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Asteroid Hunters Keep Planet Safe
August 30th, 2010
An asteroid or a comet may be on their way to destroy Earth. In seconds the cataclysmic explosion could devour our entire planet.
Luckily, a group of unsung heroes is on the case to find out if and when such an occurrence can happen here on our planet. No, it’s not Superman, Wonder Woman or any other member of the Super Friends.
The “Hall of Justice” that harbor these heroes are not hovering above the earth in a space station. Rather, these less than selomly heard from group of researchers, scientists and others share a small space at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).
Here, they monitor, research and determine if the leads and information they receive from other astronomers and other researchers pose a threat to our planet.
Having to calculate a great many variables, this research team lead by Timothy B. Spahr (director of the Minor Planet Center) are the call center for suspicious objects found throughout the Universe.
It’s reported that this team has taken the task for years now to compile and evaluate whether such an occurrence is even possible on a variety of space related newsgroups.
Credited on newsgroups from such reports such as the Juno asteroid and as well as a solar system, they use the information gathered to definitively determine what these objects may be and how they can affect us.
No other country in the world has a group with as many resources or size to this matter as the one found at the CfA. They’re seen as the authority throughout the world that can determine whether or not our existence is in immediate peril from runaway space objects flinging towards us.
As of now, the CfA has marked us as safe from all that they’ve found for now. But their job is not done. Many objects speeding close to the speed of light are not always seen dashing across the vastness of our universe. These objects have the possibility of coming around through our galaxy at any moment.
It’s the job of these superheroes, alongside other gastronomists and scientists, to keep looking up and looking out before it’s lights out for us.
Prince Declares Internet Dead
July 9th, 2010
Is it time to shut the Internet and Usenet down? Prince thinks so. Explaining why he’s giving his new album away free to readers of the Daily Mirror this weekend, Prince tells the paper that the web, on which some prominent media corporations have bet the farm, is now obsolete.
“The internet’s completely over,” he explained. “I don’t see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won’t pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can’t get it.
He added: “The internet’s like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can’t be good for you.”
Of all people to respond, Mr. G or Kenny G, says that if the Internet is dead, “then I must be dead too, ’cause I use it all the time,” adding with a laugh, “Maybe I’ve got a sixth sense, and I can only see dead people. I don’t know.” Unlike Prince, Kenny G said the Internet is vital to promoting his work.
Prince was an early adopter of internet-release platforms, making a number of records available through his music club subscription service, which was shut down in 2006 after five years. Since then, Prince has been a fierce opponent of content sharing, even threatening to sue a woman who put up a YouTube video of her baby dancing to one of his songs in 2007.
He’s surely fighting a lone battle against the internet, shutting his own website down and threatening to sue every legal an illegal download service out of existence. The singer-songwriter will give away his new album 20Ten with copies of The Mirror and Daily Record on July 10. The album will not be available to download.
Text Based Messages Skyrocket In US
April 21st, 2010
Upward trending since the beginning of Usenet, text based messaging has now eclipsed even the phone itself as to become the most frequent form of communication among US teenagers. Even more surprising is that girls send more than twice as many messages as boys, according to a new study.
The study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and the University of Michigan released Tuesday found that the average adolescent sends or receives 50 or more messages a day, or 1,500 texts per month, and one in three send more than 100 texts a day, or more than 3,000 texts a month. Much to the dismay of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, daily text messaging among American teens has shot up in the past 18 months, from 38% of teen’s texting friends daily in February of 2008 to 54% of teens texting daily in September 2009. Texting has gotten so prolific; there are even competitions now to see who can text the fastest: the LG Mobile Worldcup. This should not come as a big surprise if you simply look at the amount of communication on many throughout history on Usenet newsgroups.
However, although 71 percent of parents with teenagers aged 12 to 17 years old say they know how to and do text, kids still perceive their elders as being out of the texting loop.
Although some of the popularity of texting can be chalked up to generational trends, teens interviewed in the Pew study also cited practical and economic reasons for their enthusiasm. With some of the same initial draws to subscribing to and sharing on newsgroups, texting is quieter and easier than a phone call for brief messages, and many teenagers are on cellphone plans that limit minutes for calls but that allows unlimited texts.
Newsgroups Recount CES Highlights
January 11th, 2010
It’s 2010 and it’s already been a long hard week for many people in Las Vegas this week, as over 100,000 people flocked to the city for the Consumer Electronics Show that ended this past Sunday. Many reports on the positive upswing for this yearly convention as registration top 120,000. Multiple newsgroups have been getting posted with a ton of updates from the weekend CES 2010 event. Here are the top CES discussions going on:
Televisions – From the Toshiba Cell TV, Skype HD TV and others from Samsung, Phillips and Toshiba, the biggest winners in this class were those who brought out the 3D TV Sets. With the cost of manufacturing them coming down – and Avatar coming out on DVD in a few months – expect reasonably priced 3D LED TV sets coming soon. How do they look? If you like how 3D movies look in the theatre, you might like these.
Toys – Top toys from this year’s CES according to hobby newsgroups had mini helicopters with built in cameras that can be controlled with your iPhone like the Parrot AR Drone Quadricopter to the IceTouch Mp3 player with the first ever transparent OLED Touchscreen. Microsoft newsgroups report that at CES it looks as though that the XBox 360 upgrade Natal may indeed be out by the holidays this year which could be a big blow to the Nintendo Wii – who stood silent this year.
eBook Readers and Tablets – The Amazon Kindle might have but the eBook market on the map, but certainly isn’t the only contender. With dedicated eBook newsgroups, the Entourage Edge and Plastic Logi Que ProReader have been the most discussed of the 23 companies that displayed e-readers at this year’s show – and none showed them last year.
Phones - Since the world of mobile connectivity is exploding, smartphones by the plenty should be no surprise. Motorola, Samsung, HTC and more displayed their new offerings. No longer for just making phone calls, most of these phones – equipped with apps, can very well almost replace laptops completely. Mobile computing is getting easier. Most interesting? According to mobile newsgroups: Google Nexus
Connectivity was once again the over-arching theme during the 2010 CES and the focus of several technology executives’ speeches. With all the gadgets mentioned above and including new offerings in Ford vehicles, the theme has been about integrating these devices together.
Much like the way Usenet ties in all these themed newsgroups, these technologies are being modeled to communicate and interact with each other. With the way that these toys appear now, it seems as though the home PC may be the mother to all these components.
Closing CES, a new possibility of shaking around in your living room with 3D game characters swarming and closing in on you while you bluetooth your friend for backup seems more of possibility this year. Unanimously, newsgroups rejoice.
McDonalds Now Offers Food, Folks and USENET
December 17th, 2009
Not even the Dollar Menu can top this deal. Road warriors who stop at McDonald’s for a quick cup of joe and/or a snack now can get online and access USENET free of charge. Starting in January, McDonald’s fast food restaurants will become one of the nation’s largest providers of free Wi-Fi Internet access, according to online newsgroups.
Beginning in January 2010, McDonald’s will offer its in-store Wi-Fi service for free, according to reports from various USENET newsgroups. The move is one designed to generate more food and drink sales by luring customers away from coffeehouses and toward the company’s McCafe, especially during between-meal times. The chain will also begin selling frappes and smoothies next year, a snacking appeal that the company hopes will also benefit from the free Internet and USENET access.
The news comes a day after Verizon Wireless began offering free Wi-Fi services to subscribing customers in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In addition to pleasing customers, the move is seen as a way for Verizon to keep its data network nimble as more customers sign up for smartphones and data services. McDonald’s currently charges $2.95 for 2 hours of Wi-Fi service, which is run by AT&T, since it bought Wayport. The newsgroups report that AT&T public Wi-Fi access points have already been used more than 51 million times during 2009, more than double the number of connections during all of 2008.
“We’re not just about hamburgers,” said Dave Grooms, McDonald’s CIO, in a statement to the AP. ”We are about convenience and all kinds of value. McDonald’s is about value — value in our food, value in our services. It’s a natural fit.” The restaurant has 14,000 domestic restaurants, and is the largest Wi-Fi network among restaurants in the U.S. The free coverage will be available in McDonald’s approximately 11,000 locations in the United States, as well as those in Canada that currently offer Wi-Fi. Also to note is that Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo are offering free Internet at some locations (including airports), for limited periods of time.
Newsgroups: Top Searches In 2009
November 30th, 2009
First out of the veritable search engine gates this year, Bing has posted its top searches for 2009. Each year, the big three give us a reveal on what most of us have been looking for all year long.
Here are 2009 top search results from Bing:
1) Michael Jackson - No surprise that the death of the one glove entertainment goliath topped the list.
2) Twitter – The USENET inspired service gained a curious look by many this year – few REAL people joined.
3) Swine Flu – Achoo.
4) Stock Market – Achoo.
5) Farrah Fawcett – Charlie lost an angel this year.
6) Patrick Swayze – Although Ghost and Dirty Dancing brought him fame, he earned the online world respect early with Road House.
7) Cash for Clunkers – A government incentive program to encourage US citizens to purchase foreign cars.
8) Jon and Kate Gosselin – Talk of divorce clogged both the interwebs as well as many USENET newsgroups for the reality television couple with 100 kids.
9) Billy Mays – But wait, there’s one more:
10) Jaycee Dugard – Kidnapped as a child, Jaycee was discovered alive after 18 years from her disappearance, also with a child.
The search trends tend to coincide with the popularity of these topics on newsgroups. Each of these top 10 either have a dedicated newsgroup to the matter or at the very least – a newsgroup related to the topic.
According to Bing, other searches were prominent this year:
“Not surprisingly, we saw a lot of folks using Bing for quick access to favorite sites like Facebook, MSN, Youtube and Craigslist. We also saw a lot of more complex searches such as product related queries in which people used Bing to help decide what MP3 player to buy and travel searches to help find the best deals on a tropical vacation.”
Separate from “Top Trending Topics”, the most popular searches is a general category of search terms that gained the most interest. Top Trending Topics is another list compiled by Bing which mostly covers celebrities. This year, the top three were Megan Fox, Robert Pattinson and holding in at number one – Perez Hilton.
Google has its own trends section will allow users to see real time results on popular searches. Yahoo and Google both are expected to have their own 2009 top 10 searches coming out soon. The Bing results are only gathered from US results and do not include a UK edition. To find out more, many Microsoft and search engine newsgroups provide discussion groups on the matter.
UPDATE:
Google and Yahoo have both released their top 10 results. In each, Michael Jackson takes hold of the charts in each. However, looking closely at the rest is where all the similarities apparently end:
- michael jackson
- tuenti
- sanalika
- new moon
- lady gaga
- windows 7
- dantri.com.vn
- torpedo gratis
Yahoo
1) Michael Jackson
2) The Twilight Saga
3) WWE
4) Megan Fox
5) Britney Spears
6) Naruto
7) American Idol
8) Kim Kardashian
9) NASCAR
10) Runescape
DVR Users Like Television Commercials
November 2nd, 2009
DVR proves itself to be a friend, not foe, to TV. According to a New York Times article released today, nearly half of all DVR users let the advertisements play during each showing.
A Nielsen study cited by the New York Times, and currently being discussed on Television newsgroups found that 46% of DVR viewers between the ages of 18 and 49 intentionally chose to watch advertisements rather than fast-forwarding through them.
The article from NYT that’s getting a lot of attention from entertainment and media newsgroups states:
Against almost every expectation, nearly half of all people watching delayed shows are still slouching on their couches watching messages about movies, cars and beer. According to Nielsen, 46 percent of viewers 18 to 49 years old for all four networks taken together are watching the commercials during playback, up slightly from last year. Why would people pass on the opportunity to skip through to the next chunk of program content?
The most basic reason, according to Brad Adgate, the senior vice president for research at Horizon Media, a media buying firm, is that the behavior that has underpinned television since its invention still persists to a larger degree than expected.
“It’s still a passive activity,” he said.
Two years ago, in a seismic change from past practice, Nielsen started measuring television consumption by the so-called commercial-plus-three ratings, which measure viewing for the commercials in shows that are watched either live or played back on digital video recorders within three days. This replaced the use of program ratings.
Taken in total, all of this is good news for advertisers. A shockingly high percentage of the viewers of prerecorded television programming choose to watch ads, even when given the option to skip them, and those who skipped through at 4 times real time speed still ended up watching at least a portion of a pharmaceutical commercial.
Newsgroup Spotlight: Nobel Prize Categories
October 15th, 2009
As many in the United States discussed Barack Obama for winning the Nobel Prize for Peace, there are other notable awards that were handed out for other categories. Multiple awards were given to groups and individuals that had been responsible for some amazing achievements.
All of these fields that these people had won in share at least one thing in common; dedicated discussion newsgroups on USENET. Thousands over time have contributed, shared and/or discussed the same topics that continue to this day for the same common goal: advancement in knowledge and application.
It wouldn’t be surprising if each of these awarded individuals had some sort of background with USENET. As the premier and prominent online source for communication and sharing ideas, it’s very possible that one, if not some, used USENET as a resource.
Here are the other winners of the Nobel Prize this year:
In the Physiology and Medicine category, the award had gone to Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak, a group responsible for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and an enzyme.
In Physics, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith shared one half of the award for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit – the CCD sensor - as the other half went to Charles K. Kao for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication, which could lead to astonishing speeds in data transmission.
In the ever changing world of Chemistry, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E. Yonath shared the award for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome, which are complexes of RNA and protein that are found in all cells.
In the Economics front, it was Elinor Ostrom for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons and Oliver E. Williamson for his analysis of economic governance, especially the boundaries of the firm that won them the rights to share the prize equally.
Lastly, in the world of Literature, Herta Müller from Germany won who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed.
The achievements each of them have been able to make have been due to the same elements that can be found on USENET: research, discovery and knowledge. With these at our disposal, future advancements are not only possible, but likely.
As many in the United States discussed Barack Obama for winning the Nobel Prize for Peace, there are other notable awards that were handed out for other categories. Six awards in all were given to groups and individuals that had been responsible for some amazing achievements.
All of these fields that these people had won in share something in common; dedicated discussion newsgroups on USENET. Thousands over time have contributed, shared or discussed the same topics that continue to this day for the same common goal: advancement in knowledge and application.
It wouldn’t be surprising if each of these awarded individuals had some sort of background with USENET. As the premier and prominent online source for communication and sharing ideas, it’s very possible that one, if not some, used USENET as a resource.
Here are the other winners of the Nobel Prize this year:
In the Physiology and Medicine category, the award had gone to Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak, a group responsible for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and an enzyme.
In Physics, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith shared one half of the award for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit – the CCD sensor - as the other half went to Charles K. Kao for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication, which could lead to astonishing speeds in data transmission.
In the ever changing world of Chemistry, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E. Yonath shared the award for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome, which are complexes of RNA and protein that are found in all cells.
In the Economics front, it was Elinor Ostrom for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons and Oliver E. Williamson for his analysis of economic governance, especially the boundaries of the firm that won them the rights to share the prize equally.
Lastly, in the world of Literature, Herta Müller from Germany won who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed.
The achievements each of them have been able to make have been due to the same elements that can be found on USENET: research, discovery and knowledge. With these at our disposal, future advancements are not only possible, but likely.
Newsgroup Spotlight: Marketplace Newsgroups
October 7th, 2009
If you’re looking to sell something online, you may not have to bother with the usual channels of maon, eBay or CraigsList. For almost 30 years, USENET newsgroups have been a great resource for people to do sell and buy on newsgroups.
One of the first channels of selling online had been on the USENET. With a variety of different categories and industries to choose from, it’s easy to find or place an ad that attracts the desired attention.
Like all online selling channels, there is precaution that needs to be taken. Just like any other online transaction, scrutiny needs to be given on what to buy from whom.
With enough research and playing it safe, you can join the thousands of others who have rare treasures hidden deep within the articles and posts of marketplace newsgroup postings.
If you’re looking to place something for sale on newsgroups, take a look at what USENET has to offer. If you play your cards right, you may find yourself buying that rare whatnot for that thingamajig you’ve always wanted.
Banned Books Week Announced On Newsgroups
September 26th, 2009
On many arts and literature newsgroups, the main topic of discussion this week is all about the ALA’s Banned Books Week. Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event which celebrates the freedom to read and the importance of the United States First Amendment. Always held during the last week of September, BBW highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship. This form and attempt of censorship is something very familiar as well with many newsgroups on USENET.
Launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, BBW was created primarily by bookstores and libraries, headed by The American Library Association.
More than a thousand books have been challenged since then. People have challenged books that they say are too offensive for one reason or another: sex, violence, profanity, slang, racial or religion for the most part. Their targets range from books that explore the latest problems to classic and beloved works of American literature.
Some of the mainstream titles that have been banned are:
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
- Forever – Judy Blume
- The Catcher In The Rye – J.D. Salinger
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling
- In The Night Kitchen – Maurice Sendak
- Beloved – Toni Morrison
Others include: “To Kill a Mockingbird.” “Charlotte’s Web.” “The Sun Also Rises.” “As I Lay Dying.” “Kim.” “Winnie-the-Pooh.”
Over the years, groups and communities have taken it upon themselves to determine what books are worthy of being stacked on library shelves and what should be kept from the public. Many libraries and bookstores have answered back that access to such works, no matter what their content, is one of the precious traditions that should be defended.
In response, The American Library Association’s designated an annual Banned Books Week – now in its 28th year – to answer this cause. Many books challenged by communities as being inappropriate for public dissemination or that were targeted for banning have survived because of BBW as it brings librarians, teachers, booksellers and the media to rally and create public opposition to such moves.
Much like the freedoms of USENET, intellectual freedom, while not an explicit freedom guaranteed by the United States First Amendment, sits at the heart of our democracy; it is the freedom to access information and express ideas—even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular. Banned Books Week stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.
Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event which celebrates the freedom to read and the importance of the United States First Amendment. Always held during the last week of September, BBW highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship. This form and attempt of censorship is something very familiar as well with many newsgroups on USENET.
Launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, BBW was created primarily by bookstores and libraries, headed by The American Library Association.
More than a thousand books have been challenged since then. People have challenged books that they say are too offensive for one reason or another: sex, violence, profanity, slang, racial or religion for the most part. Their targets range from books that explore the latest problems to classic and beloved works of American literature.
Some of the mainstream titles that have been banned are:
· Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
· Forever – Judy Blume
· The Catcher In The Rye – J.D. Salinger
· Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling
· In The Night Kitchen – Maurice Sendak
· Beloved – Toni Morrison
Others include: “To Kill a Mockingbird.” “Charlotte’s Web.” “The Sun Also Rises.” “As I Lay Dying.” “Kim.” “Winnie-the-Pooh.”
Over the years, groups and communities have taken it upon themselves to determine what books are worthy of being stacked on library shelves and what should be kept from the public. Many libraries and bookstores have answered back that access to such works, no matter what their content, is one of the precious traditions that should be defended.
In response, The American Library Association’s designated an annual Banned Books Week – now in its 28th year – to answer this cause. Many books challenged by communities as being inappropriate for public dissemination or that were targeted for banning have survived because of BBW as it brings librarians, teachers, booksellers and the media to rally and create public opposition to such moves.
Much like the freedoms of USENET, intellectual freedom, while not an explicit freedom guaranteed by the United States First Amendment, sits at the heart of our democracy; it is the freedom to access information and express ideas—even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular. Banned Books Week stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.
