Cheryl Palmer, along with the crew at Club Quarters Inc., are well on their way with the World Center Hotel, located in the spot where the World Trade Center once stood.

The hotel began to take reservations last month, amidst the current construction of the rest of the hotel – it’s still in progress, but already doing well.

The hotel offers guests the latest in hotel design, built for LEED certification. With more than 200 rooms, the hotel focuses on a calming, secure atmosphere with floor-to-ceiling windows delivering a gorgeous view. It’s also located across from Manhattan’s tallest skyscraper, the 1776-foot Freedom Tower.

Alongside a public memorial and hotel rooms, it also has plans for corporate apartments. And with an estimated 7.1 million people to visit it in the first year, its prospects are looking good.

Read the full story from the Associated Press and see more at their website clubquarters.com

However, we think this might change – and with their use relatively prevalent among farmers, forest rangers, and the like, we also think it’s time for a renewed version of the classic quad.

With an increasing amount of cars and trucks turning towards diesel, ATVs may be following their lead.

Three manufacturers have already moved toward this direction; Kubota, Arctic Cat and Kawasaki now make diesel quads geared toward farmers and commercial fleets.

Arctic Cat’s 700 model is a twin-cylinder diesel, using biodiesel, a renewable, vegetable-oil based fuel – cleverly, the ATV is made for the farmers, with fuel from the farmers.

But what about for the folks who want it for recreation? Another pile of companies are emerging; among them is Barefoot Motors, out to build the world’s first “earth utility vehicle”, called the Model One.

The Model One is anything but mundane, with an 1,000-pound towing capacity, powerful enough to haul any farmer’s necessities, but with a twist of fun. Unlike conventional ATVs it has no tailpipe or exhaust, meaning it’s essentially emission-free.

With it’s electrical outlet, the lithium-ion battery is ready to go. The Model One is also balanced, light, and quiet – a winning combination.

And if you want to look cool while in your ATV, check out these Motorcycle Goggles in black. Simple, yet slick, we love ‘em. And we love the pink version even more.

Image courtesy of Barefoot Motors

It’s not limited just to the iPhone – you can also secure your point-and-shoot or other image-capturing device to any surface.

The model for the iPhone comes along with a custom-designed iPhone (3G/3GS) case that clips onto the tripod, a universal camera adapter, and two mounts: suction cup and removable adhesive.

A sturdy lock ring extra security to ensure your mobile device is safely attached and then rubber legs that can bend at any angle essentially lets you take your device anywhere.

Specs:

Gorillamobile for 3G/3GS
Designed for:

Holds up to 325g (11.5 oz), is just 15 × 3 × 3cm (5.9 × 1.2 × 1.2″), and weighs in at 45.3g (1.6oz).

$39.95

Buy it: Gorillamobile

Image courtesy of Gorillamobile

This healthy food makeover cookbook is based on reader’s choice, with tweets and posts of suggestions to help build a book for the people.

He calls it an experiment in culinary cyber-populism, hoping it makes cooking more relevant to people.

The cookbook is due out in early March, filled with healthier versions of America’s favourite dishes, with less calories, fats, and sodium – but taste even better.

It will be interesting to see how it pans out – no pun intended.

Read more:

• twitter.com/roccodiSpirito
• facebook.com/pages/Rocco-DiSpirito/37356654636
• roccodispirito.com

Image courtesy of radaronline.com

The album, At Home With Friends features the likes of Josh Groban, Sting, Kristin Chenoweth, Regina Spektor, and Chris Botti, among many others.

The CD was inspired by Bell’s “musical soirées” that he would hold at his New York home; a gathering of his friends – from musicians to actors to comics and more – who love sharing their art with each other.

He ended up designing his home to host these more efficiently, and his favourite memories are among those that are held here, as well as from his childhood.

“There’s nothing like sitting on a pillow by the piano surrounded by passionate artists, not quite sure who’s going to get up next to perform,” Bell said. “It’s my hope that this recording figuratively transports listeners into the room with us.”

The album includes:

1 Porgy & Bess/I Loves You Porgy / Chris Botti 4:16
2 Come Again 3:59
3 Oblivion / Carel Kraayenhof 3:57
4 Cinema Paradiso / Josh Groban 4:31
5 Para Ti / Tiempo Libre 3:48
6 My Funny Valentine / Kristin Chenoweth 5:49
7 Maybe So / Mike Marshall 4:53
8 Allegretto Espressivo Alla Romanza from Sonata No. 3 for Violin and Pi 6:44
9 Eleanor Rigby / Frankie Moreno 4:03
10 Oh, Cease Thy Singing, Maiden Fair, Op. 4 No. 4 / Nathan Gunn 4:16
11 Il Postino/Theme / Carel Kraayenhof 3:44
12 Left Hand Song / Regina Spektor 3:29
13 Chovendo Na Roseira / Dave Grusin 4:18
14 Look Away / Chris Thile 9:05
15 Variant Moods, For Violin & Sitar/Abridged / Anoushka Shankar 3:33
16 I’ll Take Manhattan 4:11

Read more from Sony.

Summer Squash Stuffed with Cherries, Rice and Pecans

The stuffing mixture also works well in peppers and eggplants, or on its own as a salad! If serving as a salad, sauté the leeks first for a more mellow flavour.

• 1 cup (250 g) brown/wild rice mix
• 2 cups (500 ml) water
• 2 pinches salt
• 1/2 cup (120 g) pecan pieces, toasted
• 1 cup pitted (250 g) cherries, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. (30 g) fresh thyme
• 2/3 cup (160 g) chopped leek greens
• 2 large summer squash or zucchini (about one ft./30 cm long)
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Make rice according to package directions. You can do this step in advance.

Meanwhile, using a melon baller, hollow out summer squash or zucchini. Reserve innards for another use (like the Fruit Infused Ratatouille). Place squash or zucchini on a baking sheet.

When rice is finished, preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Mix pecans, cherries, thyme and leeks into the rice, adding salt and pepper to taste. Scoop into squash and zucchini.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until softened.

Makes four to six servings.

Covering approximately 300 years of Old Montreal’s history, the app is aimed at tourists and enthusiasts interested in its history and architecture.

The photographs and text are from Montreal Architecture, A Guide to Styles and Buildings, a book Merrett co-wrote with architectural historian François Rémillard.

The tour is about two hours in total, starting at Champ de Mars métro station and ending at Place d’Armes métro. And while you’re touring, if you like what you see, you can use a Google Map to see where each stop is in relation to where you might currently be.

The app is only $6.99, and available from archiguides.com.

Slice it from pizza
Ditch the double cheese and pile high with vegetables. Go a step further and ask for extra sauce, giving you a deep does of lycopene which has been shown to ward off cancer. Saturated fat from excess dairy and meats will only give you excess around the middle.

Go for fries over baked potato
Opt for homemade french fries over a sour cream, cheese, and butter laden baked potato. To do it: cut your potatoes into thick wedges and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 425F until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Befriend sparkling water
If you like a huge glass of OJ, mix it with sparkling water for a fizzy refresher with 1 part juice to 3 parts water. If sparkling water doesn’t sound manly enough for you, buy club soda instead.

Grill it
Grilling is a leaner alternative to frying or baking in its own fat. Plus, you look a lot cooler standing in front of the BBQ.

Go for the game
Bison, elk and venison are all leaner, higher in protein, and overall have higher nutritional value than most mundane meats.

Befriend broth
Use vegetable or chicken broth to add sizzle to your skillet instead of huge amounts of oil. Use fresh herbs, garlic, and fresh ground pepper to enhance the flavour even more, with salt to taste.

Starring Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Mike Myers, Michael Fassbender, Christoph Waltz, and Til Schweiger, Inglourious Basterds is the story of the first year of Germany’s occupation of France. Shosanna Dreyfus (Laurent) just flees Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Waltz) who murders her family. She then escapes to Paris and, undercover, runs a cinema.

Meanwhile, American Lt Aldo Raine (Pitt) leads Jewish American soldiers (the “basterds”) behind enemy lines to kill German soldiers.

And, like most Tarantino films, they all come together in the end; in this case, when its discovered that Nazi leaders plan to attend a screening at Shosanna’s cinema.

Cinematic mayhem is prevalent, with scenes featuring bloody, over-the-top massacres. Two and a half hours long, all actors have an equal part in the mix, with highlights that flicker throughout the film.

The opening is notable in Taratino fashion, with a playful, yet brutal, beginning – setting the scenes to come.

We don’t want to give too much away, but if you’re a Tarantino film lover, make sure you see it in theatres; an epic that combines a bloody brilliance true to his signature style.

The Clickfree Transformer for iPod

$49.99; clickfree.com

This transformer lets you backup your computer’s files onto excess storage space on an iPod or iPhone. The conveniently designed USB cable can also transfer music from any iPod or iPhone to your computer.

Tablo

$129.99; hantech.ca

The Tablo efficiently transforms any laptop into a tablet PC. A two-piece device includes a  small sensor that snaps into the top of an LCD screen plugging into an available USB port. It uses a wireless pen used to write on the screen, or on a sheet of paper — and all notes are transcribed into text.

Sony’s MDR-NC7B foldable headphones

$99.99; sonystyle.ca

Get away from noisy roommates with Sony’s MDR-NC7B foldable headphones, which combines student-friendly pricing with a high quality product. They reduce unwanted noise by 87.4%, regardless if you’re listening to music or not.

LaCie iamaKey 8GB USB drive

$49.99; lacie.ca

The all-metal LaCie iamaKey 8GB USB drive is attached to your key ring for uber-convenience, ready to be inserted into your PC or Mac. It’s also quick – up to 10 Megabits per second write speeds – having an easy solution to bring your files where ever you go.

Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless N Broadband Router

$74.99, linksys.com

The Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless N Broadband Router let you surf safely, secure, and really quick, too. It includes Wi-Fi connectivity, and a MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) antenna design for better range. It also has a four-port 10/100 Ethernet hub for wired connections, perfect for you and your roommates.