Setting sail in July 2013 from Southampton in the UK, the 70-ft yachts will visit 15 ports on all six continents.

CNN: November 8, 2012 -- Updated 1414 GMT (2214 HKT)

The ports on all three devices looked a bit on the rough side as well -- the mini-HDMI out looked cocked in its port, even.

ENGADGET

The waterproofing has had some effects on the physical design, with all ports (including the headphone socket) now covered with protective flaps.

ENGADGET: Sony Xperia Z: hands-on with the new flagship at CES 2013 (video)

But the broad emphasis on competitiveness could herald a building bonanza for airports, ports and motorways that would all drive up carbon emissions.

BBC: The La Rance tidal barrage near St Malo in Brittany

Funding homeland security on a needs rather than a political basis, for example, or scanning all freight at ports.

ECONOMIST: Past and present dangers

In days of old, all products sold in the English Colonies had to suffer the regulations of being shipped on British ships from British ports and taxed accordingly.

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