Explore Your World

10 Types of Computers: Part 1

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:45:00 -0700

Wearable Computer

The latest trend in computing is wearable computers. Essentially, common computer applications (e-mail, database, multimedia, calendar/scheduler) are integrated into watches, cell phones, visors and even clothing. For more information see these articles on computer clothing, smart watches and fabric PCs.

Super Computer

This type of computer usually costs hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Although some supercomputers are single computer systems, most are comprised of multiple high performance computers working in parallel as a single system. The best known supercomputers are built by Cray Supercomputers.

Mainframe

In the early days of computing, mainframes were huge computers that could fill an entire room or even a whole floor! As the size of computers has diminished while the power has increased, the term mainframe has fallen out of use in favor of enterprise server. You'll still hear the term used, particularly in large companies to describe the huge machines processing millions of transactions every day.

Server

A computer that has been optimized to provide services to other computers over a network. Servers usually have powerful processors, lots of memory and large hard drives. The next type of computer can fill an entire room.

Workstation

Another type of computer is a workstation. A workstation is simply a desktop computer that has a more powerful processor, additional memory and enhanced capabilities for performing a special group of task, such as 3D Graphics or game development.

Source: howstuffworks.com

10 Types of Computers: Part 2

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:39:00 -0700

PC:

The personal computer (PC) defines a computer designed for general use by a single person. While a Mac is a PC, most people relate the term with systems that run the Windows operating system. PCs were first known as microcomputers because they were a complete computer but built on a smaller scale than the huge systems in use by most businesses.

Desktop

A PC that is not designed for portability is a desktop computer. The expectation with desktop systems are that you will set the computer up in a permanent location. Most desktops offer more power, storage and versatility for less cost than their portable brethren.

Laptop

Also called notebooks, laptops are portable computers that integrate the display, keyboard, a pointing device or trackball, processor, memory and hard drive all in a battery-operated package slightly larger than an average hardcover book.

Netbook

Netbooks are ultra-portable computers that are even smaller than traditional laptops. The extreme cost-effectiveness of netbooks (roughly $300 to $500) means they're cheaper than almost any brand-new laptop you'll find at retail outlets. However, netbooks' internal components are less powerful than those in regular laptops.

PDA

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are tightly integrated computers that often use flash memory instead of a hard drive for storage. These computers usually do not have keyboards but rely on touchscreen technology for user input. PDAs are typically smaller than a paperback novel, very lightweight with a reasonable battery life. A slightly larger and heavier version of the PDA is the handheld computer.

Source: howstuffworks.com

Weird World Wonders: Part 1

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Sun, 6 Mar 2011 15:07:00 -0800

Shilin, China

Shilin translates to “stone forest,” and this set of karst formations in southwestern China’s Yunnan Province really does look like a forest of stone. The stone pinnacles, some of which reach nearly 100 feet toward the sky, are believed to be more than 270 million years old.

Baobab Trees, Madagascar

Madagascar's baobab trees look as if they prefer to sprout their roots out the top, especially during the dry season, when they shed their leaves. The trees put those thick, cylindrical trunks to good use storing precious water.

Mud Volcanoes, Azerbaijan

Along the coast of the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan are more than 300 mud volcanoes which are basically mini-volcanoes made of mud. The bizarre geological phenomena usually belch mud and gases fairly peaceably, but they can turn violent: In 2001, a mud volcano a few miles from the capital, Baku, spit fire nearly 50 feet in the air.

Great Blue Hole, Belize

The Great Blue Hole in the coast of Belize is a giant sinkhole nearly 1,000 feet across and more than 400 feet deep that almost looks like it wants to drag victims to the center of the Earth. But this hole is a gentle giant; divers visit daily to swim among fish and ancient stalactites.

Chocolate Hills, Philippines

The island of Bohol is home to hundreds and hundreds of closely clustered limestone domes called the Chocolate Hills because of their carpet of grass, which turns brown in the dry season.

Weird World Wonders: Part 2

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Sun, 6 Mar 2011 14:55:00 -0800

Socotra, Yemen

The island of Socotra, at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden, has been called the most alien-looking place on Earth. The most bizarre of the bunch is the dragon’s blood tree, which looks like a big stalk of broccoli and has red blood — dark red resin, that is.

Split Apple Rock, New Zealand

Interesting rock formations are abundant in Abel Tasman National Park on New Zealand's South Island, but none is weirder than Split Apple Rock, rising from the water of Tasman Bay. The giant boulder has been broken in two pieces so cleanly that it’s almost as if a giant hit it with an axe.

White Desert, Egypt

Western Egypt's White Desert gets its name from the chalk that whitewashes the place. The chalk stands tall in formations that have been eroded by sandstorms into fantastic shapes — mushrooms, spires, pinnacles and anvils.

The Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland

It just doesn’t look like something nature would have created on its own. But that’s exactly what it is — a field of thousands and thousands of basalt columns formed by ancient volcanic activity. Follow in the giant’s footsteps with a trek down the causeway to the sea.

Devils Tower, Wyoming

It seems almost inevitable that a natural feature as unearthly as Devils Tower might be considered supernatural. Scientists aren’t sure how the monolith was formed, but they agree the rock came from within the Earth, not from another planet.

Some of the World's Rarest Birds

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Sun, 6 Mar 2011 14:21:00 -0800

Asian crested ibis

The Asian crested ibis once thrived in Russia, Japan, and China, but its population has shrunk to about 250.

Red-crowned Crane

In the spring and summer, the Red-crowned Crane breeds in Siberia and occasionally in northeastern Mongolia. Normally the crane lays 2 eggs, with only one surviving. Later, in the fall, it migrates in flocks to Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and other countries in East Asia to spend the winter.

Marvelous Spatuletail

Peru's marvelous spatuletail. A stunning hummingbird restricted to just two sites, the bird's population is estimated to be less than a thousand.

Orange-bellied parrots

Orange-bellied parrots breeds only in southwestern Tasmania and migrates to southeastern Australia in the winter, where agriculture and development are crowding out its habitat. Probably fewer than 150 animals remain in the wild, according to BirdLife International.

kakapo

One of the rarest birds of all is New Zealand's kakapo. Only 124 animals remain in the wild—the species has been largely wiped out by introduced predatory mammals such as feral cats.

World's Biggest Stuff: Part 1

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Sat, 5 Mar 2011 16:20:00 -0800

Restaurant

The Bawabet Dimashq, also known as the Damascus Gate restaurant, in Damascus, Syria, is the largest in the world, with 6,014 seats. What’s on the menu? Just about everything. The huge restaurant complex has six culinary themed sections for Indian, Chinese, Arab, Iranian, Middle Eastern and Syrian cuisine. Local specialties include lamb with thyme, steak with yogurt and beans, tabbouleh, hummus and baba ghanoush. During busy summer months, the restaurant employs up to 1,800 people in the dining area and kitchen.

Roller Coaster

Kingda Ka roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., is the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. The train climbs to 456 feet and can accelerate to 128 mph in 3.5 seconds. The thrill ride travels 3,118 feet and lasts 59 seconds.

Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, which opened in 2005, is the world’s largest, with 8 million gallons of water. It contains the largest collection of giant groupers, potato groupers, humphead wrasses, tarpons, giant trevallies, batfish, sawfish, blacktip reef sharks, giant hammerhead sharks and wobbegong sharks in an aquarium. It’s also the only aquarium outside of Asia to house whale sharks, the world’s largest fish.

Mountain

Mount Everest, 29,029 feet, is the world’s highest mountain and is in Nepal. In 1953, New Zealand’s Edmund Hillary and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay were the first to reach the summit.

Tree

The world’s biggest tree is General Sherman, a giant sequoia that’s 275 feet high with a trunk volume of about 1,487 cubic meters. You’ll find it in Giant Forest within Sequoia National Park east of Visalia, Calif. General Sherman is believed to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old.

World's Biggest Stuff: Part 2

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Sat, 5 Mar 2011 16:13:00 -0800

Swimming Pool

The world’s largest swimming pool is the San Alfonso del Mar seawater pool in Algarrobo, Chile. It is 3,324 feet long, longer than 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools laid end to end. Water from the neighboring Pacific Ocean is heated to a comfortable 79 degrees Fahrenheit for swimming. Sports enthusiasts can sign up for classes in swimming, sailing, kayaking and scuba diving.

Cruise Ship

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas debuted in December 2009 as the world’s largest cruise ship. It’s nearly five times the gross tonnage of the Titanic, 1½ times longer than the U.S. Capitol building, has 16 decks and has a capacity for 6,296 guests. At 1,187 feet long, 208 feet wide and 213 feet in air draft, it’s too long, too wide and too tall to fit through the Panama Canal.

Skyscraper

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, opened the world’s tallest skyscraper in January 2010, and superlatives have poured in ever since. If you stuck the Eiffel Tower on top of the Empire State Building, you still wouldn’t have a structure as tall as the Burj Khalifa. It rises 2,717 feet from the desert and provides views of the Persian Gulf, the sail-shaped Burj al-Arab hotel and the manmade Palm Jumeirah island.

Animal

Blue whales, on average, weigh 176 tons. Their tongues alone are as heavy as an elephant. They reach these behemoth proportions on a diet of tiny shrimplike animals called krill.

Castle

The largest ancient castle in the world is Prague Castle in Prague. Built in the ninth century, it is an oblong irregular polygon with an average diameter of 420 feet and a total surface area of 18 acres. At times, it has housed the kings of Bohemia as well as Holy Roman emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia. After Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, the castle became the seat of the head of state of the new Czech Republic.

Some Impressive Advertisements

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:08:00 -0800

Top 10 Websites that Changed Everyday Life Part 2

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:20:00 -0800

10. Craigslist
Before the Internet if you ever had interest in a classified ad, you’d probably go straight to the local newspaper and see what you can find. Of course then the Internet came along and while you could find classified ads online, most of the websites were filled with spam posts or people looking to set you up while others were just unorganized and most of the time classified ads for smaller locations were nonexistent. However, today, if you’re ever looking for anything, and I mean anything, all you need to do is go to Craigslist.
You can find plenty of things on the classified ads website; from cars, to pets, to jobs, homes, and even a place to discuss anything you have on your mind. Despite recently coming under fire for its “personals” section of the website, Craigslist continues to be extremely popular among people all around the world. You can find ads in your state and then narrow down to a city which makes finding what you need much easier.
But, just like older classified ads websites, you will find spam ads and you will run into ads that are created by people looking to get your money and run. The website offers a service to report spammers and often shows a warning page explaining how many scammers work and what to look out for when using the site.

9. Yahoo
Yahoo! was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994 and was incorporated on March 1, 1995. Yahoo provides services via the Internet worldwide. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine (Yahoo! Search), Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, advertising, online mapping (Yahoo! Maps), video sharing (Yahoo! Video), and social media websites and services. Yahoo! also offers social networking services and user-generated content in products such as My Web, Yahoo! Personals, Yahoo! 360°, Delicious, Flickr and Yahoo! Buzz. In December 2010, reports emerged that Yahoo! would be shutting down Yahoo Buzz, MyBlogLog, Delicious and a handful of other products. Yahoo! Photos was shut down on September 20, 2007, in favor of Flickr. The first logo was used when the company was founded in 1995. It was red and had three icons on each side. Yahoo! is known across the world with its multi-lingual interface. The site is available in over 20 languages, including English. The official directory for all of the Yahoo! International sites is world.yahoo.com. The logo used on the main page yahoo.com used to be red with a black outline and shadow, but in May 2009, along with a new theme redesign, the logo was changed to purple with no outline or shadow. Sometimes, the logo is abbreviated with Y!.

8. Blogger
Blogging is the way of the world now. Who needs to scribble in a personal diary or to write random things on ripped pieces of notebook paper when you can hop on your computer, log in, and type all of your thoughts onto your computer screen, press upload, and have the opportunity to have the entire world read what you’ve got to say. Blogger was launched in 1999 and since then has allowed the blogging world to flourish.
While many want to credit LiveJournal or some other blogging site with raising the bar in the blogging world, Blogger most definitely came first and is often credited for setting the stage for the format of a common blog. The website has been designed and redesigned and most recently has begun to work closely with Google to include some of their most popular features.
The website on the Alexa scale is ranked #8 and each day over 388 million words are published on the website. Even though competitor websites such as WordPress, LiveJournal, and TypePad have come about, Blogger is easily credited with starting the blogging revolution.

7. Pandora
The way we listen to music has drastically changed over time. Today MP3s and MP4s are the way of the world, but let’s not forget records, music cassettes, and of course, the radio. However, even though MP3s and digital music seem to be the latest fad, Pandora has stepped up and offered a way to listen to music online while you surf.
Pandora is an online radio station that basically lets you create your own station based on the music like you like to listen to. Of course, listening to music on the Internet isn’t something new, but being able to create your own music station is. Anyone can tune into music that is played on Yahoo or listen to your favorite radio station online, but the fact is that most of those songs are played every hour (or so it seems) and sometimes the song playing isn’t one that you particularly care for.
But, when it comes to Pandora, website will play a song and based on whether you like the band or not, the website will play similar music. The great thing is that Pandora often throws in new bands that are on the rise. You can easily type in a band on the website, listen to a song, and then have the chance to listen to a new band that is similar to your tastes.

6. Facebook
First there was the telephone, then pagers, then cell phones, then along came the internet with instant messaging services and chatrooms, and before all of this when people wanted to communicate, there was conversational speaking and letters. Today, we have Facebook, and this one social networking site has seriously taken the world by storm. Though technically not the first social networking site created, many will argue that it is the most useful and is the one that has made the largest impact on our society.
It seems like everything we do is based on Facebook these days. Pictures, friends, relationships, gossip; it all ties into Facebook in some way of another, and wherever you go, you’ll usually find something Facebook-esque. Musicians are asking fans to add them on Facebook as are authors, political candidates, businesses, and anything and everything between.
The website was launched in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg six years later the website has exploded, attracting more than 500 million users, ranging from your average Joe, to celebrities, and even political world leaders.

Top 10 Websites that Changed Everyday Life Part 1

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:09:00 -0800

5.Wikipedia
Before Wikipedia came along, high school and college students had to do their own research the hard way. In all seriousness, before Wikipedia became one big booming e-encyclopedia, many of those that were offered online either required a paid membership to have access to information or the encyclopedia altogether lacked a lot of information. It was either go to the library to find the research you needed or dish out some money to get it.
However, Wikipedia changed all of this and really made research a breeze. The website became the first of its kind: a free e-encyclopedia that has grown and will probably continue to do so as long as the Internet is available. On April 16, 2010, the website had its 1 billionth edit and today it is ranked the #7 most visited website by Alexa. In the U.S. it is the 6th most visited website in the country.
The amazing thing about Wikipedia is that you can literally fin anything and almost everything on Wikipedia. With 3,410,052 articles and growing, there isn’t much you can’t find. If you can’t you can easily edit and add information yourself. The website appeals to Internet users from all over the world, offering information in various languages such as Spanish, Russian, French, German, Italian, and many others. And yes, Wikipedia has a Wikipedia page.

4.Amazon
When you need food, you go to the grocery store. When you need clothes, you go to the mall or your favorite retail store. If you need pet supplies, you go to the pet store. If you want to listen to music, you go purchase a CD at a store. All of this is common sense, and generally when people need things, they visit a brick and mortar store. However, when Amazon was launched in 1995, the company, based out of Seattle, changed the entire face of retail shopping. Their name says it all; Amazon is the largest river in the world and Amazon.com is the largest online store on could imagine. Where else can you buy jewelry, MP3s, clothing, vitamins, dog toys, and anything else from the same location?
Most recently Amazon even began selling food products that can be delivered to your door. With the creation of Amazon, it’s safe to say that less and less people are visiting brick and mortar stores to purchase certain items. The website offers free shipping with a $25 purchase as well as a Prime account which promises free 2-day shipping or $3.99 next day shipping. The point is, anyone can count on Amazon to have what they need. It’s truly amazing how an e-shop can stock and supply such a wide array of items.

3.Youtube
When it came time to looking or watching videos online, there wasn’t a wide variety of options. At times people would upload videos for people to watch, but many times due to bandwidth and other factors, those who owned websites just opted to stay away from the videos and other high bandwidth features. However, an easy fix to this problem came about in February 2005. YouTube, which has been successfully running for 5 years now, solved any and all problems when it came to entertainment on the Internet. Not only can you watch videos but you can also listen to music and even blog through videos.
Millions of people from all over the world enjoy the features of YouTube each day. Because of YouTube there is one great place for everyone to look at videos and even comment and review them. The website allows you to really watch anything you could ever think of. From music videos to bloggers, to tutorials and just outright random videos, you can surely find it on YouTube.
The website is ranked #3 on the Alexa scale and offers 29 different languages for users who live outside of the United States. Though other video websites are available, such as Hulu, none have been as successful as YouTube has been.

2.Ebay
While online shopping has become a great fad that it seems everyone has latched onto, eBay is one of many websites that should have credit for advancing this online phenomenon. Even though most websites today offer users the ability to purchase what they want online, eBay not only offers online shopping it also allows users to bid on some of the hottest items each year. eBay has most definitely made shopping something that anyone can do without having to get in the car, drive to a store or the mall, and then look around to find the right size or color.
With online shopping with a few simple clicks your shopping is done. eBay allows users from all over the world to bid and buy items. The good thing about the website is that many times you pay a lot less than you would in stores and even better is the fact that items are available that may not be sold in a store local to you. eBay has made it easy to find some of the most popular items as well as items that aren’t sold in stores anymore.
eBay is also well known for its ability for users to sell various items, from perfume to clothing to shoes and anything and everything in between. eBay is one of the very few websites that offers live real time auctions for products.

1.Google
As extreme as it sounds, it’s pretty safe to say that when it comes to the Internet Google can be found anywhere and everywhere. No matter what kind of activity you do online, from watching videos, to blogging, to just reading the local news online, you’re probably some way, somehow using a service provided by Google, and many times you don’t even know it. When you watch a YouTube video, you’re using a Google service. If you’ve ever used Blogger, that’s a Google service. Chrome: Google browser. If you’ve ever seen a Doubleclick ad; yep, that’s Google too.
So in essence, Google is everywhere; ubiquitous. From watching videos to uploading pictures to show to friends and family, whether you know it or not, Google is a very well used service all over the world. If you ever need to get somewhere, you probably go to Google.com. If you need to search for something, Google.com is probably the first place you go.

Giant Crystals Found Inside Mexico's Naica Mine

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:00:00 -0800

Nestling up to a cauldron of pressurized, molten rock is almost never a good idea. But in Mexico's Naica mine, the payoff is worth the risk. About 900 feet below the surface, there is a chamber filled with gypsum. It's the same stuff that goes in the drywall in your house, only in Naica it spent half a million years parboiling in a chamber filled with magma-heated water.

Suddenly miners showed up and started pumping the mineral-rich broth out to get at valuable silver and lead deposits nearby. The result is a cavern filled with crystals 36 feet long and weighing in at up to 55 tons, easily the largest in the world.

Last Fall, adventurer and filmmaker George Kourounis traveled to Naica to see the incredible “Crystal Cave of Giants” for himself. Though there's little risk of eruption from the nearby magma chamber, the cave itself is still deadly hot – over 120 Fahrenheit with about 90 percent humidity. People are only allowed in without cooling suits for a few minutes at a time. Sadly, once the silver in Naica runs out, miners will likely turn the pumps off again. The chamber will fill with water, the crystals will once again be among Earth's vast, inaccessible depths. The cave itself is still deadly hot, over 120 Fahrenheit with about 90 percent humidity. People are only allowed in without cooling suits for a few minutes at a time.

10 Most Amazing Extinct Animals Part-2

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:24:00 -0800

1. Caspian Tiger: The Caspian tiger also known as the Persian tiger, Turanian tiger, Mazandaran tiger or Hyrcanian tiger was the westernmost population of Siberian tiger, found in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Caucasus, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan until it apparently became extinct in the late 1950s, though there have been several alleged sightings of the tiger. The Caspian tiger's body was generally less massive than that of its Far Eastern cousins, and its average size slightly less. Male tigers exceeded 200 cm in length, though an estimated body length of 270 cm was recorded. Females were smaller in size, normally ranging between 160-180 cm. The maximum known weight was 240 kg.

2. Aurochs: The aurochs or urus , the ancestor of domestic cattle, was a type of huge wild cattle which inhabited Europe, Asia and North Africa, but is now extinct; it survived in Europe until 1627. The aurochs was far larger than most modern domestic cattle with a shoulder height of 2 metres (6.6 ft) and weighing 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb). Domestication occurred in several parts of the world at roughly the same time, about 8,000 years ago. It was regarded as a challenging quarry animal, contributing to its extinction. The last recorded live aurochs, a female, died in 1627 in the Jaktorów Forest, Poland and its skull is now the property of Livrustkammaren in Stockholm.

3. Great Auk: The Great Auk is a bird that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only species in the genus Pinguinus - a group of birds that included several flightless giant auks from the Atlantic Ocean region - to survive until modern times. The Great Auk was also known as a garefowl (from the Old Norse geirfugl, meaning "spear-bird", referring to the shape of its beak) and penguin before the birds known by that name today were so called. The Great Auk was found very extensively on islands off eastern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Ireland, and Great Britain before being hunted to extinction. Remains found in Florida suggest that, at least occasionally, the Great Auk ventured that far south in winter as recently as the 14th century. Standing about 75 to 85 centimetres (30 to 33 in) tall and weighing around 5 kilograms (11 lb), the flightless Great Auk was both the largest of the auks and the largest member of the order Charadriiformes.

4. Cave Lion: This subspecies was one of the largest lions. An adult male, which was found in 1985 near Siegsdorf (Germany), had a shoulder height of around 1.2 m (4 ft) and a body length of 2.1 m (7 ft) without tail. This is similar to the size of a very large modern lion. The size of this male has been exceeded by other specimens of this subspecies. Therefore this cat may have been around 5-10% bigger than modern lions, but it didn't reach the measures of the earlier cave lion subspecies Panthera leo fossilis or those of the huge American lion (Panthera leo atrox). The cave lion is known from Paleolithic cave paintings, ivory carvings, and clay figurines. These representations indicate that cave lions had rounded, protruding ears, tufted tails, possibly faint tiger-like stripes, and that at least some had a "ruff" or primitive mane around their neck, indicating males.

5. Dodo: The dodo was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Related to pigeons and doves, it stood about a meter (3 feet) tall, weighing about 20 kilograms (44 lb), living on fruit and nesting on the ground. The dodo has been extinct since the mid-to-late 17th century. It is commonly used as the archetype of an extinct species because its extinction occurred during recorded human history, and was directly attributable to human activity.

10 Most Amazing Extinct Animals Part-1

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:19:00 -0800

1. Tyrannosaurus rex: Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the largest land carnivores of all time; the largest complete specimen, FMNH PR2081, measured 12.8 metres (42 ft) long, and was 4.0 metres (13 ft) tall at the hips. Mass estimates have varied widely over the years, from more than 7.2 metric tons (7.9 short tons),to less than 4.5 metric tons (5.0 short tons), with most modern estimates ranging between 5.4 and 6.8 metric tons.

2. Quagga: The quagga is an extinct subspecies of the Plains zebra,which was once found in great numbers in South Africa's Cape Province and the southern part of the Orange Free State. It was distinguished from other zebras by having the usual vivid marks on the front part of the body only. In the mid-section, the stripes faded and the dark, inter-stripe spaces became wider, and the rear parts were a plain brown. The name comes from a Khoikhoi word for zebra and is onomatopoeic, being said to resemble the quagga's call. The only quagga to have ever been photographed alive was a mare at the Zoological Society of London's Zoo in Regent's Park in 1870.

3. Thylacine (The Tasmanian Tiger): The Thylacine was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger (because of its striped back), the Tasmanian Wolf, and colloquially the Tassie (or Tazzy) Tiger or simply the Tiger. Native to continental Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, it is thought to have become extinct in the twentith century. It was the last extant member of its genus, Thylacinus. The Thylacine was one of only two marsupials to have a pouch in both sexes (the other being the Water Opossum).

4. Steller's sea cow: Steller's sea cow is a large extinct sirenian mammal. Formerly abundant throughout the North Pacific, its range was limited to a single, isolated population on the uninhabited Commander Islands by 1741 when it was first described by Georg Wilhelm Steller, chief naturalist on an expedition led by explorer Vitus Bering. Within 27 years of discovery by Europeans, the slow moving and easily captured Steller's sea cow was hunted to extinction.

5. Irish Deer: The Irish Elk or Giant Deer was a species of Megaloceros and one of the largest deer that ever lived. Its range extended across Eurasia, from Ireland to east of Lake Baikal, during the Late Pleistocene. The latest known remains of the species have been carbon dated to about 7,700 years ago. Although large numbers of skeletons have been found in Irish bogs, its common name, Irish Elk, is misleading as the animal was not exclusively Irish, and neither was it closely related to either of the living species currently called elk; for this reason, the name "Giant Deer" is preferred in more recent publications. Megaloceros giganteus first appeared about 400,000 years ago.
The Irish Elk stood about 2.1 metres (6.9 ft) tall at the shoulders, and it had the largest antlers of any known cervid (a maximum of 3.65 m (12.0 ft) from tip to tip and weighing up to 40 kilograms (88 lb)). In body size, the Irish Elk matched the extant moose subspecies of Alaska (Alces alces gigas) as the largest known deer. A significant collection of M. giganteus skeletons can be found at the Natural History Museum in Dublin.

Makeover of World's Best Illusion

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:47:00 -0800

China's rise named decade's most read news story

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 7 Dec 2009 23:16:00 -0800

The rise of China as an economic superpower was the most read news story of the past decade, surpassing the Iraq War and the attacks of Sept. 11, according to an analysis by a US-based media tracking group. The Global Language Monitor, which uses an algorithm to search printed and electronic media and the Internet for trends in word usage, said there was strong interest in the Asian powerhouse, which is the world's third biggest economy.
Here is The Global Language Monitor's list of the top 15 stories of the decade:
1. Rise of China - The biggest story of the decade, outdistancing the No. 2 Internet story by 400 percent.
2. Iraq War - The buildup, invasion, hunt for weapons of mass destruction, and the increase of US troops in Iraq were top in print and electronic media outlets.
3. Sept. 11 attacks - The attacks on New York City and Washington DC seemed to set the tone for the new decade.
4. War on Terror - President George W. Bush's response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
5. Death of Michael Jackson - A remarkably high ranking considering his death occurred in the final year of the decade.
6. Election of Obama as president - The rallying cries of "hope" and "Yes, we can!" resulting in the historic election of an African-American to the US presidency.
7. Global Recession of 2008/09 - The on-going world economic restructuring as opposed to the initial "economic meltdown" or "financial tsunami".
8. Hurricane Katrina - New Orleans was devastated when the levies collapsed with scenes of death and destruction shocking millions the world over.
9. War in Afghanistan - Now in its eighth year.
10. Economic Meltdown/Financial Tsunami.
11. Beijing Olympics.
12. South Asian Tsunami which left 230,000 dead or missing.
13. War against the Taliban.
14. Death of Pope John Paul II attended by 2 million.
15. Osama bin Laden eludes capture.

10 Remarkable Animals Beginning with A -part 2

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Wed, 8 Apr 2009 21:03:00 -0700

1)Archer Fish:
The archer fish is the only genus in the family Toxotidae. They are found in Western Pacific, Australia and in Southeast Asia inhabiting mangroves. They have flattened, knife shaped body with bold black-and-white markings that serves as camouflage in catching preys. Archerfish can grow up to 25 to 40cm in length and weigh up to 750g.They are famous for their ability to shoot down insects with water droplets from their specialized mouths. They are capable of spitting water at insects that are close to the water, making the prey fall into the water where it is eaten. It uses its tongue and a groove in the roof of its mouth to get a high-powered jet of water.

2)Antechinus:
The antechinus is a marsupial mouse native to Australia. It is found in rain forests, eucalypt forests, and woodlands. Its diet include: spiders, beetles (including larva), and weevils feeding mainly on insects. They have pointed snout,, medium-long hairy tail. It has short feet of beige to yellow-brown color. Its back is covered with a reddish-brown fur. It can grow to about 4 to 5 in long and it weighs about 1 oz.

3)Anteater:
Anteaters are mammal species that falls under the suborder Vermilingua. They are found mostly in South America and Mexico. As their name suggests, they feed solely on insects such as ants and termites. They have long claws and sticky tongue that is helpful in scooping up its prey in and out of its mouth. Anteaters species include : The Giant Anteater that grows to about 1,8 meters long including tail, the Silky Anteater with an average length of 35 cm. including tail and Tamandua that can grow up to 90 cm long.

4)African Wolf Spider:
The African wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae, a group of ground-dwelling hunting spiders. There are about 2000 wolf spider species found abundantly in prairie areas. They have sturdy bodies and long, thick legs. They differ in sizes, ranging from 2 mm to nearly 40 mm in length. African wolf spiders bodies are slung low to the ground, that help them to run past in capturing their prey. They have diverse hunting strategies; some species hunt at day while others at night. Some dig tunnels and lie in wait for its prey. Others build a lookout point in higher ground while a few species build designed their tunnel with moveable trap door at the entrance.

5)African Tree Pangolin:
The tree pangolin (Manis tricuspis) is endemic to Africa and one of eight existing species of pangolin ("scaly anteater"). This nocturnal animal has overlapping brown scales on its back and average 35–45 cm head and body, tail length of about 49–60 cm and weighs between 1.8–2.4 kg. African tree pangolin has white skin and hair, lacking external ear and scaly tail. When threatened, it will roll into a tight ball, exposing only a shield of scales. They are toothless bit have strong and long claws that it uses to climb trees in search of insects such as ants and termites.

10 Remarkable Animals Beginning with A -part 1

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Wed, 8 Apr 2009 20:53:00 -0700

1) Anaconda:
An anaconda also known as Water Boa is found in Northern Africa and in South America. It lives in shallow waters and swampy waters. They are nocturnal animal hinting its prey at night such as deer, pigs, caiman, fish, and larger prey. They often simply wait near the water on a tree limb and come raining down to catch animals as they come for necessary water. Anacondas kill by constricting the prey until it can no longer breathe and swallow the prey whole, head first.

2) Armadillo:
This small placental mammals with leathery armor shell are prolific diggers; dogging through the interior of savannahs and forests of Central and South America. There are about 20 existing species of armadillo, which are identified by the number of bands on their armor. Armadillo can grow up to 75 cm. including tail; however the Giant Armadillo grows up to 1.5 m while the small species Pinky Fairy armadillo can reach 12-15 cm in length. Its diet include: ants, termites, worms and insects. Armadillos have poor vision and can’t withstand prolonged frosts and must nestle into the ground to avoid the cold. Armadillos can move quickly even though it has short legs and are good swimmer; able to last 6 minutes underwater.

3) Ant:
Around 12,000 species of ants are currently classified under the family Formicidae. Ants are social insects that can be easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants are found on all continents except Antarctica. These insects build colonies that differ in sizes from over a dozen individuals to a more complex colonies that house over millions occupants. Most species are omnivorous, and are able to locate food resources that include both plant and animal matter. Ants are intelligent insects and has the ability to find their way through fairly complex mazes. Ants defend themselves by biting or by stinging.

4)Alligator:
An Alligator is a species of crocodilian that falls under the family Alligatoridae. Alligators are found only in two countries: the United States and China. There are more than a million alligators that inhibit two U.S. states; Florida and Louisiana. The Chinese alligator is extremely threatened with only a few dozen inhibiting the Yangtze River valley. Alligators and crocodiles differ in some features like: Alligators have wide, flat and rounded snouts, while crocodiles own longer, sharper snouts; and unlike crocodiles, alligators lower teeth are hidden when their mouths are closed. They grow to about 10 to 15 ft. in length and can weigh up to 450 kg. The average life span of alligators in the wild is about 35 to 50 years. Alligators' main prey are smaller animals that they can kill and eat with a single bite and if they are hungry they’ll eat anything including humans.

5) Agama:
5) Agama: An agama is a long-tailed lizard inhabiting forests and bushes across Africa. Some agamas can be 5 inches long while others can be a foot long in length and can come in different colors. These lizards are active during the day looking for prey and at times eating seeds, berries, grass and even snatching eggs of other small lizards. Adult dominant males have a red face with shiny orange and blue coloring. Males are known to have five or more females on their territory for breeding. During courtship, male agamas wear stunning breeding colors. The male bobs his head which can turn bright blue, orange or yellow to impress the female. March to May is the usual breeding season.

Interesting and Random Facts About Animals

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:30:00 -0800

1. Flamingoes are born grey, after a year or two, they turn pinkish-red. They are also born with a straight bill that curves with age.
2. Cockroaches are one of the fastest insects on land. They can travel 4 miles per hour.
3. The first-ever photos of a live Giant Squid was taken in 2004. A Giant Squid was filmed for the first time in December 2006.
4. Giant Squids live 650 to 3,000 ft below the surface of the world's oceans. They range in size from 20 to 60 ft long and weigh up to half a ton or more.
5. Moth taste with their feet. Atlas moth is the largest Lepidoptera in the world with 65 sq in wingspan.
6. Dogs can see blues but not greens.
7. Labrador retriever is the most popular breed of dog in the US followed by Yorkshire terrier, Golden retriever and German shepherd.
8. Stick insect can grow up to 15 in long but the African Goliath beetle weigh nearly a quarter of a pound.
9. Penguins in the wild are found only in the Southern Hemisphere. The smallest is the fairy penguin which stands only about 1 foot and weighs about 2 pounds. The largest is the Emperor penguin with a height of about 4 ft and weighs up to 90 pounds.
10. Emperor penguins can dive as deep as 1,500 ft and stay underwater for 18 minutes.
11. Spiders, which have 8 legs, are arachnids, not insect. There are 750,000 species of insects while there are only 35,000 species of spiders.
12. Insects have 3 pairs of walking legs and they lack lungs. They breathe through tubes that open directly onto surface of their bodies.
13. All ants in a colony are female. Male ants survive only long enough to mate. Garbage and dead ants are kept in a separate chamber.
14. Homing pigeons are pigeons that have been bred for speed and the ability to fly long distance. They are trained to fly back to their home, sometimes over hundred of miles, after being released from another location.
15. There are 1.1 million species of arthropods, 24,500 species of fish, 9,000 species of mammals and birds, 8,000 species of reptiles, 5,000 species of amphibians and 260,000 species of plants.
16. 95% of all known living species are invertebrates.
17. Snakes are not found naturally in the wild in Ireland, Iceland, Greenland and Antarctica.
18. Macaw can live up to 50 years, periodical cicada for 17 years, tarantula and lobster for 15 years.
19. The most popular pets in the US are the ff; freshwater fish with about 139 million, cats - 90 million, and dogs - 73 million.
20. Box Jellyfish also known as Sea wasp and scientifically called Chironex fleckeri lives in the waters of northern Australia. Its box-shape bodies can grow 15 in across but its stinging tentacles can measure 10 to 15 ft long. Its venom can kill a human in minutes.

1474 megapixel inauguration photo

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:18:00 -0800

Here is a photo taken using a panorama image capturing device called gigapan created by the Carnegie Mellon University and a Canon G10 camera.

The photographer had to click 220 snaps from that camera to get this complete view of the Obama’s inaugural address. It took a MacBook Pro around 7hrs to process the complete image. The final size of the image is over 2GB.

Click Here to view this Picture

Body Facts

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:18:00 -0800

What causes goose bumps?

Goose bumps (scientific name: piloerection) pop up when you're cold or afraid. A tiny muscle at the base of each body hair contracts; together, they appear as naked bumps on the flesh. They made sense eons ago, when humans still had a natural "fur coat." Back then, fluffing your ruff would warm the body by trapping an insulating layer of air between the hairs. And standing your hair on end was intimidating to predators or enemies (picture a cat facing off with a dog).

Why does chopping onions make you tear up?

When you cut into an onion, you rupture its cells, releasing enzymes that produce a gas called propanethial sulfoxide. Once that gas reaches your eyes, it reacts with tears to produce a mild sulfuric acid. And that hurts. The brain then signals the eyes' tear glands to produce more liquid to flush the stuff out.

Is it true that your ears grow throughout life?

Yes, the outer ears do. Starting at birth, the ears are, proportionally, the body's largest feature, with a Spock-like prominence. They grow rapidly until about age 10, then slow to the languid pace of about 0.22 millimeter per year, according to a study by Britain's Royal College of General Practitioners.

You have 2 million tiny hairs in your inner ear.

Unlike hair growing on the surface of your ears, the presence of hairs, or "stereocilia," deep inside your head aren't considered a hygiene lapse. Instead, they're a vitally important part of your ability to hear, responsible for changing physical sound waves into electrical signals that can be understood by your brain, according to the British Hearing Research Trust.

I’m not a look-a-like 2

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:46:00 -0800

Interesting project by photographer Francois Brunelle. A collection of photographic portraits of North American and European look-alikes. Each photo features two look-alikes, who are not related, side by side.

I’m not a look-a-like 1

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:44:00 -0800

How It's Made: Marbles

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:22:00 -0800

After The Crisis part 2

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:56:00 -0800

After The Crisis part 1

yoursubodh981@gmail.com (sooboth) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:55:00 -0800