MSG....THINK AGAIN

MSG....... the first thing that pops out of our mind is MEGGI instant noodles.

Well, actually there is more MSG than we know. Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamate. When MSG is added to its foods, it provides a similar flavoring function as the glutamate that occurs naturally in food.

MSG is a flavour enhancer that has been used effectively to bring out the best taste in food, emphasizing natural flavors.

MSG produces a taste known as "unami",  which corresponds to the savory sensations

found in meat, potatoes and rich greens such as seaweed.

How is it made?
In the early 1900s, MSG was extracted from

natural protein-rich foods such as seaweed. Today, MSG is made from starch, corn sugar or molasses from

sugar cane or sugar beets. MSG is produced by a natural fermentation process that has been used in centuries to make such common foods s beer, vinegar and yogurt.

What food contains MSG?
Because MSG simulates the savory, rich flavor produced by meat, it is used in large quantities in bouillon. Thus, one of the most concentrated sources of MSG is meat-flavoring cubes for stocks, stews and soups. Example of food is the soup base for instant noodles and Bouillon chicken stock cubes.
Other than that, MSG is found in canned meat. Producers of canned meat are likely to include MSG to combat the loss of flavor and to lower the quality of the meat itself. It will typically included on the ingredients label as "monosodium glutamate". Canned meat such BKL luncheon meat.
It works well with meats, poultry, seafood and many vegetables. MSG does not substitute for bad cooking, it just makes good food taste better.

Is MSG high in sodium?
No. MSG contains only one-third the amount of sodium as table salt and is used in much smaller amounts. When used in combination with a small amount of table salt, MSG can help reduce the total amount of sodium in a recipe by 20 to 40 %, while maintaining an enhanced flavor.
Is MSG harmful?
No. MSG is one of the most extensively researched substances in the food supply. Numerous international scientific evaluations have been undertaken over many years, involving hundreds of studies. The United States and other governments worldwide support the safety of MSG as used in foods. MSG is not an allergen, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found no evidence to suggest any long-term, serious health consequences from consuming MSG.It is possible that some people might be sensitive to MSG, just as to many other foods and food ingredients. There are some reports that mild, temporary reactions to MSG may occur in a small portion of the population, based on tests with a large dose of MSG in the absence of food. So, it does not cause harm to people consuming it.

Is MSG safe for children?

Yes.Infants, including premature babies, metabolize glutamate the same as adults. Research has shown that newborn infants are able to detect and prefer the taste of glutamate. Glutamate is actually 10 times more abundant in human breast milk than in cow's milk.

iPHONE 4

What is iPhone?

An iPhone functions as a video camera, camera phone with text messaging and visual voicemail, a portable media player, and an Internet client with e-mail, web browsing, and both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. The user interface is built around the device's multi-touc screen, including a virtual keyboard rather than a physical one. Third-party as well as Apple applications are available from the App Store, which launched in mid-2008 and now has well over 300,000 "apps" approved by Apple. These apps have diverse functionalities, including games, reference, GPS navigation, social networking, security and advertising for television shows, films, and celebritie.

iPhone 4

The iPhone 4 is a touchscreen smartphone developed by Apple. It is the fourth generation of iPhone, and successor to the iPhone 3GS. It is particularly marketed for video calling, consumption of media such as books and periodicals, movies, music, and games, and for general web and e-mail access. It was announced on June 7, 2010, at the WWDC 2010 held at the Moscone Center, San Francisco, and was released on June 24, 2010 in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan.

The iPhone 4 runs Apple's iOS operating system, the same operating system as used on previous iPhones, the iPad, and the iPod Touch. It is primarily controlled by a user's fingertips on the multi-touch display, which is sensitive to fingertip contact.
The most noticeable difference between the iPhone 4 and its predecessors is the new design, which incorporates an uninsulated stainless steel frame that acts as the device's antenna. The internal components of the device are situated between two panels of chemically strengthened aluminosilicate glass. It has an Apple A4 processor and 512 MB of eDRAM, twice that of its predecessor and four times that of the original iPhone. Its 3.5-inch (89 mm) LED backlit liquid crystal display with a 960×640 pixel resolution is marketed as the "Retina Display".

Display

The display of the iPhone 4 is designed by Apple and is manufactured by LG. It features an LED backlit TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen with a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch (ppi) on a 3.5 in (8.9 cm) (diagonally measured), 960×640 display. Each pixel is 78 micrometres in width. The display has a contrast ratio of 800:1. The screen is marketed by Apple as the "Retina Display", based on the assertion that a display of approximately 300 ppi at a distance of 12 inches (305 mm) from one's eye is the maximum amount of detail that the human retina can process. With the iPhone expected to be used at a distance of about 12 inches from the eyes, a higher resolution would allegedly have no effect on the image's apparent quality as the maximum potential of the human eye has already been met. The resolution of the human retina is higher than claimed by Apple, working out to 477 ppi at 12 inches (305 mm) from the eyes.

Camera

The iPhone 4 features an additional front-facing VGA camera, and an improved (backslide-illuminated, big physical pixel size) 5 megapixel rear-facing camera integrated with an LED flash. The rear-facing camera is capable of recording HD video in 720p at 30 frames per second. Both cameras make use of the tap to focus feature, part of iOS 4, for photo and video recording.The rear-facing camera has a 5× digital zoom. The most significant outcome is that Apple is focusing attention on the iPhone 4’s video calling capabilities, apparently making “the dream of video calling a reality”.

Processor and memoryThe iPhone 4 is powered by the Apple A4 chip, which was designed by Intrinsity and, like all previous iPhone models, manufactured by Samsung. This system-on-a-chip is composed of a Cortex-A8 CPU integrated with a PowerVR SGX 535 GPU. The Apple A4 is also used in the iPad where it is clocked at its rated speed of 1 GHz. The clock speed in the iPhone 4 has not been disclosed . All previous models of the iPhone have underclocked the CPU, which typically extends battery life and lowers heat dissipation.
The iPhone 4 has 512 MB of eDRAM. The additional eDRAM supports increased performance and multi-tasking

Design

The iPhone 4 is structured around a stainless steel frame that wraps around the edge of the phone, acting both as the primary structure for the device and as the iPhone 4's antennas. This metal band features two slits on the GSM version of the phone, one at the lower left, and one at the top (and a fake slit along the lower right, to cosmetically mirror the one at the lower left) that divide the band into two antenna sections: the left section of the band serves as the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS antenna, and the right and lower sections of the band act as the antenna for GSM and UMTS connectivity. On the CDMA version of the phone, however, there are four slits in the metal band. Two at the top (on the left and right) and two at the bottom. This divides the metal band into four different segments, which like the GSM version of the phone, serves as different antennas for connectivity. The top portion of the band (divided by the top left and right slits) is for connecting to the CDMA network. The left portion of the metal band is for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS just like the GSM version. The right side is not an antenna, but serves to cosmetically mirror the left side and also to create a similar look to the GSM version of the phone.
The internal components are situated between two panels of aluminosilicate glass, described by Apple as being "chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic," theoretically allowing it to be more scratch resistant and durable than the previous models

Storage and Micro-SIM

The iPhone 4 uses a Micro-SIM card on iPhone 4 devices running on a GSM network, which is positioned in an ejectable tray, located on the right side of the device. On a CDMA network, however, the phone connects to the network using an ESN. All previous models have used regular Mini-SIM cards. Depending on the operator, Micro-SIM cards may not be available for all networks globally. As a technical workaround it is possible to trim a Mini-SIM card with a knife or scissors so that it fits into the Micro-SIM tray.
As on previous models, all data is stored in flash memory, 16GB or 32GB, and not on the SIM. Unlike previous generations, the storage capacity is not printed on the back of the unit.

THE MYTHS BEHIND ALCOHOL & HANGOVER

When your head is pounding and you cant even stomach a piece of toast, who among us has not asked the question why?, Not "why did i drink so much?" but "Why is this happening to me?". The reason is simple, its because you are suffering from a dis-ease termed "hangover".

What is a hangover?

Hangovers are a frequent, though unpleasant, are experienced by those who
drink to intoxication. In simpler terms, it means those who drink just to get drunk or experience the "high" that alcohol induces.

People who suffer from hangovers experience symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, vomitting, headache, muscle aches and thirst. The particular set of symptoms vary from person to person and from occasion to occasion.

Among other reasons, people consume alcoholic beverages for their ethanol content. Most alcoholic beverages also contain other biologically active componds known as congeners. They affect the taste, appearance and smell of the alcohol. Congeners may be produced along with ethanol during fermentation.

Among other reasons, people consume alcoholic beverages for their ethanol content. Most alcoholic beverages also contain other biologically active componds known as congeners. They affect the taste, appearance and smell of the alcohol. Congeners may be produced along with ethanol during fermentation.

Investigators now believe that congeners may contribute to a beverage's intoxificating effects and to a subsequent hangover.Research has shown that beverages composed of more pure ethanol, such gin and vodka, induce fewer hangover effects than beverages containing a large number of congeners such as whiskey, brandy, and red wine. (Chapman 1970; Pawan 1973)

Did you know that by choosing the correct type of alcohol, you can avoid a nasty hangover?



Metabolic pathway of ethanol (alcohol)



If you choose your alcohol properly, you can avoid a hangover. the type of alcohol you drink can determine whether or not you get a hangover and how bad it will be.


But If you dont want to experience a hangover, Dont drink at all!!!!!

High-intensity discharge lamp (HID)

                                                             What is high-intensity discharge (HID)?

A high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp is a type of electrical lamp which produces light by means of an electric arc between tungsten electrodes housed inside a translucent or transparent fused quartz or fused alumina arc tube. This tube is filled with both gas and metal salts. The gas facilitates the arc's initial strike. Once the arc is started, it heats and evaporates the metal salts forming a plasma, which greatly increases the intensity of light produced by the arc and reduces its power consumption. High-intensity discharge lamps are a type of arc lamp.

Compared with fluorescent and incandescent lamps, HID lamps have higher luminous efficacy since a greater proportion of their radiation is in visible light as opposed to heat. Their overall luminous efficacy is also much higher: they give a greater amount of light output per watt of electricity input.

Construction

Various different types of chemistry are used in the arc tubes of HID lamps, depending on the desired characteristics of light intensity, correlated color temperature, color rendering index (CRI), energy efficiency, and lifespan. Varieties of HID lamp include:

• Mercury vapor lamps
• Metal halide (MH) lamps
• Ceramic MH lamps
• Sodium vapor lamps
• Xenon short-arc lamps
• Ultra-High Performance (UHP)

The light-producing element of these lamp types is a well-stabilized arc discharge contained within a refractory envelope arc tube with wall loading in excess of 3 W/cm² (19.4 W/in²).Mercury vapor lamps were the first commercially available HID lamps. Originally they produced a bluish-green light, but more recent versions can produce light with a less pronounced color tint. However, mercury vapor lamps are falling out of favor and being replaced by sodium vapor and metal halide lamps.


Metal halide and ceramic metal halide lamps can be made to give off neutral white light useful for applications where normal color appearance is critical, such as TV and movie production, indoor or nighttime sports games, automotive headlamps, and aquarium lighting.Low-pressure sodium vapor lamps are extremely efficient. They produce a deep yellow-orange light and have an effective CRI of nearly zero; items viewed under their light appear monochromatic. This makes them particularly effective as photographic safe lights. High-pressure sodium lamps tend to produce a much whiter light, but still with a characteristic orange-pink cast. New color-corrected versions producing a whiter light are now available, but some efficiency is sacrificed for the improved color.

Applications

HID lamps are typically used when high levels of light over large areas are required, and when energy efficiency and/or light intensity are desired. These areas include gymnasiums, large public areas, warehouses, movie theaters, football stadiums, outdoor activity areas, roadways, parking lots, and pathways. More recently, HID lamps have been used in small retail and residential environments. HID lamps have made indoor gardening practical, particularly for plants that require high levels of direct sunlight in their natural habitat; HID lamps, specifically metal halide and high-pressure sodium, are a common light source for indoor gardens. They are also used to reproduce tropical intensity sunlight for indoor aquaria. Ultra-High Performance (UHP) HID lamps are used in LCD or DLP projection TV sets or projection displays.

Most HID lamps produce significant UV radiation, and require UV-blocking filters to prevent UV-induced degradation of lamp fixture components and fading of dyed items illuminated by the lamp. Exposure to HID lamps operating with faulty or absent UV-blocking filters causes injury to humans and animals, such as sunburn and arc eye. Many HID lamps are designed so as to quickly extinguish if their outer UV-shielding glass envelope is broken.

Beginning in the early 1990s, HID lamps have been employed in motor vehicle headlamps. This application has met with mixed responses from motorists, who appreciate the improved nighttime visibility from HID headlamps but object to the glare they can cause. Internationalized European vehicle regulations require such headlamps to be equipped with lens cleaners and an automatic self-leveling system to keep the beams aimed correctly regardless of vehicle load and altitude, but no such devices are required in North America, where inherently more glaring beam patterns are also permitted. Retrofitting HID bulbs in headlamps not originally designed to accept them results in extremely high levels of glare, and is illegal throughout most of the world.

HID lamps are used in high-performance bicycle headlamps as well as flashlights and other portable lights, because they produce a great amount of light per unit of power. As the HID lights use less than half the power of an equivalent tungsten-halogen light, a significantly smaller and lighter-weight power supply can be
 used.HID lamps have also become common on many aircraft as replacements for traditional landing and taxi lights.HID lamps also become more popular on the high-end dive lights. The mercury-halide lamps color temperature that well penetrates the water.  The disadvantage of HID lighting for underwater use is that the bulbs are quite fragile. The other issue is that many HID bulbs require some time (about 25-30 seconds) between re-strikes.

Porsche 911 Black Edition

Porsche has announced a 911 variant called the Black Edition, and this one is limited to just 1,911 examples globally, available in both Carrera Coupe and Cabriolet guise.

The 911 Black Edition is painted in plain black as standard, with Basalt Black metallic available as an option. For the cabriolet, the electric-folding hood is trimmed in black cloth. Other exterior highlights include 19-inch 911 Turbo II forged alloy wheels, and black-finished, four-piston aluminium monobloc fixed callipers.

There’s also black lettering on the stainless steel door entry guards to identify the version, and the interior continues with the theme – the leather is in black, as is the instrument cluster, though contrast is provided by aluminium-look paint, which adorns the decorative fascia strip, gear lever and air vents. A badge located on the glove compartment lid signifies the limited production variant.

Standard fitment includes a Bose surround sound system, specially coordinated with the interior, and in the Carrera coupe comprises 13 loudspeakers including an active subwoofer and central speaker as well as a seven channel digital amplifier; the cabriolet gets one less speaker, at 12.

The Black Edition is powered by a 3.6 litre flat-six pot, offering 345 hp at 6,500 rpm, and coupled to a six-speed gearbox, has a top speed of 289 kph in both body versions, with a 0-100 kph sprint time of 4.9 seconds for the coupe and 5.1 seconds for the cabriolet. With the PDK double-clutch seven-speed gearbox in attendance, this time drops to 4.7 seconds for the coupe and 4.9 seconds for the cabrio.

As is the case, add-on options abound – there’s the Sport Chrono Plus package, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) to be had, amogn other things, to get the Black even well, blacker

Smelly "NO" More

Body odour is never pleasant. We have all experienced our fair share of bad body odour, be it on the train, on the bus or even while playing sports. It is the distinctive smell of stale sweat. If sweat is deemed to be odourless, then why does a person suffer from unpleasant body odour?

Body odour is not caused by sweat itself but by the bacteria that live on the surface of the skin. How does the bacteria cause body odour that we try ever so desperately to avoid, you may ask. Well, when a person sweats, the bacteria breaks down the sweat into aromatic fatty acids that produces the unpleasant smell that we pick up.

But how come only certain areas of the body such as the armpits and the genitals produce these bad smells? and not the other parts? This is because these glands produce proteins and oily substances that bacteria love to feed on wherelse sweat produced in the other parts of the body is mostly salty water which bacteria dont thrive on.
Body odour can also be related to certain medical conditions such as the thyroid disease which promotes excessive sweating. Dr Trisha Macnair 05 exclaimed that body odour can also be influenced by the daily diet that we practice. Foods like curry, garlic and spices may be excreted on the surface of the skin.

Now that we know what causes the 'deadly' body odour, we can find ways and means to combat it. One of the ways is the use of the deodrant or an anti-perspirant. The deodrant maks the smell of sweat with fragrance while anti-perspirant reduces the amount of sweat produced by the body. Taking regular showers can also help reduce B.O. Another trick to avoid B .O is to shave the hairs of the armpit off. Why? Because, armpit hair provides a greater surface area for sweat to collect. This is a perfect environmeant for the bacteria to breed. Lastly, do not wear clothes that have already been worn. Alhtough, you may be clean, the worn clothes arent as yesterdays sweat is still retained.

There are also a few home remedies that can be done to get rid of body odour. Here are a few steps:

1. Drink a glass of water in the morning on an empty stomacha along with some wheat grass. The chlorophyll in the wheat grass reduces body odour.

2.Put a few drops of rose water in the water before taking a shower. It will give you a long lasting freshness and can be a good substitute for a deodrant.

3.You can aslo apply baking soda to the armpits as well as the feet ro reduce the smell.

4. While bathing, add alcoholor white vinegar to a mug of water and use that to rinse the armpits. This will in evitably reduce the odour.

2011 New Faecelift Lexus IS 250 and IS 250 Luxury

The new facelift lexus ls 250 brings about a few changes to the  including HID headlamps with integrated daytime running lights and washer jets as standard (JPJ approved), a bolder and more shapely front bumper and lower grille shape, a front grille with more visual depth, a new circular dual tailpipe design, new 17 inch 10-spoke staggered alloy wheels, and revised rear tail lamps.

On the interior, two different colour schemes can be chosen, with genuine Bird’s Eye maple wood trim available on the IS 250 Luxury, while the IS 250 gets high-gloss black trim. Changes on the interior are subtle – metallic accents on areas like the steering wheel bezel, meter rings, paddle shifts, instrument cluster surrounds, and glove boxdoor

The IS 250 gets an 8 speaker Lexus premium sound system, while the IS 250 Luxury gets a 13 speaker version. Both feature a 6 CD in dash changer. The IS 250 Luxury has the option of adding a “Navigation Package” which costs RM23,000 and includes the Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound system (14 speakers, 300-watt 10 channel amp, DVD capable), a 7 inch touch screen display, reverse camera, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and the navigation system that includes Malaysian, Thai and Singaporean maps. It should by right be called the Sound & Navi package or something. The IS 250 Luxury buyer can also specify a Moonroof for RM7,000.

Under the hood is the same 2.5 liter twin-cam D4 direct injection engine, making 205 horses at 6,400rpm and 252Nm of torque at 4,800rpm. This engine is mated to a 6-speed Super ECT transmission and drives the rear wheels. 0 to 100km/h is reached in 8.4 seconds.

The engine is equipped with a dual-tube exhaust manifold construction which minimizes heat-loss (for optimum cat operation) and noise. The mufflers have variable back-pressure valves to reduce low-frequency booming noise- 7dB less at 1,200 rpm – and reduce high rpm back-pressure by 30%.

Safety features include Lexus Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM), ABS, and a total of 8 airbags including knee airbags for both the passenger and driver. The Lexus IS 250 which has been updated for 2011 in Malaysia is available in two trim levels – IS 250 and IS 250 Luxury. The IS 250 is priced at RM 282,386.20 OTR with insurance while the Lexus IS 250 Luxury model is priced at RM 313,166.20.

When Lexus (the only Japanese brand in its segment) was first introduced into Malaysia its reputation had already preceded it as having a high level of customer satisfaction, so a friend and I actually checked the flagship Mutiara Damansara showroom out when it first opened, dressed up in a very simple manner, with short pants completing the look. The experience was interesting – the guard salutes you as you drive in and the sales personnel offered a drink as we checked out the various cars and trim options on display.