Category: News

  • PaPaLaB’s YC-3300 camera sees same colors as human eyes

    We can’t say that we’ve ever heard of PaPaLaB, but all it takes to get on the consumer electronics radar is doing something that no one has ever done before. It’s one of those “easier said than done” things, we’re guessing. Anywho, the Japanese outfit has just rolled out a camera system that has been proven to see the same colors as the human eye, a feat that was previously only achievable via huge, impractical camera rigs. The YC-3300, however, is far smaller and manageable than prior systems, and it has already been dubbed a “full-visible-color-gamut camera” by the powers that be. The creators expect it to primarily be used for photographing digital archives and for use in the medical field, but we’re already anxious to see such technology miniaturized further and ushered into the consumer market. Surely someone can make that happen before the next PMA kicks off, right?

    Continue reading PaPaLaB’s YC-3300 camera sees same colors as human eyes

    PaPaLaB’s YC-3300 camera sees same colors as human eyes originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • When They Are “Different”

    It is much easier to  have cookie cutter children that children who are different. Now, few of the people I know actually have cookie cutter children but some seem to be a little more out of the box than others.

    Children who have autism, aspergers, learning difficulties, touch sensitivities, gifted, or are just plain creative are harder to raise than “average ” kids…whatever they are. It takes more thought, more understanding , more patience, and more prayers that raising a child who is average BUT it is also one of the most rewarding things you will ever do.

    Once you get past the need to explain yourself to everyone you come in contact with.

    Nick

    Although I have 8 unusual children Nick is the one that tends to create the most stir. Not only does he have a touch sensitivity (like me) but he is most comfortable with his hair long. Very long. Yes, he is a boy. Not many people look past his hair to see the caring and compassionate young man he is. Not many choose to spend the time to get to know him as the precocious 9 year old artist that he is.

    He has touch sensitivities. He wears flip flops all year and there are certain textures he can’t handle. I understand this – I am the same way. He was out in this in his flip flops the day before Christmas:

    christmas-snow

    In fact, I have had to deal with people, adults, being stupid and rude more than once. I find it not only irritating but horrifying that an adult can say and do things to a child that are totally inappropriate because the child is … a child. I have two sons with long hair. The older has been subjected to taunts, hair pulling, and disdain from adults, even those adults that have been in leadership in his life. Ridiculous. Nick has been yelled at for using the men’s bathroom and even when he repeatedly said he wasn’t a girl the person continued to harass him.

    Raising a child who is different for any reason takes a lot of courage. It takes  lot of courage because you seem to be constantly defending yourself and your child to other people. It shouldn’t be this way but it is.

    After having done it for so long I have developed skills.  Some of it is that I am fiercely loyal to my kids.  If you accuse them of something you better be ready to prove it and if you are going to criticize them for something you better be able to convince me that you want what is best for them. If not the usually mild mannered me turns into a tigress.

    You see, I believe in my kids. I want them to be individuals and I want them to be able to think outside the box. If allowing them to have longer hair or put a blue streak in their hair helps them do that then so be it. Can it go to far? Sure it can. But I am not going to create rules that don’t matter to me because someone else has issues with black fingernail polish.

    The only rules I make are those that are important to me. Ethics. Character. Spirituality. I try to keep them simple so that my kids can develop into the men and women God envisions them to be.

    Having a child who is different will get you”looks” in public. Sometimes it will get you comments. Try to let the comments roll off as much as you can. Try to avoid the feeling of intimidation that can come. After all, you are the parent. You know what is best for your child and you are responsible for seeing that you child grows into healthy adulthood.

    Noone else walks in your shoes or deals with your life on a daily basis. Keep things in perspective and learn how to shoot the nay-sayers withering looks that will stop them in their tracks. What matters is on the inside of you and your child. Maybe if your critics understood that they would pay more attention to their own insides.

    image: marye audet

    Post from: Blisstree

    When They Are “Different”

  • Toyota Hybrid Concept reportedly a subcompact, headed to U.S. in 2012

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    Toyota Subcompact Hybrid

    Toyota Hybrid Concept teaser – Click above for high-res image gallery

    According to the The Detroit News, Toyota‘s upcoming hybrid concept that will be debuted at the Detroit Auto Show on January 11th will be a subcompact machine that’s destined for production. Citing sources familiar with the project, DN says that the car will go into production in Japan in 2011 with U.S. sales slated for the beginning of 2012.

    There’s some speculation that the new model might borrow the Prius name in an effort to capitalize on that car’s undisputed sales success. Toyota reportedly hopes to sell 150,000 subcompact hybrids per year.

    Finally, DN reports that Toyota has sped up development of small cars and hybrids, including a premium compact hatchback for its Lexus division, as foreshadowed by the LF-Ch concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. No word on whether the subcompact hybrid will use nickel metal hydride or lithium ion batteries.

    [Source: The Detroit News]

    Toyota Hybrid Concept reportedly a subcompact, headed to U.S. in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • It’s Time For Governments To Issue Stock Instead Of Just Borrowing

    Robert Shiller

    CORPORATIONS raise money by issuing both debt and equity, the latter giving investors an implicit share in future profits. Governments should do something like this, too, and not just rely on debt.

    Borrowing a concept from corporate finance, governments could sell a new type of security that commits them to paying shares in national “profit,” as measured by gross domestic product

    Keep reading at NYT >

    Join the conversation about this story »

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  • Managing the Peak Fossil Fuel Transition: EROI and EIRR

    The Oil Drum has a post from Tom Konrad looking at the concepts of EROI and EIRR and how they impact the transition to a post-oil world – Managing the Peak Fossil Fuel Transition: EROI and EIRR.

    Energy keeps our economy running. Energy is also what we use to obtain more energy. The more energy we use to obtain more energy, the less we have for the rest of the economy.

    The concept of Energy Return on Investment (EROI), alternatively called Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROEI) has been widely used to quantify this concept. The following chart, from a SciAm paper, shows the EROI of various sources of energy, with the tan section of the bar representing the range of EROIs depending on the source and the technology used. I’ve seen many other estimates of EROI, and this one seems to be on the optimistic (high EROI) end for most renewable energy sources.

    The general trend is clear: the energy of the future will have lower EROI than the energy of the past. Low carbon fuels such as natural gas, nuclear, photovoltaics, wind, and biofuels have low EROI compared to high-carbon fuels such as coal and (formerly) oil.

    The graph also clearly shows the decline in the EROI over time for oil. Other fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, also will have declining EROI over time. This happens because we always exploit the easiest resources first. The biggest coal deposits that are nearest to the surface and nearest to customers will be the first ones we mine. When those are depleted, we move on to the less easy to exploit deposits. The decline will not be linear, and new technology can also bring temporary improvements in EROI, but new technology cannot change the fact that we’ve already exploited all the easiest to get deposits, and new sources and technologies for extracting fossil fuels often fail to live up to the hype.

    While there is room for improvement in renewable energy technologies, the fact remains that fossil fuels allow us to exploit the energy of millions of years of stored sunlight at once. All renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass, geothermal) involves extracting a current energy flux (sunlight, wind, plant growth, or heat from the earth) as it arrives. In essence, fossil fuels are all biofuels, but biofuels from plants that grew and harvested sunlight over millions of years. I don’t think that technological improvements can make up for the inherent EROI advantage of the many-millions-to-one time compression conveys to fossil fuels.

    Hence, going forward, we are going to have to power our society with a combination of renewable energy and fossil fuels that have EROI no better than the approximately 30:1 potentially available from firewood and wind. Since neither of these two fuels can come close to powering our entire society (firewood because of limited supply, and wind because of its inherent variability.) Also, storable fuels such as natural gas, oil, and biofuels all have either declining EROI below 20 or extremely low EROI to begin with (biofuels). Energy storage is needed to match electricity supply with variable demand, and to power transportation.


  • Chocolate Torte with a Twist!

    I served this on Christmas day and it was a total hit with everyone, including my executive-chef sister. I hope you’ll try it – don’t be intimated by the first ingredient!

    Ingredients:
    1 12 ounce cans black beans
    4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I used Scharffen Berger)
    2 T prepared coffee (I used French Roast)
    1/4 pound butter
    1/3 c, plus 1 T Splenda
    Dark Agave Nectar
    3 eggs separated
    1/3 c plus a couple tablespoons ground hazelnuts
    1 T vanilla extract
    Unsweetened cocoa powder

    1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
    2) Generously butter a round cake pan
    3) Drain and rinse the black beans, then puree them in a food processor until smooth; set aside
    4) Melt chocolate and coffee in a small saucepan over the lowest heat possible (or in the top of a double boiler set over boiling water); set aside to cool
    5) In a large bowl, cream butter and 1/3 C Splenda together until well combined and pale yellow. Add Agave Nectar to taste. I used about 1/3 cup – you might like more if you prefer sweeter desserts. Mix well.
    6) Add cooled chocolate, ground nuts, vanilla and 1 C black bean puree to the egg mixture and mix on low speed until just blended.
    7) In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1 T Splenda plus a little Agave Nectar and beat until stiff peaks form.
    8) Using a rubber spatula fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it; incorporate fully. Gently fold in remaining egg whites until completely blended.
    9) Pour batter into cake pan, smoothing the top and filling the pan from side-to-side. Bake in center of oven for 50 to 60 minutes. The middle of the torte may move slightly when the pan is shaken. It is meant to be quite moist.
    10) Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and reverse cake onto the rack. Allow to cool completely.
    11) Brush the surface of the cake with a very thin layer of Agave Nectar. Dust lightly with cocoa powder. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of ground nuts lightly over the top.

    To garnish the cake I sliced some Tangerine rind into very thin slivers, then microwaved it until it curled and then placed the curls in the center of the cake. I then tucked three small rose-scented geranium leaves gently around the curled rinds. It was beautiful. I think edible flowers like Johnny Jump-ups and/or calendulas or even tiny roses would also look lovely!

    Serve thin wedges of this cake with a dollop of cream whipped with vanilla. Yum!

    Jen

  • Nokia Review – Smartphone Round Robin

    In some ways, Palm and Nokia might be polar opposite companies: one is a perennial underdog who has mainly seen modest success in the US market, the other is a global giant who sells more phones than most anybody yet can’t see to gain any traction in the US. Then again, I also see the companies as very similar: both were pioneers in the smartphone space and are facing difficult times ahead, both appear to be betting the farm on new and untested Linux-based operating systems, both have straight-up loyal (if not fanatical) groups of users pulling for them. Heck, I even picked Nokia as the company I’d like to see buy Palm if Palm were for sale (they’re not).

    All this has been in the back of my mind this week as I mulled over my time with the Nokia N97 Mini and the Nokia N900. I also need to thank the generous and kind Nokia Experts commenters, who have been super-helpful in getting me to look at Nokia phones in a different light.

    So let’s do this: Round Robin Round Two!

    read more

  • Judicial controls on the “Tarnac Ten” lightened

    from notbored, 19 December 2009: “On Friday, the court annulled the majority of the obligations that the ten people in the so-called “Tarnac” group must respect. Arrested a year ago for “criminal association with respect to a terrorist enterprise,” the ten suspects in the investigation into the sabotage of the high-speed train lines saw the requirements of their release considerably lightened on Friday [18 December 2009]. The Court of Appeals in Paris made this decision against the advice of the Attorney General’s Office, which requested the maintenance of the totality of the measures…” more

  • App giveaways roundup for December 26

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    Here’s a few of our recent app giveaways. There’s still time to enter!

    Thumbnail for Holiday giveaways: NBA apps and prize pack Holiday giveaways: NBA apps and prize pack
    This giveaway has got it going on: you could win both the League Pass and Game Time apps from the NBA, plus a swag bag full of gear and goodies…
    Thumbnail for Holiday giveaways: Cellar 2.0 for the wine lover Holiday giveaways: Cellar 2.0 for the wine lover
    This one is perfect for your New Year’s Eve party planning: Cellar 2.0, which can help you track the wines you love so much…
    Thumbnail for Holiday giveaways: Eucalyptus ereader Holiday giveaways: Eucalyptus ereader
    Can’t figure out what to put on the iPhone or iPod touch you got as a gift? We’ve got the prescription: holiday
    giveaways galore! Here’s an app giveaway that will help you catch up on the classics…
    More app giveaways:

    TUAWApp giveaways roundup for December 26 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Eco-prisoner Jeff “Free” Luers released from prison, December 2009

    from email, 19 December 2009: “Jeff “Free” Luers, political prisoner and environmental activist, was released from the Columbia River Correctional Institution this morning (Dec 16, 2009) after serving nine and half years. Luers was originally sentenced in 2001 to twenty two years and eight months for the politically motivated arson of three SUV’s at a car dealership in Eugene, OR. This sentence was deemed grossly disproportionate to the damage sustained by the car dealership and was condemned by legal professionals, human rights groups and activists worldwide. At an appeal hearing in 2007 it was ruled that Luers’ original sentence was illegal, and was consequently reduced to ten years…” more

  • New Thermal Power Plant investment 4×660 MWe in Amasra County of BARTIN Province

    Dear Colleagues, Dear Energy Professional,

    I learnt the latest announcement of a new thermal power plant investment in Amasra County of Bartin Province, which will utilize a nearby relatively high LHV local bituminous mine. We understand that a local engineering company has already prepared the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study for the new investment project; it was recently released on the internet page of Bartin province for public information and awareness.

    The local investor has applied to acquire 49-year long-term concession rights for exploitation of local bituminous proven coal reserves of approximately 573 million metric tons, to fire 932 tons of coal per hour in 4 boilers, at approximately 7000 hours of annual availability. Lower heating value of available bituminous coal is around 5800 kcal per kg (plus/ minus 10%).

    The local Turkish investor company is planning to construct two new thermal power plants in the Gomu and TarlaAgzi villages of Amasra county, each to generate 2×660 MWe electricity based on pulverized coal firing technology and sell the generated electricity in IPP scheme.

    They are preparing to apply to the Ministry of Environment for EIA approval prior to their investment license application from the Local Regulatory Board, EMRA.

    However, since EIA permission has not been granted yet, prior to their EIA application, they will be organizing a “Public Information Meeting”. Details are on their web site.

    I am pleased to get such news on new energy investments in our local energy market, provided that

    – They are designed environmentally friendly, to enable low CO2 emissions with CCS,
    – They have E/Ps, FGD, CCS fully installed and operated,
    – They have completed all obligations for Environmental Impact Assessment Reports,
    – They receive their license from the Local Regulatory Board,
    – They are designed by local engineering companies or in-house engineering as much as possible,
    – They are fabricated in the local fabrication plants as much as possible,
    – They are installed by our local contractors,
    – They are commissioned and supervised by our local engineering power,
    – They are operated by our own local staff, and
    – Regularly checked by our own Labor force in programmed maintenance.

    I sincerely feel that energy investors deserve all our support to complete those power plant investments. They deserve this since they risk their own property in order to get proper “Corporate Financing” at reasonable interest rates, and payment terms.

    They will be investing 1,400 million Euros equivalent money, which is a huge sum to finance in our terms in the international markets. That will release the unit investment cost and will be approximately 800 US Dollars per installed kW electricity generation. Only Far East companies can declare such a low price. If the contract would be placed to a Chinese company, then we would expect poor design, poor performance, and all turnkey construction which means all employees from Mainland China, mostly soldiers or convicts, and with almost minimum wage. That decision will create no employment for the local population.

    On the other hand, there is great risk in project finance of such investments due to public response. Those companies, who are ignorant of local workforce employment expectations, and neglecting local engineering contribution, neglecting environmental limitations, will surely deserve the highest level of local resistance in legal platforms.

    They will have too much of a headache during project execution; therefore, the project finance institutions should make their risk assessments carefully; otherwise, they pay the consequences heavily.

    I warn them not to make any technical mistakes in their power plant design, avoid incorrect selection of the necessary equipment, and wish them to operate the plant for many years, to generate electricity which will push our economic prosperity.

    After reading the EIA Project Information Report on the web page, we are very uncomfortable since the said document is ill-prepared, full of technical mistakes, unprofessional charts, diagrams, and simple translation of documents without any project commitment.

    We feel that they are not yet prepared on their behalf. There are not many project details; only already known general information is disclosed.

    We learned that the output capacity is 2×660 MWe at each of two different sites in Bartin Province. We understand that they will install a seawater cooling system. This means they will not use much underground water. That is good for nearby ongoing agricultural activities. As a matter of fact, seawater cooling is also difficult to handle without any harm to sea life.

    We do not know details of the manufacturer for the selected steam turbine, pulverized coal firing technology, cooling system, heat balance diagrams, fabrication, construction, site installation contractors, whether they are local or foreign, details of budget figures for each item, or the timetable for project execution.

    It is my humble feeling that we should help and warn the investor not to repeat negative past examples in Antalya, Denizli, Yatagan, Yenikoy, Kemerkoy, Afsin Elbistan.

    The local investor should feel comfortable that we shall be warning them in proper design, sourcing fabrication, site installation, logistics, and public approvals. We all expect that these energy investments will bring prosperity, employment and peace to the site.

    Maximized local manpower, as well as maximized local engineering/ fabrication/ site installation capabilities should be employed.

    After brief review of the project, we feel that we need answers to the following questions,

    – We need to learn the OEM suppliers of the basic equipment,
    – We need to know the details of steam turbine, steam generator, condenser, cooling system, coal mills, fans, pumps, E/P, FGD, CCS, I&C.
    – Who will be making the basic design (Pulverized Coal firing Boiler, CMEC China?), who will be the fabricator, who will be the construction company for site installation?
    – It is our understanding that they have not applied yet to EIA certification or to the Local regulatory board for licensing. What is the timetable?
    – There should not be any deviation of the information they will be declaring in the local information meeting and the information they will be furnishing to the public administrations.
    – We would be too pleased to learn the details of the boiler design, supplementary firing burners, burner management systems, and emission controls. Local emission limitations are not so stringent. They should be all in compliance with EU standards.
    – We shall be too pleased to learn where they will be purchasing the cooling system design and equipment.
    – We need to know who will be the site constructor, what is the budget figure? They should be local companies. Local labors should be employed at the construction site. If you promise to have employment for 1000 workers, then you should avoid the use of foreign workers.
    – If a project does not create employment for the local people, it is our sincere feeling that there is no need for that project.
    – If a project promises to utilize the local bituminous coal, hence there should be no change to the imported coal option in the long term.
    – We need to know the project implementation period, the important milestones; we expect that 36-40 months could be a reasonable period.
    – We need to know who will be making and paying the new 154 or 380 kV transmission line to the plant site.
    – We need to know when the major equipment land transportation will be made; do we have sufficient roads/ seaports for that transportation, who will be making the road reinforcement to enable the transportation?
    – Do they have long term electricity sale agreements with TETAS?
    – Do they consider any capacity extension in the long term in 10-20 years time? Do they have enough space/ land for that extension??
    – Do investors consider any IGCC application in future by gasification of indigenous bituminous coal mines based on clean coal technologies?
    – We will be too pleased to learn if the local party is thinking to create a local engineering department to carry out necessary basic engineering in the long term.

    I hope for all the best, and the success of the investors in their new venture. Your comments are always welcome.

    Happy and Prosperous New Year and Merry Christmas to you all!

    Haluk Direskeneli, Energy Analyst,
    Hamburg, 26th December 2009

  • Sfirsitul Microsoft Encarta

    microsoft-encarta-2009Criza afecteaza toate domeniile si aici putem include si brandurile celebre.
    Numele uneia dintre victime este Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia.Microsoft a inchis discret capitolul Encarta in prima parte a anului datorita materialelor online care au aparut si “eclipsat” odata populara enciclopedie.

    Encarta a fost un produs revolutionar,aparut pentru prima data pe CD in 1993.Continea imagini,articole,harti si aplicatii multimedia.In 2008,editia completa in limba engleza continea
    peste 62.000 de articole,numeroase imagini si ilustratii,clipuri audio si video,harti,atlase,etc.
    Multe articole putea fi vizualizate gratuit online,un serviciu finantat de reclame.

    Microsoft a publicat in Encarta in mai multe limbi,incluzand germana,franceza,spaniola,italiana,portugheza si japoneza.
    In martie 2009,Microsoft a anuntat inchiderea unui capitol : Encarta.

    Site-urile Encarta din toate tarile au fost inchise pe 31 Octombrie 2009,cu exceptia celui din Japonia.Acesta va fi inchis pe 31 Decembrie.
    Dictionarul online Encarta de pe dictionary.msn.com va continua sa fie administrat de Microsoft.

    Cauza “disparitiei” Encarta nu poate fi decat Wikipedia.
    Cu toate ca a fost criticata ca fiind inexacta si necredibila,Wikipedia este gratis si este updatata in timp real. (fata de Encarta)

    Un sfirsit trist al Microsoft Encarta.Trist dar previzibil.

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    2. Tine-te bine!
  • NHTSA reportedly eyes loss of braking power in 2010 Toyota Prius

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    2010 Toyota Prius

    2010 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res image gallery

    2009 has not been a good year for Toyota. After getting its first full-year loss in seven decades, it faced its biggest-ever safety recall over unintended acceleration caused by floor mats and/or throttle control software. Now, as the year draws to a close, a new potential problem has sprung up. This time around, the issue is related to the braking system on the latest Prius, which debuted early this year.

    The problem, which has been reported to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by several dozen drivers, relates to a loss of deceleration when transitioning from regenerative braking to friction braking. At this time, NHTSA has not opened a full investigation but it is monitoring the situation.

    This is actually quite a complicated issue, and it highlights one of the reasons why it takes automakers so long to bring cars to market. Read on after the jump for some discussion on what might be happening.

    [Source: The Detroit Bureau]

    Continue reading NHTSA reportedly eyes loss of braking power in 2010 Toyota Prius

    NHTSA reportedly eyes loss of braking power in 2010 Toyota Prius originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Gingerbread made with almond flour – YUM!

    I wanted to share this excellent recipe for gingerbread I created using almond flour. Only 11 net carbs per serving!

    Diabetics Rejoice!: Gingerbread Cakes

  • Hello!

    Greetings,

    My boy Jason asked me to enroll in the groups. Here I is!!! 🙂

  • Apple Expanding iWork In The Cloud?

    A year ago Apple launched iWork.com in beta, which allowed users of their office suite of applications to publish documents online. It’s a light feature set compared to Google Docs and Office 10 – just viewing and commenting. But a job posting suggests Apple may be creating a true collaborative cloud based version of the iWork apps.

    The job posting popped up on CrunchBoard on December 22. Apple is looking for a mid level engineer to “be part of the core development team” and “engage in an area from design to development” of a new javascript rich internet application for the iWork team:

    The Productivity team (i.e. iWork) is seeking an energetic, highly motivated software engineer in building a scalable rich internet application. The person will be part of the core development team and engage in an area from design to development of the software system.

    Besides exceptional programming skills and devotion to creating great software, we look for one or more of the following kinds of expertise or experience:

    • JavaScript language and browser technology – understanding from inside-out, or
    • Computer graphics – the mathematics, algorithms and programming, or
    • Experience developing scalable rich internet application, or
    • Experience developing presentation/collaboration or word processing projects

    BS or better in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering

    Apple has job postings all the time. But what caught our eye on this one is the language around building an application, from design to development. That suggests something different than just joining the existing team. Apple is putting together a whole new team, for a new project, and they need outside expertise.

    Want the job? Apply here.

    Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors


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  • CrunchBoard Jobs: Dictionary.com, Playdom, KickApps and More!

    If you’re on the hunt for a new job, check out our CrunchBoard. We’ve added nearly 50 new jobs from leading internet businesses in the last two weeks, including three jobs here at TechCrunch. Here’s a quick sample:

    As Mike just noted as well, Apple has also posted a job posting for their iWork team.

    Also, don’t forget that we’re looking for a Conferences & Events Producer, Account Executive and CrunchBase interns here at TechCrunch!

    For job hunters in Europe, check out our Europe CrunchBoard.

    Click here to see all the jobs on CrunchBoard.

    Crunch Network: MobileCrunch Mobile Gadgets and Applications, Delivered Daily.


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  • The Beautician and the Beast

    The Beautician and the BeastL-am vazut de cateva ori.De fiecare data cand il vad,imi place mai mult.Nu are un subiect complex. Cu toate astea,simplitatea lui creaza tot farmecul.
    “O cosmeticiana din America (Fran Drescher) este din greseala luata drept profesor academician, de reprezentantul unui dictator est european (Timothy Dalton). In urma confuziei, ea este rugata sa devina meditatorul particular al copiilor dictatorului. In timpul sederii sale, tanara incearca sa schimbe mentalitatea tuturor locuitorilor tarii.”

    Related posts:

    1. Because I Said So
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    3. No Reservations
    4. Just Friends
    5. Down with Love
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    8. Definitely,Maybe
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    10. Top 15 Filme de Craciun
  • Top 5 Web Trends of 2009: Structured Data

    This week ReadWriteWeb will run a series of posts detailing what we think are the five biggest, most cutting-edge Web trends to come out of 2009. We’ll be posting one trend analysis per day. Then at the end of the week we’ll publish a major update to our standard presentation about web technology trends.

    The first major Web trend we’re looking at is Structured Data. In prior presentations, this has sometimes been referred to under the umbrella term of ‘Semantic Web’. However the way 2009 has panned out so far, it’s become clear that this trend is much more than the Semantic Web. In this post, we’ll analyze the developments in Structured Data this year and provide you with 3 product examples: OpenCalais, Google, Wolfram Alpha.

    Sponsor

    redux_150x150.png

    Editor’s note: This story is part of a series we call Redux, where we’ll re-publish some of our best posts of 2009. As we look back at the year – and ahead to what next year holds – we think these are the stories that deserve a second glance. It’s not just a best-of list, it’s also a collection of posts that examine the fundamental issues that continue to shape the Web. We hope you enjoy reading them again and we look forward to bringing you more Web products and trends analysis in 2010. Happy holidays from Team ReadWriteWeb!

    Web of Data, Not Documents

    Tim Berners-Lee said in February this year that we’re now in a Web of Data, rather than a Web of Documents. The organization that Berners-Lee heads, the W3C, has heavily promoted two key initiatives that are helping to build this Web of Data: the Semantic Web and more recently Linked Data.

    However over the past few years, we’ve seen that there are many other ways to structure data and enable others to build off it. The best current example is surely Twitter, whose API has historically been responsible for around 90% of Twitter’s activity – via third party apps.

    The basic principle of the Web of Data is still the same as what Alex Iskold articulated on ReadWriteWeb back in March 2007: “unstructured information will give way to structured information – paving the road to more intelligent computing.”

    Example 1: OpenCalais

    Our first example product, OpenCalais, is probably the best current example of Linked Data (which is a type of structured data endorsed by W3C). Thomson Reuters, the international business and financial news giant, launched an API called OpenCalais in Feb ’08. In a nutshell, OpenCalais turns unstructured HTML into semantically marked up data. It orders data into groups such as ‘people,’ ‘places,’ ‘companies’ and more. This way, third party applications and sites can build interesting new things from that data – one of the defining principles of Linked Data.

    For a full explanation of Linked Data, read Alexander Korth’s technical introduction The Web of Data: Creating Machine-Accessible Information from April 2009. I also explained the background and benefits of Linked Data in a May ’09 post entitled Linked Data is Blooming: Why You Should Care.

    Example 2: Google Rich Snippets

    In May this year, Google added structured data to its core search, in the form of a feature called ‘Rich snippets.’ Essentially this feature extracts and shows useful information from web pages, by way of structured data open standards such as microformats and RDFa. On launch in May, Google invited publishers to mark up their HTML. While it will take a while for this markup to become widespread, the fact that a huge company like Google implemented it shows the increasing importance of structured data on the Web.

    Other big companies are also heading in this direction – in particular, Yahoo was an early leader.

    Example 3: Wolfram Alpha

    Ever since Wolfram|Alpha‘s much hyped launch in May, we’ve been tracking this innovative product closely. It’s a self-described “computational knowledge engine” and while it’s not quite the Google killer some predicted, it has many potential uses.

    Wolfram|Alpha has a search engine-like interface, allowing you to type natural language statements into it. But the main part of the product is the computations you can do on data. The product is premised on using and computing data. If Web 2.0 was about creating data (a.k.a. user generated content), then the next generation of the Web is all about using that data.

    Conclusion

    We can see from the above three examples that structured data is rapidly becoming a feature of today’s Web. Companies like Thomson Reuters and Google are enabling data to be structured, and new types of products (like Wolfram|Alpha) will make use of structured data in ways we perhaps can’t imagine right now.

    ReadWriteWeb’s Top 5 Web Trends of 2009:

    1. Structured Data
    2. The Real-Time Web
    3. Personalization
    4. Mobile Web & Augmented Reality
    5. Internet of Things

    Discuss


  • Santa goes viral | Bad Astronomy

    So, what did Santa bring you this year?

    santa_mccarthy

    Yay! Measles!




    Image credit: Ironically, ABC Family.