Northerner

India aims for $35 computer tablet

India is looking for students and universities to come up with the $35 tablet computer which would reduce the cost of education in India and help their children. The computer which would use Linux could be live by 2011 and would completely shake up the computer and electronics industry.

Already India has produced the cheapest car and could be on path to do the same for computers. The tablet could be used for browsing the internet, word processing and creating documents, emails and video conferencing which could be used for teaching. 

Cell phones have become cheaper and the same parts and technologies would be used to produce one of these low cost tablets. 

7 EU banks fail stress tests

It looks like 7 banks out of 91 that have been tested recently to see if they can survive, well they failed the so called stress test. 5 Spanish banks, 1 Greek and 1 German are named in the list of banks that looks like they will fold. They are Daida, Banca Civica, Unnim, Cajasur and Espiga all in Spain, ATEbank in Greece and Hypo Real Estate in Germany. 

It is not surprising that the Spanish banks are named as their economy has suffered 20% unemployment rate and real estate has plunged. This news will probably put the banks out of business as their customers will probably transfer their financial assets to a larger bank fearing all their money will disappear. 

It will most likely happen that these banks will be bought out or have to raise significant capital to stay afloat. 

North Korea warns of nuclear threat

North Korea is warning of a nuclear response which is short of saying a nuclear threat. A nuclear attack would certainly start a major war and drag all countries involved under. The threat comes after the United States has said new and tougher sanctions will be put on the rogue nation of North Korea. North Korea says that the war games started by the US and South Korea are provoking N Korea to retaliate. 

These events shouldn't be so shocking or surprising since North Korea was accused of attacking a South Korean warship which killed many people and the North denies it attacked. 

Amazon Kindle ebooks sells more than hardcovers

The Amazon Kindle has recently surpassed ebook sales more than hardcovers according to the media giant. Amazon is now selling ebooks at a rate of nearly 2:1 for ebooks to hard covers. If you have ever used a Kindle you will know how neat a toy it is yet practical for reading. It is lightweight and doesn't use much power. If you want to take 10 books with you then you don't have to lug around 10 heavy books.

If you're conscious about the environment then your Kindle will save on paper and that's less trees to be cut down. Truth be told that these new reading devices are going to completely replace hardcovers and it is only a matter of time before hardcovers become obsolete. No more having to worry about getting your books dirty or messing up the pages. No need to borrow books just download them to your kindle and off you go.

Windows Phone 7

Coming to a store near you will be the Windows Phone 7. Since Microsoft has fallen far behind in the mobile operating system markets they have finally stepped up to the plate and are expected to launch their Windows Phone 7 later in 2010. 

The Windows Phone 7 copies all the good features you can find on the iphone and Google's Android. Would it be worth getting one of these Windows phones? Probably not but best wait until it launches but unless it does something different that iphone or android doesn't do, then expect this product and OS to be a flop.

Apple offers refund, case in iphone 4

Steve Jobs insults other makers including RIM claiming they have same reception and antenna problems as the iphone 4.

The new iphone 4 has sold nearly 2 million units worldwide but had an antennae problem and is now being called antennaegate. Steve Jobs recently announced that Apple isn't perfect and they are offering users a full refund and a case for the phone but avoided a recall which many consumers were calling for. A recall would have cost the company too much money and given the company a bigger black eye than what it has already.

Steve Jobs took the apology sent to consumers and wrapped it with a few punches on the competition claiming that they have identical signal problems too. Jim Balsillie has warned Apple to back off on their company and claiming Apple's problems are unique and that RIM has their own antennae technology and is free of the same problems.

If you want the new iphone maybe get the iphone 3 instead or wait until Apple fixes their iphone 4.

Tiger Woods golf game

Tiger Wood's golf game has taken a severe beating since he returned after being caught cheating on his wife multiple times. He has failed to win a tournament and over 50% of questions from any reporter has to do with his personal life. Those same reporters suggest that his personal problems has affected his golf game. 

His extra marital affairs could have cost him an estimated 1 billion dollars in the form of a divorce settlement with his former wife Elin and lost endorsements that have backed out of contracts with the golf superstar.

Tiger Woods may not be at the top of his golf game but he still remains the most talked about golfer in the world and most golfers in the PGA are happy to have him back as his success has rewarded the competition generously and they have a lot to owe to the 'tiger'.

iphone 4 problems

Consumer reports on the iphone 4 are telling people to stay away from this product. The hype for the new and improved phone has been overwhelming while Apple appears to have rushed the phone without doing enough testing. 

Everyone seems to want an iphone but based on all the reports of bad connectivity I think it is best to wait until Apple can find a way to fix it. According to Steve Jobs the solution to the problem was to not hold the phone in a certain way which sounds like a ridiculous suggestion.

Maybe the new iphone 4 is worth having but certainly not at the moment with it's connection problems.

Toronto Fraternities

Are you looking to join a fraternity at the University of Toronto or any college or university in Toronto? There are many toronto fraternities and the frat life is alive and active with many great men and women that participate in these long standing organizations.

 

The first greek lettered fraternity was founded in 1777 and many of the fraternities and sororities at the University of Toronto are older than Canada itself. There are many myths about 'frat life', hazing and many other misconceptions about what a fraternity is. Many successful people come from some sort of fraternity organization and it's a great way to make new friends and more importantly network. The fraternity scene at the University of Toronto is a healthy one with nearly 20 fraternities and 10 sororities with each frat getting along with the rest. At any fraternity you'll find a wide mix of students from engineers, doctors, lawyers, dentists, arts & science majors and in any discipline you can think of.

If you are interested in joining a fraternity and want to get to know some members visit the website for Theta Delta Chi of Toronto, a fraternity founded in New York in 1847 with over 100,000 members worldwide. 

Visit Newfoundland Tourism

Not everyone in the world knows where Newfoundland is or what this Canadian province has to offer. For those that don't know here are some interesting facts about this province:

• The largest density of moose can be found on this island but are not native animals and were imported from Nova Scotia for hunting
• Joined Canada in 1949 and is the eastern most point of Canada
• The original native Indians that lived on the island were the Beothuks which are now extinct
• Christopher Columbus was NOT the first european to visit the Americas but rather the Vikings make the first contact at L'anse aux Meadows 1000 years ago and is now a Unesco World Heritage site
• The island is made from North American, Southwest European and North African 250 million years ago
• Newfoundland is the 16th largest island in the world and it takes 8 hours to drive the width of the island and another 8 hours to drive the southern most point to the top of St. Anthony or L'anse aux Meadows
• Newfoundland is home to many freshwater fjords but technically they are no longer fjords because they are land locked

 

So what else do you need to know about Newfoundland? The best times of the year to visit are summer months where the weather is mild. All the people you meet there are very friendly and are very hospitable. Newfoundland is a great place to visit to slow down life and enjoy nature and fresh air. 

If you are considering planning a trip visit the Official Newfoundland and Labrador tourism website:

www.newfoundlandlabrador.com