Fortunately, you won’t need to break your piggy bank to get your hands on a handy recording device which will make you sound like a real pro.

Samson’s Zoom H4 Handy Recorder delivers awesome sounding results wether you’re recording live performances, podcasts, classes (or workshops), rehearsals or even songwriting sessions. This little device weighing only 6.7 ounces (190 grams) features more recording tools than any other device of its category, on the market.

Looking beyond its fine exterior looks, the built-in studio effects include compression, limiting and mic modeling. Those who need it can use XLR and 1/4-inch inputs for external mics, guitars, bass and keyboards but onboard, you’ll find Zoom’s remarkable microphone, guitar and bass modeling capabilities, reproducing the tone of the most famous mics and amps ever made.

The audio can be recorded as either .wav or .mp3 files and moved to your computer, through USB, for easy editing, mixing and mastering. The H4 comes with Cubase LE (for both PC and Mac) but you can use any other sound editing software which fits your needs. Lets add that the Zoom H4 runs on either two AA batteries or a DC power supply.

That’s a lot of horsepower for such a small form-factor and a complete package, including headphones, a tripod and an 8GB SD Card memory module can be purchased for around $300.

A special note goes out to the bloggers who need to carry out interviews. The H4‘s capabilities are much better than the older H2 and it’s well worth the upgrade. The H4′s stereo sound recording will amaze your end-users who will be under the impression that you’re a real pro, soundwise.

Tags: samson, h4, h2, h4 handy recorder, h4 portable recorder, stereo recorder, quality recorder, high-quality sound recording, mobile sound recording, device to record pro-quality sound, pro-quality sound device, zoom h4, zoom h2, excellent sound quality, professional, mobile field recording

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Furthermore, most of us have more than one computer per household so sharing data can become something of a challenge without a network-attached storage (NAS) device that basically makes centralized data available to all connected computers (clients).

This being said, not all NAS devices are created equal and since you’re probably not inclined onto spending your money on the wrong device, you’ll be happy to know a company named Synology all but reinvented what a NAS should do for you, the end user.

Let’s look at their smallest NAS appliance, the DS207+ which is a high performance “networked hard drive enclosure” that goes beyond simple network storage. It stores your data (and it does that very well) but it can also replace traditional PC servers and act as a stand-alone file server, web host, back up for your home/office data and get this, it’s fully compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux networks so everybody in the house will be happy.

To achieve all this, the DS207+ comes with its own 500 MHz processor accompanied by 128 MB of RAM memory but you’ll need to supply (up to) two hard drives, on your own. It’s probably better that way since you can make the device as spacey as you need it to be.

With a 1,000 Mbps ethernet transfer rate, your data and built-in network services will fly. Among the services you’ll eventually want to use are FTP, HTTP (using Apache, with PHP and MySQL Server), SMB, AFP, CIFS, Windows ADS and even and iTunes server!

The AJAX-based web interface is a snap to master so you’ll be productive in no time, especially compared to other NAS devices which don’t have such a quality interface to play with. The fan could’ve been quieter but it’s not a deal breaker. This RAID 0/1-capable NAS device is generally performs very well and looks nice.

If you’re new to NAS devices, this is a bit pricier than the “low cost” alternatives but at around $300 for the DS207+ and 200$ for two 1 GB hard drives, it’s not enough to break your bank, especially considering all the bells and whistles that come “standard” with it.

Tags: synology, ds207+, nas, network hard drive, hd, external hard drive, back up data, home office data, extra hard drive, raid hd, raid 0, raid 1, web server, networked data sharing

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Island Outpost’s resort has been designed by Greer-Ann and Bertram Saulter to deliver an organic interpretation of romance — and intimacy.

The ten handcrafted cottages are planted in a garden, on the edge of the sea making it a fine choice for guests who value spirituality, romance, privacy and verdant beauty.

The Caves’ two seafront acres hide many secrets such as sundecks and nooks and even grottos, in the cliff itself. One of these grottos is designed for dining. Just imagine the lit candles and the whole place strewn with flowers. This original offering should please even the most demanding couples looking to spend unforgettable moments together.

The Aveda Mini-Spa looks out on deep blue ocean water and it’s a wonderful place to be with friends to reinvent the world. The high-ceilinged cottages are made of wood and stone while also being roofed in thatch. If you’ve never stayed in such amenities, you’ll likely find it quite enjoyable.

Set in lush indigenous tropical gardens, every cottage has its own name like Blue Dolphin, Butterfly, Blue Hole, Sea Turtle, Bird’s Nest, Sun Dancer, One Drop, Macka Tree, Moonshadow and Clandestino. It just adds to the uniqueness of this resort’s offering. Furthermore, all accommodations underwent a complete refurbishment in 2007, including air conditioning for all downstairs suites.

For the ultimate naturally ventilated private cliffside villas experience, in sunny Jamaica, The Caves delivers a distinctive take on the Caribbean life.

Tags: the caves, resort, island outport, negril, jamaica, cottages, deep blue ocean, accomodations, tropical gardens, cliffside villas, mini-spa, amenities

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Based in Italy’s beautiful Tuscany, in the communal city of Pisa, these driven chocolate makers and their employees spare no effort to produce some of the most tantalizing chocolates you can find. Although Amadei isn’t a major brand like Nestle, Mars or Hershey’s, chocolate lovers from the world over have developed a taste for their unique chocolate blends.

This smaller chocolate factory produces roughly 20,000 bars every year and some, like the 450-gram format of “Porcelana”, costs a cool US$90 — but rest assured, it’s worth it. In the case of Porcelana, the chocolate is made from porcelain-looking white cocoa and yes, it’s their most expensive brand.

In the late 80s, Alessio and his sister, Cecilia, took their first steps towards discovering the cocoa routes which happened to be less traveled. Over time, this very hands-on approach to finding the finest cocoa beans yielded tremedous results as their chocolate’s taste was as unique as their beans.

Together, the Italian chocolate makers experimented with new ideas which gave life to exclusive chocolate brands which have been made available worldwide. With passion and enthusiasm, they made their dream a reality and broke the homology of tastes to become the artificers of true and proper Renaissance taste.

Their chocolate collection is based on the belief that with each taste, a different emotion should emerge.

The brands you’re invited to sink your teeth into have Italian-sounding names like Toscano Black, Toscano Brown, Toscano Red e Blond, I Neri, Toscano White, I Cru, I Frutti, Le Praline, Le Barre and some lesser know ones, like the “9″ which is made of a unique blend of nine different cocoa bens.

The later also happens to be Cecilia Tessieri’s favorite pick.

High-cocoa-content dark chocolate, featuring unmatched purity and alleged medicinal qualities, enjoys a vogue among afficionados who are drawn to first quality chocolates. Italy takes pride in being home to companies like Amadei and a wide variety of specialty chocolate makers who create their sweet (and sometimes bittersweet) masterpieces exclusively from cocoa butter.

Amadei believes in the transparent sourcing of cocoa beans from the plantations and afterwards, their transformation in socially fair and environmentally undamaging conditions so that’s an approach bigger chocolate makers should emulate because more consumers will be requiring it, in the near future.

The Amadei chocolate brands are selectively made available in top 4-star and 5-star hotels, restaurants and luxury retailers, in both Europe and America. Of course, if you search a little, you can find online retailers selling various brands of Amadei chocolates — so more people can enjoy them.

Tags: amadei, amadei chocolates, cocoa beans, cocoa butter, fine chocolates, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, hazelnuts, toscano, chocolatiers, piza, tuscany, italy

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Now, we’re happy to report that the project is well on its way and on schedule.

Right now, this integrated resort’s construction is in full swing with deep pile foundation systems installed to most areas of the site while the excavation work, for basement structures, is also progressing.

The site’s aerial photos show two large circular reinforced concrete temporary coffer dams for the Hotel’s Towers 1 & 2 as well as the strutted basement for Tower 3 which is now clearly visible, adjacent to the ECP.

The third and largest circular excavation, closest to the bay, is the first of two coffer dams being excavated for the MICE building.

Furthermore, marine works are visible along the bay’s foreshore area to support the promenade substructure works while piling works occupy the remaining large land area adjacent to the bay for the arts science museum, casino, theatres and retail precincts.

As a reminder, here’s what the project will look like once it’s finished:

As you can see for yourself, Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands will likely be ready for 2009, as expected.

Tags: marina bay, sands, singapore, construction, towers, art science museum

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If you decide to become a client with XOJET, you’ll be seeing a whole lot of them since that’s the only plane model the private aviator has (although it’s planning to buy the ultra-spacious Bombardier Challenger 300 model, starting next year).

Why would a private aviation service that’s the talk of the industry operate a single class of aircraft? To cut down costs — and it works, big time!

So you’re tired of waiting for hours on end for your plane to arrive and then take off? If you fly over 100 hours a year, XOJET may be the answer to the commercial airlines’ colossal time wasting habits.

Furthermore, flying with up to 11 other clients per aircraft is a whole different experiences than being crammed into a commercial flight with hundreds of other strangers. One could say it’s a lot more fun and the in-flight service is much easier to get a hold of.

While fractionals are inherently restrictive because they link users with a specific number of hours corresponding to the size of their share, if you’re still looking for more thoughful alternatives, you’ll be happy to learn that XOJET doesn’t sell shares, at all -and- they don’t allow more than 3 clients per jet (which yields more flexibility).

XOJET clients get a 20% overflight allowance built into their contracts and in the event they need more hours, they simply pay for them (extra) as they go along.

To this day, XOJET boasts an on-time departure rate that’s north of 99% which exemplifies, once more, the proverbial “other end of the rainbow” compared to commercial airlines. Clients are garanteed aircraft on just a 12 hours notice and top clients (flying 400 hours of more per year) are garanteed multiple aircrafts on a single day which comes in handy when, for instance, the CEO goes to New York and the CTO goes to San Francisco.

So all this brings us back to XOJET cutting down the cost, up to 40% compared to the runners up, because, over and above the aforementioned strategies, the private aviator charters unused flights so this brings in revenue to pay for ground and crew costs while significantly driving down the cost of “membership” for clients.

Apparently, a lot of people like the way XOJET thinks about the whole private aviation value proposition since the company is expected to double its 2006 revenues of 36M$.

Furthermore, the company recently announced the purchase of 2,5 billion dollars worth of new aircraft, which will bring its fleet to 127 planes, by 2012.

XOJET is proof that innovation in the air travel industry can make a huge difference, in this particular case, equally beneficial for the private aviator -and- its clients.

Tags: xojet, private aviation, charters, jets, airlines, aircraft, fractionals

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Acura dubs its RDX model to be “technocharged” so it’s very clear the intended customer is expected to be familiar with technology to fully appreciate all this SUV has to offer, especially for young families who wish to drive around in style.

Perhaps trying to curb the gas cravings usually associated with SUVs, the RDX is notably smaller than other crossovers like the Mazda CX-7 and the Ford Edge. Although it’s officially an SUV, it drives like a car, hence the “crossover” tag applied to it.

Featuring a 240-hp i-VTEC turbo engine, Super Handling AWD and a Technology Package including Bluetooth-enabled phone connectivity, the Acura RDX hits all the right buttons for the tech-savvy crowd. As such, the occupants are both firmly connected to the road -and- to the outside world.

Overall, this nicely designed vehicle makes for a fun drive. The engine is peppy, the handling is excellent and the sound system is probably one of the most impressive you’ll get to hear in a long time (even considering it’s in a car).

The 650 voice command and on-board navigation screen (including live traffic reporting) add the the futuristic feature set but perhaps a little more integration between all these “things” would’ve helped. Perhaps that’ll get fixed in version 2.0.

Your kids, assuming you have any, will be delighted by the practical use of interior space, in the Acura RDX. Even parents will be amazed how much useful storage space has been packed in this SUV.

Expect to see more “tech-savvy cars” coming to the market, in the months to come as all major car makers are “gearing up”.

Acura did a great job with this one… even if it’s still at version 1.0.

Tags: acura rdx, suv, crossover, cars, trucks, family, driving, turbo engine

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In fact, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that human activity is the dominant single cause of global warming. As a consequence, temperatures could dramatically change living conditions on the planet leading to more droughts, erratic weather patterns and rising sea levels.

Appliances account for about 20% of the average household’s energy consumption via refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers as well as stoves / ovens that all happen to use the most energy of any appliance in a typical house.

The much awaited 2007 Electrolux Design Lab challenges students to design eco-friendly, sustainable household appliances and solutions, for the year 2020. It’s sure good to know that some of the brightest minds out there are busy working to save the planet, one household at a time.

Like the past years, submissions are expected to be environmentally-sound, commercially-viable while enabling people to better live in harmony with the environment.

The ultimate goal, sought by the Electrolux Design Lab organizers, is to go above and beyond simple energy and water efficiency and suggest ways to foster sustainable behavior and product usage.

To get you in “the mood for innovation”, here are the finalists for the 2006 Edition of this international competition:

• Nevale – A food carrier designed in layers offering consumers the opportunity to store up to four different hot and / or cold meals.
• Organic Cook – Appliance that offers oil-free frying, grilling and boiling using infrared technology and vacuum cooking.
• VESSTO – Sleekly-designed, portable cooker that uses renewable energy as a power source through an advanced version of the Stirling Engine.
• Fit-Snack-Joy – Table-top appliance that turns raw fruits and vegetables into healthy cookies.
• HotPod – Delivers healthy food in single portions in each color-coded pod so everyone can enjoy their preferred meal.
• HydroSphere – Transparent, clear sphere, that allows consumers to grow their own herbs, small fruits and vegetables in their kitchen.
• Nutri Print – Makes use of fruits and vegetables to process them into a fun figure which can be selected from the menu screen, thus ensuring childrens’ interest into healthy food.
• SpiceHood – Revolutionary cooker hood with an integrated spice rack and dispenser system. It reduces the clutter around the kitchen while simultaneously encouraging the use of herbs.
• VEGE – Appliance that allows consumers to grow fresh, healthy vegetables in their kitchens all year round using hydroponics.

It’s pretty obvious that this prestigious competition encourages students worldwide to fire up their creative juices to design the household appliances of tomorrow.

In roughly 24 hours from the moment this post is published, the competition will close and on October 1st, 2007, the finalists will be announced while on November 27-28, the global final (in Paris) will be the place where the winner will be announced.

Anyone looking towards a more sustainable future should love this year’s exciting new entries.

Tags: electrolux, design lab, household, appliances, future, environment, competition

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Since 1978, Magenn Power has been researching and developing advanced materials and structures, from their head office in Ottawa, ON.

Their hard work has given way to an amazing concept that helps produce power from wind currents in the sky. Generally refered to as “MARS”, the Magenn Air Rotor System is an innovative lighter-than-air tethered device that rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind, efficiently generating clean renewable electrical energy at a lower cost than all competing systems, namely the various types of ground-based wind turbines.

The electrical energy, produced by a MARS unit, is transferred down the tether to a transformer at a surprisingly compact ground station and then transferred to the electricity power grid. Just imagine the “clean energy generation” possibilities!

From a technical standpoint, helium (an inert non-reactive lighter than air gas) sustains the Air Rotor which ascends to an optimal altitude, high off the ground, for best winds and where its rotation also causes the amazing Magnus effect.

This well-known physical phenomenon provides additional lift, keeps the device stabilized, keeps it positioned within a very controlled and restricted location allthewhile causing it to pull up overhead rather than drift downwind on its tether.

To make a long story short, Magenn has taken what’s best about ground-based wind turbines and multiplied the efficiency by inventively tweaking the basic design or the rotor while having it ascend between 150 and 1,000 feet, in the air.

The sheer genius behind the Magenn Wind Power Anywhere solution should help even more demanding customers to benefit from the wind to produce clean energy. Advantages over existing Conventional Wind Turbines and Diesel Generating Systems include: global deployment possibilities, lower costs, better operational performance and greater environmental advantages.

Remotely located potential customers will love the speed at which they can become fully independant from “the main power grid” with their very own MARS unit generating power 24/7, way up in the sky above their location.

Magenn is still working some of the technical and regualtion details but overall, this wind-power solution is, in many way, a notch above the rest.

Tags: magenn, wind power, windmills, air power, remote locations, power generation

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You read that right: the jungle, the Indonesian jungle, more specifically.

Tarzans and Janes of the world will feel right at home at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan. This luxurious yet intimate resort’s 18 suites and 42 villas offer the ultimate in privacy and comfort making it a wonderful tropical haven set in the lush Ayung River valley. Guest accommodations reflect the exotic surroundings, featuring uniquely crafted Indonesian furnishings and local handmade fabrics.

Locationwise, the Four Seasons Resort is located in the Indonesian village of Sayan, on the lush island of Bali. The resort is only ten minutes away from the island’s cultural and artistic centre of Ubud (be sure to visit the Monkey Forest).

Conveniently placed within the sound of the Ayung River, the resort’s two-level swimming pool is a cool and relaxing oasis cleverly designed to follow the river’s natural contours ‚Äì it’s just plain beautiful. The health club and spa features exercise facility, sauna, whirlpool and Ayurvedic spa pavilions.

Now, if you like innovative Indonesian specialty food as well as contemporary Asian-style cuisine, the resort’s Ayung Terrace, offering breathtaking views of the river below, should keep you raving for more delicious treats, meal after meal.

This is the kind of place you want to escape to, ideally with your loved one. It’s easy to imagine couples reinventing the world (hopefully, for the better), in this jungle paradise.

At between 500$ and 600$ a night, it’s another surprisingly affordable way to pamper yourself.

For travelers less familiar with this destination, let’s just say that with over 13,000 islands, Indonesia is the world’s most expansive archipelago. Bali is one of the larger islands, with a predominantly Hindu population of 3 million inhabitants and an agrarian economy.

By all means, it’s a refreshing tropical haven with a relaxed pace. Bali features splendid beaches, friendly people and a warm climate.

For all those who like Bali but would prefer a more urban, coastal experience, perhaps the Four Seasons Bali at Jimbaran Bay would be a good choice.

Tags: bali, four seasons resort, sayan, jungle, jimbaran bay, island, indonesia, travel

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