Yearly Archives: 2012
Technology has advanced in a way that itâ??s extremely easy now for people to get entertainment and fun on the go.
This entertainment is available with the help of smartphone apps, such as games, e-book readers, social networking apps etc. The developers behind these apps realize that most smartphone owners depend on such tools for leisure. In a laymanâ??s language, these are â??time passâ?? apps, which help them to kill boredom.
However, there recently came an application, which is different from all of this. Ever heard of a smartphone app that has the ability to track mood changes?
The US Defense Department has come up with an application called T2 Mood Tracker, which helps a person to track his/her mood, or emotional changes, and combat stress. Sounds innovative and interesting, right?
The Story Behind It
Some studies have shown that military soldiers often suffer from various kinds of emotional problems, and go under depression or post-traumatic stress from time to time, because of their long stays on the battlefield. So the National Center for Telehealth and Technology came out with this application, which has the capability to help an individual to monitor his/her moods and emotional changes, thereby helping in knowing what to do or what to avoid, to get a better mental state. In other words, it helps one in knowing when exactly his/her emotional state is bad or good, and what the reason is behind that mental state. So the person can monitor the condition, and do the needful to get out of a bad state.
How Does It Work?
T2 Mood Tracker has basically been designed as a self-monitoring tool, wherein users answer questions given by the app, based on their emotional experiences. All of these answers are collected as data, which is used to generate graphs. These graphs then reveal the status of a personâ??s actual emotional state.
How logical?
The application of course has a good amount of logic behind its development. Since a long time, psychologists and therapists have proved that self-monitoring is an excellent way for a person to know about his/her emotional state, and control or manage it. Traditionally, this exercise was done on paper, where people were told to write down their emotional experiences. However, as people have turned more tech-savvy these days, this application helps them to go beyond the conventional method of self-monitoring, and record their experiences on a smartphone.
The simple understanding behind T2 Mood Tracker is that if a person knows his/her emotional state is not good, and could possibly harm him/her later on, then he/ she tries to change it by doing other things.
There are mainly six categories, based on which a personâ??s mental health is judged, and these include Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Brain Injury, General Wellbeing, and Post-Traumatic Stress. One can also have customized categories for any specific area of monitoring.
How To Get The Application?
The application is available for download on Android phones. Itâ??s a free application, available on the Android Market.
Richard Hill is an excellent blogger and advises people that the iphone 4s is the smarter purchase through his blog posts. You can visit his website for more details.
The Battle Begins!
The first warships were galleys, which were long, narrow vessels rowed by banks of oarsmen. Warship battle then consisted of these galleys ramming and sinking enemy vessels or coming alongside the enemy and jumping to the other boat and killing the opponents in hand-to-hand combat.
By the time World War II came around, these warships have evolved into killing machines. Known to be the wildest and most damaging war in the history, thousands of people were killed and billions worth of property were damaged. During this era, warships were key instruments of destruction. And several of these warships are defined to be the deadliest warships of all time.
The roles and design of warships were redefined in World War II. During this war, the aircraft carrier became the main capital ship in a naval task force and several battles transpired between groups of carriers. It was also during this time that radar was first used in combat. It changed the way naval battles were fought. Warships no longer engaged in direct combat, instead, they located their enemies on radar and sent aircraft to make the attacks. Nevertheless, some of the deadliest battleships were made during this war.
Deadliest Warships Ever
Here are some of those deadliest warships:
Iowa Class Battleship
- Iowa Class. It is compared to a cat because this warship has many lives. Though it has fought during the World War II, it was still called for action during the Korean War because of its very damageable weapons. And in 1991, Iowa Class was again called for action in Desert Storm.
USS Nimitz
- Nimitz Class. It is very unique because it has two nuclear reactors which can be enabled to allow it to roam indefinitely around the world. Way back in 1991 in the place that was used to be called as Soviet Union, the Nimitz Class role was reversed and even became a peacekeeper of the world.
HMS Queen Elizabeth
- Queen Elizabeth Class. It was launched in 1913 and was the first ship designed as a fast battleship powered by oil instead of coal, which was commonly used that time. In early 1916, Queen Elizabeth Class joined four other ships named Malaya, Barham, Warspite and Valiant. Considered to be the most powerful battleship, it was armed by eight 16-inch guns together with sixteen 6-inch secondary.
USS Port Royal
- Ticonderoga Class. It was developed initially as a Cold War warrior and its role was to be a guided missile destroyer.
USS Fletcher 1942
- Fletcher Class. This was used for battles and was considered as one of the destroyers during that time.
USS North Carolina
- North Carolina Class. It was first launched on June 1, 1940. It was one of the battleships that had deck armor and better torpedo, gas protection and longer endurance.
Author Bio: Adam Fridman is the founder of Idea2result. He also writes for his company blog on how expert appointment setters can carry out effective telemarketing services campaign!
YES. Rats can transmit over 70 types of diseases which are serious threats to our health.
One of the common diseases caused by rats is leptospirosis. This type of bacterial disease is transmitted when water that has been contaminated with animal urine, such as that coming from rats, comes in contact with unhealed breaks in the skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Untreated leptospirosis could lead to the development of kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure and respiratory distress. In some cases, it may even cause death.
Humans can get infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis by inhaling infectious aerosolized particles of rodent urine, feces or saliva, by ingesting food that has been eaten by rats with this virus, or by exposure of open wounds to a ratâ??s infected blood. Once infected, the person will suffer from fever, muscle aches, appetite loss, headache, malaise, nausea and vomiting. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis is especially dangerous to a fetus. If a pregnant mother is infected during the first trimester, there is an increased risk for spontaneous abortion. If the infection occurs after the first trimester, congenital infection may lead to malformations such as chorioretinitis, intracranial calcifications, hydrocephalus, microcephaly or macrocephaly, mental retardation, and seizures.
Rats are also known for carrying a disease called Hantavirus. It is transmitted through ratâ??s urine and feces. It may cause fatal diseases in humans such as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Hantavirus may cause cardio vascular shock and hospitalization is required for those infected with this disease.
An infection of the brain called eosinophilic meningitis can be caused by a worm that resides in a ratâ??s lung. They are expelled from a ratâ??s body via the feces of the rat. In some cases, patients develop weakness or life time blindness as a result of this infection.
The Bubonic Plague which swept through Europe in the 14th century and which killed about 25 million people was thought to have been caused by fleas of rats. Without treatment, the bubonic plague killed about two thirds of the infected humans in 4 days. The common symptom of the bubonic plague is the infection of the lymph glands (lymphadenitis). The lymph glands become swollen and painful. The medieval doctors were unaware that the rat fleas were causing the massive deaths at the time. Their recommended treatment of the plague was good diet, rest and relocating to a non-infected area. What they did not know was that their recommendation of moving to a non-infected area meant that the public was getting away from the rats that were the hosts of the fleas that were carrying the infection.
From the past up to the present, rats are indeed dangerous.
Author Bio: Adam Fridman is the founder of Telemarketingservice.com. He also writes for his company blog on the benefits of outsourced telemarketing services.
Image from: bigjom / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
There may certainly be some places that you visit frequently, and you become very familiar with the surroundings, that you can immediately tell, perhaps not even by looking, but simply by sensing or your intuition will tell you that something has changed.
It may be some subtle changes, like the relocation of furniture or perhaps, papers on the desk have been rearranged.
This can easily happen on your computer where an open port may have left you vulnerable to an attack. A Trojan horse, spyware or a virus is now installed, and personal files can be copied, there are large files that you do not recognize, and people in your address book are receiving message files that you did not send.
Worst of all, the malware cannot be located, despite your best efforts. It is concealed with what is called a rootkit.
A rootkit is simply a digital toolbox that can be added to malware to conceal it and provide it with uninhibited access to your computer.
Creating malware is no longer for stroking egos, it is a big business that can generate billions. The longer a computer remains infected, the more time is provided to generate illicit income.
How Rootkits work
A virus or spyware works by looking at digital signatures or snapshots of the virus, or parts of the payload. They can be detected by looking for entries in the registry, or for references in the system boot.
Rootkits hide the trail of evidence when they interrupt the operating system during file access. The location and or setting of the files are filtered and concealed before they can be displayed to the user. It becomes invisible to the user and potentially to malware detection software that is installed on your computer.
Rootkits make their changes invisible and conceal themselves. They can sometimes, be difficult to detect, even with anit-viral software, and in the enterprise environment. They can be programmed to bypass firewalls and avoid detection  Rootkit writers and security program developers engage in a cat and mouse game, analyzing each others approaches, but the security developers are often forced to play catch-up,as the sophistication increases.
Rootkits can also be used by hackers to avoid detection, by modifying the kernel or libraries, with its own system calls. This makes it extremely difficult if not impossible to detect rootkits, and special techniques must be used to check the integrity of the system data.
Rootkits may also be designed to be specific to certain system, which can invalidate the use of detection software.
A few years ago, Sony BMG was involved in a controversy that resulted in several lawsuits, when it was discovered that over 100 CDs were embedded with Digital Rights Management Software that contained rootkits. The software itself was deemed as faulty as there were vulnerabilities that would pose security risks to the users.
Although it appears there may not be very many instances or disclosures of rootkits, the technology is still available to malware writers, and you may never known when variations or advances in the technology can appear in the public domain.
The best form of protection is being fully aware and instituting practices to avoid the risk of attacks
Despite the threats, the simplest way to detect a rootkit is to use an AV scanner. Most of the well-known and current malware detection products have tools that are built in for detection and removal of rootkits. It is also possible that despite your best efforts, a few rootkits may slip through and go undetected to your security software.
The safest strategy is to scan with more than one security program. Use a current anti-virus program and perhaps two antispyware applications.
Perhaps the easiest way to remove a rootkit is to disable it using Windows System Restore. This utility can be used to roll back the operating system to a previous state. All programs, including malware and roots are disabled.
There are quite a few rootkit scanners available on the web, and Microsoft also offers a free scanner and removal tool, that is designed to seek-out well-known viruses and worms.
To be effective, the software must be regularly updated with the signatures and footprints of known rootkits, which itself is not a simple tasks as the rootkits were designed to avoid detection.
Security threats on the web are real and Richard D Grandall writes constantly about them. He also contributes to the website DailyDeals4You.com, where resources to make the web safer are offered.
Find valued coupons for software, such as Bitdefender coupons and also kaspersky coupon codes.
Image from Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Since Galileo unveiled his famous telescope in 1609, technology has come a long way.
Telescopes have been improved over hundreds of years to help scientists and astromoners explore the depths of the universe. In 1990, the Hubble telescope was sent into the earthâ??s orbit to record the universe in detail that nobody in the 17th Century could even have dreamed of.
However, the next advance in telescope technology is taking place a little bit closer to home.
Galileo went blind in his old age, some say as a result of looking at the sun through the telescope, although this is actually a myth. So it is perhaps fitting that the next application of telescopic technology will be to restore sight. More specifically, for people who have lost it due to an eye condition called Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
Around 39 million people around the globe suffer from blindness, and macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of this. Itâ??s estimated to affect 20-25 million people around the world. In North America  around 11 million are affected by this condition, which is expected to more than double by 2050.
There are two types of macular degeneration â?? dry and wet. Dry macular degeneration accounts for around 90% of people diagnosed as having the condition, although the wet type is more severe and more likely to lead to what is legally classified as blindness.
Macular degeneration is an issue which primarily effects people over 50, and the risk of the condition increases with age. This makes blindess a significant concern as people grow older.
For many people suffering blindness due to the dry-type macular degeneration, there is now light at the end of the tunnel (literally).
A telescope about the same size of a pea has been invented, and successfully implanted into the eye of a patient who had end-stage macular degeneration, the most advanced stage of the dry type. Virginia Bane, the 89-year-old patient who received the implant said â??I can see better than ever nowâ? and that â??colors are more vibrant, beautiful and naturalâ?.
The tiny telescope contains two mirrors, which magnify images and project them onto the undamaged part of the retina, allowing them to see.
The macular is part of the retina, and is what provides us with central vision. Two miniature mirrors within the telescope work together to bypass the damaged macular, and project light onto the undamaged part of the retina. As the undamaged part of the retina is still sensitive to light, it can send these signals to the brain to allow the person to see.
Unfortunately, the wet type of AMD cannot be treated by the telescope, as vessels at the back of the eye leak blood.
Whether itâ??s allowing us to see stars and galaxies from billions of years ago, or restoring sight to those who no longer have it, the various ways in which telescopes have been used over the past 400 years is extraordinary. While this technology is currently only available in North America, it is likely to be only a matter of time before it is used more widely.
This guest post was provided by Jon Davies, who works for Lenstore, an online retailer of contact lenses in the United Kingdom. He enjoys science and technology, and writing about how technology has been developed over the centuries.
- Image from: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
With so many televisions on the market these days and one seeming to come out every few months that promises new features, updated performance and all other sorts of things; it can be quite difficult to figure out exactly what you need.
At the end of the day, no matter what other people say, there are TVs that are going to work for you 100% and other that just don’t fit your lifestyle.
The best bit of advice we can give you is to make sure you do your homework, and know what you are getting yourself into beforehand because a TV is one of those pretty big purchases that you are going to be kicking yourself over if you don’t get exactly what it is you’re looking for.
Know Your Price Range
This is one of the things we don’t quite understand why but people tend to overlook. While you may think you know what you’re looking for and have an idea of exactly what you want; if you aren’t budgeting yourself, you are probably going to end up getting a TV that is much more expensive than you had intended and it’s probably going to have things you don’t truly need, want or will ever use. At the end of the day, you only want to spend what you can afford so the whole experience comes out being as positive and enjoyable as possible.
Consider Which Features You Cannot Live Without
With so many features available on TVs these days, you definitely want to take a look at your options and figure out if there are specific things that you just can’t imagine living without. For instance, do you have a problem with remembering to turn off your set on a regular basis? There are actually televisions that can help you with that because they track movement in the room and if no one is in the area, they will turn off on their own.
Many TVs these days can do a lot more for you than just bring you your favorite programs. For instance, a large number of them can now access the internet and even have applications similar to those you would find on a smart phone. So, you can watch TV, surf the web, update your Facebook status and play mini-games all from the comfort of your couch and enjoy them on the big screen.
Compare HD and 3D
If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few years, then you probably have noticed a huge demand for 3D devices. Not only do movie theatres now show 3D films, but you can actually bring the entertainment to the comfort of your home. Keep in mind, in order to watch HD or 3D, you need to have compatible devices such as the proper Blu-Ray or 3D player. So, make sure you keep that in mind when making your selections because that makes prices vary quite drastically.
Choosing the Proper Screen Size
Screen size is extremely important. You must take a few things into consideration. First of all, how far away are you going to be from the set? If you only have a few feet to spare, you do not want to go for something that is 72 inches. This is going to be a strain on your eyes and difficult for you to see the entire screen. Every TV comes with instructions on how far away you should be and the best location for you to sit when viewing.
What are You Going to Use the TV For?
What you plan on using your new set for has a lot to do with your choice. Are you going to use it for your children in the spare bedroom, or is it going to be the main TV that everyone crowds around every single evening? Are you going to play your Xbox on it? These are all things to consider. If you enjoy a lot of fast-paced programming or games, you should definitely go with HD because everything is going to be much clearer that way.
Consider TVs that Save Energy to Save You Money and the Environment
These days, more and more products out there are coming ENERGY STAR qualified. This means, not only are you going to have a great opportunity to save yourself some extra cash but you will also be doing a huge favor for the environment. A lot of the times these sets actually last a lot longer and are quite affordable. Some ENERGY STAR products can be used towards your taxes as write offs so it’s definitely something for you to consider when trying to make the absolute best decision for you and the rest of your family.
The author of the article is Robert Mardling who is a techophile and loves reviewing the latest gadgets. He often writes guest posts for Capital Building Contractors, providers of complete solutions for home design in Melbourne.
Technology is fantastic, don’t you think? It’s amazing how something that used to be so simple, such as reading a book, is now more accessible and easier than ever before.
Not only are audio books perfect for people who aren’t able to read on their own but they are also great for those of you who live busy lives and want to listen as you are falling asleep or maybe while you are driving.
Sometimes you want to get lost in a story but just don’t have the energy to spare to read your favorite book because all it’s going to do is make you more tired. What’s more awesome than being able to walk around your home getting your daily chores done as you can get lost in a great story?
No Need to Pack on Extra Weight
Especially if you are on the go a lot, you have probably gotten used to packing a ton of books. This can get pretty heavy. Not only that, but books can quickly take up a lot of space. That’s why audio books are such a nice option. Not only can you store them on your computer but you can have them in disk form, on your MP3, your E-Reader or even your cell phone. With so many options, you can literally have them with you no matter where you go without all the excess weight that previously would get in the way or cause you to not be able to pack as many books as you wanted.
Read Books Above Your Level
Audio books are great because you have the ability to read books that you normally may not have been able to handle. You ever run into words that you just get completely stuck on or maybe you aren’t the fastest reader? These problems can be completely whipped out if you give audio books a chance. It’s great to be able to enjoy the things that you haven’t been able to previously. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to finish a great book but it taking weeks or months to get it done because your brain just doesn’t want to keep up with what you are trying to read. When you’re listening, you can finish books faster than lightning, so if you have many books that you want to catch up on or authors that you want to check out; you can do it all and never feel like you just cannot possibly catch up.
They Are Extremely Easy to Download
Remember how you used to have to go to the store to find that new book, or check it out at the library? Some of the time, you may have gotten all the way to your destination just to find out that the product you were looking for wasn’t even in stock. The great thing about audio books is the fact that you don’t have to wait. Once the book is out, there is an unlimited supply and you don’t have to worry about not being able to get your hands on a copy. You can start listening to your new book literally the moment it comes out because it only takes a few seconds to download. With speeds that fast, you are going to have a lot more time on your hands to focus on finishing your book, instead of wasting your gas and money to find it.
Get What You Need Done While You Listen
One of the things people love the most about audio books is that you can literally listen to them anytime. Maybe you are extremely busy and so your reading has suffered. Well, you’re probably in the car at least on the way to work, right? That’s the perfect time to listen to your book; even if you only have 20 minutes a day, you are going to get pretty far quickly. Many people also enjoy cleaning their homes or making dinner as they listen to their new books. It’s a great feeling to be able to enjoy yourself while doing everyday tasks. It makes things go by much quicker, which is always nice.
They Are More Affordable Than Ever
Many of you may already know this, but a lot of audio books go on sale quite often and with such a large library of options available; you’ll be surprised by what you can find within a few moments of browsing. You’re probably going to love to hear that there are thousands of free books available as well; which is pretty amazing. This is going to give you a great opportunity to find whole new genres, authors and books that you may not have ever given the time of day so you can definitely broaden your horizons.
Jack Lohan is a remarkable author and has contributed a number of articles. He recommends australian bookstore for those who love to read.
Image from: thanunkorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
When it comes to insects now days, most people think about the teeny tiny little insects that are on this earth today that are the pests that people cannot stand. But did you know that they were not always so tiny?
That is right there were some giant insects alive during the Prehistoric Times that probably would have made you think about swatting them out of the way, or for that matter trying to find a bigger fly swatter to try and kill them ! Or in some cases it may even just stop you all together, because the sight of the giant insects. It is not something that most would know how to react if they saw a giant dragonfly flying across a lake or have one flying around your camp site during summer with your family.
There were several giant insects that scientists have documented over the years and have found fossils of them to back up their hypothesis on these large creatures. One of the many giant insects that they have found more evidence of their existence is the Meganeura, or what we would call now days is a â??Dragonflyâ? except this dragonfly was not like the dragon fly we have today by any means. Back in the Prehistoric times the Meganeura was one of the biggest insects of the time period. The Meganeura had a wingspan of 2.1 ft. long, and because of the rock castings that the scientists have they also know that the wings of the Meganeura actually had veins in the wings. Scientists speculate that their diet would have consisted of other insects and small amphibians that is right amphibians. How many dragonflies do you think it would take now to have a dragonfly eat an amphibian such as a frog if that was there diet anymore? The Meganeura started out on top of the food chain and as the years went on they slowly began to die off because of two major reasons, one was because of the lack of oxygen in the air and the other reason is because of animals killing them off and eating to survive. Some would say that it is truly the survival of the fittest. However others would say that it was pure evolution over time. But everyone has their own opinion on how they have changed over time.
It seems that as the time and the earth has changed and so did the large insects of the Prehistoric Times like the Meganeura. However could you imagine if the Meganeura had not changed over time into the t dragonfly that we have today and stayed one of the largest insects on the planet you can be rest assured that we would not have some of the insects and amphibianâ??s that we have today. Not to mention if their diet were to change over time as well. So knowing what you know now what would you think if this Prehistoric insect were to be alive today?
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Kids growing up today play in a different dimension than kids who grew up just a few years ago. Pogo sticks, bean bags, and even laser tag have all moved to the digital realm, where most of the fun comes from staring at a screen for hours.
While todayâ??s graphics may be exceptionally impressive, vintage gaming is still in vogue, and for good reason. Younger audiences are turning to classic arcade machines for their gaming pleasure.
Classics canâ??t be Beat
The young gaming audience is becoming increasingly more difficult to impress. Some of the toughest gaming critics out there are barely into their double digits. Arenâ??t there classics for a reason? Arcade games are not only difficult to critique; they have actually stolen the hearts of many gamers by casting themselves into the light of gaming icons. Kicking off the 1980s, the legendary Pac-Man carved the gold path for arcade and video games to come in the following two decades. Everyone has played Googleâ??s famous time-killer while strenuously avoiding work, but how many people in the era of iPhones can say that they have sent the world-famous yellow spot chomping around on an arcade machine? Nothing quite beats the ethereal satisfaction of playing a pure, vintage, and beloved classic on the console it was originally released on.
Vintage Games are in Vogue
Gamers of all ages can appreciate the classic arcade games of yore. Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, Asteroids and Centipede all come out of the frameworks to reinterpret the game-play of this generation. It really was only a few short years ago that Atari and vintage PlayStation games made their heartfelt return into the dedicated gaming sphere. Young audiences are more appreciative of older games now, because they offer an experience far removed from what a Wii, PSP, or Xbox could offer.
A Different Atmosphere
Of course, arcade games provide an entirely different environment from modern popular RPG style video games. Itâ??s not just a game anymore; itâ??s an atmosphere created by an ecstatic mob of bright-eyed youngsters cheering on historyâ??s most beloved digital characters through their classic labyrinths and puzzles. How is it possible to resist the flurry of excitement that builds over classic arcade machines during a heated round of cosmic blasters, pinball, or bleeping pixel monsters? Itâ??s kind of like a return to analog, but without all the glitches. Then again, vintage arcade games do come from a time of legends – a time when Star Wars reigned supreme, Michael Jordan stepped onto the scene, and E.T. made his way home.
Patrick Whalen is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. Follow him @2patwhalen.
Prev1...121314...47Next 
Page 13 of 47
