Out of the cave and into the 21st century

Am I thrilled or what?
Yesterday, having nothing better to do with my time, I decided to finally setup my scanner cum copier cum fax machine. I say finally, because I got it for free when I bought my PC about two and a half years ago!
The first task was actually finding the blasted thing! Not an easy task I might add. It involved the use of ladders, shifting boxes, cleaning up wardrobes, etc. You get the picture.
The setup itself was pretty straight forward, as it usually is with such equipment these days. The exception was looking for the USB cable. It took me ten minutes, and a variety of Greek words, to find the original packaging of the PC and digging it out.
Ten minutes for the software to install and we were cooking! All that sweat-it is still quite hot over here-rearranging of boxes, cleaning and tidying up wardrobes, had paid off! I then went through some photocopies of fun stuff that I've been keeping in a folder, and scanned them through to my PC. If you behave yourselves, I'll share them with you in due course.
I also scanned some drawings I had made all those years ago, while I was bored senseless, in an empty house, when I first started working in Nigeria! Those, are not really worth sharing with you because they are pathetic!
It is only the one below that is perhaps worth showing. I drew it looking at the image on a promotional packet of Camels (there's one good thing smoking did for me). Feast your eyes world:



PS. For all my American friends out there, Happy Independence Day!

Please Mom! I want one!

Ooooh, yes! I'm getting me one of the beauties!
A die hard gadgeteer, I started on these little machines when I first got myself the Palm Pilot about six months from reading an article on hand writing recognition. What a ride it was! I spent hours on end on my new acquisition, writing stuff with the stylus, getting a feel of what 20th century technology is like! Even had it on the dresser on my bed, like a ten year old, when I went to sleep.

I don't consider myself an impulse shopper, but when it comes to gadgets of this sort, I get this itchy feeling in the palm of my hand. I never get bored with them! I don't have the time to, anyway, since they tend to upgrade and develop at neck breaking speed. Then it's a case of giving the old one to Dad--everyone else in the family loathes my generosity since he is not the most hi-tech person in the family, always asking operational instructions from other family members. More often than not is my niece who pays the price, having to explain how to set up a new ring tone, how to add a new background picture, how to switch the thing off etc--and getting the next model.

The buggers are not making it easy for me either. Whenever I got off the plane in Switzerland on the way to Greece for holidays--with invariably 4 to 6 hours to kill--I'd find myself in the electronics' stores checking out what's new. I would never buy from there though! It was always a case of noting down the model of the gadget I liked and buying it from Greece, or have my uncle buy it and send it over from Singapore or Taiwan. Then I'd go to the newsagents next door and buy me a chocolate treat to celebrate the upcoming new purchase! I can assure you that there have been countless such chocolate celebrations over the years!

The latest such purchase was when I was last in the UK in December '06. Following a string of business meetings, a visit to Old Trafford--you must know Manchester United's ground--and a sentimental walk down memory lane at the University of Manchester campus, I was left with a day to kill. I found some very helpful people at the Apple store who wanted to fill my time by showing me various ways of getting rid of that bulge in my pocket. (Now guys! I am referring to my wallet here. Please don't drop the standards!) Ten minutes later I'm the proud owner of an iPod, with still lots of time to spare.

Now is the turn of the iPhone. It is going to be my present for quiting smoking, which in turn is going to be the source of the budget for it! I've got it all sorted out! The fall is approaching and the itchy feeling in my palm is getting more intense!

Flying Ships on the Aegean

I got this in my email and were left staring at the screen gob smacked.

Flying ships taking people to the Greek islands?

Boats flying 12 meters above the sea, at speeds approaching 200kph are expected to appear in the Greek seas in the year 2008.

Hoverwings are the next revolution in sea travel! Piraeus to Crete in 1hour30 minutes. (It currently takes anything between 8 and 12hours, depending on the ship).

These type of vessels offer the marine transport with air travel features. They are neither planes or hydroplanes. They are called WIG's due to the Wing In Ground technology which they are based on.

Built using high pressure resistant, aerospace materials can carry 80 passengers, at high speeds (up to 112 knots), virtually unaffected by waves, even at 8 Beaufort scale seas, with a range of 800km.

They have low cost operation and maintenance, and do not require special harbour installations since they have foldable wigs.

The first three such crafts, will be built in Hamburg - Germany in the next years, by Hoverwing GMBH, they will carry German flag and crew, and the first is expected in Greece by the end of 2008.



The cost to the passengers is not expected to be higher than the current fares.

Each of these beauties will cost about 22million euros.

It is almost like science fiction. Yes, I am proud to announce the Greece is entering the 21st century!