Monday, December 3, 2012

New Green Office Building Planned in Ciudad Empresarial Complex ...


Not surprising for a country with incredible natural beauty and a booming commercial real estate market, the green construction movement in Chile continues to take root.?? It has been announced that an important sustainable energy office building, the World Green Center, will be constructed in the Ciudad Empresarial in Huechuraba.
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The building, which will be developed by the Chilean investment firm Aurus and the Ciudad Empresarial and will require an investment of $75 million, is planned to have six floors and floor plans up to 3,600 square meters.?? The building will have 33,900 square meters of floor space.
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The project will have a number of environmentally friendly features.? According to the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio, the building itself will utilize geothermal energy and the project promoters plan to obtain Gold or Platinum LEED certification for the complex.? The area outside the building is proposed to have 16,500 square meters of green space, including a large number of trees and stepped green terraces.?? It is expected that once construction starts, the complex will take approximately 30 months to build.
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Apart from the World Green Center, Aurus and the Ciudad Empresarial plan to develop another green project as part of a $150 million, five year development alliance, the Terrazas building.?? The building, which reportedly will be the first building in Chile with a habitable upper rooftop terrace and will also seek LEED certification, will have six floors and require an investment of approximately $21 million.
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The Ciudad Empresarial, where the World Green Center and the Terrazas building will be located, is a commercial park with more than 50 buildings, including 8 new Class A buildings, and is home to more than 600 companies.?? In total the Ciudad Empresarial has 250,000 square meters of built and space and 10 hectares of green areas.
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The World Green Center and the Terrazas buildings will not be the first environmentally friendly buildings in Chile.? According to the website of the Green Building Council, there are a number of buildings in Chile with LEED certification, including:
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  • Banco BCI in Vitacura in Santiago (Gold Certification)
  • the Transoceanica Business Park in Santiago (Gold Certification)
  • the Titanium La Portada in Santiago (Gold Certification)
  • Edificio Costanera Cosas in Santiago (Gold Certification)
  • Edificio Fundaci?n de la Minera Escondida in Antofagasta (Gold Certification)
  • the Homecenter Sodimac in Copiap? (Silver Certification)
  • Edificio de la Construcci?n in Puerto Montt (Silver Certification)
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Green construction is likely to become increasingly important in Chile given Chile's high energy costs.??? Many office buildings in Chile have facades comprised of large glass panels, which result in high cooling bills during Chile's many months of warm weather and numerous days of direct sunlight.

Source: http://www.worldpropertychannel.com/latin-america-commercial-news/chile-world-green-center-ciudad-empresarial-huechuraba-leed-aurus-office-sustainable-energy-terrazas-el-mercurio-environmentally-friendly-6327.php

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Ashampoo Movie Shrink & Burn 3 Review [giveaway]

Playing video files that you have on your computer on another device, the living room DVD player for instance or your smartphone, is not really that easy of an operation as it should be. The main issue that you can run into here is compatibility. While your PC may play back all video files fine that you throw at it, your smartphone or DVD player won?t as they are expecting files to be in specific formats that they support.

Ashampoo Movie Shrink & Burn is a video converter for PC that you can use to convert videos into different formats, to burn them on disc to play them in hardware DVD players and to prepare them for video hosting sites such as YouTube.

When you start the application you are asked what you would like to do by selecting the device that you want to create movies for: DVD Player, Computer, PDA or Internet. PDA is the closest option to prepare your videos for smartphone playback.

ashampoo movie shrink burn

A wizard walks you after selection through the creation process. It is very detailed and while that is good for users who run the program for the first time, I?d wish there was an option to configure everything on a single page or two instead.

If you want to burn videos to play on your DVD Player for instance, you will be guided through the following pages:

  • First question is whether you want to burn movies or create movie files. The first creates and burns the DVD, the second only creates the files that you need to burn it.
  • Then you are asked about the format that you want the DVD to be in. This includes a standard video DVD that plays on all DVD players and computers, or Video CD, Super Video CD or Divx compatible CD, DVD or Blu-Ray. The compression level and compatibility is displayed on this page as well.
  • Once you have made that decision, you are asked to select whether you want it to be PAL or NTSC compatible, and whether you want the files to be available in 4:3 or 16:9 format.
  • After having inserted a blank disc into the drive you are taken to the file selection screen where you can add video files that are stored on your local system. This puzzled me a bit as the file browser did not display all supported files by default. I had to switch from ?all supported files? to ?all files? in the browser to see avi files for instance. What I like is that the program will automatically adjust the quality of each video that you add so that your whole selection fits on the disc which means that you can put a lot of videos on a DVD for instance with lower quality, or only some but with closer to their original quality.
  • You are then asked to pick a menu theme or disable the menu. A couple of themes are available which all seem to show moving pictures. They look pretty good all in all.

The process of converting and burning the video files did not tax the computer to much and was sufficiently fast. The video and audio were out of sync after the conversion, which again may have been caused by a missing codec.While that is easy enough to fix by adjusting the audio stream accordingly in the program you are using to watch it, it is something that I?d not expect from the program.

The program, from what I can tell, works with MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, Windows Media Video (wmv) and Apple QuickTime (mov) files out of the box. It seems that you need to have a codec installed for other video formats. This should not be a problem on most systems unless you are using a video player with binary codecs like I do.

What appears to be working however is to convert files first into one of the supported formats before you burn them to DVD. While that means an extra step it worked fine for me on the test system.

One interesting option that the program makes available is the ability to split large video files on to multiple DVDs to avoid quality loss.

The Internet conversion options are quite good as they let you convert videos for maximum compatibility with popular video hosting services such as YouTube, Dailymotion or MetaCafe.

Ashampoo Movie Shrink & Burn should work without issues experienced above on most systems. If you are experiencing the issues, try the workaround which should resolve the audio out of sync problem. A couple of features are missing that I?d like to see supported, like support for subtitles or multiple audio tracks.

Giveaway

We have ten copies of Ashampoo Movie Shrink &? Burn 3 for this giveaway. To win a license for the program, simply let us know which program you are currently using to burn and convert videos.

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ using the icons below.
Ashampoo Core Tuner 2 Review And Giveaway
DVD Author Plus: create a movie DVD from video files
Video to Video Converter review
Video Converter for Windows Review And Giveaway [Ghacks Christmas Giveaway]
Burn videos to DVD with Freemake Video Converter


About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.

Source: http://www.ghacks.net/2012/12/02/ashampoo-movie-shrink-burn-3-review-giveaway/

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Have Venusian volcanoes been caught in the act?

ScienceDaily (Dec. 3, 2012) ? Six years of observations by the European Space Agency's Venus Express have shown large changes in the sulphur dioxide content of the planet's atmosphere, and one intriguing possible explanation is volcanic eruptions.

The thick atmosphere of Venus contains over a million times as much sulphur dioxide as Earth's, where almost all of the pungent, toxic gas is generated by volcanic activity.

Most of the sulphur dioxide on Venus is hidden below the planet's dense upper cloud deck, because the gas is readily destroyed by sunlight.

That means any sulphur dioxide detected in Venus' upper atmosphere above the cloud deck must have been recently supplied from below.

Venus is covered in hundreds of volcanoes, but whether they remain active today is much debated, providing an important scientific goal for Venus Express.

The mission has already found clues pointing to volcanism on geologically recent timescales, within the last few hundreds of thousands to millions of years.

A previous analysis of infrared radiation from the surface pointed to lava flows atop a volcano with a composition distinct from those of their surroundings, suggesting that the volcano had erupted in the planet's recent past.

Now, an analysis of sulphur dioxide concentration in the upper atmosphere over six years provides another clue.

Immediately after arriving at Venus in 2006, the spacecraft recorded a significant increase in the average density of sulphur dioxide in the upper atmosphere, followed by a sharp decrease to values roughly ten times lower by today.

A similar fall was also seen during NASA's Pioneer Venus mission, which orbited the planet from 1978 to 1992.

At that time, the preferred explanation was an earlier injection of sulphur dioxide from one or more volcanoes, with Pioneer Venus arriving in time for the decline.

"If you see a sulphur dioxide increase in the upper atmosphere, you know that something has brought it up recently, because individual molecules are destroyed there by sunlight after just a couple of days," says Dr Emmanuel Marcq of Laboratoire Atmosph?res, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, France, and lead author of the paper published in Nature Geoscience.

"A volcanic eruption could act like a piston to blast sulphur dioxide up to these levels, but peculiarities in the circulation of the planet that we don't yet fully understand could also mix the gas to reproduce the same result," adds co-author Dr Jean-Loup Bertaux, Principal Investigator for the instrument on Venus Express that made the detections.

Venus has a 'super-rotating' atmosphere that whips around the planet in just four Earth-days, much faster than the 243 days the planet takes to complete one rotation about its axis.

Such rapid atmospheric circulation spreads the sulphur dioxide around, making it difficult to isolate any individual points of origin for the gas.

Dr Marcq's team speculate that if volcanism was responsible for the initial increase, then it could come from a relatively gentle increased output of several active volcanoes rather than one dramatic eruption.

"Alternatively, and taking into account the similar trend observed by Pioneer Venus, it's possible that we are seeing decadal-scale variability in the circulation of the atmosphere, which is turning out to be even more complex than we could ever have imagined," he notes.

"By following clues left by trace gases in the atmosphere, we are uncovering the way Venus works, which could point us to the smoking gun of active volcanism," adds H?kan Svedhem, ESA's Project Scientist for Venus Express.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by European Space Agency (ESA).

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Emmanuel Marcq, Jean-Loup Bertaux, Franck Montmessin, Denis Belyaev. Variations of sulphur dioxide at the cloud top of Venus?s dynamic atmosphere. Nature Geoscience, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1650

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/nasa/~3/Q-RYjWUKzcw/121203081838.htm

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Sunday, December 2, 2012

Chiefs fans tailgate, mourn player murder-suicide

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, left, and coach Romeo Crennel stand together before an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, left, and coach Romeo Crennel stand together before an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

(AP) ? Fans grilled, played catch and enjoyed beverages on an unseasonably warm and sunny day outside Arrowhead Stadium, a little more than 24 hours after a Chiefs player killed himself nearby after shooting his girlfriend.

The festive atmosphere masked some of the pain Chiefs fans felt after hearing that linebacker Jovan Belcher had killed 22-year-old Kasandra M. Perkins then driven to the team practice facility and turned the gun on himself, orphaning the couple's infant daughter.

Coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli tried to stop Belcher, but instead watched as he shot himself in the head.

Before kickoff, the crowd was asked to observe a moment of silence for victims of domestic violence and their families. There was no mention of Belcher.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-02-Chiefs-Scene/id-a702047e3ad34411a36d75ea8b0a10d1

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Solutions In Personal Loan Singapore Clarified | Oister Site

Correspondent Carmelo J. P. Lujan-Thurman ? Individuals need funds for many different arguments. Anytime a need involves over the amount of money made, there is a necessity to make that cash via a home loan. Easy can be a this particular mortgage loan which can be widely used throughout Singapore. Historically, short term loan were definitely offered by finance institutions, only to men and women great incomes. In addition to banking institutions, consumers utilized to rely on many other sources like insurance providers, privately owned banking institutions plus small financers to enhance lending products.

Now, when using the development of numerous personal bankers as well as nationalized bankers, individual insurers aside from nationalized insurers just like Life insurance coverage Group of Singapore, Brand-new Singapore Self-assurance, Usa Singapore Insurance plan and quite a few some other privately owned banking companies close to, it is very straightforward to obtain a personal bank loan.

In todays world, intense importance of funds could occur right away. Signature loans are provided greatly on practical such sudden problems. Payday loans are quite beneficial in dealing with tiny economical demands which require prompt focus.

Among the many simplest ways of obtaining lending options is via lenders. For long periods, unsecured bank loans are actually synonymously connected with finance institutions. Bankers throughout Singapore, together confidential plus nationalized, give financial loans to their consumers.

Nevertheless, individuals must manifest as a thorough despite the fact that using unsecured loan Singapore. In the current economic marketplace, only a few financial institutions fee exact same awareness. Certain bankers cost bigger fascination with assessment to other banking institutions. Secret premiums together with stipulations connected with banks may also be very important. Often, these are missed through applicants, which should stop the case.

Any paid staff member can get the private loan product when comparing some people. Financial institutions look for basic safety and even paying back total capacity in personal loan more than anything else. A constant income will be an outstanding trying to repay limit of the people.

The volume of an individual can financial loan superior to anyone will depend after the actual trying to pay back capacity plus the set period to which the financial loan really needs to be reimbursed. The time period to which a lot of personal loan ought to be reimbursed is going to be via Year, Two years as well as Forty eight months more than a college that?s giving the personal loan.

Underneath these plans, very little property or perhaps assets is without a doubt used as a result of loan company and therefore, pay back ability to the individual is actually approved by using ranges much like the quantity of pay, loan companies transactions to get past Few months to at least one 365 days and even credit score.

Source: http://oister.org/?p=807

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7 missing in collapse of highway tunnel in Japan

AAA??Dec. 2, 2012?4:41 AM ET
7 missing in collapse of highway tunnel in Japan
By ELAINE KURTENBACHBy ELAINE KURTENBACH, Associated Press?THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STATEMENT OF NEWS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES?

This image taken from the monitoring camera of Central Nippon Expressway's Hachioji branch, Tokyo, shows the fallen roof panels in the Sasago Tunnel, Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. At least seven people were feared missing after parts of a tunnel collapsed Sunday on the highway west of Tokyo, trapping vehicles as smoke from a fire inside initially prevented rescuers from approaching. The words at bottom read: Sasago Tunnel (To Tokyo). (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, FRANCE, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA

This image taken from the monitoring camera of Central Nippon Expressway's Hachioji branch, Tokyo, shows the fallen roof panels in the Sasago Tunnel, Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. At least seven people were feared missing after parts of a tunnel collapsed Sunday on the highway west of Tokyo, trapping vehicles as smoke from a fire inside initially prevented rescuers from approaching. The words at bottom read: Sasago Tunnel (To Tokyo). (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, FRANCE, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA

Police officers and firefighters gather at the exit of the Sasago Tunnel on the Chuo Expressway in Otsuki, Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan, Sunday morning, Dec. 2, 2012. Police said that parts of the tunnel collapsed Sunday morning, trapping an unknown number of vehicles as smoke from a fire inside prevented rescuers from approaching. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, FRANCE, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA

Police vehicles are parked at the entrance as smoke billows out of the Sasago Tunnel on the Chuo Expressway in Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan, Sunday morning, Dec. 2, 2012. A part of the tunnel collapsed Sunday morning, possibly involving several vehicles and injuring several people, local media said. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, FRANCE, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA

Smoke billows out of the Sasago Tunnel on the Chuo Expressway in Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan, Sunday morning, Dec. 2, 2012. A part of the tunnel collapsed Sunday morning, possibly involving several vehicles and injuring several people, local media said. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, FRANCE, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA

(AP) ? At least seven people were feared missing Sunday after about 150 concrete panels fell from the roof of a tunnel on the main highway linking Tokyo with central Japan.

Efforts to rescue any survivors trapped inside the tunnel were hindered by heavy smoke after one vehicle caught fire inside the Sasago Tunnel, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) outside Tokyo.

Rescuers also temporarily suspended work because of fears of a further collapse. They were attempting to reach at least several vehicles believed buried in the rubble, including a truck whose driver was trapped inside and had called his company for help.

"I could hear voices of people calling for help, but the fire was just too strong," said a woman interviewed by public broadcaster NHK after she escaped from the tunnel.

Local media reported that at least three bodies had been found inside the tunnel. However, Norio Furusawa, a spokesman for the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, said he could not confirm that information.

Executives for Central Japan Expressway Co. said the company was investigating why the concrete panels had given way. A check of the tunnel's roof in September and October found nothing amiss, they said.

A woman who escaped from a rental car that was trapped in the 4.7-kilometer (3-mile) tunnel told authorities that she was unsure about the condition of five other people who had been in the vehicle with her. Two other vehicles were known to be buried in the rubble, suggesting at least seven people were trapped inside, according to a statement by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

It said two people were confirmed injured, one of them moderately.

The tunnel, which opened in 1977, is one of many in mountainous Japan. The location of the collapse, about 1.7 kilometers (a mile) inside the tunnel, was complicating rescue efforts, reports said.

Police vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances were massed outside the tunnel's entrance.

Associated PressNews Topics: General news, Tunnel collapses, Structural failures, Search and rescue efforts, Fires, Accidents and disasters, Concrete manufacturing, Accidents, Construction material manufacturing, Construction and engineering, Industrial products and services, Industries, Business, Materials

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-02-Japan-Tunnel%20Collapse/id-0099cf614e654934a613dce9cafd1ebd

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