Life's Greatest Catalyst Is Death

Why does it take death, or the threat of death, to create necessary change in our lives?

Sick people wait until they've been diagnosed with cancer before they make changes to their lifestyle. And healthy people wait until someone they love dies before they start telling those still living that they love them. Why do we wait so long before we take action?

When did death become a catalyst for living?



I waited until my Grandmother turned 90 before I started calling and visiting her on a regular basis. When she turned 90, it scared me. And like a much needed slap to the head, it woke me up. She will turn 92 in a few weeks and I feel more frightened than I did 2 years ago. It took the reality of her death being near for me to create change.

I waited until I was faced with an impending layoff at my first real job out of college to give myself the extra push I needed to start my own company. Ever since I was a kid I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. But for whatever reason, I waited. I waited until it was physically impossible for me to wait anymore. It took the death of my first real job for me to create change.

I waited until I was in a near fatal motorcycle accident (police even prematurely announced me "dead on the scene") until I got up the balls to break up with my then girlfriend. I knew she was selfish and cared more for herself than me. But I needed that final punch to the gut. The timing of my accident wasn't convenient for her. It interrupted plans for a vacation I had promised to take her on. I needed to witness her lack of compassion and understanding. I needed to witness her thinking of only herself so I could do what was best for myself, which was to move on. It took the death of that relationship for me to create change.

Last week Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, announced he was resigning due to his declining health. Since then, countless news articles have been written about his resignation that read less like a corporate restructuring plan and more like a Steve Jobs obituary column! Steve Jobs is NOT dead! However, many are predicting the worse will happen sooner rather than later.

So today I leave you with some words on Life, Death, and most importantly Change...

2005 Stanford University Commencement
by: Steve Jobs

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Here's to naked living.

Strawberry Tomato Farro Salad Recipe

First there were cherry tomatoes, then the cute and tiny grape tomatoes. Now, they've got strawberry tomatoes.



I found these so-called strawberry tomatoes (maybe they should be called "strawmatoes"?) at Trader Joe's, so I decided to check them out. They don't have a strawberry flavor. They get their name simply because the shape supposedly looks like a strawberry. I guess, if you squint really close. They do have a brilliant red color.



Since it's summer, I ended up using these tomatoes in a simple salad using one of my favorite ingredients, farro. They taste like cherry tomatoes, and really when you cut them up, nobody sees the strawberry shape any more. Well, cute name. Got me to buy a packet.



Copyright 2011 by Cooking With the Single Guy



Ingredients

1.5 cups farro

9 oz strawberry tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), about 1.5 cups

1 can of pinto beans, cooked (15 oz.), drain and rinse

1 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced



Dressing

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T sugar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt



Bring a pot of water to a boil and add some salt, then add the farro and simmer for 20-25 minutes until cooked. Add the pinto beans and let cook to warm through, about 2 minutes. Then drain all the ingredients. Pour everything into a large bowl, then add tomatoes and basil.



In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together and then add to farro salad and toss. Serve immediately or refrigerate.



Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Apple iTranparent 4G Concept

Gadgets are advancing more and more coming to market every day. From 2G to 3G and 3G to 4G technology is constantly evolving. Here is a sample concept of Apple iTransparent phone.
The Clear is a 4G phone concept, which means that its still to come on the market. But looking at this phone incredibly transparent, that can certainly say that the iPhone will be its future.




 
Its transparent body varies with time! So, on sunny days, the screen will be completely transparent, on a rainy day to reduce the virtual screen, and a snow day is completely covered with frost.

Summer Colors at the Farmers Markets

California is known for its agriculture, and its shining moment is definitely in the summer when the farmers markets are packed with all sorts of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with tons of people out and about on a sunny weekend day.



Of course, heirloom tomatoes just scream summer. They're at their peak right now, and they look so juicy and ripe.



Summer squash can really turn into some beautiful gems with its marbling patterns. Plus, it's like sunshine on a plate.



I'm not a fan of eggplant, but I do love the purple color. At Chue's booth, they had four different kinds of eggplants, from Japanese to Chinese to Italian. Oops, I forgot the fourth one. Maybe it was Korean?



Grapes definitely say California to me, and although I'm more a fan of red flame seedless grapes, these black grapes look pretty classic.



I just enjoy wandering the farmers markets and just seeing bursts of color. This weekend the summer weather finally arrived, and just in time to spotlight all the amazing food here.

Feeding on Art: No. 4

I caught a glimpse of this artwork while I was passing a cafe while walking from the sidewalk. So I went inside and snapped this photo. I like realist pop art of eating utensils. It's the obviousness of it all that I find fascinating for some reason. I probably would get excited if someone framed a napkin. It kind of looks like how I organize my utensil drawer. Anywho, got any guesses on where this piece can be seen? Have you seen it at your neighborhood coffee shop before? I'll give you a hint. If you live in Berkeley, you may have seen it.

Specification of Motorola MILESTONE

Here is the full specifications and features the latest Motorola Mobile Milestone 2, which is the successor of Motorola Milestone success, which must Motorola Milestone 2 will come with new Android operating system today that Android 2.2 or Froyo.

• Processor TI OMAP3620-1000 1 GHz


• Memori RAM 512 MB


• ROM Flash 8 GB


• Support for memory cards up to 32GB


• Sistem Operasi Android 2.2


• Android API Level 8


• Layar Capacitive Touch Screen 3.7 inch TFT with 480 x 854 pixels resolution (FWVGA), 240 dpi and up to 16 million colors


• Adobe Flash Player 10.1


• Android WebKit Browser


• A-GPS


• 60.5 x 116.3 x 13.7 mm


• 169 grams


• E-Compass


• GPS with internal antenna


• Email Protocols: Exchange ActiveSync 2003, 2007, 2010, IMAP4 and POP3


• WIF 802.11b/g/n. 802.11i (WPA2). WEP. WPA


• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. Bluetooth Class 2


• USB 2.0. Micro USB connector


• 3.5 mm audio connector


• 5 megapixel camera dengan autofocus, image stabilization, geotagging, Dual LED flash and 4x digital zoom


• Capture Formats: JPEG w / EXIF 2.2
  Picture Display Formats: Android half core formats


• Video Recording Formats: Android core half and MPEG-4 formats


• Video recording 720 x 480 at 30 fps

Review Android HTC Hero

HTC Hero is the production of phones HTC Sense, HTC was applied for the first time that it is based on three fundamental principles of "Make millikku", "Stay close", and "Looking for the unexpected."

Hero HTC can be customized with very well. HTC Hero operating system don't hide all kinds of content and capacity behind many of the menus. HTC allows users to view briefly features and a lot of widgets that can be placed on the main screen of this phone.

With the new capability profile called scenes, HTC Hero can be compared with many of the calls that were merged into one single. Users can change the HTC Hero and choose from some of the scenes that express the different moments of their lives.

HTC Hero can be a phone that came with the weekend in a relaxing, hanging out with friends and capture important moments. On the way, the HTC Hero can also be a personal guide and provides access to the local time information, weather, and maps.

HTC Hero provides a facility for users to always be connected, by various means such as telephone calls, emails, to update Facebook. HTC Hero Users can easily see updates and notifications of important social networking events as well as photos of friends that are uploaded on the photo-sharing site.

HTC Hero measuring 112 x 56.2 mm x 14:35 with a weight of 135 grams, uses Qualcomm ® MSM7200A ™ processor, 528 MHz with the Android operating system. HTC Hero memory is 512 MB to 288 MB for ROM and RAM. HTC Hero screen using a 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 320 × 480 HVGA. This phone comes with a 5.0 Megapixel camera with the ability

Price of Hp Android

HP Android price list - in a previous article on the HP Android price dropped dramatically have referred to that Android is the operating system for mobile phones based on Linux. Android is an open platform to developers to create their own applications for the use of various mobile devices. And now I will tell about the Android HP list price that it is possible that you want to purchase. Don't forget to buy and before having to ensure the specifications of HP Android that you buy must adapt to their needs.

And this is the last price list of HP Android:

price hp Android: HTC hero
price normal: USD 5.25
for pre-order price: USD 4,999
pre-order bonus: applications GPS TeleAtlas (1 license for one year)

price HP Android: Motorola Milestone 
normal price: $ 6.25
pre-order price: 5,999
rupees Pre-Order Bonus: applications GPS TeleAtlas (1 license for one year)




 

price HP Android: Samsung Galaxy Spica 
normal price: 3,5
rupees for pre-order price: 2,999 USD
Pre - Order Bonus: 2 exclusive t-shirts Galaxy Spica with Android, the main card, one month free Internet

price HP Android, Huawei U8230 
normal price: 3.799 RS
Pre - Order price: 3,499
crore Pre-Order Bonus: free card SD contains the 20 best applications, bag, and Gimmick2.

Price HP Android: LG GW 620 
normal price: 4,399
Pre - Order price: 3,499
rupees Pre-Order Bonus: Prada hands free Buletooth
 






Well, that was a part of the final list of Android price HP, however, far above prices are subject to change time depending on the needs of the market and the policies of each manufacturer of mobile phones.

My Tribute to Steve Jobs

On 24 February 1955 when Joanne Simpson and Abdulfattah Jandali - a political sciences professor from Syria - were blessed by a son little did they know that they had given life to the most revolutionary thinker and innovator of the 21^st century. The unwed college graduates Joanne Simpson and Abdulfattah Jandali named their son Steve and had him adopted by a lower-middle-class couple from south of the Bay Area, Paul and Clara Jobs.

Growing up in Silicon Valley Steve was really fascinated by the computers, technology, and microchips, had a knack for seeing beyond the horizon, and demonstrated passion for creativity from an early age.

Steve Jobs co-founded Apple, ran it with an iron fist and dictated even the smallest details about the company's products and strategy, translating his own personal values as a Buddhist and strict vegan into sleek, minimalist products. Whether we agree or not with his leadership and management style is a different topic but there is no denial that the man is a legend and under his leadership Apple transformed from a company that lost $1.045 billion in 1997 to the most valued company in the world with revenue of $65 billion and a net profit of $14 billion in a short span of 13 years. Here is how he did it.

After enrolling at the expensive Reed College in Oregon- way too pricey for his modest parents – Steve dropped out after 1^st semester and did quite few strange things in his “hippie” years including traveling to India with a friend to seek enlightenment at age 19.

After Steve came back to America, he focused on his childhood friend Steve Wozniak’s work on a computer board. When he saw that many people were interested this board they decided to sell the board to them and thus he co-founded Apple Computer at the age of 21 with Steve and another mutual friend Ronald Wayne

For the first year they started assembling more computer boards in Jobs’ garage and working on a much improved computer, the Apple II. Steve saw a great opportunity and set out find venture capitalists to fund Apple’s expansion in 1997. Finally he made a deal Mike Markkula, a former Intel executive who invested $250,000 in their business and assured them their company would enter the Fortune 500 list in less than two years. As a result, Apple-II became the hottest commodity and the company grew at a very fast rate going public after just four years of existence. Steve Jobs’ net worth passed the $200 million mark on that day — he was only 25.

From the beginning Steve had a knack for thinking outside the box, always creative, and not afraid to take risks. For example in 1983, Steve Jobs lured John Sculley away from Pepsi-Cola to serve as Apple's CEO, by asking him, "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?" Also in 1984 Steve launched the first Macintosh in Apple's annual shareholders meeting with such a great emotion that people described the scene as “pandemonium”

At the same time there were a lot of tension within Apple between Steve, John Sculley, and their board of directors. And finally in summer of 1985 Apple's board sided with John and stripped Steve off all executive duties because he was considered too temperamental for an executive. And in September of that year he announced to the Apple board that he was leaving Apple to form a new company, called NeXT, which he ran with obsession for aesthetic perfection and in 1993 Jobs transitioned NeXT fully to software development with the release of NeXTSTEP/Intel.

In late 1980s and early 1990s Apple suffered huge setbacks due to introducing bad product lines, stiff competition from IBM, and an unwillingness to innovate. And after the release of Windows 95, Mac started losing market share at an alarming rate. By 1996, the company’s newly appointed CEO, Gil Amelio, was looking for new software to replace the old and bloated Mac OS. Apple finally chose NexXT and paid $400 million to acquire it. This would not only make NeXT technology the foundation of the Mac OS X operating system but will also bring back Steve Jobs to Apple's management – the company he had co-founded and the company that had thrown him out a decade earlier. His official title was that of “informal adviser to the CEO.”

Then in the first quarter of 1997 when Amelio announced Apple’s losses of $700 million, the board decided it was time to get rid of this “terrible” manager. Steve Jobs organized a board coup and was named interim CEO of Apple in July 1997. He immediately started an extensive review of the whole company, cutting the number of projects from hundreds to a dozen. The number of hardware products would be cut down to just four. As an innovative leader he stunned the world at Macworld Boston in August when he announced Apple would be teaming up with its arch-rival Microsoft, in an unprecedented deal that would put an end to interminable patent disputes. This was his first major move in turning Apple fortunes.

Steve is known as someone who always thinks differently and in early 1998 he launched a revolutionary marketing campaign around a new slogan: Think Different.

Thinking different, he introduced an innovative personal computer in May of 1998: iMac. The iMac’s stunning translucent design blew away the whole personal computer industry, and as a hot seller it was essential in bringing back tons of developers to the Mac platform. Steve Jobs continued his innovation in 1998 and 1999 with the colored iMacs and iBooks – at a time that a PC or Laptop was only beige or black. He captured the imagination of millions and brought Apple back to greatness and finally in January of 2000 accepted to become a full time CEO of Apple.

However the greatest momentum for Apple came from the iPod. Once again Steve Jobs’ brilliance and thinking beyond his time realized that he had misplaced his enthusiasm for ability to “edit movies on the computer”. At the turn of the century it was not movies but digital music that Steve bet his dollars on and directed his team to work on Apple’s own MP3 player, which was brought to market in record time, just in time for 2001’s holiday season.

iPod’s breakthrough features —beautiful design, brilliant user interface and click wheel, fast FireWire connectivity and ability to sync with iTunes seamlessly — made it a hot seller from the start. It also helped the company sell more iMac and iBook so people could use this little music player with a size of a cigarette box. Apple cashed in on that success and went further in the following years, first by making iPod Windows-compatible in 2002, then by opening the iTunes Music Store and developing a Windows version of iTunes in 2003. By 2006 Steve had continually pushed innovation at Apple in its music business by introducing iPod mini, iPod shuffle then iPod nano.

Apple was doing great in these years and from an almost bankrupt company it became a dominant player at the global stage. Any other leader would probably take rest for few years and try to reap the fruits of all his/her hard work – but not Steve Jobs.

At the time when smartphone was a synonym for Blackberry and used only by business users, at the time that an average consumer carried a laptop/desktop, a mobile phone, a camera, and an MP3 player with them, and at a time that SMS was the coolest feature of mobile phones Steve Jobs brought the biggest revolution in our lives when in January of 2007 he introduced iPhone at Macworld.. Its beautiful hardware running on Apple’s full operating system, OS X., multi-touch technology, web surfing and iPod capabilities, easy-to-use interface, email, calendar, and more, made it an ultimate smartphone “light-years ahead of its competition”. With this master piece Steve Jobs was able to put a computer, an iPod, a camera and a phone in your pocket. Later in 2009 Apple built on the idea of iPhone and introduced yet another game changer in the computer world when it launched the iPad line of products.

To me Steve Jobs is a genius. He is a visionary, creative, and revolutionary leader that saw the opportunities beyond our years, and someone whose success can be attributed to his dedication and seeking perfection.

What we take for granted today – being connected with work, family, friends 24/7, carrying a computer in our pockets, and ability to do everything from shopping, watching TV, reading, to playing games with a single click – is legacy of Steve Jobs.

Jobs not only gave the world a revolutionary product line he forced other hi tech companies to do the same which ultimately made the life of consumer so much better, so much efficient, and so much productive.

Where Apple goes from here is anyone’s guess but last time Steve Jobs left Apple to company went from one of the elite companies in the world to the verge of bankruptcy. To me Apple is at cross roads right now – they will either continue to walk to the path of Steve Jobs and grow organically or they will become history in the near future. We will have to find out.

Thanks for reading!

For more information please visit:

http://www.musthafaebadi.com/

Wanting. Wanting What You Don't Want. And Giving Up.

Ever want something or think you want something, give it to yourself and shortly after realize you didn't really want it that bad after all? That you could have made due without, but fell victim to that overwhelming greedy "want it gotta have it right now" syndrome.

It's called wanting what you don't want. And it can be applied to just about anything from a pizza to a relationship.

It reminds me of those Cold Stone Creamery cups where you must decide your level of self-indulgence. They offer 3 portions sizes - Like It, Love It, Gotta Have It. I always imagine a fat little kid's face pressed up against the glass, wide-eyed and salivating over the countless sugary choices. They all look so delicious! How could one ever decide?

That's exactly what I feel like. A kid in a candy store ice-cream shop, indecisive and drooling. Even when I manage to finally decide on one selection, I realize shortly after that what I thought I wanted I didn't really want that bad after all. I simply satisfied an urge. Acted on impulse. I indulged on a Gotta Have It cupful. Then again, it's NYC. And the streets are filled with an abundance of beautiful, single women.

Don't get confused. That's just an example. And this post isn't about casual sex. It's about the abundance of decisions we are faced with everyday in our lives! It's enough to make anyone's eyes glaze over like a fat little kid in an ice-cream shop.

People talk about not acting on things quickly enough. But think about all the things you acted too quickly on! If you had just allowed yourself to want it a bit longer. Admired it. Pined for it. Thought it through. If you had just delayed instant gratification for the soul purpose of mastering a beautiful quality known as patience, just think of how differently things could be right now.

Then there are the times that despite not being impulsive or greedy, your interest simply fades.

And you can't quite figure out if you truly no longer want it, or if you just gave up on wanting it so bad that you subconsciously fooled yourself into believing you no longer want it.

Because it's easier to say "I no longer want this" than to say "I gave up on wanting it."

Locanda Osteria and Bar in San Francisco

Casual Italian from the People Behind Delfina

557 Valencia St. (between 16th and 17th), San Francisco

Mission neighborhood

PH: 415.863.6800

Open daily from 5:30 p.m. to midnight

Reservations, major credit cards accepted

$1.50 service charged added per person for Healthy SF

www.locandasf.com



Craig Stoll, the man behind the award-winning Delfina in the Mission, has spread his empire to two Delfina Pizzerias and now a wine bar on Valencia Street called Locanda.



Opened just a few months ago, Locanda is a handsome room with a huge bar and open kitchen that serves as a showcase for Chef Anthony Strong, who recently headed Delfina Pizzeria for Stoll. A wine bar would traditionally be heavy on the drinking with just a nod to delicious small bites, but when in California, the food sometimes outshine the wine.



Stoll's pedigree (the dude's a James Beard Award-winner, folks) guarantees that Locanda gathers a good-size crowd every night, and the restaurant was nearly full when I arrived Friday night just a few minutes after the doors opened at 5:30 p.m. (I heard from people eating next to me that there was a line waiting for the restaurant to open before I arrived.)



Since I was eating solo, I sat at the communal table, which I happened to share on this night with several people who definitely was focused on the drinking rather than the food (read: shots). Along with the tables in the front area by the bar, there are also tables in the back facing the open kitchen.



The menu is broken into antipasti, a special section on offal items such as tripe and sweetbreads, pasta, charcoal-grilled items, and side dishes like beans and greens.



The service was professional, smart, and friendly. Everyone I encountered was helpful and welcoming, and my main server offered an excellent recommendation for a red wine, a glass of 2007 Cantina Damiano "Silene" ($11), which is a wine variety known as Cesanese from Lazio, Italy. I loved the medium body of this wine with just a slight smokey taste. It was easy to pair with the food I ordered.



Locanda has several items in the antipasti section known as "pizza bianca" and I thought maybe these were slices of pizzas. But instead, they're flatbreads that are similar to foccacia. Some of the choices are served up almost as a sandwich, but I got one that was served open face like a bruschetta.



The Pizza Bianca with Egg and Salmon Caviar ($9) was colorful and beautiful with the bright intense orange of the salmon caviar offset by the yellow of the egg yolk. The pizza bianco was airy and crusty, and the egg salad and salmon caviar were actually mild in flavor than what I expected. I thought the salmon caviar would be more salty, but they weren't. Another beautiful pizza bianca I saw heading to other tables was a classic fig and prosciutto version.



Always making sure I get my greens, I ordered the Little Gem Salad ($11), which was more than just a salad as it was served with albacore conserva, padron peppers, and thinly sliced fennel. It was so beautiful on the plate, with the crispness from the fresh little gem holding up nicely against the meaty tuna. I loved the addition of the peppers, which were slightly blistered to soften them. (Typically on the menu this salad is made with broccoli rabe, but it looks like Chef Strong was taking advantage of the seasonal availability of the padron peppers, and I'm glad he did.)



I really wanted to try a pasta but also wanted a meat dish. And if I were in Italy with a big group of diners, I probably would have had the pasta as a first course followed my the meat. But eating alone, I wasn't sure if I could eat two big plates. When I asked my server if I could get a half order of the pasta, he said it wouldn't be a problem, so I was happy because that would allow me to try another entree.



So for my pasta, I went with a simple dish, which was the Whole Wheat Spaghetti ($9.50 for half an order/$17 regular price), with nettle, gaeta olive, and pecorino. I've had whole wheat spaghetti with nettle at other restaurants and they were always done so hearty and refreshing. Unfortunately, I have to say that this particular night's spaghetti fell short. The pasta tasted bland and slightly gummy, almost like someone added too much pasta water so all the other ingredients like the cheese didn't seem to cling to the pasta or give the overall dish much flavor or punch.



Side note: The pacing at Locanda is actually very Italian, which means a bit of time between courses allowing the patrons to dine slowly, enjoying the food and the company. When you're dining alone like me, that just means bring a book to kill time between courses.



My main dish from the grilled section of the menu was the Guinea Hen Leg ($21) stuffed with pancetta and served with cicoria, an Italian dandelion. The slices of the leg lay on what tasted like lentils.



I really loved this dish, mostly because the guinea hen was cooked perfectly with the thin skin beautiful crispy and golden. I generally avoid eating poultry skin, which has a lot of fat, but I couldn't resist this skin because of how expertly it was prepared. The jus on the side had a nice flavor and the circoria added a slight bitterness to balance the overall dish.



Locanda has an extensive dessert menu, but I couldn't eat any more after the pasta and guinea hen. But I left pretty satisfied with the variety of foods I ordered, and my nice glass of wine. There was a steady stream of customers coming for a Friday night, but I never felt crowded or overwhelmed. It was a nice dining environment (well, except for the Friday night shooters) with excellent service. The food has a few slight misses, generally sliding toward the milder flavors, but overall it's a quality stream of dishes coming out from the kitchen.



Single guy rating: 4 stars (more than just small bites)



Explanation of the single guy's rating system:

1 star = perfect for college students

2 stars = perfect for new diners

3 stars = perfect for foodies

4 stars = perfect for expense accounts

5 stars = perfect for any guy's dream dinner

Dijon Must'art Tasting and Cooking Demo

How Dijon mustard and tomb sculptures from the Court of Burgundy have anything in common is beyond me. But this past Saturday several Michelin-star chefs from France came to promote the culinary styles of that country as part of a promotion of a special exhibit now at San Francisco's Legion of Honor.



Dijon Must'art set up at tent at the Saturday farmers' market at the Ferry Building to give out free tasting of dishes by chefs Stephane Derbord, William Frachot, Yves Rebsamen (pictured above), and Jean-Pierre and Alexis Billoux. As mentioned, the tour of French chefs coincides with the start of "The Mourners," now at the Legion.



Many of the free mini tastes had very fancy names, just like this Tartare de Crabe "Dungeness" au Basillic, Chevre, Pignons by Chef Rebsamen.



Chef Derbord created this substantial Supreme de Volaille bio Farci aux Escargots de Burgogne, Gelee a la Moutarde de Dijon, or chicken breast stuffed with escargot and mustard and jelly.



This is a Gelee de Mangues Lait de Coco Noix de Saint Jacques Marinee's, or sweet royal scallop in coconut milk and mango jelly.



If you're regretting that you didn't get a chance to check out these French stars, then you have one more chance on Tuesday, Aug. 23, when Chefs Jean-Pierre and Alexis Billoux do a cooking demonstration at the CUESA kitchen at the Ferry Building from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I'm pretty sure there'll be tastes of what they make.

Tips Choosing a Laptop

Laptop seems to have not a luxury anymore. Those with high mobility and frequent travel, choose a laptop as a 'true friend' that accompany each of their work wherever they go.
But not a few consumers who are hesitant and confused when trying to buy a new laptop since the laptop is not cheap stuff. Moreover currently popping up various types of laptops with different specs and brand, any price varies. Not infrequently the consumer to buy a laptop with specs that 'wow' without thinking about its usefulness.
How to choose a laptop that suits your needs? Consider the following a few quick tips:
1. First determine its usefulness, whether the laptop will be used to design and gaming,
    to develop the system, or mobile.
- If the laptop is used for the purpose of design and gaming, should you choose specs
   laptop with emphasis on the VGA card (Video Graphics Array) and memory
   reliable. If you want a laptop with a higher capacity, choose a multi-core technology
   and 64-bit architecture is highly recommended.
For the use of graphic design or gaming, you should choose a laptop with a VGA high power and large memory in order to design and game play feels more 'light'. VGA card itself is useful to translate the computer output to the monitor. While memory is sebuat digital data storage devices, while generally having the capacity based on the size of a standard digital bits of 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB and so on (multiples of two).
- For developing, usually develop needed software that requires resource
  high. You can choose to consider a laptop with a processor and memory with
  high specification in order to balance the development of software and developing tools
 an increasingly 'greedy' memory. Multi-core technology and 64-bit architecture is also recommended.
- For mobile, you can emphasize the choice of battery life, laptop weight, screen size,
  as well as some internal features such as wifi connectivity, bluetooth, IrDA, NetworkCard, Modem.
2. Apart from the use of selection, some of which should be considered in selecting
   is about a big-screen laptop, laptop weight and battery life. If you will frequently
   use a laptop on the go, you should select a lightweight laptop, with screen sizes
   which is not too large so as not to trouble him.
Battery life is also worthy of consideration. Generally, laptop batteries can last at least 2 to 3 hours without connecting to the adapter. If you want to conserve battery life, turn off functions such as WiFi or Bluetooth because these functions will increase battery consumption.
3. Consider after-sales service.
   When about to buy a laptop, do not forget to consider the after-sales service
   ranging from service outlets (many or not easily accessible or not), availability
   spare parts and resale price. Do not choose a laptop spare parts it is difficult
   sought. It is suggested, do not buy a laptop spare parts it is difficult to find.

Tips for buying Laptops Used:
Buying a used laptop can be attractive options. For example, you want to save money or just buy the laptops for children to be computer literate. Whatever the reason, here are some tips on buying quality used laptops as quoted from Blaptops:
1. Consider Thoroughly Physical Laptops
ChassisThe condition of the laptop chassis to indicate whether the laptop well cared for. Take a good look around the laptop chassis, so you will not regret later for not carefully observe the damage.
Laptop ScreenLaptop LCD screen is one of the most expensive component. Therefore, make sure the laptop screen is still able to work well.
Keyboard and TouchpadMake sure the laptop keyboard and touchpad still works fine. This is due to replace the keyboard and touchpad, in addition to costs are also not as easy as on desktop.
2. Consider Thoroughly Component Laptops
ProcessorsFor now, you should buy a used laptop berprossesor at least a Pentium III. This processor is capable of running modern operating systems like Windows XP reasonably well.
MemoryRAM memory is usually priced at the moment. Thorough and check whether the RAM capacity can be upgraded easily if one day you want it. It is recommended that the laptop had a capacity of at least 512 Mb RAM.
Hard Drive CapacityOld laptop might only have a maximum capacity of 40 GB hard drive, some have only 10 GB. Determine the capacity that meets your needs in storing data.
BatteryLaptop batteries are usually weak. Consider whether you need a new battery. If for example a laptop is only used at home, you may not need new batteries and can rely on electrical power.
3. Ask Yourself
Ask yourself whether it has been steadily buying used laptop. Is the laptop is about to survive long enough or should you wait for time to buy a new one? Remember, the price of a new laptop is diminishing as the development of technology. But if you have steady buying used laptop by considering a variety of profit and loss, just do it.

Nokia Siemens Networks Strengthens Position in India

India became one of the world's largest telecoms market. This is because the number of GSM users is very large. Market deployment of 3G and TD-LTE grew quite rapidly there. As a result, the need for a robust telecommunications infrastructure.

To meet this requirement, the largest international manufacturer of telecommunications infrastructure in India, Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to expand manufacturing facilities Chennai (Oragadam) from 35.000m2 be 55.000m2, and increasing the number of product lines to 33.

This expansion also opens opportunities for companies to produce and distribute products and LTE Multi radio new ones, such as 3G and LTE base stations and radio Flyspecked.

"This expansion will strengthen India's position as one of our production centers in Asia Pacific," said Ashish Chowdhary (Head of the East India and Customer Operations, Nokia Siemens Networks).

Since the facility opened in 2008, NSN has invested $ 70 million (50 million Euros) in the Chennai facility and has held more than 860 thousand units to date. The facility also plays an important role in supporting Indian operators to roll out 3G networks quickly and make the NSN into infrastructure vendors and leading international 3G mobile services in India with market share of around 30 percent.

Currently, Nokia Siemens Networks also continues to invest in Global Network Solutions Center (GNSC) in Chennai, which now support 10 times the number of customers on behalf of operators around the world than in 2007 when it first launched GNSC.

Mobile Working with the Help iPad

The concept of cloud computing work (cloud computing) eventually widely adopted by the workers of dynamic (mobile).

Understandably, the concept of this technology will be increasingly facilitated the work. A project can be done simultaneously along with a work team, although each member was not in the same place.

Works such as surveys, collaboration author, or research can be done continuously, although each member is not assembled in the boardroom or the same office. Provided there is internet connection with access devices lawyer, or a collaborative project workers are still able to walk.

The concept of this technology is indeed making the Internet as a forum for gathering and working together. Even the concept of "cloud computing", the Internet became a tool of work because here you (may) no longer need an application installed on your PC. Because the application of work has been provided by the Internet.


MobileMe on the iPadEase of technology is then offset by a variety of gadgets, or mobile device that supports the activities on the Internet.This year, for example, tablet computers will be rampant. It makes everyone more easily connect to cyberspace in a larger screen with the use of a more practical way than using a netbook.So, what about cloud computing on a tablet computer? Certainly both can collaborate beautifully. Cloud computing service is one solution that makes the tablet computer to be richer functionality and features. With basic functions as an e-book reader and an Internet connection, a tablet computer will have a variety of new functions thanks to the variety of cloud computing applications.
Cloud computing is also a solution for smartphones and tablet computers that have limited data storage capacity. With cloud computing, the application will run in a web-based applications. Data storage did not have to be handled tablet computer storage devices. The reason is, you can store it in a virtual hard disk in cyberspace. If the device or gadget left behind, the data remains accessible from anywhere, using any Internet device.
iPad tablet computer is one that is quite popular and also has a diversity of cloud computing applications. With iPad, you can still work or meet with clients online even during a vacation in a condo on the beach of Sanur, Bali or while accompanying a family swim at the beach.
Processing of documents in the iPad generally have support function to manage files on cloud computing services. Various supporting applications online storage is also available. However, Apple itself as a manufacturer of IPAD has a special service cloud computing for the iPad.
Service called MobileMe can be used by iPad users to store various data online. With the MobileMe service, e-mail you receive can be synced from anywhere. This means you can read, delete, move messages into a folder on the device you use. Yes, the message that you have will be pushed to the iPad or other device.
Not only that, MobileMe also provides a facility to create a list of bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere with an online data storage that can be accessed using iDisk app. Document files are accessible via iDisk can then be opened with the appropriate applications to those available in the iPad. E-mail data, contacts list, calendar, that is in a tablet computer can be synchronized with this service as well.
If iPad left behind or lost, there are facilities to find the position of the iPad. If it is lost, this service can also perform a remote wipe (erase data remotely in the IPAD). Only, the service is paid even though we can try it free for 30 days.
To access MobileMe from the iPad, you do not need to install additional applications. You simply choose Settings> Mail, Contacts, Calendars and then change the option Fetch New Data to Push.
Still in windows Mail, Contacts, Calendars, choose Add Account> MobileMe. Then, enter the account and password you created at the service MobileMe (www.me.com) to login. If you have entered, select Next and enable the option Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks, and also the option Find My iPad. Then finish by selecting Save. Next you've got support cloud computing service from Apple. These services attract a fee of about U.S. $ 99 per year.

• Applications Cloud Computing Options

Own cloud computing service many choices. If you want a choice other than MobileMe, you have many alternatives. If you want a cloud computing service without a fee, there are still other options as appropriate. Some of these services varies, ranging from hosting file to the online document processing. Some of them even provide the client application to be used in the iPad.
These applications would allow you to access the service account. Unlike the feature version of cloud computing web services, the client application is sometimes provide more features. For users of mobile workers iPad status, existence of proper application and support to meet the dynamic needs and nan is the absolute activity.
iPad. Starting from the file hosting services to processing documents and records, everything you can plug in the iPad. Total available at the Apps Store. So you can just try it.

1. DropBox
DropBox is a file hosting service or storage of a file can be used to store various types of data in there. Version provides a free online file store space up to 2 GB. This service can be registered for free.
In the client application for the iPad, you are given the facility to preview the contents of files stored in your account, especially the common file formats such as documents or photos. Facility to open the file in respective application in IPAD system exists. There are two folders are immediately available for storing data, namely Photos (for storing images) and the Public (to put the files that are shared with other users).
Application types: free
Address: www.dropbox.com
 
2. Evernote
Evernote will upload any notes you made to the account you have the Evernote service. These notes can then be accessed from various devices, such as gadgets or computers. It can be remembered also varied, ranging from ideas, phone numbers, until the name of the informant. Evernote can also be used by various professions, such as researchers and professors or the marketer and office workers.
On application iPad, the records stored not only in the form of writing, but also images and audio clips. Note that you create can be geotagging in order to mark the location when you create the note.
Type of application: Free
Address: www.evernote.com
 
3. Memeo Connnect Reader
This is a file hosting and backup services. If you have an account and account Memeo GDocs (Google Docs), both can be synced with the facilities Memeo Connect. Furthermore, the file can be accessed via the iPad offline. After its preview display, the document also can be processing application related in the system.
Supported document formats from Microsoft Office, Apple iWorks, PDF, and also photos and video. Memo Connect Reader is a free alternative for applications GoDocs for iPad is paid.
Type of application: Free
Address: www.memeoconnect.com
 
4.Box.net
Its function is similar to the DropBox. By registering and having a free personal account, you get up to 5 GB of storage capacity. This capacity can save space save IPAD, is not it?
With this facility, you can display the contents of Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, images, and Web documents also Box. You also can enjoy video and audio files stored on your account. Documents can be edited in the related application you are installing. In addition, documents can be shared with fellow users Box.net. Box.net client for iPad now supports VGA out function to display the document to a projector or monitor; locking security; AirPrint support facilities, and the SSO login.
Type of application: Free
Address: www.box.net
 
5. WebEx for BlackBerry
If your office uses WebEx to conduct cloud service meeting or meetings online, with this application, you can follow the meeting that was held by the team you work from anywhere. With it, you can still share files or documents to use meetings, share applications, and screen iPad to meeting participants. You can also see the participants using a webcam. But they can not see you because iPad is not equipped with a camera for video calls.
With this application, you can join the meeting using the Wi-Fi support proxy. Also available is the facility to speak with one of the meeting participants; connection via VoIP; up to video displays. IPad application is free except for its WebEx service.
Type of application: Free
Address: www.webex.com
 
6. Springpad
Must remember and record for everything? Try it Springpad service. The service is similar to Evernote, and with it you can make any notes in the form of text, audio clip, or photos.
Convenience provided in this application lies in the maker notes category. You can make a special note about personal finance, ideas, results of meetings, job duties, and so on. If any record contains things that need done, you can give an alarm or reminder that you can find out the deadline when it should be done. This application can also be used to record the web pages that are considered important as a web clip.
Type of application: Free
Address: www.springpad.com
 
7. SugarSync
Want to work while listening to tunes while on the trip? SugarSync account and then have the first installation of its client applications in the iPad. File hosting service and cloud computing is that you can use to store various multimedia files. Various file then can be enjoyed anytime through a registered account. Document files can directly be downloaded and executed using applications available on the iPad. The file can be shared with other SugarSync users.
What distinguishes these services with other similar services is the facility of synchronization between the PC with your mobile device. This service provides a free personal version with a quota of 5 GB of data storage. This service is also compatible with many mobile phone operating system.
Type of application: Free
Address: www.sugarsync.com
 
8. Cortado Workplace
These services claim to be an online desktop. Cortado Workplace provides a variety of features in PC desktop support functions which can be accessed from anywhere. Not only provides an online capacity of 2 GB, this service also supports document management (such as mobile mobile printing and faxing). You can print documents in their account through various online printers that are around you.
The document is in the account is divided into several categories, namely Local drive (the file is on IPAD), Workplace (files that are stored in the account), and Cortado Mail (file attachment from an e-mail received). You can send any file as an e-mail account with export facilities.
Type of application: Free
Address: www.cortado.com / euen / EN / Products / CortadoWorkplace.aspx
 
9. Zumodrive
This one is specialized to provide cloud computing services music. You can access a collection of songs on your PC - which is already synced to your account Zumo - from other devices online. But you can also store other file types such as documents or photos. In it are contained the Documents folder, Music, and Pictures to put the appropriate files in your account. Unfortunately, the data storage capacity free of charge provided only a capacity of 1 GB.
When streaming via Wi-Fi, music playback from your account online quite smoothly without a hiccup. Various files or documents that were uploaded in the preview can then be edited with applications that fit and are available in your IPAD system.
Type of application: Free
Address: www.zumodrive.com
 
10. UploadingIt
Requires supergede capacity for your iPad? Try to list at UploadingIt.com and you'll get the storage capacity of data free of charge for 20 GB. Whatever type of file, can be stored there.
This service provides the facility to split the use of data directly from the iPad. Besides uploading and downloading files via the iPad, you can also do it via URL transload on the computer. Documents or files that you were on the iPad (and stored in the account) can be sent to colleagues or clients in the form of an e-mail. Display a free client application is simple and easily managed with white and blue color cast.Type of application: Free
Address: http://uploadingit.com
 
Managing Documents Online
Document processing application on the iPad is already providing facilities to support cloud computing. But usually supported services is cloud computing services that have been "a name" like Google Docs or DropBox.
Document processing applications are either free or paid to provide this support. Application Documents or Documents 2 Free for instance, provide support to open a Google Docs account directly.
Other applications such as Quickoffice for iPad provides the facility to open an account DropBox, Box.net, MobileMe, Huddle, and SugarSync. Once accessible, the document can direct you edit and process. After the edited and processed, the documents can be uploaded back to cloud computing service account and then shared with clients or coworkers. Very easy to use.
 
1. Run the document processing applications such as QuickOffice for the iPad. Once open, select the + button in the lower left corner of the window and select the service you are using cloud computing. After the vote, enter your username and password account.
 
2. A new folder will appear in the pane on the left side of the window named account layanan_cloud_ computing applications you use. Select the folder that account and you will see the contents of the account on the right side. Select the documents about to be opened and edited. The application will then download the document or file.
 
3. Once edited, you can save it. Select Close and then select Save as or Save. Next, select the folder of your cloud computing account on the left side panel for storage. Select Save. If you want stored in the iPad, select the folder On the iPad.
 
4. You can open a document from an application client cloud computing services that you use. Suppose you use DropBox, use and run the application DropBox for BlackBerry can be downloaded free at the App Store. Perform the login with a username and password account. Open the file you want to edit.
 
5. Once open, tap the button marked with an arrow in the upper right corner of the window or the Open button in. After that, select the application that would be used to process the document. The choice will depend on the applications installed on the system and according to the documents about to be opened. Once edited and saved, the file will automatically be saved in your account cloud computing. You can also save to the disk space on the iPad.