Thursday, February 28, 2008

Real Alternative Fuel Sources

Real Alternative Fuel Sources by Joey White

A great deal of research has been conducted to investigate the viability of alternative fuel sources in a bid to break away from our current dependence upon fossil fuels which are finite, costly, and produce alarming levels of pollution. So called "bio fuels" which sought to utilise vegetable oil and similar products have not proven themselves to be hugely successful, due to their gross inefficiency high cost both in terms of initial price as well as running costs as well.

Solar powered cars have been dogged by the same problems, solar cars are fragile creations at best, requiring precise and delicate mechanisms and low weights, and are not suitable for long distance travelling or as a people carrier.

Thankfully, water, our dear old friend H20 has proven itself to be our lifeline for our fuel needs, thanks to the presence of hydrogen in the water. Traditional mechanised methods of distilling and creating hydrogen have came with their own host of problems, with a great deal of technical issues and safety considerations.

Hydrogen is an exceptionally volatile substance and so it is imperative that it is contained safely and in specialised containers and if hydrogen was to be utilised, these containers would have to be fixed to the car which poses concerns for the effectiveness and functionality of the car.
However, it now seems that a breakthrough for the development of water as a fuel source has been reached. By forcing water to react with the chemical element boron, this means that the water then becomes degraded into its respective components, hyrdrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen so produced can then be safely burnt in an internal combustion engine or fed to a fuel cell to generate electricity.

The use of boron would eliminate the need for the specialised containers mentioned earlier in this article, and would also be used to safely burn the hydrogen gas. Best of all, and this is the truly remarkable part, is that the only by product of the process would be boron oxide, formed when the hydrogen is passed through the boron.

The boron oxide can be removed from the engine, and then converted back into boron, thereby further increasing the longevity and durability of the combustor allowing for a huge savings in the end. This poses a very real and exciting development in water fuel technology, as it reduces a great deal of the issues and flaws that exist with current technology

Teaching a Philosophy Way of Life

Teaching a Philosophy Way of Life
by Leyla Najma


Through out the years of teaching I have found that philosophy is the glue that holds our Four Corner Stones of dance together. In class I try to teach my students that they must be aware of how to center themselves for their journey in our dance. I have found that when we forget who we are, the world around us affects our creativity and begins to pull us either in different directions or in a direction we didn't intend to go. So how do we remind ourselves to stay centered? It's a question I have thought of many times through out my travels in this dance. The best way to understand how we center ourselves is to take a look at our four corner stones and see what they each represent.

Let's start with our first corner stone "Emotion".

Our emotional state can fluctuate like a yo-yo. There have been many students who have walked in my studio and brought their issues and problems to the dance floor. Sometimes this will work in their favor and other times they fall apart in a middle of practice. I have seen women come to a venue carrying the weight of their emotional problems on their shoulders. The weight of the problem shows up immediately in the flow of their dance. If your emotions are tangled up than the flow of your dance becomes stagnant. On the other hand a dancer can take an issue and use the emotional intensity to her favor. If a dancer is centered than she will be able to use the force of her emotions to bring her audience to a heightened state of amazement.

Our second corner stone is the "Physical".

There are many reasons why dancers are attracted to belly dancing. For some it is a calling that is far reaching into the soul. For others it is a way to stay in shape, have some fun and make new friends. Most women enjoy the freedom that belly dance offers them from everyday life. In oursociety it is unfortunate that we are told how we should look. And even though we know better, there's that part of us that listens and believes what the magazines and mass media tells us. I will see beautiful women come to me to study dance and they all have one issue or another. How distorted our lives become depends on how distorted we see ourselves.

The amazing thing is that most of these women are drop dead gorgeous and talented dancers. Yet they don't understand that how they view themselves is going to show in their dance eventually. I can tell when the "burn out" stage is coming because most dancers become agitated at the dance world and can see no beauty in anything they do. This is because they don't see beauty in themselves. When a dancer is in a beautiful state of grace, she is sheer perfection.

Our 3rd corner stone is the "Spiritual".

This is the one corner stone that just seems to clarify everything that we do in our dance. If we neglect this particular corner stone, our peace is taken away and our dance becomes empty. The depth of each dancers conviction comes from her belief system. I myself can't do a good job of dancing if my soul is heavy with burdens. This is the one corner stone that I have found that many dancers go to when all else fails. Spirituality is the part of our dance that holds up even when the other corner stones falter. It is also the main part of our dance that makes us come alive. After all, when the choreography is done, we than breath life into our dance by celebrating life and dancing it on stage.

Our 4th corner stone is the "Mental".

I don't know about the rest of you but there have been a few times that I felt that my mind was trying to mess me up in my dance. Sometimes it even argues with my body. The mind is very important in dance but sometimes it can make us too technical. The dancers that most capture their audiences are the ones that flow with their choreography. Our mental corner stone is needed to keep us "sane" through out the learning process. But this one can also zone out. Your right becomes your left and body parts get all mixed up. Or you get on stage and your mind leaves you literally only to come back after you performed. No matter what though our mind is that part of us that remembers those great moves and with experience can help create a dynamic and memorable performance.

So now that we have looked at the Four Corner Stones in dance lets look at what philosophy is and why it's our glue. If you take all of life experiences, lessons learned and not learned and put them all together you have amazing, individual human beings. All of your travels and journeys through out your life make you what you are today. Did you know that it is what you represent as a human being that people see on stage? This is the glue that holds together your four corner stones.

The best way to remember to stay centered is to look in the mirror and see the miracle looking back at you. We all want to be well thought of by others but first we must think well of ourselves. Be grateful for all that you have in your life and just before you go out on stage or anywhere for that matter remember that you are representing your life up to that moment. Show the world that your life is worth telling and most of all worth remembering.

Healthy Diet Will Improve Intellect (10 Super Brain Foods)

Healthy Diet Will Improve Intellect (10 Super Brain Foods) by Cassaundra Flores

There are many foods that help improve the memory power. Consuming these foods not only greatly enhances the memory power of an individual, but assists all round growth of the individual. It is recommended that people consume a healthy diet to maintain a level of intelligence.

There are natural products without any artificial additives that help enrich a person's capabilities. For instance, high vitamin and protein rich foods are suggested to people whose performance is below average in an effort to boost their academic performance. This is a commonly accepted practice across the world.

Dieticians and physicians suggest the intake of proteins and vitamins with moderate quantity of carbohydrates in an effort to help people with poor intelligence levels. Similarly, there are some agents such as synthetic products that help improve the memory power. However, it is best suggested that people avoid artificial products and opt for natural ways of improving the intelligence and academic performance.

They include a variety of vegetables and fruits grown in organic manure. Avoid vegetables and fruits grown with fertilizers and artificial manures since they are laced with chemicals. At the most possible extent use naturally grown fruits and vegetables.

Some of the foods meant for super brains include chocolate, yogurt, spinach, egg plants, red cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, avocados, egg, green tea, pumpkin seeds, blackberries, strawberries, walnuts, almonds and cashews.

These foods meant for super brains contain a lot of minerals and vitamins that will assist the all round development of an individual. The lack or deficiency in any of these minerals or vitamins could result in poor health condition of the individuals. For instance, the deficiency of Vitamin A could result in night blindness among many people.

Doctors recommend food rich in Vitamin A in an effort to improve their condition. Similarly, people lacking Vitamin B are exposed to a condition called Beri Beri. The absence of Vitamin C causes scurvy, especially among the children. The lack of Vitamin D among people results in leads to certain chronic conditions. In an effort to avoid such conditions over a prolonged period, it is recommended that people consume plenty of greens and spinach, which are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Red cabbage is found to be essential for easy flow of blood. Similarly, broccoli improves the iron content in the human body. Strawberries are said to be good at raising the level of thought process in a person. Therefore, doctors recommend a rich diet consisting of a balanced mix of vegetables and fruits, which will help the overall growth of an individual.

Similarly, people showing anemic conditions are asked to inculcate a habit of consuming large amounts of naturally grown fruits devoid of any chemicals or fertilizers. It so happens that the addition of vitamins and carbohydrates in such forms have yielded the desired results among people of all age groups. These foods are considered super foods meant for the brain in an effort to enrich the intellectual thought process of an individual.

Credit Card Transfers - When Should You Use Them?

Credit Card Transfers - When Should You Use Them? by Robert Alan

Credit card transfers allow you to move the balance of one credit card to another. By doing this, you can save money and help to pay down debt faster. But you have to use them correctly to avoid digging yourself into a financial hole. You will see more benefits by making the move in specific situations, but not every situation will warrant the use of a credit card transfer. If you do qualify for this type of offer, you should consider ALL of the determining factors in how you can best utilize them to save money.

Using Them When Rates Are Lower

One obvious time to consider using balance transfers credit cards is when the interest rate on your current lines of credit are higher than the ones you will pay on the new credit card. It makes sense to consider this type of move for any situation in which rates are higher on your existing card balances.

This is particularly beneficial when the interest rate is an introductory 0 interest offer. In some situations, lenders will offer six months or even more as an introductory 0 APR period in which balance transfers do not incur finance charges. During this time, moving your balance will help you to pay it down faster and without any additional finance charges accruing all the while.

Consolidation

Another reason to consider using balance transfers credit cards is when you need to consolidate several high interest card balances. If you have a larger credit line on the balance transfer credit card, consolidation of several lines of credit, assuming the interest rates are the same or lower on them, will undoubtedly help you save money, and in some cases, that savings can be significant.

Doing this will allow you to pay down your debt more aggressively each month without having to swim through the head wind of significant finance charges piling on your obligation. Having only one payment to make is nice too, helping to make monthly bill payment a much easier process.

When Not To Use Them

There are some situations in which credit card transfers may not be beneficial and even outright detrimental to your financial well-being. For example, if you are working on paying down a big chunk of debt, it might seem counter intuitive to be opening yet another line of credit. But the thought of a 0 APR introductory rate for 6 months is just so tempting. Opening another credit line is not necessarily perilous, but making the mistake of not paying off the balance within the time frame of the introductory period can very well be.

Some card issuers will even retroactively charge you an exorbitant interest rate on the balance that you carried over the introductory period, if the balance is not paid down entirely. Most card issuers will merely charge you a higher APR on the remaining balance, but be absolutely sure that you know what the terms and conditions are for the balance "pay down" before applying. In those instances, accidentally missing a payment or not paying down the balance can be outrageously expensive.

So, buyers beware! When using any type of balance transfers credit cards, make the smart move for your situation. In many cases, the right credit card transfers can save you money and help you to simplify your life. With some excellent offers available currently from card issuers, it makes sense to work towards using these options especially when there is no fee or nominal fee charges for making transfers. Yet, each situation should be considered carefully and individually

Nintendo Wii For Sale - How To Enjoy Your Wii To Its Maximum

Nintendo Wii For Sale - How To Enjoy Your Wii To Its Maximum by Wendy Hearn

There is little doubt that the Wii is the most innovative and exciting gaming consoles to arrive on the scene in years.

While the latest generation XBox and PlayStation focus on improved graphics, power and storage space, the Wii focuses its attentions on a new style of gameplay.

The Wii focuses on fun, and the type of fun everyone will enjoy. The real attraction of this console is the motion sensitive controls that really immerse the player in the gameplay.

So, depending on what game you are playing you could find yourself leaping around your living room swinging your controller wildly in the air, without giving it a second thought.

For this reason, the Wii is best used in a room where you have a bit of extra space to spare.

There have, in fact, been a few Wii-related injuries so be sure to give yourself plenty of room for your antics. For example, leaving that coffee table sitting 'in the line of play' probably isn't a good idea.

Gaming has always ben a social experience, but never has it been more so than with the Wii. Whole families can get immersed in the game play for hours. So, the more controllers the better - at least two.

As mentioned, the real attraction with the Wii is the motion sensitive controller which can turn Wii gaming into healthy exercise. Many games require or work better with the Nunchuk controller, so we recommend you add a couple of these to your shopping basket as well.

Finally, make sure you buy a battery recharger and a supply of batteries to keep your controllers going as they go through batteries quickly. Alternatively you can buy a custom made charging dock to make sure there are no unwanted interruptions to your gameplay

Introducing the Nokia N95 8GB

Introducing the Nokia N95 8GB by Adam Caitlin

The Nokia N95 8GB looks gorgeous with its black color and slide open design. The phone has a large TFT screen with 16 M colors and a resolution of 240 by 320 pixels. This device is a new release, so all the features of the set are updated. So, with this phone there is no limitation to the handset's functionalities.

The TFT screen keeps you updated in more ways than one. You get to know from the screen if there is a new message, a file transfer or a call. This holds true even when the phone is kept in the silent mode. The control buttons enable you to access all the latest features of this amazing Nokia mobile. The phone slides up to reveal the keypad.

The keypad is mainly used for dialing numbers or sending messages. The device is light and weighs just 128 g. The 99 x 53 x 21 mm dimensions make it a very sleek model. The gadget can be used to download monophonic, polyphonic and true ring-tones. The mobile can work on networks such as 2G and 3G. Data transfer with this phone is fast as it has software like the HSDPA. Moreover, the other connectivity options such as wi-fi, Bluetooth and USB make the transfer of large files possible.

Nokia N95 8GB is rich in features. This mobile is an entertainment device while simultaneously being a communication tool. Some of the best features of the devise can be enumerated. The phone has a 5 MP camera with a resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels. The camera is fitted with a Carl Zeiss lens. This lens has the power to auto- focus and can be used for video-recording too. The device is good for messaging purposes.

It can be used for SMS, MMS and email services. You can also use this phone to download games with engaging game play. So, you can entertain yourself during your leisure time. There is also an MP3 Player with which you can listen to the music of your choice. The music player is capable of playing formats such as MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA.

Moreover, there is a FM radio that also acts as a good entertainer. The memory of the phone is a 128 MB SD memory supported by 8 GB internal memory. The battery gives a standby time of 280 hours and a talk time of 6 hours.

Basic Home Gardening Tips


Basic Home Gardening Tips

Home gardening can be very rewarding and it really isn't that hard! Here's some tips for growing any kind of plant including flowers, herbs and vegetables that are sure to help you develop your green thumb.

There are 3 basic things that you need to know to succeed in home gardening and that is that plants need light, water and soil to survive. If any one of these 3 elements is not adequate, it will result in weak plants. Luckily, it is pretty easy to get enough of all for your plants and the plants themselves usually come with directions on what they need.

Light

In general, most plants need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight. Some more and some less so be sure to read the tags that come with your plants for best results! Study your yard or garden area throughout the day to figure out how much sun it really gets and be sure to place your plants where they will have the best chance of thriving. You can buy plants that like full sun,. partial sun and shade so there are plants that will be happy in every type of yard or garden.

Water

One of the most important home gardening tips has to do with water. Plants need water to survive but too much of it is a bad thing! You want to be sure they get enough water so that the soil is not hard and dry, but you never want to have standing water around your plant. Plants in containers will need to be watered more than those in the ground and more watering is necessary in summer months. When watering try not to splash water on the leaves and petals of your plants as this can promote disease - a garden soaker hose is ideal for this.

Soil

Plants need nutrient which they typically get from the soil. Be sure to use a rich soil that is fortified with fertilizer appropriate for what you are planting. You want your soil to be a bit loose so the roots can easily spread and grow. Nutrients can also be delivered to plants through water which is what hydroponic gardening is based on. With hydropinics you grow plants in a water solution - no soil needed!

So, you see, home gardening is not that difficult - just start off slowly and you'll be growing lush, vibrant plants in not time

Long Term Effects of Bulimia Nervosa

Long Term Effects of Bulimia Nervosa by Dr Irina Webster

Bulimia affects different organs. And the longer you have bulimia the more organs get affected and damaged.

The organs that suffer the most are: heart, kidney, brain, digestive system, bones, skin and endocrine glands.

The heart gets damaged from the constant electrolyte imbalances caused by continuous purging and becomes weaker the longer the bulimia continues. Some people even can die from this complication when a weak heart goes into a "heart block". This is when the heart suddenly stops beating due to extremely low potassium or other mineral deficiency induced by vomiting and laxatives abuse.

Kidney damage is very common among long term bulimics. The kidneys are organs that normally correct mineral abnormalities in the body. But when a person's mineral balance is constantly disturbed, like in case of bulimia, the kidneys are under enormous strain to correct it and eventually they get damaged.

The brain suffers also from the moment bulimia starts. People have distorted thought patterns like depression and anxiety. The longer bulimia goes on for the stronger the addiction to binging and purging becomes. The long time effects of brain damage from bulimia are: suicidal thoughts, self-cutting and other self-harm symptoms. Impulsive behavior can occur and people can become less responsible for their action.

The digestive system also gets affected badly. The stomach experience delays in empting its food content and people suffer from pains in the abdominal area, bloating, acid reflux, stomach ulcers and esophageal problems.

In long standing bulimia cases sufferers loose the feeling of being hungry or full. Sometimes their taste distorts which makes them eat strange combinations of food or experience cravings (for example craving to eat very salty or sour things).

The bones become weak due to the development of low bones density after many years of suffering from bulimia. People can and do complain about their bone's aching plus they have lots of pain and the bones can break from even minimal strain or pressure.

Skin looses its youthful look even at a relatively young age. Dry skin, inflammation of the skin, abnormal irritation and ongoing pimples are common problems for bulimics. Hair loss due to mineral and protein depletion is inevitable in long term bulimia.

The endocrine glands eventually stop working properly and produce fewer hormones than the body needs: this makes a person age quickly and loose muscle tone.

Menstruation becomes irregular or stops and because of this a woman is unable to conceive and have a baby.

To sum up, the long term effects of bulimia nervosa can be extremely dangerous. And treatment for this disorder becomes more complicated the longer it goes on. The best way is to prevent these dangerous effects from happening is to treat the disease sooner rather than later.

The best thing is to start educating yourself and your family about what to do and what to change at home to help the sufferer. Home and family support are proven to be the best way of treating this condition. But it has to be the right help and the right support

Personal Loan For Poor Credit - How To Evade The Barriers

Personal Loan For Poor Credit - How To Evade The Barriers by Peter Taylor

When you are making efforts for finding a suitable loan, your blemished history of payments may be a huge hurdle. In such a situation, you are not left with any other option than to look for specific personal loan for poor credit. Such a loan is especially designed for people who have late payments, defaults, arrears or CCJs. However, you must keep in mind that even these loans require you to meet certain conditions.

You should prove your credit worthiness to the lenders. This you can do by making timely payments towards some debts. You can than apply for the loan after few months, when your FICO score has improved a bit. You should make a loan repayment plan as well. The plan should include your earnings and the amount you can easily spare for clearing the loan installments.
You can use the loan for home improvements, debt consolidation, wedding, car purchasing, and holiday tour or for any other purpose.

Personal loans are accessible in secured or unsecured options. The secured loan is easier to get as it comes against the borrower's any valued property like home. However, if you repeat the mistake of making payment faults, the lender will sell the property for recovering the loan. Interest rate on these loans is kept lower. Greater amount of loan can be repaid in 5 to 25 years.
The unsecured loan is of smaller amount of up to 25000, for a short period of 5 to 15 years. However, interest rate will go higher. Both tenants and homeowners are eligible for these loans.

Instead of applying for the loan in a hurry, you should apply for the rate quotes of the lenders, who are in the business of providing personal loan for bad credit. You can compare the rates for finding a low cost deal. Do not forget to compare the additional fees of the lenders. Ensure that you borrow smaller amount that you can repay on time for making improvements in your rating

A Description Of Mixed Martial Arts

A Description Of Mixed Martial Arts by John Galt

Mixed martial arts, better known as MMA, is a form of sports that involves the use of a mixture of martial art combat techniques to win over the opponent. MMA has become very popular in recent years and MMA championships like Ultimate fighting championship have become very widely known

MMA began with pitting one martial art technique with another under minimal rules, so that the martial art which would be the most effective in day to day life could be found out. Modern mixed martial competitions have evolved from such events, but rules are much stricter due to which, the sport has been promoted into acceptance. However, there is no centralized sanctioning authority for mixed martial arts and the rules vary from place to place or organization to organization

Striking and grappling are the common techniques used in MMA. Striking techniques involve kicks, knees and punches while grappling techniques involve the use of holds, sweeps and throws. Techniques like eye-gouging, biting and fish hooking are considered illegal in most MMA competitions. Other techniques like head butts, spinal locks and elbows may or may not be considered legal in different MMA organizations

Competitors participating in MMA have to train themselves in a variety of fighting styles so that they can effectively overcome their opponents. MMA training usually involves stand up, clinch and ground combat. To make the stand up combat effective, boxing and kickboxing are taught. These improve kicking, punching, kneeing and most important of all—footwork.

Freestyle wrestling is taught to improve clinching. Additionally, competitors are trained in Muay Thai to improve the striking power during a clinch. Training in Brazilian Jujitsu and Sambo improves ground combat by improving the competitor’s positioning. Further, shoot wrestling, catch wrestling and judo are taught to enhance the competitor’s ground combat abilities

Success in modern martial arts lies in adapting many styles. These styles have to be altered accordingly. Today, MMA competitors do not train in a particular style but train all the styles together. Flexibility plays a very important role in succeeding in MMA competitions. MMA is physically a very demanding sport and being competent is the only key to success

Many mixed martial artist train too hard and experience injuries at an alarming rate. The trend now is to use technical training as a way to avoid injuries and be healthy for the next event. Since there is more money pouring into these events, the longevity of the fighters is important for themselves and the event promoter. Therefore, smarter training methods have been employed instead of the "train till you drop" methodology that has been in place for years.

The Gps Revolution

The Gps Revolution by Graham Kelly

Never heard of GPS? I doubt it. The word has become so well used as the GPS revolution continues unabated. In my opinion GPS is right up there with fire, the wheel, flight, cell phones and ATMS as the most useful inventions. And prices are expected to fall further, by 20% in 2008, according to leading manufacturer Garmin.

A grid of 31 of the nearly 900 active satellites in space are used for the Global Positioning System. They transmit microwaves that allow GPS receivers on the ground to triangulate their location, speed, direction and time.

Russia is getting its own new version ready. The second generation of Glonass (Global Navigational Satellite System) already has 14 satellites orbiting earth and it will be operational by 2010 with a further 10 satellites completing coverage of our planet. Like the USA, Glonass was initially used for USSR military reconnaissance but a recent Presidential decree has given civilians full access to its signals.

Shipments of mobile phones with built-in GPS capability are expected to more than quadruple by 2011, according to a report released by research firm iSupply - from 109 million units in 2006 to 444 million units by 2011

By late 2007 GPS leader Garmin had introduced software that teams with a range of gps enabled smartphones to turn them into Garmin navigators useable in North America or Europe. The Garmin Mobile XT offers preloaded maps on a microSD card and includes access to dynamic content like premium real-time traffic alerts and fuel prices, but does not require monthly fees or subscriptions of any kind. It costs only US$99

Around the same time, phone company Nokia paid $8 billion for map data provider NavTeq, a move that will no doubt spur the growth of cell phone-based GPS systems at the probable expense of portable and vehicle mapping devices. This move followed close on the heels of European car navigation maker, TomTom, paying $2.8 billion for digital mapping company teleAtlas. Like Garmin, Nokia is working on a phone that would allow a user to tag photos with their geographic coordinates, allowing them to position the photos on a map on social networking sites

Map sites are busy sites. The MapQuest Web site counts 54 million users per month and receives 6,000 emails a week, many commenting on route accuracy.

AnyTrack has a 2 ounce gizmo that measures a mere 2.36" by 1.85" by 0.8" which can be used to track cargo. With cargo theft in America totalling some $15 billion a year, knowing where your goods are could be a wonderful thing.

Whether you see it as good or bad, GPS manufacturers are apparently able to retrieve data from your GPS unit - information like speed, location, time of day etc and give it to authorities if they are forced to. Interesting fodder for court cases

Bladerunner even has a children's GPS jacket which can be used to keep tabs on their whereabouts on, say, a snowboarding, hiking or biking adventure. Parents can even input the GPS information into Google Earth and track their child's location in real time. You can also "geofence" the device to trigger an alert when the child leaves a certain area the parent has established. Could be useful for older citizens with dimentia problems too. Just have $500 ready as well as $20 a month satellite tracking charge.

In Sydney Australia, 4,000 buses are being equipped (2008) with GPS devices that will link them to city traffic lights. Any bus running late will get priority at traffic lights. Mussolini would have loved that for his trains. Still in Australia and, in a world first, Aussie rules football players have been rigged up with GPS devices that allow their coaches to track how far they run, what speed they run at and the hits they absorb during the game.

An Australian drugs researcher raised at an international sports ethics conference in Iceland the idea that athletes could wear a GPS bracelet or watch or carry a GPS phone.The idea was to avoid misunderstandings about missed drug tests as athletes have to provide details of their planned movements to testing authorities up to three months beforehand

In the UK, you can buy a Satski GPS unit that can create an interactive piste map that can be used to guide, track , and record your movements on the ski slopes. The Satski can also help you find the best slopes for your skill level and help you improve by recording your average and max speeds, distance travelled, and altitude information

Also in Europe you can buy MirrorPilot which places a small map in your rear view mirror

The Batwa pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo are using GPS devices when they go into the forest to hunt and gather. They can record the exact location of their hunting grounds, sacred trees and important rivers. Another aim is to stop illegal logging by proving the existence of trees on certain land.

The US Marines are getting 3,000 GPS units for parachutists. Soldiers plummeting towards earth will soon have the advantage of GPS navigation with a Heads Up Display that will help improve landing accuracy and allow for target zones to be easily changed on the fly.

Why NDrive has released a Personal Navigation Device that has an inbuilt breathalyser so you can tell whether you're over the limit or not.Sexually violent predators in Colorado may soon be required to wear global positioning systems as they already are in El Paso County in USA. A California teenager contested a speeding ticket (but failed) for doing 62mph in a 45mph zone, since a GPS system fitted to his Toyota Celica appeared to show he was actually within the limit.

Police in USA have attached a GPS device to a suspect's car and tracked it to another burglary scene which allowed them to make an arrest. In another American police case, one man has been charged with robbery after he was tracked by a satellite navigation system he had stolen which inadvertently alerted police to his exact whereabouts. In Japan, moves were being made to equip key defence personnel with GPS enabled phones after one was caught getting too much lavish entertainment from a contractor.

The negatives of this wonderful technology? A man on stalking charges in 2007 apparently attached a GPS device to his victim's car and used a tracking information service to monitor her movements. Thousands of New York cabbies struck twice in late 2007 because they believed the GPS units mandated by the city for all cabs invaded their privacy. Over in India calls were being made to install GPS in taxis there so women working late in call centres would be safer.

Apparently 100 million cell phones in the USA and another 250 million globally rely on GPS technology for precision timing. Let's hope the GPS system doesnt get jammed or goes down for any reason. The USA looks like relying on its old Loran system (World War Two vintage) ramped up as eLoran to be a backup system for GPS.

Czech lorry drivers as well as British and no doubt other nationalities have been known to throw caution to the wind and slavishly follow their GPS system down incredibly narrow lanes till they get stuck. The idea would be to keep common sense right alongside your GPS unit.Some people are reporting more dead car batteries because GPS units were left on.

Despite the negatives, GPS is well and truly here to stay with manufacturers claiming we users are asking for more and more uses for the technology. My two favourites have to be the units for blind people that can talk to them and lead them to a nearby bank, coffee shop or other Point Of Interest (POI) and you can use audio guides on your GPS unit to be your personal tour guide as you travel the sights of a city of region - Casanova, the Catalan capital's most stylish hotel, offers guests a hand-held GPS iTour to experience Barcelona's top cultural attractions.

Key points of interest, such as Gaudi's Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera as well as the Boqueria market, museums, restaurants and shops, are included in the iTour