Features

NEW YORK — From jogging strollers to smart bathroom scales and waterproof watches, fitness experts say holiday gifts cater to all types of exercisers, from the new mom shedding baby weight to the seasoned triathlete chasing a performance boost.

Technology remains in the forefront, as gadgets grow ever more user friendly, compact and sophisticated.

“The ideal holiday gift is some kind of fitness tracker: These simple tools you can just wear on your wrist,” said Neal Pire, an exercise physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine.

“Five years ago, pedometers just measured steps. Now they’re counting calories and even sleep.”

A waterproof, shockproof, dustproof smartphone case is among the suggestions of Shirley Archer, a Los Angeles-based trainer and author of “Fitness 9 to 5”.

“Many use their phones for training with fitness apps, so everyone needs to protect it from sweat and impact,” said Archer, who also recommends a walking/jogging belt with room for water bottle[s] and pockets for smartphone, identification and keys.

“These have really improved over the years,” she said.

For people who like walking or running with their four-legged companion, Archer suggests a hands-free dog leash that hooks on to a belt or bicycle.

“Not only is it a pleasure to walk, run or hike hands-free, it’s also great core training as the wearer must use core muscles to control the dog’s movements,” she said.

Another familiar sight is runners pushing streamlined strollers. Jessica Matthew, an exercise physiologist at Miramar College in San Diego, said prices run the gamut.

“Jogging strollers are designed with the mechanics of running in mind, from the position of the handles to the increased shock absorption,” she explained.

Matthews said compression clothing, such as socks and sleeves designed to provide support, are popular with everyday exercisers.

“Some studies some have found these garments can improve blood flow, help fatigue and muscle soreness,” she said, “although science is still trying to understand the full extent of how it works”.

Connecticut-based running coach Tom Holland likes GPS watches and Wi-Fi smart scales.

“GPS watches can tell distance, pace, heart rate, swim strokes and more, all easily uploaded to apps or computer,” said Holland, author of “Swim, Bike, Run-Eat”.

Wi-Fi smart scales can track lean mass and body fat percentage as well as weight, he added, and share it all with a personal trainer.

A car that aspires to be the best in the world and the vehicle on which Mercedes-Benz traditionally rolls out innovative new technologies. Whether this or previous S-Class models are or have been the best car in the world, as marketing spin would suggest, is a subjective matter open to interpretation debate and criteria.

However, having said that, the S-Class is the unofficial benchmark by which the luxury saloon segment is often measured, and in our region, the S-Class was awarded the overall top honour at the inaugural Dubai-based Middle East Car of the Year awards. More luxurious, advanced, comfortable and safe than ever, the new S-Class is also the most efficient yet.

Luxury benchmark

A petrol-powered model produced for specific markets such as China, Australia the Middle East and others, the S400 L is an efficient but spacious long wheelbase petrol-powered somewhat entry-level alternative to turbo-diesel or hybrid models in some markets, and complementary choice in others. 

However and unlike past entry-level S-Class models, the S400 L does not take a Spartan approach to luxury, but is an opulent luxo-chariot packed to the rafters with much of the convenience, infotainment, driver-assistance and safety systems offered by Mercedes. While the S-Class line is available with pretty much near every contemporary automotive feature one can imagine, the S400 L’s in available with the model line’s innovative Magic Ride Control system.

A huge car with big presence, the new S-Class is unmistakably luxurious, indulgent, statuesque and even stately. However, with handsomely soft lines, curved edges and flowing arcs counterbalancing its massive grille high-rise bonnet and sheer size, the S-Class goes about its business with a refined sense of discretion, and without vulgar overstatement or glitz, doesn’t attract the wrong kind of attention.

Pointing the way towards a more elegant design language at Mercedes, the S-Class’ submarine-like sense of flow features a character line that extends from the headlight LED strip and along its flank as defined groove. Its shoulder line is muscular yet subtle while its arcing roofline descends to a gently tapered and sloped boot.

Fast and frugal

A more powerful and efficient entry-level petrol engine, the S400 L’s 3-litre direct injection twin-turbo V6 engine develops 328BHP throughout 5250-6000rpm and 354lb/ft torque at a broad 1600-4000rpm midrange band.

In addition to an increased use of light aluminium in construction — and with a 7-speed automatic gearbox allowing for aggressive low gearing — the S400 L is quicker and more responsive on-the-move than its S300 and S350 previous generation entry-level petrol counterparts.

According to Mercedes-Benz Australia’s posted specifications, the new S400 L is able to make the 0-100km/h dash in 5.3 seconds and conversely, is able to return frugal 7.9/100km fuel consumption and
184g/km CO2 emissions figures on the combined cycle, and in ideal conditions.

Smooth and eager, the S400’s turbos spool up swiftly from idle, and with little turbo lag, provide a broad and muscular mid-range torque band, with meaningful low-end pull, and responsively flexible mid-range. With its wide and rich torque band underwriting buildup to its maximum power plateau, the S400 is brisk and versatile throughout.

Well up to the job of hauling its near two-tonne weight, the S400 L overtakes, accelerates and drives up inclines with quick confidence. Big ventilated disc brakes provide effective stopping power, while an optional Brake Assist BAS Plus system now even features a Cross-Traffic Assist function able to increase brake force needed if a collision at a junction is anticipated, at up to 72km/h.

Reassuring and refined

Comfortable, cosseting and highly refined, as is expected of a Mercedes-Benz flagship luxury car, the S400 L standard fit air suspension smoothes out bumpy, lumpy and imperfect roads with aplomb. Wafting along when in its air suspension’s comfort mode, the S 400 L is a hugely refined environment ideal for long distance travel.

In its sportier suspension mode the S400 L feels more buttoned down, with tighter body control through corners and on vertical rebounds from dips and crests, but nevertheless still rides comfortably. Utterly composed on the highway, the S400 L has the same reassuringly planted sense of stability associated with large Mercs, while its large steering, tight turning circle and relatively good visibility make it manoeuvrable in the city.

Sumptuous in the way it rides, the S400 L is also quite adept at hiding its sheer size and weight when driven through winding routes. With light but accurate steering and good body control, the S400 L weaves through winding roads in comfort, poise and relative agility considering its size. In fact, its steering and suspension set-up seems to be quite sporty on turning into a corner, where it changes direction tidily with little under-steer detected.

It is easier to induce slight moment of over-steer before electronic safety systems vigilantly step in, if accelerating too sharply in a corner. But driven purposefully with its weight loading up the outside rear wheel, the S400 L grip levels are faithfully well. 

Class and comfort

Spacious, comfortable and refined inside, the extended wheelbase S400 L provides acres of legroom for rear passengers, who also enjoy generous headroom, well-cushioned leather-clad seats and a host standard of rear convenience features.

Above the expected optional rear seat features even include individual entertainment screens and massaging seats. In front, the driver has a comfortable and with highly adjustable seat and steering, can find an ideal position.

Laid out in high quality leathers, woods and metals, the S400’s cabin has a welcomingly luxurious and comfortable ambiance, to go along with the high levels of refinement from noise, vibration and harshness. Functions and instrumentations are well-laid out and ergonomic, and include a huge infotainment screen and optional touchpad controller.

Available with a vast array of standard and optional high-tech convenience and safety features, the driven S400 L was extensively kitted and included among the range of semi-autonomous driving features was Mercedes’ Collision Prevention System, Active Parking Assist with reversing camera, and Night View Assist, which uses sensors to detects objects considered a possible danger and automatically displays them on the instrument panel screen.

Included on the tested vehicle were also Adaptive Brake Lights, keyless entry, hands-free access and adaptive high beam functions. Multizone climate control, climatised seats, electric sun blinds and AMG body styling also featured. Standard to the S-Class is all-LED lighting, but its’ signature Magic Ride Control system, which uses radar to read road texture and preemptively adapt the suspension, is however only offered on the S500 version and above.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 3-litre, twin-turbo, in-line V6 cylinders

Bore x stroke: 88 x 82.1mm

Compression ratio: 10.5:1

Valve-train: 24-valve, DOHC, direct injection

Gearbox: 7-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive

0-100 km/h: 5.3 seconds

Maximum speed: 250km/h

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 328 (333) [245] @5250-6000rpm

Specific power: 109.5BHP/litre

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 354 (480) @ 1600-4000rpm

Specific torque: 160.2Nm/litre

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.9 litres/100km

Fuel tank capacity: 70-litres

CO2 emissions, combined: 184g/km

Length: 5246mm

Width: 1899mm

Height: 1496mm

Wheelbase: 3165mm

Track, F/R: 1624/1637mm

Overhang, F/R: 888/1193mm

Aerodynamic drag co-efficiency: 0.28

Headroom, F/R: 1069/995mm

Shoulder room, F/R: 1566/1501mm

Boot capacity: 530-litres

Kerb weight: 1975kg

Steering: Variable power-assisted, rack and pinion

Turning circle: 12.3 metres

Suspension: Adaptive air dampers

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs

Tyres, F/R: 245/45R19/275/40R19

Price, as tested: JD147,429 (on-the-road)

Through The Palace Keyhole

Ann Hutchinson Sawalha

UK: Medina Publishing, 2014

Pp. 431

Ann Sawalha’s memoir tells many stories, all of them spin-offs from the 50-year-long love story which began when she met Sami Sawalha in the Detroit Hospital where she was training as a nurse. Their love led her into marriage and a new life in Jordan, and weathered the storms of cultural differences, family crises and recurring regional crises from the 1950s into the 2000s. 

Looking back, she describes even the most harrowing experiences with equanimity, emotional depth and even humour. It was human values that held them together. Early on, Ann discovered that Sami “had an outlook that I could relate to… I sensed that we had a value system in common and that allowed me to trust him in a way that I had never before trusted anyone outside of my own family”. (p. 18)

“Through the Palace Keyhole” is very much a family story. The biggest adjustment Ann had to make was accepting that Sami would always put the extended family first, and that she had married into a huge tribe, the Azzizat, with all the support it offered, but also a myriad of obligations. While awestruck by Jordanian hospitality, she had expected more privacy in her life.

Most often living in the hotels that Sami owned and managed, surrounded by extended family members, she struggled to carve out private space for herself and their three children. Despite the book’s tantalising title, she had no time or desire to peer into hotel guests’ lives; on the contrary, she often didn’t even meet the famous people they hosted. Her account focuses more on family, and as an astute observer of human behaviour, she provides much insight into tribal norms and their continuing importance even as Jordan modernised.

 When Ann came to Amman in 1959, she and Sami lived in his father’s Palace Hotel, atop the Mango Building. Her recollections of the old days when many people lived downtown, and it was the only commercial centre, are charming and fresh. Even writing in long retrospect, she is able to recapture her initial impressions, such as her memory of when the first traffic lights were installed: “Hundreds of people clogged the streets straining to see the lights change… traffic was almost paralysed for about 36 hours until the lights were removed.” (p. 87)

This is also an against-all-odds story tracing the growth of the Sawalha’s hotel business in Jordan and Palestine, despite the disruptions of war and shortages of suitable equipment, infrastructure and trained staff, relying instead on vision, astounding energy and resourcefulness. Ann was on the scene when Sami and his father built the Palace Hotel in Jerusalem in 1963. 

It took the whole family pulling together to succeed in making it a tourist-class hotel and keep it running under the harsh conditions of Israeli occupation after 1967. Living in Jerusalem from 1963 until 1982, Ann developed an acute sense of the injustice done to the Palestinians and the US government’s role therein. She recalls, “I had been yanked from my middle-class American dream world to the cruel realities of war and occupation. I could see and hear the deceitful foolishness and stupidity of politicians. I would never be the same naïve American again.” (p. 266) 

Meanwhile Abu Sami and his sons established the Grand Palace and Regency Palace Hotels in Amman, and Ann and Sami returned to Jordan as the latter hotel hosted major regional and international conferences and prestigious guests from King Hussein and other Arab leaders to US presidents.

Substantial slices of history are woven into the story, whether of the Sawalhas or Azzizat, or the successive wars in the region from Palestine to the invasion of Iraq. Ann’s memoir also chronicles the making of modern Jordan as she lived the transition from a time when material life was much simpler, and women never went to banks, much less worked in them, to the Jordan we know today.

Although “Through the Palace Keyhole” is very specifically focused, it should appeal to a broad readership. For Westerners, it is a great introduction to Jordan, combining human interest with informed observations about the political events that have impacted on the country. Due to the honesty with which Ann writes, it is a credible testimony to the vast potentials of cross-cultural understanding.

Jordanians and other Arabs will presumably enjoy and perhaps benefit from a foreigner’s impressions of their society. Above all, it is the touching story of two strong-willed, inventive and endearing personalities who embarked on an exciting, yet demanding journey and stayed the course. Condensing their rich and fruitful life in her parting words to Sami, Ann says: “Thank you for the incredible journey that we shared together.” (p. 429)

There will be a launch for this book at the Regency Palace on December 14, after which it will be available at Readers and the University Bookshop.

MOSCOW — Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin built Moscow’s spectacularly beautiful metro as an example to the world, a symbol of “radiant Communist future”.

Now under strongman Vladimir Putin there are plans to make it the most connected in the world, with free, fast Wi-Fi even in the deepest tunnels.

By the end of the year, all lines of the Russian capital’s famous subway system — the world’s second busiest, with some 7 million passengers a day — will be connected to broadband Internet.

Opened in the 1930s, the metro was as much a monument to Soviet ambition as a transport system, with extremely deep lines and stations staggeringly decorated with mosaics, frescos, stained glass and heavy chandeliers.

Now organisers say its Internet connectivity will be equally impressive, letting busy commuters check e-mail and even download the classics of Russian and world literature for free while riding to work.

Moscow commuters, renowned as voracious and sophisticated readers, can now flick between Tolstoy and Orwell’s 1984 depending on their moods.

“There is nothing like it in the world,” the wireless network’s operator, Maxima Telecom, told AFP.

“In some cities, Wi-Fi is available in the stations but not in the tunnels. Moscow is the only city in Europe where the service is available in trains.”

Some 710,000 passengers in 3,500 of the metro’s 5,000 carriages already connect daily to the network.

Censorship fears

Maxima Telecom was the sole major mobile operator in Russia that dared in 2013 to join the ambitious government-initiated project for which no public money is being spent.

The company, which committed to invest an estimated 1 billion rubles ($21 million/17 million euros) to fund the initiative, hopes for a return on investment from ads which pop up on the page through which visitors must pass to access the Internet.

The home page offers both free and paid-for access broadcasts to public television and radio stations, movies, electronic books and magazines.

The IT industry is showing rapid growth in Russia, but in recent years — which saw Putin consolidating his grip on power — fears increased about censorship and other political factors that could stall its further development.

In October, Putin denied that he intends to impose “total control” over cyberspace, but recent reports said new restrictions filtering Internet content nationwide could be adopted by parliament by the end of this year.

‘Taxi revolution’

Russia’s leading IT companies — such as search engine Yandex, Mail.ru e-mail platform, VKontakte and Odnoklassniki social networks — have long outperformed their US competitors on the domestic market.

In Moscow, where living standards are considerably higher than in the rest of Russia, smartphones are ubiquitous and nearly all restaurants and bars offer free Wi-Fi access — often accessible without a password.

Keen to improve Moscow’s dull image of a city of infernal traffic jams and endless winter, local authorities have stepped up efforts to broaden Internet access in public spaces.

In 2011, Internet giant Yandex launched a ride hailing smartphone application, Yandex.Taxi, which “created a shock” in Moscow, the head of the service, Grigori Dergachev, told AFP.

“There are 10,000 cars online and one can have a cab anywhere in less than 10 minutes” instead of the hour required before the services was introduced.

By Elizabeth Weise

USA Today (TNS)

SAN FRANCISCO — The malicious software that crippled Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and resulted in the release of gigabytes of sensitive information was not something that even state of the art antivirus software would have picked up.

“This incident appears to have been conducted using techniques that went undetected by industry standard antivirus software,” the FBI said in a statement released Saturday.

In an e-mail to Sony staff obtained by USA TODAY, the security company analysing the attack said “the malware was undetectable by industry standard antivirus software and was damaging and unique enough to cause the FBI to release a flash alert to warn other organisations of this critical threat.”

Kevin Mandia, CEO of Mandiant, the security firm, went on to say in his e-mail, “this was an unparallelled and well planned crime, carried out by an organised group, for which neither SPE nor other companies could have been fully prepared.”

The ongoing cyberattack against SPE began two weeks ago. Security experts say it could portend a new era in computer assaults — one of wanton destruction and the release of embarrassing and potentially devastating data to the world.

“This is a game-changer for us in the United States, this level of maliciousness is unprecedented. I’ve never seen it, ever,” said Jim Penrose, a former National Security Agency computer security expert now with Darktrace, a British security firm.

Sony is just the latest, and perhaps the hardest hit, in a long list of major US corporations assaulted by cybercriminals in the past year. They include Target, P. F. Chang’s, The Home Depot, Goodwill, Dairy Queen, JPMorgan Chase and the US Postal Service.

Despite corporations spending millions of dollars on network security and the rise of hundreds of computer security firms, the attackers keep getting through.

The cost to investigate, notify and respond to these attacks is devastating. The average cost to a breached company was $3.5 million in 2014, according to a study released this year by the Ponemon Institute, which conducts independent research on information security.

Companies then pass on those increased costs for computer security, notification and, in some cases, remediation to their customers, even if those consumers don’t even realise they’re being affected.

A staggering 43 per cent of companies worldwide have reported being breached in the past year, according to the Ponemon Institute. In addition, people whose credit cards or identities are compromised must also deal with replacement hassles and possible identity theft.

But the Sony hack takes cyberattacks to a new, alarming level. In fact, nothing like it has been seen since the so-called Wild West days of the 1990s, when teenage hackers sometimes destroyed systems just to show they could.

But in the ‘90s, when the Internet was tiny and had almost no commercial interest, “nobody even noticed”, said Tom Kellermann, chief cybersecurity officer for Trend Micro, a security software firm.

That is clearly no longer the case.

Today, Sony Pictures Entertainment has sales of $8 billion. A subsidiary of Japan’s Sony Corp., SPE’s global operations includes the production of movies, TV shows and digital content. Its biggest franchise is Spider-Man and it is home to stars such as Seth Rogen, George Clooney and Adam Sandler.

“This is totally different, this is literally the equivalent of burning the building down — it’s a wake-up call about how bad it can get,” said Kellermann.

The Sony attackers, who call themselves the “Guardians of Peace” or the “GOP”, continue to taunt the company whose computer network they brought down on November 24. On Friday, a threatening e-mail was sent to employees warning that what had come before “is only a small part of our further plan”.

In somewhat mangled English, Friday’s e-mail told employees to “make your company behave wisely”. If they did not, “not only you but your family will be in danger”.

Some employees were told to shut off mobile phones and tablets, though some could still check e-mail.

Nothing is known about who the GOP are, what country they are from or what they want. Their messages would indicate they have some gripe with Sony and are making some demands on the company. But what those are isn’t publicly known.

There has been speculation that they might be from North Korea, the attack in response to anger in that secretive dictatorship over an upcoming Sony comedy, The Interview, which stars Seth Rogen and makes fun of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. North Korea has denied any part in the hack.

Regardless, the attack is a marked shift from what corporate America has become accustomed to.

Up until now, there have been four main types of attacks on companies. The most common are cybercriminals who steal credit card numbers, identification and other personal data and sell it on underground websites. The Target, Home Depot and JPMorgan attacks were all in this vein.

Often companies don’t know their networks have been breached until credit card numbers used in their stores appear for sale on underground criminal sites. The response has been to beef up internal security while offering customers identity theft protection and new credit cards — at a cost of millions of dollars and the loss of customer confidence.

Less common, but not unknown, are attacks by so-called hacktivists. They typically deface or take down the website of a group they want to call out. For example, activists recently knocked the website of the Ku Klux Klan offline and published the names of individuals they claimed were members.

Rarely reported, although widely discussed in security circles, are industrial espionage attacks that steal companies’ intellectual property, plans and customer lists. In Sony’s case, it appears that the attackers are putting all of the files they’ve stolen on publicly available websites, not keeping the data for future use.

“Whoever’s really behind it is doing it to do harm to Sony and to be punitive to the people who work for Sony,” Penrose said.

The least common of all, but most terrifying, are attacks by governments aimed at other countries. As far as is known, these type of hacks are rare.

The first well-documented case of such an attack was the Stuxnet computer worm in 2010. It was deployed specifically to attack the computers that ran Iran’s secret uranium enrichment programme. It is believed to have been launched by Israel with help from the United States.

As far as is publicly known, the attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment is different from all of these.

“These guys didn’t make any demands, they didn’t want money. They just wanted to watch the world burn,” said Tom Chapman, a former navy intelligence officer who is now director of operations at computer security firm EdgeWave in San Diego.

The attackers first crippled and erased the hard drives on Sony computers and destroyed its network infrastructure. Even two weeks in, employees are being told not to open their laptops, out of fear of erasing data.

“The destruction is a brand-new level of assault that companies haven’t had to deal with before,” Chapman said.

Part of the assault has included posting five Sony films on illegal sharing sites. They include the forthcoming Annie, Still Alice, Mr. Turner and To Write Love on Her Arms, as well as Fury, which is already in theatres.

Despite all this, publicity efforts continue largely uninterrupted for Annie and The Interview. The Annie junket is complete and the premiere is in NYC on Sunday. The Interview will hold its premiere in Los Angeles this Thursday.

Though employees have been shaken, “the general sentiment is a strong resolve to get through this and not let them get to us”, says a Sony source unauthorised to speak publicly about the situation.

Even so, Friday’s message from the GOP to Sony is chilling to the rest of corporate America. Every computer network contains something damaging, dangerous or simply embarrassing enough to bring down an executive, a division or an entire company.

The GOP’s Friday file dump ended with this line: “The data to be released next week will excite you more.”

If 2014 was the year of the breach, 2015 could be the year of obliteration.

PARIS — Obesity and extreme obesity can reduce life expectancy by up to eight years and deprive people of as much as 19 years of good health, according to a study published on Friday.

The research — a mathematical model based on US health data — should be a useful tool for doctors advising patients who are worryingly overweight, its authors said.

The biggest area of concern is for people who become obese while they are young.

“The pattern is clear,” said Steven Grover, a professor of epidemiology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. 

“The more an individual weighs and the younger their age, the greater the effect on their health.

“[...] They have many years ahead of them, during which the increased health risks associated with obesity can negatively impact their lives.”

Grover’s team used data from a big US project, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which monitored thousands of people over years, to analyse the risk of early death and ill health among adults of different body weight.

They compared overweight and obese people against people of normal weight in terms of life expectancy.

They also calculated the number of years of good health that each individual could — statistically — expect.

This was defined as being free of cardiovascular disease or diabetes — two diseases that are closely linked with excessive weight. 

The estimates applied to people aged between 20 and 79.

The outcome was dramatic, according to the paper, which appears in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Individuals who were in the overweight category — who had a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9 — were estimated to lose between zero and three years of expected life.

Between 0.8 and 5.9 years of life were lost for obese people, with a BMI of 30 to 34.9.

The extremely obese, with a BMI of 35 or more, lost between 0.9 and 8.4 years of life expectancy.

The greatest loss in expected lifespan was found among those aged 20-39.

On the other hand, the loss was smaller and sometimes negligible among those who were only overweight.

“Healthy life-years” lost to diabetes and cardiovascular problems ranged from 0.5 years to 19.1.

The biggest loss was among women who were extremely obese in the 20-39 age bracket. 

The least loss was among men who were overweight and aged between 60 and 79.

The data came from a subset of 4,000 people in the 2003-2010 US survey, all of them white, for whom more details about their health and blood sugar were known.

The warning should be treated as conservative, as the study only factored in two obesity-related diseases, said the study.

Cancer, respiratory disease, liver and kidney disease have also been linked to chronic overweight.

CAPE CANAVERAL — A new US space capsule, Orion, circled the Earth twice before plunging into the ocean Friday in a flawless test flight that opened a new chapter in human deep space travel.

The mission was the first in more than four decades of a new US spacecraft intended to carry humans to the Moon, an asteroid, or Mars.

“We as a species are meant to push human presence into the solar system, and this is a first step,” said NASA associate administrator for human exploration, Bill Gerstenmaier.

The unmanned vessel soared into space at 7:05am (1205 GMT) atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy Rocket that rumbled and roared as it climbed into the pastel skies over the Florida coast at sunrise, leaving a plume of smoke in its wake.

“It was just a blast to see how well the rocket did,” said Orion programme manager, Mark Geyer, after technical issues with the rocket and wind gusts delayed the first launch attempt Thursday.

“We really pushed Orion as much as we could to give us real data that we could use to improve Orion’s design going forward.”

The four-and-a-half hour flight was “picture-perfect” and “a significant milestone for America’s space programme,” said NASA commentator Rob Navias.

“There is your new spacecraft, America,” he said as live aerial images showed the capsule floating towards the Pacific Ocean aided by three parachutes.

NASA engineers will carefully study the data it collected — particularly regarding the performance of the heat shield — in the days and weeks to come to see how the capsule withstood the stress of space flight.

Live video images from the spacecraft showed stunningly high views of Earth as well as the capsule’s dramatic return to the Pacific Ocean.

A trio of NASA astronauts watched on large televisions at Kennedy Space Centre and bumped fists when Orion splashed down, as the packed pressroom erupted in cheers.

“We have kind of turned a corner from the post shuttle period and it is nice to see the new vehicle up in space,” said astronaut Rex Walheim, still grinning after the successful test.

“It has got a lot of pieces of the puzzle to go yet but we are making tremendous progress,” he told AFP.

The United States has been unable to send astronauts to the International Space Station since the shuttle programme ended in 2011 after three decades, leaving no option but to pay Russia to carry astronauts on its Soyuz capsules at a cost of $71 million per seat.

Peak height

The spacecraft made two loops around the Earth, first orbiting about as high as the International Space Station, which circles at an altitude of about 430 kilometres.

Then, a second stage engine burn propelled the spacecraft higher than any vessel meant to carry people since the Apollo 17 moon mission in 1972.

About three hours into the flight at 10:11am (1511 GMT), the spacecraft reached its peak height of 5,800 kilometres above the Earth.

Four hours 24 minutes after launch, the spacecraft plunged into the waters off California to be retrieved by the US navy.

An analysis of sophisticated sensors on the capsule should let NASA know how the heat shield performed and if the temperature inside remained survivable for a potential crew. 

The spacecraft’s exterior heated to 2,200oC during its re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere at a velocity of 20,000 miles per hour.

Future missions 

Potential future missions for Orion, which can fit four people at a time, include a trip to lasso an asteroid and a journey to Mars by the 2030s.

“It’s a big day for the world, for people who know and love space,” NASA administrator, Charles Bolden, said.

NASA has already spent $9.1 billion on Orion and the powerful rocket meant to propel it with crew on board, the Space Launch System.

Another unmanned test flight is slated for 2018. The first Orion test flight with a crew on board is scheduled for 2021, when total costs are projected to reach $19 to $22 billion.

For wanting to sell a music instrument I am not using anymore, I recently contacted, among others, a friend who works at a private school in Amman. I asked him if they had a notice board where he could display a small “for-sale” poster with a photo of the instrument and my contact info for me.

He smiled and said that the traditional notice board where you could pin announcements of all kinds is obsolete and that they now have an electronic one (understand a web page) that all students and school staff members can consult online and respond to in an interactive manner.

This saves time and of course paper, making also the contact with the announcer easier and faster via direct e-mailing. So I sent my friend a soft copy of the announcement by e-mail and in a matter of minutes it was published and inquiries about it started flowing into my mailbox. 

I felt embarrassed for I should have anticipated the change. As much as you can be in high-tech, as much as you are aware and try to read, to be informed, updated and to anticipate, you can’t think of everything and sometime you end up being caught by surprise. “But of course, I should have thought about it; everything now is digital and online — silly me”!

As it has always been the case in the realm of IT, the change is faster than we can adapt, and the acceleration rate keeps increasing non-stop. It’s what you call a gradient in physics. Except that the most significant part of the change now is not in having more powerful, more reliable hardware and equipment but in the way we use all computer-related devices and the web. It’s in the “app” that is here to do the job, to do it fast, to save time, to save paper and to do it online.

Besides, the very expression “computer-related” now encompasses an impressive number of devices and hardly stops at desktop computers, laptops and smartphones. Soon enough, when everything is connected, from washing machines to cars, kitchen appliances, clothes and TVs, it will be faster to draw a list of what is not computer-related rather than of what is.

The cameras that are built in smartphones and that have been improved in an almost unbelievable manner in the last two years are some of the tools that are changing our living and working habits in a new revolutionary way.

Forget about the selfie, it’s just another photo gimmick. Phone cameras are so good now that we often use them as scanners. They haven’t just killed entry-level dedicated cameras but other devices too.

Want a copy of a given document before handing it over to someone else and while in your car or at the gym? Just take a snapshot of it with your smartphone. You can then send it over Wi-Fi to the web to any target if you want. With most new phones featuring cameras sporting at least 10 megapixels and some models going up to 40 (Nokia’s 808), you always have plenty of resolution room to enlarge, see and read every detail.

Some purists rightly argue that more megapixels doesn’t always translate in more beautiful pictures, but this is beside the point; we’re talking usable here, not necessarily more beautiful. A higher pixel count definitely lets you use your phone as a good scanner, always ready.

As much as has already been digitised, computerised and moved online, it seems that there is much more to do. We haven’t seen the end of the cloud concept yet; and yes, there is still room to save more paper by not printing, though by now it is not anymore the most pressing issue.

Think of any task that uses text, sound, photo or video, and chances are that “there’s an app for that” to use a trendy expression. And if there’s any yet, it’s probably coming fast.

NEW YORK — Just how big a hit was “Gangnam Style”? So mammoth that the Internet literally wasn’t ready to handle it.

YouTube said that the 2012 song by South Korea’s Psy — accompanied by a horse-riding-like dance that became a global sensation — this week reached the maximum number of views that its counter had imagined to be conceivable.

The video-sharing site shows that the official version of the video has had more than 2.15 billion views — the equivalent of one-third of the world’s population, although of course many people watched more than once.

The problem: YouTube designed its counter with what is known in computer science as a 32-bit integer, meaning that the maximum number of countable views was 2,147,483,647.

“We never thought a video would be watched in numbers greater than a 32-bit integer,” YouTube, which is owned by search engine giant Google, said in a posting on Google+.

YouTube engineers anticipated the problem and upgraded to a 64-bit integer. That means that “Gangnam Style” or future mega-hit videos can now go beyond nine sextillion views — a feat that, at least according to conventional wisdom, would be impossible to break.

Few advertising jingles survive the test of time. They might not be on air anymore but after several decades also, a tiny tune is all it needs, for the entire ditty to come rushing back. In one’s head, that is. 

Karen Carpenter’s “When I was young I’d listen to the radio, waiting for my favourite song,” was a number that was written for my generation. Yes, we listened to the radio, and how! The rectangular box with round knobs in front, one for tuning the station and the other one for volume control, would occupy a pride of place in any living room. 

To protect it from real or imaginary dust particles, most good housewives like my mum, would wrap a sort of doily around it. News broadcasts, latest film songs, cricket commentary, recipe for pickles and so on, all of it would be absorbed with the greatest of interest, from the radio. Entire families would postpone their meal timings if there was an interesting programme being transmitted live that clashed with the dinner hour. 

Neighbours did not think twice before inviting themselves over to your house. They sometimes lent a helping hand in sorting out the positioning of the aerial antenna, which cleared the sound waves and made it more audible. If the national team won any matches, they stayed for the celebratory supper. 

But in all this, the most vocal were the children, who sang along with the promotional songs whenever they were played between the slots. Whether it was a publicity gimmick for a bicycle, hair dye or cough drops, we had memorised them all. 

Boroline, pronounced to rhyme with auto-sheen, had the best melody and rhythm. It went something like, “sweet smelling antiseptic cream, Boroline”. Available only in the eastern regions of India, the ointment, which came in a dark green tube, was supposed to sort out all your ailments. Dry skin, itchy skin, cuts, burns, scars, pimples, cracked feet, elbows, chapped lips, moles, warts, you name it, and this cream had a treatment for it. Derived from its ingredients “Boro” from “boric powder” that has strong disinfecting properties, and “Olin”, a variant of the Latin word “oleum” meaning oil, Boroline was something that cured from diaper rash to wrinkle slash. 

I was reminiscing about this when I came across four slim tubes of these in my bag. On my last visit to the home country, I had stumbled and sprained my ankle. The swelling had receded after some weeks but an ugly bruise remained. An elderly aunt had immediately bought the cream and asked me to apply it on the injury. Under her watchful gaze I did so for the first few days, and then forgot about it. 

Finding it suddenly, I turned the cap and squeezed some of the balm on my palm. A strong pungent smell accompanied the sticky white ointment. I was wondering what to do with it when my phone rang. 

“I’m getting a terrible toothache Mom,” our daughter greeted me. 

“Hello sweetheart!” I replied cheerfully. “Please mother, what shall I do?”
she implored. 

“I’m not a doctor,” I reminded her.

“But you have a cure for everything,” she exclaimed. 

“That is what Boroline says, not me,” I corrected her.

“Who is Boroline?” she asked.

“Sweet smelling antiseptic cream,” I sang. “Mummy! I’m in pain,” she repeated.

“Here is the dentist’s number,” I said. “TTYL,” she muttered, slamming the phone. “Instant remedy?” I mumbled into the handset.