There is a very useful webpage for those who miss an envirnment full of tools and information about learning English. This page is part of the BBC group.
By the way, BBC is the British Broadcast Corporation. It's the world largest broadcating corporation. Imagine something 5 times bigger than Organizações Globo in Brazil.
BBC is divided in the following groups: Journalism (incorporates News, Sport, Global News and Nations and Regions), Vision (incorporates all TV production), Audio and Music (incorporates all radio production, music commissioning and BBC Radio Resources) and Future Media and Technology (Incorporates New Media, R&D, Information and Archives).
The journalistic part has the internet website as the most popular English page in the world. Inside www.bbc.co.uk we can access the service i had mentioned above www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
Go and explore the whole page. You're gonna find unlimited ways of getting in touch with real English and consequently improving your skills.
Have fun!!!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Smartphones Review
Rivals: Samsung Omnia versus iPhone 3GThe Samung i900 Omnia is a valiant attempt at a touchscreen phone. Take a look at the adverts for the handset -- it's all about the touch. How does it stack up against the iPhone 3G? Read on to find out.
Look & Feel
The dimensions of Samsung's i900 Omnia are very similar to that of the iPhone 3G -- 112 x 56.9 x 12.5mm versus 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm -- and is slightly lighter at 125g versus 133g.
With most of the front of the handset given over to the touchscreen, it looks fairly similar to the iPhone, too.
Screen
Just a third of an inch separates the screen sizes, with the Omnia's 3.2-inch display being the smaller.
Samsung states the screen resolution as WQVGA, which could be 480×272 but is a rather vague description. At that resolution, it doesn't beat the 480x320 of the iPhone. C'mon Samsung, give us the pixel count.
Camera
It's not difficult to trump the iPhone's camera, and the Omnia does so with a five megapixel camera boasting 4x digital zoom, auto focus, LED flash, various shot modes, photo effects and quality settings.
The iPhone 3G, by comparison, is still stuck with a bog standard two megapixel camera without any fancy features.
Multimedia
The Omnia can play back most music formats including MP3, AAC, WMA and MIDI, can play MPEG4, WMV, DivX, and other format videos, and record video in the MPEG4 format.
The iPhone handles just MP3 and AAC formats, and can play back MPEG4 video. It won't shoot video out of the box.
The Samsung Omnia boasts "3D sound technology", whatever that is. The iPhone does what a Video iPod does.
Navigation
The Omnia features A-GPS which can be used for navigation. The iPhone also has A-GPS which links in with Google Maps.
As the software currently stands, the Omnia may be more usable as a dedicated sat-nav system, whereas the iPhone can't offer automated turn-by-turn directions at present.
Communications
Both phones are 3G-enabled, able to run on the fastest HSDPA networks where available.
Both feature Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Operating System
The Samsung Omnia uses Windows Mobile Professional 6.1. There's no mention of additional software on top of that.
The iPhone 3G uses a version of OS X.
Storage
Both the Omnia and the iPhone 3G come with either 8GB or 16GB of user memory, but the Omnia has the advantage of microSD expansion.
Applications
The Omnia will have access to third-party applications developed for the Windows Mobile operating system, generally without restriction.
The iPhone 3G officially has access to Apple-approved applications from the iTunes App Store. Additional apps can be added to individual iPhones on an ad-hoc basis, and of course the handset can be jailbroken.
Pricing & Networks
In the UK, the Samsung Omnia is currently available on contract on O2, Orange, Vodafone, generally on 12 or 18 month contracts, with prices varying according to contract.
The iPhone 3G is only available from O2, either pay-as-you go for £349 (8GB) or £399 (16GB), or at a range of price points when taken with a contract.
Conclusion
Samsung's Omnia handset offers many of the same features as the iPhone, at least superficially. It has similar look and feel, better camera functionality, and wider multimedia support.
However, in the end it still comes down to usability. If you can get on with a Windows Mobile handset, go for it, but I reckon the iPhone's user interface, built on OS X, still wins by a mile.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
What to wear?
One of the biggest shocks when you arrive in a new country can be the clothes people are wearing. You may look fashionable at home, but you suddenly find you are behind the times or simply someone to laugh at when you arrive abroad. With this in mind, let's take a look at teenage fashion in the UK for girls.
One of the things that may shock an outsider most is piercings. These days it is not enough to simply wear rings in your ears. You will see many teenagers with rings in their navel, or belly button, nose, lip, or even their eyebrow. Ouch!
Some girls go for a 'glam' look. They wear T-shirts; trousers are usually preferred, blue or black, and the look is finished off with metallic bags and shoes and arms full of bracelets. Another alternative is the 'rocker' look. You start with a T-shirt of your favourite band and tight jeans or a long skirt. On top of this you can wear a denim jacket. Jewellery tends to be large and metallic, and to add colour, wear a scarf.
If neither of these is for you, why not go 'sporty'? T-shirts are usually tie-dyed in hot colours. Wear long shorts, short jeans or a denim skirt. And on your feet? Beach sandals, of course! If you prefer something more feminine, there's the 'girly' look. Skirts are long, to the floor. Wear a top with butterflies or flowers printed on it!
Finally, how about the 'Tom Boy' look? Wear flared jeans and a T-shirt with a logo. Don't forget your waistcoat, of course!
Follow the fashion tips above, and you shouldn't feel out of place. However, it's important to remember to wear clothes and choose a look that you feel comfortable with. Don't just be one of the crowd – be yourself!
One of the things that may shock an outsider most is piercings. These days it is not enough to simply wear rings in your ears. You will see many teenagers with rings in their navel, or belly button, nose, lip, or even their eyebrow. Ouch!
Some girls go for a 'glam' look. They wear T-shirts; trousers are usually preferred, blue or black, and the look is finished off with metallic bags and shoes and arms full of bracelets. Another alternative is the 'rocker' look. You start with a T-shirt of your favourite band and tight jeans or a long skirt. On top of this you can wear a denim jacket. Jewellery tends to be large and metallic, and to add colour, wear a scarf.
If neither of these is for you, why not go 'sporty'? T-shirts are usually tie-dyed in hot colours. Wear long shorts, short jeans or a denim skirt. And on your feet? Beach sandals, of course! If you prefer something more feminine, there's the 'girly' look. Skirts are long, to the floor. Wear a top with butterflies or flowers printed on it!
Finally, how about the 'Tom Boy' look? Wear flared jeans and a T-shirt with a logo. Don't forget your waistcoat, of course!
Follow the fashion tips above, and you shouldn't feel out of place. However, it's important to remember to wear clothes and choose a look that you feel comfortable with. Don't just be one of the crowd – be yourself!
P.S. Try not to imitate your favorite celebrity, they may mislead you to wrong look.
See above!!!
In the following countries English is spoken as the first language by the majority of population: Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom and United States of America.
That doesn't mean you're limited to speak English only with people from these countries and use the language only in these places.
In countries like India, Nigeria, Philippines and Pakistan you may be able to communicate in English without any problem. Although not all the people from those countries are literated in English.
You see! Just pick a country and get started reading and searching about it. I bet it's gonna be fun!
See you guys soon!
That doesn't mean you're limited to speak English only with people from these countries and use the language only in these places.
In countries like India, Nigeria, Philippines and Pakistan you may be able to communicate in English without any problem. Although not all the people from those countries are literated in English.
You see! Just pick a country and get started reading and searching about it. I bet it's gonna be fun!
See you guys soon!
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