Archive for 'Internet'

A gift that at the same time was a curse, the Digg effect took us down back on September 11, 2007 - ironic date I know. However, we did survive and we are in the process of improving the blog and posting articles that were missed during the month of October. Thanks to Girls Of The Israeli Army post done back on August 5, 2007 we got well over 2000 Diggs before our MySQL database could take no more connections.

For those of you who do not know Digg, it is best to just head on over to the community to sign up and start clicking around. Start viewing the Digg review of our page that created a lot of traffic for us and then begin exploring Digg. It is somewhat of an easy concept to grasp but here is what the ol’ mighty internet resource has to say about it:

A community-based popularity website with an emphasis on technology and science articles, recently expanding to a broader range of categories such as politics and entertainment. It combines social bookmarking, blogging, and syndication with a form of non-hierarchical, democratic editorial control

According to Wikipedia. Basically that all means that the readers vote - “Digg” - webpages, blogs, photos etc. that they like. The more Diggs you get the higher your ranking in the community. Voters do not all carry the same vote. People who are reputable and have the most friends get more say and weight. This helps when an average Joe trys to cheat and vote his webpage up.

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Talks of a phone from Google dubbed the Gphone, have recently been causing a stir on the World Wide Web. There are articles mentioning deals between certain high profile companies with expected release dates and even articles from people claiming they have already seen prototypes. Whether or not we can believe everything we read, Google are on the up and up so a move into the wireless industry is not out of character.

There have been a few reports that Google are making a big push in the development of their own handset. High Tech Computers, a Taiwan-based smart phone maker are rumored to be designing the Linux device which is said to incorporate a Texas Instruments edge chipset. There have been a number of specifications listed in these reports and if all of this turns out to be true, Google may revolutionize the way we use our cell phones.

Reports suggest we can expect a handset that provides Wi-Fi, 3-G and GPS capability, a user friendly browser such as Linux or possibly one designed by Google, access to VoIP, Gtalk or even Skype, a 2 Megapixel Camera, Mp3, a predictive Qwerty Keyboard and of course, a large color screen.

The Gphone is apparently scheduled for release early 2008, with T-Mobile and Orange tipped to be providing services it may seem like everything is almost decided. If Google can come up with a handset that can incorporate all these features then they really will have a rival to the Apple iPhone.

The iPhone is a great device and certainly did take mobile technology to the next level; however some felt it did not quite live up to the hype. All this talk of the Gphone is setting the stage for something really spectacular but with no sign of any official concept designs, it is difficult to really predict what is on the companies mind.

Note: All images are Unofficial Concept Sketches; designs are artist impressions of what the Gphone may look like.

The release of Google Docs and Spreadsheets, the highly anticipated free office suite application available through the internet by download, threatens to topple Microsoft’s dominant position as the leader in desktop software offering services delivered over the Web supported by advertising and/or subscriptions. So much so that Microsoft set to the drawing board and immediately began developing a rival project.

Tip: Be sure to check out the link at the end of this article for a link to a listing of various free and open source software programs for download that is having the executives at Microsoft shaking in their boots and thinking about ways to counter this!

The aim is to offer a free version of Microsoft Works which will be pre installed in desktops and will display advertisements stored in cache, the advertisements that help support the application will be refreshed when the computer establishes an internet connection.

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Microsoft and Fox have join forces with the new deal to allow the first two seasons of the the popular animated T.V. series Family Guy to be downloaded to the XBox. Family Guy is the first television series or service to make its way to the XBox. This is a strong deal that will help Microsoft continue to move past it’s similiar Apple competitor iTunes. This will be a big season for Microsoft XBox with the launch of Halo 3 right around the corner, since the demographics are the same - males 18 - 34.

For our Microsoft Xbox 360 customers, you will be able to purchase each of the episodes from the first two seasons as well as the straight-to-DVD film “Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story” for 160 Microsoft points, or about $2, which is comparable with the pricing of TV episodes on iTunes and other VOD platforms.

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Storage and disk space have always been a problem since computers were first invented. Organizing files, creating compilation music CDs, cataloging your movie collection, and backing up your files that you hope will be available when you need them; all consume large amounts of your vital virtual reality. Now if that wasn’t enough, after we have gone through all the trouble of moving all these files around, we have to make sure we bring the right CD or thumb drive at the time they are needed. Being randomly deployed and stationed at various bases has only added to the trouble. Thanks to the advancement of fast internet, there is actually a solution that helps organize your files and have all your files at a moments notice known as online storage.

Some sites require you to login and access the files. However, if you really wanted to do this correctly you would create a network drive to a dedicated server, so all you had to do a was click an icon to access the folders. But this requires a lot of money to make sure you have good server with a fast connection and that was very secure and maintained properly. Well with IBackUp all of your storage needs are finally resolved and you have the ability to secure personal data online while having the ability to access your files easily anywhere!

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Sorry, YouTube and How Stuff Works said it was evil to have their video available to the general public and the videos were taking down. So you are left with the following video:

I like YouTube and I like How Stuff Works - but man - they are so big now and have become overcome with legalese and rules. Another thing ruined, but you can not stop progression. Napster - LimeWire - Bit Torrents - YouTube - Google - Linux have all contributed and spawned out in so many directions that I do not understand why they even attempt to stop it. I think it looks bad on them. Instead they should focus on being dynamic and adjusting to the flow.

Time will tell ….

Making the rounds to an Email box near you! I just got it and found out that this has been circulating for some time. Below are photographs of a prototype aircraft known as the Talon. Reportedly it was taken onboard the USS George Washington CVN-73 for catapult fit checks. It noted that it was not exactly still Top Secret but certainly not yet made public.

The specs that were known were list to be a Mach 3.5 (top speed in the Mach 4 range), super-cruise stealth fighter / bomber / interceptor with approximately a 4,000nm range.

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I few years back I caught a great show of the Chinese Dance Troupe making their rounds through Asia. The show was amazing and very trippy. As a military brat I was lucky to be exposed to many cultural sites and sounds. Many other brats like me and military members do not venture outside the tourist trails let alone the gates of the base. I stumbled on to it and was surprised to see a video existed of it. Actually, Google knows all and sees all, so I should not have been that surprised. Anyways I dedicated this one to all the barrack rats out there:

Here is their background which you will find equally interesting. I am sure the world will be stunned again with the 2008 Olympics right around the corner:

There is an excellent dance, called the Thousand-Hand Guanyin. Considering the tight coordination required, their accomplishment is nothing short of amazing, even if they were not all deaf. Yes, you read correctly. All 21 of the dancers are complete deaf-mutes. Relying only on signals from trainers at the four corners of the stage, these extraordinary dancers deliver a visual spectacle that is at once intricate and stirring. Its first major international debut was in Athens at the closing ceremonies for the 2004 Paralympics.

It had long been in the repertoire of the China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe and had traveled to more than 40 countries.

Its lead dancer is 29-year-old Tai Lihua, who has a BA from The Hubei Fine Arts Institute. The video was recorded in Beijing during the Spring Festival celebrations this year.

Inspirational soldier rap video from a Marine expressing his patriotism for love for fellow troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan

UPDATE FROM BLACKFIVE:

Just in- Another co-worker of SSGT Dean’s forwards his have MySpace page In deference to accuracy and at the request of many of Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children, I have added a T to the SSG in SSGT Dean’s rank. Ooh rah, Eat the Apple……never mind. Semper Fi.

Most of you saw this video when we posted it earlier this week, and most of you wrote to say how wonderful it was. It contained many heartfelt sentiments about what being an American and an American fighting man means. The artist was unknown, until now. Ladies and Gentlemen I introduce you to SSGT Lawrence E. Dean II. A reader who may claim her kudos in the comments if she wants to, alerted us that SSgt Dean was the artist and he worked with her husband. She sent along B5 contact info and then let me know we needed to coordinate with the Cherry Point PAO and Mr. Mike Barton was very helpful and facilitated a phone interview w/ SSGT Dean. Here is the coolest thing, the piece is titled She Called, well She is his Grandma and the piece is his explanation to her of why he would go to war. WOW! It was great to talk with him and I wish him the best in what could be a second career. Semper Fi!

Visit http://www.blackfive.net/main/2007/08/exclusive-inter.html For The Exclusive Interview

Pac Man is a deep rooted cultural icon for most Americans and Japanese. Developed in 18 months by a Namco employee in Japan, the game was released as pakku-man. Pakku represents the sound made when opening the mouth and the shaped was part inspired by a pizza missing a slice and by usuing a rounded Japanese character for mouth or kuchi in Japanese.

Later the game was released in America under the title Pac-Man since Puck-Man closely resembles a bad word and doesn’t sound as cool. The game soon became a worldwide phenomenon within the video game industry, resulting in numerous sequels and merchandising tie-ins. Pac-Man’s success bred imitation, and an entire genre of maze-chase video games soon emerged.

Here’s your chance to experience or re-experience the joys of Pac Man. Try your shot at reaching the rare title of a perfect game (To attain the maximum possible score of 3,333,360 points by eating every fruit, every Power Pellet, every blue ghost and every dot for 256 boards without losing a single life) or conquering the unconquerable and infamous split screen level.

Click The Image To Start Pac-Man

Great video of an AC-130 Gunship in Action Over Afghanistan. Silently Hovering Taking the Taliban Out!!

A UK based company ‘Jade Intergration’ released one of the worlds smallest thin-client computers. The ‘Jack PC’ fits into any standard size wall socket and can be powered from an Ethernet connection, this break through in technology allows the PC to run on just 5 watts of power instead of the usual 80 watts it takes to run a regular computer, making the ‘Jack PC’ extremely efficient computer.

Originally designed over a year ago by ‘Chip PC Technologies’ the device has been tested and perfected. Managing director of Jade Intergation, Andy MacLellan believes the device is,

“one of the biggest developments in PCs that we have seen” and is one of the “ever-growing range of thin clients, which are rapidly replacing PCs as a more effective desktop computing solution for modern businesses”.

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NetCam XL - Rugged Design, Beautiful Results

With images up to 2048×1536 in resolution, the new NetCam XL 3MP is the highest quality network camera on the market. Using a 3.1 megapixel sensor, the NetCam XL 3MP is the perfect tool for web attraction, weather monitoring or high definition security camera.

Bring on the cold! NetCam XL can withstand temperatures down to -40° degrees without a heater.

The NetCam XL is the latest generation in the popular NetCam series of network cameras. Designed for both indoor and rugged outdoor installations, the NetCam XL streams video and produces some of the highest quality images found in a network camera.

No computer is required to operate the NetCam XL — it is a standalone solution that can connect to a local network, DSL, cable modem, satellite modem, cellular, wireless Ethernet or even a phone line. You simply browse to its IP address to view live video and access configuration options. Set up is straightforward and simple and NetCam XL is designed to run unattended for years on end.

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Surfing across the web I came across some information about some ideas and concoctions brewing over at Microsoft Live Lab. For those of you who can appreciate Google Earth, Vector Imaging, EBooks, and Visual Media in general will definitely appreciate the technology and the endless capabilities behind Seadragon’s goals.

The goal of Seadragon is to alter the way users use valuable screen reality without affecting quality and bandwidth. This is a critical concern for mobile users and the eventual evolution of the internet. Visual information can be smoothly browsed regardless of the size of a file or your network’s bandwidth.

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US Army has started implementing Microsoft’s newest gaming system, the XBox 360, to help train soldiers with simulated combat and war games. The United States military has always been aware of the synergy between gaming and its new weapons systems. On a side note I read that when the Department of Defense was designing the new Air Force jet F22 Raptor, it brought in the expertise of young gamers to give suggestions on the layout and configuration of the interface to make it more intuitive for the Airmen of the future.

Recently, the US Army conducted its first live-fire exercise, Experiment 1.1, using Future Combat Systems (FCS) technologies and equipment. The military exercise was apart of the most comprehensive Army modernization effort and was held at Oro Grande Range at Fort Bliss, Texas. This included a robot designed to take out snipers and code named the RedOwl. The inventory of military robots and unmanned vehicles doesn’t stop there though. The XBox controller is used to control and maneuver robots. The controllers are not completely wireless however. It looks like the controller goes to a pack on the soldier which communicates wirelessly to the robot. Not only does having a wired controller save on batteries, it simplifies the system, by only having one wireless system versus two, which cuts down on points of failure.

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