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How Hollywood Doesn't "Get" the Internet

2012-05-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

The internet, in the greater context of man’s time on earth, is a recent development. It is not so recent though, that people are still working out how it works. By now, most of us are connected to the internet and are engaging with it and with each other through it. Most of us know our www’s from our http’s, so these five Hollywood blunders are sure to make you cringe.

The Net (1995)

Let’s do this chronologically, starting off with The Net, starring Sandra Bullock. Unfortunately, nasty hackers are after her! I can just picture the boardroom now, discussing the script:

“But, Mr. screenwriter, what’s a hacker anyway?” “Oh, you know, hackers! Those futuristic looking balaclava-hooded latex clad sunglasses-at-night wearing bad guys, after your e-stuff.”

Try doing a Google image search for hackers and the results won’t be much different. In all actuality, hackers are more likely to look like the kid from high school that’s still eating (exclusively) mini-pizzas, in his mother’s basement, wearing an X-Files t-shirt.

In The Net, however, these hackers are all-powerful and are after Angela Bennet (Bullock) and want to turn her public image from quirky (and surprisingly female) coding expert into that of a drug addict prostitute convict. Stop to consider now that she is a person who has certainly met other persons, and that anyone who knew her could confirm to the relevant authorities that she was not, in fact, a convicted drug-addicted prostitute. Now everyone thinks she is, because internet. She spends the rest of the film running from the hackers and the police, trying to code her way out of the problem, no matter where she is.

Understandably, this was written at a time when not many people had actually used the internet, so it’s only natural that it was way off the mark.

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Remakes can be done tastefully, and could even be considered humble homages to classics of days past. A movie like You’ve Got Mail, however, does NOT fit this category. The original which it closely reflects, a 1940 film The Shop Around The Corner, starred two people who hated each other in real life, but had a budding relationship via their pen-pal correspondences.

The idea is quaint and cute enough that rebooting it in the 20thcentury, replacing the postal service with emails, probably seemed like a pretty good idea. Heck, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are on board, what could go wrong!? Unfortunately, this movie was so jam packed with product placement that it’s almost hard to concentrate on the movie once you start picking up on each time AOL is shown or mentioned. Even the title is a direct reference to ye olde AOL email client.

Swordfish (2001)

To get an idea of what the screenwriters of this gem thought the internet was capable of, you need look no further than the tagline: “Log on. Hack in. Go anywhere. Steal Everything.” Before we continue – if you’ve logged on, what are you hacking into, anyway?

The story is this – Gabriel Shear (John Travolta) wants to steal $9.5 billion from the US government. His logic, or rather, the logic of the screenwriter, is that given the vast expanse of information on the internet, no would really notice a little nine and a half billion dollars going missing. Of course.

The reality is that whoever in the world has that much money, they’re definitely going to notice if it goes missing. In a world with incredibly skilled real-life hackers that may actually try pull something like this off, it doesn’t happen because there are just as incredibly skilled people working on the other side.

What makes Shear’s plan all the more ridiculous (besides that he expected Wolverine to be able to hack) was that he planned to start his own underground anti-terrorism organization. Surely a noble cause like that means he could just write a letter to a congressman, or a bank, asking for a loan? No, hacking it is. “Because no one will know enough about this tech stuff to know we’re totally thumb-sucking.” Wrong!

Feardotcom (2002)

This one was just asking to be ripped on. Seriously, Warner Brothers, you didn’t think people would ‘get it’ if you called it “Fear.com”? Or did turning it into an onomatopoeic mush really seem like the best option? Never mind.

Just like countless Asian horror movies, this one revolves around not a video or a song that kills you, but a website. I bet the light bulbs popping up above the screenwriter’s head were so bright he couldn’t see what he was writing. That would explain a lot. The movie explains that visiting this website will kill you, or at the very least, result in someone coming to kill you. Good thing his website wasn’t trending on Twitter: he’d have a lot of travelling to do!

The website in the movie, not the promotional website for the film, but the actual address of the lethal website in the movie is feardotcom.com. With a $42 million budget, they couldn’t afford a better domain name? Something must be seriously wrong here. Maybe the inevitable sequel/s will do a better job of making the story even slightly convincing.

Numb3r5 (2005-2010)

Maybe it’s the incredible underestimation on the part of the Numb3r5 screenwriters of their viewers that makes this one so funny. It’s a series, and sure, it’s only one episode, but come on! It’s a show revolving around a math genius; you probably have some ‘nerdy’ viewers – cater to them!

Instead of doing about five minutes research into the intricacies of one the world’s oldest and most simple chat clients, the writers here go on a ridiculous tirade. You see, the goodies in Numb3r5 are after some baddies who, on IRC, go by “The_Fist” and “00zemeister”. See how I used zero’s instead of o’s there? Try keep up.

To keep these two baddies from communicating with each other, one of the brains decides to set up an “alarm” that will go off should anyone log into IRC with either of those two nicknames. Given the thousands of channels and millions of IRC users, chances are someone is going to log in with one of those two names every five minutes.

Later in the episode, while tracking a conversation between The_Fist and 00zemeister, they are struck by some kind of weird code they can’t decrypt. But don’t worry! The sassy young girl in the crew can “speak leet”, which means she possesses the incredible ability to decrypt a word that uses numbers instead of some letters – like Numb3r5, for example.

In reality, chances are the actors don’t know much about technology at all, or else they’d probably find it too hard to act through their laughter.

Author Bio: Jeff is a blogger concerned with all things web, and strongly believes in the power of internet marketing. He sleeps with one eye open, keeping a sharp lookout for hackers.

6 Invaluable Items To Have In Case Of A Zombie Apocalypse

2012-05-29T19:56:00.001-07:00

Zombies have captured our imagination unlike any other creature of the horror genre. Theories about the possibility real-life zombie apocalypse run rampant, and while they might seem silly and a bit ridiculous, it’s never a bad idea to be prepared for the worst. Here’s what you’ll need to survive the impending zombie proliferation!

Food and Water
This might seem a bit redundant, as you need food and water to survive all the time, regardless of whether there’s a zombie apocalypse or not. However, when society crumbles around you, so does access to these basic necessities. It’s a good idea to keep a supply of food and fresh water on hand to get yourself through the immediate aftermath. Invest in a water purifier and iodine tablets so that you can ensure you’ll have access to drinkable water in the long term. As for the food—you’re going to have to scavenge or hunt, which shouldn’t be too terribly difficult once you’ve mastered the art of zombie killing.
Weaponry (Gun, Bow and Arrow)
In a post-apocalyptic world, weapons are an absolute necessity. You need to be able to defend yourself against any number of dangers, and you’ll also need to learn how to hunt. Add roving hordes of zombies to your run-of-the-mill apocalyptic scenario and weaponry becomes even more essential. There has been a good deal of debate as to what the ideal zombie apocalypse weapon would be: gun or crossbow? The gun has obvious advantages such as power and ease of use, but has one serious drawback: they need a constant supply of ammunition, which could be hard to come by. That’s why some zombie experts advocate the use of a crossbow; they’re relatively powerful, not too difficult to use, and you can easily make your own ammo AND reuse it.
Fire-Starting Implement
The prospect of a zombie apocalypse is scary for two reasons: not only will survivors have to fight off zombies, but all the creature comforts of society will have evaporated as well. Everything we modern humans depend on for survival will be gone, including heating, ovens, and lighting. During the apocalypse humans will have to become more familiar with our ancient friend, good ol’ fashioned fire. Fire will cook your food, fire will keep you warm, and fire will light the dark, spooky night—so make sure you can actually start one! While matches are a good idea, even better is a flint fire starter, which backpackers and survivalists use to get fires going in the wild. Better yet, learn how to start a fire without any implements.
Swiss Army Knife
Swiss Army knives sure are handy; they’ve got can openers, corkscrews, nail files and, obviously, knives, all in a tiny, easily transportable package. These tools could mean the difference between life and death for someone in the throes of an apocalypse. Even if there is no zombie apocalypse, it’s probably a good idea to have a Swiss Army knife on hand anyway—they’re just so darn useful!
Gold
Of course, the worst of the apocalypse will have to die down eventually, and society will hopefully be able to rebuild itself. In this period of recovery, the economy will be fundamentally altered, and it’s likely that currency as we know it will have no value. Because of this, it might be a good idea to consider investing in some gold. Gold has held its value throughout the millennia, in countless different cultures and all around the world; it’ll undoubtedly hold its value even after a zombie apocalypse. If you already have a gold and silver IRA or some other precious metals investment account, you could take your gold out of that.
Physical Endurance
In case you needed yet another reason to get in shape, consider this: you’re going to be doing a whole lot of running if you want to survive the zombie apocalypse. Of course, being fit is a good idea even in non-apocalypse times, but when you’re escaping ravenous zombies you’ll be extra glad you put in those extra hours at the gym.

Author Bio: Madeline Marshall is a freelance writer from California who knows exactly where she'll be hiding out in case of the end of the world.

Mobile Monitoring - Latest Advancement in Smartphones Technology

2012-05-19T16:30:00.001-07:00

Have you ever faced a situation wherein you have suspected your employees browsing
smartphone Internet during peak office hours? Do you suspect your own children browsing some
adult sites via the phone’s Internet connection? Are you of the opinion that your husband is
having some porn videos on his smartphone? Well, if the reply to any of these questions is ‘yes’,
then you might be thinking of the ways and means to track them and catch hold of them with
proof, right? This is exactly where the mobile monitoring technology comes at your rescue.

Introduction to Mobile Monitoring

Mobile monitoring refers to the technique of secretly recording and tracking all the activities that
takes place on a smartphone. So, it helps in recording:

Text messages
Video messages
Calls
Photos and images
Music
Phone book
Sites surfed
Apps used
Content downloaded
GPS coordinates to reveal the exact location of the concerned smartphone

The beauty of this technology is that it can retrieve the information regarding calls and messages
even if they are removed from the smartphone. Once all this information is recorded into logs,
the concerned app uploads all the logs to a remote server, which you can access instantly from an
online account.

Mobile Monitoring Apps

The technique of mobile monitoring is on offer by a variety of spy apps that work with any
phone carrier as well as on any platforms: Symbian, iOS, Android, Windows, and Blackberry.
Most of these apps are available with a subscription for a fixed duration. While many are
available for working on one to three smartphones at a time, a few of them are available
for working on unlimited number of smartphones. Despite these differences, all the mobile
monitoring apps work almost in a similar manner. Here is a list of what these mobile monitoring
apps can do for you.

Gets loaded in an invisible mode
Records SMS text messages, MMSs, and call information with duration
Records GPS location of a smartphone
Tracks all sites surfed via the phone
Logs on all videos and photos seen on the phone
Traces all the messages exchanged on the messengers
Tracks phone books, calendar events, notes taken, and memos
Uploads all the tracks, logs, and recording to a remote server
Allows viewing incoming and outgoing emails
Allows viewing the live phone screen via a control panel
Allows commanding the phone in real time but from a remote location (blocking
contacts, messages, Web pages, apps, and phone features)

Some Famous Apps to Consider

One of the most famous mobile monitoring apps is Mobile Spy that is available for all
smartphones. Offering all the above tasks, it is one of the most popular apps, which works
on three smartphones simultaneously for just a single subscription. One more popular app is
StealthGenie that is the most preferred choice of the parents. Some more spy apps to consider are
SpyBubble and PhoneSheriff.

All these apps are designed in such a manner that you just have to install them once on
the concerned smartphone after which you just have to open the browser and track what is
happening!
Anna loves to blog on latest mobile technologies. To know about her updates please view Mobile phone spying software

The Very Best In Movie Merchandise

2012-05-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

If you're Alec Guinness you probably already know about the possibilities of movie merchandise. If you're not then know that Alec, the man who played crusty Jedi Obiwan in the original Star Wars trilogy opted for 2% of everything creator George Lucas made from the franchise rather than a flat fee. That's a vault load of cash. It is easy to be cynical about the marketing and merchandise machines attached to films, but they're not all bad... in fact sometimes they're downright cool.

Scream Mask

Wes Craven warped the horror genre in 1996 when he made Scream. The film is self-referential genius and sent teenagers all over the wold mad for spooky gore-fests.
In the film the killer wears a very cheap ghostly costume that features a white mask and black cowl of sorts. Instantly this became a number one Halloween costume and is now ubiquitous in any fancy dress store the world over. In the same way movies such as Halloween and Jason created masks synonymous with spooking your pals so did Scream, a touch of irony here perchance?

Everything From Jurassic Park

Dino DNA runs amok in this Spielberg classic as the delusional billionaire scientist John Hammond creates a theme park with real dinosaurs. As you can imagine, that isn't as great a plan as it sounds.
The thing with all the merchandise for this movie is that as the film was based around a theme park the goodies associated with it were as though they actually came from the park. You could get a Jurassic Park lunch box or cagoule and it looked as though you'd actually been to the park!

V For Vendetta Mask

Another mask and this time one that has actually transcended the movie merchandise role. In the dystopian future of Britain presented in the adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel is a rebel rabble raising fellow who goes by the name of V and wears throughout the tale a Guy Fawkes mask.
Much like the scream mask this plastic visage became a geek favourite at Halloween, but it has also stretched a bit further. The mask has become a symbol of political protest and is worn by campaigners on various rallies and marches. The most prominent utilisation is by the activists known as Anonymous.

The Dude Action Figure

We couldn't have a list not including at least one action figure. Though the idea of rendering The Dude from the Coen brothers film the Big Lebowski is a little tradictory seeing as action isn't exactly his thing. But that's kind of the reason it's so good. He also comes complete with his rug, superb.

Han In Carbonite Ice Cube Tray

Never have the practical and the iconic movie prop ever been joined in such harmony. The Han frozen in carbonite ice cube tray is inspired. Little can make a geek smile more than having a Han in his incarcerated state bobbing around in their ginger beer.

Reversible Gizmo

Gizmo made a cute soft toy, and they were produced by the shed load. However some bright spark added a dimension that made one lot of plush gizmos stand out from the crowd. A Velcro fastening down his back meant that he could be turned inside out. And when this was completed what did you have? A green and mean post soaking, fed after midnight version of the little critter!

Author Bio: Rodney Care can't get enough of movie merchandise, the quirkier the better and that goes for the funny gifts he sources for Find Me A Gift too.

Double the Fun on Your Gap Year Abroad

2012-05-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Creative Commons image - courtesy of Flickr.com

Have you ever thought about how you were going to spend your gap year, and
ended up spending countless hours wondering whether you should be giving up your
time to work alongside charitable organisations, or simply indulging in travelling to
some of the world’s most exotic destinations without having to stick to a schedule?

Deciding between volunteering and seeing the world can be a tough choice to make
when you have limited time available, but with a bit of careful planning you really
can have the best of both worlds. It’s all about where you choose to go. Take a
look at some of the best destinations for undecided gap year travellers and see for
yourself.

Peru
The children of Peru are short on help, so heading to the township of Cusco offers
the chance to befriend a group of children who are keen to make new acquaintances
from far off countries. Most of the volunteer work here is carried out in the
communities, so even if you’ve signed up to teach the local children English, don’t
be surprised if you end up building a latrine or harvesting crops while you’re there.

Aside from the obvious advantage of enhancing your Spanish speaking skills, Peru
is home to Machu Picchu, one of the most famous temple sites that can be found
along the Inca trail. If that’s not enough, Peru has some of the most beautiful
beaches in the world, so afternoons off can be spent topping up the tan. And if
you’re a budget conscious traveller then Peru is the country for you – everything is
relatively cheap, including fresh food, local alcohol and hand crafted gifts.

Australia
While Australia doesn’t normally come high on the list of countries in need of
charity or volunteers, it is actually desperately in need of people to help with
their conservation projects. With such a small population by land mass, it’s no
wonder they’re struggling to get enough volunteers to help maintain the landscape.
Volunteering down under usually involves tasks like erosion prevention, or seed
distribution which helps the country protect its indigenous species. Of course, the
benefits of working in Australia are obvious. A trip to Sydney to visit the Great
Harbour Bridge, or a lengthy trek up Ayres Rock are only overshadowed by the
chance to meet wallabies up close and personal, and sample Australia’s impressive
wine collection at source.

Thailand
Let’s face it, who doesn’t want to visit Thailand at some point in their life? Aside
from the fabulous beaches, perfect weather conditions and fascinating culture to
enjoy, it also offers the chance to volunteer abroad in one of the neediest countries
in the world. Working here means that volunteers can make a real difference to
some exceptionally under-privileged children, building schools and orphanages,
teaching language and other basic skills and helping provide food and clothing. So
why choose Thailand over any other destination? Well, on a trip out here you can
spend your days learning to scuba dive in the blue waters off the island of Phuket,
and your evenings enjoying the lively city of Bangkok. You’ll try a different style of
cuisine and learn about a culture that takes etiquette very seriously indeed.

Kenya
If you want to do some volunteer work abroad that’s a little bit different from
your average trip, check out the animals in Kenya, because they need a little help
too. You could spend a month working alongside local tribes in the Masai Mara,
supporting their care work with the indigenous elephant herds or tracking wild cats
to tag them and see to their medical needs. So why work in Kenya? Simple – safari!
You’ll be spending your days in the bush of one of the most dramatic landscapes in
the world, one of the last places where animals are truly able to be wild.

Author Byline: Fiona Galloway is a travel writer who enrolled on a volunteer work abroad
programme during her gap year.

Heartbreak Hotel - A Place to Get Over that Messy Break Up

2012-05-11T13:49:00.003-07:00

Exciting American Journeys Where You Can Get Over That Messy Break-Up

If you’re nursing a broken heart or feel down on your luck this summer there’s only
one thing to do – make a break for it and go on a holiday exclusively for singles.
Quit feeling sorry for yourself and make things happen in vibrant American holiday
destinations like San Francisco, New York and Miami, where the locals are open and
warm, where it’s easy to meet people, and where you’ll forget all your problems.
Here are five exciting American adventures guaranteed to help you get over that
messy break up.

The American West

Photo by boltron- on Flickr.com.

Go west, young man, or so they used to say. And the American West, comprising exciting states such as Nevada, California and Oregon, has never been more appealing than it is right now. Hip bars, trendy restaurants, Hollywood glamour and natural splendour combine to make thisone of the greatest destinations on earth. And a trip around this magnificent region is ideal for those on singles holidays, as you can see the canyons of Yosemite, the celebs of Los Angeles and the giant redwoods of Northern California on a tour with other singles all in the same boat as you.

This is a great way to meet new people without the pressure and awkwardness of
introducing yourself, and you’ll quickly bond with fellow travellers as your journey
progresses. Nights sipping wine underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, partying
poolside in Santa Monica or gambling at the poker tables of Las Vegas with new
people can all be had on a visit out west. And whether you are seeking luxury
resorts out in the desert, swish gambling dens right on the Strip, or quaint bed
and breakfasts with a view out over the Pacific, all can be had in America's most
dramatic, and some say most romantic, region.

America's Revolutionary Heartland

Photo by Ed Yourdon on Flickr.com.

If you’re looking for history and culture there’s only one place to head to in the U.S.A
and that is the north-east. In this region, famed for bright autumns and pleasant
springs, you can marvel at New York's immense skyscrapers, wander around the
fabled halls of the Smithsonian, America's greatest museum complex, and enjoy
toasted marshmallows around a camp-fire in cosy New England. What's more, you
can enjoy all of this in the company of fellow singles, so you don’t need a partner or
travelling companion to embark on this trip of a lifetime. The truly brave can even
venture up close to Niagara Falls in a ferry, go hiking in Pennsylvania's Bear Country
or debate the finer points of the Boston Tea Party with proud Massachusetts’
locals! And if you feel you need a bit of peace and quiet, extravagant hotels such
as Newark's exclusive Hilton are perfect for curling up at night, eating a tub of ice
cream and watching a good movie.

The Frozen North

Photo by Unhindered by Talent on Flickr.com.

To really get away from it all and leave civilisation behind there are plenty of remote world-wide destinations to visit, but a jaunt to the Maldives or the Seychelles can be a bit clichéd. The fact is, everyone needing some rest and recuperation goes there. So for a bit of 'me time', why not explore Alaska instead?
Full of gargantuan glaciers, mammoth mountains and frozen forests, this is well and
truly America's greatest wilderness. Perfect for adventure holidays, the serene Kenai
fjords are one of the most peaceful locations in the world, and you can kayak, forage
and hike to your heart's content in some of the most remote, and most beautiful,
landscapes in the world. What's more, luxury wilderness camps out in the wilds of
Alaska in locations such as Kachemak Bay ensure that you are always pampered and
well looked after, so for a real Heartbreak Hotel, look no further.

A travel writer by trade, John has covered a huge variety of travel related subjects, from finding cheap adventure holidays in the Peruvian Andes, to scouring the web in
search of the cheapest flights.

Drinking And Infographics Can Go Together

2012-05-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

Beer is world’s highest consumed alcoholic beverage and third most popular drinks in the world just after water and tea.

Global Beer Consumption statistics and trends

cover the latest beer consumption statistics from all over the world and answer some interesting questions of Beer lovers Like which countries has the highest per capita beer consumption. Which countries are the top beer consumers? Which beers were sold the most in 2011? What are the highest beer consumption events? Market shares of leading breweries in different parts of the world, World’s fastest growing beer markets and lot more.
Did you know that the current Global Beer market is of more than 505 Billion expecting to reach 522 Billion by 2015. World’s four leading breweries – AB InBev, SAB Miller, Heineken and Carlsberg currently controls the 46% of the global beer market. China, the biggest beer consuming country consumes around 29000 Mega Liters of Beer per year ( 1 Mega Liter = 1000000 Liters) . Read our Infographics to find more such interesting Information about Beer Industry.

Jeet is a blogger, writer and a beer guzzler. He writes blogs and website copy with 1001beersteins.com. If you have any interesting beer statistics, feel free to contact him through the website.

Google: Behind the Numbers [Infographic]

2012-05-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

In 2010, Google raked in more than 29 billion dollars in revenue. That is more than the GDP of the 28 poorest countries in the world, combined! Even though they are the poorest on the planet, most of these countries hover around 1 billion dollars a year, although some just barely.
One may ask, where does Google make all their money? Most would think the money comes from all the services and products they offer. The answer to that is no. Google makes most of its money from advertisements.

Google AdWords features key words that visitors can click on, with each click putting money in Google's deep pocket. A few of these popular key words are insurance, loans and mortgage. Wait a minute. Those three seem to be closely related and just a touch shady!
Google doesn't just make money out of thin air by running these advertisements. Its the 1 billion, completely unique visitors that use Google every month. That's 1 in 7 people on the entire planet using Google!

From: Business MBA

Business Cards vs Pokens - the Latter Has Won the Battle

2012-05-07T19:45:00.001-07:00

With the advent of this new era of technology, it seems almost everything has gone digital. From
Television broadcasting to Mobile communication, digitalization has been supreme and how can
business cards can be left behind?

Pokens have definitely taken over when it comes to exchanging business cards for sharing social media
information. Putting things simpler, pokens are digital business cards as the information is stored in
a small device (It looks like a key). Once you touch the poken palms, the information is exchanged
within a few seconds (Both should have the poken device). If you want to transfer all that social media
information into your PC or desktop, it was never any easier. You can insert the poken device into your
desktop or laptop and it’s a matter of few seconds to copy all the data that you want.

Get Introduced to Hi-Four

Well, poken has got a palm like structure; however, it has a finger less than a human palm. Exchanging
information via poken is done via touching the poken palms & this process has got a name for itself,
thanks to the users. The process is called Hi-Four now.

Environment Friendly

What do you do while getting the business cards for your business? You probably order those from
some local supplier or from some reputed companies like Vista Print or PsPrint depending on your
budget? (Well, that being said, getting business cards from a reputed company is not that costly
anymore as there are numerous discount coupons available throughout the internet).

Pokens save you the cost of printing hundreds, if not thousands of business cards. Apart from the money
factor, it definitely saves a lot of papers, thus it is getting more popularity among environmentalist
business entrepreneurs.

Poken Personalities

If you want the poken representing yourself to give the other person an idea of your mood and taste,
you are not out of options:

If you are one who attends social media events at a regular basis, PokenSPARK is the ideal
option for you. This is available in 18 different colors and you are bound to find one in your
favorite color. There are different names to describe these various personalities as well, such as:
alien, black ninja, kitty cat etc.

•

•

If you are a rather mature business associate, a good option for you should be PokenPulse. The
color is black and it has an additional 2GB of flash memory inside the device.

PokenTAG also comes handy for many; it is an electronic sticker that stores digital documents
and multimedia files inside it. It is fully customizable by the user.

•

Enabling a poken

After you buy your poken, you have to register the same into the account that you have in the official
website. After that, authenticate yourself with the various social networking websites and you are
free to use those. Remember one thing, while you are enabling poken, you should keep the device
connected to the machine from where you are accessing poken’s official website.

Information Protection

If you have your auto-login feature disabled, even if someone gets hold of your poken, he won’t be able
to do anything unless he cracks the password of yours as well. To retrieve the information that your
missing poken contained, you just have to connect the new poken to the existing account and you are
done. Also, you can deactivate your lost poken device by just making a single call. Finally, all of your
information in the poken is encrypted, so nobody virtually can get his hold on the same.

Business cards are dead?

Well, in this tech-savvy world, pokens have definitely taken over business cards, but, it’s still pretty early
to say that the latter is dead.

Many business entrepreneurs still think that social media information should only be in the official
website. To give the traditional business card a twist, many have introduced QR codes in the paper card
as well.

Another big disadvantage that pokens seem to have is the price. It’s pretty hefty for starters and the
makers of poken have to consider the same if they want to expand their client base by reaching out to a
bigger market.

So, definitely, pokens have won the battle against business cards, but, it’s only pretty much the first
round. Both business cards and pokens have to undergo some tweaks to come out as the ultimate
winner.

Author Resource: Apart from occasionally contributing to TubeBlogger, Costea likes to write about promotional code for ps prints and vista print promotions. These vista print promotions and promotional code for ps prints
can help you to save money when you decide to print your business cards.

Work Smarter, Not Harder [Infographic]

2012-05-05T14:11:00.001-07:00

Although you may have a large desk, with lots of surface space, your productivity will suffer if you use your desk as a flat inbox. Unfortunately, this is how we often use desks—to pile everything that needs to get done or has been done.

Ctrl Click image for large version

Instead of putting everything you do on your desk, which not only creates clutter, but also confusion, you may want to try various ways of sorting out what would normally be dumped on your desk. For instance, you may use file cabinets that lay alongside your desk, a bookcase or wall shelves to put things in various compartments, or file trays that can be vertically organized on your desk.
If you think about other ways to organize all your paperwork besides piling it up on your desk, you’ll be able to sort out the difference between reference material, new work, and completed work. When you know where everything is because it has its own compartment, shelf, or slot, it is much easier to work at a rapid, efficient pace.

From: Best Masters Degrees

[Video] Classic TV Ads from the 50s and 60s

2012-05-04T16:33:00.001-07:00

Via AmPopFilms
Check out this hour long documentary, featuring classic ads from the 1950s and 60s.; with Buster Keaton, The Three Stooges, The Marx Bros, and more! It' amazing to see things like cigarettes in Television commercials. Ever seen the Flintstones Smoking a cigarette? You will now! =D

How Coffee Revolutionized the World [Infographic]

2012-05-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

This interesting infographic taking us through the history of coffee was Created by: OnlineMBAPrograms.org

Videos Used to Promote Asbestos: Before We Knew It Was Dangerous

2012-05-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Asbestos was a very popular material in the 1950s and 1960s. It was discovered that it has certain properties which can be useful in the industrial manufacturing as well as building construction and everyday lives. It can be easily processed and made into anything we need – from clothes to roof tiles and isolation material. Its resistance to fire and other elements made it very popular as an isolation material. This is, of course, we knew that it was dangerous for the human health. Precisely because of its structure and longevity it can become airborne and once inhaled it can settle in the lungs and cause a number of serious and fatal diseases.

Asbestos in the beginning

But, when it was first discovered it was like discovering a new potential gold mine. Asbestos had the potential to be incorporated into many industry branches. That is why the authorities tried to promote it in every way possible. Promotional videos were typical for that time and many promotional asbestos videos suddenly became very popular.

Promotional videos

Most of the promotional videos were about the general properties of asbestos. They promoted the newly discovered material and hinted the possibilities where it could be used. Special attention was placed on the structure of the new material and laboratory testing which was done in order to approve its use. A typical example of this kind of video can be seen here.

There were also a few videos developed in order to show the public how asbestos is mined and to insure that it is very safe to handle. You can check out the mining of asbestos here.

Additionally there were videos to promote the specific function of asbestos. Its use in building construction has many diverse purposes. It can be used as a roof tiling material, wall strengthening material, but most importantly it can be used as an isolation material. Its ability to withstand the elements, especially fire and extreme heat made one of the most popular fire proofing materials. Next, as it could be easily manipulated into yarn from which clothes could be made, it was often used for the production of special fire-proof suits and gloves. Anything which needed to be fire-proof was first made of asbestos. Here is an example of such a video.

Finally there were highly specialized videos to promote asbestos. These videos include vinyl floors made from asbestos, asbestos industrial use, production of asbestos yarn, use of asbestos in the electrical industry, etc.

All of these promotional videos played a big role in the popularization of asbestos use all over the world. As it was typical of that period also, they went as far as to promote people who discovered asbestos and were the first ones to use it. They were called pioneers of asbestos.

With asbestos promoted and used so heavily in the past it is no wonder that many asbestos removal companies exist today. The key is to have asbestos removed by professionals with the proper equipment otherwise you run the risk of causing serious long term damage to your health.

How Video Games affect the Brain

2012-05-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

A number of research operations have been carried out that have effectively highlighted the
positive as well as the negative effects of video games on the brain of gamer. Like two sides
of a coin, video games also have their own set of positives and negatives. This read will
help you to choose the side you would like to be on, the category which is in favour of video
games, or the category which is against them. The effects of the video game are based on a

number of factors which have briefly been divided into five main subcategories.

1. Amount: This refers to the time one might spend playing a video game. A short
amount of time over the week would be beneficial to allow the gamer to improve
coordination skills and response timing. However when gamers spend too much
time playing video games, the ultimate result is that a large chuck of time is being
wasted which could be used to do a number of other things. A gamer may suffer video
game addiction as it has been termed where productive activities like work, study or
creative activities take a back seat while the gamer spends hours after hours playing
video games. Also, it reduces the time one can dedicate to physical activities, thus
increasing the chances of obesity. This concern has been catered to by motion sensor
games; however it is not enough to address other issues which arise if a gamer spends
more time than required on a video game.
2. Content: A gamer has a habit of relating the content seen in the game to real life
situations, thus it becomes important to study the content of the game that the
gamer’s brain is being exposed to. The kind of decision making practices that a
gamer carries out while in play may later be used in everyday life. This may increase
decision making accuracy in some situations, while severely hamper accuracy in
other situations. A number of games are designed particular for children suffering
from chronic illness to allow them to learn to cope with the disease in a fun and
interactive manner. However other games which highlight bloodshed and violence
have been known to intercept with the decision making ability of the gamer in real life
situations, where violence and fights suddenly seem like the best alternative.
3. Structure: The structure and background of the game can be one of the major factors
which affect brain functioning in the gamer. Certain games are intended to make
the player focus attention to one particular spot and react to the stimuli given there,
while others require the player to spot the smallest changes all over the screen to
indicate movement and stimuli. The games that focus on a single stimulus are known
to largely increase attention span and focus abilities, while the ones with multiple
stimuli increase response timing, but decrease the ability of a person to focus on one
particular thing.
4. Context: The context on which video games are based can greatly alter brain
functioning of the gamer. Games that have been designed as multiplayer, to facilitate
team work in order to win, encourage people to work in teams even in situations
outside the game. This helps the gamer to become a better team performer as well as
a better team leader, while those that have been intended to allow a gamer to survive
and move forward alone, make the gamer become loner in everyday performance as
well. It reduces one’s trust on other people’s instinct and decision. A group of friends
however, playing a multiplayer aggressive games could actually lead to the birth of
a group of aggressive personalities, working together to fulfil each other’s violent
motives.
5. Mechanics: The movement and motor skills needed to pay video games well can
actually compliment a number of professional careers. Doctors for example, who use
video technology and mechanics as extensions of their own hands to perform intricate
surgeries, may benefit from this kind of practice that video games can easily give.

Thus it becomes important to carefully study the effects of a video game, as well as the
response of the gamer before deciding whether they are a boon or a curse.

Researches have shown that video games, with their practice of giving results and evaluations
easily can release large amounts of dopamine in the brain which is the feel good hormone.
This hormone is important to enter a happy, euphoric state and also helps to reduce stress and
pain. However too much of this can substitute the dopamine release that people would feel
from other things like success, companionship etc. and thus it forces the gamer into video
game addiction.

Also, video games have been known to help develop brain cells by forming new links in
the receptors of our brain. These links may develop on the basis of the content and structure
of the game. Learning, interactive and fun games are particularly praised for developing
emotional stability and emotional reasoning cells, while aggressive games are known to
develop defence, fight and spotting skills much better.

On the basis of the way gamers react to games as oppose to the reasoning being applied in
real life, the games may be harmful or efficient. If you are a gamer, make sure you interpret
the game benefits and disadvantages correctly and use the same wisely. If you know a gamer,
make sure you can analyse the balance between the advantages and limitations in the actions
of the gamer and how you can contribute to rearranging the same for the better.

Author Box
The post is authored by Jefferey Morgan; he is adept at writing health and fitness articles. He
strongly believes in Law of Karma, what you sow so shall you reap. His site provides tools
and skills on how to get ripped fast. Visit his site to gain insights on Get this ripped.

Top 5 Android Apps to Share Your Favorite

2012-05-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

1) Easy Tether
One of the top 5 android apps to share your favorite is the easy tether. It is basically an alternative to Wi-Fi. It is an essential feature which gives you an opportunity to connect your phone to a computer. This is very awesome as it ensures that you can share your phone internet with a computer.
The most important thing is to ensure that you have subscribed to unlimited data to your phone to enjoy this service. You can therefore, use your PC anytime of the day or night as you want.
This is one of the reasons why many people have opted to use this service. Apart from that it is imperative to note that it is free and you do not have to pay installation fee like in many other features.
2) Gstrings
Among the top 5 android apps to share your favorite Gstring is considered to be the best. This is due to its unique ability of helping you tune to your favorite string instruments. You can therefore, be in a position to tune to your violin or even guitar with your android.
It is commonly quite popular with musicians who ﬁnd it to be quite useful app. The application is quite efﬁcient as it will direct you on the best way that you need to play your instruments. It works just like the guitar tuner ensuring that you stay in tune irrespective of where you are.
This is the app that you should not miss in your Android phone. It has been ﬁxed with microphone sensitivity devices as well as orchestra tuning. Apart from that it has a pitch pipe which helps in enhancing the quality of the sound that emanates from this app.
3) Launcher Pro
If you have an android phone that is not equipped with fast processing speed this is the app that will assist you upgrade your android. This app is meant for those android that are not ﬁxed with the current high speed and ram. Launch Pro is among the top 5 android apps to share your favorite.
It improves your android to ﬁt to the current high speed quality devices. You don't have to purchase a new android to avoid the problem of having a sluggish phone. Apart from that it has customizable icons that are easy to use for everyone.
4) Handcent SMS
This app is very essential as it improves the quality of your text messaging. If you have just purchased a new android phone it is imperative to ensure that you install this app as it will not only spice up your text messaging but it will also add a lot of features that you will ﬁnd important when messaging.
Your text messages will have no difference from the messages that have been sent from iPhones. This app will also enable you to access your new messages without having to stop what you were doing.
5) Wi-Fi Tether
This is another top 5 android apps to share your favorite. This app will enable you turn your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot.
This means that you don't have to use cable to connect your phone to a computer. You can use this app to connect your phone internet to your computer through wireless connection.

Author Bio: Written by Julieth, Online chat rooms in mezee.me chat site.

The 5 Most Influential People in the History of Computers

2012-04-29T15:00:00.002-07:00

cc licensed flickr photo shared by betsyweber

Computers have become a key thread in the fabric of daily lives for most families, companies, and individual throughout the world. As a tool, it can connect friends and companies across a digital bridge. Students use it for homework. Entrepreneurs build a business from the ground up. But none of this would be possible without the invention of the hardware to craft a full blown personal computer or the initiative to advance processing power. Here is a list of the five most influential people in the history of computers:
Charles Babbage
His contribution: The idea of the computer. If you ever wondered who deserved credit for thinking up the idea of an electronic box which would let humans email, build public dating profile, and surf the internet, this is the guy.
Unsatisfied with the high-degree of error from numerical tables calculated by humans, Babbage's idea was to craft a machine that would do the same job with more accurate results. Despite a few setbacks, Babbage finished his prototype, called the Analytical Engine, the first programmable computer ever, in the 1820's.
Tommy Flowers
His contribution: Development of the first programmable electronic computer. And using it to defeat Nazi Germany. As a member of the Bletchley Park World War II team, he and others of his team were charged with breaking the Lorenz Cipher, a high-level German-based code sometimes used by the Führer himself. With such a heated task, the Bletchley Park World War II team built the Colossus, the first programmable, digital computer, the fastest and most flexible of its predecessor .
Stephen Wozniak/ Steve Jobs
His (Their) contribution: The founding of Apple computers. It would be nonsensical to mention Jobs without Wozniak, and vice versa, but neither would be the man they are today or have achieved their respective accomplishments if they had never met and fed off each others intellect and ideas. To list just a few of their achievements: the invention of a graphical user interface, user friendly mouse, a pre-CPU design, Apple I and II kits, the iPod and iPad.
Douglas Carl Engelbart
His contribution: The modern computer mouse. In the 1960's, Engelbart was employed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) and developed his own Augmentation Research Center employed with an agenda: create methods by which humans could interact more easily with computers. This led to a wooden shell with two wheels, in other words the first electronic computer mouse. He and his team also developed the first multiple-window GUI, precursor for Windows and Mac OS systems, and the first word processor, all developed in the 1960's.
Philip Don Estridge
His contribution: Development of the original IBM Personal Computer (PC). In the 1980's, IBM was itching to get on the same market as Commodore, Atari and Apple. Then, along came Estridge, who had a revolutionary new concept: to build his own computer from off-the-shelf parts available from OEMs. Not only did this cut IBM's overall costs, but because Estridge employed parts already made rather than crafting his own new technology, production time was also cut in half, meaning they could get a full functioning model on the market faster, and for a less competitive price.
Computers are a staple of first world countries, as common and as prevalent as televisions and cars. There is no question society would not be the same without these modern amenities, but without these masters of mathematics and technology fueled by individual drive, the computers we know and use today would not exist. Whether computers would even have been invented is a better question. Whatever the case, they did, they conquered, and computer enthusiasts everywhere should be thankful that they did.

Author Bio: Jimmy Hampton is an IT consultant and contributor at Masters in IT, a site with reviews, guides and information about getting an online Masters in Information Technology.

Those silly Big-World games like Skyrim

2012-04-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a catchy, controversial subject =D
First of all I love those those type of games: Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Grand Theft Auto, etc.
and I'm a recovering MMORPG addict.
I almost can't enjoy any one directional game anymore now that I've become such a huge fan of the "Big-World; Go Where You Want, Do What You Like" games.

Everyone might not find them as impressive, but I've yet to find a person who can describe why they suck; so I'll attempt to fill that void here, just for fun.

Are modern RPGs adding more features than they can handle?
We constantly run into NPCs (non-playable characters) who have routines - they have places to be, things to do, and so on.
"We used to have a nice convo, then I took an arrow to the face"
They have many different things they want to tell you as you're walking by, and it's not always related to what really needs to be done. It's often funny or too stupid for the situation. There's a lot of variation compared to the one-directional style we're used to in most action games - a lot of variation in both the story and character development - we are not playing a crafted storyline. So sometimes conversation subjects may not go in the right or sensible order.

When the characters have several things they can do at any moment it increases the chance of conflicting actions. They're not always going to do the most important thing according to you. Their "bedtime" might trigger while something more important is going on, or they might get stuck in or behind objects.
Many gamers are used to running into characters that do their 'stuff' perfectly without error. When a character has fewer actions, the devs and animators can work on those actions more and make them flawless.

Being able to interact with almost every object you come across is a cool feature that many RPG games have. Then you can usually place them in silly spots and nobody is going to react; nobody will clean them up or move them. :)

Playlist - Funny Skyrim Moments

Some strange things I've discovered in Skyrim and other Bethesda RPGs:

You can Fus-Ro-Da your wife off a mountain and she won't get mad, but steal her sweet-roll and she might kill you.
Epicness has incredibly long loading times, you might ask "is it worth it?".
You can empty out someone's place and they won't figure out it was you, as long as they didn't see you do it.
You can empty out someones house and nothing will change in their behavior.
You can kill someone's partner and nothing will change in their routine or behavior, except right after you did it.

Google Goggles and Project Glass - What's Going On?

2012-04-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Google’s internet dominance is pretty much undisputed at this point. On a typical day you might use Google search to find out information on Ford Mustang parts like classic Mustang parts, pay for your purchase with Google Checkout, send an email to the supplier from your Gmail account, and then post about your car repair plans on Google+.
You might be wondering where on earth Google could go from here! The answer is: into virtual reality.
What Exactly Are They For?

While the specifics are still hush-hush, here’s what we know so far. The glasses will feature lenses that act like see-through screens, with information projected onto the lenses so that users can walk while they absorb it.
In addition, GPS, a camera, audio and motion sensors will also be included. The initial launch and features are thought to focus heavily on location-based augmented reality – somewhat like the layers available on Google Maps smartphone applications. The wearer’s perspective will stream back to Google, where the images will be analyzed and then extra information streamed back to project on the lens.
Why Google Goggles?
It’s likely that the name itself comes from the lovely alliteration that it brings, but the choice of eye-glasses serves quite a functional purpose.
While smartphones, laptops and so on are certainly becoming enmeshed into our daily lives, they still are not an immersive experience. If you want to use Google Maps layers on your Android phone, you need to take out your phone, toggle the layers and then hold it up in an inconvenient fashion to get the information you want.
The idea of taking a walk while staring through your phone just isn’t very practical, even though it could be the best way to follow directions and find a particular location. Goggles are clearly more convenient, although much will depend on how comfortable and user-friendly the actual experience is. But hopefully users won't have to rely on their new Google to envision their favorite things, like their favorite classic Mustang Parts.
What’s in it for Them?
As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a free lunch. While things are still somewhat fuzzy, several sources within Google have said that the devices will likely cost between $250 and $600 – on par with the price of smartphones – and should be on sale by the end of 2012.
Of course, that’s not all. In addition to the extra information that wearers will be given about their surroundings, they will also be exposed to the advertisements from which Google makes much of its revenue. This being a Google product, hopefully the advertisements will be as unobtrusive as those that people have become used to with Google search and Gmail.
While Google has had a few lame duck products – remember Google Buzz? – their successes have far outweighed their failures. Let’s wait and see which camp Google Goggles fall into.

This guest post contributed by Michelle: a technology enthusiast, with interest in everything from Google products to the latest Ford Mustang parts from CJ Pony Parts.

Smoke and Mirrors: Cigarettes or Impostors?

2012-04-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

If you surf the net, you’ll find a huge market for stuff disguised as other stuff. We’re not entirely sure why, but there seems to be a real appeal in things that are not all as they initially appear. Whether it’s for covert, nefarious purposes or just plain fun, here’s a look at some of the strange things that have come disguised as cigarettes.

Cigarette Graffiti Pen

If you find yourself two feet away from a brand new tag when the Five-O arrive, you’ll want to keep the evidence as far away as possible. Now you can get your graffiti pen disguised as a cigarette. While it might not stand up to the most rigorous of inspections (the shiny plastic finish might give it away) this pen could slip covertly into a cigarette box and pass by unnoticed.

Image from blog.makezine.com

Cigarette Gun

In “You Only Live Twice”, the fifth film in the James Bond series, double-oh-seven is given a projectile launcher disguised as a cigarette. With accuracy up to 30 yards, the cigarette was only fired once in the film, to kill a guard, evincing the fact that cigarettes really can be bad for your health.
[please embed - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpLVwZVT6Hc]

Cigarette Teabags

We’re not sure why these exist, but we suppose that they might be ideal if you want to cause a stir in the tearoom. Whip out one of these teabags disguised as a cigarette and just add a cup of boiling water and watch your colleagues recoil in disgust. If you find that sort of thing funny, that is. Alternatively, these could be kind of a handy format if you’re dead set on carrying a load of tea around your pocket.

Image from Toxel.com

Cigarette Pipe

One wonders why you’d need to disguise your pipe as a cigarette but makers of the ‘pipe’, say that it’s handy for smoking a number of other substances that are a) illegal and b) not considered acceptable down at the pub!

Image from pizbismokeshop.com

Cigarette Disguised Cigarette Lighter

Again, we're struggling to see the point in this, though it's a bonus that this handy refillable lighter is perfectly cigarette shaped so at to tuck neatly into your cigarette packet. It’s a bit of a blow when you think you still have one left for the journey home though!

Cell Phone Jammer

Using cell phone jammers is shaky ground, legally speaking, in many countries, so it figures that those looking to interfere with nearby telecommunications would be drawn to this cell phone jammer cleverly concealed in a cigarette packet.

Pen E-Cigarette

You are also able to find cigarettes disguised as other items. Electronic cigarettes come in a variety of designs, one of which is this stylish pen design that allows you to drop it into your shirt pocket and nobody will be any wiser! It’s quite acceptable to chew on the end of your pen during a meeting, and this way you can sneak a drag when the boss isn’t looking, though you’d better be careful where you blow that vapour, else you’ll be quickly rumbled!

Image from Chinavasion.com
Disguising cigarettes as other items is popular among smugglers as well, though perhaps not very successful! In Februrary 2012, a gang of smugglers in Felixstowe, England were found to have imported millions of pounds’ worth of cigarettes disguised as toys.

For more alternatives to those harmful cigarettes, check out electronic cigarettes from PrezzyBox.com.

How Much will You Earn from Blogging / Videoblogging?

2012-04-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

This is something you're probably wondering, along with "how much do these bloggers really make?"

In short: If you have something to sell from your blog you'll probably make more than someone who only has advertisements in addition to their articles.
Here on Tubeblogger I'm not selling anything from the blog, I only earn from advertisements (Google Adsense) and occasional product reviews - more about this later.

Click-Through Ratio

The ads over there to the right are automatic. I like Adsense because the ads are usually somewhat related to the article on the page. They give me a small amount whenever someone clicks them. Out of the ten thousand visitors this month, twenty people clicked them. Thats a Click-Through Ratio (CTR) of .20%
From those twenty clicks I'll get about $10.

The CTR goes up and down all the time for me but it stays at around .20%.
It depends on the position of the ad as well as the content of the blog, the former you can experience with a lot (the latter, a bit, I guess).
So as you can see I'll need over a hundred thousand visitors per day to make anything you might call Good Money from ads. A number I'll probably never reach.
Trying to make money with a blog using ads only is a silly idea.

Some sites kinda trick people into clicking the ads. By placing them at the very top, making it look like categories on the blog, etc. This increases the CTR but it's against the terms of service on Adsense

Video Blogging

Similar concepts apply. On Youtube the ads are controlled by adsense so it pays about the same for each click as I described above. A few people who watch your videos are going to click the ads.
Some people report a click through ratio of over 4%, but I think that's extremely rare, it will probably be below 1%.
So once you're getting fifty thousand daily views you're (on your way to) making good money from Youtube.
That is totally possible even for amateurs if you do daily video blogging; so it's a much better plan than trying to make money from a blog with only ads.

Selling Something

...is probably the only way you'll be making good money from a blog. You'll have to calculate your own conversion rate to know how many visitors you'll need to make good money; meaning, how many of your visitors actually buy something - what the percentage is.
The percentage, conversion rate, will probably be higher than CTR of ads.
Once you know the conversion rate you'll know whether it is worth paying for visitors to your site, by using Google AdWords, or paying to advertise on other sites.

But, what to sell?

You can set up (apply for) an Amazon Associates account. Then you can sell any of their [Amazon.com] products from your site.
Many people (including me) do this in the form of product reviews; they review products that they know something about and post an affiliated link to the Amazon page for that product. When someone buys anything after clicking that link they get around 5% or so of the money spent.
Ebay has a similar deal where you can be an associate, and so do many other online shops.

Start by reviewing some products you've owned or tested.
Review any product that you know something about. Someone out there might find your review useful and click your links.

That's it. Leave a comment if you know some tricks to increase CTR or conversion rate.
We would love to hear it!

Achievement Unlocked: Modern Warfare 3

2012-04-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is the most popular new game to emerge out of the Call of Duty franchise. With excited fans and dedicated gamers waiting in anticipation for the game, I doubt anybody really predicted the initial success that the game would bring. With the game release and the assumptions of success exceeded, the game sold and made one billion dollars in just a mere sixteen days!

In actual fact 75% of the total income had been gained in just eleven days, five days after the initial release date! This is the quickest selling game to reach that rate for entertainment games in history - ultimately setting a new world record. It surpassed James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ that made one billion in 17 days! With the ‘Connect, Compete, Improve’ slogan linked to the social network of the game, the player can compete with other players from all over the globe.

Created by Broadband Choices in partnership with inMotion Gaming.

Geek vs. Hipster: What's the Difference?

2012-04-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Geek! Hipster! They were once words used to insult, but they are now a label worn with pride. Are you a geek or a hipster? These words are not just casual descriptions, they're a person's lifestyle and identity. From their daily attire to the day they retire, geeks and hipsters are devoted to being exactly like themselves. And they are not words used to describe "someone else" anymore. People are using these words to describe themselves with no loss of dignity or self-respect.

These words are no longer flippant suggestions used to describe the vague essence of an unsavory individual, they are a detailed description of that individual's personal quirks, procrastination preferences, and a commentary on their day to day way of thinking. Geeks and Hipsters make intelligence fashionable, but they don't necessarily agree on what qualifies as essential knowledge. But, hey, there is no shame in being either one.

Author Bio: From: Become Career

Egyptian Walls Brought Down Through Revolutionary Art

2012-04-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

Mere months after Egyptian protestors were assaulted and shot at on the streets of Cairo, in a successful bid to oust President Hosni Mubarak, the revolutionaries have returned. But, this time, they don’t come with placards and weapons, but paint and brushes.
Take a glance at Sheikh Rihan Street, situated in the heart of Cairo’s business centre, and you will be immediately confronted by a calm and quiet scene. As you look closer you’ll realise that everything seems a bit too quiet. None of the cars are moving and neither are the people…
In an artistic move to remove Cairo’s barricades, its resident painters have applied their skills to the large concrete wall erected by security forces across the middle of their roads. As part of their ‘No Walls’ campaign, the artists have recreated the view down Sheikh Rihan Street, including its pavements, lampposts, traffic and trees.

In November and December last year, the Egyptian authorities raised a series of concrete walls to prevent the damage of important buildings. Activists are still taking to the street to further the revolution and they believe the walls’ main purpose is to contain their on-going efforts.
Not to be undone, the revolutionaries have now turned the walls into their own propaganda, through the peaceful act of painting. Cairo’s street, once so bleak, have now been turned into a giant poster or graphic magazine, for their cause. Current events have been depicted through colour and composition. The ruling generals and prominent protestors, many of which died in the up-rising, watch over the city streets.
This act may be peaceful, but the authorities remove the work as soon as they find it, so the artists have to work quickly and covertly in order to express themselves.
If you were quick enough, you may have witnessed a mixture of traditional art imagery – a ballerina dancing, a pack of wolves, balloons and rainbows – alongside the more obviously political – traditionally robed women with gas cylinders and snakes with human faces.
The attempt to remove the walls artistically has also become a reality, as many of these large concrete structures have started to be torn down. Motivated anti-military groups have used levers and ropes to tear down one wall, close to Tahrir Square, on a road leading to parliament.
When Mubarak was removed from power last year, the generals on the reigning military council were lauded for not continuing his regime. Since then, they have come under attack for their harsh treatment on remaining dissidents.

Written by James for TYR Solutions, provider of high-quality Security and Medical Training, Communications Support and Risk Management.

The Historical Accuracy of Mad Men

2012-04-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

AMC's "Mad Men" takes viewers and critics into a virtual time capsule; one that many history buffs
doubt the historical accuracy of. From the first season’s premiere, fact-checkers have kept a close eye
on the shows social authenticity. And like anyone does, those in charge of various aspects of the show
have made mistakes, albeit some ones.

Historical Inaccuracies or Accuracies?
In the first few episodes of the first season of "Mad Men," the show's handsomely mysterious main
character Don Draper is seen drinking several cans of Fielding beer. Many would have, and subsequently
did, accept this portrayal as historically accurate. However, after revisiting the annals of folklore it was
pointed out that Fielding beer simply did not exist at the date this episode was set. Some say, "no big
deal," others say, "huge mistake!" Regardless it is considered inaccurate.

While the show’s creator and crew have made mistakes throughout the show's time on air, none have
been so blatantly obvious as to widely discredit it. The creator of “Mad Men,” Matt Weiner, learned
from those minor mistakes and ultimately improved upon the show’s historical authenticity.

Music Mix-Match
More recently, after granting a few critics and reporters a sneak peak of one of the show's premiere
episodes, Weiner was faced with a debate over historically accurate music. Some say that a show's
background music does not have to be of the same time period as that shown on the screen. For
instance, many more modern shows frequently use music from decades past and no one bags on their
historical inconsistencies.

During the episode in question, the screen opens to the song "The Look of Love" by Burt Bacharach. The
only issue with this portrayal is that that particular song had not yet been released at the time the
episode was taking place. Again, some would and did have a major issue with the historical mismatch,
however, others simply don’t notice, or rather don’t care.

Instead of letting the episode air with the historical discrepancy, that most people likely would not even
have noticed, Weiner took the note from the press made during the sneak peak and decided to scratch
the song from the episode all together. Such a move is a true testament to the shows attention to
historical detail, so much so, that the producers and creator will change a small detail like a song that is
misused in a time period by only 6 months. If that doesn’t deserve an Emmy, I don’t know what does.

"Mad Men" is regarded by many socially conscious critics as extremely accurate. The prop designers and
entire crew of the show pride themselves on getting the littlest details correct, even down to the era
specific books on Don Draper's book shelves.

The show has also met other commentary about societal issues including racism and sexism. In many

regards, these issues are what make the show so incredibly accurate from a historical standpoint. As
many who lived through the time period know, issues relating to racism and male-dominance were
predominant. As it is for any on-screen depiction of a past era, there is a large amount of pressure to get
all the details accurate, this is something that more contemporary shows don't have as many issues
with. So, when Don Draper happens to drink a beer that wasn't introduced until the year after the
episode took place, I doubt the world is going to spontaneously combust because Hollywood messed up
the space-time continuum.

This guest post is by Edwin who regularly writes about celebrities, TV, movies, and fashion for the
Celebutaunt blog on USDish.

Art Disasters: When Bad Things Happen To Beautiful Things

2012-04-10T13:12:00.001-07:00

However civilised we may assume the art world is, many priceless pieces of art have undergone severe damage (or even gone missing!) because of careless and reckless behaviour. These kinds of incidents have been constant throughout history, either by foolish mistakes or by political and cultural activists wanting to make a sharp statement. Here we’ll take a look at some of the most extreme examples, and whether they caused permanent damage to the state or worth of the piece.

Gary Simmons – Chalk Masterpieces

Gary Simmons and his famous (and unique) chalk work have been much coveted pieces and definitely not available for purchase unless you have a rather large budget to spend! A bloke called Russell Simmons (no relation) did have the budget though and spent a huge amount purchasing one of Gary Simmons’ one of pieces. A while later he threw a party and invited friends over to his house, one of which was an (unnamed) Victoria’s Secret Model. This model saw the chalk piece and assumed the smudges were a mistake, so took a wet flannel and cleaned it up a bit. Needless to say – this destroyed the painting and took away any worth that the painting once had. We wonder if she was ever asked back?

Banksy – Robot boy

Banksy, the famous British guerrilla artist, painted once of his famous “graffiti style” pieces on the side of lucky hotel in Devon. The hotel owner (recognising it’s worth) decided to splash out £700 to protect it and thus had it covered with a Perspex sheet to protect it from weathering and staining. His efforts were pointless however, as nights later a group of vandals broke onto the property and poured paint stripper over the piece. Suffice to say, the painting was unrecognisable and completely destroyed – what would have once been worth upwards of £150,000, is now worth absolutely nothing and just another normal wall.

Lowry – Charcoal sketches

Lowry, an extremely high profile British artist who has created some of the most iconic charcoal sketches of his time was once struggling for money (believe it or not). At this time he chose to “tip” his milkman in small sketches, instead of money. As one might expect the milkman though Lowry was having a laugh with him and assumed the sketches were worthless pieces of paper, so he threw them away without a second thought. Years later he recognised copies of Lowry’s work in his doctors waiting room, and enquired as to who has painted the pieces. It was only then he found out that the little sketches he’d thrown away would now be worth thousands, maybe even millions.

Leonardo da Vinci – The Virgin and Child

This extremely well known piece, held in the London National Gallery was one of the highest valued pieces of art to be vandalised in recent history. The piece which was valued at $35 Million before it’s destruction – was the victim of gun crime in 1987. A political activist managed to smuggle a sawn off shotgun into the gallery and then proceeded to shot a hole through the protective glass and through the piece itself. Although the gallery did try to recover the piece and it was restored, it still remains damaged and is in no way back to its former glory.

Art Disasters: When Bad Things Happen To Beautiful Things was written on behalf of reproduction furniture specialists British Antique Replicas; where you can browse their range of reproduction dining furniture.