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香港餐務管理協會主席楊位醒在職業訓練局(VTC)2013年度畢業典禮上，迷你倉出租榮獲勞工及福利局局長張建宗頒授VTC榮譽院士。榮譽院士乃VTC最高的榮銜，是表揚對推動專業教育培訓發展，或對香港社會所作卓越貢獻的傑出人士。 該畢業典禮於12月10日假香港會議展覽中心舉行，超過1萬8千名VTC成員院校的畢業生獲頒授高級文憑、文憑至證書等不同學歷。除楊位醒外，國際知名酒店業翹楚簡禮能、賽馬會重型車輛排放測試及研究中心督導委員會主席何懿德、機管局行政總裁許漢忠、敘資集團主席劉健華、石漢瑞設計公司創辦人石漢瑞、香港工商專業聯會主席黃友嘉等同時獲頒榮譽院士榮銜。 畢業禮場刊中介紹，楊位醒對VTC貢獻良多，自2009年起出任匯縱專業發展中心(IVCD)飲食業培訓課程小組的召集人，悉心指導和大力支持中心發展中心餐飲課程，包括分享業界趨勢的專業意見、參與課程的市場推廣及質素保證工作，更不時到中心視課，給予導師和學員寶貴意見迷你倉楊位醒更走到幕前抽空講課，分享營運餐飲業務的心得，鼓勵和啟發有志加入業界發展的新人。IVCD在他協助下，開辦了約220個中式餐飲課堂，令3400名學員受惠，在坊間廣獲好評。 楊位醒亦十支持VTC其他工作，包括擔任籌備委員會委員，協助VTC與稻香集團創辦中式飲食管理專業文憑課程(人所熟知的「稻苗培植計劃」)。他自2005年起加入中華廚藝學院(CCTI)訓練委員會，由2007年起至今擔任訓練委員會副主席並兼任對外推廣工作小組召集人，積極引領CCTI的社區推廣工作。他亦熱心參與CCTI的各式活動，並應邀出任國際廚藝學院督導委員會委員。楊位醒經常為業界出謀獻策，積極運用協會的平台舉辦各式各樣的講座、技術交流和研討活動。2012年，他獲授職業訓練局30周年傑出貢獻獎。此外，他於2008年、2009年及2013年亦分別獲中國飯店協會頒發「中國飯店業策劃大師」、「推動行業發展傑出貢獻大獎」及「推動行業發展功勛人物」等。mini storage

偏鄉小校除了老師難找及流動性大，self storage閱讀的軟體也居於弱勢，教育局也採取因應辦法，除補助每校閱讀硬體設備經費，且發包購買近3千萬元圖書，及逐年充實閱讀軟體。教育局長鄭邦鎮表示，為拉近閱讀上的城鄉差距，市府推出圖書館優質化計畫，除市府編列1億2千萬元，另加上教育部及募款共1億9千萬，百人以下學校全數獲得補助，改善硬體設備。日前已完成圖書發包，採購2835萬元的圖書，預定下月底發放，分配給各校。鄭邦鎮說，要求學校的圖書目標是，兩百人以下學校每名學生達到50冊以上。今年編列5迷你倉8萬元推動閱讀計畫，以搭配圖書館優質化，在學校營造好的閱讀環境，但若沒有好的圖書，成效有限。因此，在充實閱讀軟體上，也要求學校淘汰舊書，逐年增加新書。教育局每年都會補助學校購買圖書，並請學校也能爭取社會資源，充實圖書。只有50多名學生的學東國小，利用教育局補助的優質化圖書館經費，在各班設置圖書角，有如小圖書室。校長張銘堅表示，該校也提出閱讀倍增計畫，將結合地方、家長會資源，為各班募集1萬元，添購圖書。龍崗國小校長謝元說，該校募款約4萬元，充實圖書，拉近與大校的差距。迷你倉將軍澳

香港回歸祖國十六年來，儲存有一架構是全港市民都予以認可和尊重的，就是中國人民解放軍駐港部隊。市民尊重駐軍，是因為：（一）駐軍是國家主權象徵；（二）駐軍守衛香港，保障安全；（三）駐軍文明守法、秋毫無犯，軍費更不耗特區公帑分文。然而，就是如此得人心的駐港部隊，竟然成為激進亂港分子衝擊、挑釁的對象；本月二十六日，四名「香港人優先」成員，突然衝入中環駐港部隊總部，手持英國殖民管治香港時期的「龍獅旗」，高叫「反對興建中環軍用碼頭」、「解放軍撤出香港」等口號，擾攘數分鐘後被軍營站崗士兵驅逐出去。就有關事件，有人認為， 「香港人優先」只是一個十來人的小組織，但有沒有實力是一回事，公然衝擊軍營、挑釁部隊，無論如何都是一件不能容忍的事！駐港部隊不容衝擊，首先是一個憲制問題、法治問題。根據《基本法》第十四條： 「中央人民政府負責管理香港特別行政區的防務」，駐軍是國家主權在港的象徵；其次，根據本地《駐軍法》和《公安條例》，駐港部隊軍事禁區受到本港法律的保護，駐軍以外的人員、車輛、船舶等不得擅入，違例者一經定罪，可被判罰款五千及監禁兩年。」這些規定，都是符合全球國家、地區軍營管理慣例及有實際需要的，一來軍營內有重要設施及軍用物資，如被亂闖亂動，後果可以非常嚴重；二來軍隊在管理上有一定的獨立性和封閉性，外界不能干預。以駐港部隊而言，特區政府如要動用駐軍協助維持社會治安與救災，也要先向中央人民政府提出請求。因此， 「香港人優先」四名成員如此明目張膽、光天化日之下擅闖入軍營，已經觸犯《駐軍法》及《公安條例》中有關「無許可證不得進入軍事禁區」的規定，明顯屬違法犯罪行為，理應追究其刑事責任。而駐港部隊在擅闖事件發生後已隨即報警，警方在回覆傳媒查詢時表示將依法處理。更有甚者， 「香港人優先」四名激進分子擅入軍營，不僅目無法紀，而且是一項非常危險的挑釁行為。根據《駐軍法》第十二條，軍事禁區的警衛人員有權依法制止擅自進入，第三十九條又規定有權將進入者或企圖進入者予以逮捕， 「並可為此而使用所需的武力措施」，如此也就是說，駐軍當日隨時可以將該四名擅闖者拘捕扣押，甚至採取必要的武力手段對付，須知盜賊擅闖民居，居民尚且可以用武力自衛而得免刑責，擅闖者是否以為駐軍「吃素」或軟弱可欺？一旦槍彈無眼，擅闖者屆時不要呼天搶地才好！事實是， 「香港人優先」四名成員此次擅闖軍營以及展示港英旗、呼叫「解放軍撤出香港」的口號，不僅違法亂港，而且在政治上也已經構成極其惡劣的後果，駐港部隊被挑釁，中央不可能坐視；更有甚者，內地「人民網」及《環球時報》已將擅闖事件廣為報道，標題為「港獨分子強闖駐港部隊」、「闖軍營港獨組織曾燒八一軍旗，自稱不是中國人」，有關報道在內地網民中已引起強烈反響，一片指罵聲，兩地關係受到嚴重影響。因此，為維護國家主權、駐軍尊嚴和本港法治核心價值，特區政府對擅闖軍營事件必須嚴肅正視，對違法者必須依法追究其刑事責任，絕不能容許歪風惡氣蔓延，讓擅闖者逍遙法外。2013-12-31Trespassers of Garrison barracksmust not be let go away unpunishedIn the past 16 years after Hong Kong's return to the Motherland, there is an institution which has been generally appreciated and respected by Hong Kong people. That is the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison.Citizens respect the PLA Garrison because 1) stationing troops in Hong Kong is a symbol of national sovereignty; 2) the PLA Garrison safeguards Hong Kong's security; and 3) the garrisoned troops are civilized and law abiding, never committing the slightest offense against the civilians; not to mention that the expenditure for the Hong Kong Garrison is not borne by the SAR.However, even such popular Hong Kong Garrison now becomes a target of trouble-making radicals. On the 26th of this month (December), four members of Hongkongers First made a sudden move to trespass into the headquarters of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison in Tamar, waving British Hong Kong's dragon-lion flag and shouting such slogans as "No military dock in Central" and "PLA, pull out of Hong Kong". After making a scene for a few minutes, they were driven out by soldiers on duty.Some people have played down the incident, saying Hongkongers First is a tiny organisation with just a dozen or so members. However, regardless of its strength, it is intolerable that its members should have wantonly forced their way into Garrison barracks to provoke the troops.First of all, it is a constitutional and legal issue that the Hong Kong Garrison should not be attacked. Article 14 of the Basic Law stipulates: "The Central People's Government shall be responsible for the defence of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region."Hence stationing troops in Hong Kong symbolizes the presence of national sovereignty in the SAR. Secondly, according to the Law of the People's Republic of China on Garrisoning the HK Special Administrative Region (Garrison Law) and Hong Kong's Public Order Ordinance, military restricted zones of the Hong Kong Garrison are protected by Hong Kong's laws, and no persons, vehicles or ships are allowed to enter without permission. Any violator "shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to" a fine of $5,000 and to imprisonment for 2 years.Such stipulations are in accord with international convention of management of military barracks and for practical reasons. For one thing, there are important facilities and military supplies in military barracks, so there could be serious consequences if they are to be accessed wantonly. Secondly, military management is independent and closed to a certain degree, and is not to be intervened by outsiders. In the case of the Hong Kong Garrison, in case the SAR Government needs assistance from the Hong Kong Garrison in the maintenance of public order or in disaster relief, it must ask the Central Government for permission first.Therefore, the four迷你倉Hongkongers First members, who trespassed into a military barrack in broad daylight in such a bare-faced way, have violated the Garrison Law and the stipulation of the Public order Ordinance that no closed areas occupied by the Hong Kong Garrison shall be entered without a permit. They have obviously committed a criminal offence and should be prosecuted for their criminal liability. The Garrison reported the trespassing to the police immediately after it happened, and the police said, in response to media inquiry, that it would be dealt with in accordance with the law.Moreover, the trespassing into a Garrison barrack by four radical Hongkongers First members is not only lawless but also a very dangerous provocative move. Article 12 of the Garrison Law stipulates that "The guards of the military forbidden zones have the power to stop the unauthorized entries into the military forbidden zones and destruction or endangerment of the military installations." Section 39 of the Public Order Ordinance also stipulates that any guard may arrest any person attempting to enter a closed area and "may use such force as may be necessary for the purpose". In other words, the Garrison could have arrested the four trespassers and even used necessary force.It is known that in case a robber enters a civilian house, the residents inside may use force for self defence without being held criminally liable. Did the four radicals think the Garrison troops were weak and could be easily bullied? Bullets have no eye. Once the troops open fire, trespassers should better not cry out loudly.As a matter of fact, the four Hongkongers First members trespassing into a military barrack waving a colonial Hong Kong flag and shouting "PLA, out of Hong Kong", not only violated laws to create trouble in Hong Kong, but also provoked extremely bad consequences politically. The Hong Kong Garrison is provoked, which the Central Government won't close its eyes and sit idle. As a matter of fact, the Mainland's people.com.cn and Global Times have already widely reported the trespassing incident, with such headlines as "Hong Kong independent activists trespassed into Hong Kong Garrison" and "The organization advocating Hong Kong independence used to burn the Chinese military flag and claim themselves as not Chinese". Such reports have aroused strong reactions and condemnation among Mainland netizens. The trespassing has seriously affected relations between the two places.Therefore, for the sake of safeguarding national sovereignty, dignity of the Hong Kong Garrison and the rule of law as Hong Kong's core value, the SAR Government must take trespassing incident seriously. The trespassers must be prosecuted for their criminal liability. The evil trend must not be allowed to spread and the trespasser not be allowed to get away unpunished.31 December 2013WORDS AND USAGEMake a scene - To be loud and rude with other people or in public.（（當�）大吵大鬧，滋擾）Examples: 1.Don't make a scene!2.When John found a fly in his drink, he started to make a scene.Play sth down sth (phrasal verb) - To try to make something seem less serious than itactually is.（淡化，輕描淡寫）Examples: 1.It's a sensitive issue, and they want to play it down until after the elections.2.He has tried to play down his involvement in the affair.In the case of sb or sth (idiom)–In the matter of someone or something; in the instance ofsomeone or something.（就而言，至於（後接名詞）Examples: 1.Most states have similar laws protecting unborn children from violence except in the case of abortion.2.In the case of this woman, we'll not grant permission.In case (sth happens) (idiom) - In the event that something takes place.（萬一，假使（後接完整句子））Examples： She carries an umbrella in case it rains. I have some aspirin in my office in case I get aheadache. He keeps afire extinguisher in his car,just in case. if I don't expect much traffic, but in case there is some, I think we should leave early.In broad daylight (idiom) - In the open light of day; clearly visible.（光天化日之下，白天）Examples: 1.Tom stood there in broad daylight, but we never saw him.2.The robbery occurred in broad daylight, in a crowded street.self storage

2012年“雙十一”，迷利倉天貓用191億元的成交額，讓大家見識到了電子商務的“瘋狂”。去年“雙十一”之前，國務院總理李克強親自“點贊”，再給“雙十一”添了一把火，350億的單日成交額，不僅再度刷新了中國電商新紀錄，甚至也“秒殺”了美國“黑色星期五”和“網絡星期一”的成交量總和。2013年，成都的電子商務產業也取得了飛速發展，在這一年，包括《成都市電子商務發展規劃（2012—2015）》《加快促進成都電子商務健康快速發展實施方案（2013—2015）》《成都市2013年度電子商務發展專項資金實施意見》等政策相繼出台，再加上整個行業大趨勢的推動之下，成都電子商務行業發展在2013年開始正式進入“快車道”。昨日記者從市商務局瞭解到的最新數據顯示，2013年全市電子商務交易額有望超過4000億元，網絡零售總額超過350億元，移動電子商務交易額超過240億元。目前，成都的電子商務應用企業已經累計超過8000家，中小企業電子商務應用普及率達到50%。2013年逐步完善電子商務支撐體系建設據市商務局相關負責人介紹，2013年成都的電子商務發展堅持“對外引進”和“本土培育”兩條腿走路。其中，在對外引進方面，2013年全市引進了艾瑞咨詢、中糧集團中國食品西部結算中心等14家企業，此前落戶成都的京東在成都的網購銷售額也達到了70億元。而在本土培育方面，成都則大力鼓勵本土電子商務平台企業與傳統商貿業、金融業等融合發展、跨界發展，取得了�多成功案例。據瞭解，2013年，我市中藥材天地網、九正科技和新華文軒3家企業成為2013-2014年度國家電子商務示範企業；雙流縣成為我市第2家國家農村商務信息服務試點縣。中聯信通、美圖網等16家企業申報省級電子商務示範企業；錦江區電子商務產業園、成都海峽兩岸科技園、高新區淘寶創業園、武侯西部鞋都等申報省級電子商務產業園區。成都支付通新信息技術服務有限公司作為第三方支付核心企業，取得中國人民銀行頒發的《支付業務許可證》，成為我市第5家獲得資質的本土企業。不僅如此，成都還在2013年逐步完善電子商務支撐體系建設，一方面加強電子商務與現代物流的相互支撐，建立電商物流園，打破電商發展中可能遭遇的物流瓶頸；另一方面，則為電子商務的發展提供更好的法制保障環境。2014年成都電子商務成交額衝擊5000億元雖然目前最終的數字尚未發佈，但是市商務局相關負責人表示，2013年全年成都電子商務的交易額很有可能將突破4000億。那麼2014年的目標如何？對此，該負責人表示，將在2014年內衝擊5000億元。為了完成這一目標，成都在電子商務發展上已經制定了一系列政策。“總體而言，分為四個方面。”該負責人告訴記者，成都將大力推進電子商務示範城市建設，尤其是隨著智能手機的快速發展，要迅速搶佔移動電商的發展先機；與此同時，成都還將抓住互聯網金融的契機，提升電子商務創新能力；此外，成都還將積極申報國家電子商務示範基地，加快傳統產業的電商化改造；最後，成都還將圍繞內陸自貿區建設，大力發展跨境電子商務。“這也是為了完成成都電子商務發展規劃打下扎實的基礎。”該負責人說，根據成都的電商發展規劃，到2015年末，全市的電商交易額將突破6000億元，是否能夠順利完成這一目標，“2014年成為非常關鍵的一年。”記者手記>>>今年“雙十一”坐看手機購物大戰去年“雙十一”實現350億元的銷售額今年“雙十一”將會達到什麼數字？不過，可能今年“雙十一”不會再以“刷數據”為噱頭。越來越普及的手機購物體驗，越來越方便的手機購物方法，或許會讓今年“雙十一”成為手機購物大戰的開始。既然是大戰，當然舞台上不會只有阿里巴巴一家。來勢洶洶的挑戰者中，微信支付無疑是最具有挑戰實力的，事實上，目前微信正開始與電子商務進行越來越深度的結合：精選商品、彩票、電影票，不斷地有新商品上線，也讓人對微信上購物有越來越多的期待，而更加令人期待的是微信上的公�賬號，正在演變為部分商家的網上銷售平台，加上微信支付的打通，無疑將會更加方便。在移動購物上，領跑者阿里巴巴自然也不會示弱，去年迷你倉雙十一”“雙十二”期間，阿里巴巴就已經在全力推廣手機淘寶、手機支付寶錢包，希望繼續保持領先優勢；而隨著劉強東遊學之後的回歸，京東也已經在移動購物上發力，再加上一直虎視眈眈的蘇寧雲商、亞馬遜、當當，今年的手機購物市場，一定會很熱鬧。到底又有多少人會開始成為“手購族”，今年讓我們拭目以待。數字>>>2017年 四川電商力爭躋身全國前五日前，省政府辦公廳正式發佈《關於促進電子商務健康發展的實施意見》（以下簡稱《意見》），明確提出到2017年全省的電子商務成交額將比2012年翻兩番，達到2萬億元，在規模與應用水平方面躋身全國前五。在西部省份中，四川的電子商務發展水平一直處於領跑地位，近年來的網購成交數據顯示，四川省的網購成交額在中西部省份中排名第一，顯示了四川電子商務行業的快速發展和網購的活躍。不僅如此，目前國內幾乎所有的電商平台都將成都選為物流樞紐，以此輻射整個西南區域，這也進一步推動了成都和四川的電子商務產業發展。2013年年末，省政府辦公廳正式發佈《關於促進電子商務健康快速發展的實施意見》，給四川的電子商務發展帶來重大利好。在《意見》中明確提出，促進全省網絡與實體經濟的深度融合，顯著提升發展水平，到2017年，全省電子商務交易額比2012年翻兩番，達到2萬億元，其中網絡零售額突破2600億元，相當于社會消費品零售總額的15%，規模與應用水平在全國省（區、市）中達到前5位。為了實現這一目標，《意見》也提出，將大力促進本土電商企業做大做強，著力培育若干家具有全國競爭力的龍頭企業，同時引進國內外知名電子商務及服務企業在川設立獨立法人資格的交易中心、結算中心、全國（全球）功能性總部。同時，全省將爭取國家在川建立中西部電子商務人才培訓中心，鼓勵省內院校完善相關學科建設，爭取在5年時間內，全省培養高級電子商務職業經理人1000人、電子商務專業人員1萬人，普及電子商務知識10萬人。此外，《意見》還要求全省強化財政政策支持，落實稅收優惠政策，並且加大在融資方面的支持力度，有限解決電子商務企業的用地需求，全面支持四川電商行業發展。人物故事>>>備戰“雙十一” 她到處“搶人”“現在回想起來，去年‘雙十一’備戰真是非常緊張，快遞員人手不足，那段時間幾乎是到處去‘搶人’。”作為去年“雙十一”的一線參與者之一，百世物流四川分公司總經理趙欣依然記憶猶新。去年“雙十一”，她的物流公司幫助不少電商企業承擔了倉儲和快遞配送的功能。“在‘雙十一’之前，我最大的心願，就是交易額千萬不要突破300億。”趙欣說，2012年“雙十一”，阿里巴巴提前召集全國的電商企業座談，當時預計成交額能做到100億元，大家也都按照100億規模來準備，“最後出來的結果是191億，差不多翻了一倍，把所有快遞公司都搞了個措手不及，那段時間的壓力非常大，現在想起來都還有些後怕。”去年，阿里巴巴再次召集全國物流企業座談，將目標定在了300億，所有物流企業也都按照300億來準備，“那段時間，天天都盼著千萬不要再來一次2012年的情況，如果真的超了太多，說什麼都不可能應對過來……”趙欣說，那段時間各家快遞公司都在“搶人”，她和同事們連續奮戰，應對“雙十一”物流高峰。令她感到慶幸的是，她和同事們最終在這場高難度的“壓力測試”中拿到了好成績。回想起去年“雙十一”的情況，從凌晨開始，各大快遞公司就全部行動起來，不斷有商品從趙欣的倉庫中運出，也有賣家的商品送到她的分撥中心，從這裡發往全國。“事實上，我們這裡也可以看作是四川電子商務發展的一個‘風向標’，從我們掌握的數據來看，這些年來，四川的賣家和買家都越來越活躍，來來往往的貨品數量也越來越多，顯示四川和成都的電子商務發展速度也是越來越快了。”對於今年的“雙十一”，雖然現在還有10來個月的時間，趙欣也已經在考慮相應的規劃。“根據我們的判斷，今年‘雙十一’的成交額肯定還會在去年的基礎上再增加，經過去年‘雙十一’之後，全國各家快遞公司的能力都有所增強，但是到底能不能完成今年‘雙十一’的任務，這依然會是一個巨大的挑戰。”本報記者 王鑫 圖據新華社自存倉

跑在智能手機及平板電腦市場發展上，迷你倉LG可算十分積極，繼早前推出的LG G2大獲好評，再次重返平板電腦市場推出LG G Pad 8.3，設有實用的跨裝置同步QPair，加上四核心處理器及Full HD屏幕，只售$2698。8.3吋Full HD屏幕LG火速引入剛在韓國推出的G Pad 8.3，G Pad 8.3是LG回歸平板市場後的首款平板電腦，配備8.3吋Full HD屏幕，超薄機身讓用家單手掌控也能揮灑自如。規格方面，採用1,920 x 1,200 WUXGA（Widescreen Ultra Extended Graphics Array）顯示屏的G Pad 8.3，帶來比一般Full HD更高解像度的完美高清畫質。配備Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 1.7GHz 四核心處理器，配搭2GB RAM、16GB ROM，有紅外線收發器，做到遙控，並可以加micro SD卡，機背設雙喇叭，機身僅重338克的G Pad 8.3同時採用4,600mAh電池，令使用時間更持久。實用QPair同步功能為配合用家整合使用的需求，G Pad 8.3特別加入QPair功能，讓用家能同步連接智能手機，在使用G Pad 8.3的同時，用家能獲取已對應的智能手機上每個新訊息和來電，並在G Pad 8.3直接作簡單回覆。此外，QuickMemo功能則能把G Pad 8.3上的記事直接儲存到用家的智能手機，與其他裝置分享。為令用家可體驗其8.3吋的Full HD屏幕，加入三大功能，包括：1. Slide Aside多工撥頁——用家以三隻手指輕掃屏幕就能將已打開的程式移到一旁，為多工作業提供更理想的操作環境。2. QSlide——可以讓用家調較介面透明度從而同步進行三個不同應用程式的多畫面作業，特別適用於平板電腦的大屏幕。3. KnockON輕敲感應功能——用家只需在屏幕輕叩兩下，就能輕鬆快捷地開關屏幕。大屏「輕」身LG G Pro Lite 與G Pad 8.3同時推出的有LG G Pro Lite，外型纖薄並擁有超窄邊框設計，讓用家能舒適地單手掌握操控。規格方面，單看LG G Pro Lite的名字，定位是較入門的機款，採用MT6577 1.0 GHz 雙核處理器、1GB RAM、8GB ROM（可以加卡），並不設LTE，3G只得7.2Mbps。不過就配備5.5吋 qHD IPS大屏幕，並具備手寫筆可靈活配合QuickMemo使用，在屏幕上作簡便記錄、繪圖或記下重要事項。除了大屏幕外，新機還有800 萬像素BSI相機，備有不同拍攝模式及特效選擇。值得留意的是G Pro Lite配備可更換的高容量3140mAh SiO+電池，比傳統鋰電池容量更大、效能更高，足夠支援整天使用。Prosumer DC勝在實用無反相機優點在於質素及輕便上取得平衡，但想玩得更輕鬆，機鏡合一的傳統Prosumer DC仍有其吸引力，Nikon推出了 Coolpix P7800，擁有28-200mm鏡頭焦距，重量僅399g，攜帶方便。P7800沿用自家的NIKKOR ED glass lens，擁有F 2.0大光圈，為方便用家取景入了多角度扭動的3吋LCD熒幕，亦備有92.1萬的解像度EVF電子取景器。另外還有 Full HD 高清錄影、離機閃光燈、手動曝光、Raw 記錄、2cm 近拍等應有盡有，絕對可以一機走天涯。售價：$4980高品質外置充電器生產創新造型產品為研發目標的新進品牌 noontec，發佈旗下最新外置充電器 Polo 5000mAh，採用5儲存倉00mAh 高品質鋰聚合物電池，壽命比一般外置電池高2倍以上，機身以輕巧、超纖薄外型配合拉絲設計，厚度僅14mm，最適合存放於衫、褲或細小襯袋中。此外，Polo 5000mAh加入五大保護功能包括：過流保護、短路保護、過放保護、穩壓保護及過充保護等等，能大大減低因充電導致損壞之可能性，讓用家能安心為電子產品充電。售價：$348Parrot Flower Power助你監測植物智能裝置可謂無孔不入，現在就連種花都有智能裝置，這款Parrot Flower Power裝置經由多位國際科學家並同研究，只要將 Parrot Flower Power 放置在植物附近的土壤中，它就可以實時及準確地量度植物健康生長的要素：包括泥土濕度、肥料水平、溫度及光線。數據首先會記錄在裝置中並定期與安裝在智能手機的 Flower Power 應用程式同步，比對程式中 6000 多種植物的資料庫後，好好提醒你如何把你的植物照顧好。售價：$4996呎防撞iPad Air保護套iPad Air上市吸引不少用家入手，The Joy Factory 推出的aXtion bold正好為iPad Air提供最佳保護，符合軍規級MIL-STD-810防撞標準，可承受六呎跌撞，保護套較厚，其中最受力的四隻角還以對角線形態額外加強了厚度，在音量鍵、鎖定鍵、主頁鍵、耳筒插口及充電插口位又設立了獨立蓋掩，保護更加全面。另外，aXtion bold又為屏幕以及前後鏡頭提供保護膜，可防止刮花和水潑。售價：$298新版Android 4.4 KitKat更省記憶體Google正式發布Android 4.4 KitKat行動作業系統，Android 4.4降低系統對硬體規格的需求，僅具備512MB記憶體的Android裝置也能升級到4.4版，同時也更省電。Android App資深開發者盧育聖認為，穿戴式裝置體積要小，同時又要省電，此次升級降低了記憶體需求，使中低階手機也能升級，且用到的記憶體愈少就愈省電，顯然是為未來穿戴式裝置做準備。Android 4.4也內建Hangouts的App，新的Hangouts整合了簡訊和Hangouts訊息，所有訊息將會出現在Hangouts�。雲端儲存系統My Cloud EX4 WD推出個人雲端儲存系統My Cloud EX4，可容納4顆3.5吋硬碟，提供8TB、12TB、16TB三種容量，支援RAID 0、1、5、10，以及JBOD儲存模式，最大儲存容量可達16TB，提供NAS儲存管理功能，售價分別為2.8萬元、3.3萬元、4.8萬元，鎖定家庭及小型辦公室NAS市場。為避免因臨時斷電而損害，該款產品可連接兩個外接電池供電，當其中一個插座斷電時，可以馬上由另一個外接電源供應電力。使用的WD紅標硬碟也提供3D平衡技術，提升硬碟使用的可靠度。內建兩個USB 3.0可連接外接硬碟增加儲存容量。PlayStation 4 首日賣出逾100萬部Sony率先於北美市場推出最新的PlayStation 4遊戲機，PS 4是Sony的第四代家用遊戲機裝置，上一代的PS 3是在2006年11月上市，相隔了6年。PS 4採用8核心AMD處理器，內建8GB的GDDR 5記憶體與500GB的硬體空間，配備DUALSHOCK 4無線控制器，零售價為399.99美元。該公司全球工作室副總裁Shuhei Yoshida透過Twitter宣布，在上市24小時內已售出逾100萬部PS 4。SONY見PS4需求熱烈，將本會計年度（截至明年3月底）全球銷售目標設定在500萬台。迷你倉最平

Source: The Seattle TimesJan.倉 06--We may have a solution to global warming at hand.When things get too hot to bear, we can try bouncing the sun's energy back into space by laying our flat-panel TVs, tablet computers and smartphones out on our roofs and yards.At the rate things are going, we'll soon be able to blanket most major cities with LCD panels.This year and next, the gadget factories in Asia will use nearly 300 million square meters of the stuff, according to research firm NPD DisplaySearch.That's more than enough material to cover Seattle with a giant reflective glass umbrella.Besides, we've got to make room for the newer, bigger and better TVs and computerized gadgets being unveiled this week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.Battery-powered cars, wearable computers and tablets in all shapes and sizes are among the goodies that companies will be pitching to the 150,000 retailers, distributors, reporters and others making the pilgrimage.But the product that appears most ready to break through and enter the most homes over the next year is the "ultra-high-definition" TV, which provides roughly four times higher resolution than the plain old "high definition" TV sets people have been buying over the past decade.There's really no urgent need for one of these TVs. There isn't a lot of 4K content available yet and there are extra costs involved. Yet the picture quality on 4K sets can be strikingly brighter and more vivid, even mesmerizing if you can afford the upgrade.These sets -- referred to as "UHD" or "4K," because they have nearly 4,000 lines of vertical resolution -- trickled into the market in 2012 at ridiculous prices. Over the past six months they've fallen below $5,000 for large sizes from premium brands, and this week at CES, Polaroid will present a 50-incher priced at just $1,000.Overall prices for 4K sets should average around $2,000 in North America this year and $1,100 worldwide, according to NPD.As prices fall, sales climb. The number of 4K sets sold jumped from 30,000 in 2012 to around 3.1 million units in 2013, and this year will reach 20 million, according to research firm iSuppli.It's risky to predict the next big thing in TVs, which face the same challenges and sluggish sales as personal computers: Most people have a pretty good one by now and don't see much reason to upgrade. Meanwhile, many have bought tablets, gaining another way to watch video.This cannibalization never ends. Tablet sales are expected to slow next, because the market is saturating and people are turning to jumbo phones.But at the end of the day we'll still end up in front of the telly, and somehow people will find enough money and space for the biggest one possible.In the U.S., people tend to buy a new TV24小時迷你倉every seven or eight years. Currently, more than 70 percent of homes have flat-panel sets that are on average only three years old, according to NPD.No wonder the "big things" highlighted at CES the past few years fizzled.One was TVs using the wafer-thin but wallet-busting OLED display technology. They've been making a splash at CES for seven years running but remain out of reach for most buyers.TV makers also tried pushing 3D capabilities. It never took off but lives on as a little-used feature in higher-end sets. New 3D sets that don't require glasses are expected at CES, but they still seem like a novelty.Curved TVs will also be talked up this week, but the benefits -- a purportedly more immersive experience -- aren't as clear and to me don't outweigh the limitations a curved screen puts on placement and viewing angles.Upgrading to a 4K set seems more natural and it doesn't require headsets. But there are likely to be additional costs beyond the TV itself.New cables are being produced to handle the bigger digital load of 4K video, and companies will be pushing new video players and services handling 4K content.Movies are being shot in 4K, but most of the material you'll watch on a 4K TV is likely to be lower resolution, perhaps 1080p content that's been upscaled.True 4K content also carries a premium price -- even more premium than the extra dollar or two you pay today to rent a high-def movie. Sony in September launched a 4K streaming video service with about 100 movies that it rents for prices starting at $7.99.Once 4K goes mainstream, it will also give Netflix, Comcast and others an opportunity to add a higher-priced tier for higher-resolution content.Technologies to compress and stream 4K content are still evolving, including one that Google will reportedly be pushing at CES this week.But even compressed, 4K content will put a new burden on our broadband infrastructure, which is already strained by online consumption of movies and TV shows.I'll bet this leads to more monthly limits on broadband services and tiered pricing schemes. Politicians will continue fretting about the need for faster broadband, but maybe they'll stop pretending that it's needed for health care and education.The biggest challenge of all, though, will be figuring out what to do with the hundreds of millions of plain old 1080p TV sets we bought in the past few years.Someone in Seattle will probably figure out a way to recycle and sell them as roof tiles or green coffee tables, and use the proceeds to buy a new 4K TV.Brier Dudley's column appears Mondays. Reach him at 206-515-5687 or bdudley@seattletimes.comCopyright: ___ (c)2014 The Seattle Times Visit The Seattle Times at .seattletimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉旺角

（霹靂 怡保5日訊）近打縣跆拳道武術總會8名學員參加第四屆“學界跆拳道比賽暨亞洲區邀請賽”，倉勇奪15面金牌、8面銀牌、一個最佳運動員獎，同時榮獲學界組全場總冠軍杯，揚威賽場。這項賽會由香港的馬德荃教練與7個會館聯辦，於12月29日在香港天水圍天瑞體育館舉行，一共獲得260人參加，由香港劉煒堂師父和英國的世界總秘書特里沃尼格斯主持開幕。這群學員是這項賽會中唯一的海外表演隊伍，他們站在國際舞台上，光芒四射，為國爭光。朱燕霓劉民輝勇奪數金在這8名學員中，朱燕霓表現特出，個人勇奪4面金牌，劉民輝奪得3金、1銀，唯劉民輝同時奪得最佳運動員獎。2人同樣來自怡保育才國民型中學，他們在出賽前獲得校方大力支持與鼓勵，並提醒學生注意安全和發揮練武精神。就讀怡保聖母國民型中學的羅奧斯達，是一名友族學生，她奪得套拳金牌和搏擊銀牌，由於表現特出，加上精通華語與方言，贏得香港市民熱烈掌聲，紛紛與她合拍照片。邱武龍：訓練適應寒冷氣候24小時迷你倉員受傷仍堅持奮鬥領隊兼教練邱武龍對於學員取得的成績感到滿意，他說，在比賽期間，香港的氣候進入冬季，早晚氣候是低於7-9度，他最擔心的是學員不能適應氣候，無法全力發揮狀態。他指出，學員在出征香港前，進行一連串的訓練課程，以便適應寒冷的氣候，在訓練時刻，學生經歷許多酸甜苦辣，甚至受傷，他們承受手腳皮肉筋骨之痛，依然要堅持在戰場奮鬥。“朱燕霓在出賽前3個星期腳部扭傷，需要長時間醫療和停止一切訓練，這點最令人擔心，她需要每天接受醫療，甚至在香港酒店里也是每晚進行醫療，唯所幸她最後不負所望。”盼各界贊助出國經費邱武龍表示，在這項比賽結束後，學員接下來將面臨7月份在意大利羅馬舉行的世界大賽，因此這項熱身賽對於學員來說，是一項非常好的磨練。他指出，學員出征世界賽面對經費的問題，希望各界人士給予支持與贊助。這群學生在參加比賽後，前往香港迪士尼樂園、海洋公園、蠟像館、星光大道和女人街等遊覽，度過一個開心愉快又難忘的假期。;迷你倉旺角

今次是二○一四年首次與大家見面，迷你倉但先要向廣大股民說聲唔好意思。上次向大家說「新年快樂！」豈料港股真的踏入新一年便「快落」。港股紅盤當日勉強高收，但萬料不到今年第二個交易日便大跌，更創出半年來最大單日跌幅。不知早前提及的擔心會否應驗，就是美國開始減少買債進行退市，實際上利淡股市，加上中央讓內地銀根保持緊張，對港股和內地股市都無好處。品牌測試解難能力轉個話題，最近收到一個調查，研究使用哪個牌子智能手機的人較聰明，結果首三位依次是Apple、Google及三星。研究要求受訪者回答幾條考驗解難能力的簡單問題，記錄正確回答的所需時間，Apple手機用家平均時間最短，但與Google和三星用家差別不大。諾基亞和黑莓用家所需時間明顯較長，比Apple用家文件倉約兩成。若說Apple用家最聰明其實難下定論，但是諾基亞和黑莓用家解難能力稍遜卻有�可尋。試想想，現在還使用「落後」的品牌，某程度證明適應新事物的能力較低。投行老手抗拒換機有投行在前幾年為全部同事由黑莓手機換上Apple手機，但並非受到每位同事歡迎，較具年資的同事尤其反對，其中一個理由是Apple手機無鍵盤，打起電郵很不方便。看看現在的年輕人，那個對�無鍵盤的手機不能以神速打字？至於大健用哪個牌子？我不僅最聰明，更是雙倍聰明！因為我有兩部相同牌子及型號手機，一部自己買，一部公司畀。大健財務碩士畢業，投身財經記者行列數年，之後無論轉職歐資投行，抑或現任職英資金融機構，始終情繫中環，相信各有前因莫羨人。微博：t.sina.com.cn/taikin存倉

　　Elsie早前有朋友到台北旅遊，self storage其中一個景點就是到了朱銘美術館，從他所拍的相片中，看到館內的雕塑和布局，予人閒適的感覺，不期然就想到，有機會的話，定要跟家人去一趟。誰知尚未計畫台灣遊的行程，Elsie就收到消息，知道今年二月二十八日至六月十五日，香港藝術館會首次舉行「刻畫人間——朱銘雕塑大展」，展出朱銘最重要作品之一的《人間系列》。美術館首次訓練港人此外，位於柴灣的青年廣場，也在本月十五至六月十五日，首次舉行「青年廣場×朱銘『刻畫人間』藝術計畫」，活動內容包括藝術義工培訓和展覽等，所以預期這數個月可能會出現「朱銘熱潮」。即使暫時未能親赴台灣，也可以欣賞朱銘爺爺的作品。　　Elsie上周見到青年廣場外事部總監林月�（Josephine），談到青年廣場×朱銘「刻畫人間」藝術計畫，原來已在年多前計畫，當時並未知道香港藝術館在今年會舉行朱銘的藝術展。「選擇朱銘爺爺為藝術計畫的主角，是因為他在香港有很多人認識，而過往很多地方都曾展出其作品，例如時代廣場曾展出《太極》系列、現時豎立在中文大學的《門》等，相信青年人，尤其大專生對他的作品都有認識，但又不一定很深入，所以就選了朱銘為對象，相信這也是朱銘美術館首次和香港機構合作去訓練青年人。」　　青年廣場×朱銘「刻畫人間」藝術計畫主要分三個部分：招募藝術義工、藝術培訓及舉行「青年廣場×朱銘雕塑展覽角」。展覽角將展出由朱銘美術館提供的三組《人間系列》迷你版展品，包括《排隊》、《十二少女》和《彩雕木刻》，各展品都是按真實作品比例縮細，基本上外形一樣，只是尺寸有別。鐵絲創作肢體形態　　「三個都是《人間系列》的縮版模型，其中《排隊》這作品很有意思，好像排隊時，人人都做同一件事，卻有不同的人，有紳士、有穿雨褸的。現實中，你跟我也參與其中，排隊看展品，正是你在看人的同時，其實你也同時被看�。」至於《十二少女》，則是十二位少女，穿上粉紅色的衣物，以不同形態坐迷你倉。Josephine又說，展覽角也會有展板，介紹朱銘的作品和特色，相信喜歡藝術的人都會有興趣。　　雖然展覽在三月至六月中才舉行，但藝術義工的甄選和培訓卻即將展開，培訓內容包括認識朱銘作品的概念和製作五個模型，通過參與製作模型，讓義工感受朱銘的創作歷程。負責培訓的導師，皆是朱銘美術館的工作人員，專程由台灣來港為五十位藝術義工提供培訓。　　「培訓會集中講《人間系列》，朱銘的創作是擅長利用雕刻技巧，去表達人性、肢體和姿態。在工作坊中，就會教義工做五個模型，例如『扭扭海綿人』，通過這模型講解材料的轉換；又例如教製作『吸管人』，就是教如何利用鐵�，創作不同的肢體形態去表達感情。」Josephine透露，報名當藝術義工的人數約有一百三十人，本月中會進行甄選，評選準則包括申請人對藝術的興趣和熱誠、表達和溝通能力等，但毋需很熟識朱銘的作品，因為培訓課程中也會教授。培訓義工擔任導師　　台灣朱銘美術館的大型雕塑作品，不少均在戶外擺放，所以是次培訓課程內，其中一部分是義工如何去保護戶外藝術品；也會帶義工去看在香港地方展出的朱銘作品，增加對朱銘作品的認識，整個培訓約為二十小時。免費工作坊供參與　　Josephine同Elsie講，當藝術義工接受培訓後，就會把所學的跟大眾分享，例如擔任工作坊導師或展覽角導賞員，甚至有機會在香港藝術館舉行朱銘展覽的期間，擔任相關活動的助理導師。另一方面，他們也會為朱銘的戶外展品做評估報告，在可行的範圍內做維護工作等，把培訓課程內容去實踐。　　Elsie知道，在三至六月期間，會有七至八場免費工作坊給公眾參加，約兩星期一次，每次約有三十個名額。工作坊將介紹朱銘的作品及製作技巧，家長可帶子女參加。網上報名詳情約於二月中後公布，家長請留意青年廣場網頁（網址: .youthsquare.hk）和facebook專頁。Elsie陳若有任何家長關心的話題，歡迎報料。傳真：2798 2688。迷你倉將軍澳

迷你倉將軍澳 南都訊 記者肖陽 即日起凡購票進入七星岩景區的遊客都能享受到免費導遊講解服務。免費導遊提供點設置在景區東、西、北門的星光導遊服務部，接待時間為上午9：00至下午5：00。遊客可在指定門口和時間前往導遊服務部預約。另悉，在七星岩景區的各門票入口、景區中心區、各重要景點都提供了免費無線上網服務，各無線上網點覆蓋半徑為50至80米，在這個區域內網絡都暢通無阻。倉

一、加快推進大型國有投融資企業改革進程將“要素資本化、資本公司化、公司股份化、股份證券化”作為大型國有投融資企業改革發展的核心，迷你倉最平通過“要素資本化”最大限度地激發勞動、知識、技術、管理、資本等一切生產要素的活力；通過“資本公司化”構建混合所有制企業，發揮好國有資本的引導、杠杆作用；通過“公司股份化”吸引和融合省內外、國內外優質資源，實現資源共享，優勢互補；通過“股份證券化”，以進入資本市場為目標，利用資本市場帶動大型國有投融資企業發展。（一）以國有資本加大對公益性企業投入的改革導向為契機，積極整合地方優質資源，進一步擴大大型國有投融資企業的規模和實力，從而增強企業的抗風險能力和綜合競爭力，全面提升省屬投融資主體如公航旅集團、電投等的信用等級和在資本市場融資的能力。（二）促進國有資本授權經營體制改革，健全和完善國有資產管理體制，以資本運營為核心，將此類企業改組為國有資本投資公司。（三）健全現代企業制度，進一步完善法人治理結構，確立企業市場競爭主體地位。政府要完成由企業管理者到監督者的角色轉變，支持並引導國企改革，著力解決市場體系不完善、政府干預過多和監管不到位的問題，最終實現行政機關和企業、行業協會商會類社會組織的真正脫鉤。（四）堅持持續擴大直接融資、持續激發民間資本、持續推進上市融資金融改革的“三個導向”，繼續拓展融資渠道，大力吸引戰略投資者入股參股。積極發展混合所有制經濟，大力推進股份制改造。開創國有資本、集體資本、非公有資本等交叉持股、相互融合、相互促進、共同發展新局面。（五）建立“創新容錯機制”，把改革創新工作納入部門績效考核，作為公司迷你倉高層管理人員個人職務晉升和獎勵的依據之一。同時，如果因為改革創新工作而未能實現預期目標，只要符合規章制度的，將對領導人員不做負面評價，依法免除相關責任。二、大力發展混合所有制經濟積極爭取通過國際招標與國內外知名度較高的大型企業實行強強聯合，互相持股，在業務領域發揮互相支持、互相促進的積極作用。利用產權交易中心平台公開掛牌，進行產權轉讓。積極引導包括外資、民營資本等多種經濟成分參股或買斷，加快國有企業產權主體多元化和向混合所有制經濟發展的步伐。積極推行企業經營者和員工持股，提倡企業全體員工買斷國有股權的“整體承接”形式，在企業產權改革和轉換機制的同時，保持企業的相對穩定。由政府主導進行大範圍的資產整合和重組，培育具有國際競爭力的大型企業集團。根據我省情況，可重點考慮選擇交通基建、物流業、旅遊業等由相關企業掌握資源，但發展較為滯後的關鍵行業和領域，通過與上市公司整合重組的方式實現混合所有制經濟，激發企業活力。三、大力扶持文化旅遊等產業加大對敦煌、黃河三峽、麥積山三大旅遊公司的項目規劃設計、業務運營和管理的督導，督促其依法設立，規範運營。以華夏文明傳承創新區、蘭州新區、敦煌歷史文化名城、隴東南中醫養生示範區、國家生態安全屏障試驗區建設為契機，積極探討文化、旅遊、生態建設和中醫養生的深度融合發展，促進服務業轉型升級，為甘肅經濟融入“絲綢之路經濟帶”參與國際競爭和分工提供基礎保障。集中優勢資源，著力打造敦煌、張掖丹霞等大景區建設，改善旅遊基礎設施和綜合服務能力，提升甘肅旅遊特別是“絲綢之路經濟帶”黃金段的市場競爭力和美譽度。（作者系省公航旅集團研究員）mini storage

Source: Albuquerque Journal, N.迷你倉M.Jan. 05--The truth about a currency, says Jeff Klingelhofer, is that if someone accepts it as payment, it is a currency -- whether it is a dollar, a clam shell, a euro or a collection of zeroes and ones stored on a computer."If people will accept dirty socks, dirty socks it shall be," said Klingelhofer, an associate portfolio manager with Thorn-burg Investment Management in Santa Fe. "There is nothing valuable about the U.S. dollar except the faith that it will be an acceptable currency."By that definition, the bitcoin, which was invented in 2008 by an anonymous programmer or group of programmers who did nothing more than write some open-source software, is a currency.There are about $12 billion worth of bitcoins in circulation, there are vendors who accept bitcoins as payment, there are bitcoin currency exchanges, and there are speculators in search of profit who trade bitcoins."Bitcoin obviously qualifies as a currency at this point," Klingelhofer said. "The question is its viability going forward."Bitcoin will remain a currency only so long as human beings accept it for payment of goods and services, he said, and only so long as governments are willing to tolerate its existence. In other words, bitcoin will be a currency as long as people have confidence that it is a currency.That's no slam dunk.Chinese authorities realized citizens were getting around restrictions on moving its yuan out of the country by buying bit-coins. Last month, the government forbade financial firms from dealing with bitcoin exchanges, which cut off the supply of Chinese currency with which to purchase bit-coins. The price of a bitcoin fell from $1,200 to less than $500.In Europe, Norway has announced it would not recognize bitcoins as legal tender, and Denmark is coming up with consumer protection regulations.Confidence is keyConfidence in bitcoin could be eroded by users as well.For one thing, the bitcoin has a reputation as the currency of choice for bad guys. The FBI recently confiscated 144,000 bitcoins from the computer of a San Francisco man accused of being behind the Silk Road website. Silk Road, which accepted only bitcoins in payment, is charged with selling illegal drugs, arms, forged documents and other illicit items.For another, there are signs of a speculative bubble in bitcoins. According to The Economist, most bitcoin owners don't spend the currency. They are holding it in hopes its value will rise -- and rise it certainly has.New Liberty Standard, a website that traded in currencies, declared in October 2009 that 1,300 bitcoins were worth $1. These days one bitcoin trades for around $600.But bubbles can burst. When they do, they can be messy, as mortgage speculators learned in 2008.On the other hand, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress virtual currencies like bitcoin might one day become a worthy way of facilitating international trade, and Germany finds it an acceptable form of payment for some things.Mining bitcoinBitcoins can be purchased or they can be obtained through a process known as mining. Essentially, this involves getting your computer to solve a cryptology problem found on the bitcoin website.You obtain software from the bitcoin.org website that will allow your computer to find a sequence of data that the bitcoin website will recognize as a correct pattern. When this algorithm is solved, the website will issue you 25 bitcoins.The system is programmed to issue only 21 million coins ever -- there are about 12.1 million in circulation today -- so as fewer bitcoins become available, it becomes harder and more time-consuming for a computer to crack the code required to obtain bitcoins.Organizations have sprung up to create pools of computers so more resources can be put on cracking the code. The bitcoins that are issued are then shared among the owners of the computers.Why bitcoins?The question remains: Why bitcoins? Who would want them and how did they become part of the online landscape?Thornburg's Klingelhofer says bitcoin儲存倉is a sign of the times."Bitcoin is a product of people's concerns," he said.Bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto -- believed to be either a person or a group of people -- posted a paper online during the worst of the global financial panic unleashed by the September 2008 Lehman Bros. failure.Monetary authorities undertook unprecedented steps to save the economy, including the printing of money at a previously unheard of rate. Confidence in commercial banks plummeted.Since then, some governments have shown little skill in managing their economies. Cyprus confiscated some of its citizens' bank holdings to cover its own debts. Even the International Monetary Fund has proposed an across-the-board tax on wealth.As a result, bitcoin holds a lot of appeal to people who don't trust banks or government, Klingelhofer said.How it worksBitcoin transactions are anonymous. There is no government regulation of the market or the currency of any sort.If there is a way for a government to confiscate bitcoins, it isn't obvious how it would do so. Since there will never be more than 21 million bitcoins, the value of the currency can't be debased by a central bank's printing press.Transactions using bitcoins are fast and cheap. They occur when the buyer's and seller's computers exchange them.No bank slows things down and drives up fees by executing bank transfers, letters of credit and exchanging dollars into euros. And no bank is in a position to report to the authorities any transactions that smell of money laundering or drug dealing.Bitcoin isn't the only alternative currency in the world. A new book by an Irish journalist and a former official of Belgium's central bank identifies 4,000 of them.They include such mundane currencies as frequent flier miles, which can be redeemed for restaurant meals and magazines and which are bought and sold by individuals.Klingelhofer can only guess why bitcoin became prominent among them. Somehow, bitcoin achieved what he called the "critical mass" necessary to keep the attention of markets and traders. Maybe it's simply because it was the first electronic currency of its kind, he said.Caution advisedHowever bitcoin got here, Klingelhofer, who holds no bitcoin positions either on his own or on behalf of Thornburg clients, sees lots of reasons for consumers and investors to be careful.Bitcoin is very volatile, and most of that volatility has involved rapid growth in value. People who buy bitcoins today in anticipation of that growth continuing "have to subscribe to the idea bitcoin will continue to be an acceptable means of exchange and people will demand it going forward," Klingelhofer said."I can't go to Home Depot and pay with bitcoins," he said. "There are very few places where I can go to pay in bitcoins."A business operator who accepts bitcoins probably has to pay rent, utilities and wages in dollars, euros, yuan or some other government-issued currency."If I have very little faith I can exchange bitcoins into enough currency to cover expenses, I'm hard-pressed to hold it for a very long period of time," Klingelhofer said. "Every bitcoin I get I'm going to exchange immediately to U.S. dollars because that's how I'm expected to pay my bills."That kind of thinking could reduce demand for bitcoin and shake confidence in its worth.And even if most governments have kept hands off bitcoin so far, that doesn't mean they won't take action eventually -- through taxation or regulation -- that could destroy confidence in bitcoin or limit people's ability to use it.Since the code used to create bitcoin is open source, any software expert can look at how the bitcoin network and website work. To Klingelhofer, that suggests some day some hacker will figure out how to steal from the system."At some point, growth in bitcoin prices will likely stop," he said. "Where that is is anybody's guess."Copyright: ___ (c)2014 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at .abqjournal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉最平