Thursday, September 30, 2010
Computer ethics
Computer Ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct [1]. Since the 1990s the field has started being integrated into professional development programs in academic settings. The conceptual foundations of computer ethics are investigated by information ethics, a branch of philosophical ethics established by Luciano Floridi. The term computer ethics was first coined by Dr. Walter Maner, a professor at Bowling Green State University. Computer ethics is a very important topic in computer applications.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_ethics
N Computing
vSpace Desktop Virtualization Software
The NComputing vSpace desktop virtualization software enables organizations to optimize virtual desktop deployments by providing multiple end-users simultaneous access to a single operating system instance of either Windows or Linux. learn more
Access Devices
The NComputing access devices are inexpensive, small, low-power, reliable, durable boxes. On one side they plug into the user's peripherals (such as the keyboard, monitor and mouse). On the other side, they connect, either directly or via Ethernet, to a centralized server that hosts each virtual desktop. The following is a brief overview of our Ethernet connect and direct connect access devices.Ethernet Connect
L-SERIES (Ethernet)
The NComputing solution separates a desktop PC environment from a physical machine to create a client-server computing model. That is, a user's desktop is hosted remotely and accessed via a access device over the network. A user no longer has a physical PC. The following is a brief overview of the NComputing offering. learn more
Direct Connect
U-SERIES (USB)
The revolutionary new U-series are the simplest of all to connect, because they simply plug into standard USB ports. There are no network switches to buy and no PCI cards to install. For small installations the NComputing U-series are the simplest and quickest to install. Learn more about the U-series. learn more
X-SERIES (PCI card)
The NComputing X-series connects through a PCI card installed into the shared PC. This direct connection doesn't use a network, so multimedia performance is superb. Ideal when the users are in the same room as the shared computer. Learn more about the X-series. learn more
SOURCE: http://www.ncomputing.com/products-overview
Monday, September 27, 2010
Residents flee homes as Wis. levee starts to fail
PORTAGE, Wis. – Some residents in the central Wisconsin town of Portage fled their homes after a levee started to fail, sending water from the rain-swollen Wisconsin River onto a major roadway in one neighborhood and threatening to leave some people stranded in their houses.
It wasn't clear how many of the roughly 300 residents remained in the Blackhawk Park area after the only road into and out of the neighborhood was closed. Officials said part of the levee south of Highway 33 had eroded Sunday and water was leaking out, although the levee had not completely collapsed.
Kathy Matavka said she was taken from her home by boat after she received a second call urging her to evacuate.
"If I didn't sit there and take the boat, I would be stuck. I would not be able to get groceries. I would not be able to get medications I need to take," Matavka told WISC-TV in Madison.
The levee is part of the Caledonia-Lewiston Levee System — several dikes built mainly out of sand during the 1890s by homeowners living near the river, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Kevin Remus told the Portage Daily Register that he and his wife decided to leave their home with their 17-month-old daughter because they were concerned about being cut off from the outside word. Their house wasn't likely to flood because it's on a hill, but the access road was already covered in 6 inches of water by the time the family was ready to leave.
His wife, Lindsay, said the family planned to stay in a motel for a few days.
"It's kind of a feeling of hopelessness," she said. "The water is out of control."
The Wisconsin River is swollen from thunderstorms last week that dumped several inches of rain in southern Minnesota and central Wisconsin.
The Columbia County Emergency Management Office warned residents in the Blackhawk Park area that emergency vehicles, including police, fire and ambulances, would not be able to reach those who stayed behind.
"The residents down there are used to having high water and dealing with high water a lot but this could be something that they've never seen, with this amount of water," said Kathy Johnson, deputy director of the Columbia County Emergency Management Office.
Johnson said those who evacuated might be out of their homes for up to a week, and the Red Cross opened a shelter at a local church.
Elsewhere, in the small South Dakota town of Renner, just north of Sioux Falls, thousands of sandbags were being filled to deal with any unexpected rise of the Big Sioux River.
The National Weather Service expects the river to crest Monday morning about 4 feet over flood stage.
The Big Sioux River has been running high all summer. Heavy rain last week pushed the river over its banks from Brookings south to Sioux Falls.
In Minnesota, residents of Zumbro Falls and Hammond — two of the cities hardest-hit by flooding from last week's heavy rains — got a chance to briefly go to their homes to fetch medications or other essentials. It was the first look many had of the damage.
It wasn't clear how many of the roughly 300 residents remained in the Blackhawk Park area after the only road into and out of the neighborhood was closed. Officials said part of the levee south of Highway 33 had eroded Sunday and water was leaking out, although the levee had not completely collapsed.
Kathy Matavka said she was taken from her home by boat after she received a second call urging her to evacuate.
"If I didn't sit there and take the boat, I would be stuck. I would not be able to get groceries. I would not be able to get medications I need to take," Matavka told WISC-TV in Madison.
The levee is part of the Caledonia-Lewiston Levee System — several dikes built mainly out of sand during the 1890s by homeowners living near the river, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Kevin Remus told the Portage Daily Register that he and his wife decided to leave their home with their 17-month-old daughter because they were concerned about being cut off from the outside word. Their house wasn't likely to flood because it's on a hill, but the access road was already covered in 6 inches of water by the time the family was ready to leave.
His wife, Lindsay, said the family planned to stay in a motel for a few days.
"It's kind of a feeling of hopelessness," she said. "The water is out of control."
The Wisconsin River is swollen from thunderstorms last week that dumped several inches of rain in southern Minnesota and central Wisconsin.
The Columbia County Emergency Management Office warned residents in the Blackhawk Park area that emergency vehicles, including police, fire and ambulances, would not be able to reach those who stayed behind.
"The residents down there are used to having high water and dealing with high water a lot but this could be something that they've never seen, with this amount of water," said Kathy Johnson, deputy director of the Columbia County Emergency Management Office.
Johnson said those who evacuated might be out of their homes for up to a week, and the Red Cross opened a shelter at a local church.
Elsewhere, in the small South Dakota town of Renner, just north of Sioux Falls, thousands of sandbags were being filled to deal with any unexpected rise of the Big Sioux River.
The National Weather Service expects the river to crest Monday morning about 4 feet over flood stage.
The Big Sioux River has been running high all summer. Heavy rain last week pushed the river over its banks from Brookings south to Sioux Falls.
In Minnesota, residents of Zumbro Falls and Hammond — two of the cities hardest-hit by flooding from last week's heavy rains — got a chance to briefly go to their homes to fetch medications or other essentials. It was the first look many had of the damage.
Horror Movies 2010 – Guide
It’s time to look at the potentially great horror movies of 2010. The line-up features the usual mix of sequels (Resident Evil: Afterlife), remakes (A Nightmare On Elm Street), sequels to remakes (Friday The 13th: Part 2), and original fare (Daybreakers). Japanese horror and torture porn have gone. Big name old school slashers are back in business, as are cheesy 80′s remakes, and 3-D. But overall the horror movie genre is still in flux, waiting for the next big trend.
So here’s Movie-Moron’s definitive guide to the best new horror movies, 2010:
- JANUARY -
Case 39
Release Date:1 January 2010 pushed to 1 October 2010
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Ian McShane, Jodelle Ferland
Director: Christian Alvart
A social worker (Zellweger) takes in a troubled 10 year old after her parents try to kill her, only to discover the girl may not be an innocent as she seems. The movie has been sitting on the shelf for two years. Expect it to please no one.
Daybreakers
Release Date: 8 January 2010
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill
Directors: Peter and Michael Spierig
In 2017 a plague transforms most of the world into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the vampires farm the remaining humans and look for a new system to continue their existence. Meanwhile a secret team of vampires, including Ethan Hawke, uncovers a way to rescue the human race. While this is from the directors of the not-particularly-impressive Undead, Daybreakers does star three of the most underrated actors around and early reviews are very good.
Legion
Release Date: 22 January 2010
Starring: Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson
Director: Scott Stewart
And lo the battle between the angels and mankind will be decided at a truck stop diner. So said the Bible, somewhere. In the midst of a terrifying biblical apocalypse, a group of strangers unwittingly become humanity’s last line of defence when they discover the diner’s young waitress is pregnant with the messiah. Paul Bettany plays an angel who’s come down to give them an assist. Sounds like the Christian version of The Terminator, with Bettany in the Kyle Reese role. Dennis Quaid’s in there somewhere too with his magical touch of mediocrity.
- FEBRUARY -
Psych: 9
Release Date:5 February 2010 7 May 2010 (UK), TBA Late 2010 (US)
Starring: Sara Foster, Cary Elwes, Michael Biehn, Gabriel Mann
Director: Andrew Shortell
Whodunit horror-thriller about an unstable woman working alone in a recently closed hospital, while the ‘NightHawk’ serial killer embarks on a murder spree in the surrounding area. Cary Elwes plays a sympathetic doctor, Michael Biehn the investigator on the case. Elwes is always good value and why Biehn never became a Hollywood star is one of the biggest mysteries of the 20th century.
The Wolfman
Release Date: 12 February 2010
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Art Malik, Hugo Weaving
Director: Joe Johnston
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
The Wolfman got rid of its original director at the last minute (One Hour Photo’s excellent Mark Romanek) and replaced him with the bland Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III). The fact that the release date has been pushed back so many times, and that it recently hired a new editor, is not a good sign at all. But it has a strong cast, a screenwriter capable of greatness, and make-up effects by the maestro Rick Baker, so hopefully it will surprise us. And it’s set in the 1880s, which is a brave choice.
The Crazies
Release Date: 26 February 2010
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell
Director: Breck Eisner
In this remake of George Romero’s 1973 chiller, a plane crash spills a biological weapon into the water supply of a small Kansas town, causing the inhabitants to turn murderously insane. Imagine a small town version of 28 Days Later. Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell are capable actors, but can the director of Sahara do horror?
So here’s Movie-Moron’s definitive guide to the best new horror movies, 2010:
Case 39
Release Date:
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Ian McShane, Jodelle Ferland
Director: Christian Alvart
A social worker (Zellweger) takes in a troubled 10 year old after her parents try to kill her, only to discover the girl may not be an innocent as she seems. The movie has been sitting on the shelf for two years. Expect it to please no one.
Daybreakers
Release Date: 8 January 2010
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill
Directors: Peter and Michael Spierig
In 2017 a plague transforms most of the world into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the vampires farm the remaining humans and look for a new system to continue their existence. Meanwhile a secret team of vampires, including Ethan Hawke, uncovers a way to rescue the human race. While this is from the directors of the not-particularly-impressive Undead, Daybreakers does star three of the most underrated actors around and early reviews are very good.
Legion
Release Date: 22 January 2010
Starring: Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson
Director: Scott Stewart
And lo the battle between the angels and mankind will be decided at a truck stop diner. So said the Bible, somewhere. In the midst of a terrifying biblical apocalypse, a group of strangers unwittingly become humanity’s last line of defence when they discover the diner’s young waitress is pregnant with the messiah. Paul Bettany plays an angel who’s come down to give them an assist. Sounds like the Christian version of The Terminator, with Bettany in the Kyle Reese role. Dennis Quaid’s in there somewhere too with his magical touch of mediocrity.
Psych: 9
Release Date:
Starring: Sara Foster, Cary Elwes, Michael Biehn, Gabriel Mann
Director: Andrew Shortell
Whodunit horror-thriller about an unstable woman working alone in a recently closed hospital, while the ‘NightHawk’ serial killer embarks on a murder spree in the surrounding area. Cary Elwes plays a sympathetic doctor, Michael Biehn the investigator on the case. Elwes is always good value and why Biehn never became a Hollywood star is one of the biggest mysteries of the 20th century.
The Wolfman
Release Date: 12 February 2010
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Art Malik, Hugo Weaving
Director: Joe Johnston
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
The Wolfman got rid of its original director at the last minute (One Hour Photo’s excellent Mark Romanek) and replaced him with the bland Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III). The fact that the release date has been pushed back so many times, and that it recently hired a new editor, is not a good sign at all. But it has a strong cast, a screenwriter capable of greatness, and make-up effects by the maestro Rick Baker, so hopefully it will surprise us. And it’s set in the 1880s, which is a brave choice.
The Crazies
Release Date: 26 February 2010
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell
Director: Breck Eisner
In this remake of George Romero’s 1973 chiller, a plane crash spills a biological weapon into the water supply of a small Kansas town, causing the inhabitants to turn murderously insane. Imagine a small town version of 28 Days Later. Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell are capable actors, but can the director of Sahara do horror?
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand, like the electricity grid.
Cloud computing is a paradigm shift following the shift from mainframe to client–server in the early 1980s. Details are abstracted from the users, who no longer have need for expertise in, or control over, the technology infrastructure "in the cloud" that supports them.[1] Cloud computing describes a new supplement, consumption, and delivery model for IT services based on the Internet, and it typically involves over-the-Internet provision of dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources.[2][3] It is a byproduct and consequence of the ease-of-access to remote computing sites provided by the Internet.[4] This frequently takes the form of web-based tools or applications that users can access and use through a web browser as if it were a program installed locally on their own computer.[5] NIST provides a somewhat more objective and specific definition here.[6] The term "cloud" is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on the cloud drawing used in the past to represent the telephone network,[7] and later to depict the Internet in computer network diagrams as an abstraction of the underlying infrastructure it represents.[8] Typical cloud computing providers deliver common business applications online that are accessed from another Web service or software like a Web browser, while the software and data are stored on servers. A key element of cloud computing is customization and the creation of a user-defined experience.
Most cloud computing infrastructures consist of services delivered through common centers and built on servers. Clouds often appear as single points of access for all consumers' computing needs. Commercial offerings are generally expected to meet quality of service (QoS) requirements of customers, and typically include service level agreements (SLAs).[9] The major cloud service providers include Microsoft,[10] IBM,[11] Salesforce, Amazon and Google.[12][13]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cloud computing is a paradigm shift following the shift from mainframe to client–server in the early 1980s. Details are abstracted from the users, who no longer have need for expertise in, or control over, the technology infrastructure "in the cloud" that supports them.[1] Cloud computing describes a new supplement, consumption, and delivery model for IT services based on the Internet, and it typically involves over-the-Internet provision of dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources.[2][3] It is a byproduct and consequence of the ease-of-access to remote computing sites provided by the Internet.[4] This frequently takes the form of web-based tools or applications that users can access and use through a web browser as if it were a program installed locally on their own computer.[5] NIST provides a somewhat more objective and specific definition here.[6] The term "cloud" is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on the cloud drawing used in the past to represent the telephone network,[7] and later to depict the Internet in computer network diagrams as an abstraction of the underlying infrastructure it represents.[8] Typical cloud computing providers deliver common business applications online that are accessed from another Web service or software like a Web browser, while the software and data are stored on servers. A key element of cloud computing is customization and the creation of a user-defined experience.
Most cloud computing infrastructures consist of services delivered through common centers and built on servers. Clouds often appear as single points of access for all consumers' computing needs. Commercial offerings are generally expected to meet quality of service (QoS) requirements of customers, and typically include service level agreements (SLAs).[9] The major cloud service providers include Microsoft,[10] IBM,[11] Salesforce, Amazon and Google.[12][13]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saturday, September 25, 2010
5 reasons why Ateneo will three-peat
By UAAP News Admin on 9/25/2010 12:07:04 PM
By Anthony Divinagracia
Jokes are half-meant. So when Far Eastern University (FEU) coach Glenn Capacio engaged in healthy ribbing with fellow mentors and media men to officially kick-start the Season 73 basketball wars, the contrasting wisdom of his jesty remark said it all.
“We won’t let Ateneo score a three-peat,” Capacio quipped before a fleeting horde of well-wishers that cunningly darted a mild yet serious threat to the hardcourt reign of defending champion Ateneo de Manila University.
The Tamaraws for all intents and purposes have proven their clout against the Eagles back in the eliminations. But the Finals remain a thriving nest of power for Ateneo since 2008.
On that note alone, let us examine the five Cs that make the Eagles a looming three-peat wonder against the imposing challenge posed by the hungry Tamaraws.
Crowd. Lawrence Chongson refers to it as the “machinery”, Franz Pumaren describes it as “mammoth”, and Pido Jarencio calls it “barangay”. Whatever the label may be, the Sixth Man from Loyola Heights has been a notorious harbinger of distraction among Ateneo’s Finals opponents for the three seasons it made the Last Dance. On the flip-side of things however, the Ateneo faithful has been a steady source of inspiration for the Eagles especially in gut-check situations where dugout pep-talks become stale if not scarce off the minute huddle.
Coaching. Remember Doug Kramer’s classic last second shot that lifted the Eagles to a heart-stopping 73-72 squeaker over the UST Growling Tigers in Game 1 of the 2006 Finals? Well, credit that miracle play to the crunchtime brilliance of multi-titled coach Norman Black who has been at the Eagles’ helm for six years now. Pitting wits against Black is like facing the psy-war experts of the CIA. What you see is not always what you get. The Black Magic works in mysterious, if not inconceivable ways opposing bench tacticians often pass for coincidence or the proverbial breaks of the game. Truth inciting however, everything under the Black blueprint of Ateneo basketball success for two years now is calculated and systematically drawn.
With all due respect to Capacio, Black has fought the grander tactical battles which make him at times larger than life and in effect an undesirable customer of failure for two years now. Add to that his armada of assistants that include among others Jamike Jarin of the Eaglets’ three-peat fame, and former Eagles head coach Sandy Arespacochaga and you have a well-armed think tank ready for sideline warfare.
Court Generals. Eric Salamat, Kirk Long, and Emman Monfort. What do these guys share in common aside from donning the blue-and-white? They are all offensive machines and defensive wrenches inhabiting Norman Black’s coaching hardware. All can set the plays, hit the three, penetrate, find the open man and strip ball-handlers off their focus. Plus, the veteran troika is among the battle-tested Eagles who have soared in championship flight with Ateneo for the last two years. FEU may have a consistent 1-2 punch in RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo but the Tamaraws’ backcourt duo are more of a scoring couple than a defensive tandem, which makes a Salamat or Long isolation against their one-on-one guarding disadvantageous for the Season MVP and Rookie of the Year. Perhaps that’s the time Capacio brings in Jens Knuttel and Ping Exciminiano to fill the defensive slack. Composure. Ateneo is the kind of team that’s good at breaking the law of averages – most of the time. Late-game comebacks seldom prevail over Ateneo’s vaunted poise and resiliency. The Eagles’ four losses in the elimination against 10 wins extracted mostly from the jaws of defeat attest to this glaring fact.
Championship Experience. Kidding aside…this says it all
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Manila hostage crisis
The Manila hostage crisis occurred when a dismissed Philippine National Police officer took over a tour bus in Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines on August 23, 2010. Disgruntled former senior inspector Rolando Mendoza, from the Manila Police District (MPD) hijacked a tour bus carrying 25 people (20 tourists and also a tour guide, all from Hong Kong, and four Filipinos) in an attempt to get his job back.[3] He said that he was summarily dismissed without the opportunity to properly defend himself, and that all he wanted was a fair hearing.[4]
After about ten hours into the siege, the Filipino bus driver was able to get out of the bus by falling through the driver's bus window and was shown on television saying "patay na lahat (everyone is dead)" before being whisked away by police.[5][6] The ensuing rescue assault mounted by the MPD and resulting shoot-out was watched by millions on live television news and took around 90 minutes.[7] At the end, eight of the hostages and Mendoza were dead and nine other people were injured. The Hong Kong Government soon after issued a top-level "black" travel alert for the Philippines.[8] The assault on the tour bus to rescue the hostages was widely regarded by pundits at home and abroad as "bungled" and "incompetent"; the Philippine government also admitted that errors had been made and promised a thorough investigation, which they would report to the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong SAR governments.
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_hostage_crisis
After about ten hours into the siege, the Filipino bus driver was able to get out of the bus by falling through the driver's bus window and was shown on television saying "patay na lahat (everyone is dead)" before being whisked away by police.[5][6] The ensuing rescue assault mounted by the MPD and resulting shoot-out was watched by millions on live television news and took around 90 minutes.[7] At the end, eight of the hostages and Mendoza were dead and nine other people were injured. The Hong Kong Government soon after issued a top-level "black" travel alert for the Philippines.[8] The assault on the tour bus to rescue the hostages was widely regarded by pundits at home and abroad as "bungled" and "incompetent"; the Philippine government also admitted that errors had been made and promised a thorough investigation, which they would report to the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong SAR governments.
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_hostage_crisis
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