Would it help if all red light sites were under 1 domain.
http://ping.fm/c7t9N
Pc Clean often updates its blog of IT related news that has caught our attention. The blogs are not my thoughts, but of thoughts of people who study the finer sectors of the IT Circle
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
.XXX Domains help filter family safety???
For some time now, many groups have called for a special .xxx domain that clearly designates pornographic content on the Internet. How easy would it be to simply filter everything in the so-called “Internet Red-Light District?” Now that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has tentatively agreed to create such a top-level domain, don’t go dumping your content filters just yet.
Guess what? It’s just a name. Have you ever been to Amsterdam? It’s an incredibly cool city with rich history, beautiful museums, countless cultures and all of their associated tasty food, easy walks through the canals, friendly people, and a Red Light District that must be seen to be believed. Even if you have no interest in the pot, the prostitutes, or the live sex shows, it’s worth a quick walk through just to say, “Huh…I don’t think I’m in Kansas anymore.” However, coffeeshops selling marijuana and hash can be found throughout Amsterdam. The concentration is highest in the Red Light District, but they certainly exist elsewhere. Same for prostitution. It’s legal and regulated throughout the Netherlands.
The .xxx domain will be no different. According to an article in the New York Times,
…Most…members [of the Free Speech Coalition] planned to continue operating out of their dot-com domains…
In fact, the Times story suggested that only about 10% of the adult sites on the web would adopt a .xxx domain name. It is, after all, just a name. ICANN doesn’t set laws or policies. It simply decides, among other things, what top-level domains are available for registration and to whom. It isn’t in a position to force Hustler to change the domain name for which it has paid.
So here’s what this development boils down to for schools, parents, and anyone else who wants to regulate how much pornography kids see online: nothing. Even some large religious groups opposed the creation of the .xxx domain, suggesting that creation of such a domain would actually encourage online pornography. Interestingly, the city of Amsterdam has moved in recent years to restrict their own Red Light District, citing criminal activity and abuse of the laissez-faire laws in the city. Will the use of the .xxx domain end any differently? Probably not.
This was By Christopher Dawson | June 26, 2010, 9:08pm PDT on www.zdnet.com
Guess what? It’s just a name. Have you ever been to Amsterdam? It’s an incredibly cool city with rich history, beautiful museums, countless cultures and all of their associated tasty food, easy walks through the canals, friendly people, and a Red Light District that must be seen to be believed. Even if you have no interest in the pot, the prostitutes, or the live sex shows, it’s worth a quick walk through just to say, “Huh…I don’t think I’m in Kansas anymore.” However, coffeeshops selling marijuana and hash can be found throughout Amsterdam. The concentration is highest in the Red Light District, but they certainly exist elsewhere. Same for prostitution. It’s legal and regulated throughout the Netherlands.
The .xxx domain will be no different. According to an article in the New York Times,
…Most…members [of the Free Speech Coalition] planned to continue operating out of their dot-com domains…
In fact, the Times story suggested that only about 10% of the adult sites on the web would adopt a .xxx domain name. It is, after all, just a name. ICANN doesn’t set laws or policies. It simply decides, among other things, what top-level domains are available for registration and to whom. It isn’t in a position to force Hustler to change the domain name for which it has paid.
So here’s what this development boils down to for schools, parents, and anyone else who wants to regulate how much pornography kids see online: nothing. Even some large religious groups opposed the creation of the .xxx domain, suggesting that creation of such a domain would actually encourage online pornography. Interestingly, the city of Amsterdam has moved in recent years to restrict their own Red Light District, citing criminal activity and abuse of the laissez-faire laws in the city. Will the use of the .xxx domain end any differently? Probably not.
This was By Christopher Dawson | June 26, 2010, 9:08pm PDT on www.zdnet.com
Monday, June 28, 2010
iPhone supplier has major suicide issues
Foxconn hands over suicide worker dormitories
Company argues suicides not work-related
Lifestyle Tech | 28 Jun 2010 :
Electronics maker Foxconn, under fire for its working practices after a string of worker suicides, will sign over management of staff dormitories at its complexes in Shenzhen, China, to other companies.
Ten suicides this year at the sprawling manufacturing base has brought intense scrutiny of Taiwan's Hon Hai, the owner of Foxconn, which makes the iPhone and other products for Apple and also counts Dell and Hewlett-Packard among its clients.
Hon Hai had said at its shareholder meeting earlier this month that it would look for others to manage the dormitories, which house the some 450,000 mostly migrant workers from China's poorer hinterlands that work at the plants.
Foxconn said it had agreed with two companies - Shenzhen CPM Property Management and Kaiyuan Property Management - to hand over management of 153 employee dormitories.
"Providing employees with basic necessities including a safe and convenient place to live at the work-site might have been sufficient in the past, but this arrangement no longer satisfies the needs of the young migrant workers of today," said Terry Cheng, Foxconn's corporate executive vice-president.
"They also want to have a life in the city in which they work," he said.
The suicides, which the company said were not work-related but which victims' families have blamed on tough conditions, triggered a wave of labour unrest in China as workers sought a better deal.
Company argues suicides not work-related
Lifestyle Tech | 28 Jun 2010 :
Electronics maker Foxconn, under fire for its working practices after a string of worker suicides, will sign over management of staff dormitories at its complexes in Shenzhen, China, to other companies.
Ten suicides this year at the sprawling manufacturing base has brought intense scrutiny of Taiwan's Hon Hai, the owner of Foxconn, which makes the iPhone and other products for Apple and also counts Dell and Hewlett-Packard among its clients.
Hon Hai had said at its shareholder meeting earlier this month that it would look for others to manage the dormitories, which house the some 450,000 mostly migrant workers from China's poorer hinterlands that work at the plants.
Foxconn said it had agreed with two companies - Shenzhen CPM Property Management and Kaiyuan Property Management - to hand over management of 153 employee dormitories.
"Providing employees with basic necessities including a safe and convenient place to live at the work-site might have been sufficient in the past, but this arrangement no longer satisfies the needs of the young migrant workers of today," said Terry Cheng, Foxconn's corporate executive vice-president.
"They also want to have a life in the city in which they work," he said.
The suicides, which the company said were not work-related but which victims' families have blamed on tough conditions, triggered a wave of labour unrest in China as workers sought a better deal.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Over 1.5 Million BB users in Ireland now
Telecoms & Broadband | 18 Jun 2010 :
Communications Minister Eamon Ryan has welcomed the publication of ComReg's latest quarterly report. For the first three months of 2010, total Internet subscriptions stood at 1,615,032, with broadband subscriptions at 1,509,934. This represents an increase of 19% on the same period in 2009.
Speaking from the Shanghai Expo, Minister Ryan said: "When I entered Government, around 600,000 people in Ireland had internet access - now, we have grown to a point where well over 1.5 million people in Ireland now subscribe to a service.
This success is down to progressive policy on the part of Government and significant investment by the private sector. In the last three years almost €1.5 billion of public and private monies has been invested in Irish broadband.
Almost every week, we hear of a new announcement of higher speeds and better services for Irish customers. The Government's National Broadband Scheme will deliver broadband to every part of Ireland by autumn this year, 3 years ahead of the EU target. The cable operator is investing in 100Mb/s speeds, and in the last days, eircom announced that it is trialling speeds of 150Mb/s.
Broadband growth in Ireland continues apace - further schemes, and further investment will only serve to ramp up this success."
http://www.techcentral.ie/article.aspx?id=15196&newsletter=160
Communications Minister Eamon Ryan has welcomed the publication of ComReg's latest quarterly report. For the first three months of 2010, total Internet subscriptions stood at 1,615,032, with broadband subscriptions at 1,509,934. This represents an increase of 19% on the same period in 2009.
Speaking from the Shanghai Expo, Minister Ryan said: "When I entered Government, around 600,000 people in Ireland had internet access - now, we have grown to a point where well over 1.5 million people in Ireland now subscribe to a service.
This success is down to progressive policy on the part of Government and significant investment by the private sector. In the last three years almost €1.5 billion of public and private monies has been invested in Irish broadband.
Almost every week, we hear of a new announcement of higher speeds and better services for Irish customers. The Government's National Broadband Scheme will deliver broadband to every part of Ireland by autumn this year, 3 years ahead of the EU target. The cable operator is investing in 100Mb/s speeds, and in the last days, eircom announced that it is trialling speeds of 150Mb/s.
Broadband growth in Ireland continues apace - further schemes, and further investment will only serve to ramp up this success."
http://www.techcentral.ie/article.aspx?id=15196&newsletter=160
Monday, June 21, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Make your Pc easier to see
Visualize it–5 ways to make your PC
easier to see
Do you find yourself fighting the urge to press your nose against the screen because you can't see text and images clearly?
Maybe you were born finding it hard to see up close, maybe you're just finding it difficult now, or—and, sigh, it's true―as you rack up birthdays, sooner or later you're going to experience some changes in your vision. But changes in your eyesight don’t have to interfere with your ability to see things on your computer.
A screen too far
Make your text larger
No, the text is not getting smaller. But you can make the text and other items―your icons, folders, and mouse pointer―larger. How? By increasing the dots per inch (DPI) scale. If you need to make everything fit on the screen, you can decrease the size of the text, and then use the Magnifier to see the text as you type.
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Increase the size of your icons
You can also quickly make just the icons on your desktop larger and easier to see.
*
Right-click the desktop, point to View, and then click Large Icons, Medium Icons, or Classic Icons. (Classic icons are the smallest size.) .
You can also use the scroll wheel on your mouse to change the size of your desktop icons.
*
On the desktop, press and hold CTRL while you scroll by using the wheel to change the icon size.
Learn more about how to show, hide, or resize icons.
Use the Magnifier
You may have been using Windows for years and not realized there is a built in Magnifier that enlarges part of the screen. You can adjust the Magnifier to zoom in at various levels and focus wherever you want to focus on the screen.
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Magnifier in Windows 7 includes full-screen and lens modes. Full-screen mode lets you magnify your entire screen and follow your mouse pointer. In lens mode, the area around the mouse pointer is magnified. When you move the mouse pointer, the area of the screen that is magnified moves along with it.
Enlarge your mouse pointer
You can change the look of your mouse cursor so it is easier for you to quickly and easily see on-screen. Try selecting a new pointer style, and also try changing the color and size of your mouse pointer.
Windows 7
*
Click the Start button , click Control Panel, and then under Hardware and Sound, click Mouse.
*
Click the Pointers tab, and then do one of the following:
o
To change the look of all of your pointers, in the Scheme list, click a new mouse pointer scheme.
o
To change an individual pointer, in the Customize list, click the pointer you want to change, click Browse, click a pointer, and then click Open.
More ways to change your mouse settings.
Windows Vista
*
Click the Start button , click Control Panel, and then under Hardware and Sound, click Mouse.
*
Click the Pointers tab, and then do one of the following:
o
To change the look of all of your pointers, in the Scheme list, click a new mouse pointer scheme.
o
To change an individual pointer, in the Customize list, click the pointer you want to change, click Browse, click a pointer, and then click Open.
More ways to change your mouse settings.
Improve your screen resolution
Screen resolution refers to the clarity of the text and images on your screen. At higher resolutions, items appear sharper, but they also appear smaller, so more items fit on the screen. At lower resolutions, fewer items fit on the screen, but they are larger and easier to see. Choose a screen resolution that is better for your eyes.
Windows 7
Windows Vista
easier to see
Do you find yourself fighting the urge to press your nose against the screen because you can't see text and images clearly?
Maybe you were born finding it hard to see up close, maybe you're just finding it difficult now, or—and, sigh, it's true―as you rack up birthdays, sooner or later you're going to experience some changes in your vision. But changes in your eyesight don’t have to interfere with your ability to see things on your computer.
A screen too far
Make your text larger
No, the text is not getting smaller. But you can make the text and other items―your icons, folders, and mouse pointer―larger. How? By increasing the dots per inch (DPI) scale. If you need to make everything fit on the screen, you can decrease the size of the text, and then use the Magnifier to see the text as you type.
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Increase the size of your icons
You can also quickly make just the icons on your desktop larger and easier to see.
*
Right-click the desktop, point to View, and then click Large Icons, Medium Icons, or Classic Icons. (Classic icons are the smallest size.) .
You can also use the scroll wheel on your mouse to change the size of your desktop icons.
*
On the desktop, press and hold CTRL while you scroll by using the wheel to change the icon size.
Learn more about how to show, hide, or resize icons.
Use the Magnifier
You may have been using Windows for years and not realized there is a built in Magnifier that enlarges part of the screen. You can adjust the Magnifier to zoom in at various levels and focus wherever you want to focus on the screen.
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Magnifier in Windows 7 includes full-screen and lens modes. Full-screen mode lets you magnify your entire screen and follow your mouse pointer. In lens mode, the area around the mouse pointer is magnified. When you move the mouse pointer, the area of the screen that is magnified moves along with it.
Enlarge your mouse pointer
You can change the look of your mouse cursor so it is easier for you to quickly and easily see on-screen. Try selecting a new pointer style, and also try changing the color and size of your mouse pointer.
Windows 7
*
Click the Start button , click Control Panel, and then under Hardware and Sound, click Mouse.
*
Click the Pointers tab, and then do one of the following:
o
To change the look of all of your pointers, in the Scheme list, click a new mouse pointer scheme.
o
To change an individual pointer, in the Customize list, click the pointer you want to change, click Browse, click a pointer, and then click Open.
More ways to change your mouse settings.
Windows Vista
*
Click the Start button , click Control Panel, and then under Hardware and Sound, click Mouse.
*
Click the Pointers tab, and then do one of the following:
o
To change the look of all of your pointers, in the Scheme list, click a new mouse pointer scheme.
o
To change an individual pointer, in the Customize list, click the pointer you want to change, click Browse, click a pointer, and then click Open.
More ways to change your mouse settings.
Improve your screen resolution
Screen resolution refers to the clarity of the text and images on your screen. At higher resolutions, items appear sharper, but they also appear smaller, so more items fit on the screen. At lower resolutions, fewer items fit on the screen, but they are larger and easier to see. Choose a screen resolution that is better for your eyes.
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Easyjet to test ASH detectors on planes
LONDON – Low-cost airline easyJet PLC unveiled plans Friday to test infrared technology's ability to detect volcanic ash clouds and urged other airlines to help map the ash risk across Europe's skies.
The company said the devices — which are placed on an aircraft's tail fin and can detect ash clouds within 60 miles (100 kilometers) — are the first of their kind, calling them "essentially a weather radar for ash."
The airline is spending 1 million pounds ($1.46 million) developing and testing the technology with aircraft manufacturer Airbus and hopes to roll out the devices in a dozen planes by the end of the year. The devices aim to prevent a repeat of the five-day shutdown of European airspace in April caused by an erupting Icelandic volcano that affected 10 million passengers worldwide.
The AVOID — Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector — technology is designed to work like the weather detection systems already in use for spotting thunderstorms. A lightweight infrared device would provide images to the pilots and an airline's flight control center, enabling pilots to see an ash cloud at altitudes between 5,000 and 50,000 feet (1,524 to 15,240 meters) high.
"This pioneering technology is the silver bullet that will make large-scale ash disruption history," easyJet CEO Andy Harrison told reporters.
However, use of the devices will need approval from regulators across Europe and industrywide adoption to have a significant effect.
Jeremie Teahan, a spokesman for the European Aviation Safety Agency, said the regulator welcomed "applications to certify any equipment that has the potential to increase flight safety" but noted that one had not yet been received from easyJet.
Other airlines were noncommittal.
Virgin Atlantic Airways said it "welcomes the testing of any technology that could play a role, when proven and certified, in preventing a repeat of the unnecessary blanket closures of U.K. airspace." In a similar statement, British Airways PLC said it would await test results.
Justin Dubon, a spokesman for the Toulouse, France-based Airbus, said his company has no plans beyond its initial testing with easyJet — the airline is using an Airbus A340 test plane for a trial within the next couple of months before rolling the device out for wider testing on its own aircraft.
Dubon said it was up to easyJet how the device is eventually sold to other airlines and Airbus had no plans to include it on all their jets.
Harrison said the airline hadn't worked out the commercial details, but intended to share the technology, which was developed by a senior scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research.
"What we don't want to do is to gain a commercial advantage over other airlines so we can fly and they can't," Harrison said. "This is a huge leap forward and the best thing is to get this technology on hundreds of planes operated by a number of airlines."
The unprecedented closure of European airspace in April caused losses of more than euro2.5 billion ($3.3 billion) to airlines and other related businesses.
Airlines have blamed European regulators, saying they overreacted and have demanded that internationally recognized standards of ash contamination be set.
EasyJet, which lost up to 75 million pounds ($109 million) due to the airspace closures, is one of a number of airlines seeking compensation from European governments.
Andrew Haines, the chief executive of Britain's Civil Aviation Authority, defended the decision to close airspaces, saying aircraft manufacturers did not provide any information about what was a safe level of ash.
Few doubt that flying directly into an ash cloud could disable an aircraft. But it remains unclear whether the abrasive particles present a hazard to the jets outside the immediate area of the volcanic plume.
Haines welcomed easyJet's testing of new technology.
"I very much hope this is a sign that the industry is going to play its part ... rather than pretending the risk doesn't exist," he said.
Fred Prata, the scientist behind the devices, has been developing the technology for some 20 years, carrying out tests near erupting volcanoes.
Still, some scientists expressed skepticism about the new technology.
Colin Brown, director of engineering at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in London, that while experts welcomed efforts to gather data, the new technology "should not be seen as a silver bullet that will allow unlimited flying."
"It is not the pilot who directs the plane but the air traffic control staff, and thus evasive action may well be slower and less effective in order to maintain that control," he said.
___
AP reporters Greg Keller in Paris, Danica Kirka in London and Sloboban Lekic in Brussels contributed to this report.
The company said the devices — which are placed on an aircraft's tail fin and can detect ash clouds within 60 miles (100 kilometers) — are the first of their kind, calling them "essentially a weather radar for ash."
The airline is spending 1 million pounds ($1.46 million) developing and testing the technology with aircraft manufacturer Airbus and hopes to roll out the devices in a dozen planes by the end of the year. The devices aim to prevent a repeat of the five-day shutdown of European airspace in April caused by an erupting Icelandic volcano that affected 10 million passengers worldwide.
The AVOID — Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector — technology is designed to work like the weather detection systems already in use for spotting thunderstorms. A lightweight infrared device would provide images to the pilots and an airline's flight control center, enabling pilots to see an ash cloud at altitudes between 5,000 and 50,000 feet (1,524 to 15,240 meters) high.
"This pioneering technology is the silver bullet that will make large-scale ash disruption history," easyJet CEO Andy Harrison told reporters.
However, use of the devices will need approval from regulators across Europe and industrywide adoption to have a significant effect.
Jeremie Teahan, a spokesman for the European Aviation Safety Agency, said the regulator welcomed "applications to certify any equipment that has the potential to increase flight safety" but noted that one had not yet been received from easyJet.
Other airlines were noncommittal.
Virgin Atlantic Airways said it "welcomes the testing of any technology that could play a role, when proven and certified, in preventing a repeat of the unnecessary blanket closures of U.K. airspace." In a similar statement, British Airways PLC said it would await test results.
Justin Dubon, a spokesman for the Toulouse, France-based Airbus, said his company has no plans beyond its initial testing with easyJet — the airline is using an Airbus A340 test plane for a trial within the next couple of months before rolling the device out for wider testing on its own aircraft.
Dubon said it was up to easyJet how the device is eventually sold to other airlines and Airbus had no plans to include it on all their jets.
Harrison said the airline hadn't worked out the commercial details, but intended to share the technology, which was developed by a senior scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research.
"What we don't want to do is to gain a commercial advantage over other airlines so we can fly and they can't," Harrison said. "This is a huge leap forward and the best thing is to get this technology on hundreds of planes operated by a number of airlines."
The unprecedented closure of European airspace in April caused losses of more than euro2.5 billion ($3.3 billion) to airlines and other related businesses.
Airlines have blamed European regulators, saying they overreacted and have demanded that internationally recognized standards of ash contamination be set.
EasyJet, which lost up to 75 million pounds ($109 million) due to the airspace closures, is one of a number of airlines seeking compensation from European governments.
Andrew Haines, the chief executive of Britain's Civil Aviation Authority, defended the decision to close airspaces, saying aircraft manufacturers did not provide any information about what was a safe level of ash.
Few doubt that flying directly into an ash cloud could disable an aircraft. But it remains unclear whether the abrasive particles present a hazard to the jets outside the immediate area of the volcanic plume.
Haines welcomed easyJet's testing of new technology.
"I very much hope this is a sign that the industry is going to play its part ... rather than pretending the risk doesn't exist," he said.
Fred Prata, the scientist behind the devices, has been developing the technology for some 20 years, carrying out tests near erupting volcanoes.
Still, some scientists expressed skepticism about the new technology.
Colin Brown, director of engineering at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in London, that while experts welcomed efforts to gather data, the new technology "should not be seen as a silver bullet that will allow unlimited flying."
"It is not the pilot who directs the plane but the air traffic control staff, and thus evasive action may well be slower and less effective in order to maintain that control," he said.
___
AP reporters Greg Keller in Paris, Danica Kirka in London and Sloboban Lekic in Brussels contributed to this report.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Great day up in the Merrion Hotel today at the SID Launch. Great reaction and INTEReaction!!
http://ping.fm/Evr5G
http://ping.fm/Evr5G
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Woman Sues Google for Bad Directions
A Utah woman walked into the middle of a highway and was hit by a car. She's suing Google because she wasn't smart enough to use her Blackberry in conjunction with her brain.
http://ping.fm/dXJj2
A Utah woman walked into the middle of a highway and was hit by a car. She's suing Google because she wasn't smart enough to use her Blackberry in conjunction with her brain.
http://ping.fm/dXJj2
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