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Whitney Houston dead at the Age of 48

2012-02-12T15:34:00.000+02:00

Whitney Houston
August 9 1963 - February 11 2012

Legendary pop icon Whitney Houston passed away on 11 February 2012.

The singer, whose battles with alcohol, drugs and her husband Bobby Brown slowly took away her star shine and she give up at 48 years old. Houston's publicist confirmed the news to reporters from ABC News. The cause of the accident is still unknown.

Six police cars were spotted in front of Beverly Hilton Hotel today where Houston was staying. Reporters from TMZ reported that paramedics were called and found the lifeless body of the singer in her hotel room.

According to TMZ, paramedics tried electrical stimulation of the heart, with no success. Houston died at 15:55 pm local time.

Over the past two weeks Whitney Houston has appeared several times on social events in apparently "strange" condition. Witnesses described the star as "disoriented."

In May, the singer has been admitted to treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.

The news on Whitney's death came on the eve of the biggest night in music - the Grammy Awards.

Whitney Houston

Stars began to mourn Whitney Houston on the social network Twitter.
Mariah Carey said she was shocked by the death of her friend, the incomparable Whitney. Mariah tweeted: "She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to grace the earth."
Lady Gaga confessed that when she composed "Born This Way" she imagined the song sang by Whitney, that was such a great inspiration for her.
Jennifer Lopez said that the world has lost one of its greatest voices. "Such a loss. One of the greatest voices of our time. Sending out prayers to her family... #R.I.P.Whitney." - she tweeted.
Christina Aguilera called Houston a legend. X-Tina wrote on Twiter: "We have lost another legend. Love and prayers to Whitney's family. She will be missed."
Rihanna has admitted that it feels so strange and sad to attend a rehearsal for the Grammy Awards ceremony shortly after she learned about the great loss. Rihanna tweeted: "No words! Just tears #DearWhitney"
Diddy and Justin Bieber said they were shocked by the news.
Alicia Keys: "I feel sick.... Life is precious, we are fragile souls. Let's love each other! I miss you beautiful Whitney, the whole world misses you!!"
Katy Perry: "So devastating. We will always love you Whitney, R.I.P."
Enrique Iglesias: "My thoughts and prayers go out to Whitney and her entire family. Working with her is an experience that I will cherish forever."
Queen Latifah wrote on Twitter: "Oh Dear Lord! Huritng so Bad!!! MY Sister Whitney!!!!!!! Newark please Pray!!! World Please Pray!"
Missy Elliott: "Thank u 4 the times we worked 2gether your Voice touched the World! N this rough time I pray for The Houston Family..."
Tony Braxton: "My heart is weeping...RIP to the Legendary Diva & Icon Whitney Houston!!!!! Such an incredible influence over music as a whole!"

Whitney Houston in 1988

Twitter is full of comments about Whitney.
Other stars like Dolly Parton, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Usher, Talib Kweli, Adam Lambert, Billy and Miley Cyrus, Ne-Yo, Marc Anthony, Faith Evans, Pitbull, Kelly Rowland, Will.I.Am, Kelly Osbourne, Fergie, Jessica Simpson, Ricky Martin, Lenny Kravitz, Raekwon, Busta Rhymes, Ellen DeGeneres, Courtney Cox (and more, and more, shall I keep going on?) mourned Whitney Houston.

Earlier reports say that the ex-husband of Whitney Houston - Bobby Brown - was also shocked by the news. He was taking part in his group "New Edition"s concert in Memphis, when he started crying and said: "I love you Whitney."

"Grammy Awards" organizers said that the rehearsal is going on like usual.
There are rumors that tonight may be given "unexpected" award for Whitney Houston.

Houston was the golden girl of music. Since the mid-80s to late 90s, she was one of the most selling artists in the world. She wowed the crowd with her incredibly sensual and powerful voice.

Whitney Houston has achieved great success not only in music, but as an actress with films like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale".

Whitney Houston - Rest in peace!

I want to give my sincere condolences to Whitney Houston's family.
Rest in peace, Whitney! You are a legend!

Let's hear something from Whitney once again.
Let's give her the respect she deserves.
Video: Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You ("The Bodyguard" soundtrack)

Jessica Simpson is Pregnant! - Confirmed

2011-11-04T12:14:00.001+02:00

Jessica Simpson as a Mummy

Jessica Simpson has confirmed that she’s pregnant and expecting a little one!

It’s no secret that Jessica Simpson has been sporting an ever-growing bump, but she’s stayed mum about her obvious pregnancy until finally tweeting the announcement on Oct. 31! Took her long enough!

The 31-year-old singer and fashionista confirmed the happy news on 31st October 2011, writing “It’s True! I am going to be a mummy!” on her official website. Yes, you've read correctly - mummy, not mommy. That's a little joke, because it was Halloween and Jessica was dressed as a mummy. How cute.

Jess had been sporting a baby bump for quite a while, but she and fiance Eric Johnson kept mum on the subject until Monday (October 31). This is the first child for both Jessica and Eric.

There were lots of rumors that Jessica is pregnant before she confirmed it.
And the media helped spreading it really fast.

Websites and magazines were talking that Jessica Simpson may already be starting a family with her fiance Eric Johnson. They even revealed that Simpson recently celebrated Johnson's 32nd birthday but made it clear that she was not participating in the champagne toast - she sent back her glass of bubbly.
A friend of the famous couple said that the pair is expecting their first child also divulged that Simpson is already experiencing pregnancy cravings.

Jessica and Eric

The news that Simpson may be eating for two only further gains its footing with reports that she may be postponing her nuptials.

Perhaps Simpson and Johnson want their forthcoming little one to be present on their big day?

While not everyone would consider the timing ideal, the pair considers the baby to be "the best wedding gift ever". Jess Simpson is reportedly due in the spring.

Johnson proposed to Simpson in November of last year, making the couple's extended engagement just two months shy of one year.
Simpson's little sister, Ashlee, similarly got pregnant with then fiance Pete Wentz before they officially tied the knot (and later divorced).

Congratulations Jessica! You have joined the pregnacy club!
Beyonce have also recently joined the club.

Halloween - How it Started?

2011-11-01T10:29:00.000+02:00

Halloween Trick ot Treat Illustration

Are you curious about Halloween?
How it started? When and why it started?
Is there any secret religious meaning behind the celebration?
You will find out reading the article below.

Have you read the first article for Halloween? There you will find interesting statistics about how much money do the consumer spend for Halloween. And what exactly do they spend them for. Is it the costumes or the candy, or the decorations?

Halloween celebration occurs in pre-Christian times among the Celtic tribes inhabiting the territories of modern Britain, Ireland and northern France. The Celts believed that life arose from the dead. So start the new year, they celebrated in the autumn (the night of 31 October to 1 November), according to their beliefs when the time comes the cold, darkness, decay and death. That night glorified pagan Celtic god of death Sauin.

On the eve of new year Druids (priests of Celtic tribes) ordered the people to extinguish all the fires in their houses. Then ignited a bonfire of oak branches, which according to their beliefs sacrificed - fruits, animals and even humans, to please the god of death Sauin. Afterwards originated the tradiotion to walk in the dark dressed in costumes of ghosts, witches, gnomes and all evil spirits. Following this custom, live enter into union and communion with the afterlife.

Although the festival has Christian roots - today they are lost. Around 800 AD. Christianity became the dominant religion where early Druids did their rituals. In 853 AD. Pope Boniface IV established the November 1 as All Saints Day, ie the day the glory of all Christian saints and martyrs. So the Catholic Church replaced the pagan festival of death with something very similar.

English name of the holiday sounds like All Saint's Day, or Hallowmas, or All Hallows. But people continued to celebrate the eve of the Feast of All Saints, lit bonfires and celebrations Samheyn day and help. In medieval English holiday called All Hallows' Eve or the shorter - Halloween.

All Saint's Day Illustration

Later, in 1000, the Church announced on November 2 All Souls' Day - All Souls Day, which should be no memorial saints and but the ordinary dead. After years of these three tradition celebrations merged into one - Hallowe'en, later called Halloween.

Naturally, the Christian churches in the world, not only the Orthodox are against the celebration in the U.S. version and sucking with dark forces, and they were understood only as mythology.

However, Halloween is an indisputable reality of the annual holiday calendar in most countries, so many churches are trying to "elevate". For example, this year the Anglican Church made a major campaign against the "sinister Halloween" and announced the creation of a "a smiling Halloween". As a result, most stores were not offered sinister and scary masks, but friendly and smiling. And all children participating in carnivals were urged to be more careful with the elderly and young children.

In recent years, Halloween began to be celebrated in Orthodox countries, of course, as a secular holiday, no Christian basis, mainly because of the scary carnivals. The Orthodox Church does not encourage the spread of this American holiday, because it considered that, although devoid of religious content today, lighter evil, making it an object of fun and laughter confuses spiritual criteria of the people.

Halloween 2011 - Trick or Treat

2011-10-31T12:23:00.001+02:00

Halloween Pumpkin

U.S. and around the world are preparing for Halloween this year - the holiday that is celebrated on 31 October and includes activities such as making scary pumpkins, dressing in crazy costumes, fireworks, tricks, treats, telling scary stories and watching horror movies.

Halloween costumes usually copy these supernatural figures like monsters, ghosts, skeletons, witches and demons. Over time, these were added and costumes of popular characters from science fiction movies, celebrities, and are very popular costumes of ninjas and princesses. Interestingly, traditionally people in Ireland and Scotland digging turnips, remembering thus souls held in purgatory. But immigrants in North America began to use the pumpkin, which is much larger and more convenient for digging. Black and orange are the traditional colors of the holiday.

Halloween Spooky Party Decoration

Recent research shows that distressed economy Americans refused to celebrate Halloween this year. Nearly 75% of U.S. consumers plan to celebrate the holiday, but will spend less this year for costumes and sweet. Average cost is expected to amount to 53 dollars for 73 dollars last year, according to a survey of American Express.

Most Americans will allocate money to decorate for parties and costumes, this is especially true for younger employees who are expected to spend between 63 and 80 dollars for clothing. About 70% of U.S. consumers will spend an average of 28 dollars for cakes and decorations. Halloween can not pass without pumpkins that will cost Americans about $ 18. Ghosts, goblins and witches are the most popular costumes for kids and adults, but there are some unusual options this year.

Actor Charlie Sheen, whose departure from the TV series "Two and a Half Men" was widely covered by media, is among the most popular costumes this year. National Federation of Retailers predicted that the most sought after costumes for little girls for the seventh consecutive year will be those of the princesses, and thanks to the popularity of Captain Jack Sparrow played by Johnny Depp, the boys will give preference to pirate costumes. The costumes of animals and insects are also expected to be a hit.

Las Vegas, New York and San Francisco are your favorite cities for people to travel for Halloween, according to a survey of American Express. But most Americans prefer to stay close to home and will visit many haunted houses and theme parks dedicated to ghosts.

Libyan Dictator Moammar Gadhafi is Dead

2011-10-23T11:26:00.002+03:00

Moammar Gadhafi

Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, the most wanted man in the world, has been killed on Thursday, 20 October 2011.

Muammar Gaddafi – the dictator who ruled Libya with an iron fist for nearly 42 years before being driven from power in a bloody uprising.
Gaddafi has been killed as he tried to flee his hometown of Sirte. He was ousted by rebels in a bloody civil war.

The flamboyant tyrant who terrorized his country and much of the world during his 42 years of despotic rule was reportedly cornered by insurgents in the town of Sirte, where Gadhafi had been born and a stronghold of his supporters.

There were conflicting reports of how he was killed – there were initial reports that he was killed in a gun battle, but NATO has since confirmed it hit a convoy of Gaddafi loyalists fleeing Sirte on Thursday. It could not say whether the former Libyan leader was in the convoy.

Al Jazeera television showed footage of a man resembling the 69-year-old leader lying dead or severely wounded, bleeding from the head and stripped to the waist as fighters rolled him over on the pavement. Witnesses said his body was put on display in the nearby city of Misrata.

Initial reports from fighters said Gaddafi had been holed up with the last of his fighters in a furious battle with revolutionary forces. At one point, a convoy tried to flee the area and was blasted by NATO airstrikes, though it was not clear if Col Gaddafi was in the vehicle.

His body, bloodied, half naked, Gaddafi's trademark long curls hanging limp around a rarely seen bald spot, was delivered, a prize of war, to Misrata, the city west of Sirte whose siege and months of suffering at the hands of Gaddafi's artillery and sniper made it a symbol of the rebel cause.

A quick and secret burial was due later on Friday.

Libyan rebels

Libyans rejoiced as news of his death spread. Car horns blared in Tripoli as residents poured into the streets to celebrate. In Sirte, revolutionary forces fired endless rounds into the sky and sang the national anthem.

"We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Moammar Gadhafi has been killed" Jibril said at a news conference in Tripoli.

"It's time to start a new Libya, a united Libya" Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril declared. "One people, one future."

Word of Gadhafi's death triggered celebrations in the streets of Tripoli with insurgent fighters waving their weapons and dancing jubilantly.

The White House and NATO said they were unable to confirm reports of his death.

U.S. President Barack Obama, in a veiled dig at the Syrian and other leaders resisting the democrats of the Arab Spring, declared "the rule of an iron fist inevitably comes to an end."

Al Jazeera aired video of what appeared to be the dead leader, which showed Gadhafi lying in a pool of blood in the street, shirtless, and surrounded by people.

Gadhafi had been on the run for weeks after being chased out of the capital Tripoli by NATO bombers and rebel troops.

He had been believed to be hiding in the vast Libyan desert while calling on his supporters to rise up and sweep the rebel "dogs" away, but his once fearsome power was scoffed at by Libyans who had ransacked his palace compound and hounded him into hiding.

Gadhafi - the man who ruled Libya for 42 years.

Gadhafi, 69, ruled Libya with an iron fist for almost 42 years. He seized control of Libya in Sept., 1969 in a bloodless coup when he was just 27 years old. The then young and dashing army captain and his small band of military officers overthrew the monarch King Idris, setting up a new Libyan Arab Republic that over the years became increasingly isolated from the rest of the world.

Gadhafi took over the top spot as the world's most wanted man after Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. troops in Pakistan.

At the height of his ability to threaten terrorism, President Ronald Reagan dubbed Gadhafi the "mad dog of the Middle East."

He was accused of backing the 1986 bombing of a Berlin disco popular with American soldiers, reportedly funding the hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro in 1985, and the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which resulted in the U.N. and United States imposing sanctions on Libya.

For years, Gadhafi refused to take responsibility for the bombing, but that changed in 2003 when he acknowledged his role and tried to make amends.

The eccentric leader, who amassed power and wealth by controlling the nation's oil industry, held the title of being the longest-serving leader in Africa and the Arab world.

Over the years, Gadhafi earned an international reputation for his outlandish apparel and much-ridiculed phobias and proclivities.

His killing, which came swiftly after his capture near Sirte, is the most dramatic single development in the Arab Spring revolts that have unseated rulers in Egypt and Tunisia and threatened the grip on power of the leaders of Syria and Yemen.

Following his death, Libya's new leaders are expected to declare the country's "liberation". They face the challenge of healing divisions and holding credible elections in a country wracked by months of fighting.

11 Creative Ideas that Steve Jobs Used to Take Apple to the Top

2011-10-18T11:01:00.000+03:00

Steve Jobs

14 years ago Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy. Today it is the largest technology company in the world with a market capitalization of 355 billion dollars. How do you achieve such a turnaround? With the revolutionary ideas of Steve Jobs.

Not a long ago, the most innovative creator of our time, Steve Jobs, left us. He died after many years fighting with the diseases he was suffering.

You can read more about that here.

But now let's take a look at the creative and successeful ideas that he used to make "Apple" the number one technology company!

Business Insider gives us unusual point of view on 11 decisions, with which Jobs turned the "Apple" into the famous logo.

1. Partnership with competitors:

Can you imagine a collaboration between Pepsi and Coca-Cola? Such was the initial reaction, after Apple and Microsoft announced a partnership to Macworld Expo in 1997.

After 12 years of financial losses Jobs had to find a quick source of funding for Apple. So he turned to Bill Gates, who invested $ 150 million in "Apple". "The era of rivalry between Apple and Microsoft ended" said Jobs then. "It is necessary to lift the leg again Apple", he said.

2. Attractive products:

As an experienced trader, who knew the importance of aesthetics, Jobs realized that Apple products seem quaint. Therefore a meeting of the company in 1998, he asked: "Do you know where is the company's mistake? The products look terrible. Do not caress the eye." Today Apple is recognized as a company that creates the most beautiful products in the world of technology.

Steve Jobs as young, holding an apple

3. Changing the startup vision development:

Apple started as a company that manufactures computers only. Jobs, however, realized that if the "apple" really wants to succeed, must expand its portfolio. So Apple is directed to new products such as iPod, iPhone, iPad. Jobs in 2007 and changed the company name from "Apple Computer" to "Apple" as a symbol of the new broader vision.

4. Circumvent barriers to new solutions:

Jobs was dissatisfied with the product placement in Apple stores. The solution? Apple Store. Scattered throughout the world shops "Apple" today enjoys great popularity.

5. Tell customers what they want instead of asking:

Jobs did not use focus groups and analysis, and tells customers what they want before they themselves know that they want it. When Apple released iPad, people initially perceive it with derision. Nearly 20 million sales later, it no longer seems ridiculous, said Business Insider.

6. Integration of products:

Besides being innovative, Apple products are integrated. iPod is connected to iTunes. To download applications for iPhone and iPad do you need the App Store. According to Jobs "creativity consists in connecting things".

7. Not hiring a template:

In 1994, Jobs said: "I think part of what made Macintosh great was that people who worked on it were musicians, poets, artists, historians, who also proved to be the best computer scientists in the world."

Apple's motto - "Think different."

8. Encourage others to think differently:

The ad campaign of Apple "Think different" at the end of the 90s of last century has one of the most effective of all time.

9. Bet on simplicity:

Simplicity is a bliss. Apple designer confirms this strategy: "We are trying to make the best possible product easy to use."

10. Sell dreams, not products:

Jobs was able to make people like the product. Customers do not buy Apple products, they buy what it symbolizes.

11. Believe in your inner voice:

In his speech at Stanford University Jobs points out: "Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you really want to be."

These are some really good and useful advices that Steve Jobs taught us.

If you gather all these creative ideas and make them a one whole, you can achieve great success.

Man Charged After Hacking Hollywood Celebrities Email Accounts

2011-10-13T12:48:00.001+03:00

A Florida man was charged with hacking into the emails of dozens of people, including Christina Aguilera, Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis, in a computer invasion scheme that targeted Hollywood celebrities, according to documents released Wednesday.

A man has been arrested following an FBI investigation into a Hollywood hacking ring which stole naked photographs from the phones and email accounts of celebrities.
The man has been charged with hacking into celebrity email accounts in a scheme that led to the posting of private information, including nude photos of American actress Scarlett Johansson, on the internet.

It was the first arrest in a year long probe called Operation Hackerazzi, which has sought to identify those obtaining private images from electronic devices belonging to female stars.

Christopher Chaney of Jacksonville hacked Google, Apple and Yahoo email accounts beginning last November and December, then hijacked the forwarding feature so that a copy of every email received was sent, "virtually instantaneously" to an email account he controlled, according to an indictment handed up Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles.

There were more than 50 victims in the case, including Mila Kunis, Christina Aguilera and actress Renee Olstead, authorities said. Others were named only by initials and investigators wouldn't disclose if they were famous, but said victims named in the indictment agreed to have their identities made public.

Chaney offered some material, including photographs, to celebrity blog sites and some of the files and photographs ultimately were posted, according to an FBI statement.

Chaney allegedly used the hacker names "trainreqsuckswhat", "anonygrrl" and "jaxjaguars911". He is charged with 26 counts of identity theft, unauthorized access and unauthorized damage to a protected computer.

Chaney made his initial court appearance in a Florida courtroom Wednesday and was released on $10,000 bond. He was charged with 26 counts of identity theft, unauthorized access to a protected computer and wiretapping. If convicted, he faces up to 121 years in prison.

Authorities said Chaney was responsible for stealing nude photos taken by Johansson herself and were later posted on the internet.

Last month nude images of the actress Scarlett Johansson appeared on the internet after reportedly being taken from her mobile phone by hackers.

High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens has also reportedly spoken to the FBI about compromising images being stolen her email accounts.

Mila Kunis, Selena Gomez, Jessica Alba, Miley Cyrus and Christina Aguilera were also among the celebrities believed to have been targeted by a hacker in recent months.

Scarlett Johansson, Miley Cyrus, Christina Aguilera, Vanessa Hudgens
- famous victims of the hacker

Speaking after having her private photographs stolen by hackers last month, Miss Johansson said: "Just because you're in the spotlight, or just because you're an actor or making films or whatever, doesn't mean that you're not entitled to your own personal privacy."

A federal grand jury claims that, beginning late last year, Chaney gained unauthorised access to the email accounts of more than 50 people - but the indictment only listed 11 specific incidents.

The suspect was arrested in Florida and is believed to have distributed any images obtained from the hacking to websites for free.
He allegedly offered some of the hacked material, including photographs, to websites and some of it was said to have been posted.

The "cyber intrusions" may have targeted devices including desktop computers, laptops, iPads, mobile phones and personal online accounts.

Authorities wouldn't say whether Chaney was able to access email accounts via mobile phones, but he was able to figure out secure passwords to various celebrity accounts through information that had been made public.

Chaney "mined through publicly available data and figured out passwords and security questions".

Investigators said they hoped the celebrity-infused case will jumpstart those who don't value online security enough to protect their personal information and create more secure passwords that can't be easily figured out by would-be hackers.

Celebrities and people in the news have long been targets of privacy invasion but concerns have redoubled in the internet age.

In Britain, publisher Rupert Murdoch closed down the News of the World this year after contentions that the tabloid routinely hacked into people's phones in the hunt for exclusive stories.

The paper, which had published for 168 years, faced allegations of systematically intercepting private voicemail of those in the news - including a teenage murder victim.

ATMs Security. How to Avoid Stealing Your Account Data or Money

2011-10-12T12:29:00.001+03:00

ATM

ATM bank cash machines have been incorporated in our way of life. They offer a real convenience to those on the run, but at the same time offer an element of risk. Using a bank ATM machine safely requires awareness and a little planning. Just because a bank ATM machine is open and available 24-hours a day doesn't mean it is always safe to use it.

ATMs keep your personal identification number (PIN) and other information safe by using encryption software such as Triple DES (Data Encryption Standard). But there are lots of things that you can do to protect your information and your money at an ATM.

The more I get to know about ATM hackers, the less I want to use ATMs. Especially stan-alone ATMs.

Do you really want to know why? Just open some of the biggest websites for selling products (from example - eBay) and type in "ATM".
You will be amazed. Availability varies, but often you can find machines for sale that cost just a few hundred bucks.

Bad guys can buy these, get a computer programmer to rewrite the code and set them up just about anywhere to collect people's card information and PINs. Sometimes the machines actually dispense some cash, but often they're set up just to display an error message - after stealing your data.

Crooks can put skimmers over the card readers to suck up your data and record your PIN with miniature cameras. Some bad guys don't bother with the ATMs at all, instead putting the skimmer on the key card lock of the door that leads into an ATM.
But security procedures and video surveillance at banks usually mean these skimmers are detected fairly quickly.

Here are some tips that can make your ATM transaction safer:

- Don't write down your PIN. If you must write it down, do not store it in your wallet or purse.

- Make your PIN a series of letters or numbers that you can easily remember, but that cannot easily be associated with you personally.

- Avoid using birth dates, initials, house numbers or your phone number.

- Store your ATM card in your purse or wallet, in an area where it won't get scratched or bent.

- Get your card out BEFORE you approach the ATM. You'll be more vulnerable to attack if you're standing in front of the ATM, fumbling through your wallet for your card.

- Stand directly in front of the ATM keypad when typing in your PIN. This prevents anyone waiting to use the machine from seeing your personal information.

- After your transaction, take your receipt, card and money away. Do not stand in front of the machine and count your money.

- If you are using a drive-up ATM, get your vehicle as close to the machine as possible to prevent anyone from coming up to your window. Also make sure that your doors are locked before you drive up to the machine.

- Do not leave your car running while using a walk-up ATM. Take your keys with you and lock the doors before your transaction.

- If someone or something makes you uncomfortable, cancel your transaction and leave the machine immediately. Follow up with your bank to make sure the transaction was cancelled and alert the bank to any suspicious people.

- Be suspicious of any stand-alone ATM. Yes, there are plenty of legitimate ones, but it can be tough for a layperson to tell which ones feed information to thieves rather than cash to you. You'll definitely want to avoid any ATM that isn't bolted to the side of a building or secured inside a facility. Real ATMs are heavy and have money safes, so they're not going to be easy to move. Also beware of stand-alone ATMs that advertise "no fees", since legitimate owners of stand-alone ATMs have to charge fees to make money.

- Avoid bank ATMs if the access door is broken. If you normally have to use your ATM card to unlock a door to get to the ATM and the lock is broken or the door is propped open, don't go in. Someone could have forced open the door to install a skimmer.

- Beware of "out of service" signs. If there are two ATMs and one has an "out of service" sign, it could be legit - or it could be trying to get you to use the other ATM, which has been compromised.

- Give the card slot a good yank. Put your hand on the slot where your card goes in and give it a push. A real one won't give way, while a skimmer often does. If the card slot looks strange at all, find another ATM.

- Report "malfunctions" immediately. If you get an error message instead of money, contact your bank right away. You're at much greater risk of fraud.

- Monitor your transaction activity. It doesn't matter how busy you are. You can still take a few minutes every week to log on to your accounts and look over your transactions. You'll want to report bogus transactions right away, since your liability for fraud is waived only if you spot the problems within a couple of months.

Yeah, pretty long list. But following the steps above, can protect yourself from stealing your bank account data or money.

For safety reasons, ATM users should seek out a machine that is located in a well-lighted public place. Federal law requires that only the last four digits of the cardholder's account number be printed on the transaction receipt so that when a receipt is left at the machine location, the account number is secure. However, the entry of your four-digit personal identification number (PIN) on the keypad should still be obscured from observation, which can be done by positioning your hand and body in such a way that the PIN entry cannot be recorded by store cameras or store employees. The cardholder's PIN is not recorded in the journal, but the account number is. If you protect your PIN, you protect your account.

Most bank ATM robberies occur at night between 7pm and midnight when the machine only produces 10% of the daily transactions. Between 7pm and 4am, the ATMs handle only 11% of the total daily transactions but suffer 60% of the crime.

Bank ATM robbers are usually males under 25 years of age and most work alone. ATM robbers usually position themselves nearby (50 feet) waiting for a victim to approach and withdraw cash. Half of the ATM robberies occur after the cash withdrawal. Many ATM robbery victims are women and were alone when robbed. Most claim that they never saw the robber coming. Most ATM robbers used a gun or claimed to have a concealed weapon when confronting the victim and demanding their cash.

Remember - always use safe places when taking cash from ATM. Taking money from bank ATM is the safest.
Avoid stand-alone ATMs. Avoid ATMs showing error messages.

23 Killed in Egypt Clashes

2011-10-10T11:40:00.000+03:00

The Protest in Egypt

At least 23 people were killed and 193 injured Sunday in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, when a protest by Coptic Christians over the recent burning of a church escalated into rioting against military rule.

Twenty three people were killed in Cairo on Sunday, the health ministry said, when Christians, some carrying crosses and pictures of Jesus, clashed with military police in the latest sectarian flare-up in a country in political turmoil.

Christians protesting against an attack on a church say they were marching peacefully when thugs attacked them, drawing in military police who used what activists described as unnecessary force.

Protesters used firebombs, set army vehicles alight and battled with security forces in Egypt's most violent clashes since the February uprising that ousted former president Hosni Mubarak.

More than four vehicles were set ablaze and television footage showed army personnel carriers driving full speed towards crowds of protesters.

Flag of Egypt

Christian demonstrators said a peaceful rally in the mostly Coptic neighborhood of Shubra turned deadly when the group marched to Egypt's Radio and Television Building where plainclothes police attacked them. The protests later spread to Tahrir Square, the focal point of the February revolution.

Protesters threw rocks and petrol bombs and set cars on fire, as thick smoke wafted through the streets in some of the most violent scenes since the uprising that ousted Mubarak.

In the past few weeks, riots have broken out at two churches in southern Egypt, prompted by Muslim crowds angry about church construction.

One clash took place near the city of Aswan after church officials agreed to a demand by local ultra-conservative Muslims, known as Salafis, that a cross and bells be removed from the church building.

The protesters want the government to fire the governor of Aswan Province, Mostafa al-Sayed, after the partial demolition of the church on Friday. Egyptian media said Muslims were accused of attacking the church after talk spread in the town that the building did not have legal authorisation.

Egyptian officials said they would investigate the causes of Sunday's violence, calling for calm.

Map of Egypt

Christians make up about one-tenth of Egypt's 80 million people and often face attacks from Islamic extremists. Copts joined with Muslims during the protests that ousted Mr. Mubarak, but sectarian troubles have since intensified.

Egypt has been considering new laws designed to stem sectarian violence, including banning protests at places of worship and the use of religious slogans to incite hatred.

In May, 12 people were killed in sectarian clashes between Christians and Muslims after rumors spread that Christians were holding a woman who had converted to Islam.

Steve Jobs Died at the Age of 56. Steve Paul Jobs 1955 - 2011

2011-10-06T10:22:00.000+03:00

Steve Jobs 1955 - 2011

Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac and iTunes, has died, Apple said. Jobs was 56.

Yesterday, we announced Apple's new smartphone - iPhone 4S.
But today, we are announcing something very sad and tragic.

Steven P. Jobs, the Apple Inc. chairman and co-founder who pioneered the personal-computer industry and changed the way people think about technology, died Wednesday at the age of 56.

Jobs was the mastermind behind the iPad, the iPod, the iPhone, the iMac and iTunes. He transformed personal use of technology, and his contributions have been compared to those of Henry Ford and Walt Disney.

Jobs suffered a number of serious health issues over the years. In 2004, he announced he had a rare - but treatable - form of pancreatic cancer. He had a tumor successfully removed from his pancreas later that year.
In 2009, Jobs received a liver transplant after announcing his "health-related issues were more complex than I thought."

Steve Jobs' picture that is posted on Apple's website

Wednesday evening, the Apple homepage featured a black and white photo of the technology icon wearing a black turtleneck with simply the words, "Steve Jobs 1955-2011."

Apple, also realeased a statement on their website: "Apple has lost a visionary and creative genious, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a comapny that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

Jobs died "peacefully" surrounded by family members, his family said in a statement.

Neither Jobs' family nor Apple revealed where Jobs died or from what cause, though in recent years he had fought a form of pancreatic cancer and had a liver transplant. In August, Mr. Jobs stepped down as chief executive, handing the reins to longtime deputy Tim Cook.

Nevertheless, he remained as chairman of the corporation, a new position created just for him.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," read a statement by Apple's board of directors. "Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve. His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."

Industry watchers called Jobs a master innovator - perhaps on a par with Thomas Edison - changing the worlds of computing, recorded music and communications.

Jobs younger

Jobs' rivals in the development of personal computers, Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen, immediately reacted to his death and highlighted his importance to their industry.

Allen called him "a unique tech pioneer and auteur who knew how to make amazingly great products."

Gates extended his condolences and noted in a written statement that he and Jobs "have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives."

"The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come" Gates added. "For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely."

A more recent rival, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, also weighed in with a statement on Jobs.

"Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend" it read. "Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you."

One of the world's most famous CEOs, Jobs remained stubbornly private about his personal life, refusing interviews and shielding his wife and their children from public view.

Upon Jobs' death, Apple said it was not planning any public events, though Cook's memo to Apple employees said the company was "planning a celebration of Steve's extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon."

Steve Jobs

At Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, yesterday night, people were hugging and crying. Candles were being lit around an iPad with a picture of Jobs on the screen, and people very quietly stood and looked at the memorial.

The highlights of Jobs's career trajectory are well-known: a prodigy who dropped out of Reed College in Oregon and, at 21, started Apple with Wozniak in his parents' garage. He was a multimillionaire by 25, appeared on the cover of Time magazine at 26, and was ousted at Apple at age 30, in 1984.

In the years that followed, he went into other businesses, founding NeXT computers and, in 1986, buying the computer graphics arm of Lucasfilm, Ltd., which became Pixar Animation Studios.

He was described as an exacting and sometimes fearsome leader, ordering up and rejecting multiple versions of new products until the final version was just right. He said the design and aesthetics of a device were as important as the hardware and software inside.

Steve Jobs turned Apple into the largest retailer of music and helped popularize computer-animated films as the financier and CEO of Pixar Animation Studios, which he later sold to Walt Disney Co. He was a key figure in changing the way people used the Internet and how they listened to music, watched TV shows and movies, and read books, disrupting industries in the process.

I'm devastated and terrified.
I would like to bring my sincere condolences to Steve Jobs' family.
He will always be with us.

Steve Jobs, thank you for creating a revolution in the communication and computer technology. You will be always remembered.
Rest in peace!

If you want to share your condolences and thoughts with Apple, write them at rememberingsteve@apple.com

iPhone 4S - Apple's New Smartphone

2011-10-05T12:29:00.000+03:00

Apple iPhone 4S

The wait is over. Apple announced the next incarnation of its smartphone - an iPhone 4S - at an event yesterday at its headquarters.
Apple finally announced the long-awaited iPhone 4S. Looking identical to the previous iPhone 4, it certainly isn't the radically redesigned iPhone 5 many people were expecting.

Apple is trotting out a new iPhone on Oct. 14, but it's not the iPhone 5 some were expecting. Instead, it's a more modest upgrade, the iPhone 4S. Here are some facts to help you decide if it's time to make the plunge.

Apple announced the iPhone 4S, which looks exactly like the iPhone 4—on the outside. On the inside, it’s a whole different story, and that the message Apple tried to get across during its presentation yesterday.
"Don't be fooled. Inside it is all new" Apple's Phil Schiller said during the phone's unveiling. Indeed, while the iPhone 4S looks strikingly similar to the iPhone 4, it's packing some seriously upgraded hardware and promising new software.

iPhone 4S Black

First, and most importantly, the iPhone 4S will be powered by a new A5 processor. The A5 is a dual-core processor which will be up to twice as fast as the current A4, and seven times faster processing graphics. Apple is also claiming faster data speeds (with maximums of 14.4 Mbps download speeds, and 5.8 Mbps upload). The battery life is slightly longer *8 hours talk time versus 7 hours for the iPhone 4), but standby time is much less (200 hours versus 300).

The iPhone 4S is powered by Apple's new dual-core A5 chip, which Apple claims can deliver up to two times more power and seven times faster graphics performance than the iPhone 4. In addition, the iPhone 4S will be available on Sprint, along with AT&T and Verizon Wireless. It is a world phone, meaning it will support both CDMA and GSM networks.

Second, it’s got a dual CDMA/GSM chip for different networks, making it a world phone. The antenna is also redesigned to improve call quality.

Third, the camera is much better. Not only is it an 8-megapixel sensor with 60 percent more pixels than the one in the iPhone 4, but it is also designed to capture 73 percent more light 33 percent faster. The camera includes a high end infrared filter as well as five layered lenses which should improve the sharpness of pictures by up to 30 percent. And since the camera is one of the most used features on the phone, double-tapping the home button now opens the camera. The time it takes to get off your first shot is 1.1 seconds, and half a second for each shot after that. And it shoots 1080p video as well.

Based on the specs it’s probably the best camera system attached to a phone on the market right now, though real-life tests will have to be performed next month to determine image quality and evaluate the veracity of Apple’s speed claims. The changes aren’t superficial, though, and the camera should be on the short list of reasons to consider upgrading.

iPhone 4S White

The iPhone 4S also will ship with iOS 5, and all the iCloud-enabled apps. AirPlay will aslo work on the phone so that you can stream videos wirelessly to your Apple TV.

In addition to these improvements, the iPhone 4S will feature advanced support for voice-recognition and control through Siri.

It's the biggest new piece of software that takes advantage of the A5 chip - the Siri Assistant - a voice-controlled assistant you can call up anytime by holding down the home button for a few seconds. You can ask it the weather, time, directions from Yelp, schedule a meeting on your calendar, reply to messages, play a song from iTunes, or ask any factual question via Wolfram Alpha. All with voice commands.

Despite these improvements, many things remain the same. The physical design, for instance, has remained untouched, and the phone has the same 3.5-inch display found on the iPhone 4.

Apple iPhone 4S - White and Black

Let's see the iPhone 4S features:

- Operating system: Apple iOS 5

- Dimensions: 4.5 inches tall by 2.31 inches wide by 0.37 inch thick; 4.9 ounces

- Display: 3.5-inch, 960x640-pixel Retina Display touch screen

- Processor: 1GHz Dual-core Apple A5

- Storage: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB internal

- Camera: 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus, 1080p HD video recording, backside-illuminated sensor; front-facing VGA camera

- Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0; Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n); dual-mode world phone; GSM/HSPA+ 14.4; CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A

- Battery life: 8 hours talk time on 3G, 8.3 days standby time

- Expansion slot: No

- World phone: Yes

- NFC support: No

- Carriers: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint

- Price (on contract): $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB

So, if you travel a lot, it might be worth upgrading from the 4 to the 4S because you'll be able to use it on wireless networks in other countries.

Take a look at the Apple iPhone 4S introduce video:

Ozone Hole Opened Over The Arctic

2011-10-03T11:01:00.001+03:00

Ozone Layer cartoon

Ozone is Earth's natural sunscreen, shielding life from excessive amounts of ultraviolet radiation. But Earth's ozone layer has been damaged by well-intentioned chemicals - chlorofluorocarbons, used for refrigerants and aerosol spray-cans - that have the unintended consequence of destroying ozone molecules.

A huge Arctic ozone hole opened up over the Northern Hemisphere for the first time this year, an international research team.

The hole covered 2 million square kilometres - about twice the size of Ontario - and allowed high levels of harmful ultraviolet radiation to hit large swaths of northern Canada, Europe and Russia, the 29 scientists say.

The discovery of the "unprecedented" hole comes as the Canadian government is moving to reduce staff in what Environment Minister Peter Kent calls the "streamlining" of its ozone monitoring network.

Environment Canada scientists say the "chemical ozone destruction over the Arctic in early 2011 was - for the first time in the observation record - comparable to that in the Antarctic ozone hole."

It also highlights the importance of Environment Canada's ozone networks, which scientists have warned could be drastically reduced. Department officials say ozone monitoring will continue but will be "streamlined" to eliminate "redundancy."

The scientists say maintaining "comprehensive" data is "critical" to understanding Arctic ozone depletion and the threats it poses.

They used U.S. and European satellites, along with ground stations and scientific balloons - including those operated by Environment Canada - to find and track the hole. "The satellites, ground stations and balloons each provide a piece of the puzzle", says co-author Kaley Walker, at the University of Toronto. "It is important to have them all."

The peak of the Ozone Layer in late March

The hole formed over the Arctic in February and March, then swung across northern Canada, northern Europe and Central Russia to northern Asia, prompting scientists to issue warnings this spring about excess radiation.

A report shows just how big and remarkable the hole was and how it moved. It also points to what scientists are calling "ominous" changes in the Arctic stratosphere, about 20 kilometres above the surface, which may be linked to climate change and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

The ozone-destroying chlorine compounds have been banned internationally, but they are so "long-lived" the scientists expect them to stay in the atmosphere for decades. Scietists say it will likely be about 70 years - "a full generation of humans" - before the chlorine compounds disappear from the atmosphere. Meantime a cooling trend in the stratosphere, which is thought to be tied to increasing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, could create more ozone holes.

They also say "more acute Arctic ozone destruction could exacerbate biological risks from increased ultraviolet radiation exposure, especially if the vortex shifted over densely populated midlatitudes, as it did in April 2011." The "polar vortex" is the frigid air mass that circles the polar region in winter and can dip as far south as New York and Rome.

I love the Ozone Layer sticker

The lowest value (deepest hole) ever recorded was 73 Dobson Units on September 30, 1994, while the broadest hole occurred on September 29, 2000, when the ozone-depleted area stretched 29.9 million square kilometers. The record for mean size of the ozone hole - the greatest extent over a one-month window - was September 7 to October 13, 2006, when the hole reached 26.2 million square kilometers. The mean ozone hole in 2010 was 22.2 million square kilometers.

In 2010 report, the science advisers to the Montreal Protocol found that:

- Global ozone and ozone in the Arctic and Antarctic is no longer decreasing, but is not yet increasing.

- The ozone layer outside the Polar Regions is projected to recover to its pre-1980 levels some time before the middle of this century. The recovery might be accelerated by greenhouse gas-induced cooling of the upper stratosphere.

- The ozone hole over the Antarctic is expected to recover much later.

- The impact of the Antarctic ozone hole on surface climate is becoming evident in surface temperature and wind patterns.

- At mid-latitudes, surface ultraviolet radiation has been about constant over the last decade.

Ozone hole 2011, compared to previous years:

Alien Spaceships are Coming to Earth, November 2011

2011-10-01T12:44:00.000+03:00

Planet Earth and it's natural satelite - the Moon

NASA confirmed that three alien spaceships are on track to arrive in Earth’s atmosphere.
Three giant alien spaceships are heading for Earth! Scientists predict they will arrive in November of 2011.

Three giant ships with aliens are traveling to Earth. We will meet them soon - in November, estimated scientists from the Research Center of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). Do not rush to enjoy your dream to see a UFO, because the intentions of the aliens are not clear.

Aliens who recently passed by Jupiter, are detected by the system HAARP, based in Alaska. HAARP was designed to study the phenomenon of northern lights.
“Three giant spaceships are heading toward Earth. The largest one of them is 200 miles wide. Two others are slightly smaller. At present, the objects are just moving past Jupiter. Judging by their speed, they should be on Earth by the fall of 2011” said John Malley, the lead extraterrestrial expert at SETI.

Scientists are adamant that these are alien ships. In November 2011 - when they reach Mars' orbit - they will be close enough to be seen with optical telescope. The U.S. government is aware of the "event".

Alien (not a real picture)

Recently controversial site "Wikileaks" revealed many classified documents, proving that senior NASA and U.S. figures are informed about the journey of the three extraterrestrial ships. They are even making plans to battle the spaceships. They have been concealing information from the U.S. public for decades. According to "Wikileaks" there is sufficient evidence that the UFO invasion has begun - something that SETI has predicted.
The three spaceships will mark the official beginning of the alien invasion.

A Chinese official had obtained over than 1,000 secret NASA photographs depicting not only human footprints, but even a human carcass on the surface of the Moon. Some of the bones in the carcass were missing, the official said. The human corpse must have been dropped on the Moon from an alien spaceship, whereas the extraterrestrials kept some tissue samples for research.

Dr. Ken Johnson said that U.S. astronauts had found and photographed ancient ruins by an unnatural artificial origin, on the Moon.
US astronauts had seen large unknown mechanisms on the Moon.

Beginning in August of 2011 the U.N. will begin preparing citizens of the world for the attack of the three spaceships – which are believed to come from Planet Zeeba.

Earth and Moon - part of the Solar System

These news really sound like a screenplay for some fantastic sci-fi movie. But the scientist are very serious, they say their statements are true.
Alies - a dream for some, a fear for another, a fiction for others.

Looks like in just a mounth we all will see if there are aliens.
If they are having good or bad intentions.
So... we will wait, until November comes.

Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet

2011-09-29T10:53:00.000+03:00

Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet

The Internet giant Amazon announced it's news tablet - Kindle Fire - yesterday morning, at an event. The long-awaited Amazon tablet is finally here, or at least will be when it ships out to consumers in early November.

cnet - Overall, the design and features place it between the traditional Kindle and iPad on the tablet spectrum, more like the Nook Color than anything else. Amazon's main advantage here is tight integration with its outstanding suite of cloud-based digital media services: 11,000 shows and movies streaming for free for Amazon Prime subscribers, 100,000 movies and TV shows to rent or purchase through Amazon Instant, and a full digital music store with cloud storage.

On the other hand, there are still quite a few question marks. It's unclear whether there will be offline support for Amazon's video services, which is important if you, say, want to watch a movie on a plane. Amazon also didn't mention any details about third-party video services like Netfilx, Hulu Plus, and MLB.TV - all of which are available on the iPad.

Kindle Fire Tablet

Here are the Kindle Fire features:

- 7-inch IPS display, 1024x600-pixel resolution at 169 dpi, Gorilla Glass

- Dual-core processor

- 512MB RAM

- 8GB internal memory

- Weights 14.6 ounces (414 grams)

- Built-in Wi-Fi

- Amazon claims "up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off"

- Tightly integrated with Amazon services like Amazon Instant Video and Cloud Drive

- Features new "cloud-accelerated" browser named Silk

- 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime

- $199, ships November 15, available for preorder today

It's obvious that Amazon is trying to get one of the lead positions in the tablet market.

Apple is going to have one serious opponent in Amazon's face.

Amazon is really trying to differentiate itself, and potentially get a leg up on Apple is by pulling a trick or two from the same playbook.

The new tablet represents a total package of what users can get on other platforms if they were to add all of the company's apps together.

Yet Amazon's also trying to create a custom user experience by including its own application store and Web browser called Silk. The Web browser is one of the key areas where Amazon can differentiate itself from Apple and other rivals, making use of its Elastic Compute Cloud technology to speed up browsing for tablet users by pre-loading some content ahead of when a user visits that page.

For the past several months Apple's begun offering something identical as part of its iCloud service, letting users re-download digital content they've purchased from its stores and sync things up between devices. There again, Amazon's competing with that strategy using its Whispersync technology, which can sync up downloads, bookmarks, notes highlights, and a user's place in books and video content.

Amazon Kindle Fire

Just last week, the company signed a streaming deal with 20th Century Fox to bring its programming to Amazon's streaming video service, one that Fire users will have out of the box. All told, that adds up to 17 million songs, 1 million books, and 100,000 movies and TV shows.The Fire also represents the first device from Amazon itself offering magazines in full-color.

Where Amazon continues to be different, however, is how it's approaching its presence on other platforms.

While users must buy an Apple product to get Apple's software, Amazon continues to offer its software and experience on other platforms, including other Android tablets.
The Fire is the company's first effort to really make that experience its own.

Watch the Kindle Fire TV Commercial:

Mariah Carey - Changed by the Twins

2011-09-28T12:15:00.001+03:00

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon

The R&B superstar Mariah Carey has revealed that she learned all about womanhood, after giving birth to her twins, Monroe and Moroccan on April 30th.

Mariah said that she learnt what is to be "a woman", since becoming a mother.

The singer gave birth to twins Monroe and Moroccan Scott on April 30.

The arrival of the babies has had a profound effect on Nick Cannon as well and he admits his priorities in life have shifted now he is a father.
He says he has seen a change in his wife Mariah Carey since she gave birth to their twins, daughter Monroe and son Moroccan Scott.

Nick said: "She really knows what being a woman is about now. This whole journey has been eye opening, she'll tell you that."

One thing the "America's Got Talent" presenter is acutely aware of is that he is now a role model for his daughter Monroe and son Moroccan Scott.

Nick Cannon is so excited about fatherhood. He added to People: "It's just the beginning, so I'm expecting it to change a little more, I'm growing every day and I know that I have to be an example for two lives."

Nick, 30, also revealed he is going to be incorporating his new family in his stand-up comedy routines.
He said: "It's going to be all about the kids. I'll be conscious of what I do, but I still gotta be a little edgy."

Mariah Carey and her husband Nick Cannon really adore their kids and give them all the love they can.

Expect pictures of the twins soon!

Internet Addiction - More Powerful Than Drugs

2011-09-27T10:06:00.000+03:00

Internet Addiction

Young people are spending much more time infront of the computer screen, than outside.

Younsters prefer to stay at home and browse the Internet. They don't anymore like to go out and take a walk in the park or play some sport.

Is Internet becoming more powerful addiction than the drugs?

Look at the answers in the article - they're based on statistical researches and young people's opinion.

The Effects of Internet Addiction

From 2002 until today the number of young people, using drug and tobacco products is reducing, the expense of increasing addiction to the Internet and electronic games, a survey of Brussels Free University.

For the past nine years, declining by six per cent of young people who smoke every day - from 18,7 percent to 12,7 percent. In 2002, eight out of every 100 youths said they smoked marijuana at least once a week and recently gave a similar response to 4,9 per cent of respondents. When ecstasy users also experience a change - from 5,3% nine years ago to 2,7 percent last year.

According to sociologist Damien Fravres, these data can be explained by increased parental control over young people who have come out less at night. So basically they are spending more time in their rooms, sitting at the computer. The survey reported that while in 2002 only seven percent of young people said they spend at least four hours daily in front of the computer, the latest data show an increase of nearly double those responses - 13%.

The survey was conducted among 12 000 young people aged between 12 and 20 years.

Are We Being Held in Chains by the Internet?

Yes, I think that computers and Internet are very useful. But we should not overdo anything.

It's true that most of the youths are spending they time in Internet social network, than going outside with friends and talk face to face.

YouTube to Become a Television

2011-09-26T09:45:00.001+03:00

YouTube Logo

The popular video site YouTube can become a full competitor to television.
Google is ready to spend over half a billion dollars to become more popular than TV.

Internet giant's plans for a TV broadcast through YouTube as a minimum include the creation of a complete alternative to standard TV.

According to two different sources, Google will spend between 500 and 600 million dollars, which is considerably more than the stated initial investment of $ 100 million to obtain professional video content.

Google not only negotiate with independent content providers who already work with YouTube, but operators of cable channels and even the companies for which the video is a secondary business.

It is argued that the Internet giant will spend tens of millions of dollars to conclude individual transactions. In this market, Google will compete with "veterans" in the industry at the conclusion of transactions.

NASA Releases Historical Sound Bites as Ringtones

2011-09-25T11:36:00.001+03:00

NASA Logo

NASA has released a collection of famous sounds and commentaries that can be used as ringtones or as computer notification noises.

NASA has been going through its audio archives and come up with a selection of what it’s calling “historic and interesting sounds” that can be used as ringtones or computer notification noises.

Imagine that, every time your phone rings, you could have Neil Armstrong piping up with the immortal line: “One small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”

“NASA has been making historic sounds for over 50 years” NASA App project manager Jerry Colen said in a press release. “Now we’re making some of these memorable sounds easy to find and use.”

The sounds have been arranged into four categories: Shuttle and Station, Apollo and Mercury, Current Missions, Beeps and Bytes. In total, 36 clips are available for download.

Lines you might recognize include “The Eagle has landed” and “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” There’s also a clip from JFK’s historic moon speech.

The sounds have been made available in MP3 and M4R formats.

You can check out the sounds here.

Particles Travel Faster Than Light

2011-09-23T12:23:00.000+03:00

Neutron, illustration

Physicists reported that sub-atomic particles called neutrinos can travel faster than light, a finding that - if verified - would blast a hole in Einstein's theory of relativity.

Physicists have found that tiny particles called neutrinos are making a 454-mile (730-kilometer) underground trip faster than they should — more quickly, in fact, than light could do. If the results are confirmed, they could throw much of modern physics into upheaval.

In experiments conducted between the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland and a laboratory in Italy, the tiny particles were clocked at 300,006 kilometres per second, about six km/sec faster that the speed of light, the researchers said.

"This result comes as a complete surprise" said physicist Antonio Ereditato, spokesman for the experiment, known as OPERA. "We wanted to measure the speed of neutrinos, but we didn't expect to find anything special."

Results from the CERN laboratory in Switzerland seem to break this cardinal rule of physics, calling into question one of the most trusted laws discovered by Albert Einstein.

Speed of Light, illustration

Scientists spent nearly six months "checking, testing, controlling and rechecking everything" before making an announcement.

Researchers involved in the experiments were cautious in describing its implications, and called on physicists around the world to scrutinise their data, to be made available online overnight.

But the findings, they said, could potentially reshape our understanding of the physical world.

"If this measurement is confirmed, it might change our view of physics" said CERN research director Sergio Bertolucci, a view echoed by several independent physicist contacted by AFP.

In the experiments, scientists blasted a beam producing billions upon billions of neutrinos from CERN, which straddles the French-Swiss border near Geneva, to the Gran Sasso Laboratory 730 kilometres away in Italy.

Neutrinos are electrically neutral particles so small that only recently were they found to have mass.

"The neutrinos arrived 60 nanoseconds earlier that the 2.3 milliseconds taken by light" Ereditato told AFP.

Under Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity, however, a physical object cannot travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum.

Newton's theory of gravity, still explains the movement of planets well enough to send missions into space, even if Einstein's theories proved that it was not quitecorrect.

Theoretical physicists are sure to begin searching for new explanations to account for the unsuspected quickness of neutrinos.

It could be that "the particles have found a shortcut in another dimension" besides the four - three in space, plus time - we know about.

"Or it could simply mean that the speed of light is not the speed limit we thought it was."

Ne-Yo is Engaged, Expecting His Second Baby

2011-09-21T10:11:00.000+03:00

Monyetta Shaw and Ne-Yo

It's wedding bells and baby booties for the R&B star Ne-Yo. The "Closer" singer is engaged to his longtime girlfriend Monyetta Shaw. The happy couple are expecting their second child together.

Ne-Yo (31), whose real name is Shaffer Chimere Smith, became a first-time dad in November 2010, when Shaw gave birth to daughter Madilyn Grace.

The baby announcement was kept under wraps for most of Shaw's pregnancy. A source told that the baby is expected as early as October, which is just two weeks away.

Despite being busy with her pregnancy, Monyetta has also been working on a new boutique in Atlanta called "Emerlyn & Ester", set to open soon in the city's upscale Buckhead District.

Ne-Yo was over the moon when Madilyn was born last fall. "She's healthy and happy. Feels like I'm in luv for the first time" he tweeted. "Welcoming that lil' girl to the world last night defined for me what 'willing to kill and die for' truly means. My world, my life, all hers."

Not a long time ago, RnB singer Ne-Yo and Pitbull performed "Give Me Everything" at the VMAs.

He was very exited for his first performance ath the VMAs. "This is my first time performing at the VMAs, so this is going to be big" he promised. "This was the show where, before I made it, where I was like, 'When I make it, yeah, I definitely got to do that one.' And I'm here. I'm happy. I'm definitely beyond happy. I'm gonna maintain; very ecstatic to be here."

Watch Pitbull, Ne-Yo and Nayer perform "Give Me Everything" at the MTV Video Music Awards:

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music, Pitbull

Cholera outbreak in Uzbekistan

2011-09-20T10:41:00.000+03:00

Cholera bacteria

Cholera outbreak in Uzbekistan. Is it for real or it's just another rumor?
The government denyes the Cholera epidemy. But may that cost the health of their nation?

Uznews - Through its media service, Jahon, the Uzbek foreign ministry appears to be denying claims that Uzbekistan is experiencing an outbreak of cholera. The ministry of health in Uzbekistan and the state epidemiological surveillance unit are also refuting reports of a cholera outbreak and are doing nothing to prevent the spread of the disease.

“If we announce a cholera diagnosis, then we immediately have to organise quarantine, and nobody wants that” said one doctor in the Tinchlik village hospital in Yangiyul district, Tashkent. "Quarantine", he says, "means that villages and towns where cholera has been identified have to be ‘shut down’, and clean drinking water has to be supplied, which is an extremely costly operation for the district authorities, especially in villages like Tinchlik."

Hardly surprising to find cholera.

“We haven’t had clean water for 20 years. The old water pipes have crumbled but nobody has ever replaced them” said Akramkhodzh Mukhiddinov, member of the Human Rights Alliance of Uzbekistan (PAU) and also a resident of Tinchlik.

Mukhiddinov claims that many people who have their own transport bring drinking water from Yangiyul or Tashkent, but most people take water from waterways running through the area.

“People take water from the irrigation channels, then boil it and drink it. There is no alternative when there is no clean mains water” says Mukhiddinov. He claims that people most at risk of contracting cholera are those who take water from the Boz-Su river. “A 45-year-old man, who drank water from this river, died recently in our village” Mukhiddinov says.

The human rights campaigner believes that, given the living conditions in Tinchlik and its neighbouring settlements, it would be amazing if an outbreak of cholera did not happen here.

Health ministry denies the outbreak.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s health ministry and foreign affairs ministry are categorically denying reports of a cholera outbreak.

“When you present them with concrete facts about people dying from an illness, the symptoms of which are extremely similar to those of cholera, ministry of health civil servants don’t respond, claiming that they have heard of no such instances.” One Tashkent journalist remarked.

Uzbekistan’s state epidemiological service also denies the outbreak of cholera.

“We are currently running a campaign to vaccinate children against measles and German measles, but have heard nothing about cholera. If there were cases, we would have made statements about this” said one employee of the state epidemiological surveillance service in Chilanzar district, Tashkent.

“The symptoms of cholera – vomiting and diarrhoea – are similar to those of other intestinal illnesses, and it is possible that people are mistaken about what is actually wrong” an employee of the epidemiological surveillance unit speculated. When asked about cholera, the source asked us not to use his name.

Uzbekistan flag

So, what is really happening in Uzbekistan?

Despite official denials, many doctors are saying confidentially that there are cases of cholera now in Uzbekistan. They do not hide the fact that people have died from an intestinal illness, the name of which doctors will not spell out to their relatives.

“I am convinced my husband died of cholera after he swam in the Boz-Su river” says Mukhabbat, a 30-year-old Tashkent resident.

The outbreak of cholera would appear to be confirmed, at least, by events in Yangiyul district and in Yangiyul hospital, where, in mid-August, dozens of people arrived each day with symptoms of this disease – not only vomiting and diarrhoea but also severe dehydration. Previously, the Almazarsk district of Tashkent had experienced cholera-like illness, also linked to water from the Boz-Su river.

“It is very easy to explain why information about a cholera outbreak is being hushed up, and you can see this in the text of the foreign ministry’s statement” said one Tashkent doctor, who also asked to not to be named.

“As a member of the World Health Organisation, Uzbekistan has to update the European regional office of this body round-the-clock, but if it did inform WHO about these circumstances, WHO would send out a special commission which would see for itself the terrible living conditions of those people who have contracted cholera” he said.

“Will our government allow that to happen?” an Uznews source asks, adding that as winter approaches, the cholera bacteria will become less active, and the cover-up may therefore outlast the outbreak.

Windows 8 Preview

2011-09-19T07:54:00.000+03:00

Microsoft Windows 8

Microsoft introduced the first official shots and test new versions of Windows 8. They make clear that Windows 8 is both radically different from previous versions of the platform, but it also carries its spirit. What are the most interesting innovations in Windows 8?

1. Interface. It is double. The first one looks like Windows 7, with only slight differences. The other, however, is made similarly to the Windows Phone 7 and it's called "Tiles". A tile is each icon that gives you access to various applications or functions and it's updated in real time. For instance, the plate for Outlook will display the sender and the title of the newly arrived messages.

2. Touch Optimization. Each element of Windows 8 is optimized for touch screen. Icons and menus are larger, more simple. Even the "Welcome" screen is very simple.

3. Windows Explorer. It is still present but with a completely different interface. Files again are displayed as tiles, but the functions themselves are the same.

4. Programs for Windows 8 will have two modes - a standard interface and Metro interface. Metro is the name of the new interface tiles, which are considered better for tablets. In addition, you will be able to "Snap" in two applications on one screen. For example, you can watch a movie, but leave a small bar off with updates from Twitter and Facebook.

5. The control panel also has undergone changes as well as Windows Task Manager. They are primarily visual.

6. Microsoft ensures that Windows 8 works much more efficiently than Windows 7, without compromising the vision. The company even proved it by presenting Windows 8 at a 3-year-old first-generation netbook. Windows 7 will feel very difficult to operate such a device, but not Windows 8.

7. Windows 8 runs significantly faster than other versions of Windows. The average PC or tablet will be able to boot in less than 10 seconds.

8. At the same time Windows 8 has full compatibility for all other Windows programs and devices.

Here are some of the great interface features:

- Fast launching of apps from a tile-based Start screen, which replaces the Windows Start menu with a customizable, scalable full-screen view of apps.

- Live tiles with notifications, showing always up-to-date information from your apps.

- Fluid, natural switching between running apps.

- Convenient ability to snap and resize an app to the side of the screen, so you can really multitask using the capabilities of Windows.

- Web-connected and Web-powered apps built using HTML5 and JavaScript that have access to the full power of the PC.

- Fully touch-optimized browsing, with all the power of hardware-accelerated Internet Explorer 10.

View the official Windows 8 preview video:

Britney Spears and Jason Trawick Are Not Married

2011-09-18T12:43:00.002+03:00

Jason Trawick and Britney Spears

Oops, the media did it again! Not a long time ago, there were rumors that Jason Trawick and Britney Spears are getting married. Well, that may not be true.

Hollywood.com - Turns out everything is not always as it seems. When Britney Spears' boyfriend and former agent, Jason Trawick, was spotted meeting with high-end jeweler Pascal Mouaward in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon, engagement reports started infiltrating the web. Online sites were claiming that he must be collaborating with Pascal to create an engagement ring for the pop star, but recent reports have confirmed that this is not the case and we shouldn't expect a wedding in Britney's near future. At least for the time being.

A rep for Spears said in a statement that, "There is no truth to that report with regards to engagement rings. However, Jason was there to discuss other matters with Pascal, but nothing relating to him personally." It's probably for the best. If he was actually thinking about proposing then his plan was ruined when people decided to go blabbing about it all over the internet. Give the guy a break - it's hard enough proposing without the entire public eye holding its breath waiting for you to do it. Maybe he was picking out something for her next birthday or their anniversary (they started dating in 2009), or if you want to look at it as the glass is half empty...maybe he was getting something for another woman, which would make all this hype especially awkward. But let's not start even more rumors. That's how this whole mess got started in the first place.

Do you remember when KnowTheWorldNews posted about Britney and Jason getting married? Well, looks like it was a misuderstanding.

Dinosaur Feathers Found in Amber

2011-09-17T11:04:00.002+03:00

The dinosaur feathers encased in amber

CNN - Dinosaur feathers discovered in 80-million-year-old amber provide new clues about dinosaurs.

Paleontologists made this discovery of feather specimens near Grassy Lake in southwestern Alberta, Canada, and described the results in the journal Science.

Researchers don't know which feathers were actually from birds that flew and which might have been from theropod dinosaurs, but the filament structures resembles those seen in other non-avian fossils.

There appear to be two types in the sample: those resembling the feathers of modern birds, and "protofeathers" which are similar to the hair-like structures found in a halo around dinosaur specimens from China in early Cretaceous rock. Those simpler feathers in the amber, which differ from what modern birds have, may have came from small, meat-eating dinosaurs.

"Sort of finding a dinosaur trapped in the amber itself, it’s the best we can do" said Ryan McKellar, a paleontology graduate student of the University of Alberta and lead author of the study.

Although the feather fragments themselves are tiny - ranging from only 2 to 8 millimeters in length - they are preserved in 3D in extraordinary detail, scientists say.

Even some of the pigment remains, so we know what color feathers may have covered these prehistoric creatures. The dinosaur-looking ones display a pale to dark brown color, while the bird-like feathers have a wide range of appearances: There are white downy feathers, as well as flattened, veined feathers of black, brown, and lots of shades in between.

The dinosaur-looking feathers resemble mammal hair-fur and would be useful for things like insulation, and perhaps camouflage and display. The bird-like feathers are even more specifically formed: Some fragments have structural adaptations for flight, and others show characteristics of being able to pick up water, so they could carry water back to their nests or dive better.

How do feather fragments get so well preserved?

About 80 million years ago, these feathers likely blew into some tree resin and, over time, it hardened into an intermediate stage called copal, which then turned to amber. The resin hardens as its volatile component dissipates, and what's left behind is similar to plastic in structure.

The amber used in jewelry today is usually about 17 million to 40 million years old; more than 65 million years old is too brittle for decorative purposes, meaning there probably aren't dinosaur feathers in your mother's amber necklace.

But insects do often get trapped in amber; in fact, McKellar and colleagues found a feather fragment trapped in a spider web in one of the pieces of amber. That's right, there were spiders making spider webs 80 million years ago.

Ian Somerhalder about to propose marriage to Nina Dobrev

2011-09-13T10:31:00.003+03:00

Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder

One bird spoke to KnowTheWolrdNews.Blogspot.Com and told them that Ian Somerhalder is going to propose marriage to Nina Dobrev. But the answer we all want to know is - will Nina accept the proposal?

A few months ago "The Vampire Diaries" couple confirmed their relationship and now it looks like they have plans to get married.

American tabloid broke the news that actress Nina Dobrev will soon receive a proposal of marriage.

According to our information the boyfriend of our girl and her counterpart from the series “The Vampire Diaries” Ian Somerhalder is crazy about her and no patience, they become family.

Ian recently said: "Before thig goes any further, please don't start "DoSomer" or "SomerBrev" crap". That's funny way of showing that the romance between the super cute couple Dobrev and Somerhalder is serious.

The relationship of 22-year-old Nina Dobrev and 32-year-old Ian is now a year, although recently they have been denied to be more than friends. Their love was revealed by French photographers who managed to snap embraced during their vacation in Paris. After a long time trying to keep their relation secret, they confirmed that they are dating.

Actually, there is no official statement about the Ian-Nina marriage, it's only a rumor.
But who knows, something might be going on. Plus, most of the rumors are proven to be truth.

The vampires, Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder are so cute together that we wish they are happy. No matter if there is wedding or not.