Hello Summer!

Hello summer! What better time is there than now to play the consummate wanderer and explore new and unchartered territories. Fancy a trip behind the wheel on the open road, hiking up a mountain or doing yoga asanas on a sandy beach? Make sure to pack a sense of adventure and your Smile, and you'll be all set. Have a blast!

Keeping Your Feet Happy

Tye Lee Tze, a Singapore podiatrist, cautions woman against wearing spiked high heels. "The shoes you wear now can cause pain and deformities into the future." he says.

The wrong shoes can create back problems. leg paints, knee problems and toe deformities. Buy the right ones instead.

1. Active? Sports, such as tennis, that see you running in different directions use one type of shoe, while activities such as jogging need another.
2. Footwear should have plenty of room for the toes. Women should avoid wearing pointy-toed shoes.
3. There should be one thumbnail-width from the end of the shoe to the longest toe while standing. "some sales people will say the shoes will stretch to fit" says Tye. "That shouldn't be necessary."
4. Your feet tens to swell during the day, so it's best to try to buy shoes in the evening.

Do Try These At Home...

We all need to tackle home-maintenance jobs at some point. But we don't always have the tools or know-how. Here's a list of handy hints sent in by readers of The Family Handyman magazine.

1. When using a ladder inside, tape a pair of old running shoes over the top of each rail. The soles will grip the walls and prevent scratches and dents appearing.
2. Drilling holes in brick can be messy, so switch on the vacuum cleaner and place the nozzle under your work.
3. Need a mallet? Slip a rubber doorstep over the head of your hammer.
4. Keep a packet of disposable nappies in your toolbox. They are ideal for mopping up spills quickly - paint, oil, turpentine - in the workshop or home.
5. Avoid holding tiny nails (and hammering your fingertips!) by applying a couple of layers of masking tape to the surface you're hammering into. Press the nail into the tape to start the job.
6. To stop paint flickering onto nearby surfaces, cover those odd-shaped objects - lights, phone, doorknobs - with plastic wrap.
7. If you don't want to remove a door for painting, you can still brush the bottom edge by using a scrap of carpet as a paintbrush.

Slow Down for Strength

The latest fitness craze is slow-motion weight training. Recent hype claims that it's all you need to stay strong and fit. While strength training is important, and less time-consuming than aerobics, you need to combine it with some cardio, says Richard Cotton from the American Council on Exercise. We list the health benefits of each ty

CARDIO
1. Burns more kilojoules Thirty minutes of aerobics can slash twice as many kilojoules as half an hour of weightlifting.
2. Strengthens your heart Aerobic exercise cuts your heart disease risk.
3. Reduces cholesterol Cardio actually changes the size of cholesterol-carrying proteins, so they do less damage.

STRENGTH TRAINING
1. Prevents osteoporosis Weightlifting puts stress on your bones, aiding calcium retention.
2. Improves athleticism Lifting weights enhances performance in everyday activities, such as grocery shopping and heavy lifting.
3. Increases muscle s we age, we lose muscle, making us more susceptible to weight gain and injury.
4. Burns more fat The more muscle mass you have, the more kilojoules you burn.

Should you Starve a Fever?

"A fever is the body's normal reaction to certain illnesses, usually a bacterial or viral infection," says Dr Lorna Lavin-Simangan, a paediatrician at St Luke's Medical Centre in Manila.

A fever is a symptom of an another problem. Low-grade fevers don't need special attention, but high-grade fevers - above 38.4 degrees - should be treated.

Acetaminophen or paracetamol will usually ease a fever. A cool, moist cloth can be applied directly to the skin, but don't use ice.

As for starving a fever, Lavin-Simangan says it's bad advice. Good nutrition helps the body fight off the virus or infection.

Calling on the Cards

Prepaid calling cards are increasingly popular. In Singapore alone, more than 30 companies provide over 100 types of prepaid international calling cards. The cards' appeal is that they usually offer much less expensive rates than other types of services. But they aren't perfect. Here are some things to keep in mind when using prepaid calling cards.

1. Though call rates are often low, some cards have hidden charges like connection fees. Read the fine print before buying.

2. Beware if you need a log of your calls for business or personal reasons - calling cards don't provide any records.

3. Before you buy, check for hidden charges, such as connection fees.

4. Some cards only reach certain areas.

5. Many cards expire 90 days after they are first activated.

6. Make sure you can use the card where you want. Some cards can't be used in hotel rooms. Others are blocked in private residences.

Speeding Up a Sluggish Computer

Steps to take before spending money on costly upgrades.

Empty the trash.
Files dragged to the icon may be out of sight, but they still eat up valuable space. Only when the trash is emptied is space freed up.

Restart your computer.
Even when you quit a program, large ones may continue to siphon off memory. Restarting (or "rebooting") adjusts this problem.

Fix fragmented files.
Over time, files on your hard drive may become fragmented, producing error messages or crashes, Most PCs come with a defragment program. E-mail Microsoft for finding and running.

Purge old-email files.
Many e-mail programs save copies of every message you send. Empty or reduce this backup file to free up hard-drive space. Call your e-mail service for help locating the files.

Switch off start-ups.
Programs that support instant messaging and calendars kick in as soon as you start your computer and use up its resources. You're better off turning them on as needed. Call your computer's tech-support line for help locating these "extensions".

Grow It, Then Eat It

Your child doesn't like green beans? Have him grow his own. In a recent study, preschool-age children who planted, weeded, watered and harvested a plot showed increases in their willingness to eat vegetables, especially green beans. "Gardening lets children make a connection between their food and where it comes from," says study author and dietitian Suandra Lorenz. And this may make the kids less likely to think vegetables are icky.

Straighten Out Your Cyberkids

A study at Australia's Curtin University of Technology found 60 percent of kids using computers at school showed signs of repetitive strain injury. Here are some desk exercises.

1. Stretch your arms above your head and spread your fingers. Then lower your arms so they're straight out in front. Hold for a few seconds.

2. Push the bottom of your right palm against the top of your left palm, so you feel a stretch along the underside of your left forearm.

3. Sit with your back straight, look over your right shoulder, then your left. From the centre, nod slowly three times. Turn your head in a "no" motion three times, then stretch as if laying your hed on each shoulder.

4. Keep your hips forward and turn to look behind on each side, with your arm across the back of the chair, stretching your back.

5. Push your chin forward to stretch the jaw and neck.

6. Sit and roll each shoulder forwards and around then back and around. Lift each shoulder to your ear and down.

Nikon D70 Good enough GDigital SLR camera

Compared to some other digital SLRs--such as the bulky Fujifilm Finepix S2 Pro or its heavy cousin--the Nikon D2x--the Nikon D70 fits comfortably in the hand, measuring just 5.5 by 4.4 by 3.1 inches, and weighs only one pound, nine ounces without the lens. Although the camera offers a profusion of buttons, the most commonly used ones fall under the fingers, such as the buttons to change metering modes, exposure, and focus lock. The two control dials--one on the front and one on the rear --fall naturally under your index finger and thumb. Having two dials makes controlling the camera in full manual mode much easier than with cameras that have only one dial. On the D70s, one dial controls the shutter and the other changes the aperture. In contrast, the Digital Rebel XT, which has just one dial, makes you hold down a button so tha dial changers the aperture instead of the shutter speed.

Canion PIXMA iP1200 Unique and Compact

The Canion PIXMA iP1200 is the PIXMA family addition that has a compact and slant design. Having an optimized resolution of 4800 dots per inch, this Canon printer can print on a 4 x 6-inch borderless photo paper. The good thing about this printer is that it uses one photo ink cartridge that only costs P945. The CL-41 photo ink cartridge supplies both black and colored ink. For users who are more interested in printing out black text documemts, Canon supples the black, or the PG-40 ink as reffered by the vendor. Should you opt for the black, the PG-40 cartridge costs P330 more than the photo ink.

Let's get straight to the point. This SOHO inkjet printer comes with a standars USB port. You can load up to 100 sheets of plain paper or 20 sheets of 4 x 6-inch photo paper. Aside from this, you could also print using photo stickers, matte photo paper, T-shirt transfer, envelopes, transparency films and other photo paper types.

As always, the PC World Philippines Test Lab ran a series of speed and quality tests. In draft mode setting, the PIXMA iP1200 managed to print 6.53 pages in one minute. While in test and graphics file, it took 3.46 and 2.73 pages in one minute, respectively.

GECUBE GC-HD13PLG2-D3 and GC-HD16PLPG2-D3

GECUBE has announced the availability of the GC-HD13PLG2-D3 and GC-HD16PLPG2-D3 graphics accelerator with HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface). Both cards are capable of displaying high-definition video and multi-channel audio simultaneously. HDMI is an audio-video standard with sufficient bandwidth to accommodate both uncompressed and high-definition digital video and multi-channel audio format using a single cable wire between a source device such as a DVD player or a set-top box to a HDTV or HD-compatible device for displaying video.

The HDMI-enabled cards can transfer up to 24-bits of data at 165 mega pixels per second. The GeCube GC-HD13PLG2-D3 and GC-HD16PLPG2-D3 are constructed with 90nm technology and support Shader Model 3.0, Avivo technology, Crossfire platform, and Catalyst drivers. HDR (high dynamic range) technology is also present and enhances lighting effects in applications such as games.

HIS 1900XTX/XT ICEQ3

THE HIS 1900XTX/XT IceQ3 is equipped with a uniquely designed thermal solution. The heatpipes are covered with sintered powder wicks for rapid heat dissipation while isolated heatsinks prevent heat transfer between the GPU and memory chips. The dual-slot design allows better air circulation.

The new Crossfire-enabled video card includes an ultra-threaded engine to support shader performance. It also has an HDR engine for improved graphics and Avivo technology for HD video support.

QNAP TS-101 9-in-1 NAS SERVER

THE lightweight QNAP TS-101 9-in-1 NAS server can serve as a personal Web server, P2P download station, multimedia station, and print server. The built-in Serial ATA disk supports up to 500GB worth of files and through its eSerial ATA and USB dual interface slot, the storage capacity can be jacked up to more than 1TB. The QNAP TS-101 9-in-1 NAS server supports high-speed Gigabit network connection while its three USB ports allows connectivity to digital devices. Aside from its multi-language Web interface, it also provides three different data protection mechanisms. Users can use the NetBak Replicator backup software, the embedded professional block-level and backup mechanism, and the unique Q-RAID 1 miroring disk management function.

INTENDED for advances users who demand performance, form, and functionality, Corsair has introduced the 184-pin XMS-3200C2 XPERT 2GB memory module. Unlike other memory modules, the Corsair XMS-3200C2 XPERT 2GB can monitor and display critical performance parameters through a big alphanumeric display on top. Furthermore, it uses an integrated micro-controller and sensors to measure voltage, temperature, and frequency on the memory module. The Corsair XMS-3200C2 XPERT 2GB is guaranteed to run at 400MHz with low latencies of 2-3-3-6.

CISCO MDS 9513 Multilayer Director

DESIGNED to scale up to 528 ports in a single chassis, the CISCO MDS 9513 enables SAN (storage are networking) environments to meet requirements for increased responsibilities, resiliency, and manageability. It offers an advanced feature set and full bandwidth redundancy to ensure system performance even in the event of a crossbar failure. Other features include dual supervisors, support for non-disruptive software upgrades, modular software with process restart, support for cross-module inter-switch links scaling to 16 ports each, and full redundancy of all critical hardware components.

Sharp Aquos LCD TV

BOASTING a huge 65-inch of display space, the Sharp Aquos utilizes a 16:9 full-spec HD panel with 1920 x 1080 pixels to deliver rich and bright images. The device also uses a novel four-wavelength backlight system in which the deep crimson red color is added to the conventional red, green and blue group. The additional color promises to enhance the color reproduction. And with the radial pattern of the liquid crystal molecules on the display, the Sharp Aquos Enables 170-degree of viewing angles. Complementing the image quality is the sound produced by the specialized set of speakers trapped under stainless steel grills. RF coaxial, S-video, composite, and component video jacks offer connectivity. Digital devices can be connected to the Sharp Aquos through High Definition Multimedia Interface, Digital Video Interface, and HD component inputs.

New Moon-Official Movie Trailer

At last I already seen the New Moon Official Movie Trailer. After watching the trailer, I am hooked and it kinda leaves me wanting more. Gosh! i can't wait to see this on big screen. Jacob here is so hot and handsome on his short hair. And it's really cool when he phases. Although the novel greatly reduces Edward's presence, i will be looking forward to the parts of the movie set in Italy because I'm a huge fan of Edward.

I hope that they will follow the story in the book, not like the first movie it's really dissapointing. I'm expecting more on this movie because their will be new characters that will be coming like the Quiluet Wolf Pack, and The Volturi Coven that will give the movie more exiting and spectacular.

Pandora's Comeback

I often cry at night,
as I see the stars twinkle their celestial shine.
It was ironic to catch their splendid ardor,
as the world crumbles in chaos.

Long-fleeting combats of nation to nation,
disputes for supremacy and power ascend.
Worldwide economy starts to falter,
more poor people are left unfed.

The problem has long been in existence,
it swells malignantly, without us--
knowing it.

Among all of these I see Pandora,
and the box that brought the world misery and
plight.
Her curiosity unleashed disaster and catastrophe,
as hope was left for man to cling on.

Pandora's history repeated itself,
leaving us hoping for a better dawn to rise.
But, we still expect something worse,
to occur and materialize again.

She shouldn't have opened that box.

Butchered in the Name of Peace

I walked on the street proud of this city.
This city, a symbol of peace and stability,
but in the corners of the city's streets,
young boys die everyday.
They were stabbed, they were shot.
Left in the streets to die or bleed to death.
It's the usual case; all those young boys,
they were vulgar or pretty thieves,
or members of gangs that roamed the strets.
I tried not to care, I tried not to see.
I tried to thi nk they were useless anyway.
Then I saw a mother holding her dead son,
in front of her, a boy, killed with a gun.
"Why did you do this to my son?"
"Why didn't you give him a second chance?"
Yes, his life had gone astray.
But does it take away his rights and dignity?
And I heard from beyond the grave those boys cry.
"Is it because we're poor, that's why due process for us,
does not apply?"
And though I tried not to care, tried not to see.
Those words made me care for them anyway,
I realize those boys belong to the poorest in this
society,
they were pushed in the perphery.
Some of them were pushed to violence by
poverty,
they commited mistakes but they have rights
and dignity.
Even for the sake of curbing criminality,
nobody has the right to take those boys lives
away.
In the eyes of some people they may be a nuisance,
but those boys are still young and they deserve
a second chance.
Why are they butchered in the name of peace?
is killing them the only way to keep the city safe?
And now I can't help but care, I can't help but see,
the pathetic situation of this society.
It's such a shame,
but it was the authorities' failure to adress this
problem.
The people lost their trust in this thing called
"justice system."
It was my, your, our passivity and silent tolerance,
that pulled the trigger in that gun.
Those were the reasons too, why those boys were gone.

And now, I walked on the streets feeling ashamed
of this city...