'Twilight' stars leave imprint on Hollywood

'Twilight' stars leave imprint on Hollywood

"Twilight" actors Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, made their mark on Hollywood yesterday, leaving imprints of their hands and feet outside Grauman's Chinese Theater.,BlackBerry Wholesale,

The "Twilight" stars were greeted by hundreds of screaming fans as they added their hand and footprints to those left by Charlie Chaplin, Frank Sinatra and dozens of other movie icons in past years, in the cement outside the movie theater.

"I've been so enamored by this 'business,' I think this is the coolest thing I've ever done in my life,,Bears football jerseys cheap," said 21-year-old Stewart, who plays Bella Swan in the vampire romance.

Pattinson, 25, who plays vampire Edward Cullen in the films, thanked the fans for their support.

"This is just an incredible honor, as to how young we are, it's kind of ridiculous and amazing at the same time.Prada handbag sale And it's all down to you guys to drive this franchise forward," he said.

Lautner, 19, who plays werewolf Jacob Black, added, "There are a few moments that mean so much, it's really even hard to explain, and this is definitely one of those.

The "Twilight" films are based on a series of best-selling novels by author Stephenie Meyer and tell the story of a young girl falling in love with a vampire boy in a world where vampires and werewolves roam in disguise among the living.

The first three films, produced by independent studio Summit Entertainment,,Air Jordan Shoes, have made more than US$1.8 billion at the worldwide box office, according to Box Office Mojo.

Tokyo takes twin-track approach to Beijing

Tokyo takes twin-track approach to Beijing

With the increasingly skeptical tone of some of its statements regarding China, Japan's new administration has opted for a twin-track approach in its dealings with Beijing,NEC Projector Lamp showing caution on security issues but wishing to be cooperative in the economic field, analysts said.

In a recent interview with Financial Times,,Moncler men jackets, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda called for closer co-operation among regional neighbors to persuade China's military to abide by "common maritime rules".

"(We will) appeal in all kinds of meetings for China to abide by the rules," Noda said. "The important thing is to create an environment where China will make a positive contribution to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region."

"The implicit message he sent is China doesn't conform to international rules,discounted designer handbags " said Liu Jiangyong, a professor of Japanese studies at Tsinghua University.

But that is groundless as Noda didn't specify where and when China had failed to conform to international rules, said Liu.

For example, Japan criticized the activities of Chinese vessels and aircraft in the East China Sea, but part of that sea is disputed by China and Japan, said Liu.

"Noda doesn't appear to want to solve problems. His remarks just complicate matters," said Ma Gang, a professor at the National Defense University in Beijing.

In the interview, Noda also said he hoped there would be discussion of the issue at this month's East Asia Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Noda's remark was one of several since he took office in early September, in which he bluntly expressed concern over the speed and "opaqueness" of China's military development, according to Yang Bojiang,Moncler women's jackets a professor of Japanese studies at the Beijing-based University of International Relations.

What is more worrying is that Noda's rhetoric is accompanied by action. Japan's Self- Defense Forces are deploying forces from northern Hokkaido to the nation's southwestern islands to carry out a military exercise this month, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported.

This is in line with a medium- and long-term shift in Japan's defense strategy from the north to the southwest, which was outlined in the new National Defense Program Outline adopted last year.

Seeing China as a potential rival, according to Liu, contributed considerably to the strategic shift.

Japan has also weighed in on the South China Sea issue, citing "freedom of navigation" as the cause for its concern.

In a September joint statement, Noda and visiting Philippine President Benigno Aquino called for compliance with international norms in seeking a solution to disputes in the South China Sea.

Japan has no territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea. China has made clear that internationalizing the South China Sea issue would only make the issue more complicated.

"Japan's involvement in the South China Sea is in response to US claims of interest in the area," Yang said.

Tokyo and Beijing had a diplomatic spat in September 2010 in the East China Sea. Japan detained a Chinese fishing boat captain whose vessel had collided with Japanese coastguard ships in waters near China's Diaoyu Islands. The captain was later released, but not before relations had been damaged.

Despite taking a suspicious and critical stance toward China on the strategic and security front, Japan wants to cash in on rapid economic development in China, the second-largest economy in the world and Japan's largest trading partner, experts said.

In his interview with the Financial Times, Noda stressed Japan wanted a "win-win" strategic partnership with China.

However, the hotly debated Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP) may hamper China-Japan economic ties.

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun, the nation's most widely circulated newspaper, said in an editorial that the TPP has the tacit purpose of countering China.

"Obviously there is a China consideration," said Yang. "TPP is the economic part of Washington's 'return to Asia' strategy. It risks undermining the current economic cooperation framework such as APEC and ASEAN plus 3 (China, South Korea and Japan) and reducing China's economic influence."

However, Japan does not embrace the TPP whole-heartedly as it faces strong opposition from domestic farmers because it threatens the price advantage they currently enjoy.

Mainichi Shimbun, another major newspaper in Japan, recently described Noda's foreign policy as "leaning toward a Japan-US alliance, countering China, and lacking diplomatic channels with China".

The description, according to Chinese experts, is generally true. "Noda's cabinet lacks China hands who can ease China-Japan relations," said Yang.

Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba will visit Beijing on Nov 22 and 23 in preparation for Noda's first visit to China, according to Kyodo News Agency. Noda has already visited to the US and South Korea since taking office.

Toyota's new robots can aid the disabled

Toyota's new robots can aid the disabled

TOYOTA unveiled its ambitions for high-tech health care yesterday, displaying experimental robots that the auto giant says can lift disabled patients from their hospital beds or help them walk.

The company aims to commercialize products such as its "independent walk assist" device sometime after 2013 - seeking to position itself in an industry with great potential in Japan, one of the world's most rapidly aging nations.

Eiichi Saitoh, a professor in rehabilitation medicine, demonstrated the "walk assist" device yesterday, strapping the computerized metallic brace onto his right leg, which was paralyzed by polio.

He showed reporters at a Toyota facility in Tokyo how the brace could bend at the knee as needed, allowing him to walk more naturally and rise from a chair with greater ease than the walker he now uses. Wearing a backpack-like battery,Demeco Ryans white jerseys Saitoh walked up and down a flight of stairs, smiling with delight.

Saitoh said he had tried Toyota's machines with patients and was confident they helped people recover more quickly from strokes and other ailments that curtailed movement. "It may be difficult to predict the future, but the era of an aging society is definitely coming," he said. "We need partner robots to enrich our lives."

Toyota also demonstrated an intelligent machine with padded arms that can help health care workers lift disabled patients from their beds and then carry them around. Another mobility aid worked like a skateboard to help people relearn balance.

Toyota officials said technology for autos such as sensors, motors and computer software are being used in such computerized gadgets to help people get around, and what they learn about mobility for people will likely be of use in future cars.

Prices and overseas sales plans of all the machines are still undecided,,cheap adidas shoes, Toyota said.

Toyota has previously shown human-shaped robots that played the trumpet and violin, and those that move around and talk about Toyota cars at showrooms.

Rival automaker Honda Motor Co has developed a sophisticated humanoid robot called Asimo, which can run, talk and dance.Sanyo Projector Lamp But Asimo has been limited to showrooms and labs and has yet to enter any hospital or home.

Toyota faces competition from other firms that are all working on gadgets to tap into the health care business. Honda also has demonstrated machines worn on the legs that help people move. General Manager Akifumi Tamaoki said Toyota is keeping its offerings simple, compared to those from Honda, so they can enter everyday life easily.,Cheap authentic nfl jerseys,