Phronesis

Rafael Nadal beats Roger Federer to win Australian Open

2009-02-03T04:04:00.000-08:00

So finally it is official. Rafael Nadal truly is a superhuman performer after recovering from the longest marathon the Australian Open has ever known to overcome the might of Roger Federer and claim his third grand-slam title in a brilliant seven-month stretch.

It was a night of firsts at Melbourne Park. The first Spaniard ever to win the year's opening major. The first Australian final to extend to five sets since the event was moved to this venue five years ago. The first grand-slam final ever to reach a conclusion beyond midnight.

However, the evening will forever be remembered for the magnificence of Nadal's performance in once again proving himself the master of endurance to beat Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2. There is no stopping this 22-year-old and huge doubts must be in the mind of his great rival as to whether he ever will go on to beat Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand-slam titles.

As Federer leveled the match at two sets all, it looked inevitable that he would level the Sampras total. Nadal, extended by his countryman Fernando Verdasco to five hours 14 minutes of action less than two days earlier, appeared to have hit a physical wall, while the Swiss seemed to be hitting his stride.

adal then once again proved he is a competitor who can never be counted out. He regrouped, he changed his shirt, bandana and racket and came back to outgun Federer with display that left the three-time Australian Open champion looking like a man ready to accept defeat in the closing few games.

There was a strange resignation to Federer's play at the end. No longer was he the imperious champion who once accepted victory in hard-court finals as a near-certainty. There is now almost an inferiority complex when he stands next to Nadal and the flood of tears that delayed his runner-up speech almost suggested a knowledge that his truly great days are over.

If last summer's Wimbledon final between the pair was the greatest tennis match ever played, then for long periods this offering was not far behind. Some of the rallys were truly stunning, some of the recovery play seemed to break the bounds of human possibility and the gaggle of greats sitting in the Presidents' Box including Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, John Newcombe, Tony Roche and Neale Fraser were, like the rest of the 15,000 crowd, repeatedly forced into rapturous applause.

Perhaps the omens of it not being Federer's night were plain from the opening game as he uncharacteristically dropped serve. This was not the stuff expected of legends; he framed a forehand long and was then horrendously wrong-footed as Nadal could hardly believe his initial luck.

By his own immaculate standards, Federer did not serve well all match. He went through several periods where he struggled to get his first delivery into play and hit six double faults, several of them at crucial moments.

Nadal may have served half as many aces but was still a model of consistency from the service line and had the ability to produce the big one when required. But the deciding factors were his resilience, his spirit, his attitude and his strength. He has now proved he can win on a hard court in a five-set final in the same way that he has done on clay and grass.

Perhaps it was apt that he received his trophy from Laver himself, the last man ever to complete the full grand-slam. Given Nadal's immaculate new credentials on all surfaces on which major tournaments are played, there is a distinct possibility that 40 years on from Laver's feat, we will finally be lauding somebody else as the king of the grand slam.

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Did You Know 3.0

2009-01-26T04:43:00.000-08:00

Sony Vaio P Series Notebook

2009-01-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

Go Lightly.

Overview
The world’s lightest¹ 8" notebook, the 1.4-pound² VAIO^® P Series Lifestyle PC does more than you could imagine–with impeccable style. Email at the airport, IM from the park, or just show it off when you want some attention. Traveling to a new city? Turn-by-turn GPS navigation will get you there faster. Best of all, it fits right in your purse or jacket pocket.

Fashionable and flashy, this ultra-portable Lifestyle PC makes a statement wherever you go. Choose from four colors, each inspired by the crystalline shimmer of natural gemstones.

Keep moving and stop waiting. The instant-on, ultra-bright 8-inch³ LED-backlit screen of the Lifestyle PC means you never have to wait for it to warm up. Plus, its extra-wide 1600 x 768 resolution easily displays the width of an entire page, putting an end to side-to-side scrolling that can slow you down.

Looking for a place to eat? Type the word "restaurant" and let the Lifestyle PC be your guide. Using built-in GPS technology, your current location is found and real-time, on-screen directions lead the way. No internet connection required.

Connect and go. Featuring built-in wireless access⁴, the Lifestyle PC puts the internet in your pocket. And this is no stripped down version of the web, either. Everything is there, displayed just like it is on your home PC. Video chat with your friends⁵, download music or do some online shopping—from virtually anywhere

Enjoy a complete notebook experience without compromise. Small in size but big on functionality, the Lifestyle PC delivers the same convenient features you’re used to, but with go-anywhere style. A Windows Vista^® operating system supports all the software programs you already use: Microsoft Office applications, music programs, video players and more.

Features
Sporting a refined, polished design with a subtle edge, the Lifestyle PC instantly distinguishes you from the crowd. Available in an array of crystal-inspired colors, the Lifestyle PC is the essence of style.

About as thin as a deck of cards, it’s a cinch to tote. Whether you’re crossing the street or crossing a border, this Lifestyle PC fits seamlessly into your life. At just 1.4 pounds², you might even forget you’re carrying it

Featuring a convenient, one-button quick-boot option, the Lifestyle PC offers fast access to the web, email, photos and more. Dive directly into the fun stuff via Instant Mode using a version of Sony’s own xross media bar^™, the same intuitive system found on the PLAYSTATION^®3 and select BRAVIA^® HDTVs.

Getting your point across has never been easier. The Lifestyle PC features a built-in MOTION EYE^® webcam and microphone that lets you quickly snap photos and video chat with friends and family⁵

Your friends, your news, and your entertainment when you need it. The Lifestyle PC lets you browse the web in more places with built-in, Verizon 3G broadband connectivity⁵.

Benefits of built-in wireless access:

No wireless card needed
Added durability
Constant connection
Easy management of WAN, 802.11n wireless LAN4 and Bluetooth® connections

You’ll also enjoy:

Real-time tracking of your current location
The ability to search by address, keyword or points of interest
Estimated drive times to your desired location
Points of interest, such as restaurants and hotels within 50 miles of your location

Specifications

1.33GHz Intel Processor
Genuine Microsoft Vista Home Premium or Home Basic (32-bit)
8" LED Backlit 1600 x 768 display, 1.4 Lbs.Up to 60GB hard drive, available 128GB SSD
Up to 4-hour Battery
2GB RAM

Source: www.sonystyle.com

The 7 Coolest New Features in Windows 7

2009-01-11T04:33:00.000-08:00

The New Windows Taskbar

The Taskbar, the strip along the bottom of the Windows desktop that shows active applications, has been redesigned. Now, it feels and behaves a lot more like Mac OS X’s dock. You can reorder applications by dragging them. You can further customize the Taskbar by dropping in icons that launch your most-used apps. And, you can see live thumbnails of what’s inside the window of each open application right there in the Taskbar. If you have multiple tabs open in your browser, you’ll see each browser tab in its own thumbnail, and you can jump straight to the tab you want. If you’re listening to a song or watching a movie, hovering over the thumbnail will bring up cover art and controls to pause or resume playback.

Jump Lists

These context-sensitive menus are available for each program in your Taskbar and your Start Menu. Click on the programs’ name or icon to get a list of the most recent or frequently-requested tasks. For example, you can click on the Internet Explorer icon in the Taskbar and see your recent browsing history or choose from a list of your most-visited websites. Or, click on your MS Word in the Start Menu and see a Jump List of your most recently viewed documents.

Aero’s New Moves

Microsoft first debuted the glossy, animated Aero user interface environment in Windows Vista. At the time, many noted that several visual cues within Aero seemed borrowed from the Mac OS X desktop. Aero returns in Windows 7 revamped and pumped-up. One of the new enhancements, Aero Peek, seems to borrow from Mac OS X’s own animated window manager, Expose. Hover your mouse over the far right side of your Windows Taskbar and your active windows become transparent, exposing the desktop.

The new Snap feature lets you expand and maximize windows simply by dragging them to different edges of the desktop. Drag a window’s top edge to the top of the screen to maximize it, and drag it away to restore it to its original size. Line up any window’s edge to either side of the desktop and that window will snap to fill up that half of the screen. Do the same with another window on the other side and you’ve got two equal-sized windows on either side of the screen.

Unified Search

The old Start Menu gains a greater amount of utility in Windows 7. The clunky nested menus are gone, and they’ve taken with them all the guesswork involved in finding your favorite apps. A search box in the Start Menu offers lightning-quick suggested search results as you type. Search extends into contacts, e-mail subjects, names of documents, playlists, song titles and even the names of individual settings in your Windows Control Panel. It also learns from you, bringing the things you use the most to the top of the results.

Fewer Annoying Pop-ups

Remember the famously intrusive User Account Control system in Vista? The feature that constantly displays yes/no prompts asking you to approve system status updates, butting in all too often like a nagging nanny? How could you forget, right? As expected, Microsoft has scaled back the pop-ups for all users. Furthermore, advanced users with admin rights can set a slider based on their own preferences. That way, only the most important messages get through, and notifications for things like the built-in firewall can be disabled.

HomeGroups

Put multiple Windows 7 PCs on a single network and they’ll all find and connect to one another, forming a HomeGroup. Users can then browse all of the media stored across the multiple PCs as though they were all on the same hard drive. Sharing within any folder can be disabled for security reasons. You also get location-aware printing — click print and the system will pick the printer closest to you.

Device Stage

Windows 7’s device manager gives you a single window for interacting with your various gadgets. Plug in your cameras, MP3 players and printers, and you’ll be able to see all of them listed in the Device Stage window. Click on a device to get details on its status — battery charge, available storage space, the time and date of your last sync and so on. From within the same interface, you can sync it, manage your photos, music or ringtones you have stored on it, or any other device-specific task. We haven’t tested Device Stage, so we don’t know how well it will work with iPhones and iPods, but for cameras and Windows Mobile smartphones, it looks very cool.

- by: Michael Calore

Source: www.webmonkey.com

Bedtime Stories: Bugsy's Dance

2009-01-09T04:58:00.000-08:00

Bugsy shows his dancing skills. From Disney's Bedtime Stories

Microsoft Releases Windows 7 Beta as a Free Download

2009-01-08T05:23:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS -- Microsoft's excitable CEO Steve Ballmer showed off Windows 7 -- the slick, fast, user-friendly successor to the much-maligned Windows Vista -- and said it will be available as a public beta on Friday (January 9).

Unveiled by an intense Ballmer during his keynote address on the eve of CES 2009, Windows 7 will offer better performance on underpowered machines such as netbooks, support for multitouch interfaces, and simplified home networking.

Ballmer said that this would be the "best version of Windows ever" and pointed out features that implicitly acknowledged the problems with Windows Vista.

"We are putting in all the right ingredients -- simplicity, reliability and speed -- and working hard to get it right and to get it ready," said Ballmer.

Ballmer's keynote is his first at the big, prestigious CES show since the departure of Microsoft founder Bill Gates a year ago. He showed no signs of stage fright, bounding onstage in a maroon pullover, rubbing his hands together and grinning eagerly.

Microsoft is also eager to get Windows 7 into people's hands given the negative reaction to Windows Vista, which was widely panned. Released in 2007, Vista annoyed many customers with its hunger for computing resources and its seemingly incessant security notifications. Those notifications were such a defining characteristic of Vista that they were even satirized in Apple commercials. Despite the criticisms, Microsoft sold 20 million copies of Vista in the first month, and there are now an estimated 300 million users of Vista worldwide.

According to Ballmer, Windows 7 will be available to developers immediately, and to the general public on Friday, January 9. It will be a free download from Microsoft's site.

Windows 7 has been widely anticipated since developers got the first glimpse of it at a Microsoft conference earlier this year. Microsoft promises that the new OS will have faster startup and shutdown times, fewer security alerts, and will provide better power management leading to improved battery life on laptops.

Microsoft showed off Windows 7's support for multitouch interfaces, simplified home networking, and easier management of peripheral devices such as cell phones and digital cameras.

In addition, the OS will have an updated Taskbar, new animated desktop effects, context-sensitive menus and a smarter desktop search tool. And it will be svelte enough to run on a netbook with as little as 1GB of RAM and a 1GHz processor, Microsoft has promised.

This is the only public beta of Windows 7, a company spokesperson confirmed. The company did not announce the exact date of Windows 7's commercial release.

Windows 7 is only one part of Microsoft's three-pronged strategy to provide software for what Ballmer called the "three screens" -- PCs, phones and TVs.

"I believe windows will remain at the center of people's technological solar system," Ballmer said, touting the company's efforts in the mobile, online, and home entertainment markets.

For instance, Ballmer announced that its online software suite, Windows Live Essentials, will be coming out of beta as of tomorrow.

The company announced several Windows Live partnerships, including one with Facebook, which will allow Facebook users to share content that they've uploaded into their Facebook accounts with their Windows Live accounts. Similar interconnectivity already exists between Windows Live and Flickr.

Also, Dell will be preloading Windows Live Essentials on its computers, replacing the Google Toolbar.

Ballmer promised a new version of Microsoft's OS for smartphones, Windows Mobile, to come in the first quarter of 2009. This OS will include support for Adobe Flash-based apps, including the video players used on many sites, such as YouTube.

After Ballmer, Microsoft's Robbie Bach took the stage to tout the company's Xbox 360 and Xbox Live products. According to Bach, 28 million Xbox consoles have been sold to date, and there are 17 million active users of the Xbox Live service.

The company will also be releasing two new Halo games in 2009, including Halo Wars, a strategy game that will ship on March 3, and Halo 3: Orbital Drop Shock Trooper.

Wrapping up the keynote, Ballmer and another Microsoft executive gave a demo of a futuristic multitouch application for students that made use of many technologies from the company's R&D labs, including automatic document summarizing and highlighting of key points, organizing notes along topical timelines, and collaborating with other students on a Microsoft Surface-type touch-sensitive table. They also showed what they said was a prototype flexible display, although the image shown on the bendable plastic did not seem particularly dynamic.

Source: www.wired.com

10 Most Awesome iPhone Apps of 2008

2009-01-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

The iPhone alone is an amazing device. But it's the phenomenal App Store that's made the iPhone truly revolutionary, by giving thousands of independent developers the ability extend and transform the device with their creativity.

Not even half a year old, the store has surpassed a milestone of 10,000 pieces of software available. Since the beginning, Wired.com has paid close attention to the gems that shine among the dross.

We've plucked out a list of 10 apps — from mapping software to musical instruments to games — that deserve applause for their quality, innovation and breakthrough achievements. Here they are — Jay Leno style — with our top pick at the very bottom.

10. Stanza
A book reader that grabs free titles from public domains, Stanza has "soared in popularity — making the iPhone a worthy competitor to Amazon's Kindle. And if those free books aren't enough, Stanza recently expanded to incorporate a "store to purchase commercial titles. The app did a good job pleasing Wired.com's Charlie Sorrel, who "modified his Moleskine notebook so he could embed his iPod touch in it. (That way, he could read e-books at the cafe while exuding an aura of pretentious artiness, instead of pretentious geekiness.) "Download Stanza (Free)

9. SayWhere
You get used to typing on the iPhone after some time, but punching in addresses to look up directions is by far the biggest drag. DialDirections was the first to introduce speech-recognition capabilities to the iPhone with SayWhere, which translates users' speech into queries for Google Maps, Yelp, Traffic or Yellow Pages. It's a nifty app, especially for keeping drivers' eyes on the road rather than the iPhone's virtual keyboard. "Download SayWhere (Free)

8. Tweetie
Twitter, a new form of micro-blogging, became more legitimate when it "broke the news of the deadly Mumbai attacks. And Tweetie is the best app we've found to follow your Twitter friends. The app neatly separates Twitter feeds into categories, and the interface resembles the bubbly iChat interface that most of us have come to love. It even lets you search Twitter and save those searches for later. A must-have for Twitterholics. "Download Tweetie ($3)

7. NetShare
This app is so cool you can't have it anymore. Nullriver's NetShare, an application that turns your iPhone into a wireless modem, disappeared from the App Store shortly after its release. Later, we learned "Apple banned the app because NetShare violated AT&T's terms of service agreement. So only a lucky few (including some Wired.com staff) got the benefits of unlimited iPhone tethering, which normally costs about $30 a month, for a one-time price of $10. Bummer!

6. Shazam
Everyone's familiar with this scenario: You hear a really catchy, unfamiliar song on the radio and you have no idea what it's called. You hum it to yourself repeatedly and attempt to memorize the lyrics, only to forget it after slamming a few shots at the bar. Shazam will never leave you struggling to recollect these thoughts again: Hold the iPhone up to a speaker playing the unknown tune and the app will identify it — album, artist and song title — just like that. "Download Shazam (Free)

5. Ocarina
The hottest music app in the App Store, Ocarina thought beyond the iPhone's touchscreen and found a unique way to use the handset's microphone. Blowing into the mic simulates the experience of tooting into a flute; you play around with four virtual "holes" on the screen to change the note. Ocarina users around the world can even hear what you're playing in a globe mode. It takes a while to get a hang of it, but Ocarina gives away just how creative iPhone apps can get so long as developers have enough imagination. "Download Ocarina ($1)

4. TapTapRevenge
You'd have to be living on a different planet (or a retirement home) if you haven't heard of Guitar Hero, the game that gets players to twitch their fingers compulsively along with the beat of their favorite songs. Developer Tapulous took the same idea to make an extremely addictive rhythm game called Tap Tap Revenge. Tapping blinking lights on a screen to catch tunes isn't exactly the same as rocking out on plastic guitars and drum pads, but it's still highly addictive. And Tap Tap Revenge is so popular it's even offering the option to download new tracks to tap to, similar to Guitar Hero and Rock Band's music stores. "Download TapTapRevenge (Free)

3. Trism
Trism is such an addictive and appealing game that it blessed its developer Steve Demeter with $250,000 in profit in just two months. And deservedly so, because the game's really well designed and plays something like a Bejeweled with an accelerometer to move around the puzzle pieces. It wouldn't be fair to call it one game, either: There are three different modes to keep you hooked. "Download Trism ($3)

2. Pandora
Whoa whoa whoa — free downloaded music on a portable device? You don't say. Pandora's alternative music distribution made this happen, and the app is cool as hell on the iPhone. Add a station for an artist you like, and the app will play that artist's music as well as similar tunes you might like. What better way to find new music with the wealth of new bands out there? ">Download Pandora (Free)

1. Google Earth
When Steve Jobs called the iPhone "Your life in your pocket," he probably didn't expect Google to deliver the world in your pocket. Well, virtually. Displaying satellite imagery around the world in a 3-D globe, Google Earth is one of the most intense, mindblowing apps that truly "shows off the powers of the iPhone. If you want to impress your grandmother with a demonstration of just how far technology has come since she was a girl, this ought to do the trick. "Download Google Earth (Free)

- by Brian X. Chen

Source: www.wired.com

X-Men Origins: Wolverine [official trailer]

2008-12-25T05:01:00.000-08:00

Plot

Wolverine lives a mutant life, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (who will later become Sabertooth) for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up going through the mutant Weapon X program.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-16T20:15:00.000-08:00

Sony PlayStation Portable 3000

2008-12-09T05:28:00.000-08:00

The PSP-3000 is the redesigned version of Sony's popular PlayStation Portable. The first PSP-1000 was followed by the PSP Slim&Lite (PSP-2000) announced during E3 2007. The PSP-3000 is an even slicker version of the PSP Slim&Lite, it was announced during Sony's Leipzig Games Convention press conference. The PSP-3000 looks almost exactly the same like the PSP-2000 Slim&Lite, but this new version of the PlayStation Portable has a built-in microphone and a better screen. The screen of the PSP-3000 is able to resist glare, so it will work better outdoors. The built-in microphone can be used for applications like Skype for PSP or for online gaming via Infrastructure.

The Video-Out feature has also been enhanced, the PSP-3000 is able to interlace with televisions that don't support a progressive output. Now you can use your PSP-3000 on non-HDTV's as well. The PSP-3000 will be released on October 15th in Europe and will be sold for €199.

Specifications of the PSP 3000 as per the Sony press release:

PSP(R)(PlayStation(R)Portable) (PSP-3000) Product Overview

Product name PSP(R)(PlayStation(R)Portable)

External dimensions Approx. 169.4 x 18.6 x 71.4 mm / 6 3/4 x 3/4 x
2 3/4 in (width Ã— height Ã— depth) (excludes
largest projection)

Weight Approx. 189g / 6.7 oz (including battery pack)

CPU PSP CPU (System clock frequency 1-333MHz)

Main memory 64MB

Display 4.3 inches (16:9) full-transparent type, TFT
drive,
480 x 272 pixel, Approximately 16,770,000 colors
displayed

Sound Built-in stereo speakers

Main input/ output Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b)(Wi-Fi)
High Speed USB (USB2.0) (mini-B)
Memory Stick PRO Duo(TM)
Analog Video Out
Microphone

Main connectors DC IN 5V connector
DC OUT connector
video out/headset connector
USB connector
Memory Stick Duo(TM) slot

Key/ Switches Directional buttons (up/down/right/left),
analog stick,
Action buttons (triangle, circle, cross, square),
L/R buttons
START button, SELECT button, PS button
POWER/HOLD switch, WLAN switch
display button, sound button, volume (+/-) buttons

Power sources Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery pack
AC adaptor
USB power supply

Internal disc drive Read-only UMD(TM) drive

Supported profile PSP(R) (PlayStation(R) Portable) Game
UMD(TM) Video

Access control Region code, parental control

Wireless communications Infrastructure mode
Ad hoc mode (connects up to 16 consoles)

Supplied accessories AC adaptor
Battery pack (1200mAh)

Supported codec (in Memory Stick)

Video — Memory Stick Video Format
- MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC LC)
- H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile (AAC LC)
— MP4 File Format
- MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC LC)
- H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile- CABAC only -
(AAC LC) / Baseline Profile (AAC LC)
— AVI
- Motion JPEG (Linear PCM or u-Lau)

Music — Memory Stick Audio Format
- ATRAC3(TM)
- ATRAC3plus(TM)
- MP3
— MP3(MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer3)
— MP4(MPEG-4 AAC)
— WAVE(Linear PCM)
— WMA(Windows Media(R) Audio 9 Standard only) (*5)

Photo — JPEG (DCF2.0/Exif2.21compliant)
— TIFF
— BMP
— GIF
— PNG

*5 WMA Playback feature needs to be enabled.

PSP(R)(PlayStation(R)Portable) (PSP-3000) Color Variations

Product name PSP(R)(PlayStation(R)Portable)
Color name Piano Black
Product code PSP-3000 PB

Product name PSP(R)(PlayStation(R)Portable)
Color name Pearl White
Product code PSP-3000 PW

Product name PSP(R)(PlayStation(R)Portable)
Color name Mystic Silver
Product code PSP-3000 MS

The male and female side of a computer

2008-11-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

Top ten reasons why computers are male

10. They have a lot of data but are still clueless.

9. A better model is always just around the corner.

8. They look nice and shiny until you bring them home.

7. It is always necessary to have a backup.

6. They’ll do whatever you say if you push the right buttons.

5. The best part of having either one is the games you can play.

4. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.

3. The lights are on but nobody’s home.

2. Big power surges knock them out for the night.

1. Size does matter.

Top ten reasons why computers are female

10. The instruction manual is mostly wishful thinking.

9. Even after you’ve turned them on, they just sit there waiting for you to make the next move.

8. Incorrectly worded commands are completely ignored, or worse, taken literally.

7. They reveal all your secrets to anyone who wants to know.

6. Upgrades react badly to things left behind by previous versions.

5. Rules are absolute and there is no possibility of compromise.

4. Whatever you buy for them, there will always be a newer version that they want.

3. Nothing is ever “really” deleted… obsolete files will be brought up out of nowhere just to annoy you.

2. Error messages always translate to: “Well if you don’t know I’m not going to tell you.”

1. Despite your best efforts to prevent it, they continue to permit unauthorized entry.

Source: paulocoelhoblog.com

Quantum & IT Convention ( QITC )

2008-11-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

The 2nd Mindanao-Wide IT Convention
Marco Hotel, Alwana Business Park Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City
January 23-25 2009

Welcome to Quantum & I.T. Convention!

The QITC is an acronym of Quantum and Information Technology Convention—an innovation of the two ground-breaking activities of the two well-recognized organizations of Xavier University united to accomplish a common goal.

The Quantum

Quantum is a tradition of Xavier Computer Enthusiasts’ League (XCEL) of Xavier University since 1994. It is a pure competition participated by different schools in Mindanao. Its main objectives are to test the level of knowledge and literacy of high school and college students on Computer and Information Technology and to develop a science and technology culture among the youth.

All Schools, Colleges and Universities in Mindanao are invited to join the First Mindanao-Wide Quantum and Information Technology Convention (QITC).

Registration Fee:

1st Cut Off (Jan.5,2009 ): 2,900(student)          3,200(prof)
2nd Cut Off (Jan.16,2009 ):    3,200(student)         3,500(prof)
Walk-In:                  3,400(student)        3,700(prof)


Topics:
Promoting IT in Mindanao
E-Commerce
SMART Technology
3D Technology
Current and Emerging Web Technology

Miranda IM Portable

2008-11-22T22:21:00.000-08:00

Miranda IM Portable is the popular Miranda IM packaged as a portable app, so you can take your instant messaging client on the go.

Features
Miranda IM is a multi protocol instant messenger client for Windows. Miranda IM uses very little memory and is extremely fast. It supports ICQ, AIM, MSN, Jabber, Yahoo, IRC and more. Functionality can be greatly enhanced with an extensive set of plugins (currently over 350) as well. The interface and setup is a bit more involved than other IM clients like Pidgin Portable, but the customization options available are richer.

Download Miranda IM Portable Here

Just Stand Up - Stand Up for Cancer

2008-11-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

Just Stand Up live at Fashion Rocks 2008 performace

Cute! Cute! Cute! Cute!

2008-11-08T04:43:00.000-08:00

Cutest kitty! watcha think? =)

Microsoft Explorer Mouse

2008-10-20T03:43:00.000-07:00

In technological terms, the evolution of the humble mouse has been an incredibly slow one: it's taken over 30 years for the ball mouse to be replaced by now-prevalent laser technology. Microsoft, though, has tried to speed up the evolutionary process with the introduction of its latest Explorer mouse, which features its much-touted 'BlueTrack' technology.

BlueTrack promises to greatly improve precision thanks to some clever fiddling around with the various lasers and LEDs that inhabit normal mice. Instead of the traditional LED, BlueTrack uses an LED that operates at a higher, wider angle to swallow up more desk space, and a CMOS detector that evaluates the surface on a far more detailed level.

The result of this, according to Microsoft, is that the BlueTrack mouse can scan whatever is under your mouse with far more precision than previous mice - which could be of significance to those who demand precision for their work, perhaps, or when gaming.

The new technology also promises to work with a degree of accuracy on plenty of unusual surfaces beyond the standard desk or mouse-mat thanks to the precision of the new laser. Read more..

New MacBook Pro Aluminum

2008-10-18T02:19:00.000-07:00

New design. New features. New technologies.
All engineered to standards that don't even exist yet.

The MacBook Pro 2008 comes with

• The latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at 2.4GHz and 2.53GHz.
• Nvidia GeForce 9400m, a chipset that includes a graphics processors. 70 percent of it is the processor, with 16 parallel chips in one and 54 gigaflops.
• Nvidia GeForce 9600m GT graphics:
- 32 parallel graphics cores
- 120 gigaflops
- 512 MBytes.
• New multi-touch glass trackpad that acts as single button, providing a click feedback when you push it.
• The trackpad is 39% larger than previous models.
• It admits four-finger gestures, so you can call exposé now by using the four fingers, as well as to activate app switching.
• LED displays, which makes the screen a lot thinner.
• All connections are one side.
• Black MacBook Air style keyboard.
• Mini DisplayPort connector.

The specs and prices

• Standard Model: $1999
- 15.4-inch screen
- 2.4GHz processor
- 2GB DDR3-RAM
- Geforce 9400M and 9600M GT
- 250 Gig HDD
- Super-Drive

• Better Model: $2499
- 15.4-inch screen
- 2.53GHz
- 4 GB RAM
- 512 MB on 9600GT
- 320 GIG HDD

Need For Speed: Undercover

2008-10-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

Need for Speed: Undercover is the twelfth installment of the popular racing video game series Need for Speed, developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. It is set for release on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Portable, iPod Touch, iPhone and mobile phone on 18 November 2008.

There will be the return of many ways of racing in Need for Speed Undercover. Sprint, Circuit, Highway Battles (a new mode involving racing on a highway with heavy civilian and police traffic),missions (where the player performs specific missions usually involving the Tri-City Police Department), the "Cops and Robbers" mode, and a new gameplay mode called "The Heist"

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Codename: Vienna (Windows 7) - Successor to Windows Vista

2008-10-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

Windows 7, (formerly codenamed Blackcomb and later Vienna) is the working name for the next major version of Microsoft Windows and the successor to Windows Vista. Microsoft has announced that it is "scoping Windows 7 development to a three-year timeframe", and that "the specific release date will ultimately be determined by meeting the quality bar."

Windows 7 will ship in both client and server versions with the client versions available in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions. The server version of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, is 64-bit only.

Little is known about the Windows 7 feature set, though public presentations from company officials have disseminated information about some features. Leaked information from people to whom the Milestone builds (M1, M2 and M3) of Windows 7 were provided also provides some insight into the feature set.

Windows 7 is expected to be released by 2009 or near January 2010.

Serena Williams: New World Number One Female Tennis Player

2008-09-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American Tennis player, currently ranked world no. 1, who has won 18 Grand Slam titles: 9 singles, 7 doubles along with her sister, 2 mixed doubles and two Olympic gold medals in women's doubles. She is the most recent player, male or female, to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously. In 2005, Tennis magazine ranked her as the 17th-best player of the preceding forty years. She is the younger sister of a former World No. 1 professional female tennis player, Venus Williams. Serena currently resides at Ballen Isles in Palm Beach Garden, Florida.

Nano-Chromatic. The All-New iPod Nano

2008-09-10T04:05:00.000-07:00

New Design. New Features. iPod nano rocks like never before.

Technical Specifications
Height:
3.6 inches (90.7 mm)
Width:
1.5 inches (38.7 mm)
Depth:
0.24 inch (6.2 mm)
Weight:
1.3 ounces (36.8 grams)

Display
* 2-inch (diagonal) color LCD with LED backlight
* 320 by 240 pixels at 204 ppi

Capacity
* 8GB or 16GB flash drive1
* Holds up to 2,000 or 4,000 songs in 128-Kbps AAC format3
* Holds up to 7,000 or 14,000 iPod-viewable photos3
* Holds up to 8 hours or up to 16 hours of video3

Audio
* Skip-free playback
* Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
* Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV.

Video
H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 3.0 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats.

Battery
* Built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery
* Music playback time: Up to 24 hours when fully charged
* Video playback time: Up to 4 hours when fully charged

Input and Output
* Dock connector
* 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack

Source: www.apple.com

Federer Wins Fifth Straight US Open

2008-09-09T04:12:00.000-07:00

The footwork was precise, the touch was sublime, the impeccable Swiss timing was back and Roger Federer glided away with a fifth successive U.S. Open crown on Monday.

After a year of disappointments and setbacks, Federer protected his aura of invincibility at Flushing Meadows in devastating style, handing Andy Murray a 6-2 7-5 6-2 masterclass. While Murray's hopes of ending Britain's 72-year wait for a men's grand slam champion were dashed, Federer clutched major trophy number 13.

Once Murray had dumped a weary backhand into the net, Federer celebrated his first grand slam win of 2008 by sinking to his knees, rolling over on to his back and covering his eyes with his hands.
"One thing for sure, I'm not going to stop at 13. That would be terrible," a beaming Federer, who now trails Pete Sampras's overall record by just one, said courtside.

The triumph breathed new life into what had been a frustrating season for the Swiss master. It started with a bout of glandular fever and continued with a semi-final loss at the Australian Open before morale-sapping final defeats at the French Open and Wimbledon. He also lost his number one status.

Monday's victory finally eased those painful memories.

"It definitely feels great. This is a very special moment in my career," world number two Federer said after sealing his 34th successive match win at Flushing Meadows.

"I had a couple of tough grand slams this year, finishing in semi-finals and two finals, one epic at Wimbledon," said Federer, who was beaten at the French and Wimbledon finals by Rafael Nadal.

"So to take this one home is incredible. It means the world to me. I played great. I felt like I was invincible for a while again and that's exactly how you want to finish a tournament."

"I've got a lot of improving to do if I want to win one of these tournaments," said the sixth seed, who had beaten Nadal in a rain-disrupted encounter to reach his first grand slam final.

"I came up against, in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game. I got the better of him the last two times we played. He definitely set the record straight today."

Bad weather forced the men's final into the third Monday of the tournament for the first time since 1987.

While that was good news for Federer, who walked on court having enjoyed an almost 50 hours of rest, Murray was back in the Arthur Ashe Stadium less than 24 hours after beating Nadal.

It took Federer 20 minutes to take advantage of his fresher pair of legs. He sent Murray on the run in the sixth game of the opening set, and three successive errors from the 21-year-old handed the second seed the break.

GUSTING WIND

A gusting wind swirling around the arena only added to Murray's woes and in just 27 minutes the first set had flashed by, a backhand sailing wide to hand Federer another break.

Federer capitalised on his advantage to charge 2-0 ahead in the second set but Murray suddenly found his range and started sprinkling Federer's territory with winners to level at 2-2.

That galvanised the Briton and he had Federer running scared when he went up 0-40 on the Swiss's serve in the fifth game.

However, Federer was fortunate not to be broken when, trailing 15-40, one of his shots landed long. The linesman failed to call it out and Murray, lacking conviction, opted not to halt the lengthy rally to challenge the point using Hawkeye technology.

Murray produced the error to give Federer a second chance and the 27-year-old Swiss duly held serve.

Displaying the tennis that has become his hallmark -- but unsighted for much of this year -- Federer conjured a dazzling array of backhand, forehand and volley winners to claim four successive points and break Murray again for the set.

A cry of "We love you Roger" echoed around the Ashe arena and Federer responded by lifting his game in the third set.

A weary Murray managed to win only three points as the Swiss stormed 5-0 up before the Scot rallied briefly to foil Federer's first attempt at serving out for the championship. One game later, though, he ran out of puff.

Source: http://www.rediff.com

Google Launches New Web Browser: Chrome

2008-09-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier.

A fresh take on the browser

At Google, we spend much of our time working inside a browser. We search, chat, email and collaborate in a browser. And like all of you, in our spare time, we shop, bank, read news and keep in touch with friends - all using a browser. People are spending an increasing amount of time online, and they're doing things never imagined when the web first appeared about 15 years ago.

Since we spend so much time online, we began seriously thinking about what kind of browser could exist if you started from scratch and built on the best elements out there. We realized that the web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser. What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that's what we set out to build.

So today we're releasing the beta version of a new open source browser: Google Chrome.

On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and simple. To most people, it isn't the browser that matters. It's only a tool to run the important stuff - the pages, sites and applications that make up the web. Like the classic Google homepage, Google Chrome is clean and fast. It gets out of your way and gets you where you want to go.

Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today's complex web applications much better . By keeping each tab in an isolated "sandbox", we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built V8, a more powerful JavaScript engine, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers.

This is just the beginning - Google Chrome is far from done. We've released this beta for Windows to start the broader discussion and hear from you as quickly as possible. We're hard at work building versions for Mac and Linux too, and we'll continue to make it even faster and more robust.

We owe a great debt to many open source projects, and we're committed to continuing on their path. We've used components from Apple's WebKit and Mozilla's Firefox, among others - and in that spirit, we are making all of our code open source as well. We hope to collaborate with the entire community to help drive the web forward.

The web gets better with more options and innovation. Google Chrome is another option, and we hope it contributes to making the web even better.

But enough from us. The best test of Google Chrome is to try it yourself. - http://www.google.com/chrome

I have tried and tested it! It's so cool, safe and more faster and its design is so minimal. And it's for FREE!

Gossip Girl: Summer, Kind of Wonderful (season premiere)

2008-09-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

"Sex, lies and scandal never take a vacation." - Gossip Girl

Our favorite bunch of tortured and flawed teens is back in action with a season that starts in The Hamptons. To our viewing pleasure, no matter where they go or what time of year it is, sex, lies and scandal follow the Gossip Girl characters around. The season premiere delivered on all three counts and even more!

The small time jump between the first season finale and the season premiere was a nice idea. It allowed characters to grow a bit while we weren't looking but not too much that we wouldn't recognize them. It also gave us (and the producers) a chance to see the bunch in a setting other than school.

Most characters are where I thought they would be after the jump: Serena and Dan moping around and thinking about the other, Chuck and Blair moping around and thinking about the other while trying to entertain themselves with other people, Jenny trying to make her internship work but having a hard time at it.

What I didn't expect (until I've read the spoilers about it a few weeks ago) was to see Nate in the arms of an older woman. When I first heard the news that Mädchen Amick was set to guest star in four episodes as a love interest for one of the male teens, I first thought of Chuck. He has the background for doing such things. But when I heard it was Nate, it took me a minute to make this work in my head mostly because, up to that point, I thought that Nate and Serena would spend part of the summer as a couple. When you think about it, it's not that surprising that Nate hooked up with Catherine. He is a hot young man, she is a hot cougar. He is going through a rough patch (father in hiding, friendship problems, etc.) and Catherine brings to him some needed action and lovin'. She seems to have a marriage that is not bringing her everything that she needs. Mädchen Amick was a good choice to play Catherine. She has the looks and can totally deliver the bitchy lines her character must say (just wait to see her in the upcoming episodes).

My favorite storyline of the season premiere is that of Chuck and Blair. I just love to see them face off and try to be the one who's right. In order not to lose face in front of Chuck, Blair comes back to the States with a new boyfriend. Oh the drama! Not only does it bring drama between Blair and "James," who are not truthful to one another, but it also serves its original purpose of making Chuck extremely jealous. One of my favorite scene is when "James" finds the truth about Blair and Chuck and she replies saying that Chuck uses people and that it's bad so she had to get back at him. But Blair, aren't you using people too? "You two deserve each other," "James" told her. He is oh so right but it's almost best to see Blair and Chuck apart than together.

How Blair-like of her to change her mind about dumping "James" when she discovers that he is named Marcus and that he is a Lord? It's every girl's dream to become a princess so no wonder Blair decided to give the couple one more chance when Chuck isn't able to say the words Blair wants to hear. Chuck is totally the Christian Troy of Gossip Girl. He is a ladies' man who likes the idea of being with someone but can't commit.

I know that I'm supposed to root for Dan and Serena since they are the core couple but I find myself actually rooting for them to be with other people. It's like they are going through the "Rachel and Ross syndrome" on Friends with having the characters hook up, break up, wonder, ponder, hook up, break up, etc. Because I've endured the Ross and Rachel thing for 10 years, it's like I can't cope with it too long nowadays especially when there is one of the characters in the couple that I don't care much for (I'm not a huge Serena fan). It was cute to see Dan show up at the White Party but I just don't care for them together anymore... Are you with me on this?

Other tidbits of interest:

Chuck as a P.I. on speed dial!!!

Little Jenny has to grow up very fast due to her internship for Eleanor. She has to work with adults and cope with adult problems. If she keeps working for Eleanor most of the season, it wouldn't surprise me if she gets entangled in more grown up problems that can lead up to sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. I don't want Little Jenny to have to face such problems but then again, it may be interesting to see how she deals with those.

Rufus went on tour. Did he forget about Lily? And did she forget about him during her honey moon?

We didn't see much of Eric in the premiere. What has he been up to? Did he hook up with someone in The Hamptons?

Source: www.tvsquad.com

Rafael Nadal, New World Number One Male Tennis Player

2008-08-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

Rafael Nadal Parera (born June 3, 1986 in Manacor, Majorca) is a Spanish professional tennis player who has been ranked World No. 1 since 18 August 2008.

Nadal has won five Grand Slam singles titles and the 2008 Olympic gold medal. He captured four consecutive French Open from 2005 through 2008 and Wimbledon in 2008. He is the only man other than Bjorn Borg to have won four consecutive French Open titles, one of only three men in the open era who won both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same calendar year, only the second male Spaniard to have won Wimbledon, and the only top-five ranked man to have won an Olympic gold medal in singles.

For much of his career, Nadal has had a rivalry with Roger Federer. He was ranked World No. 2 behind Federer for a record 160 weeks before earning the top spot. Nadal has won 12 of their 18 singles matches, including four of their six Grand Slam finals.

Nadal has been especially successful on clay courts. He has a 22–1 record in clay court tournament finals and is undefeated in over 40 best-of-five-set matches on clay. In each of the last four years, he has won both the French Open and two clay court Master series tournaments. He also owns the longest single-surface winning streak in the open era, having won 81 consecutive matches on clay from April 2005 to May 2007. As a result, some tennis critics and top players already regard him as the greatest clay-court player ever.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

The World's Richest Dropouts

2008-08-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

Michael Dell enrolled as a biology major at University of Texas but spent more time fiddling with stacks of computer parts in his dorm room than hitting up the library. Instead of studying, he started selling new computers through advertisements in local papers.

It was a lucrative distraction. By the end of his freshman year, Dell was selling about $80,000 a month in computers. With the money rolling in, Dell decided not to return to school.

He dropped out of college at 19 to run the company that would become Dell Inc.

Dell explained his attitude to University of Texas grads at a 2003 commencement address: "Circle the pitfalls and highlight the opportunities. Then build a vision of how it could all be better and work like hell to make it happen."

Sheldon Adelson is another billionaire lacking a degree but possessing plenty of hustle. Adelson enrolled at City College of New York but didn't finish, probably because he was too busy with other ventures.

When he was 12, Adelson borrowed $200 from his uncle to start selling newspapers. He dropped out of college to become a court reporter. He also worked as an ad salesman, a consultant, and a tour-business operator.

That relentless drive led him to his first big windfall. He organized the computer industry trade show Comdex and made handsome profits leasing out exhibition space. He's since jumped into casinos, where he's been adding to his fortune ever since. In Forbes' most recent list of the world's billionaires, he ranked 12th with a net worth of $26 billion.

Bill Gates left Harvard during his junior year to work on a little company he'd started called Microsoft.

He recently testified before Congress on the importance of improving the U.S. education system.

"Too many of our students fail to graduate from high school with the basic skills they will need to succeed in the 21st-century economy, much less prepared for the rigors of college and career," said Gates.

School has other benefits too, like who you meet. In 2000, billionaire Steve Ballmer took over the role of chief executive of Microsoft from Gates. The two lived down the hall from each other while they were both students at Harvard.

Source: www.forbes.com

The Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

2008-08-10T03:49:00.001-07:00

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace -- and good wishes from China -- to children all over the world.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame.

Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.

When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.

Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature -- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky -- all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.

Source: http://en.beijing2008.cn

Philippine All-Stars 2008 World Hip Hop Champions

2008-08-05T06:44:00.000-07:00

The Philippine All-Stars performance at the 2008 Hip-Hop competition that took place in Las Vegas. Enjoy! =)

Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince Trailer

2008-07-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

Enjoy! =)

Nadal Wins First Wimbledon Title

2008-07-07T04:03:00.000-07:00

Rafael Nadal described his first Wimbledon title as a "dream" after beating Roger Federer in an epic final.

The 22-year-old won 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (8-10) 9-7 to become the first Spaniard since Manuel Santana in 1966 to win a Wimbledon singles title.

French Open champion Nadal had lost to Federer in the last two finals.

"It's impossible to describe. I'm just very happy. It's unbelievable for me to have the title here at Wimbledon," said the Majorcan.

"It's a dream. Always, as a kid, I dreamed of playing here.

"For any Spanish player to win here is unbelievable - for any player - but especially Spanish because we don't have a lot of titles here."

Nadal is the the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon back to back, and now has five Grand Slam titles. Read more..

Venus Williams: Fifth Wimbledon Title

2008-07-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

Venus Williams captured her fifth Wimbledon title by beating her sister Serena 7-5 6-4 in a high-quality final.

The 28-year-old becomes one of only four players to lift the trophy five times or more in the Open era.

Serena made a blistering start, forging a 4-2 lead, but Venus clawed her way back to 4-4 before breaking at 6-5 to snatch the first set in 53 minutes.

Both players maintained a high standard throughout in blustery conditions, but Venus had the edge when it counted.

She sealed victory when Serena sprayed a backhand into the tramlines but her celebrations were muted as she approached the net to give her sister a hug.

"I can't believe that it's five. When you're in the final against Serena, five seems so far away. She played so awesome so it was really a task," said Venus, now a seven-time Grand Slam champion.

"It's unbelievable that I have won five, especially with some of the injuries that I've had. To know every time I come back I have the chance to make history... I love this place."
Venus now needs one more Wimbledon singles title to match Billie Jean King's record of six, with only Steffi Graf (7) and Martina Navratilova (9) ahead of that.

She had lost to her younger sister in their two previous Wimbledon finals in 2002 and 2003, but Serena admitted Venus deserved victory on Saturday.

"She was a little better today. It didn't work out the way I planned," she said.

"It's a great celebration for our family, we're really happy. I've been working really hard and I'm so happy at least one of us was able to win."

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Surfing Dog!

2008-07-02T04:54:00.000-07:00

Surfer dog : A dog participates at the 3rd Annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort surf dog competition at Imperial Beach, south of San Diego, California.

Bill Gates surrendering Microsoft helm

2008-06-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

A Harvard University dropout who ushered in the home computer age and made billions of dollars along the way will have his last official day of work at Microsoft on June 27.

Three people will essentially fill the void left behind when Bill Gates retires from the company he and friend Paul Allen co-founded in 1975.

Since Gate's began his transition from leading Microsoft to heading his personally-bankrolled charity, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , his job as chief software architect has been handled by Ray Ozzie. Read more...

All hail the new king

2008-06-29T05:51:00.000-07:00

by Dan Rafael. Espn.com

LAS VEGAS -- Top Rank promoter Bob Arum likes to joke that Manny Pacquiao is so good that maybe someday he could challenge heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Arum is obviously kidding, but his point is well taken.

Pacquiao continued to defy boxing logic by once again moving up in weight and turning in another dominant, title-winning performance on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, this time claiming a lightweight championship.

And for those who didn't already have Pacquiao No. 1 on the pound-for-pound list, perhaps favoring Joe Calzaghe like ESPN.com has since Floyd Mayweather's retirement earlier this month, get ready for another change of the guard. Read More...

Ana defeated by inspired Zheng

2008-06-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

Ana suffered a shock third-round loss at Wimbledon, as she was beaten by China's Jie Zheng 6-1, 6-4 in 72 minutes in Court 1. The 23-year-old underdog played superbly, while Ana was far from her best.

The result determines that the 20-year-old world No.1, who had reached the semi-finals last year, will not contest the second week of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the 2007 Australian Open, when she lost to Russia's Vera Zvonareva at the same stage. Read more...

Tennis Latest Rankings

2008-06-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

As of June 16

Men Women
1. R. Federer
2. R. Nadal
3. N. Djokovic
4. N. Davydenko
5. D. Ferrer
6. A. Roddick
7. D. Nalbandian
8. J. Blake
9. R. Gasquet
10. S. Wawrinka

Women
1. A. Ivanovic
2. J. Jankovic
3. M. Sharapova
4. S. Kuznetsova
5. E. Dementieva
6. S. Williams
7. V. Williams
8. C. Chakvetadze
9. D. Safina
10. D. Hamtuchova

Wimbledon under fire for pigeon cull

2008-06-25T02:26:00.000-07:00

LONDON, June 24 (Reuters) - Wimbledon came under fire from animal activists on Tuesday for using marksmen to shoot down dive-bombing pigeons.

The tournament employs two hawks to scare away pigeons who had become a pest swooping down on Centre Court and distracting players in the middle of tense matches.

But the hawks failed to keep the pigeons away from the players’ lawn and the open-air media restaurant so marksmen were called in.

“The hawks are our first line of deterrent, and by and large they do the job,” Wimbledon spokesman Johnny Perkins said.

“But unfortunately there were one or two areas where the hawks didn’t deter the pigeons, so it was deemed necessary to take a harder approach,” he explained.

The marksmen were summoned by Wimbledon as pigeon droppings on the restaurant tables were thought to be a health hazard.

The decision to call in the marksmen was condemned as “cruel and illegal behaviour” by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) which complained to the tournament organisers and the police.

“Since the use of marksmen to kill pigeons appears to have been carried out as a first, rather than a last resort, and not out of a concern for public health, but rather because the animals were deemed inconvenient by players, you appear to be in clear violation of the law,” PETA vice-president Bruce Friedrich said.

Source: www.sports.yahoo.com

BMW GINA Visionary Model

2008-06-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

BMW just unveiled its latest design philosophy — via a radical concept car — that will sure to raise some eyebrows in the automotive industry. Touted as the "game changer" for the "development of tomorrow's mobility," the new concept centers around the GINA principle, for Geometry and Functions In "N" Adaptions. What this means is the ability for BMW to think outside the box and innovate maximum ideas with mininum amount of the usual constraints associated with car design.

The first translation of the GINA philosophy into physical being is demonstrated in the Light Visionary Model concept. The only specs that may be familiar are the car's realistic 8-cylinder powertrain package residing in a roadster built from an aluminum space-frame chassis with two double tailpies and 20-in. alloy wheels at the corners. Other than that, it is the Visionary's exterior body that will catch all of us by surprise. It is skinned by four large pieces of flexible material that can stretch and contract based on a number of substructures that can move about on the chassis with electro and electrohydraulic controls.

There are four main pieces of skin that make up the Visionary's body: The largest component starts at the front of the car and extends all the way to the base of the windscreen, then down and across the two doors, ending at the rear edge. The next two fabric-like skins begin at the front lower rocker panels, then run across the rear wheel arches to the back. The last piece of skin makes up the rear deck. The roadster's scissor-type doors open with its outer skin wrinkled in a very clearly defined pattern, but they are stretched back into a silky-smooth surface when the doors close.

The fabric that covers the Visionary's body is constructed from a waterproof and temperature-resistant mesh netting on the outer layer, supported by a flexible metal- wire structure underneath to maintain the skin's tension and smoothness. Around a few areas where curvatures of the skin are called for, carbon struts are added to allow for higher flexibility while keeping the rounded contours.

The Light Visionary Model is striking not only because of its fabric outer skin, but also its utility in form following function. Because of the flexible skin, the headlights can be hidden or exposed when necessary. The side markers to signal lane changes are not visible on the outside until they are turned on during use — their light shines though the translucent (but not transparent) cover. Airflow around the car can be managed actively as the skin can be closed, opened or stretched based on need; the rocker-panel shape can be adjusted for better aerodynamics. And because the rear deck is covered by one single piece of fabric, the spoiler can be completely hidden when it is not in use.

Chris Bangle, Head of BMW Group Design, says, "Personal customer requirements will broaden the context of our products and change the core values that define our industry along the way." That's why BMW is focused on breaking new ground and finding innovative design solutions. And by the looks of the GINA Light Visionary Model, BMW is in the forefront of ingenious automotive design.

Source:http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/585/BMW-GINA-Light-Visionary-Model;_ylc=X3oDMTE0OGs4ZDduBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLXRvZGF5BHNsawNibXctZ2luYQ--

Ana Ivanovic, New World Number One Female Tennis Player

2008-06-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

Ana Ivanovic

Residence: Basel, Switzerland

Date of Birth: November 6, 1987

Birthplace: Belgrade, Serbia

Height: 6'1 (1.86 m)

Weight: 152 lbs. (69 kg)

Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Status: Pro (August 2003)

Career Highlights

SINGLES
Winner (7): 2008 - Indian Wells, Roland Garros; 2007 - Berlin, Los Angeles, Luxembourg; 2006 - Montreal; 2005 - Canberra; 2004 - ITF/Mallorca 2-ESP, ITF/Gifu-JPN, ITF/Fukuoka-JPN, ITF/Fano-ITA, ITF/Batumi-GEO.
Finalist (3): 2008 - Australian Open; 2007 - Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Roland Garros 2007
Semifinalist: (8): 2008 - Sydney, Berlin; 2007 - Amelia Island, Wimbledon, Year-End Championships; 2005 - Warsaw, Zurich, Linz.
Quarterfinalist (15): 2008 - Dubai; 2007 - Gold Coast, Sydney, Antwerp, s‘Hertogenbosch
2006 - Sydney, Indian Wells, Warsaw, s'Hertogenbosch; Los Angeles; Linz, Hasselt
2005 - Miami, Roland Garros; 2004 - Luxembourg.

DOUBLES
Finalist (1): 2006 - 's-Hertogenbosch (w/Kirilenko).
Semifinalist (2): 2006 - Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Warsaw (both w/Kirilenko).

Career in review

2003 - Made pro debut on ITF Circuit (played four events), also Tour debut (l. in Luxembourg qualifying).

2004 - Top 100 finish in first full season on the Tour, making the biggest ranking jump of any player in 2004 (608 spots); as world No.156 qualifier at Zürich (in third career main draw after Vienna, Birmingham earlier in season), upset No.29 Golovin 75 67(2) 76(3) in 1r (overcame 5-1 third-set deficit, 2mp), l. to V.Williams 76(11) 76(6) in 2r (held five set points in first set and three in second set tie-break); the next week, made Tour QF debut at Luxembourg (l. to Medina Garrigues), afterwards on November 1 made Top 100 debut (at No.96); started season winning first 21 matches and three titles, $10,000 ITF/Mallorca 2-ESP, $50,000 ITF/Gifu-JPN (as qualifier) and $50,000 ITF/Fukuoka-JPN (as qualifier); won two more $50,000 ITF Circuit titles (ITF/Fano-ITA, ITF/Batumi-GEO) just prior to qualifying for Zürich.

2005 - Breakthrough season, highlighted by career-first Tour singles title at Canberra and first Top 20 finish; captured title in first event of year at Canberra (as qualifier, d. LL Czink in final, had defeated Czink in final round of qualifying, believed to be a Tour first; 26th qualifier in Tour history to win a title); reached QF or better at five other events, incl. QF at Miami (d. world No.7 Kuznetsova en route for first Top 10 victory, falling to Mauresmo in first Tier I QF), SF at Warsaw (d. No.10 Zvonareva en route to first Tier II SF, losing to eventual champion Henin-Hardenne), QF at Roland Garros (on debut, d. No.3 Mauresmo en route for best match win of career to date, falling to Petrova in first Grand Slam QF), and consecutive SF in the fall at Zürich (l. to Schnyder in first Tier I SF) and Linz (l. again to Schnyder); in addition to Roland Garros, made debuts at all other Grand Slams, at Australian Open (l. in 3r to Mauresmo), Wimbledon (l. in 3r to Pierce) and US Open (as No.18 seed, upset in 2r by Vento-Kabchi in 3s; at No.16, was highest ranked player to make her debut at the US Open since No.14 Capriati in 1990, bettered only by No.12 Seles in 1989 since inception of computer rankings in 1975); reduced ranking to less than one-fifth between beginning and end of season, ranked No.100 in first event at Canberra, making Top 50 debut (at No.50) on March 7, Top 20 debut (at No.20) after Wimbledon, and rising to current career-high No.16 on August 29; withdrew from Toronto [Canadian Open] prior to 3r match vs. Clijsters w/right pectoral muscle strain, withdrew from Luxembourg w/right shoulder injury and from Moscow w/left wrist strain.

2006 - Second consecutive Top 20 finish; season highlighted by capturing second and biggest Tour singles title at Tier I Montréal (as No.13 seed, d. No.9 seed Safina in SF and No.7 seed Hingis in final); clinched US Open Series victory with the title; seven-time quarterfinalist, at Sydney (upset No.2 seed Mauresmo en route, falling to No.6 seed Kuznetsova), Indian Wells (l. to Dementieva in 3s), Warsaw (upset No.2 seed Schnyder en route, falling to Chakvetadze in 3s), ‘s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Dementieva), Los Angeles (l. to Jankovic), Linz (l. to Sharapova) and Hasselt (l. to Krajicek); win over world No.3 Mauresmo at Sydney was equal-biggest career victory, and win over world No.8 Schnyder at Warsaw was second Top 10 win of season, fifth of career; reached 4r twice, at Miami (l. to Mauresmo) and Wimbledon (as No.19 seed, d. No.14 seed Safina in 3r, falling to top seed and eventual champion Mauresmo); 3r three times, incl. Roland Garros (as No.19 seed, l. to No.10 seed Myskina) and US Open (as No.16 seed, l. to WC S.Williams); 2r three times, incl. Australian Open (as No.21 seed, upset by Stosur), and fell 1r three times, incl. Berlin (ret. vs. N.Li w/left hamstring strain); notched 100th career singles match win in Warsaw 1r (vs. Domachowska), also surpassed $1 million in career prize money earnings; on September 11 (after US Open), moved from No.17 to No.15, her career Top 15 debut; on October 16, moved up to No.13, a new career-high; reached first Tour doubles final at ‘s-Hertogenbosch and a semifinals at Tokyo [Pan Pacific] and Warsaw (all w/Kirilenko); withdrew from Rome w/left hamstring strain and from Stuttgart, Zurich w/right shoulder tendonitis.

2007 - Another breakthrough season of sorts, culminating in first Top 10 finish, highlighted by third, fourth and fifth career Tour singles titles and first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros; won titles at Berlin (as No.12 seed, d. No.3 seed Kuznetsova in final; second career Tier I title), Los Angeles (as No.3-seeded WC, d. No.2 seed Jankovic 46 63 75 in SF after trailing 4-1 in third set and saving 2mp down 5-4; d. No.4 seed Petrova in final) and Luxembourg (as No.2 seed, d. No.4 seed Hantuchova 36 64 64 in final, having trailed 63 30); two-time runner-up, at Tier I Tokyo [Pan Pacific] (as No.5 seed, d. No.4 seed Jankovic en route; l. to No.2 seed Hingis) and Roland Garros (as No.7 seed, d. No.3 seed Kuznetsova in QF and No.2 seed Sharapova in SF before falling to top seed Henin in final; was first player representing Serbia, male or female, to reach a Grand Slam singles final); SF three times, at Amelia Island (as No.6 seed, d. No.2 seed Jankovic en route; l. to No.8 seed Golovin in 3s), Wimbledon (as No.6 seed, overcame 3-1 third set deficit to d. No.11 seed Petrova 61 26 64 in 4r and 5-3 third set deficit and 3mp trailing 5-4 to d. No.14 seed Vaidisova 46 62 75 in QF; l. to No.23 seed and eventual champion V.Williams) and finally first Tour Championships - having qualified at No.4 in Race, compiled 2-1 RR record (d. Kuznetsova and Hantuchova; l. to Sharapova) to reach SF (l. to Henin); notched 12 Top 10 wins during season, at Tokyo [Pan Pacific] (No.10 Jankovic), Amelia Island (No.9 Jankovic), Berlin (No.4 Kuznetsova), Roland Garros (No.3 Kuznetsova, No.2 Sharapova), Wimbledon (No.9 Petrova, No.10 Vaidisova), Los Angeles (No.3 Jankovic, No.9 Petrova), Luxembourg (No.10 Hantuchova) and Tour Championships (No.2 Kuznetsova, No.9 Hantuchova); wins over Sharapova and Kuznetsova were career-best wins; having begun year No.14, made Top 10 debut on May 14 (moving from No.16 to No.8 after Berlin), Top 5 debut on July 9 (moving from No.6 to No.5 after Roland Garros) and reaching career-high No.4 on August 13 (after Los Angeles); four more QF, at Gold Coast (l. to Peer), Sydney (l. to Vaidisova), Antwerp (l. to Clijsters) and 's-Hertogenbosch (l. to Hantuchova); suffered eight pre-QF losses in 19 regular season events, incl. at Australian Open (as No.13 seed, l. 3r to No.22 seed Zvonareva) and US Open (as No.5 seed, l. 4r to No.12 seed V.Williams); surpassed both $1 million and $2 million in career earnings, in fact earning over 60% of her career prize money this season alone; withdrew from Rome w/ankle injury and from San Diego w/knee injury.

Personal

Began working with Scott Byrnes (strength and conditioning coach) in July 2006 ... Started playing tennis at age 5 after watching it on TV (in particular Monica Seles), remembering the phone number to a local tennis school and begging her parents to take her; was given a racquet for her fifth birthday and immediately fell in love with the game ... Mother, Dragana, is a lawyer; father, Miroslav, is a businessman; brother, Milos, is four years Ana's junior, and likes playing basketball; all the family likes sports, but none played tennis before Ana ... Trained in a disused swimming pool at the Jedanaesti April 11 sports center in Belgrade ... Best shot is forehand; likes all surfaces ... Likes watching movies (especially thrillers) either at the cinema or on DVD at home; also likes to read (especially about history and Greek mythology) and to listen to music (pop and R&B) ... Loves the TV shows 24, Lost and Prison Break ... Enjoys shopping, fashion ... Favorite food is sushi ... Favorite drink is water, fresh orange juice ... In September 2007 began studying finance at a private university that allows her to take exams online ... Admires Federer for his professionalism on and off the court ... Superstitions are to not walk on lines of the court, and at some tournaments to eat at the same restaurant each night ... Sometimes prepares for matches by playing Sudoku or backgammon in locker room ... Favorite places to visit are Melbourne, where she has some family, London and Paris ... Self-described as strong-willed, sensitive, determined and extremely competitive ... Most admires her family for all the support they give her ... Speaks fluent English, Serbian and some Spanish ... One of her off-court goals is to learn how to surf ... Most memorable experiences to date are reaching 2007 Roland Garros final and playing a charity match against Agassi.

Awards, etc.

Junior Wimbledon runner-up 2004

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Most Improved Player 2005

US Open Series champion 2006

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Most Improved Player 2007

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Karen Krantzcke Sportmanship Award 2007

UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia

Nominated for U.S. Secretary of State's 2007 International Women of Courage Award

Trivia

Most embarrassing moment in tennis is when she took another player's racket bag onto court after mistaking it for her own

The President of Serbia, Boris Tadic, attended her 20th birthday party

Was featured on a Serbian postage stamp during the run-up to the 2008 Olympics

One of her proudest achievements is winning 16 matches in 15 days as she captured back-to-back titles on the ITF Women's Cicuit when she was 16

Has won the tennisreporters.net Sexiest Female Player award for the last three years

Finished 23rd on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2008 list

Named the best-looking tennis player of all-time by The Age newspaper

Has the most-visited website of any sportswoman (according to www.alexa.com, on 14 June 2008)

Source: www.anaivanovic.com

Cutie Little Doggies

2008-05-16T06:00:00.001-07:00

Henin To Call it Quits

2008-05-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

By Tennis Week

Justine Henin is ready to walk away from professional tennis. The World No. 1 will make an announcement about her future at a press conference in Belgium today.

The Belgian media reports Henin will either announce her retirement or reveal plans to take an extended break from tennis.

The seven-time Grand slam champion withdrew from this week's Rome tournament citing fatigue, incurring a $20,000 fine. Henin has posted a 22-4 record on the season. She won two of the first three tournaments she entered — beating Svetlana Kuznetsova, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to win the Sydney title in her first tournament of the season and crushing Karin Knapp, 6-3, 6-3, to win the Antwerp title in her native Belgium — but since that strong start her tradedmark tenacity and competitive spirit has been lacking. A weary Henin has gone 5-3 in her last eight matches and looked lethargic in a 6-2, 6-0, quarterfinal loss to Serena Williams at the Sony Ericsson Open as well as a 7-5, 3-6, 1-6, setback to Dinara Safina in the third round of last week's German Open in Berlin.

Henin is only 25 years old, but the accelerated pace of the pro circuit prompted her to consider life after tennis. Henin hinted at her desire to retire in a press conference with the media in Berlin last week.

"I'm young in life, but starting to get old on the tour," Henin said. "I'm growing up and I need different things. Even physically I don't recover as well as I did when I was 20. That's normal. Now I've been playing tennis for 20 years and it's been my whole life but as a woman, as you get older, you need to think about the future. I'd love to go back to study. It would be a good challenge and I've been thinking about it a lot recently."

Source: http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=4018162

Ferrero Snaps Nadal's Streak

2008-05-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

By Richard Evans
Rafael Nadal did not want to repeat himself after he had lost the Italian title he had held for three successive years. He did not want to appear a sore loser but, in reality, there was no chance of that.

Nadal, who lost here today to compatriot Juan Carlo Ferrero 7-5, 6-1, has been saying it loud and clear ever since the Miami, before the compressed and impossibly tough European clay court season ever started. He has been saying that the calendar during this part of the year is ridiculous for any top clay court player trying to grab all the ranking points he can on his favored surface. He told us after winning Monte Carlo two weeks ago; he told us again after winning Barcelona on Sunday.

And when he woke up after that last victory and was unable to put his blistered feet on the carpeted floor of his hotel room, he knew he had been right. But, of course, he was asked his opinion on the matter anyway and, in answer to whether he would try once more to talk to ATP boss Etienne de Villiers, he said, "I have nothing more to say to this man. We spoke to him last year, trying to understand why he is doing these things but it is impossible; it is a waste of time. But when I lose I do not want to talk about these things. I want to congratulate Juan Carlos. He is a fine player and a nice person and this was an important win for him."

Nadal, whether winning or losing, is a credit to this sport and it was sad to see him so obviously hobbled by his condition against Ferrero. He had the trainer on at the end of the first set to tear great strips of taping off his feet and apply more antisceptic cream but it was no good.

"I could only put my foot down like this, at an angle, because of the pain, no?" he explained after his 17-match Rome winning streak came to an end. "I try to try my best but it was impossible."

In the end, Ferrero just had to put the ball out of Nadal’s reach and the man who has covered acres of court these past few weeks, reaching balls that no one else would even contemplate chasing, could only stand and stare balefully at the ball as it sped away from him.

This unexpected defeat has ruined the chance of another Nadal final against Roger Federer which is sad for the tournament; sad for tennis and very bad for the image of the ATP. To be fair to those who try to make sense of the highly complicated calendar, finding a solution to the problem that Nadal and other clay courters feel so strongly about is far from easy, especially when Miami is played a week later. Next year, of course, the situation will be exacerbated by Madrid moving into May from October with a ten day men’s and women’s event to take the place of Hamburg which is being pushed into a slot after Wimbledon. However, even that is dependent on the ATP successfully defending the lawsuit, slated for Delaware in July, against the German Federation who are furious at the treatment they have received from the men’s governing body.

But, in the meantime, Nadal is heading home to Mallorca for a well earned rest. "I will try to go with best feelings to Hamburg," said Nadal. Our best feelings are with him.

Ferrero will now play Stanislas Wawrinka who defeated Britain’s Andy Murray 6-2, 7-6 under the lights on Court One.

Source: http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=2134784

Erik Spoelstra (Phil-Am) -- New Miami Heat Head Coach

2008-05-01T04:48:00.000-07:00

On April 28, Pat Riley announced that he decided to step down as Head Coach of the Miami HEAT but will continue to serve as team President, ending a Hall of Fame coaching career. On Monday, Managing General Partner Micky Arison and Riley jointly announced that Assistant Coach/Director of Scouting Erik Spoelstra has been elevated to Head Coach. Spoelstra becomes the sixth Head Coach in franchise history. Following his introductory press conference, HEAT Insider got a chance to catch up with the HEAT’s new Head Coach:

HEAT Insider: Your father, Jon Spoelstra, is a long-time NBA executive, who spent time as General Manager for the Portland Trail Blazers. How much influence did he have on inspiring you to become a Head Coach?

Erik Spoelstra: “He’s been involved in the NBA since I was four or five years old. He didn’t necessarily introduce me to coaching directly, but indirectly he did because I was always around the game, particularly the NBA game. When he worked for the Portland Trail Blazers, I remember going to 41 home games every year. I think I was the only kid that went to every single home game. I went to all the practices. When it was convenient with my schedule, I went to all the summer practices. He kind of opened the door and stoked the fire.”

HI: Your father was an innovator in finding certain numbers and statistics in analyzing the game. Are you the same way?

ES: “To be frank, I’m many different things with this organization, but I’m a computer geek, stats and information collector. That’s my comfort level. I really find comfort in watching film and obtaining knowledge and I use statistics and computer generated stuff to help me get those stats. That was probably a result of my father’s influence on me at a young age. We’re always trying to evolve and find more efficient ways, more fluent ways to evaluate our players, evaluate our opponent and evaluate our prospects.”

HI: How did your family react when you broke the news of becoming the new HEAT Head Coach?

ES: “My parents were thrilled. My mom was beside herself – she could barely speak. My pops was very happy for me, very proud. Then he ended the conversation the way he normally does: He said, ‘Time to get to work.’”

HI: Do you have any good stories growing up in the Portland Trail Blazers organization?

ES: “Steve Colter was almost a cult figure in Portland when he played for the Trail Blazers. One time, he came over, I must have been in the 7th grade, and we played one-on-one (at my parent’s home in Portland, OR). He actually dunked on me and broke our hoop. Until this day, we still haven’t fixed the hoop. We bent it upward. It’s still there, and it’s a constant reminder of that one-on-one experience.”

HI: You and Stan Van Gundy are still good friends. Are you going to be asking him for advice because he is a guy who knows what it’s like to replace Pat Riley?

ES: “Absolutely. He’s been a huge influence on me and my career. More importantly, he’s been a great friend. I will pick his brain as much as he’ll allow me to until it gets to training camp, where I’m sure he’ll pull the plug on that. He’s been a great resource. Even now, we still talk on the phone and I’ll ask him his opinion on a lot of stuff.”

HI: How much of your personality do you have to change now that you’re Head Coach?

ES: “My voice will change a little bit, but I have to be me. I believe strongly in the culture and the way we’ve done things, particularly the kind of person we bring into the family and into the organization. I’ve done that as an assistant coach. I know the dynamic will change a little bit when I’m sitting in the head seat, but I’m going to still try to do the things that I’ve done while assisting the head coach.”

HI: How would you describe your coaching personality?

ES: “That will work itself out. I have to be true to myself, and that’s what I know for sure. I can’t try to be anybody else. That’s what I’ve done as an assistant coach. I’ve been put into a lot of positions where I had to coach. When you work for Pat Riley, you’re not just putting your hands on the basket and hanging out during practice. He puts you in positions where you have to coach. You have to be enthusiastic and fierce with your preparation and work ethic. As we move forward, I think that will all work itself out.”

HI: Will you keep the current coaching staff?

ES: “Continuity is very important to me. I have an incredible trust level with those guys; we’ve worked together for so long. It’s unique. We’ve experienced a lot of good times, a lot of bad times, a lot of wins, a lot of losses and adversity. You really get to know someone when you win, but it goes to a whole other level when you’re losing. We have a very strong bond and I know I’m going to have to lean on them quite a bit.”

HI: What are your expectations for the upcoming season?

ES: “My expectations are to get to work immediately. We’re going to try to get a core group of guys who believe in our culture and are ready to work next year at training camp. Certainly, this time next year our plan is to be playing (in the playoffs) instead of watching.”

HI: Is it easier to take over a younger team than a veteran team?

ES: “I don’t know if it’s easier; you never know when your opportunity will come to be a Head Coach, if it comes at all. Last year when Pat would make comments like, ‘Be ready,’ you kind of go down that road and put yourself in that chair. Even last summer there were times where I had to get my train of thought right. I feel like I would have been ready to take on (a veteran team) just as I’m ready to take on this team right here. I feel comfortable with the core guys coming back. They know me and I know them. There’s a trust level there already. From that standpoint, there’s a little bit of a comfort level.”

HI: You have no NBA playing experience. Do you think not having NBA playing experience will affect your relationship with the players now that you’re Head Coach?

ES: “I think the connection, the trust level and experience and my 13 years working with players matter most to them. They all want the same thing; they all want someone who can help them be successful. They’re drawn to people who want to be successful and they’re drawn to people they feel have a certain level of competence, integrity and work ethic. I feel with the core people we have and the people who know me trust my work ethic and know that I’ll be fierce with my preparation and the time and thought that I put into my job.”

HI: In an era where many coaches get fired after one year, how much pressure do you feel in your first head coaching job?

ES: “I’m just focused on the opportunity. We have a huge summer ahead of us. We have a lot of work to do. It’s a big challenge. It starts first with the draft and then free agency and then evaluating our players and so forth. I’ve seen it, but if you talk to a coach 20 years ago, they’d say it was a volatile time then. I’m not sure if there’s ever a perfect time, there’s just the time, the time when you do get the opportunity.”

HI: Will you have a voice in free agency and the draft?

ES: “I think we’re going to work together. I’m not confused by my position. I’m hired as the head coach, to coach the team. Players who are there, I’ll coach them. I will have a voice on that. Pat is still my boss. He is the leader of this franchise. He will be hand picking the guys, but we’ve had several conversations, even when I was an assistant coach, about players we want to bring in. I think I’ll have enough of a voice.”

Source: http://www.nba.com/heat/

Rafa roars by Roger to win Monte Carlo

2008-04-28T04:25:00.000-07:00

By Richard Evans

All the good and all the bad that have been part and parcel of Roger Federer’s performances this year were on view in the Monte Carlo sunshine — and it was the bad that condemned him to a ninth career loss to Rafael Nadal; the third in consecutive years in this very final.

Federer broke Nadal on four occasions and still lost 7-5, 7-5 after leading 4-0 in the second set. Everything seemed under control, at least as far as the set was concerned, at 4-1, 30 all when suddenly two forehands flew off his racket and way over the baseline. Then at 4-3, a forehand hit the tape and went wide to give Nadal break point and a wayward backhand handed the Spaniard the second break back to love.

Federer didn’t really have an explanation for that collapse. It will be something for Jose Higueras to ponder on the flight home to Palm Springs before the coach returns for a second spell with Roger at Roland Garros.

To this observer it all looked like opportunities lost. Federer had broken in the first game of the match, only to lose his own serve immediately and then the swap was repeated at 3-3. It is fundamental against as great a clay court player as Nadal to nail down the opportunities you carve out for yourself and this Federer obviously failed to do.

But he was not too downhearted.

"Maybe I am growing up," he said with just the faintest flicker of a smile. "I don’t take losses that bad any more. You know, I try everything I can. And when it’s not enough, it’s unfortunate. But, like I said it was good for me to play him here. I felt much more confident. Last year I felt like I was completely out of the match. So today was better. Maybe that’s why I am not that disappointed."

Federer thought his attacking game didn’t really work but is hard to see how he would have prospered had he merely sat back and tried to slug it out with the game’s greatest slugger. He had to get in and frequently it paid off — bringing cheers from the Swiss supporters, all dressed up in the red T shirts with the white cross as perfect volleys skidded away, leaving puffs of dust from the red clay. Much of the match was certainly entertaining with both men bringing off remarkable winners but as soon as Nadal got back to 4-4 in the second set, one knew the die was cast.

The whole thing was over in one hour 43 minutes, short for a clay court duel and, asked about the ATP’s decision to restrict all finals to best of three, Federer was ambivalent once again. He admitted the advantage of the rule, which is meant to ensure the top players do not grind themselves into the ground but he, like the crowd, wanted more time on court. Unlikely as it would have been on this occasion, every champion thinks he would have a chance of coming back and when Federer was asked if he thought he could have lasted five sets, his answer was cutting. "I could have played seven sets if I had to, no problem. It’s a pity, best of three set finals. They’re over so quickly. I don’t think fitness mattered at all today because what, we had six, seven hours on court throughout the week? Normally we do twenty. So this is peanuts."

Of course, Nadal didn’t quite look at it that way as he left the Centre Court, laden with yet more glassware. Snapping a title drought that stretched back to his victory in Stuttgart last July, Nadal claimed his fourth consecutive Monte Carlo championship — an Open Era record — raised his career record in Monte Carlo to 23-1 and took a 9-6 advantage in his head-to-head series with Federer, the man who ended his record 81-match clay-court winning streak in the Hamburg final last May.

For him, there had been a lot more time on court despite the fact that he did not drop a set during an impressive run of victories against some pretty impressive clay court performers — Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer and Nikolay Davydenko. For Nadal, with Tommy Robredo alongside him, had fought his way into the doubles final. The young man, it seems, cannot get enough of his clay court tennis.
He has certainly left an indelible mark on this 108 year-old tournament and will be back for more. Anthony Wilding won it five times before World War I, four of them consecutively. Five on the trot seems very do-able for Nadal who, despite those dodgy knees, remains a powerhouse on clay.

Source : http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=549821

Federer Faces Tough Road To Title

2008-04-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Roger Federer defeated arch rival David Nalbandian 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 Friday to reach the Masters Series Monte-Carlo semifinals, but his tough path to the title likely runs through Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Estoril champion Federer extended his clay-court winning streak to eight matches and avenged back-to-back ATP Masters Series losses to Nalbandian in Madrid and Paris at the end of last year with his best performance of the tournament to date. After a tense, energy-sapping first set, Federer's superior fitness proved decisive as the match wore on, particularly in the third set as the match broke through the two-hour mark.

But the ATP World No. 1 initially did not have things go all his way. In the first set at 5-5, Nalbandian produced a sublime chip/charge and drop volley combination off a Federer second serve to move to 0/40, and soon thereafter converted his third break chance of the game to take the first break of the match. The Argentine closed out the set on his first set point after surprising Federer with a serve and volley play.

After not facing a beak point in the first set, Nalbandian was broken in the opening game of the second set and twice more as a rejuvenated Federer raced away with the second set. In the third set Federer broke Nalbandian for 4-2 when the Argentine, perhaps emboldened by his attacking play on set point in the first set, made a strange decision to serve and volley on his second serve at 30/40, only to net a routine backhand volley. Federer held for 5-2 and broke again to close out the match. He faces the winner of World No. 3 Novak Djokovic and American Sam Querrey.

Federer, who has finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal the past two years in Monte-Carlo, improved to a 9-8 career record against Nalbandian.

Source: http://montecarlo.masters-series.com/1/en/news/newsarticle_1064.asp

BenQ's V2400W claims to be world's thinnest, stealthiest 24-inch LCD monitor

2008-04-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

The oft-irrational quest for thin already overwhelming television R&D budgets just hit our beloved LCD monitors. Meet the BenQ V2400W billed as the "world's slimmest 24-inch LCD monitor." BenQ claims that the LCD's 2.44-inch max depth is 21% thinner than any of its chubbier competition. Unfortunately, while BenQ happily drones on and on about the monitor's B-2 stealth bomber inspired design, it remains tight-lipped on the specifications. We know it offers a 4,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 2-ms response, touch control panel and selection of ports including HDMI, DVI and VGA inputs. However, the V2400W's brightness, panel resolution or backlighting tech, color reproduction capabilities, HDCP support for that DVI jack, and something so trivial as price all remain closely held secrets. Nevertheless, it'll be available at the end of this month in Asia then heading to North America and Europe in April. You know, if you can find it.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/17/benqs-v2400w-claims-to-be-worlds-thinnest-stealthiest-24-inch/

Earth Day 2008

2008-04-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

This statistics and facts gives us every reason to be conscious on what is happening around us. Make a statement, spread the message and HELP the environment. Less war and more efforts to protect EARTH. Happy Earth Day 2008!

Earth Day - A Call for Climate

2008-04-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

Mini Cooper

2008-04-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

I sooooo love this car.. My Dream Car...

Sharapova Claims First Clay-Court Title

2008-04-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

By Tennis Week

Continuing a season of firsts, Maria Sharapova was the last woman standing in Amelia Island.

Sharapova won her first Australian Open title in January, made her first Fed Cup appearance for Russia in February and today captured the first clay-court championship of her career with a 7-6(7), 6-3 victory over a determined Dominika Cibulkova in the Bausch & Lomb Championships final.

"I took it one step at a time," said Sharapova who edged 15th-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues, 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-6(1) in the third round before outlasting 10th-seeded Alona Bondarenko, 6-7(9), 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. "I had a few tough ones earlier in the week, but my body held up throughout the tournament. It's the first clay-court title I've won so it feels pretty cool."

The 34th-ranked Cibulkova stopped second-seeded Anna Chakvetadze in the third round before conquering former World No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo in the final. Playing her first career Sony Ericsson WTA Tour final, the 18-year-old Slovak used her fast feet, compact strokes and ability to take the ball early to fight back from a 1-3 deficit today.

Sharapova smacked a forehand return winner down the line to earn break point and followed with a backhand swing volley winner to break for 5-4.

Serving for the first set, Sharapova found herself on the defensive against the teenager, who smacked her a forehand swing volley while moving into the court, forcing a stretched-out Sharapova to hit a left-handed forehand reply. Cibulkova was waiting and cracked a backhand winner down the line to break back for 5-5.

In the tiebreaker, Sharapova slid a slice ace out wide to earn her first set point at 6-5, but Cibulkova surprised Sharapova with a stinging serve to save the set point.

Sprinting forward in pursuit of the dipping drop shot, Sharapova slid across the Har-Tru court and nudged a forehand that trickled over the tape. Anticipating the get, Cibulkova moved forward and was waiting but with a wide expanse of open court in front of her, she tapped a forehand wide to hand Sharapova a second set point.

She dumped a double fault into the net but two points later Sharapova seized the set when Cibulkova lined a tight forehand return into the net.

Sharapova plans to play the Family Circle Cup in Charleston next week followed by at least one European clay-court tournament — possibly Rome — before taking a shot at the only Grand Slam title missing from her impressive resume: Roland Garros. Sharapova is bidding to join Serena Williams as the only active player to capture all four majors in a career.

Source: http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=548790

Davydenko Wins First Sony Ericson Open Title

2008-04-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

We have a winner: the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open men’s singles champion is Nikolay Davydenko, who defeated second-ranked Rafael Nadal Sunday to hoist his first Sony Ericsson Open trophy.

In one of the strongest performances of the Russian’s tennis career, Davydenko dominated the Spaniard in straight sets (6-4, 6-2) with strong serving, solid baseline play and balanced court movement.

Even as the fourth-ranked player in the world, Davydenko was considered an underdog even in his semifinal matchup Friday against sixth-ranked Andy Roddick, who had beat the Russian five times in five meetings.

Entering the Sony Ericsson Open final, the two top-five ranked players had only played against one another twice, with Nadal winning both matchups. With Roger Federer’s quarterfinal loss to Andy Roddick and a strong South Florida fanbase, Nadal was heavily favored to win his first title in Miami.

After Nadal created a 3-2 lead in the first set, Davydenko took off, dominating the rest of the match and allowing Nadal only three more games. With the early break in the first game of the second set, Davydenko established the tone for his 6-2 second set victory.

With his finals win, Davydenko became the first Russian to win a Sony Ericsson Open men’s singles championship in its 24-year history.

Source: http://www.sonyericssonopen.com/content/20080407131445.html

I'm On Vacation :p

2008-04-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

Pete Sampras versus Roger Federer

2008-03-11T06:45:00.000-07:00

Current No. 1 Federer emerged with a 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6) victory Monday night in an exhibition that featured a little bit of everything—some laughter, some stellar shots, uneven play and compelling tennis.

Free Instant Messaging Softwares and Applications

2008-03-10T04:18:00.000-07:00

Meebo.com
www.meebo.com
Web This polished Web app aggregates your AOL, Gmail, ICQ, Jabber, Windows, and Yahoo! buddy lists into a single, Web-based instant-messaging and chat-room experience. Meebo is building in extras, such as games you can play with IM buddies, as well as video and audio chat you'd find with your regular IM client software.

Pidgin
www.pidgin.im
Windows | Linux Open source tackles instant messaging in this client, which supports more IM networks than you've ever heard of.

Trillian
www.ceruleanstudios.com
WindowsAccess all your IM accounts (AIM, ICQ, Windows Messenger, Yahoo!, and more) from a single interface that also logs all your conversations, if you desire.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2270811,00.asp

Best Free Software

2008-03-08T05:01:00.000-08:00

Adobe Reader
www.adobe.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux | Mobile This simplest of Adobe's PDF programs lets you do just about anything PDF-related (besides create new ones), including online collaboration. It includes a host of features to aid users with disabilities.

AIM
www.aim.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux | Web One of the most widely used pieces of free software ever, AOL Instant Messenger offers a ton of capabilities.
Read our full review of AIM 6.5.

Audacity
audacity.sourceforge.net
Windows | MacOS | Linux Whether you're recording or editing, Audacity is all about audio in practically any format.

Firefox
www.mozilla.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux This PC Mag Editors' Choice Web browser has been on top of the heap since version 1.5 came out in late 2005. Read our full review of Firefox 2.0.

GIMP
www.gimp.org
Windows | MacOS | Linux The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) does most of what Photoshop does; the Gimpshop project (plasticbugs.com) even makes it look like Photoshop. Read our full review of The GIMP 2.0.

iTunes
www.apple.com/itunes
Windows | MacOSWhen you're attached to the top media player in the land (iPod), success is a given. iTunes continues to build sales and refine its organization of songs, video, games, podcasts, and more. Read our full review of Apple iTunes 7.6.

OpenOffice.org
www.openoffice.org
Windows | MacOS | Linux You can spend a lot for Microsoft Office or nothing for this suite with full-function word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentations, even an equations editor. Read our full review of OpenOffice.org 2.3.

Skype
www.skype.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux You'll pay to call regular phones, but if you sign up all your friends, Skype provides easy (and even international) calls and video-conferencing for nothing. Read our full review of Skype 3.0.

Thunderbird
www.mozilla.com/thunderbird
Windows | MacOS | Linux Mozilla's no-cost e-mail alternative is extensible, fast, and easy to master. And a wealth of free add-ons means there's not much this program won't do, from calendars to encryption. Read our full review of Thunderbird 2.

Ubuntu
www.ubuntu.com
Linux This Linux-based OS comes with many of these Hall of Fame products (Firefox, OpenOffice.org) preinstalled.

WinAmp
www.winamp.com
Windows After a decade of playing music, the "skinnable" WinAmp has several versions, including one with full CD ripping and burning.

5 Medical Tests That May Keep You Well

2008-03-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

CRP, or C-reactive Protein

This is a simple blood test that measures the amount of inflammation in your body. In many ways, CRP is the best "crystal ball" of health ever devised in a single blood test. Elevated CRP levels have been shown to precede and predict heart attack, stroke, colon cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's disease, aneurysms, sudden cardiac death, abnormal heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation and even macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness.

CRP is a protein made by our immune system that fuels the fire of inflammation in our bodies. The higher your CRP level, the more at risk you are to develop problems. Optimal levels - less than 0.7 milligrams per liter - predict good health.

It's important to understand that CRP doesn't diagnose any particular conditions - it's not specific. It just identifies whether you're at risk for illness. It's best to check your CRP during your routine annual physical, when you feel fine. If you're sick with something, your CRP probably will be elevated.

The good news is that CRP levels can be lowered by exercise, modest weight loss, taking a multivitamin, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and certain medications such as aspirin and statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs).

Vitamin D Level

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones because it's needed for calcium absorption. But new research also is identifying an important role for vitamin D in the immune system and in the prevention of cancer, including breast and prostate.

Studies show that more than half of American women don't get enough vitamin D. It's known as the "sunshine vitamin," because your skin makes it when you’re out in the sun. That's why people who lack daily sun exposure or who use sunblock when outdoors may be deficient in the vitamin. It's almost impossible to get adequate amounts from foods, despite fortification of dairy and some soy foods. All multivitamins contain vitamin D, but for most people even that is not sufficient. You may need to take a vitamin D supplement. Most people should get between 1000 and 1500 IU of vitamin D3 daily. (D3 is the natural form of vitamin D. It’s more easily absorbed and stays in the body longer.) The best way to know if you’re getting enough vitamin D is to get a blood test.

H. pylori Test

About 20% of Americans may unknowingly be infected with the bacteria responsible for stomach cancer, heartburn, ulcers and even eye disorders. The discovery of H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori) infection as the primary cause of stomach ulcers worldwide earned Australian researchers Robin Warren and Barry Marshall the Nobel Prize in medicine for 2005. The bacteria also have been found to cause stomach cancer.

H. pylori is a chronic, potentially lifelong infection of the stomach. It can cause stomach pain, heartburn or indigestion, but it's often silent, causing no symptoms. Infection typically occurs when a person eats contaminated food and ingests the bacteria. The infection can be cured with a combination of antibiotics and antacids.

A blood-antibody test can show if you've ever been infected, and a stool test or breath test can identify if you currently have an active infection. Fortunately, successful treatment of H. pylori eliminates the increased risk of stomach cancer, ulcers and related disorders.

Aspirin Check

Aspirin has been shown to be a powerful preventive measure for people at risk for heart attack and stroke as well as for colon cancer, and it's estimated that as many as 50 million Americans take aspirin daily to prevent a heart attack. What's not clear is the optimal dose of aspirin for prevention. Most people are taking a baby aspirin (81 milligrams), but research has shown that 10% to 20% of people are resistant to aspirin and require higher dosages in order to benefit from its protective effects.

An aspirin check is a test that determines the effectiveness of the daily aspirin for an individual. This is important for people who are taking aspirin therapeutically for cardiovascular disease as well as those at increased risk for heart disease who are taking aspirin for prevention. The test can be ordered by your doctor but also is available directly from an online lab.

Insulin Level

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by an excess of insulin production in response to eating. The glucose tolerance test has long been the standard way to identify someone with diabetes. Until recently, glucose tolerance tests measured only blood sugar, or glucose levels, which are raised when a person has diabetes. But measuring your body's insulin-production levels improves the test by being able to identify your risk of diabetes long before symptoms emerge.

Typically, to do the test, your blood is drawn twice - first after fasting, then again two hours later after a glucose drink. Your insulin levels are recorded. If the results indicate that you're at a higher risk for diabetes, the good news is that you also have time to take action. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by adopting a lifestyle that includes daily exercise, weight control and a low-glycemic diet that reduces the intake of sugar, refined grains and starches.

Source: http://health.yahoo.com/young-healthyhabits/5-medical-tests-that-may-keep-you-well/parademagazine--101.html

Test-drive Vista from your current PC, free

2008-02-23T05:14:00.000-08:00

A blog post at Tech Republic provides links to two ways to try Windows Vista for free. The simplest is to try a business version online at the Windows Vista Test Drive site. This runs in a browser window, after you install the (ActiveX) Virtual Server VRMC Advanced Control. Of course, it doesn't tell you anything about Vista's performance.

The better but more cumbersome alternative is to install Vista in a "virtual PC" on your hard drive, where it won't affect the rest of the stuff you do. As Greg Shultz points out: "Microsoft has created a 30-day evaluation VHD (Virtual Hard Drive) containing Windows Vista Enterprise Edition that you can download and load into either Microsoft Virtual PC or Microsoft Virtual Server."

The drawbacks are disk space and time:

Besides a Microsoft Virtual product, both of which are free as well, you'll need to have at least 10 GB of free hard disk space and at least 2 GB of RAM. You also have to have a very fast Internet connection or a bit of time on your hands as the Vista Enterprise VHD is comprised of three very large files -- two 700MB files and one 160MB file.

The sizes make it easy to burn them to CD.

Once you've done the download, you have to do a real Vista installation, which generally takes half an hour.

The test drives are aimed at business users rather than home users, but anyone can have a go.

Source: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/category/windows/

Foods That Fight Colds

2008-02-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

Whether you're walking around with a box of tissues or curled up in bed with aches and the shivers, what you feed your cold or flu can speed your recovery. Here's how to maximize your body's virus-busting powers.

1. TRUST YOUR BODY
If you instinctively sip cup after cup of tea with honey and lemon when you're under the weather, your body knows exactly what it's doing. While any hot liquid will help loosen clogged nasal passages and sooth sore throats, hot tea also doses you with virus-fighting, inflammation-relieving antioxidants. (In fact, people who drank five cups of black tea a day for two weeks produced 10 times more interferon--proteins that fight viruses--than those who drank instant coffee. For tea lovers, five cups is about three mugs full--not that much.)

As for the honey (the darker, the better), it's also thick with protective antioxidants. And a big squeeze of lemon in every mugful adds a little extra vitamin C to your virus-fighting kit, plus the tartness stimulates saliva, which makes swallowing easier.

2. TRUST YOUR GRANDMA
Cold researchers keep trying to figure out why chicken soup does a sick body good. One finding: cysteine, an amino acid that's released by cooked chicken. It's chemically similar to a bronchitis drug, acetylcysteine, and it works with other soup ingredients to reduce inflammation. Salty broth also helps thin mucus.

Chicken soup helps even more if you rev it up with spices: garlic, which has a well-earned reputation for squelching infection, and hot red pepper, which contains capsaicin, a powerful decongestant that intensifies the soup's sinus-clearing effects. Try this tried-and-true recipe.

3. TRUST YOUR TUMMY
Smooth, healthy, comforting--no wonder lots of sickies crave hot cereal or cool yogurt. Again, your body knows what it's doing. Oatmeal (like other whole-grain cereals) delivers three nutrients known to support your immune system: selenium, zinc, and beta-glucan. Yogurt with active cultures (aka probiotics or live healthy bacteria) helps fend off colds in the first place. One, Lactobacillus reuteri (found in Stonyfield Farm yogurt), seems to be especially protective.

Top your oatmeal or yogurt with strawberries, nuts, and seeds. You'll get a vitamin C boost from the berries and immunity-enhancement from the vitamin E, zinc, and selenium in the nuts and seeds. Extra selenium may be extra important if you have the flu since it seems to ward off lung inflammation.

Alternatively, stir lots of cinnamon into oatmeal or yogurt--it smells and tastes wonderful, and can help reduce fever, relieve pain, and kill germs. If nausea is adding to your misery, add a little ginger too, fresh or powdered. It's a proven tummy tamer and may take antibacterial action against any bad bugs in your respiratory tract.

Once your cold or flu is over (whew), try keeping up some of these habits, especially drinking plenty of antioxidant-packed tea. Not only could it help prevent another bout but getting the right amount of antioxidants through diet or supplements can make your RealAge 6 years younger.

Source: http://food.yahoo.com/blog/beautyeats/26354/foods-that-fight-colds

Bedtime Snacks that Help You Sleep

2008-02-20T06:19:00.000-08:00

One of the best natural sedatives is tryptophan, an amino acid component of many plant and animal proteins.

Tryptophan is one of the ingredients necessary for the body to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter best known for creating feelings of calm, and for making you sleepy.

However, the trick is to combine foods that have some tryptophan with ample carbohydrate. That’s because in order for insomnia-busting tryptophan to work, it has to make its way to the brain.

Unfortunately, all amino acids compete for transport to the brain. When you add carbs, they cause the release of insulin, which takes the competing amino acids and incorporates them into muscle…but leaves tryptophan alone, so it can make its way to the brain, be converted to serotonin, and cause sleepiness.

Serotonin-producing bedtime snacks should be no more than 200 calories and should be eaten at least 30 minutes prior to bed.

Here are a few great ideas:

Bedtime Snacks for Adults

--6-8 oz container of non-fat, flavored yogurt topped with 2 tablespoons low-fat granola cereal
--Sliced apple with 1-2 teaspoons natural peanut butter
--3 cups low-fat popcorn – sprinkled with optional 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Bedtime Snacks for Teens

--One cup healthy cereal with skim milk
--Low-fat granola bar
--Scoop of vanilla or strawberry low-fat ice cream

Bedtime Snacks for Children

--1/2 cup low-fat vanilla pudding

--1/2 banana with 1-2 teaspoons peanut butter

--One cup skim milk with a bunch of grapes (or other fruit)

Source: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/joybauernutrition/25128/bedtime-snacks-that-help-you-sleep/

TEA: The Elixir of Life

2008-02-19T06:39:00.000-08:00

Delicious, low-calorie, and brimming with antioxidants, tea is quickly becoming the most commonly consumed beverage worldwide, after water. Even in the U.S., its popularity is rapidly growing. And why not? With the health benefits you stand to gain, you, too, will want to drink up.

Soak Up the Health Benefits
It is no wonder that tea is the beverage most commonly enjoyed by centenarians around the world. Tea is full of powerful antioxidants that improve concentration, gently boost energy, and make people happier. The free radical-inhibiting property of tea is more potent than that of vitamin E, and tea is a proven preventive and treatment for atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The polyphenols in tea, especially the catechins, are powerful antioxidants that help ward off diabetes and cancer.

To get the most health from your tea, brew it fresh from tea bags or loose leaves and herbs, as instant and bottled teas contain less active compounds. Let the tea steep for three to five minutes to extract the most beneficial compounds. Drink to your health!

Cut the Morning Coffee
For many people, the first thing they reach for in the morning is coffee. Although it may initially give you a jolt, coffee actually depletes your vital essence, "borrowing" energy that you didn't have in the first place.

Caffeine acts as a central nervous system stimulant. It causes you to experience stress, anxiety, a racing mind, and even insomnia, working against your attempts to relax the body and calm the mind. A healthier alternative to coffee is herbal tea. On average, a cup of black tea contains about one third of the caffeine you would get from the same cup of coffee. Green tea contains about one sixth of that amount.

Of course, caffeine content will vary depending on the particular tea and the brewing time. One way to naturally decaffeinate your tea is to steep for 45 seconds, pour out the liquid but keep the tea leaves, then add fresh boiling water and let it steep for 3-5 minutes or longer to allow the beneficial polyphenols to be extracted from the tea.

Slim Down with Tea
As a weight loss tool, tea is a wonderfully cleansing way to flush the system, replace fluids - and pump the body full of powerful antioxidants at the same time. Aside from the health benefits, tea is a zero-calorie beverage, making it your best choice for weight loss. Pass on the diet soda, loaded with sugar and bone-weakening bubbles, and go for tea.

It is best to drink tea unsweetened and without milk, which can minimize some of the health benefits. To sweeten the tea without the extra calories, forgo the sugar and try instead honey, stevia products, or a stick of cinnamon.

The Healthy Varieties of Herbal Teas
Aromatic and chock full of amazing health benefits, herbal teas are made from various leaves, roots, bark, or flowers. Here are just a few:

Ginger: Soothes the digestive system and keeps your energy fired up
Chamomile: Settles the stomach and is calming and soothing for the nervous system
Peppermint: Increases healthy gastric secretions, relaxes the intestines, and settles the stomach
Dandelion: Detoxifies and supports healthy liver functions
Valerian: A natural herbal substitute for sleeping pills

You can combine these herbs in any combination according to your taste and health preferences. Among my patients, an incredibly popular herbal tea is Internal Cleanse Tea, which is specially combined to detoxify, calm nerves, clear the mind, balance emotions, and ease digestion. This tea formula is available online at askdrmao.com.

I hope you reap the powerful health benefits of tea! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you stay healthy, live long, and live happy!

-Dr. Mao

Source: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/11599/tea-the-elixir-of-life/

Remove useless files from several applications with CCleaner

2008-02-18T18:36:00.000-08:00

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history.

Some cleaners just scrub off your browser cache temporary files folder but with CCleaner it goes further. It also cleans temporary files from common third-party applications. CCleaner cleans the following programs: Adobe products (Flash Player, Photoshop, and Reader to name a few), Ad-Aware SE, eMule, Firefox, Google Toolbar, Kazaa, Microsoft Office, Nero, Norton Antivirus, OpenOffice, Real Player, WinAce, Windows Media Player, WinRAR, WinZip, and Google, Windows Live, and Yahoo Toolbars.

It has an advanced features to remove unused and old entries, including File Extensions, ActiveX Controls, ClassIDs, ProgIDs, Uninstallers, Shared DLLs, Fonts, Help Files, Application Paths, Icons, Invalid Shortcuts and more... also comes with a comprehensive backup feature and it is spyware free!!!

Download CCleaner Here:

Cool Doggy!

2008-02-17T19:11:00.000-08:00

What a cute little basset doing some beat boxing. I really love dogs, and cats too! Enjoy the Video!

LOST: Via Domus -- Video Game

2008-02-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

Lost: Via Domus is a video game based on the ABC television series Lost. It is to be released for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 26th February 2008. The game was officially unveiled at Comic-Con 2007.

A completely different Lost game was released for mobile phones on January 16, 2007 and fifth-generation iPods on May 23, 2007. It is not related to Via Domus, nor created by the same developer.

Gameplay

The player is cast as a previously unseen survivor, Elliott, a photojournalist with amnesia. Gameplay will involve Resident Evil-style fetch quests and puzzle solving. Flashbacks will be an integral part of the storyline. The story follows the first two seasons of the show. The player explores locations seen in the show, such as the caves, the beach camp, the territory belonging to The Others and the Swan Station. The player will also interact with some of the major characters of the television show; Sawyer, Jack, Kate, Sayid, Michael and Walt. Screen caps and images released so far to the media shows Elliot having to avoid the "Smoke Monster" and the Black Rock. Trading with other survivors and taking photos with a camera are also part of the gameplay.

The game will be split up into seven "episodes". Each episode was plotted by the show's executive producers, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.^[5] The Third Season DVD bonus disk contains a feature about the game's development, and also reveals that Ben and Juliet will be in the game. It has been confirmed that the actors for Ben Linus (Michael Emerson), Mikhail Bakunin (Andrew Divoff), Sun-Hwa Kwon (Yunjin Kim), Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick), Claire Littleton (Emilie de Ravin), and Tom (M. C. Gainey) all provided voice work for the game, while the rest of the major characters are provided by stand-ins.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_(video_game)

Which iPod Should You Buy?

2008-02-15T07:24:00.000-08:00

Planning to buy an iPod? but can't decide which among the various models? this may help solve your problem and help you decide..

The very impressive Apple iPod lineup has dominated the digital music player market ever since the first iPod hit the streets in 2001. And that lead continues as Apple keeps on adding more impressive features and storage space to their iPod models while maintaining the thin and sleek look.

If you are planning to purchase a new iPod, you have at least four options to choose from – the inexpensive but screenless iPod shuffle, the new iPod Nano that also plays video, the iPod Classic that offers huge storage space or the latest iPod touch which is like the iPhone minus the phone and camera.

Music and video fans never had it so good but obviously, more choices can sometimes lead to confusion.

The iPod shuffle is ideal when you want to gift someone an iPod but do not have a big budget. The shuffle is small and wearable so you can easily clip it to your sleeve or the coin pocket of your trousers - a perfect choice for joggers or people who frequent the gym. With 1GB of storage, iPod shuffle weighs just around 15g.

The new iPod Nano, one of the best sellers, can now play video on their 2” colored screen in addition to photo slideshows and music. With the recent update, Nano models have become slightly shorter and wider.

The Cover Flow feature lets you flip through your music album covers visually through the Click Wheel. Nano is available in 4GB and 8GB models and weighs around 50g.

iPod Classic is much like the iPod Nano except for the storage size – Classic comes in 80GB and 160GB variants enough to store even your full length high resolution DVD movies. The screen size is slightly bigger at 2.5” but they weigh around 150g which is like 3x that of a Nano.

What could become the object of everyone’s envy is the new and very gorgeous iPod Touch. With a large 3.5” display and touch screen QWERTY keyboard, this is the most innovative iPod ever. The inbuilt Wi-Fi and Safari Browser in iPod Touch lets you surf the web in any hotspot.

Finally, you have the iPod Touch. Like any other iPod to play music, videos or photo slideshows. Weighing just 120g, iPod Touch is available in 8GB and 16GB variants.

With so many choices, which iPod would you now go for? If the budget is small, Shuffle seems like a good choice though you’ll miss the visual navigation. If you want to carry all your multimedia content wherever you go, Classic is recommended but for the rest of us, iPod Nano is close to perfect though I am not so big a fan of the new Nano shape.

Source: (for pictures and some facts) http://www.labnol.org/gadgets/ipod/purchase-ipod-buying-guide-compare-ipod-models/1427/

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.5.2

2008-02-12T04:02:00.000-08:00

Apple released Mac OS X 10.5.2 ,an update that addresses several common complaints regarding some new Leopard features, while also adding new features and fixing numerous bugs.

Among the major changes is an update to Stacks, the feature of OS X's Dock that allows quick access to items within folders. In 10.5.2, users can view any folder in the Dock as either a Folder or a Stack, and view content as either a Fan, Grid, or List. Pre-Leopard versions of Mac OS X provided only a List view; previous versions of Leopard provided either a Fan or Grid view based on the number of items in a Stack.

Another widely criticized feature of Leopard was the addition of a translucent menu bar and menu items; the 10.5.2 update adds an option to the Desktop & Screen Saver preference pane to turn translucency off. Menu items are also less translucent (regardless of how you set the menu bar preference), making them more readable.

An addition to Apple's Time Machine backup feature, which was introduced in Leopard, provides a menu bar item for accessing Time Machine features. In addition, the update addresses a bug that would prevent some external drives from being recognized by Time Machine.

Users of newer digital cameras will want to note that this update adds RAW support for several cameras, which have been added to Apple's complete list of Leopard-compatible RAW formats.

This update also improves several programs bundled with Mac OS X. iCal, Apple's calendar program, now accurately reflects responses to recurring meetings and fixing a problem in which a meeting may have remained on the calendar after being cancelled. Apple's iChat instant-messaging client is no longer disturbed by Time Machine when calculating idle times, offers improved AIM 6 video compatibility, and has had numerous other bugs squashed. The update to Apple's Mail application fixes several bugs, improves the accuracy of Data Detectors, and fixes an issue that may have prevented RSS feeds from being delivered in Mail. Mail also now automatically disables version 1.1.2 and earlier of the unsupported GrowlMail plug-in, which according to Apple was causing compatibility "issues."

According to Apple's detailed release notes, this update also addresses "connection reliability and stability" on AirPort Networks; improves performance of some Apple Dashboard widgets while fixing a buggy interaction between Dashboard and Parental Controls; adds Back to My Mac support for more third-party routers; adds iSync support for two Samsung phones; improves Parental Controls stability and fixes several bugs; improves PDF scrolling in Preview; fixes several printing bugs; improves the accuracy of the systemwide grammar checker; and "improves general stability when running third-party applications."

OS X 10.5.2 also incorporates the CD and DVD Sharing feature previous provided as a separate installation option on the install disc that shipped with the MacBook Air. When users check CD and DVD Sharing in the Sharing preference pane, users of MacBook Air systems or any Mac running 10.5.2 can "borrow" that Mac's optical drive for copying files or installing software.

A complete list of release notes is available. Mac OS 10.5.2 is available via the Software Update mechanism in Mac OS X or via direct download.

Once you install and restart your computer, you'll notice another update that becomes available. Leopard Graphics Update 1.0 "improves the stability and compatibility of your Mac," according to notes accompanying the update. The update requires Mac OS X 10.5.2.

Source: http://www.macworld.com/article/132058/2008/02/osx.html

Synchronize Files in Folders and USB Drives with SyncToy

2008-02-05T17:38:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Synctoy is a must-have utility to help you synchronize files in different directories of the same computer or between a computer and external storage devices like the iPod and USB pen drives.

As in the figure above, you first select a pair of folders that you want to keep in Sync via Synctoy. Then decide the action - should the two folders be clones or only the new files have to be copied ?

SyncToy supports wild-cards in file names (like *.exe or holiday_*.jpg) so you can decide what files are included or excluded during the sync process.

And using SyncToy is completely risk free - it has a wonderful preview feature that lets you see what operations would take place during the run without performing any changes on your computer.

SyncToy v2.0 [for Windows XP and Vista]

Source: http://www.labnol.org/software/download/synchronize-file-folders-between-computer-hard-disks/1986/

Free Software Programs for Windows

2008-02-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

Audio Editing: Audacity - it can record, remove noise from audio and also mix multiple sound track. With little effort, you can use Audacity to record live streaming music from Internet radio stations.

Video Editing: Windows Movie Maker from Microsoft is a good choice. It has all the basic video editing tools plus a good collection of transitions and video effects. For advanced usage, get the powerful VirtualDub - it has a number of filters (like video rotation), can create videos from image sequences, split videos or even extract sound from video tracks.

Instant Messenger: If your friends are spread across different services like Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN and others, get Pidgin and connect to all popular IM services using a single software. Pidgin provides a tabbed interface so the desktop won’t look cluttered even if you are simultaneously chatting with multiple buddies.

Computer Security: Your computer needs a firewall program like ZoneAlarm or Comodo Pro to stop spyware programs from connecting to websites secretly and for blocking any Internet intruders. For removing viruses from infected systems, AVG Antivirus and Avast are very reliable and unlike other commercial software, they are not heavy on system resources.

Multimedia Players: You may already have Windows Media Player and iTunes on your computer but they are not capable of playing all audio and video formats. For this reason, use VLC Media Player that is light-weight and supports almost everything including DVDs and Flash Videos that you have downloaded from YouTube. Another option is GOM player.

Digital Photography: Taking photos with your digital camera is just half the job . For organizing your vast picture collection, get Google Picasa or Windows Live Photo Gallery. With Picasa, you can create Screensavers and Picture Collages while Live Gallery has a wonderful photo stitching feature for making panoramas. Both let you transfer pictures from the desktop to Flickr. For advanced photo editing, use Paint.NET or GIMP.

Windows Enhancements: If you like using keyboard more than the mouse, get Launchy - it helps you start your favorite programs (and documents) without touching the Windows Start Menu. TweakUI is another desktop enhancement to help you control the appearance of Windows, change the location of default folders and so much more.

Spring Cleaning: WinDirStat gives you a visual overview of files and folders that are consuming the bulk of space on your hard drive so you know where to hit the delete key when the drive is full. CCleaner with automatically find and remove all the unnecessary temp files from your computer reclaiming valuable hard drive space. It also clears all the junk from Windows registry so your system runs faster. MyUninstaller will help you remove software that do show up in Windows Add Remove control panel.

Desktop Email: If you like checking and replying to your web email from the desktop, Windows Live Mail and ThunderBird are worth considering. They let you check multiple e-mail accounts in one place, apply filters to incoming email, add another layer of protection from junk email, built-in RSS reader and best of all, you can work offline.

DVD Tools: For creating backup copies of your DVD video disks onto the hard drive, use DVD Shrink. For extracting movie scenes and MP3 music from DVDs, HandBrake is a good choice. It can also be used to export your DVDs into portable players like the iPod.

Other Worthy Mentions: HTTrack helps you create a mirror copy of any website on the hard drive for offline reading. Orbit Downloader lets you save streaming music and videos from almost every website. Copernic Desktop is an excellent software for finding emails, documents, photos and other multimedia files on your computer. Microsoft SyncToy provides a visual interface for synchronizing file folders between computers and external drives.

Source: http://www.labnol.org/software/download/essential-free-software-programs-for-windows/1994/

Can't Sleep?

2008-02-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

Seeking sound sleep ? Try these tips for good night sleep:

» Throw your TV set and computer out of the bedroom!! (^_^)

» Take a cool shower before jumping into the bed.

» Wear loose cotton clothes (preferable white) - no denims or trousers please.

» Fix a sleeping schedule and stick to the routine honestly.

» Is the pillow good enough ? In a lot of cases, pillows and uncomfortable mattress may lead to sleep disorders.

» Reduce intake of spices, chocolates and caffeine, especially after lunchtime.

» The old granny's trick - take a glass of warm milk just before going to bed.

» If you are worried about something that preventing your from sleeping, try to think of ways to resolve it. Opening a discussion with the partner may help.

» Do some physical work or Yoga exercises some 3-4 hours before the sleeping time.

» There should be a healthy gap between your dinner and sleeping time.

» SEX with your partner before bedtime will also aid in getting a good sleep. (haha!)

» If your mind is flooded with ideas and tasks for the next day, jot them down on a piece of paper so that you get relaxed.

» When nothing helps, tune in to some World space Radio station for soft, slow, relaxing music like jazz, folk or orchestral pieces.

Hope these sleeping tricks will help you sleep, stay asleep, and wake up refreshed next day. Sweet Dreams!

Hottest Hybrids of 2008

2008-02-02T01:50:00.000-08:00

By Jim Gorzelany

Hybrids are still niche vehicles, but at their current rate of growth, they could dominate the roads in another five or 10 years.

U.S. hybrid sales jumped more than 34 percent to a total of 338,851 in 2007, according to CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore. The only other vehicle segment that grew faster than hybrids in 2007 was what CNW calls “budget cars.” Sales of these small, inexpensive models, which include the Chevrolet Aveo, Honda Fit, and Toyota Yaris, grew at an astonishing rate of nearly 48 percent.

With rising gas prices and higher fuel economy standards mandated by the federal government, analysts expect hybrid technology to proliferate in the coming years. “You’re going to see wider availability of hybrid powertrains as options on more and more vehicles,” says David Wurster, president of the Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based market research firm Vincentric. “I don’t think they’re going to be the ‘unique’ vehicles for much longer because it’s going to become commonplace technology.”

With new models entering the market and their popularity expected to rise, CNW predicts that 1.1 million hybrids will be sold annually by 2010.

Though their numbers continue to swell, hybrids still carry a premium for the added hardware, usually electric motors and a battery pack, estimated on average to be $3,000 over the cost of their conventionally powered equivalents. But unless this figure drops dramatically or gas prices take another large leap, some feel the price differential will continue to be a barrier to hybrids' widespread acceptance. “It comes down to the old adage that there’s no free lunch,” says John Wolkonowicz, a senior market analyst with Global Insight in Detroit. “You can build vehicles that get better fuel economy and with reduced emissions, but there’s a cost connected to all that.”

To help soften the financial blow and spur sales, the federal government provides an income tax credit for buyers of hybrid vehicles. This credit can be as much as $3,000 on a vehicle like the Ford Escape Hybrid or Mercury Mariner Hybrid. However, these credits are phased out once an automaker sells 60,000 hybrid vehicles.

The tax credits have already expired for Toyota and Lexus models and are in the process of being phased out for the Honda Civic Hybrid. The Civic Hybrid’s credit was cut in half to $1,050 on January 1, and will be reduced to $525 after July 1. Hybrid vehicles from automakers that haven’t met the sales quota will continue to qualify for a full tax credit through 2008. Currently, this includes the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid.

The lack of tax incentives doesn’t seem to have hurt the Toyota Prius’ popularity, however, with 181,221 units sold in 2007 for an increase of nearly 70 percent over 2006, according to CNW. The Prius remains the most popular hybrid in the U.S. by an astronomical margin. The second most sold hybrid in 2007 was another Toyota, the Camry hybrid, at 54,492 units.

This year, hybrid powertrains are being fitted into some of the most unlikely vehicles: full-size SUVs. The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and GMC Yukon Hybrid are now available, and hybrid versions of the Cadillac Escalade, Chrysler Aspen, and Dodge Durango go on sale late in 2008 as 2009 models.

“This is probably one of the toughest market segments to break through with a hybrid,” says Lonnie Miller, director of industry analysis at market research firm R.L. Polk and Company in Southfield, Mich. “We don’t understand what’s driving GM’s decision to build them, but it’s a very good litmus test for the broad-based acceptance of hybrids if the pickup buyers really take to it.”

General Motors, which produces the Escalade, Tahoe, and Yukon hybrids, is also launching hybrid versions of its full-size pickup trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, in the fall. Both were sold in “mild-hybrid” versions in 2005 and 2006. They're called "mild hybrids" because they didn’t include an electric motor to help with propulsion and simply used a revised starter system to shut down the gasoline engine when idling. This saved an average of just one mpg.

The new hybrid SUVs and pickups will use a complex “two-mode” hybrid system that was co-developed by General Motors, BMW, and the former DaimlerChrysler. GM expects a 25 percent boost in combined city/highway fuel economy over the gasoline-powered versions, which amounts to about a 4-mpg improvement.

A short test drive of the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid left us intrigued. The burly truck basically drives like a Prius around town, using only its electric motor at low speeds, but it can still haul and tow heavy loads thanks to its potent V8 gasoline engine.

The same two-mode hybrid technology used in the Tahoe and Yukon hybrids will be mated with a smaller engine (a V6 instead of a V8) in a smaller vehicle, the 2009 Saturn Vue Green Line. A Vue Green Line is already on sale, but includes a mild hybrid system with an electric motor and battery pack that gives limited assistance to a four-cylinder gasoline engine. The same powertrain is used on the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid and Saturn Aura Green Line.

Other new hybrids on the horizon include versions of the midsize Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans, the compact Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio, and even two new Honda hybrids. Also look for the flagship Mercedes- Benz S-Class sedan, the diminutive Smart, and the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, and Volkswagen Touareg SUVs to get the hybrid treatment by the end of the decade. Porsche also has announced a hybrid version of its new high-performance sedan, slated to go on sale in a few years.

GM hopes to start selling the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid by 2010, as either the Saturn Vue Green Line with plug-in capability, or the futuristically styled Chevrolet Volt. The Volt, in particular, has the potential to achieve triple-digit fuel economy as it will run solely on electricity and use a small gasoline engine as a generator of sorts to recharge the battery on the fly. GM anticaptes a 40-mile range on electricity alone and says that its batteries can be recharged by plugging them into a regular household electric outlet.

The only catch is that the Volt requires advanced lithium-ion batteries (like those in cell phones and laptop computers, only much larger) that have yet to be fully developed for automotive use. The biggest issue is that they can overheat and cause a meltdown.

Still, if Chevrolet can deliver on its promises and sell the Volt for less than $30,000, there’s little doubt it will be a true breakthrough. “If the technology is there, the Chevy Volt could be the next big thing,” Wurster says.

Source: http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/417/hottest-hybrids-of-2008;_ylc=X3oDMTE3OTBpZjA4BF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLXRvZGF5BHNsawNob3QtaHlicmlkcw--

Relieved Novak living the dream

2008-01-30T03:55:00.000-08:00

By Bren O'Brien

Men's Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic has spoken of his relief at breaking through for his maiden Grand Slam title after his four-set win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Rod Laver Arena.

While he is only 20, Djokovic had desperately wanted to take his chance to open his Grand Slam account having made the semi-finals or better at the past three tournaments. Having realised one of the best moments of his career, Djokovic said he felt a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"It's an indescribable feeling, something that I always dreamed of, of course. I think every player dreams about winning a Grand Slam. It's something special. It's a special event. It's two weeks long, all the best players in the world playing. Then you come up in the end as a champion, you know, only one guy to win the tournament. I mean, I'm still not aware of the big achievement I have had in these two weeks," he said.

Djokovic revealed that he felt under enormous pressure coming into the final as favourite, having defeated Roger Federer in the semi-finals.

"It was kind of strange feeling to get into the match as the favourite. As I was saying in the pre-conference, it's always dangerous to play against the underdog, the player who doesn't have really anything to lose," he said.

"You get to the final, you know, final match, you just want to make another step and win it. I was nervous and there was pressure, and I think it's understandable. But I'm very happy the way I deal with that pressure," he said.

Djokovic hasn't had time to consider whether his success ushers in a new era in men's tennis after breaking the duopoly of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

"I mean, it's not possible that only one tournament is changing the history. Of course, I mean, I played amazing tennis here, so I think I absolutely deserved to win, even against him (Federer) in the semifinals," he said.

"I'm gonna take it easy, you know. I'm not gonna try to think about reaching even higher goals right away. I'm not in a rush. I want to enjoy in my success and just celebrate with the people I care about. From then, I'll see what it goes."

The past three years have been dominated by the Swiss and the Spaniard, with no other player able to claim a Grand Slam title since Marat Safin at Australian Open 2005. Djokovic, the poster child of the new generation, believes the Swiss master and the determined Spaniard will fight as hard as ever.

"Everybody who wins a Grand Slam, you have to give them a lot of appreciation and respect. I just felt it now, what it feels like. Hopefully, you know, in the future I'm gonna feel it more," he said.

"He's (Federer) gonna come back in a big style, of course. He's still planning to be the best player in the world, so we all know how good he is. We're gonna see a lot of him this year."

Djokovic becomes the first player from his proud sporting nation to claim a Grand Slam title, inspiring the local Serbian community into fanatical support for the 20-year-old from Belgrade. There are 30,000 people of Serbian origin in Melbourne, and each and every one of them was behind their man as he overcame injury and a first set slip-up to secure victory. The thought of those fans, plus all the people back in Serbia, puts a smile on the proud young man's face.

"I think everybody was really surprised with the amount of the players we produced from such a small country with no tennis tradition. So I think it's still unexplainable, because there was no system whatsoever in our country for tennis and we didn't get so much support needed in that stage, mostly needed," he said.

"We've always had I can say strong support from our closest family, from our parents. And I think this hunger for success and the times and things we went through made us stronger."

With plenty of strength both in the women's and men's game at the moment, Djokovic believes that Serbian tennis could well be set for a golden era.

"Until now, we still didn't have a Grand Slam champion. Now I don't even realise how big deal this is. I really am overjoyed with the victory and very happy that the people in Serbia appreciate what we have done. Not just myself, but everybody," he said.

Source: http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/articles/2008-01-27/200801271201357735796.html?promo=sub_toparticles

Sharapova savours sweet success

2008-01-29T03:46:00.000-08:00

By Luke Buttigieg

Australian Open 2008 women's singles champion Maria Sharapova says her victory is just reward for all the hard work she has put in over recent months.

Sharapova struggled with injury for much of 2007 but finally managed to shake off most of her ailments in the latter part of the year and returned to some of the tennis that she's renowned for when she reached the final at the WTA Tour Championships.

And having avenged her defeat to Justine Henin in that final in Madrid when she won her quarter-final against the Belgian world No.1 earlier this week, Sharapova completed her third Grand Slam win with a 7-5 6-3 defeat of Serbian Ana Ivanovic.

"So exciting, it's amazing," she said of her feelings about her latest triumph. "Sometimes you just … when you're putting the work in it just seems so, so hard, and you never know when that work's gonna pay off."

"When you're going through tough moments, you never know when you're going to have good moments. I'm just so thankful that I got this one."

But having been humbled by unseeded American Serena Williams in the corresponding match 12 months ago when she was the No.1 seed, Sharapova denied that she had any extra motivation this time around in an event in which she didn't drop a set.

"No, just satisfying, period, to win a Grand Slam, and to win one that you've never won before, especially after some of the tough losses that I've had," Sharapova said when asked if she was more satisfied to win it in light of her loss in 2007.

"The feeling is just so weird, because with every match you play, you finish the match and you think, there's one more to go and you've got to concentrate. Although you just beat a top player, you played really good tennis, you always feel like there's one more to go."

"And right now there's no more to go, and I just can't feel that yet, you know. I feel like I still have to get up tomorrow and play another match," a smiling Sharapova added. "But it will settle in - I hope - really soon. I mean, I don't have a match till next week."

Having come close to being ousted in the first round in 2007 when a scorching Melbourne day almost brought her undone, Sharapova was much more comfortable in the warm conditions on Saturday.

"When I was in Singapore a couple weeks ago it was so hot and humid out there," she said.

"I got to practice there for about three days outdoors. It was great, because when I got out on the court today, I was like, 'This is a piece of cake'."

"Even though it's hot, it wasn't nearly as hot as it was over there. You know, just mentally going into the match I didn't really care. Whatever it took, I was just gonna try to do everything I could to win that match."

While unsure at first whether she could say that her greater Grand Slam final experience had helped her, Sharapova did confirm that to be the case when she cast her mind back to the pivotal 10th game of the first set.

"When I was down 0-30 on my serve, when she had that opportunity to break me and win that set, I think experience definitely helped me because I didn't get impatient," Sharapova said. "I was just steady. I knew that, you know, it was for her to take."

"I mean, she's two points away from winning the first set in a Grand Slam final. You know, if you want it, take it. And she didn't. Was that experience? I was just calm. I just did the right things."

Having also revealed after her win that she has regular contact with former star Billie Jean King, and was in touch with her both before and after the final, Sharapova ominously warned her rivals she thinks her game can still improve.

"I know I've already won three Grand Slams, I know I keep saying this, but I don't think I'm at the peak of my career yet," she said. "I don't think my body has 100 per cent developed into its own."

"I've got many more things to learn, you know, in my tennis, and many things to build and improve. That takes time. It's not an overnight process. It's something that I look forward to.

Sharapova is obviously confident any time she enters a Grand Slam that she can go all the way, but two of her biggest goals for the rest of 2008 would surely be trying to complete a career slam and also success at the Beijing Olympics.

And if she can maintain the stellar form that took her to this breakthrough on Saturday, few would bet against the Russian being right in the hunt at the business end of many major tournaments for years to come.

Source: http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/articles/2008-01-26/200801261201331476031.html?promo=hp_toparticles

Hantuchova hammers past Radwanska

2008-01-23T00:30:00.000-08:00

Slovakian No.9 seed Daniela Hantuchova has advanced to the semi-finals with ease as she eliminated Polish Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 6-2.

Radwanska, 18, had enjoyed a spectacular run at Australian Open 2008, overpowering second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round.

But her Australian Open hopes were demolished as Hantuchova dominated the match with her powerful serve and groundstrokes.

Hantuchova broke her opponent's serve in the third game of the opening set, giving Radwanska little room to move as she controlled play from the baseline.

The No.9 seed had six break points in the seventh game but her opponent fought back to hold her serve. But the Slovakian finally got her way, winning the set in 40 minutes.

Radwanska showed glimpses of her natural talent in the second set, winning with some impressive drop shots from the net. But her serve let her down, and Hantuchova capitalised, breaking early in the set and again in the fifth game.

Radwanska broke in the seventh game to trail 2-5 but any hope of a revival was quickly snuffed out by her in-form opponent.

Source: http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/match_reports/2008-01-23/200801231201055848328.html

Sharapova outclasses Davenport in Australian Open Tennis Championship

2008-01-16T03:51:00.000-08:00

It was billed as the blockbuster showdown of the first week, but unfortunately it failed to live up to expectations, with Maria Sharapova easily accounting for Lindsay Davenport in their second round match.

The Russian coasted to a 6-1, 6-3 win in the first night match on Rod Laver Arena, in an impressive performance that displayed her sharp form and focus.

The early-round meeting between these two giants of the game was because Davenport was unseeded following a lay-off from the game in which she gave birth to her first child.

However, Sharapova was not going to underestimate her recently-returned opponent, quickly racing to a 5-0 lead on the back of powerful groundstrokes and dominant serving.

The American, much to the crowd's delight, was able to hold serve to get on the board, but Sharapova closed out the set in the next game to win it 6-1.

It was a closer affair in the second set, with Davenport settling into the baseline exchanges and managing to score some spectacular winners of her own.

But her time away from the game clearly showed, with uncharacteristic errors littering her game.

The No.5 seeded Russian took advantage of this, breaking twice late in the set to run out a convincing winner.

Match Facts

-Sharapova hit 26 winners to Davenport's 10.

-Davenport made 16 unforced error.

-Sharapova recorded the fastest serve for the match at 181km/hr.

-Davenport earned no break points during the match.

-Sharapova won 86 percent of points on her first serve.

http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/match_reports/2008-01-16/200801161200479293915.html

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 available to the Public!

2008-01-15T00:09:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has reversed field and opened public access to the latest beta build of Vista Service Pack 1. Users can now download Vista SP1 RC Refresh from Microsoft's Web site.

Users can install the beta via Windows Update, but Microsoft is providing a list of procedures users should follow to avoid problems.

Microsoft originally released the Refresh beta on Jan. 9 to approximately 15,000 beta testers that included corporate customers, consumer enthusiasts, software and hardware vendors, and others, according to a company spokesman.

The spokesman said on Jan. 10 Microsoft decided to make the beta open to everyone with an interest via its TechNet Web site. Microsoft said its intention was to get the widest and deepest feedback it can before releasing the software.

The spokesman said Vista SP1 is still slated for release before the end of March.

More Popular in Businesses?

The beta news comes on the heels of the third phase of a year-long study conducted by Walker Information for IT services and product supplier CDW, which shows Vista gaining popularity in the business market. The study shows that 48% of respondents are using or evaluating Windows Vista -- up from 29% in the previous poll from February 2007 and from 12% in the first poll taken in October 2006.

Microsoft first made Windows Vista SP1 RC Preview available on Nov. 14 to 15,000 testers as part of its private beta program. In December, the company opened the beta to the public.

Microsoft hopes to align SP1's availability with Windows Server 2008, which Microsoft hopes to ship on or before its Feb. 27, 2008 launch event in Los Angeles.

Vista SP1 will include a number of bug fixes and performance enhancements but no new features, Microsoft said. Microsoft also is updating its set of Vista migration tools, including the Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.0, Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.1 solution accelerator (formerly called Business Desktop Deployment), and Microsoft User State Migration Tools 3.0.

Microsoft officials said the Vista SP1 RC includes changes that streamline setup and installation. It also includes all previously released updates since RTM, performance and reliability improvements such as file copy, network browsing and improved response time to resume from sleep, and change to administration features, including changes to BitLocker that allow encryption for multiple volumes.

Over the years, SP1 versions of any Microsoft products have become a traditional milestone that some corporate users wait for before they even consider rolling out the software.

Uptake of Vista has been slow by corporate users, many of whom have standardized on XP and are reluctant to undertake another migration.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141365/article.html

GM's Self Driving Car

2008-01-13T00:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the future! A Car that drives itself: The 2008 Opel Vectra.

Driving is not that complicated at all if you own a car that drives itself. Hassle FREE and worry FREE! More relaxing and will surely make driving safer. check it out!

The car will be capable of piloting itself at speeds up to 60 mph in heavy traffic without any input from the driver sitting behind the steering wheel.

GM claims the system, called Traffic Assist, will make driving safer and more relaxing. It uses lasers, a video camera and plenty of computing power to "see" signs, bends, other vehicles and lane markings, and to control the engine, steering and brakes to keep the car in the correct position on the road and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front.

The system is to become available on more models by the end of the decade — initially other cars on the Epsilon platform, including the next Saab 9-3, Cadillac BLS and Saturn Aura. Whether it will be launched in the U.S. will depend on whether administrators deem it safe — product liability laws are different in America.

GM expects the package to be about 50-percent more expensive than conventional active cruise control radar equipment, which controls distances but cannot steer the car.

What this means to you: No, it's not April Fool's Day; GM really has developed a self-driving system. Great for traffic jams, but we're not sure about a car driving itself at 60 mph!

Source: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=107011

Earn! Earn! Earn! It's just a browse away

2008-01-12T04:54:00.001-08:00

Wanna earn while browsing? click the link below and sign up!
It's free and true! Earn while just browsing.

http://www.slashmysearch.com/earn/id/74093

Microsoft's Tabletop Computer

2008-01-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

Say goodbye to keyboards and mouses with Microsoft newest technology.

Microsoft Surface (codename: Milan)

Microsoft Surface is multi-touch product from Microsoft. Developed as a software and hardware combination technology a single or a multiple user to manipulate digital content by the used of natural motions, hands gestures or physical objects. Announced on May 29,2007 and expected to be released on 2008.

Overview

Surface is essentially a Windows Vista PC tucked inside a table, topped with a 30-inch reflective surface in a clear acrylic frame. A projector underneath the surface projects an image onto its underside, while five cameras in the machine's housing record reflections of infrared light from human fingertips. The camera can also recognize objects placed on the surface if those objects have specially-designed "tags" applied to them. Users can interact with the machine by touching or dragging their fingertips and objects such as paintbrushes across the screen, or by placing and moving tagged objects.

Surface has been optimized to respond to 52 touches at a time. During a demonstration with a reporter, Mark Bolger, the Surface Computing group's marketing director, "dipped" his finger in an on-screen paint palette, then dragged it across the screen to draw a smiley face. Then he used all 10 fingers at once to give the face a full head of hair.

In addition to recognizing finger movements, Microsoft Surface can also identify physical objects. Microsoft says that when a diner sets down a wine glass, for example, the table can automatically offer additional wine choices tailored to the dinner being eaten.

Prices will reportedly be $5,000 to $10,000 per unit. However Microsoft said it expects prices to drop enough to make consumer versions feasible in 3 to 5 years.

The machines, which Microsoft debuted May 30, 2007 at a technology conference in Carlsbad, California, were set to arrive in November 2007 in T-Mobile USA stores and properties owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. and Harrah's Entertainment Inc. But with delays in developing custom applications for each of the partners, it will take until spring 2008 before the machines start showing up at these locations.

Features

Microsoft notes four main components being important in Surface's interface: direct interaction, multi-touch contact, a multi-user experience, and object recognition.

Direct interaction refers to the user's ability to simply reach out and touch the interface of an application in order to interact with it, without the need for a mouse or keyboard. Multi-touch contact refers to the ability to have multiple contact points with an interface, unlike with a mouse, where there is only one cursor. Multi-user is a benefit of multi-touch -- several people can orient themselves on different sides of the surface to interact with an application simultaneously. Object recognition refers to the device's ability to recognize the presence and orientation of tagged objects placed on top of it.

The technology allows non-digital objects to be used as input devices. In one example, a normal paint brush was used to create a digital painting in the software. This is made possible by the fact that, in using cameras for input, the system does not rely on restrictive properties required of conventional touchscreen or touchpad devices such as the capacitance, electrical resistance, or temperature of the tool used.

The computer's "vision" is created by a near-infrared, 850-nanometer-wavelength LED ight source aimed at the surface. When an object touches the tabletop, the light is reflected to multiple infrared cameras with a net resolution of 1280 x 960, allowing it to sense, and react to items touching the tabletop. Surface will ship with basic applications, including photos, music, virtual concierge, and games, that can be customized for the customers.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Surface

GIMP Portable

2008-01-10T20:46:00.000-08:00

GIMP Portable - image editing on the go.

GIMP Portable is the popular the GIMP for windows image editor packaged as a portable app, so you can take your images with you and do your editing on the go.

Features

The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It has many capabilities. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format converter, etc.

click here to download

The Pussycat Dolls Live in Manchester

2008-01-10T05:02:00.000-08:00

The Pussycat Dolls performing there last three
songs in Manchester, on February 4th 2007.

Quantum and Information Technology Convention

2008-01-09T04:27:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Quantum & I.T. Convention!

The Quantum

Quantum is composed of 3 segments. First are the MS Paint and the GIMP Competition which will be participated by one grade school and one high school student as a representative of each school. Second is the Quiz Show which is exclusive for high school students consisting of three bona fide students of each school and the last one is the Programming Competition which will be consisted of three bona fide college students equipped with programming skills.

The IT Convention

The City-Wide IT Convention of the Ateneo Information Management Society (AIMS) started in the year 2002 and will commemorate its 5th year of gathering the IT students of Cagayan de Oro City not just to test their competence but to guide them with additional knowledge and to develop their skills in Information Technology.

This is usually a 2-day and 1-night activity which comprising sessions and discussions on IT related topics with distinguished resource speakers. A fellowship or social night was usually held in the evening with delightful performances from the delegates. In the following day, a short quiz bee and receipt of certificates wrap up the convention.

Registration Fee and Payment Procedures

All Schools, Colleges and Universities in Mindanao are invited to join the First Mindanao-Wide Quantum and Information Technology Convention (QITC).

Registration Fee:

1st Cut Off : January 11, 2008
- Students = PhP 2,500.00 (Stay-in)
- Students = PhP 1,750.00 (Stay-out)
- Professionals = PhP 3,000.00 (Stay-in)
- Professionals = PhP 2,500.00 (Stay-out)

Deadline: January 21, 2008
- Students = PhP 2800.00 (Stay-in)
- Students = PhP 2,200.00 (Stay-out)
- Professionals = PhP 3,300.00 (Stay-in)
- Professionals = PhP 2,700.00 (Stay-out)

Walk-in
- Students = PhP 3,200.00 (Stay-in)
- Students = PhP 2,600.00 (Stay-out)
- Professionals = PhP 3,700.00 (Stay-in)
- Professionals = PhP 3,100.00 (Stay-out)

High-school and Grade-school participants for the Quantum competitions are NOT REQUIRED in the payment of the preceding fees. Such participants are engaged only for the competition which is a 1-day activity only unless they prefer to join the 3-day event.

For outside Xavier University/Cagayan de Oro City, please deposit your payment at:

Account Name: Jim Paul Padayhag & Camilo Lozano III
Account Number: 0156-1954-21
Bank: Land Bank of the Philippines

After depositing the payment, please send your scanned bank transaction receipt (keep the original copy the receipt, will be check again at the actual event) at qitc2008@gmail.com or mail at the address below:

Mail Address:

Quantum and Information Technology Convention
c/o Xavier Computing and Information Services Group
CIT Building, 3rd floor,
Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan
Corrales Ext., Cagayan de Oro City, 9000

Join the biggest I.T. enthusiasts gathering on January 25 to 27, 2008 at Country Village Hotel, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.

Speakers for QITC

Name of the Speaker: Yolynne Medina
Position: IRC Channel Consultant and Online Networking Staff
Company: International Open Source Network ASEAN+3 Sub-Regional Node
Company URL: http://www.iosn.net
Topic: OpenSource

Name of the Speaker: Aileen Apolo
Position: Philippine Country Consultant
Company: Google Inc.
Company URL: http://www.google.com
Topic: Google Applications

Name of the Speaker: Jan Michael Ibañez
Position: Software Architect
Company: Orange and Bronze Software Labs
Company URL: http://orangeandbronze.com
Topic: Java Management Extensions

Name of the Speaker: Matt Arnilo Baluyos
Position: System Administrator (also KLUG President)
Company: Syntactics, Inc.
Company URL: http://www.syntacticsinc.com
Topic: Current and Emerging Web Technologies

Name of the Speaker: Calen Martin D. Legaspi, SCEA
Position: Chief Executive Officer
Company: Orange and Bronze Software Labs
Company URL: http://software.orangeandbronze.com
Topic: Careers in Software Development

Benefits

You will learn how leading IT specialists have applied IT management principles and best practices to leap from the competition.

You will learn how the application of IT management techniques has produced 100% productivity in large, complex IT environments.

You will learn how to show off your IT skills in the competition events.

You will learn important and reliable topics from the speakers. Knowing what’s in and what’s out.