Bathroom suites have changed over time. We have definitely come far from chamber pots and heating water on the stove for bath time. Today bathrooms may include such features as built-in radios, televisions, and even computers.

If you are looking to update or remodel your bathroom you may want to consider a few of the newest technologies available to the consumer. A great selection of bathroom suites is available featuring some of the newest ideas.

Consider one or all the following:

Television- You may not have considered the bathroom as the place for a television, but why not? Fill up the tub with bath salts or bubbles, lay back and relax with a great show for entertainment. Many styles are built into the wall, so they take up little space. Most of these televisions come with waterproof remotes, so no worries if you drop it in the tub.

Radio- There are wonderful radio and stereo systems available for the bathroom. You can even have surround sound installed so you have an amazing sound experience. Many of the systems are voice activated.

Computer- As crazy as it sounds, there is a computer made especially for the bathroom. Built around your bathroom mirror, it uses Microsoft Kinect to work. Now, you can check your schedule in the morning while shaving. Facebooking with friends? You can stay connected even in the bathroom.

Check out what is available for your bathroom if you are remodeling. You may be surprised!

If you are interested in having your own share of the electronic evolution, then it’s vital to keep informed about current and prototype technology. That way you’ll know whether the latest gadgets are going to meet your needs and desires or whether purchasing them will be no more than attempting to “keep up with the Joneses.”

Your Share of the Electronic Evolution

New technology is coming out every day. Take a look at these LED TV’s. They are a great example of what is happening to today’s technology, because new televisions are being released all the time with improved features and capabilities every time.

This is only one example of a particular type of technology that continues to improve all the time. The electronic evolution is in full force, and televisions, DVD players, movie media, music players, computers, cell phones and tablets are all changing, improving and evolving all the time.

If there is a specific piece of technology or gadget that you are interested in buying, you should definitely do some research and figure out what your options are. Do a little shopping to see the various options and variations that are available. This research will help you to determine which gadget and what options and features on that gadget best meet your specific needs. A little shopping around can go a long way to ensure you are satisfied.

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Information on the internet is dominated by the use of the modern search engine. These days if you see something on a search engine in the top slot, that is almost always where you go to obtain your information. There are plenty of companies out there who are paying big businesses a ton to be on top of those spots. With that being said there are also a number of companies who are manipulating the search engines in order to increase traffic to their site.

This is a problem in the search engine industry. It’s not about creating content, but rather stealing reads by making the mistake of believing that it’s ok to just throw in keywords. The good news for those who are fed up with seeing the wrong things at the top of search engines is that it won’t last for long. These days search engine technology is fighting back.

The first thing these companies are doing are seeking out the places that are trying to steal key words and they are putting them out of their search engines altogether. You can’t expect that there are going to be a number of companies who can continue to operate like this and get away with it.

They are also doing what they can to get rid of sites that are keyword jamming. They are requiring a balance between content and keyword. It’s known how important the search engine is to most people so these companies are doing their job to make them clean and usable.

Here are some of the most important things that you need to know about safe electricity practices.

Zero Energy State: This is when a circuit, a device or a system is secured in such a way that there is no potential for energy to exist in such a way that it could harm someone who is working on it.

Make sure that you have disconnect switch devices present in all properly designed systems involving electrical in order to allow for the convenient readiness of this zero energy state system.

You can connect temporary shorting or grounding wires to a load that is being serviced for a little bit of extra protection for the personnel that are working on the load at the time.

Consider Lock-out and Tag-out which essentially works in this way: When you are working on a system using a Zero Energy State, you are going to place a combination lock or a personal padlock on every one of the energy disconnect devices that is relevant to the task on the system. A tag will also be held on every single one of the locks that describes the duration and the nature of whatever work is being done as well as who is currently responsible for doing the work.

It is important that you always verify a circuit is being secured into a Zero Energy State using test equipment after you lock it out. Make sure that you test the meter that you are using before you test and after you test the circuit in order to verify that it is definitely in good working order. These are just some of the safety concerns that you are going to want to keep in mind when it comes to circuits.

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Circuit Safety: Safe Electricity Practices

Here are some of the most important things that you need to know about safe electricity practices.

Zero Energy State: This is when a circuit, a device or a system is secured in such a way that there is no potential for energy to exist in such a way that it could harm someone who is working on it.

Make sure that you have disconnect switch devices present in all properly designed systems involving electrical in order to allow for the convenient readiness of this zero energy state system.

You can connect temporary shorting or grounding wires to a load that is being serviced for a little bit of extra protection for the personnel that are working on the load at the time.

Consider Lock-out and Tag-out which essentially works in this way: When you are working on a system using a Zero Energy State, you are going to place a combination lock or a personal padlock on every one of the energy disconnect devices that is relevant to the task on the system. A tag will also be held on every single one of the locks that describes the duration and the nature of whatever work is being done as well as who is currently responsible for doing the work.

It is important that you always verify a circuit is being secured into a Zero Energy State using test equipment after you lock it out. Make sure that you test the meter that you are using before you test and after you test the circuit in order to verify that it is definitely in good working order. These are just some of the safety concerns that you are going to want to keep in mind when it comes to circuits.

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Circuit Safety: Ohm’s Law

When it comes to circuit safety, there are a number of things that you are going to want to consider, and one of those things is Ohm’s law. Here are some of the things that you are going to want to know and keep in mind when dealing with circuitry and related safety considerations:

- The amount of harm that is done to the body is going to be a function of how much shock current is present. A higher voltage is going to allow for production of a much higher and much more dangerous current. Resistance is going to oppose current, and this is going to mean that high resistance is naturally a good measure to take in order to protect yourself against any shock.

- Any level of voltage that is above 30 is generally going to be considered capable of delivering a dangerous shock current.

- It is a very bad idea for you to wear any metal jewelry when you are working near electric circuits. You should avoid wearing any rings, necklaces, watch bands, bracelets and other adornments that are made out of metal because they are going to provide your body with excellent electrical contact and this is going to allow them to conduct current well enough that even with lower voltages they can produce nasty burns on the skin.

- You should also be aware of the fact that low voltages are capable of being dangerous even if they are considered too low for causing direct shock injury. They may startle a victim, causing a jerking motion, causing the victim to make contact with other dangerous things in the vicinity. There are many ways that an electrical shock can cause an injury.

When it is necessary for you to work on live circuits, you should perform all of the work using a single hand so that you avoid creating a hand to hand shock current path which would travel across your chest and likely be deadly.

While in fact platform gaming systems still hold a large margin of popularity with the induction of efficient networking capabilities through the Xbox and Playstation systems, computers are still the growing preference for many. The main reason for this fact is due to the performance differences in the hardware capabilities between platforms and personal computers. Software developers understand this, and at times have to make a decision to develop a game for the PC over releasing it for platforms solely to push the graphical and performance achievements to the limits for boasting fans.

From video cards to memory, modern computers vastly blow away their 20 year old, 10 year old and even 5 year old predecessors. Much of the hardware employed by computers now adays provide developers virtually limitless possibilities for the visual appeal of their games. As such, the video game industry is continuing to grow and improve, pulling in new denominations on an annual basis. Additionally, with increased graphics and ability to be more interactive, much like with the technology Nintendo employs via the Wii, video games are no longer the “enemy” to parents, but a new and innovative way to learn and even get exercise.

Guitar Hero and Rock Band both have fake, easily played musical instruments which are meant to be used as game controllers. In both of these games, you play as the band, and you get a chance to suspend your disbelief just long enough to feel as if you really are a band up on stage, playing for a throng of screaming fans who came out just to see you. While you are obviously just playing a video game, the feeling of being a star is very powerful. And the fact that these companies compete to have the best experience makes both of them just that much better.

Kinetic gaming has become a way of life for a whole lot of people. Instead of just sitting there flapping your thumbs, you have the capacity to make your body do the things that make a game work properly in the game (which is what a lot of people have always done anyway). With the Wiimote and the Kinect as the guiding forces, locked in fierce competition against one another, you can do more and more with your body. If they did not compete against one another, the games wouldn’t be this great.

If anyone could have the time to watch the birth of a star in the universe, it would be a grand thing. Our sun in the solar system is, in fact, a star. A very big star. But at one point in the cycle of life of our sun, it was small, but burned bright. At some point, you’d see it grow larger and larger, burning more and more material and fuel to power its heat and burning capacity. The sweltering holocaust of the sun somehow hits a peak, and then begins to digress while somehow growing hotter. Soon you’d see the sun growing whiter in color, and then soon you would see the sun completely DISAPPEAR from the universe.

All of that would take millions of years to happen, though. Don’t worry; the sun won’t go anywhere anytime soon.

But the similarity of the sun and that particular life cycle is eerily similar to how the World Wide Web has been progressing in our technologically advancing Earth! To even think that when the Internet first came to be online games was a fantastic idea that took years to realize. Now because of the explosion of HTML supernovas and JAVA comets in cyberspace, free bingo sites are a standard belief and reality. Remember the days when you could actually reach the ‘end’ of the Internet? Only a few sites were the case. Nothing much on there! But check your connection now and the content is almost eternal. There’s no end to it. It’s as if this interstellar star is so huge that you can’t see around it. It engulfs you in a way that you can’t even comprehend. There are virtually hundreds of different games, all online, all available. It’s staggering.

The world is growing. The world is the Internet. Now here’s the hope: that the Internet won’t ‘digress’ like every other star in the universe.

Surely I am not the only one who suffers from this lack of technology; this intense lack of an email program’s ability to read the body of a message, see any form of the word”attach”, and prompt the sender to actually attach the intended document, picture, file, etc. BEFORE the message is actually sent. How difficult can it be? Has this magical feature been invented already? Did I somehow miss all the news and hype about this? Surely this would not require an overhaul of one’s PC circuits nor installation of complicated hardware.

Of course, demand is a huge driver. Many have been able to turn their brilliant idea into a sellable product – at least long enough to (hopefully) break even on the investment it took to get the product to market. I still recall my astonishment at the success of the “Pet Rock” back in the 1970s. Since then, there have been hundreds of other endeavors like that. Some successful and continuing (Facebook, YouTube, Google); some that were a flash in the pan, and not worth mentioning.

I’m no wunderkind. But in my travels on the road of life, I’ve had a few light-bulb moments for “new technology” products. I don’t have the engineering background, talent or skill to create these things. So I rely on time and others to realize the need for them, and to create them.

That said/admitted, here is one of my favorite ideas that I hope to see soon:

The “Time Bank Register”: A type of game where you can enter the amount of time you spend doing innocuous things like standing in line at the grocery store, waiting on hold on the phone to speak to a human being, sitting in a massive traffic jam. I suspect many would be surprised at how much time is spent on these value-less activities. Like a bank checking account, you could deposit this wasted time, and make withdrawals for the activities you REALLY want to spend your time on: a few more days of sunning on the beach, a few more hours with a loved one, a few more minutes of that precious commodity known as sleep. Perhaps it should be called the “Reality Time-Check” game.

Before we get to how incredible the game is, remember that it does have a few limits to it. For one thing, the architecture does carry a sort of bland, “yeah, it’s basically England” vibe to it. And there is a strange sense that, considering that this is an empire which essentially rules the entire world, it still lacks the funding to explore and police the ruins of ancient civilizations within walking distance of its cities (where its population could very well be vulnerable). And considering that any thief or assassin can become Archmage of the Mage’s Guild, there are moments where it just doesn’t make sense.

But once you get past a few puzzlers like those, you realize that Oblivion is still incredible. The graphics, which can be made even lovelier, are pretty incredible looking. There is ample variety in the enemies you can fight, and there are a decent number of challenging quests you can undertake. And if you want to loot dungeons, you could turn that into your character’s full time job and never be able to keep them all cleared out. When people produce custom downloadable content, the game becomes even better still.

If you’re in the market to move, you can look for Phoenix apartments online and find just the kind of thing you want to go and see in person. That will also help you weed out the things you aren’t really looking for. You’ll get a better idea of how many bedrooms you’ll want to have, the square footage you’re looking for, and other factors. That’s a wonderful way to make a better determination of what you’re looking for. Then, when you go and look in person, you’ll have an easier time deciding what you want. You’ll be able to make a decision faster, too, which is beneficial to both you and your real estate agent.

Of course, that’s not the only thing you can use the Internet for. There are plenty of other things to take a look at, and there are always many forums and discussions you can get involved in. People love to talk to others who have similar opinions, and debate with others who have different opinions, so no matter what you like to talk about there will be people you can chat with.

I tried scrapbooking a few years ago; got all excited to start a book for my then only child, but after completing only 3 pages in 2 years, I took the hint that scrapbooking probably isn’t the best hobby for me. Every once in a while I see a beautiful page a friend made, or a magnificent layout at the craft store, and I think about pulling my scrapbooking supplies out and giving it another try. But, by the time I get home that thought in my mind was replaced by something else.

Just that one attempt to scrapbook set me back a pretty penny. Scrapbook supplies are not cheap, and you need a good amount of various materials, adhesives, and fancy cutters in order to make anything worth keeping. For the serious scrapbookers, these tools are worth the investment, but for people that just want to try it out, or just makes a few pages or a book or so a year, may find it not worth it to buy so many scrapbook supplies.

Enter the world of digital scrapbooking. Page design is done online and the final decorated product is printed out page by page on a home printer. Some online photo specialty sites and retail stores can professionally print the finished scrapbook into a more traditional book-like binding.

This is my kind of hobby, it’s just like creating flyers. There is no big mess because there is no cutting, hole punching, gluing, or anything of the sort. I already have a digital camera, a computer, and a printer so I don’t need to spend a small fortune to buy special supplies. I’m not wasting paper by printing photos to only cut them up and throw half away. And, I do not need to be a good drawer to make fantastic digital scrapbooks.

Some of my husband’s buddies use sports betting sites to help with their fantasy football picks. My husband uses his own skills to pick his fantasy football team. This has never landed him near the top of the list of winners, but he has fun with it anyway.

Like I said, I’m not that big on football. However, it is a great stress reliever for my husband and gives him as chance to hang out with his friends and joke around a bit. They are always making fun of each others’ teams. Also, even though I could live without watching the games, I do enjoy giving him and the other guys a hard time about their teams.

I know, you probably thought I was talking about Christmas back there in the beginning. I love Christmas actually. I like to decorate and I love buying people gifts. I go shopping for all of my friends and family while keeping in mind the look that I want to see on their faces when they open the gifts I brought them. Who wouldn’t love something that was bought purely to bring the giftee joy?

I have found great deals online this week. I can’t believe how inexpensive some things can be once a store or website has the idea that they can sell thousands of something at a certain price point. I bought DVDs for less than $2 each!

I have some cleaning to do around here that I had better get started. More soon!

Arcade games are a great way to outfit a game room or simply own for games that you have absolute obsession of. A good indicator of this might be if you have this particular games theme as a free ringtone. But what you should look for when purchasing a used arcade game? Obviously one of the first things is to check the physical condition of the unit. Is it in good shape? Check for chips, cracks or other damage. Does it feel sturdy? All questions you should verify. Next, are you able to test the machine? Can you verify the unit works? You should try playing a game see if the controls all work, as they should. Check out the sound and the picture quality, too.

One more thing is to check out the coin mechanism. Does it function properly accepting coins and registering them on screen? If the machine is in good shape, even if one or more of these things are bad, you can actually replace them usually with not too much expense. Most of these are actually user replaceable and aren’t very difficult to do. If you do not want to do it yourself, you can find a local shop in your area that can do it for you. You should also ask your seller if they know the history of the cabinet and if they have any extra parts or manuals for it. You may find these very helpful later. If the unit has cosmetic damage, you can find the decals and marquees for sale by private sellers or for sale in online auctions.

It is a good idea to have a basic understanding of arcade games and arcade game cabinets in order to check all this stuff out. The more you know about the cabinet, the better able you will be to appraise it for what it is really worth.

First, these new cars have more computer systems in them than ever before! Some of the biggest new features are in-vehicle navigation systems. This type of system relies upon computer technology. The price for a car goes up significantly when a GPS navigation system is a standard feature since the way the navigation system brings the directions comes  through an expensive computer system. But here is the good news. The computer based navigation system can help the driver find cheaper gas prices, get to the destination without wasting gas getting lost. Essentially, the extra cost for the expensive computer navigation system is made up for the time and money a person saves by using it.

Secondly, the DVD players and fancy satellite are making the price for a car go up too. Like the computer navigating system, these additional luxuries are factored into the price for cars. Any parent will also tell another story too—how invaluable the DVD player is when trying to entertain small child on a long car trip, the radio stations so that they don’t miss hearing the big game on the radio. All of these reasons far outweigh the extra cost for the computer technology.

Basically, the price for a car and the extras we get just make our lives better when driving long distances or just around town. With websites like TruCar.com, we can compare prices of these fancy new cars and get the best deal. So in the end, we can save money by doing our research on TruCar.com. This means we can enjoy the luxuries that computers can give our cars and get a great deal on a car.

As someone interested in gaming, you may find it is very exciting that there are now so many great gaming options when it comes to cell phones. There are millions of really cool apps to both teach you how to play games better and to download the latest and greatest in phone gaming. Plus, you can explore the genre of mobile casinos, which is starting a whole new revolution of smartphone gamers.

Cell phone games have come a long way since Snake, the very first cell phone game, ever appeared on phones back in 1997. Since then, Snake has become the most played video game on the planet, with over one billion people having played it. In 2008, cell phone games had made over $5.8 million in global revenue.

However, before picking a phone based solely on its gaming possibilities, you may want to research cheap cell phone plans that include gaming capabilities. Cell phone gaming can definitely get pretty pricey. But, if you are willing to take the time to look up the best cheap cell phone plans and the newest, high tech models, you will come out with a great gadget to enjoy. As of 2010, the HTC EVO and Samsung Galaxy S were some of the newest android handsets that could produce some of the best graphics and keep up with the most seriously graphically intense games. On the other hand, the iPhone, with the iOS platform, had absolutely no hardware limitations when gaming.

It is also important to remember that cell phone games tend to take up a lot of memory on your phone, so you may want to invest in the phone with the largest memory possible. Find the cell phone that works best with your gaming needs, and you will truly find yourself as a mobile gamer who is able to game whenever you want, wherever you want.

Brian Hampton, a Sergeant First Class, is one of those people. As a member of the military, he knows video games are fictional. But, he says, the details included in some game are just too familiar for him to be comfortable. Some games have realistic weapons, uniforms and military bases which are very true to the war the American soldiers have been fighting in Afghanistan for the last several years. Hampton says playing these games brings back too many traumatic memories of the actual combat.

One of the reasons for the extreme details in the new Medal of Honor is the fact that the video game producers worked closely with the United States military when creating the game. Some have claimed that these games have encouraged teens to sign up for the military when they turn 18 because of the lifelike combat they experience just by playing these types of military-based video games.

But this newest game is causing quite an uproar because of its attention to detail and realistic combat simulations. In fact, stores on military bases are refusing to sell the game. One of the main reasons for the controversy is one part of the game that lets a player choose to fight for the Taliban and kill American soldiers.

Some are heralding the decision as a favorable one as they see no humor or taste in releasing a game that lets players shoot American troops. Others say the decision borders on censorship and is against what the troops are fighting for in the first place. A spokesperson for the video game company said the game’s intent was to support the role the American soldiers played in the war in Afghanistan. He went on to say that the company respects the decision of military bases to refuse to sell the game.

Talking trash is one of the best parts about playing multi-player video games. Whether you are playing with a few friends in the same room or online with people across the globe you have never met, trash talk lets you get out some frustration and have a few laughs while you play. Here are four of the best video games for you if you enjoy your trash talk.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
This rival to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 is one of the better multiplayer platforms available in today’s games. There are several opportunities for trash talk in this game, including the moment when you can unload your gun on an opponent at close range and when you pump shotgun ammo into your enemy.

Madden NFL 10
Football video games just don’t get any better than the Madden series. In the 10th edition of the series, you can talk trash to your opponents every time you score on them. You can even injure players and berate them as they lay on the ground trying to get up. It’s good natured trash talk opportunities that other games simply do not provide.

Guitar Hero
The Guitar Hero series of games has certainly proven to be a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Teens and adults alike can spend hours playing Guitar Hero because they enjoy playing along with their favorite songs. But if you are playing with someone and you are on “expert” while they are on “beginner,” you can ridicule and humiliate them by playing “Freebird”without even looking.

NBA 2K10
The only thing that compares to dunking on your friend in basketball is doing it on the screen when playing NBA 2K10. If you are way ahead in the score, it makes that feeling that much better. Make sure he knows you owned him by talking trash and humiliating him – both onscreen and off.

Gourmet Chef
With the popularity of the Food Network and cooking shows on TV today, it’s only natural that the video game industry jump into the fray. Gourmet Chef, from Nintendo DS, is an innovative game that will teach you how to cook like the best of them with more than 70 French recipes. The game consists of an interactive cookbook and a series of tasks that teach you the basics of gourmet cooking. Imagine learning how to cook with a video game and then putting those skills to use to impress your family and friends.

Portal
If you enjoy solving problems and thinking when you are playing your video games, Portal is the game for you. It follows Chell, a protagonist who goes through a series of chambers. A disembodied voice guides you through the chambers and there are puzzles and problems to solve to move to the next room. The twist is that you have to decide if you should listen to the voice because it does not always have the character’s best interest in mind.

Wii Fit Plus
Few gaming systems have made an impact on the video game industry like the Wii Fit. With the Wii Fit Plus, you can get in shape while playing video games and having fun. With the many accessories and activities to play, you will never tire of finding ways to play your Wii so you can get in better shape.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Although this was one of the more controversial games on the market, the plot is quite interesting. It involves the story of Carl Johnson, a former gang member who comes home to find that his mom has been murdered. Soon after, a corrupt police office harasses him. Over the course of the game, the players are taken through three major cities helping Carl return his gang to supremacy. However, the story is not over. The corrupt cop is there at every turn to stop Johnson and his fellow gang members. Eventually, Carl becomes a wealthy man and one of the town’s most admired citizens.

Portal
This intense game opens with the main character waking up in a chamber that is only furnished with a radio and a toilet. A voice helps guide you though the various chambers in the game as you try to solve problems and puzzles in order to get to the next level. However, after a few successes, the player finds out that the voice may not always be guiding you along the right path. There is scribbling on several chamber walls and other things that keep the player confused to make for a truly intriguing game of fun and problem solving.

Fallout 2
This futuristic game begins in the ruins following the nuclear showdown between China and America. The main character is the offspring of a vault dweller that tried to save people following the war. The plot plays on the idea that a nuclear holocaust is totally plausible and the aftermath is a mystery.

There have been many changes in the video game industry over the years. In fact, there continues to be changes all the time with new and exciting graphics, stories and characters. Here are a few of the people behind some of the biggest innovations in the video game industry and the things they have done to revolutionize the way we think of video games.

Shinji Mikami
The creator of Resident Evil helped create a viable video game that introduced the survival horror genre in the industry. Mikami worked for Capcom, a video game giant, after leaving college and he cites George Romero and other horror names as his inspiration for Resident Evil. This game became one of the companies highest selling games and it became a recognized series both in video games and on the movie screen.

Hideki Sato
You may have heard this name floating around if you are a hardcore gamer. Sato is credited with creating Sonic the Hedgehog, which has become nearly become a household name in America. With the creation of this game, Sato helped catapult Sega Genesis into the spotlight at a time when it was competing with other giants like Nintendo and Atari. Sega continues to be a leader in arcade video games and the company has Sato to thank for much of its overall success.

Nolan Bushnell
Have you ever played Pong? Even if you haven’t played it, you have probably heard of it. It is the forerunner to the modern video game even though it was nothing more than a black and white screen with two paddles and a ball. Pong and Bushnell helped put Atari and video games on the map. Video game companies and developers have Bushnell to thank for the billion dollar industry which has come to be such an integral part of today’s culture.

Soul Calibur II – Link’s Bug Catching Net
If you played Zelda as a kid, you will probably enjoy this particular weapon because one of the characters from the Zelda game is using it in Soul Calibur II. You can choose Link as your main character and watch him go around and beat on other popular characters with little more than a bug catching net. It’s fun to watch and fun to play and it may even bring back a sense of nostalgia.

Final Fantasy X – Lulu’s Dolls
Lulu is one of the magical characters in Final Fantasy X and she attacks her enemies by kneeling down and shooting dolls at them. While it may not sound like an effective method for holding back attackers, it is funny to watch these little dolls flying through the air as they bounce off the offending enemies.

Evil Dead: A Fistful of Broomstick- Chainsaw Arm
Weapons just don’t get much better than having a chainsaw for an arm. A chainsaw may not be the best weapon for hand to hand combat or for attacking enemies far away, but just thinking about having a chainsaw for an arm for one day brings many possibilities to mind.

Final Fantasy VIII – Gunblade
The gunblade might not sound like a glamorous or usable weapon, but watching it in action will change your mind. The actual weapon consists of a sword with a trigger and a gun handle. If you haven’t played Final Fantasy VIII or seen the gunblade in action, check it out as soon as you get a chance.

A new video game scheduled to hit the market – “Elemental: War of Magic”- has reignited video game piracy debate because it promises to allow users to copy the game without worrying about digital rights or any other protections that typically stop this from happening. In addition, many video game companies are not happy that used game sales are also hurting their bottom line because the companies do not get any royalties or any other financial kickbacks from the used games that independent stores sell. While this isn’t piracy per se, many people in the industry are drawing parallels between the two ideas.

This frustration isn’t new. During the 1980s, video game companies were trying to find ways to prevent gamers from exchanging discs with video games which cut down on the profits made by the companies. Video game piracy has come a long way into what it is today and the companies have yet to find a viable and effective way of curbing the activity from happening. Today, gamers have online bulletin boards and servers where others can download and share their favorite games. This makes it almost unnecessary to go to the store and buy your own copy.

As a real world example, the video game “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″ sold nearly 12 million copies in 2009. It was the year’s best-selling video game. However, more than 4 million copies of this game were downloaded illegally through one of the pirating methods available.

So far, the most effective method for curbing the activity is huge penalties and fines for gamers who get caught uploading games online. Some companies are making their products more affordable and readily available as a solution to the problem. It may be awhile to determine which method works best.

Are you looking for video games that your kids can play that will help them learn something as they play? If so, you’re in luck. There are many educational video games on the market that are ideal for kids of various ages. Here are a few of those games and some of the things they will help your kids learn when they play.

Lifeboat to Mars
This educational video game is for children who are at least eight years old. It is a fun and exciting way to learn about biology and it was developed by PBS Kids Go. It offers two types of simulations dealing with the biological world, including one where the player controls microbes and another in which the player controls a plant and animal ecosystem. The game gives children a set of goals and ways to achieve those goals during the game and it is mainly built upon a trial and error method so kids can spend hours having fun and learning at the same time.

Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom
This fun-filled game is ideal for young children at least four years and older. In addition to being fun, it adds some educational elements so kids are learning as they play. There are even opportunities for parents to join in the fun when the game reaches its more challenging stages. The plot involves Dora and her friend, Boots, trying to save the Crystal Kingdom from losing its glamour by saving the colored crystals that have been stolen by the king. The bright colors are ideal to keep children interested and the method for controlling the characters movements couldn’t be easier.

Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy
Created for ages nine and up, this mystery game is ideal for girls. Nancy Drew is in a new school and she has to make friends as she solves the mystery involving a series of accidents at the school. If you like this one, there are 20 more Nancy Drew video games available for young girls to play and learn various skills as well.

Do you miss the elementary graphics and nostalgia that are a part of old video games like Pac Man and Donkey Kong? Do you ever long for the simple idea of just trying to rescue the damsel in distress or just racking up the most points? If so, you would probably enjoy the fact that many vintage video games are available to play on the Internet. Here are four of those games in case you would like to relive your younger days. Super Mario Brothers Few games have made an impact on American society like Super Mario Brothers. It came to the arcades in 1983 and became available for NES just a couple years later. It didn’t give that lovable Mario his start, but it bolted him into fame and popularity as millions of American kids and adults played this game for hours on end. The Legend of Zelda One of the most recognized names in video game history is The Legend of Zelda. The game has sold around 60 million copies all over the world and it probably owes its popularity to its combination the aspects of puzzles, role playing, battles, action and exploration all in one game. Who can resist? Pong What might seem like the most elementary and boring game ever was actually very addicting when it first came out. Pong was the start of it all in the 1970s and you can play it online now. Even if you are an avid gamer who has played the latest and most sophisticated games, you might get hooked after just a few minutes of this simple concept. Centipede This was another game that started out at the arcades and made it into millions of American homes just a few years later. Centipede was an Atari creation and it was one of the first games to be played by a large number of female players. All you had to do was shoot the centipede apart before it killed you. The concept doesn’t get much simpler than that.

You have probably heard the adage that playing video games rots your brain. You’ve probably also heard that video games are a waste of time, they make you violent and so on. But video games can actually be good for you in many ways. If you don’t play video games, here are some of the things you may be missing out on.

Networking
Does it sound odd to say that video games can help you network? It probably does, but this is one benefit gamers of all ages can experience when playing video games. With today’s advancements and the many opportunities to play multi-player games online with people you have never met, it’s easier than ever to meet new people and work together on creating strategies and solving problems. Get your kids started young and by the time they reach their adolescent years, they will be team players with problem-solving experience and an intense social network that you may have never even dreamed of.

Life Lessons
If you have ever played a multi-player game with others, you know how it feels to make a mistake. Your teammates might yell at you or tell you that you’ve done something wrong. This is good preparation for the real world. Playing video games as part of a team helps you deal with stress and get over your mistakes to reach a goal.

Coordination
Who likes to practice typing for the sake of learning how to type faster? Probably nobody. But if you are learning to type by playing a fun and fast-paced video game, you will quickly learn how to get over the pecking method and type with all of your fingers. After awhile of this, typing will be second nature to you which can be a great asset when doing research papers and applying for jobs. Employers will look more favorable on applicants who can type over those who still use the “search and peck” method.

Time has not been kind to the first widely recognized video game. Pong, now even though less than 40 years-old appears more obsolete than the Ford Model T. Pong was played at video arcades – another obsolete entity. For a child born even 10 years ago, traveling to a location to pay, by the game, for something as simple as electronic table tennis would be so foreign that it would be insulting.

Technology accumulates at such a rapid pace that one generation barely recognize the existence of the next. Growing up in the 70s meant no Internet. Identification did not even include a photo. Perhaps the best way to show the rapid and extreme changes that have occurs can be shown in the area of video and computer gaming. If Pong were art it would be a cave drawing. Compared to the depth of story, art and play of series such as Final Fantasy, Pong looks less like a cave drawing than the scribbles of an infant next to the artwork of a master.
Video games went from tiny pleasure to cultural boiling point in less than a generation. Technology relegated Pong to be without any politics or viewpoints. Pong gave way to Pac-Man, which begat Mario Bros., which became Zelda, Medal Gear Solid and Grand Theft Auto.
As video games evolved it became nearly impossible to dismiss them as a mindless pursuit. Entertainment is a reflection of society and their rapid evolution displayed technology’s effect on society. While change might be healthy and necessary, such a rapid change displays volatility.
For people 100 years ago, it cold be relatively assumed that following in the footsteps of your father would not only be a comfortable path but also the only available option. Now guessing on which industries will exist in five years offers about as much assurance as a coin flip. Or to think about it another way, what students are studying in college now might be considered as important as Pong is considered today by the next generation.

Humble Beginnings

The founders of Infocom met at MIT, while they were working on their undergraduate degrees. After becoming friends, they wrote Zork 1, which went on to sell over a million copies. A text adventure, Zork had no graphics of any kind. Instead, the player read the words on the screen and typed in a command for his character, i.e., “walk north” or “kill troll with sword”. Zork required the player to solve many different puzzles by using maps, items, and in some cases, good timing. It was lauded for challenging the intellect and stirring the imagination of its players.

National Success

From its humble beginnings at MIT, Infocom grew, and over the next several years, it published many bestselling games in a variety of genres. Zork spawned two sequels and even a prequel, and games like Trinity, Sorcerer, and Planetfall were loved by millions of people. Infocom’s games were marked by witty, descriptive writing and brain-teasing puzzles. The company initially offered a phone number that people could call to get hints for these puzzles, but later began publishing “Invisiclues” – booklets for each game with clues written in invisible ink – so the reader could only reveal the hint she needed at the time.

Infocom’s Downfall

Though the matter is up for debate, most posit that the fall of Infocom was brought about by Cornerstone, a financial software product that the company spent a significant amount of time and money developing but that failed to bring in much revenue. Many think that Infocom’s investors pushed the company into producing the product, but perhaps the company’s leaders were overambitious. Regardless, Infocom’s games are still revered among many video gamers.

With video games’ popularity exploding, it certainly feels like the golden age of gaming has arrived. And with the ubiquity of the internet, indie developers can reach wide audiences. The quality of games is at its highest point in history, and with billions of dollars being spent on video games each year, the industry undoubtedly has a bright future. So, what was the industry like in its infancy? Let’s take a look at some classic games that don’t deserve to be forgotten.

Trinity – A Nuclear Text-Adventure

It may be difficult to imagine today, but some of the best-selling “video” games in the 1980s had no graphics at all. These “text-adventures” were played by typing commands into a parser and then reading the results. Sounds boring, but these kind of games stimulated players’ imaginations and tested their logic. Trinity, written by Brian Moriarty, is widely regarded as one the best of these text adventures. The game begins in London in Kensington Gardens, but the setting quickly turns to a Alice-in-Wonderland-like dreamscape ruled by a gnomon’s shadow and populated by surreal characters and happenings. The plot revolves around nuclear testing and nuclear war – topical topics during the mid-1980s, when Trinity was published.

Trinity’s Impact

Though it would be criminal to reveal the solutions to the game’s puzzles, Trinity did involve using a lot of logic and in some cases, a little bit of intuition. One puzzle involves figuring out how to get across magical grass that repels all efforts to walk on it, and another forces the player to figure out how to survive in outer space long enough to complete a specific task. But what many took away from the game was its overt disarmament message; Trinity did not try to hide the devastating effects of a nuclear war. Perhaps that message is what has helped the game maintain a following today. In any case, Trinity features sharp writing, imaginative puzzles, and unforgettable locations.

The Music Of Loom

As one might imagine from its title, one of Loom’s themes involved the idea that the characters’ fates were controlled by magical threads. The player assumes the role of a young boy – Bobbin Threadbare – who travels from his home village in search of a solution to a catastrophe. The player guides the character’s movements and can make him walk from place to place, manipulate objects, and also play notes on a distaff. Many puzzles in the game are solved by playing the appropriate series of notes, and having an ear for music can help. This innovative way of solving puzzles was what made the game memorable for many. When the notes are played, an effect is created similar to casting a spell. For example, one of the tunes, when played, can color fabric. When this tune is played backwards, it bleaches fabric.

Loom’s Plot

In the beginning of the game, Bobbin’s entire village is transformed into swans, and he ventures forth in search of a way to turn his people back. Along the way, he encounters several puzzles, and meets a variety of characters with whom he must interact to gain knowledge. Eventually, he learns that an evil character has unleashed a chaotic force into the world. In the end, Bobbin is able to defeat the cleric responsible for the chaos, though the game has somewhat of a cliffhanger ending, which was designed to leave the door open for sequels.

Unlike most video game companies, one company was ruled by the inspiration of the movies of yesteryear. Cinemaware had its heyday in the early nineties, and published several games that were based on monster movies, World War II movies, and medieval epics, to name a few. One of its most exciting games, Rocket Ranger, is largely unknown today but deserves recognition for its plot and playability.

Concept

Rocket Ranger was set during World War II and focuses on the Germans’ attempted subjugation of Europe. As the game progresses, the protagonist (Rocket Ranger) must attempt to prevent the Nazis from gaining too much of a stronghold. He operates from Fort Dix, and uses his rocket pack to fly around the world to complete a variety of missions that each help combat the enemy. One of the game’s plot devices involves the idea that the moon is a source of “lunarium” – a coveted mineral that both powers the Germans’ war machine and the player’s rocket pack.

Plot

At the game’s outset, the Nazis only control Germany, but as time passes, they control more and more countries. The player flies to various countries and completes tasks like punching out a German guard and shooting down zeppelins. To determine which country to fly to, the player must use a decoder wheel that determines the correct amount of lunarium to use. This wheel was actually designed by Cinemaware to be a somewhat unobtrusive form of copy protection, since without it, the player cannot control his direction.

Significance

Rocket Ranger was praised for its stirring music, sharp writing, and variety of action sequences. It certainly pays homage to many World War II movies, but adds its own unique blend of humor and even pathos as the player encounters both funny and dire situations. Though difficult, the game also features a rewarding ending that makes the struggle worthwhile.

Concept

When beginning the game, the player must create characters with varying statistics (e.g. strength, intelligence, etc.) and varying skills (like lock picking and marksmanship). These skills are particularly important as the game progresses, and many of them make it easier for the characters to accomplish certain tasks. The game is set in the desert, and the player’s characters walk from location to location, occasionally encountering foes along the way. These foes must be battled using a variety of weaponry that players find in the desert.

Plot

The plot revolves around survival, but the player must also solve various puzzles and use items to complete tasks. The game was sold with a manual that includes a series of passages that that the game directs the player to read at certain points. This manual also serves as copy protection since, without it, the player misses information crucial to solving some of the game’s puzzles. Many of the puzzles involve finding and using interesting technology, and most of this technology is fiercely guarded by “non-player” characters like a heavily armed brotherhood of monks.

Significance

Wasteland was lauded for its non-linear gameplay, interesting plot, and detailed non-player characters. Many gamers also remember it fondly for the arsenal of weaponry that could be used, and for the witty writing and challenging puzzles. It deserves a spot in any classic video game hall of fame.

Integrated circuits originated in the 1940’s and 50’s, but were much larger and had the fraction of the power they do today. Nothing we know of would be the same if there were no microchips, digital signal processing chips, or semiconductor circuits. They are built in to almost every appliance there is, and the small scale of these chips has enabled smaller and smaller devices to exist. For example, cell phones that hold enormous amounts of information and even provide access to the Internet operate on very small circuits designed to fit in their small dimensions.

Circuits are found in almost everything, in addition to cell phones. Regular telephones, printers, microwave ovens, radios and even televisions include sophisticated circuitry. The ICs themselves are manufactured by companies that specialize in the advanced technologies that go into making them. Manufacturers of televisions or computers, for example, can order circuits according to the memory they support or the speed or bandwidth a device can achieve by using them.

Another important specification is the package type, such as the ball grid array, that is defined by the size of the chip and how it connects to the circuit board. The connection is usually dependent on the number of connecting pins the IC has built in. A circuit chip can be a microprocessor that controls an entire computer system, or a tiny device that has a specific purpose, such as managing the timing of signals. Something like this is called an application specific integrated circuit, or ASIC. There are some of these that are measured in millimeters they are so small.

Without the IC in the form that it is in today, many technologies wouldn’t exist, such as HDTV’s. It is only the processing power of these chips that enable such high resolution. The Internet, with its high speed and density of information, would not be the worldwide information source it is without the proper circuitry in the devices that store data and drive interconnected networks.

Smartphones like T-Mobile’s MyTouch allow users to access the Internet from their phones. A person can download applications and widgets right to their cellphone for everything from playing games to monitoring a checking account. While there are many cool options available for smartphones, the latest widget hack is as a reason for caution.

CTO, a Web application security company, identified a malicious widget that may have exposed over five millions websites to malware. Hackers placed the widget on parked domains hosted through Network Solutions. By the company’s estimates, the malware has been running unnoticed for several months. Wayne Huang, the co-founder for the company, said his business detected the widget on GrowSmartBusiness.com.

Antivirus programs did catch the malware, and many identified it as a version of Koobface, which is a worm that spreads malware. Hackers often use Koobface to attack social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. Because many users access social networking sites from their smartphones, there is a possibility a virus could transfer from the Web to the cellphone.

To protect a smartphone from crashing, users may want to add an antivirus application. There are several versions available, including free versions offering basic protection and upgraded versions featuring more security measures. Before you decide which antivirus application to load on your cellphone, consider what type of protection you need. If you are accessing Facebook from your phone, you may want a program that keeps abreast of attacks targeting social networking sites. Savvy shoppers should check out user reviews for applications before downloading an app. Some free programs may offer very limited protection, and a user review can let you know if that’s the case. Some free programs may provide great security, and you can save money by picking it. Regardless of the antivirus program you pick, you’ll want to protect your smartphone investment just as you would a new laptop.

Every wonder why seemingly every website has an annoying blinking animation or game that asks to click here?

Well that answer is marketing, but wondering how leads to the answer of Wunderkind Jonathon Gay. As a child, Gay became interested and apt at working with computers. So much so that by the time he was in high school his science fair projects were sophisticated enough to earn the attention of professional programmers. By the time he was a senior in high school Gay was working for the company Silicon Beach, which released his first commercial product, Airborne! a black and white game for the Macintosh. Gay had bigger plans than building games for the Apple II or Mac. Before leaving home to attend Harvey Mudd College, Gay contributed to Superpaint 2, a revolutionary program that allowed both simultaneous bit map painting and vector drawing.

Foreseeing a market for graphics, Gay formed his own company. FutureWave Software company built a drawing program, before moving on to software for the emerging market of Internet programmers. Future Wave Software released FutureSplash Animator, which created vector based animations. As a vector based program the animations adjusted to screen size, unlike pixel based programs.

With the advent of Netscapes plug in features turned FutureSlash into a more viable product. Soon major sites such as msn.com and Disney’s Daily Blast were using FutureSplash. Gay had gone from high school standout to the big time. Soon major companies such as Macromedia were taking notice.

In December 1996 Macromedia purchased FutureWave. With a team of developers behind it Flash animations would soon become an Internet staple. Flash enjoyed the advantages of being vector based, bandwidth friendly and browser independent with those advantages, Flash spread. Some would say like a weed.

Back to those annoying, “look at me” animations. Those are almost certainly Flash, but so are useful tools again. The tutorial that showed how to make a Bobbie Flay style meal or the YouTube video showing the after effects of visiting the dentist both probably used Flash Media Player. Much like the Internet Flash has greatly evolved. And like any technology it has been abused. But with out Flash the Internet would be, well, less Flashy (or not as animated).

First described in 1965, this concept has still held its ground with the rapid development of new computing technologies. Limitations have been predicted for years, however the rule should hold for at least another decade, according to experts including Moore himself. Transistors have consistently gotten smaller, and it is thought that they can probably do so until they reach the size of molecules. Moore has even theorized that this might not be a limit if manufacturers decide to make circuits larger or develop multilayered designs.

Adding more transistors doesn’t necessary mean that processing power increases at the same rate. Processing speed can depend on various factors, so the public’s perception of Moore’s Law is often different than that of the manufacturing industry. The law was never intended to predict how fast performance would increase, however other experts have predicted a doubling in circuit performance every 18 months.

There are other theories related to the size, density and speed of components as well as cost. Most of them are somehow related to laws of transistor density. Other such rules dictate that power consumption of computer components doubles every year-and-a-half, while Kryder’s Law analyzes hard disk storage costs, per unit of information, and that increases in disk drive capacities are similar to rises in transistor count.

Similarly, it has been noted that RAM capacity increases at a rate comparable to processing power, while others have come up with rules for network capacity increases as well as cost per pixel increases related to digital cameras. These all could be based on observation or used for industry planning, so the real potential of how transistor count or any other statistic is not definitively known.

The amazing capabilities that integrated circuitry now provide allows for complex applications that further require circuit design to be modified. Flexible circuits are now used in many systems and actually have the capability to bend and fold without affecting the performance of the electronics on their surface.

Printed onto plastic substrates or polyester, they can conform to a desired shape in a device or flex during the product’s use. An example would be folding cell phones, in which the electrical connections must be maintained between the folding parts that are moved regularly during normal use. They can also be used in small electronics such as cameras. In this case the circuits will remain in a static position but allow for connections in various axes.

These types of circuits are also commonly used in keyboards, as well as with organic LEDs to include backlights in flexible displays. The technology expands the possibilities of miniature and flexible circuitry. It brings to the imagination electronics that you can wear, and also adds a sense of realism to fictitious elements such as Penny’s computerized guide book in the Inspector Gadget cartoons. As manuals are available electronically online, a product manual on just a few sheets of flex circuit paper would provide all the information you would need to understand the workings of a device.

The fictional and theoretical blend in well with the idea of flexible circuits. Out of this world applications do exist, however, because they are used in satellites, especially for the solar panels that roll up for launch and deploy when they reach orbit. This allows the power collection and distribution systems to remain intact despite the entire panels having been folded and extended.

The concept has also expanded technologies in the medical field, with such circuits used in small implantable devices such as pacemakers, medical monitoring devices, diagnostic equipment, and surgical tools. Since flex circuits are highly compatible with devices that are hinged or have telescopic functions, they are now widely used and explored in medical applications.

What has spurred the perennial cycle of marketing and marketed? The best explanation is the fundamental human drive to possess the latest and coolest gadget. Smartphones are some of the most amazing devices currently released, and a thorough smartphone comparison provides even those “in the know” with the information necessary to make a wise decision.

A comparison of all the great aspects of every smartphone may not be realistic, but you can definitely relish the best parts and pieces of a specific smartphone. This year, 12 new smartphones hit the market: Samsung Galaxy S Pro, Evo 4G, iPhone 4, Droid X, Motorola Droid, Droid Incredible, Nexus One, Dell Streak, Nokia N900, Blackberry Bold 9700, Blackberry Storm 2 9550, and the Palm Pre Plus (they may sound like video games for X-Gen members).

To get the most with this generation’s phone obsession, you will need to understand terminology such as slide-QWERTY keyboard, super-AMOLED touch-screen, front-facing camera, Media-Hub access, DLNA support, Android 2.1, six-axis sensor, accelerometer, Hummingbird processor, and Visual Voicemail.

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed, but know that with the right information, you too can join the evolving symbiotic relationship, enter the high-tech world, and communicate.

Even if you don’t yet have access, you can always use a friends’ computer, go to a library, or visit an Internet café if one exists near where you live to do your research. The type of information you want to look for is whether you get enough features and perks to justify the cost. Most of the time, they are relatively inexpensive because of the competition; there are almost countless providers out there.

If you are lucky, you can even have Internet access included in your cable TV and/or telephone plan. Various top named cable providers offer high-speed access; speed being one of the top features to look for. You can easily get a fast service and connection, and there is no reason to have long wait times for websites to load or to send email.

Email is another feature that you can no longer do without. In addition to reliability, you also want to know how much storage space you have, and whether the provider’s system experiences any significant downtime. This is something you want to assess about the system overall before you buy into the service. You can also consider extras such as website hosting and domain registration, if you’re inclined to get into the technical side, as affordable additions or standard features of the service.

With so much information online, you can use the Internet to find Internet deals. Don’t hesitate to browse forums, blogs, review sites, or your favorite trusty search engine to find information. If something is worth talking about it, you can be sure someone is out there to post useful information that you can use in your decision.

In today’s face paced, instant access world there are a lot of new technologies emerging every day to bring information faster and no other trend has captured people the way twitter has. For those of you who haven’t caught up with the craze, twitter is a social blogging site where instead of long, drawn out blogs, the tweeter is giving those that follow his thoughts, feelings, and other musings in short 160 character bursts. This is right on par with today’s society of the short attention span.

But twitter wasn’t the start of the short, constant update theater. If you have been following the social networking and media sites you can come to the conclusion that twitter has been around forever, it’s just more of an evolution.

The first big social networking site was myspace. Myspace was a fully customizable web page where you could add friends as well as send out bulletins and comment on peoples page. Each page was allowed to have a profile pic and a quote next to it. In the very beginning of the Myspace craze, these quotes were anything from the absurd, to inside jokes, to famous sayings, to simple explanations of the person themselves.

As Myspace’s user base grew so did the use of these quotes. Quotes were being updated daily and changing from song lyrics to thoughts and feelings. There was also the increase in the rise of bulletins and how they were being used. Once only used for alerting people to special cuases, events, and chain emails. Now bulletins were being used to simply let out feelings.

When facebook became, far and away, the preferred social networking site we learned very quickly that the most important feature wasn’t a friend request. The status update became the preferred method of communication. There were people updating every day, some times multiple times in a day and it became that they may have led to the twitter craze. In the status updates people could tell you how they felt or simply promote something. The Twitter format was around long before Twitter itself.

People spend their whole lives thinking about their past. Not just what they have done as it relates to where they are going, but the past that existed before they did. They try to learn of the heritage and lineage they belong to.

In today’s world companies are established to help those that want to know get a very thorough picture of their own family tree. People will pay top money to find out where their ancestors came from and who they were. They pay money to be intrigued by the journey it took to have them created. But how is tracing a history easier now than it was 30 years ago? One answer: the Internet.

Many years ago tracing the family tree required a lot of leg work. Not only would you need to oral accounts of things that happened but you would need to call places to research documents and begin piecing together your history. However, in today’s digital world there is no need to go anywhere but the privacy of your own home.

These agencies and companies do it the same way anyone else would in this day and age. With hospitals leaving their medical records online it’s easy to search to see if someone was born in that hospital 100 years ago. With so many counties and cities being online you can find out for certain if someone had lived in the state. The reason the agencies are so successful is because they have the knowledge to understand not only where to go but how to navigate through the sites to obtain the information they need.

Still there is one thing that the family tree companies cannot help with and that is the oral history, the rich and vibrant stories that make a history worth looking into. Perhaps something was accounted for in a local paper or perhaps there was something written in a book, but more often than not there is nothing that can replace the telling of those stories.

The Internet offers businesses the ability to focus on their competitive advantage rather than spending time building up expensive infrastructure. Software as a service (SaaS) is a case in point. These on-demand applications are generally deployed over the Internet or run behind a firewall in a local area network. They are also highly flexible and scalable and lets users save money by avoiding the costs of buying their own servers or software. This model is also referred to as the application Service Provider (ASP) model. ASPs charge on a “per-use” basis or may require a monthly/annual fee.

Small enterprises and home users are usually more cost conscious. They’ve been using a lot of freeware and shareware applications from the Internet on their computers. Shareware applications are essentially “try-it-before-you-buy-it” software. Unlike traditional software distribution channels where one is forced to pay for the product even before one has seen it, these applications allow a user to try the program, evaluate it, and decide if it suits the customer’s needs or not. It offers the ultimate money back guarantee; if you don’t use the product, you don’t pay for it.

The Internet, to use a clichéd term, has truly revolutionized business in every way, from the way products are created to the way products are marketed. In fact, the Internet is unearthing hitherto unknown markets. The lowering of search costs leads to a substantial increase in the number of products that are difficult to find (i.e. you can find almost anything). Some of the most famous businesses that have benefited from this new model of “using the niche to find the riches” include eBay (auctions), Google (web search engines), and Audible (audio books).

The Internet allows users to research and learn, conduct business, play games, shop around the world without leaving the comforts of home, and communicate with people across the globe instantaneously. Who knows what’s next?

Online video uploading sites have been around for a few years. And since that time people have been uploading copywritten images onto these sites. These are usually clips of their favorite shows or videos set to their favorite songs. Many of these sites have become a great way to see your favorite shows and clips of movies and television shows from the past.

However, not everyone is happy with these uploading sites. Big television companies have been coming down hard on these user friendly websites. The reason for the companies ire? Money. These companies are popping up with their own websites. They are spending millions of dollars to get viewers trafficked to the company website so they can show clips of shows and up their views so they can turn around and sell advertising on the site. Shows are not made without money from advertisers.

So they see these video uploading sites as a way of stealing visitors from their website. They know the viewer would rather get their content all in one user friendly place rather than having to shuffle around online.

Not all companies see this as a bad thing. Some big television companies have began uploading clips to these sites and running their own paid advertising prior to showing the clip. This is just a way for these companies to know that it’s too hard to beat the popularity of these sites but they are finding a way to advertise and gain exposure within the sites. As long as these uploading sites exists, big television companies will have a decision to if to do business with them.

Around the time folks at CERN invented the Web so that scientists across the world could work together watching the birth of taus, muons and antihydrogen, another smaller invention was popping up in small pockets: bulletin boards. Most common modems were 300 baud rate. In simple terms, the speed was reminiscent of an ant pulling a barge across dry land. You could actually see the text build . . . a single letter at a time. Later, if you decided to invest in the cutting edge upgrades, you could purchase 1200 and 2400 baud rate modems. Lightning fast, you witnessed full lines building so quickly that the letters almost blurred. Stunning technology.

Many bulletin boards were sites run by various university science departments. These departments were often more than willing to allow public access, wanting as much good press as they could get. Others were privately run by computer savvy individuals with fanatical streaks ranging from social deviant to political activist. Their bulletin boards were the next generation underground. To gain access you needed only to apply.

The more eccentric sites were the most interesting. Each site had “rooms” where clusters of computer aficionados lived with their software egos hanging on flag poles for everyone to see. These sites were an amusing place to go when there was nothing good to watch on TV—the forerunner of Facebook. It was often most informative to enter a site room mute, simply watching the verbal interplay of self-proclaimed geniuses jousting their opponents with words of sarcastic wit—somewhat like watching a bad afternoon soap opera where post adolescent self-professed geniuses flexed their muscles.

All good things eventually end or are reinvented. Baud rates moved to 56K, and CERN’s invention spread. Bulletin boards went the way of the dinosaur. Eventually the internet of today will be seen in the eyes of nostalgic mental wanderers as a departed old relative, as muons and quarks become old hat and ch’i driven webs allow Facebook and Twitter to become myth. As Einstein and Dirac well knew, the only constant is change.

More often than is healthy, the average computer users find themselves at odds with the little machine that was manufactured to make their lives easier. To be fair, computers do malfunction and eventually break. There is, however, one human behavior that almost every computer user practices when the program of choice does not jump to immediate command: hitting the key continually in rapid succession to relieve the stress of the program’s inability to jump to the users emotions. Guess what? The program doesn’t care. Neither does the computer.

Rapid fire key banging is a wonderful way to make your frustration permanent for the remainder of the work day. It sends the signal that is already malfunctioning to the CPU dozens of times, creating a snowball effect that allows you to enjoy that frustration you were waiting for! What a deal! Frustration times ten cubed all for the tiny price of an uncontrolled vibrating finger over the enter key. If you practice this often you may even provide yourself with the entertainment that comes with the blue screen of death. Then you know you’ve won the contest of mind over mindless.

Computers are mankind’s modern day Zen machine. Monks in Japan spent hundreds of years practicing the play of the Shakuhachi, a bamboo end blown flute, to form self-discipline unmatched in most societies. With the need to create better tools for a busy modern society, manufacturers inadvertently gave us this electronic Shakuhachi as a test of our resolve to find centered peace.

Score: Computers 1. Humanity 0.

It’s not just businesses that have Websites today. A lot of people start up a personal Website and blog just so they can talk to the world about their trials and tribulations. Some of them also do it to keep up with family members who are far away or connect with distant relatives that might be looking for them. No matter what your reasons for starting up a Website, keep in mind that you’ll need a hosting package that will handle everything you want to do. You’ll need a Web address and a way to operate your site. You’ll also want to look for e-mail hosting to be sure that you get your messages.

If you’re looking for the least expensive options, there are free email addresses and free blog sites all over the place. If that’s not enough for you, there are paid options that aren’t really that expensive. The real costs come in when you’re running a large business that has a huge site and uses a lot of bandwidth. A personal site won’t take up that much space, and small space translates to small cost when it comes to providers for your site.

Also think carefully about the content. What do you want the world to know about you? Everything you put out there has the potential to be read by everyone on the planet who has an Internet connection, so remember that when you’re posting things. Don’t say anything that you wish you could take back later. Even if you delete the information, it may have already been copied and passed on. It’s almost impossible to ever completely erase something from the Internet once that’s taken place. Most people don’t have to worry about that, but if your Website is controversial for any reason you may want to be prepared for the messages you might receive about it.

The name John Von Neumann is usually synonymous with other names such as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Albert Einstein and Paul Dirac. Von Neumann, born December 28, 1903, became a part of one of the strangest science renaissances in world history. Never before or since has a gathering of such mental forces lived in such sharp contrast with the existing world dynamic. Even Karl Jung was involved in this startling expansion of cosmic understanding! The chain reaction that followed, including String Theory, Quantum Mechanics and Chaos were spin offs from this explosion of inspired thinking outside of Isaac Newton’s box.

Due to his close work with the first atomic bomb, Von Neumann is, in some circles, seen in a dark light. He was responsible for proving that advanced detonation of the bomb above the target would cause the most damage and he supported first strike on the USSR to prevent the Soviets from attaining the bomb.

Von Neumann’s work with the atomic bomb often erases from public memory other accomplishments by this genius including advances in Quantum Mechanics, Logic and Set Theory, and economics. But hidden even deeper in his resume of successes was an incomplete paper written in 1945 called the First Draft on a Report on the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer). Within this paper existed the first description of a computer using stored programs. He also developed a game theory called the Minimax Theorem which minimized loss and maximized win.

The long term effect of Von Neumann’s work for the average computer user? His work was a part of a long chain of events that led to you having a lap top on your legs. If you are a gamer, look up the Minimax Theorem. The theorem not only affects economics in today’s world, it contributed to the games you play on your PC.

The strange renaissance of brain trust that created the bomb is also responsible for your everyday actions at the keyboard. Let that sink in for awhile while you wonder how on earth Karl Jung fits into the formula!

The Economic Impact of Computer Viruses

Many companies rely heavily on the integrity of their data for their daily operations. By itself, a computer represents an investment but there is so much more to think about. Personal and business financial records, operating systems and other software; all this represents an investment. It makes sense to protect these from the destructive actions of malicious software.

On the business side, viruses can result in the loss of man hours. Non-functioning computers can be a serious blow to productivity. This is even more acute with small businesses that do not have their own IT department. They have to rely on outside help to resolve virus issues, which can further strain their already meager budgets.

Antivirus Software Options

Today there is really no excuse for not having some level of protection for your computer. While antivirus software usually has to be purchased there are many free options available. They are still efficient at preventing infection, as well as searching for and removing most viruses from computers.

With so many providers of antivirus software searching for software reviews helps when trying to choose one. It is also possible to download trial versions and protect your computers while assessing them. It makes sense to set the program to automatically scan at certain times. The frequency of scanning really depends on how much the computer is used. Free software options generally provide prompts to upgrade to paid versions. Clearly, there is no obligation and this depends on the budget, but this small expenditure can save you greater costs down the road.

Technology has no conscience or ethics. For example, had Nazi scientists discovered nuclear weapons first, world history would have unfolded much differently. Scientists often cannot comprehend the ethical dilemmas that there creations spawn. American inventor Hiram Maxim invented the machine gun, and he supposedly thought that the invention would take the human element out of war. The events the followed obviously proved him better with designs than with prognostications.

Philosopher Michel Foucault helped to popularize the phrase knowledge is power. For Foucault the words were inseparable, and he would write knowledge/power in his works. Now anyone with a computer and a connection to the Internet has nearly a limitless amount of knowledge at his or her disposal. Sites like mepacircuit.org, provide more information about technology than someone at the turn of the last century could acquire at an entire library. This rapid shift has created so many problems that understanding it might take generations to grasp.

Individuals know have access to information on how to construct weapons. How to get in touch with like-minded people as in the case of Colleen LaRose, an American woman with no other contacts to Al Qaeda, but joined through an Internet connection.

This is not to say that the Internet is too dangerous or that its invention has been a net negative, but diligent efforts must be made by scholars in all fields to understand that with all the wonderful advances made by science, there are negative externalities.