Asian Apple fans snap up new iPad on 1st day

Let the wild rumpus start.

The customary storefront crowds gathered as Apple's latest iPad went on sale starting in Asia on Friday. Gadget fans lined up in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore so they could be among the first to get their hands on the device.

The third version of Apple's iPad also went on sale in Australia and it will be available in the U.S. and five other countries beginning at 8 a.m. local time. The new model comes with a faster processor and a much sharper screen. It also boasts an improved camera, similar to that of the latest iPhone.

For many customers, visiting a store in person - instead of having one shipped - offers consumers a chance to mingle with die-hard Apple fans.

About 450 people lined up outside Apple's Ginza store in downtown Tokyo. Some had spent the night sleeping outside the store to be among the first when it opened at 8 a.m. - two hours earlier than usual.

"I wanted to be able to show it off to my friends," said Norio Nakayama, a 33-year-old computer consultant outside Apple's crosstown shop in the trendy Shibuya district. "I think I'll give my older iPad 1 to my wife."

In Hong Kong, a steady stream of buyers picked up their new devices at preset times at the city's sole Apple store after entering a random drawing online.

The system, which required buyers to have local ID cards, also helped thwart attempts by visitors from mainland China - Apple's fastest growing market - who have a reputation for scooping up Apple gadgets to get them earlier and avoid sales tax at home.

The iPad's release date in China has not yet been announced.

Two years after the debut of the first iPad, the device's launch has become the second-biggest "gadget event" of the year, after the annual iPhone release. A year ago, thousands lined up outside the flagship Apple store on New York's Fifth Avenue. The device sold out on launch day, even though it didn't go on sale until 5 p.m.

For some customers, standing in line will offer the only chance to get a new iPad on Friday. Apple quickly ran out of supplies it set aside for advance orders. The company was telling customers Thursday to expect a two- to three-week wait for orders placed through its online stores. Some buyers feared even longer waits.

"I knew that if I didn't buy it today it may be difficult in the future," said Anfernee Au, 33, who spent more than three hours outside a Hong Kong Apple reseller the day before for a ticket that allowed him to buy one iPad.

The new iPad is called just that: "the new iPad." Apple declined to give it a name like "iPad 3" or "iPad HD." That is consistent with its naming practice for iPods, MacBooks and iMacs, but a break with the way iPhone models are named.

Despite competition from cheaper tablet computers such as Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire, the iPad remains the most popular tablet computer. Apple has sold more than 55 million iPads since its debut in 2010, including some 40 million last year. Researchers estimate that the iPad has more than 60 percent of the market for tablets.

The iPad's accomplishments have contributed to the company's success on Wall Street. Apple's stock touched $600 briefly for the first time on Thursday. Apple is the world's most valuable company, with a market capitalization of nearly $555 billion. It topped $500 billion for the first time in late February, a market value peak where few companies have ventured.

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Ponsel Bisa Bikin Orang Egois, benarkah?

New York: Hadirnya teknologi telepon seluler (ponsel) tak hanya memberikan kemudahan bagi masyarakat dunia. Penggunaan ponsel ternyata juga memiliki dampak tak baik bagi psikologis seseorang yang menggunakannya.

Menurut penelitian dari University of Maryland's business school, Amerika Serikat, menemukan orang-orang yang menggunakan atau sekedar melihat gambar di ponsel mereka, terlihat kurang aktif pada perilaku yang bisa membantu orang lain.

Seperti dikutip theverge.com, belum lama ini, peneliti menguji tiga skenario dengan melibatkan orang yang tengah menggunakan ponsel sebelum mereka melakukan tugas. Para peneliti menemukan orang yang baru saja menggunakan ponsel mereka ternyata cenderung kurang peduli untuk berikan pelayanan masyarakat.

Menurut penulis, hal ini terjadi karena dengan beragam fitur canggih ponsel, orang merasa tidak butuh lagi bergaul dengan orang lain. Ponsel umumnya digunakan untuk menghubungkan keluarga atau teman dekat, serta membangkitkan hubungan komunikasi kecil yang bisa mempengaruhi kepedulian seseorang terhadap orang yang bukan kelompoknya.

Untuk memastikan hasil tersebut benar-benar berdasarkan atas hubungan perasaan, para peneliti menguji beberapa jenis kelompok. Mereka diminta melihat isi Facebook atau menonton televisi di ponsel mereka. Dalam semua kasus, pengguna telepon masih memperlihatkan perilaku yang kurang pro-sosial terhadap kelompok lain.(MEL)
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Giggs Dipuji Fergie, wow..

Manchester - Setelah sempat tertunda, Ryan Giggs niscaya akan melakoni penampilan ke-900 untuk Manchester United ketika menjamu Ajax Amsterdam. Pujian untuknya pun dilontarkan Manajer MU Sir Alex Ferguson.

Giggs urung mencatatkan penampilan ke-900 setelah tidak diikutsertakan ke dalam skuad MU yang melawat ke markas Ajax di partai leg I babak 32 besar, Jumat (17/2/2012) dinihari WIB lalu.

Menyusul kemenangan 2-0 atas Ajax di partai itu, bisa saja Giggs akan diistirahatkan di laga leg II, Jumat (24/2/2012) dinihari WIB. Namun, dengan Fergie kini sudah melontarkan puja-puji untuk pemain berusia 38 tahun tersebut, besar kemungkinan Giggs akan tampil di Old Trafford dan menggenapkan penampilannya jadi 900 untuk 'Setan Merah'.

"Dari pandangan pribadi, dan saya pikir tidak semua orang akan sependapat, saya pikir takkan ada pemain yang bisa melakukan apa yang sudah ia lakukan, dengan bertahan lama di Liga Primer dan mencapai banyak sukses," puji Fergie seperti dikutip Wide World of Sports.

Dengan penampilan yang kini berjumlah 899, Giggs yang aktif bermain sejak tahun 1991 bahkan sudah terpaut 141 dari penampil terbanyak kedua untuk MU, Sir Bobby Charlton, yang membela MU sebanyak 758 kali di partai resmi selama periode 1956–1973.

"Itu luar biasa. Ketika Anda mengingat lagi ke (final Liga Champions 2008) di Moskow ketika malam itu ia melewati rekor Bobby Charlton, Anda membicarakan sekitar 100 pertandingan setelahnya. Itu fenomenal."

"Ia terus mengingkari usianya dan musim ini ia masih sama seperti saat di Moskow dulu. Tingkat penampilannya, dulu dan sekarang, tak ada yang berubah. Ia luar biasa," lugas Fergie.
(dtc/krs) Sumber: detiksport
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Hadapi Muenchen, Basel Siap Bikin Kejutan

Klub asal Swiss, FC Basel akan melakoni laga 16 besar Liga Champions melawan Bayern Muenchen, Kamis (23/2) dini hari. Dalam jumpa pers, manajer FC Basel, Heiko Vogel mengakui Bayern Muenchen lebih berpeluang menang. Musim lalu, kedua tim sempat bertemu di fase grup dan Muenchen menang baik di laga tandang maupun kandang.

Namun demikian, bukan tidak mungkin timnya dapat membuat kejutan seperti saat menaklukan Manchester United di fase grup musim ini. Dua kali melawan Setan Merah, Basel meraih satu kali imbang 3-3 dan satu kali menang 2-1.

Sukses itu membuat wakil Swiss itu losos ke babak 16 besar mendampingi Benfica. Selain itu, fakta bahwa Vogel mengawali karier kepelatihannya dengan membesut Bayern Muenchen juga akan membuat laga ini menjadi lebih menarik.

Xerdan Shaqiri yang musim depan akan memperkuat Muenchen juga akan memperkuat Basel bersama Alex Frei dan Marco Streller. Mereka berjanji akan memberikan perlawanan terbaik saat menjamu Munchen di Saint Jacob nanti.(ADO)

Naik lagi Tarif Bus Ekonomi Segera Naik

Tarif bus ekonomi antarkota antarprovinsi dan antarkota dalam provinsi akan naik antara 15 sampai 20 persen pada April, sementara untuk kelas non-ekonomi akan disesuaikan dengan fasilitas layanan yang diberikan. Kenaikan diberlakukan sebagai upaya penyesuian terkait naiknya harga suku cadang, harga bahan bakar minyak, dan lainnya.

Demikian dikatakan Dirjen Perhubungan Darat Kementerian Perhubungan Suryo Alimoeso dalam pertemuan dengan para pengusaha angkutan bus, dan instansi-instansi terkait Jawa Tengah serta DI Yogyakarta di Solo, Jumat (17/2).

"Kenaikan tarif bus ekonomi sudah dibahas dan bahkan sekarang sudah hampir selesai dan suratnya sudah sampai pada Menteri Perhubungan, tinggal menandatangani saja, mungkin Maret 2012 sudah keluar dan tarif baru sudah bisa diberlakukan," katanya.

Menyinggung mengenai seringnya bus mengalami kecelakaan dan sampai merenggut puluhan korban jiwa, ia meminta kepada para pejabat yang menangani masalah angkutan agar semuanya berupaya melindungi masyarakat. "Kami minta seluruh pejabat, jangan menyalahgunakan kewenangan," tandasnya.

Ia mengatakan, selama tahun 2011 ada sekitar sepuluh perusahaan otobus (PO) yang ditindak, karena diketahui armadanya telah melanggar. "Kami sudah mengenakan berbagai sanksi tergantung dari kesalahan. Jika kesalahannya berat, izin trayek bus tentu dicabut," ujarnya.

Pemberian sanksi hanya dikenakan terhadap awak bus yang melanggar saja, tidak pada perusahaan busnya. Untuk itu Dirjen meminta pejabat terkait untuk berupaya menekan angka kecelakaan lalu-lintas. "Semua harus ditata lebih baik. Misalnya, di terminal bus juga harus ada tempat istirahat awak bus," katanya.(Ant/ADO)
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Game Anti Korupsi Lahir Bersama Game "Jengkol"

BANDUNG, KOMPAS - Fahma Waluya Rosmansyah, pembuat game bertemakan antikorupsi, Raid The Mice, mengaku mendapatkan ide untuk permainan tersebut selama liburan sekolah bulan Desember 2011.

Ternyata, ide tersebut datang bersamaan dengan tiga konsep permainan lainnya. Hal itu dia utarakan dalam wawancara yang berlangsung akhir pekan lalu.

Dari empat game yang muncul dari liburan sekolah itu, hanya "Raid The Mice" yang mendapatkan perhatian nasional karena dipresentasikan di depan petinggi Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, termasuk ketuanya, Abraham Samad.

Sementara itu, tiga game lainnya yakni Jengkol Jump, Ngupil dan Disgusting Frog tidak terlalu tersorot karena lebih menjadi proyek pribadi Fahma.

Seperti apa game lainnya itu? Fahma mengatakan salah satunya berangkat dari ketidaksukaannya pada kodok.

"Konsepnya? Karena saya ga suka kodok," ujar Fahma sewaktu ditanya mengenai konsep di belakang game Disgusting Frog.

Jengkol Jump adalah permainan yang mengharuskan pemainnya mengendalikan jengkol yang bisa terus melompat dengan berpijak di atas daun yang muncul secara acak. Permainan berakhir bila jengkol tersebut jatuh tanpa sempat berpijak lagi.

Permainan ke dua adalah Ngupil yang mengharuskan pemain menyentuh bakteri-bakteri yang menyebar dari tengah layar. Permainan tersebut dibuat secara sederhana dan swadaya oleh Fahma sendiri.

Rekam jejak Fahma sebagai programer aplikasi maupun game sebetulnya sudah sejak dua tahun lalu (2010) sewaktu dia berusia 11 tahun.

Dia pernah dinobatkan sebagai programer cilik termuda untuk Ovi Store, sebuah pasar aplikasi yang dimiliki Nokia.

Salah satu karyanya ketika itu berupa aplikasi untuk ponsel Nokia bernama Bahana untuk belajar angka, huruf dan warna.
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Beauties call on Angelina to be honest

Girls sporting shorts and t-shirts staged a rally in front of the Corruption Eradication Commission on Monday urging legislator Angelina Sondakh to tell the truth in her testimony before the court.

The protesters, calling themselves “Mawar Pro Pemberantasan Korupsi” (Roses supporting corruption eradication) carried red and white roses and brandished a poster reading “Mbak Angie, Jujur Doong!” (Mbak Angie, please be honest).

Democratic Party deputy secretary general Angelina, who became famous as Miss Indonesia 2001, is now the subject of criticism for contradictory statements, including confusion over her possession of BlackBerry devices that were allegedly used to communicate with defendant Mindo Rosalina Manullang in the case centering on the development of the 2011 SEA Games athlete’s village in Palembang. Angelina claimed that she did not own a BlackBerry until late 2010. The media has challenged her by running pictures of Angelina holding a BlackBerry on various occasions in 2009.

Angelina also denied several meetings she reportedly had with defendants, including former Democratic Party treasurer M. Nazaruddin and several other lawmakers.

Rally coordinator Verra said that the peaceful rally was meant to urge the KPK to prosecute anyone implicated in bribery.

“We also want to ask Mbak Angie to tell the truth,” Verra said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Girl power: Several women stage a rally in front of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday demanding the KPK prosecute all figures implicated in bribery involving the development of the 2011 SEA Games athlete’s village in Palembang. (tribunnews.com)
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berita Pemenang WMM 2011 dan MYTA 2011

GENERASIINDONESIA-- “Memulai usaha di usia muda itu banyak untungnya, bisa merasakan jatuh bangun, dan ketika jatuh mudah untuk bangkit kembali,” kata Menteri BUMN Dahlan Iskan dalam sambutannya ketika bersama Menko Perekonomian Hatta Rajasa menyerahkan penghargaan anugerah Wirausaha Muda Mandiri 2011 di JCC, Jakarta, Jumat (20/1/2012).
Expo Wirausaha Mandiri 2011 ialah yang keenam kalinya digelar sejak tahun 2007. Bedanya kali ini, disertai dengan penganugerahan Mandiri Young Technopreneur Award untuk kali pertama.

Pada program Wirausaha Muda Mandiri (WMM) 2011, selama masa penjaringan yang memakan waktu selama 3 bulan, diikuti oleh 3.751 peserta dari 385 Perguruan Tinggi di seluruh Indonesia dengan menyisakan 69 peserta berhasil maju menjadi finalis, dengan 37 diantaranya ialah mahasiswa dan 32 peserta alumni dan pascasarjana.

Sementara program Mandiri Young Technopreneur Award (MYTA) 2011 sebagai yang baru pertama kali diselenggarakan berhasil menjaring 617 orang peserta hingga kemudian memilih 19 orang finalis.

Dibawah ini adalah Nama-nama Pemenang dari masing-masing kategori:

Wirausaha Muda Mandiri (WMM) 2011

Kelompok Mahasiswa

Kategori Industri
Juara I : Andi Nata (Universitas Indonesia)
Juara II : Galih Ari Wirawan Siregar (Universitas Sumatera Utara)

Kategori Perdagangan dan Jasa
Juara I : Annur Budi Utama (Universitas Gajah Mada)
Juara II : Suprana (STMIK Atma Luhur)

Kategori Boga
Juara I : Fauzan Rachmansyah (Universitas Islam Indonesia)
Juara II : Khaidir Khaliq (STIE Nobel)

Kategori Industri Kreatif
Juara I : Fauzan A. Efwandaputra (Universitas Padjajaran)
Juara II : Willy Aristaking (Institut Pertanian Bogor)

Pemenang Terinovatif dan Teredukatif kategori kreatif diberikan kepada Anggi Hayani Harahap (Universitas Sumatera Utara), dan pemenang favorit versi YouTube diberikan kepada Mahendra Ega Higuitta (Institut Teknologi Sepuluh November)

Kelompok Alumni dan Pascasarjana

Kategori Industri
Juara I : Cokro Anton Wibowo (STIE MUSI)
Juara II : Yani Andriyani (Universitas Bandung Raya)

Kategori Perdagangan dan Jasa
Juara I : Agung Sri Hendarsa (Nagoya University Japan)
Juara II : Indari Mastuti R (Universitas Pasundan)

Kategori Boga
Juara I : Odi Anindito (Institut Teknologi Sepuluh November)
Juara II : Decky Suryata (Universitas Gajah Mada)

Kategori Industri Kreatif
Juara I : Sri Wahono (STMIK-STIE Darma Jaya)
Juara II : Rahmat Hidayat (IAIN ANtasari Banjarmasin)

Pemenang Terinovatif untuk kategori kreatif jatuh pada Jessica Diana Kartika (Universitas Kristen Petra). Sementara pemenang favorit versi YouTube diberikan kepada Sri Wahono (STMIK-STIE Darma Jaya).


Mandiri Young Technopreneur Award (MYTA) 2011

Kategori Energi Terbarukan
Juara I : Nurana Indah Paramita dan Titus Deus Prizfelix (Institut Teknologi Bandung)
Juara II : Achmad Ferdiansyah dan Ahmed Tessario (Institut Teknologi Sepuluh November)

Kategori Pengelolaan Air Bersih
Juara I : Alven Haeckal dan Indra Gunawan (Institut Teknologi Bandung)

Kategori Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi
Juara I : Rizky Ario Nugroho dan M. Endri Irfanie (Institut Teknologi Telkom)
Juara II : Rosa Kurniawan dan Fatkul Amri (Universitas Negeri Malang)

Pemenang favorit versi YouTube: Aditya Nugraha (Institut Pertanian Bogor).

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Years after marriages, relationships are recognized

Almost two dozen couples married under Islamic law, but whose relationships went without official registration for decades, finally received recognition from the Larangan Religious Affairs Agency in Tangerang on Friday.

Most of the 22 couples admitted that they did not register their marriages due to financial problems or had been deceived by officials.

Some also said that they did not understand the importance of registering their marriage.

“I’ve been married for 33 years and I’ve asked someone from the agency to settle the official documents. But to date I haven’t received it,” 55-year-old husband Asnawi said as quoted by kompas.com.

Cipadu residents M Yahya, 43, and his wife Siti Munaswaroh, 41, said that they simply did not have enough money to obtain the marriage documents.

“My salary as an outsource worker at a private company is only Rp 60,000 (US$6) a week - not even enough to make the ends meet. That’s why the official marriage thing is delayed,” he said.

Agency head Nurdin Usman said that couples need to pay Rp 450,000 each to obtain the marriage documents.

“Some of the couples canceled their plans to obtain the marriage documents after hearing of the fee. Out of 33 couples, only 22 actually obtained the documents,” he said. (iwa)
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berita 34 illegal immigrants detained in Bantul

Tribunnews.comTribunnews.comBantul police detained 34 alleged illegal immigrants on Friday from Middle Eastern countries who stopped at Samas Beach in Bantul, Yogyakarta en route to Australia.



They arrived on the coast at around 5 a.m. using three vehicles that transported them from Jakarta. They intended to continue their journey using a ship, but the ship was stuck in Cilacap, Central Java, due to bad weather.



The head of supervision and enforcement division at the Yogyakarta Immigration Office, Fitril Asmawi, said the immigrants were still being questioned by the police.



“We will handle them afterwards,” Fitril said as quoted by tribunnews.com. Tribunnews.com/Ade RizalTribunnews.com/Ade Rizal



Meanwhile, National Police chief spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said the immigrants asked local fishermen to take them to sea. The fishermen declined the request and filed a report with the police.



“We are still investigating how and where they entered Indonesian territory,” he said.



“They refuse to tell us where they’re from and who helped them.” (iwaThank you for visit us,check more info

Porsche’ newest SUV will be a Macan

German premium carmaker Porsche AG announced in a media statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Friday that its new SUV model will be named the Macan.

Macan is the Indonesian word for tiger and the SUV will combine suppleness, power, fascination and dynamics as the core characteristics of the new off-road car.

“The Macan combines all the characteristics of a sports car with the benefits of a SUV and is a genuine Porsche”, Bernhard Maier, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Porsche AG said in the statement.

“The name of a new Porsche has to fit with the brand, sound good in very many languages and dialects and evoke positive associations.”

As the fifth Porsche model line, the Macan is a central plank of Strategy 2018, by which the sports car manufacturer will expand its model portfolio. Porsche intends the Macan to emulate the success of the Cayenne.

Cynthia Ratna, spokeswoman for Porsche in Indonesia, told the Post she was pleasantly surprised and proud when she learned of the choice of name for the new model and that the decision to give the car an Indonesian name had been made by Porsche’s head office in Germany.

The SUV will be produced at the company’s plant in Leipzig, starting in 2013. The site in the Saxon city is being expanded into a fully-fledged production plant including body assembly line and paint shop.

With an investment of €500 million (US658.07 million), it is one of the biggest building projects in Porsche’s corporate history. In the medium-term, the sports car manufacturer expects to create more than 1,000 new jobs.

Model names at Porsche have traditionally had a connection with the characteristics of the cars themselves: the name Boxster describes the combination of boxer engine and roadster, Cayenne stands for sharpness, the Cayman is snappy and agile and a Panamera is more than a Gran Tourismo, capable of winning the Carrera Panamericana long-distance race.
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Jail sentence sought for Padang ‘strippers’ news

Prosecutor Zulkardiman asked the Padang District Court to sentence two alleged strippers to 18 months in prison on Thursday.

Zulkardiman told the court that the two girls, identified as SS, 22, and NA, 23, had been performing strip-dances at the Fellas Cafe and Resto last September.

“The defendants have been proven guilty of violating the 2008 Pornography Law and the Criminal Code,” he said as quoted by Antara.

Judges also heard testimonies from Padang Public Order Agency chief Yadrison, the café’s owner and employees, as well as other witnesses.

Both defendants, who were not assisted by legal advisers, testified that a Public Order Agency officer had forced them to be photographed naked in one of café’s rooms, before being taken to an agency office.

Café owner Hari denied the allegations, saying that his cafe had provided striptease services.

The Padang Public Order Agency arrested the girls at the cafe on Sept. 26, 2011, and immediately released them. A few weeks later on Oct. 15, the Padang police took them into custody. (yps)
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CNN, Larry King cut ties months after show ended

CNN and longtime talk show host Larry King are cutting ties 14 months after his prime-time series ended.

King did four specials for CNN within the past year. But CNN said in a statement on Wednesday the network and King have mutually agreed to end the specials.

The 78-year-old King says he has "nothing but respect for CNN." He says he's "looking forward to all the wonderful business opportunities" to which he'll now dedicate his time.

British host Piers Morgan now has the time slot King held. He does a similar interview program.
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Bomb plot deepens in Bangkok

Iran and Israel dropped diplomatic bombshells on each other Wednesday, accusing one another of being behind Tuesday's bomb blasts in Bangkok.

Israel was quick to implicate Iran in the bomb incidents. "The attempted attack in Bangkok proves once again that Iran and its proxies are continuing to act in the ways of terror and the latest attacks are an example of that," Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said.

But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast denied his country was involved in any of the cases and said Tehran condemned any "terrorist action". He told the official IRNA news agency: "The aim of the Zionist regime's claims is to overshadow the assassination of Iranian scientists."

The Iranian spokesman also accused Israel of "trying to harm the friendly and historic relations between Iran and Thailand".

Also yesterday, the United States--a close ally of Israel--condemned the blasts in Thailand's capital and suggested they may be linked to Iran.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the US was awaiting the results of investigations. She offered condolences to those injured.

'Iranian-sponsored links'

Nuland did not blame Iran directly. But she noted Monday's incidents in India and Georgia,

and recent "Iranian-sponsored" and "Hezbollah-linked" plots to attack Israeli and Western interests in Azerbaijan and Thailand. She called it "reprehensible" for states to use terrorism as a foreign policy tool.

Thai authorities are holding two Iranians in connection with the three explosions in Bangkok on Tuesday.

One of the men, named as 28-year-old Saeid Morati according to a passport found in his possession, lost both his legs when he tried to hurl an explosive device at police while fleeing an earlier blast at a house in the Sukhumvit area. The other Iranian was detained as he tried to board a flight out of Thailand. A third suspect who fled to Malaysia was arrested at Thailand's request.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul yesterday said Thai authorities have not described Tuesday's incident as an act of terrorism. But he urged terrorist groups not to include Thailand in their plots.

"At the moment, there is no evidence linking this incident to terrorism. So far the arrested [men] are accused of illegal use of explosives and of attempting to kill others and officials on duty," Surapong said. "Personally, I believe the incidents in Georgia, India, and Thailand have no connection."

He added, however, that: "I would like to ask people who think of plots harmful to Thailand to stop them. And I ask terrorists not to use Thailand as their base."

The foreign minister called his press conference yesterday after 10 foreign countries issued travel ad-visories for their citizens following the blasts. They are the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Norway, and Ireland.

Surapong meets US ambassador

Surapong said the US ambassador to Thailand, Kristie Kenney, had called him on Tuesday evening to ask for details about the blasts. The US Embassy later issued a warning advising American citizens to be careful when traveling in Thailand.

"I thank Ambassador Kenney for calling first. That allowed me an opportunity to explain the situation and the actions by the Thai authorities aimed at restoring foreigners' confidence," he said.

The foreign minister had earlier expressed his disappointment over a warning last month by the US Embassy about possible terrorist attacks in Bangkok.

Terrorism fears

Meanwhile, concerned tourism businesses yesterday called on the government to make it clear to the international community that the bomb blasts in Bangkok on Tuesday had nothing to do with terrorism.

"Reports from foreign news agencies have linked the bombing with terrorism in India and Georgia…[similar to] the US travel warning issued in January," said Kongkrit Hiranyakit, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand.

The reports said terrorists were targeting tourist spots and travelers. This will result in more countries issuing travel warnings, he said.

Kongkrit said such warnings would have a psychological effect on tourists, who would delay their trips to Thailand, as they did after similar advisories last month. Further violence or discovery of bomb-making ingredients would affect tourists' decision on whether to come to Thailand even more.

He said that when the United States and the United Kingdom issued warnings, other countries would follow. The government should investigate Tuesday's event and clarify the situation as soon as possible to reduce the number of countries issuing such advisories for travelers.

Kongkrit said 60-70 per cent of tourists coming to Thailand decided for themselves the destinations of their trips and might be influenced to avoid Bangkok. Although the government has said the bombings were not the work of terrorists, foreign news agencies were still linking them to terrorism. The government should present evidence to refute this belief, he said.

Sisdivachr Chewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said it had been receiving questions from trading partners and tourists concerned over the bomb blasts. However, they have not cancelled their trips to Thailand yet, but are waiting for the government's investigation.

"We have been informed that Thailand is not placed on the risk country from tourists but Thai travel agents instead," Sisdivachr said.

He said that if the government did not come out with clear information and security protection measures, it would affect Thailand's tourism industry in the long run.

The private sector cannot assess the situation but has to monitor the progress closely day by day.

"The government should control the situation as fast as it can and should be careful when releasing details [so as not] to create panic that leads embassies here to issue warnings," Sisdivachr said.

He added that in some sensitive countries such as China, such warnings would discourage tourists from traveling here. Sisdivachr pointed that the government should more careful for foreign tourist entering into Thailand.
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Chili experts: Trinidad Moruga Scorpion is hottest

There are super-hot chili varieties. And then there's the sweat-inducing, tear-generating, mouth-on-fire Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.

With a name like that, it's not surprising that months of research by the experts at New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute have identified the variety as the new hottest pepper on the planet.

The golf ball-sized pepper scored the highest among a handful of chili breeds reputed to be among the hottest in the world. Its mean heat topped more than 1.2 million units on the Scoville heat scale, while fruits from some individual plants reached 2 million heat units.

"You take a bite. It doesn't seem so bad, and then it builds and it builds and it builds. So it is quite nasty," Paul Bosland, a renowned pepper expert and director of the chili institute, said of the pepper's heat.

Researchers were pushed by hot sauce makers, seed producers and others in the spicy foods industry to establish the average heat levels for super-hot varieties in an effort to quash unscientific claims of which peppers are actually the hottest.

That's something that hadn't been done before, Bosland said.

"The question was, could the Chile Pepper Institute establish the benchmark for chili heat?" he said. "Chile heat is a complex thing, and the industry doesn't like to base it on just a single fruit that's a record holder. It's too variable." The academic institute is based at the university's agriculture school and is partially funded by federal grants, as well as some industry groups depending on the project.

The team planted about 125 plants of each variety - the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, the Trinidad Scorpion, the 7-pot, the Chocolate 7-pot and the Bhut Jolokia of India, which was a previous record-holder identified by the institute and certified by Guinness World Records in 2007.

Randomly selected mature fruits from several plants within each variety were harvested, dried and ground to powder. The compounds that produce heat sensation - the capsaicinoids - were then extracted and examined.

During harvesting, senior research specialist Danise Coon said she and the two students who were picking the peppers went through about four pairs of latex gloves.

"The capsaicin kept penetrating the latex and soaking into the skin on our hands. That has never happened to me before," she said.

Chile peppers of the same variety can vary in heat depending on environmental conditions. More stress on a plant - hotter temperatures or less water, for example - will result in hotter fruit.

The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion's new notoriety is already making waves in the industry and among those who love their hot, spicy foods.

"As with all the previous record holders, there will be a run on seeds and plants," said Jim Duffy, a grower in San Diego who supplied the university with seeds for four of the super-hot varieties. "Like Cabbage Patch dolls right before Christmas or Beanie Babies, it's like the hot item."

Not even Duffy or the researchers would dare to pop a whole Trinidad Moruga Scorpion in their mouths, but there are plenty of videos on social networking sites where heat-loving daredevils have tried.

The blood flow increases and the endorphins start flowing. Their faces turn red, the sweat starts rolling, their eyes and noses water and there's a fiery sensation that spreads across their tongues and down their throats.

"People actually get a crack-like rush," Duffy said. "I know the people who will eat the hottest stuff to get this rush, but they've got to go through the pain."

Pepper experts said there are a handful of people who are crazy enough to subject themselves to the pain, but the rest just want to try out these super-hot peppers on their friends or make killer hot sauce - and it doesn't take a whole pepper to do that.

More bang for the buck is how Bosland describes it. He said a family could buy two of the super-hot peppers to flavor their meals for an entire week.

The beauty of the peppers is they're not only the hottest in the world, but they're also some of the most flavorful peppers, Duffy said.

"You can make a barbecue sauce or a hot sauce at a mild to medium level using small amounts of these peppers and it will be so darn addictive that you won't want to put your spoon down," he said. "You'll want to eat and eat and eat."
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American Airlines' AMR posts $1.1 billion 4Q loss

AMR Corp., the parent of American Airlines, said Wednesday that it lost $1.1 billion in the fourth quarter as it wrote down the value of planes and other property and paid more for jet fuel.

The company, which filed for bankruptcy protection in November, said that the results compared with a loss of $97 million a year earlier, when AMR still hoped to avoid bankruptcy by cutting costs.

The most recent loss included $768 million in special items, including $725 million from write-downs of aircraft that the company had announced two weeks ago. It also took a $43 million hit as it changed assumptions on recognition of revenue in its frequent-flier program.

Excluding special items, AMR said it would have lost $209 million, compared to an after-items loss of $69 million a year ago.

American is the nation's third-biggest airline, and it has presented a business-as-usual face since becoming the latest in a long string of U.S. airlines to file for bankruptcy protection. Even though it is still losing money, the airline is benefiting from higher ticket prices and decent demand for travel.

AMR said fourth-quarter revenue rose 7.4 percent to $6 billion. Analysts expected $5.89 billion, according to FactSet.

The amount of revenue for every mile flown by one seat, a closely watched measure in the airline industry, rose 8.9 percent, a reflection of the higher fares.

But costs have also mounted, especially for fuel, which accounts for about one-third of an airline's budget.

AMR paid about $3.01 per gallon for jet fuel, up from $2.42 per gallon a year earlier, for an increase of 24.5 percent. The company said it spent $394 million more on fuel than it would have at last year's prices.

For the full year, the company posted a net loss of $2 billion, compared with a loss of $471 million in 2010. Revenue rose to $23.98 billion from $22.17 billion.

AMR, American and affiliate American Eagle filed for bankruptcy protection Nov. 29. Company management proposes to slash annual costs by $2 billion through steps including eliminating 13,000 jobs and terminating pension plans for 130,000 current and former workers. It says it can boost revenue by $1 billion per year with additional flights in key markets and better services.

The company's shares no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange, and it decided to drop the conference call with analysts that typically goes with a quarterly earnings report.
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Honduran judge: 358 killed in Honduras prison fire

A Honduran supreme court judge says officials have confirmed 358 dead in a prison fire, making it the worst of its kind in at least a century.

Justice Richard Ordonez, who is leading the investigation, said that with 856 prisoners packed into barracks, the farm prison in the Comayagua province north of the capital was at double capacity.

Ordonez told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the fire started in a barracks where 105 prisoners were bunked, and only four of them survived.

Some 115 bodies have been sent to the morgue in the capital of Tegucigalpa.

Witnesses said the fire, started by an inmate, burned or suffocated the locked-up, screaming men as rescuers desperately searched for keys.

A 1930 prison fire in Ohio killed 322 people.
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Jasa Pembuatan Musik Jingle Sebagai Bahasa Pemasaran Produk, Perusahaan dan Peserta Pilkada

Peran musik sebagai alat ungkap yang paling universal di tengah perkembangan teknologi komunikasi dewasa ini sudah menjadi sebuah keniscayaan. Pada saat semua media demikian mudah diakses maka peran musik penting sebagai alat pemasaran yang paling dramatis.

Kalau selama ini iklan telah mampu mendorong terbangunnya brand awareness, maka sebuah komposisi musik yang diramu secara tepat akan dapat membangun simpatik yang pada ahirnya menciptakan loyalitas konsumen pada sebuah merek. Musik bukan saja dapat mempersuasi pasar, namun sekaligus dapat menjadi media ungkap berdasarkan citra yang tepat pada segmen pasar tertentu. Selera musik identik dengan gaya hidup, bahkan menjadi simbol sosial yang integral bagi semua kelompok pasar.
Lewat musik marketing mix bisa diramu dalam komposisi yang artistik dan menarik, lewat musik pangsa pasar dapat didekati secara optimal dan lewat musik pula corporate positioning bisa dicapai.

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Yahoo's talks to sell Asian assets unravel

As Yahoo tries to head in a new direction, the fate of the struggling Internet company's Asian holdings remains in limbo.

The negotiations to sell Yahoo's stakes in China's Alibaba Group and Yahoo Japan abruptly broke off in a disagreement over the sales price and the best way to get the complex deal done, according to a person familiar with the matter. Another person familiar with talks said Yahoo had second thoughts after agreeing to the sales price in a 300-page proposal outlining the proposed deal in late December.

"It was the culmination of a lot of little items," one person said of the deal's collapse.

Both people spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because the negotiations are considered to be confidential, despite repeated leaks about the discussions during the past few months.

All Things D, a technology blog affiliated with The Wall Street Journal, reported earlier that the talks had unraveled.

It's the latest twist in the drama that has been swirling around Yahoo Inc. since it fired Carol Bartz as CEO five months ago.

Since the start of the year, Yahoo has hired former PayPal executive Scott Thompson as CEO and announced the departures of five board members, including Chairman Roy Bostock and company co-founder Jerry Yang. One of Yahoo's major shareholders, New York hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb, outlined plans Tuesday to shake things up even more; he intends to wage a campaign to win a board seat for himself and three of his allies.

Thompson, Yahoo's fourth full-time CEO in less than five years, has pledged to engineer a turnaround that eluded his predecessors.

For now, though, investors are disillusioned with Yahoo's inability to close the deal on the Asian assets. The company's shares shed 76 cents, or 4.7 percent, to close at $15.36 - below their price six weeks ago when Yahoo announced Thompson's hiring.

The Asian impasse comes as a surprise, given that Yahoo and the prospective buyers, Alibaba and Yahoo Japan shareholder Softbank Corp., all seemed motivated to seal a long-awaited deal. Yahoo was confident enough to dispatch negotiators to Hong Kong last week while Alibaba had been seeking financing to pay for its part, one person said.

But the sides couldn't agree on the value of Yahoo's holdings, which have been steadily rising in the past few years as Alibaba's electronic-commerce services prospered in China's rapidly growing Internet market. Analysts have also differed on how much Yahoo could fetch by selling its stakes, with estimates ranging from $11 billion to $18 billion.

To compound the challenges, the deal was arranged in a way that would have enabled Yahoo to avoid paying taxes. That proposal, according to both people who spoke to the AP, was structured a "cash-rich split-off" that would have resulted in Alibaba and Softbank contributing money and other assets into a special entity in exchange for Yahoo's stakes in the Asian companies. Yahoo then could have used the money generated from the Asian sale to placate its long-frustrated shareholders with a special dividend or other measures that might reverse a three-year slump in its net revenue.

The downturn has turned Yahoo's Asian stakes into the most valuable part of the company, even though its own operations still include websites boasting an audience of about 700 million people.

But Yahoo is having trouble attracting the advertisers who have been spending more money on the Internet in recent years, a trend that has been enriching online search leader Google Inc. and Facebook, the owner of the largest online social network.

Yahoo remains open to reviving the negotiations to sell its Asian assets at the right price, one of the people familiar with the matter said. That could include a new proposal that would taxable in the U.S., the other person said.

When Yahoo appeared reluctant to sell its Asian stakes late last year, investment firms Blackstone Group and Bain Capital considered teaming up with Alibaba and Softbank in a joint bid to buy Yahoo in its entirety, according to media reports that cited unnamed people. Yahoo also considered selling partial stakes of the company to other investment firms.

Bostock publicly acknowledged the different proposals that Yahoo had been considering last week when he announced he will be stepping down as the company's chairman. At that time, he stressed "we are not in a position at this time ... to provide assurance that any transaction will be achieved."
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Jakarta’s lovebirds pay dearly for ‘romantic dinner’

It’s almost the time of year again when couples suddenly turn romantic, at least for a day.

In Jakarta, as elsewhere, lovebirds are choosing to mark Valentine’s Day with romantic dinners. Some reserved pricey tables in tony restaurants weeks before Feb. 14.

One restaurant that is courting lovers, Emilie in Senopati, South Jakarta, is offering couples a special menu.

“For Valentine’s Day, we have a prepared menu that comprises six complete courses for dinner. The price is Rp 1.2 million [US$134] per person,” restaurant spokeswoman Nana Muschory said.

The restaurant serves classic, regional French cuisine in a sophisticated intimate setting, according to its website.

Nana said customers booked tables for Feb. 14 starting in January, and there were currently no more tables available. “Main dining at Emilie is usually on the first floor only. But for this Valentine’s Day, we will also serve dinner for two on the second floor,” she said.

As of Sunday, there were 12 couples on the restaurant’s wait list, hoping that others might cancel. “Last year, there were several couples who waited here for hours for a table. They waited until another couple finished their dinner,” Nana said.

Another prime destination for those seeking a romantic candlelit dinner is Segarra in Ancol, North Jakarta.

However, all of the restaurant’s tables overlooking Jakarta Bay on Feb. 14 have been booked since September. “The tables on the sand, looking at the sea have always been the favorite of customers,” Enjum, a
receptionist, said.

Accompanied by live music and sea breezes, couples will be served with a special menu made for the day. Packages range from Rp 600,000 to Rp 1 million. “Customers can get free wine if they order the Rp 1 million package,” she said.

Segarra, which means ocean, offers Asian and European food ranging from tom yam noodles to grilled salmon to pizza.

Selly Anita, 37, said that she and her boyfriend would have a romantic dinner for Valentine’s Day this year.

“I don’t always have dinner on Valentine’s Day, but I don’t know, I guess my boyfriend just being too romantic this year,” she said.

Selly said they planned to have dinner at Vin+ in Senayan, South Jakarta, because the place was quiet.

“We’re not actually looking for a candlelit dinner — just a regular dinner. But because it’s Valentine’s Day, I believe many restaurants have changed their setting to be like that,” she said.

Selly added that chocolate and flowers from her boyfriend would be enough to celebrate the day.

Other than a secluded dinner for two, other ways to mark the holiday include bouquets of red roses and boxes of chocolate or candy.

However, some skeptics refuse to partake in the consumerist frenzy, saying that love should be celebrated on any day of the year.

Others took even a harder line, such as members of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), who rallied in Sukabumi, West Java, on Sunday to ban Valentine’s Day
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Celebrating love with batik in Kudus

Batik Kudus Lovers (Bakul) teamed up with Kudus Batik Muria to hold an event called Hari Sayang Batik (Love Batik Day), which is held in observance of Valentine's Day, at Identitas Monument in Kudus in Central Java on Tuesday.

The event featured a fashion show using a zebra cross next to the monument as the catwalk.

Dozens of models sporting batik attire with diverse motifs such as parijoto, kapal kandas, kretek and dab beras kecer took part to enliven the event. They put on a show when the traffic light turned red.

"We use this event to inaugurate our community of Batik Kudus Lovers in Kudus," said one of the event coordinators, Siti Merie, as quoted by kompas.com
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5,000 orders roll in for ‘national car’ Esemka

Although the Kiat Esemka, a car assembled by students of a vocational high school in Surakarta, has not passed the roadworthiness test yet, Surakarta Mayor Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo claimed that as of now, the administration had received at least 5,000 orders for the car.

“I don’t know the people who ordered the cars. Please ask for the details about business queries at the Esemka workshop. I only help promote the car,” Jokowi said Friday on the sidelines of a discussion titled “Realizing Regional Administration Free from Corruption for the People’s Welfare,” at Hotel Sultan in Jakarta.

He said the car would be brought to Jakarta next week to undergo emission tests.

“I hope it will pass the test,” he said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The car will have to undergo emission tests at the thermodynamics, motor and propulsion system center at the Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), the Industry Ministry and the Transportation Ministry.

He expected once the car passed the tests at all three institutions, production permits for the car would soon be awarded. (iwa)
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Boeing says it's frustrated with Dreamliner glitch

Boeing Co., the world's second-largest plane maker, is frustrated with the latest 787 Dreamliner production glitch, but it shouldn't delay output goals, a top executive said Sunday.

Boeing has fixed a shimming problem discovered earlier this month on some 787 fuselages and plans to inspect other planes for the error, Boeing vice president of 787 development Mark Jenks said. Shims are used to close tiny gaps in joints.

"It's a pretty straightforward issue," Jenks told reporters in Singapore. "It shouldn't have any significant impact on our production ramp-up."

Boeing still plans to boost production from a current two to three 787s per month to 10 of the planes per month by the end of next year, Jenks said. Boeing delivered its first Dreamliners last year to All Nippon Airways after a parts shortage, a labor strike and a fire on a test flight triggered several delays and pushed back delivery by three years.

"Clearly it's frustrating, and we'd rather it not happen," Jenks said. "We've really moved from some things that early on hit us that really were sort of unusual with the new technology, now to these kinds of things which really aren't that different from th problems we always have to face when we ramp up production."

Boeing 787 Dreamliner: (AP/Bryan van der Beek)Boeing 787 Dreamliner: (AP/Bryan van der Beek)

The Dreamliner is the world's first commercial plane made mostly of lighter-weight composite materials. Boeing says the plane cuts fuel consumption by 20 percent and lowers operating costs by 30 percent.

The planes also feature a high ceiling, bigger windows that can darken and softer lighting.

The first Dreamliner version, the 787-8, carries between 210 and 250 passengers. Boeing plans to deliver the 787-9, which is longer and carries between 250 and 290 passengers, by early 2014.

Jenks said Boeing is currently studying a possible 787-10, which would be bigger than the 787-9.

Boeing has received orders for 870 Dreamliners from 59 airlines and is showcasing the plane at this week's Singapore Airshow. (nvn)
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Local airline to buy 30 units of N 219 aircraft from PT DI

Local airline PT Nusantara Buana Air (NBA) has ordered 30 N 219 units from state-owned aircraft firm PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) as part of plans to expand their business in the country’s airline industry, a senior official said in Jakarta on Monday.

“We are going to sign the Letter of Intent (LOI) and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PT DI on Tuesday at the Singapore Air Show,” NBA manager James Massie told The Jakarta Post.

The 19-seat aircraft are worth US$4 million each.

He said that the arrival of the 30 new planes was in line with the company’s plan to expand operations in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara and Papua in the near future.

NBA is currently operating more than 12 pioneer routes in Aceh, North Sumatra, Bengkulu, West Sumatra and Maluku with 5 Casa 212-200 units.

“The purchase of the N 219’s is also part of our plan to replace the older Casas,” he said.

He said that NBA is planning to acquire eight new aircraft this year; four units of the 29-seat Jetstream 41 from Scotland and four units of the 18-seat Dornier 228 from Germany.

“We will begin receiving the new aircraft within the next two months,” he said. (nfo)
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US, EU clear Google's $12.5B Motorola Mobility bid

Google's $12.5 billion bid to buy cellphone maker Motorola Mobility has won approval from U.S. and European antitrust regulators, moving Google a major step closer to completing the biggest deal in its 13-year history.

Monday's blessings mean Google Inc. just needs to clear regulatory hurdles in China, Taiwan and Israel before it can take control of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and expand nto manufacturing phones, tablet computers and other consumer devices for the first time.

Getting government approval in China looms as the biggest stumbling block remaining. Google's relationship with China's ruling party has been on shaky ground since the company blamed hackers in that country for breaking ito its computers two years ago. The breach prompted Google to move its Internet search engine from mainland China in protest of laws requiring some results to be censored.

Google prizes Motorola Mobility's more than 17,000 patents - a crucial weapon in an intellectual arms race with Apple, Microsoft and other ivals maneuvering to gain more control over smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Google announced the deal six months ago.

The deal will "enhance competition and offer consumers faster innovation, greater choice and wonderful user experiences," Don Harrison, Google's deputy general counsel wrote ina blog post.

Besides signing off on the Motorola Mobility deal, the Justice Department also approved two other moves in the mobile patent battles. The approvals cover the $4.5 billion purchase of Nortel Networks patents by a group including Apple, Microsoft and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. and a separate Apple acquisition of Novell Inc. patents.

The Justice Department ended its investigations after concluding the new patent owners won't try to drive up the prices of competing mobile devices by demanding exorbitant licensing fees. The agency said it was particularly concerned about key patents held by Motorola Mobility and Nortel.

Apple Inc. and Microsoft promised to license the Nortel patents on reasonable terms while Google's commitments on the Motorola Mobility patents were "more ambiguous," according to a statement from the Justice Department's antitrust division.

Nevertheless, the Justice Department didn't find any evidence that Google's ownership of Motorola Mobility would lessen competition in a mobile device market that is becoming increasingly important as more people connect to the Internet on smartphones and tablet computers instead of desktop and laptop computers.

In granting its approval, the European Union also raised concerns about Motorola's aggressive enforcement of its patents. EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said regulators will "keep a close eye on the behavior of all market players in the sector, particularly the increasingly strategic use of patents."

In its statement, the Justice Department also vowed to crack down on any sign that mobile patents are being used to throttle competition. Microsoft said it was encouraged by the regulatory commitments.

Other key concerns centered on Google's Android operating system, free software that now powers more than 250 million mobile devices made by a variety of manufacturers, including Motorola Mobility. Competition could be hurt if Google gives Motorola Mobility the most advanced versions of Android or withholds the mobile software from other cellphone makers.

Google, though, has pledged to make Android available to all its mobile partners. Even if Google were to discriminate, cellphone makers still could rely on mobile software from Microsoft Corp., Research in Motion and Hewlett-Packard Co., among others.

The European regulators see no danger that Google will prevent other device makers from using its popular Android operating system after the takeover.

"Android helps to drive the spread of Google's other services," the Commission said. "Given that Google's core business model is to push its online and mobile services and software to the widest possible audience, it is unlikely that Google would restrict the use of Android solely to Motorola," which only has a small market share in Europe.

The government reviews in U.S. and Europe have come as regulators also have been conducting a broader inquiry into whether Google has been abusing its dominance in Internet search to hobble its rivals. Those investigations are still ongoing.

Assuming Google eventually takes over Motorola Mobility, the union will open new opportunities and pose potentially troublesome challenges for a management team that so far has concentrated on Internet search, ad sales and other software-driven online services.

Motorola Mobility's expertise in mobile devices and set-top boxes for cable TV will allow Google to play an even more influential role in shaping the future of hand-held computing and home entertainment. Even as it navigates the regulatory gauntlet, Google has begun testing a device for connecting electronic components within homes, according to a filing with the Federal Communications Commission.

Absorbing Motorola Mobility also threatens to crimp Google's earnings growth and drag down its stock price. That's because Motorola Mobility has been struggling on its own as Apple's iPhone and other smartphones made by rivals such as Samsung Electronics undercut sales of its products.

Google is making a huge bet that Motorola Mobility can do better. The $12.5 billion price is more than the combined amount that Google has paid for the 185 other acquisitions that it has completed since going public in 2004.

Google's stock rose $6.29, or 1 percent, to close Monday at $612.20. Motorola Mobility's gained 18 cents to $39.63, just below the proposed sale price of $40 per share. Google is based in Mountain View, California, while Motorola Mobility has its headquarters in Libertyville, Illinois.
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4 die in East Java bus crash

After two deadly pileups involving buses in the past two days, another bus rammed into a tree on Jl. Ngawi-Madiun in Tempuran village, Ngawi, East Java, on Monday morning, killing four people and injuring dozens.

"We are registering the number of fatalities and injuries. So far we have recorded four people dead and 32 others injured,” said Ngawi traffic police chief Comr. Toni.

“All victims are passengers of this Mira bus,” he said as quoted by Antara news agency.

According to eyewitnesses, the accident took place at 3:30 a.m.

The Mira bus was travelling at 100 kilometers per hour on the road from Ngawi to Madiun when a truck coming from the other direction turned into the road to enter a storage building. In trying to slow down the bus, the bus driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with a tree.

Victims were taken to Ngawi City Hospital and Soedono Hospital in Madiun.

Buses have become death traps for passengers due to reckless driving, with at least 17 people being killed and dozens injured in the past three days in bus-related accidents. On Friday, a bus plunged into a ravine after being involved in a deadly pileup that claimed 14 lives in Puncak, West Java.

Another tourist bus also rammed into several vehicles, including a horse-driven cart in Majalengka, West Java, on Sunday morning, claiming three lives and leaving at least 16 injured. (dmr)

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Zambia wins African Cup after penalty shootout

Zambia won the African Cup of Nations Sunday, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a nerve-racking final at Stade de l'Amitie in the Gabonese capital of Libreville.

Stophira Sunzu scored the deciding sudden-death penalty after Gervinho missed his spot kick for Ivory Coast.

It's Zambia's first African title and came, poignantly, in the same city where nearly the entire national team was killed in a plane crash in 1993 in the country's worst sporting disaster.

Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba had missed a 70th-minute penalty for the title favorite to send the dramatic decider to extra time and then a shootout.

After both sides made their first seven penalties, Ivory Coast's Kolo Toure had given Zambia a first chance at victory when his effort was saved. But Kalaba Rainford sent his effort high over the crossbar to give the Ivorians renewed hope.

But Gervinho faltered as well as the Arsenal winger missed the target, and Sunzu made no mistake when it was his turn, drilling his penalty to the right of Boubacar Barry for the title-clinching moment.

He raced toward the team's fans behind the goal to celebrate a highly emotional victory for the Zambians, who had pledged to return to Libreville and win their first major trophy to honor the 25 people who died in that plane crash nearly two decades ago.

The Gabonese fans were also won over, chanting "Chipolopolo," the Zambian team's nickname, at the end.

Drogba hit his regular-time penalty over the crossbar after Gervinho was fouled, and then looked up at the sky in frustration. Even though the Chelsea striker scored in the shootout, Ivory Coast failed to end a 20-year wait for a second African title despite being the continent's top-ranked team. It was the Ivorians first loss in six games at this tournament.

Zambia captain Christopher Katongo hit the post in the opening five minutes of extra time but the underdogs were hanging on at the end, as Max Gradel sent a shot agonizingly wide in the 88th for Ivory Coast.

Emmanuel Mayuka was denied a goalscoring opportunity for Zambia by Kolo Toure's desperate tackle with the forward clear on goal in a frenzied finish to the 90 minutes.

In the first half, Zambia's players appeared determined to entertain the fans at Stade de l'Amitie, trying backheels and tricks in freeflowing, almost carefree style.

Nathan Sinkala should have had Zambia ahead early as a slick move from a corner opened a chance for him in just the second minute, but his scuffed shot was saved by Boubacar Barry.

Musonda tried to shrug off an early injury in what was meant to be a memorable 100th cap for him, but he couldn't continue. The veteran defender was in tears as he left the field in the 11th minute and was consoled by teammates and opponent Drogba.

Zambia kept pushing forward, with Emmanuel Mayuka sending a looping header onto the roof of the net in the 14th and Rainford Kalaba's deflected free kick flying just wide of the right post.

The Ivorians began to find their feet as the half progressed, and Drogba set up Yaya Toure with a classy backheel. The midfielder pulled his right-footed shot wide by inches from in front of goal with keeper Kennedy Mweene rooted to the spot and beaten.

Zambia coach Herve Renard's intensity boiled over as he pushed his own defender Davies Nkausu as he shouted instructions to him on the sidelines. Nkausu nodded and agreed with his coach's forceful directions, patting the intense Frenchman on the shoulder.

Gervinho continued to trouble Zambia down his right wing as the second half began quietly before Katongo suddenly lifted the Zambians - and the crowd - with a weaving run. Ivory Coast's strong defense held firm after a series of corners. (nvn)
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Indonesia’s recent plan on live cattle and beef import from Australia

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The Indonesia-Australia trade relationship is once again being put to the test. There have been strong rumors circulating about Indonesia’s plan to cut its live cattle and beef import quota from Australia to an amount that is only slightly over half of the 2011 quota.

Export permits may be issued for a total of only 283,000 head of live cattle for 2012. Interestingly, the news has attracted attention from Australian media more than Indonesian media. The plan for the quota cut is said to be related to the 2011 live cattle census.

How reliable is Indonesia’s census data? To the author’s knowledge, there has not been an official release regarding results from the 2011 live cattle census issued by the Indonesian government or Agriculture Ministry. However, according to various Australian news portals, the census concludes that Indonesia has 14.8 million head of cattle.

The results suggest a relatively significant jump from the usual historical trend. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics, Indonesia’s live cattle stocks amounted to 12.8 million in 2009.
Between 2005 and 2009, annual stock growth had been about 4 percent.

This implies that to have 14.8 million head of live cattle in 2011 as determined by the census, between 2009 and 2011 Indonesia must have increased its annual stock growth by nearly twice as much as during the 2005-2009 period, namely by about 7.5 percent.

It is true that the Indonesian government through the Agriculture Ministry has implemented various programs in order to achieve self-sufficiency in livestock; a target which has been announced and, yet, delayed, since 2005. The programs have included lowering productive female cattle slaughtering rates, an artificial insemination program and many others.

However, doubling growth rates over the last two years requires new or far more effective programs than the ones Indonesia has already had since 2005. It is not clear whether such a program exists. The artificial insemination program, for example, has been challenged by poor environmental conditions, resulting in high calf-mortality rates.

Despite the effectiveness of the Indonesian government’s programs, it could also be the case that data on live cattle stocks prior to the 2011 census were underestimated. This is a worry, if we think about the quality of policy recommendations derived from inaccurate data.

In addition to the necessity of data, there are some other important aspects that should be considered. First, what is the proportion of home-produced livestock? Domestic stocks that are heavily reliant on imported seeds would question the sustainability and the meaning of being self-sufficient. Indonesia’s plan to cut its import quota can be perceived as “a payback” by Australian industries following a month’s export ban earlier this year.

Worsening trade links between the two countries could limit a number of initiatives that could transfer knowledge and technology from Australia, one of the biggest livestock exporters in the world, to
Indonesia, a country that desperately needs to improve its livestock industry’s efficiency and productivity.

Second, trade barriers would reduce consumers’ welfare. It is not clear whether the import quota cut has taken into account the increase of middle-income families in Indonesia.

These middle- to upper-income groups normally prefer imported beef. Limiting their choice of consumption goods may impact on other sectors, such as the hospitality industry.

Third, an import quota cut may increase the price of poultry due to substitution effects, on which Indonesians spend more. Increased poultry prices could, in turn, have a more substantial effect on inflation rates.

Nevertheless, self-sufficiency in livestock, as well as in other agricultural commodities, has always been and always will be the Indonesian government’s target. Such a policy normally receives strong political support; however, Indonesians are resilient and the government recognizes this characteristic.

Indonesians normally learn something well during periods of economic hardship. So while cutting the imports of live cattle and beef might increase domestic prices, the government knows that Indonesians will make some necessary adjustments at an individual level. However, this may not be the best policy ever employed by a government.

For Australia, there are a number of strategies available to it. Obviously, market diversification is on Australia’s agenda. According to the Federal Agricultural Minister, Senator Joe Ludwig, Australia considers new markets and expanding existing markets including Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Egypt and Turkey.

With regard to Australia’s trade links with Indonesia, there are several investment options. Australia can invest in breeding units. In 2007, according to the Central Statistics Agency, there were only 10 breeding units in Indonesia. Australia can also assist Indonesia to meet its increased demand for effective irrigation and pen systems.

Indonesia’s land limitations increase the demands for better pen systems. In West Nusa Tenggara, a team from the Agriculture Ministry reported that 100 percent of farmers surveyed kept their cattle in confinement (i.e. cages).

This issue is important, given the fact that it is often argued that a free range life for any kind of animal means it lives closer to its natural environment doing what it does best and, therefore, produces better quality meat.

Australia can also assist Indonesia in improving live cattle welfare and health control, an area with which Indonesia still seems to be struggling. It can also assist the Indonesian government in the provision of credit and investment in infrastructure. The high slaughter rate of female cattle is said to be due to farmers’ limited capital.

Most of the above investment options may not provide Australia with the same profits as exporting live cattle. But Australia’s continued goodwill could also indirectly strengthen its trade partnership on other trade commodities and, potentially, offer a wider scope of socioeconomic-political partnership with Indonesia.

As for Indonesia, its protectionist trade policy may be able to help Indonesia achieve self-sufficiency in livestock, but at a high cost. According to Vanzetti et al (2010), improved research and development would provide greater gains but it is a long-term investment.

Greater integration between northern Australia’s live cattle trade and Indonesia’s cattle industry offers the potential of not only meeting Indonesia’s food security objectives but also increasing processed meat export opportunities in rich neighboring ASEAN member states, which could benefit both countries.

Bandung to be closed to travelers for two hours for New Year’s Eve

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Travelers wishing to celebrate in Bandung on New Year’s Eve are advised not to enter the city between
5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Dec. 31 following an announced traffic regulation by authorities.

The Bandung Transportation Office and City Police are planning to close traffic access from outside the city, especially from the south, during the designated hours in an effort to avoid gridlock in the city.

Bandung City Police chief Sr. Comr. Widodo Eko Prahastopo said the traffic closure would be enforced from Cimahi municipality and Soreang, Bandung regency, while access from Lembang, in northern Bandung, would remain open.

“Those from outside Bandung who wish to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the city should enter before
5 p.m.,” Eko said in Bandung.

Bandung City Traffic Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ahmad Yamin said the traffic closure would have to be taken considering the expected overflow of traffic entering Bandung from various directions.

Several venues in Bandung have become the favorites of many New Year’s Eve revellers.

One of them is Bandung Square, located in the heart of the city, and Gasibu Square, adjacent to the
Gedung Sate gubernatorial office on Jl. Diponegoro.

“We will apply traffic diversions in order to expedite traffic flow. If traffic flow is smooth, there will be no need for traffic redirection,” said Ahmad.

Separately, Bandung Transportation Office head Prijo Soebiandono said his office may close several toll road exit gates into Bandung, except the Pasteur exit gate, depending on traffic conditions in the city.

“If the traffic can still move, we will not close the toll exits, but if traffic is congested, we will not allow cars to enter the city,” said Prijo.

The closure to toll exit gates, he added, would possibly be implemented at 2 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

He said the police had the authority, through Law 22/2009, to enforce the closure on condition of the existence of alternative routes.

Jasa Marga Indonesian Highway Corp.’s Purwakarta-Bandung-Cileunyi section spokesman Iwan Mulyawan said closures of routes into Bandung could only be applied at the Pasteur toll exit gate, because 80 percent of 200,000 cars arriving from the direction of Jakarta entered the city through the turnpike exit.

“The traffic closure can be imposed if the traffic volume entering Bandung is extreme, or twice the number,” said Iwan.

Iwan predicted that the traffic volume entering Bandung during the New Year holiday would increase to between 10 and 15 percent, or 250,000 vehicles daily.

Traffic congestion in Lembang is predicted to rise on New Year’s Eve due to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono being highly likely to spend New Year’s Eve at the Indonesian Military (TNI) Air Force’s Special Commando Academy in Lembang.

Siliwangi Military Command spokesman Col. Benny Effendi said the presidential visit to the academy and a local dairy farm had been put on the agenda although it had not been determined whether or not Yudhoyono and his family would visit Lembang.

“They might stay there. The activities will be carried out in the military complex and secured by the Paspampres presidential security detail,” he said.

He added the planned visit would only be confirmed after Yudhoyono returned from Central Java on Wednesday.

After attending the New Year’s event at the TNI Air Force academy, Lembang Police chief Adj. Comr. Harsono said that Yudhoyono was scheduled to visit the Mount Tangkuban Prahu mountain resort on Sunday.

“From there, he will directly return to Jakarta via Subang,” Harsono confirmed by phone.

Harsono made sure police would not close the route to Lembang, a favorite tourist destination that is prone to congestion, even during a holiday like New Year’s Day.

“We are still conducting the Lilin Lodaya Operation. We will still be on duty with or without the presidential visit,” said Harsono.

Revelers gear up for New Year’s Eve

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Whether having a Rp 5 million (about US$550) dinner for two at a posh hotel or staying at home with friends, Jakartans are looking forward to having a great New Year’s Eve this weekend.

The Ritz Carlton Jakarta in Mega Kuningan, Central Jakarta, reported on Tuesday that 70 percent of the almost 400 seats in the hotel’s restaurant had already been booked for New Year’s dinner.

“Many of our guests reserve the seats for their families or friends. For the most part the reservations are not for quiet dinners but for sittings of 5 to 30 people,” said Ritz Carlton Jakarta spokeswoman Hanny Gunawan.

The dinner’s price tag was Rp 688,000 per guest, Hanny said. “Should the guests want a more private nuance for their New Year’s celebration, they can choose other events, including private dinners for couples,” she said. The private dinner, which is only available for five couples, is priced at Rp 5 million. “So far, we have had two reservations,” she said.

Shanti Setyaningrum, assistant director of communications and public relations at Hotel Kempinski Indonesia, Jakarta, said that the hotel had prepared up to 250 seats for New Year’s Eve dinner. “So far, 200 guests have booked,” she said. Each seat is priced at Rp 648,000.

Shanty also said that the hotel received many orders for cakes and delights for New Year’s Eve celebrations. The hotel’s Kempi Deli offers sweet delights, including Minced Fruit Pies, Gingerbread Houses, Vanilla Kipferl, Cinnamon Stars, Almond Stollen, Buches de Noel, Macaroon Trees, Marzipan Lebkuchen and Chocolate Santas.

“Some of our customers choose to order the delights and enjoy them with their families at home or in other places,” she said.

While many Jakartans opt for special dinners in luxurious hotels, many others prefer more modest celebrations.

Annisa Karina Dewi, a resident of Rawamangun in East Jakarta, said that she had invited her girl friends to stay over in her home. “We plan to have a little party and spend the night watching DVDs,” she said.

She said spending New Year’s Eve at home was the best choice. “Not only is it cheaper, it is also safer. My parents don’t allow me to party outside during New Year’s Eve,” the 19-year old college student said. She added that an enjoyable party at home could be as much fun as watching a fireworks display.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Baharuddin Djafar said that the police had granted permission for four fireworks displays during New Year’s Eve. “The four displays will be held at Kelapa Gading [in East Jakarta], Ancol Dreamland [in North Jakarta], the National Monument Park [in Central Jakarta] and Bumi Serpong Damai [in Tangerang],” he told reporters.

According to him, all fireworks displays during the festivities would be monitored by police explosives experts to avoid any accidents.

“These guys are professionals; they know the scale of explosion a certain amount of explosives can create. They are needed at fireworks displays as these shows involve a huge amount of explosive material,” he said.

Baharuddin also reaffirmed the police’s stance in dealing with traffic violations during New Year’s Eve. “Do not ride on pickups or trucks. Do not overcrowd Metrominis [public minibuses] or ride on their rooftops,” he said, adding that any violations would result in vehicles being detained at the nearest police station for 10 days.

The police will not take the vehicles’ registrations or the drivers’ licenses. “We’ll just hold the vehicles as evidence of traffic violations,” Baharuddin said.

Revelers should be prepared for a wet New Year’s Eve as data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency website shows that there is a chance of light rain in all regions in Greater Jakarta on Dec. 31. (lfr/mim)

Volkswagens — ‘a shortcut to happiness’

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Having worked on his 1961 Volkswagen Variant for two years, Yudha Bantono knows his car intimately.

The secretary for the Bali Volkswagen Division says his car, nicknamed “The White Shark”, is like a son or partner to him. Yudha was sharing his VW story along with hundreds of other VW fans in Sanur last weekend for the “Volkswagen Lost in Paradise” 20th birthday celebrations of the 416-member strong Bali Volkswagen Division.

Hundreds of VWs and their drivers from across Indonesia and as far away as Poland, Holland and Germany made the trip to Bali to share in the local club’s celebrations.

Across the field of Matahari Terbit off the Sanur bypass, families swapped VW stories and shared
the hard-to-find engine bits and pieces, taillights and rearview mirrors that keep these ancient VWs on the road.

And there are some stunners on show — under shade rests one of only two Karmann Ghia’s in Indonesia. This 1959 model low slung mustard and cream machine must be one of the sexiest looking cars ever built. The fingerprint of Volkswagen father Ferdinand Porsche is on every sensuous curve.

The Karmann Ghia is styled more like an early Porsche than a Beetle, but under the hood even the Ghia is powered by a VW engine.

Parked nearby is a Combi wagon with Surabaya plates — it looks like it’s about to expire with rust and its suspension appears to be failing.

“It’s got specialist hydraulics to lower the bus when camping, that paintwork was designed to look
distressed,” says an awed fan of the VW bus that has a surfboard strapped to the roof in homage of the role Combis played in 1970s surf culture.

These cars are loved and the passion people bring to their VWs is seen as club secretary Yudha shows off his White Shark.

Like a young boy with toys on Christmas morning, he bounces from panel to panel of the car, pointing out its original left hand drive steering wheel, its German made mark under the bonnet, its rare engine position, its perfection.

Bringing the car back from the dead demanded help from around the world, and Yudha turned to VW club members in Germany and Australia.

“It’s very hard to get parts for the Variant. A friend from Düsseldorf got these taillights and another friend from Australia located the rubber seal for the back hatch door. When I got the car, I felt like I had been given a prince to take care of — a prince that was dying of cancer. I am a vet and I felt it was my duty to heal this prince, this White Shark,” says Yudha who, like most VW owners, believes his car has a soul.

“A guy from Jakarta fell in love with my car — I could name my price. I thought about how much the car has cost [me] to rebuild and was considering selling. The next day I tried to start the engine and nothing. I called a mechanic and the engine started immediately — there was nothing wrong. I
am not a Hindu, but I took some cake to the White Shark and apologized for thinking about selling him. I gave him a kiss and said I knew he had a spirit inside and he started with no problem,” says Yudha of how close VW owners and their cars become. He points out that VW owners spend an enormous amount of energy caring for these classic cars and that spirit seems to come alive in the vehicles.

Volkswagen clubs are international with fans found in just about every nation, but more than the clubs is the global unity that goes along with driving a VW. Classic VW drivers always wave or toot horns when passing on the road, and that has offered Filip Habas and his family friendship and support on their epic road trip in a VW bus from Poland to Bali.

Filip is traveling with his wife, Agusta, and their two-year-old son Elios.

A VW specialist mechanic, Filip drove his VW bus 10,000 kilometers from Poland, across Russia and into Mongolia, where the family left the VW and took public transportation through China and Vietnam, linking up with VW fans along the way.

“We could not drive through China and Vietnam due to the bureaucracy and the cost — in China we would have to employ a driver and we travel cheap — we live in the car — its our traveling home. So we flew into Jakarta and went up to Bandung and got this bus — it’s my dream VW bus. With this we are driving around Indonesia,” says Filip who has met with many of Indonesia’s VW club members.

“We travel to different areas and meet the VW clubs — it’s like in Europe we meet people in VW shops and on the road. Driving a VW is like being a member of an international family. We have received help on the road from VW friends; they fixed the bus in Surabaya and again in Malang — every time it was VW fans that helped me,” says Filip of what he sees as “a family without borders”.

“VW club meetings like this one in Sanur are like miniatures of society. You can meet a coal miner, a dentist, a mechanic or a cook — there is a commonality of feeling among the wagon folk. My feeling is the reason people like VWs is because they make you happy — they are a shortcut to happiness,” says Filip.

That friendliness of VW drivers has an impact on the road, according to Made from Bali’s transport department who was on duty during the weekend anniversary celebrations.

Happy family: Fans of Volkswagens have a soft spot for another classic vehicle, the Vespa.Happy family: Fans of Volkswagens have a soft spot for another classic vehicle, the Vespa.“VW drivers are polite. We find they are not arrogant, they are disciplined drivers. I think they are safer drivers and at events like this they share driver knowledge and road ethics,” says Made.

Bali’s Volkswagen Division is also concerned for the environment, according to outgoing club president Wayan Artha.

“We have had events each month to mark this our 20th year as a club. One of our mottos for the year is ‘Go Green’. People say old cars pollute, so we planted 2,000 mangroves last month and we will certainly keep this site clean,” says Wayan, adding that the weekend event paid tribute to club founding members Putu Rumawan Salahin, Ida Bagus Sutama and Hendry who established the Bali VW Division back in 1991.

“I feel proud of the Bali VW Division and this event that has attracted 300 VW cars here — all the cars are here from the Beetle, the Combi, the Variant, the Safari and even Karmann Ghia. These cars are still on the road because they are so strong and long lived. VW’s are something beautiful to see,” says Wayan.

A club daughter and future VW driver, nine-year-old Esha believes VWs will be around for “maybe more than 1,000 years. I like VWs ‘cos they are cool. When I am old enough to drive, I want a Combi,” suggesting the folk of the wagon will be driving that shortcut to happiness for a long time yet to come.

Ryan Adriandhy: Taking comedy seriously

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Up and coming stand-up comedian Ryan Adriandhy takes jokes seriously.

The 21-year-old, who won the Stand Up Comedy Indonesia (SUCI) competition, believes comedy is “a heavy thing”.

His jokes do not come out of the blue but through thorough observation, research and serious thinking that involves logic as well as a good memory.

He even makes a mind map, kind of like a graduate student preparing a dissertation, before performing onstage.

Apparently, that is what all good stand-up comics do.

“All [stand-up comedians] need good preparation. We write down the material and rehearse, we have scripts that take the form of mind maps,” Ryan told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview.

No wonder Ryan asserts that stand-up comedy is actually a very technical thing.

“If not, there shouldn’t be classes for stand-up comedy. They also have formulas for it,” said Ryan, who spent 13 weeks learning about stand-up techniques from experts in the competition organized by Kompas TV.

Every week, he had to come up with new material and new jokes that he had to put systemically in a mind map before presenting to judges and viewers.

“My brain was burned out,” he said.

Who would have thought that being a comic could be so serious and tiring?

Even Ryan never guessed until he became one himself.

The man never imagined he would take up the profession with the primary goal to make others laugh.

Ryan heard about stand-up comedy when he was in junior high. A relative who studied abroad brought him DVDs of famous comics like Robin Williams and Ellen Degeneres and introduced the young Ryan to comedy shows.

He immediately developed an affinity for the genre.

But, he didn’t know he had any talent until he won an English storytelling competition in high school.

Ryan won because he changed the storytelling format into stand-up comedy.

“The jury laughed, the audience laughed. I was in doubt at first but that moment convinced me that I was able to do stand-up,” Ryan recalled.

Unfortunately, the clueless Ryan failed to pursue his talent further as he could not find a place or community that could accommodate his new interest.

In the end, what Ryan did was channel his newly found passion into social media.

The bespectacled man routinely shared the newest video links from renowned comics and posted one-liner jokes to his Twitter account, making him known as a comedy connoisseur in the twitterverse.

Opportunity finally came when a friend of friend Pandji Pragiwaksono, the host of SUCI, informed him about the competition.

Without a second thought, Ryan signed up and entered the next round as one of the finalists.

In the grand finale he beat Nur Insan Akbar and won first place, earning Rp 50 million (US$5,500) in cash.

The judges lauded Ryan’s ability to create fresh and popular jokes.

The fast-talking comic said he got all the material for his jokes from daily observations. “I observe people’s manners. I can just sit for hours and pay attention to my surroundings and take notes of everything that I can develop into jokes,” he said.

Ryan admitted nothing changed much after he won SUCI except for the media exposure and the amount of his followers on Twitter.

However, talking to him in person, fans may be disappointed as he is not the type of guy that will make you laugh throughout an entire conversation.

“There is a big misunderstanding that comics should be funny in their daily life,” he said.

Despite his hilarious performances, Ryan is a serious guy offstage, especially when it comes to discussing stand-up.

During the interview, he explained everything he knew about stand-up comedy from theories and tips to becoming a successful comic in a serious tone.

“Don’t try to be funny, don’t tell jokes, just tell the truth,” he shared one of comic’s credo.

Ryan believes that a good comic is the one who stays true to the stage. “By being true to yourself, you make yourself more genuine … and the emotion can be felt more [by the audience],” he added.

Maybe comedy is indeed a serious thing as it deals with the truth. And for that, Ryan has prepared an answer. “Stand-up comedians are not trying to be funny, but trying to tell the truth in funny ways.”

With all this wisdom, Ryan sounds ready to make the profession his way of life.

And will he?

“Probably, if I can make a living out of this, it’s gonna be very fun,” he answered pensively.

But before things get more serious, Ryan said all he wanted now was to graduate from college as soon as possible.

The graphic design student at a private university in Jakarta is thinking of becoming a comic illustrator apart from being a professional stand-up comedian. Amid his busy schedule doing off-air stand-up, Ryan is working as an intern at a Jakarta-based illustration company.

But can he handle both jobs?

A description of himself on his Twitter account mentions that he is a beginning comic.

“I want to live creating something, not from working [for others],” he shared of his ambitions.

The statement may explain why Ryan takes stand-up comedy seriously, as he hopes to be able to live from it.

His seriousness can be seen in his continued involvement in Standup Indo, an off-air community for local comics.

Together with Pandji and the other finalists in the comedy competition, Ryan established the group ahead of SUCI to gather other aspiring comics in the country.

Ryan and his friends seem to be on the same mission to show the public that stand-up comedy is
indeed a serious business.