CHENNAI: Bajaj Allianz general insurance, a joint venture between the Bajaj Group and German insurer Allianz SE, on Friday launched a product aimed at easing the process of buying an insurance policy. Branded as 'Insta Insure', the product has initially been introduced in the health insurance segment and will be expanded to other segments soon.
The product basically works like a prepaid mobile SIM card. The 'Insta Insure' kit priced in various categories comes with a code number. After the premium is paid to the agent, punching in an SMS with the code number or calling the call centre will activate the policy.
"Our market research showed that there is a demand for a low-cost, fixed-sum insurance product that's easy to buy and understand. It's an entry-level product," said Bajaj Allianz CEO Swaraj Krishnan. Mr Krishnan, who was earlier overseeing reinsurance and claims in the company, took over as CEO less than a year ago.
While company is using its sales force to push this new product, it eventually plans to tie up with grocery stores, retail outlets and pharmacy chains. "Our SMS and email gateways need to be firmed before an extensive roll-out happens. I do believe that travel, health, student-related insurances should be available over the counter (OTC)."
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Volvo plans to launch new models in India
CHANDIGARH: Volvo Car India (VCI) on Sunday said it plans to strengthen its dealer network and sell 400-500 in the country by the end of this fiscal and launch 2-3 new models in future.
"In addition to our dealers in Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh, we will soon have our dealers in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Cochin and Pune. Our target is to sell 400-500 cars by the end of this fiscal," the VCI's Managing Director Paul de Voijs told reporters here on the sidelines of a function, in which the company gifted a Rs 44-lakh sedan to Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra.
Volvo, which has 10 cars in its portfolio at the moment, is also looking at launching 2-3 new models in future after testing and seeing the market response in India, where it has so far sold 100 cars after its launch less than a year back.
Voijs said the company also has plans to aggressively target the communication with the potential buyers directly, marking a "shift from advertising".
Asked if VCI had any plans to put up an assembly line, he said they would be able to take such a decision after about a year when the company would have tested the market.
Part of Volvo's portfolio at the moment include three sedans, 1 station wagon, two convertibles and three cross-over model range.
VCI, a division of Ford Motor Company, had launched two of its flagship models, Volvo S80, one of whose top end variant was gifted to Abhinav, and Volvo XC90, in September 2007.
"In addition to our dealers in Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh, we will soon have our dealers in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Cochin and Pune. Our target is to sell 400-500 cars by the end of this fiscal," the VCI's Managing Director Paul de Voijs told reporters here on the sidelines of a function, in which the company gifted a Rs 44-lakh sedan to Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra.
Volvo, which has 10 cars in its portfolio at the moment, is also looking at launching 2-3 new models in future after testing and seeing the market response in India, where it has so far sold 100 cars after its launch less than a year back.
Voijs said the company also has plans to aggressively target the communication with the potential buyers directly, marking a "shift from advertising".
Asked if VCI had any plans to put up an assembly line, he said they would be able to take such a decision after about a year when the company would have tested the market.
Part of Volvo's portfolio at the moment include three sedans, 1 station wagon, two convertibles and three cross-over model range.
VCI, a division of Ford Motor Company, had launched two of its flagship models, Volvo S80, one of whose top end variant was gifted to Abhinav, and Volvo XC90, in September 2007.
Internet telephony: call charges set to decline
NEW DELHI: The complete opening of Internet telephony, as recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) a few days ago, will not only lead to steep fall in all type of call charges, be it local, national or international, but also help in increasing broadband penetration, an area where India lags behind.
Industry analysts say person using Internet telephony to make calls would see his call charges falling by as much as 50-60 per cent compared to a normal telephone call today. This will benefit an ordinary home user as well as corporates and other industries alike. Internet telephony would help telecom penetration in rural India.
Till now Internet telephony was allowed only between personal computers or to mobile or landlines abroad. But complete Internet telephony would mean that calls can also be made to landlines and mobiles in India as well as abroad. To start using Internet telephony, just an adapter is needed that converts a regular landline with broadband connection to a net phone.
“By spending just Rs. 1,000-Rs. 1500 for an adapter, a PC would be converted into a phone. Calls made through Internet would be cheap because of the low carrier cost in Internet Protocol (IP) switching against traditional circuit switching. Similarly, infrastructure requirement needed for IP switching is also low, making Internet telephony more economical,” said Rajesh Chharia, President, Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI).
According to Mr. Chharia, Internet telephony could see local call charges going down from Re. 1 a minute to just 60 paise and that of STD from say around Re. 1-Rs. 2 to 50-80 paise. “However, the greatest beneficiaries would be those making international calls as call rates could see steep fall. For instance, those paying around Rs. 10 for an ISD call would have to pay just Rs.3-Rs.5,” he added.
And with more advanced telecom technologies all set to be introduced in India, Internet telephony would help in social and economic development of the nation. Net telephony services would be used through any device that can access the Internet. Apart from a PC with a headset, it could be a Web-enabled mobile phone such as smart phones or one with GPRS or 3G connectivity.
Referring to objections by telecom operators, particularly mobile service providers, Mr. Chharia said it was a misconception that the new regulation gave undue advantage to Internet service providers (ISPs) and could hamper growth of telecom operators.
“Today, about 70 per cent of ISPs revenue goes to these telecom operators for using their infrastructure. Low call rates due to Internet telephony would only increase volumes of calls thus benefiting telecom companies also," Mr. Chharia added.
Industry analysts say person using Internet telephony to make calls would see his call charges falling by as much as 50-60 per cent compared to a normal telephone call today. This will benefit an ordinary home user as well as corporates and other industries alike. Internet telephony would help telecom penetration in rural India.
Till now Internet telephony was allowed only between personal computers or to mobile or landlines abroad. But complete Internet telephony would mean that calls can also be made to landlines and mobiles in India as well as abroad. To start using Internet telephony, just an adapter is needed that converts a regular landline with broadband connection to a net phone.
“By spending just Rs. 1,000-Rs. 1500 for an adapter, a PC would be converted into a phone. Calls made through Internet would be cheap because of the low carrier cost in Internet Protocol (IP) switching against traditional circuit switching. Similarly, infrastructure requirement needed for IP switching is also low, making Internet telephony more economical,” said Rajesh Chharia, President, Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI).
According to Mr. Chharia, Internet telephony could see local call charges going down from Re. 1 a minute to just 60 paise and that of STD from say around Re. 1-Rs. 2 to 50-80 paise. “However, the greatest beneficiaries would be those making international calls as call rates could see steep fall. For instance, those paying around Rs. 10 for an ISD call would have to pay just Rs.3-Rs.5,” he added.
And with more advanced telecom technologies all set to be introduced in India, Internet telephony would help in social and economic development of the nation. Net telephony services would be used through any device that can access the Internet. Apart from a PC with a headset, it could be a Web-enabled mobile phone such as smart phones or one with GPRS or 3G connectivity.
Referring to objections by telecom operators, particularly mobile service providers, Mr. Chharia said it was a misconception that the new regulation gave undue advantage to Internet service providers (ISPs) and could hamper growth of telecom operators.
“Today, about 70 per cent of ISPs revenue goes to these telecom operators for using their infrastructure. Low call rates due to Internet telephony would only increase volumes of calls thus benefiting telecom companies also," Mr. Chharia added.
All-new Indica Vista launched
MUMBAI: Tata Motors on Saturday launched the new generation of the country’s first and fully indigenous car — the Indica Vista. The car has been given a complete makeover and comes with a 24-month warranty. It will be available in seven colours through 170 dealerships.
The car is being launched in seven variants priced between Rs. 3.49 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and Rs. 4.88 lakh. It is powered by a range of internationally acclaimed powertrains. The seven variants range from Rs. 3.49 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the 1.2 L petrol Safire for the low end and going up to Rs. 4.88 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the top end 1.3L Quadrajet. The TDi version comes at nearly the same price as the existing Indica V2 version.
Addressing the media here, Rajiv Dubey, President, Passenger Cars Division, Tata Motors, said, “there is virtually no carryover of the existing Indica into the Indica Vista, except the good attributes. The project cost is around Rs. 1,700 crore in the various facilities at Tata Motors and Ranjangaon. The investment includes the amount for the new Indigo also. We have taken 3.5-4 years to develop this vehicle and will commence exports only after six months.”
The car finished 2007-08 as the second largest selling model in the industry despite its product maturity and announced plans of the next generation being around the corner.
The existing Indica will continue to exist with a rationalized portfolio — the lower versions of the 1.2 L Xeta and the 1.4 L naturally aspirated IDI diesel and one version each of the Dicor and TCIC diesel.
“So from the existing 12 variants, half will exit and there will be a migration path available for the consumer.”
Microsoft Launched Its Online Photo-Stitching Service, Photosynth
It seems that Microsoft Corp.’s brand new photo-stitching service could not handle the public’s enthusiasm very efficiently; immediatly after Wednesday’s release, because of the huge demand, it stopped working. The company was very prompt however, and by 7 p.m. EDT, the Photosynth had returned already.
Thursday afternoon, Microsoft said on the Live Labs blog that demand had been simply overwhelming and that Photosynth.com had momentarily been switched to a special static/read-only mode.
A few hours later, the company posted an update to the previous post and announced users that the situation was close to coming to an end. At 6:40 p.m., Microsoft said Photosynth.com was back online; although new synths were still not functional, it was announced they would soon be up and running.
Microsoft admitted that the huge demand for Photosynth was quite a surprise; although massive performance tests had been carried out and several capacity models had been changed while preparing for the service’s launch, company people realized the system was not ready for so much traffic and that more work had to be done.
With the help of Photosynth, users can stitch digital photos and obtain three-dimensional images. For putting this service together, Microsoft's Live Labs group worked alongside the University of Washington.
In another blog post, the Live Labs team warned users that, as Photosynth is still at its first steps, some bugs or hiccups are likely to be encountered. The team then encourages the service’s users to inform the company on any ideas they may have or on any bugs they may find.
A Stitch in Kind -- Photosynth
Photosynth is a marriage of a portal and software that 'stitches' multiple photographs of an object together and processes them to create a panoramic view of the object photographed.
Microsoft has updated its Photosynth - software-cum-portal - to allow access to end-users.
Photosynth is a marriage of a portal and software that 'stitches' multiple photographs of an object together and processes them to create a panoramic view of the object photographed -- it's akin to the Panorama filter in Photoshop bu at a much grander scale, as the developers behind it put it: "Using techniques from the field of computer vision, Photosynth examines images for similarities to each other and uses that information to estimate the shape of the subject and the vantage point the photos were taken from.
With this information, we recreate the space and use it as a canvas to display and navigate through the photos." Photosynth, a Microsoft Live Labs project, was thus far only using images uploaded by Microsoft themselves or by the BBC and NatGeo. Us mortals did not have an option to submit our own photographs to generate a panorama out of. It did offer a tech preview but that was very system unfriendly; with a slow interface.
With the recent update, Microsoft seems to have fixed these flaws. The current design will enable users to process their photos on their local machines and then upload the same to Microsoft's Photosynth servers. David Gedye, group manager at Live Labs, who is in charge of this project says "There's a green story here,instead of massive data centers, we're using the available power on your machine."
You will need to download software to be able to upload your photos. As of now, all uploaded images are public, with options for comments. A closed community and an option for popular images to be displayed on the home page, are in the pipeline. It will also give users the option to mark their images as copyrighted material under the Creative Commons license, or to make them public domain.
Incidentally, after Photosynth was opened, Microsoft's servers were inundated with requests -- far more than they had planned for, and the service experienced outages. "We have been abolsutely overwhlemed by demand, and have turned Photosynth.com into a special static/read-only mode for the moment", added synthy on the Photosynth blog. While the site was taken down for a while, it is currently back up but with limited functionality: "new uploads off for the moment, but will turn them back on shortly."
Photosynth took almost three years in the making and was eveloped by Microsoft in collaboration with the University of Washington. Head to Photosynth.com for more.
Make 3D images with your own camera
Photosynth, a free application from Microsoft, creates interactive panoramas with photos from a standard digital camera
Google has taught us to swoop in on our homes from outer space and cruise through cities at street level. Now its arch-rival Microsoft is inviting us to build three-dimensional, 360-degree images we can fly around, step inside and spin with a flick of the wrist.
Photosynth, described by Microsoft as "the next step in the evolution of digital photography," analyses hundreds of pictures and stitches them together to create a composite image with super-high resolution.
The software, released to the public today after nearly two years of trials, lets anyone with a computer create a 3D image known as a synth using their own pictures or those from photo-sharing websites such as Flickr.
"Photosynth analyses the photographs you send it and creates a 3D world in which to present those photographs," Paul Foster, of Microsoft, said.
Unlike other photo-stitching tools, Photosynth requires no human guidance. The software package works out how the photographs fit together by recognising features within them.
"It's got some very clever image analysis algorithms in it, but basically it's looking for shape, for patterns, for texture," Mr Foster said. "It identifies those key points and then maps them across the photos to create the 3D model."
Anyone wanting to use the software must first download a free application from photosynth.com. This enables a home PC to create the 3D image and allows web browsers to view the results. Navigation tools let users view the images from a range of angles, zooming into a detail or pulling back for a wide-angle view.
The viewer uses technology from a company called Seadragon, which Microsoft bought in February 2006. This enables a web browser to display small parts of huge images without downloading the whole picture, speeding up data transfer and enabling smoother scrolling and zooming.
The playful nature of Photosynth marks a departure for Microsoft, whose corporate image is stuffier and more conservative than that of Google. The search giant has held onto much of its quirky public persona despite its huge market share and vast cash reserves, in part because of fun, engaging applications such as Google Earth and Street View.
Mr Foster parried comparisons with Google by suggesting that Photosynth was more in keeping with the community principles of web 2.0.
"It's all about the community," he said. "This isn't a company that's generating stuff centrally. It's up to people to capture what they want to capture."
Photosynth looks unlikely to be an immediate money-spinner for Microsoft – the website will carry no advertising nor other commercial content – but the company does expect to find practical uses for the technology.
The London Eye has created a 3D interactive tour of the attraction, while television has hinted at darker applications. An episode of CSI New York shown in the US earlier this year used Photosynth to reconstruct a murder scene so that detectives could analyse it in detail days and weeks after the crime was committed.
TOP TEN TIPS FOR CREATING SUPER SYNTHS
Microsoft has put together the following advice for people working with Photosynth, based on the experiences of people who have used the trial version. Sample synths created during the trial phase can be seen on the Photosynth website.
Take lots of photos: Not all photos will connect well and picking the right ones is a matter of experience. To give you plenty of choice, take two to three times more photos than you think you‘ll need, up to a maximum of about 300, and experiment until you find the right combination.
Have lots of overlap: You should try for at least 50 per cent overlap on average between photos. This overlap makes the 3D construction possible.
Panorama first, then move around: Start by taking a panorama of your scene, then move around and take more photos from different angles and positions.
Remember the “rule of three”: Each part of the scene you‘re shooting should appear in three separate photos, taken from different locations.
Limit the angles between photos: Try to get one photo every 25 degrees or so. That will make the synth work better. Extreme angle differences on a subject won‘t match up.
Shoot scenes with lots of detail and texture: The features in the photos are what tie them together. A blank wall won‘t synth, but one with lots of art or posters will work well.
Don’t crop images: Cropping eliminates important information that Photosynth needs, or makes the focal length inaccurate.
Shoot wide shots: Wide-angle shots reconstruct more reliably than closer shots. It‘s good to have close-ups, too, but you‘ll want to have good coverage of your subject with lots of nice overlapping wide shots.
Limit post processing: You can adjust anything that won‘t drastically alter the photos (brightness, contrast, red-eye and so on). Other than that, leave it alone.
Orientation: Make sure your photos are all the right way up before you start synthing.
Google has taught us to swoop in on our homes from outer space and cruise through cities at street level. Now its arch-rival Microsoft is inviting us to build three-dimensional, 360-degree images we can fly around, step inside and spin with a flick of the wrist.
Photosynth, described by Microsoft as "the next step in the evolution of digital photography," analyses hundreds of pictures and stitches them together to create a composite image with super-high resolution.
The software, released to the public today after nearly two years of trials, lets anyone with a computer create a 3D image known as a synth using their own pictures or those from photo-sharing websites such as Flickr.
"Photosynth analyses the photographs you send it and creates a 3D world in which to present those photographs," Paul Foster, of Microsoft, said.
Unlike other photo-stitching tools, Photosynth requires no human guidance. The software package works out how the photographs fit together by recognising features within them.
"It's got some very clever image analysis algorithms in it, but basically it's looking for shape, for patterns, for texture," Mr Foster said. "It identifies those key points and then maps them across the photos to create the 3D model."
Anyone wanting to use the software must first download a free application from photosynth.com. This enables a home PC to create the 3D image and allows web browsers to view the results. Navigation tools let users view the images from a range of angles, zooming into a detail or pulling back for a wide-angle view.
The viewer uses technology from a company called Seadragon, which Microsoft bought in February 2006. This enables a web browser to display small parts of huge images without downloading the whole picture, speeding up data transfer and enabling smoother scrolling and zooming.
The playful nature of Photosynth marks a departure for Microsoft, whose corporate image is stuffier and more conservative than that of Google. The search giant has held onto much of its quirky public persona despite its huge market share and vast cash reserves, in part because of fun, engaging applications such as Google Earth and Street View.
Mr Foster parried comparisons with Google by suggesting that Photosynth was more in keeping with the community principles of web 2.0.
"It's all about the community," he said. "This isn't a company that's generating stuff centrally. It's up to people to capture what they want to capture."
Photosynth looks unlikely to be an immediate money-spinner for Microsoft – the website will carry no advertising nor other commercial content – but the company does expect to find practical uses for the technology.
The London Eye has created a 3D interactive tour of the attraction, while television has hinted at darker applications. An episode of CSI New York shown in the US earlier this year used Photosynth to reconstruct a murder scene so that detectives could analyse it in detail days and weeks after the crime was committed.
TOP TEN TIPS FOR CREATING SUPER SYNTHS
Microsoft has put together the following advice for people working with Photosynth, based on the experiences of people who have used the trial version. Sample synths created during the trial phase can be seen on the Photosynth website.
Take lots of photos: Not all photos will connect well and picking the right ones is a matter of experience. To give you plenty of choice, take two to three times more photos than you think you‘ll need, up to a maximum of about 300, and experiment until you find the right combination.
Have lots of overlap: You should try for at least 50 per cent overlap on average between photos. This overlap makes the 3D construction possible.
Panorama first, then move around: Start by taking a panorama of your scene, then move around and take more photos from different angles and positions.
Remember the “rule of three”: Each part of the scene you‘re shooting should appear in three separate photos, taken from different locations.
Limit the angles between photos: Try to get one photo every 25 degrees or so. That will make the synth work better. Extreme angle differences on a subject won‘t match up.
Shoot scenes with lots of detail and texture: The features in the photos are what tie them together. A blank wall won‘t synth, but one with lots of art or posters will work well.
Don’t crop images: Cropping eliminates important information that Photosynth needs, or makes the focal length inaccurate.
Shoot wide shots: Wide-angle shots reconstruct more reliably than closer shots. It‘s good to have close-ups, too, but you‘ll want to have good coverage of your subject with lots of nice overlapping wide shots.
Limit post processing: You can adjust anything that won‘t drastically alter the photos (brightness, contrast, red-eye and so on). Other than that, leave it alone.
Orientation: Make sure your photos are all the right way up before you start synthing.
Microsoft launches Photosynth
The high-tech computer algorithms in Microsoft's Photosynth program have assembled, from snapshots, interactive three-dimensional scenes of the space shuttle on its launch pad, a famous Italian piazza and an intricate South Korean palace.
Next up: Some guy's den.
Microsoft is taking Photosynth out of the labs Thursday and releasing it to the masses, or at least to those segments of the masses using the Windows operating system. The free service will let people upload their own photos to create "synths" -- scenes that automatically position groups of images as they would appear in real life, letting users zoom around and explore environments from many perspectives.
Existing photo-sharing sites such as Yahoo's Flickr have attracted large numbers of users. The Photosynth team says it's hoping to tap into that trend, while letting users immerse themselves more deeply into scenes created from photos.
For example, one person testing Photosynth created an interactive scene of a beloved creek.
"People feel like this is a way to share things that they're emotionally very connected to," said David Gedye, Photosynth group manager, demonstrating the program last week at the group's office in Pioneer Square.
Available at photosynth.com, the program is a combination of technologies from Microsoft Research, the University of Washington and Seadragon Software, a Seattle-based startup that Microsoft acquired in 2006. Up until now, it has been a technology preview. Everyday users could view custom synths of photos created by Microsoft and selected others, but they couldn't create collections of their own.
"It's a cool product -- if it works" as demonstrated, said Matt Rosoff, analyst at the independent research firm Directions on Microsoft. "I think once people see how it works, it's interesting enough and cool enough that a lot of people will be attracted."
Virtual Viewpoint - A new online software service allows you to build three-dimensional scenes out of dozens of photographs.
Even if you've never been to the Notre Dame cathedral, chances are you've seen plenty of pictures. But looking at a snapshot or two, or even a dozen, doesn't come close to giving you the feeling that you've actually been there, that you've walked around the place. Photosynth—a free photo-sharing service launched Thursday by Microsoft Live Labs—may just change the way you look at Notre Dame or the rest of the world.
Photosynth is an ingenious new technology that gathers multiple photographs of one thing (a room, a house, a piece of furniture, a landscape), taken from multiple angles, and stitches them together into a three-dimensional panoramic quilt. By combining anywhere from a dozen to a couple hundred pictures of, say, Notre Dame, Photosynth lets you click your way through the cathedral's physical space. Circumnavigate the Gothic masterpiece, take it all in from a hundred yards away, then zoom right up the nostrils of Adam and Eve, lounging by the western rose window. Enter the building to admire its organs; look up at its vaulted ceilings—all from your PC. "This is really a new medium," says Blaise Aguera y Arcas, one of the lead engineers on the project. It's hard to argue with him.
The software is relatively straightforward. It's free, and new users automatically get 20 gigabytes of memory to play with. Once you download it from the Photosynth site, you can browse "synths" that other users have already uploaded (be sure to check out the jaw-dropping tour of the National Archives; walk right up and examine the penmanship of the Constitution.) To make your own synth, upload a series of photos of, for example, your office. The more pictures, the better—just make sure there's a lot of overlap between photographs to make it "synthy." Each photo is analyzed by an algorithm that identifies specific features: the plane of your desk, the curve of a chair, the spines on a bookshelf. Photos that share features are synced together. The more times a given feature from your office appears in photos, the more accurate its spatial placement will appear in relation to other objects.
Once you have uploaded your batch, hit the "synth" button and sit back while the magic happens. One caveat: you may be sitting awhile. My first attempt took about 15 minutes, largely due to my computer's relatively low memory and sluggish bandwidth. There's also a bit of a learning curve and there are no privacy settings yet, so everyone can see your botched experiments. I made a failed synth of my own office (Michael Bucher, our able young photo intern, and I neglected to take enough overlapping snapshots). In order to get better at the process, you have to relearn how you think about taking pictures. No nook should go untook.
Photosynth incorporates a technology that Aguera y Arcas designed—and discussed in a widely circulated lecture last year—called Seadragon, which can zoom and pan with incredible smoothness over millions of pixels. Using that as a backbone, Photsynth similarly allows for continuous navigation: the software selects and almost-seamlessly displays photos as the user moves through online space (the 3D effect is marred by occasionally pixilated fuzziness of peripheral photos). If you take pictures a full 360 degrees around a stationary object, Photosynth lets you spin it around on its axis using an inner-tube-shaped navigation button. You can even adjust for color and lighting to further streamline the immersive effect. That is, provided you're on a PC. As of now, Photosynth runs only on Windows XP and Windows Vista. "This would be a good client for the Mac," concedes Aguera y Arcas, who says that option remains open down the line. Also for the time being, you can only see synths on the actual Photosynth site—you can't embed them on your own blog or even e-mail them to friends.
For now, the software's coolest feature is its ability to incorporate photos taken by different people at different times and on different cameras. The technology is sophisticated enough to see through the differences among the images and spot similarities (ah, if only people were more like Photosynth). So if you asked all your friends to send you pictures they've taken of Notre Dame, you could conceivably build a pretty decent synth out of them. What you can't do yet, and what Aguera y Arcas says will someday be possible, is collaborate on other existing synths, pull other people's public photos into your own streams, or open your synth to other contributors. That's clearly where the real potential is: If Photosynth users were allowed, for example, to take any photo tagged "Notre Dame" from Flickr (under a Creative Commons license, natch), you could potentially "crowd-source" an amazingly comprehensive Notre Dame synth.
The technology behind Photosynth holds out great promise in the long run. It's fun to imagine new story-telling techniques or artforms that may evolve along with it. Certainly real-estate agents and art galleries (and enterprising smut peddlers) are going to have a field day with it. Eventually, you could perhaps even comb through every photo online and build a 3D model of the entire planet. That would be undeniably cool. Still, despite all of Photosynth's virtual potential, nothing beats actually visiting Notre Dame in person.
Phoenix examines new soil sample
Washington - The Phoenix Mars lander is examining a sample of soil from an 'intermediate depth' of the Martian earth to determine if it is different from dirt at the planet's surface and from a lower icy layer, NASA said Friday.
The lander's robotic arm dug up the sample, called Burning Coals, from a trench dubbed Burn Alive 3 and delivered it to one of the craft's many small ovens early Thursday.
Phoenix had earlier confirmed the existence of ice about 4 centimetres below the surface and is now looking at a layer about 1 centimetre above the ice.
The ovens will perform three tests, first heating it to 35 degrees Celsius to look for ice in the sample, then heating it to 125 degrees to dry out the soil, and finally heating it to 1,000 degrees to determine its composition.
'We want to know the structure and composition of the soil at the surface, at the ice and in-between to help answer questions about the movement of water - either as vapor or liquid - between the icy layer and the surface,' said scientist Ray Arvidson.
The mission is to last through September.
The lander's robotic arm dug up the sample, called Burning Coals, from a trench dubbed Burn Alive 3 and delivered it to one of the craft's many small ovens early Thursday.
Phoenix had earlier confirmed the existence of ice about 4 centimetres below the surface and is now looking at a layer about 1 centimetre above the ice.
The ovens will perform three tests, first heating it to 35 degrees Celsius to look for ice in the sample, then heating it to 125 degrees to dry out the soil, and finally heating it to 1,000 degrees to determine its composition.
'We want to know the structure and composition of the soil at the surface, at the ice and in-between to help answer questions about the movement of water - either as vapor or liquid - between the icy layer and the surface,' said scientist Ray Arvidson.
The mission is to last through September.
Dogs can sniff right from wrong
LONDON: Human's inclination to invest dogs with human-like states of mind isn't as unscientific as it might appear for scientists are now suggesting that canines are becoming more intelligent and are even learning morals.
Studies presented at the first Canine Science Forum in Budapest, Hungary, backs the idea that the descendants of grey wolves have become more intelligent, and even learnt a sense of right and wrong, the New Scientist journal reported.
"Dogs show a strong aversion to inequity. I would prefer not to call it a sense of fairness, but others might," said Dr Friederike Range, of the University of Vienna, who led the study.
Through experiments done with children and dogs, Prof Ludwig Huber and colleagues at the University supported the idea that dogs have a rudimentary "theory of mind."
During one study, dogs which held up a paw were rewarded with a food treat.
When a lone dog was asked to raise its paw but received no treat, the researchers found it begged for up to 30 minutes.
But when they tested two dogs together but rewarded only one, the dog which missed out soon stopped playing
the game.
Scientists argue that the fact that rough-and-tumble dog play rarely escalates into full-blown fighting shows that the animals abide by social rules and expect others to do the same. In other words, they know right from wrong.
They possess a moral compass too, in order to negotiate the complex social world of people, adds Prof Marc Bekoff from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
According to the journal, Dr Peter Pongracz from Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, and colleagues have produced evidence that dog barks contain information which people can understand.
They found each of the different types of bark has distinct patterns of frequency, tonality and pulsing, and that an artificial neural network can use these features to correctly identify a bark it has never encountered before.
This is further evidence that barking conveys information about a dog's mental state, reports New Scientist magazine.
They found even people who have never owned a dog can recognise the emotional 'meaning' of barks produced in various situations, such as when playing, left alone and confronted by a stranger.
His team has now developed a computer program that can aggregate hundreds of barks recorded in various settings and boil them down to their basic acoustic ingredients.
They also discovered people can correctly identify aggregated barks as conveying happiness, loneliness or aggression.
'Even children from the age of six who have never had a dog recognise these patterns,' says Dr Pongracz.
Dogs are not just able to 'speak' to us--they can also understand some aspects of human communication.
Meanwhile, Dr Akiko Takaoka from Kyoto University in Japan has described as-yet unpublished work that examined what is going on inside a dog's mind when it hears a stranger's voice.
Studies presented at the first Canine Science Forum in Budapest, Hungary, backs the idea that the descendants of grey wolves have become more intelligent, and even learnt a sense of right and wrong, the New Scientist journal reported.
"Dogs show a strong aversion to inequity. I would prefer not to call it a sense of fairness, but others might," said Dr Friederike Range, of the University of Vienna, who led the study.
Through experiments done with children and dogs, Prof Ludwig Huber and colleagues at the University supported the idea that dogs have a rudimentary "theory of mind."
During one study, dogs which held up a paw were rewarded with a food treat.
When a lone dog was asked to raise its paw but received no treat, the researchers found it begged for up to 30 minutes.
But when they tested two dogs together but rewarded only one, the dog which missed out soon stopped playing
the game.
Scientists argue that the fact that rough-and-tumble dog play rarely escalates into full-blown fighting shows that the animals abide by social rules and expect others to do the same. In other words, they know right from wrong.
They possess a moral compass too, in order to negotiate the complex social world of people, adds Prof Marc Bekoff from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
According to the journal, Dr Peter Pongracz from Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, and colleagues have produced evidence that dog barks contain information which people can understand.
They found each of the different types of bark has distinct patterns of frequency, tonality and pulsing, and that an artificial neural network can use these features to correctly identify a bark it has never encountered before.
This is further evidence that barking conveys information about a dog's mental state, reports New Scientist magazine.
They found even people who have never owned a dog can recognise the emotional 'meaning' of barks produced in various situations, such as when playing, left alone and confronted by a stranger.
His team has now developed a computer program that can aggregate hundreds of barks recorded in various settings and boil them down to their basic acoustic ingredients.
They also discovered people can correctly identify aggregated barks as conveying happiness, loneliness or aggression.
'Even children from the age of six who have never had a dog recognise these patterns,' says Dr Pongracz.
Dogs are not just able to 'speak' to us--they can also understand some aspects of human communication.
Meanwhile, Dr Akiko Takaoka from Kyoto University in Japan has described as-yet unpublished work that examined what is going on inside a dog's mind when it hears a stranger's voice.
Biochips to speed up detection of infections
London: Manchester University scientists have developed a method for making protein chips that would enable quick detection of infections, quick testing of serious diseases and rapid discovery of new drugs.
Protein chips - or 'protein arrays' are objects like slides that have proteins attached to them and permit crucial data about the behaviour of proteins to be gathered.
Functional protein arrays could give scientists the ability to run tests on tens of thousands of different proteins simultaneously, observing how they interact with cells, other proteins, DNA and drugs.
As proteins can be placed precisely on a chip, it would be possible to scan large numbers of them simultaneously and also isolate the data bearing on individual proteins.
These chips would allow large amounts of data to be generated with the minimum use of materials - especially rare proteins that are only available in very small amounts.
The Manchester team of Jenny Thirlway and Jason Micklefield and Lu Shin Wong, said the technical challenges of attaching proteins in a reliable way have previously held back the widespread application and development of protein chips.
Current methods also require proteins to be purified first, which implies that the creation of large and powerful protein arrays would be hugely expensive in terms of time, manpower and money.
Manchester University researchers said they have found a reliable new way of attaching active proteins to a chip.
The attachment occurs in a single step in just a few hours - unlike with existing techniques - and requires no prior chemical modification of the protein of interest or additional chemical steps.
Researcher Jason Micklefield said: 'DNA chips have revolutionised biological and medical science. For many years scientists have tried to develop similar protein chips but technical difficulties associated with attaching large numbers of proteins to surfaces have prevented their widespread application.
'The method we have developed could have profound applications in the diagnosis of disease, screening of new drugs and in the detection of bacteria, pollutants, toxins and other molecules,' Micklefield added.
The new technique was published online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS).
Widget Channel: Web-style widgets to your TV
Widgets will come to your TV. “It’s really going to create a dramatic change”, says Yahoo’s VP Patrick Barry. Comcast has teamed up with Intel and Yahoo to allow third-party developers to create web-connected widgets for TV.
So far, the following companies are working on one: Blockbuster, CBS Interactive, CinemaNow, Cinequest, Comcast, Disney-ABC Television Group, eBay, GE, Group M, Joost, MTV, Samsung Electronics, Schematic, Showtime, Toshiba and Twitter… The widgets (weather updates, news, games…) would be powered by a chip in the set-top box, which is connected to the Internet. A sample: a Yahoo Weather widget over the top of your local news.
The Widget Channel framework, developed by Intel and Yahoo, is intended to enhance the traditional TV watching experience and bring content, information and community features available on the Internet within easy reach of the remote control.
Open software development
Described as an “open software development framework,” the Widget Channel will allow developers to use Internet tools and standards including HTML, XML, JavaScript, and Adobe Systems’ Flash technology to write applications that can run on TVs and other devices.
Comcast and Intel expect to begin integration testing of the Widget Channel framework in the first half of 2009 on Comcast’s interactive program guide using the CableLabs-developed tru2way technology for interactive cable applications.
“The Widget Channel enables interactive applications, and tru2way technology has opened the door for these types of innovations to work in the cable industry,” Comcast chief technology officer Tony Werner said in a statement.
Intel chip for set-top boxes
Intel has developed a system-on-a-chip for cable set-top boxes and other consumer electronics devices, the Media Processor CE 3100 (formerly code-named Canmore), which provides high-definition video decoding and viewing, home-theater-quality audio, 3-D graphics, and the ability to run Internet-based applications.
"TV will fundamentally change how we talk about, imagine and experience the Internet," Eric Kim, general manager of Intel’s Digital Home Group, said in a statement. "No longer just a passive experience unless the viewer wants it that way, Intel and Yahoo are proposing a way where the TV and Internet are as interactive, and seamless, as possible."
Intel and Yahoo plan to make a development kit available to developers, including TV and other consumer-electronics device makers, advertisers and publishers. The Widget Channel also will include a gallery to let developers publish their TV Widgets across multiple TV and related devices and through which consumers can find widgets they would like to use.
More information right here.
The iTunes Download radio show
Mega radio syndicator Premiere Radio Networks has created a new show called The iTunes Download that counts down the 30 most downloaded iTunes songs. It’s a three-hour weekend music countdown hosted by iTunes Director of Music Programming Alex Luke.
“Radio is where more music buyers first hear what they want to buy and iTunes is the place they go to do it — now we’re connecting the two,” said Luke.
"The iTunes charts have become the first indicator, each week, of what millions of music fans are buying," added Luke. "Radio is where more music buyers first hear what they want to buy and iTunes is the place they go to do it -- now we're connecting the two."
CNN joins the embedded video rush
CNN.com finally got on board with the embedding video trend. With MSNBC.com, News.com, FoxNews.com and others, CNN.com has joined the embedded video gold rush.
Top 30 news sites
Who are the most watched news sites? Nielsen-Netratings has listed of the top news and information sites. For the second straight month, msnbc.com is in the top position followed by Yahoo News and CNN.com. ABCNews is 7th, Fox News is 9th, CBS News is 13th and WorldNow is 14th.
Here is the list.
Examiner: mixing local news with (paid) bloggers
The billionaire owner of the SF Examiner, Philip Anschutz, is getting success with his idea of pushing into local market with Examiner.com. This is an online newspapers network that mix local aggregation with original columns and community features. Right now there Examiner.com's in 57 cities.
Local bloggers, called "Examiners", are paid as independent contractors: $2.50 per 1,000 pageviews, and they get free advertising.
Examiner.com says its pageviews have reached 6 million a month and growing.
Chemists to interchange fruit flavour
A team led by biochemist C.S. Raman at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, claimed that they can fine-tune enzymes that lend the characteristic flavours to a particular fruit or vegetable. They genetically manipulated flavour enzymes found in a popular plant model, Arabidopsis thaliana.
According to the study, the enzymes Allene Oxide Synthase (AOS) and Hydroperoxide Lyase (HPL) produce jasmonate and Green Leaf Volatiles (GLV). GLVs confer the characteristic aromas on fruits and vegetables whereas jasmonate creates the characteristic scent of jasmine.
He illustrates the case with an example. By modifying the activity of enzymes that generate the volatiles which are synthesized by olives to produce the unique aroma of olive oil, it may be possible to alter the flavour of the resulting oil.
According to Raman, besides manipulating and interchanging the food flavour the modification could lead to the formulation of eco-friendly pest control since green leaf volatiles and jasmonates emitted by plants attract predators who are the natural enemies of the herbivores. Thus the plant volatiles which constitute part of the plant defence against pests and insects might lead to the the development of a potential pest control.
The research involves conversion of one enzyme to another and modification of volatiles found in plants. The study supposedly appeared in an online publication of Nature on August 20.
Nokia is all set to release full touch screen phone by end of 2008
Nokia, the Finnish cellphone giant has put to rest major contemplations surrounding its touch screen phone. A confirmation by one of the company’s executives reveals that a full touch screen handset should be launched of by the end of 2008.
Devinder Kishore, Nokia India’s marketing director, commented, “We have been working on the Series 60 platform for touch screen user interface and a mobile device is expected to be launched by the year-end. With the acquisition of Symbian, we will be able to offer our customers more innovative products and the latest technology.”
On being questioned about the fastest growing mobile operating system, Apple’s OS X, he further added, “Symbian is the largest mobile phone software developer globally and it is up to our customers to decide how popular and accepted our software is”
The device will be Nokia’s second full touch screen phone to be released as the company had earlier released a touch screen phone in 2003, but it was later discontinued. Not much is known about the features of the present handset except that it should support Java and allow photos to be uploaded to the web. There are also speculations that the phone will be a telly-centric one with support for the DVB-H mobile digital TV standard
The eagerly anticipated handset codenamed as the Tube should appear before this Christmas. Presently, the company has its hands set on a series 60 platform for the touch screen user interface. The device also appeared in the latest Batman movie “The Dark Knight”.
Kishore asserted the release of the Nokia Music store in India by 2008 end. The Nokia Music Store was launched by the company last year. He mentioned that the music store was doing really well in the UK and the company hopes its success will be matched in India as well.
After the success of the Apple iPhone, the past year has seen many cellphone majors such as Samsung and LG bringing their full touch screen mobile phones in the market. Research in Motion (RIM), the makers of Blackberry is next on the list to work on a full touchscreen phone codenamed ‘Blackberry Thunder’.
Though Nokia had earlier mentioned that the phone is in development, they never really confirmed its launch until now.
IT act to be amended to help detection of cyber crimes
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Centre plans to amend the Information Technology Act by incorporating provisions to treat as evidence in a court of law, cyber forensics devices and tools used for cracking cyber crimes, Union Minister for Communication and Information Technology A Raja said here.
Speaking after dedicating to the nation the full-fledged Resource Centre for Cyber Forensics under Centre for Development of Advances Computing here, Raja said necessary amendments to IT act would be brought in the next session of parliament.
On the activities of the Forensic centre, Raja said the main objective was to develop indigenous cyber forensics technology to make the country self-reliant in combating cyber crimes.
Raja also commissioned the Mobile Telmedicine Facility and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) based programme for 'Rehabilitation Officials and Special Teachers.' It is aimed at establishing infrastructure facility to impart distant training to special educators and professionals engaged in the education and rehabilitation of mentally challenged children.
Development of tools for cyber forensics, state-of-the-art training in cyber forensics and technical services like cyber crime analysis, and cyber crime investigation were some of the activities of the centre.
Emailtracer, Cyberinvestigator, PDA analyser, Trueimager, Truelock, cyberchek and Trueback were some of the tools developed by the Resource Centre for detecting various types of cyber crimes.
C-DAC Director General S Ramakrishnan, M Madhavan Nambiar, Special IT secretary Department of Information Technology were among those present on the occasion.
Speaking after dedicating to the nation the full-fledged Resource Centre for Cyber Forensics under Centre for Development of Advances Computing here, Raja said necessary amendments to IT act would be brought in the next session of parliament.
On the activities of the Forensic centre, Raja said the main objective was to develop indigenous cyber forensics technology to make the country self-reliant in combating cyber crimes.
Raja also commissioned the Mobile Telmedicine Facility and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) based programme for 'Rehabilitation Officials and Special Teachers.' It is aimed at establishing infrastructure facility to impart distant training to special educators and professionals engaged in the education and rehabilitation of mentally challenged children.
Development of tools for cyber forensics, state-of-the-art training in cyber forensics and technical services like cyber crime analysis, and cyber crime investigation were some of the activities of the centre.
Emailtracer, Cyberinvestigator, PDA analyser, Trueimager, Truelock, cyberchek and Trueback were some of the tools developed by the Resource Centre for detecting various types of cyber crimes.
C-DAC Director General S Ramakrishnan, M Madhavan Nambiar, Special IT secretary Department of Information Technology were among those present on the occasion.
Web browser now in privacy mode
Microsoft Corporation, the software giant is going to launch its latest version of web browser ‘Internet Explorer (IE) 8.0’ which first beta version ‘beta1’ has already been launched and second beta version ‘beta2’ is expected to come by the end of this year, as per market reports.
As per a recent official blog post, Microsoft said privacy as one of the major concern in browsing and the company is planning to add ‘privacy mode’ in the forthcoming version of IE8. This will allow user to restrict the leakage of knowledge that stores in history, cache memory and cookies and can be accessed later when user close the browser or even shut down the computer.
But, in the latest upcoming beta version, users would be able to delete all files containing private information and contents whether user’s computer is in the share mode or not. Besides, IE8 would also inform the users if someone tries to track the user’s computer, the sources said.
This move of Microsoft may lead the users to surf pornographic websites that is easily associated with the concept of privacy browsing, however, this can also be used for other tasks like to research a particular medical condition, or plan a surprise vacation or birthday party for a loved one etc on a personal note.
Earlier, Apple had already launched this facility in its web browser ‘Safari’ in which user can clear all the data that can be restored or accessed later.
Firefox, as per the sources, was also planning to launch this facility in its latest version of Firefox 3.0 but dropped it due to some reasons; however, it still provides the facility to delete the history, clear the cache memory and cookies in Firefox 3.0.
Firefox may also include this facility in its upcoming version of ‘Firefox 3.1’ to compete with IE8.
Microsoft Corporation has however not commented so far about this so called ‘information’ but if it comes in the market it will definitely enhance the market share of Microsoft because ‘who wants to be exposed?’
Sony Ericsson TM506 Flip Phone To Be Available From T-Mobile
Claiming to be the first Sony Ericsson mobile phone to support T-Mobile’s AWS Spectrum, the latest TM506 clamshell handset has been launched in the US through T-Mobile.
The compact and stylish mobile phone is available in either chrome with amber or emerald highlights with a sleek ebony gloss, the flip phone employs an exterior display that indicates who is calling, without opening the phone.
Speaking on the TM506, Najmi Jarwala, president of Sony Ericsson North America, commented, “The TM506 not only signifies Sony Ericsson’s expanding U.S. portfolio of handsets, but more importantly, that we have forged a strong and promising relationship with T-Mobile. With the launch of the TM506 with T-Mobile, Sony Ericsson is positioned to offer more choice of mobile handsets for a broader range of U.S. consumer segments at a variety of price points.
8220;T-Mobile continues its 3G network deployment across the country, and we’re pleased to leverage Sony Ericsson’s 3G handset experience to help deliver the benefits of our next-generation network to our customers. The Sony Ericsson TM506 is a compelling, feature-rich phone with a vibrant display that our customers will enjoy using to connect with the important people in their lives,” mentioned Cole Brodman, chief technology and innovation officer, T-Mobile USA.
Supporting 3G network, the TM506 mobile phone ensures a high-speed download rate and fast access to media content for viewing. Furthermore, the Sony Ericsson TM506 clamshell handset features a 2.0 megapixel camera to capture still images as well as moving images. It includes My Album, slide show and video blogging capability.
It also features a stereo Bluetooth connectivity that assures hands-free wireless calls. The additional features include an integrated GPS navigation with the TeleNav application from T-Mobile.
Measuring 3.7 x 1.9 x 0.69 inches, the 3.4 ounces handset claims to offer a talk time of up to 9.5 hours GSM; up to 3.5 hours UMTS and a Standby Time of up to 250 hours GSM and up to 250 hours UMTS.
Some of the other features of the TM506 phone are media center, audio postcard, quicksend and Mobile Backup (T-Mobile Address Book). It shows support for Tri-Band GSM (850/1800/1900), dual-Band UMTS (1700/2100 & 2100) and GSM/GRPS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA.
Expected to hit American market in early September, the Sony Ericsson TM506 clamshell mobile phone can be purchased from selected T-Mobile retail and online stores. T-Mobile has maintained silence on pricing details.
How touching! new iPhone’s here
Bangalore: In that classic western movie, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” a shrewd editor tells the hero, played by James Stewart, that he is going to use not the real story about him, but the myth, because in the Wild West, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”
Sizing up Apple’s second avatar of the iPhone — the 3G version geared to harness the superior Internet speeds of third generation cellular networks — places a similar burden on reviewers. It comes with such a baggage of fierce customer loyalty and hype that it is difficult to think of it as just another smart phone. Like that other iconic Apple device, the iPod music player, the iPhone is a canny mix of form and function — with form winning by a whisker.
List its core specifications and it sounds like other smart phones: multiband GSM cellular capability, High Speed Packet Access or 3G-plus speeds; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; a 3.5-inch diagonal colour screen; 30 frames-per-second video in multiple formats including MPEG-4; a 2-megapixel camera; and 20 hertz to 20 kilohertz music range.
Where iPhone excels is in swinging these numbers together into an extremely user-friendly package that uses the sense of touch like few phones have done before. Your forefinger is all you need to open folders, switch controls on or off, slide volume up or down, flick open albums or pinch pictures to reduce the size — in an intuitive manner that dummy users (that is, most of us!) will love.
As an advance on the earlier model, Apple has included a GPS receiver and linked it to Google Maps for direction finding. But the tiny antenna cannot compete with stand-alone car navigators for ease or detailed instruction and Indian buyers will need to buy local map software.
Another new addition is support for Microsoft’s Exchange Server, a gateway to business applications. This is a savvy marketing trick intended to broaden appeal from status-symbol sporting yuppies to “Blackberry- class” professionals.
Some Apple idiosyncrasies remain: You can’t replace the battery; you will have to take the whole works to an Apple centre where the asking price for a new battery is nearly $ 90 equivalent. The device is an iPod built into a phone, great sound and picture included — but with the corollary that you have to embrace Apple’s proprietary iTunes format.
The competition will zero in on iPhone’s lacunae: no voice dialling; no videorecording; no phone-to-phone photo sending (at least not easily); a fairly ordinary camera with no zoom or flash; no additional memory card slot (!) ... and the rivals can be expected to offer all of these features when they roll out their challengers. One thing will hamper everyone, for now: until 3G speeds are offered in India, using the iPhone will be like buying a Formula One racer to do your daily office commute. But at the inaugural price of Rs. 31,000/Rs 36,100 for the 8GB or 16 GB versions in India potential buyers are going to flaunt their phones; not necessarily use them to full functionality. (The phone will only unlock with the service provider’s SIM card which is installed. Currently the choice is between Airtel and Vodafone.) A thing of beauty is a joy forever, did some one say? The 3G iPhone qualifies; with a look and feel that has raised the bar in converged devices — at least until the next compelling device comes along.
Friday, August 22, 2008
iPhone's tryst with Indian psychology!
NEW DELHI: At the stroke of midnight, iPhone did finally have the tryst with its destiny in India. But unlike the serpentine queues in the US, the footfall at the stores that were kept open for customers who could not sleep over their desire to hold the device, is not something that the carriers could crow about this morning.
A low-key midnight launch - though the first such launch in India - could not fuel the hype that has somewhat been doused by the price tag attached to Apple’s iconic internet device that also happens to be a phone.
But was a midnight launch a good idea at all? Would more people have showed up if it was unveiled at a more reasonable hour given that no queues were expected outside the stores anyways? Are Indians game for midnight launches? Those questions are best left to the event managers for the two service providers. More important are the issues that are clouding the consumers’ mind.
The price tag has actually left most people wondering why would Apple want to make a ‘premium product’ out of a devise that most discerning Indian consumers would like to be seen with, provided it was priced better. Do volumes matter to Apple at all? “I have a sneaking suspicion that it has a lot to do with the carriers. Apple did not want to go through the normal distribution channels so it selected two carriers for India. But for those two carriers, the handset sale is a one time revenue opportunity since the 3G network is almost a year away. And unlike in the US, they do not have the option of tariff bundles or service charges the way AT&T had in the US,” says Prasanto K Roy is Chief Editor of CyberMedia's Business Publications.
Nokia launches 8800 Carbon Arte, a feature-rich mobile phone
The latest premium mobile phone to be launched by Nokia is the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte. A novel mobile phone, the device is a unique combination of the timeless design of the Nokia 8800 Arte range with materials that reflect a new exclusivity based on refinement and authenticity. The Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte is distinctively fabricated from carbon fibre, titanium, polished glass and stainless steel.
The handset encompasses 3D patterns that display the inherent performance and lustre of carbon fibre. Making the phone high-tech and sultry, the carbon fibre is an extremely light and strong material in a woven pattern. The unique tones, textures and sculpted shapes that the carbon fibre and titanium deliver give the device a modern feel.
Keeping to the signature of the Nokia 8800 Arte range, the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte is carefully designed with a slide mechanism along with minimalistic and seamless surfaces. Enriching the premium value and quality of the phone are soundtracks and wallpapers created exclusively for the range. The display sports a unique appearance because of organically changing background images. Turning the device over, screen-side down activates the turn-to-mute silencing mechanism that allows individuals to silence incoming calls in a discrete manner.
The Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte boasts of some great features like 3G capabilities, 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera, high quality audio and a stunning OLED display with built-in memory that has been expanded from previous offerings in the range to 4 GB. The phone additionally marries timeless style with superb functionality with its distinct tap-for-time feature. The function lets users tap the steel surface below the display twice to reveal a clock on the screen.
The Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte is exclusively accessorized with a Bluetooth touch-sensitive volume control headset, a stylish desk stand and a beautiful leather carrying case.
The phone will undoubtedly appeal those who love uncompromised high performance. At an estimated retail price of EUR 1,100 exclusive of subsidies and taxes, the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte should be available in Q3 of 2008.
Intel and DreamWorks unveil InTru 3D
During Renee James’ software keynote, Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-founder of DreamWorks Animation and creator of Shrek, was invited on stage to pose the question: “What’s the next step in movies?”
Katzenberg jointly announced the InTru 3D brand with James and said that beginning in March 2009, all DreamWorks releases will be available in both 2D and 3D.
He continued by saying that all of the films would be recorded in 3D initially and you’ll be able to view the animated films though polarised glasses (as modelled by Katzenberg himself) in one of over 5,500 cinemas that already have RealD Cinema technology already installed.
One thing to note though is that movie theatres will need to acquire a new projector that’s able to propel the 3D scenes onto the screen before they can show DreamWorks’ new creations in 3D.
To demonstrate the new technology, we were shown an action-filled sequence from Kung Fu Panda that was specially re-mastered in 3D for IDF. Following this, we were shown a trailer from Monsters vs. Aliens that’s never been seen in public before and I have to say I was impressed with the level of immersion.
Skypephone S2 mobile handset unveils with internet services in UK
A new handset 3 Skypephone S2 has been launched with internet services including Facebook, Google and Windows Live Messanger.
The newly launched handset helps to make free Skype-to-Skype calls and send instant messages on mobile. Further when the handset is plugged with the computer it functions like a HSDPA modem.
A 3.2 mega-pixel camera handset with dimensions of 103.0x 45.0 x14.0 has a 4GB of data, 50MB internal memory, bluetooth, mobile TV, accessibility to google, facebook and last.fm. The handset weighs 95 grams and has a battery back up of 410 minutes.
The handset with a 2.2 inches screen has a color display of 262K and is available in the market in classy black and metal finish. The price of the handset is 69.99 pounds (approx. Rs5686) and will be available online from August 27th.
The newly launched handset helps to make free Skype-to-Skype calls and send instant messages on mobile. Further when the handset is plugged with the computer it functions like a HSDPA modem.
A 3.2 mega-pixel camera handset with dimensions of 103.0x 45.0 x14.0 has a 4GB of data, 50MB internal memory, bluetooth, mobile TV, accessibility to google, facebook and last.fm. The handset weighs 95 grams and has a battery back up of 410 minutes.
The handset with a 2.2 inches screen has a color display of 262K and is available in the market in classy black and metal finish. The price of the handset is 69.99 pounds (approx. Rs5686) and will be available online from August 27th.
LG launches LG 1000 CDMA phones in partnership with Reliance India Mobile news
Mumbai: LG Electronics, today announced the launch of LG 10000 CDMA mobile phone in association with Reliance India Mobile. The handset has a stylish finish, and offers a customised bend of multimedia and business applications.
LG 10000 has a full touch screen as well as a QWERTY keypad, dual applications which is the first of its kind, in its segment of phones, including the iPhone, says LG . Other features include office mail for corporate mail access, HTML enabled browser and high speed internet connectivity.
The phone also has a 2.0 mega pixel camera with video recorder, . With a latest full touch screen, the CDMA handset can play MPEG 4 videos and has dual stereo speakers. The phone also features an external memory card of 1GB, which can be extended up to 8 GB.
The handset has a battery life of up to 240 minutes (talk time) and up to 480 hours stand-by time, the handset also has a call memory of up to 270 calls and phonebook memory of up to 1000 entries with 4 phone numbers. fax number, 2 email ids, picture id and also a ringer id.
The handset has been priced between Rs22,000 to Rs25,000, which makes it cheaper than the iPhone
This mobile phone is being launched across India and will be available at Reliance Exclusive stores and retail outlets.
India, Nasa tie up for Chandrayaan
MUMBAI: Preparing to its first unmanned mission to moon, Chandrayaan-1, between October and December, India joined seven other nations to team up with Nasa for the future exploration of earth's only satellite.
Confirming this, Isro spokesperson S Satish told TOI that a key pact was signed at a conference of International Lunar Users' Group at Nasa's Ames Research Centre last month. India was represented by Devi Prasad Karnik, space counsellor attached to the Indian embassy in Washington. The other seven countries are Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, France and Britain. Japan has already launched an unmanned mission to the moon. Germany, Italy and Britain had announced at International Astronautical Congress in 2007 that they planned their own lunar missions which would be independent of the European Space Agency.
The international lunar agreement, which Nasa says a "landmark" one, will allow India and the seven countries to join hands with Nasa for developing new technologies and send robotic exploratory missions for a manned return mission to the moon.
For Nasa, the lunar agreement is important as the eight countries, including India, are keen to send astronauts to the moon. Experts say the increased interest in the lunar science and the emergence of India, Japan and China as important space-faring nations will also help Nasa.
Confirming this, Isro spokesperson S Satish told TOI that a key pact was signed at a conference of International Lunar Users' Group at Nasa's Ames Research Centre last month. India was represented by Devi Prasad Karnik, space counsellor attached to the Indian embassy in Washington. The other seven countries are Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, France and Britain. Japan has already launched an unmanned mission to the moon. Germany, Italy and Britain had announced at International Astronautical Congress in 2007 that they planned their own lunar missions which would be independent of the European Space Agency.
The international lunar agreement, which Nasa says a "landmark" one, will allow India and the seven countries to join hands with Nasa for developing new technologies and send robotic exploratory missions for a manned return mission to the moon.
For Nasa, the lunar agreement is important as the eight countries, including India, are keen to send astronauts to the moon. Experts say the increased interest in the lunar science and the emergence of India, Japan and China as important space-faring nations will also help Nasa.
JavaScript performance boost coming to Firefox
Did you think that JavaScript performance was slow in Firefox? If you did then you will be happy,
Before everyone gets too excited there is no official release date for Firefox 3.1 but bets are good that it will arrive before the end of the year. I say that because Microsoft plans to ship Internet Explorer 8 before the end of the year and Mozilla won’t be caught with its pants down. But it may not make an appearance before next year.
The new optimization should make existing JavaScript based applications 20 to 40 times, in some cases. Gmail will be faster. Gmail and… well, Gmail will be faster.
No one really thinks that any version of IE will be faster than Firefox, ever. Maybe Microsoft does but if it does then it is just lying to itself. But Firefox does have some competition in Opera and Safari. Okay, maybe just Safari.
Apple will be implementing something called Squirrelfish in Safari 4 which has the same purpose the new Mozilla engine will. Which one is superior, why, Firefox of course.
From a usability and addon perspective there is simply no beating Firefox, ever, for all time. Mark my words, this will hold true until at least the Sun goes supernova.
If you’re interested in a bit more proof then head on over to ArsTechnica where your head will be filled with upcoming Firefox propaganda features.
Nokia Can Still Crunch Apple In Emerging Markets
LONDON - IPhones fell from the sky in high-growth and emerging markets on Friday, as Apple's signature mobile phone launched everywhere from Central and Eastern Europe through to India and the Philippines. But even though Apple has made strides in its business model, opening up to multiple network operators and showering users in applications, it will find it tough to crack Nokia's dominance.
Nokia has a 54.6% share of the market in India, thanks to its broad and affordable range of models, and fresh competition from Apple in the high-end segment will do little to displace it. CCS Insight analyst Tom Byrd told Forbes.com that the iPhone's high price point meant it would only really appeal to a small slice of emerging markets, and that it had little technological superiority to boast about when compared with Nokia's upcoming N96 model--the touch-screen notwithstanding.
Shares of Nokia rose 3.2%, or 55 euro cents (81 cents), to 17.53 euros ($25.95), at the end of trading in Helsinki on Friday.
"The total cost to acquire a 3G iPhone is rather high," said Jan Ihrfelt, analyst with Swedbank, who recommended buying Nokia shares on Friday. "The upfront payment is not high, but when you combine it with the total subscription package, it is still clearly a high-end product."
Apple's iPhone launch in India, the Philippines and seven countries across Europe including Poland and the Czech Republic on Friday did not quite have the same effect as when it landed on European shores for the first time last year. (See "iPhones Land In London.") The Associated Press even reported on Friday that the Polish mobile network subsidiary of France Telecom (nyse: FTE - news - people ) had hired fake actors to stand in line for the iPhone, apparently to "warm up" the atmosphere.
Although Nokia (nyse: NOK - news - people ) has not yet released its fabled "iPhone killer," which most sharp-eyed cinemagoers will have seen in the new Batman movie, the Finnish handset-maker is adamant that it will be released in the next four months. A spokesman for Nokia told Forbes.com that it would be a "mid-range" product, and therefore cheaper than the iPhone.
But Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi still believed Nokia would have to pay close attention to the iPhone's success with application downloads and with its user interface. Although Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) is only targeting sales of 10 million units for the whole of 2008--whereas Nokia sold 437.1 million units worldwide last year--the mighty Finns will have to make sure their future offerings surpass Apple's in terms of sleekness and ease of use.
Sony offers wireless iPod speaker system
Sony on Friday introduced its S-Air Play sound system for the iPod. The S-Airplay is a wireless multi-room music system with prices starting at $400 — that includes two wireless speaker systems. It will be available beginning in September.
The S-Air Play comprises a transmitter and separate speaker system. The speakers communicate with the transmitter, which includes an AM/FM radio receiver, clock and alarm, along with a “Made for iPod” docking station that will accommodate any iPod with a 30-pin dock connector.
You can use the dock to transmit separate signals to each receiver/speaker set — up to ten speakers can be connected to a single transmitter. So you can use one speaker system to listen to music from your iPod, while another in a different room plays a radio station. You can also connect the dock to a home theater receiver to play iPod video on your television (using composite video), or to play music through your home audio system.
Wireless remote controls are included, and each speaker comes equipped with a built-in LCD display to view track information.
Additional speakers are priced at $129.99 each.
Roast Beef And Yorkshire Pudding
Roast Beef And Yorkshire Pudding
serves 6–8
Ingredients
1.8kg/4lb joint of beef
splash of red wine
300ml/10fl oz reduced beef stock
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
For the Yorkshire pudding
175g/6oz plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
300ml/10fl oz cold milk
3 eggs, beaten
60g/21/2oz beef dripping
• To prepare the Yorkshire pudding batter, sift the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt. In another large bowl, mix together the milk and 150ml/10fl oz water, and whisk with the beaten eggs. Add this to the flour in a thin stream, whisking to a smooth batter. Leave to stand for 60 minutes at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/Gas mark 9.
• Season the joint of beef heavily with salt and pepper, rubbing it in all over. Sit the joint on a rack in a roasting tin, and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6 and continue roasting for a further 25 minutes. It is important not to open the oven door for more than a few seconds at any time from start to finish.
• Remove the meat from the oven and allow to rest on its rack for about 30 minutes in a warm place, covered with foil. Increase the oven temperature to 230°C/450°F/Gas mark 8.
• While the meat is resting, cook the Yorkshire pudding. Put the beef dripping into a metal pan at least 6.5cm/21/2in deep, and put in the oven until smoking hot. Give the prepared batter a final whisk, and pour into the fat. Bake for 25–30 minutes, when the pudding will be well risen with a crisp, golden crust.
• Make a gravy by pouring off the fat from the roasting tin. Place the pan over a high heat, and deglaze it with a splash of red wine. Add the stock and boil fiercely, scraping the stuck-on sediment with a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Serve the roast beef cut in slices, accompanied by the gravy, Yorkshire pudding and roasted vegetables.
serves 6–8
Ingredients
1.8kg/4lb joint of beef
splash of red wine
300ml/10fl oz reduced beef stock
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
For the Yorkshire pudding
175g/6oz plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
300ml/10fl oz cold milk
3 eggs, beaten
60g/21/2oz beef dripping
• To prepare the Yorkshire pudding batter, sift the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt. In another large bowl, mix together the milk and 150ml/10fl oz water, and whisk with the beaten eggs. Add this to the flour in a thin stream, whisking to a smooth batter. Leave to stand for 60 minutes at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/Gas mark 9.
• Season the joint of beef heavily with salt and pepper, rubbing it in all over. Sit the joint on a rack in a roasting tin, and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6 and continue roasting for a further 25 minutes. It is important not to open the oven door for more than a few seconds at any time from start to finish.
• Remove the meat from the oven and allow to rest on its rack for about 30 minutes in a warm place, covered with foil. Increase the oven temperature to 230°C/450°F/Gas mark 8.
• While the meat is resting, cook the Yorkshire pudding. Put the beef dripping into a metal pan at least 6.5cm/21/2in deep, and put in the oven until smoking hot. Give the prepared batter a final whisk, and pour into the fat. Bake for 25–30 minutes, when the pudding will be well risen with a crisp, golden crust.
• Make a gravy by pouring off the fat from the roasting tin. Place the pan over a high heat, and deglaze it with a splash of red wine. Add the stock and boil fiercely, scraping the stuck-on sediment with a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Serve the roast beef cut in slices, accompanied by the gravy, Yorkshire pudding and roasted vegetables.
Meatloaf
Meatloaf
serves 4
Ingredients
25g/1oz butter
450g/1lb minced beef
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50g/2oz bulgur wheat, soaked
25g/1oz Parmesan cheese
1 celery stick trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons horseradish sauce
2 tablespoons tomato purée
2 tablespoons instant oatmeal
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
For the relish
2 tablespoons horseradish sauce
150ml/5fl oz sour cream
• Grease and line the bottom of a 700g/11/2lb loaf tin. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
• Melt the butter in a large pan, and add the minced beef, onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring, for 7 minutes until the meat is brown and sealed.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well, season and spoon into the prepared tin. Cover with foil.
• Stand the loaf tin in a roasting tin, and add 2.5cm/1in of water. Carefully place in the oven and cook for 11/2 hours.
• Mix together the relish ingredients in a bowl. Turn out the meatloaf and garnish with the fresh thyme. Serve with fresh vegetables and the relish as a condiment.
serves 4
Ingredients
25g/1oz butter
450g/1lb minced beef
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50g/2oz bulgur wheat, soaked
25g/1oz Parmesan cheese
1 celery stick trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons horseradish sauce
2 tablespoons tomato purée
2 tablespoons instant oatmeal
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
For the relish
2 tablespoons horseradish sauce
150ml/5fl oz sour cream
• Grease and line the bottom of a 700g/11/2lb loaf tin. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
• Melt the butter in a large pan, and add the minced beef, onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring, for 7 minutes until the meat is brown and sealed.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well, season and spoon into the prepared tin. Cover with foil.
• Stand the loaf tin in a roasting tin, and add 2.5cm/1in of water. Carefully place in the oven and cook for 11/2 hours.
• Mix together the relish ingredients in a bowl. Turn out the meatloaf and garnish with the fresh thyme. Serve with fresh vegetables and the relish as a condiment.
Beef Olives In Gravy
Beef Olives In Gravy
serves 4
Ingredients
8 ready-prepared beef olives
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
grated zest of 1/2 small orange
2 tablespoons olive oil
300ml/10fl oz dry red wine
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
50g/2oz pitted black olives, drained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Flatten out the beef olives as thinly as possible, using a meat tenderizer or mallet.
• Mix together the parsley, garlic, bacon and orange zest. Season with salt and pepper. Spread this mixture evenly over each beef olive. Roll up each beef olive tightly, then secure with a cocktail stick or toothpick.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan, and sauté the beef olives on all sides for 10 minutes until browned.
• Drain the beef olives, reserving the pan juices, and keep warm. Pour the wine into the juices, add the bay leaf and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and boil rapidly for 5 minutes to reduce slightly, stirring.
• Return the cooked beef olives to the pan along with the black olives, and heat through for a further 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and carefully pull out the cocktail sticks or toothpicks.
• Transfer the beef olives and gravy to a serving dish. Serve immediately
serves 4
Ingredients
8 ready-prepared beef olives
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
grated zest of 1/2 small orange
2 tablespoons olive oil
300ml/10fl oz dry red wine
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
50g/2oz pitted black olives, drained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Flatten out the beef olives as thinly as possible, using a meat tenderizer or mallet.
• Mix together the parsley, garlic, bacon and orange zest. Season with salt and pepper. Spread this mixture evenly over each beef olive. Roll up each beef olive tightly, then secure with a cocktail stick or toothpick.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan, and sauté the beef olives on all sides for 10 minutes until browned.
• Drain the beef olives, reserving the pan juices, and keep warm. Pour the wine into the juices, add the bay leaf and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and boil rapidly for 5 minutes to reduce slightly, stirring.
• Return the cooked beef olives to the pan along with the black olives, and heat through for a further 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and carefully pull out the cocktail sticks or toothpicks.
• Transfer the beef olives and gravy to a serving dish. Serve immediately
Beef, Tomato And Olive Kebabs
Beef, Tomato And Olive Kebabs
serves 8
Ingredients
450g/1lb rump or sirloin steak
16 cherry tomatoes
16 large green olives, pitted
For the baste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the relish
6 plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
lemon juice
• Soak 8 bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them burning.
• Using a sharp knife, trim any fat from the steak, and cut the meat into roughly 24 evenly sized pieces.
• Thread the pieces of steak onto the skewers, alternating the beef with the cherry tomatoes and the green olives.
• To make the baste, combine all the baste ingredients in a bowl.
• To make the relish, plunge the tomatoes in a bowl of boiling water, then drain and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Peel off and discard the skin, and chop the flesh.
• Heat the oil in a small pan, and sauté the onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
• Barbecue the kebabs over hot coals for 5–10 minutes, basting and turning frequently. Serve with the relish.
serves 8
Ingredients
450g/1lb rump or sirloin steak
16 cherry tomatoes
16 large green olives, pitted
For the baste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the relish
6 plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
lemon juice
• Soak 8 bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them burning.
• Using a sharp knife, trim any fat from the steak, and cut the meat into roughly 24 evenly sized pieces.
• Thread the pieces of steak onto the skewers, alternating the beef with the cherry tomatoes and the green olives.
• To make the baste, combine all the baste ingredients in a bowl.
• To make the relish, plunge the tomatoes in a bowl of boiling water, then drain and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Peel off and discard the skin, and chop the flesh.
• Heat the oil in a small pan, and sauté the onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
• Barbecue the kebabs over hot coals for 5–10 minutes, basting and turning frequently. Serve with the relish.
Beef And Mushroom Burgers
Beef And Mushroom Burgers
serves 4
Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
150g/5oz small cup mushrooms
450g/1lb lean minced beef
50g/2oz fresh wholemeal
breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
1 tablespoon tomato purée flour for shaping
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Put the onion and mushrooms in a blender or food processor, and whiz until finely chopped. Add the beef, breadcrumbs, herbs and tomato purée, and season with salt and pepper. Blend for a few seconds until the mixture binds together but still has some texture.
• Divide the mixture into 8 to 10 pieces, then press into burger shapes using lightly floured hands.
• Cook the burgers in a non-stick frying pan or under a hot grill for 12–15 minutes, turning once, until evenly cooked. Serve hot.
serves 4
Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
150g/5oz small cup mushrooms
450g/1lb lean minced beef
50g/2oz fresh wholemeal
breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
1 tablespoon tomato purée flour for shaping
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Put the onion and mushrooms in a blender or food processor, and whiz until finely chopped. Add the beef, breadcrumbs, herbs and tomato purée, and season with salt and pepper. Blend for a few seconds until the mixture binds together but still has some texture.
• Divide the mixture into 8 to 10 pieces, then press into burger shapes using lightly floured hands.
• Cook the burgers in a non-stick frying pan or under a hot grill for 12–15 minutes, turning once, until evenly cooked. Serve hot.
Veal Marsala
Veal Marsala
serves 2
Ingredients
2 veal escalopes
flour for dredging
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
8 field mushrooms, stalks removed
and caps thinly sliced
about 25g/1oz butter
2 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil
150ml/5fl oz Marsala
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• If necessary, put the veal escalopes between two sheets of greaseproof paper or cling film, and gently pound with a meat mallet or wooden rolling pin to flatten. Trim any rough edges if necessary.
• Put enough flour for dredging in a shallow bowl or plate. Season with salt and pepper, and the oregano. Dredge the escalopes in the seasoned flour, gently shaking off any excess. (If you like, you can omit this step, and simply season the veal without dredging in the flour.)
• Put the oil and a knob of butter in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter has melted and is starting to foam (do not allow to burn), add the escalopes and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate, cover with foil and keep warm.
• Pour the Marsala into the pan and boil it down, deglazing the pan by scraping up any bits stuck to the pan using a wooden spoon. Add the cooked mushrooms and toss through.
• Put an escalope on each of two serving plates, pour over the mushroom sauce and serve immediately.
serves 2
Ingredients
2 veal escalopes
flour for dredging
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
8 field mushrooms, stalks removed
and caps thinly sliced
about 25g/1oz butter
2 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil
150ml/5fl oz Marsala
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• If necessary, put the veal escalopes between two sheets of greaseproof paper or cling film, and gently pound with a meat mallet or wooden rolling pin to flatten. Trim any rough edges if necessary.
• Put enough flour for dredging in a shallow bowl or plate. Season with salt and pepper, and the oregano. Dredge the escalopes in the seasoned flour, gently shaking off any excess. (If you like, you can omit this step, and simply season the veal without dredging in the flour.)
• Put the oil and a knob of butter in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter has melted and is starting to foam (do not allow to burn), add the escalopes and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate, cover with foil and keep warm.
• Pour the Marsala into the pan and boil it down, deglazing the pan by scraping up any bits stuck to the pan using a wooden spoon. Add the cooked mushrooms and toss through.
• Put an escalope on each of two serving plates, pour over the mushroom sauce and serve immediately.
Veal Chops And Mushrooms
Veal Chops And Mushrooms
serves 4
Ingredients
25g/1oz margarine or butter
4 lean loin veal chops
1 onion, chopped
450g/1lb mushroom caps
225g/8oz white onions
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon tomato purée
175ml/6fl oz chicken stock
150ml/5fl oz dry white wine
50g/2oz chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 small bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
• Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.
• Melt the margarine or butter in a large heavy frying pan. Add the veal chops and brown over a high heat. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish.
• In the same frying pan, sauté the onions. Add the remaining ingredients except the parsley. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
• Pour the mixture over the chops. Cover the casserole dish and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Sprinkle with the parsley before serving hot.
serves 4
Ingredients
25g/1oz margarine or butter
4 lean loin veal chops
1 onion, chopped
450g/1lb mushroom caps
225g/8oz white onions
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon tomato purée
175ml/6fl oz chicken stock
150ml/5fl oz dry white wine
50g/2oz chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 small bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
• Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.
• Melt the margarine or butter in a large heavy frying pan. Add the veal chops and brown over a high heat. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish.
• In the same frying pan, sauté the onions. Add the remaining ingredients except the parsley. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
• Pour the mixture over the chops. Cover the casserole dish and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Sprinkle with the parsley before serving hot.
Pork With Port And Coffee Sauce
Pork With Port And Coffee Sauce
serves 6
Ingredients
1.8kg/4lb pork loin, boned
225ml/8fl oz strong espresso coffee
125ml/4fl oz single cream
75ml/3fl oz port
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
• Remove the rind from the pork and trim the fat to make a 1cm/1/2in layer. Roll and tie the meat with string. Put the meat in a roasting tin, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Combine the coffee, half the cream, half the port and the sugar, and pour over the pork. Continue roasting the pork for 11/2 hours, basting it every 15 minutes with the coffee mixture.
• Remove the pork from the oven when cooked. Keep covered in a warm place while making the sauce. Skim off the fat from the pan juices, and transfer the juices to a small saucepan. Add 50ml/2fl oz water, the remaining cream and port, and the cornflour. Cook until thickened, then strain. Slice the pork thinly and drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately
serves 6
Ingredients
1.8kg/4lb pork loin, boned
225ml/8fl oz strong espresso coffee
125ml/4fl oz single cream
75ml/3fl oz port
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
• Remove the rind from the pork and trim the fat to make a 1cm/1/2in layer. Roll and tie the meat with string. Put the meat in a roasting tin, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Combine the coffee, half the cream, half the port and the sugar, and pour over the pork. Continue roasting the pork for 11/2 hours, basting it every 15 minutes with the coffee mixture.
• Remove the pork from the oven when cooked. Keep covered in a warm place while making the sauce. Skim off the fat from the pan juices, and transfer the juices to a small saucepan. Add 50ml/2fl oz water, the remaining cream and port, and the cornflour. Cook until thickened, then strain. Slice the pork thinly and drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately
Ginger And Honey-Hlazed Gammon
Ginger And Honey-Hlazed Gammon
serves 10
Ingredients
4.5–6.8kg/10–15lb unsmoked
gammon on the bone
2 shallots, peeled and halved 6 cloves
3 bay leaves
2 celery sticks, cut into 5cm/2in lengths
2 tablespoons English mustard
5cm/2in piece of fresh root ginger, thinly sliced
For the glaze
225g/8oz dark muscovado sugar
2 tablespoons clear honey
125ml/4fl oz brandy
• Put the gammon in a heavy pan with the shallots, cloves, bay leaves, celery and enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for about 5 hours. Skim off any scum using a slotted spoon. Lift the ham out of the pan, discard the vegetables and herbs,and allow the gammon cool.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
• Using a sharp knife, carefully cut away the gammon’s thick skin to leave an even layer of fat. Score a diamond pattern in the fat. Put the gammon in a roasting tin, smother evenly with the mustard and tuck the ginger into the scored fat.
• To make the glaze, put the sugar, honey and brandy in a pan, and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Brush over the gammon.
• Cook the gammon in the oven for 30–40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. Serve either hot or cold, cut into slices.
serves 10
Ingredients
4.5–6.8kg/10–15lb unsmoked
gammon on the bone
2 shallots, peeled and halved 6 cloves
3 bay leaves
2 celery sticks, cut into 5cm/2in lengths
2 tablespoons English mustard
5cm/2in piece of fresh root ginger, thinly sliced
For the glaze
225g/8oz dark muscovado sugar
2 tablespoons clear honey
125ml/4fl oz brandy
• Put the gammon in a heavy pan with the shallots, cloves, bay leaves, celery and enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for about 5 hours. Skim off any scum using a slotted spoon. Lift the ham out of the pan, discard the vegetables and herbs,and allow the gammon cool.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
• Using a sharp knife, carefully cut away the gammon’s thick skin to leave an even layer of fat. Score a diamond pattern in the fat. Put the gammon in a roasting tin, smother evenly with the mustard and tuck the ginger into the scored fat.
• To make the glaze, put the sugar, honey and brandy in a pan, and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Brush over the gammon.
• Cook the gammon in the oven for 30–40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. Serve either hot or cold, cut into slices.
Chargrilled Pork Fillet With Apple Sauce
Chargrilled Pork Fillet With Apple Sauce
serves 4
Ingredients
450g/1lb pork fillet, trimmed
150ml/5fl oz cider
1 tablespoon light muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary sprigs, bruised
2 tablespoons olive oil
finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons golden sultanas
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 dessert apples
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Trim the pork fillets of any fat, and cut into 1cm/1/2in thick rounds before placing in a bowl. Mix together half of the the cider with the sugar, mustard, garlic, rosemary sprigs, oil, half of the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Pour over the pork, and rub all over the meat. Cover and chill until needed.
• To make the sauce, put the remaining lemon zest in a small mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the remaining cider, the sultanas and thyme leaves. Peel, core and finely dice the apples, one at a time, mixing them in as you go. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Preheat the grill until hot. Remove the meat from its marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the meat under the grill for 3 minutes per side, removing as soon as it is just cooked through, so that it retains its tenderness. Serve with the apple sauce.
serves 4
Ingredients
450g/1lb pork fillet, trimmed
150ml/5fl oz cider
1 tablespoon light muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary sprigs, bruised
2 tablespoons olive oil
finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons golden sultanas
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 dessert apples
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Trim the pork fillets of any fat, and cut into 1cm/1/2in thick rounds before placing in a bowl. Mix together half of the the cider with the sugar, mustard, garlic, rosemary sprigs, oil, half of the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Pour over the pork, and rub all over the meat. Cover and chill until needed.
• To make the sauce, put the remaining lemon zest in a small mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the remaining cider, the sultanas and thyme leaves. Peel, core and finely dice the apples, one at a time, mixing them in as you go. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Preheat the grill until hot. Remove the meat from its marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the meat under the grill for 3 minutes per side, removing as soon as it is just cooked through, so that it retains its tenderness. Serve with the apple sauce.
Pork Tenderloin Diane
Pork Tenderloin Diane
serves 4
Ingredients
450g/1lb pork tenderloin, cut
crossways into 8 pieces
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
25g/1oz butter
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Press each tenderloin piece into a 2.5cm/1in thick medallion, and sprinkle the surfaces with lemon pepper.
• Melt the butter in large heavy- frying pan over a medium heat. Add the medallions and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and place on a serving platter. Cover to keep warm.
• Stir the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard into the juices in the pan. Cook, stirring, until heated through. Pour the sauce over the medallions, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.
serves 4
Ingredients
450g/1lb pork tenderloin, cut
crossways into 8 pieces
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
25g/1oz butter
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Press each tenderloin piece into a 2.5cm/1in thick medallion, and sprinkle the surfaces with lemon pepper.
• Melt the butter in large heavy- frying pan over a medium heat. Add the medallions and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and place on a serving platter. Cover to keep warm.
• Stir the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard into the juices in the pan. Cook, stirring, until heated through. Pour the sauce over the medallions, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.
Aubergine With Pork And Prawns
Aubergine With Pork And Prawns
serves 6
Ingredients
4 large aubergines
150g/5oz minced pork
200g/7oz prawns, peeled and deveined
3 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon malt vinegar
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons canned cooked soya beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas mark 8. Cook the aubergines whole in the oven or barbecue them directly over a strong heat until the skins are burnt. Toss the aubergines into cold water, then peel and cut the flesh into large pieces. Put the pieces in a serving dish.
• Mix the pork and prawns together. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Sauté the shallots in the oil until browned. Remove the shallots and drain on kitchen papper. Use the oil remaining in the pan to sauté the garlic. When the garlic is soft and golden, add the pork and prawn mixture and sauté for a few minutes over a medium heat.
• Add the vinegar, fish sauce, soya beans and sugar, and mix in well. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Top the aubergine pieces with the pork and prawn mixture, and sprinkle with the sugar. Serve hot.
serves 6
Ingredients
4 large aubergines
150g/5oz minced pork
200g/7oz prawns, peeled and deveined
3 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon malt vinegar
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons canned cooked soya beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas mark 8. Cook the aubergines whole in the oven or barbecue them directly over a strong heat until the skins are burnt. Toss the aubergines into cold water, then peel and cut the flesh into large pieces. Put the pieces in a serving dish.
• Mix the pork and prawns together. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Sauté the shallots in the oil until browned. Remove the shallots and drain on kitchen papper. Use the oil remaining in the pan to sauté the garlic. When the garlic is soft and golden, add the pork and prawn mixture and sauté for a few minutes over a medium heat.
• Add the vinegar, fish sauce, soya beans and sugar, and mix in well. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Top the aubergine pieces with the pork and prawn mixture, and sprinkle with the sugar. Serve hot.
Baked Cranberry Pork Chops
Baked Cranberry Pork Chops
serves 4
Ingredients
4 pork chops
1 teaspoon onion powder
300ml/10fl oz cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of ground nutmeg
250g/9oz carrots, cut into strips
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.
• Sprinkle the chops with the onion powder on both sides, and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the cranberry sauce, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons water for about 2 minutes until the cranberry sauce is melted.
• Put the carrots in a large casserole dish, and arrange the pork chops over the carrots. Spoon the cranberry sauce mixture evenly over the pork chops. Cover and bake the oven for about 45 minutes until the pork is thoroughly cooked.
• Remove the chops to a serving plate and scatter the carrots over them.
• Pour the sauce remaining in the casserole into a medium saucepan.
• Combine the cornflour with 1 tablespoon water to make a paste. Stir into the saucepan and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, until sauce is clear and thickened.
• Spoon over the pork chops and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately
serves 4
Ingredients
4 pork chops
1 teaspoon onion powder
300ml/10fl oz cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of ground nutmeg
250g/9oz carrots, cut into strips
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.
• Sprinkle the chops with the onion powder on both sides, and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the cranberry sauce, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons water for about 2 minutes until the cranberry sauce is melted.
• Put the carrots in a large casserole dish, and arrange the pork chops over the carrots. Spoon the cranberry sauce mixture evenly over the pork chops. Cover and bake the oven for about 45 minutes until the pork is thoroughly cooked.
• Remove the chops to a serving plate and scatter the carrots over them.
• Pour the sauce remaining in the casserole into a medium saucepan.
• Combine the cornflour with 1 tablespoon water to make a paste. Stir into the saucepan and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, until sauce is clear and thickened.
• Spoon over the pork chops and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately
White Pork With Pak Choi
White Pork With Pak Choi
serves 4
Ingredients
100g/4oz boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon cornflour
450g/1lb pak choi
3 tablespoons groundnut oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh root ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
50ml/2fl oz chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dry sherry
• Slice the pork against the grain into thin strips about 5cm/2in x 1cm/1/2in. Combine the cornflour with 11/2 tablespoons water to make a paste.
• Separate the outer fleshy stalks from the centre stalk of the pak choi and discard the centre stalk. Wash the outer stalks and diagonally slice into 8cm/3in pieces.
• Swirl the oil around in a very hot wok. When the oil begins to smoke, add the pork and stir-fry for about 1 minute until the meat is seared. Add the pak choi, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry until the green leaves are bright and shrivelled, stirring constantly.
• Add the salt, stock, sugar and sherry. When the liquid begins to boil, cover the wok and steam for 30 seconds or less on high heat, until the stalks are tender but still crisp.
• Remove the meat and vegetables using a slotted spoon and set aside. Stir the cornflour paste into the remaining cooking liquid to make a light sauce. Serve immediately.
serves 4
Ingredients
100g/4oz boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon cornflour
450g/1lb pak choi
3 tablespoons groundnut oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh root ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
50ml/2fl oz chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dry sherry
• Slice the pork against the grain into thin strips about 5cm/2in x 1cm/1/2in. Combine the cornflour with 11/2 tablespoons water to make a paste.
• Separate the outer fleshy stalks from the centre stalk of the pak choi and discard the centre stalk. Wash the outer stalks and diagonally slice into 8cm/3in pieces.
• Swirl the oil around in a very hot wok. When the oil begins to smoke, add the pork and stir-fry for about 1 minute until the meat is seared. Add the pak choi, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry until the green leaves are bright and shrivelled, stirring constantly.
• Add the salt, stock, sugar and sherry. When the liquid begins to boil, cover the wok and steam for 30 seconds or less on high heat, until the stalks are tender but still crisp.
• Remove the meat and vegetables using a slotted spoon and set aside. Stir the cornflour paste into the remaining cooking liquid to make a light sauce. Serve immediately.
Pork With Stilton
Pork With Stilton
serves 4
Ingredients
350g/12oz boneless pork steaks,
cut into 1cm/1/2in cubes
plain flour for coating
25g/1oz butter
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
75ml/3fl oz red wine
75g/3oz Stilton cheese, crumbled
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the pork thoroughly in the seasoned flour. Heat the butter in a frying pan, and gently fry the pork until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon, and keep warm.
• Drain the fat from the pan and pour in the vinegar and wine. Stir, scraping up all the meat residues, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to very low, and stir in the Stilton until it has melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the sauce over the pork, then serve immediately
serves 4
Ingredients
350g/12oz boneless pork steaks,
cut into 1cm/1/2in cubes
plain flour for coating
25g/1oz butter
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
75ml/3fl oz red wine
75g/3oz Stilton cheese, crumbled
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the pork thoroughly in the seasoned flour. Heat the butter in a frying pan, and gently fry the pork until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon, and keep warm.
• Drain the fat from the pan and pour in the vinegar and wine. Stir, scraping up all the meat residues, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to very low, and stir in the Stilton until it has melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the sauce over the pork, then serve immediately
Pork And Brown Bean Sauce
Pork And Brown Bean Sauce
serves 4–6
Ingredients
50ml/2fl oz brown bean sauceA
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
175ml/6fl oz chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 spring onions, sliced, white and
green parts separated
650g/1lb 6oz minced pork
500g/1lb 2oz fresh noodles
• In a small bowl, combine the bean and hoisin sauces, stock and sugar, and mix until smooth.
• Heat a wok over a high heat, add the oil and swirl. Add the garlic and white part of the spring onions, and stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add the pork and stir-fry over a high heat for 3 minutes or until the meat has browned. Add the bean mixture, reduce the heat and simmer for 7–8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water for 4–5 minutes until tender. Drain and rinse, then serve with the pork
serves 4–6
Ingredients
50ml/2fl oz brown bean sauceA
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
175ml/6fl oz chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 spring onions, sliced, white and
green parts separated
650g/1lb 6oz minced pork
500g/1lb 2oz fresh noodles
• In a small bowl, combine the bean and hoisin sauces, stock and sugar, and mix until smooth.
• Heat a wok over a high heat, add the oil and swirl. Add the garlic and white part of the spring onions, and stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add the pork and stir-fry over a high heat for 3 minutes or until the meat has browned. Add the bean mixture, reduce the heat and simmer for 7–8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water for 4–5 minutes until tender. Drain and rinse, then serve with the pork
Roast Fillet Of Pork With Peaches
Roast Fillet Of Pork With Peaches
serves 6
Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
2 pork fillets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons clear honey
2 tablespoons water
3 peaches, halved and stoned Salt
• Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7. Grease a medium roasting tin.
• In a small bowl, mix the coriander, cinnamon and pepper. Lay the pork in the roasting tin, and sprinkle the mixed spices over the top. Spoon the oil over. Bake the pork in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the honey and water in a small pan, and warm very gently, stirring, until the honey has dissolved.
• After the first 20 minutes’ cooking time, put the peach halves, cut side up, around the pork. Pour the honey mixture over the pork and peaches,and season the pork with salt. Cook for a further 20 minutes, basting from time to time.
• Remove from the oven, and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving the pork accompanied by the peaches and pan juices.
serves 6
Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
2 pork fillets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons clear honey
2 tablespoons water
3 peaches, halved and stoned Salt
• Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7. Grease a medium roasting tin.
• In a small bowl, mix the coriander, cinnamon and pepper. Lay the pork in the roasting tin, and sprinkle the mixed spices over the top. Spoon the oil over. Bake the pork in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the honey and water in a small pan, and warm very gently, stirring, until the honey has dissolved.
• After the first 20 minutes’ cooking time, put the peach halves, cut side up, around the pork. Pour the honey mixture over the pork and peaches,and season the pork with salt. Cook for a further 20 minutes, basting from time to time.
• Remove from the oven, and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving the pork accompanied by the peaches and pan juices.
Italian Pork Escalopes
Italian Pork Escalopes
serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
small bunch of fresh sage leaves
4 pork escalopes, around
50g/2oz each
4 slices Parma ham
4 tablespoons grated Gruyère cheese
flour for dredging
150ml/5fl oz crème fraîche
50g/2oz spring onions, chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan. Sauté the garlic and sage leaves until golden brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Cool, reserving some for the garnish.
• Put each escalope between two pieces of cling film, and beat with a rolling pin until very thin.
• Put a slice of ham, 1 tablespoon of the Gruyère and some of the garlic and sage leaves on each escalope. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the pork in half and season again. Flatten the open edges with a knife to seal. Dust lightly with flour.
• Heat the remaining oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the pork for 3–4 minutes each side.
• Mix the crème fraîche, spring onions and vinegar together.
• Serve the pork, garnished with the reserved garlic and sage, and a grinding of pepper, and accompanied by the crème fraîche mixture
serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
small bunch of fresh sage leaves
4 pork escalopes, around
50g/2oz each
4 slices Parma ham
4 tablespoons grated Gruyère cheese
flour for dredging
150ml/5fl oz crème fraîche
50g/2oz spring onions, chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan. Sauté the garlic and sage leaves until golden brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Cool, reserving some for the garnish.
• Put each escalope between two pieces of cling film, and beat with a rolling pin until very thin.
• Put a slice of ham, 1 tablespoon of the Gruyère and some of the garlic and sage leaves on each escalope. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the pork in half and season again. Flatten the open edges with a knife to seal. Dust lightly with flour.
• Heat the remaining oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the pork for 3–4 minutes each side.
• Mix the crème fraîche, spring onions and vinegar together.
• Serve the pork, garnished with the reserved garlic and sage, and a grinding of pepper, and accompanied by the crème fraîche mixture
Sausage and Bean Casserole
Sausage and Bean Casserole
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 pepperoni sausages
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into strips
400g/14oz canned chopped plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
400g/14oz canned cooked cannellini beans
• Prick the sausages all over with a fork. Cook under a preheated grill for 10–12 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown all over. Set aside and keep warm.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and green pepper, and sweat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
• Add the tomatoes to the frying pan and leave the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until slightly thickened.
• Stir the sun-dried tomato paste, cannellini beans and reserved sausages into the mixture in the frying pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the mixture is piping hot. Add 4–5 tablespoons water if the mixture becomes too dry during cooking.
• Transfer the casserole to serving plates, and serve hot with mashed potato or rice.
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 pepperoni sausages
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into strips
400g/14oz canned chopped plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
400g/14oz canned cooked cannellini beans
• Prick the sausages all over with a fork. Cook under a preheated grill for 10–12 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown all over. Set aside and keep warm.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and green pepper, and sweat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
• Add the tomatoes to the frying pan and leave the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until slightly thickened.
• Stir the sun-dried tomato paste, cannellini beans and reserved sausages into the mixture in the frying pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the mixture is piping hot. Add 4–5 tablespoons water if the mixture becomes too dry during cooking.
• Transfer the casserole to serving plates, and serve hot with mashed potato or rice.