Plantlab - Indoor farming

Tot articolul: http://singularityhub.com/2011/08/14/dutch-plantlab-revolutionizes-farming-no-sunlight-no-windows-less-water-better-food/

Most popular names by country

(click pt mai mare)

metropol parasol seville - j. mayer h. architects

the largely open-air volume houses a variety of programs, including a museum,
farmers market, elevated plaza and restaurant, and is intended as a place that will
activate the public square, making it attractive for both tourists and locals. 
project that is now complete. set to open on march 27th,
the concrete and parasol structure will become an icon and urban center for seville,
articulating the city as a cultural destination. 

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/13802/j-mayer-h-architects-metropol-parasol-now-complete.html

How Greece collapsed

The easiest way to cheat on one’s taxes was to insist on being paid in cash, and fail to provide a receipt for services. The easiest way to launder cash was to buy real estate. Conveniently for the black market—and alone among European countries—Greece has no working national land registry. “You have to know where the guy bought the land—the address—to trace it back to him,” says the collector. “And even then it’s all handwritten and hard to decipher.” But, I say, if some plastic surgeon takes a million in cash, buys a plot on a Greek island, and builds himself a villa, there would be other records—say, building permits. “The people who give the building permits don’t inform the Treasury,” says the tax collector. In the apparently not-so-rare cases where the tax cheat gets caught, he can simply bribe the tax collector and be done with it. There are, of course, laws against tax collectors’ accepting bribes, explained the collector, “but if you get caught, it can take seven or eight years to get prosecuted. So in practice no one bothers.”

Foarte interesant articolul chiar daca e cam naiv reporterul.

Tot articolul: http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2010/10/greeks-bearing-bonds-201010?currentPage=1

Fasten your seatbelts - cultural guide

China 3_Lower your glass as a sign of respect. from 43 Films on Vimeo.


China 4_Do bring the right kind of gift. from 43 Films on Vimeo.

This increased mobility exposes millions of travellers every day to new cultures, customs and languages. Without education, dialogue can be difficult and misunderstandings can arise.

You can get yourself into all sorts of trouble in other countries if you don't have an understanding of the cultural language. Much of our behaviour can mean other things in other countries, some of it amusing, some of it extremely offensive. One gesture, or movement, or expression, may have many different meanings, just as our verbal language has words which may have different meanings.

Some people, when travelling to new countries, may forget to consider the different behavioural norms they are likely to encounter and behave exactly as they do at home. In such circumstances, even minor cultural differences can become major barriers to communication and cooperation. This project aims to demystify these cultural differences and encourage visitors to embrace them.

The beauty of Europe lies in the fact that even though there is a firm movement towards standardisation for the sake of efficiency, there is a strong will to cultivate and to promote the diversity of languages and cultures of the different states. With our project we would like to contribute to this important philosophy and extend it to the ‘global village’ that is our world today.

More generally, and perhaps a little less pretentiously, we would simply like to put the idea in the minds of the passengers that it is useful and fun to learn about cultural differences.

The objectives of this project are:
raising travellers' curiosity towards new languages
breaking linguistic and cultural communication barriers
using innovative communication tools and learning methods :teaching through entertainment
offering free immediate access to educational information to travellers
and last but not least, helping to kill time intelligently

The first episode (Fasten Seat Belts 1: Europe) was funded by the European Commission's Socrates-Lingua department.The second one (Fasten Seat Belts 2: Europe - Asia) was supported by the European Commission’s Life Long Learning Programme.

Un proiect european fascinant care are ca scop evitarea gafelor culturale prin educatie.
E si Romania in lista tarilor cu o "cultura speciala"

http://www.fastenseatbelts.eu/

insulindeplein automatic car park - paul de ruiter architects:

Sunt atat de simplu de realizat si totusi nu le gasim si pe la noi.

'insulindeplein car park' by amsterdam-based office paul de ruiter architects is the first
fully automated car park in rotterdam, the netherlands. the design features a street level
pavilion-esque structure with two separate entrances. providing space for over 140 cars,
the underground park is fully operated by a 'parking robot'. by utilizing a mechanical
distributor rather than providing circulation space, the car park is able to accommodate
one-third more cars than in a traditional setup.

the pavilion features a transparent facade, offering a view of the square from the car park
and vice versa. made completely out of glass, the treatment provides a subtle mirroring effect,
merging the structure with its surrounding by day, and becoming a light-filled lantern by night.

besides freeing up the streets of parked cars, the advantage of building an underground
and fully automated facility are many: it saves on energy cost (lighting and climate control)
since it is not occupied by people; the space about the car park can be developed into
a square with green space and a playground.

Piscine de oras

Ideea e sa filtreze apa din sursele naturale de apa ale orasului. Fantezie? Exista deja in Copenhaga:

Sursa piscine: http://www.pluspool.org/
Copenhaga: http://blog.thehighline.org/2008/03/28/lord-mayor-of-copenhagen-on-the-high-line-and-swimming-pools-part-i/

Parking in Budapest

Video:http://www.woehr.de/en/projekte/budapest_m730/index.htm?q=

Rapidly fabbed not mass produced house

 the government of spain's ministry of
housing and the department of energy of the USA have teamed up to host europe's first
solar decathlon in barcelona. with the objective of achieving the cheapest solar home
in the world, the institute for advanced architecture of catalonia (IAAC) has designed and
fabricated the 'fab lab house' as their official entry into the competition. the 75 m2 house
is suitable for a family of 4 and the use of light wood as its main structural component makes it possible to assemble the house in fifteen days.

Tot articolul si galerie completa inclusiv plan:
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/10576/solar-powered-fab-lab-house.html

Remember "What's in the box?" - se va face un film holywood dupa el

About one year ago a mysterious short film called “What’s In the Box?” by Tim Smit was posted on YouTube that impressed millions with it’s convincing (but unofficial) connection to LOST, Half Life, Portal, and Samsung, along with great VFX mystery and action. It lead to a complex fan-made viral and, with the creator getting contacted by 20th Century Fox, supposedly sparked a feature film adaption based on the short movie and assumptions that the viral connected to said film. After days, weeks, and even months, there was no more news on this feature film adaption, and it was for the most part forgotten, until now. Find out why after the jump.

Filmul original:


"Noul" film:


Interviu cu regizorul:


Si trailerul 2010:


Sursa: http://www.movieviral.com/2010/04/04/exclusive-whats-in-the-box-director-confirms-feature-film-still-happening/

Hotelul facut din case

Imi cam aduce aminte de Kowloon

mai multe info: http://www.dezeen.com/2010/05/17/inntel-hotel-by-wam-architecten/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dezeen+%28Dezeenfeed%29

Pavilionul Norvegiei de la Shanghai

Oh nu se poate! Arhitectura traditionala si moderna contopita!


Mai multe: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/10173/norway-pavilion-at-shanghai-world-expo-2010.html

Chopin Museum

milan-based migliore + servetto architetti asociati have designed the permanent exhibition
of the (fryderyk) chopin museum, which has opened in warsaw, poland on occasion
of the bicentenary of the composer's birth, 1810.
the museum holds a collection selected from over 5,000 items belonging to the
fryderyk chopin institute, and was conceived as a reference point of the chopin year celebrations
and will become the main centre for artistic activities which draw on the work of chopin.
located inside dell'ostrogski palace, the historic complex was built in 1600, with expansions
made in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, and was rebuilt in 1949 - 1954.
the overall aim of the project was to change the traditional perception of the museum.
migliore + servetto architetti asociati, took up the challenge set by the museum, designing a space
where visitors can freely explore the creative process of chopin as a man, composer and pianist.

Hai la Varsovia! :)

Mai multe poze si detalii: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/9632/chopin-museum.html

Art of the Steal: On the Trail of World’s Most Ingenious Thief

Gerald Blanchard could hack any bank, swipe any jewel. There was no security system he couldn't steal.
When the pilot gave the thumbs-up, Gerald Blanchard looked down, checked his parachute straps, and jumped into the darkness.
It was early June 1998, and the evening wind was warm. If it kept cooperating, Blanchard would touch down directly above the room that held the Koechert Diamond Pearl.

Este o poveste reala demna de filme. Merita citit tot articolul.

Tot articolul: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/03/ff_masterthief_blanchard/all/1

Campionatul mondial de poker jefuit live la TV

6 oameni inarmati au intrat si au jefuit campionatul mondial de poker de la Berlin

How To Report The BBC News

Stone House in Portugal

Mai multe: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1214489/Flintstones-like-house-uncovered-Portugal--ARE-modern-stone-age-family.html

Cat costa un salariu?

Pe scurt pentru a ca un angajat sa primeasca 741RON in mana (1000 RON pe hartie) angajatorul plateste in total 1300RON. Prin impartirea aceasta a taxelor intre angajat si angajator Romania ascunde taxele pe care le platim. Puse cap la cap rezulta ca avem taxe la fel de mari sau mai mari decat statele socialiste din europa de vest ex Suedia.

(Salariu nu Salalariu)

Marea Britanie a inghetat

Eu credeam ca exagereaza titlurile ziarelor.

Sursa: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8447023.stm

I went to Europe for 2 weeks