IPOD Eco System

Technology is no longer stand alone innovations. When Apple releases IPOD variations or innovations, it energizes many different corporations. They design and market accessories like cases, rechargers, car adaptors, docking stations and more.



It is like a tango as and when Apple introduces temptations many satellite industries gear up to simultaneously make available for the consumer accessories. In fact analysis by NPD group reveals that for every US$3 million spent on IPODS a minimum of US$ 1 million is spent on accessories.



A whole chain has been created. There are accessory makers, designers, advertisers, marketing gurus, and retailers. And for most, accessories fill the till better than the IPODs themselves as profit margins are greater. It is not a one way street where satellite industries reap all the goodies. With racks filled with add-ons for IPODS, marketing campaigns, reviews, and demos Apple benefits by the creation of the ?ultimate? image of greatness. The eco system creates a hype placing Apples IPOD as the ?coolest? ever.



The range is huge, from simple cases priced from US$10-US$200 to speakers, transmitters, docking stations, baby strollers with a specialized slot for the IPOD, a belt with a buckle designed as an IPOD holder. For those with money to spend there are massage chairs with an IPOD holder in the armrest, customized speakers with glowing tubes and see through panels, as well as boom boxes.



As far as businesses are concerned it is a complete phenomenon with one small product leading to the creation of a whole industry or world. Unlike past successes like superman or Barbie dolls or the success of Disney land Apple has refrained from offering ?complete? packages themselves. The accessory manufacturing remains small.



The business model or plan until now was not the creation of a single entity or exclusive partnership but an open system where many industries can vie for a slice of the Apple ?gold dust?. But the balance is shifting and Apple is offering options like ?Made for IPOD? logos in return for a royalty.



IPOD has not just inspired accessories but changes in simple things like clocks with snooze mechanisms. Now such clocks have been modified so that they can be easily paired with the IPOD. Then there are headphones, ear phones, beach bags, as well as clothes with IPOD pockets. Now in 2006 cars will be sold with IPOD facilities. The IPOD world seems to expand and there are no signs of slowing down at all.



The IPOD ecosystem is fast growing and is a multibillion dollar industry world wide. No one would have dreamed that a simple no frills digital player would spawn entrepreneurs world wide and since the ?Bata? module the Apple IPOD has taken the center stage to create a business model where along with Apple thousand others taste sweet success.

Hello From Niagara Falls ? Exploring The Clifton Hills Entertainment Area and Doing A Little Gambling

 



Hello From Niagara Falls ? Exploring The Clifton Hills Entertainment Area & Doing A Little GamblingSubmitted By: Susanne Pacher  

Yesterday morning my last full day in Niagara Falls, Ontario, had arrived. After a packed schedule the day before that had included a wonderful presentation at the Imax Theatre, my up-close encounter with the Great Falls at the Journey Behind the Falls and an entertaining show at the Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Theatre, I got ready for another full day of explorations in Niagara Falls.

I already got a great start to the day when Kevin Kilpatrick, the gourmet chef and co-owner of Kilpatrick Manor, prepared an absolutely scrumptious breakfast for me: after a delicious fresh fruit platter with yoghurt and freshly made banana bread I feasted on ?breakfast ravioli?, one of Kevin?s unique culinary inventions. This light yet tasty breakfast dish features scrambled eggs, bacon and old cheddar cheese surrounded by thinly rolled out pasta and a home made tomato sauce with garlic, white wine and leeks. Kevin, with his gregarious and outgoing manner, sat down with me and kept me entertained with stories from his international hospitality adventures in France when he and wife Nance were managing a large chalet in the French Alps.

After this great start I rushed out to take my rental vehicle back to Budget Rent-A-Car since my husband was coming in from Toronto to join me in Niagara Falls. Although I had driven only 78 kilometers in two days, my little Toyota Yaris had served me extremely well in getting around Niagara Falls at a reasonable price.

On this sunny yet very cold day we started with a nice walk at the foot of Clifton Hill, strolling westwards along the Niagara Parkway towards the Canadian Horshehoe Falls. A brilliant blue sky bathed the Niagara River in bright light, and some of the metal railings next to the walkway were covered in sparkling ice formations from the mist that is formed by the Horseshoe Falls. Dozens of other tourists were also taking a noon-time walk and were snapping pictures of their friends and families against the backdrop of the mighty Niagara Falls.

Our real destination for today was the Clifton Hill area ? Niagara Fall?s main tourist promenade. Clifton Hill, the street, extends from the Niagara Parkway next to the Niagara River to Victoria Avenue on top of the hill and features dozens of restaurants, gift shops, fast food outlets, hotels and various attractions such as haunted houses, wax museums and other tourist entertainment. This popular tourist trap is often packed to the gills with people strolling up and down, soaking in the boisterous carnival atmosphere of this area.

Clifton Hill has a long-standing history as an entertainment area: hotels have been in existence here since the late 1800s. During the 1920s this area developed into a popular tourist destination and several additional inns and tourist camps were constructed nearby over the next few decades. Since the 1960s several museums have been built, which include the Houdini Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Wax Museum, the House of Frankenstein, the Guiness World Records Museum, Ripley?s Believe It Or Not and several others.

We decided to make our first stop at the Niagara SkyWheel, a recently constructed giant ferris wheel whose 42 climate controlled gondolas provide an excellent view over all the main attractions of Niagara Falls. During the 10 minute ride on this 53 metre high ferris wheel we had a magnificent view over the Canadian and American Falls as well as over all the other attractions and the residential areas of Niagara Falls. Fortunately, the weather was perfect for this experience and our 360 degree panoramic view extended for many miles.

Because of the brisk weather we decided to duck inside and headed into the Guiness World Records Museum. Formerly called the Guiness Book of World Records, this institution has a colourful history: the managing director of the famous Guiness Brewery in Ireland happened to ask himself during a hunting party in 1951 which bird was faster ? a grouse or a golden plover? Unable to find an answer to this question in reference books, he figured that there would have to be thousands of other questions that could not be settled by consulting a reference book and decided to create a book to supply answers to these types of questions.

The book became an overnight surprise hit and eventually an updated version featuring new records was published on a yearly basis and has evolved from a text-heavy reference book into a colourful, richly illustrated publication. In recent years several small museums have been created in locations such as Tokyo, San Francisco, Hollywood, Atlantic City, Myrtle Beach and Copenhagen to showcase noteworthy, and sometimes bizarre, world records. The location in Niagara Falls features photos and descriptions of many examples of world records including such curiosities as the world?s tallest man and the world?s smallest woman.

We explored the many interactive displays that feature world records in the spheres of entertainment, art, literature and sport. Natural disasters and scientific achievements are covered as well. Some of the records on display truly boggle the mind and it makes you wonder who has the time to come up with some of these rather offbeat ideas for world records, and who might have the time to execute those ideas. Images of record holders such as the man with the world?s longest ear hairs (4 inches!) were a little scary, to be honest.

Our next destination featured similarly off-beat human feasts: Ripley?s Believe It or Not!, built to look loke a collapsed Empire State Building with King Kong standing at the top, is a true collection of human oddities. Robert LeRoy Ripley (1893 to 1949) was a cartoonist, entrepreneur and amateur anthropologist whose newspaper panel series featured odd but true facts from all over the world. Ripley travelled a lot and became a collector of unusual items from all sorts of exotic destinations around the globe. From 1929 onwards Robert Ripley fascinated readers of seventeen national newspapers with his Believe It Or Not syndicated newspaper panel series. At the height of his popularity he was said to have received more mail than the American president. Ripley became a true media giant of his time and expanded into radio and early television before his death of a heart attack in 1949.

At the Niagara Falls Ripley?s Believe It or Not! we continued our exploration of strange and exotic things and were greeted right away by a three-dimensional sculpture of the world?s largest woman. True oddities such as vampire killing kits, a collection of macabre yet funny gravestones, two-headed piglets and a variety of life-sized optical illusions transported us into the land of the surreal and bizarre. To round out the collection of oddities, Ripley?s also operates a Moving Theatre and Louis Tussaud?s Waxworks in Niagara Falls.

After these explorations of the strange and unusual we decided to head back to our cozy bed and breakfast, the Kilpatrick Manor B&B. Chilled to the bone we decided to relax on the comfortable king-size bed, turn on the fireplace, watch a bit of TV and warm up under the soft cotton covers. A luxurious shower in the multi-jet Neptune shower helped to warm up my frozen bones. Now I understood what the owner Kevin Kilpatrick was referring to when he told me that guests just like to ?nest? at their bed and breakfast. It was indeed a supremely comfortable relaxing environment that got us ready for our last evening in Niagara Falls.

We decided to have dinner at the Frontier Grillhouse which is located adjacent to the Best Western Fireside Hotel with a great view overlooking the Niagara River. This modern casual restaurant features an extensive menu with a variety of freshly prepared breakfast dishes or an all-you-can-eat breakfast. The dinner menu has a large selection of appetizers, soups and salads and a wide range of grilled dishes including prime rib, New York striploin, Filet Mignon, T-bone steaks. Pastas, seafood and desserts round out the offering at the Frontier Grillhouse. I enjoyed my piping hot French onion soup and garlicky escargots with gratinated mozzarella while my husband treated himself to a very generous plate of Fettucine Alfredo. We couldn?t have added dessert even if we had wanted to.

We could have relaxed for even longer at the Frontier Grillhouse, but one more adventure was waiting for us: a bit of gambling at the Fallsview Casino Resort. Niagara Falls has long been a popular destination for gambling. On the Ontario side there are two large casinos: Casino Niagara, located in the Clifton Hill area, and the recently opened Fallsview Casino Resort which has been enticing gamblers since 2004. As we had already explored Clifton Hill, we decided to visit the Fallsview Casino which is an impressive hotel, shopping, gaming and entertainment complex located on a hill with an amazing view of the majestic Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

The entire complex is mind-boggling ? with a 100,000 square foot gaming floor it impresses even the most experienced casino-goer. Since it was our first time here and neither one of us is a casino regular, we were astounded by the seemingly never-ending gaming floor which features 3000 slot machines and 150 table games. Everywhere lights are blinking and the chime-like sounds of the slot machines fill the air. My husband is quite a talented hobby poker player, and he checked out the amazing array of table games, which include poker games like Let It Ride and Carribean Stud. Other table games include Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and Spanish 21 as well as more exotic varieties such as the ancient Chinese Sic Bo game of dice, Pai Gow Tiles ? a Chinese version of dominoes, and Pai Gow Poker which combines elements Asian Pai Gow and Western-style poker.

I decided to just watch the action and sit back as my husband tried his hand at different types of poker. Lady Luck was shining on him for a while, but as the evening progressed he gave back all his winnings and lost a bit of money. But I could see from his face that he had thoroughly enjoyed himself and had a great evening. We resolved to come to Niagara Falls again and next time we were going to bring my mother-in-law as well who loves playing the slots occasionally.

Nicely tired from a full night of entertainment we got back to our cozy B&B and just fell into bed for a great night?s sleep. This morning it was time for us to leave, but before our departure we enjoyed one more delicious breakfast at the Kilpatrick Manor B&B. Chef Kevin had prepared an absolutely scrumptious strawberry crepe with Grand Marnier sauce (absolutely heavenly!) while my husband enjoyed Kevin?s ?full-on fry?, featuring eggs any style, bacon, sausage, potatoes and toast.

We regretted to have to leave Niagara Falls, but fortunately our adventures were set to continue with a trip to Buffalo and a subsequent flight from Buffalo for a quick tropical jaunt to Puerto Rico. But this three-day adventure in Niagara Falls has been a great entertaining winter getaway from the city. Despite my tightly packed schedule in Niagara Falls I have only scratched the surface of things to see and do and I plan to come back some time in the summer to see enjoy some of the outdoor activities that Niagara Falls and the surrounding region have to offer.

About the Author:

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions. Travel and Transitions deals with travel to foreign countries and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travelers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features.

Mortgage Mates Property Pals And Home Buying Friends

At some point we've all played the ?wouldn't it be nice to live there? game, where we press our noses up to the estate agents window like hungry children eyeing up the cakes in a bakery, wishing we could afford the homes that are way too expensive for us. We all have aspirations far beyond our wallets from time to time, but more and more first time buyers are finding that they simply cannot afford to buy anywhere as property prices in the UK have rocketed to such levels that the first step onto the ladder has begun to look more like an impossible leap.

Now a new breed of buyer has begun to emerge, or maybe I should say ?evolve?, because that?s what happens when nature finds a way around a problem, who have decided to tackle the issue of affordability head on, they are the co-buyers. If you?ve not been near your TV, radio or favorite newspaper recently you?d be excused for not having heard of this home buying movement. Put simply, co-buying is where two or more people buy a property together to join funds, divide of all the costs, and afford to buy years sooner than they could have done alone. Nothing new there, as friends and family have been doing that for an age now, what is new is the rise in the popularity of searching for your ideal mortgage mate on the internet.

Richard Cohn, Founding Director of Shared Spaces Limited, introduced us to the concept of co-buying with www.sharedspaces.co.uk, launched in December 2005. He explains, ?I flat shared for years before buying, and made some great friends along the way, and it was during this time that I came to the conclusion that was to lead to the creation of SharedSpaces. If you can flat-share with complete strangers with great success, why can?t people take it to the next level and buy together??

Of course there is more to it than just that because buying is a far bigger financial commitment than renting, but Cohn suggests that with the correct legal framework (a document called a ?Deed of Trust? that costs only a few hundred pounds from any solicitor that protects your legal rights and provides a roadmap for the relationship), mortgage payment protection insurance (to protect you and your co-owners from hardship should you loose your jobs or are unable to work due to illness), and time (as much time as you need to get to know your potential co-buyer well enough to call them a friend or a business partner in the process), there is no reason why you cannot have a successful co-buying experience.

SharedSpaces.co.uk has over 2,500 registered members across the UK looking for someone else to buy a property with, joined by a common goal, to fight the affordability gap. Whether you are a key worker or a city high flyer if you?re looking for a mortgage mate, a property pal or a future friend to buy your first home with there seems to be plenty of people to choose from. I don?t know whether co-buying solves the long term problem of property prices rising faster than salaries, but it sure does seem to offer an option for those who have been left behind.

Peg Perego Strollers Fun Sturdy And Safe

French Agency Releases Ufo Files: Don't Start Serving The Crepes Just Yet!

CNES and Geipan placed over thirty years worth of UFO investigation materials online as of Thursday, March 22, 2007. CNES is the official French Space Agency and Geipan is an agency of the French National Police. Are the files a hot Smoking Gun, or just another order of cold French Fries?

CNES receives about fifty to one hundred UFO reports each year. The investigative process they use is convoluted and quite different from what most Americans would expect. Geipan apparently does most of the field work, prepares reports and passes everything on to CNES. Scientists and Engineers take a look at that data and prepare some sort of final report or appraisal of the matter in question.

Jacques Patenet, the aeronautical engineer who heads the office for the study of on-identified aerospatial phenomena has said that he data that we are releasing doesn't demonstrate the presence of extraterrestrial beings. But it doesn't demonstrate the impossibility of such presence either. The questions remain open.

On the day of the announcement and press conference, CNES security was tight. While calling the release ?a world first? and glowing over his nation?s openness about the UFO subject, Patenet failed to explain the need o screen out uninvited UFOlogists as an explanation for the added security. This hardly provides evidence for anyone to believe the agency?s files represent a fair and unbias look at the phenomenon. However, compared to the actions of their American counterpart, this is like allowing people to walk into French Intelligence Headquarters and browse through their files.

Every time American UFO Researchers ask their own space agency for any information about astronaut encounters or unusual phenomenon encountered by space probes, NASA clams up and sends out the debunkers en force. Although many Astronauts have been forthcoming and very honest about what they have seen in space, the space agency always slams the door on them. More than a few have been hit right between the eyes by NASA which claims that the Astronaut statements were the results of space sickness, fatigue or depression. But before we give the French too big a pat on the back, let?s look at what?s being released.

The CNES-Geipan reports only represent what people have reported to the French Government as UFO sightings and encounters. This is in no way, shape or form a release of information that allows us to examine all that the French know about the phenomenon. Although the investigations have obviously been handled in a more competent and professional manner, this is really little more than a French version of the U.S. Project Blue Book Report.

We have seen these types of releases before over the past several decades. In each case, the information came from individual government agencies, not the government itself. I recall when everyone got all excited about the release of the KFB files on UFOs. I was unimpressed. That?s because I received official Russian News Articles and private newsletters published in countries once controlled by the Soviets for years before that release. These were sent to me by serious researchers in those countries who appreciated receiving materials from me.

Thanks to the efforts of Russian language students who donated their time, most of what I received was quickly translated and contained a huge amount of information about the UFO phenomenon in Russia and Eastern Europe. Ironically, I could not find a single incident mentioned in those articles and newsletters that matched any in the KGB information releases. I felt then and now that the information I received from those individuals was as good or better than most of what was released by the KGB.

In 1989 I had the opportunity to meet Marina Lavrentrevna Vasliyevna Popovich at a press event in New York City. Marina was a pilot in the Soviet Air Force, holder of thirteen world aviation records and a former Test Cosmonaut. She spoke of personal UFO encounters and those she had heard about from other pilots. While the information was fascinating, it was not anywhere near the best that her government had to offer about UFOs and Extra-Terrestrial Life. UFO Researchers would be wise to view the CNES-Geipan information in the same manner.

Like America, France is known for having two faces. Their public face, and the one they use for behind the scenes political posturing. A good example of this recently came to light when it a secret communication between France and Israel was leaked to the press. While publicly condemning Israel?s advance into Lebanon not long ago, the French Government secretly encouraged them to invade Syria and institute a regime change. The USA plays the same games.

During the 1990s, President Clinton announced that the government had allowed secret radiation tests on American Citizens. All he admitted was that small amounts of irradiated materials were released into population centers or planted on soldiers during military exercises. No one believes that was all of it and everyone already knew about military exercises held during and very close to atomic bomb tests. Clinton certainly did not make mention of how the CIA implanted tiny devices into the heads of U.S. and Canadian psychiatric patients for over twenty years without permission. Nor did he discuss any of the other government mind control or remote viewing projects which have left large numbers of victims in their wake.

Information releases like the latest from CNES and Geipan can only be helpful in terms of research and data, but no one should give France, Russia or any other nation credit for what should have been done all along. It would be a mistake to offer nations like these kudos for releasing bits and pieces of UFO and other paranormal research data when so much still remains secret.

You can view the CNES-Geipan website at http://www.cnes-geipan.fr/

About the Author:

Author: Bill Knell Word Count: Approx 990 About Bill: Bill Knell is a veteran UFO and Paranormal Researcher, popular Speaker, Author and Consultant. Permission is granted to use this articles (per terms of use at http://www.ufoguy.com) at no charge with the inclusion of a link to or publication.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY READING MATTERSBarbara FreedmanDe

Seven Solo Backpacking Tips

Solo backpacking means peace and quiet. No one to talk to means no words are put between you and the beauty around you. The miles just flow. It's entirely up to you to say when you eat or take a break. Want to jump in that alpine lake? It's your decision alone. It's a unique experience.

Solo backpacking means peace and quiet. No one to talk to means no words are put between you and the beauty around you. The miles just flow. It's entirely up to you to say when you eat or take a break. Want to jump in that alpine lake? It's your decision alone. It's a unique experience.

A solo backpacker also is vulnerable. Twist your ankle, and there's nobody there to help you. Have you ever been stuck alone without food for days? How can you make your solo backpacking trip safe? You can't. It's inherently more dangerous to go alone into the wilderness. What you can do though, is make it safer.

Some Solo Backpacking Tips

1. Tell someone where you'll be, and when you expect to return. It's probably best if you leave a map with them, and let them know who to call if you don't return on time.

2. Bring a cell phone. I don't do this yet myself, but many lives have now been saved by cell phones. Turn it off and put it in the bottom of your pack so it won't bother you.

3. Bring the usual safety items (matches, 1st aid, iodine tablets, etc), but double-check to see if they are there and in working order, as you'll have nobody elses supplies to back you up.

4. If you're not sure of your abilities, or have a bad knee or other potential problem, stick to well-traveled trails. On many routes, another backpacker will be by every hour. That's good to know if you're in trouble.

5. Learn well how to read a map and use a compass. If you are two miles off route and can't get a signal on your phone when your knee gives out, you're in trouble. Even if you like to wander, you should be able to know where you are on the map for safety.

6. Know your abilities. Don't plan on twenty-mile days if you haven't done them before.

7. Learn to lighten your load. When you're alone, you lose the efficiency of sharing the load for stoves, tents and other common items. It's easy - and dangerous - to become overloaded when yours is the only backpack. You might want to read up on ultralight backpacking.

Solo backpacking is riskier, but for some of us, it's well worth the risk. Try it, and you might agree. Just be sure to take the necessary precautions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of ultralight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.TheBackpackingSite.com