Chocolates: MarieBelle Chocolate Box
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Chocolate lovers may be happy to spend big
Aircraft: The Northrop Grumman ATB
Anyone who knows a little bit about history may not be surprised to hear that the most expensive aircraft was a product of the United States Department of Defense. It may also be no surprise to learn that the aircraft was designed to overtake Russian military.
The aircraft is a Northrop Grumman ATB or Advanced Technology Bomber and was called the B-2 Spirit. During the 1980s when the States and Russia were in deep war with each other the States were looking to find a way past Russia’s anti-aircraft devices. This bomber was meant to do just the trick.
However, the project had a few failings. It first had to be redesigned from a high-altitude machine to a low-altitude machine. This not only lengthened the project by two years but it also added $1 billion to the overall project. Figures for the value of the B-2 Spirit vary between $737 million and $2.2 billion but the most commonly quoted cost of the world’s most expensive aircraft is $1.3 billion. You’ll have to find one first though. Because of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and because of the high cost, there were only a total of 21 of these bombers ever made!
Hypothetical Scenario– If Maldives was to buy a B2 Spirit, they would be left with $400 million. I guess enough for the fuel required for a couple of round trips to US on the B2 Spirit!!!!! (Maldives GDP (PPP) for 2010 was $1.7 billion).
(Source: www. http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com)
Not yet but not far off either. Yesterday at The Wall Street Journal’s D: All Thing’s Digital conference in Carlsbad, Calif., Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the company’s first surface computing product, called Microsoft Surface – an innovation that will change the way people shop, dine, entertain and live. Viewers tuning into “The Today Show” on NBC-TV this morning also got a taste of this powerful new technology.
Surface Computing is part of Microsoft’s recently formed Productivity and Extended Consumer Experiences Group, run by Corporate Vice President Tom Gibbons, and is within the Entertainment & Devices division. Gibbons is helping lead the charge for this new product category. PressPass spoke with Gibbons to learn more about today’s announcement.What is surface computing? Is anyone else doing this?
Tom Gibbons: Surface computing is a completely intuitive and liberating way to interact with digital content. It blurs the lines between the physical and virtual worlds. By using your hands or placing other unique everyday objects on the surface – such as an item you’re going to purchase at a retail store or a paint brush – you can interact with, share and collaborate like you’ve never done before. Imagine you’re out at a restaurant with friends and you each place your beverage on the table – and all kinds of information appears by your glass, such as wine pairings with a restaurant’s menu. Then, with the flick of your finger, you order dessert and split the bill. We really see this as broadening content opportunities and delivery systems.
Only seen in movies and cartoons that too with some special effects, these cars are called concept cars as they might come in the future or they might not. I am starting a series called “Cars of the future?” which would showcase some of mankind’s absolutely phenomenal genesis (in cars). Starting with the 2007 Mazda Ryuga Concept (Mazda says has been developed only for design tests).
Here’s something for your taste buds. Some of these are so expensive we can buy a cell phone for the same price it costs a person to have a meal at one of these restaurants. How much are you willing to dish out for a meal?????? Whether you can afford something like this or not can be thought of later. For the moment pamper your taste buds (virtually) and yes please don’t salivate!!!!!!!!!! Just in case you have trouble reading the content just click on the link at the bottom of the slide show window saying “On slide share”. There you will be able to have a full screen view.
Dorfchen is the German for isogloss which literally means a community. For long I had in mind to start a forum of sorts where I can share my experiences, thoughts, passions, latest happenings, points to ponder and other interesting stuff. Finally I thought it was high time I put my thoughts to the writing pad and couldn’t think of a better way of doing it. So that is how “Dorfchen” was born. I hope it would be a knowledgeable, pleasant and brain scratching visit(to my blog) for everyone. COME AND SHARE.
Major cities in the world including Mumbai and Kolkata are witnessing a rare phenomenon as the number of people who are moving out of these metros are on an increase, contrary to what has been predicted.
A UN report said these cities have far greater number of people moving out than into them and few of these cities will be of the size that doomsayers had predicted for them in the 1970s.
Even though by next year more than half of the world population will be living in urban areas, the urban growth is showing a decline in most regions, the United Nations Population Fund said. View full article »


