Viet Nam, World Bank sign emission reductions pact

Xo so Nam will launch a carbon-finance programme that will help green the country's national electricity grid in a commercially sustainable manner.

Under an agreement signed last Friday between the Government and the World Bank's Carbon Partnership Facility (CPF), the CPF will purchase carbon credits generated by the World Bank-funded Renewable Energy Development Project (REDP) under the UN's Clean Development Mechanism.

The CPF, with Sweden, Norway and Spain as Buyer Participants, will buy the first three million metric tonnes of carbon credits generated through small hydropower development under REDP, creating a revenue stream for the projects.

The REDP is a US$202 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group's concessional lending window.

"Carbon credits will help create a revenue stream that enhances the financial attractiveness of private investments in renewable energy, by providing performance-based payments in hard currency," said Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank country director for Viet Nam.

To date, the Viet Nam Ministry of Industry Trade has received around 20 applications to develop small hydropower projects under the REDP.

The REDP is expected to add 250 MW of installed capacity of renewable energy to the grid, with a total of 965 GWh of electricity per year and will also expand local employment opportunities and increase reliability of the electricity supply, especially in rural areas.

About 15-25 sub-projects, which have total investment cost in the range of $5-$20 million each, may be financed by the REDP.

The programme will green Viet Nam's national electricity grid on a commercially sustainable basis by addressing barriers to renewable energy and providing financial support, including carbon revenue provided by the CPF to improve the financial viability of the projects.

"Signing this agreement with the CPF is very encouraging for Viet Nam, which intends to pursue additional opportunities to use carbon credits to support economic development and climate change mitigation goals," said Le Duong Quang, Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade.

Here's Jamie Dimon's Opulent, Maddeningly Tone-Deaf Christmas Card

'Here's wishing 1% of you a joyous holiday!'

Jamie Dimon, CEO of banking giant JPMorgan, has a holiday card tradition like many other famous Americans. But unlike most of them, he's one of the most richly compensated executives in the country. That-and a boxed christmas cards.time.com/2013/03/20/what-have-we-learned-3-lessons-from-the-london-whale-trading-debacle/">series of scandals surrounding JPMorgan-has made him the focus of resentment against America's big banks. The card, which is going viral, isn't likely to help.

Dimon and his family recently sent out their annual card, wishing family and friends happy holidays and all the best for 2014. The card's panoramic images feature Jamie, his wife Judy, their three daughters, a dog, and another young man. The opulently shot pictures show the group in an expansive apartment sort of playing tennis. (Could you pick a more elitist sport, short of bringing dressage ponies up the freight elevator?) Quartz called it Ralph Lauren-esque, which seems about right. Here's part of the photo; you can see the full set here.

Taylor Swift Gushes Over 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Angels in Behind-the-Scenes Footage

Taylor Swift may not be a Victoria's Secret Angel, but she certainly looked pretty ethereal performing on the runway of the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Now, fans can watch a sneak peek of the show before it airs, along with Swift's thoughts on the models.

The brief footage shows what it's like backstage before the show and the excited energy seems to jump through the computer screen.

There are Angels who are still toning their already trim muscles, lots of hair and makeup underway and loads of bright camera flashes of photographers vying for the best poses.

The clip also features one of the biggest stars of the night - Swift in all her glory, posing serenely on the pink carpet and then working the glittery silver runway alongside of some of today's top models.

"The outfits were amazing," she gushed. "The girls are so incredible and so nice and so sweet; this is the best!"

Although she was http://onlinecards.org-secret-model-taylor-swift-comments/">initially snubbed by model Jessica Hart, the singer can still stand by her comments about the Angels being "so nice," as Hart quickly took back her "mean" words.

The 'Red' singer opted to wear a tiny sparkly number during her performance of 'I Knew You Were Trouble' and went British with Fall Out Boy and 'My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)' during the British Invasion portion of the evening. Other themes of the night included Snow Angels, Shipwrecked, Parisian Nights, Pink Network, and Birds of Paradise.

With her leggy frame and tremendous talent, Swift fit right in with all of the Angels, except for the lingerie aspect!

Next: See Taylor Swift's Best Lyrics

UPDATE: Sigma has released firmware to fix compatibility problems with Nikon D5300

<Nikon D5300 Buy Cheapp>You can now download firmware for a number of Sigma lenses that should correct the problems Nikon D5300 users may experience with its lenses

UPDATE 22/11/13:

Sigma has released firmware to fix the problems with the following lenses:

・35mm F1.4 DG HSM A012 NIKON
・17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM C013 NIKON
・30mm F1.4 DC HSM A013 NIKON
・18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM A013 NIKON
・120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM S013 NIKON

The update should make these lenses fully functional with the Nikon D5300. See here for more information and the download link.

ORIGINAL STORY 19/11/13:

In a statement on its website, Sigma has said that the current firmware of its Nikon-fit interchangeable lenses 'may not work properly with the Nikon D5300's OS and Live View Auto Focus functions'.

Though it hasn't released specific details, Sigma has said that the problem occurs specifically with Nikon-fit interchangable lenses that incorporate an internal motor.

Sigma will be releasing a free firmware update tomorrow (November 20) that it says should correct the problem. You can contact your nearest Sigma dealer in order to receive the update; Sigma provides a full list here.

See Sigma's website for the full statement.

--

We recently completed the What Digital Camera review of the Nikon D5300

Source: Whatdigitalcamera

Nikkei eases further off 6-month high; Panasonic, Nikon up

* Nikon D5300 CheapSources say Panasonic to sell 3 Japan chip plants, stock up * Rakuten jumps after being promoted to main board Topix By Dominic Lau TOKYO, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average edged lower on Wednesday on profit-taking, peeling further away from a six-month high, though traders said investors were looking for opportunities to pick up bargains. Nikon Corp, Ricoh Co Ltd and Canon Inc were in demand, up between 0.8 and 3.1 percent after U.S. Hewlett-Packard Co beat revenue forecasts. Nikon is down 23.6 percent year-to-date and is the worst underperformer in the Nikkei this year, while the benchmark has rallied nearly 49 percent. The Nikkei shed 0.4 percent to 15,461.20 in mid-morning trade on Wednesday, easing further away from a six-month high hit on Monday. "The market itself is a little bit down today, but still people are looking for opportunities on the long side," a Tokyo-based sales trader said. "Now that the earnings are over, people are looking for growth scenarios," he added, referring to the company earnings reporting season. Panasonic Corp rose 3 percent to a near three-year high after sources said the consumer electronics maker will sell three semiconductor plants in Japan to Israeli chipmaker TowerJazz, bringing it closer to completing the overhaul of its loss-making businesses. The sources also said Panasonic is in talks with another company to sell its five overseas chip factories. Rakuten Inc jumped 10.2 percent after the Tokyo Stock Exchange said the e-commerce operator will be promoted to the main board Topix from Jasdaq for emerging companies, starting Dec. 3. Currency-sensitive exporters came under pressure as the yen came off a six-month low against the dollar overnight. Honda Motor Co Ltd, Mazda Motor Corp, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd and Daikin Industries Ltd were off between 0.4 and 2.4 percent. As of Tuesday's close, Mazda Motor and Fuji Heavy Industries were the second- and third-best performers in the Nikkei this year, with gains of about 160 percent. Mobile operator SoftBank Corp was the best performer, though the stock was down 2 percent on profit-taking on Wednesday morning. A senior trader from a U.S. bank in Tokyo said he did not expect massive profit-taking in the next few days as November tends to be the year-end for many hedge funds. "Hedge funds have made good money this year and that those who were planning on getting quieter towards the year-end have already reduced their positions," he said. Underscoring the positive momentum, the pace of deterioration in Topix's one-month earning momentum slowed to -0.65 this month from -1.83 in October. The Topix dipped 0.2 percent to 1,250.70, with volume at 27 percent of fully daily average for the past 90 trading days.
Source: Reuters

Sigma Issues Product Advisory to Nikon D5300 Owners

<Nikon D5300 Buy Cheapimg src="http://www.photographyblog.com/images/sized/images/uploads_ee2/news_images/nikon_d5300-494x400.jpg">

Sigma has issued a product advisory stating that the current firmware of its Nikon fitting interchangeable lenses may not work properly with the Nikon D5300 digital SLR camera. More precisely, the Optical Stabilisation (OS) and Live View Auto Focus functions do not work properly when it is used with the Nikon D5300. For those customers who own Sigma lenses in Nikon mount, Sigma is going to provide a free firmware update service.

Sigma Press Release Information Regarding the Nikon D5300 Cameras

Thank you very much for purchasing and using Sigma products.

We have found that the current firmware of our Nikon fitting interchangeable lenses may not work properly with the Nikon D5300's OS and Live View Auto Focus functions.

For those customers who own Sigma lenses in Nikon mount, we are going to provide a free firmware update service.

Please note that all the products we dispatch from the factory will have the latest firmware.

[Phenomenon]

Without the latest firmware, the OS and Live View Auto Focus functions do not work properly when it is used with the Nikon D5300.

[Concerned Products]

Nikon fitting interchangeable lenses that incorporate an internal motor

* Firmware upgrade cannot be applied to the lenses that do not have an internal motor.

* For some discontinued products, we may not be able to offer the firmware update due to the discontinuation of related repair parts. Please contact your nearest authorized Sigma distributor for the further details.

For those customers in need of the latest firmware, we are going to provide free firmware update from November 20th. For discontinued products, please contact your nearest authorized Sigma distributor for the further details.

For lenses that are compatible with the SIGMA USB DOCK, it is possible to update them via SIGMA Optimization Pro.

For detailed information on the SIGMA USB DOCK, please find it from the below link; http://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/cas/product/usb.html

For the detailed information on the SIGMA Optimization Pro, please find it from the below link; http://www.sigma-global.com/download/en/index.html

[Local Service Center]

For further information or to have a lens updated, please contact Sigma Imaging (UK) Ltd on 01707 329 999 or service@sigma-imaging-uk.com.

Source: Photographyblog

Nikon P7800 review

<Nikon D5300 Buy Cheapp>

What is the Nikon P7800?

Nikon's advanced compact offering has long taken the form of the Coolpix 'P' series, with the four-digit range sitting at the top and looking to offer a suitable companion to it's DSLR range for those wanting at times to travel light. The Nikon P7800 is the latest model that looks to build on the success of the previous models in the series with a range of new features and take on the Canon G16.

But, with the growth of the advanced compact market, as well as the drop in price of competing CSCs, the question is does the P7800 remain a relevant shooting proposition, or has technological advancement rendered it obsolete?

SEE ALSO: 10 best cameras you can buy

Nikon P7800: Features

One of the core features that has made the high-end P series a success in previous generations is the fact that it features a larger sensor than is normally found in a compact, and the P7800 retains this selling point.

The P7800 retains the same 12.2MP BSI CMOS sensor as seen in the P7700, which measures in at 1/1.7-inches, as opposed to the smaller 1/2.3-inch sensor. The P7800's BSI sensor should handle noise better then the equivalent sensor technology, although it only has a native ISO 80-1600 - extendible to ISO 3200 and 6400.

Another feature maintained from the previous generation model is the 3-inch, 921k-dot LCD screen which, thanks to a side-mounted hinge, can be rotated around a 270 degree axis for viewing at a variety of angles.

SEE ALSO: 10 best DSLR cameras you can buy

The Nikon P7800 also retains the same 7.1x optical zoom as seen on the model's predecessor, covering an equivalent focal range of 28-200mm and offering an impressive maximum aperture between f/2 and f/4.

One of the standout new additions to the Nikon P7800 is sure to be popular amongst some enthusiast photographers. It now features a relatively substantial electronic viewfinder that measures in at 0.5-inches, has a resolution of 921k-dots and also features a dioptre adjustment.

Another notable feature is the Nikon video capture functionality that's better than some competing models. The P7800 captures full HD video at 1920 x 1080 and at 30fps, while advanced functionality such as wind noise reduction, in-built ND filter and manual exposure control also feature.

While there's no doubting the P7800's positioning as an advanced compact - as shown through the inclusion of PASM shooting modes - it also caters for those that might want to let the camera do the work.

It does so through the presence of an auto shooting mode, a range of scene modes and a host of creative 'Effects' such as 'Cross Process' and 'Zoom Exposure'.

One feature which is sorely missed, owing to the fact that it's now commonplace on competing cameras, is Wi-Fi functionality. Both Wi-Fi and GPS tagging are available with the P7800 although only through the purchase of optional accessories.

Source: Trustedreviews