Gero (Gifu Prefecture)

Gero located in Gifu Prefecture is famous for its onsen (mineral hot spring spa). The mineral waters are reputedly beneficial for rheumatism, athletic injuries and the complexion. The town is fairly compact, making it easy to walk around and go hot-spring hopping. There are several ryokan and minshuku in this resort town to stay and for more options you can check with the Gero Tourist Information Office at the west exit of the train station. To get to Gero take the JR Takayama line train from Gifu (HIda tokkyu, 67 minutes) or from Nagoya (Hida tokkyu, 90 minutes).

2010 Oscar Nominations

The 2010 Oscar Nominations were announced today for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. There were a few surprises as always. Click on the link below to see a detailed list of all the nominations.

2010 Oscar Nominatons Full List Link

Gujo Hachiman (Gifu Prefecture)

The main claim to fame of Gujo Hachiman in Gifu Prefecture is its Gujo Odori Folk Dance Matsuri held from early July to early September. The townsfolk continue nearly four centuries of tradition and let their hair down for some frenzied dancing. During the four main days of the festival from 13 to 16 August the dancing goes on through the night.

Toyota Accelerator Recall

Toyota Motor Corp said Tuesday that it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States, its largest U.S. recall ever, to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to stick and lead to crashes. The recall involves popular models, including the top selling Camry and Prius. At this stage the floor mat in question is used only in cars sold in the U.S., but Toyota officials in Tokyo, Japan said the carmaker will launch an investigation to make sure there are no similar problems in Japan and around the world. The recall will affect

Google Nexus One takes on the Apple iPhone

Google has taken on Apple`s iPhone with its impressive entry The Nexus One into the mobile-phone market. Google well established and known as the internet`s most popular search engine has now put on yet another hat; that of a mobile phone company that can package hardware and software together into a single sought after device. The Nexus One feels great in the hand and is thinner than the iPhone. It has a gorgeous 3.7 inch colour touchscreen with higher resolution (800x480) than the iPhone. Besides the mobile network it provides, there is wi-fi, Bluetooth and a GPS receiver with Google maps for spoken turn by turn directions. The Nexus One ships with a 4GB microSD card, but there is only 190MB of internal memory for storing apps. Considering this is Google`s first foray in to this market it is certainly an impressive effort.

New Apple Mac iPad tablet launched this week

Computer giant Apple is this week set to unveil its new iPad device that may revolutionise the way we read books, magazines, textbooks and newspapers. The slick Mac tablet, an electronic book reader, will be launched this Thursday in San Francisco, USA. Though shrouded in mystery, it is tipped to come with a touch screen keypad, a webcam that recognises its user and the ability to attach virtual sticky notes to eBook pages.

Australia Day January 26th at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne

Australia Day January 26th. Australia Day celebrations are traditionally a relaxed and personal occasion but several official engagements start the celebrations each year. The first official public event begins when doors open to the Melbourne Town Hall for the City of Melbourne Citizenship Ceremony at 8:15 am.
The Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne (Cnr of Ballarto Rd and Botanic Drive Cranbourne off the South Gippsland Highway) have a special day organized for Australia Day, January 26th. Take an early morning bike ride before enjoying a bush breakfast. Bring your own bike and helmet and later, make a colourful Australian bird fridge magnet to take home. An Aussie barbecue will be held in the Australian Garden from 11am to 3pm.

Step-By-Step Guide to Identifying, Finding, Cultivating, Protecting & Maintaining Beautiful Bonsai Trees!