Alexa Storm Hits Lebanon, In Pictures ( 11/12/13 – 14/12/13)

Storm “Alexa” was not as weak as some people think, but its “Center”, which is determined only before 24 to 48 hours, did not suit the Lebanese territories and especially Mount Lebanon.

Check Alexa in Pictures (Keep visiting this page, we’re adding new pictures) :

Send us your Alexa pictures adding your name & location to : eliechahinesblog@gmail.com

Fakiha – Baalbeck (Louis Mrad)

Bcharre (Micha)

Bayno – Akkar (Zaher Kafrouni)

Chadra – Akkar

Ehden

Kfardebyen (Salah El Din)

M3aser El Chouf

Daher El Baydar (LBCI)

Broumana

Kfardebyen

Hrajel – Keserwen

Baskinta

Daher El Baydar

3ersel (LBCI)

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This is Jounieh Highway in January 2013, For more pictures of January’s Bride(Olga) Storm Click Here:

The BRIDE(OLGA) Storm hits Lebanon : 7/1/2013 – 8/1/2013 – 9/1/2013 in Pictures !

— Original Post —

It’s true! Rain came late this year, yet it arrived with a blast; roads were flooded, highways transformed into rivers and cars, well, are not submarines!

As officials try to solve the situation as swiftly as possible, another ominous sign looms high in the skies; Alexa, although a fair name for a fair maden – or not – seems to have taken on a different meaning this year, for it bears wind, snow and everything in between. According to the Agricultural Research Institute, The said storm will hit Lebanon next week with frost and snow.

On Monday 9^th, freezing northern winds will hit Lebanon with rain and snow at 1000 meter above sea level, which might also cover the Bekaa area. The same applies for the following day. However, we will witness lower temperatures on Wednesday, 11, with torrential rain and snow reaching 800 meters above sea level.

Just as you might think this is over, temperatures will further drop in Thursday and Friday, accompanied by rain and snow, also reaching 800 meters above sea level.

The storm will recede on Saturday with a possibility to renew on Sunday.

What a 12.9-inch iPad looks like next to an iPad 4 and the MacBook Air

Earlier this year, a report from a Korean news site claimed that Apple was looking at the possibility of launching a 12.9-inch iPad in early 2014. We called the story ‘crazy,’ as among other things, it called for the monstrous tablet to be named the ‘iPad maxi.’

Surprisingly, though, late last month the Wall Street Journal corroborated the report, saying it had it on good authority that Apple was really working on such a device. And on the off chance that it ever makes it to market, here’s what it could look like…

The folks over at MacRumors have commissioned CiccareseDesign to create renderings of what a 13-inch iPad might look like compared to the current iPad and iPad mini models, as well as the rumored fifth-generation iPad, and a 13-inch MacBook Air.

Here’s the 12.9-inch iPad next to a mini and a 4th gen iPad:

And here it is next to a 13-inch MacBook Air:

Now, there’s a lot of math behind this thing, but MacRumors says that the renderings are based on a display with a resolution of 2712 x 2048. That’s why you see an extra row of icons on the Home screen, and why it seems like there’s so much empty space.

While the renderings look great, the obvious question here is why on earth would Apple build such a large tablet? Isn’t the current 9.7-inch model plenty big—or even too big for folks that opt for the smaller 7.9-inch mini? Honestly, I don’t have an answer.

But if I had to guess, I’d say such a device would be geared toward the pro crowd—photographers, videographers, producers, etc. Never underestimate the value of more screen real estate when you’re doing things like showing photos and editing raw footage.

So will we ever see a 13-inch iPad? I don’t know. But if we do, I doubt it will be anytime soon. I agree with some of the chatter I’ve come across on Twitter that iOS, as it is now, would feel rather odd on a 12.9-inch display—as would its thousands of apps.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is official: 4.3-incher with 10x optical zoom, OIS and Xenon flash

Samsung just outed the rumored Galaxy S4 Zoom cameraphone, and it is every bit as resemblant to the Galaxy Camera concept as on the leaked pictures before.

The mian differences are that it is more compact, achieved by limiting the zoom level to 10x instead of the 21x on Samsung’s Android camera, and it has voice calling functions, not only data connectivity.

 

At the front it resembles a Galaxy S4 Mini, with the same 4.3″ 540×960 pixels Super AMOLED display, but is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core Exynos 4212 processor, aided by 1.5 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage plus a microSD slot for expansion, and, of course, that sweet 16 MP camera with 10x optical zoom on the back and optical image stabilization. Android 4.2 is running the show, and the phone packs a 2330 mAh battery to power it all up.

 

The body is officially 15.4mm thick, yet in the camera lens part, which has a zoom ring, that goes to 25mm, and the typical grip bulge is here as well, so it is more of a compact camera with phone functions than anything else. Still, it is the first phone with 10x optical zoom, Xenon flash and all the bells and whistles of manual control over your photos and videos, like aperture, exposure and white balance settings, as well as no less than 26 preset shooting modes, including exotics like Baby, Golf and Smart Suggest, where the camera app tells you which shooting modes are suitable for the current scene.

EA announces Need for Speed Rivals

According to EA, Rivals features a new gameplay mode call AllDrive, which blurs the lines between single player and multiplayer mode. You can be playing a single player game and your friend elsewhere in the world may also be playing a single player game. Because you are friends within the game, Rivals will merge your game worlds so that you may find yourself bumping into each other at some point in the game.

You could be playing as a street racer and one of your rivals may end up being your friends. Or you could be a cop and the guy you are chasing could be your friend. The game will indicate you of the presence of your friend in the game world and you don’t have to take any special effort to enable or play a dedicated multiplayer mode. Both you and your friend are still playing as single players but since it’s the same world you may also end up playing against each other.

Other than that, Rivals also runs on the next generation Frostbite 3 engine, which we first saw in the Battefield 4 demo. The new engine offers even more realism through some stunning graphics, which you can see from the short teaser video below. Need for Speed Rivals is being developed by a new game studio called Ghost in collaboration with Criterion, who made the previous Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) and Hot Pursuit games, along with the popular Burnout series.

The game is set to launch on November 19, 2013 and can be pre-ordered from EA’s website right now

Defeat your rivals by any means necessary

Racers are lone wolves out for their own glory; driving agile cars built for high speed racing and epic chases. Cops work in teams to hunt down and bust racers using the full power of the police force.

Switch roles at any time and watch the stakes grow in an all-new scoring system that lets you put your speed points on the line to earn even greater rewards.

Destroying the line between singleplayer and multiplayer

New in Need for Speed Rivals, All-Drive destroys the line between singleplayer and multiplayer gameplay. Seamlessly join a world where your friends are already racing and chasing. No lobbies. No waiting.

Paths cross and experiences merge, creating a world where your race and your friend’s pursuit collide

Experience speed that you can truly feel

The power of the Frostbite 3 gaming engine brings the breathtaking scope and high speed action of Redview County to life. Every detail of the game world is rendered in stunning, high definition, next generation graphics, while weather conditions constantly change as you race and chase in snow, hail, rain, dust storms and heavy fog.

Connect with the Need for Speed Network to drop roadblocks or alert friends of inbound cops. Compare your progress against your rivals and share pictures of your best races and chases.

Personalize your cars with performance and style

Power up your car with the latest upgrades in pursuit technology and personalize your bodywork with fresh paintjobs, liveries, custom license plates, rims, and decals to show off your car to the world.

Save different configurations and keep a variety of car packages on alert to leave your mark no matter the situation

Use the latest technology and upgrades customized to each side of the law

Intense racing moments are made even more thrilling with access to technology and upgrades customized to each side of the law.

Racers can choose evasion technology from jammers to electromagnetic pulses. Cops are outfitted for aggressive busts with shockwaves, roadblocks, helicopter support and more. No matter the side you choose, use technology to stay one step ahead of your rivals

Volkswagen Teams Up With Apple, unveils new ‘iBeetle’ !

This is kind of interesting. Following a press release this weekend, Volkswagen has just unveiled the ‘iBeetle’ at the Shanghai Motor Show in the city’s Pudong district. The vehicle is expected to launch early next year, and will come in both coupe and convertible models.

Why is it called the iBeetle? The car will feature a custom built-in iPhone docking station, as well as a companion app, that will allow you to sync your iPhone with its entertainment system for making phone calls, streaming music and more. More details after the fold…

Volkswagen claims that this is the first time a vehicle has featured a “genuine integrative interface for the iPhone that was coordinated with Apple.” And in addition to the app and dock, the iBeetle will also feature Chrome trim, and custom ‘Disc’ wheels and badging.

Here’s some of the car’s capabilities noted in Volkswagen’s press release (via AutoBlog):

The newly designed docking station is located centrally on the dashboard of the Beetle: the iPhone simply snaps in to integrate it with the car. Essentially, all iPhone functions can be used in the Beetle; the iPhone can be used to navigate, make calls hands-free, listen to music, and much more.

When this special app is launched on an iPhone, it can either connect the phone to the Beetle via the docking station or wirelessly. Each option allows for different app functions to be accessed:

Spotify: lets users stream media such as new songs, customized playlists or online radio stations into the Beetle. Those who wish can post their favorite music directly to friends. In addition, users in the Beetle can switch between “Spotify” and “iTunes” at any time.

Expert: offers five functions which make the iPhone an extended on-board instrument of the Beetle, such as a G-Meter (for measuring lateral acceleration), oil and coolant temperature gauges for the engine, a chronometer, and a compass.

Trainer: can be used to compare driving times, distances, and fuel economy values for different routes between any two destinations. Here, too, tips can be posted via social networks like Twitter and Facebook-such as which route is faster to the office.

Reader: lists the latest messages from social networks like Facebook, and reads iPhone messages aloud.

Postcard: Sends the current location of the Beetle to friends as a digital postcard with a map motif.

Photo: Sends photos taken inside the car to numerous social networks. Simply activate it, and the app does the rest.

Milestones: Available when the smartphone is undocked. Rewards its users with virtual “milestone stickers” for the Beetle when certain tasks have been completed.

We’ve heard several reports recently that Apple is looking to wade further into the auto space. Last month, word got out that the iPad-maker was going to broaden its partnership with Ferrari. And shortly after that, it was seen hiring engineers for its vehicle integration team.

Apple is also making a big push in the auto space right now with its new Siri Eyes Freeproject. The feature, which was introduced in iOS 6 last year, allows users to initiate Siri through their car’s factory entertainment system. It made its debut earlier this year in the Chevy Spark.

The company’s growing infatuation with in-car integration should surprise no one. Steve Jobs often dreamed of building an ‘iCar,’ and even went so far as to discuss the idea with Volkswagen years ago. And Apple has factory iPhone and iPod adapters in most makes and models.

But what is surprising is that VW thought an iPhone dock (oh yeah, and an iPhone application) was worth building an entire car around. It seems like something that would have just been available as an option, or listed as a bullet point in a ‘technology’ trim package.

At any rate, the iBeetle will be available in iPhone-like ‘Candy White’ and ‘Black Monochrome,’ among other special colors. And should be ready for purchase in early 2014.