If you have spent any time living in or visiting a big city in China, you have most likely used the service that Didi provides. The convenient ride-sharing company, now known as Didi Chuxing, was praised last month by Fortune magazine. According to the magazine, it is changing the world with its environmentally friendly solution to getting around in major cities. As the magazine reported: “Didi concluded that last year its car-pooling services helped reduce total car trips in the country by 1 million a day, which saved 500 million liters of gas, cutting 13.5 million tons of carbon emissions (排放) per day.” The transport service was the only Chinese company to make the important magazine's list, and its influence can be felt in many parts of Chinese society.

    Didi is just one example of what is being called the “sharing economy”. The sharing economy is one in which regular people exchange goods and services, usually using an online marketplace. Other similar companies include companies that allow people to rent out their homes to strangers like Airbnb and Couchsurfing, and similar ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft.

    All of these services are possible partly because many people are realizing that they have underused assets in their lives. Millions of people around the world have started renting them out online to earn extra money. They rent their apartments while they are away for the weekend, lend people their cars for money and even sell their spare time.

    The sharing economy is the latest example of the Internet's value to customers. This model is now big enough for regulators and companies to have woken up to it. That is a sign of its great potential. It is time to start caring about sharing.

    Bandhavgarh National Park in India is best known for its amazing setting, as well as having the highest concentration of tigers in India. In addition to tigers, there are also bears, deer, wolves, birds, etc.

    Location: In Madhya Pradesh state, almost 200 kilometers northeast of Jabalpur. The nearest village is Tala, which is the access point of the park.

    Opening Hours and Safari（打猎）Times

    Safaris operate twice a day, starting at dawn until late morning, and mid afternoon until sunset. The best time to visit the park is early in the morning or after 4 p.m. to spot the animals. the park is closed from July 1 to September 30 due to the monsoon season（季风季节）.

    Bandhavgarh Zone

    Bandhavgarh is divided into three main zones: Tala (the park's best zone, with the most tigers), Magdhi (the second best zone to see tigers), and Khitauli (scenic and less visited, although tiger sighting do occur there; particularly good for birding).

    Entry Fees and Charges for Jeep Safaris

    Bandhavgarh has become expensive to visit in recent years. Entry fees have increased since October 2014. When going on a safari, separate fees must be paid for park entry and jeep hire. Entry tickets are priced per vehicle (up to six people). For 2015-16, park entry tickets cost as follows:

    Tala Zone: 2,400 rupees for Indians, 4,800 rupees for foreigners. (Up to six people)

    Other Zones: 1,200 rupees for Indians, 2,400 rupees for foreigners. (Up to six people)

    Jeep Hire

    Expect to pay about 2,200 rupees to hire a jeep, in addition to the entry cost. This can be done at the park entrance. All hotels can arrange jeep hire and tours, but at a higher rate. It's much less trouble though. Besides, unlike many national parks in India, it's possible to take private vehicles into Bandhavgarh.

    Started in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest of all the many colleges and universities in the United States. Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Dartmouth were opened soon after Harvard.

    In the early years, these schools were much alike. Only young men went to colleges. All the students studied the same subjects, and everyone learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Little was known about science then, and one kind of school could teach everything that was known about the world. When the students graduated, most of them become ministers or teachers.

    In 1782, Harvard started a medical school for young men who wanted to become doctors. Later, lawyers could receive their training in Harvard's law school. In 1825, besides Latin and Greek, Harvard began teaching modern languages, such as French and German. Soon it began teaching American history.

    As knowledge increased, Harvard and other colleges began to teach many new subjects. Students were allowed to choose the subjects that interested them.

    Today there are many different kinds of colleges and universities. Most of them are made up of smaller schools that deal with special fields of learning. There's so much to learn that one kind of school can' offer it all.

    The opening times of Vienna's museums, shops, Tourist Info Vienna, etc

    Tourist Info

    1st district, city centre

    Albertinaplatz, corner of Maysedergasse

    Daily from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm

    Vienna International Airport Arrival Hall

    Daily from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm

    Museums

    Most of Vienna's museums are open daily. Some are closed once a week, often either on Monday or Tuesday. The daily opening times vary from museum to museum, but you can generally assume that a museum will be open between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. Some of the large museums offer art lovers one late evening per week and stay open until 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm.

    Shops

    In Vienna, shops are usually open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm and on Saturday until 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm. Some shopping centers are open until 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm from Monday to Friday.

    Banks

    Most banks in Vienna are open from Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, and until 5:30 pm on Thursdays. In the city center almost all banks are open over lunchtime.

    Restaurants and hot food

    Most restaurants in the city center are open daily. Hot food is generally offered from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Some restaurants, often outside the city center, are closed on one day each week, sometimes on Sundays as well.

    Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season.

    "Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money or buy at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology."

    Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group's latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products. "Here in 2012, $252 on average the technology spend for consumers this year."

    From tablet computers to smart phones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. "It's kind of hard to make a decision."

    Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple's biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199.

    "Its hardware is more powerful than what's in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple's maps.

    But Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. "If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don't really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest robust group of apps (应用软件) that's where the iPad and Apple's ecosystem shines the most."

    Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera." You can literally take a picture and upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things."

    Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smart phones, laptops and tablets.

Flying High

    Barrington Irving landed his record-breaking light at age 23 and founded an educational nonprofit organization. His message for kids: "The only thing that separates you from scientists is determination, hard work and a strong liking for what you want to achieve." The secret, he believes, is having a dream in the first place.

    The moment of inspiration for Irving came at the age of 15 in his parents' bookstore. One customer, a professional pilot, asked Irving if he'd thought about becoming a pilot. "I told him I didn't think I was smart enough; but the next day he took me to the cockpit (驾驶舱) of the commercial airplane he flew and just like that I was hooked."

    To follow his dream, Irving Turned down a football scholarship to the University of Florida. He washed airplanes to earn money for a flight school and increased his flying skills by practicing at home on a $40 flight simulator (模拟) video game. Then another dream took hold: flying alone around the world. He faced more than 50 rejections for sponsorship before convincing some companies to donate aircraft components. He took off with no weather radar, no de-icing system, and just $30 in his pocket.

    After 97 days, 26 stops and dozens of thunderstorms, he touched down to a cheering crowd in Miami. "It was seeing so many young people watching and listening that pushed me into giving back with my knowledge an experience." Irving has been doing it ever since. He set up his non-profit organization, Experience Aviation (航空), aiming to increase the numbers of youth in aviation career. By bring challenging project-based learning, hands-on and other educational opportunities to school districts and local communities nationwide, the organization has excited the hearts and minds of youth. "We want to create chances for students to accomplish something amazing," he notes. Perhaps Irving's most powerful educational tool is the example his own life provides.