text:
By Jay Nordlinger
The Fascinating History Of The Nobel Peace Prize
03/30/2012 02:33 pm ET Updated May 30, 2012
Alfred Nobel wrote an unusual will in 1895, setting up five prizes: in physics, chemistry, "physiology or medicine," literature, and peace. There was no economics prize: That was added by the Central Bank of Sweden in 1968.
Nobel's will made news around the world, because, in those days, few people left a fortune to some public or philanthropic enterprise. But Nobel, unlucky in love, had no family, and he wanted to do something special with his money.
He was a brilliant scientist and entrepreneur, with 355 patents to his name. His most famous invention is dynamite. And many people suppose that he established his prize for peace in order to atone for this invention.
Not so. From what we know, he was proud of his achievements in explosives, which allowed the building of what we today call "infrastructure": the St. Gotthard Tunnel through the Swiss Alps, for example, and the Central Pacific Railroad. "There is nothing in the world which cannot be misunderstood or abused," he said. What's more, he was a great believer in the deterrent power of terrible weapons. (Sometimes, his belief in deterrence was naïve.)
In his will, Nobel asked that his peace prize go to "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
He also said that his prizes - all five of them - should go for work done "during the preceding year." Even the literature prize? Oh, yes. The Nobel prizes were not meant to be lifetime-achievement awards. But committees have always ignored the will, when they felt like it.
Nobel asked the Norwegian legislature to appoint the peace committee. And they always have, since 1901, when the Nobel prizes began. The peace committee is composed of five persons, and they are all Norwegian. It has been this way from the beginning. The will does not require that the committee members be Norwegian - it's merely custom.
So, the Norwegian people elect the legislature, and the legislature elects the peace committee. You might say, therefore, that the Nobel Peace Prize is a reflection of the Norwegians and their political culture. That culture is, of course, social democratic.
In these last 111 years, the peace prize has been given 92 times. (The committee used to skip years, occasionally.) A hundred and one individuals have won the prize, and 20 organizations. They've all been interesting--every one. But shall we have a look at a handful?
Jay Nordlinger is the author of Peace, They Say [Encounter Books].
Books Book News Nobel Peace Prize Nobel Prize
Henry Dunant (1901)
In the inaugural year, the prize was divided between two men: Frédéric Passy and Henry Dunant. Passy was a Frenchman, and a renowned pacifist. Dunant (1828-1910) was a Swiss, and the father of the Red Cross. In middle age, something tragic happened to him: He went bankrupt, and became a vagabond. He was reduced to begging. Eventually, he found refuge in a hospice, where he was discovered by a journalist in 1895. A campaign was mounted to get Dunant the first Nobel Prize. He died nine years later, at 82. He did not want an elaborate funeral. He said he wanted to be carried to his grave "like a dog," which he was.


In about 30 minutes, we'll show you how our maintenance solution works in an real manufacturing setting using live production data. You will see CloudDISPATCH's ease of use, real-time data visualization and scalability for the factory floor. Finally, you'll be able to show the value of your maintenance department with Leading2Lean's CloudDISPATCH software.
Watch this brief video to hear a maintenance technician's viewpoint of Leading2Lean's maintenance solution.
If you are a customer, media representative or marketing vendor, please use the direct emails on the left.
Read why Industry 4.0 is not enough for your factories and why best-in-class manufacturers are embracing Manufacturing 4.0. Sensors on every machine never provide the insights you need, despite the hype. Instead, leverage the right data sent to the right people at the right time so they can make the right decisions.
By submitting this form, you agree to be contacted by Leading2Lean.


Sterling Silver Cup - Comedy & Tragedy - Art Nouveau - Amethyst Inlaid.
Antique silver plated child's cup/Christening cup, Richfield Plate Co.
Renown AJ Quality Gorgeous Vintage Silver Small Cup!
VINTAGE PERFECTION SILVERPLATED EGG CUPS & TEASPOONS X2. LIKE NEW IN BOX.
BEAUTIFUL VINTAGE SILVERPLATED EGG CUPS X5, UNIQUE AND DECORATIVE.
Dunklings Imperial Christening Cup. EPNS A1.


ST. CATHERINE'S MONASTERY, Egypt — Thousands of years of tradition say the monastery built here marks the spot where Moses fell down on his knees before a burning bush and talked to God. Hidden high in the desert mountains, guarded for centuries by scholar monks and Bedouin tribesmen, this fortress sanctuary was once as remote as any place on Earth could be.
This is no longer so. The modern world arrived at St. Catherine's Monastery in the form of paved highways and mass tourism, which once brought thousands of pilgrims a day.
But a violent insurgency and military crackdown sweeping across Egypt's northern Sinai peninsula has brought an unwelcome quiet to the south, where the Bedouin tribes make their money from tourists.
In August, the Egyptian government closed St. Catherine's Monastery to visitors as a precaution. It was only the third closure in 50 years. While the monastery reopened its doors again after three weeks, Egyptian security forces are now everywhere, shepherding the handful of foreigners into the area in armed convoys.
The monks at the monastery, and the Bedouin who make their living as guides here, stress that the violence is taking place 300 miles to the north.
In the northern Sinai, the restive tribes have been sabotaging natural gas pipelines, and smuggling weapons, drugs and gasoline through their network of tunnels with the Gaza Strip. In the power vacuum created by Egypt's upheaval, the Bedouin there have raised the black flag for militant jihad, and are waging a guerrilla campaign of extortion, kidnapping and targeted assassination against the powers of the state.
Militants in the north have launched near-daily attacks on Egyptian security forces. In August, gunmen ambushed trucks carrying Egyptian police recruits and executed 25 on the side of a road near a peacekeepers' checkpoint.
But in the south, the Bedouin tell their children the story of how the Roman emperor Justinian brought their tribe of mason-warriors to the Sinai in the sixth century to build the walled monastery here, and protect the monks with their lives.
The descendants of these Justinian serfs continue to honor their task, and so do the monks in black frocks, with their long gray beards and ponytails, who devote their days to vespers and prayer and to their magnificent library, which preserves in the high desert air some of the oldest, most precious manuscripts in Christendom.
Industrial tourism came to the monastery with the building of paved highways in the early 1980s. Until recently, the monastery drew throngs — sometimes 350 tour buses a day, a thousand visitors or more — from the beach resorts at Taba, Dahab and Sharm el-Sheik along the Red Sea coast, a diver's paradise.
Now one or two buses come a day. On a recent morning there was a tour group from India, and later a few stragglers in a couple of vans.
Camel drivers who bring visitors on the three-hour climb to the top of Mount Sinai say they are desperate for work.
On a recent dawn ascent, only six Colombians made the summit. At a hut along the trail, guide Sabah Darwish sat wrapped in blankets, drinking tea and smoking in the murk. "You're the first foreigners I've seen in a month," he said.
A Bedouin tribe called the Gebaliya still tend desert gardens and flocks of sheep and goats. Every man has a camel, if he can, though many families have had to sell their camels at steep discounts to traders, who take them down to the beach resorts and feed them from dumpsters, trying to hold on until the tourists come back.
Without tourism, the Bedouin said, they would pursue other paths — such as drug smuggling, or worse.
Two Americans were kidnapped in the region last year. The most recent abduction of foreigners occurred in the south in March, when an Israeli and Norwegian were snatched. Like most, they were released.
Under the rule of President Hosni Mubarak, "there was an understanding that anyone from the north who came to make trouble in the south, we were allowed to kill him," said Sheik Mousa al Gebaly, who operates a guest house and guide services in the town beside the monastery.
He remembers a time back in the 1990s when even the Israelis came in large numbers to Sinai. "I would have 50 cars with Israeli plates in my parking lot. They would hire 50 guides and 200 camels a day," Gebaly said.
At the Taba crossing between Egypt and Israel, the passport and customs halls are empty. The coast here was once a famously laid-back post-hippie haven. Now beach hotels stand as shells in the sand. Wind blows through broken glass. The decorative date palms are slumped over, brown and dead.
Once-popular seaside camps, with names like Blue Wave, Moon Camp and Nirvana are shuttered and forlorn, like beach towns in perpetual winter — no more yoga, no more snorkeling, no more bowls of hash at sunset.
At the monastery, Archbishop Damianos sat behind his desk, apologizing for his poor eyesight, fumbling for his magnifying glass and explaining that English was not his best language. He spoke five others.
The archbishop is 79 years old. He arrived here in 1961. He has spent his life among the monks and Bedouin and he is sorry the religious pilgrims have gone, but hopes they will soon return.
The monks here tend to take the long view. The scholar Father Justin, an American from El Paso, is busy on an ambitious project to digitize more than 3,000 manuscripts and subject the ancient tomes — some written, erased and overwritten again on parchment — to multi-spectral analysis.
Father Justin stood on the roof of the library, now undergoing renovation, and pointed out the mosque below, which stood next to the basilica. He felt safe, and proud that both Muslims and Christians are at home here.
But he also mentioned the 60-foot walls that have stood for 1,400 years. "It was built as a fortress monastery, and it is easily turned into a fortress again," Father Justin said.
But he added that he preferred to be protected by God's good graces.
"That would be best," he said.


In an effort to keep the peace.
Elopements are intimate, romantic events, and are a wonderful way to feel really connected to your partner. Some couples opt to bring along a few close family members and friends while others prefer to have no guests in attendance. For those considering an elopement, here are six ways to involve your friends and family without hosting a full-scale wedding.
It's not uncommon for couples who are planning to elope to have an engagement party first. While the guests won't be invited to your wedding, it's a nice way to get everyone together for a mini celebration.
Dinner with parents and siblings.
Following your elopement, you might consider inviting both of your families to join you two for a celebratory dinner. This is an especially nice idea if your loved ones haven't had an opportunity to meet yet. Keep it small so it doesn't feel overwhelming.
Shop for your outfit and accessories with friends.
You'll still need an amazing dress or suit for an elopement, and who better to help you pick that out than a dear friend or two? Bring them along for the experience and make sure they feel involved. Your friends will understand why you're choosing to elope, but they'll also be happy to help when and where they can.
Coordinate a first look with your parents there.
If your parents present will be present at your elopement, consider a first look with your mom and dad. It's an easy way to make them feel extra special and included.
Host a low-key party when you get back home.
Many couples choose to have a celebratory party when they get back home after an elopement. It doesn't have to feel like a wedding and can be something as simple as a backyard barbecue or pool party.
Hire a photographer and share the images with just your close friends and family.
Instead of plastering photos of your elopement all over social media, which takes away some of the intimacy of the day, you might opt instead to send a printed card to friends and family with a few photos or email them a gallery slideshow to let them in on the good news. They'll appreciate being told in a more personalized way.


HOW laughable to hear Angela Merkel preaching about "reliability" when Germany perpetually fails to meet its Nato spending commitments.
Since the end of WW2, Europe has almost completely relied on Nato's military cover in times of crisis.
Yet last month the German foreign minister shamefully described the two per cent defence target for Nato members as "completely unrealistic".
Is it any wonder Donald Trump sounds unsure about upholding America's international commitments when the world's fourth biggest economy spends just half of what it should keeping Europe safe?
If the German Chancellor really believes the answer is an EU army, she's in dreamland.
Most European countries favour strengthening Nato over building a continental force, even with Trump in the White House.
Britain has rightly sought to reassure our EU allies that we're committed to preserving cooperation on security and defence post-Brexit.
So the sort of anti-UK rhetoric expressed by Merkel is deeply unhelpful and underlines the importance of preserving our close alliance with America.
Mrs Merkel should stop electioneering and look again at the threats posed by Putin, terrorism and cyber warfare.
And remember the US and UK have contributed more than most towards preserving peace in Europe.
IF the Government is to stop future terror attacks, it must use every power at its disposal to keep extremists out of Britain.
Yet temporary exclusion orders — a tool banning those suspected of fighting abroad from the UK for up to two years — have been used just once since February 2015.
The security services are already stretched to breaking point keeping track of the 3,000 jihadi suspects currently on the streets.
And it's estimated around 350 IS fighters have already returned to Britain.
Either these orders aren't up to scratch, or the Government is being too lenient in their application.
In the wake of Manchester there'll be few complaints if more potential IS recruits find the doors locked on their return from Syria, Iraq or Libya.
The best way to prevent maniacs like Abedi blowing themselves up in Britain is to stop them at the border.
A SAD farewell to one of the most loved Blue Peter presenters.
Warm, funny and fearless, John Noakes was a hero to millions who grew up watching TV in the 1960s and 70s.
Now reunited with his great pal Shep.


text:
Tags: Report: | Sanctions | Iraq | 'Could | Six | Months'
Report: Sanctions on Iraq 'Could Go in Six Months'
Sunday, 19 November 2000 12:00 AM
"I want to see the sanctions suspended so that everything can move forward. Iraq can move forward, the region can move forward," said Peter Hain, the Foreign Office Minister responsible for the Middle East.
"But the only vehicle for that is [U.N. Security Council Resolution] 1284, which in return for allowing inspectors back would trigger within months, literally within 180 days, sanctions suspensions," Hain told the newspaper.
Britain has been under growing pressure from moderate Arab countries to ease the 10-year embargo on Iraq, which is being broken almost daily by flights, VIP visits and cross-border trade.
Hain said in addition to his public appeal to the Iraqi leadership to cooperate with the U.N., Britain had been making indirect approaches to Baghdad through friendly Arab governments, in an effort to persuade the Iraqis to change their minds.
"I am hopeful that if a way can be found for Iraq's dignity to be respected while allowing the arms inspectors in, then we could see sanctions suspended for six months."
The newspaper report did not include a reaction from the United States, which is seeking the overthrow of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Successive U.S. presidents have sought the removal of Hussein and have supported the Iraqi opposition, but Hain insisted that his concern was not who ruled Iraq.
Hain said Britain is prepared to show flexibility in other areas, according to the Times. He said talks were under way with France and Russia to devise a system that would allow regular flights to resume to Iraq, as long as they were searched before takeoff to make sure they were not helping Baghdad to rebuild its weapons of mass destruction.
(C) 2000 UPI. All Rights Reserved.
I want to see the sanctions suspended so that everything can move forward. Iraq can move forward, the region can move forward, said Peter Hain, the Foreign Office Minister responsible for the Middle East. But the only vehicle for that is [U.N. Security Council...
Report:,Sanctions,Iraq,'Could,Six,Months'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Children in rural and remote areas of the Top End now have access to a greater range of toys and play equipment to promote their learning and development thanks to Foundation for Rural and Regional Development. Families appreciate their children being able to have fun and enjoy the toys at the Fun Bus - then join the Toy Library and borrow the toys so the children can build on the skills and create new and interesting ways to play with the toys at home. Lots of smiling faces on our rural kids!


text:
Samsung Galaxy Camera Review
Camera Reviews / Samsung Cameras i Express Review
Galaxy Camera
Samsung Galaxy Camera
1/2.3 inch
(6.2mm x 4.6mm)
21.00x zoom
(23-483mm eq.)
includes batteries
Samsung Galaxy Camera specifications
Amazon for $689.99
B&H Photo for $359.00
Galaxy Camera Deals
Galaxy Camera Summary
Samsung brings to bear the full force of its extensive experience in Android phones and tablets, unleashing a smart digital camera that shares much with its recent flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III. Size, cost, image quality, and a rather limited feature set prove areas of concern for this otherwise impressive device.
Powerful zoom lens; Fast processor; Huge and bright display; Modern Android operating system; Vast selection of available apps.
Large, heavy body; Expensive pricetag; 3G/4G data plan adds to cost; Sedate performance; Image quality doesn't compare well to other similarly sized / priced cameras.
In the US market, both AT&T and Verizon Wireless offer the Galaxy Camera on their networks. AT&T's variant has been available since November 2012 for around US$500, while Verizon's version started shipping from December 2012 at around US$550. Both carriers also charge for a data plan; the amount charged will depend on your contract terms. Unlocked phones are also available in some markets, but do not appear to be sold officially in the USA. The Wi-Fi only version, meanwhile, started shipping from April 2013, priced at US$450.
Imaging Resource rating
by Roger Slavens and Mike Tomkins
Review posted: 05/06/2013
Samsung has considerable expertise when it comes to building smartphones and tablets on the Android OS platform, so it was inevitable that the company would bring its Android know-how to a full-fledged digital camera. The Samsung Galaxy Camera not only boasts the speed and smooth operation of Google's Android 4.1 platform (aka Jelly Bean), but also includes both Wi-Fi and either 3G or 3G/4G wireless data connectivity.
As for its photo-taking capabilities, the Samsung Galaxy Camera far outpaces what's offered in your typical smartphone, providing a 16.3-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, a 21x f/2.8-5.9 lens that delivers a 23-483mm equivalent range, optical image stabilization, Full HD 1080p video (30fps) and a huge 4.8-inch LCD Super Clear Touch Display.
But what may be most exciting about the Samsung Galaxy Camera is its ability to save and share your photos to the cloud and on your social networks the moment you take them, via the Auto Cloud Backup and Share Shot feature. You can also connect the Galaxy Camera to a range of other Samsung Galaxy devices via Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi with Dual Band and Channel Bonding, or 3G/4G if you're out of Wi-Fi range.
Like any Android-based device, the Galaxy Camera lets your browse the web and download a host of apps for both work and play. It comes with both Google's Play store, and Samsung's S Suggest application, the latter of which lists Samsung-recommended apps for your device, but hands off to Google Play itself for app installation. Other preinstalled apps include Google's Chrome browser, Search, Maps, Gmail, Latitude, Google Plus, YouTube and much more.
The Galaxy Camera comes with built-in memory -- the amount varies depending on your version, with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB variants available -- and of course you can also add more. Unlike most full-sized digital cameras, though, the Galaxy Camera relies on tiny microSD, microSDHC, or microSDXC cards typically used in smartphones, rather than the much more common full-sized SD cards. All the onboard computing is supported by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor.
Many of the Samsung Galaxy Camera's features are aimed at making it easier for photo novices to take, edit and manage pictures with ease. The Samsung Galaxy Camera's Smart Pro mode -- analogous to the Scene mode found on many cameras -- has 15 different options that configure the camera appropriately for preset photographic scenarios, ranging from Macro to Action Freeze. Over 50 in-camera editing features in Photo Wizard mode allow for on-the-go picture enhancements, and several of these use face detection algorithms to identify your subject and apply corrections just to their face without affecting the rest of their scene.
Unlike many smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy Camera has a removable battery and a tripod socket. Also shown here are the micro-SIM slot, HDMI port and microSD slot.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera comes in several different versions providing various connectivity options: Wi-Fi only, 3G and Wi-Fi, or 3G/4G and Wi-Fi. There are also some subtle differences depending upon whether you buy an unlocked camera, or a version specific to a certain wireless carrier.
In the US market, both AT&T and Verizon Wireless offer the Galaxy Camera on their networks. AT&T's EK-GC100 variant has been available since November 2012 for around US$500, while Verizon's EK-GC120 version started shipping from December 2012 at around US$550. Both carriers also charge for a data plan; the amount charged will depend on your contract terms. Unlocked phones are also available in some markets, but do not appear to be sold officially in the USA. The Wi-Fi only EK-GC110 version, meanwhile, started shipping from April 2013, priced at US$450.
Samsung Galaxy Camera Overview Video
Philip Berne of Samsung walked us through the impressive features of the Samsung Galaxy Camera. Click on the Play button below to check it out!
Samsung Galaxy Camera Field Test
by Mike Tomkins
If you like pumped-up images, you'll like the Galaxy Camera. It tends towards strong saturation and contrast; see our Nikon S800c review for a more realistic rendering shot at the same time.
When late last year Nikon announced its Coolpix S800c, a model which I recently reviewed, I was intrigued. After Samsung followed up just a week later with an Android-based camera of its own, I was doubly so. As I said in my review of the Nikon, I live in an Android household with four Android tablets and three smartphones, some stock and others running rooted or third-party firmware, and together spanning every release from Gingerbread to Jelly Bean 4.2.2. I'm a self-proclaimed Android nut, and I'm thrilled by the potential of a camera with a full-blown operating system and expansive app ecosystem. While Nikon's model was interesting as the first mainstream Android camera, Samsung's was more exciting for its use of a much more modern Android variant, especially given the company's significant experience in making Android smartphones, tablets, and "phablets" (devices which sit halfway between the size of phones and standard tablets).
As with Nikon's camera, while the Samsung Galaxy Camera is certainly interesting to Android fans, it has some drawbacks that are likely to prove off-putting to the typical Imaging Resource reader, and for that reason this review will be rather more abbreviated than typical for a device of this complexity. (Summing things up briefly, for a camera of its price and size the Galaxy Camera didn't offer the image quality we'd expect. It also had some performance issues, and its user interface -- while certainly glossy -- was somewhat clumsy. Hence the abbreviated review.)
On taking it out of the box (we reviewed the EK-GC100 AT&T version), I found the Galaxy Camera quite a bit larger than I'd expected from the press images. It has to be to fit in its mammoth 4.8-inch LCD display, and the very presence of that screen should have tipped me off as to what I should expect, but the camera's sleek styling makes it seem much more compact than is actually the case. Even when compared to an APS-C sensor-based camera like Samsung's own NX2000, the Galaxy Camera is larger in both width and height by some margin, and at the hand grip it's not a lot slimmer than its large sensor sibling.
The Galaxy Camera's feature set can feel limiting. Here, the metered shot turned out unusable -- but did exposure bracketing save me? No, because it has a fixed 1EV step size, giving a choice of a slightly overexposed, blurred shot where the camera chose too slow a shutter speed, or one that's rather underexposed (shown).
It's not just a large camera, either. The Samsung Galaxy Camera is heavier than the typical compact by a fair margin, weighing half as much again more than the NX2000 body-only. Of course, you have to account for the lens, and when you do its clear that the Galaxy Camera still has a significant size advantage over a large sensor camera plus the selection of lenses required to replicate its powerful 21x optical zoom lens. (And its weight is about the same as the NX2000 with a prime lens mounted.)
One thing struck me as rather odd, given the GC100's size and weight, however. Samsung has chosen to use a MicroSD card slot in the Galaxy, rather than the much more common full-sized SD card slot. This, perhaps, is a tip of the hat to the company's experience in Android smartphones, where the tiny MicroSD cards make sense. In such a large camera as this, a flash card which would be dwarfed by a postage stamp seems bizarre, though, and it meant I had to rely on an adapter to get images off the Galaxy Camera via my laptop's built-in card reader. (I rarely tether cameras via USB -- my life is already packed with plenty enough cables to have me avoid them where I can.)
Still, this is a camera that emphasizes wireless sharing, and one which allows a significant degree of image editing without the need to rely on your computer, as well. It's perfectly possible you'll insert the flash card and never need to take it back out, especially given the reasonably generous internal memory.
Upon starting up the Galaxy Camera, I was pleased to see the recent Jelly Bean operating system in use, rather than the dated Gingerbread version used by Nikon. It was also immediately clear that this was a much more powerful camera in terms of its hardware. The screen is exceptionally roomy, bright, and very colorful. It does have a PenTile RGBW matrix, though, which gives it a rather grainy / coarse appearance on high contrast edges. It's especially noticeable on text, making reading a less pleasant experience than you'd think given the dot count.
It might look a bit like a mirrorless camera with a prime lens, but the Samsung Galaxy Camera has a mighty 21x optical zoom. These two shots were taken at wide angle and telephoto from the same position.
On the plus side, though, the extra white pixels in the display give it good daylight visibility, and Samsung's oleophobic coating on the display protects it from fingerprints very nicely. You can still smudge it if you press hard, but given the screen's high touch sensitivity it's very possible to interact with the Galaxy Camera without adding noticeable fingerprint smudges at all. In all, the LCD offers a much more pleasant experience than the small, dim, fingerprint magnet that is offered on the competing Nikon camera. It's also nice to know that the Galaxy Camera screen is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass, which while definitely not shatterproof or scratchproof -- no glass can make that claim -- is certainly much more resistant to both issues than is standard glass or polycarbonate.
The Samsung EK-GC100's large screen makes using Android a much more attractive proposition -- especially interacting with the onscreen keyboard. Controls and buttons are larger and easier to press, and your images and movies visible with much greater detail. Even if you're familiar with Android, though, there may be quite a learning curve if you've not used a Samsung device before. That's because it includes TouchWiz, Samsung's overlay to Android as seen on the company's smartphones. While TouchWiz is nice in some respects (I especially appreciated the quickly-accessed controls for the camera's radios and so forth from the pull-down notification blind), it was equally frustrating in others. I found it especially confusing that the navigation bar sometimes vanishes, and controls such as the Home button instead migrate into an app's interface. Whenever this happened, I inevitably spent several seconds trying to remember where the button had gone, because my other Android devices have taught me that it never moves.
Compared to a smartphone, image quality was pretty good. Compared to other cameras of its size and price, though, the Galaxy Camera doesn't do so well. Even at base sensitivity, you can see the effects of noise reduction on subtle details.
There's also quite a bit of preinstalled software (or bloatware, depending on how you look at it). This includes AllShare Play, AT&T Locker, ChatON, Group Play, Instagram, Music Player, My Files, Paper Artist, Photo Wizard, S Suggest, S Voice, Video Editor, and Video Player -- all non-stock apps, on top of the stock Google fare. Some of these were quite useful, but others arguably less so. Unlike Gingerbread, the Jelly Bean operating system does allow you to permanently disable some of these, though. You won't get back the storage space they consume, but you'll prevent them wasting system resources and making it harder to find the apps you're searching for in the app drawer. On balance, though, I found I wasn't a fan of TouchWiz, and I would've preferred a completely stock Android experience.
Putting aside its imaging performance and considering it as an Android smart device, the Samsung GC100 is commendably swift. The user interface is for the most part very responsive, with only occasional slowdowns. Apps load quickly, and perform well -- even games. The Galaxy Camera is not only up to simpler games like Angry Birds or Temple Run, it even handles more graphically intensive fare like Beach Buggy Blitz with only reasonably modest frame drops. Sadly, the selection of apps available for the Galaxy Camera is limited a bit simply because developers aren't familiar with device. Apps which would almost certainly run without issue, such as Real Racing 3, are nowhere to be found in the market. If you can download them on another device you may be able to sideload them, but for most users that won't be feasible. And of course, as with S800c, if you use processor-intensive games and apps a lot, the battery life will be impacted -- but you can change the battery, unlike many smartphones. (And unlike the S800c, you can also continue to use the Galaxy Camera while charging, so if a power point is convenient you can game without battery-induced guilt. ;-)
Since it offers a full-blown operating system -- and since we did so in our review of the Nikon S800c -- it seems appropriate to run a few benchmarks, so you can compare performance to your own smartphone, or to reviews of other phone and tablet hardware. As results vary somewhat, I ran each test a couple of times to get a feel for the variance. I've included the Nikon S800c's results for comparison purposes.
Note that since GLBenchmark has been updated since the S800c review was published, I've had to use the newer version which no longer offers the non-HD Egypt tests, nor the battery test. I tried AnTuTu battery test as an alternative, but the Samsung GC100 spontaneously shut down mid-test, perhaps due to a temperature threshold. (The test holds the CPU around 100% utilization, and the temperature hovered at around 50 degrees celsius throughout.) I also tried to add the HD Egypt tests for the S800c, but they will not run on that camera.
Benchmark Samsung Galaxy Camera Nikon Coolpix S800c
AnTuTu Benchmark v3.3 13-14,000 4,100 - 4,200
AnTuTu Tester v1.3.5
Battery test (100% brightness, Wi-Fi enabled) No score (shut down after one hour with 49% battery remaining, resumed and continued to 2 hours, 3 minutes) 447
Quadrant v2.1.1 5,800 1,200
Sunspider v1.0 (Browser) 1,350 ms 5,200 ms
Sunspider v1.0 (Chrome) 1,250 ms Browser not available
Linpack v1.2.8
Single-threaded, MFLOPS 56 40
Multi-threaded, MFLOPS 150 34
GLBenchmark v2.5.1
Egypt Classic onscreen Test not available 28 fps
Egypt Classic offscreen Test not available 9 fps
GLBenchmark v2.5
Egypt HD onscreen 15 fps Doesn't run
Egypt HD offscreen 15 fps Doesn't run
T-Rex HD C24Z16 onscreen 5.7 fps Doesn't run
T-Rex HD C24Z16 offscreen 4.1 fps Doesn't run
Battery test, 100% brightness
Egypt Classic onscreen 60 fps
Test not available 1 hr., 53 min.
to 20% remaining
The results are much the same as you'd expect from a high-end, modern smartphone. (Not an absolutely top-of-the-line one, mind you, but one from the previous generation.) That makes perfect sense, because the Samsung Galaxy Camera is based around the exact same Exynos 4 Quad system-on-chip (combining both a CPU and GPU in one chip) that was used in the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone in certain markets including Europe and Asia, running at the exact same clock speed. The Exynos 4 Quad 1.4 GHz was also used in the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, worldwide. So essentially you have the same processor and graphics hardware as in what was, until fairly recently, Samsung's flagship smartphone and tablet.
Add in a Jelly Bean operating system, and the net result is a device which is much more powerful and responsive than its rival, the Nikon S800c. It also seemed much more stable to me. Where the Nikon fairly regularly showed app crashes and strange behavior, and once locked up on me entirely, the GC100 was near-perfectly reliable. (I did see one weird glitch -- after installing an app, the notification telling me installation was under way never cleared and couldn't be manually cleared without rebooting -- but the reboot fixed the problem and I never saw it happen again.)
The Galaxy Camera also struck me as a lot less limited by its hardware than the S800c. There's a headphone jack, for one thing, so you can listen to music or the audio portion of videos and games on your headphones, rather than disturbing everyone around you. Unlike the Nikon, the Galaxy Camera's compass also worked in every app I tried, and even augmented reality apps such as Layar and Wikitude worked just fine. (Although apps which use the camera do seem to rack the lens in and out quite a bit, and seemingly at random.)
And unlike the Nikon, using third-party camera apps is a sensible proposition on the Galaxy Camera. Nikon's model artificially limits the image resolution available to third party camera apps, and the optical zoom also wouldn't work in any app I tried. With the Samsung, though, the full resolution was available and the optical zoom worked just fine in apps like Camera MX. In fact, the only thing I could find that didn't seem to work correctly in third-party apps was touch-focus. Tapping on the screen would indeed trigger a focus cycle, and a box would appear where I'd tapped, but the focus would stubbornly lock on whatever was in the center of the frame, regardless of where on the screen I tapped. Samsung's own first-party camera app had no such difficulty. Still, that's a much better result than that of the S800c, which essentially makes third-party apps unusable.
The GC100 also scores another win by allowing you to return to the stock camera app immediately with a press of the shutter button. It does necessitate a full press, unlike the typical half-press required to get to record mode from playback in most cameras, but that's understandable: You wouldn't want to switch away from Android every time you accidentally brushed the shutter button, after all. The ability to return to camera mode immediately is a big plus, though, and it works not only from the Android launcher, but also from some apps. (I did notice some games prevented this, however. Also, when in a third-party camera app, the shutter button will take a picture rather than switching you to the stock app, but I'd consider that to be the correct behavior.)
The user interface in camera mode is not willing to take a back seat -- it can prove overwhelming at times. In Android mode, too, Samsung's TouchWiz interface is an acquired taste.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a big fan of the stock camera app. I found it clumsy, and felt that it prioritized needless gloss over functionality. For example, if you switch the camera to one of the PASM modes via the on-screen Mode dial, the screen is suddenly almost entirely consumed by gigantic, stacked virtual dials for ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, shutter speed, and aperture. Not only do you lose sight of your subject, but you also can't really tell how the exposure is being affected by your adjustments until you close the dials -- and it then takes two taps to get them back again so you can have another try at matching your artistic vision.
The touch interface also lacks a direct way to change things like white balance, metering modes, and so forth -- things I'd actually use -- while providing access through a slide-out menu to functions I would frankly never use, such as voice control over the camera, a flash control that essentially duplicates the physical flash button, and a menu of sharing options I'd be likely to configure once and never touch again.
Like that for the Nikon S800c, this Full HD handheld video shot with the Samsung Galaxy Camera shows an unattractive jerkiness while zooming, accompanied by a significant jello effect. The issue seems worse on the Samsung, though, and focus also drifts more significantly during zoom operation, although when it does so it is restored more quickly than in the Nikon. Also, the frame rate is a rather odd 29.578 fps, rather than the more common 29.970 fps of NTSC video.
YouTube clip above recompressed by Google; download the original video file here.
The menu system, meanwhile, isn't terribly organized: You choose between Camera, Share, and General menus with no attempt to categorize options beyond that. It sits in a small translucent box at the middle of the screen, with plenty of room for more tabs and better organization of options, and it's unnecessarily slow to navigate if you're changing a mass of options at once because of a slow swipe-in effect for each menu item you tap on. The result is a bit frustrating, although it could be worse: There aren't terribly many menu options to start off with, and on a more complex, feature-rich camera the design would've been more painful. Still, you are forced to deal with it, thanks to the very limited number of physical controls on the Galaxy Camera. I'd like to have seen more physical controls and a cleaner, less obtrusive interface overall.
There is one respect in which Nikon definitely wins, too. If you completely power both cameras down, removing their batteries, and then reinsert and power them back up, you will be shooting with the S800c much sooner than you will with the Samsung Galaxy Camera. The reason for that is the fact that the Samsung must entirely boot up its Android operating system before you can do anything, a process which takes a full 30 seconds. (Perhaps more, if you install many apps which start at bootup.) That is a long time spent waiting for a fleeting moment to be captured, and chances are if the camera wasn't powered up that you're going to miss your shot. Although the Nikon provides next to no features before Android bootup finishes (you can't even enter the menu system, for example), it does at least let you shoot a picture almost straight away.
I could, perhaps, have found myself willing to live with these interface flaws on the Samsung Galaxy Camera, in exchange for the versatility of its Android operating system, were its image quality better. Unfortunately, I found the colors to be far too saturated for my tastes, and not terribly accurate either. Especially when compared to what is available from cameras the same size as -- or even significantly smaller than -- the Galaxy Camera, its image quality didn't impress me terribly. It's not that it was bad, per se: It's head and shoulders above most every Android device out there even before you consider the massive zoom reach on offer. It just seems to have been calibrated very much with consumers in mind, yielding contrasty, vivid images that certainly pop, but which don't match my memory of the scene.
Performance, given all that available processor power, was sedate as well. There's a burst shooting mode yielding roughly four frames per second, but that operates with exposure and focus locked from the first frame. You can also opt for a bracketed exposure, which is similarly fast. Otherwise, though, you're limited to a very pedestrian 0.5 frames per second if you want to refocus or remeter between frames.
I will say that if a heart of Android is your primary desire, and if you can live with its physical bulk, its TouchWiz interface, and the fact that in camera mode it feels less like a camera and more like a gadget, I found the Samsung Galaxy Camera much more pleasant to use than the S800c. That was primarily due to its much better screen, its much newer Android version, and its more powerful processing capabilities. Unfortunately, overall I found myself putting the Galaxy Camera down in favor of other cameras that were either much smaller, or could give me much better image quality from a larger sensor -- and I say that as a fan of Android and what it promises for digital cameras.
Samsung Galaxy Camera Lens Quality
Wide: Sharp at center
Wide: Soft at upper left
Tele: Sharpest at center
Tele: Soft at upper left
Sharpness: The wide-angle end of the Samsung Galaxy Camera's zoom shows some noticeable blurring in the corners of the frame compared to what we see at center, (particularly the left corners at wide angle) and blurring extends a little far into the image area. At telephoto, blurring is again noticeable in the corners of the frame, though results at center are also a little soft.
Wide: Moderate barrel distortion; slightly noticeable
Tele: Moderate pincushion distortion, more than average
Geometric Distortion: Barrel distortion is moderate at full wide angle (0.4%), while pincushion distortion is a bit higher than average at full telephoto (0.4%). Distortion is noticeable in some images.
Wide: Moderate but dull
Tele: High, fairly bright
Chromatic Aberration: Chromatic aberration at wide angle is moderate in terms of pixel count, though coloration is faint. At telephoto, distortion is a little stronger, with more noticeable blue and red tinted pixels.
Macro with Flash
Macro: The Samsung Galaxy Camera's Macro mode captures fairly sharp, well-defined detail, with a small amount of blurring in the corners (a common limitation among consumer digital cameras in macro mode). Minimum coverage area is somewhat large, at 3.18 x 2.38 inches (81 x 61mm). The camera's flash had trouble at this range, with a hot spot in the top right and strong shadow throughout the rest of the frame. Thus, external lighting is your best bet with the Galaxy Camera and macro shots.
Samsung Galaxy Camera Viewfinder Accuracy
Wide: LCD Monitor
Tele: LCD Monitor
Viewfinder Accuracy: The Samsung Galaxy Camera's LCD monitor showed just under 100% coverage at wide angle, and a hair over 100% at telephoto. Both results are quite good.
Samsung Galaxy Camera Image Quality
Color: The Samsung Galaxy Camera tended to oversaturate strong reds and blues quite a bit, and also pushed bright greens and some oranges. Overall mean saturation is 117.3% or 17.3% oversaturated, which is much higher than average. There are some noticeable shifts in hue as well, such as cyan toward blue, orange toward yellow, and yellow toward green. The CG100's average "delta-C" color error after correction for saturation is 5.87 at base ISO, which is higher than average (lower numbers are better). Darker skin tones show a significant push toward orange, while lighter skin tones are almost spot-on. Overall color performance isn't great, though still reasonable.
Auto WB:
Strong red cast
Incandescent WB:
Strong warm cast
Manual WB:
Best overall, though cool
Incandescent: Manual white balance handled our incandescent lighting best overall, though with a slightly cool overall appearance. Auto produced a very strong red-pink cast, while the Incandescent setting resulted in an equally strong warm cast.
Horizontal: 1,800 lines
Vertical: 1,750 lines
Resolution: Our laboratory resolution chart revealed sharp, distinct line patterns down to about 1,800 lines per picture height horizontally and about 1,750 lines vertically. Extinction of the pattern occurred after 2,800 lines per picture height.
Wide: Inconclusive
Tele: Dark
Auto Flash
Flash: Our manufacturer-specified testing (shown at right) shows a dim target area at the rated wide-angle distance of 20.3 feet (though the area surrounding the target is bright), with an auto ISO boost to 320. Since the metering was likely fooled by the white ceiling and walls, results here are inconclusive. Results at the rated telephoto distance of 16.7 feet are very dim, despite an ISO boost to 640.
Auto flash produced dim results in our indoor portrait scene, with a strong pink cast from the ambient incandescent lighting, because our tester could not get the flash to fire in the shot. Evidently, the camera's exposure system determined the scene was bright enough without flash, choosing to increase ISO to 800 rather than fire the flash. Shutter speed was fairly quick at 1/60 second. Shot taken at ~5 feet (~1.5m) on a stable tripod.
ISO: Noise and Detail: Detail already appears smudged at the lowest ISO setting, and smudging gradually increases with each additional boost in sensitivity. By ISO 1,600, chroma (color) noise and blurring dominate the image, losing practically all fine detail. Results at ISO 3,200 are even more blurry. See Printed results below for more on how this affects prints.
Print Quality Analysis: Good 13 x 19 inch prints at ISO 100; reasonable 5 x 7 inch print at ISO 800; good 4 x 6 inch print at ISO 1600.
ISO 100 images look good and fairly crisp at 13 x 19 inches, losing contrast in our target red swatch as with so many cameras in this class. 16 x 20 inch prints are suitable for wall display.
ISO 200 prints are good at 11 x 14, with minor softness in our red swatch and mosaic bottle pattern.
ISO 400 prints are good at 8 x 10, with the same issues as mentioned above and minor noise beginning to appear in shadowy areas of our target image.
ISO 800 yields a good 5 x 7, although colors are starting to appear slightly muted here.
ISO 1600 prints a reasonable 4 x 6, with only minor apparent noise coming into play.
ISO 3200 4 x 6s have too much obvious noise and softness to be called good.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera with its Android functionality goes toe to toe with cameras like the Nikon S800c, with the same 16-megapixel resolution. In the print quality department it holds its own against the S800c for the most part, coming in at the same size ratings, until it falls off at ISO 3200.
Samsung Galaxy Camera Performance
Startup Time: The Samsung Galaxy Camera takes about 3.5 seconds to power on and take a shot. That's pretty slow.
Shutter Lag: Full autofocus shutter lag is also quite slow, at 0.72 second at wide angle and 0.48 second at telephoto. Prefocused shutter lag is 0.093 second, which is pretty quick.
Cycle Time: Cycle time is also sluggish, capturing a frame every 2.0 seconds in single-shot mode. The camera has a full-res burst mode capable of capturing up to 20 shots at about 4 frames per second with focus and exposure locked at the first frame. This drops to only about 0.5 fps with autofocus and autoexposure between frames.
Flash Recycle: The Samsung Galaxy Camera's flash recycles in about 6 seconds after a full-power discharge, which is fair.
Low Light AF: The camera's AF system was able to focus down to just above the 1/8 foot-candle light level without AF assist enabled, and in complete darkness with the AF assist lamp enabled.
USB Transfer Speed: Connected to a computer or printer with USB 2.0, the Samsung Galaxy Camera's download speeds are pretty fast. We measured 8,809 KBytes/sec.
Battery Life: Samsung claims the Galaxy Camera can shoot up to 340 shots per charge according to CIPA standards, which is pretty good, although we've seen numbers in the 280-290 range quoted on various websites. Subjectively we'd say battery life is a lot better than the Nikon S800c, but still fairly brief in Android mode if you crank up LCD brightness and maximize CPU usage.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera retail package contains the following items:
Samsung Galaxy Camera (EK-GC100 or EK-GC120) or Galaxy Camera Wi-Fi digital camera (EK-GC110)
Micro-SIM or USIM card (in some markets, and from some carriers; not for Wi-Fi only version)
EB524759VA lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack (3.7V, 1,650mAh, 6.11Wh)
ETA0U60JBE USB travel adapter (in the US market; will vary by market)
CB5MU10E USB cable
One-year limited warranty paperwork
Data plan and micro-SIM or USIM card (if not included with device; not needed for Wi-Fi only version)
Extra battery pack (EB524759VA) for extended usage
Large capacity MicroSDHC / MicroSDXC memory card. We recommend 16GB capacity, with a minimum Class 4 speed rating.
Capacitive touch stylus (if you want to avoid fingerprints)
Smartphone capable of providing a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth hotspot (if using the Galaxy Camera Wi-Fi model, otherwise not necessary)
Samsung Galaxy Camera Conclusion
Powerful 21x optical zoom lens; bright at wide angle, too
Bright, vivid LCD monitor with very good anti-smudge coating
Very sensitive touch panel
Recent Android version feels modern and stable
Large library of available apps for download from Google Play store
Third-party apps allow functionality unheard of in closed-OS cameras
Integrated 3G or 3G/4G data plus Wi-Fi for almost-anywhere photo sharing (or Wi-Fi only to avoid data plan costs)
Same processor and graphics as Galaxy S II smartphone, easily up to gaming etc.
Good prints to 13 x 19 at base ISO, and 8 x 10 at up to ISO 400
Internal memory is pretty generous (but may vary by market / carrier)
Good viewfinder accuracy
Reasonably fast full-res burst shooting with exposure / focus locked from first frame
Minimal shutter lag if prefocused
Shutter button returns you to camera mode from launcher, some apps
Third-party camera apps can access full resolution, optical zoom, compass sensor
Reasonably fast USB transfers
Battery charges in-camera via USB
Unlike many smart devices, battery is actually interchangeable
Can still use camera / Android features while battery charges
Relatively expensive for a fixed-lens, small-sensor camera
As big as many large-sensor cameras, before you consider the lens
Pretty heavy for a fixed-lens camera
Popup flash mechanism feels coarse, catches sometimes when pushed down
LCD monitor's PenTile matrix gives the impression of lower resolution than it actually has
Uses tiny, easily lost microSD cards instead of much more common SD cards
Smudging of low-contrast detail even at base ISO
Strong noise and blurring above ISO 1,600
Colors aren't the most accurate, and saturation is very high
Tends towards very warm color under incandescent light
Higher than average pincushion distortion at telephoto
Flash coverage poor in macro shots
Cant't force flash on (Auto and Off are the only options)
Can't shoot photos before Android finishes booting up
Slow startup even if Android isn't shut down
Very sedate continuous shooting unless autofocus and autoexposure are locked from first frame
Slow autofocus
Stock camera feature set is limited, eg. you can't adjust step size for bracketing, etc.
Very obtrusive user interface in camera mode
TouchWiz interface in Android mode breaks with normal Android UI conventions
Dedicated battery charger is optional
Strong division between Android and camera features
Android confusingly refers to internal memory as "SD card"
They've long been predicted, and the first round of Android cameras are finally here. Two companies -- Nikon and Samsung -- got the ball rolling, and we were fortunate to be able to compare both cameras side-by-side. Unfortunately, but not entirely surprisingly for first-generation designs, both show signs of compromise at work. As we noted in our review of Nikon's camera, it has a conflicted design that almost seems to pit Android and camera against each other, and suffered from significant stability, performance, and battery life issues. In the form of the Galaxy Camera and its Wi-Fi only variant, Samsung's entry feels much more coherent.
The camera features play nicely with third-party applications, and there's not such a strong divide between camera and Android modes as in Nikon's camera. It's unfortunate that Samsung hasn't mirrored the Nikon's ability to take photos without first waiting for Android to boot up after a battery change, but if you pay attention to your charge level it's not too tough to work around this, especially given that the Galaxy Camera has significantly better battery life in camera terms than does its rival. Certainly it won't challenge the best dedicated cameras out there, but given that it's running a full-blown operating system, it's hardly fair to expect that it could.
The Samsung also scores big points over the Nikon for its large, bright, attractive monitor. While we profess we're still not huge fans of PenTile displays, you get used to the slightly coarse, dithered look of the screen fairly quickly, and once you do so, you quickly appreciate how much easier it is to frame with than the smaller, dimmer display of the Nikon. It also makes use of the camera's Android features much easier. User interface elements are larger and easier to tap, and this makes a big difference, especially for the keyboard. The Galaxy Camera's display is also more pleasant to look at for extended periods, and more conducive to operations like web browsing, watching YouTube videos, or gaming. And given the power available to it, the Galaxy Camera handles games with aplomb. It even boasts a headphone jack so that you don't disturb others while you're playing.
What you have here, essentially, is something akin to a fairly high-end smartphone, but without the calling features, and with a much, much more versatile camera. Unfortunately, that high-end mobile system-on-chip and generous display are also key to the Galaxy Camera's biggest failings: its price and size. If you've ever bought one without a contract, you'll know that high-end smartphones are pretty expensive gadgets, and so too is the Samsung Galaxy Camera. It's not exaggerating to say that you could pick yourself up a large-sensor mirrorless or SLR kit for the same price, and while you wouldn't have the same zoom range, you'd likely find image quality significantly better even at the entry level. The Galaxy Camera is also similar in size and weight to a mirrorless camera with prime lens attached, which is to say that it's quite a bit bigger than the typical small-sensor, fixed-lens compact.
And then there's the performance and image quality, which is something of a mixed bag. In some respects, it's a credible effort, especially compared with what you'd get from the typical Android smartphone or tablet. Print sizes at lower ISO sensitivities will likely provide everything the average consumer would want, and if you exclude autofocus and exposure metering from the equation, shutter lag and burst performance are reasonably good, too. If you're focusing and metering before shots, though, then shutter lag is on the slow side, and burst performance is positively lethargic. The Galaxy Camera also yields strongly saturated images with not-terribly-accurate color and noticeable smudging from noise reduction, even at base sensitivity.
The result, if you don't find its size and cost to be off-putting, seems reasonably clear to us: of the two mainstream Android cameras now available, we'd choose the Samsung Galaxy Camera over the Nikon S800c. The question is, would we choose it over a non-Android camera, and the answer so far unfortunately has to be no. We definitely see promise in the concept, and we're keen to see where it goes in the future, but right now while there's plenty to attract the hardcore Android fan, these devices don't feel ready for prime time. The Galaxy Camera comes closer than anything we've seen yet to fulfilling that goal, but for the time being if social networking and instant sharing is your priority, we'd recommend pairing a quality smartphone with a connected camera instead.
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Camera
Buy from Amazon for $689.99
All Galaxy Camera Deals
Similar to the Galaxy Camera but smaller lighter larger sensor cheaper But ...
Canon SX620 HS
$249.00 (111% less)
Also lacks viewfinder
25x zoom (16% more)
Galaxy Camera vs SX620 HS
$263.50 (99% less)
4x zoom (47% more)
Panasonic ZS70
Has viewfinder
Galaxy Camera vs ZS70
Nikon W300
5x zoom (320% less)
Galaxy Camera vs W300
Panasonic ZS100
Galaxy Camera vs ZS100
Nikon A900
Galaxy Camera vs A900
Sony WX500
Galaxy Camera vs WX500
Sony HX90V
Galaxy Camera vs HX90V
Galaxy Camera vs HX80
Nikon A1000
Galaxy Camera vs A1000
$1198.00 (56% more)
Galaxy Camera vs RX100 VI
Canon 190 IS
2 MP (18% more)
Galaxy Camera vs 190 IS
$697.99 (25% more)
15x zoom (40% less)
2x zoom
Galaxy Camera vs WG-6
Ricoh G900
Galaxy Camera vs G900
Top Samsung Cameras
Samsung NX1
Samsung NX3000


The main salon is a sophisticated and formal area where dark and light combine; the key elements of Macassar ebony, black lacquer, black jet beading and dark stained oak flooring being contrasted by an off-white deck head, a silvery-white long-piled art silk carpet and upholstery in shades of taupe and metallic silver. All this is moderated by the warm tones of the leather wall panelling. Almond gold and Perspex also have their place, the former plating the many fittings and dividing strips, and the latter particularly noticeable on the Schimmel Grand Piano that stands by the aft deck doors.
Beyond black lacquered divides which separate the main saloon from the dining room is the elegant Macassar ebony-topped table seating 12 guests. Art takes various forms from the bronze sculptures by American artist Frédéric Barnley to the "sea anemone" chandelier above the table and the intriguing "whirlpool whorls" mural by Based Upon that decorates the forward bulkhead.
Forward of the main salon is a photo-art lined passage, exotically floored in luxurious black and gold nero portoro marble, which leads to the VIP cabin and the owner's suite. Also along this passage is a well-equipped gymnasium that has a laminated glass wall, inlaid with silk thread to provide privacy for those inside whilst flooding the passage with light.
The deck levels in the forward section of the yacht are raised by half a floor, providing extraordinary views. The master bedroom enjoys an enviable 180-degree panorama through reflection-less vertical windows. Aft of the bed on the port side is the magnificent bathroom with separate shower and bath, tastefully decorated in grey-veined Grigio Carnico marble. A door leads onward from the bathroom into an elegant dressing room. The wardrobes are beautifully fitted to the highest standards, while a full length mirror hides a video camera that, on command, replays a picture of one's back view on a digital screen hidden behind the mirror. Whilst there is no office in the master suite itself, a fully equipped study is located on the upper deck, just aft of the bridge.
The VIP is magnificent, incorporating the richest elements of the yacht's decorative palette, and provided with every possible amenity, from walk-in wardrobe to dressing table, extensive show locker and an exquisite marble-trimmed ensuite bathroom.
Four further guest cabins found on the lower deck are all decorated to the same standard as the VIP but with slight chromatic twists. Two are doubles with queen size beds, while the two twins are easily converted into doubles (queen size beds) by folding the central side table into the wall, sliding the beds together and unfolding a replacement side table from the wall.
The aft area of the upper deck offers a formal outside dining area which features a round table with an elegant carbon-fibre top and provides seating for 12 guests. Sheltered from the elements, this is the perfect dinner party setting with its elegant seating along the aft rail for pre-dinner cocktails. The stylish interior of the adjacent deck saloon with its vast U-shaped sofa facing a large television screen is ideal for post-dinner entertainment.
The lobby is distinctive for its grey buffalo hide floor and hare wood panelling. Additionally, the glass lift shaft picks up the theme of industrial-chic, with its visible intricate workings and the stainless steel-edged glass windows on each floor that allow light to flood in from the sun deck. Hi-tech motion sensors on each landing automatically grey-out the glass to preserve the modesty of guests walking above on the upper decks.
The sun deck is an incredible space that extends to nearly 50% of the yacht's entire length. The forward part of the deck offers a spa pool and sunbathing mattresses protected by a low glass windbreak. The bar is centrally positioned beneath the arch mast to maintain a sense of unity between the forward and aft portions of the deck. Wide passages either side of the bar can be closed off with glass doors to reduce a strong through-breeze. Opposite the bar is a dining table to seat 12 people, luxuriously topped with an exotic baobab marble veneer with retractable awning. The dining table can also be lowered to serve as a coffee table or sunbed. A service lift linking this deck with the main deck galley ensures excellent service. Towards the aft is the revolving circular sun bed; and at the press of a button, sun worshippers can be swathed in a cooling water mist.
The aft portion of the main deck is linked to the bathing platform by a pair of stairways that are only accessible when the platform is hinged down from the otherwise closed transom. A door leads forward from the platform, past a convenient head and shower, to give access to the two tender bays. The one on the starboard side carries two jet-skis launched through a shell door that hinges down to create a boarding platform and a handy place to prepare the diving gear that is also stowed in the compartment. To the port side is a larger garage in which the yacht's main tender is stowed.
Three Seabob F5 (2015 models).
7m high freestyle slide ( approx 15m long)!


text:
Sándor Szakály
Sándor Szakály (1955) graduated from the Faculty of Arts Loránd Eötvös University, Budapest in 1980 with a degree in library science and history. In 1982, he earned his PhD, and in 1990 he became candidate of historical science. In 2006 he was admitted to the HungarianAcademy of Sciences, and habilitated as a doctor of historical sciences. Since 2012 he has been in charge of the Horthy Era Research Team of the Institute of History in the Research Centre of Humanities of the HungarianAcademy of Sciences. He was appointed vice-rector for science and research of the National University of Public Service in 2013. His research interests are the 19th-20th-century Hungarian military, social and sport history, and history of law enforcement. In addition, he has obtained the membership in several academic organisations and associations.


I am a first-year Echols Scholar interested in majoring in Commerce and plan to enter Investment Banking after graduation.
I have extensive individual tutoring experience. I have tutored students in a classroom setting (volunteering at a local elementary school), in a small group setting (in Kumon) and one-on-one (in school and private tutoring) and all of my tutees have seen great improvements in test scores and academic performance.
Tutored students one-on-one in SAT Math, Algebra, and MathCounts.
Tutored students and graded homework.


text:
Poor planning costs nation's entrepreneurs £1.4 billion
Not each of course, but shedworkers, homeworkers and other small businesses in Britain are facing a potential £1.4bn annual loss of revenue by failing to safeguard against business threats, according to new research.
The Lloyds TSB Insurance Big Issues for Small Businesses report revealed 1.7 million (38%) microbusinesses were affected by significant incidents such as theft, vandalism or damage in the last year alone. Following this almost a third (31%) of those affected were unable to operate fully for longer than a week.
For around one in five (19%) it took up to a month to be fully operational, potentially risking a further £3.4bn3 loss.
The research - which polled British businesses with ten or fewer employees - revealed that just under one in 10 (7%) owners who have experienced an incident in the last year worried their business wouldn't survive as a result. Yet over a third (36%) of the nation's small business owners haven't taken any measures to protect their business.
Damien McGarrigle, head of business insurance at Lloyds TSB Insurance, said: "These businesses are the backbone of the economy, but many are unnecessarily leaving themselves exposed and vulnerable without adequate protection in place. Unforeseen incidents are likely to have greater impact on a small business, which could jeopardise its future, putting a strain on owners and their families if they are underinsured. Making sure appropriate insurance cover is in place safeguards against the main risks and liabilities, leaving business owners better positioned for success."
Moreover, for more than a quarter (26%) of microbusiness owners, weekends and days off are no escape from the worries of running a business. The poll found that one in five (17%) of those aged 35-44 worry that their business is having a negative impact on family relations, compared to just one in 20 (6%) aged 55 and over.
Work life balance revealed a similar trend with almost three-quarters (69%) of 35-44 year-old respondents confessing to working on weekends or days off. This decreased with age, with just half (56%) of those aged 45-54, and 42% of those aged 55 and over admitting to working out of office hours. More than one in 10 (12%) said that they were reliant upon family members to enable them to run their business, such as through the provision of childcare.
Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here
Posted by Alex Johnson at 9:19 AM
Archimodpod
Poor planning costs nation's entrepreneurs £1.4 bi...
Cue Gardens
Francis Pryor: shedworker
Sunny artist's studio
Kevin McCloud charity talk - 'Voyages in my Shed'
Gill Lewis: shedworker
National Work From Home Day
The Freedom Room
Artist's studio in Aberdeenshire
How will Permitted Development changes affect shed...
Shed Sunday: shed card
Crowdfunding a beach hut
Get voting for Shed of the Year 2013
Garden offices at Grand Designs Live
The Politician's Husband: shedworking drama
Mark Owen: shedworker
The One Show: Shed of the Year and Tiny Houses
Rosy Cheeks: gardens for children's hospices


text:
Cupid: the figure of love
Posted in Dating.
Cupid is the goddess of love. His counter part in Geek mythology was Eros the god of love. He is best known as the handsome young god who falls in love with the beautiful maiden psyche. The story is told in the Golden Ass, as a romance by the roman writer Lucius Apuleius. In other tales he appears as a mischievous boy who indiscriminately wounds both gods and humans with his arrows, thereby causing them to fall deeply in love. Cupid is most commonly represented in art as naked, winged infant, often blindfolded, carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows.
According to the myth narrated by the Roman writer Apuleius in the Golden Ass, the beautiful Psyche, who was loved by Cupid, the god of love, was given immortality bu Zeus.
Psyche in the Roman mythology, is a beautiful princess loved by Cupid, god of love. Jealous of Psyche's beauty, Venus the goddess of love, ordered her son, Cupid, to make Psyche fall in love with the ugliest man in the world. Fortunately for Psyche, Cupid instead fell in love with her and carried her off to a secluded palace where he visited her only by night, unseen and unrecognized by her. Although Cupid had forbidden her to look upon his face, one night Psyche lit a lamp and looked upon him while he slept. Because he had disobeyed him, Cupid abandoned her, and Psyche was left to wander desolately throughout the world in search for him. Finally after many trials was reunited with Cupid and was made immortal by Jupiter, the king of gods.
Cupid, Roman God of Love and perhaps the most famous of all Valentine symbols, has always played a role in the celebration of romance. As the son of Venus, he is often depicted as a mischievous, winged child whose arrows pierce the hearts of his victims, causing them to fall in love. Cupid is derived from the Latin word cupido, which means "desire." His Greek counterpart is Eros (from whom comes the word "erotic"), young son of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty, and Ares, God of War. In Greek mythology, Eros has a brother named Anteros, sometimes represented as the Avenger of Slighted Love and sometimes depicted as the symbol of Reciprocal Affection.
According to legend, Cupid's arrows come in two varieties: the Golden Arrow, which generally signifies true love, and the Leaden Arrow, which represents wanton and sensual passion. He is also known to sometimes carry a torch with which to inflame desire between men and women. Cupid is not always successful in his endeavors, however. Sometimes his arrows turn people away from those who fall in love with them. In some mythological tales, Venus was scratched by one of Cupid's arrows while playing with her son, the result being that the Goddess fell instantly in love with Adonis…the first man she saw after receiving the wound.
According to some sources, Cupid (as Eros) arose out of Chaos, along with Tartarus and Earth (making him one of the oldest Gods), only later becoming associated with Aphrodite as her winged son. The mingling of Eros (who, in this instance, was considered to have no parents) with Chaos is said to have created the race of birds. In certain mythological tales, it is stated that there was no race of immortals before Eros caused all things to mingle. Other legends maintain that Eros hatched from an egg laid by Nyx, also known as Night. Cherubs are also believed to be descendants of Cupid. Depicted as lovable little winged creatures devoid of either arrows or quivers, cherubs are typically not mischievous, as is their infamous alleged ancestor.
Cupid's strategy: worlds most complex rubik cube
Cupid.com and lavalife.com – which one is better?
Love and you
Laws of attraction and to love one another after valentine's day
To my children
Woman men adore scam by bob grant - does it work?
Divorce custody law - it can never be a case of one rule fits all
Singles meet washington dc
A beach wedding you will remember forever
How to intrest and date a beautiful thai lady
How fathers win child custody
Do you require a binding financial agreement?
The ways one can improve the blood flow into the penis
Are we exclusive ?


text:
	<bx_repeat:files>

			__delete_code__

					__name__
					__file_type__

	</bx_repeat:files>
	<bx_repeat:images>

			__delete_code__
			__name__

	</bx_repeat:images>
	<bx_repeat:videos>

			__delete_code__
			__video__

	</bx_repeat:videos>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Gender Studies, Gender Groups
Feminist Methodology: Challenges and Choices
Caroline Ramazanoglu (Author) Janet Holland (Author)
`An accessible, clearly explained review of difficult concepts within this arena as well as relevant debates. Its strengths are in outlining possible considerations that need to be taken into account when making methodological choices. It also clearly explains how these choices impact knowledge production. This book would undoubtedly be of considerable use to anyone seeking to understand and get to grips with feminist methodological issues' - Feminism and Psychology Who would be a feminist now? Contemporary 'political realism' suggests that the essentials of the battle have already been won, and the current generation of women entering University is used to seeing feminism presented as 'old fashioned', 'extreme' and 'unrealistic'. Challenging such assumptions, this important new book argues for the value of empirical investigations of gendered life, and brings together the theoretical, political and practical aspects of feminist methodology. Feminist Methodology - demonstrates how feminist approaches to methodology engage with debates in western philosophy to raise critical questions about knowledge production - shows that feminist methodology has a distinctive place in social research - guides the reader through the terrain of feminist methodology and clarifies how feminists can claim knowledge of gendered social existence - connects abstract issues of theory with issues in fieldwork practice. This timely and accessible book will be an essential resource for students in women's studies, gender studies, sociology, cultural studies, social anthropology and feminist psychology.
I have research interests in youth, education, families, intimacy, feminist theory and methodology, and qualitative longitudinal methods, and publish in these areas. Currently Co-Director of Timescapes, an ESRC funded 5 year qualitative longitudinal study with seven projects covering the life course located in five UK universities (Leeds (lead, Director Bren Neale), LSBU, Cardiff, Edinburgh and The Open University). Also have an archiving project in this study with colleagues, Making the Long View, archiving data from a 10 year qualitative longitudinal study of youth transitions, Inventing Adulthoods. See too www.timescapes.leeds.ac.uk; www.lsbu.ac.uk/inventingadulthoods.
Contributor: Caroline Ramazanoglu
Biography: I have research interests in youth, education, families, intimacy, feminist theory and methodology, and qualitative longitudinal methods, and publish in these areas. Currently Co-Director of Timescapes, an ESRC funded 5 year qualitative longitudinal study with seven projects covering the life course located in five UK universities (Leeds (lead, Director Bren Neale), LSBU, Cardiff, Edinburgh and The Open University). Also have an archiving project in this study with colleagues, Making the Long View, archiving data from a 10 year qualitative longitudinal study of youth transitions, Inventing Adulthoods. See too www.timescapes.leeds.ac.uk; www.lsbu.ac.uk/inventingadulthoods.


text:
Archive | featured
In Nostalgia (A Story of Convergence)
Posted on 02 April 2013.
It was barely four months ago but the picturesque scenario on that red-letter day is still vivid in my mind. People from all walks of life — leaders, workers, teachers, students—all flocked in the Greyhounds Gymnasium, University of Cagayan Valley, to participate and witness the DSWD Field Office 02's Convergence Caravan.
It was a sunny 17th day of December, Monday, when staff of DSWD and other national government agencies exchanged the day's regular workload and amalgamated efforts to provide efficient social services for equally significant clientele.
Partners even from different sectors even showed up for the event. There were legislators, local chief executives, media and representatives from various academic institutions and civil society organizations.
Yet, one group of crowd stood out from the rest—the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
Beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya from all corners of the region travelled mountains and crossed rivers for the festivity. Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, and Nueva Vizcaya. The beneficiaries did not encounter problems in transportation anyhow because their respective local government unit unselfishly provided logistic support.
I remember how astonished was I when I saw the beneficiaries from Quirino riding in a deluxe and air conditioned bus. Some even exclaimed "Bongga naman ang mga taga-Quirino at naka-aircondition bus pa sila."
Yes. The Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries were the stars during that day. Adults and children, men and women, they showcased their talents which left the audience in much amazement.
Group of mother beneficiaries from the four provinces strutted their stuffs and grooved their bodies while chanting an entertaining medley of songs in the Jingle Making Contest.
Also, Pantawid children both in elementary and high school exhibited their intellectual perspicacity and art prowess for the Essay Writing Contest and Poster Making Contest. The children highlighted on the valuable contribution of the Pantawid Pamilya in the health and education of poor Filipino children aged 0-14 years old.
Kate Hyacinth Ubina, of Cagayan, who bagged the 1st place in Essay Writing Contest for High School category wrote in her winning piece: "Ang Pantawid Pamilya ay parang isang pakpak at kaming mga kabataan ang paru-paro. Tinutulungan at ginagabayan kami ng Pantawid para maabot an gaming matatayog na pangarap."
Some beneficiaries also gave their testimonies regarding the impacts of the program in their lives. They said that the program, aside from the assistance it gives on the health and education needs of their children, have taught them to be more responsible parents. Thanks to the Family Development Sessions.
Even private enterprises also unselfishly took part in the activity's success. PLDT, a telecom company, provided free phone calls so that beneficiaries can contact their loved ones even just for a while; and Mc Donalds who put laughters in the faces of the children. Pantawid children also enjoyed stomping, shaking and dancing with the food chain's mascots namely Grimace and Birdie.
What's even more remarkable is when all the directors of the national government agencies took the stage with then FO2 director Arnel B. Garcia and held hands while swaying and singing to the song "Hawak Kamay."
The different regional lined agencies have strengthened their vows to continue with the delivery of dedicated and efficient social services especially to the vulnerable sectors of the society. To the poor. To the disadvantaged. To the underprivileged.
"Hawak kamay, 'di kita iiwan sa paglakbay, sa mundo ng kawalan. Hawak kamay." And everybody also joined hands. During that momentous day, the spirit of Convergence lives in everyone's soul.
Yes. It was barely four months ago but the picturesque scenario on that red-letter day is still vivid in my mind.
It was almost four months ago but every individual present during that day have committed himself to be an instrument in uplifting the lives of the marginalized sector. And the spirit of Convergence continues to ignite within one's soul. ### By MARICEL B. ASEJO, Pantawid Information Officer II
Posted in featuredComments (0)
Four Pantawid Children graduate as Valedictorian, Salutatorian
In photo: Carey Joy Uy, in white sweater, was the Regional Representative for the National Children's Congress last year with the other exemplary Pantawid children from other regions. Photo by Maricel B. Asejo, Pantawid IO
STA. MARIA, Isabela– Four children beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in this municipality topped their class for SY 2012-2013 and graduated as Valedictorian and Salutatorian respectively.
Clarissa Mae Rodriguez and Carey Joy Uy of San Isidro Elementary School graduated as Valedictorian and Salutatorian. Other honor graduates are Liezel Romero, Valedictorian of Calamagui Elementary School; and Ariza Alingod, Salutatorian of Lingaling Elementary School.
According to their Municipal Link, Ms. Jackie Lou Garcia, the four children are very happy for finishing at the top of their class. "Masayang-masaya ang mga bata, lalo na sa kabila ng kahirapan ay napagbubuti nila ang pag-aaral nila. Graduating as a honor student motivate them to do better in high school. They know that education is the way for them to rise from poverty," Garcia said.
Ms. Garcia also added that the four children are very thankful for the Pantawid Pamilya because the program helped a lot especially in their needs in school. Aside from the augmentation for their education requirements, the program also helped them have a healthy body because of the regular visits to health centers.
Aside from the Academic Awards, Clarissa Mae also received the Journalist of the Year and Athlete of the Year; while Carey Joy got the Girl Scout of the Year and the Leadership Award. Liezel and Ariza were also awarded other special citations and recognitions.
Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya Child
Carey Joy Uy, who graduated as Salutatorian, was also hailed as the Provincial Representative of Isabela for the Search for Regional Exemplary Pantawid Children.
Carey Joy together with the other exemplary Pantawid children from the Cagayan, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya joined in the National Children's Congress at Bayview Park Hotel, Manila on October 28- 31, 2012.
Aside from having grades of flying colors, Carey was also a student writer and the President of the Student Council. She is also active on extra-curricular activities and was a regular delegate of her school to quiz bees and academic competitions.
Poverty is Never a Hindrance
Despite some financial constraints, the four honor graduates are determined to finish their studies. They believe that poverty will not hinder them to attain their aspirations. With hardwork, dedication, support from families and faith in the Divine Creator, these smart children are on their way to a better life.
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a human development program implemented by the DSWD that invests in the health and education of poor children age 0-14 years old. ### By MARICEL B. ASEJO/ Pantawid Information Officer II