World Of Tourism

This article is courtesy of the telegraph.co.uk:

Since Apple launched its iTunes Application Store in July 2008, iPhone and iPod touch users have downloaded more than a billion “apps” - city guides, translation dictionaries, travel tools, photo-sharing widgets and restaurant-finding applications - on to their devices.

But it is the unexpected success of the iPhone and iPod touch as a gaming platform that has taken everyone by surprise.

The touch-screen interface and motion-sensing capabilities of Apple’s devices have allowed video-game developers to experiment with new kinds of gameplay. Instead of simply bashing buttons, as on a conventional hand-held games console, players instead tap the screen of their iPhone, or move the device itself, to control on‑screen action.

Games account for 14 of the 20 most popular paid-for iPhone and iPod touch applications of all time, and six of the top 20 free applications.

While games companies such as Sony and Nintendo are largely dismissive of the threat posed by the iPhone and iPod touch in the portable gaming space, they ignore the platform at their peril. Apple has sold more than 35 million touch-screen devices worldwide since July 2007, creating a huge potential audience for a growing number of game developers who are making titles specifically for Apple’s gadgets.

And a recent software update has enabled the use of micropayments in applications - this means that users will be able to make in-game purchases, splashing real money on virtual weapons, armour and new levels, generating more revenue for Apple and game makers, and keeping players engaged with their favourite games.

I've always been a firm believer in the power of reading, there's nothing quite like a good book, a hot chocolate and a roaring fire. I love all genres, history, romance, comedy, family sagas, the list truly is endless and that's the fantastic thing about it. When I go to the annual family gathering and give a book as a present to one of the many cousins I can see the disappointment in their face and that in itself is disappointing. The value of books and readings has declined at such a rate that everything nowadays is internet, gaming, ipods and playstations.

Reading is so important and many of us are losing sight of that. It increases vocabulary, general knowledge and takes the imagination to new heights. There is no better feeling than reading a classic and falling in love with the characters, imagining what they look like, how they move and interact with each other and enjoying the skills of a talented writer.

My dream is to be that writer, to have written the book that lies on the bedside table eagerly awaiting to be read by an inquiring mind. When I was younger I would soak up the information like the much heard of sponge and be transported to a world of stories that only the human imagination could have come up with.

While visiting a friend recently I could see that she was upset and had been crying, when I asked her what happened I was touched by her answer. Her four year old son had been given her old books, the ones she would read as a young girl, she treasured them then as much as she did in her adulthood. To her dismay, her son had decided to tear up the book and use the paper to make paper planes. Now as upset as she was, she knew he was young and didn't understand what he had done but she made it clear to him that what he had done was unacceptable and that books should be handled with respect and care.

It made me feel good to know that there are still mothers in the world that realize the importance of a good book. We should all take that lesson and apply it to our own lives as well the lives of our children. Books may be considered outdated and useless but I can assure you that that couldn't be further from the truth. There's a wealth of knowledge on those dusty shelves, get out the feather duster and give them a good clean and open your mind to infinite possibilities that only a good book can give you.