Honda Concept C

 Unveiled a the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, the Honda Concept C is study of a midsize sedan specifically targeted for the Chinese Market.

The Concept C previews a production model currently under development, and expected to go on sale in 2013.

The aggressive design is characterized by a rather flowing roofline and a sculpted body, with the surface treatment showcasing an elaborate interplay of sharp lines.

The focus on the Chinese taste appears particularly evident in the rather busy front and rear areas.

According to the company, the “C” represents “Cool,” “Challenge,” and “China”, while the sporty design that was inspired by the image of a dragon.

The product planning for this model was led by Honda’s Chinese associates and the development was done through cooperation between development teams in China and Japan.

LG Optimus True HD LTE (P936) Smartphone Specifications, Features

 LG recently made the official introduction of its all new smartphone in Germany, the LG Optimus True HD LTE.The Smartphone is previously named as LG P936 Optimus LTE. 

 The new LG Optimus True HD LTE comes equipped with a 4.5-inch touchscreen True HD IPS display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and is powered with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor along with 1GB RAM and 4GB internal memory.

 Other LG Optimus True HD LTE Smartphone features includes 8MP rear autofocus camera with LED flash, 1.3 megapixel camera front end camera for video calls, LTE, HSPA+, HDMI, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA and a microSD card slort (16GB already included) that supports upto 32GB card.

 New LG Optimus True HD LTE Smartphone runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS and comes in only black shade(color) option.The True HD LTE Smartphone weighs 135 grams and its dimensions are 133.9 x 67.9 x 10.48 mm.

 The price details of Optimus True HD LTE smartphone in Europe market is not revealed yet.

Nokia Lumia 900 Review: Can It Save Windows Phone?

 The Nokia Lumia 900 could be one of the last chances for the Windows Phone platform. Does it deliver or will Microsoft's mobile OS continue to get trounced by the competition?

At the time of this review, the Nokia Lumia 900 is available for $99 through AT&T with a new two-year contract and data plan.

  Overview

 The Nokia Lumia 900 has a lot riding on its shoulders. Given the relative lack of success of Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform due to stiff competition from Android and iOS, Nokia is hoping to bring the Metro-based OS to the forefront of the mobile world with this flagship handset. It’s big, it’s powerful, it’s got LTE, and it’s even super affordable at $99 with a two-year contract. But is it the Windows Phone savior?

Build & Design

The large footprint of the Lumia 900 belies its weight. Despite the fact that it’s a whopping 5.03 x 2.7 x 0.45-inches, it only weighs 5.6 ounces, a mere half-ounce heavier than my much smaller HTC Trophy. As impressive as that is though, I don’t care much for phones that are so large that they’re borderline small tablets; I think it defeats the purpose of a smartphone by limiting its portability and making it generally uncomfortable to hold or operate one-handed.

At least the Lumia 900 has a unique build going for it, what with its rounded sides but sharp corners. When viewed from the top or bottom, it actually takes on an oval shape which is a little unusual. I didn’t dislike the design, per se, but it definitely took some getting used to. What I really took issue with, however, was the lack of any sort of rubberized texture or surface on the phone’s body. More than once during my time with it, the handset slipped right out of my hand like a bar of soap thanks to its smooth polycarbonate casing (don’t worry, Nokia, I caught it before it hit the ground).

Display

Though the resolution of the Lumia 900’s screen is only 800 x 480, it still looks fantastic. The AMOLED display produces vibrant colors and deep blacks, even if images aren’t as sharp as those viewed on displays with higher resolutions or pixel densities (like the one found on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus). And while I may not be a fan of the phone’s gigantic form factor, I have to admit that the 4.3-inch size of the screen makes reading text and viewing videos and pictures quite a pleasure. The Corning Gorilla Glass that’s used in the Lumia 900’s display also gives it a nice quality look and feel while maintaining excellent responsiveness with touch controls.

Perhaps most importantly, though, the Lumia 900 features Nokia’s ClearBlack display technology, which decreases the reflectance of the screen. Not only does this feature help increase visibility in the outdoors and direct sunlight, it also helps the screen look brighter and clearer when indoors. The phone’s display always looked intensely bright and colors were deeply saturated even without cranking the brightness up to the highest setting; I could leave it on automatic and still consistently enjoy a beautiful-looking screen.

 

Keyboard

The Lumia 900 does not feature a physical keyboard, so users will have to settle for using a virtual one. But as much as I despise virtual keyboards, if I had to pick one to be stuck with, it would probably be the stock Windows Phone keyboard. Its autocorrect is surprisingly intuitive (and its word bank expansive), so even if I’m cruising my way through a text and mistyping every single word incorrectly, it still almost always manages to turn out the way I wanted it to. That is, of course, unless I use particularly obscure words or proper nouns, in which case things can get a little ugly when I inevitably mistype them.

Other Buttons and Controls

Given that this is a Windows phone, Nokia kept things relatively simple, per Microsoft’s specifications. The left side of the device is devoid of any buttons, while the right side is host to a volume up/down rocker, the power/standby switch, and a dedicated camera key. The bottom of the device is where its primary speaker can be found, and the backside features a camera with a Carl Zeiss f/2.2 lens and its dual LED flash.

The top of the phone is where users can find the 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro USB port (for charging), and, perhaps my least favorite part of the design, the SIM card tray. Rather than just having a slot behind a little tab or door, users have to insert an included pin-like key into a tiny hole on the top of the Lumia 900 to eject a small tray that holds the phone’s SIM card. Those who need to swap out their SIM cards on an even semi-regular basis are going to find it inconvenient to have to carry around and use a little key in order to get access to the phone’s SIM tray. Maybe it’s just me, but I would have preferred if this phone was a No-Key-a. Sorry, that was terrible.

Rendang tops best food list

TheSeptember best food of the world poll from CNNGO now puts Rendang at the topspot. In the July list, Rendang was at the 11th place.

CNNGO says: "And now, after more than 35,000 votes, it appears we gotit all wrong. The world’s most delicious food is not Massaman curry, as wesuggested, but a meaty, spicy, gingery dish from west Sumatra."

"Beef is slowly simmered with coconut milk and a mixture of lemongrass,galangal, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chilies, then left to stew for a fewhours to create this dish of tender, flavorful bovine goodness.
The Indonesian dish is often served at ceremonial occasions and to honoredguests. It's not only delicious but also comes with a simple recipe."

The revised list also has nasi goreng at the second place, and satay at number14

Asean Plus Culinary Festival at La Piazza

Bringan empty stomach and get ready to take notes, because Thailand’s Tom Yam Kung,the Philippines’ Tagalog steak, Japanese’s Takoyaki and sushi, Indonesian’s KerakTelor and Sate Ponorogo are among the delicious menus available at the ASEANPlus Culinary Festival at La Piazza shopping mall in Kelapa Gading, NorthJakarta.

The event not only features various foods from ASEAN countries, but also otherdelicacies from the bloc’s dialogue partners such as Japan, Pakistan and theEuropean Union.

Visitors can also meet a number of local and foreign chefs showcasing theirskills and sharing their knowledge to spice up the event.

“We love to attend culinary events because we like eating and cooking. We justtried takoyaki and the Philippine’s cake,” Noviana, a resident of Duren Sawitin East Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

She eagerly strolled from one booth to another, trying various foods and winesand collecting brochures about cooking utensils while her mom quietly satlistening to a cooking demonstration by two Cambodian chefs in themulti-purpose hall.

The two chefs, Sopheak Pov and Kompheak Seng from Topaz Malis restaurant inPhnom Penh, flew from Cambodia to cook three original dishes — beef sour soupwith thnoung leaves, phrohok ktis chicken and amok fish.

The three-day event, which runs until Sunday, is held in conjunction withIndonesia serving as ASEAN chair this year. The Foreign Affairs Ministryappointed the Indonesian Chef Association (ICA) to conduct the event.

Live cooking demonstrations attracted the most people on Saturday. Chef YongkiGunawan generously shared his tips in making soft and juicy beef satays whilecracking jokes with the audience.

Previously at noon, celebrity chef Ragil Wibowo cooked giant bakpao (steamedchinese cakes with fillings) for visitors in the outdoor venue as a part ofMakan Besar (eating big portions), a culinary program on Trans 7 televisionchannel. Dozens of visitors swarmed for his chocolate, meat and chicken bakpaoright after he finished steaming them.

The culinary outdoor area, which has tropical nuance, is decorated withJavanese wooden gazebos, bamboo, batik and haystacks. There are 34 boothsfeaturing various delicacies. Some booths have ready-to-eat dishes, whileothers, such as the Penang restaurant, perform live cooking shows.

Many visitors lined up dutifully to buy German curly cakes at the EuropeanUnion stall. Yohan, a resident of Kelapa Gading, said that the sweet cake wasnice, but that the original he ate in Germany was better.

“Somehow, I felt a slightly different taste. Maybe there are some certaindifferent ingredients,” he said.

If you come to the venue in the blistering heat of the afternoon, therecommended beverage is Thai tea from Suan Thai, a Bangkok restaurant that isopen daily in Cideng, Central Jakarta. The sweet and fresh taste of thebeverage, which has similar color to carrot juice, will quench your thirst.

Tourism Ministry Looks to Rendang, Shopping to Boost Tourist Numbers

Two of Indonesia’s most-loveddishes — rendang (meat curry) and nasi goreng (fried rice) — are being toutedas the key to boosting tourism in the country, along with shopping.

According to survey data from the Ministry of Tourism, 51 percent of local andforeign tourists in Indonesia have two main objectives: bargain-hunting andsampling the country’s distinctive cuisine.

“For foreign tourists, the biggest source of spending is in the restaurant,”Marie Elka Pangestu, the newly appointed minister of tourism, said onWednesday. “Meanwhile, for local tourists, the biggest source of spending isshopping. We will focus on and intensify shopping and culinary tourism.”

Marie said the ministry would focus on promoting iconic Indonesian dishes suchas rendang, nasi goreng and the sweet glutinous rice drink known as cendol.

“Now we have to think about how to sell the concept,” Marie said. “We willdiscuss it.”

She also said the ministry was planning a push to promote shopping among localtourists, as many came to Java seeking a wider selection of brands andproducts.

Australian chefs turning Bali into a global food-lovers' favourite

In The 2½ years since former Sydneysider KathTownsend took on the executive chef role at luxury Ubud resort Maya, she haswitnessed a momentum that shows no signs of slowing.

''This season has been insane … and my first one was a record for Bali, despitethe global financial crisis in Australia,'' Townsend says. ''The high seasonused to start at the end of June; now it starts at the beginning, even in Ubud,and we're supposed to be the village, boutique area.''

Townsend has worked in Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and spent severalyears as Bill Granger's right-hand woman at Bills in Darlinghurst.

She says there has been an influx of Australian chefs in Bali. It can feel asif there are more award-winning foreign chefs and restaurateurs there now thanthere are surfers, at least in the busiest areas of Seminyak, Legian and Ubud.

Townsend reels off a few names: Stephen Moore, a former Rockpool guy at CocoonBeach Club in Kuta; and in Ubud, Nicolas Lazzaroni, a chef who made a name forhimself in Byron Bay and ''takes his food very seriously at Bridges''.

''The general managers here really like Aussie chefs,'' Townsend says. ''Theythink we have a 'give it a go' attitude. I've been employable in Asia becausethey tell me I'm not like some European chefs; I don't have the 'this is mykitchen, stay out' attitude. We get on with it.''

There are many theories about the flourishing dining scene. One highlights the''new'' money coming in from Jakarta, China, Russia and India. There is alsothe fact that Italians and the French have always loved Bali and, as economicwoes dog Europe, the island's value for money, great weather and exoticism makeit a perfect alternative.

Australian interest is also part of the picture: the number of Australiantourists choosing Bali for their holidays rose about 27 per cent (on theprevious year) and was nudging 350,000 in the first half of last year.