Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed yesterday ruled out the possibility of local currency (Taka) devaluation at this moment, demanded by exporters, but suggested to be careful about any deal with their buyers in view of the current global financial crisis.
"There is a recent tendency that importers place huge orders when they reach the verge of bankruptcy. So, the exporters, particularly in the RMG sector must remain alert," he said at a press conference at Bangladesh Bank.
The BB Governor recognized that the currencies in most of the countries other than China have depreciated, but said the Taka remained stable for quite a long time and that helped reduce the import cost.
Consumers in Bangladesh, are yet to benefit form the reduced import cost and inflation is still soaring over double digit through prices of essential commodities have declined sharply in the international market.
Dr Salehuddin is optimistic about pulling down inflation saying there are enough indications in the market that the inflation, already eased to some extent, would further come down significantly in the days ahead.
"The inflation will fall substantially by the year-end from around 10 per cent at present due to sharp fall of global prices and bumper boro harvest and a better outlook for aman this season, Deputy Governor Ziaul Hassan Siddiqui supplemented.
Replying to another question, the Governor said the regulatory bodies of banks, financial institutions, insurance companies and stock market should be more active and, at the same time, they would have to be cautious that over regulation does not affect market discipline.
He mentioned that Bangladesh Bank has strengthened its supervision of commercial banks and financial institutions and asked the banks and financial institutions to strengthen their internal control to consolidate their position.
"We'll have to remain alert so the recession does not affect us," he said.
Dr Salehuddin said the central bank has long been trying to encourage commercial banks to provide adequate credit to agriculture, SMEs and housing sectors of Bangladesh to help accelerate the country's economic growth.
He, however, said: "Our major challenge is to protect the real sector from the financial sector."
The press conference was to review the country's economic and financial sector situation in view of the global financial meltdown that pushed developed and developing countries into recession and made the countries like Bangladesh vulnerable.
Replying to a question, deputy governor Nazrul Huda said Bangladesh Bank has a target to reduce the interest rate spread from 6 percent to 5 percent through reduction of the lending rates. During the last three quarters, the spread declined to some extent, but still remained above the target.
He, however, expected that the spread would come down to the target level by December.
The Governor said the central bank was still pressing private banks to further reduce interest rates on bank loans to reduce their rate spread to below five points.
To maintain expected GDP growth targets and keep inflation tolerable, the central bank will not change its monetary policy against the backdrop of the world crisis, he said in answer to a query.
The bank has no plans at the moment to adjust the value of the taka against the US or any other currency, Salehuddin added.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Cyclone rips through coastal region: 11 killed
The cyclonic storm Reshmi ripped through southern and southeastern parts of the country in the early hours of yesterday leaving at least 11 people killed, many fishermen missing and hundreds of mud houses damaged.
The tropical storm attaining a speed of 50 mile per hour lashed the Khulna-Barisal region damaging crops on vast areas of land, uprooting numerous trees, electrical and telephone poles, officials said.
Offshore islands and coastal areas were swept by a tidal surge of up to two meters above normal, but details of casualties were yet to be available.
A woman named Hazera Begum (58) of Char Kukrimukri union and a minor girl named Rupa Begum (7) of Doulot Khan were killed by house collapse in Bhola.
About 2,000 mud houses were destroyed while many fishing trawlers with fishermen missing, district administration said on the basis of its preliminary estimate.
Three other persons died in Barisal and Shariatpur.
Officials said thousands of people were evacuated to shelters after the authorities issued storm warning.
"The storm turned into a land depression and started weakening gradually," a senior official of the Meteorological Department said.
An international cricket test match, scheduled to be held in the capital yesterday, was abandoned for the third consecutive day due to rain.
In Bagerhat, some 5,000 thatched houses were damaged and 15 fishing trawlers capsized in the Bay leaving more than 50 fishermen missing.
Acting Chairman of Mongla Sea Port Lutfor Rahman said loading and unloading of goods from cargo ships came to a halt since Sunday morning.
Moving northeast, Reshmi weakened into a land depression over Faridpur, Madaripur, Chandpur, Dhaka and adjoining areas heading further inland, weather office said in a special bulletin.
The storm began crossing the coast near Patharghata with wind speed of 60-80km/h, in the early hours of Monday. Mongla seaport and adjoining coastal areas were advised to hoist danger signal 7 in an early morning weather bulletin. As the storm weakened, moving inland, they were advised to lower the danger signal and hoist local cautionary signal 3.
Chittagong and Cox's Bazar seaports were also advised to lower their earlier danger signal 6, and hoist cautionary signal 3. Chittagong port resumed operations from Monday morning.
Patuakahli witnessed driving rain with cold wind. Ferry movement on all inland routes was cancelled. As many as 6,000 houses were damaged at several upazilas and a number of fishermen were missing. Many people were seen heading toward cyclone centres.
In Barisal, strong winds caused damage to homes, and the bodies of two storm victims were recovered Monday morning. Thousands took cover in cyclone shelters overnight. The storm damaged 30 percent Aman crops in the district, according to an agriculture official.
Shariatpur correspondent confirmed one person dead and many people injured after the cyclone hit on Monday morning. Some 80 percent crops were damaged during the time, officials said.
Reporters from Chittagong said authorities allowed ship movement in the port after the danger signal was lowered to local cautionary signal 3. The district was experiencing sporadic rain since morning.
Munshiganj correspondent said ferry movement remained halted for 11 hours, and resuming from 11 am on Monday.
Chandpur and Khulna correspondents said thousands of homes and trees were damaged by the storm.
Our Barisal Correspondent adds: Mushfiq Ahmed Shamim, deputy commissioner of Barisal, said district administration sanctioned emergency food relief of five tons for each of the five affected upazilas of the district.
Divisional Commissioner and Agriculture extension department officials of Barisal region said the cyclone and rainfall would damage 30% Aman crop in severely affected areas and may increase if water logging continues for some days on the fields. Seedlings of winter vegetables at some places in the region would be affected, according to them.
Intense publicity by the personnel of the Cyclone Preparedness Programme and Barisal Red Crescent Society succeeded in motivating a large number of people this time to seek refuge in cyclone shelter much ahead of the impending cyclone, locals said.
According to our Chittagong Correspondent: Though the cyclone passed over southwestern coast by morning yesterday its influence lasted in the port city and its adjacent areas until the sunset.
Light to moderate showers accompanied with gusty and squally wind continued in the region for whole day with a number of pauses.
Local weather office recorded 82.3 mm of rainfall over the last 24 hours ended 6:00 p.m. yesterday. The weathermen also predicted dull and wet weather for today.
Normal life was disrupted to a large extent following stormy wind coupled with heavy shower. Majority of the city's educational institutes could not function while trade and commerce suffered an extremely dull day because of inclement weather.
Some of the city's low lying areas experienced flash flood mainly because of the high tides under the influence of the storm and the heavy rainfall.
Seedlings of the winter vegetables mainly at the green bowls - Hathazari, Nazirhat, Dohazari, Fauzdarhat, Barabkund, Sitakund, Mirsarai and Baraiarhat - were washed away by the heavy shower apart from destroying standing Boro crop on a large area.
Radio Control of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) confirmed no incident in the Bay during the cyclone .
The Air Traffic Control tower of Shah Amanat International Airport (SAIA) said that six domestic flights of three different private airlines had been cancelled following the inclement weather.
The tropical storm attaining a speed of 50 mile per hour lashed the Khulna-Barisal region damaging crops on vast areas of land, uprooting numerous trees, electrical and telephone poles, officials said.
Offshore islands and coastal areas were swept by a tidal surge of up to two meters above normal, but details of casualties were yet to be available.
A woman named Hazera Begum (58) of Char Kukrimukri union and a minor girl named Rupa Begum (7) of Doulot Khan were killed by house collapse in Bhola.
About 2,000 mud houses were destroyed while many fishing trawlers with fishermen missing, district administration said on the basis of its preliminary estimate.
Three other persons died in Barisal and Shariatpur.
Officials said thousands of people were evacuated to shelters after the authorities issued storm warning.
"The storm turned into a land depression and started weakening gradually," a senior official of the Meteorological Department said.
An international cricket test match, scheduled to be held in the capital yesterday, was abandoned for the third consecutive day due to rain.
In Bagerhat, some 5,000 thatched houses were damaged and 15 fishing trawlers capsized in the Bay leaving more than 50 fishermen missing.
Acting Chairman of Mongla Sea Port Lutfor Rahman said loading and unloading of goods from cargo ships came to a halt since Sunday morning.
Moving northeast, Reshmi weakened into a land depression over Faridpur, Madaripur, Chandpur, Dhaka and adjoining areas heading further inland, weather office said in a special bulletin.
The storm began crossing the coast near Patharghata with wind speed of 60-80km/h, in the early hours of Monday. Mongla seaport and adjoining coastal areas were advised to hoist danger signal 7 in an early morning weather bulletin. As the storm weakened, moving inland, they were advised to lower the danger signal and hoist local cautionary signal 3.
Chittagong and Cox's Bazar seaports were also advised to lower their earlier danger signal 6, and hoist cautionary signal 3. Chittagong port resumed operations from Monday morning.
Patuakahli witnessed driving rain with cold wind. Ferry movement on all inland routes was cancelled. As many as 6,000 houses were damaged at several upazilas and a number of fishermen were missing. Many people were seen heading toward cyclone centres.
In Barisal, strong winds caused damage to homes, and the bodies of two storm victims were recovered Monday morning. Thousands took cover in cyclone shelters overnight. The storm damaged 30 percent Aman crops in the district, according to an agriculture official.
Shariatpur correspondent confirmed one person dead and many people injured after the cyclone hit on Monday morning. Some 80 percent crops were damaged during the time, officials said.
Reporters from Chittagong said authorities allowed ship movement in the port after the danger signal was lowered to local cautionary signal 3. The district was experiencing sporadic rain since morning.
Munshiganj correspondent said ferry movement remained halted for 11 hours, and resuming from 11 am on Monday.
Chandpur and Khulna correspondents said thousands of homes and trees were damaged by the storm.
Our Barisal Correspondent adds: Mushfiq Ahmed Shamim, deputy commissioner of Barisal, said district administration sanctioned emergency food relief of five tons for each of the five affected upazilas of the district.
Divisional Commissioner and Agriculture extension department officials of Barisal region said the cyclone and rainfall would damage 30% Aman crop in severely affected areas and may increase if water logging continues for some days on the fields. Seedlings of winter vegetables at some places in the region would be affected, according to them.
Intense publicity by the personnel of the Cyclone Preparedness Programme and Barisal Red Crescent Society succeeded in motivating a large number of people this time to seek refuge in cyclone shelter much ahead of the impending cyclone, locals said.
According to our Chittagong Correspondent: Though the cyclone passed over southwestern coast by morning yesterday its influence lasted in the port city and its adjacent areas until the sunset.
Light to moderate showers accompanied with gusty and squally wind continued in the region for whole day with a number of pauses.
Local weather office recorded 82.3 mm of rainfall over the last 24 hours ended 6:00 p.m. yesterday. The weathermen also predicted dull and wet weather for today.
Normal life was disrupted to a large extent following stormy wind coupled with heavy shower. Majority of the city's educational institutes could not function while trade and commerce suffered an extremely dull day because of inclement weather.
Some of the city's low lying areas experienced flash flood mainly because of the high tides under the influence of the storm and the heavy rainfall.
Seedlings of the winter vegetables mainly at the green bowls - Hathazari, Nazirhat, Dohazari, Fauzdarhat, Barabkund, Sitakund, Mirsarai and Baraiarhat - were washed away by the heavy shower apart from destroying standing Boro crop on a large area.
Radio Control of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) confirmed no incident in the Bay during the cyclone .
The Air Traffic Control tower of Shah Amanat International Airport (SAIA) said that six domestic flights of three different private airlines had been cancelled following the inclement weather.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Four to die for murder in Pallabi
A court of Dhaka yesterday sentenced four persons to death in a murder case filed for killing six people including four children at a residence at Pallabi of the city.
Judge AHM Mostaque Ahmed of Speedy Trial Tribunal-II of Dhaka pronounced his verdict Sundy at noon in presence of the convicts: Md. Azim, Masud Matabbar, Jakir Hossain Bahar and Quamruzzaman in the crowded courtroom. Azim was the caretaker, while Masum-a driver of the complainant, Kazi Sirajul Haque- a businessman. It was learnt that the first investigation officer (IO) of the case was dismissed due to his attempt to save the accused and Police Inspector Md. Forman Ali of Detective Branch (DB) was made the IO to inquire into the case. As the police failed to unveil the clue of murder, the Monitoring Cell of the Ministry of Home Affairs directed the DB to inquire into the case. The Judge recorded the depositions of 18 prosecution witnesses.
Of the accused three-made confessional statement about their involvement in the murder under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Special Public Prosecutor Md. Abdul Latif Talukder conducted the case on behalf of the prosecution while Advocate AFM Abdul Wadud and his associate lawyers moved the case on behalf of the accused.
Brief prosecution story says : On October 13, 2006 the accused committed dacoity and slaughtered four children : domestic help Khadija, Anna, Manir and Tofail and former domestic help Rijia who came for Zakat money and guard of the residence Milon between 5.20 and 9.45 PM, when the complainant and the members of his family were away from the residence to attend an invitation.
The dacoits including the caretaker and driver of the complainant committed dacoity and took away Taka 1,50,000 and gold ornaments weighing 12 tolas. As Rijia and her child Tofail could identify caretaker Azim and driver Masum, the accused committed the murder. IO Forman Ali submitted the charge sheet on October 16 of 2007 while the charge was framed on April 8 of this year.
Judge AHM Mostaque Ahmed of Speedy Trial Tribunal-II of Dhaka pronounced his verdict Sundy at noon in presence of the convicts: Md. Azim, Masud Matabbar, Jakir Hossain Bahar and Quamruzzaman in the crowded courtroom. Azim was the caretaker, while Masum-a driver of the complainant, Kazi Sirajul Haque- a businessman. It was learnt that the first investigation officer (IO) of the case was dismissed due to his attempt to save the accused and Police Inspector Md. Forman Ali of Detective Branch (DB) was made the IO to inquire into the case. As the police failed to unveil the clue of murder, the Monitoring Cell of the Ministry of Home Affairs directed the DB to inquire into the case. The Judge recorded the depositions of 18 prosecution witnesses.
Of the accused three-made confessional statement about their involvement in the murder under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Special Public Prosecutor Md. Abdul Latif Talukder conducted the case on behalf of the prosecution while Advocate AFM Abdul Wadud and his associate lawyers moved the case on behalf of the accused.
Brief prosecution story says : On October 13, 2006 the accused committed dacoity and slaughtered four children : domestic help Khadija, Anna, Manir and Tofail and former domestic help Rijia who came for Zakat money and guard of the residence Milon between 5.20 and 9.45 PM, when the complainant and the members of his family were away from the residence to attend an invitation.
The dacoits including the caretaker and driver of the complainant committed dacoity and took away Taka 1,50,000 and gold ornaments weighing 12 tolas. As Rijia and her child Tofail could identify caretaker Azim and driver Masum, the accused committed the murder. IO Forman Ali submitted the charge sheet on October 16 of 2007 while the charge was framed on April 8 of this year.
Depression likely to cross Barisal-Khulna coast: City life remains paralysed for second day
Normal life in the capital city of Dhaka and elsewhere in the country has been paralyzed due to intermittent rainfall resulting from the deep depression over the northwest and adjoining west-central Bay for last two days.
According to Met Office, the deep depression over the northwest and adjoining west-central Bay is likely to cross the Khulna-Barisal coast by noon or afternoon today (Monday) leaving a trail of downpour.
People of different sections of the society, particularly the office goers, students and garments workers faced difficulties to reach their destinations on time amid the stormy weather created under the influence of deep depression.
They stranded in different points due to shortages of transports both on roads and water ways.
Day labourers were forced to confine at homes without going out for work.
Most of the shops, kitchen markets, grocery and confectionaries, restaurants were either closed or facing shortages of buyers. Prices of eggs, pulses, potato, fuel, candles, fish, meat and other essential items increased due to shortage of supply in adverse weather.
The Met Office yesterday warned that the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Barisal, Bhola, Pirojpur, Jhalakati, Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by wind-driven surge of 3-5 feet of height above normal astronomical tide under the influence of deep depression.
The depression moved rapidly north-northeastwards and was lying over the north Bay and adjoining area at about 3:00pm yesterday.
According to Met Office weather bulletin, the deep depression had centred about 550 kms west-southwest of Chittagong Port, 515 kms west-southwest of Cox's Bazar Port and 380 kms southwest of Mongla Port.
It is likely to intensify further and move in a north-northeasterly direction. Squally weather may continue over the coastal areas of the country, the weather bulletin said.
Maximum sustained wind speed within 48 kms of the depression centre is about 50 KPH (kilo meter per hour), rising to 60 KPH in gusts or squalls. Sea will remain rough.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal number three.
All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay have been advised to remain in shelter until further notice.
Most parts of the country, particularly coastal districts, have been experiencing light to moderate rain and gusty winds under the influence of the depression, paralyzing normal life of people in both cities and villages.
Our Barisal Correspondent Adv Tapan Chakraborty reports that the normal life in Barisal region continued to be paralyzed due to incessant mid to heavy downpour and gusty winds until writing this report since early Saturday night.
Barisal weather office recorded 173 millimeters rainfall in 18 hours since 6:00 am Saturday morning with gusty winds.
Port authorities continued restriction over plying of ML (motor Launch) type water transports less than 65 feet in length on 76 routes including 28 inner routes of Barisal, 21 routes of Patuakhali, 13 routes of Barguna, 14 routes of Bhola and coastal services on five routes of Barisal-Bhola-Laxmipur-Chittagong.
Rafiqul Islam, deputy director of BIWTA and officer in charge of Barisal Port said that the ML type launch operation would not be operative in Dhaka Barisal route till the weather condition improved.
Prodip Kumar, officer of Kalapara weather radar station said to local journalists that cautionary weather signal no.3 in coastal areas continued as the well-marked low over west-central Bay and adjoining area moving to west-northwest direction and has been getting stronger into a well marked low over west-central Bay and adjoining northwest Bay.
It is likely to intensify further and move to a north or northwesterly direction affecting the usual operation of the maritime ports, he added.
Rainfall recorded as 249 millimeter in last 18 hours since Saturday 6:00 am and tidal bore flowing 2-4 feet high than usual time in Kalapara region.
Abdul Barek Molla, chairman of Lata Chapli UP of Kalapara coastal upazila under Patuakhali district said that about 80 per cent embankments constructed to halt access of saline water and preserve sweet water reserves have been damaged severely due to downpour.
Sujoy Chakma, executive engineer of Water Development Board of Barguna, told journalists that 253 millimeter rainfall recorded in last 18 hours since 6:00 am Saturday morning and river tide flowing 2-3 meters higher than normal period.
Maximum portions of the 850 kilometers embankment constructed to save the people from over flooding rivers urgently needed to be repaired or reconstructed.
Reports further said that more than 60 thousand peoples residing on more than 80 shoals in southern region of Barisal division are marooned by over flooding of river and downpour.
Agriculture extension department officials of Barisal region said the rainfall would damage Aman crop if water logging continues for some days on the field and seedlings of winter vegetables at some places in the region would be affected much to the frustration of small growers.
Advocate Kazi Munir, Barisal district Red Crescent secretary and AHM Saleh, official of CPP of Barisal Red Crescent, said regular wireless contact with their units on different shore, off shore, coastal islands and shoals, are being maintained and they informed that conditions of river estuaries and sea were very rough with high waves and strong tides and gusty winds since last afternoon.
Sources said continued drizzles and gusty winds forced disruption of normal work at Mongla Port yesterday.
Hundreds of fishermen of Dublar Char, Kachi Khali and different regions of Sundarbans mangrove took shelter in nearby coasts with their trawlers and fishing boats.
According to Met Office, the deep depression over the northwest and adjoining west-central Bay is likely to cross the Khulna-Barisal coast by noon or afternoon today (Monday) leaving a trail of downpour.
People of different sections of the society, particularly the office goers, students and garments workers faced difficulties to reach their destinations on time amid the stormy weather created under the influence of deep depression.
They stranded in different points due to shortages of transports both on roads and water ways.
Day labourers were forced to confine at homes without going out for work.
Most of the shops, kitchen markets, grocery and confectionaries, restaurants were either closed or facing shortages of buyers. Prices of eggs, pulses, potato, fuel, candles, fish, meat and other essential items increased due to shortage of supply in adverse weather.
The Met Office yesterday warned that the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Barisal, Bhola, Pirojpur, Jhalakati, Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by wind-driven surge of 3-5 feet of height above normal astronomical tide under the influence of deep depression.
The depression moved rapidly north-northeastwards and was lying over the north Bay and adjoining area at about 3:00pm yesterday.
According to Met Office weather bulletin, the deep depression had centred about 550 kms west-southwest of Chittagong Port, 515 kms west-southwest of Cox's Bazar Port and 380 kms southwest of Mongla Port.
It is likely to intensify further and move in a north-northeasterly direction. Squally weather may continue over the coastal areas of the country, the weather bulletin said.
Maximum sustained wind speed within 48 kms of the depression centre is about 50 KPH (kilo meter per hour), rising to 60 KPH in gusts or squalls. Sea will remain rough.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal number three.
All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay have been advised to remain in shelter until further notice.
Most parts of the country, particularly coastal districts, have been experiencing light to moderate rain and gusty winds under the influence of the depression, paralyzing normal life of people in both cities and villages.
Our Barisal Correspondent Adv Tapan Chakraborty reports that the normal life in Barisal region continued to be paralyzed due to incessant mid to heavy downpour and gusty winds until writing this report since early Saturday night.
Barisal weather office recorded 173 millimeters rainfall in 18 hours since 6:00 am Saturday morning with gusty winds.
Port authorities continued restriction over plying of ML (motor Launch) type water transports less than 65 feet in length on 76 routes including 28 inner routes of Barisal, 21 routes of Patuakhali, 13 routes of Barguna, 14 routes of Bhola and coastal services on five routes of Barisal-Bhola-Laxmipur-Chittagong.
Rafiqul Islam, deputy director of BIWTA and officer in charge of Barisal Port said that the ML type launch operation would not be operative in Dhaka Barisal route till the weather condition improved.
Prodip Kumar, officer of Kalapara weather radar station said to local journalists that cautionary weather signal no.3 in coastal areas continued as the well-marked low over west-central Bay and adjoining area moving to west-northwest direction and has been getting stronger into a well marked low over west-central Bay and adjoining northwest Bay.
It is likely to intensify further and move to a north or northwesterly direction affecting the usual operation of the maritime ports, he added.
Rainfall recorded as 249 millimeter in last 18 hours since Saturday 6:00 am and tidal bore flowing 2-4 feet high than usual time in Kalapara region.
Abdul Barek Molla, chairman of Lata Chapli UP of Kalapara coastal upazila under Patuakhali district said that about 80 per cent embankments constructed to halt access of saline water and preserve sweet water reserves have been damaged severely due to downpour.
Sujoy Chakma, executive engineer of Water Development Board of Barguna, told journalists that 253 millimeter rainfall recorded in last 18 hours since 6:00 am Saturday morning and river tide flowing 2-3 meters higher than normal period.
Maximum portions of the 850 kilometers embankment constructed to save the people from over flooding rivers urgently needed to be repaired or reconstructed.
Reports further said that more than 60 thousand peoples residing on more than 80 shoals in southern region of Barisal division are marooned by over flooding of river and downpour.
Agriculture extension department officials of Barisal region said the rainfall would damage Aman crop if water logging continues for some days on the field and seedlings of winter vegetables at some places in the region would be affected much to the frustration of small growers.
Advocate Kazi Munir, Barisal district Red Crescent secretary and AHM Saleh, official of CPP of Barisal Red Crescent, said regular wireless contact with their units on different shore, off shore, coastal islands and shoals, are being maintained and they informed that conditions of river estuaries and sea were very rough with high waves and strong tides and gusty winds since last afternoon.
Sources said continued drizzles and gusty winds forced disruption of normal work at Mongla Port yesterday.
Hundreds of fishermen of Dublar Char, Kachi Khali and different regions of Sundarbans mangrove took shelter in nearby coasts with their trawlers and fishing boats.
Fuel oil prices come down: Diesel and kerosene Tk 48 per litre, octane Tk 80, petrol Tk 78: Review every 3-month
The Government has for the first time reduced the prices of kerosene, diesel, octane, and petrol by Tk 7 to Tk 10 per litre in the wake of fall in their prices in the international market.
The reduced prices took effect from Sunday midnight.
The price of diesel and kerosene has been reduced to Tk 48 per litre from Tk 55, Octane to Tk 80 from Tk 90, petrol to Tk 78 from Tk 87.
The reduction in the prices of these petroleum products was announced by the Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, Prof M. Tamim at a press conference at the PID Conference Room in the secretariat.
Earlier on July 1, the government raised the prices of these products by 36 percent.
Tamim told the conference that the government will review the fuel prices every three month. He said that with the reduction and readjustment of fuel prices the
Government still will have to give hefty amount of subsidy. The government subsidy, however, will be limited to diesel and kerosene only, he informed.
The subsidy on kerosene and diesel was considered in view of their extensive use in the agriculture sector, he said.
Replying to a question, he said the government has no interest in giving subsidy on octane and petrol.The special assistant expressed the hope that transport fares will come down proportionately following the reduction in fuel prices. Necessary measures will be taken in this respect, he said and sought cooperation of all concerned on transport fare reduction.
Asked why fuel prices have been reduced by 10.34 to 12.73 percent only when their prices were raised by 36 percent in July last, Tamim said it was done on the basis of their import prices by the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation ( BPC).
He informed that the government had to provide subsidy to the tune of Tk 1,400 crore to BPC in the first quarter of the current fiscal after price hike of fuel on July 1.
"We shall have to provide Tk 1,500 crore as a subsidy to BPC even after reduction in the prices of the all kinds fuel" he further said. The Energy Ministry has taken opinion of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) while reducing the fuel prices, he added. "The subsidy on fuel will be readjusted here with the prices of the international market," he told a questioner.
'BPC is at present importing refined diesel at a rate of around $99.50 per barrel,' Tamim said.
To a question he said that the rate of fuel pilferage by the BPC employees has now been brought down to .10 to .20 percent from .35 to .50 percent.
Bangladesh has an annual demand of nearly 4 million tonnes of petroleum products 3.7 million tonnes petroleum products including 2.3 million tonnes of diesel were consumed in 2007-2008.
The reduced prices took effect from Sunday midnight.
The price of diesel and kerosene has been reduced to Tk 48 per litre from Tk 55, Octane to Tk 80 from Tk 90, petrol to Tk 78 from Tk 87.
The reduction in the prices of these petroleum products was announced by the Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, Prof M. Tamim at a press conference at the PID Conference Room in the secretariat.
Earlier on July 1, the government raised the prices of these products by 36 percent.
Tamim told the conference that the government will review the fuel prices every three month. He said that with the reduction and readjustment of fuel prices the
Government still will have to give hefty amount of subsidy. The government subsidy, however, will be limited to diesel and kerosene only, he informed.
The subsidy on kerosene and diesel was considered in view of their extensive use in the agriculture sector, he said.
Replying to a question, he said the government has no interest in giving subsidy on octane and petrol.The special assistant expressed the hope that transport fares will come down proportionately following the reduction in fuel prices. Necessary measures will be taken in this respect, he said and sought cooperation of all concerned on transport fare reduction.
Asked why fuel prices have been reduced by 10.34 to 12.73 percent only when their prices were raised by 36 percent in July last, Tamim said it was done on the basis of their import prices by the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation ( BPC).
He informed that the government had to provide subsidy to the tune of Tk 1,400 crore to BPC in the first quarter of the current fiscal after price hike of fuel on July 1.
"We shall have to provide Tk 1,500 crore as a subsidy to BPC even after reduction in the prices of the all kinds fuel" he further said. The Energy Ministry has taken opinion of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) while reducing the fuel prices, he added. "The subsidy on fuel will be readjusted here with the prices of the international market," he told a questioner.
'BPC is at present importing refined diesel at a rate of around $99.50 per barrel,' Tamim said.
To a question he said that the rate of fuel pilferage by the BPC employees has now been brought down to .10 to .20 percent from .35 to .50 percent.
Bangladesh has an annual demand of nearly 4 million tonnes of petroleum products 3.7 million tonnes petroleum products including 2.3 million tonnes of diesel were consumed in 2007-2008.
Stormy weather persists in coastal region Launch with 100 on board sinks: Movement of river transports suspended
Almost all the places under Chittagong, Barisal, Khulna and Dhaka Divisions experienced light to moderate rainfall throughout the day yesterday due to low formed over the west-central Bay and adjoining northwest Bay.
Intermittent shower disrupted all normal activities in the coastal areas of Chittagong, Barisal and Khulna.
A passenger launch was capsized in Meghna river off Hatiya under the impact of the stormy weather. The fate of about 100 passengers of the sunken launch could not be ascertained.
Inclement weather forced many residents of Dhaka city to remain indoors for most parts of the day. The people who ventured out in the midst of shower had to face immense difficulties in getting transports. Rickshaws, three wheelers, cabs and buses were few and far between on the streets everywhere in the capital. Rickshaw pullers, cab and auto-rickshaw drivers charged fares according to their sweet will on the plea of foul weather.The commuters, who had to come out of their homes under compelling circumstances , had to cave in to their irrational and whimsical demand.
Though government and semi-government offices, autonomous bodies and big private organisations remained closed yesterday as part of weekly holidays kitchen markets and numerous small shops all over the capital city were open yesterday as usual. Their business was dull due to rainfall throughout the day yesterday.
Many enthusiastic sports lovers were frustrated as the first day of the second test between Bangladesh and New Zealand at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium was abandoned due to murky weather.
Meanwhile, Met Office said that under the influence of depression heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur at places under Chittagong, Barisal, Khulna and Dhaka Divisions during next 24 hours. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been advised to take shelter immediately.
Our Barisal Correspondents adds : Normal life in Barisal region became paralysed as a result of light to heavy downpour and gusty wind since Saturday night.
Barisal weather office recorded 80 millimetres rainfall in 10 hours since 6:00 AM yesterday.
People were found stranded at different points due to shortage of transports on the roads in the city.
Day labourers had to stay indoors because of rainfall.
Most of the shops, kitchen markets, grocery and confectioneries and restaurants had small number of customers.
Port authorities stopped plying of ML type water transports less than 65 feet in length on 76 routes in Barisal, 21 routes in Patuakhali, 13 routes in Barguna and 14 routes in Bhola Coastal services on five routes of Barisal-Bhola-Laxmipur-Chittagong were also suspended.
The decision was taken after the low over west-central Bay and adjoining area moved slightly west-northwestwards and intensified into a well marked low over west-central Bay and adjoining northwest Bay. The river port authorities in Barisal region hoisted cautionary weather signal No. 2 from Saturday morning.
Rafiqul Islam, deputy director of BIWTA and officer in charge of Barisal Port said that the ML type launch operation would not be resumed till the weather condition improved.
Reports from Kuakata sea beach said tourists left Kuakata shore due to adverse weather condition Local authorities and volunteers of Cyclone Preparedness Programme of the Red Crescent had asked people to prepare for taking shelter at safe places within a short notice at any moment.
Intermittent shower disrupted all normal activities in the coastal areas of Chittagong, Barisal and Khulna.
A passenger launch was capsized in Meghna river off Hatiya under the impact of the stormy weather. The fate of about 100 passengers of the sunken launch could not be ascertained.
Inclement weather forced many residents of Dhaka city to remain indoors for most parts of the day. The people who ventured out in the midst of shower had to face immense difficulties in getting transports. Rickshaws, three wheelers, cabs and buses were few and far between on the streets everywhere in the capital. Rickshaw pullers, cab and auto-rickshaw drivers charged fares according to their sweet will on the plea of foul weather.The commuters, who had to come out of their homes under compelling circumstances , had to cave in to their irrational and whimsical demand.
Though government and semi-government offices, autonomous bodies and big private organisations remained closed yesterday as part of weekly holidays kitchen markets and numerous small shops all over the capital city were open yesterday as usual. Their business was dull due to rainfall throughout the day yesterday.
Many enthusiastic sports lovers were frustrated as the first day of the second test between Bangladesh and New Zealand at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium was abandoned due to murky weather.
Meanwhile, Met Office said that under the influence of depression heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur at places under Chittagong, Barisal, Khulna and Dhaka Divisions during next 24 hours. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been advised to take shelter immediately.
Our Barisal Correspondents adds : Normal life in Barisal region became paralysed as a result of light to heavy downpour and gusty wind since Saturday night.
Barisal weather office recorded 80 millimetres rainfall in 10 hours since 6:00 AM yesterday.
People were found stranded at different points due to shortage of transports on the roads in the city.
Day labourers had to stay indoors because of rainfall.
Most of the shops, kitchen markets, grocery and confectioneries and restaurants had small number of customers.
Port authorities stopped plying of ML type water transports less than 65 feet in length on 76 routes in Barisal, 21 routes in Patuakhali, 13 routes in Barguna and 14 routes in Bhola Coastal services on five routes of Barisal-Bhola-Laxmipur-Chittagong were also suspended.
The decision was taken after the low over west-central Bay and adjoining area moved slightly west-northwestwards and intensified into a well marked low over west-central Bay and adjoining northwest Bay. The river port authorities in Barisal region hoisted cautionary weather signal No. 2 from Saturday morning.
Rafiqul Islam, deputy director of BIWTA and officer in charge of Barisal Port said that the ML type launch operation would not be resumed till the weather condition improved.
Reports from Kuakata sea beach said tourists left Kuakata shore due to adverse weather condition Local authorities and volunteers of Cyclone Preparedness Programme of the Red Crescent had asked people to prepare for taking shelter at safe places within a short notice at any moment.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
National Geographic wallpaper
This is a feast for ur eyes, some cool wallpaper from National Geographic. Hope you will like it
Friday, October 24, 2008
MS Office '07 Goes Retro With Addintools
Tired of trying to memorize your commands for Microsoft Office 2007? Well, Addintools has announced a new face-lift feature for 2007 that brings the interface to something a little closer to the more familiar Office '03. The newest version, v3.93c, sports a light-weight interface that will make MS Office users feel relieved since the classic style from the MS Office '03 suite has been restored, keeping new features from MS Office '07.
One of the more significant features for MS Office '07 is a smart way for using keyboard shortcuts without memorizing countless hot keys.
Since MS Office 2007 offers more than 375 keyboard shortcuts, it would be impossible for even the most determined Office '07 geek to remember them all. So, the developers from Addintools have now saved plenty of time for the users of Classic Menu for Office 2007. The v3.93c will let the user access hotkeys without even remembering one shortcut.
Classic Menu users can press a "magic" Alt+Q+Q to get "All" menu activated and then press the letter corresponding to the position/command/function one would like to choose. For instance, pressing Alt+Q+Q+O+E will open the format cells dialog box in Excel 2007.
This approach to shortcuts is supposed to make life for the everyday or occasional Microsoft Office 2007 users very simple. With the increase of productivity while reducing the time spent on finding out what functions to use with the hotkeys, Microsoft Office 2007 should be smooth sailing for here on in.
The developers from Addintools promise that this small add-on for classic menu for Office 2007 v3.93c, will be a true gem and will eventually turn any Microsoft Office users into professionals.
More information can be found at www.addintools.com/english/menuoffice.
One of the more significant features for MS Office '07 is a smart way for using keyboard shortcuts without memorizing countless hot keys.
Since MS Office 2007 offers more than 375 keyboard shortcuts, it would be impossible for even the most determined Office '07 geek to remember them all. So, the developers from Addintools have now saved plenty of time for the users of Classic Menu for Office 2007. The v3.93c will let the user access hotkeys without even remembering one shortcut.
Classic Menu users can press a "magic" Alt+Q+Q to get "All" menu activated and then press the letter corresponding to the position/command/function one would like to choose. For instance, pressing Alt+Q+Q+O+E will open the format cells dialog box in Excel 2007.
This approach to shortcuts is supposed to make life for the everyday or occasional Microsoft Office 2007 users very simple. With the increase of productivity while reducing the time spent on finding out what functions to use with the hotkeys, Microsoft Office 2007 should be smooth sailing for here on in.
The developers from Addintools promise that this small add-on for classic menu for Office 2007 v3.93c, will be a true gem and will eventually turn any Microsoft Office users into professionals.
More information can be found at www.addintools.com/english/menuoffice.
Macleans OnCampus Virtual Fair Debuts
Attending a college and university fair in person is time consuming. The crowds and speaker presentations can make the fair overwhelming. But what if you could attend a university fair without ever having to travel there and stand in lineups?
This is what Macleans.ca has created Maclean's OnCampus Virtual Fair. This virtual online event should make the worrisome task of deciding on a school a lot easier for students since this feature will give them instant access to faculty experts and representatives from Canadian universities and colleges. All students need is their laptop or desktop computer, no cash required.
Tony Kellar, Maclean's managing editor of special projects, is looking forward to the virtual fair.
"We've created an online event that will give students from anywhere in the world an unparalleled level of direct, instant access to experts from Canadian colleges and universities," said Kellar. "Plus, they can get practical advice and inspiration from our incredible lineup of speakers."
The guest speakers will have the opportunity to speak for an hour each. Some of the speakers include: Vincent Lam, an emergency room physician and Giller-prize-winning author of Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures; Canadian astronaut Julie Payette; Jeff Rybak, student and author of What's Wrong with University: And How to Make it Work for You Anyway; Colin MacDonald, lead singer of The Trews; and Dr. Richard Heinzl, founder of the Nobel Prize-winning Doctors Without Borders Canada.
Each presentation by the guest speakers will include a question and answer period that will be open to all of the fair's visitors.
With Maclean's Online Campus Fair, prospective students can visit university and college booths and pick up information from each school. Chatting with peers and instantly asking questions to educational experts all takes place in an instant without ever laying down any fees.
The Maclean's OnCampus Virtual Fair will take place on October 22 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (EST).
In order for potential students to register and enter the fair, they must go to www.macleans.ca/oncampusfair.
This is what Macleans.ca has created Maclean's OnCampus Virtual Fair. This virtual online event should make the worrisome task of deciding on a school a lot easier for students since this feature will give them instant access to faculty experts and representatives from Canadian universities and colleges. All students need is their laptop or desktop computer, no cash required.
Tony Kellar, Maclean's managing editor of special projects, is looking forward to the virtual fair.
"We've created an online event that will give students from anywhere in the world an unparalleled level of direct, instant access to experts from Canadian colleges and universities," said Kellar. "Plus, they can get practical advice and inspiration from our incredible lineup of speakers."
The guest speakers will have the opportunity to speak for an hour each. Some of the speakers include: Vincent Lam, an emergency room physician and Giller-prize-winning author of Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures; Canadian astronaut Julie Payette; Jeff Rybak, student and author of What's Wrong with University: And How to Make it Work for You Anyway; Colin MacDonald, lead singer of The Trews; and Dr. Richard Heinzl, founder of the Nobel Prize-winning Doctors Without Borders Canada.
Each presentation by the guest speakers will include a question and answer period that will be open to all of the fair's visitors.
With Maclean's Online Campus Fair, prospective students can visit university and college booths and pick up information from each school. Chatting with peers and instantly asking questions to educational experts all takes place in an instant without ever laying down any fees.
The Maclean's OnCampus Virtual Fair will take place on October 22 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (EST).
In order for potential students to register and enter the fair, they must go to www.macleans.ca/oncampusfair.
A New Hub to Learn At
With millions of people taking part in the online social networking phenomenon the Internet is constantly evolving to meet the needs and desires of its community of members.
LearnHub (learnhub.com) is one of many online social utilities aiming to take advantage of the unprecedented boom in social website subscribership. However, they have a unique goal - they want you to learn something while you're there. "Social learning network" is the term that this website uses to describe itself best.
As a site where teachers and students come together and in some cases exchange roles, LearnHub's purpose is to share information and ideas about specific subjects. With a membership of 20,000 and growing, it is quickly becoming a hot resource for people seeking information.
Teachers can find instructional material to aid them in explaining concepts to their classes and students can find help preparing for tests among many other things. There is no charge associated with the services that the site provides and many users and contributors are willing and able to offer help to those who need and ask for it.
Also, any member can create a community, post a lesson or create a test, and with the diversity of LearnHub's users you tend come across information you never thought to look for. The site is just as engaging as it is entertaining.
LearnHub was created by Savvica Inc, a Toronto-based company, in collaboration with Educomp Solutions, India's largest online education company.
LearnHub (learnhub.com) is one of many online social utilities aiming to take advantage of the unprecedented boom in social website subscribership. However, they have a unique goal - they want you to learn something while you're there. "Social learning network" is the term that this website uses to describe itself best.
As a site where teachers and students come together and in some cases exchange roles, LearnHub's purpose is to share information and ideas about specific subjects. With a membership of 20,000 and growing, it is quickly becoming a hot resource for people seeking information.
Teachers can find instructional material to aid them in explaining concepts to their classes and students can find help preparing for tests among many other things. There is no charge associated with the services that the site provides and many users and contributors are willing and able to offer help to those who need and ask for it.
Also, any member can create a community, post a lesson or create a test, and with the diversity of LearnHub's users you tend come across information you never thought to look for. The site is just as engaging as it is entertaining.
LearnHub was created by Savvica Inc, a Toronto-based company, in collaboration with Educomp Solutions, India's largest online education company.
Canon and Avril Lavigne Team Up
Canon Canada has enlisted the help of Canadian rock star Avril Lavigne and will partner with her to help sell the Rebel SLR series and ELPH line of compact point-and-shoot cameras.
Lavigne makes an appearance today in downtown Toronto to kick off the partnership. Fans will get a chance to glimpse the star and preview the two ads that will be airing on various Canadian television stations.
A website is already up and running which allows people to upload their own photos and edit them with items and images provided by Canon. The link to the website is http://www.shootlikeastar.ca/.
The partnership is an exciting undertaking for both Avril Lavigne and Canon.
"Avril's energy and spirit is the perfect complement to the Canon brand," says Ian Macfarlane, vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon Canada Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc. "She exemplifies the style and energy that our products offer to Canadians and as one of this country's biggest musical talents."
"Working with Canon Canada is truly exciting for me, as I'm a huge photography fan," says Lavigne. "I carry my camera with me all the time and am constantly taking pictures. Canon is definitely second to none in the quality of products they offer."
Avril Lavigne is a platinum selling artist who is both a Juno winner and a Grammy nominee.
Lavigne makes an appearance today in downtown Toronto to kick off the partnership. Fans will get a chance to glimpse the star and preview the two ads that will be airing on various Canadian television stations.
A website is already up and running which allows people to upload their own photos and edit them with items and images provided by Canon. The link to the website is http://www.shootlikeastar.ca/.
The partnership is an exciting undertaking for both Avril Lavigne and Canon.
"Avril's energy and spirit is the perfect complement to the Canon brand," says Ian Macfarlane, vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon Canada Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc. "She exemplifies the style and energy that our products offer to Canadians and as one of this country's biggest musical talents."
"Working with Canon Canada is truly exciting for me, as I'm a huge photography fan," says Lavigne. "I carry my camera with me all the time and am constantly taking pictures. Canon is definitely second to none in the quality of products they offer."
Avril Lavigne is a platinum selling artist who is both a Juno winner and a Grammy nominee.
Leave the Cards at Home and Tell People Your .Tel
Did you forget or lose the last phone number business card your acquaintance gave to you a few hours ago? Well, if that person had a .tel domain, chances are you wouldn't be worrying.
Since we live in an age in which there are more ways to communicate than ever before, .tel is welcoming a new servicewhere people can stay in touch without having to worry about e-mails and phone numbers.
John Demco, "The Godfather of .ca" and co-founder and director of Webnames.ca is very excited about .tel.
".Tel will be the most convenient and efficient way to reach your contacts and ensure your contacts can reach you - wherever and however you choose," said Demco. "Instead of exchanging individual pieces of information such as your phone number, e-mail, cell number, work number and so on, you will simply give people your .tel."
.Tel will provide individuals and companies with a single point of contact where they can safely store, update and share contact information. This will include e-mail addresses, phone numbers, social networks, gaming IDs, websites, blogs, Skype, and so on. If you happen to get a new phone number or e-mail address, simply update your new information on your .tel domain. There is no need to notify any of your contacts, just as long as they have your .tel address name memorized.
Webnames.ca is urging companies and individuals to register their .tel now since they predict that popular companies and individual names will be taken very soon. Webnames.ca is offering pre-booking services for .tel free of cost up until December 3rd.
For more information on how to pre-book your .TEL domain, go to www.webnames.ca/tel.
Since we live in an age in which there are more ways to communicate than ever before, .tel is welcoming a new servicewhere people can stay in touch without having to worry about e-mails and phone numbers.
John Demco, "The Godfather of .ca" and co-founder and director of Webnames.ca is very excited about .tel.
".Tel will be the most convenient and efficient way to reach your contacts and ensure your contacts can reach you - wherever and however you choose," said Demco. "Instead of exchanging individual pieces of information such as your phone number, e-mail, cell number, work number and so on, you will simply give people your .tel."
.Tel will provide individuals and companies with a single point of contact where they can safely store, update and share contact information. This will include e-mail addresses, phone numbers, social networks, gaming IDs, websites, blogs, Skype, and so on. If you happen to get a new phone number or e-mail address, simply update your new information on your .tel domain. There is no need to notify any of your contacts, just as long as they have your .tel address name memorized.
Webnames.ca is urging companies and individuals to register their .tel now since they predict that popular companies and individual names will be taken very soon. Webnames.ca is offering pre-booking services for .tel free of cost up until December 3rd.
For more information on how to pre-book your .TEL domain, go to www.webnames.ca/tel.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Website Aims to Bring Textbook Costs Down
If you're a student, parent or educator and tired of paying an enormous amount for textbooks each semester, the website cheapertextbooks.ca could help you campaign against high textbook prices.
Cheapertextbooks.ca will provide Canadian students with the opportunity to contact political candidates on how they can bring down the textbook prices in Canada.
The site highlights that the Canadian Copyright Act has several regulations that allow for the inflation of textbook prices. The Act allows publishers to monopolize the importing of books from international authors and artists. The distributors can legally add an astounding 10 to 15 per cent to the price of each book, and it would be a copyright violation for stores to import texts from other sources.
Wayne Amundson, spokesperson for cheapertextbooks.ca, says that these regulations from the act artificially inflate the cost of textbooks, which essentially leads to a private tariff.
"This means that Canadian students are forced to pay more than their colleagues in other countries for exactly the same texts," said Amundson.
Cheapertextbooks.ca will allow people to send a message directly to politicians, sending them a direct message to support removing this alleged tariff that costs students plenty of money.
"All parties have promised varying forms of support for post-secondary students, but by removing this tariff, it would provide real financial benefits to students while not costing a single tax dollar," said Amundson. "That is the essence of good public policy."
To join the cause, go to http://www.cheapertextbooks.ca/.
Cheapertextbooks.ca will provide Canadian students with the opportunity to contact political candidates on how they can bring down the textbook prices in Canada.
The site highlights that the Canadian Copyright Act has several regulations that allow for the inflation of textbook prices. The Act allows publishers to monopolize the importing of books from international authors and artists. The distributors can legally add an astounding 10 to 15 per cent to the price of each book, and it would be a copyright violation for stores to import texts from other sources.
Wayne Amundson, spokesperson for cheapertextbooks.ca, says that these regulations from the act artificially inflate the cost of textbooks, which essentially leads to a private tariff.
"This means that Canadian students are forced to pay more than their colleagues in other countries for exactly the same texts," said Amundson.
Cheapertextbooks.ca will allow people to send a message directly to politicians, sending them a direct message to support removing this alleged tariff that costs students plenty of money.
"All parties have promised varying forms of support for post-secondary students, but by removing this tariff, it would provide real financial benefits to students while not costing a single tax dollar," said Amundson. "That is the essence of good public policy."
To join the cause, go to http://www.cheapertextbooks.ca/.
Toronto Gets in Gear for a Gaming Preview
As Canadians across the country are minding their p's and q's and politely preparing to be thankful this weekend, gamers in the Greater Toronto Area will be grateful for an entirely different reason.
That's because next weekend is the third annual Gaming Invasion, hosted by Best Buy Canada, where gamers will be taking the stage at Yonge and Dundas Square to battle each other in games such as Guitar Hero: World Tour, Gears of War 2 and Little Big Planet.
Starting Friday, Oct. 17 and running until Sunday, Oct 19, the weekend promises to be a big hit for downtown Toronto with a live performance by Mobile at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and a winning band announced by Z103.5 as well as an autograph session with the FragDolls on Saturday. The presence of the all-girl gamer group promises to heat things up in more ways than one. (Even the name is killer; FragDolls… get it?)
If that wasn't enough, Mobile will also be participating in a Battle of the Bands in Guitar Hero: World Tour so gamers can see how well they would fare in a battle against the Jun-award-winning band.
The audience will be playing on flat-panel Insignia TVs, most of which will be given away by BestBuy after the event to the Toronto District School Board.
The main event - the gaming, that is - happens from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Anyone in the GTA is invited to come down to try their hand at the games, and possibly even catch a friendly chainsaw-bayonet by one of your friends at
That's because next weekend is the third annual Gaming Invasion, hosted by Best Buy Canada, where gamers will be taking the stage at Yonge and Dundas Square to battle each other in games such as Guitar Hero: World Tour, Gears of War 2 and Little Big Planet.
Starting Friday, Oct. 17 and running until Sunday, Oct 19, the weekend promises to be a big hit for downtown Toronto with a live performance by Mobile at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and a winning band announced by Z103.5 as well as an autograph session with the FragDolls on Saturday. The presence of the all-girl gamer group promises to heat things up in more ways than one. (Even the name is killer; FragDolls… get it?)
If that wasn't enough, Mobile will also be participating in a Battle of the Bands in Guitar Hero: World Tour so gamers can see how well they would fare in a battle against the Jun-award-winning band.
The audience will be playing on flat-panel Insignia TVs, most of which will be given away by BestBuy after the event to the Toronto District School Board.
The main event - the gaming, that is - happens from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Anyone in the GTA is invited to come down to try their hand at the games, and possibly even catch a friendly chainsaw-bayonet by one of your friends at
Biometrics: What it Is and What it Isn't
Few emerging technologies have had such widespread implications or spurred such debate as biometrics. That's not too surprising actually, given that biometrics is so pertinent to an issue that's important to all of us in this digital age - security. But what exactly is it?
Generally speaking, biometrics is the science of determining the identity of a living person by analyzing one or more of his or her physiological characteristics. Given that so much of your physiology is completely unique to you, and assuming there is a 100 per cent accurate, quantifiable method of measuring or gauging one or more of your attributes, biometrics is theoretically the most convenient, most foolproof security technology available.
One of the oldest and most common forms of biometrics, digital fingerprinting, works thusly: You scan your print under a light source - either a laser or, much more commonly, an LED - and the information generated by that scan is then stored in a CCD (Charged Couple Device - the same thing found in digital cameras) or the less expensive CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor).
For security reasons, the process does not save a photo or graphic image of the print itself. It instead utilizes a complex and closely guarded series of algorithms to convert the location, size, and shape of all your print's ridges and valleys and other particulars into digital (ones and zeroes) format. The resulting template is then compared with the templates generated in future scans to make a positive or negative identification. This is a routine common to most forms of biometrics.
But digital fingerprinting, like virtually all forms of biometrics to date, isn't completely failsafe. Fingerprints can be altered, either deliberately or accidentally. They tend to get dirty and sometimes worn, thereby impacting the appearance of the print. And the image of the print can change from instance to instance, depending on the level of pressure being exerted by the user when being measured.A far more serious problem is that of "spoofing." Spoofing is the practice of deliberately deceiving biometrics devices by utilizing counterfeit samples. In fingerprint scanning, reports of scanner-tricking "fake fingers" made of pliable substances such as gelatine, wax, or silicone have been rampant for quite some time.
Indeed, one of the most worrisome reports hails from a 2005 US Department of Defense-funded Clarkson University study that proved how easily some optical camera-based fingerprint scanning technologies are defeated. Researchers collected several fingers from cadavers and fashioned casts from live fingers using dental materials and Play-Doh. They tested in excess of sixty faked samples, and were ultimately rewarded with a 90 per cent false verification rate.
Yet it's these very issues - spoofing and erroneous results - that in many ways fuel the industry and keep biometrics researchers as busy as they are. One of the most topical "unspoofable" biometrics concepts in recent months is currently in development by Japanese researchers Masakatsu Nishigaki and Daisuke Arai at Shizuoka University, Japan. It's based on something called "saccades," the rapid, involuntary reflex movements of the human eyeball, and it may be just the ticket if the research team can unearth a pattern that consistently differentiates one person's saccades from another's.
Spoofable or unspoofable, biometrics is already commonplace in today's society, and the technology will be even more prevalent in the future. Facial scans, hand geometry scans, and voice authentication routines are just some of the methods currently in use. Apply for a driver's license in some parts of the world and you may need to submit to an eye or fingerprint scan. Passport Canada wants to introduce biometrics into passports, as do most credit card companies. Indeed, you may soon pay for retail purchases and conduct much of your interactive life with quick analyses of some portion of your physiology.
Generally speaking, biometrics is the science of determining the identity of a living person by analyzing one or more of his or her physiological characteristics. Given that so much of your physiology is completely unique to you, and assuming there is a 100 per cent accurate, quantifiable method of measuring or gauging one or more of your attributes, biometrics is theoretically the most convenient, most foolproof security technology available.
One of the oldest and most common forms of biometrics, digital fingerprinting, works thusly: You scan your print under a light source - either a laser or, much more commonly, an LED - and the information generated by that scan is then stored in a CCD (Charged Couple Device - the same thing found in digital cameras) or the less expensive CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor).
For security reasons, the process does not save a photo or graphic image of the print itself. It instead utilizes a complex and closely guarded series of algorithms to convert the location, size, and shape of all your print's ridges and valleys and other particulars into digital (ones and zeroes) format. The resulting template is then compared with the templates generated in future scans to make a positive or negative identification. This is a routine common to most forms of biometrics.
But digital fingerprinting, like virtually all forms of biometrics to date, isn't completely failsafe. Fingerprints can be altered, either deliberately or accidentally. They tend to get dirty and sometimes worn, thereby impacting the appearance of the print. And the image of the print can change from instance to instance, depending on the level of pressure being exerted by the user when being measured.A far more serious problem is that of "spoofing." Spoofing is the practice of deliberately deceiving biometrics devices by utilizing counterfeit samples. In fingerprint scanning, reports of scanner-tricking "fake fingers" made of pliable substances such as gelatine, wax, or silicone have been rampant for quite some time.
Indeed, one of the most worrisome reports hails from a 2005 US Department of Defense-funded Clarkson University study that proved how easily some optical camera-based fingerprint scanning technologies are defeated. Researchers collected several fingers from cadavers and fashioned casts from live fingers using dental materials and Play-Doh. They tested in excess of sixty faked samples, and were ultimately rewarded with a 90 per cent false verification rate.
Yet it's these very issues - spoofing and erroneous results - that in many ways fuel the industry and keep biometrics researchers as busy as they are. One of the most topical "unspoofable" biometrics concepts in recent months is currently in development by Japanese researchers Masakatsu Nishigaki and Daisuke Arai at Shizuoka University, Japan. It's based on something called "saccades," the rapid, involuntary reflex movements of the human eyeball, and it may be just the ticket if the research team can unearth a pattern that consistently differentiates one person's saccades from another's.
Spoofable or unspoofable, biometrics is already commonplace in today's society, and the technology will be even more prevalent in the future. Facial scans, hand geometry scans, and voice authentication routines are just some of the methods currently in use. Apply for a driver's license in some parts of the world and you may need to submit to an eye or fingerprint scan. Passport Canada wants to introduce biometrics into passports, as do most credit card companies. Indeed, you may soon pay for retail purchases and conduct much of your interactive life with quick analyses of some portion of your physiology.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Home movies for the asking
How to bring home videos to life
The incredible boom in digital video camcorder sales means that there’s likewise a boom in the number of people now making - or wanting to make - movies.
With still photography, you can immediately see the picture you've taken and decide instantly whether you want to keep it or not. Shooting video footage is different. People don't, as a rule, rewind their camera to look at the clip they've just taken. Eventually, they will plug their DV camcorder into their television set or their computer and watch all the scenes they shot. The viewing experience usually isn’t that great - a series of clips, some good, some bad, which often jump from one environment to another without any kind of transition or explanation. This is where video editing software can improve this scenario.
Ulead (now owned by Corel) and Adobe both have affordable programs to turn those scattered clips into interesting, entertaining and memorable home movies. Ulead VideoStudio 11 (US$70; Plus version is US$100) and Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0 ($130) offer an easy way to capture your video to your computer from your camcorder, arrange the shots into a pleasing or logical sequence, add a sound track and export the finished product to DVD or a web video format. VideoStudio 11 and Premiere Elements 3.0 have both been upgraded and can also be used with Vista or XP.
Video editing, and in particular rendering (taking the raw clips and converting them into a finished format you can burn to a DVD and thus play in any standard DVD player) takes a lot of processing power, so more is better and also with lots of RAM. Video footage takes up a lot of space so a big hard drive is also desirable. If you have a newer camcorder that allows you to download video using a USB 2.0 connection, you should be good to go if your PC has a USB 2.0 port. Otherwise, you may need an IEEE-1394 (also known as Firewire) port because all but the newest DV camcorders use Firewire. If you’re still using an analog camera, you will need an analog capture card. You will also need a DVD writer if you want to save your home movie in DVD format.
VideoStudio11
Formerly produced by Ulead, the VideoStudio series now belongs to Ottawa-based Corel Corporation. For years, this series has helped movie makers produce home movies they were proud of.
Going back to the days of 8-mm analogue camcorders, VideoStudio products always managed to keep up with the advances of technology. Today, VideoStudio 11 is right there, offering tools to make and share HD movies.
From the outset, and as soon as VideoStudio11 is loaded and activated, you’ll know you have more than a handful of goodies. Importing a video file? No problem, the program can handle VHS, S-VHS, Video-8 or Hi-8 camcorder/VCRs in the analog world. It can handle DV AVI type-1 and type-2. It can import High Definition Videos from HD, DVD or Hard Disk Drive (HDD) camcorders.
And finally, VideoStudio 11 can capture TV footage through a TV tuner so you can capture a segment of your favourite TV show and blend it into your own home movie. Editing movie clips with the program also offers some useful features, such as being able to correct an overexposed scene or adjusting the white balance using Color Correction.
Even early versions of VideoStudio had a satisfying number of effects and transitions and this continues in the current version. Suffice it to say, there are more than enough of them and it would take hours to try each and every one.
A new function in VideoStudio 11 is Overlay, which allows you to overlay clips and create a picture-in-picture effects. And it is simple to use -- you simply drag the clip you want to superimpose onto the overlay track. The overlay image can be cropped vertically and horizontally, and you can also control its opacity and the thickness of the overlay frame borders.
Before rendering the entire project into a movie file, VideoStudio11 suggests to save it first as a VideoStudio project file (*.VSP) which enables you to return to the project and make more edits.
But if you just want to save your home movie on disk, the choice is yours : DVD, VCD, SVCD or HD DVD.
Premiere Elements 3.0
Premiere Elements draws its strength from Premiere Pro, a very powerful video editing program which has been in existence for years.
Premiere Elements 3.0 is therefore a simplified version of a product that has proved itself over the years. But Premier Elements 3.0 still has enough features and power create high quality home videos.
The program is capable of capturing video from DV camcorders, HDV camcorders or Webcams. It can also capture video from DVD discs, Digital cameras, mobile phones, tapeless camcorders or even card-readers.
In terms of video effects and transitions, Premiere Elements offers a large choice of both. It lists 12 categories of video effects, each containing between three and 10 effects, and 10 categories of transitions - including between seven and 10 transitions each.
The great advantage of those effects and transitions is the fact that they can be "experienced," or visualized, simply by clicking on them.
Titles are also something else in terms of variety. Premiere Elements, in effects, offers you all kinds of titles for practically all kinds of situations: the announcement of the birth of a baby boy is an example; an action title over a sinking ship is another.
There again, you will need plenty of time to go through them all.
Premiere Elements 3.0 also includes good instruction through the Adobe Help Center. Those short, step-by-step lessons guide you through various tasks and are very easy to follow. The program also offers a "how-to" section that helps you navigate through the different operations of putting your movie together.
Finally, once your movie is finished, Premiere Elements also gives you many choices of what you can do. You can save the movie directly on a DVD that can be played back on any standard DVD player; you can also record it to videotape, or you can export it to a format for the Web, email or other devices or applications.
The incredible boom in digital video camcorder sales means that there’s likewise a boom in the number of people now making - or wanting to make - movies.
With still photography, you can immediately see the picture you've taken and decide instantly whether you want to keep it or not. Shooting video footage is different. People don't, as a rule, rewind their camera to look at the clip they've just taken. Eventually, they will plug their DV camcorder into their television set or their computer and watch all the scenes they shot. The viewing experience usually isn’t that great - a series of clips, some good, some bad, which often jump from one environment to another without any kind of transition or explanation. This is where video editing software can improve this scenario.
Ulead (now owned by Corel) and Adobe both have affordable programs to turn those scattered clips into interesting, entertaining and memorable home movies. Ulead VideoStudio 11 (US$70; Plus version is US$100) and Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0 ($130) offer an easy way to capture your video to your computer from your camcorder, arrange the shots into a pleasing or logical sequence, add a sound track and export the finished product to DVD or a web video format. VideoStudio 11 and Premiere Elements 3.0 have both been upgraded and can also be used with Vista or XP.
Video editing, and in particular rendering (taking the raw clips and converting them into a finished format you can burn to a DVD and thus play in any standard DVD player) takes a lot of processing power, so more is better and also with lots of RAM. Video footage takes up a lot of space so a big hard drive is also desirable. If you have a newer camcorder that allows you to download video using a USB 2.0 connection, you should be good to go if your PC has a USB 2.0 port. Otherwise, you may need an IEEE-1394 (also known as Firewire) port because all but the newest DV camcorders use Firewire. If you’re still using an analog camera, you will need an analog capture card. You will also need a DVD writer if you want to save your home movie in DVD format.
VideoStudio11
Formerly produced by Ulead, the VideoStudio series now belongs to Ottawa-based Corel Corporation. For years, this series has helped movie makers produce home movies they were proud of.
Going back to the days of 8-mm analogue camcorders, VideoStudio products always managed to keep up with the advances of technology. Today, VideoStudio 11 is right there, offering tools to make and share HD movies.
From the outset, and as soon as VideoStudio11 is loaded and activated, you’ll know you have more than a handful of goodies. Importing a video file? No problem, the program can handle VHS, S-VHS, Video-8 or Hi-8 camcorder/VCRs in the analog world. It can handle DV AVI type-1 and type-2. It can import High Definition Videos from HD, DVD or Hard Disk Drive (HDD) camcorders.
And finally, VideoStudio 11 can capture TV footage through a TV tuner so you can capture a segment of your favourite TV show and blend it into your own home movie. Editing movie clips with the program also offers some useful features, such as being able to correct an overexposed scene or adjusting the white balance using Color Correction.
Even early versions of VideoStudio had a satisfying number of effects and transitions and this continues in the current version. Suffice it to say, there are more than enough of them and it would take hours to try each and every one.
A new function in VideoStudio 11 is Overlay, which allows you to overlay clips and create a picture-in-picture effects. And it is simple to use -- you simply drag the clip you want to superimpose onto the overlay track. The overlay image can be cropped vertically and horizontally, and you can also control its opacity and the thickness of the overlay frame borders.
Before rendering the entire project into a movie file, VideoStudio11 suggests to save it first as a VideoStudio project file (*.VSP) which enables you to return to the project and make more edits.
But if you just want to save your home movie on disk, the choice is yours : DVD, VCD, SVCD or HD DVD.
Premiere Elements 3.0
Premiere Elements draws its strength from Premiere Pro, a very powerful video editing program which has been in existence for years.
Premiere Elements 3.0 is therefore a simplified version of a product that has proved itself over the years. But Premier Elements 3.0 still has enough features and power create high quality home videos.
The program is capable of capturing video from DV camcorders, HDV camcorders or Webcams. It can also capture video from DVD discs, Digital cameras, mobile phones, tapeless camcorders or even card-readers.
In terms of video effects and transitions, Premiere Elements offers a large choice of both. It lists 12 categories of video effects, each containing between three and 10 effects, and 10 categories of transitions - including between seven and 10 transitions each.
The great advantage of those effects and transitions is the fact that they can be "experienced," or visualized, simply by clicking on them.
Titles are also something else in terms of variety. Premiere Elements, in effects, offers you all kinds of titles for practically all kinds of situations: the announcement of the birth of a baby boy is an example; an action title over a sinking ship is another.
There again, you will need plenty of time to go through them all.
Premiere Elements 3.0 also includes good instruction through the Adobe Help Center. Those short, step-by-step lessons guide you through various tasks and are very easy to follow. The program also offers a "how-to" section that helps you navigate through the different operations of putting your movie together.
Finally, once your movie is finished, Premiere Elements also gives you many choices of what you can do. You can save the movie directly on a DVD that can be played back on any standard DVD player; you can also record it to videotape, or you can export it to a format for the Web, email or other devices or applications.
Emergency will have to be withdrawn before national poll: Hasina
Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina said there is no confusion about the holding of national election on time but emergency will have to be withdrawn before it, according to private television channel sources."We are taking preparation for registration with the Election Commission. But the state of emergency is hampering various preparatory activities of the political parties. The emergency cannot be continued for long. I am calling upon the government to withdraw emergency and establish people's rights through holding a credible and acceptable election," AL President said while addressing a discussion on human rights at House of Lords in England on Friday."To hold a free, fair, credible and acceptable parliamentary election where all people will be able to cast their vote in favour of their chosen candidates without fear and hesitation, in order to form a democratic government, emergency should be withdrawn immediately before holding of national election. On the other hand, because of the emergency we can't hold our party conference. Our political activity is restricted," AL President said. She said government will have to ensure people's fundamental and political rights. "The caretaker government will have to take steps to return people's rights in order to restore democracy in the country," Hasina added."There is no doubt about holding of parliamentary election on December 18 and the election must be held. I am calling upon all people living in country and abroad to work unitedly for ensuring holding the general election on time. And I hope the election will be held in a free, fair and credible manner and it will be accepted by all," Awami League President added.It may be pointed out that Sheikh Hasina now in London for her treatment, is likely to return home at the end of this current month. She stands accused in 15 cases. She is on bail in all the 10 cases filed during the BNP-led four-party alliance rule. Of the five cases filed after the present caretaker government took over in January last year, three are extortion cases filed by businessmen Noor Ali, Azam Chowdhury and Tajul Islam Faruq and the rest are Niko and barge-mounted power plant graft cases filed by ACC, the anti-graft body.
Bush signs US-India nuclear law
US President George W. Bush on Wednesday signed legislation to enact a landmark US-India civilian nuclear agreement, celebrating "the growing ties between the world's two largest democracies.""This agreement sends a signal to the world: Nations that follow the path to democracy and responsible behavior will find a friend in the United States of America," Bush said at a lavish White House signing ceremony.Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will visit Washington Friday to Washington so that he and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice can formally sign the accord itself, the US State Department announced. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed the deal in July 2005, touching off a difficult battle with wary lawmakers on either side and critics who warn it undermines global efforts to curb the spread of nuclear know-how.Evidently savoring the resulting diplomatic victory in the twilight of his term, the US president welcomed "the honor of signing legislation that builds on the growing ties between the world's two largest democracies." The agreement offers India access to sophisticated US technology and cheap atomic energy in return for allowing UN inspections of some of its civilian nuclear facilities-but not military nuclear sites.Washington imposed a ban on US-Indian civilian nuclear trade after India's first nuclear test in 1974, but US officials have said a new approach is needed to help the world's largest democracy meet its booming energy needs at a time of skyrocketing oil prices and global warming fears. US lawmakers attached safeguards on preventing the spread of nuclear weapons technology before passing it overwhelmingly last week and handing the increasingly unpopular Bush administration a foreign policy victory. But critics say it still undermines global efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons, because India has refused to sign the international non-proliferation treaty (NPT).Bush said the accord meant India would be able to satisfy its booming economy's thirst for energy while curbing its dependence on fossil fuels linked to climate change, while the United States would gain access to India's lucrative nuclear market."The American people are proud of our strong relationship with India. And I am confident that the friendship between our two nations will grow even closer in the years ahead," he said.Vice President Dick Cheney, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, key US lawmakers who backed the agreement, and India's ambassador to Washington, Ronen Sen, attended the ceremony.Neither Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama nor Republican rival John McCain were invited "because of their busy campaign schedules," White House spokesman Carlton Carroll said in a statement.Bush acknowledged that US relations with India, which steered an independent course from Washington during the Cold War-era, had been "strained" but said both countries were now "natural partners as we head into the 21st century." Rice and others had to lobby hard to win approval for the deal from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which controls global atomic trade.
France’s Le Clezio wins Nobel literature prize
France's Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio won the 2008 Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday for works characterized by "poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy" and focused on the environment, especially the desert.
Le Clezio, 68, is the first French writer to win the prestigious award since Chinese-born Frenchman Gao Xingjian was honored in 2000. The decision was in line with the Swedish Academy's recent picks of European authors. Last year's prize went to Doris Lessing of Britain.
The academy called Le Clezio an "author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization."
Le Clezio made his breakthrough as a novelist with "Desert," in 1980, a work the academy said "contains magnificent images of a lost culture in the North African desert contrasted with a depiction of Europe seen through the eyes of unwanted immigrants."
That novel, which also won Le Clezio a prize from the French Academy, is considered a masterpiece. It describes the ordeal of Lalla, a woman from the Tuareg nomadic tribe of the Sahara Desert, as she adapts to civilization imposed by colonial France at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Swedish Academy said Le Clezio from early on "stood out as an ecologically engaged author, an orientation that is accentuated with the novels 'Terra Amata,' 'The Book of Flights,' 'War' and 'The Giants.'"
Le Clezio told Swedish Radio he was busy reading when a member of the academy phoned him on his wife's telephone to announce the news.
"I am very touched and very emotional, it is a great honor for me," he said.
Le Clezio described himself as "born of a mix, like many people currently in Europe." He said while he was born in France, his father was British.
He was already planning to travel to Sweden later this month to receive another award - the Stig Dagerman prize, which honors efforts to promote the freedom of expression.
Since Japanese writer Kenzaburo Oe won the award in 1994, the selections have had a distinctly European flavor. Since then 12 Europeans, including Le Clezio, have won the prize. The last U.S. writer to win the prize was Toni Morrison in 1993.
Last week, Academy Permanent Secretary Horace Engdahl told The Associated Press that the United States is too insular and ignorant to challenge Europe as the center of the literary world. The comments were met with fierce reactions from across the Atlantic, where the head of the U.S. National Book Foundation offered to send Engdahl a reading list.
"I was very surprised that the reaction was so violent. I don't think that what I said was that derogatory or sensational," Engdahl told AP after Thursday's prize announcement.
He added that his comments had been "perhaps a bit too generalizing."
Asked how he thought the choice of Le Clezio would be received in the United States, he said he had no idea.
"I'm not aware that there are today any anti-French sentiments in the U.S.," Engdahl said.
"He's not a particularly French writer if you look at him from a strictly cultural point of view. So I don't think this choice will give rise to any anti-French comments," he said. "I would be very sad if that was the case."
Le Clezio has spent much of his time living in New Mexico in recent years. He has long shied away from public life, spending much of his time traveling, often in the world's various deserts.
He has published several dozen books, including novels and essays. The most famous are tales of nomads, mediations on the desert and childhood memories. He has also explored the mythologies of native Americans, who have long fascinated him.
Engdahl called Le Clezio a writer of great diversity.
"He has gone through many different phases of his development as a writer and has come to include other civilizations, other modes of living than the Western, in his writing," Engdahl said.
Le Clezio was born in Nice in 1940 and at eight the family moved to Nigeria, where his father had been a doctor during World War II. They returned to France in 1950.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy hailed Le Clezio's win.
"A child in Mauritius and Nigeria, a teenager in Nice, a nomad of the American and African deserts, Jean-Marie Le Clezio is a citizen of the world, the son of all continents and cultures," Sarkozy said. "A great traveler, he embodies the influence of France, its culture and its values in a globalized world."
In addition to the 10 million kronor (US$1.4 million) check, Le Clezio will also receive a gold medal and be invited to give a lecture at the academy's headquarters in Stockholm's Old Town.
The Nobel Prize in literature is handed out in Stockholm on Dec. 10 - the anniversary of Nobel's death in 1896 - along with the awards in medicine, chemistry, physics and economics. The Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, Norway.
Le Clezio, 68, is the first French writer to win the prestigious award since Chinese-born Frenchman Gao Xingjian was honored in 2000. The decision was in line with the Swedish Academy's recent picks of European authors. Last year's prize went to Doris Lessing of Britain.
The academy called Le Clezio an "author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization."
Le Clezio made his breakthrough as a novelist with "Desert," in 1980, a work the academy said "contains magnificent images of a lost culture in the North African desert contrasted with a depiction of Europe seen through the eyes of unwanted immigrants."
That novel, which also won Le Clezio a prize from the French Academy, is considered a masterpiece. It describes the ordeal of Lalla, a woman from the Tuareg nomadic tribe of the Sahara Desert, as she adapts to civilization imposed by colonial France at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Swedish Academy said Le Clezio from early on "stood out as an ecologically engaged author, an orientation that is accentuated with the novels 'Terra Amata,' 'The Book of Flights,' 'War' and 'The Giants.'"
Le Clezio told Swedish Radio he was busy reading when a member of the academy phoned him on his wife's telephone to announce the news.
"I am very touched and very emotional, it is a great honor for me," he said.
Le Clezio described himself as "born of a mix, like many people currently in Europe." He said while he was born in France, his father was British.
He was already planning to travel to Sweden later this month to receive another award - the Stig Dagerman prize, which honors efforts to promote the freedom of expression.
Since Japanese writer Kenzaburo Oe won the award in 1994, the selections have had a distinctly European flavor. Since then 12 Europeans, including Le Clezio, have won the prize. The last U.S. writer to win the prize was Toni Morrison in 1993.
Last week, Academy Permanent Secretary Horace Engdahl told The Associated Press that the United States is too insular and ignorant to challenge Europe as the center of the literary world. The comments were met with fierce reactions from across the Atlantic, where the head of the U.S. National Book Foundation offered to send Engdahl a reading list.
"I was very surprised that the reaction was so violent. I don't think that what I said was that derogatory or sensational," Engdahl told AP after Thursday's prize announcement.
He added that his comments had been "perhaps a bit too generalizing."
Asked how he thought the choice of Le Clezio would be received in the United States, he said he had no idea.
"I'm not aware that there are today any anti-French sentiments in the U.S.," Engdahl said.
"He's not a particularly French writer if you look at him from a strictly cultural point of view. So I don't think this choice will give rise to any anti-French comments," he said. "I would be very sad if that was the case."
Le Clezio has spent much of his time living in New Mexico in recent years. He has long shied away from public life, spending much of his time traveling, often in the world's various deserts.
He has published several dozen books, including novels and essays. The most famous are tales of nomads, mediations on the desert and childhood memories. He has also explored the mythologies of native Americans, who have long fascinated him.
Engdahl called Le Clezio a writer of great diversity.
"He has gone through many different phases of his development as a writer and has come to include other civilizations, other modes of living than the Western, in his writing," Engdahl said.
Le Clezio was born in Nice in 1940 and at eight the family moved to Nigeria, where his father had been a doctor during World War II. They returned to France in 1950.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy hailed Le Clezio's win.
"A child in Mauritius and Nigeria, a teenager in Nice, a nomad of the American and African deserts, Jean-Marie Le Clezio is a citizen of the world, the son of all continents and cultures," Sarkozy said. "A great traveler, he embodies the influence of France, its culture and its values in a globalized world."
In addition to the 10 million kronor (US$1.4 million) check, Le Clezio will also receive a gold medal and be invited to give a lecture at the academy's headquarters in Stockholm's Old Town.
The Nobel Prize in literature is handed out in Stockholm on Dec. 10 - the anniversary of Nobel's death in 1896 - along with the awards in medicine, chemistry, physics and economics. The Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, Norway.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Eye Candy
Eye candy is often used as a not-so-flattering description of the superficial attractiveness of something. If you’ve played around with computer graphics software, however, you might know that it takes on a whole new meaning when prefaced with the name Alien Skin. That Eye Candy lit up the graphics industry when it hit the scene - plug-ins for Photoshop that you could use to create amazing effects and textures.
Alien Skin recently introduced the Eye Candy Effects Collection, which is a compilation of five of its standalone products: Eye Candy 5 Textures, Eye Candy 5 Nature, Eye Candy 5 Impact, SnapArt and Xenofex 2. These products continue as plug-ins for Photoshop (or other applications that support the PS plug-in architecture, including Photoshop Elements and Corel Paint Shop Pro). The product ships with both Mac and Windows versions on the same media, and the latest version has been updated for Photoshop CS3 and as well, the Mac version is Universal.
Installation is straightforward. If you have more than one program that supports plug-ins, the installation program prompts you to pick which one you want. Once installed, the plug-ins show up as a choice in the Filters drop down menu. Using the Eye Candy filters is equally simple. Once you have the image you want to apply the effect to loaded into Photoshop, you simply access the appropriate filter style. Typically, you are presented a work panel which has a preview of what the effect will look like when applied to the photo along with controls that allow you to adjust relevant variables of the filter such as granularity, strength and so on. Say OK, and the software does its magic.
While the price tag might seem a bit steep (US$399 from the Alien Skin website), you get more than 50 effects filters within the five-product set. Eye Candy 5 Textures offers a range of organic (e.g., animal fur), inorganic (marble) and constructed (brick wall) textures. Nature replicates shapes and textures appearing as natural phenomena (e.g., ripples, fire, icicles, smoke), while Impact is a mix of lighting and texture effects (e.g., brushed metal, glass, bevel). Snap Art offers what is commonly known as natural media simulation - in other words, it applies painterly strokes and textures to an image to make it look as though it were created using natural art media such as watercolour on paper, oil on canvas or coloured pencil. Xeonofex 2 defies strict categorization because the filters cover a range of effects. One of my favourites, called Mosaic, makes the image look as though it were created using irregular mosaic tiles. Another superimposes a jigsaw puzzle pattern over an image. The Crumple filter applies textures that make the image look as though the paper it was printed on were crumpled up, then flattened out; while Burned Edges applies simulated scorching around the perimeter of the image.
Most image editors like Photoshop ship with a range of special effects filters, so you might wonder whether you need these or not. If you don’t care for the effects filters that are already available to you in Photoshop, it’s not likely you’ll find much use for these. On the other hand, if you’ve exhausted them and are looking for new variations, or are looking for that one special effect that doesn’t come with PS, you might find filter happiness in the Eye Candy Collection. And if you don’t need the whole set, you can buy the individual packages separately.
Alien Skin recently introduced the Eye Candy Effects Collection, which is a compilation of five of its standalone products: Eye Candy 5 Textures, Eye Candy 5 Nature, Eye Candy 5 Impact, SnapArt and Xenofex 2. These products continue as plug-ins for Photoshop (or other applications that support the PS plug-in architecture, including Photoshop Elements and Corel Paint Shop Pro). The product ships with both Mac and Windows versions on the same media, and the latest version has been updated for Photoshop CS3 and as well, the Mac version is Universal.
Installation is straightforward. If you have more than one program that supports plug-ins, the installation program prompts you to pick which one you want. Once installed, the plug-ins show up as a choice in the Filters drop down menu. Using the Eye Candy filters is equally simple. Once you have the image you want to apply the effect to loaded into Photoshop, you simply access the appropriate filter style. Typically, you are presented a work panel which has a preview of what the effect will look like when applied to the photo along with controls that allow you to adjust relevant variables of the filter such as granularity, strength and so on. Say OK, and the software does its magic.
While the price tag might seem a bit steep (US$399 from the Alien Skin website), you get more than 50 effects filters within the five-product set. Eye Candy 5 Textures offers a range of organic (e.g., animal fur), inorganic (marble) and constructed (brick wall) textures. Nature replicates shapes and textures appearing as natural phenomena (e.g., ripples, fire, icicles, smoke), while Impact is a mix of lighting and texture effects (e.g., brushed metal, glass, bevel). Snap Art offers what is commonly known as natural media simulation - in other words, it applies painterly strokes and textures to an image to make it look as though it were created using natural art media such as watercolour on paper, oil on canvas or coloured pencil. Xeonofex 2 defies strict categorization because the filters cover a range of effects. One of my favourites, called Mosaic, makes the image look as though it were created using irregular mosaic tiles. Another superimposes a jigsaw puzzle pattern over an image. The Crumple filter applies textures that make the image look as though the paper it was printed on were crumpled up, then flattened out; while Burned Edges applies simulated scorching around the perimeter of the image.
Most image editors like Photoshop ship with a range of special effects filters, so you might wonder whether you need these or not. If you don’t care for the effects filters that are already available to you in Photoshop, it’s not likely you’ll find much use for these. On the other hand, if you’ve exhausted them and are looking for new variations, or are looking for that one special effect that doesn’t come with PS, you might find filter happiness in the Eye Candy Collection. And if you don’t need the whole set, you can buy the individual packages separately.
Picture this: five fun photo projects
If you're like most Canadian camera users, your precious photos end up in a "digital shoebox," otherwise known as your computer’s C: drive, while the occasional one is printed for a photo album or emailed to a relative. But your PC can do so much more for your snapshots than provide a convenient storage solution.
All you need is a little time, software and your imagination, and you can turn your photos into extraordinary projects that range from scrapbooking keepsakes and professional-looking DVD slideshows to jigsaw puzzle games and fridge magnets. Here are a handful of ideas to help you get the most out of your digicam and computer.
Jigsaw puzzles
What better way to keep the kids entertained on a rainy Sunday afternoon than with a fun and challenging jigsaw puzzle? Better yet, you can create your own jigsaw puzzles to play on the computer for free using your own digital photos.
Available at Download.com, programs such as Tibo Software's Jigsaw Puzzle or ADC-Soft's B-Jigsaw let you design your own one-of-a-kind diversions by simply importing photos from your hard drive (such as BMP and JPEG image files) and then choosing how many pieces the puzzle should be. Then, simply use your mouse to select pieces and snap them together - if they stick, it's a fit! You can also email the puzzle to friends and family to solve. Some products are free, while others are free to try before you buy.
Slideshows
Put a sentimental spin on your precious photos by creating a stunning slideshow, set to music. Not only can you view these homemade montages on your PC, but you can also copy them to a compatible PDA, cell phone or portable video player, email them around the world or burn a disc to watch on TV via your DVD player. A good pick is the free Windows Photo Story 3, a simple-to-use, powerful tool that lets you import your desired photos and select which order they will be presented in. You can also add captions, your favourite music or with the aid of a microphone, narration, too.
While there are many kinds of slideshow programs available, Windows Photo Story 3 also lets you edit your photos (such as remove red-eye, crop or rotate) and adds automated effects such as zooming in on a photo or slowly panning from left to right.
Fridge magnets
Proudly display your memories in a place you frequent often: your fridge. By purchasing magnetic sheets from business stores, such as Office Depot (roughly $20 for a 5-pack), you can create your very own fridge magnets with your favourite photos. Simply feed these sheets into your inkjet photo printer and select the desired photo size. You can fit four 3.5 x 5-inch photos on one 8 x 11 sheet (or two 5 x 7-inch images). After your printer spits out the sheet, carefully cut out the photo with scissors and you're ready for action.
If you want to get creative, cut the photo into various pieces (such as triangles) and let kids put together the jigsaw puzzle on the fridge. You can also create magnet borders to hold up your paper photos. Or why not buy t-shirt transfer paper to wear your loved one on your clothes?
Special effects
With the use of computer programs such as Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 ($129) or Microsoft Digital Image Suite ($139), you can let your creativity run wild by adding filters to your photos. You may have dabbled in creating black and white or sepia tone photos from your colour ones, but with the hundreds of filters included in these software packages, you can really get, well, experimental.
For example, you can turn your pics into an impressionism painting, charcoal drawing, antique image or stained glass photo. Frankly, you can lose yourself for hours by toying around with these filters - and kids love seeing the effects, too. How about turning one of your favourite kids photos into four multi-coloured Andy Warhol-esque prints to hang on your wall? Or you can print them out and use them in your scrapbook to impress friends.
Mugs, t-shirts, photobooks and more
Finally, if you've got a shot you're really proud of (maybe one of the kids without them making a silly face for once), why not tap into the many Internet services that will take your digital photo and ship you back a personalized product. Popular Web sites, such as Shutterfly.com, let you create stunning hardcover books using your favourite photos (US$30 for 20 pages).
Or you can order mugs, calendars, mouse pads, purses, coasters, aprons, tote bags, playing cards - you name it. Shutterfly.com also offers various children's storybooks - with your child as the leading character (US$10-$12).
Closer to home, check out places like your local photofinisher or the photo department in a store like Shoppers Drug Mart (which also offers a hardcover photo book creation service).
All you need is a little time, software and your imagination, and you can turn your photos into extraordinary projects that range from scrapbooking keepsakes and professional-looking DVD slideshows to jigsaw puzzle games and fridge magnets. Here are a handful of ideas to help you get the most out of your digicam and computer.
Jigsaw puzzles
What better way to keep the kids entertained on a rainy Sunday afternoon than with a fun and challenging jigsaw puzzle? Better yet, you can create your own jigsaw puzzles to play on the computer for free using your own digital photos.
Available at Download.com, programs such as Tibo Software's Jigsaw Puzzle or ADC-Soft's B-Jigsaw let you design your own one-of-a-kind diversions by simply importing photos from your hard drive (such as BMP and JPEG image files) and then choosing how many pieces the puzzle should be. Then, simply use your mouse to select pieces and snap them together - if they stick, it's a fit! You can also email the puzzle to friends and family to solve. Some products are free, while others are free to try before you buy.
Slideshows
Put a sentimental spin on your precious photos by creating a stunning slideshow, set to music. Not only can you view these homemade montages on your PC, but you can also copy them to a compatible PDA, cell phone or portable video player, email them around the world or burn a disc to watch on TV via your DVD player. A good pick is the free Windows Photo Story 3, a simple-to-use, powerful tool that lets you import your desired photos and select which order they will be presented in. You can also add captions, your favourite music or with the aid of a microphone, narration, too.
While there are many kinds of slideshow programs available, Windows Photo Story 3 also lets you edit your photos (such as remove red-eye, crop or rotate) and adds automated effects such as zooming in on a photo or slowly panning from left to right.
Fridge magnets
Proudly display your memories in a place you frequent often: your fridge. By purchasing magnetic sheets from business stores, such as Office Depot (roughly $20 for a 5-pack), you can create your very own fridge magnets with your favourite photos. Simply feed these sheets into your inkjet photo printer and select the desired photo size. You can fit four 3.5 x 5-inch photos on one 8 x 11 sheet (or two 5 x 7-inch images). After your printer spits out the sheet, carefully cut out the photo with scissors and you're ready for action.
If you want to get creative, cut the photo into various pieces (such as triangles) and let kids put together the jigsaw puzzle on the fridge. You can also create magnet borders to hold up your paper photos. Or why not buy t-shirt transfer paper to wear your loved one on your clothes?
Special effects
With the use of computer programs such as Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 ($129) or Microsoft Digital Image Suite ($139), you can let your creativity run wild by adding filters to your photos. You may have dabbled in creating black and white or sepia tone photos from your colour ones, but with the hundreds of filters included in these software packages, you can really get, well, experimental.
For example, you can turn your pics into an impressionism painting, charcoal drawing, antique image or stained glass photo. Frankly, you can lose yourself for hours by toying around with these filters - and kids love seeing the effects, too. How about turning one of your favourite kids photos into four multi-coloured Andy Warhol-esque prints to hang on your wall? Or you can print them out and use them in your scrapbook to impress friends.
Mugs, t-shirts, photobooks and more
Finally, if you've got a shot you're really proud of (maybe one of the kids without them making a silly face for once), why not tap into the many Internet services that will take your digital photo and ship you back a personalized product. Popular Web sites, such as Shutterfly.com, let you create stunning hardcover books using your favourite photos (US$30 for 20 pages).
Or you can order mugs, calendars, mouse pads, purses, coasters, aprons, tote bags, playing cards - you name it. Shutterfly.com also offers various children's storybooks - with your child as the leading character (US$10-$12).
Closer to home, check out places like your local photofinisher or the photo department in a store like Shoppers Drug Mart (which also offers a hardcover photo book creation service).
Canon's Digital Rebel XTi
Welcome to the digital SLR world
After years of anticipating the move from film to digital photography, I’ve finally taken the leap with Canon’s Digital Rebel XTi and won’t ever look back.
A testament to the quality of Canon’s cameras is my Canon EF manual focus 35mm SLR, which my father purchased in 1974 and passed along when I enrolled in my first high school photography class. The camera still functions beautifully to this day, and is one of the reasons it took me so long to make the switch over to a digital equivalent.
When digital cameras entered the market, I first opted for the PowerShot S100 Digital Elph. I wasn’t ready to forgo the 50mm, wide angle and macro lenses I inherited with the EF (or afford the replacements) and figured the 2.1 megapixel point-and-shoot was a good introduction to digital photography.
I enjoyed the Elph, but immediately grew fascinated with the manipulation of my photos rather than the actual process of taking the shot. So when my Elph reached the end of its lifespan (due to the battery, not the camera), I decided to purchase a high quality scanner instead. In my eyes, this route was a third of the cost of a digital SLR and still allowed me to digitally manipulate those film-based SLR shots.
After a short while, I missed the convenience of a point-and-shoot, as fussing with the EF and a flash became a chore, as did scanning every photo I took. I soon found myself back at the photo counter, with a point-and-shoot in one hand and the Digital Rebel in the other. But I couldn’t justify the move when I still had a perfectly functioning SLR at home. I walked out with the PowerShot A620. (To avoid the pitfall of the Elph, I purchased a model that ran on AA batteries.) I kept telling myself that the Rebel was just a bonus camera – something I wanted, but didn’t really need.
I realized how wrong I was the first time I spent an afternoon with the XTi. This camera opened my eyes to the world of digital photography, allowing me to forget about Photoshop and renewing that long-lost interest in the process of photo taking itself.
This is in large part to the LCD screen, something I haven't had to opportunity to appreciate. The XTi’s 2.5 inch screen allows you to set your menu options and immediately review your shots to quickly determine whether those settings you are experimenting with are working for you or not. The instant gratification really encourages further experimentation with manual settings, which helps further refine your skills. All the settings are recorded and presented on the LCD screen, so you don’t have to rely on pen and paper or good memory to recall how you created that great shot. The screen displays images (which can be viewed at a 160 degree angle) with remarkable clarity so you can actually see the subtleties between different settings.
LCD screens tend to suck the life out of your battery (another reason I haven’t been a big fan), but the XTi includes an automatic shut off feature that kicks in every time you put your eye up to the viewfinder. This is supposed to help you compose your shot (minimizing distraction from the LCD), but the battery life saved is the true bonus here.
My first time operating a digital SLR, I expected complicated menu options and was surprised at how intuitive this model really is. Within the first hour of having the XTi out of its box, I was completely comfortable finding, selecting, and activating nearly all of the functions. And considering all the features and functions offered in this camera, the lack of frustration is key to a first-timer enjoying its use.
The XTi incorporates features for all users, whether introductory, intermediate or advanced. For introductory-level users, there are seven basic modes that offer the same ease-of-use you’d find in a point-and-shoot. The most noticeable difference for such a user would probably begin with the higher quality, contrast and colour in the shots (thanks to the XTi’s 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor). For those worried about too many megapixels clouding resolution and producing noise, the XTi’s CMOS sensor maintains high resolution with a 1.6x conversion ratio.
For those who enjoy experimenting with colour, six picture styles are offered (standard, portrait, landscape, neutral, faithful, and monochrome for black and white shots) that will adjust the tone, contrast, saturation and sharpness of your shots. You can also save up to three custom settings of your own.
An intermediate user will find the semi-manual functions helpful, such as better aperture priority, shutter priority, auto depth of field, auto exposure (with access to additional features) or even the full manual exposure setting. The shutter speed ranges from 1/4000 of a second to 30 seconds and includes the infinite bulb. (The shutter will sync up to 1/200 of a second with the flash.) There are a wide range of ISO settings (from 100 to 1600), which is especially intriguing for someone just moving over from film.
Also of interest to intermediate users are three auto focusing modes: one for stationary subjects, one for moving subjects, and one “smart” setting that will start or stop focusing for unpredictable subject movements. Three metering modes (evaluative, partial, center-weighted) are also provided. And new to this model are nine individually selectable autofocus points.
Advanced users should be fully satisfied with a histogram that displays either brightness levels or separate RGB values. You also have the ability to shoot in JPEG Large + RAW mode for advanced printing and editing, and have the option between sRGB or Adobe RGB colour settings. Seven preset options are available for white balance, which is also customizable.
Equipped with a DIGIC II Image Processor, the XTi provides the responsiveness, power and speed you need when you don’t have time to think twice about a shot. I broke in my XTi with a photo shoot of my sister’s newborn baby, capturing three frames per second in continuous shooting mode (which can produce 10 RAW images in a row) in-between crying fits and random naps. The XTi happily kept up with the pace. In the amount of time it takes for you to announce that you need to wait for the flash, the three-second recycle time passes and it becomes operational again. On a full charge, the battery allowed me to fill my 4GB CF card with hundreds of RAW shots. And the 0.2 second startup was near-immediate.
The EOS Integrated Cleaning System is a self-cleaning image sensor unit/dust removal system that Canon says is available “on no other camera of any make, at any price.” The XTi will literally shake dust particles off the CMOS sensor to keep itself clean. Further dust removal is possible by aiming at the camera at a white surface and “mapping” the size and position of the dust. This information is attached to your shots and once the files are transferred to your computer, the included Digital Photo Professional software will automatically remove it. The lens filter also includes an anti-static charge so dust doesn’t get attracted to your lens in the first place.
The XTi feels good and features a sturdy grip for your right hand. The body is lightweight, so you won’t feel a burden if you need to carry it around with you for a whole day. You have a choice between a black or silver body colour.
Ever since the first Digital Rebel was introduced in the fall of 2003, pricing has hovered around $1000, with Canon continually improving the quality for the price. The XTi comes with an MSPR of $1175 for the body-only kit and $1350 for the zoom lens. It also comes complete with a Mac and Windows compatible software bundle for photo editing, image noise reduction, direct printing, and the new dust delete data function.
After years of anticipating the move from film to digital photography, I’ve finally taken the leap with Canon’s Digital Rebel XTi and won’t ever look back.
A testament to the quality of Canon’s cameras is my Canon EF manual focus 35mm SLR, which my father purchased in 1974 and passed along when I enrolled in my first high school photography class. The camera still functions beautifully to this day, and is one of the reasons it took me so long to make the switch over to a digital equivalent.
When digital cameras entered the market, I first opted for the PowerShot S100 Digital Elph. I wasn’t ready to forgo the 50mm, wide angle and macro lenses I inherited with the EF (or afford the replacements) and figured the 2.1 megapixel point-and-shoot was a good introduction to digital photography.
I enjoyed the Elph, but immediately grew fascinated with the manipulation of my photos rather than the actual process of taking the shot. So when my Elph reached the end of its lifespan (due to the battery, not the camera), I decided to purchase a high quality scanner instead. In my eyes, this route was a third of the cost of a digital SLR and still allowed me to digitally manipulate those film-based SLR shots.
After a short while, I missed the convenience of a point-and-shoot, as fussing with the EF and a flash became a chore, as did scanning every photo I took. I soon found myself back at the photo counter, with a point-and-shoot in one hand and the Digital Rebel in the other. But I couldn’t justify the move when I still had a perfectly functioning SLR at home. I walked out with the PowerShot A620. (To avoid the pitfall of the Elph, I purchased a model that ran on AA batteries.) I kept telling myself that the Rebel was just a bonus camera – something I wanted, but didn’t really need.
I realized how wrong I was the first time I spent an afternoon with the XTi. This camera opened my eyes to the world of digital photography, allowing me to forget about Photoshop and renewing that long-lost interest in the process of photo taking itself.
This is in large part to the LCD screen, something I haven't had to opportunity to appreciate. The XTi’s 2.5 inch screen allows you to set your menu options and immediately review your shots to quickly determine whether those settings you are experimenting with are working for you or not. The instant gratification really encourages further experimentation with manual settings, which helps further refine your skills. All the settings are recorded and presented on the LCD screen, so you don’t have to rely on pen and paper or good memory to recall how you created that great shot. The screen displays images (which can be viewed at a 160 degree angle) with remarkable clarity so you can actually see the subtleties between different settings.
LCD screens tend to suck the life out of your battery (another reason I haven’t been a big fan), but the XTi includes an automatic shut off feature that kicks in every time you put your eye up to the viewfinder. This is supposed to help you compose your shot (minimizing distraction from the LCD), but the battery life saved is the true bonus here.
My first time operating a digital SLR, I expected complicated menu options and was surprised at how intuitive this model really is. Within the first hour of having the XTi out of its box, I was completely comfortable finding, selecting, and activating nearly all of the functions. And considering all the features and functions offered in this camera, the lack of frustration is key to a first-timer enjoying its use.
The XTi incorporates features for all users, whether introductory, intermediate or advanced. For introductory-level users, there are seven basic modes that offer the same ease-of-use you’d find in a point-and-shoot. The most noticeable difference for such a user would probably begin with the higher quality, contrast and colour in the shots (thanks to the XTi’s 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor). For those worried about too many megapixels clouding resolution and producing noise, the XTi’s CMOS sensor maintains high resolution with a 1.6x conversion ratio.
For those who enjoy experimenting with colour, six picture styles are offered (standard, portrait, landscape, neutral, faithful, and monochrome for black and white shots) that will adjust the tone, contrast, saturation and sharpness of your shots. You can also save up to three custom settings of your own.
An intermediate user will find the semi-manual functions helpful, such as better aperture priority, shutter priority, auto depth of field, auto exposure (with access to additional features) or even the full manual exposure setting. The shutter speed ranges from 1/4000 of a second to 30 seconds and includes the infinite bulb. (The shutter will sync up to 1/200 of a second with the flash.) There are a wide range of ISO settings (from 100 to 1600), which is especially intriguing for someone just moving over from film.
Also of interest to intermediate users are three auto focusing modes: one for stationary subjects, one for moving subjects, and one “smart” setting that will start or stop focusing for unpredictable subject movements. Three metering modes (evaluative, partial, center-weighted) are also provided. And new to this model are nine individually selectable autofocus points.
Advanced users should be fully satisfied with a histogram that displays either brightness levels or separate RGB values. You also have the ability to shoot in JPEG Large + RAW mode for advanced printing and editing, and have the option between sRGB or Adobe RGB colour settings. Seven preset options are available for white balance, which is also customizable.
Equipped with a DIGIC II Image Processor, the XTi provides the responsiveness, power and speed you need when you don’t have time to think twice about a shot. I broke in my XTi with a photo shoot of my sister’s newborn baby, capturing three frames per second in continuous shooting mode (which can produce 10 RAW images in a row) in-between crying fits and random naps. The XTi happily kept up with the pace. In the amount of time it takes for you to announce that you need to wait for the flash, the three-second recycle time passes and it becomes operational again. On a full charge, the battery allowed me to fill my 4GB CF card with hundreds of RAW shots. And the 0.2 second startup was near-immediate.
The EOS Integrated Cleaning System is a self-cleaning image sensor unit/dust removal system that Canon says is available “on no other camera of any make, at any price.” The XTi will literally shake dust particles off the CMOS sensor to keep itself clean. Further dust removal is possible by aiming at the camera at a white surface and “mapping” the size and position of the dust. This information is attached to your shots and once the files are transferred to your computer, the included Digital Photo Professional software will automatically remove it. The lens filter also includes an anti-static charge so dust doesn’t get attracted to your lens in the first place.
The XTi feels good and features a sturdy grip for your right hand. The body is lightweight, so you won’t feel a burden if you need to carry it around with you for a whole day. You have a choice between a black or silver body colour.
Ever since the first Digital Rebel was introduced in the fall of 2003, pricing has hovered around $1000, with Canon continually improving the quality for the price. The XTi comes with an MSPR of $1175 for the body-only kit and $1350 for the zoom lens. It also comes complete with a Mac and Windows compatible software bundle for photo editing, image noise reduction, direct printing, and the new dust delete data function.
Nikon's mid-range D80
After plodding along in the six megapixel camera space for a few years, Nikon popped the cork on a succession of 10 megapixel SLRs. The D200, D80 and D40x are all 10.2 megapixel models, but aimed at different users. In-store prices for this trio ranges from $900 to $1,700 (body only). The $1,700 D200 has magnesium body construction, weather sealing on the doors and other openings and a faster image processor, so it is aimed at a more extreme camera user. The most recent of the trio, the D40x aimed at first-time SLR purchasers, is a refresh of the D40, and among other things, bumps the resolution from six to 10.2 megapixels.
The price difference between the D40x (street price is just under $900) and D80 is just $200, so a fair question is what does the extra cash get you. There are a few performance as well as ergonomic differences between the two. The viewfinder system is different. The D40x uses a penta-mirror whereas the D80 uses a true pentaprism. The D80’s viewfinder magnification factor is closer to lifesize (0.94x vs. 0.8x for the D40x) and the eyepoint is slightly longer (19.5 mm for the D80 vs. 18 mm for the D40). The extra 1.5 mm doesn’t sound like much, but it may be just enough to allow eyeglass wearers to see the full viewfinder frame without jamming their glasses into eyepiece.
The D80’s autofocus system is also more sophisticated, with 11 selectable focus points (compared to three for the D40x). The D80 also has wider support for older Nikon lenses (the D40x’s support for older Autofocus systems isn’t as extensive, for example).
On the other hand, like the D40x the D80 has several automated scene modes. These are factory assigned presets for specific shooting situations such as portraiture, landscapes, sports, etc., and are usually found on point and shoot and entry-level models (like the D40x). Frankly, for the D80 I think the dial space is wasted on these functions, as the camera has the goods to attract a more advanced user.
One of the major adjustments SLR users had to put up with in the first couple of generations of consumer digital SLRs was the relatively low viewfinder magnification – the image was somewhere down that long dark tunnel. So when I picked up the D80 for the first time, the 0.94x viewfinder magnification was a joy to see. It’s eye-popping big, and that factor alone gave me a very favourable first impression.
And the favourable impression didn’t stop at the viewfinder – there are many things to like about this camera. It uses a two-wheel selection system that many other advanced cameras use (one under your thumb, the other under your index finger), a proven way to quickly and simply adjust two exposure vectors. (For example, in manual mode, one wheel controls f-stop, the other controls shutter speed.) A gratifying, large (2.5-inch) colour LCD sits on the back, and the menu system is well organized. One-touch buttons provide quick access to often-changed settings like white balance and image quality. If you’ve used a digital camera before, there shouldn’t be too much in the menu structure that will mystify you after a brief orientation.
A camera with good ergonomics will still fail if the image quality is below par. Happily, the D80 shines here too. When I bought my SLR a few years ago I considered it the best six megapixel model for under $3,000. But the superior image detail from the $1,100 D80 is obvious – 40 percent more pixels do make a difference in the detail that can be recorded. The camera has a number of settings that change the colour characteristics of jpeg images, so you can tune the settings to match the subject. Shooting in raw format means that basic exposure parameters like exposure, white balance (or colour temperature) and contrast can be modified at will after the photo is taken.
When the D80 was introduced, it was often described as a junior D200, since the features were very close but the D80 didn’t have the ruggedness of the D200. The body is plastic, not metal, but it’s smaller and lighter and for users like me, that’s a fair trade-off.
The price difference between the D40x (street price is just under $900) and D80 is just $200, so a fair question is what does the extra cash get you. There are a few performance as well as ergonomic differences between the two. The viewfinder system is different. The D40x uses a penta-mirror whereas the D80 uses a true pentaprism. The D80’s viewfinder magnification factor is closer to lifesize (0.94x vs. 0.8x for the D40x) and the eyepoint is slightly longer (19.5 mm for the D80 vs. 18 mm for the D40). The extra 1.5 mm doesn’t sound like much, but it may be just enough to allow eyeglass wearers to see the full viewfinder frame without jamming their glasses into eyepiece.
The D80’s autofocus system is also more sophisticated, with 11 selectable focus points (compared to three for the D40x). The D80 also has wider support for older Nikon lenses (the D40x’s support for older Autofocus systems isn’t as extensive, for example).
On the other hand, like the D40x the D80 has several automated scene modes. These are factory assigned presets for specific shooting situations such as portraiture, landscapes, sports, etc., and are usually found on point and shoot and entry-level models (like the D40x). Frankly, for the D80 I think the dial space is wasted on these functions, as the camera has the goods to attract a more advanced user.
One of the major adjustments SLR users had to put up with in the first couple of generations of consumer digital SLRs was the relatively low viewfinder magnification – the image was somewhere down that long dark tunnel. So when I picked up the D80 for the first time, the 0.94x viewfinder magnification was a joy to see. It’s eye-popping big, and that factor alone gave me a very favourable first impression.
And the favourable impression didn’t stop at the viewfinder – there are many things to like about this camera. It uses a two-wheel selection system that many other advanced cameras use (one under your thumb, the other under your index finger), a proven way to quickly and simply adjust two exposure vectors. (For example, in manual mode, one wheel controls f-stop, the other controls shutter speed.) A gratifying, large (2.5-inch) colour LCD sits on the back, and the menu system is well organized. One-touch buttons provide quick access to often-changed settings like white balance and image quality. If you’ve used a digital camera before, there shouldn’t be too much in the menu structure that will mystify you after a brief orientation.
A camera with good ergonomics will still fail if the image quality is below par. Happily, the D80 shines here too. When I bought my SLR a few years ago I considered it the best six megapixel model for under $3,000. But the superior image detail from the $1,100 D80 is obvious – 40 percent more pixels do make a difference in the detail that can be recorded. The camera has a number of settings that change the colour characteristics of jpeg images, so you can tune the settings to match the subject. Shooting in raw format means that basic exposure parameters like exposure, white balance (or colour temperature) and contrast can be modified at will after the photo is taken.
When the D80 was introduced, it was often described as a junior D200, since the features were very close but the D80 didn’t have the ruggedness of the D200. The body is plastic, not metal, but it’s smaller and lighter and for users like me, that’s a fair trade-off.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Give yourself an assignment
How do you get good at something? Practice. On the face of it, that seems like an obvious prescription until you ask the natural follow-up: practice what? One of the time-honoured practice techniques that photographers use to maintain their edge is the self-assignment. This is exactly what it sounds like: tell yourself to shoot something specific, give yourself a deadline, and then complete the assignment.
These exercises help you achieve many things: expand your boundaries, train your eye to see in a different way or give your creativity a tune-up. Before the rise of digital equipment, the self assignment could turn into an expensive indulgence since a lot of shots would be rejects but you’d still have to pay for film processing. With digital, that ongoing cost isn’t there, so you can feel free to shoot dozens or hundreds of images on your road to photographic self-improvement.
Self-assignments work best if they push you out of your comfort zone. If you always photograph outdoors, there’s nothing like an indoor assignment to force you to explore your camera’s ISO settings or how to use flash and other artificial lighting techniques. If you always shoot landscapes, assign yourself portraits and a whole new set of challenges and possibilities will open up.
Self assignments can help you re-train your photographic eye by forcing you to look differently at something, particularly something you’ve seen so often it’s become invisible. This could be a building or monument or even a nondescript scene you’ve walked by dozens of times before. Give yourself the assignment to take 25 different photos of that subject during a fixed period of time. This will challenge you take another look and push beyond the “nothing here worth photographing” mentality. You might try shots from far away, or macro shots of interesting details You can explore the differences between taking the object’s lit and shadowed sides, or choose different times - morning, afternoon and night - to shoot the subject.
Sometimes you need to get over shutter shyness, so try a speed shoot – 50 exposures in five minutes for example. That’s a frame every six seconds, and when you have to shoot that fast, you don’t have the luxury of analysing each shot, but neither will you have the chance to talk yourself out of taking it. It can help you see and shoot on an entirely new level – almost by reflex.
Sometimes you can work it from the other end. Rather than 50 shots in five minutes, restrict yourself to just one frame for your entire session. Rather than suppressing your analysis as the speed shoot does, this assignment will train you to study the subject even more deeply, and help you pick out the single most significant aspect you want to photograph.
Another exercise on the theme of restricting yourself is using just one lens, which means just one focal length. Most of us have a zoom lens on our cameras, so a variation that achieves the same thing is to limit yourself to using just one zoom setting. If you always seem to be shooting with the lens set at telephoto, give yourself an assignment to shoot only wide angle photos for a day. Zoom lenses tend to make us lazy because it’s much easier to hit the zoom control than physically move closer to or further from the subject. Perspective depends on subject to camera distance, however, so you’ll get quite different compositions by moving you and your camera to a new vantage point. This is a particularly good assignment for us zoom-addicted shooters.
You can build a self assignment on virtually any theme: colour (photograph only red things for a day), shape or pattern (look for star shapes) or location (if you live in a big city, look for the 10 or 20 most interesting shop windows). For other ideas, type “photography self assignment” into a search engine and you’ll come up with lots of different approaches.
Once you’ve finished your shoot, it is important to go through the images and analyse them. You can revel in the great shots you’ve created, but often you’ll see a frame and think, “that’s not what I was expecting.” Figuring out why something didn’t work is as important as celebrating what did.
These exercises help you achieve many things: expand your boundaries, train your eye to see in a different way or give your creativity a tune-up. Before the rise of digital equipment, the self assignment could turn into an expensive indulgence since a lot of shots would be rejects but you’d still have to pay for film processing. With digital, that ongoing cost isn’t there, so you can feel free to shoot dozens or hundreds of images on your road to photographic self-improvement.
Self-assignments work best if they push you out of your comfort zone. If you always photograph outdoors, there’s nothing like an indoor assignment to force you to explore your camera’s ISO settings or how to use flash and other artificial lighting techniques. If you always shoot landscapes, assign yourself portraits and a whole new set of challenges and possibilities will open up.
Self assignments can help you re-train your photographic eye by forcing you to look differently at something, particularly something you’ve seen so often it’s become invisible. This could be a building or monument or even a nondescript scene you’ve walked by dozens of times before. Give yourself the assignment to take 25 different photos of that subject during a fixed period of time. This will challenge you take another look and push beyond the “nothing here worth photographing” mentality. You might try shots from far away, or macro shots of interesting details You can explore the differences between taking the object’s lit and shadowed sides, or choose different times - morning, afternoon and night - to shoot the subject.
Sometimes you need to get over shutter shyness, so try a speed shoot – 50 exposures in five minutes for example. That’s a frame every six seconds, and when you have to shoot that fast, you don’t have the luxury of analysing each shot, but neither will you have the chance to talk yourself out of taking it. It can help you see and shoot on an entirely new level – almost by reflex.
Sometimes you can work it from the other end. Rather than 50 shots in five minutes, restrict yourself to just one frame for your entire session. Rather than suppressing your analysis as the speed shoot does, this assignment will train you to study the subject even more deeply, and help you pick out the single most significant aspect you want to photograph.
Another exercise on the theme of restricting yourself is using just one lens, which means just one focal length. Most of us have a zoom lens on our cameras, so a variation that achieves the same thing is to limit yourself to using just one zoom setting. If you always seem to be shooting with the lens set at telephoto, give yourself an assignment to shoot only wide angle photos for a day. Zoom lenses tend to make us lazy because it’s much easier to hit the zoom control than physically move closer to or further from the subject. Perspective depends on subject to camera distance, however, so you’ll get quite different compositions by moving you and your camera to a new vantage point. This is a particularly good assignment for us zoom-addicted shooters.
You can build a self assignment on virtually any theme: colour (photograph only red things for a day), shape or pattern (look for star shapes) or location (if you live in a big city, look for the 10 or 20 most interesting shop windows). For other ideas, type “photography self assignment” into a search engine and you’ll come up with lots of different approaches.
Once you’ve finished your shoot, it is important to go through the images and analyse them. You can revel in the great shots you’ve created, but often you’ll see a frame and think, “that’s not what I was expecting.” Figuring out why something didn’t work is as important as celebrating what did.
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