Latest News

I like The Globe and Mail newspaper, I really do. I like it enough that it's the only daily I receive six days a week -- they don't publish The Globe on Sundays -- and I like it enough to on occasion write for it. I've worked with many an editor there and they've pretty much all been creative, considerate and kind people.

 Kansas City still holds many mysteries to me. Like the venerable downtown saloon, The Quaff Buffet, right, at 1010 Broadway. The current owners have operated the Quaff since 1954, but the b

Filed under: Business, North America, United States

It's not exactly a surprise: foreign spending on U.S.-related travel is down sharply year-over-year. In May this year, foreigners dropped $9.5 billion on travel to the United States and tourism within the country. This is down 22 percent from May 2008. according to the Department of Commerce. A global recession triggered by last year's financial crisis (duh) has made travel relatively more expensive, despite the fact that it's generally cheaper. After all, a trans-Atlantic flight for $10 is worthless if you only have $1.

People traveling to the United States spent $2.1 billion last May, a decline of more than 22 percent. Other travel and tourism goods and services accounted for $7.5 billion - off 23 percent year-over-year. This is the seventh month in a row in which travel spending to and within the United States fell, and the trend has accelerated since November 2008. Single-digit declines ended in February 2009, and a 15 percent drop in April preceded May's total 22 percent decline.

So, if you aren't hearing as many fun accents at your local restaurant, this is the reason why. Travel discounts, sometimes, aren't enough to offset financial calamity ... a fact that industry has come to know all too well.

Foreigners spend $9.5bn on travel to and in the U.S., down 22% originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Qualcomm is no stranger to legal action, but at the end of the day, you've gotta hit 'em in the pocketbook if you want to get a company to change its ways. South Korea's antitrust authorities have decided that the wireless chipmaker is guilty of some nefarious deeds, imposing a $260 billion won fine -- that's 26 with ten zeroes after it -- or about $209 million, which is a new record for the agency. The company has a rather large operation in South Korea dealing with giants Samsung and LG, and that seems to be where the problem starts -- South Korea claims that they're offering better contracts to companies who deal exclusively with Qualcomm and shun its competitors, which the government is taking issue with. For its part, Qualcomm denies any wrongdoing and is vowing to "vigorously" defend itself as it works its way through the country's court system. Whatever, we just want cheaper phones, you know?

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

South Korea slaps Qualcomm with massive fine for anticompetitive behavior originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Now this is how you cut a trailer for a video game starring a spy out for revenge. Sure, it might not be bursting with new footage, but wow if it doesn't convey the spirit and -- from what we've seen first-hand -- the impact of Splinter Cell: Conviction. "Badass: The Game," indeed. We'd also like to consider the above video a public service announcement ... one with the message of, "Don't piss off Sam Fisher. No, really. Don't."

Splinter Cell: Conviction Comic-Con trailer is packed with action, accolades originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: North America, United States, Hotels and Accommodations

When I travel outside of the US, I often try to stay at bed and breakfasts. I love the personal attention I get at a b&b. I like the inside tips I get from the owners, who are usually more than happy to sit and chat over a glass of wine and offer recommendations on where to go and what to see in their city. I prefer staying in one of a city's neighborhoods, rather than downtown, so I can imagine what life would be like if I actually lived there. And I like feeling as though the owners really care that I am there, rather than that I am just one of the many faceless guests at a hotel. These b&bs tend to be simply decorated, with modern furnishings. They're relaxed, informal places where I can just as easily make friends with fellow travelers as I can keep to myself and enjoy my privacy.

Unfortunately, it seems that in the states, b&bs are envisioned as places overtaken by calico and creaky antique furniture, where "wine and cheese" hour strikes fear in the heart at the thought of awkward, enforced socialization and boring conversation with the far too perky elderly innkeepers. And that may certainly be the case at many bed and breakfasts around the world. But fear not, if you're planning a trip to Chicago there are several stylish, accommodating options for fun, relaxing b&b stays around the city. Here are just a few.

Continue reading Chicago bed and breakfasts offer a hotel alternative

Chicago bed and breakfasts offer a hotel alternative originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Oh sure, outfits have claimed to ship kitchen-friendly TV sets before, but Toshiba just made 'em all look silly with the introduction of the 19LV612U. Less formally known as the first member of the Stainless Style TV series, this 18.5-inch set packs a built-in slot-loading DVD player, integrated ATSC / NTSC / QAM TV tuner and a 1,366 x 768 native resolution. Oh, and then there's the seductive stainless steel coating, which makes it fit in impeccably well with your modern day dishwasher, refrigerator and microwave oven. Other specs include 300 nits of brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, five millisecond response time, HDMI / VGA inputs, a headphone jack and VESA mount support. It's expected to ruin meals regularly starting this September for $349.99

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, Household

Toshiba's Stainless Style 720p HDTV redefines kitchenware originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It's almost too cute to eat. But how do you make this? Is it wheat, white and pumpernickel? Just food coloring? I want to knooooow.

Contribute: Add an image, link, video or comment »

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/HTC_Hero_review_2'; The HTC Hero has been an object of lust for some time now for gadget enthusiasts. Even from the earliest days of leaked hardware shots and blurry demo videos of its UI, smartphone fans seemed to agree that the company had finally achieved what has been missing in the world of Android. Namely, a polished and attractive device -- polished enough to go head-to-head with the iPhone -- that kept its open source heart. So, here we are months later with an actual, bona fide Hero in our midst. Yes the reports were true, it is a beautiful device, both inside and out (though of course opinions differ on that chin). But does being a beautiful device mean Android is about to move to a bigger stage? Is HTC's spit-shine enough to overcome some of the hurdles that have plagued the platform? That question -- and more -- is answered in the text below, so read on for the full review.

Continue reading HTC Hero review

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Hero review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Firefox only (Win/Mac/Linux): Have you ever noticed how some web sites automatically reload the page every minute or two? It's frustrating, unnecessary, and thankfully can be easily disabled in...

Filed under: Hiking, North America, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Camping

A few weeks ago, friends and I hiked to the top of a local mountain range, and picnicked beside a fire lookout tower. Quite the view. That's exactly why it's home to a fire lookout tower, after all.

Which makes the next thing that I learned pretty nifty: you can camp overnight at some of these towers.

For only $25-75 per night, you can practically have a whole mountain to yourself (or at least feel like it). I haven't stayed at any myself, but I'm imagining them as a camper or hiker's dream--no neighbors singing camp songs til the wee hours, and you have a jump start on the trails in the morning.

Some are set atop high platforms and others are more low to the ground. Many can only be reached by foot, and you're not guaranteed running water or electricity, but you'll often find a mattress and a propane or wood-burning stove there.

You can check out the options on the National Historic Lookout Register and then rent them through Recreation.gov. The rentable towers are not in every state; of the states with towers for rent, Idaho seems to come in the cheapest at $25/night.

A room with a view: camp overnight at a fire lookout tower originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

When we first got our hands-on the 400 disc MegaChanger pictured above we'd hoped it would be out a little earlier; but never the less the wait is almost over as Sony officially announced plans to release the BDP-CX7000ES in August, for the hard to swallow price of $1,900 -- about $400 less than rumored. The good news is that it does just about everything we can think of, like handle any Blu-ray Disc, DVD or CD with ease, and of course works with the latest codecs delivered via bitstream or LPCM. Now if you just have to have a Blu-ray changer, but wish it was half the price, you can wait a few more months for the BDP-CX960 for $800. You will however have to be willing to forgo things like RS-232 and IR-in, as well as the ES badge. Also shipping in August with the ES MegaChanger is the BDP-S1000ES. This standalone Blu-ray player is at the top of line and for $700 you get just about every feature and spec Blu-ray has to offer, as well as built-in WiFi and a DLNA client. The full details of all three are in the release after the jump.

Continue reading Sony's Blu-ray MegaChanger hits the streets next month with new ES standalone

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Sony's Blu-ray MegaChanger hits the streets next month with new ES standalone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EA's piracy demo program apparently paid off as Gamasutra reports The Sims 3 sold 820,000 retail copies this June in the US. Digging a little deeper into the numbers, the site believes the game has hit 2.5 million sales globally, which means it may reach analyst projections of 4 million units cha-chinged by year's end.

With vampires, built-in microtransactions, and an inevitable assembly line of expansion packs planned, The Sims 3 has only begun to pour coal into its money train. How does one say "bagiggles of cash" in Simlish?

Sims 3 sells over 800K copies in US first month originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Because Comic Con is not nerdy enough, they made a flow chart for it.

Contribute: Add an image, link, video or comment »

Meat sticks with a side of...cancer?

Los Angeles Times reports that a vegan advocacy group wants to put cancer-risk warning labels on hot dog packages sold in New Jersey. The Cancer Project is filing a lawsuit against five major food companies—Nathan’s Famous, Kraft Foods/Oscar Mayer, Sara Lee, Con Agra Foods, and Marathon Enterprises—on behalf of three New Jersey residents who bought these companies hot dogs without knowing that the hot dogs are a cause of colorectal cancer. Neal Barnard, M.D., president of the Cancer Project, compares the health risk of eating hot dogs to the lung cancer risk posed when smoking cigarettes, and says that the same information should be made available to customers who eat hot dogs.

Do you think hot dogs should carry warning labels? Are there other foods that you think should have labels?

"An episode of brotherly love."

Top Chef Masters soldiers on. Tonight's competition marked the last of six four-way faceoffs, each qualifying a chef for the Champions Round. Next week, we'll see these six chefs go head-to-head—but this Wednesday, there was still one more slot to fill.

The Contestants (above, from left)

Roy Yamaguchi: Roy’s; Imua Family Services
Jonathan Waxman: Barbuto; Meals on Wheels
Art Smith: Table Fifty-Two, Art and Soul; Common Threads
Michael Cimarusti: Providence; Grameen Foundation

Quickfire Challenge:

Another blast from Top Chef past—the Aisle Trial. Chefs were each assigned a single aisle at Whole Foods, and could use only ingredients found in that aisle (and purchased with just $20) in their Quickfire dish. The judges? Whole Foods employees.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

“I don’t open jars. I don’t open cans. I don’t deal with that kind of thing," Jonathan Waxman ventured nervously. His mint, roasted pepper and lentil salad won three and a half stars. Roy Yamaguchi felt out of sorts in the Italian aisle, but pulled together a pasta with fried egg and "Asian flavors," for four stars. "This is so weird," said one judge. "I've never had eggs on pasta before!"

Art Smith's multi-grain risotto earned four stars for its texture and crunch, but the five-star prize went to Michael Cimarusti, for a whipped chocolate parfait with ginger-Sauternes syrup and sesame crackers. "My wife is a pastry chef," he said proudly. "I don't mess with that in the kitchen at home." It must have rubbed off.

Elimination Challenge:

Each chef was sent to Whole Foods to pick out a set of ingredients—for another chef. In a regular episode of Top Chef, this would be a recipe for disaster. ("Soy sauce, blue cheese, and Cool Whip! Suck it, Ilan!") But for the most part, these chefs doled out goods they'd grab for themselves: high-quality proteins, interesting veggies, nothing too bizarre. "For professional chefs," Waxman said, "the word ‘sabotage’ does not exist.” He's clearly never met Hosea and Stefan.

• Roy Yamaguchi tuned out a surf-and-turf: short rib with garlic chili paste, and a lemongrass-crusted mahi mahi. The judges appreciated his flavors but noted that he seemed frazzled and totally off his game, with some meats overcooked, others underdone. "You could taste the tension," Oseland said. Fifteen stars, and he's out.
• Michael Cimarusti served tender lamb medallions over a sunchoke puree, which Oseland didn't mind, but noted that "nothing tasted incredibly delicious." And he didn't finish saucing the plates. Seventeen and a half—also gone.
• Jonathan Waxman went for an admittedly "retro" grilled pork chop, paired with sausage and served with a truffle-topped cauliflower and celery root puree. He suffered from mild plating issues—the red wine reduction ran all over the place—but got points for flavor and execution. Twenty stars.

The Verdict:

But the prize went to Smith, whose fried chicken two ways and tiny mango pie delighted the diners and charmed the judges. "This oozes Art Smith," Gail Simmons gushed. He teared up in delight—and the chefs applauded.

We ended up with another episode of brotherly love. “You all took care of each other!” said Gael One. “I’ve never seen this before!” gasped Gail Two. No evil ingredients, no death wishes, no trash-talking. These were chefs who clearly respected each other. (As well they should.)

So we're left with the All-Star Six: Art Smith, Michael Chiarello, Rick Bayless, Anita Lo, Hubert Keller, and Suzanne Tracht. Expect this competition to get a lot more heated.

After buck night at The K, a lot of people wish hot dogs came with warnings. And if the Cancer Project in New Jersey gets its wish, hot dog packaging would come with the following label: "Warning: Con

Get an early start on this year's holiday gifts with a pear grown in a bottle. Of course, there's also going to be some "high value" alcohol added to that bottle, but that comes after all the growing and ripening. Ed Gowans, a food and beverage photographer in the Northwest, explains his hobby in great detail; pears grown in bottles is actually a pretty cool idea. It also seems like a good way to keep squirrels, birds, and other wildlife from getting to them, no?

Now if I only had a pear tree. (And, why not, a partridge.) Has anyone else tried this with pears or other edibles? The video, after the jump.

How to Grow a Pear in a Bottle

From Recipes

Photographs by Robyn Lee

Whenever I went on a school field trip as a wee lass in Long Island, my mom would send me off with the quintessential Korean packed lunch: kimbap (pronounced keem-bahp). Many of you might know this as "Korean sushi," but I was actually kind of surprised when I first heard the term. Although I love and eat both, I would never have thought to describe kimbap that way.

What's Inside Kimbap?

Essentially, kimbap is made from white rice and various other yummies of your choice, which are then all rolled up in some kim (pronounced kheem), or roasted seaweed. You can use nori as well.

In the kimbap-making session at Serious Eats World HQ, I included bulgogi, takuan, spinach, carrots, and odeng, but this is just one possible combination out of the millions that exist. Possible additions include:

• Egg
• Cucumber
• Spam
• Kimchi
• Chinese sausage
• Spicy canned tuna
• Fish surimi (artificial/imitation crab meat)

Kimbap-making is a bit of a process in that you have to get all your ingredients prepped and ready before you're ready to do the whole shebang. Using the photo above, I'll go over the ingredients—starting with the rice, and moving clockwise. To make four rolls (enough for four people, unless you're a monster), have four cups of cooked white short-grain rice at the ready. Ideally, it will be warm (not hot or cold!), because you want it to be easy to spread out on the kim.

Next, the spinach. I used adult spinach, leaving the leaves whole and only trimming the stems by a few inches. Blanch or gently sauté the spinach in a little bit of sesame oil. The spinach should be fully wilted after cooking. Mix in sesame seeds if you like.

Take the julienned carrots and sauté those in sesame oil as well. You could blanch these, too, but I think it's easier to sauté them. The goal is to take out a bit of the carrots' raw crunch, so a couple of minutes on medium heat should do the job.

The odeng is easy peasy. It comes ready to eat and packaged as a halved log. Just slice them an 1/8 inch thick (go thicker if you like) to produce thin half moon pieces, then slice those in half lengthwise. You could also prepare the takuan that way, but the more traditional preparation is what seems to be, in terms of French technique, the allumette cut. Basically, it's a thicker julienne cut, and if you're not in a rush, I suggest taking the time to do it; the kimbap will look better and be easier to roll.

Finally, the bulgogi! I bought some from a local Korean place, right around the corner from the office, but for those that want to make their own, you can try this beef bulgogi recipe.

Kimbap Assembly

Lay out a piece of kim in front of you on the bamboo mat. Take approximately 1 cup of rice and spread evenly over the bottom 2/3 of the sheet, leaving a 3/4 inch border of rice-less space. If you have a rice paddle, this is the time to use it. If you don't, no worries—just use your fingers or a plain old spoon. Your kim now has a rice blanket ready to be seasoned. Sparingly brush sesame oil over the rice blanket. (Be careful, because too much sesame oil can be overpowering.) Sprinkle some salt over that and you're ready to fill.

With about an inch of empty rice space at the bottom, place the filling ingredients on top of and next to each other. They want to be close together, but since it is logistically impossible to have a Jenga tower of kimbap filling,"on top of and next to each other" is the next best thing. See, Mr. Odeng is sad he is not closer to the bulgogi!

Now that you have all your fillings set and ready to go, get ready to roll. Your palms may sweat and your stomach may feel queasy, but it's okay—we can do this! Slowly and gently roll over the bamboo mat end that is closest to you, and keep rolling while pulling back that same bamboo mat edge. Once you've started the roll, the roll shape should be maintained. After fully encircling the kimbap filling (visual confirmation is suggested), give a couple of extra squeezes with your hands to firm up the roll. At this point, you can check to see if the edges of the kim are sticking together. If the bond is too loose and your kimbap are about to erupt, use a couple of grains of rice as glue.

Remove the bamboo mat, and get ready to slice up the kimbap. Keep a paper towel soaked with some sesame oil nearby to wipe your knife. You'll need to wipe it every so often to keep the knife from getting too sticky. And that's it! Let the kimbap feast commence!

Kimbap is so versatile. Its packing-friendly shape and easy deliciousness make it ready for picnics in the park, beach excursions, road trips, and any transportation situation. So try your hand at making some and let me know how it goes, especially if you have any tips for the other newbies out there. Have a kimboperiffic day!

From Recipes

Pasta carbonara is one of my favorite meals. A simple, fast, and utterly satisfying concoction, it is probably my number one comfort food. So I don't take all that kindly to recipes that mess with a good thing. Still, a few zucchini from the farmer's market were tempting me, and adding something a little green to my dinner probably wasn't the worst idea. So this Jamie Oliver recipe, a carbonara with the addition of zucchini and fresh thyme, seemed like a good fit.

Turns out that zucchini is a perfectly tasty companion for carbonara. My only real objection in this recipe's deviation from the original formula is the use of heavy cream—the carbonara crutch. Authentic pasta carbonara shouldn't contain cream at all; the silky texture ought to come from the egg yolks, cheese, and pasta cooking water, which combine with the hot pasta and melt (not scramble) into something unctuous and rich. I left it out of the recipe, and all was well.

Courgette Carbonara

-serves 4-

Adapted from JamieOliver.com

Ingredients

6 medium zucchini
1 pound penne
5 egg yolks
2 good handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 thick slices of bacon or pancetta, cut into thick lardons
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

1. Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. Cook the penne until al dente.

2. In the meantime, slice the zucchini into half moons 1/4-inch thick. Combine the egg yolks in a bowl with half the Parmesan and plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. Stir with a fork to combine and set aside.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Fry the bacon or pancetta until browned and beginning to crisp, then add the zucchini and thyme. Stir to coat the zucchini with the rendered fat and cook for a few additional minutes until it begins to soften but hasn't gone limp.

4. Drain the pasta, reserving a mugful of pasta water, and return to the cooking pot. Add a splash of the pasta water to the egg yolk mixture to loosen it into a sauce, then pour it over the pasta along with the bacon and zucchini. Toss the whole thing to combine as the ingredients meld together, adding additional pasta water if needed to achieve a creamy texture. Serve with the remaining cheese.