Now have the figures of the corruption in Marbella Malaya scandal when the former Mayor’s Julián Muñoz, Marisol Yagüe, her deputy Isabel García Marcos and the big boss in the Malaya José Antonio Roca, who was town planning advisor plus 100 more people in Marbella community, Marbella police, councilors and business people. The money thought to have been laundered during the infamous ‘Malaya’ case in Marbella has been calculated at around 670 million euros.

Most of this involves payments received in exchange for ‘favors’ relating to building development in the city, say police. They have given quicker buildings licenses for apartments, villas and other properties. They sold community plots illegal and gave license for building on them. It is said to have been laundered by up to 26 people who worked according to the orders of the alleged ringleader, former town planning assessor for Marbella Juan Antonio Roca.

The suspects are spread across Spain and include six lawyers from a firm in Madrid. In addition to property development corruption on the Costa del Sol – and particularly in and around Marbella – the ‘Malaya’ case is believed to have involved homes built in Los Alcázares (Murcia).

Windows 7 has taken first place on the top of software at Amazon, which can be interpreted to mean that there is a strong interest in Microsoft’s upcoming operating system. Because Windows 7 is not released, is this the pre-orders. I read about this in the Computer World. The package that has taken the top is Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade and Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Upgrade. It is thus about upgrades, and the big reason why so many pre-ordered, I can bet that Amazon offers substantial discounts to.

Premium update cost 49 dollar, compared with the regular price of 119 dollar, and Professional costs 99 dollar with a regular price of 199 dollars. It is no small discounts given …Packages of Amazon, is the English, which will be launched October 22 of this year. Other European languages will have to wait until October 31.

Related article: No extravagant for Windows 7 launch in October.

Confirmed; Windows 7 launch October 22!

Windows 7, in time for Christmas presents.

This is what the resident and tourist have asking for over the last 20 years; way can’t anyone of the local police speak English or any other language, when over 50 % of the resident and 80 % of the tourists is foreigner from rest of Europe. The bad thing is when people need contact with the local police is it often a crime have happen, a housebreaking, robbing, ect. Now have Marbella community starting to train the new local police in English so the can in English help and give advices to us so our apartments, villas and other properties can be safer here in Marbella.

Sur in English write this article the 26.05.09. about it.   

As well as language-learning their training will include making contacts with residents’ associations and charities.

Last Monday was the first day of classes for the 24 new Local Police trainees who gained a place on the force in the latest recruitment exams. After already getting through tough physical tests, theory exams and medical check-ups, they now face ten months of training in the Marbella Police Academy, in the basement of the police station.

This new intake will eventually go out onto the streets with an extra skill their predecessors were not required to acquire: English. Language classes have been added to the compulsory theory and practical syllabus approved by the Andalusian Public Security School (ESPA).

“English has never been part of the Academy’s compulsory basic training before. It was only taught as an extra option, but English is ever more necessary in a tourist town like Marbella where there are a lot of foreign residents”, explained the councillor or Citizen Security, María Francisca Caracuel.

Another novelty this year is that the trainees are to make contact with local residents’ associations and charitable organizations. They will get work experience in the local courts and their teachers include public prosecutors, judges, Malaga University lecturers, psychologists and Guardia Civil officers, among others.

As from July they will also gain hands on experience by accompanying some of the most veteran officers on patrol.

Some 1,310 applicants took the exams to gain one of the 24 places available. Only one of the successful candidates is a woman. The new officers should take up their posts on the force in March or April 2010.

It is never a question of a hard drive crashes and breaks down – instead, when it going to do it. No hard drives hold forever. This is something I repeat all the time, to teach people to take backups of important files. A hard drive holds not forever. They wear out pretty hard when the discs rotate around in, usually, 5400-7200 revolutions per minute when they work.

I checked my hard drives and one is in bad shape. It has kept on for a long time, so I was not particularly surprised by the result. I have long time planned to replace it, but it has not been done. Here is part of my digital photos with all my pictures of apartments, villas, plots, luxury properties and sold properties, (which I obviously have proper backups on). Often, unfortunately, that you do not change the disk until it actually collapses and can not be used more …

With the free software CrystalDiskInfo, you can find out how your hard drive is feeling. Is it okay, or is it starting to be worn? It is rather a rule than the exception that some areas of the disk are unusable. As a user you do not notice this, because Windows and the file system are smart enough to handle it in silence. CrystalDiskInfo watching among others at these things. A health status is presented and warns if your hard drive starts to crumble. I found this hint at Tkj. Thanks Tommy.

A new search service from Google, is looking for pictures that are similar. The similarity can be both form and color type of image.

Google has launched a new image search, “Similar Images“. It is available in the “Google Labs” where new features and services are tested before they’re launched officially or abandoned. As the name of the new service suggests, is to search for images similar to each other. In search box, write you in what you’re looking for. For example, a bus.

The results of the search will be a wide range of bus pictures. In the next step can refine your search by image size, such as color choice or whether it should be a news image, a photo or a drawing.

If you want a picture of a yellow bus of a certain type, which is taken from right, on a picture, then  click on the “Similar Images”. Then comes a long series of similar images. Hopefully, such a you looking for.

It is in this step, the new service/tools has its strengths. It is in this step, the new service has its strengths. In other search engines, it can be quite difficult to quickly find the “yellow bus with lengthy front is photographed from the right oblique angle from the front.” A very good tool for me, when I’m looking for good and special pictures of villas and apartments in Marbella with sea view and Gibraltar in the background, for example.

Google has not yet provided any detailed information about its new service. However, according to SF Gate, a combination of automated image recognition, metadata and the tags that are linked to the hundreds of millions of images that are registered in the Google databases. A competitor to the “Similar Images” is Microsoft’s “Live Search”. It has slightly different functions for the image increase, but not things looking up just “similar images”.

The EU has made a proposal for price caps on so-called roaming traffic – mobile traffic that crosses another operator’s network. The proposal is that in the EU maximum cost € 0:49/megabyte, writes Computer Sweden.  The big telecom companies do not like that, so they have decided to take the matter to court.

In May 2007 the European Parliament decided to make a prize-winner of 49 cents for mobile calls abroad. Now, Two years later, operators Vodafone, O2, T-Mobile and Orange took the decision to the Court. Operators’ lawyers argue that the rules adopted on the wrong reasons. Operators’ lawyers argue that the rules adopted on the wrong reasons.

I have before write about the mental ill high roaming charges Monday get if you take with you your mobile broadband abroad. Between 2-14 euros per megabyte transferred is the cost today. Our clients from the whole World, specially the European ask us on Sundream Estate about the high taxes if the take the mobile with them on holydays. It will be insanely expensive if you surf a little, or looking at YouTube or download anything, maybe you most take a mortgage and a loan on your house.

Benalmadena.

Today Benalmadena has so many things to offer you. Tivoli World Entertainment Park, The five star Torrequebrada Hotel and Casino, Marina World, Local Market, Plaza Major (leisure and enjoyment centre) and Benalmadena Marina.

The Best Marina in the world.

Situated at the heart of the Costa del Sol or at latitude 36 36′ N and longitude 4 31′ W, for those in the know, is the stunning marina of Benalmadena. The Benalmadena Marina was the brainchild of architect Eduardo Oria, the marina took nearly ten years to complete, opening its doors in 1982. Combining the water and boat moorings with commercial buildings and residential property built upon islands, the unique effect created, is that of a whole community, unlike many other marinas where a sharp definition between landlubbers and ‘yachters’ seems to prevail. Since its inauguration, the marina has won the much coveted “Best Marina in the World” award twice and since 1987 has been awarded the Blue Flag of the Clean Seas of Europe by the European Community in recognition of its waters and services.

Moorish Architecture.

The architecture of Benalmadena Marina on shore is a mix of Indian, Arabic and Andalucían and is surprisingly harmonious. Several little bridges span the water giving access to the innovative residential islands where three blocks of luxury apartments are housed. Cars are parked unobtrusively under awnings supported by huge carved pillars and small leafy gardens hide amphorae lying like lost treasure. Mosaic walls depict the sea’s waves while the staircase leading to one of the entrances is a shimmering mosaic fish. The overall effect is pleasing and relaxing and whichever way you look you are surrounded by water.

Private Islands.

As I wandered around the Marina I thought how nice it would be to step out of your door, board your own speedboat and putter out of the marina before heading out onto open water. Or perhaps keep a sailboat moored in the harbour for weekend getaways. With these thoughts milling around my mind I headed off the islands – only I couldn’t, I was locked in. I had strolled in through the gates to one of the proprties houses as some people were unloading their shopping unaware that the islands are private and for residents only.

I stood on the little bridge pondering my situation and the embarrassment it would cause me if someone didn’t show up soon! Someone did a kind Irishman and his son who let me out whilst explaining just how nice it was to live on the islands. He also told me that in the four years since he bought his apartment in Spain, it has gone up in value a staggering 100%.