TripAdvisor: World’s best vacation rentals with awesome infinity pools |
- TripAdvisor: World’s best vacation rentals with awesome infinity pools
- Interview: Discover the magic of mushrooms with chef Becky Selengut
- Occupy Central: Amid anger over police brutality, protesters hit with pepper spray… again
- Moscow’s Lotte Hotel named best European hotel
- Former PSG coach Kombouare, now with Lens, plots its downfall
- Apple to woo tablet wielding business users with new iPad
| TripAdvisor: World’s best vacation rentals with awesome infinity pools Posted: 15 Oct 2014 05:54 PM PDT
From Florida to Fiji, the vacation rentals listed not only span the globe, but different budgets as well. While a one-bedroom cottage in Fiji runs a reasonable US$200 (RM656) a night, those with a bigger budget and bigger entourage may want to consider a 10-bedroom villa in Miami that comes with a price tag of US$10,000 a night. Here's a selection of vacation rentals from TripAdvisor: The Priory, Luberon, France Villa Bayuh Sabbha, Bukit, Bali, Indonesia Villa Blanca, Miami, Florida Lomani Cottage, Matei, Fiji Villa Turquesa, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Earlier this month, hotelier group Small Luxury Hotels of the World launched a separate collection of independent villas, ski chalets and estates in response to the growing demand for holiday rentals. The Four Seasons and Relais & Chateaux also offer private vacation rentals for affluent travelers. — AFP-Relaxnews  |
| Interview: Discover the magic of mushrooms with chef Becky Selengut Posted: 15 Oct 2014 05:47 PM PDT
Since that first encounter with mushrooms, Seattle-based Selengut, 44, has taught cooking classes at a food cooperative, served as a culinary professor at Bastyr University in Washington state, authored a cookbook on fish, and foraged for better mushrooms in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. She spoke to Reuters about how to cook mushrooms and why fresh isn't always best. Q: Why mushrooms? A: It's basically my first favorite food ... It also seemed like it was a good time to write a book about mushrooms because so many mushrooms are hitting the shelves now that people don't know what the hell they are, or what to do with them. Q: How did you decide which varieties to include? A: Here in Seattle, you can actually forage for over 30 different kinds of mushrooms in the woods. But I wanted to make sure I got ones that your average cook could find somehow without actually having to go into the woods - either at a supermarket for the first third of the book, the middle third of the book usually at specialty stores or farmers' markets, and then for the last third of the book you can sometimes find them at vegetable or farmers' markets, or you can mail-order them. Q: Are there any advantages to dried mushrooms over fresh ones? A: Oh yeah. I only recommend certain mushrooms to get dried because some of them I think lose a lot in the drying. But my favorite three to have dried would be black trumpet, porcini, and morel. And if I could add a fourth it would be shiitake. Those four are arguably just as good rehydrated as fresh, and also the liquid that kicks off when you rehydrate them is an absolute bonus, it's like liquid gold. Q: You mention that storing mushrooms in plastic isn't a good idea. What's a better way? A: I call plastic a death coffin for mushrooms, the sure way to make them slimy and nasty and rotten. A PAPER BAG would be the best way to go. Paper bags, and not in the crisper drawer, because you don't want that extra moisture. Q: Any advice on shopping for mushrooms? A: For dried mushrooms, you shouldn't accept a bag of broken mushrooms because you never know what the quality was. Make sure you see actual whole pieces of the mushroom or slices, so you can make sure they weren't worm-eaten, nasty mushrooms when they were dried. For fresh, same thing. You want to make sure they're not moldy, not slimy, not completely dried out - the same things you would look for in produce. Porcini Salad with Pine Nuts and Lemon Salt (serves four as an appetizer) Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed 1 pound fresh porcini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick (cap-through-stem slices) 1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (save lemon halves for squeezing on salad) ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted 1 stalk celery, shaved paper-thin into half-moons on a mandoline (leaves cut into chiffonade and reserved for garnish) About ¼ cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano (use a vegetable peeler) Fresh chervil leaves, for garnish (substitute small flat-leaf parsley leaves) Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line two baking pans with parchment paper and brush with olive oil. Lay the porcini slices on the parchment. Brush with more olive oil. Sprinkle one teaspoon of the salt over the top. Roast until lightly browned in spots, 15 to 25 minutes, flipping once after 10 minutes. In a spice grinder, pulse the red pepper flakes, lemon zest, pine nuts, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a chunky consistency. Arrange the cooked porcini slices on plates. Sprinkle the celery over the mushrooms. Drizzle olive oil over the salads (one to two teaspoons), followed by a squeeze of lemon juice. Sprinkle the pine nut mixture over the top. Garnish with cheese shavings and celery and chervil leaves. — Reuters |
| Occupy Central: Amid anger over police brutality, protesters hit with pepper spray… again Posted: 15 Oct 2014 05:45 PM PDT
At police headquarters in the nearby district of Wan Chai, hundreds of people gathered outside into the early hours of the morning to express outrage at the beating, with dozens queuing to lodge formal complaints over the incident. Authorities yesterday said police involved in the beating of Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, a member of the pro-democracy Civic Party, would be suspended. Footage of the beating has gone viral and injected fresh momentum into a protest movement that had been flagging after nearly three weeks of demonstrations over Chinese restrictions on how Hong Kong will choose its next leader. In the latest confrontation, Hong Kong's public broadcaster RTHK said protesters rushed onto Lung Wo road next to the office of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, dragging PLASTIC BARRIERS and other objects with them. A Reuters photographer saw protesters later scuffling with a small group of police on the side of the road. Police repelled them using pepper spray. Protesters caught police by surprise 24 hours earlier, erecting makeshift barricades to block the thoroughfare, prompting police to move in and arrest 45 people and clear the road. Traffic chaos at other protest sites in the city has severely disrupted some parts of the Asian financial hub. At its peak, 100,000 protesters had been on the streets. Those numbers have dwindled significantly. But a hardcore group of demonstrators, mostly students, has kept up the pressure on Hong Kong authorities, who have called the protests illegal. China rules Hong Kong under a "one country, two systems" formula that accords the city a degree of autonomy and freedom not enjoyed in mainlandChina, with universal suffrage an eventual goal. But Beijing has said only candidates screened by a nominating committee will be able to contest a full city-wide vote to choose the next chief executive in 2017. "POLICE HAVE BETRAYED US" Tsang was taken to hospital after being beaten and activists released photographs showing bruising on his face and body. "I'm afraid that one day I will come out for a protest and the police will do the same thing to me," said Jen Lau, 28, a social worker who was sitting on the sidewalk outside the police headquarters in Wan Chai just after midnight. "Even though he is a protester he should not be treated this way. I think the police should receive disciplinary action or something even more serious." Several social workers printed a "wanted" poster with colour pictures of the police officers they said were responsible for the beating, and were carrying it up and down the line of those waiting to file complaints. "I think the police have betrayed us Hong Kong citizens," said Tony Yip, 23, a research assistant at a science museum. "They are using violence against ordinary citizens." Leung has said there was "zero chance" China's leaders would give in to protesters' demands, a view shared by most political analysts and many HongKong citizens. Protesters have also demanded Leung resign. China's ruling Communist Party believes it has offered enough concessions to Hong Kong in the past, and would give no ground because it wants to avoid setting a precedent for reform on the mainland, sources told Reuters. Yesterday, Hong Kong's most prominent tycoon, Li Ka-shing, urged the protesters to go home. Li, Asia's richest man and chairman of property developer Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd, had made no public comment on the protests but broke his silence to say if Hong Kong's rule of law broke down it would be the city's "greatest sorrow". "I urge everyone not to be agitated. I urge everyone not to let today's passion become the regret for tomorrow. "I earnestly request everyone to return to their families," Li said. — Reuters |
| Moscow’s Lotte Hotel named best European hotel Posted: 15 Oct 2014 05:40 PM PDT
The Buddha Bar in Paris was honored for its bar as well as for its bathrooms (among hotels with less than 80 rooms). Also a winner in two categories, the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc in Antibes, which celebrates its centenary this year, earned the grand prize for best resort in Europe and the award for "best hotel ambiance." The Lotte Hotel in Moscow received the grand prize for best hotel in Europe in addition to the award for best hotel restaurant on the continent. In the Middle East, the grand prize for best hotel went to the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers. The Fuchun Resort in China and the Palais Namaskar in Morocco claimed the title in Asia and Africa respectively. Hotel Bar in Europe: Buddha Bar, Le Qu4tre - Head Bartender Remy Rodriguez, Paris - France Browse the nominees and winners of the 2014 Prix Villégiature Awards: www.prix-villegiature.com — AFP-Relaxnews |
| Former PSG coach Kombouare, now with Lens, plots its downfall Posted: 15 Oct 2014 05:38 PM PDT
Paris remain unbeaten this season, but six draws in their opening nine games left them in third place over the international break, seven points behind Marseille. Standing in their way this weekend are Lens and coach Antoine Kombouare, who won a host of honours with PSG as a player in the 1990s and then coached the capital side for two-and-a-half years before being unceremoniously sacked in December 2011 with the team top of the league. Kombouare would dearly love to get one over his old side, but a Lens win would be a huge shock. While PSG have become one of Europe's wealthiest clubs under their Qatari owners, Azerbaijan-owned Lens are plagued by huge financial problems and have not been able to sign any new players since winning promotion in the summer. In addition, refurbishment work at their Stade Bollaert-Delelis means they must play home games elsewhere, so this weekend's match has been moved nearly 200 kilometres to the Stade de France, in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. A crowd of around 60,000 is expected for the first Ligue 1 game to be played at the national stadium since 2009, but only a minority will be backing a Lens side in the relegation zone. "I don't like the way we have to work here, I am frustrated, especially for the competitor that I am," said Kombouare. "But we are in Ligue 1 and I have a motivated group of players. We mustn't forget that we are playing at home, even if it will be in Saint-Denis. "I hope we don't get thrashed, but frankly we have a lot to lose. PSG will wake up soon, so we need to hope that they don't wake up against us." Kombouare admitted that he must put any feelings for his old club to one side. "I would have liked to have stayed but it in some ways it was a relief to leave. I will always be grateful to PSG and will always be a big fan of the club," he said. "But now we have a game to play and three points to go looking for, so there will be no room for sentiment." Injury worries Paris coach Laurent Blanc continues to sweat over the fitness of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (heel) and Thiago Silva (thigh), and while the latter has returned to training after two months out, he remains a doubt for this weekend. With Marquinhos out and David Luiz picking up a thigh injury playing for Brazil, the champions have problems in defence with a trip to face APOEL in the Champions League to come next Tuesday. On Sunday, Marseille host Toulouse at the Stade Velodrome chasing an eighth consecutive win. The focus there will be on Andre-Pierre Gignac, the former Toulouse striker who is currently the leading scorer in Ligue 1 and starred in France's friendly win in Armenia in midweek. Second-placed Bordeaux host Caen, while fourth-placed Lille host Guingamp looking for a boost before they face Everton in the Europa League. On Saturday, Monaco will be without the injured Dimitar Berbatov as they entertain Evian, who have won three in a row. Leonardo Jardim's side are 13th in the table, and while they have claimed respectable draws with Zenit St Petersburg and Paris in their last two outings, they could find this match more complicated. "This season, we have played well against teams who attack and defend at the same time and leave space for us to construct," said Jardim. "It is harder when our opponents close down the space, sit deep and look to hit us on the break. Especially if they score first." Fixtures Friday Lens v Paris Saint-Germain (1830GMT) Saturday Lorient v Saint-Etienne (1500GMT), Lille v Guingamp, Metz v Rennes, Monaco v Evian, Nantes v Reims, Nice v SC Bastia Sunday Marseille v Toulouse (1200GMT), Bordeaux v Caen (1500GMT), Lyon v Montpellier (1900GMT). — AFP |
| Apple to woo tablet wielding business users with new iPad Posted: 15 Oct 2014 05:33 PM PDT
Moreno runs The Collection Auto Group, a chain of car dealerships in the Cleveland area. In 2010, he bought iPads to help employees do financing and insurance paperwork at his Mercedes-Benz store, and eventually handed out 200 of the devices to sales and service workers. The 47-year-old began using the iPad largely because it added an element of cool to his stores, and he is now looking for more reasons to buy. "Today the cool factor is pretty much passe," Moreno said, adding that he would purchase more of the gadgets given the right features. "If the new ones offered some feature that made our client experience better or allowed our team members to perform their duties more efficiently, we would upgrade." Making the iPad attractive to businesspeople like Moreno is crucial for Apple as it takes the wraps off new iPads today, with the tablets set to include a gold option, along with other refreshed features to the 9.7-inch (24.6-centimeter) version and the smaller iPad mini, people familiar with the situation have said. Apple increasingly has to tap companies to rev up demand for iPads, its second-biggest product after the iPhone, given that sales of the devices have fallen for two consecutive quarters. Growth opportunity Even as consumers shift away from tablets in favor of bigger-screen smartphones known as phablets, businesses remain a growth opportunity for iPads because the devices can be used for field work and as laptop replacements. In total, global sales of tablets to businesses, institutions and governments are projected to surge to 101 million units in 2018 from 19 million in 2013, as market share of those buyers increases to 27 per cent from 7.9 per cent, according to IHS Technology. "We see really moving into 2015 and beyond as being the place where this market is going to start to explode," Rhoda Alexander, an IHS analyst, said in an interview. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has said he is looking to enterprises to fuel iPad sales, signing a partnership with International Business Machines Corp. in July to sell to corporations so they could "be a catalyst for future iPad growth." Icahn's thinking The opportunities to increase iPad sales among business buyers is part of the reason activist investor Carl Icahn wrote in a shareholder letter last week that he believes Apple is undervalued and should be trading at US$203, more than twice its current price. Improvements to the iPad and the IBM partnership should help boost revenue from the device by 13 per cent in each of the next three fiscal years, Icahn wrote. "We believe there is still a large growth opportunity for iPad," he wrote. Apple yesterday stole some of its own thunder before the iPad event today by briefly posting images and some details of the new tablets on the iTunes website. The company also is developing a bigger iPad, with a 12.9-inch screen to be introduced next year, people familiar with the plans have said, in a move that could further appeal to business buyers looking for more capabilities. Trudy Muller, an Apple spokeswoman, didn't respond to a request for comment yesterday. Consumer appetite For now, iPad sales to individuals remain a key driver and having an updated gadget on store shelves ahead of the holiday shopping season is crucial for Apple. In the third quarter, iPad sales declined nine per cent to 13.3 million units from a year earlier, with revenue falling eight per cent to US$5.89 billion (RM19.3 billion). During the holiday season, consumer spending on electronics is anticipated to increase 2.5 per cent to US$33.8 billion, the highest level since the Consumer Electronics Association began tracking it in 1994. The top items on technology wish lists, according to the group's annual Holiday Purchase Pattern Study, are tablets. Apple last introduced new iPads a year ago. The new iPads follow the unveiling of larger iPhones last month, which sold more than 10 million units during their debut weekend. The phones are reaching an additional 36 countries this month, including China, India and South Korea. By the end of the month, the devices will be available in 69 countries and will be on track to be in more than 115 countries by year's end, Apple said in a statement. Corporate customers At the same time, the list of companies already using iPads is ever growing. Eli Lilly & Co has deployed 20,000 of the tablets as part of program to replace laptops, while FedEx Corp pilots and maintenance crews are using thousands of the devices worldwide, according to Apple. IPads can be used to order dinner at restaurants within New York's LaGuardia Airport. Edward Sagebiel, an Eli Lilly spokesman, declined to comment. A spokeswoman for FedEx didn't immediately respond to questions. "When a category matures, you start to look at different segments that you can sell into," Shawn DuBravac, chief economist and senior director of research at the Consumer Electronics Association, said in an interview. "The companies that are well positioned to use tablets often need proprietary software and that's starting to develop really now." Geoff Robinson, vice president of marketing at Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, said in an e-mail that the company encouraged dealers to start using iPads in 2010 and what started with 40 dealers has now spread to more than 350. Those dealers are on track to perform more than 24,000 transactions this year on iPads through the company's application called MB Advantage, compared with about 1,800 transactions in 2011. "Making MB Advantage available via the iPad has been very successful, as it has provided dealers the flexibility they need during the sales and" finance and insurance process, he said. "Whether the dealer is submitting a credit application or returning a vehicle at lease maturity, MB Advantage makes the tools easily accessible from anywhere." — Bloomberg |
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