Socotra Island

Socotra Island is a part of a group of islands, which have been geographically isolated from midland Africa for the last 6 or 7 million years. The island is an absolutely imaginary place with 700 extremely rare species of flora and fauna, found nowhere else on Earth. The island is surrounded by wide turquoise beaches rises to limestone hills full of caves. The climate is hot and dry. Socotra is like other planet or it can be called the ”Island of Madness” the trees and plants of this island were preserved, some being 20 million years old.

 

 

The dracena cinnibaris or Dragon’s Blood Tree is used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy. The branches of this tree spread out into the sky and form below appear to hover over the landscape like flying saucers.

 

There’s also a Desert Rose which looks like an elephant leg.

 

The island is very peaceful place. Paradise!If you decide to visit it, you can forget about the beachfront concrete hotels and restaurants. The island support the eco-tourism and the healthy way of life.

  

 

BENQ 3D-enabled XL2410T-B LED monitor

Most gamers know what it takes to design an unrivaled, powerful gaming experience as there are many factors that play a significant role like massive memory, large hard drive and a fast processor. Gamers would certainly agree that their graphics card, monitor, speakers, mouse and keyboard actually control their entire gameplay. A high definition, widescreen LED screen which offers excellent response time and has the ability to adapt to various requirements makes it even better. We have noticed that LED monitors have many advantages over their CRT counterparts, and are slowly taking over the display market. Considerably transforming the earlier scenario where 3D technology appeared to be an untapped dimension, the present picture highlights that 3D monitors are going to become the next evolutionary step in display technology.Well, BenQ has always created a niche for themselves by carving out impeccable gaming peripherals. The company released its 3D-enabled XL2410T-B LED monitor way back in October 2010. We were quite thrilled to receive this monitor for a comprehensive review.

The BenQ XL2410T comes packed with a power cord and a sturdy stand that holds the device with utmost precision. The first thing you would probably notice about this gaming monitor is its matte plastic bezel and stand. On removing it from the box, the 23.6” monitor was pretty light as it just weighs about 9.4kgs. The buttons for various functions like Auto, Menu, Scroll up/down, Enter and Power are precisely positioned at the bottom. The left side of the bottommost panel is entrenched with BenQ. The bezel surrounding the main screen renders a sturdy feel and the display is firmly held by a flexible mount which offers seamless rotation. Optimized for playing games, the monitor offered comfortable movement in both upward and downward directions up to an angle of 170 degrees.

This plain-Jane monitor is meticulously crafted with an all square design and is distinct from many competitor products. The lower edge comes equipped with various functions while an LED yellow light indicates power on. The LED monitor has a refresh rate of 120Hz and is Motion Blur free. On the flipside we spotted the D-Sub, DVI and HDMI inputs. It offers a more matte plastic feel and comes incorporated with some ventilation slits on the top. On tapping the menu, we were presented with various picture setting options such as brightness, contrast, sharpness, color, AMA, Instant mode, Dynamic contrast and Color Format.

We could also choose from several picture presets like Movie, Photo, sRGB, Eco, Standard, FPS, User Game-1 and User Game-2. The stand is eminently adjustable and positioning the screen in portrait mode was just so uncomplicated. The swivel and height adjustment functionality of the stand is undeniably commendable. The base’s recessed area could be used as a small storage space. BenQ’s proprietary Senseye image enhancement technology optimizes contrast and sharpness, giving better clarity and depth.

Moving on, the specification sheet highlights the Senseye 3 technology and Dynamic Contrast Ratio of 10M:1 whereas its brightness reaches approximately 300 nits. The Gray to Gray response time is 2ms and we could easily change the hue quality of the monitor between 16 Bit and 32 Bit. The screen resolution can be adjusted in the range of 800 x 600 and 1920 x 1080. BenQ has offered 120Hz refresh rate alongside pictures flicker less and reduce eye fatigue to deliver a crisp viewing experience. While you can also choose from 60Hz, 72Hz, 75Hz, 85Hz and 100Hz refresh rates. The monitor suggested the optimum resolution depending on the task to be carried out.

The BenQ XL2410T was placed perfectly on our desk and we could not resist playing our most liked Counter-Strike game. Without any doubt, our gaming experience was incredible and our review unit functioned efficiently without any undesired time lag. The gameplay continued smoothly and we observed that distant objects were clearer and well-defined. In dark conditions, we could spot objects clearly as the graphics were more detailed. Changing the screen resolution is a simple task and this feature definitely alters the depth of objects on the screen with utmost accuracy. The image clarity while watching movies and images was way beyond our expectation. The Picture-by-Picture display mode was something that really caught our attention. This function enabled us to view videos concurrently from two different sources.

Presently, console manufacturers and game developers are eager to satiate gamers who desire compelling 3D content to play on wide LED gaming monitors. If you have those really trendy 3D glasses, we suggest you should lay your hands on this piece of innovation. The monitor is Nvidia 3D Vision certified and manages 3D games and movies with advanced clarity and speed. Landscapes, cars and bullets appear to jump out of the screen, making you a part of the action. A wide range of Picture modes helped us tailor the review unit to suit our distinct requirements. This monitor puts forth remarkable and reliable performance without breaking your budget and can also be used for varied entertainment needs. The FPS mode enabled us to put the Senseye Demo on without any difficulty. The display mode can be selected from various options such as full, 17”, 19”, 19”W and 22”W. The image quality did not deteriorate even when we changed the display settings.

This piece of innovation was developed in collaboration with SpawN and HeatoN, and is bound to uplift the world of gamers as you can spot your enemies and track their movements with enhanced accuracy. To round it up, the XL2410T-B has a lot of interesting elements like the ergonomic stand, good color reproduction, Nvidia 3D Vision support and improved connectivity. You can ensure a complete visual experience with the monitor’s 120Hz refresh rate. This monitor will appeal many gamers who love playing fast-action games like driving simulators and first-person shooters. Tagged at Rs. 31,200, this monitor may be a good option to snap up considering its strong build quality and 2ms response time. The BenQ XL2410T monitor gets a good rating of 8 out of 10 from us.

Valley Swat- Pakistan
Photo by AamerJaved


Photo by AamerJaved

Swat Valley is a beautiful piece of paradise, it is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty that used to be popular with tourists as “the Switzerland of Pakistan”.

The Fairy Meadows – Pakistan
Photo by Ch. Khawar


Photo by jonmartin ()

The Fairy Meadows is a lush green plateau in foot gin of Nanga Parbat peak, Pakistan. It is the best place to view the majestic beauty of Nanga Parbat. Willy Merkl, the leader of the 1932 German-American expedition, named it Fairy Meadow due to its wonderful scenery.

Baltoro Glacier – Pakistan
Photo by Robert Dumas

Photo by ivpavlov

The Baltoro Glacier, at over 70km long, is one of the longest in the world and continually flanked by huge rock spires. At its source at Concordia lie some of the tallest mountains in the world. It’s dangerous beauty can’t be overestimated, the scenery is amazing.

Amazon Rainforest – Amazon Basin, South America

Amazon rainforest is the thickest rainforest that spans over a billion acres and encompasses areas in Brazil (60%), Peru (13%), Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Bolivia, French Guiana and Suriname. The concentration of wildlife is very high and new species or subspecies of existing species continues to be discovered almost all the time. The majestic beauty and timelessness of this awe-inspiring tropical rainforest is indescribable in words and should be experienced.

Sognafjord (Sogne Fjord) – Norway

The second longest fjord (an inset of the sea between steep slopes) in the world and the largest in Norway, the magnificence of this has to be experienced for the magnitude to be understood. Reaching to more than 1,300 meters below sea level and above 2,000 meters above sea level, the sparkling water, the beautiful cliff faces and the picturesque villages make this a must visit place for nature lovers.

The Himalayas – Asia

This spectacle of awesome dimensions …the 3000 kilometer long towering mountain range with tiers of rock, ranges upon ranges, sky scraping peaks and canyons, is the planet’s highest mountain system and includes the world’s highest peaks; Mount Everest and K2. It stretches through Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan. This is where earth meets the sky!

Yosemite Valley – California

The incomparable beauty of nature changing colors with seasons and the sigh of breeze in the pines can only be experienced at Yosemite Valley (Pronounced Yo-seh-mit-tea). Yosemite Valley is part of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This alpine valley offers incredible natural beauty and is just one mile in width and eight miles long with vertical granite walls rising above 2000 feet on either side. Nine ethereal waterfalls cascade into the valley. Wilderness hiking trails are as long as 800 miles.

The Niagara Falls – Ontario, Canada and New York, United States

Massive and beautiful waterfalls on the Niagara River, they are also famous for being a source of hydroelectric power. These falls are divided into three drops; Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls on the American side. These falls are said to have been formed at the end of the last ice age. These waterfalls may not be the highest but are certainly wide and the most powerful in North America.

Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa

Ernest Hemingway described this mountain as, “as wide as all the world, great, high and unbelievably white,” in his book, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro.”

The roof of Africa as it is called is the world’s tallest free-standing mountain and a dormant stratovolcano. The Kibo Summit at the top of the mountain is one among the few peaks of Africa that still have glaciers.

Mamanuca Islands – Fiji

They are 20 islands in total. These beautiful islands of Mamanuca are varied; while some are small and can be walked around in a few minutes, others may take days to explore. For those who love nature and water bodies, these islands are a paradise with miles and miles of lilley snow white sand and beautiful turquoise blue beaches.

Sahara Sunset – Sahara Desert

While the Sahara Desert is a wonderful place to see for the wide expanse of sand dunes, the sunset there is sure to take your breath away. A night spent camping on the sand dunes of this three-million year old desert, watching the sky change colors at dusk, is a dream come true for any nature lover.

Natural Springs and Limestone Cliffs of Pamukkale – Turkey

The Turkish people call it the eighth wonder of the world and people who visit the place do not argue. Pamukkale is one of nature’s wonders, with hot pools and white cliffs. The water flowing down the cliffs has turned the place into an exotic white cotton color with stalactites and basins. This elaborate calcium formation is the largest of its kind, spreading miles and miles. The pristine surroundings are not only emotionally but physically cathartic. The water is believed to be therapeutic, curing various maladies. In spite of being filled with tourists, it still retains the old world charm and peace that we long for.