Paris Fashion Week Stunning Shoe Collection 2010-2012

Paris Fashion Week Stunning Shoe Collection 2010-2012

Collection Autumn-Winter 2011/2012 shows in Paris Fashion Week Nicholas Kirkwood

Shocking study reveals UK has one CCTV for every 32 people

Shocking study reveals UK has one CCTV for every 32 people

Shocking study reveals UK has one CCTV for every 32 people

It's an astonishing statistic that is sure to send chills down the spines of freedom campaigners.
In Big Brother Britain there is an incredible one CCTV camera for every 32 citizens, a study has revealed.
The revelation that 1.85 million cameras are watching our every move confirms the shocking extent of surveillance in 21st century Britain.
Coming a day after it emerged tiny drones could be used to spy on Britons, the CCTV study is sure to add fuel to the debate that we have become a Big Brother state.The research involved police community support officers counting every camera in Cheshire and extrapolating the results nationwide to provide a reliable estimate of the level of CCTV surveillance in the UK.
Officers counted 12,333 cameras in the area, according to a study published in CCTV Image magazine, the majority of which were inside premises, rather than facing public street.
The research also found that most CCTV cameras in the UK are likely to be privately owned, with only 504 of Cheshire’s cameras run by public bodies.
After the Cheshire results were extrapolated nationwide, taking into account urban and rural areas and transport networks, the number of cameras was adjudged to be 1,853,681 – enough for one camera for every 32 citizens in the UK.Despite the proliferation of CCTV cameras, police admit that just one crime is solved for every 1,000 cameras.
Deputy Chief Constable Graeme Gerrard, the lead on CCTV for the Association of Chief Police Officers said the latest numbers, based on a map of CCTV systems in Cheshire, were intended to ‘inject more rigorous figures into the debate’ over Britain as a surveillance state.
A widely quoted estimate of 4.2 million cameras in the UK was based on a 1.5km road in a busy shopping district and extrapolated out for the entire UK, he explained.
And the previous estimate that the ‘average Briton is caught on security cameras some 300 times a day was based on a fictional tour of CCTV hot-spots.
However, he admitted: ‘The figure of 1.85m is still a significant number of CCTV cameras.
‘I'm not saying for a minute that this doesn't mean that we don't have a lot of cameras.’
Mr Gerrard confirmed he was surprised to learn of other research which suggested the London underground network houses as many as 11,000 cameras.

Writing in CCTV Image, Mr Gerrard added: ‘Eight years after the 4.2 million figure was first published, we now have research that indicates that the figure is less than half this guesstimate.
‘We also know that unless you make a particular point of visiting as many CCTV hotspot areas as you can, you are unlikely to be captured on CCTV 300 times a day.'
He admitted the latest figures were still estimates, but said they showed the number of CCTV cameras in the UK to be around 1.85 million.
‘And the real figure for the number of times the average person is likely to be 'caught' on CCTV in a day is less than 70 - and most of these will be at your workplace or fleeting glimpses by cameras located in shops’.
However, Isabella Sankey, director of policy at the campaign group Liberty, said the figures would do little to allay concerns about surveillance in Britain.
‘Who cares if there is one camera or 10 on their street if that one camera is pointing into your living room?’ she asked the Guardian.
‘Concerns about CCTV are not a simple numbers game; what's required is proper legal regulation and proportionate use.’

Read More: Dailymail

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

Striking microscope images nab awards

Colorful shots of a ruby-tailed wasp and a human chromosome bring mostly unseen objects to life.

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

Wellcome Images is world's leading source of ...

Wellcome Images is the world's leading source of images of medicine and its history. The Wellcome Image Awards recognize the creators of the most informative, striking and technically excellent images among recent acquisitions. You can view all of the 2011 winners at http://www.wellcomeimageawards.org/. This photomicrograph shows an adult ruby-tailed wasp curled into a ball. The wasp was lit with two electronic flashes while imaging to highlight the natural iridescent colours on its body.

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

Photomicrograph of a mosquito from the Culex ...

Photomicrograph of a mosquito from the Culex genus. This image shows the whole body of an adult male. The sample is from a microscope slide created in the middle of the 20th century.

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

Cell division and gene expression

Cell division and gene expression in plant cells. Confocal micrograph showing the expression of different fluorescent proteins in the stem of a thale cress seedling (Arabidopsis thaliana). Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced and is an important model for studying plant biology. The middle of the image shows a region of high cell proliferation, which drives the growth and branching of the seedling.

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

Polarised photomicrograph showing rows of suckers

Polarised photomicrograph showing the rows of suckers on the foreleg of a male diving beetle. Commonly known as the great diving beetle, these are largest freshwater beetles in the UK. They have a large streamlined body that is dark brown in colour, with a yellow abdomen and yellow legs. This image was produced by passing light through coloured filters, a technique known as Rheinberg illumination.

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

Cavefish embryo at around five days post-fertilisation. ...

Cavefish embryo at around five days post-fertilisation. The embryo has been stained with an antibody against a calcium-binding protein (in green) to show different neuronal types and their processes in the nervous system. This staining also reveals taste buds, which are located around the mouth and along the body of the cavefish.

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

Honey Bee - False colour scanning electron micrograph ...

Honey Bee - False colour scanning electron micrograph of a Honey bee. The honeybee has a hairy thorax and segented abdomen, a pair of double wings and three pairs of segmented legs, each one with a different 'tool', designed for a specific functions to assist in the collection and transport of pollen.

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

Image of human chromosome in metaphase

Image of a human chromosome in metaphase. The colours in this image indicate the density of chromatin in the chromosome, like a heat map (red shows high density, blue low). A low density of chromatin indicates a high level of gene expression, and a high density indicates repression of gene expression.

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

Moth wing scales

Moth wing scales. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the scales on the wing of a Madagascan moon moth, Argema mittrei. This moth is also known as the Comet moth, after its very long tail. The tail span is 15 cm and wing span 20 cm, making it one of the world's largest silk moths.

Wellcome Image Awards 2011

This colour-enhanced photomicrograph shows different ...

This colour-enhanced photomicrograph shows different species of bacteria that cause dental plaque - a colourless film that forms on teeth caused by the growth of bacterial colonies. The sample was removed from the mouth of a patient diagnosed with an aggressive form of gum disease.

'Style Icon' Emma Watson an Unknown to Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood and some girl.

Vivienne Westwood presented an Elle Style Icon award to Emma Watson, and the fashion designer was all, "Emma Watson, who?" For shame!

Westwood, who dressed eccentric celebrity soulmate Helena Bonham Carter in a wacky frock for The Golden Globes, certainly did not intend to insult the "Harry Potter" superstar. Indeed, she seemed more "out-of-the-loop Miss Havisham" than "hateful meanie." And yet, some things are better left unsaid.

Take this embarrassing quote, for example: "It's very self-indulgent of me because I was supposed to welcome and to announce the winner of the Style Icon -- which I'm going to do -- and I was given this text about a woman and how amazing she is, and yesterday I was asked, 'This lady would like you to present if she wins.' But I didn't know who she was."

Yikes. Fortunately, "this lady" took Westwood's snub in stride, demurely laughing off the designer's awkward introduction and strutting confidently to the stage to accept her trophy. At least Westwood offered Watson a sweet embrace as she handed off the award.
Even if Westwood wasn't familiar with England's most adorable thespian-of-the-moment, chances are Emma had heard of Westwood: the British designer is credited with creating the Sex Pistols' signature punk-rock look. Any time you see someone donning safety pins as an accessory, you basically have Vivienne Westwood to thank.
And hey, if punk rock is all about thumbing your nose at mainstream society, well, being out of the loop about one of the world's most popular movie franchises qualifies as punk rock.
Read More: Yahoo

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve Greatest Places to Ring In the New Year

Where will you be on New Year's Eve? Here are some ideas for amazing places to visit when you really want to usher in the new year in a memorable way. Let the countdown begin!

Millennium Island, Kiribati

New Year's Eve Millennium Island, Kiribati

Though some may argue over the exact spot, Millennium Island in the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, just east of the international date line, is recognized by many as being the first place in the world to see the sun rise every Jan. 1. (The island, formerly called Caroline Island, got its new name during the build-up to the 2000 New Year.) Unfortunately, the island is in danger of disappearing due to rising seas, as it is only 6 meters above water level. Kiribati's island chain also includes Christmas Island, the world's largest coral atoll.

Paris

Paris

The Eiffel Tower is the place to be in Paris on New Year's Eve. At the stroke of midnight, fireworks light up the night and calls of “Bonne Année!” ring out along the Champs-Élyseés. Or for something different, set yourself up in the plaza in front of the Sacre Coeur Cathedral in Montmartre: You’ll get an unrivaled view over the entire City of Light. Don't forget to bring along a handful of papillottes , chocolate treats that pop when you unwrap them.

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Each Dec. 31, millions gather at Copacabana beach to watch a dazzling 20-minute display of pyrotechnics launched from 11 barges, each loaded with 1,200 fireworks. During the event, called Reveillon, fireworks exploding over the beach will be synchronized with sound effects, and this year, the logo for the 2016 Olympics will be unveiled. Four musical stages on the beach will get crowds pumped up early with plenty of live music.

London

London

On Dec. 31, Big Ben will officially ring in 2011 when it chimes at the stroke of midnight. That kicks off the traditional fireworks display behind the London Eye. The best viewing areas are across the river on the Victoria Embankment and on the Waterloo and Westminster bridges, which will be closed to car traffic around 6 p.m. Those who don't want to battle the crowds can catch the fireworks on the viewing screens in Parliament Square.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh, Scotland

In Edinburgh, Hogmanay is a four-day celebration to honor the last day of the year. Festivities kick off with a torchlight procession, followed by a huge street festival with music and dancing, and wrap up with fireworks over Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill. In the past, Viking longboats have been part of the torchlight procession — in a nod to Hogmanay's pagan roots — and then burned.

Sydney

Sydney

Sydney, west of the  international date line, welcomed 2010 while New Yorkers were still enjoying their morning coffee at 8 a.m. EST. The big bang begins at midnight local time, with an estimated 1.5 million revelers watching fireworks exploding from barges on the harbor, the rooftops of city skyscrapers and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The fireworks display has been known to last for up to 25 minutes.

New York's Times Square

New York's Times Square

Times Square has been the focal point of New Year’s celebrations since 1907, when the first ball dropped on One Times Square. This year will be no different, and people will begin squeezing into the area from 42nd to 47th streets between Broadway and Seventh Avenue early in the afternoon. At 11:59 p.m., the New Year’s Eve ball will begin its descent as a million voices start counting down. The geodesic sphere, designed by Waterford Crystal and featuring 960 crystal triangles lit from within, will drop 70 feet in 60 seconds.

Ecuador

Ecuador

To celebrate the new year, Ecuadoreans create effigies called años viejos (“old years”), which represent people and events from the past year. Stuffed dummies — made of straw, newspaper and old clothes, with papier-mâché masks — are often used to portray unpopular political characters or leaders. At midnight, the effigies are set on fire to symbolize burning away of the past year and welcoming of the New Year. Since the dummies are often stuffed with firecrackers, the purging ceremony comes with plenty of racket.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas

On New Year’s Eve, the usually clogged Strip will be closed to vehicular traffic for a giant street party. Walk among thousands of other revelers spilling out of hotels from Mandalay Bay to the Stratosphere, all awaiting the huge fireworks show at midnight that adds even more sparkle to the city of neon. Nearby on Fremont Street, the fireworks are shown on the massive LED canopy while tribute bands provide live entertainment.

Seattle

Seattle

More than 20,000 people gather at the base of the Space Needle to watch the elevators rise from the base as the countdown to New Year’s begins. When the elevators reach the top, pyrotechnics explode from all sides of the 605-foot tower — including more than 200 feet above the roof — turning it into a giant and colorful sparkler.

Disneyland

Disneyland

Fireworks light up the sky almost every night at Disneyland, so you know that for New Year's Eve, the California theme park goes all out to make the performance memorable. Get there early, as the best viewing spots, right in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, are also the most crowded. It's a Small World gives you a great view, as well, and also try near the Rivers of America in Frontierland.

New Orleans

New Orleans

In a twist on New York’s ball drop, New Orleans revelers will count down to 2011 as a giant, black and gold fleur-de-lis is lowered above the Jax Brewery Condominiums. The event starts at 9 p.m. with live music in Jackson Square, with the Queen of Soul Irma Thomas and others. At midnight, spectacular fireworks light up the sky over the Mississippi River.