Robot English Teachers in Korea

Almost 30 robots have started teaching English to youngsters in the South Korean city of Daegu. Engkey, an egg shaped robot developed by the Korean Institute of Science of Technology, is taking classes at 21 Elementary Schools in the area. The 29 robots, each about a meter high with a TV display panel for a face, wheel around the classroom while speaking to students and reading books to them. The robots are controlled remotely by teachers of English in the Philippines.

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Japan hikes taxes on cigarettes to curb smoking

Japan has this month just imposed a record 40 percent tax hike on cigarettes in a bid to curb the nation's smoking rate which is the highest among major industrialized nations. In Japan approximately 36.6% of men smoke and 12.1% of women smoke. The price rise will increase the price of Japan's most popular brand, Mild Seven, by a third to 410 yen or USD$4.93 a pack.


In the weeks leading up to the tax increase, smokers across Japan stocked up on their favourite cigarettes with many of my smoker friends purchasing a years worth of cigarettes to bet the price rise.

Smoking is still allowed in most public places in Japan, but authorities have tried to discourage smoking in public areas such as airports, train stations and government buildings. A lot of places in Japan now have designated smoking rooms with most Japanese smokers complying.

Sourced from The Associated Press Japan 2010

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Apple iPad goes on sale in the US

The new Apple iPad went on sale in the US yesterday at $499. As expected there were huge crowds of people flocking to retail outlets to get their hands on Apples latest gadget. The main reasons people gave for wanting the iPad were for the apps, to use instead of a laptop computer, coffee table tablet, novelty, and impulse buy. The critics have had mixed views with the iPad with same slamming the gadget for the lack of a camera and inability of iPad ready websites to playback video. The Apple iPad will go on sale in Australia in late April.

2010 Oscar Academy Awards Winners

The oscars are complete for another year with the big winner being the underdog move The Hurt Locker with big favourite Avatar only picking up 3 technical awards. The major winners in the 2010 Academy Awards are

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Directing: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Actor in a Leading Role: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Actress in a Leading Role: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Actress in a Supporting Role: Mo`Nique (Precious)
Animated Feature Film: Up

Full List of 2010 Academy Awards Winners

2010 Oscar Nominations

The 2010 Oscar Nominations were announced today for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. There were a few surprises as always. Click on the link below to see a detailed list of all the nominations.

2010 Oscar Nominatons Full List Link

Toyota Accelerator Recall

Toyota Motor Corp said Tuesday that it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States, its largest U.S. recall ever, to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to stick and lead to crashes. The recall involves popular models, including the top selling Camry and Prius. At this stage the floor mat in question is used only in cars sold in the U.S., but Toyota officials in Tokyo, Japan said the carmaker will launch an investigation to make sure there are no similar problems in Japan and around the world. The recall will affect 207-2010 model year Camrys, 2005-2010 Avalons, 2004-2009 Prius`, 2005-2010 Tacomas, 2007-2010 Tundras, 2007-2010 Lexus ES250s and 2006-2010 Lexus IS250s and IS 350s.

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Google Nexus One takes on the Apple iPhone

Google has taken on Apple`s iPhone with its impressive entry The Nexus One into the mobile-phone market. Google well established and known as the internet`s most popular search engine has now put on yet another hat; that of a mobile phone company that can package hardware and software together into a single sought after device. The Nexus One feels great in the hand and is thinner than the iPhone. It has a gorgeous 3.7 inch colour touchscreen with higher resolution (800x480) than the iPhone. Besides the mobile network it provides, there is wi-fi, Bluetooth and a GPS receiver with Google maps for spoken turn by turn directions. The Nexus One ships with a 4GB microSD card, but there is only 190MB of internal memory for storing apps. Considering this is Google`s first foray in to this market it is certainly an impressive effort.

New Apple Mac iPad tablet launched this week

Computer giant Apple is this week set to unveil its new iPad device that may revolutionise the way we read books, magazines, textbooks and newspapers. The slick Mac tablet, an electronic book reader, will be launched this Thursday in San Francisco, USA. Though shrouded in mystery, it is tipped to come with a touch screen keypad, a webcam that recognises its user and the ability to attach virtual sticky notes to eBook pages.

Miley`s Love Getaway Down-Under in Australia

Miley`s Love Getaway Down-Under in Australia. One of Hollywood`s hottest young couple, teen idol Miley Cyrus and Aussie heart-throb Liam Hemsworth have been spotted taking romantic walks on the beach on Phillip Island in Victoria, Australia. The couple have been rockin along at the Phillip Island Music Festival. Phillip Island is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Victoria, and is well known for its penguin parade, animal wild-life and coastal beaches. Miley flew in from London to Melbourne on New Year`s Eve after finishing her world tour.

Australian model Jennifer Hawkins strips naked to promote positive body image.

Australian supermodel, Jennifer Hawkins 26, has stripped naked in a magazine to promote positive body image. The nude pictures will appear in this month`s Marie Claire Magazine. Hawkins is using the pictures to send the message that women should be comfortable with the way they look, and the images will be used to raise money for eating disorders support group the Butterfly Foundation.

Japanese Shoppers in rush for Lucky Bags

Japanese Shoppers in rush for Lucky Bags. Major department stores across Japan kicked off business for 2010 on Saturday by offering “lucky bags” at low prices to entice customers. These have been gaining in popularity as consumers search for bargains amid the global economic downtown. Department stores such as Mitsukoshi, and Takashimaya prepared various lucky bags with most selling out straight away in the morning. A lot of the customers had been lining up before dawn and rushed as soon as the doors opened to grab a bargain.