Topic: North America

Gadgets

Gadgets: Synthesising the sound of bananas

11.08.2019

Assumedly, the main purpose of a banana (cucumber, zucchini, etc) is to be relished at some stage. Yet, young American inventors Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum have contrived a new means of putting them to use: by eliciting from them authentic musical sounds, like for instance, those of a piano.

A dollop of wobbly jello does work as well and a great number of other materials also prove to be conductive: most fruits and vegetables, shrimp or pizza pie (although some may consider that a bit yucky). Plants will do fine and play-doh (given a certain degree of moisture) and metal objects such as foil, cutlery or pots. Even simple thick lines drawn on a smooth surface with a soft graphite pencil can do the trick – so can live people. What in God’s name are we talking about? A kit called MaKey MaKey.

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Pretty fish in orange and yellow: A coral reef inside the George Aquarium in Atlanta.

The Georgia Aquarium: Pause with Jaws

5.05.2016

Swimming against the tide can be a tiring affair, even if only meant as a literal term. When on the look-out for extraordinary venues for discerning business or private functions, the variety on the locations platter has grown so rich that the final decision often represents more of a helpless surrender than that of earnest determination. Opting for something lying completely off the beaten track narrows down the confusing kaleidoscope of choices considerably and ideally alleviates avoidable worries. Ever thought of going aquatic big style? If so, aquariums may be the trump up your sleeve.

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Frank Sinatra in Palm Springs

Palm Springs pays tribute to Frank Sinatra

10.11.2015

The list is long, impressive, reliably star-studded and makes the hearts of veteran fans pound faster even from a distance: Hollywood celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Sammy Davis Jr., Liz Taylor, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Kirk Douglas all resided in Palm Springs – or paid frequent visits to it – at some point during their remarkable careers. Especially dearly remembered is Frank Sinatra – ol’ blue eyes – whose 100th birthday the destination is celebrating this year. Reason enough for the city to concoct a host of events surrounding the historic anniversary of its still much-revered former resident.

Another sounding name associated with Palm Springs is Albert Einstein’s; the great physician’s attention had not merely been directed at perishable stars on a twinkling cinematic firmament – but at the entire universe created to outlast time.

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New York City in winter

6.11.2015

“There are endless reasons to love New York City in every season, but something special happens when the snow falls – from Lunar New Year celebrations in Flushing and the tree lighting in Rockefeller Center, to watching the Polar Bear Club brave the frigid waters on Coney Island. People from around the world feel the pull of New York City…,” raves Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Yet, it can get pretty chilly in New York City in winter and even a metropolis of this caliber is confronted with receding visitation numbers especially during the months of January, February and March, a typically slower period of travel. In order to counteract this trend and to stimulate and expand winter arrivals to its five boroughs, NYC has unleashed the large-scale promotional campaign unlock nyc. To make the destination more affordable for global travellers, NYC entices its future clientele with hotel room discounts of 22 per cent on average plus attractive dining and theatre deals during the first term of the year.

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A view on nightly San Fransisco from Cavallo Point Lodge.

Cavallo Point Lodge: a resort-turned army post near San Francisco

11.03.2015

If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to bear in mind the wide variety of accommodation options it offers. But if you’re going to San Francisco for a stunning view of the city itself, you may want to choose a place on the opposite side of the bay. Here is one in Sausalito that would fulfil this concrete wish of yours – and perhaps satisfy a number of other visions stressed-out business travellers or leisurely vacationers might maintain.

There was no Golden Gate Bridge yet, when the U.S. Army acquired the site of Horseshoe Cove at the mouth of San Francisco Bay in 1866 to establish a strategic military base. Much later, 24 Colonial Revival buildings – erected between 1901 and 1915 – embraced the 10-acre parade ground of the camp named Fort Baker. When the Golden Gate National Parks were founded in 1972 and Fort Baker was no longer needed by the military, it was designated to be taken under the wings of the National Park Service, a transaction officially concluded in 2002. The post has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.

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