Max Payne 3 impresses with innovative shooting system

When one hears “reinventing the wheel” it’s typically used in a derogatory fashion to suggest that the supposed innovation isn’t required, and is in fact inferior to the accepted standard. In the case of Max Payne 3’s third-person shooting, Rockstar Games truly are making advancements with the mechanic’s reinvention.

As explained in a dramatically-narrated new trailer, the player aims and moves as they would in a first-person shooter, but in the third-person perspective to add intensity and visual splendor to the scene. To achieve this feat, which hasn’t even been tackled before, Rockstar have created thousands of animations that Max will dynamically utilize as the reticle is moved, the standout example being Max flipping onto his back from a prone position to tackle an enemy approaching from the rear.

By monty with No comments

2012 Mobile Roadmap

Mobile computing, consisting of smartphones and tablets, has been the most exciting part of the computing landscape for the past several years and that promises to remain true in 2012. In fact, you could argue smartphones have replaced traditional PCs as the center of the technology market since smartphone sales overtook PC sales this year (even though the PC market continues to grow, albeit at a slower pace).
The past few years have seen some truly revolutionary steps: the acceptance of the smartphone, the introduction of the iPad and Android-based consumer tablets, and the introduction of LTE. Nonetheless, 2012 foreshadows more evolution.
Operating Systems
Mobile operating systems have truly defined smartphones and tablets recently, and that's likely to stay the same. The first big change for next year should be the introduction of many more phones and tablets that run Android 4.0, known as Ice Cream Sandwich. The first phone based on this technology, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, is already out (here's my take), and a number of vendors have said some of their existing models will be upgraded to the new OS shortly. But 2012 is likely to see dozens of new phones and tablets all designed to run Android 4.0.
Microsoft's 2012 roadmap is also getting a lot of attention. For tablets, the company will push Windows 8, running on both traditional x86-based computers and on systems based on chips from ARM-based vendors Nvidia, Texas Instruments, and Qualcomm. Although it will run on desktops and traditional notebooks as well, Windows 8 seems very much optimized for tablets. For phones, we haven't seen many details yet, but Microsoft—which just shipped Windows Phone 7.5, known as Mango in October—is working on Windows Phone 8, called Apollo, for the later part of 2012. It may well have an interim release in between. The other OS vendors will be upgrading their systems, as well.
Research In Motion has promised a February update for its PlayBook tablet OS. That should include native email messaging and calendar clients. In the later part of 2012, RIM has promised a new OS, called BlackBerry OS 10, which combines features from the QNX-based PlayBook OS with the traditional BlackBerry ones. One particularly interesting feature promised is a "Player" that will allow some Android applications to run on BlackBerrys.
And finally, there's Apple, which, as usual, has remained very tight-lipped about its plans. The latest version of its mobile OS, iOS 5, shipped just this fall, so it would be surprising to see a major revision any time soon.
Networks and Screens
Verizon rolled out its 4G LTE service this year on a variety of phones and says its service now reaches over 186 million Americans. AT&T is in the process of rolling out its service and recently released its first LTE phones. Sprint, which has backed Wimax for 4G until now, has said it will be launching LTE in mid-2012. U.S. Cellular is also planning an LTE rollout. Of the major carriers, that leaves T-Mobile, which is promoting its HSPA+ network as 4G, as the only one without an LTE strategy.
As a result, we're likely to see a lot more LTE devices next year. So far, just about all the LTE phones and tablets run Android, but Nokia has promised an LTE Windows Phone in 2012 and other makers seem likely to follow. BlackBerry is expected to get LTE support with the BlackBerry 10 OS. Apple isn't talking, but everyone assumes LTE support is coming next year, as well.
Over the past few years, led by the iPhone 4's retina display, almost all smartphones have dramatically increased their screen resolutions. While tablets often have a higher resolution display, it is spread over a larger area so the pixel density has been notably less. In 2012, I expect many of the screen makers, and thus many of the tablet makers, to offer higher-density displays, both from traditional LCDs and Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED) screens.
Mobile Chips
Until a few years ago, no one outside of the industry cared which processors were running our mobile devices. Now, that has changed. Processors are routinely used to differentiate phones and tablets.
The vast majority of these devices run some version of the ARM architecture and the various makers of ARM-based chips compete, updating the number of cores, increasing performance and power efficiency, and enhancing integration.
Just about all of the major mobile chip vendors now have dual-core processors, but Nvidia has taken multi-processing to a new level. Its Tegra 3 chip, known as Kal-El, has four standard ARM Cortex-A9 cores plus an additional "companion core" that runs at low-power when the more powerful chips aren't needed. The Asus Transformer Prime pioneers the chip but Nvidia has said it expects new tablets and phones with Tegra 3 and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to be out in the first quarter of 2012.
The advantage of this chip, Nvidia said, is that it allows higher-performance games and 1080p playback, all while using notably less power than its previous Tegra 2 dual-core processor. Sometime next year, the company plans an improved version known as "Tegra 3+," followed by a major upgrade known as "Wayne" in the second half of the year and a version with an integrated baseband processor known as "Grey" in 2013.
Next year, Qualcomm will introduce its Snapdragon S4 line. It will use a CPU core known as Krait, which combines the baseband processor (for controlling the radio) with the applications processor on a 28nm process and will also feature its Adreno graphics. This should include such things as integrated LTE support and lower power usage, along with notably higher performance. These will be dual-core processors with integrated basebands; Qualcomm will also offer a quad-core S4 application processor with no baseband for tablets and other mobile computing devices.
Texas Instruments' OMAP4 line has been chosen as the initial processor for the first Android 4.0 devices, as well as the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet, and has a big change planned for next year's OMAP5. This chip uses a new core from ARM called the Cortex-A15, which allows for 40-bit instructions (versus 32 in the current ARM Cortex-A9). TI has said this chip will have dual A15s running at 2 GHz or faster, as well as two Cortex-M4 cores for low-power applications and Imagination Technologies' PowerVR graphics.
Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments devices are used in Android phones and tablets and will be used in Windows 8 designs, as well.
But there are a number of other ARM-based vendors who sell chips for smartphones and tablets.
Samsung is already sampling its own Exynos series of processors using a 32nm process and dual Cortex-A15 cores, and is the first company to ship that core. To date, Samsung has mostly used its processors internally, rather than selling to other phone makers, but we'll see if that changes. ST-Ericsson has a new family of processors known as NovaThor, available either as separate application processor and baseband chips or an integrated solution, and has historically been quite strong at Nokia. Marvell has single, dual, and quad-core ARM chips as part of its Armada family of applications processors.
Freescale is sampling one-, two-, and four-core versions of its i.MX6 family, including a quad-core Cortex-A9 version with a 64-bit memory bus and Vivante graphics. While Freescale focuses more on "intelligent systems" and embedded markets, it has also seen success with e-book readers and low-end tablets, and will be breaking into the tablet market next year. Broadcom, which is known for its highly-integrated connectivity chips (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.), is also making a move into the smartphone category with application processors and 4G LTE basebands. A few companies that make processors based on the MIPS core (a competitor to ARM) are working on Android-compatibility versions, as well.


But it's Intel that really hopes to change the market by embracing Android 4.0 with a new design of its x86-compatible Atom chip, known as Medfield. Intel has long promised it would be a player in the phone market, but has always come up short. Through the chip's support of Android and its move to 32nm technology, Intel hopes to be more of a player in 2012, and I expect to see a big push for this at CES in January.
For the past several years, Intel's Atom has been on 45nm technology, while its Core processor line has been on new process technology. That will change over the next few years with a 32nm architecture known as Saltwell slated for 2012, a 22nm version known as Silvermont for 2013, and a 14nm version known as Airmont in 2014—all of which have multiple chips. On the 2012 32nm roadmap, Medfield is aimed at Android-based tablets and smartphones, while Clover Trail is aimed most directly at Windows 8 tablets. (Of course, you'll also see some Windows 8 tablets based on the more powerful but more power consuming Core family, using notebook style chips.)
AMD also plans a break into tablets and smartphones with Desna, a variation of its E-series processor based on the low-power Bobcat core. This was slated to be replaced in 2012 by a version known as Hondo, but AMD's roadmap is currently unclear.
And then there's Apple, which of course, hasn't announced its plans. It is widely expected, though, that its dual-core A5, based on the ARM architecture and manufactured on Samsung's 45nm process, will be replaced by a new processor called the A6, widely rumored to be on a 28nm or 32nm process with four cores. I'd be very surprised to see a new iPhone next year without a new processor.
From operating systems and processors to screens and networks, 2012 promises all sorts of changes for makers of mobile devices. Will either of the two companies that have dominated the traditional PC—Microsoft and Intel—come back and impact the smartphone and tablet market, where smaller competitors have thus far been much more successful?

By monty with No comments

Apple to release two iPads in January

Drop everything. There's another iPad rumour. According to Digitimes, Apple will unveil not one, but two new iPads next month.

Citing "sources and supply chain partners," Digitimes said the two devices will be revealed next month at iWorld, an annual Apple expo. The site, a frequent Apple rumor monger, said the new tablets will target mid-range and high-end price segments, leaving the iPad 2 to compete with the Kindle Fire in the "price-sensitive market segment."
It also alleged that both new iPads will feature 9.7-inch, high-res 1,536-by-2,048 pixel displays, with panels supplied mostly from Sharp, as well as some from Samsung and LG. However, previous reports have indicated that Apple will produce a 7.85-inch iPad.

Apple will reportedly kick up the processing speed for these next iPads, adding quad-core A6 processors, Digitimes said.
Much like the iPhone 4S, the duo of new iPads will supposedly get upgraded cameras. Digtimes alleged that one will have a 5-megapixel camera from Samsung and another will have an 8-megapixel lens supplied by Sony.

We've entered a post-iPhone news cycle, when iPad rumors are surfacing with full force. But Digitimes reports should be taken with a grain of salt. For example, last spring it was often reported that Apple would release two models of the iPhone, and sure enough, in October, only one iPhone appeared.

Of course the launch date has been discussed quite a bit, as it goes with an anticipated Apple device. Recently, the Economic Times claimed Apple would debut the device on Feb. 24, Steve Jobs's birthday. Others have called for an early 2012 launch, as well as a March reveal.

By Anonymous with No comments

Mobile Roadmap-2012

Mobile computing, consisting of smartphones and tablets, has been the most exciting part of the computing landscape for the past several years and that promises to remain true in 2012. In fact, you could argue smartphones have replaced traditional PCs as the center of the technology market since smartphone sales overtook PC sales this year (even though the PC market continues to grow, albeit at a slower pace).

The past few years have seen some truly revolutionary steps: the acceptance of the smartphone, the introduction of the iPad and Android-based consumer tablets, and the introduction of LTE. Nonetheless, 2012 foreshadows more evolution.

Operating Systems
Mobile operating systems have truly defined smartphones and tablets recently, and that's likely to stay the same. The first big change for next year should be the introduction of many more phones and tablets that run Android 4.0, known as Ice Cream Sandwich. The first phone based on this technology, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, is already out (here's my take), and a number of vendors have said some of their existing models will be upgraded to the new OS shortly. But 2012 is likely to see dozens of new phones and tablets all designed to run Android 4.0.

Microsoft's 2012 roadmap is also getting a lot of attention. For tablets, the company will push Windows 8, running on both traditional x86-based computers and on systems based on chips from ARM-based vendors Nvidia, Texas Instruments, and Qualcomm. Although it will run on desktops and traditional notebooks as well, Windows 8 seems very much optimized for tablets. For phones, we haven't seen many details yet, but Microsoft—which just shipped Windows Phone 7.5, known as Mango in October—is working on Windows Phone 8, called Apollo, for the later part of 2012. It may well have an interim release in between. The other OS vendors will be upgrading their systems, as well.

Research In Motion has promised a February update for its PlayBook tablet OS. That should include native email messaging and calendar clients. In the later part of 2012, RIM has promised a new OS, called BlackBerry OS 10, which combines features from the QNX-based PlayBook OS with the traditional BlackBerry ones. One particularly interesting feature promised is a "Player" that will allow some Android applications to run on BlackBerrys.

And finally, there's Apple, which, as usual, has remained very tight-lipped about its plans. The latest version of its mobile OS, iOS 5, shipped just this fall, so it would be surprising to see a major revision any time soon.

Networks and Screens
Verizon rolled out its 4G LTE service this year on a variety of phones and says its service now reaches over 186 million Americans. AT&T is in the process of rolling out its service and recently released its first LTE phones. Sprint, which has backed Wimax for 4G until now, has said it will be launching LTE in mid-2012. U.S. Cellular is also planning an LTE rollout. Of the major carriers, that leaves T-Mobile, which is promoting its HSPA+ network as 4G, as the only one without an LTE strategy.

As a result, we're likely to see a lot more LTE devices next year. So far, just about all the LTE phones and tablets run Android, but Nokia has promised an LTE Windows Phone in 2012 and other makers seem likely to follow. BlackBerry is expected to get LTE support with the BlackBerry 10 OS. Apple isn't talking, but everyone assumes LTE support is coming next year, as well.

Over the past few years, led by the iPhone 4's retina display, almost all smartphones have dramatically increased their screen resolutions. While tablets often have a higher resolution display, it is spread over a larger area so the pixel density has been notably less. In 2012, I expect many of the screen makers, and thus many of the tablet makers, to offer higher-density displays, both from traditional LCDs and Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED) screens.

Mobile Chips

Until a few years ago, no one outside of the industry cared which processors were running our mobile devices. Now, that has changed. Processors are routinely used to differentiate phones and tablets.
The vast majority of these devices run some version of the ARM architecture and the various makers of ARM-based chips compete, updating the number of cores, increasing performance and power efficiency, and enhancing integration.

Just about all of the major mobile chip vendors now have dual-core processors, but Nvidia has taken multi-processing to a new level. Its Tegra 3 chip, known as Kal-El, has four standard ARM Cortex-A9 cores plus an additional "companion core" that runs at low-power when the more powerful chips aren't needed. The Asus Transformer Prime pioneers the chip but Nvidia has said it expects new tablets and phones with Tegra 3 and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to be out in the first quarter of 2012.

The advantage of this chip, Nvidia said, is that it allows higher-performance games and 1080p playback, all while using notably less power than its previous Tegra 2 dual-core processor. Sometime next year, the company plans an improved version known as "Tegra 3+," followed by a major upgrade known as "Wayne" in the second half of the year and a version with an integrated baseband processor known as "Grey" in 2013.
Next year, Qualcomm will introduce its Snapdragon S4 line. It will use a CPU core known as Krait, which combines the baseband processor (for controlling the radio) with the applications processor on a 28nm process and will also feature its Adreno graphics. This should include such things as integrated LTE support and lower power usage, along with notably higher performance. These will be dual-core processors with integrated basebands; Qualcomm will also offer a quad-core S4 application processor with no baseband for tablets and other mobile computing devices.

Texas Instruments' OMAP4 line has been chosen as the initial processor for the first Android 4.0 devices, as well as the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet, and has a big change planned for next year's OMAP5. This chip uses a new core from ARM called the Cortex-A15, which allows for 40-bit instructions (versus 32 in the current ARM Cortex-A9). TI has said this chip will have dual A15s running at 2 GHz or faster, as well as two Cortex-M4 cores for low-power applications and Imagination Technologies' PowerVR graphics.

Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments devices are used in Android phones and tablets and will be used in Windows 8 designs, as well.

But there are a number of other ARM-based vendors who sell chips for smartphones and tablets.
Samsung is already sampling its own Exynos series of processors using a 32nm process and dual Cortex-A15 cores, and is the first company to ship that core. To date, Samsung has mostly used its processors internally, rather than selling to other phone makers, but we'll see if that changes. ST-Ericsson has a new family of processors known as NovaThor, available either as separate application processor and baseband chips or an integrated solution, and has historically been quite strong at Nokia. Marvell has single, dual, and quad-core ARM chips as part of its Armada family of applications processors.

Freescale is sampling one-, two-, and four-core versions of its i.MX6 family, including a quad-core Cortex-A9 version with a 64-bit memory bus and Vivante graphics. While Freescale focuses more on "intelligent systems" and embedded markets, it has also seen success with e-book readers and low-end tablets, and will be breaking into the tablet market next year. Broadcom, which is known for its highly-integrated connectivity chips (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.), is also making a move into the smartphone category with application processors and 4G LTE basebands. A few companies that make processors based on the MIPS core (a competitor to ARM) are working on Android-compatibility versions, as well.

But it's Intel that really hopes to change the market by embracing Android 4.0 with a new design of its x86-compatible Atom chip, known as Medfield. Intel has long promised it would be a player in the phone market, but has always come up short. Through the chip's support of Android and its move to 32nm technology, Intel hopes to be more of a player in 2012, and I expect to see a big push for this at CES in January.
For the past several years, Intel's Atom has been on 45nm technology, while its Core processor line has been on new process technology. That will change over the next few years with a 32nm architecture known as Saltwell slated for 2012, a 22nm version known as Silvermont for 2013, and a 14nm version known as Airmont in 2014—all of which have multiple chips. On the 2012 32nm roadmap, Medfield is aimed at Android-based tablets and smartphones, while Clover Trail is aimed most directly at Windows 8 tablets. (Of course, you'll also see some Windows 8 tablets based on the more powerful but more power consuming Core family, using notebook style chips.)

AMD also plans a break into tablets and smartphones with Desna, a variation of its E-series processor based on the low-power Bobcat core. This was slated to be replaced in 2012 by a version known as Hondo, but AMD's roadmap is currently unclear.

And then there's Apple, which of course, hasn't announced its plans. It is widely expected, though, that its dual-core A5, based on the ARM architecture and manufactured on Samsung's 45nm process, will be replaced by a new processor called the A6, widely rumored to be on a 28nm or 32nm process with four cores. I'd be very surprised to see a new iPhone next year without a new processor.

From operating systems and processors to screens and networks, 2012 promises all sorts of changes for makers of mobile devices.

By Anonymous with No comments

Samsung to review Android 4.0 ICS upgrade plans for Galaxy S

Samsung is not too unexpectedly rethinking its earlier stance after dropping the rather shocking news that it would not be updating its top-selling Galaxy S family devices with Android 4.0 ICS. Samsung is a very popular brand for Android devices in the country, and we hope it finally reveals detailed and widespread update plans, like LG, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson already have.

As noted by our earlier report, Samsung had said the hardware and software of the Galaxy S devices would make it difficult to optimize the upgrade, but that hadn’t held it back from including the similarly-specced Nexus S in its list of Ice Cream Sandwich recipients.
The latest news, that Samsung is reviewing its upgrade process for the Galaxy S family and 7-inch Galaxy Tab, was spotted in a MSN Korea report. Samsung has yet to officially confirm the truth behind this however.
The first Android 4.0 ICS devices, the Huawei Honor and Galaxy Nexus, are expected to arrive in January next year.

By monty with No comments

Humble Indie Bundle 4 becomes the most successful one yet

The latest Humble Indie Bundle 4 has been the most successful one yet, accruing over $2,300,000 since its launch a couple of weeks ago, already passing Humble Indie Bundle 3, which hit 2.1 million in its last hours. Sales of Bundle 4 are still on for the next 12 or so hours, so if you are interested, you better hurry over.

Games include Gratuitous Space Battles, Cave Story+, Jamestown, Bit.Trip Runner, Super Meat Boy, Shank, and Night Sky HD, as well as the five games of Humble Indie Bundle 3 - Crayon Physics Deluxe, Cogs, VVVVVV, Hammerfight, and, And Yet It Moves.
The new Humble Indie Bundle lets users choose exactly how their purchases are divided: between the developers, the Child's Play Charity or the American Red Cross, or Humble Indie Bundle. So far, over 425,575 bundles have already been sold.

By monty with No comments

Mumbai students to get the Aakash tablet for Rs. 1,138

Mumbai college students will be soon given the Aakash tablet at a subsidised price of Rs. 1,138. It's notable that the market price of the ultra low-cost Aakash tablet is Rs. 2,500. According to a TOI report, the subsidised Aakash will be made available in 100 varsities including Mumbai University.
Rajpal Hande, director, board of college and university development, tells TOI that the department had issued circulars to all affiliated colleges and department in this regard and they have already given their requirements. Hande further says that the students might also be offered the upgraded version of the Aakash tablet a.k.a UbiSlate 7, which is scheduled to be launched in January.

The official further says that the Aakash will help students access online content for different courses. To get the Aakash tablet, students need to place an order with their respective colleges or the departments concerned. The tablet will allow both teachers and students in the university to access online content whenever they require.
The Aakash tablet was sold out in less than a week after it was released online. DataWind, the maker of the Aakash, has stressed on pre-booking of the UbiSlate 7, which is said to be the upgraded version of the Aakash tablet. The UbiSlate 7 comes with various improvements over the original Aakash tablet and costs just Rs. 499 more.
The Aakash tablet is still not available in the retail stores and DataWind has not yet provided any information on its availability. You may wait for another few weeks to lay hands on a better version of the Aakash tablet.

By monty with 2 comments

Nokia Money: Is India ready to switch to a mobile payment solution?

It is quite surprising that while several established banks and marketing companies offer a raft of services, most are not actively looking to cash in on an important, and soon to be vital, part of any business: the ability to make and accept mobile payments. Mobile payments are now becoming an increasingly vital tool in a business’ armoury. It is projected that mobile payments are going to replace plastic, or even hard currency, as the primary medium of monetary exchange in the next five years. This particular method is poised to change the way consumers buy goods and services.

Quite a few banks have their payment apps for smartphones, however, in a country like in India where feature phones are still majority, the concept of apps will not work for the masses. Several payment solution providers are seeking to address this problem. Nokia, the manufacturer of some of the most widely used mobile phones in the country, is also seeking to address the issue with its recently launched its mobile payment service, Nokia Money. The Nokia Money works with feature phones and allows most basic monetary transactions ranging from mobile top-ups to ticket booking, without the necessity of having a bank account.
Nokia’s mobile wallet service is aimed at rural India, where most of the people do not have a bank account or don’t own a smartphone, personal computer or credit/debit cards. Nokia also aims to simplify lives of people by giving them a secure and convenient method of paying their utility bills. Prior to the launch, Nokia had conducted a successful field test for about a year in areas such as Pune, Nashik and Chandigarh. The company partnered with YES Bank and Union Bank of India to provide the service.

Nokia Money: Key points:
To avail Nokia Money, you need not have a bank account.
Nokia Money is independent of network carriers and individual banking networks.
The service works without any kind of KYC documentation.
Nokia Money works with almost every Nokia phone. The feature comes pre-installed in various Nokia phones including Nokia 100, and 101.
You do not need set up an Internet connection to run this service. However, while registering for the service, you can opt between SMS and Internet. This way you have the flexibility of using the service even on an Internet data plan. You can also use Nokia Money via GPRS.
You have an option of choosing/subscribing to either Union Bank Money or YES Bank Mobile Money Services.
Nokia Money can be used for varied functions, such as topping up mobile account of family members.
Nokia Money is reportedly being tested using NFC devices and NFC chips. We can expect Nokia Money to run on NFC in near future.
It is not clear whether this service can be used on handsets manufactured by other manufacturers or not, though watblog.com says Nokia Money works on all handsets.

By monty with No comments

Non-food Credit grew 17.8% to over Rs 43.66 lakh crore in the 12 months ending 2 December 2011

Non-food credit grew 17.8% to over Rs 43.66 lakh crore in the 12 months ending 2 December 2011 according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India. The offtake had stood at Rs 37.04 lakh crore during the 12 months to 3 December 2010. For the second consecutive fortnight when the annualised credit growth stayed below 18%.

A per the experts, slowdown in credit growth is on account of the high interest rate regime, which was increased 13 times since March 2010 with a view to reining in high inflation. Deposits rose to Rs 58.69 lakh crore as on 2 December 2011 as against Rs 49.89 lakh crore as of 3 December 2010 marking a growth of 17.6%.

RBI raised key policy rates by 350 basis points through 13 hikes since March,2010 to curb inflation, which has been above the 9% mark since December 2010. The rate of price rise was 9.11% in November 2011.

RBI had in its first quarterly monetary policy review for 2011-12 in July projected  credit growth to be around 17-18% in 2011-12, as against the earlier estimation of 19%, while deposit growth had been pegged at 17%.
During the financial year 2011 bank credit offtake increased by 21.5%, while deposits grew by only 15.5%.

Economic growth slowed to a nine-quarter low of 6.9% in the July-September 2011. industrial growth also entered the negative trajectory in October and contracted by 5.1%.

By monty with No comments

George Whitman, Owner of a Fabled English-language Bookstore, Shakespeare & Company died

George Whitman, the American-born owner of Shakespeare & Company, a fabled English-language bookstore on the Left Bank in Paris died in Paris on 14 December 2011. His bookstore served as a magnet for writers , poets and tourists for close to 60 years.

For him the book business was the business of life. More than a distributor of books, Whitman saw himself as patron of a literary haven and the heir to Sylvia Beach, the founder of the original Shakespeare & Company.
Whitman founded his bookstore in 1951 and named it Le Mistral, then later named it after Sylvia Beach's earlier Paris bookstore Shakespeare and Company.

Overlooking the Seine and facing the Cathedral of Notre-Dame , the store that look beat-up behind a Dickensian facade and spread over three floors, has been an offbeat mix of open house and literary commune.

Whitman provided food and makeshift beds to young aspiring novelists or writing nomads, often letting them spend a night, a week, or even months. He welcomed visitors with large-print messages on the walls.
He was a contemporary of such Beat poets as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.

Born in East Orange, New Jersey, United States he was awarded the Officier des Arts et Lettres medal by the French government for his contribution to the arts over the previous fifty years.

By monty with No comments