5 years to make and its design will be prepared until 2012,” he said.

He explained at a national team for the construction fo the Sunda Strait bridge has been established in line with the issuance of a presidential decree. “It will be followed up with the establishment of a working group under a decree from the coordinating minister for the economy. It will likely be published next week,” he added.

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Police shoot alleged terrorist dead in Aceh

Aceh Police have shot dead an alleged terrorist identified as Enal Tao alias Ridwan alias Haris (38) during a raid in Baruna Jaya, Aceh Besar.

Haris was believed to have been involved in a series of terror actions in Poso, Central Sulawesi, in the period between 2005 and 2006.

“He [Haris] was a fugitive from Poso terror actions. He was accused to have, among other crimes, mutilated three people,” the National Police’s Detachment 88 counter terrorism head, Brig. Gen. Tito Karnavian, said Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Tito said that Haris was confronted with the police squad in the operation to arrest him. Detailed information on Haris’ raid would be disclosed later, he added.

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From Gayus Tambunan to critical literacy

The case of recently detained tax official Gayus Tambunan, allegedly involved in embezzling billions of rupiah, has further highlighted the urgent necessity of character education, which was revived again some time ago after a spate of plagiarism at university level.
Being of a similar age to the 30-year-old new tycoon, I share almost the same experience of primary, secondary and tertiary education. That is, we are both products of the predominantly top-down culture, thanks to Soeharto’s New Order regime.
I suspect he was a brand-new college student in 1998 (I was in my third year) when Soeharto’s de jure reign was over, leading to the advent of the so-called “Reformation Era”.
The problem is that many of us, fellow young Indonesians, are still deeply rooted in Soeharto’s de facto character to varying degrees.
Though as an ethnic Batak, Gayus may not have thoroughly understood Soeharto’s Javanese motto mikul ndhuwur mendem njero (upholding one’s contribution to the country, and covering up their wrongdoings), he perpetuates the shrewdly misused adage.
We may ideally justify this Javanese belief when an imaginary leader, for instance, has been really successful in many ways and a person of integrity, both compensate for their excessive, yet pardonable, slips of tongue and err..s (hesitations) in formal speeches.
But Soeharto and Gayus are not the ideals to fit into the essence of the proverb. Whereas Soeharto consecrated himself as the “father of national development” and concealed glaring corruption charged to him, Gayus has persistently upheld his achievements to enrich his immediate and extended families, and was once victorious in having himself covered as well as freed from imprisonment.
Does character and literacy education à la Soeharto account for such rampant corruption nowadays? Yes, and not only that.
In fact, we have inherited a feudalistic mentality, particularly since the Dutch divide-and-rule politics that segregated our society into imbalanced power relations favoring the Dutch (now perpetuated by many Western people who like to impose “more prestigious education”), with either the ethnic Chinese or indigenous Indonesians, or now including those of Arab and Indian descent, usually being involved in conflict and yet succumbing to the swamping effect of Western capitalistic education.
Not all Western people are capitalistic at heart, I believe, but traditionally literacy education in a capitalist world (Indonesia included, to my dismay) has its own set of metaphors.
David Barton (1994) suggests five parameters that constitute a set of metaphors for literacy: Condition, response, means, goal and application.
In conventional (used interchangeably here with capitalist) literacy, the main condition that necessitates education be carried out is people’s ignorance.
In response to this condition, good initiatives have certainly been made to train the people in order for them to be literate by means of literacy instruction.
The goals are mastery of basic literacy (reading and writing) and numeracy skills that allow the people to function in the workplace.
Pleasant or neutral as it may sound thus far, however, the application ends up with quite a dire impact: Adherence to the market logic as determined by capital owners. This leads to unfair play between many of the haves and the have-nots, with the latter being exploited by the former.
In Indonesia, the latter often realize they must have a lot of money to exercise power. Oftentimes once the latter are rich and powerful by hook or by crook, their literacy and numeracy skills are employed to outsmart many of the have-nots and to keep them in a perpetually ignorant condition.
Or, if the ignorant have-nots want to rise out of their poverty, they will learn the very literacy skills of corruption, thus repeating the vicious cycle.
A critical set of metaphors for literacy should begin to be conceptualized and most importantly
practiced.
This critical literacy starts from the awareness of the condition that many people are deprived of resources owing to imbalanced power relations and oppression.
People’s empowerment is the logical response. This empowerment can be facilitated by advocacy or pressure groups committed to eradicating corrupt practices in multidimensional aspects of life. The twofold goal is clear: People are conscious of their civil rights, and do not violate other people’s rights through corruption.
I will suggest one application in second-language literacy education, that is, conscientizing practices in view of Paulo Freire (1970). Inclusive of these practices are (1) perceiving “oppressive elements of reality”, (2) changing one’s mindset (e.g. from corruption to integrity), and (3) actions leading to social change.
The first and second steps can be explored by immersing (English) language learners, at least at university level, in critical corpus linguistic analysis.
For example, the students are to examine collocations preceding or following the word “corrupt(ion)” (e.g. money laundering, bribery, officials, public institution, mindset, judicial taskforce, etc.) and “integrity” (e.g. professionalism, transparency, pact, moral, political, restore, credibility, etc.) displayed by means of a concordance software that can retrieve a huge collection of texts (i.e. a corpus of tens of thousands up to, in some cases, millions of words).
The corpus can be a specialized one compiled by teachers from downloadable texts containing cases of corruption and its eradication, like those in The Jakarta Post and fed into the concordance software.
After this analysis, students follow up the conscientization in writing projects by making connections between existing oppression attributable to corruption, committed by other people and themselves in the past, and their deliberate attempts to transcend corruption through a course of actions that reflect integrity and in turn defend themselves just like what the Javanese believe is becik ketitik ala ketara (time will tell who is right and wrong).
This character critical literacy education blueprint will with hope help eliminate rampant Gayus-like corrupt officials.
Sounds too hopelessly idealistic? Suspend your judgment and let’s give it a try!

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Susno accused of code of ethics violation, may serve detention

The National Police is accusing former detective chief Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji of breaching the force’s code of ethics for attempting to leave the country without his superior’s consent.

Spokesman for the police Sr. Comr. Zulkarnain said on Monday that Susno was facing punishments which ranged from reprimand to a 21-day detention.

“Pak Susno is accused of violating Government Regulation No. 2/2003 on police discipline, particularly article 6 points B and C,” Zulkarnain was quoted by kompas.com.

Zulkarnain, however, denied reports of Susno’s arrest.

“I have to clarify there was no arrest of Pak Susno. We only took him to investigators,” Zulkarnain said.

Internal affairs officers prevented Susno from leaving Indonesia for Singapore at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang. Susno’s lawyers said their client would seek medical treatment of his eyes.

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Susno to face disciplinary hearing

The National Police will soon hold a disciplinary hearing to settle a series of alleged violations of the force’s code of ethics involving former detective chief Comr. Gen, Susno Duadji.

Spokesman for the police, Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang said Monday the police force had recorded at least 10 offenses allegedly perpetrated by Susno since he was dismissed as the detective chief in November last year.

“There were about 10 violations, starting from his appearance in court to testify in Antasari’s murder trial, holding press conferences, absence from work and other violations,” Edward said.

The National Police once threatened to bring Susno to the disciplinary hearing for testifying in court without notifying his superior. The threat, however, has never materialized.

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World's deepest known undersea volcanic vent found

Scientists using a remote-controlled submarine have discovered the deepest known volcanic vent and say the superheated waters inside could contain undiscovered marine species and perhaps even clues to the origin of life on earth.

Experts aboard the RRS James Cook said they found the vent more than three miles (five kilometers) beneath the surface of the Caribbean in an area known as the Cayman Trough, a deep-sea canyon that served as the setting for James Cameron's underwater thriller "The Abyss."

Volcanic vents are networks of small cracks that penetrate deep into the earth's crust, where temperatures can reach 750 degrees Fahrenheit (400 degrees Celsius). Sea water seeps into the openings, where it's heated to extreme temperatures and expelled into the icy cold of the deep ocean.

Minerals in the water precipitate as it cools, creating a smoke-like effect and leaving behind towering chimneys. The spectacular pressure - 500 times stronger than the earth's atmosphere - keeps the water from boiling.

Geologist Bramley Murton, the submersible's pilot, said the exploring the area was "like wandering across the surface of another world," one complete with towers of mineral deposits and thick collections of microorganisms thriving in the slightly cooler waters around the chimneys
.
"The rainbow hues of the mineral spires and the fluorescent blues of the microbial mats covering them were like nothing I had ever seen before," Murton said.

Scientists exploring other vents have discovered host lush colonies of exotic animals such as hairy worms, blind shrimp and giant white crabs.

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Sneak preview of new WOT website

The WOT team has been busy for the past few months working on a new, improved WOT website. Our goal is to have the new pages ready to launch in May. We hope you like our sophisticated look. Here's a sneak preview.
Homepage
Download page
Leave a comment and tell us what you think.

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WOT recommended by PCWorld

We can't help getting excited when someone recommends WOT. Whether it be a  part-time blogger, a fan on  Facebook, a  German TV reporter or a  radio host, we notice it and keep it in our scrapbook. The word-of-mouth phenomenon has been the engine that drives the growth of our community. In a way, we feel that all of us are members of a grass roots movement to restore trust to the Web.

This month, WOT scored a mention in the print version of one of the world's most respected PC magazines, PCWorld. The April 2010 issue's cover story is Best Free Stuff, and WOT shows up on page 76 under Security: PC SAFETY BOOSTERS.

"Clicking any link that you find on the Web - even one that appears at the top of a Google search results page - can lead to a spyware infestation. Try the free browser plug-in Web of Trust, which vets the links you click. Green means good, red means bad. Simple."

Thanks to Frank, an eagle-eyed member of  Web of Trust LinkedIn group for informing us.

Click here to see the other  tools and services that PCWorld recommends. While you're there, please leave a review.

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