The 10 world's best cities to live

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Every year, the magazine "The Economist" publishes a ranking of the 10 best cities in the world to live. There is no English in the list.

Hong Kong ranks first, after being analyzed various items such as green areas, cultural goods, natural goods, accessibility, pollution and urban sprawl.

See the list, in order:

Hong Kong

It has four evaluations very close to the maximum value and is therefore the best city to live, according to this ranking. Why? Because there is a consistency between the surface of the metropolitan area and the total population, which exceeds seven million. Then also the public transport network, the amount of green space and natural assets also contributed to this special place.

 

Amsterdam

The natural assets of the Dutch capital, in particular the river Amstel, Amsterdam give a nice second place. With a good transport network and a network of bike paths that covers the entire city, Amsterdam has yet another strong point: the city airport terminal is the fourth most important in Europe, operating with over 100 airlines. From Amsterdam to the world: there can travel to 200 destinations.

 

Osaka

This Japanese city remains in the same position relative to the previous ranking. It is the third most populous city in the country, behind Yokohama and Toqui capital, which appears in tenth place on this list.

 

Paris

The parks and gardens of Paris are much responsible for this fourth place in the ranking. Parc de la Villette in Buttes Chaumont and Montsouris, the gardens of the Trocadero and Luxembourg, and woods of Boulogne and Vincennes are just a few examples. The extensive public transport network and the three city airports (Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beouvals) were also evaluated. And cultural assets abound.

 

Sydney

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most remarkable buildings of performing around the world and is also one of the symbols of Australia. The metropolitan area is surrounded by parks and beaches are other attractions of this multicultural city.

Stockholm
Despite the good review that could, given its natural assets, cultural, and accessibility in terms of pollution, the truth is that this Swedish city fell two places being now in sixth place. But nothing takes away the image of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

 

Berlin

This is the city with the best valuation with regard to cultural goods.

Berlin Wall, Edinburgh Gate, the Reichstag, which functions as the seat of Parliament, and the Alexanderplatz square and that contributed to the high score.

 

Toronto

Already occupied the first position, but this time was eighth. What fails is that the extent of urban areas has increased, without a public transport network to monitor these developments. Then there is an incentive for the use of private cars.

 

Munich

The Olympic Park, English Garden and Hofgarten park gave this city a good score on the item of green areas. And it is one of the cities with Mays quality of life in Germany.

 

Tokyo

Scores in terms of accessibility, but suffers in green areas and natural assets. Hence it has been in last place. But even so, it is best to live, according to the ranking.

Microsoft unveils new logo in 25 years

Microsoft has unveiled a new logo that can now be explicitly known at site computer giant founded by Bill Gates.

 

As is stressed by the brand, this is the first renewal of the Microsoft logo in 25 years and above, as explained, the launch of new products and updates. The new logo brings together the colors of the operating system 'Windows' under the name 'Microsoft'.

The brand revealed it will launch new versions of almost all its products this new logo to coincide with what he calls "a new era" for Microsoft.
 

 

Facebook has already authorization to buy Instagram

Idea is to boost presence in mobile services, to compete with Google.

 

Facebook has already authorization from U.S. regulator the Federal Trade Commission to buy Instagram, a popular photo-sharing service through mobile phones.

 

The social network, which is under scrutiny in its performance in the mobile sector, will acquire Instagram to boost presence in mobile services, where you need to capture the attention of more users and increase advertising. One way to compete seriously with rival Google.

 

Earlier this year, Facebook had responsible stated that sales were lower than expected, given the rise in the number of users, with a substantial part using mobile devices like tablet or mobile phone to access the social network, note the Lusa.

 

In April, Facebook made ​​an offer to purchase the Instagram 300 million dollars (238 million euros at current exchange rates) in cash plus 23 million shares, a proposal valued at 750 million dollars (597 million euros), based on the closing value of the shares of social networking on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg.

 

The Instagram is a photo application on popular smart phones such as Apple, which lets users take quick snapshots, modify and share with your friends.

 

In July, Facebook said it hoped to stay the operation completed later this year.

 

The sad story of an Olympic athlete who died in a boat illegally crossing

Samia Yusuf Omar, Somalia, was in memory of the sporting world for his participation in the 200 meters race at the Beijing Olympics. Do not come running in London and died trying to reach Italy in order to train better.

The athlete Somalia became world known for the way he fought until the end, the 200 meter race in athletics, in Beijing, before opposing more prepared and fast.

Samia was born in 1991. She was the eldest of a family with six children, his father was a fruit seller and ended up being one of the victims of the civil war.

In May 2008, she was crowned African champions Sâmia the 100 meters and was present at the Beijing Olympics, with only 17 years of age.

But what makes the story of Sâmia be highlighted on Monday in the press transalpine is his sad outcome: The sprinter Somalia boarded in Libya towards Italy and the boat eventually sank. No one survived. The coach Mustafa Abdelaziz, confirmed the Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera" that the athlete embarked try to continue their sporting career in Italy.

The mother, Abdelaziz recalled that sold a small piece of land to finance his trip and only meant she could realize her dream and have a life away from war.

"It was a beautiful experience, hauled the flag of my country, I walked alongside thousands of athletes from around the world," Samia said at the time.

In the Mediterranean Sea ended all his dreams.

Portuguese discovered how to increase the effect of chemotherapy: study evidence a reduction of tumor and side effects of chemotherapy

A Portuguese researcher has discovered a way to make chemotherapy more effective in fighting cancer, and minimize their side effects, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Cell.

A team of researchers at VIB / KULeuven (Leuven, Belgium), headed by Portuguese Rodrigo Leite de Oliveira, confirmed that blocking an enzyme (PhD2) normalizes blood flow to the tumor and thus improves the response to chemotherapy.

The blood vessels supplying the tumor are naturally irregular, fragile and dysfunctional, which hinders the driving of drugs to cancer cells and promotes the spread of cancer cells and metastasis formation.

This study demonstrated that when the activity was reduced PhD2 endothelial cells of tumors, the tumor vascular network stabilized and chemotherapeutic agents (in this study, cisplatin and doxorubicin) were distributed more evenly throughout the tumor, increasing its action.

Thus, the tumors were smaller and more sensitive to lower doses of drugs - an advantage in administration of drugs with high toxicity.

Inhibition of PhD2 oxygen sensor resulting in further neutralization of the side effects of chemotherapy, protecting the renal and cardiac function, generally most affected by the use of the drugs in question.

The researchers found that this protection resulted from an increase in antioxidant defenses, crucial to avoid injury to vital organs during chemotherapy treatments.

This study demonstrates for the first time a dual strategy to combat cancer: a reduction of tumor and metastases, and substantial reduction of side effects associated with chemotherapy.

The next step will be to develop specific inhibitors of the molecule PhD2 allowing its application in clinical practice.

What is made of renewable energy?

While the world is investing heavily in this area, we slowed down or even stopped. Brief portrait of an industry that contributes € 3.2 million to the national GDP and generates about 50 thousand jobs.

Once uppon a time, there was a country that dreamed of the green economy. It dreamed and made: in 2010, Portugal became the fifth European country with greater use of renewable energy, with 25% of consumption have provenance sources in environmentally "clean". The bet had started in the 90s. The crisis has changed everything? It is true that there is money for nothing and the energy is not lost on subsidy cuts, lack of bank financing, bankruptcy of companies ... But there are those who point the finger at fault in the "political will" and speech "antigreen".

"It created the idea that the government is against betting on renewables. Quite the contrary. A bet is to maintain, but not without looking at the costs, as we were passing the burden on the end consumer", adds Arthur Trindade, secretary of State for Energy. The cost of speaking the ruler, better known by the phrase "excess rents" are, in essence, state subsidies to producers of renewable energy and not only that the troika had cut. The Executive has implemented the measure, but fell far short of the intended, according to the European Commission. Still, the 1.8 billion euros that the government wants to save up to 2020 has left some producers up in arms.

However, environmentalists point out, should not be confused with excessive subsidies renewables. "Paid more in electric bills for income-guarantee that the renewable power", says Francisco Ferreira, former president of Quercus. "These weigh a third aggravation of invoices. Environmental benefits but have to be booked," he adds.

The world has long realized these environmental and economic benefits. Green is a market, should not be forgotten, creates added value and produces industrial employment. Germany followed the decision to close all its nuclear power plants with a program of 300 billion investment in renewable energy. The goal: to reach a consumption of 80% clean energy by 2050.

Siemens is putting fortunes in the wind and it is the second company in the world for offshore platforms [placed in the sea], having abandoned the nuclear. Now was the General Electric.

Facebook lost half value since it came into Stocks

Facebook has lost half its value since his debut on the stock exchange, on the 18th of May.

At the time, the actions of the social network debuted be worth $ 38, which assessed the company at 100 billion dollars, a figure that analysts always questioned and suggested to be exaggerated, given its revenue sources. Now, the shares are worth less than $ 19.

The one who promised to be the Initial Public Offering (IPO), turned out to be a disappointment. The fall in stocks, which has been consistent since the beginning, was accentuated when he finished the first lock up (investors who acquired shares before the IPO were required to keep them for a certain period). Once the shares were unlocked, last Friday, many took the opportunity to dispose of the securities.

With accumulated falls between the end of last week and this Monday, the Facebook IPO becomes the second worst ever, behind Zynga.

Facebook has played this Monday the lowest ever in $ 18.75 per share, which translates into an assessment of grantee 45,460 million. Now, follow the actions falling 0.24% to $ 19.01.

Apple is worth more than the GDP of Portugal

Apple is now the most valuable company ever, having reached, on Monday, the highest market capitalization in history. With every action in the $ 664.74, the company founded by Steve Jobs is valued at 622,600 million dollars (504 billion euros), now worth more than the GDP of some countries, including Portugal.

The portuguese GDP was around 170,000 million in 2011. All in all, Apple is worth 334,000 million.

The greatness of this company is indeed impressive. Apple is worth more than the economy of several Member States of the Eurozone, such as Belgium, Ireland and Luxembourg. Worth almost as much as Switzerland, twenty world economy. More: Apple already amounts to 50% of GDP of Spain.

To get an idea of ​​the progress achieved by the brand in the apple market, Apple was worth 77 times less (8 billion dollars) when it was founded by Jobs.

With this record, the mark of Apple dethroned Microsoft. In 1999, the company Bill Gates amounted to 618,900 million dollars.

Each share of Apple is now worth 33 times more than the titles of Facebook. The performance of the social network of Mark Zuckerberg in scholarship has disappointed almost since entering the market in May, with the company now worth only half of what that time.

Number of Portuguese students seeking foreign Universities increased 140%

European study shows that in July, 15,201 Portuguese student seeking to study abroad.

The number of Portuguese students applying for a foreign university is growing increasingly. Within a year, the percentage of young people in this situation grew 140%. In July of 2011 were just over six thousand, are now over 15,000. A number that puts Portugal among the EU countries where there is a greater willingness to emigrate even during the studies, a ranking dominated by the countries of South and East. The findings appear in the study "European Higher Education", organized by StudyPortals - online platform supported by the European Commission for research and comparison of university courses - which establishes a clear link between this development and the increasing rate of youth unemployment.

The United Kingdom, where he directed 24% of the applications, the Netherlands (14%) and Germany (7.7%) are the most sought after destinations by the Portuguese through this platform. Data were collected only between the universe of students who use the services of StudyPortals, which means it may be well short of the total numbers. Still, guaranteeing responsible are a good indicator, since all these path students was then monitored and it was concluded that about 90% even just to deliver the foreign application in a university.

For StudyPortals, the reasons for the phenomenon are well identified. This demand is directly related to the current economic situation, in which students from countries in Southern Europe see the courses in countries in northwestern Europe in order to improve their future career opportunities and to escape the economic outlook in their own countries with a high youth unemployment and lower wages.

Olympics Highlights: Bolt, Phelps, USA Dream Team

London swept by a lightning called Bolt

Jamaican Usain Bolt wins 100 meters at the Games with 9.63s, beating Olympic record and is only five hundredths of a second world record. Compatriot Yohan Blake got the silver medal, Justin Gatlin settled for the bronze.

Phelps leaves the water but the land will no longer be the same

Gold farewell to Michael Phelps of the pools. Literally: victory in the 4x100m styles and 22 Olympic medals. The extraterrestrial swimmer get out, come only the man. It's the best Olympic athlete ever to FINA, as inscribed in the last trophy career he has received.

The Massacre of the Basketball Dream Team

The Basketball Arena in London witnessed a truly historic game for the game and that memory will last for many years. The United States ran over Nigeria and truly won by ... 156-73! A difference of 83 points, the third largest ever Olympic Games (highest since 1948) and exceeds 68 with the Dream Team beat Angola in Barcelona'92.

Red Bull Cliff Diving @ Azores

In a sport that is defined by the implicit challenge to gravity by jumping from a height into water, the Red Bull Cliff Diving in the Azores comes and brings some of the best athletes in the specialty, risking jumps over 27 meters.

The volcanic crater of Vila Franca do Campo, Sao Miguel Island in the Azores, was the third test circuit of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, with an unprecedented detail: the judges who evaluate the jumps made ​​directly to the rock 29 meters when spoken for the first time.

The 13 divers challenged the volcanic crater that forms a pit in front of the islet of Vila Franca do Campo, showing all his virtuosity. After more than a practice session in the morning, on the main deck, the device was mounted to jump 28 meters in height. Came the moment of truth.

With the output order determined by lot, the action took place at an impressive pace, promising greater excitement for the final two rounds on Saturday to close the proof.

Two entries in the maneuvers and high water level earned the American Kent De Mond and Russian Artem Silchenko the same number of points, the first having been benefited by a better ranking obtained in the previous step.

"I was surprised" said De Mond, revealing being 'very decompressed "with a leap so well done. Artem Silchenko already acknowledged that it "was one of the best jumps of his career ', promising a rematch of the first two races of the championship that did not go as well.

A show that can return next year to another island, with the same natural beauty.