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Wednesday 20 June 2012

Secrets of the Great Pyramid of Giza


Looming over desert sand on the bank of the River Nile, the 4,500-year old Great Pyramid of Giza is the only surviving relic of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.

Yet despite being visited by millions of tourists every year, and poked and prodded by modern-day archaeologists armed with the latest robot technology, the giant monument - built over 20 years as a tomb for Egyptian pharaoh Khufu (known as Cheops in Greek) - still holds tightly onto many of its secrets.

Day-trippers from Cairo who brave long ticket queues, hawkers and ill-tempered camels to explore inside often complain that they are rewarded with little more than a guided tour of an ill-lit, cramped and overcrowded passageway.

But much of the vast structure remains out of bounds to the visiting public as work continues to reveal hidden doors, secret chambers and painted hieroglyphs which give a tantalising glimpse into the ancient world.

The Great Pyramid was built in around 2570BC by gangs of up to 200,000 peasant workers, slaves and engineers who between them raised six million tons of limestone and granite blocks - weighing 2 tons each - to an original height of 146 metres.

The oldest and largest of the three pyramids at Giza, it was the tallest building in the world until Lincoln Cathedral was completed in 1300, and while it has lost six metres to erosion over the millennia it remains a stunning monument to human endeavour.

Victorian explorers revived interest in unraveling the pyramid's many enigmas. Their enthusiastic, if amateurish, exploits have since been superseded by scientists working under the supervision and control of Egyptian authorities.

Theories abound from the outlandish (two copper fittings found at the end of a recently mapped tunnel are power-points for alien technology) to the prosaic (they are merely ornamental). Some claim that the mythical Hall of Records - a great library of hidden treasures - lies in catacombs which riddle the ground below.

The most recent exploration - named the Djedi project after a mystic apparently consulted by the pyramid's original architects - was led by a team from Leeds. They used a bendy "micro-snake" camera that can see around corners to examine two mysterious shafts which lead from one of the three burial chambers to highly-polished stone doors. Images sent back revealed hieroglyphs written in red paint and unexplained lines scratched into the stone.

Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, described the doors as the pyramid's "last great mystery" hinting that they could lead to a secret room which has remained hidden for thousands of years.

But the Djedi team's research was halted by the civil unrest which led to the fall of President Hosni Mubarak last year and, with the political situation still hanging in the balance, their full findings have yet to be released.

In conspiracy-thriller ‘The Da Vinci Code’, Dan Brown's character Robert Langdon wondered aloud "if any of Harvard's revered Egyptologists had ever knocked on the door of a pyramid and expected an answer”.

Egypt must resolve its own modern-day political tangle before he, and the rest of the world, can finally find out.

Microsoft Surface biggest shake since the arrival of the iPad

Why Microsoft Surface could be the biggest shake-up in the tablet market since the arrival of the iPad

Surface tablet / PA

Microsoft has fired a warning shot across Apple's bows by announcing its own tablet computer which many experts believe could trouble the best-selling iPad.
The unveiling of the Surface device, with a 10.6 inch screen and built-in stand, marks the US tech giant's first entry into the tablet war, after previously relying on licensing its Windows software for use on hardware made by third-party manufacturers.


However, at yesterday's launch, Microsoft was coy on both pricing and the Surface release date with experts claiming the RT version will need to cost less than the iPad's cheapest £399 price to take off.



Microsoft expert Tom Warren, of theverge.com, said: "Microsoft's Surface tablet marks a massive shift for the company, no longer relying on its OEM partners to provide the hardware design and functionality of a Windows tablet. 



"With Surface, Microsoft has sent a clear signal that it's serious about tablets, and has set a benchmark for other hardware manufacturers to follow. The strategy is clearly a risky one, and we've yet to learn when the Surface will be available or its pricing. 



"If Microsoft prices this right then it looks to have a hit on its hands for consumers interested in Windows tablets. What remains to be seen is whether consumers crave a Windows tablet, or whether the iPad will continue to dominate tablet sales."



Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer holds the new Surface (Picture: Reuters)

While Microsoft has achieved massive sales success on the console hardware front with the Xbox 360, managing to rival Sony's PlayStation brand, a previous attempt to take on Apple by launching the Zune music player against the iPod didn't prove so popular.
But James Holland, of electricpig.co.uk, believes the announcement is actually a positive shot in the arm for Apple, which up until now has only faced slim competition from the slew of varying quality Google Android tablets on sale.
He explained: "Apple needed Microsoft to unveil the Surface tablet. Since its inception, the iPad has had very little competition, seen runaway success and defined a new category of portable devices. Now though, as the sheen of Apple's third generation tablet begins to wear thin, innovation in the sector is crucial.
"Google has so far failed to deliver much to inspire budding tableteers, or woo them from Apple's app-packed market place, healthy accessory ecosystem or beautiful industrial design. 

"Microsoft, however, seems to have the answer. Windows 8 ensures Microsoft Surface will have a ton of apps ready at launch, a good smattering of external connectors means peripheral manufacturers can speed new add-ons to store shelves, and the traditional Windows software inside should mean few compatibility concerns. 

"Top that off with inventive design and a svelte outward appearance, and with the right pricing Microsoft might just have an iPad antidote on its hands."

[Related Article: Factbox - Microsoft's Surface takes on Apple's iPad]

Mike Jennings, of PC Pro, agrees and believes Windows 8 could finally mark a turning point for Microsoft in the tablet space.

He said: "Much of what I’ve seen of Windows 8 so far suggests that it’s a far more comfortable OS with touch than with keyboard and mouse, and now it looks like Microsoft finally has a device to do its slick-looking OS justice. 

"I think Surface could, potentially, be the biggest shake-up in the tablet market since the iPad’s arrival – after all, few firms aside from Samsung have made waves on the Android side of things despite dozens of devices fighting for market share.

"There are also few companies that can compete with Apple when it comes to sheer reach and size, with Microsoft being one of them."

But he added: "That’s not to say there aren’t question marks over Surface and its success; as the iPad has demonstrated it’s all about the apps, and Microsoft needs killer apps, plenty of software and a huge amount of quality and variety to succeed. I expect Microsoft is working feverishly behind-the-scenes to get more apps ready for the device’s launch."

However, Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at Ovum isn't so sure. He feels the Microsoft device may struggle to live up to the initial hype and promise for the consumer - but should succeed in the business world.

Mr Dawson explained: "In theory, it delivers all the benefits of both the tablet-optimised environment and the classic desktop approach and apps, but in reality the versions available to try at the moment are a horrible mishmash of the two worlds that is likely to be confusing for the consumer.

"IT managers see this device in one of its versions as a replacement for the Windows computer, so it should see some decent desktop adoption. But whether it sees much consumer interest will depend entirely on price and whether Microsoft is able to fix the poor UI experience."
And Mr Dawson added the launch could even backfire if it causes bad feeling among the manufacturers of Windows tablets and laptops, seeing as Microsoft will now be competing against itself.

He explained: "On the hardware front, either they are not happy with the devices out there, or they are not satisfied with only taking a licence fee from selling Windows-based tablets.
"Either way, it is a huge vote of no confidence in its OEM partners, who should rightly feel slighted. It is rarely a good idea for an OS owner to start competing with its OEM partners, and this does not feel like an exception."
Microsoft's new tablet Surface is introduced during a press conference in Milky Studios in Hollywood, California. …

Running the upcoming Windows 8 operating system, due out later this year, Surface comes in two versions. The RT has a slimmed down mobile Metro' OS and is more of an iPad competitor, while the Pro version provides a full desktop experience.
It can then be paired with Microsoft's innovative cover, which like the Apple Smart Cover magnetically attaches to the tablet. It has both a trackpad and keyboard built-in to instantly turn the device into a portable PC.
The Pro also runs on a quad-core Intel i5 processor and will have 64GB or 128GB of storage so along with the keyboard attachment it can be pitted against many Ultrabook laptops

Friday 8 June 2012

Battersea Power Station set to be saved by Malaysian deal


RELATED QUOTES

SymbolPriceChange
DBK.DE28.54-0.14
LLOY.L28.010.01
^REURUSD1,153.930.00
A consortium backed by the Malaysian government has been named as the preferred bidder for Battersea power station in a £400m deal that could save the historic structure.
Property developers SP Setia and Sime Darby have entered exclusive talks to buy the building. The decision means Chelsea Football Club and its owner Roman Abramovich are likely to miss out on the 38-acre site after identifying it as a potential location for a new 60,000-seater stadium.
It is the first foray into the UK for SP Setia which has projects in Malaysia, Australia, and China while Sime Darby is Malaysia’s biggest conglomerate and the world’s biggest palm-oil producer.
Both companies are backed by the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Permodalan Nasional Berhad.
In a statement yesterday, the Malaysian consortium said it planned to “preserve the facade of the historical power plant with its iconic chimney stacks”. They have also committed to part-fund Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s plans to extend the Northern Line on the London Underground to Battersea power station.
“SP Setia’s and Sime Darby Property’s plans involve the development of a sustainable multi-use real estate regeneration project that will provide economic impetus for the creation of a new vibrant centre for south-west central London,” the statement said.
The Malaysian consortium, which is being advised by Deutsche Bank (Xetra: 514000 - news) fund manager RREEF, is understood to have significantly outbid Chelsea. It is planning to press ahead with the £5.5bn and 3,400-home development that was proposed by the previous owners.
The consortium now has 28 days to conduct due diligence and agree the final terms of the deal.
Wandsworth Council said the deal is “potentially very good news”. Battersea power station has lain dormant since 1983 despite various attempts to redevelop it. The Grade II-listed structure is the largest brick building in Europe (Chicago Options: ^REURUSD - news) .
The site was placed into administration last year with Ernst & Young after Lloyds Banking Group (LSE: LLOY.L - news) and Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency called in debt against the struggling Irish developer, Real Estate Opportunities, which controlled the power station.
In a statement, Chelsea said it was “disappointed” not to be selected as preferred bidder but that the Malaysian consortium must now “assimilate their risks properly and confirm the bid”.
Treasury Holdings, the former owner of the site before it was placed into administration, warned the deal had cost Irish and British taxpayers millions in administration fees and is “vastly inferior” to a deal it agreed with SP Setia last year to repay the Nama and Lloyds debt.
Nama and Lloyds declined to comment, but a source close to the organisations said: “Had they been presented with any realistic offers that would have resulted in repayment of our debt, they would have been keen to consider these.”