Who are the most popular bloggers? -- Voting Result

The voting result is out. The following table is the total number of vote by each candiate. Let's congratulate the winner and thank all of your colleague for providing so much good information over the semester!

Microsoft to buy Yahoo?

Forbes reports that Microsoft is negotiating to buy Yahoo. The deal could be worth $50 billion. What do you think? Do you think the combination of the two would be enough take on Google?

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http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+in+Talks+to+Buy+Yahoo+For+50+Billion+USD/article7162.htm

Computer slowing down?

This is a nifty utility that I've discovered lately. It's called CCleaner. It removes the clutter from your Windows based PC hard disk. Unused files, cookies, etc. I thought I kept a pretty clean hard drive, but it found over 5 MB of junk on there. It's very quick, too.
I probably wouldn't mess with the default settings. Did I mention it's free?

Surfpup

http://www.ccleaner.com/

IBM expanding to more locations and countries

Customers are increasingly demanding their technology providers to operate globally. IBM acts as a consultant to ISVs as they look to establish themstlelves in new markets. The vendor provides technical help, advice on the localization of their products, and how to get connected to local partners. IBM currently has 33 Innovation Centers around the world where partners can go to for such assistance, or they can connect with the centers virtually. IBM expects to launch an additional three centers later this year, mostly in Eastern Europe.

The Internet Is (Still) Broken

One of the suggested readings this semester in HTM 304 was from MIT Professor David D. Clark, originally published in three parts on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, December 19 through 21, 2005, in Technology Review, an MIT publication. In the series of articles, the author talks about how the Internet was created, how it has evolved, the inherent problems with it, and what the future holds for a system that has nearly one billion users. He should know, because he is an "Internet elder statesman and onetime chief protocol architect". His message is simple: the Internet is broken. Nearly a year and a half later, it is still broken.

Yes, I'll admit, the Internet is a modern marvel. It has allowed the sharing of text, photos, audio, and video around the globe. It has allowed electronic commerce to grow by leaps and bounds. No longer are we required to travel to a physical location to purchase goods or services. This enormous collection of new virtual locations will do just fine, thank you. The Internet has allowed important industries such as banking and financial services to host critical information and share data nearly anytime and anywhere. It has also transformed the way we receive news and information, and the way we entertain ourselves. But our reliance on this wonder of engineering, science, and technology has also created an electronic and telecommunications Achilles Heel in the modern societies that rely so heavily on it, in particular the United States.

Unfortunately, Mr. Clark sees the future of the Internet in its current state as limited at best, and he says that time is running out. The biggest problem according to Clark is its lack of inherent security and inability to absorb new technologies. Unless something is done soon to correct these deficiencies there may come a time when "the Internet stalls - and perhaps turns downward".

To read each of the three portions of the article in their entirety click on the links below:

Part 1: http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/16051/

Part 2: http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/16055/

Part 3: http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/16056/

Court rejects Vonage request for retrial

The supreme court has rejected Vonages' request for retrial and has asked them to work a on the existing appeal with verison. Vonage is a new phone company using Internet for cheaper phone services and is targeting large and medium-size businesses with its new V-Phone, a USB flash drive loaded with VoIP calling software. These phones cost half the cost of the larger companies such as Cingular and Verison but many people are tranfering their numbers or getting new lines at vonage. Although Vonage charges less for its services which comes with unlimited Internet and texting but there are still questions about its receptions in different states of the country. Vonage is currently facing a law suit by Verison but today the court has ruled Vonage may continue to sign up new customers while appealing a patent infringement loss to Verizon, a federal appeals court ruled the April 24th.

Google goes Wireless

Google has hired many top guns is the wireless industry to help shape the way the auction for the 10 billion in licesnces to provide wireless access will be caried out. They want to expand the competition in the market for high-speed Internet access. Google is working with earthlink in San Francisco and there are reports that its building its own wireless handset. Google may be bidding in the 700 mhz auction.

You can read the entire article at:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2007/tc20070503_030284.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives

A bad deal

Nvidia released the Geforce 8800 Ultra today. This new top-end graphics board costs $830. It's clocked a measly 6% faster than the 8800 GTX which costs 38% less.

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2979

For a good deal, Baskin Robbins is having .31 cent scoop night tonight, May 2, from 5-10 PM.

http://www.baskinrobbins.com/Promotion/31cent.aspx

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DirectX 10 on Windows XP?

DirectX is the set of Microsoft libraries that programmers use in order to create sound, graphics, animation, and more.

DirectX 10 is the latest version, and it's a Microsoft Vista Exclusive. So, let's say Microsoft decided to bring out Halo 3 for DirectX10 only. That means you wont' be able to play it on Windows XP, 2000, etc. It's one of the draws for getting Vista. Microsoft, of course, went on about how it was integrated with Vista, couldnt' be brought out for other operating systems, etc. Funny how a single, 19-year old programmer was able to port DirectX 10 for XP. It isn't finished, but you can download a prelease version now from here:

http://alkyproject.blogspot.com/

So now, what do you do if you're Microsoft? Do you think their lawyers are filing as I write? Should they allow this to happen? Offer the clever guy a job? What would you do?

My guess is their lawyers will write him a cease and desist letter. Even if his coding doesn't contain any Microsoft code, the ordinary guy just doesn't have the financial reserves to mount a legal defense against a giant like Microsoft.

Surfpup

For screenshots from some DirectX 10 games visit:

http://www.tweak3d.net/joomla/news/pc-gaming/directx-10-games

"Oscars of the Internet."

This is the 11th annual of the webby awards. You tube, ebay, and David Bowie were some of the winners in the in this years webby awards. The founders of You Tube got the award because they transformed the media landscape and reshaped everything from politics to pop culture, said the webby organizor. Ebay for won for "a cultural phenomenon" because it changes the way people connect, discover, and interact with eachother. The winners will be honored in a ceremony in New York june 5th.

Reading brain waves...

New technology has been created...

Now we can use our brain waves to play with toys..

There is a light saber that from Starwars can feel your brain waves to be lighten up.

Basically you wear the brain censor on your forehead, and then it get attached with the light saber.

But you have to concentrate to light up the saber. Now you really feel like you are in Starwars.

tech guys said they are creating more breain reading toys and vide games...

it is pretty scary to me..

I really am glad that I am not into game stuff much. I used to like tv games tho..

brain games are too much for me.

PEACEEEE

Do the Right Thing With Your References

This is an interesting article that tell you what and what not to do with your references. When applying for a job, its not just your resume and cover letter that needs your attention. Your references could problaby close the deal when getting a job.

To read the Do's and Don'ts click on the link below.
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/jobseeker/tools/ept/careerArticlesPost.html?post=93

Apple still vulnernable

http://www.nytimes.com/cnet/CNET_2100-1002_3-6180679.html

Apple released a quick fix for QuickTime on Tuesday. The update is to fix a security flaw that was used to break in the MacBook Pro. Apple has a great way to try and find its flaws. It has a competition with a prize of $10,000 to try and hac-a-Mac. The winner of this competition found the flaw and Apple released the fix in just over a week. Apple is known for its lack of viruses and the walls to protect hackers. With the competition and the quick release of the fix, Apple should stay on top of the game ahead of Microsoft.

Old School is out

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/26/technology/26bike.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin

New generation is now incorporating video games for learning. Pre-schoolers now can ride a stationary bike while they avoid potholes to learn their ABCs. Where were all these cool toys when I was growing up? Kids these days have it so easy. I guess the new technology needs to be learned at a young age. I know we barely had computers when I went to high school. Now my daughter is doing computer presentations in fifth grade. Technology is definitely the future.

Software war

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9714598-7.html

With all the things going on in the world, Microsoft still wants to run the world. Microsoft has Silverlight that is competing with Adobe. They are piling on the applications. The newest is geared to compete with Adobe Flash. "Microsoft is making the source code for the Dynamic Languages Runtime available under its Permissive License, which allows for commercial distribution and modifications to the code without having to pay royalties to Microsoft." Microsoft is really trying to take over the Internet application niche.

World's most powerful supercomputer = 1/2 mouse brain (almost)

I guess the blog site is still open.

According to the Top 500 list, the IBM Blue Gene/L is currently the world's fastest supercomputer
http://www.top500.org/lists/2006/11
Researchers recently ran a "cortical simulator" that was about as complex as 1/2 of a mouse brain. The simulation could only run for 10 seconds, and it was about 10x as slow as a real mouse brain.
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=7094

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Gamers go to laptops

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/05/01/dell.laptop/index.html

Gamers will be pleased that Dell is putting a laptop on the market that can support the requirements for hard core gamers. Usually gamers have a desk top tower to support all of the computer hardware needed to play sophisticated game. As technology is getting better for computer hardware, the components are getting smaller. The ability of Dell to put the required components in a laptop is a new wave of what the future might bring. I am not a gamer and don't know much of the requirements needed to support the new games that are being played. I do have some friends that spend way too much for a computer solely to play these types of games.

Blind Users

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/04/26/schroeder/index.html

Technology has gone blind, in a sense. New software is helping the blind use their computers more efficiently. The new capabilities of speech recognition software as well as read back software are aiding the blind using documents. There is also a brail note taker. This enables the user to input information by using a special keyboard. The new technology is helping the handicap be more efficient in the today's fast paced business world.

Slippery Phones

http://blogs.business2.com/apple/2007/04/apple_iphones_s.html

With all the new technology that has gone into the new apple iPhone, they couldn't make it not slip. The new iPhone runs for about $500 and has a laundry list of capabilities, but there seems to be a common complaint. The new material that the outside of the phone is made up off seems to be very slippery. Some critics say that the new material causes the phone to slip out of your hand and drop to the ground. The durability of the phone is yet to be seen. Maybe apple will have great success on selling replacement parts.

Online business

Online business is one of the most efficient way to use the Internet.

You can sell whatever you want unless the product are banned by law.

Online auction is one of the fastest and cheapest way to have your own store...

Here is what my friend is doing. Selling perfumes and agarwood chips all over the world.

There are a lot of sales to Japanese people in Japan.

http://stores.ebay.com/Agarscents-Bazaar_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZQ2d33QQftidZ2QQtZkm

If you are into them please let me know

thanks!

Fuel of the Future

The technology that is being developed to produce ethonal will be a huge part of our future.

"Allison, of Silverton, filled up his 1985 Volkswagon Golf for the first time last week on biodiesel, a fuel made from vegetable oil that is touted as an environmentally friendly way to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.In addition to Allison’s car, biodiesel has found its way into many more vehicles on Oregon roads this year.“In the state of Oregon, we used about 1 million gallons (of biodiesel) on roads last year,” said Tyson Keever, a managing partner for biodiesel distributor SeQuential Biofuels. “This year, we are scheduled to double, if not triple it.”Salem is adding fuel to this new trend.Two stations and a production facility opened in Salem this year, making the capital one of the most biofuel-friendly communities in Oregon.Biodiesel is any liquid biofuel suitable as a diesel-fuel substitute or diesel-fuel additive and it typically is made from oils such as soybeans, grapeseeds or sunflowers, according to the federal Department of Energy.“Until (this station opened), I was going up to Portland with four 5-gallon tanks and filling up every three to four weeks,” said Sydney Levin, while filling her 1985 Mercedes Wagon at Marc Nelson Oil Products in Salem. “Now I can just come here.”Marc Nelson Oil Products on Claxter Road NE opened the biodiesel fuel station in June, and the first Salem biodiesel cooperative, where members join to have access to the 275-gallon biodiesel tank, opened in August.SeQuential Biofuels and Pacific Biodiesel opened a joint refinery in South Salem to process used cooking oil for running diesel-fueled cars.“It is a little bit of a trend with the price of fuel going up and (biofuels) being environmentally friendly,” said Peter Nelson of Marc Nelson Oil Products. “There is a niche market for it.”Straight biodiesel can reduce particulate emissions — linked to asthma and other respiratory diseases — by 50 percent compared with regular diesel.Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons also are reduced with the use of biodiesel, said Kevin Downing of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.Although actual tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide increase with biodiesel, petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel put more carbon into the atmosphere because they otherwise would be stored in the earth, Downing said.Marc Nelson Oil Products sells both 20 percent biodiesel and 99 percent biodiesel.Right now, it is only a small fraction of their total sales; in two months, MNOP sold about 12,000 gallons of biodiesel compared with 3 million gallons of other fuels in one month.Biodiesel in Oregon is also a small percentage of total diesel fuel. In 2003, 126 million gallons of diesel fuel was consumed in the state compared with less than one million gallons of biodiesel.But for those in the biodiesel business, the future looks bright. Diesel costs about $2.98 a gallon and biodiesel is about $3.25, so people are noticing the vegetable-based fuel more. And experts say that biodiesel lubricates engine parts, extending the life of vehicles."


"To study the potential effects of increased biofuel use, we evaluated six representative analyses of fuel ethanol. Studies that reported negative net energy incorrectly ignored coproducts and used some obsolete data. All studies indicated that current corn ethanol technologies are much less petroleum-intensive than gasoline but have greenhouse gas emissions similar to those of gasoline. However, many important environmental effects of biofuel production are poorly understood. New metrics that measure specific resource inputs are developed, but further research into environmental metrics is needed. Nonetheless, it is already clear that large-scale use of ethanol for fuel will almost certainly require cellulosic technology. "

http://www.hvwc.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=274

Pharming

A pharming scam is where a poison program introduced to the main website, which will automatically redirect you to a false front website to gain personal information. What makes this such a terrible scam is that most common users would not recognize the redirection to a false front website. There has been many articles addressing the pharming issue but yet it continues to happen all to frequently. Users must be aware of these scams and realize that any legitimate account would not ask for the same personal information that they already have.

The real China

DarwinSuzsoft is a CEO which has six offices in China, each with its own expertise and access to a different labor pool in that country. The office in Suzhou province, employs about 800 people and has access to 150,000 computer science graduates annually in Suzhou province . To get a glance of what china really is, the government recently completed a two-year project that built a million housing units. Darwin says "if the wage rate for a standard software developer in India is a fourth of what it is in the States, a Chinese developer gets about an eighth. So, if the U.S. rate is $100 per hour, it is $25 per hour in India and $11 per hour in China. For a Java developer in China, the hourly rate is $7 to $9. For BPO (business process outsourcing), where a minimal level of education is required and the job is basically data capture and data entry, the rate is $2 to $3 per hour. In IT software and services, Chinese companies are hoping to allay enterprise fears about IP (intellectual property) protection by bidding on complete IT solutions and services that include the software, the service. This way they can not only provide themselves with a larger revenue stream but they can ensure that parts of their business will remain viable in the event that other parts are found to be using unauthorized technology."

Google rejects Viacom's copyright claims

Google has rejected claims that it broke copyrght laws on its YouTube.com website. Viacom filed a Billion Dollar lawsuit agains google in March. After Google showed their plan to defend itself against these alligations they also requested a jury trial.
"By seeking to make carriers and hosting providers liable for Internet communications, Viacom's complaint threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment, and political and artistic expression," Google said in its response.
Viacom has demanded that Google remove 100,000 clips from YouTube.

New US-Asia fiber optic cable under construction

The Asia-America Gateway will span 12,428-miles. It is designed to provide additional communication capabilities, so that in case an earthquake or other disaster takes down existing connections, there will still be this backup communication system in place. 17 companies involved and 500 million dollars.

Surfpup



Daily Tech

Microsoft Launches Xbox 360 Elite in U.S.

Microsoft Sunday launched it's latest retread of the Xbox 360 games console. The Xbox 360 Elite has a mammoth 120GB hard drive, and HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) connector for HD TV playback. This positions the Xbox closer to Sony's PlayStation 3, although that console is more expensive.

It is available in the U.S. for a recommended retail price of $480, the Xbox 360 Elite is not yet officially available in the U.K., although some offshore websites are shipping it to U.K. customers. In anticipation of demand in the U.S., many retailers are charging a premium.

How not to pack a laptop

How many people experienced to pack your laptop into checked baggage?
Well, I do not want to do that if it is possible.
I have found couple of things that we can do to protect our laptop.

1. Back up your data before you begin your trip, and make sure it's password protected at a minimum. Consider removing your laptop's hard drive and packing it (carefully) in your carry-on bag.
2. Pack the notebook in a shock-resistant case, such as an OtterBox, or buy a ruggedized notebook.
3. Put a TSA approved lock on your checked bag to reduce the chances that an unscrupulous baggage handler will steal your laptop.
Look into buying insurance for your laptop from the likes of Safeware
Consider using a service that tracks, locates, and recovers stolen laptops, such as LoJack for Laptops ($50 a year).

Is Metro Wi-Fi Faster Than Cellular?

Metro Wi-Fi networks in 14 North American cities and towns delivered twice the performance of even true 3G cellular data networks, according to tests conducted by Novarum, an independent consulting company. In Novarum's tests, metro Wi-Fi offered average speeds of 869 kilobits per second downstream. In comparison, true 3G networks ran at 300 kbps to 400 kbps downstream, while 2.5G networks offered only a fraction of that.

Mosquito Ringtone

Mosquito ringtone has been around for a while so I assume many people already know about this.
Mosquito Ringtone is a popular ringtone that was hijacked from a technology that was originally used to repel loitering teens from shops in the UK. Inventor Howard Stapleton developed the "Mosquito device" for Compound Security Systems. This device emits a modulated 17khz sound that proves to be a great annoyance to teenagers or anyone younger, but leaves most over twenty years of age unaffected. This is due to presbycusis, a normal loss of acute hearing that occurs with advancing age. Teen Buzz was developed using the same technology, but as a constant 17khz high frequency ringtone. It is primarily used in the classroom, allowing students to be alerted of incoming text messages on their mobile phones without the knowledge of their teachers.

Here it is! check this out and see if you can hear it!
http://www.freemosquitoringtones.org/

Twitter

What is Twitter???

Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send "updates" (text-based posts, up to 140 characters long) via SMS, instant message, the Twitter website, or an application such as Twitterrific. Twitter was founded in October 2006 by San Francisco start-up company Obvious Corp.
Twitter is for staying in touch and keeping up with friends no matter where you are or what you’re doing. For some friends you might want instant mobile updates—for others, you can just check the web. Invite your friends to Twitter and decide how connected you want you to be.

When you send in a mobile text (SMS), Twitter sends it out to your group of friends and posts it to your Twitter page. Your friends might not have phone alerts turned on so they may check your web page instead. Likewise, you receive your friends mobile updates on your phone.
Twitter is a free service. At some point we may introduce optional, for-pay features or services but basic usage will remain free. With phone alerts turned on, Twitter makes use of texting or SMS so check with your mobile provider to find out if this will cost you extra.

This is a new type of SNS and a lot of people are getting involved with Twitter in the world now.
Would you do it??
Well, you can at least kill your time!

Sony has intended to list Financial units

TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) - Sony Corp still intends to list its wholly-owned financial unit, Sony Financial Holdings Inc (SFH), but has yet to decide exactly how to go about it, Sony said.
'There is no change in Sony Corp's plan to make an initial public offering of SFH at an appropriate time during the fiscal year ending March 2008 or thereafter,' Sony said in a written statement.
'We would like to refrain from making any further comments.'
Sony's statement followed the appearance in the Nikkei newspaper of a report saying that the company plans to float at least 30 pct of SFH in the autumn here and so raise some 300 bln yen.
SFH is the holding company for Sony Life Insurance Co, Sony Assurance Inc and Sony Bank.

Phishing on Myspace

I have been using Myspace over two years now and I finally got phished by someone....
Someone was sending messages to my friends by using my name.
So, I had to change my password several times to not to get phished...
I thought about stop using MySpace.

Netflix video on demand sample

I tried saving the screenshot in every format I could think of, and they still come up blank as soon as I quit watching the movie. (No longer have DRM key.)
I finally ended up taking a screenshot with my digital camera. Not great, but I wanted you to be able to see the picture for yourself. It's a pretty dark scene, which my LCD monitor doesn't render particularly well.
You can click on the image to see a larger size of it.

Surfpup

Netflix's video on demand

I decided to try out Netflix's Watch Now Option that allows you to view a movie instantly through a streaming Internet download. I have to say I was pretty pleased. There was never a hiccup once during the entire 2 hour movie. You can pause at any time. The video quality was pretty good. The viewer allows you to scale the image to full-screen. I took a screenshot so that you can judge the quality yourself. I am running Windows XP at 1600 x 1200 resolution, and I have an Nvidia 7900GT which is doing the scaling using Nvidia's PureVideo. Your results may vary depending on your video card and Internet conncection speed.

Info on PureVideo http://www.nvidia.com/page/purevideo.html

Nvidia cards that support PureVideo http://www.nvidia.com/page/purevideo_support.html

ATI has cards with excellent scaling, too.

Surfpup

Update:
Oops, the screenshots are blank now. There must be some kind of digital rights management (DRM) that prevents you from taking snapshots of the movies. They are probably afraid that you could use software to snapshot the whole movie and keep a copy. :( I'm bummed. This is why we all need to vote with our dollars to not support anything with DRM.

Surfpup

Social security Number...

Most people have SSN in the U.S.

I just met my friend last week and he told me that his SSN was used by someone else to make four credit card in Wells Fargo bank.

He said that the personal information can be stollen by someone who knows how to get them.

I really do not know how to prevent this happen.

Anyone has any idea that we can prevent from this incident?

If I put all my information in my computer security soft isnt enough for it??

Should I get something else??

Computerized musicians

This article was really interesting to me. Christopher Raphael of Indiana University has created a computer program that analyzes waveforms emitted by musical instruments, identifies the notes, and can then play back harmonies to accompany it in real time.
At a recent demonstration, Raphael started playing an oboe quartet by Mozart, and 3 computer assistants chimed in with their own instruments. They matched his pace, even if he slowed down or sped up.
More sophisticated software being developed at Columbia University is learning to interpret polyphonic (multiple musicians) sound in real-time.
It also mentions software called AutoTune which is already on the market. Apparently it corrects "out of tune" vocals in real-time, and certain popstars are rumored to use it for their CD recordings and concerts.
The full story is here:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070430-the-riaas-worst-nightmare-computers-that-understand-music.html

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Metals that remember their shape

Engineers invented metals that can remember their shape after being dented. The atoms are packed into groups of different sizes. According to the engineers the metal does not matter, what matters is the grains in the micro structure and the size of the grouped atoms. The grains have to be brittle but not too bendy. After a disfiguring the atom grains let out energy that force other grains back to their original position. It be would be great if the metals are used in cars. It would mean no more expensive repairs on fenders.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,263401,00.html?sPage=fnc.technology/innovation

Xbox 360 Elite

http://www.earthtimes.org/newsimage/elite_premier_28047.jpg



MS just shot themselves on the foot.

Nintendo to boost production of the Wii

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070429/ap_on_hi_te/japan_nintendo;_ylt=ApYART9g4G1n5wYKlu5QqpAjtBAF

I think this is a bad move for Nintendo. They are currently winning the Console Wars and the demand is stable for them. To me, increasing the production of the Wii will kill them in the long run since there support of games isn't that too great compared to the Xbox 360.

NFL Draft

I never realized until now that I have been looking at blogs for a while. Once the NFL draft comes around I search the net looking at mock drafts and information on the players who may get drafted. Its a great way to find information about players and how the draft may pan out. Here are a couple of sites that I have been looking at for the;ast couple of years. Good luck to the chargers who were drafted this year.

www.footballsfuture.com
www.nfldraftcountdown.com

NFL Draft

I never realized until now that I have been looking at blogs for a while. Once the NFL draft comes around I search the net looking at mock drafts and information on the players who may get drafted. Its a great way to find information about players and how the draft may pan out. Here are a couple of sites that I have been looking at for the;ast couple of years. Good luck to the chargers who were drafted this year.

www.footballsfuture.com
www.nfldraftcountdown.com

A worldly Blackberry

The new Blackberry 8830 World Edition is compatible with both CDMA and GSM networks. This allows it voice capability in over 150 countries and data service in more than 60. Cost is $400, and you will be able to pick one up May 28th.

A bit pricey, but maybe very convenient for a world traveler.

Surfpup

http://www.dailytech.com/Sprint+and+Verizon+Offer+Worldwide+BlackBerry+Service/article7090.htm

HotEnough.org

I am sure it's possible to meet many nice people through online dating services, but this is rediculous! It's all smoke and mirrors...

"Since when do über hotties need a specialized online dating service? If evolutionary psychology and People magazine teach us anything, it’s this: When it comes to hooking up, the only thing the most attractive of the species need do is walk outside.
Hence the intrinsically flawed business model behind HotEnough.org, a matchmaking Web site exclusively for “fit, good-looking people.” Access to this database of desirability is granted to those ranked 8 or higher by HotEnough.org’s current members — those symmetrical few who themselves land on the high end of the Bo Derek periodic table. Only then are you allowed to pay $9.95 a month for the privilege of e-hitting on the site’s 1,000 or so members.
Strategy is the key to my success — honed from an embarrassing amount of years lurking on bulletin boards and social networking sites. As more people post their personals, online dating has gone from just trying to hook up to deeply layered game theory. Niche sites like HotEnough.org may seem like a tempting, time-saving filter — eliminating the risk of dating, or Heaven forbid, falling for, a genetic inferior. But like so many other things on the InterWeb, it’s an illusion.
HotEnough.org is going to fail, and not because it caters to a niche crowd. Hey, I read “The LongTail: Why the Future of Business is Selling More” by Chris Anderson (OK, I just read the Amazon review). This millennium, it’s all about serving niches. Certainly, there are plenty of successful specialized, online dating sites outside of the big catch-alls like eHarmony and Match.com, JDate, FarmersOnly.com, Gothic Match and Green Friends.
HotEnough.org is going to fail because Darwin says so. Any skin-deep beauty seeking love on the Internet is guaranteed damaged down to the bone. Yeah, yeah, they’re soooooooo busy, they “just don’t have time” to meet attractive equals offline. Guess what? Making movies is a major time suck, yet Johnny Depp sure didn’t meet Winona Rider, Kate Moss or Vanessa Paradis in cyberspace. Non-psychotic pretty people don’t seek peer validation from exclusive dating sites. They’re busy adopting third world orphans and designing clothing lines for H&M.
Meanwhile, for us above-average-to-ugly people, the Internet is a viable and respectable place to find love or something like it. It’s what Al Gore intended. Unlike those out-of-touch few who doubt the Internet’s ability to help you find a real world mate, I totally buy the empirical proof. Heck, I am the empirical proof. The Internet provided me with at least two decent relationships and countless ego-boosting flirtations. (Seeking peer validation is perfectly acceptable for us 7s and under.) "

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18313055/

Online Game Promotes Charity

A new online game is designed to promote the business side of charity. The name of the site is DoSomething.org and the site is designed to promote volunteerism. The JP Morgan Chase Foundation worked to develop this program and market it.

"The idea behind Karma Tycoon was to put a twist on popular video and computer games in which players try to maximize profit in order to amass wealth. "

Players who register at the site can pick the type of nonprofit they would like to administer, such as an animal shelter or a homeless shelter, and establish their virtual organization in one of 12 major U.S. cities. Finger, who led the project committee that created the game, said the early response has been very positive and there are plans in the works for a 2.0 that will expand the number of cities and the variety of organizations that participants can try their hand at managing.

"A New York-based nonprofit is hoping to strike a philanthropic spark with Karma Tycoon, a new online game that aims to entertain teens while also giving them an appreciation for the business side of charitable works.
The game is the creation of DoSomething.org, a not-for-profit that aims to inspire younger generations to embrace volunteerism, which worked with the JP Morgan Chase Foundation to develop it and get it to market.
Customization considered keyKarma Tycoon, which was officially launched with the ringing of the bell at the NASDAQ stock exchange on Dec. 21, empowers teens to get involved in philanthropic endeavors by giving them freedom to choose how they want to contribute, said Finger.
Kimberly Davis, president of the JP Morgan Chase Foundation, says that in addition to generating interest in charitable deeds, the game helps player become money-wise.
“The game sort of sneaks up on you, and I think that’s the way it has to become intuitive for kids,” she says. “They don’t realize that by playing this game that they are doing math and setting up budgets.”
Teaching these skills at an early age is especially important, she says, because “young people are using credit cards at higher rates than any other population we have ever seen in any other generation.”
Davis was a strong supporter of the venture from its inception and was able to wrangle resources from other departments – including the credit card and retail divisions – to perfect the product.
Teens tested game's ‘fun factor’Her 14-year-old son and his friends also joined in as well by testing Karma Tycoon’s “fun factor.”
Karma Tycoon also provided JP Morgan Chase with an avenue to enter the brave new world of “advergaming” by embedding the company’s products into the game. That means serves the dual purpose of investing in kids while also investing in the company’s future.
“This is one example of many where we will collaborate with an organization to bring change,” she says. “Social investing is core to the business strategy and the culture of JP Morgan Chase.”
Mayer, the teenage Karma Tycoon disciple, discovered the game through an ad in a teen magazine, saying she spotted the words “nonprofit organization” and thought, “this seems positive!”
The Carolina adolescent credits the game with getting her to think more about helping those in need.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17985948/

Thank God for technology! Thank God for the internet!

Ok. So for those of you that don't know, this weekend was the NFL draft. It was pretty intense because of the fact that a good friend of mine was sitting by the phone waiting for is call to be drafted. After two day of waiting and logging on to the internet, his name was never called. However, the good news is, he did great as a free agent. His talent did not go over looked!

Without NFL.com we would have been so confused. And because of nflscout.com we were able to see what the teams thought of him. The internet gave us hope. It is one of the fastest ways to spread information. Thank God for the Internet!

Congrats to Terry Richardson! He is now a Houston Texan!

There is a new chief in town!

Now that the top guy for Playstation has stepped down, The new top man has some BIG shoes to fill. Lets see what he comes up with! exciting!

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/apr2007/gb20070430_347031.htm?chan=technology_technology+index+page_top+stories

Woman Loses Career Over MySpace

Recently a woman persuing a degree in education to begin a career in teaching was denied her degree after the university found a photo of her drinking. The picture was posted by her on MySpace website and was given a degree in English instead. The woman is now sueing the university.

I remember when we discussed the idea of employers looking at MySpace pages and so forth to research perspective employees. And one of the questions was if you were an employer would you reseach your applicants and did you think it was right?

Look it does not matter if it's ethical or not. And until the courts decide these situations need to be regulated, anything you post on the Internet can be viewed by anyone at any time period! It's just common sense!

"MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - A woman denied a teaching degree on the eve of graduation because of a MySpace photo has sued the university.
Millersville University instead granted Stacy Snyder a degree in English last year after learning of her Web-published picture, which bore the caption “Drunken Pirate.”
“I dreamed about being a teacher for a long time,” said Snyder, 27, who now works as a nanny.
The photo, taken at a 2005 Halloween party, shows Snyder wearing a pirate hat while drinking from a plastic “Mr. Goodbar” cup. It was posted on her own MySpace site.
Although Snyder apologized, she learned the day before graduation that she would not be awarded an education degree or teaching certificate.
Jane S. Bray, dean of the School of Education, accused Snyder of promoting underage drinking, the suit states.
The federal lawsuit seeks at least $75,000 in damages. Millersville spokeswoman Janet Kacskos referred questions to a state System of Higher Education spokesman, who declined comment."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18372103/

Myspace in CHINA!!!!

I have one question... What took so long? Myspace finally going into the Chinese internet market is very important. Technology and the internet is on another level of advancement. The Chinese Market is a great way to make sure they stay successful.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/04/27/china.myspace.ap/index.html

Ipods are being banned in Classrooms.

Hey guys! How's it going? I just found an article on how Ipods are being band in classrooms. seems that students are using them to try to cheat during exams. Very interesting. Technology is taking over. And our creativity as students is getting more and more interesting.

Check it out!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/27/ipod.cheating.ap/index.html

Mind reading sensors provide a new interface

Technological advances allow brain wave-reading sensors to be implemented in a $20 headset. They have created a simple Darth Vader game. When the player concentates, the light saber glows. When attention wanders, the weapon goes dark. The sensors read brain wave activity related to concentration, relaxation, and anxiety, and it ranks them from 1 to 100. Such biofeedback games have the potential to boost mental focus, and could even be helpful for disorders such as: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and mood disorders. More sophisticated headsets with 18 sensors have the potential to do even more.



Surfpup

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18358876/page/2/

Dirk the daring returns on Blu-Ray

Remember the first laserdisc-based arcade game called Dragon's Lair? Now it's making its retun on Blu-Ray disc. Unfortunately, it doesn't run quite right on the Sony PS3. Blu-Ray specifications for BD-Java have changed several times and are NOT the same as the specifications which were available for early Blu-Ray players. The BD-Java is used for picture-in-picture and special features, and although early players will still be able to playback the video, the special features may not be supported. All Blu-Ray players manufactured after October 31, 2007 will be required to support the updated specifications.

Picture courtesy IGN, http://dvd.ign.com/articles/784/784213p1.html

For more info on the Blu-Ray specifications change, http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6702

Surfpup

Japanese phones

In Tokyo they just recently found a new way to make your phone motion censored. They will function just like a Wii controller. They can tilt the controller just like a steering wheel. Some other phones in Japan have introduced camera sensors. lets say if you are playing a boxing game, you throw a punch in front of the camera, and it will do it in the game. The only thing that isn't good about this new technology is that it is hard to stay focused on the screen with all that movement. All i know is that America needs to get with it!

Bad Myspace Pic

Stacy Snyder got denied of her teaching degree from Millersville University because of a picture she had posted on her myspace. They instead gave her an English degree. She had a picture of her from Halloween 2005 in a white pirate hat while drinking from a plastic Mr. Goodbar cup. It had a subtitle of "Drunken Pirate." The dean of the school says that her picture promotes under aged drinking. Snyder is suing the school for $75,000 dollars in damages. Be careful what you put on your "space."

Google Earth adds two new 3D layers

Google announced two new layers for the Google Earth mapping project. The first layer will allow you to explore architecture for the first time. Blueprints will be available in the second layer. The second layer has been developed with the help of The American Institute of Architects. AIA members will donate their time and expertise to enhance the quality of the product. Google is also improving their Maps feature. Now you can see photos of different locations, buildings, and things related to them. If you're looking for a restaurant you can look it up in Google Maps to check out pictures of the place and its dishes. If you are a business owner you can upload pictures of your business for others to see.


http://www.techspot.com/news/25062-google-earth-adds-two-new-3d-layers.html

Increased Wii Production

Recently Nintendo just realized that they did not properly foresee the demand for the Wii. Their net profit has gone through the roof. They said that they plan on selling 14 million Wii's by March 2008. It has sold 5.84 million for the five months it has been out. To show how bad the Wii is dominating the competition, the PS3 has only sold 1.84 million machines. As we can see that the Wii is taking over the gaming industry, and hopefully they will be able to keep up with the demand. They would not release the amount of Wiis they would be shipping out. They chose to do this, because the lack of supply makes it much more in demand.

New cheating device

Teachers are finally starting to learn about how cheaters think. Just recently at Mountain View High School they banned all kinds of media devices. They found kids hiding an ear bud and ipod telling them answers and formulas. You might be thinking that this is difficult to do, but i know for a fact that kids did it in my music class i took less than a year ago. We would get tested on music we were supposed to listen to in our own time. Kids would load up the songs into their ipod, and have all the information they needed to match the song with the answer. Cheating is growing to a whole new level, and it is up to teachers to keep their eyes open. Some teachers think that even if you do start banning things like ipods, the cheaters will just find another way to cheat.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/27/ipod.cheating.ap/index.html

Near Field communications

Near field communication is a technology that is on the verge of revolutionizing how people are able to transfer information and make fast and secure payments. The new technology was developed by Sony and Phillips (NFC Forum). In order to promote their product, they have created the NFC Forum. As the technology has progressed, many key cell phone companies, chip makers, and credit card companies have become involved. In order for this technology to be successful, all of these companies are to working together to ensure that the product will succeed. Some of the major companies that are part of the NFC Forum are Visa, MasterCard, Intel, Nokia, Samsung, Microsoft, and many more. I think this is a very interesting technology that may revolutionize how we purchase products.

www.nfc-forum.org

Become an Efficient CIO

The six tips for CIO’s to avoid wasting time:

Don’t be the budget police, make sure technology is used efficiently rather than cheaply.
Stop using enterprise architecture as a command and control tool.
Focus on value-add IT indicators to focus on business performance.
Use enterprise architecture and other mechanisms to ensure coherence.
Stop apologizing for past problems, and using governance committees to run things, build credibility through strong personal relationships.
Stop defining services in technical rather than business terms.

If CIO’s follow these ideas they will be more efficient and successful.

http://www.itworld.com/Man/070427timewasters/

Free Trials, foe or friend?

When I bought my first laptop computer it came with all this stuff, trial versions of software and software I think I need. The problem, I wasn’t really sure of all the options of what I needed and wanted. So when I became more familiar I was already using what I was given. My concern was with deleting any of this stuff that the manufacturer had put on my computer before I bought it, because I didn’t know how it would affect the other programs. The unfortunate part of it all is that memory and speed are affected. But if you think about it, it really is smart business. So, pick and choose what they give you and then add what you want. Delete what you don’t use for the health of the computer.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9017206&intsrc=hm_list

Google home pages, can you live without them?

On April 27 Google users were experiencing problems with their personalized home pages. People began blogging about how they were losing their data, and complaining that Google was taking too long to address the problem. I have a personalized Google home page and most of the things on it can be accessed through other avenues on the internet. I really think people are being a little over dramatic by blowing the issue out of proportion. I really doubt people lost a lot of productivity, by what, losing hangman?

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9018098&intsrc=hm_list

E-books, not a good idea.

I always wondered why authors didn’t post there writings online and allow people to download them for a cost. I always wanted to be able to download a work and read it off of my laptop. This new idea of e-books I do not think is that great though. I would not want to purchase an expensive hardware device only to then have to buy software that is the book, when the hardware is the size and weight of a book, but more expensive. I would rather just buy the book. If the e-books have no real advantage over actual books (cost or ease of use) then what is the point? Just like the article says, e-books are bound to fail.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9017934&pageNumber=2

Hight-tech lie detector?

Lie detector tests are not very dependable and some people know ways around them, even with cables hooked up to you trying to monitor changes in your blood pressure and respiration. I think part of the process is to get you nervous and asking intriguing questions. Now the department of defense is experiment new ways to measure changes in your face, muscles, or eyes. One way is to measure your face's heat. A monitor shows different glowing colors as you may answer correct or false anwers. Another way is to use lasers to detect muscle contraction in your face or neck. It can also be used to study the blood flow when aimed at an artery. The other option is to the eyes and see the movement and changes after the person answers questions. The best part of all these tests is that it requires no cables to be attached to the person and it looks at features a person cannot have control over.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,269076,00.html

You think antennas are outdated? Not really!

How ironic is it? People are spending thousands of dollars on their plasma TVs and then hooking them up to $50 antennas that are no different from what we used 50 years ago on our black and white TVs. People are doing this because local channels broadcast in HD over-the-air offer much better picture than signals sent by cable and satellite companies. People laugh at the thought of using antennas for TV signals; thinking it’s really outdated. Funny enough, now it is back!