Maybe it has been the influence of the current scene: the type among urban biking. Apparently, urban biking requires entirely different bikes than suburban hiking does and therefore a Bike Design Project started where five design studios across five cities had to come up with a perfect urban bike. The winning bike will be manufactured for a limited run of 100 hikes and will be in stores next year. Industry, a Portland-based studio, came up with a very interesting bike: one that uses bluetooth and handlebars (车把手) that tell you when to stop or turn.

    Industry worked together with Ti Cycles to create a bike with a 3D printed titanium frame (钛框架). The hike is called Solid and can be connected to a smartphone APP: My Bike. This APP alarms a user when a light needs replacement and if something gets wrong with one's brakes. There is also software called Discover My City, which has a series of routes through Portland's most trendy neighborhoods, with suggestions about where to eat and shop.

    Nevertheless, the idea with cycling is that you need to focus on the road and not on your smartphone. This bike therefore uses integrated feedback on handlebars. Those handlebars tell a user when to turn, as they will buzz when a turn appears. As you are getting closer, they will buzz more frequently. And then there is the possibility to control your light via built-in sensors and change gears by pressing an electronic button.

    Although the bicycle looks highly interesting and can be seen as a piece of art for the designing world, we don't know if we would like our bike to have an automatic buzz when we are approaching a turn. On the other side, it could add some extra safety to traffic in general. Whether you like the bike or not, you have to admit the Portland-based studio brings the concept of urban biking to a whole new level.

Primavera Sound

    To kick off the summer, there's no better place to be than Barcelona. On the concert lineup, you'll find bands like The Zombies, Arcade Fire, and Bon Iver. Then take some time to soak up the local food, wine, and culture.

    Date: May 31 – June 4, 2018

    Location: Barcelona, Spain

    Music Type: Indie, rock, hip-hop

    Price: 80€ – 300€ (around $86 – $323)

    Recommended places to stay in Barcelona:

    Hotel 1898

    Hotel Barcelona Universal

    Mercer Hotel Barcelona

    Governors Ball

    One of the greatest summer concerts in New York City is Governor's Ball, which takes place in early June at Randall's Island Park. Some of the many artists playing include Tool, Phoenix, Lorde, Flume, and the Wu-Tang Clan.

    Date: June 2-4, 2018

    Location: New York City, New York, USA

    Music Type: Rock, hip-hop, pop

    Price: $105 – $305

    Recommended places to stay in New York City:

    W New York – Union Square, Union Square, New York City, United States

Aloft Harlem

    Super 8 Long Island City LGA Hotel

    Courtyard New York Manhattan / Upper East Side

    Bonnaroo

    Bonaroo is another epic summer event that draws in crowds of around 60,000 each year. Some of the most iconic music legends will be playing this year, including U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd, and Chance the Rapper.

    Date: June 8-11, 2018

    Location: Manchester, Tennessee, USA

    Music Type: Rock, hip-hop

    Price: $210.50 – $554+ fees

    Recommended places to stay in Manchester:

    Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Manchester

    Country Inn & Suites Manchester

    The Ambassador Inn & Luxury

    India is an ancient civilization with rich cultural heritage (遗产), and its cultural heritage has something to do with all major religions (宗教)of the world. Here we take a look at some of the top heritage destinations in India.

    Sun Temple, Konark

    As the name suggests this temple is all about the power of the sun God. A huge chariot (二轮战车) drawn by seven horses and twelve pairs of wheels reflect（反映） the importance which ancient people placed on the power of the sun. The pictures of animals and humans give this place a special look.

    Churches Goa

    Goa is the only Indian state which was controlled by the Portuguese (葡萄牙人), so the scene in Goa is dotted with (点缀着) Portuguese style churches. Some of the famous churches include the church of Saint Catherine, church of Saint Augustine and church of saint Francis of Assisi. These churches show beautiful paintings and flower designs which make them a must visit.

    Ajanta and Ellora Caves

    These caves contain well designed paintings which are widely regarded as the most outstanding works of Buddhist religious art.

    Taj Mahal, Agra

    Built on the bank of the Yamuna River, it is an excellent building. The writing and paintings on the outside structure provide the finest examples of the outstanding style of buildings.

    Sanchi

    Sanchi is a UNESCO world heritage site with numerous Buddhist temples dating back to the seventh and eighth centuries.

    On your visit to India, be sure to visit some of these heritage destinations. An Indian journey is not wonderful without experiencing the beauty of these heritage destinations.

    Professional development courses in London

    Business writing

    Delivery method: Online, Video

    Price: £49

    About the course: Many people get blocked when forced to put their thoughts into words at work. This course gives you the tools and techniques to improve your writing, whether it's a two-line email or a two-hundred-page report.

    Travel writing courses

    Delivery method: Classroom, Seminar

    Price: £115 (full day); £125 (evening classes)

    About the course: Do you want to be a travel writer? Then come along to a one-day travel writing workshop or a four-week travel writing evening class. The courses help participants to write travel features and publish them in newspapers, magazines or on websites.

    Pre-sessional programmes in EAP

    Delivery method: Classroom, Seminar

    Price: Starting from £1,250

    About the course: Our five pre-sessional programmes in English for academic purposes are intended for international students who plan to study at Aston University. These programmes aim to equip you with the language and academic skills necessary for success in your future chosen subject area.

    Masterclass

    Delivery method: Classroom, Seminar

    Price: Starting from £335

    About the course: Whether you write fundraising letters, or for your website(s), this course will help you gain the ideas, knowledge and skills you need to write fundraising copy that produces more impressive and profitable results.

Research has found that using wood for construction instead of concrete and steel can reduce emissions. But Tim Searchinger at Princeton University says many of these studies are based on the false foundation that harvesting wood is carbon neutral (碳中和). "Only a small percentage of the wood gets into a timber (木料) product, and a part of that gets into a timber product that can replace concrete and steel in a building," he says. Efficiencies vary in different countries, but large amounts of a harvested tree are left to be divided into parts, used in short-lived products like paper or burned for energy, all of which generate emissions.

In a report for the World Resources Institute, Searchinger and his colleagues have modelled how using more wood for construction would affect emissions between 2010 and 2050, accounting for the emissions from harvesting the wood. They considered various types of forests and parts of wood going towards construction. They also factored in the emissions savings from replacing concrete and steel.

Under some circumstances, the researchers found significant emissions reductions. But each case required what they considered an unrealistically high portion of the wood going towards construction, as well as rapid growth only seen in warmer places, like Brazil. In general, they found a large increase in global demand for wood would probably lead to rising emissions for decades. Accounting for emissions in this way, the researchers reported in a related paper that increasing forest harvests between 2010 and 2050 would add emissions equal to roughly 10 percent of total annual emissions.

Ali Amiri at Aalto University in Finland says the report's conclusions about emissions from rising demand are probably correct, but the story is different for wood we already harvest. "Boosting the efficiency of current harvests and using more wood for longer-lived purposes than paper would cut emissions," he says. "We cannot just say we should stop using wood."