Hundreds build human towers in Spain for Tarragona Castells Competition

Hundreds build human towers in Spain for Tarragona Castells Competition

 

THOUSANDS of spectators packed into an old bull ring in Spain to watch as teams of hundreds of people built incredible human towers for the 24th Tarragona Castells Competition. The Catalan tradition of creating these towers is believed to date back to the 18th century and is performed by dance groups using precise techniques. The tower builders are called Castellers from the Catalan word for castle and each individual dance team is known as a Colla.
The annual competition saw about 30 groups of Castellers construct elaborate human towers formed by up to 400 individuals, though most stand at the base to support the higher up human tiers.
Barefoot young adults or children - many wearing safety helmets - carefully climb their way past the human tiers to form the top of the towers.

Around 7,000 locals and tourists watched the incredible two-day spectacle which was held at the Tarraco Arena Plaza, an old bull ring in Tarragona, southwest of Barcelona.

Held in the first weekend in October, the popular event attracts thousands of tourists and in 2010 it joined the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
 

Twitter or Facebook is more appealing than cigarettes or sex

Facebook is more appealing than cigarettes or sex

 

Twitter or Facebook is more appealing than cigarettes or sex for those who are engrossed in the lifestyle of the Internet age, at least according to one study conducted in Germany.
The survey, sponsored by the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago, was one week long and concluded that social media posts, such as comments, pictures and tweets, are more tempting than cigarettes and sex.
Respondents age vary from 18 to 85 years old, and used smart phones to keep researchers up to date and let them know if they feel the need to use social network sites and engage in the online community

A study conducted in Germany reveals that Facebook and Twitter are more addicting than cigarettes or sex. (Image: What’s-Up (CC) via Flickr)

Apparently, participants of the study are also asked to update researchers if they feel the need to indulge in cigarettes, alcohol or sex.
According to the lead author of this study, Wilhelm Hofmann,
Studies reveal that it is hardest to resist Facebook or Twitter among other gratifications.


 

NOW YOU CAN HUG A FACE BOOK MEMBER

Vest lets Facebook users hug from afar

Updated: 12:46, Saturday

A vest developed in Massachusetts Institute of Technology lets Facebook users hug one another no matter how far apart they are.

A Like-A-Hug vest on display on Friday at the website of designer Melissa Kit Chow was touted as 'wearable social media' that inflates to embrace wearers whenever Facebook friends 'Like' items they post at the social network.

Chow worked with Andy Payne and Phil Seaton in the MIT Media Lab to create the puffy black vests, according to her website.

Like-A-Hug lets hugs 'be given via Facebook, bringing us closer together despite physical distance', Chow said in a post describing the vest.

And, provided the sender is also wearing Like-A-Hug, a recipient can return a hug by squeezing their own vest to deflate it.

Chow described herself as a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design who subtly skews everyday interactions with the environment for 'a reawakening

robotic suit case is coming futre suit case

Robotic suit case for lazy travellers

 

 

 

robotic suitcase

Lazy luggage: Is a 'robotic suitcase' the future of travel?

By our reporter
PUBLISHED:11:04 GMT, 3 October 2012| UPDATED:15:35 GMT, 3 October 2012

                                                   

•  

 

It isn't clear how it might react if you are running to catch a flight but a young inventor has come up with a 'robotic' suitcase that requires no carrying.
A video on YouTube has revealed a prototype of the 'Hop!' suitcase, which uses the bluetooth signal on your smart phone to guide it along behind you.
The clip - which has received some 35,000 views - shows a man walking while the small suitcase dutifully follows, allbeit at a slow and occasionally jerky speed.
Scroll down to see the video

At heel: The 'following' suitcase moves on caterpillar tracks

The basic technology behind the novelty is the work of Spanish native Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez.
The phone signal is received by three sensors in the luggage, a microprocessor driving two caterpillar tracks that power the suitcase along.
If the signal is lost, the bag will lock itself and vibrate its owner's phone.
Mr Gonzalez's design was one of the winners of Spain's James Dyson Award this year and, he admits, needs some fine tuning.
He is now studying a Master's in Innovation, Design and Engineering in London and hopes to gather a team to work on the project and find funding.
The 28-year-old said: 'It's not working 100 per cent and it's not ready for the market but it's something I'd like to develop.
'I think in the future  it's something we could see often.'