Teen is US texting champion

NEW YORK -- The newest US texting champion has a message for parents across the land -- although they might not want to hear it. Full Story.

New iPhone 3GS heats up smartphone wars

When Apple starts selling what it bills as the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet on Friday, the device will only heat up the already sizzling smartphone landscape. When it comes to phones that act like mini-computers, consumers have more choices than ever. Full Story

South Korea tops in broadband penetration: study

WASHINGTON - South Korea, where 95 percent of homes have broadband, Singapore and Taiwan are among the top five countries in terms of access to high-speed Internet, according to a survey released Thursday.

Core2Duo vs Dual Core

Dual core is a generic term representing 2 cores on a single die. Likewise, quad core represents 4 cores on a single die.

This is different from Core Duo and Core 2 Duo. These are micro-architectures for how the CPU operates. Core was Intel's first dual core architecture, and Core 2 is the "sequel" to Core.

So you see, a CPU can be a Core Duo with 2 cores, or it can be a Core 2 Duo with 2 cores. They are both dual core -- the difference is the micro-architecture.

Simply put, Core 2 is a faster, more powerful micro-architecture.

Low Rate Business Loans Offer Realtively Cheaper Rates For Commercial Purposes

In the financial world it is not unknown that commercial loans come with a high rate of interest. But there is an exception – the low rate business loans. This loan will see to all types of business needs and yet the interest rate is relatively cheaper than other commercial loans. With the funds availed of from this loan employees can be paid, investments can be made for new projects, shares can be bought and stocks purchased. The money can be utilized for many purposes related to business at a reasonable cost.

The rate is reasonable because there are many competitors on the field and the Internet has made it possible to compare their various offers. As such borrowers are being wooed with tempting offers. Loan quotes are available free and so are loan calculators.

There are two types of low rate business loans – secured and unsecured. The secured loans are given to applicants who can pledge an asset as security. This may be a property, vehicle or important papers. The repayment term ranges from 10 to 25 years. Those placing a collateral gets a higher amount of loan at less interest because the lender does not have bear any risk.

Say Goodbye to Your Bills

If you are looking for an ideal and best pay day loan on earth, then try payeverone.net.

Pay day loans the perfect solvent for financial problems. When ever you are strapped for cash, you can always rely on a quick and easy pay day loan, washing all those bills and worries away.

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Within a day, if you are approved, you will be contacted and will discuss what kind of pay day loan that you should use. After deciding the right course of action and the deal has been finalized you will then receive your pay day loan usually by the next business day. It's that simple and easy! If you need the money, don't wait sign up now!

A payday loan or cash advance is a small, short-term loan that is intended to bridge the borrower's cashflow gap between pay days. We are interested in highlighting the legitimate uses of cash advnaces in a responsible manner.

What is VB.Net?

(VB.NET) is an object-oriented computer language that can be viewed as an evolution of Microsoft's Visual Basic (VB) implemented on the Microsoft .NET framework. Its introduction has been controversial, as significant changes were made that broke backward compatibility with VB and caused a rift within the developer community that may or may not be resolved with the introduction of Visual Studio 2005.

The vast majority of VB.NET developers use Visual Studio .NET, although SharpDevelop provides an open-source alternative. The creation of open-source tools for VB.NET development have been slow compared to C#, although the Mono development platform provides an implementation of VB.NET-specific libraries and is working on a compiler, as well as the Windows Forms GUI library.

Similar to the virtual machine requirement of other programming languages, applications written in VB.NET require the .NET framework to execute.

What it Takes to be an Employable IT Graduate in the Philippines

I just can't paste the article I read from TESDA but here's their summary

* IT unemployment is basically a problem of supply-demand mismatch
* Educational and training institutions in the Philippines produced an oversupply of computer science / engineering graduates and technicians that could not be absorbed by the labor market
* Demands would be in the area of customer contact centers, medical and legal transcription, animation, architectural and engineering design services, accounting and financial services
* Close public-private sector partnership would be vital especially in policy/ direction setting, curriculum standards development, quality assurance and teachers/ trainors qualifications
* TESDA's Unified TVET Program Registration and Accreditation System (UTPRAS) must be strengthened for quality assurance

LASER PRINTERS and breathing problems

Laser printers emit a lot of toner dust, which contains carbon and solvents, and quite a few people are sensitive to it. You can smell it when the printer is on, and especially on freshly printed paper. You may notice wheeziness, coughing, sneezing, etc. Some acquaintances at copy centers and service bureaus complain of headaches, and suspect the toner dust. I haven't personally seen any studies, so I don't know for sure, but err on the side of caution. NCR paper ('carbonless' paper) can also cause wheeziness. Good ventilation, drawing air away from the operator, seems to be the answer.

USB in the Future!

With the success of wired USB, the future of USB looks even better—with the removal of the wire. Next generation Hi-Speed USB will be wireless and will have a targeted bandwidth of 480 Mbps at under 10m. The Wireless USB specification maintains the same usage and architecture as wired USB with a high-speed host-to-device connection.

With these considerations in place, it will enable an easy migration path for today's wired USB solutions. Wireless USB looks to become the single, standard wireless interconnect capable of supporting usage models across all three environments—PC, CE, and mobile market segments.

Most Expensive Things in IT

The most expensive computer is Japan's Earth Simulator that costs around $400,000,000. The budget for the Earth Simulator project was authorized for the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) in 1997, and NEC Corporation made the winning bid for the Japanese project.

The most expensive keyboard is Happy Hacking Keyboard HP Japan worth US $4,440 or P186,480 in Philippine peso.The keyboard is coated many times using a special brush made from the hairs of virgins, and then powdered with gold dust!

The most expensive video game is Sega Dreamcast game called Shenmue released in 1999, the project cost over $20 million and took over 7 years to complete.

RP has highest percentage of social network users -- study

A recent global study ranks the Philippines among countries with the highest percentage of Internet users using social networks.

Released by New York-based media agency Universal McCann, the study surveyed 17, 000 Internet users in 29 countries.

In the Philippines, the study noted 15 percent Internet penetration and estimates 37 million "active" Internet users(aged between 16 to 54), or those who go online daily or every other day.

The study estimates 83 percent of Internet users in the Philippines have created social network profiles, having the highest percentage ahead of Hungary (80 percent), Poland (77 percent) and Mexico (76 percent).

It is estimated that nearly 90 percent of users in the Philippines have Friendster accounts, although the rest of the world is either logging on to MySpace or Facebook.

There's gold in your cell phone

HONJO, Japan (Reuters) - Thinking of throwing out your old cell phone? Think again. Maybe you should mine it first for gold, silver, copper and a host of other metals embedded in the electronics -- many of which are enjoying near-record prices.

It's called "urban mining", scavenging through the scrap metal in old electronic products in search of such gems as iridium and gold, and it is a growth industry around the world as metal prices skyrocket.

The materials recovered are reused in new electronics parts and the gold and other precious metals are melted down and sold as ingots to jewelers and investors as well as back to manufacturers who use gold in the circuit boards of mobile phones because gold conducts electricity even better than copper.

"It can be precious or minor metals, we want to recycle whatever we can," said Tadahiko Sekigawa, president of Eco-System Recycling Co which is owned by Dowa Holdings Co Ltd.

A tonne of ore from a gold mine produces just 5 grams (0.18 ounce) of gold on average, whereas a tonne of discarded mobile phones can yield 150 grams (5.3 ounce) or more, according to a study by Yokohama Metal Co Ltd, another recycling firm.

The same volume of discarded mobile phones also contains around 100 kg (220 lb) of copper and 3 kg (6.6 lb) of silver, among other metals.

Recycling has gained in importance as metals prices hit record highs. Gold is trading at around $890 an ounce, after hitting a historic high of $1,030.80 in March.

Copper and tin are also around record highs and silver prices are well above long term averages.

Read more...

Benefits of Computer Use

Research has shown that 3- and 4-year-old children who use computers with supporting activities that reinforce the major objectives of the programs have significantly greater developmental gains when compared to children without computer experiences in similar classrooms-gains in intelligence, nonverbal skills, structural knowledge, long-term memory, manual dexterity, verbal skills, problem solving, abstraction, and conceptual skills (Haugland, 1992). The benefits of providing computers to kindergarten and primary-grade children vary depending upon the kind of computer experiences offered and how frequently children have access to computers. The potential gains for kindergarten and primary children are tremendous, including improved motor skills, enhanced mathematical thinking, increased creativity, higher scores on tests of critical thinking and problem solving, higher levels of what Nastasi and Clements (1994) term effectance motivation (the belief that they can change or affect their environment), and increased scores on standardized language assessments. In addition, computers enhance children's self-concept, and children demonstrate increasing levels of spoken communication and cooperation. Children share leadership roles more frequently and develop positive attitudes toward learning (Clements, 1994; Cardelle-Elawar & Wetzel, 1995; Adams, 1996; Denning & Smith, 1997; Haugland & Wright, 1997; Matthew, 1997).

Source : View SOurce

When to Introduce Children to Computers

Many researchers do not recommend that children under 3 years old use computers (e.g., Hohman, 1998). Computers simply do not match their learning style. Children younger than 3 learn through their bodies: their eyes, ears, mouths, hands, and legs. Although they may return over and over again to an activity, they are full of movement, changing focus frequently. Computers are not a good choice for the developmental skills these children are learning to master: crawling, walking, talking, and making friends.

Source: View Source

Survey shows rising number of IT graduates

By DAVID DIZON
abs-cbnNEWS.com


The number of college graduates of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) related courses increased this year as more students took up ICT certificate courses, according to a survey conducted by research firm Consumer Vibe Asia.

Joyce Luth Casiño, research director of Consumer Vibe Asia, said a total of 30,053 ICT students graduated this year from 145 schools offering ICT related courses that were included in the survey. The number is up from the 26,429 ICT graduates of the same schools in 2007 and more than double the total 14,451 ICT graduates in the same schools in year 2000.

Casi said the study interviewed 266 respondents including deans, academic heads and IT heads of schools offering ICT courses. Most of the respondents (76%) are holding teaching positions in Metro Manila, seven percent came from Balance Luzon, 10 percent from the Visayas and seven percent from Mindanao.

Casiño said that while majority of ICT graduates took up full ICT courses for school year 2007-2008, "there is also an increasing number of students who are taking up vocational and certificate courses that are ICT related."

She said that of the 30,053 ICT graduates in the respondent schools, 19,788 finished full four-year ICT courses; 9,550 finished vocational courses and 715 finished certificate courses. In 2007, the respondent schools had 18,687 full, 7,122 vocational and 620 ICT certificate graduates.

Casiño said the top courses offered in the respondent schools are Computer & Information System (40%), Programming & Application Development (40%) and Network Design & Administration (38%).

Casiño said a separate study among technology driven companies showed that the country is producing more full ICT graduates than the industry demands. She said the study showed that most IT jobs available locally can be easily filled by ICT vocational course graduates.

She said the study also showed that ICT schools "are doing a very good job in providing technical knowledge for its graduates but fail to help them develop business skills."

"This means that the quality of graduates is quite fine for entry level ICT posts as most of the graduates have high technical inclination but quite weak business sense," she said.

She said that to address this weakness, schools and the ICT industry should forge partnerships for a more relevant curriculum design and pave the way for appropriate placement of graduates in IT companies.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

IT313 - Assignment

Which of the following File Organization Types is best when it comes to storage?

A. Sequential
B. Relative
C. Indexed

Answer this in not less than 10 sentences.

Due on May 7, 2008

MILLION-EURO CELL PHONE!

Earlier this month Guinness World Records was at the three-day Millionaire’s Fair in Cannes, France to certify the sale of the Most Expensive Cell Phone in the world - ‘Le Million’ Piece Unique which was bought by a Russian businessman for his wife for 1 million Euros ($1.2 million)!

Created by GoldVish SA, a Geneva based luxury communication goods company, the cell phone is made of 18-carat white gold, mounted with 120-carats of VVS-1 graded diamonds and equipped with the latest in mobile technology. It was designed by Emmanuel Gueit and made as an addition to the ‘Illusion collection’. ‘Le Million’ Piece Unique is a limited edition item and is only available on special request.

Michel Morren, CEO of GoldVish said: ‘The introduction of the GoldVish luxury cell phone collection in Europe in Cannes was a great success, I am excited with the worldwide reception and look forward to attending the Millionaire’s Fair in Moscow next October’. The annual Millionaire’s Fair was held from September 1-3 2006 and exhibited a range of high class luxury goods such as private jets, jacuzzis and cars.

Check out the Million-Euro Cell Phone and other products from GoldVish at
www.goldvish.com

Yahoo fast-tracking RP office, Microsoft bid notwithstanding

By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:10:00 05/02/2008

MAKATI CITY, Philippines -- Yahoo! has accelerated plans to put up an office in the Philippines, targeting its completion this month or in June, an executive told INQUIRER.net on Friday.

Yahoo! Southeast Asian executives disclosed plans early this year to set up an office in the country due to encouraging Internet growth in the country.

"We're accelerating it. It has nothing to do with the dynamics in the industry," said Jojo Anonuevo, general manager for the Philippine operations of Yahoo!, in an interview here, as he hinted on Microsoft's offer to buy the Internet company.

"We're laser-focused here in Southeast Asia. What we're doing here will add value. What's happening there is not distracting us. But we know it's there," he added.

Yahoo! is now working on improving the Internet experience of a growing number of Filipino users here and abroad, he said. The Internet giant is working on deploying caching technology to improve the network traffic coming from local users. Currently, local users accessing content from Yahoo! are routed to the United States or Singapore, and back to the Philippines.

Anonuevo said they have recently seen a spike in traffic to their Philippine homepage, with more than 50 percent coming from Filipinos abroad.

Yahoo! is still on a hiring mode, looking for people to fill technical, marketing and sales positions for the Philippine office. Yahoo! is also looking for some local creative skills to help enhance its Internet services.

Meanwhile, the company has recently signed up big advertising deals, including one with Procter & Gamble and a government agency, Anonuevo said. Yahoo! has also signed up more local content partners.

"The digital marketing industry is poised for growth in the Philippines. If we spend more effort, we can accelerate our traffic," the executive said.

Yahoo! intends to have a dozen people working for the local office, but the numbers might increase, added Anonuevo.

Citing industry figures, Anonuevo said that the Philippines has about 22 million Internet users to date, with growth rates of about 30 percent a year.

Anonuevo left his regional job to take on a new role in the Philippines to help further build the Yahoo! brand and business in the country.

Yahoo! has also appointed Cris Concepcion, the new strategic consultant of Yahoo Southeast Asia, to help Anonuevo.

What is Spyware?

Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet; however, it should be noted that the majority of shareware and freeware applications do not come with spyware. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.

Spyware is similar to a Trojan horse in that users unwittingly install the product when they install something else. A common way to become a victim of spyware is to download certain peer-to-peer file swapping products that are available today.

Aside from the questions of ethics and privacy, spyware steals from the user by using the computer's memory resources and also by eating bandwidth as it sends information back to the spyware's home base via the user's Internet connection. Because spywar

e is using memory and system resources, the applications running in the background can lead to system crashes or general system instability.

Because spyware exists as independent executable programs, they have the ability to monitor keystrokes, scan files on the hard drive, snoop other applications, such as chat programs or word processors, install other spyware programs, read cookies, change the default home page on the Web browser, consistently relaying this information back to the spyware author who will either use it for advertising/marketing purposes or sell the information to another party.

Licensing agreements that accompany software downloads sometimes warn the user that a spyware program will be installed along with the requested software, but the licensing agreements may not always be read completely because the notice of a spyware installation is often couched in obtuse, hard-to-read legal disclaimers.

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