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Plastic-powered plane aims to soar across England

10 hrs.

A globe-trotting, eco-minded adventurer aims to fly the length of England in a tiny plane powered by plastic rubbish ? if he can raise the funds needed to get the flight off the ground.

The adventure is the latest in a series of alternative-fuel journeys dreamed up by Andy Pag, a trained engineer who?s already driven a chocolate-powered truck across the Sahara Desert and a bus fueled with used cooking-oil around the world.?

For the microlight flight over England, Pag plans to use aviation fuel derived from waste plastics ? the stuff that?s unacceptable to recyclers and thus destined for the landfill.

Plastics, he explained, are chemically similar to hydrocarbon fuels ? both are made with long chains of hydrogen and carbon atoms, only their arrangements are different.?

The aviation fuel is created in a process that ?blows the chains apart and then reforms them in the size and shape of fuel molecules,? Pag said?in an email to msnbc.com Monday.

This is a Fischer Tropsch process, the same process used by the Germans in World War II to create diesel fuel from coal. "Using coal isn?t particularly environmentally friendly though, but obviously a waste product is,"?Pag added.

The use of plastics as a source of fuel is technically considered a synthesized fuel rather than a biofuel such as the chocolate and used cooking oil Pag used in his previous adventures.?

Similar to biofuels, though, the use of waste plastic is a way to cut down carbon dioxide emissions, he noted.?If the plastic bags were left in the landfill, they would, eventually, decompose to methane and carbon dioxide.

"By turning them into fuel, the CO2 still ends up in the atmosphere, but a load of ?purpose made? fuel is saved from being used, reducing total emissions," he said. "More simply, it puts a waste product to good use, reducing consumption and the associated emissions."

Of course, in world teeming with 7 billion people and at least 1 billion vehicles on the road, fuel from used plastic bags, chocolate?or even cooking oil is unlikely to curb our reliance on traditional fossil fuels.

"There is no cure-all solution," Pag said. "But if something helps, then I?m keen to take advantage of it."

And for now he wants to take advantage of all that plastic rubbish destined for the world?s landfills. To do so, he?s aiming to raise about $16,250 on Crowdfunder.?

To date, he has secured?only?about 1 percent of his target. Pag hopes a sponsor will back his cause and help cover the rest of the?trip's tab, which will include educational stops and will take about two?weeks to complete.?

--?Via Fast Company?

John Roach is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. To learn more about him, check out his website and follow him on Twitter. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

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China tops world's hottest real estate markets

Global real estate markets had a forgettable last year, with prices rising a paltry 0.5 percent, leading to gloomy forecasts for 2012. But over the past five years, prices have registered huge gains, sparking fears of an asset bubble and concerns over the impact of high household debt.

We've put together a list of the world's 10 hottest property markets based on research by global real estate consultancy Knight Frank, which ranks countries according to highest average growth in housing prices from the fourth quarter of 2006 to the same period in 2011.

The national five-year averages reflect mainstream housing prices in most major cities in all the listed countries expect China, which only includes home prices in Beijing and Shanghai.

10. Switzerland
5-year price growth: 27.5 percent
As home to some of the world's most expensive cities with some of the world's most coveted real estate, Switzerland has seen property prices boom in the past five years.

Ultra-low interest rates meant to put a lid on the surging franc and slowing growth have sparked the surge. A real estate bubble index published by UBS hit its highest level in nearly 20 years in the fourth quarter of 2011. The index rose to 0.80 points, close to 1, when the market is considered risky.

The Swiss National Bank has also repeatedly pledged to stem what it views as excessive mortgage lending. The OECD, meanwhile, warned in January that Switzerland needed to take steps like phasing out tax allowances on interest expenses to rein in credit in order to avoid a housing bubble.

According to Knight Frank, out of 63 cities surveyed worldwide in 2011, Switzerland's St. Moritz, Gstaad, and Geneva were among the 10 most-expensive places, measured by square-meter costs.

The average square-meter price of a prime property in Geneva was $31,900 in the fourth quarter of 2011, while the square-foot cost was $3,000.

9. Malaysia
5-year price growth: 28.5 percent
In an attempt to curb spiraling house prices in Malaysia, the government is considering doubling the entry price for foreigners buying property in the country.

Under pressure from middle-class Malaysians who feel priced out of the real estate market by overseas buyers, the government may raise the minimum price of homes that foreigners can purchase from $162,972 to $325,944.

In the third quarter of last year, home prices rose 6.6 percent year on the year, according to Knight Frank. (Fourth quarter prices were not available.) Prime property in the capital Kuala Lumpur cost about $5,000 per square meter or $500 per square foot in 2011.

Economic development in the country, which has seen growth of over 5 percent in 2011, has also wetted the appetite for high-end condominiums that house smaller units but provide amenities like gyms and pools. About 11 high-end condominium buildings were completed in Kuala Lumpur last year, bringing the total supply of apartments to 29,364. A further 2,599 units are scheduled for completion in 2012, according to Knight Frank.

7. Norway (tie)
5-year price growth: 28.7 percent
Switzerland and Norway are the only European countries to make the list of the world's hottest housing markets.

Unlike most European nations that face a gloomy economic outlook, oil-rich Norway is set to expand 2.7 percent in 2012. Low interest rates have led citizens to take on debt to buy property contributing to a jump in prices that gained 6.8 percent year on year in March.

Another incentive for Norwegians to buy property is a 28 percent tax deduction on interest payments. An unexpected cut in interest rates to 1.5 percent in March further raises the risk of an already developing housing bubble.

In February, the IMF warned that Norwegian home prices were up to 20 percent overvalued. According to government figures, housing prices are seen to be growing almost twice as fast as wages this year. Housing prices in the west coast city of Stavanger , which is the capital of the country?s oil industry, rose 92 percent between 2005 and 2011.

7. Canada (tie)
5-year price growth: 28.7 percent
Canada's housing market has stayed robust over the past few years, unlike its neighbor the U.S., where the housing market is still to recover from the 2008 global financial crisis.

Existing home sales in Canada rose 8.6 percent in February, compared to a year earlier, while housing starts beat expectations in March to 215,600 units, up from 205,300 in February, largely due to a surge in apartment construction.

The country's most populous province Ontario, which has seen heavy investment come into condominiums, had multiple urban starts shoot up more than 50 percent in March, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The IMF warned in December that Canadian homes were overpriced on average by 10 percent .

Canada's most expensive property market, Vancouver, has also been a big draw for foreign buyers. Despite no official figure on the number of homes sold in the city to mainland Chinese investors , the group is said to be pushing the market up. Often ranked among the world's best places to live, Vancouver saw property prices in prime markets jump 10.4 percent in the third quarter of 2011 from the period last year, according to Knight Frank. (Fourth quarter prices were not available.)

The average price for a residential property in Vancouver was $734,207 in December, compared with the national average of $358,261, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.

6. Taiwan
5-year price growth: 30.1 percent
Taiwan is one of the world?s most densely populated countries. Rapid urbanization has led to crowded housing conditions in its biggest metropolitan center ? Taipei.

Despite housing prices rising more than 30 percent on average between 2006 and 2011, Taiwan saw prices dip 4.1 percent in 2011, according to Knight Frank. The decline in prices is a result of tightening measures like the "luxury tax" that the government implemented last year.

A 10 percent tax is now levied on any investment property sold within two years, rising to 15 percent if the property is sold within one year. The tax does not apply to properties the owners live in. However, the length of time it takes to sell a home fell to a six-month low in March, pointing to signs of recovery in Taiwan?s housing market, according to the country?s largest mortgage broker H&B Realty.

5. Colombia
5-year price growth: 39.4 percent
Colombia is the only South American country to make the list.

Rapid economic expansion, with GDP growth of nearly 6 percent in 2011 ? its highest in four years ? has led to an increase in house buying especially among the growing middle-class. Plus a decade-long military offensive against illegal armed groups has made it safer to do business in the country, attracting a flood of foreign investment, which has in turn boosted property prices. Foreign direct investment jumped more than 30 percent in the first quarter of 2012 to $4.2 billion compared to the period last year.

Property prices went up 3.2 percent year on year in 2011, while new home sales were up 19 percent in the first half of last year compared to the period a year earlier, according to government figures.

CNBC.com: The world's richest CEOs

4. Singapore
5-year price growth: 50.5 percent
Singapore is the most expensive real estate market in Southeast Asia. The average price of a prime property in the city-state was $25,600 per square meter or $2,600 per square foot in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to Knight Frank.

The country also ranked as the third most expensive city to rent high-end property in Asia last year after Hong Kong and Tokyo, according to research firm ECA International. Low interest rates and a wave of immigration in recent years have boosted demand for homes.

A regional financial hub, Singapore has a large foreign population that's helping to drive home prices. Foreigners make up more than one-third of Singapore?s 5.2 million people and accounted for 18 percent of new homes sold in the third quarter of 2011, according to Citigroup. Among foreign buyers, mainland Chinese are the largest group , accounting for 30.6 percent of foreign sales in the third quarter of 2011, according to real estate firm DTZ.

Public discontent over soaring property prices has led the government to implement measures to cool the market. In December, the government hit foreign property buyers with an additional stamp duty equal to 10 percent of the property value. This has contributed to property prices marking their first quarterly fall in nearly three years of 0.1 percent in January to March this year.

CNBC.com: Cities where homes sell the fastest

3. Israel
5-year price growth: 54.5 percent
Israel is holding on to its spot as the third-hottest housing market in the world since 2009, when house prices jumped more than 21 percent, followed by 16 percent growth in 2010, according to Knight Frank.

High home prices in Israel led to a series of protests in 2011 with demonstrators asking the government to intervene to cool the market. Thousands of protesters made headlines with tent cities last July to voice concerns over a housing shortage and high rentals. The demonstrations seem to have had an effect on property prices, which fell 1.2 percent in 2011, according to Knight Frank.

However, after an interest rate cut from 3.25 percent to 2.5 percent in February, there appears to be resurgence in property demand, with new mortgages issued by banks jumping more than 14 percent in March compared to the two pervious months.

CNBC.com: Where the 1 percent live

2. Hong Kong
5-year price growth: 93.7 percent
Property in Hong Kong is among the world's most expensive. As a major global financial center, the city overtook London last year as the world?s most expensive office rental market, according to Knight Frank.

In the fourth quarter of 2011, the average price of a home in prime areas was about $47,500 per square meter or $4,400 per square feet ? the fourth-highest in the world.

The growing wealth of mainland Chinese, coupled with China?s property restrictions, has led to an influx of mainland buyers into Hong Kong?s residential market in recent years. According to industry estimates, three in 10 deals in Hong Kong?s luxury property markets are done by mainland Chinese buyers.

Protests from locals over high prices and foreign buying led the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to introduce a measure last year that requires buyers whose principal incomes are not in Hong Kong to pay an extra 10 percent in down payment when buying a house.

All this has led to a slowdown in recent months. Housing prices grew only 11.3 percent in 2011, compared with 20.1 percent in 2010, according to Knight Frank. And year-to-date prices have grown by a more moderate 6.7 percent , according to market estimates. Sales of luxury homes valued over $1.29 million also decreased 23.6 percent in February following a 17.4 percent fall in January, according to Knight Frank.

CBNC.com: Top states for mortgage fraud

1. China
5-year price growth: 110.9 percent
China is the world?s hottest property market. Housing prices in major cities Beijing and Shanghai have surged by over 110 percent in the past five years as the world?s second biggest economy experiences rapid growth.

A home in Shanghai?s prime areas cost $19,400 per square meter or $1,800 per square foot in the fourth quarter of 2011. In Beijing, the same home cost an average $17,400 per square meter or $1,600 per square foot, according to Knight Frank.

Fears of a developing asset bubble have led the government to spend much of the last two years reining in red-hot house prices by limiting multiple home purchases, raising interest rates and hiking bank reserve requirements. The years of tightening measures started showing results in the second half of last year with home prices marking a fifth straight month-on-month drop to 0.1 percent in February.

Despite the recent cooling, the country?s home prices are still far from a reasonable level, according to Premier Wen Jiabao, who has maintained that the government will not relax tightening restrictions this year. China?s average home prices are expected to fall between 10 percent and 20 percent in 2012, according to a Reuters survey.

The country?s property developers, meanwhile, have enjoyed rising sales this year. Vanke, China?s biggest developer by sales, reported March sales rising 24 percent year on year ? the second-straight month of gains. While the country?s largest developer by market value, China Land Overseas, saw February sales hit $1.7 billion, up 209 percent from the same month a year ago.

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BlackBerry App Generator makes app building a breeze for smartphones and PlayBook tablets

BlackBerry App Generator makes app building a breeze for smartphones and PlayBook tablets

Looking to get your goods on a BlackBerry smartphone or tablet now that the new OS has been shown off? If so, you're in luck. Mippin, the app creation platform, has announced that it will power the BlackBerry App Generator -- transforming content into full-blown apps for BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBook tablets. In a matter of minutes, users will be able to use their info, photos and what not to build applications without bothering with registration or submission fees. Software created via the generator can be fully integrated with BBM for sharing and other social experiences with fellow BlackBerry users. Martyn Mallick, VP Global Alliances and Business Development at RIM noted, "With the launch of BlackBerry App Generator Mippin and RIM are tearing down the barriers and finding new ways to encourage content publishers to create apps." Currently, applications can only be created for devices running BlackBerry 5 OS and higher. Don't fret, though, the outfit says support for BB10 will be on the way in no time.

Continue reading BlackBerry App Generator makes app building a breeze for smartphones and PlayBook tablets

BlackBerry App Generator makes app building a breeze for smartphones and PlayBook tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 10:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Homeowners' emphasis on energy efficiency grows. | Pro Hands at ...

(ARA) ? Even in a volatile economy, homeowners are making home upkeep a priority. While the number of projects annually had been on the decline in recent years, a study from BuildFax, a resource for building, remodeling and repair information, found remodeling activity was up in 2011 over 2010. Additional data shows homeowners are opting to invest in what matters most with projects that benefit their wallets, personal comfort and the environment.

Know the facts

Before buying anything, shoppers are taking time to learn more about the products they put in their homes. For one in four consumers, knowing and understanding what makes up general household products is important. As options continue to increase, this attention to research is key to finding efficient products that offer maximum value. For instance, homeowners will find that a few newer home insulation products that help provide greater energy efficiency also boast new sustainable formulations. Owens Corning EcoTouch insulation is made from 99 percent natural materials, contains a minimum of 58 percent recycled content and is verified formaldehyde free.

Energy-efficient essentials

According to the 2010 Home Improvement Research Institute Trends Program Report, reducing household energy usage and bills through energy-efficient improvements continues to be the No. 1 reason homeowners make home improvements. That same report also indicated six out of 10 consumers need help identifying what they can do to be more environmentally conscious.

?Now is the right time to make efficiency improvements around the home because homeowners will see an immediate impact on their monthly utility bills, and will reap even greater benefits in the long term,? says Frank O?Brien-Bernini, chief sustainability officer at Owens Corning. ?According to the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings use more energy in the United States than either transportation or industry, accounting for the consumption of 40 percent of our nation?s energy resources. On a more granular level, the primary use of energy in a home is for heating and cooling. In many homes, excessive energy is wasted through poorly sealed and insulated attics, walls and ductwork ? all problems that can be solved by handy do-it-yourselfers or through experienced contractors.?

The Home Improvement Research Institute reports roughly one in three homeowners plans to purchase more energy-efficient doors, windows or HVAC systems in the coming year. Sealing all openings around doors and windows can help homeowners make the most of their investment. Air ducts should also be inspected to ensure they are clean, are free of leaks and holes and direct air to the right spaces.

Recycling 101

While recycled content is commonly focused on, recyclable materials are also important. Often with home improvement projects, old materials are thrown out and replaced with the new. What many homeowners may not know is that many building materials and appliances are recyclable. Recycling is a better solution for the environment, and may be less costly than taking material to a landfill.

?There are more recyclable materials on and in a home than you might first assume. Millions of tons of shingles torn off from roofs end up in our country?s landfills each year. Fortunately, the technology now exists for all those shingles to be recycled instead,? says O?Brien-Bernini. ?In 2009, Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt, LLC formed an alliance with Heritage Environmental Services to create a Shingle Recycling Program with roofing contractors to make recycling convenient, cost-competitive and differentiating and have since recycled more than 90,000 tons of asphalt shingles.?

Homeowners looking for more information about shingle recycling and other types of recycling can turn to Earth911.com, with whom Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt, LLC recently also formed an alliance. The site hosts the largest and most accurate recycling directory in North America and provides information about what materials can be recycled as well as lists of recyclers in local markets.

For more tips on efficient home improvements, visit www.OwensCorning.com.

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Workers demand pay hikes in May Day marches

Protesters burn an effigy of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III during a rally near the Presidential Palace in Manila to celebrate international Labor Day known as May Day Tuesday May 1, 2012 in the Philippines. Thousands of workers marched under a brutal sun in Manila to demand a wage increase amid an onslaught of oil price increases, but the Philippine President rejected a $3 daily pay hike which the workers have been demanding since 1999 and warned may worsen inflation, spark layoffs and turn away foreign investors. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Protesters burn an effigy of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III during a rally near the Presidential Palace in Manila to celebrate international Labor Day known as May Day Tuesday May 1, 2012 in the Philippines. Thousands of workers marched under a brutal sun in Manila to demand a wage increase amid an onslaught of oil price increases, but the Philippine President rejected a $3 daily pay hike which the workers have been demanding since 1999 and warned may worsen inflation, spark layoffs and turn away foreign investors. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

A protester shouts slogans during a brief rally at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines Monday, April 30, 2012, to protest the upcoming bilateral talks in Washington D.C. between the top foreign affairs and national defense chiefs of the Philippines and the United States. The sign at right reads "Boot Out US Troops Now!" (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Protesters dance around the burning effigy of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III during a rally near the Presidential Palace in Manila to celebrate international Labor Day known as May Day Tuesday May 1, 2012 in the Philippines. Thousands of workers marched under a brutal sun in Manila to demand a wage increase amid an onslaught of oil price increases, but the Philippine President rejected a $3 daily pay hike which the workers have been demanding since 1999 and warned may worsen inflation, spark layoffs and turn away foreign investors. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Workers chant slogans during a May Day rally to call for a minimum wage law in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, May 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

Workers march on a street during a May Day rally to call for a minimum wage law in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, May 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

(AP) ? May Day moved beyond its roots as an international workers' holiday to a day of international protest Tuesday, with rallies throughout Asia demanding wage increases and marches planned across Europe over government-imposed austerity measures.

Thousands of workers protested in the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan and other Asian nations, with demands for wage hikes amid soaring oil prices a common theme. They said their take-home pay could not keep up with rising consumer prices, while also calling for lower school fees and expressing a variety of other complaints.

In debt-crippled Greece, more than 2,000 people marched through central Athens in subdued May Day protests centered on the country's harsh austerity program. Other Europeans also planned to take to the streets to protest measures to cut spending that are being blamed for a big jump in the number of unemployed, particularly in Spain, where one in four people is now out of work.

In the United States, demonstrations, strikes and acts of civil disobedience were planned, including what could be the country's most high-profile Occupy rallies since the anti-Wall Street encampments came down in the fall.

Around 100,000 people in Moscow ? including President Dmitry Medvedev and President-elect Vladimir Putin ? took part in the main May Day march through the city center.

Television images showed the two leaders happily chatting with participants on the clear-and-cool spring day.

Many banners and placards criticized the Russian opposition movement that has become more prominent in Moscow over the past half-year. One read "spring has come, the swamp has dried up," referring to Bolotnaya (Swampy) Square, the site of some of the largest opposition demonstrations in recent months.

In Asia, workers demanded wage increases in peaceful but noisy protests.

In the Philippine capital, Manila, more than 8,000 members of a huge labor alliance, many clad in red shirts and waving red streamers, marched under a brutal sun for 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) to a heavily barricaded bridge near the Malacanang presidential palace, which teemed with thousands of riot police, Manila police chief Alex Gutierrez said.

Another group of left-wing workers later burned a huge effigy of President Benigno Aquino III, depicting him as a lackey of the United States and big business. A few hundred workers marched to the U.S. Embassy, but were stopped by riot police about a block away. The protesters burned a mock U.S. flag and went away.

Aquino rejected their calls for a $3 daily pay hike, which he warned could worsen inflation, spark layoffs and turn away foreign investors.

Aside from pay hikes, protest leader Josua Mata from the Alliance of Progressive Labor urged Aquino to back proposed legislation against the widespread practices by businesses of contracting out some operations to other companies to save on costs and prevent workers from organizing trade unions.

In Indonesia, thousands of protesters demanding higher wages paraded through traffic-clogged streets in the capital, Jakarta, where 16,000 police and soldiers were deployed at locations including the presidential palace and airports.

In Taiwan, several thousand anti-government protesters marched through downtown Taipei, demanding higher wages, lower school tuition and better conditions for foreign workers. Workers waving the Thai flag rallied in Bangkok for better pay.

"It is always the case that low-income groups across Asia feel a disproportionately larger impact of rising prices," said Wai Ho Leong, a Singapore-based economist with Barclays Capital. "Coupled with rising inflation expectations, the case is building to do more for lower income (workers). Minimum wages are one way."

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, some 500 people rallied, calling for a higher minimum wage than the one announced Monday by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Najib's plan for the country's first-ever minimum wage calls for minimum monthly pay of 900 ringgit ($297) for private-sector workers in peninsular Malaysia and 800 ringgit ($264) in two poor eastern states. The move is expected to benefit 3.2 million low-income workers, who account for about a third of the country's work force.

The protesters marched from a market to the headquarters of Maybank, the nation's largest bank, calling for a minimum monthly wage of 1,500 ringgit ($496) a month.

In Hong Kong, more than 1,000 joined a protest march to demand that the city's minimum wage, which was introduced exactly a year ago, be raised to 33 Hong Kong dollars ($4.25) per hour from HK$28 ($3.60), according to local broadcaster RTHK. They also want the government of the southern Chinese financial hub to implement a 44-hour work week.

In nearby Macau, about 500 people marched for workers' rights and full democracy in the legislature, the broadcaster said.

___

Associated Press writers Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong, Peter Enav in Taipei, Taiwan, Jim Heintz in Moscow, Nicholas Paphitis in Athens and Niniek Karmini in Jakarta contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Angry Birds Space hits 50 million milestone, smashes it, crushes pigs in the process

Angry Birds Space hits 50 million milestone, smashes it, crushes pig in the process

It helps to be free on the fastest-growing mobile platform, but that shouldn't draw all the attention away from Rovio's latest announcement. It's space-based reinvention of Angry Birds has now topped 50 million downloads in under 35 days, breaking its (and presumably everyone else's) record for mobile game downloads. In Rovios's own way, it recently thanked eager gamers for their consistent downloading support by slathering ten additional levels on both the iOS and Android version last week.

Angry Birds Space hits 50 million milestone, smashes it, crushes pigs in the process originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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