Friday, July 31, 2009

Understanding GSM/GPRS/3G/EDGE/

GSM / GPRS / 3G / EDGE/Wi Fi

It can be confusing trying to understand the differences between the various mobile connectivity options listed in the specifications of smartphones and touted by the mobile networks such as smart, globe , sun and other telco as the best way to connect to the internet. In this guide we will try to summarise these technologies and point out the advantages and disadvantages of each technology.

GSM

GSM (Global system for mobile communications) is the standard by which the vast majority of mobile handsets work in other countries and is becoming dominant in other parts of the world with over 2 billion people currently using the system. When you purchase a mobile or smartphone it is important to understand what frequencies are used by each technology because manufacturers and networks have a tendency to quote these figures with little explanation as to what they mean.

The majority of GSM networks use 900MHz and 1800MHz but in the US the 850MHz and 1900Mhz are prominent. If these are quoted the phone will be classed as a tri-band phone and can be used in Europe, the US and many other territories (provided your SIM is enabled).

Most GSM phones are primarily used for voice but can be used for mobile internet access via the GPRS Core Network.

GPRS

GPRS is a system used to transmit data at speeds of up to 60 kbits per second and is a battery friendly way to send and receive emails and to browse the internet but in these days of broadband connectivity it will be seen as slow by some. To set up GPRS connections on your smartphone you will need to obtain specific information from your mobile provider to input into your phone. Most are happy to provide this information and some manufacturers such as Nokia offer pre-configured files that you can install onto your phone for your network.

GPRS is a tried and tested system and is therefore very reliable for standard mobile data use and will suit people with moderate data needs. Once you have the required settings in place you can use the network whenever you like and it requires no further adjustment as it works in the background of your internet enabled applications.

EDGE

EDGE (Exchanged Data rates for GSM Evolution) is a recent development based on the GPRS system and has been classified as a '3G' standard due to the fact that it can run at up to 473.6 kbits per second. If a smartphone is EDGE compliant it can be used for heavy mobile data transmission such as receiving large email attachments and browsing complex web pages at great speed. To use EDGE cell sites must be modified to accept transmissions of this type so coverage can be patchy in certain areas- it is a technology well worth having built in to any smartphone though.

3G

3G was initially marketed as a way to make video calls on the mobile network but is also a highly efficient way of browsing the internet and communicating on your smartphone using voice over IP and by email and instant messaging. Most UK and some European networks now have 3G networks and with speeds similar to EDGE it is fast becoming a common way to connect while on the road.

In areas where 3G coverage is poor the handset will constantly try to find a 3G signal and this can have a dramatic affect on battery life. Some phones handle constant 3G enablement well but some can have their battery life reduced by up to 50% so it is worth checking that your potential purchase is able to cope with this. At this time though 3G has good coverage and enables high speed internet access from your phone and is fast becoming a standard for mobile connectivity.

HSDPA

HSDPA (High speed Downlink Packet Access) is a technology based on the 3G network which can support speeds of up to 7.2 mbits per second. In reality you will most likely get a top speed of around 3 mbits but this is useful for mobile TV streaming and other high end data transmissions. To use HSDPA your phone must be able to support the technology and of course you will need to be located within range of a cell site that has been upgraded to offer the service.

The key to all of these technologies is to understand what your typical usage will be and which of the above suit your needs. It could also be worth future proofing your needs because well connected devices often cost little more than phones with basic connectivity.

Wi Fi

A way to get Internet access, the term Wi Fi is a play upon the decades-old term HiFi that describes the type of output generated by quality musical hardware, Wi Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity and is used to define any of the wireless technology in the IEEE 802.11 specification - including (but not necessarily limited to) the wireless protocols 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. The Wi-Fi Alliance is the body responsible for promoting the term and its association with various wireless technology standards. A Wi Fi hotspot is defined as any location in which 802.11 (wireless) technology both exists and is available for use to consumers. In some cases the wireless access is free, and in others, wireless carriers charge for Wi Fi usage. Generally, the most common usage of Wi Fi technology is for laptop users to gain Internet access in locations such as airports, coffee shops, and so on, where Wi Fi technology can be used to help consumers in their pursuit of work-based or recreational Internet usage. You must be using a computer or PDA that has Wi Fi connectivity already working. Most portable computers can add Wi Fi using an adapter that plugs into a PC card slot or USB port.
You should be able to sign up with the provider at the location. Many providers will display instructions when browser software opens on a WiFi-enabled computer. If you don't have an account, simply start your computer and make sure your Wi Fi card is plugged on. Then, open a browser.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Paano na kung may facebook noon pa?

Just for fun.
I got this funny page from ate Juliet`s email..It`s alittle bit funny and i think he mean no offence for our heros when he made up this one..It was just for fun..How about friendster account?
Click picture to enlarge...
Facebook ni Rizal

Close up pix
KKK facebook
Facebook ng Katipunero

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Baby Bull Prepares for The Magic Man


Juan "The Baby Bull" Diaz and Paulie "The Magic Man" Malignaggi ham it up at the press conference to announce their upcoming fight.

Former world lightweight champion Juan Diaz is currently in hard training for his fight against Paulie Malignaggi that will take place on Aug. 22 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

It is a crossroads bout featuring the former world lightweight champion in Diaz and a former super lightweight belt-holder in Malignaggi. Both fighters are using the fight to to resurrect themselves after recent losses (Malignaggi to Ricky Hatton and Diaz to Juan Manuel Marquez) but for his part Diaz says he is ready to return.

“I went back to the gym three weeks after the Marquez fight,” said Diaz. “I went and did some light stuff, shadowboxing, running and stuff like that. I feel good. I lost to a fighter that is going to one day be in the hall of fame and if you're in boxing long enough, chances are you'll probably lose at one time or another.”

Diaz, 25, who has a record of 34-2, 17 KOs doesn't seem as though the loss to Marquez, which will be a candidate for the fight of the year, has had much of an effect on him. “The biggest thing hurt on me was my pride,” he says. “I got knocked out for the first time in my career but my spirits are high. I'm not down about it [the loss] because I gave it everything I had. I got caught and that was that. I felt as though I was winning the fight going into the ninth round, but those thing happen in boxing.”


Even though he was battered against Marquez, Diaz was not broken. Here he cracks a smile for the press after suffering his first knockout loss.

In Malignaggi, Diaz will be faced with a savvy, light punching, slickster who will bring a record of 26-2, 5 KOs into the ring. In fact, Malignaggi has only scored one knockout in the past seven years, but Diaz sees strength in his opponent and he looks beyond his paltry knockout number.

“He has a great style, really. He's a great boxer, counter-puncher and he moves around the ring a lot. I see a very awkward fighter,” said Diaz. “They don't consider him a big puncher, but sometimes it's different when you're in the ring. People don't consider me a big puncher either, but I've been in there with the best and I've been able to back them up, so...but the thing about me is that I come ahead and apply pressure and I think that is going to slow him down and I think that will be the key thing in me winning.”

Diaz notes he has stayed in good shape since the Marquez fight which took place in February. He indicated that he doesn't like his weight to get too high and that he does a variety of exercises from swimming to weight-lifting to roadwork even when he doesn't have a fight scheduled. However, one aspect of his game that Diaz says he has been concentrating on is getting hit less.

“I've gone back to the basics in some respects,” he says. “I've been working on my defense and my movement and just trying to become an all-round boxer. But I'm recovered now and I'm ready to get back in the ring.”


July 2009

Junior "The Hitter" Witter Angling for Khan


Junior Witter is now in the USA preparing to win back the green belt of the WBC at 140-pounds.

Junior "The Hitter" Witter left England for the United States last Friday ahead of his big challenge this weekend against Devon Alexander for the vacant WBC super lightweight title. But before he left, Witter dropped a few verbal bombs on fellow
Brits Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton.

Witter, Khan and Hatton all compete in the super lightweight division. Yet try as he might, Witter, the former WBC 140-pound titlist, has never been able to coax Hatton into a ring with him. However, he is hopeful that a fight against Amir Khan could be a possibility and he claims it is a fight that has almost – and likely will – take place.

"I actually think that a fight with Khan is probably going to happen," said Witter, 35, who will bring a record of 37-2-2, 22 KOs into the ring against Alexander. "When the fight against Kotelnik looked like it wasn't going to happen, before it got pushed back to a different date, his people actually approached me about fighting him. The only reason it didn't happen was because of the timing of everything. I had this fight with Alexander already lined up and I didn't have the time to train. I just couldn't fit it in."

Witter said he had the chance to view a portion of Khan's WBA title fight against Kotelnik and what he did see of it impressed him. "He stuck to his game plan which was the one thing I didn't think he would do," said Witter. "He did quite well and he did what he had to do. I thought he would start quickly and then eventually get caught, which of course didn't happen. But I also don't think that Kotelnik performed up to his best."

When asked what he figured would happen should the fight with Khan ever come to fruition, Witter did not hesitate for a second with his answer.

"I'd knock him out in three rounds. I'd cut him down. I'd step across him," said a very confident Witter. "Everybody knows the Prescott fight was a one off. Just because he was caught like that [against Prescott] doesn't mean that I'd catch him like that. I wouldn't try to do it faster than Prescott did, but I would expect to do it within three rounds."

For years, Witter chased fellow Brit Ricky Hatton in an effort to goad him into a fight. But Hatton always sidestepped his verbal advances and when Witter lost his WBC title in a split-decision to Timothy Bradley last year the chance for the Hatton fight seemed to go out the window for good. Witter realizes as much.

"I've washed my hands of a fight with Ricky Hatton," he says. "Realistically, he's not going to fight me. Now the Khan fight, I think that's going to happen. But the fight I really want is the Bradley fight. But I'd fight them all – Bradley, Campbell, Khan, Hatton. "

WBO titlist Bradley is fighting Nate Campbell on the same card as Witter's fight against Alexander. Both 140-pound title fights will be televised in the U.S. on Showtime Championship Boxing from the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, California.


July 2009

Monday, July 27, 2009

Give Gratitude a Chance

By Francis Kong

Trouble. There’s always trouble.

That’s what the work place is all about. You deal with trouble all the time.

Difficult customers, backbiting office mates, unreasonable bosses, fighting fires all the time. Sucks your energy and makes you feel like you are being punished for something you did not do. But pause for a while. Take a deep breadth. And take time to look at it the way business consultant Robert Updegraff sees it. Updegraff says: “You ought to be glad for the troubles on your job because they provide about half your income. If it were not for the things that go wrong, the difficult people with whom you deal, and the problems of your working day, someone could be found to handle your job for half of what you are being paid. So start looking for more troubles. Learn to handle them cheerfully and with good judgment, as opportunities rather than irritations, and you will find yourself getting ahead at a surprising rate. For there are plenty of big jobs waiting for people who are not afraid of troubles.

If you look long enough and hard enough, you will always find something to bellyache about. Some people complain all the time it is as if complaining is their chief purpose in life and they think they can get rewarded by doing it. Maybe… it is because they have not given gratitude a chance.

Gratitude is always an option. The great Bible commentator Mathew Henry inspires us with his words because Henry made gratitude his option. When the famous scholar was robbed and his possessions forcibly removed from him, he wrote this in his diary: “Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because, although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, although they took my all, it was not much and fourthly, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

Gratitude should be your option.

Thankfulness should be your default emotion and pretty soon you will be giving thanks, learning from and growing in character as a result of the problems and challenges of the situation.

So, here is my take on this.

* Somebody backbiting you? You must be doing something right in order for some people to be doing something wrong against you. Be thankful.
* Somebody sending anonymous text messages spreading false lies against you? You must be famous because this is what celebrities and well know personalities eat for breakfast every day. Smile. You’re famous!
* Somebody sending anonymous mail or brown envelopes to important people everywhere containing documents with trump up charges against you? Wow! You must be doing something effective so that some people would go to the length of doing such cowardly things. Be grateful!

You should be grateful you are not the one doing the wrongs against anyone, you are not the one sending text messages and sending mail maligning people.

So chill out. Focus on what you do and let the Eternal One who sees everything and knows everything keep score. Meanwhile, allow trouble and challenges in your life to transform you into a better person. Stronger in character, more compassionate in dealing with erring people and draw closer to God who is your Rock and your Refuge.

Give gratitude a chance and be amazed at what it can do for you!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Juan Manuel Marquez is Silent No More


Veteran fighter Juan Manuel Marquez has become one of the biggest names in the sport and he will be squarely in the spotlight against Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

The big fight is still eight weeks away and the man who was always quiet in the past, now seems to be the one who is talking the loudest. That man is Juan Manuel Marquez and on Sept. 19 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena he will take on trash talker extraordinaire Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. It is one of this year's most eagerly anticipated bouts.

For the majority of his 16-year-long professional boxing career, Marquez has let his opponents do all the talking. He was a man that was seemingly content to let the others shoot their mouths off while he saved his speeches for the ring and communicated with his fists.

But Marquez now carries the sport of professional boxing in Mexico on his shoulders. That honor means he is the man holding the torch that was begrudgingly handed off to him by Julio Cesar Chavez, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. It also means it's time for him to speak his mind.

He'll be 36-years-old by the time he steps into the ring against Mayweather, whom, before he retired, was the #1-ranked pound-for-pound boxer on the planet. So for Marquez, this was as good a time as any to speak now, or forever hold his peace.

“I know, and the Mexican people know, that this will be a tough fight because Mayweather is a great fighter,” Marquez said earlier this week. “But I must tell you something...my dream...my dream is a win. If I win this fight it will be a great opportunity for me and it will make a big impression. If I win this fight it will make an impression around the world and it will very good for me and more importantly for the Mexican people.”


Marquez is a pro's pro and he will be a handful for the returning Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Marquez is currently training under the watchful eye of Nacho Beristain at the Romanza Boxing Gym in Mexico City. The fight with Mayweather is taking place in the welterweight division which is another challenge facing Marquez since he has never fought at a weight above 135-pounds.

“It's okay, the weight is not a problem,” claims Marquez who now speaks fluent English. “I've been running in the mountains of Nevado de Toluca and I feel stronger than ever. My weight is good and my legs feel good. I've been eating lots of tacos, lifting stones and I feel strong.”

Few give Marquez much of a chance to upend Mayweather and it is generally believed that he will be shortchanged against “Money” who is unbeaten at 39-0. Most point to the fact that even though Mayweather will be coming off a nearly two-year long, self-imposed retirement he is still the younger, bigger and overall better man.

But Marquez obviously views his chances - and Mayweather - through a very different prism than do the people who doubt his credentials and his ability.

“People can say what they want and Mayweather can say what he wants, too,” says Marquez. “That doesn't bother me. Come September nineteenth it will be a different story because the time for talking will be over with. In the ring it is very different. Right now I am working my muscles. But in the ring with Mayweather I will use my intelligence, I will use my experience and I will use my skills to beat him.”

For those that discount Marquez' chances it should be remembered that he is a technically proficient fighter that throws textbook style punches and he has the ability to throw combinations with equal effectiveness to the body and head. He has only been decisively beaten once in a 55 fight career and that was by Freddie Norwood in 1999. His other losses were a first round disqualification in his pro debut and disputed decision losses to Chris John and the world's current pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao, whom he also held to a draw.

Marquez is aware that this is the most significant fight of his career. He knows there are those that believe he cannot win. But he also claims that for this fight he has been working harder than ever.

“I wake up at four a.m. and I run forty-five minutes to an hour,” he explains. “Then later in the day, I spend three hours in the gym doing my boxing workout. I don't take the easy way and I don't take vacations from my training. I sacrifice time with my wife and children. You see, I have always wanted to fight the best and when I was offered this fight I took it without thinking for a second. To me, Floyd Mayweather is one of the best, so that is why I wanted to fight him.”

Marquez is on a hot streak of late with two signature knockout wins. He vanquished Cuban Joel Casamayor in September and in February of this year he stopped lightweight titlist Juan Diaz in what will be a candidate for Fight of the Year honors. Those wins have given Marquez, the #2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, a sense in his own mind that now is certainly not the time to leave any stone unturned.

“I'm lifting stones in my training camp,” he says. “I'm concentrating everything on Floyd Mayweather. I know I will be able to compete with him and that's why I'm working very, very hard. I'm preparing myself mentally and physically and I'm leaving it up to my coach, Nacho Beristain, to put together a great game plan so that we can be able to take advantage and beat Floyd. I will show you and I will show the world that now is my time.”

Powerful words from a man that has finally decided to let us know what he really thinks.


July 2009

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Devon Alexander: “We've Been Through it All”


Alexander traveled to China in 2008 and kept his unbeaten record intact with a win over South Korea's Sun-Haeng Lee.

Devon Alexander and his trainer Kevin Cunningham have been together for 15 years. When they first met, Alexander was a 7-year-old kid in the second grade and Cunningham was still a St. Louis police officer. In a little more than a week, the pair will take a shot at their first world title when they meet England's Junior Witter for the vacant WBC 140-pound belt.

“My trainer Kevin Cunningham has been with me since I was seven-years-old,” said Alexander, now 22, who will carry an undefeated 18-0, 11 knockouts record into the ring on Aug. 1st at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, California. “Against Witter, I'm going to do what I do best and take him to the body and then take him to the head.”

Many know Cunningham as the trainer and manager to current IBF 154-pound titlist Cory Spinks, who also once held the championship at 147-pounds. But most are not as familiar with his work as the trainer to Alexander.

“We've been through it all for fifteen years now,” said the likable Alexander of Cunningham. “Here it is now, I'm fighting on the big stage and I really think he's the best. He's the one that started me out. He was a police officer at my elementary school and he started me out in boxing and I've been with him ever since.”

Cunningham thinks just as highly of Alexander and he believes the sky is the limit for his fighter who is ranked #2 by the WBC.

“Devon has a tremendous work ethic,” says Cunningham. “He loves what he does and he eats, sleeps and drinks boxing. And it shows when he gets in the ring because he's extremely talented. He's determined and, you know, he's going to be a great champion.”

The Don King promoted Alexander has opened as the betting favorite over Witter and most observers expect him to prove victorious.

Alexander was a kid that grew up on the disadvantaged streets of the “Gateway City” and Cunningham remembers well how and when it all began. “I opened a gym in St. Louis, north St. Louis, and you know, I opened it in a community with a lot of kids with nothin' to do and I was working as a police officer at an elementary school,” said Cunningham. “I recruited a bunch of kids from the school and Devon was one of them kids. He came in at seven-years-old and we've been together ever since.”

Should Alexander beat Witter, he already has his sights on unifying the titles at 140-pounds. The main event of the Aug. 1st card features an intriguing match between WBO titlist Timothy Bradley and former lightweight champion Nate Campbell and Alexander indicated he has no qualms about facing the winner.

A proud St. Louis native, Alexander is well on the way to boiling himself down to 140-pounds. At the WBC mandated 30 day weigh-in on July 1st, he tipped the scales at 148 pounds, which was well under the 154 he was allowed.


July 2009

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Adamek Likely Headed to Heavyweight Division


Instead of training to come down in weight, Tomasz Adamek will likely move up and fight the big men who reside in the heavyweight division.

Sources claim that IBF cruiserweight belt-holder Tomasz Adamek has likely thrown his final blow as a 200-pounder and will move north to the more lucrative heavyweight division.

There has been some frustration on the part of Adamek, as well as his management and promotional teams, in their inability to secure television dates and a high-profile opponent at cruiserweight. Adamek won the IBF title with a thrilling decision win over Steve Cunningham in December and he followed that with a knockout win over top-contender Johnathon Banks in February.

However, those impressive wins did not translate into future appearances on HBO or Showtime. Executives at both cable networks expressed tepid interest in featuring the Polish champion on their airwaves for the remainder of 2009. Representatives within both organizations indicated they had a limited number of available dates and were not able to make room for Adamek on their schedules.

A bout with former undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins was discussed and preliminary negotiations were entered into between Main Events, Adamek's promoter, and Golden Boy Promotions who represent Hopkins. But the two sides were unable to agree on compensation for the two fighters and Adamek, who was eager to remain active, sat idle for five months.

Adamek was eventually reduced to accepting a stay busy match against 35-year-old clubfighter Bobby Gunn on July 11 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. For Adamek, who resides in Jersey City, it was his third straight appearance at the venue and he has developed into a fan favorite in the area who is capable of attracting enthusiastic crowds. However, the mismatch against Gunn (which Adamek won via 4th round TKO) was not televised and was only available on Internet pay-per-view.



Adamek has expressed a desire to engage in big fights with high-profile opponents. But with a lack of television revenue to round out the promotion it has been nearly impossible to secure the meaningful fights that he covets.

The reasoning behind the move to the division is that it would give Adamek the opportunity to win a world title in a third weight division (he held the WBC light heavyweight title from 2005-2007) and it would likely deliver higher monetary rewards. Adamek's trainer, Andrzej Gmitruk, is agreeable to the move to heavyweight and likes his man's chances to become the first Polish fighter to win titles in three weight divisions.

In March, Don King said that “The Polish Fight of the Century” could take place between Adamek and the King promoted heavyweight Andrew Golota, 41, who underwent surgery in late March to repair bone fragments in his right hand. The Polish heavyweight was also undergoing therapy for a damaged shoulder. When that fight was initially mentioned back in March, a Polish billionaire indicated he would be willing to finance the fight this autumn in Poland. However, sources now indicate that an Adamek-Golota fight, were it to happen, would likely take place in Newark, N.J.

Sources also indicate that Adamek would likely make tentative initial moves into the heavyweight division. A possible name mentioned as a first opponent is Monte Barrett, with a later eye toward the top-ranked Eddie Chambers.


July 2009

Monday, July 20, 2009

Oops andMistakes by Francis Kong

Oops! and Mistakes!

By Francis Kong

One day an extremely upset newspaper subscriber stormed into a newspaper office waving the current edition, asking to see “whoever wrote the obituary column”.

When referred to a young reporter, he stormed, “You can see I’m very much alive, and you’ve put me in the obituary column! I demand a retraction!”

Replied the reporter, “I never retract a story but I tell you what I’ll do. I’ll put you in the birth column and give you a fresh start.”

I certainly have.

Some people will never admit their mistakes and worst, some people will never want to correct their mistakes the proper way.

Have you ever committed mistakes in your life?

You’re probably thinking, “What a stupid question, of course I have.”

Well now that you have admitted you’re committing mistakes from time to time, how do you deal with your mistakes?

Mistakes that offend others, you have to be big and courageous enough to admit your mistake and make amends. But mistakes that you have done to yourself… think through them and learn from them. Mistakes are experiences in life that teach us lessons and make us wiser over time but the key thing here is that we have to learn from them.

When people say, “Experience is the best teacher….” I smile because I know this is not true. Only evaluated experience is the best teacher. As a people, we keep on making the same mistakes year in and year out because we have never taken the time to evaluate the experience, learn from it and resolve to correct it.

Smart people learn from their mistakes. But here is another thing to consider.

Smarter people learn from the mistakes of others.

Somebody says mistakes are mistakes but it’s a question of perspectives and it depends on how you really look at it.

Consider the following:

  • If a barber makes a mistake, it’s a new style…
  • If a driver makes a mistake, it is an accident…
  • If an engineer makes a mistake, It is a new venture…
  • If parents make a mistake, it is a new generation…
  • If a politician makes a mistake, it is a new law…
  • If a scientist makes a mistake, it is a new invention…
  • If a tailor makes a mistake, it is a new fashion…
  • If a teacher makes a mistake, it is a new theory…
  • If our boss makes a mistake, it is our mistake……
  • If an employee makes a mistake, It is a “MISTAKE”

I have committed a lot of mistakes in my life and some of them not very smart but most of them offered lessons I have learned from and has helped me a lot in my life and career today.

Some people cuss and some people curse when they make a mistakes but most people say: “oops!”

I do. But there are people I am sure you would not want to hear say “oops! From:”

1. Your surgeon.

2. Your dentist.

3. Your nurse.

4. Your hairdresser.

5. Your mechanic.

6. Your tax accountant.

7. The computer tech person.

8. The house painter, plumber or electrician.

9. The pilot.

You know you are growing and you know you are learning if you are making new mistakes. The key word here is “NEW.” But if you are committing the same kind of mistakes then YOU ARE THE MISTAKE!

Learn from the mistakes of others – you can never live long enough to make them all yourself.

CICERO, the Roman statesman and philosopher, wrote the following some 2,000 years ago: THE SIX FATAL MISTAKES OF MAN:

  1. The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others;
  2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected;
  3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it;
  4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences;
  5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit reading and studying;
  6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.

Welcome mistakes. They are our friends but they should also be our teachers.

Accept them and do not defend them.

Elbert Hubbard says it best: “The greatest mistake a man can make is to be afraid to make one.”

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Starcraft II

Starcraft II
StarCraft II a military science fiction real-time strategy video games currently under development by Blizzard Entertainment. It features the return of the three races from the original game—Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. StarCraft II is also designed to focus more heavily on the multiplayer aspect, when compared to the original StarCraft. The Terran campaign replaced the original StarCraft briefing room with an interactive version of the battlecruiser Hyperion, with Jim Raynor, now a bitter and hard-drinking mercenary captain, as the central character. In a departure from previous Blizzard games, the campaign is non-linear, with Raynor taking jobs for money and using that money to buy additional units and upgrades. Although each play through will vary, the end result will remain consistent keeping the storyline linear. The Terran campaign, Wings of Liberty, will place players in a mercenary style campaign, as Terran rebel Jim Raynor performs missions for cash. The second release, the Zerg campaign Heart of the Swarm, will have RPG elements. The player will level up the Queen of Blades, Kerrigan, throughout the missions. The last expansion, the Protoss campaign Legacy of the Void, the dark templar Zeratul will have to employ diplomacy between Protoss tribes to acquire units and technologies for each mission. Each campaign should span 26-30 missions. StarCraft II features approximately the same number of units as the original game. Some units from the original game are returning, some featuring new upgrades and abilities. StarCraft II is being developed for concurrent release on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS X. According to Blizzard Entertainment, predicts the Starcraft II game will be released at the end of 2009, although a specific release date has not yet been given.

Starcraft II

Starcraft II
StarCraft II a military science fiction real-time strategy video games currently under development by Blizzard Entertainment. It features the return of the three races from the original game—Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. StarCraft II is also designed to focus more heavily on the multiplayer aspect, when compared to the original StarCraft. The Terran campaign replaced the original StarCraft briefing room with an interactive version of the battlecruiser Hyperion, with Jim Raynor, now a bitter and hard-drinking mercenary captain, as the central character. In a departure from previous Blizzard games, the campaign is non-linear, with Raynor taking jobs for money and using that money to buy additional units and upgrades. Although each play through will vary, the end result will remain consistent keeping the storyline linear. The Terran campaign, Wings of Liberty, will place players in a mercenary style campaign, as Terran rebel Jim Raynor performs missions for cash. The second release, the Zerg campaign Heart of the Swarm, will have RPG elements. The player will level up the Queen of Blades, Kerrigan, throughout the missions. The last expansion, the Protoss campaign Legacy of the Void, the dark templar Zeratul will have to employ diplomacy between Protoss tribes to acquire units and technologies for each mission. Each campaign should span 26-30 missions. StarCraft II features approximately the same number of units as the original game. Some units from the original game are returning, some featuring new upgrades and abilities. StarCraft II is being developed for concurrent release on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS X. According to Blizzard Entertainment, predicts the Starcraft II game will be released at the end of 2009, although a specific release date has not yet been given.

FAD 2.0 is dead

FAD 2.0 also known as Fleshasiadaily.com was been closed or possibly been hacked.
The very controversial Philippine Blog Flesh Daily Asia 2.0 is on the TV news for the past weeks because of the so-called 'Hayden Kho S-ex Videos Scandal'
According to the police reports, this blog is the responsible for uploading the sex videos on the net.
Its main uploader JB Zabarte was been in the news lately. His house was raided by NBI agents in violation of i think obscenity law or whatever.
This is in relation to Hayden Kho`s Video that was in the news for the past month. FAD 2.0 was known for its uploaded videos and pics of celebrities. It was i think the original uploader of katrina-hayden kho and other hayden kho videos.
Wil FAD 2.0 return? We do not know...

Friday, July 17, 2009

Can Khan Crack the Kotelnik Code?


Amir Khan gets a shot at winning a world title when he faces Andreas Kotelnik on Saturday night in Manchester, England.

Freddie Roach and one of his other stars, Amir Khan, arrived in England about 10 days ago. Back on Khan's home turf, they have continued with their rigorous preparations leading up to tomorrow night's WBA 140-pound title fight against Andreas Kotelnik at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, England.

It's been Roach's job to re-build Khan's confidence and ensure that what happened last September against big punching Breidis Prescott never happens again. Namely, that Khan doesn't go overboard while trying to knock someone else's block off and forget all about what is coming back at him.

Prescott swamped the young British sensation in only 54 seconds. It was such a quick demolition job that many figured Khan's career as a contender was finished before it ever really began. While there is no question that Khan has all of the offensive tools in the world – the questions are still swirling about the strength and quality of his chin.

But since the debacle against Prescott, Khan has chalked up two quick wins over Oisin Fagan and Marco Antonio Barrera and now he and Roach find themselves on the verge of winning a title. Should they prove successful in that endeavor they will be on the precipice of what could be a succession of mega fights at or around 140-pounds.


Kotelnik is a capable fighter with sufficient determination who cannot be summarily dismissed.

After a training session in front of the media last week, Roach seemed happy about what he and Khan have been able to accomplish together in less than a year. Khan is only 22-years-old with a record of 20-1, 15KOs. Under Roach's watchful eye he has managed to tighten up his defense and regain the momentum he possessed before he ran face first into Prescott's fists.

“I'm happy about where we are, we're in a great place right now and we're ready to fight,” said Roach last week. “I think we peaked in Los Angeles and we've finished up with the hard sparring. The postponement of the fight threw us off our schedule a little bit. At this point we're just maintaining our form right now.”

The fight was originally set for June 27th at the O2 Arena in London, but Kotelnik developed a tooth infection, which resulted in the bout being pushed to tomorrow night with a change of venue to Manchester. Roach doubted (and still does) the legitimacy of Kotelnik's dental problems and he was unhappy because the postponement totally disrupted his carefully plotted training schedule.

“We re-grouped,” said Roach of the abrupt change in plans. “He's ready now. You know, we were ready for the fight to take place in June, then we had to travel back and forth from the U.K. When you are getting a fighter ready for a fight it makes it difficult when something like that happens. I wasn't too happy about it, no. But, I guess it's a part of life and I'm not going to make any excuses about it. We're ready now and that's all that matters.”


Pictured at his Wild Card Gym in North Hollywood, California, Roach is generally regarded as the best boxing trainer in the world.

Kotelnik will be no walk in the park for Khan. The Ukrainian is technically savvy, experienced and he's a tricky guy to break down. As usual, Roach has been reviewing tapes of the opposition and has been looking for weaknesses in the man who won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and has compiled a pro record of 31-2-1, 13KOs since turning pro nine years ago.

“I've been studying him,” said Roach. “He does have a very good defense and he'll be very hard to crack. He has a passive defense, very straight-up. He's your typical European-styled fighter, but the problem I see for him is that he fights in what I call straight lines. We'll use lateral movement with him, we'll make him keep picking his feet up and he'll never be able to punch because he'll always be resetting his feet. I feel that Amir has a big advantage there, with his foot speed, and that's where we're going to win the fight.”

Khan will have to wage an educated fight and he will have to stay within the margins of the strategy that Roach has drawn up for him to follow. It deals with specifics and it calls for Khan to be patient and smart about his attack. Kotelnik has fought three times as many rounds as has Khan, so it's not a stretch to say that he is three times as experienced in the pro game. More importantly is at age 31, Kotelnik is not past his prime as was Marco Antonio Barrera when Khan beat him on the scorecards in a fight that was stopped because of a cut suffered by Barrera.

“I want Amir to take his time and see the openings,” explains Roach. “I want him to see the openings, land his perfect shots and then get out of harms' way. One thing I've seen in Kotelnik and one reason why he wins a lot of fights is because guys that fight him wear themselves out on his defense. He holds his gloves up high and guys just beat on those gloves and they get tired. Kotelnik starts slowly in his fights because he wants you to punch yourself out and then he comes on in the later rounds.”


Roach and Khan have put in many hours in the gym in an attempt to ensure that Khan is fully prepared for his first shot at a world title.

Many figure that Roach is giving Kotelnik more credit than he deserves, but the veteran trainer knows it's foolhardy to overlook any opponent. While Kotelnik is solid, he's not on the same level as the other top talent in the division. With a weight class that includes bonafide stars such as Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton as well as second tier titlists and former belt holders like Timothy Bradley, Nate Campbell, Kendall Holt, Junior Witter, Paulie Malignaggi and Juan Urango – it's tough to see where Kotelnik fits into the elite of that equation.

“The way that we're going to win the fight is by hitting and not getting hit,” explained Roach, sounding a bit like Archie Moore. “We're going to throw combinations, get in and get out. Land punches and get out of the way.”

But the big question on everybody's mind is what's going to happen when Khan gets nailed again on the chin? While the light hitting Kotelnik doesn't seem to be much of a threat with only 13 professional knockouts, Roach thinks he has the answer to what went wrong with Khan who some have called “mandibly challenged.”

“Amir is much more resilient since he moved up to 140 pounds,” explains Roach. “I think at 135 he was draining himself, dehydrating himself to make weight and he wasn't fully prepared. He's going to eat on the day of the weigh-in, he's going to be strong – mentally and physically – and he's going to be a much better fighter. All these guys drain themselves to make weight and doing that is way overrated. He'll be much stronger and a much better fighter now.”

And with any luck, Roach and Khan will crack the Kotelnik code.


July 2009

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Maricar Reyes Sex Video Scandal Part 3

Maricar Reyes Sex Video Scandal Part 3 is one of the videos search by every users in the internet. Traffic from different site is pouring in especially those sites that provided the video. The rest of scandal-hungry fanatics incisive search the dirtier corners of the World Wide Web just to look for the celebrity scandalous videos. And I’m sure there are some websites out there that providing the said video downloadable or live streaming. Just within a couple of minutes you will found everything that you were looking for. I understand that some of the websites now are being band or some of the site owners of that site was already arrested and charge a case. In YouTube the complete video of Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili scandal doing the dancing moves. And now, another new scandal went out, the Maricar Reyes Sex Scandal part 3. Maricar Reyes really wants to forget about the scandalous event that happens to her life. She really wants to move on, forget and do something about her life and her career. Maricar Reyes has already move-on indeed, despite of what happened to her life and the scandalous issue she involved she was given a chance to play in one of the popular drama show on ABS-CBN. She will be seen on My Bukas Pa a television drama on primetime bida, playing as Ina. Maricar Reyes wants to move-on and try to forget what happen, she just ignored every rumors and gossip of every people who gave negative opinion about her. I will not blame Maricar on what happen to her.

Maricar Reyes Sex Video Scandal Part 3

Maricar Reyes Sex Video Scandal Part 3 is one of the videos search by every users in the internet. Traffic from different site is pouring in especially those sites that provided the video. The rest of scandal-hungry fanatics incisive search the dirtier corners of the World Wide Web just to look for the celebrity scandalous videos. And I’m sure there are some websites out there that providing the said video downloadable or live streaming. Just within a couple of minutes you will found everything that you were looking for. I understand that some of the websites now are being band or some of the site owners of that site was already arrested and charge a case. In YouTube the complete video of Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili scandal doing the dancing moves. And now, another new scandal went out, the Maricar Reyes Sex Scandal part 3. Maricar Reyes really wants to forget about the scandalous event that happens to her life. She really wants to move on, forget and do something about her life and her career. Maricar Reyes has already move-on indeed, despite of what happened to her life and the scandalous issue she involved she was given a chance to play in one of the popular drama show on ABS-CBN. She will be seen on My Bukas Pa a television drama on primetime bida, playing as Ina. Maricar Reyes wants to move-on and try to forget what happen, she just ignored every rumors and gossip of every people who gave negative opinion about her. I will not blame Maricar on what happen to her.

"Fast Eddie" Makes a Quick Run for the Top


Eddie Chambers (right) and Alexander Dimitrenko pose for the cameras after their fight for heavyweight bragging rights.

Trainer Rob Murray is the man most credited with engineering Eddie Chamber's stirring victory over Alexander Dimitrenko back on July 4th in Hamburg, Germany.

Murray managed to get Chambers into the best shape of his life and down to a svelte 208 ¼ pounds. The lighter weight enabled Chambers to win a majority decision over the previously undefeated Dimitrenko and vault himself into the upper echelon of the heavyweight division .

“Fast Eddie” had scaled as high as 224 pounds in the past and he had appeared a bit roly-poly in many of his recent fights. Despite the fact that Dimitrenko, a giant at 6'7” tall and over 250 pounds, was a much larger man than Chambers who stands 6'1” that was not of primary concern to Murray.

“Going into this fight, we worked on speed and that was the key,” said Murray who is still basking in the brilliant light of Chambers' victory. “I feel that speed is power and Eddie is one of the fastest heavyweights in the world – if not thee fastest heavyweight in the world.”

Most heavyweights in this day and age seem to be of the opinion that if they are outweighed by their opponent it is a disadvantage. But Murray figured that at a lighter weight his man would be more agile, quicker and in better shape than the lumbering Dimitrenko – and the veteran trainer's hunch proved right on the money.

“We have no problem fighting big guys,” continued Murray. “Big guys like Dimitrenko are slow and plodding and they can't get their arms out and that's where Eddie can get inside and use his speed, agility and movement. It also helps to make him a better defensive fighter, which you saw if you saw the fight. Eddie's speed makes him a very sharp, sharp puncher and it makes it so a very high percentage of the punches he throws land.”


Chambers used quick, stinging punches to keep the larger Dimitrenko off balance and out of the fight.

In defeating Dimitrenko, the smallish Chambers reminds some of Evander Holyfield, who was at a severe weight deficit in fights against much larger fighters such as Buster Douglas, George Foreman, Riddick Bowe and Nicolai Valuev where Holyfield was outweighed anywhere from 30 to nearly 100 pounds.

However, Holyfield was able to use his quick hands and top conditioning to befuddle many of the larger men – or at least be very competitive against them – and Murray figures Chambers can do the same.

It should come as no surprise then that Murray is more than ready to put Chambers in with two of the biggest fighters in the heavyweight division (literally and figuratively) the Klitschko brothers. Vitali is the WBC beltholder while younger brother Wladimir holds the IBF and WBO titles.

“What we plan on doing, is we would fight both Klitschkos,” said Murray. “Vitali Klitschko? We would beat Vitali and then we would fight the other Klitschko and we would beat that Klitschko, too. And then we'd fight any other Klitschko that might be out there.”

Murray has been around the boxing game a long time. In Chambers, who is only 27-years-old with a record of 35-1, 18KOs, he sees a fighter that can go all the way to the top – and then some. Murray envisions a wonderful ending to Chamber's boxing career – a career that seems like it is only now just beginning.

“Our journey together is going to end at the Hall of Fame,” said Murray.


July 2009

Office 2010

leaked version of Microsoft office 2010 Technical preview on Torrent trackers. There are many new features which came packed with this version to be noticed if you have tried hands on it after downloading. Let’s take a sneak-peak of all the new improvements and features in this thorough review and analysis of Office 2010.

First noticeable thing is that performance has improved a lot compared to Office 2007. Just as with Windows 7, Office 2010 not only requires the same resources as requested Office 2007 to run, but the same resources to work better than its predecessor. And now there are 64-bit versions also helpful when using an operating system of this kind.

Image Editing and Management

ms office image clipThis is a new utility included in Word to make screenshots. It works in a way very similar to the “cuts” already included in Windows to begin using Word is minimized and let us select the desktop area to capture. But it comes with an interesting advantage, by taken screenshot is saved in the gallery, regardless of whether the use or not, and stays there even after closing Word without saving changes. Thus it is easy to find an image within this “Gallery captures” for inclusion in a document.

It has incorporated several tools to make a simple image editing in Word. For example, applying artistic effects to images can be very interesting . We also have a powerful tool to eliminate the background of the photos (which would be an evolution of the tool “to define transparency“), whose results are so good that almost seem out of professional retouching tools such as Photoshop.

Interface improvements

Something we can see that Microsoft has done is to create a consistent appearance for all applications. They have eliminated all traces of the interface for Office 2003 (except for minor utilities, such as Picture Manager, or the gallery, which follow exactly the same), and the Ribbon has been implemented in all applications of the suite.

But mainly, I think Office 2010 wins in many parameters with the new behavior of the “Office Button”. Now this button displays a menu with options, but it shows a box that holds all the options window that allows us to quickly perform actions such as selecting a template for a new document, change metadata, or print a file, all without having to open new windows and from an extremely user-friendly.

Button behavior on MS Word

Button behavior on MS Word

Office Button in Outlook allows us to perform tasks with few clicks in Office 2007/2003 which required a huge amount of navigating menus and dialog boxes, such as adding a new email account or set up automatic responses. Also, thanks to the implementation of the Ribbon, the Outlook interface is much easier to customize according to our needs.

Other New Features

Translation Tool now comes pre-installed (and before we could only use them after you have installed an add-on for Windows Live Translator), new SmartArt templates that have been added, and new animations and transitions in PowerPoint. In addition, we have Word 2010 that allows us to save files directly to SharePoint sites, and there is native support for open and save documents in ODF format, along with the ability to export documents to PDF (without installing any add-on ).

Also, the context menus for editing applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc) are now more powerful and incorporating the Live Preview technology previously only available if used in the Ribbon. This technology allows us to see the results of the edit option to just put your mouse over them. For example, now simply move the mouse over buttons as “Paste and preserve format” and “Paste text only” to see the difference between the two, or move the mouse over different types of bullets to see how the text is each. Furthermore, the context menu will become semi-transparent while using the Live Preview, to see clearly how the document with each option.

Protected Mode – Security feature that works every time you open a document downloaded from Internet. What it does is lock the file so that we can not do any work without first edition we have explicitly allowed (something similar to what Windows Vista / 7 with the files you have downloaded from the web).

Source:blogsolute

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

From Russia with Love


Ivan "The Terrible" Kirpa positioned himself for a shot at the title with a win on Saturday night over Miguel Angel Rodriguez.

Don King is of the opinion that Russian welterweight contender Ivan “The Terrible” Kirpa (24-1, 15KOs) could be one of the next great stars in the sport of boxing.

“Look, this Russian kid, he's going to be one of my next champions,” said the high-haired, 77-year old promoter. “He's going to fight for the title because he just won the right to do that on Saturday night.”

Kirpa, 31, from Smolensk, Russia but now residing in St. Petersburg, is currently the #7-ranked contender by the WBC at 147-pounds. With a 12-round unanimous decision win over Miguel Angel Rodriguez in a WBC title eliminator this past weekend, Kirpa has now put himself in line for a shot at titlist Andre Berto.

“I'm so excited,” said King of his new fighter. “I feel like I've added another gem to my crown. I've got Nicolai Valuev, another Russian, as part of my team, but now I've added another. This young man comes from Russia and he comes from Russia with love, you know what I'm sayin'?”

King has been known to exaggerate in the past, but most feel Kirpa looks the part of a world-beater. He has only lost once in a decade as a pro and he is ruggedly built with quick hands and he has the hunger for the money a championship fight would bring him.

“I'm going to take him and Nicolai to meet Vladimir Putin,” said King. “He's white, but he can fight! But to be serious with you for just a second this kid is going to knock out whoever he fights for the championship.”

It's not clear when Kirpa will receive his shot at a the title. Former WBA 147-pound beltholder Luis Collazo, also promoted by King, is currently ranked #1 by the WBC and he was rumored to be fighting Berto in a rematch sometime before the end of this year. The likely scenario is that Kirpa will have to fight one more ranked contender in a “final eliminator” before he receives his title opportunity.

“He's a gift from President Vladimir Putin, you know what I mean?” asked King. “This man is going to come over from Russia and shock the world. He's going to devastate everyone. Not all the people know him yet, but soon, the world is going to know him and see him and celebrate him. I have the 7'2” tall Russian heavyweight champion and I'm going to bring him back to America soon and I'm going to bring 'Ivan The Terrible' with him and we all going to shock the world!"


July 2009

Monday, July 13, 2009

Marian Rivera as Darna

Marian Rivera as DarnaMarian Rivera as Darna- The latest reincarnation of the Mars Ravelo komiks superhero, Marian Rivera as Darna! which is set to soar sometime in August at GMA’s telebabad. Marian Rivera has been selected by Wilma Galvante GMA's SVP for Entertainment TV to take the lead rule in Darna. "She's having fun on her new rule". Marina Rivera with the Darna cast are now so busy taping the series for the upcoming opening next month. Marina Rivera as Darna will fly on your tv screen this August 2009.The new Darna is unlike the rest. Production designer Chito Sumera claims, (who also acted as one in the Nanette Medved version, produced by Viva Films): “The production design in this Darna is timeless. It showcases the original Filipino heroine in actual Philippine setting — country look, that is, some sort of Amorsolo-postcard look yet colorful with a comic attack! so it’s more realistic. Generally, the over-all production design will support and enhance the story on the visual level. Possible locales are San Miguel (Bulacan), Nueva Ecija and Pampanga. Darna is memorable to me because it (the Nanette Medved version) was my first showbiz job as art director.”

Marian Rivera as Darna

Marian Rivera as DarnaMarian Rivera as Darna- The latest reincarnation of the Mars Ravelo komiks superhero, Marian Rivera as Darna! which is set to soar sometime in August at GMA’s telebabad. Marian Rivera has been selected by Wilma Galvante GMA's SVP for Entertainment TV to take the lead rule in Darna. "She's having fun on her new rule". Marina Rivera with the Darna cast are now so busy taping the series for the upcoming opening next month. Marina Rivera as Darna will fly on your tv screen this August 2009.The new Darna is unlike the rest. Production designer Chito Sumera claims, (who also acted as one in the Nanette Medved version, produced by Viva Films): “The production design in this Darna is timeless. It showcases the original Filipino heroine in actual Philippine setting — country look, that is, some sort of Amorsolo-postcard look yet colorful with a comic attack! so it’s more realistic. Generally, the over-all production design will support and enhance the story on the visual level. Possible locales are San Miguel (Bulacan), Nueva Ecija and Pampanga. Darna is memorable to me because it (the Nanette Medved version) was my first showbiz job as art director.”

Science Fiction Film: District 9

District 9District 9 depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. Thirty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa’s District 9 as the world’s nations argued over what to do with them. Now, patience over the alien situation has run out. Control over the aliens has been contracted out to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens’ welfare – they will receive tremendous profits if they can make the aliens’ awesome weaponry work. So far, they have failed; activation of the weaponry requires alien DNA. The tension between the aliens and the humans comes to a head when an MNU field operative, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), contracts a mysterious virus that begins changing his DNA. Wikus quickly becomes the most hunted man in the world, as well as the most valuable – he is the key to unlocking the secrets of alien technology. Ostracized and friendless, there is only one place left for him to hide: District 9. The film is starring Jason Cope, Robert Hobbs and Sharlto Copley. Directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson. It is scheduled for a release on August 14, 2009.

Science Fiction Film: District 9

District 9District 9 depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. Thirty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa’s District 9 as the world’s nations argued over what to do with them. Now, patience over the alien situation has run out. Control over the aliens has been contracted out to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens’ welfare – they will receive tremendous profits if they can make the aliens’ awesome weaponry work. So far, they have failed; activation of the weaponry requires alien DNA. The tension between the aliens and the humans comes to a head when an MNU field operative, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), contracts a mysterious virus that begins changing his DNA. Wikus quickly becomes the most hunted man in the world, as well as the most valuable – he is the key to unlocking the secrets of alien technology. Ostracized and friendless, there is only one place left for him to hide: District 9. The film is starring Jason Cope, Robert Hobbs and Sharlto Copley. Directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson. It is scheduled for a release on August 14, 2009.

Battle of the Browsers

Serving as a window to your online world, the web browser has become one of -- if not -- the most important pieces of computer software used on a daily basis.

Not only are browsers used to access websites for information and e-commerce, but for many, it's a conduit to entertainment (such as streaming videos or online games), communication (including web mail sites) and social networking with friends (be it Facebook, MySpace and Twitter).

At this point in time, there are five major browsers to choose from: Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla's Firefox, Apple's Safari, Google's Chrome and the self-titled browser from Opera. All of them are free to use, they work with most operating systems and enjoy frequent updates to fix problems or add new features.

Deciding which one to go with, however, boils down to personal preference -- or in some cases, laziness, if the web browser was already installed on your PC and you don't care to change it.

If you're reading this article then you already have a browser, but those curious as to what the "other guys" are offering should read on for a brief look at each of the big players in this space, and consider our pros and cons for each after spending a week with all five.

Internet ExplorerInternet Explorer 8 (microsoft.com/ie8)

Launched in 1995, Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) web browser successfully battled against the almighty Netscape graphical browser -- and it didn't hurt IE shipped with every version of the Windows operating system -- and has maintained its commanding market share over the years.

Available in 25 languages, the newest version, 8, is much faster than past IE browsers, and includes some handy tools that speed up your surfing. This includes: a "Favorites" bar for one-click access to your most visited web sites; "accelerators," which help you search for something quickly via a pull-down menu; and the ability to highlight a word or phrase and immediately look up its definition, translate it, email it, map it, and so on.

While it still has a ways to go, it's also more secure than past versions of IE, which have been plagued with security vulnerabilities.

Pros: Most websites and plugs-ins work well with IE. Faster speeds and handy time-saving tools. Compatibility View helps see older websites easier. Available in multiple languages. Built into Windows.

Cons: Security holes still found. Market share leader means more susceptible to attacks. Some crashing.

Mozilla Firefox Mozilla Firefox 3.5 (mozilla.com/firefox)

Since its fall 2004 release, Mozilla's Firefox has grown to become a serious contender to IE, and second place overall in the browser wars.

The latest release of this lean and fast browser has added a few new bells and whistles, including "Tear Off Tabs" (a feature that, like Apple's Safari, lets you drag and drop tabs into a separate browser window), a private browsing option that destroys any history left by the surfer (catching up to Microsoft and Google's browsers) and an interesting addition called "location-aware browsing," where a website can prompt for your location to help serve you better (such as recommending a pizza restaurant in your neighborhood if you're craving a slice).

As with past versions, Firefox is easy to develop for and has an active development community that creates plug-ins and "extensions" for the browser -- often letting Firefox users do neat things inside the browser not found in competing software (check out a few at addons.mozilla.org).

Pros: Newest version is roughly 3x faster than Firfox 3.0. Tabbed browsing works well. Convenient features, including location-aware browsing. Vibrant and passionate development community.

Cons: Some bugs and security issues that requires "patching."

Opera 10 (opera.com)

Fast and secure are the two priorities for Opera Software, the company that launched its first commercial open-source web browser in 1996.

This lean download -- a mere 5.36MB in size for the Windows version (five times smaller than Microsoft's IE8) -- does indeed run fast and smoothly, and supports multiple operating systems (and mobile phones). Integrated malware protection and strong encryption help protect the surfer from the ills of the Internet.

Popular features include tabbed browsing (the first major browser to offer this feature in late 2001), integrated spell checker, "speed dial" access to your favorite websites, page zooming and mouse gestures (example: hold down the right mouse button and move the mouse to the right to go back a web page).

Also embedded in Opera 10 is a new technology called Opera Unite, that turns your web browser into a web server so you can do neat things like share files with friends via the browser window.

Pros: Lean and fast. Secure. Mouse gestures and other extra features in Opera (including Opera Unite) are handy additions.

Cons: Doesn't fare as well on heavy multimedia sites. Not as much plug-in support than IE and Firefox.

Apple SafariApple Safari 4 (apple.com/safari)

Released as a free upgrade to the Mac OS X operating system in 2003, many Apple computer users have embraced the elegant-looking Safari as their browser of choice, and have since won over many Windows users, too. Plus, its install base on 40+ million iPhones and iPod touch devices has helped with its success.

While its claim as "the world's fastest browser" isn't substantiated on every website we tested it on (IE8 and Opera, for example, beat it out on certain sites), Apple's Safari is a speedy web browser with smooth and reliable performance; it crashed the least out of the five browsers in our testing (not even once).

While other browsers offer a similar feature, we like Safari's Top Sites, that shows you a graphical thumbnail of the websites you visit frequently. Attractive "Cover Flow"-like horizontal image gliding with bookmarked and tabbed thumbnails, resembles the iTunes feature and helps make website viewing a more visual experience.

Pros: Good looking. Fast. Reliable. Minimalist design.

Cons: Close button on left side. Not much mouse functionality (e.g. middle button). No status bar. Not all plug-ins supported.

Google ChromeGoogle Chrome (chrome.google.com)

The newest player in the highly competitive browser space is Google, which launched a public beta version of its Windows browser in September of 2008.

This lean and fast open-source browser fuses a minimalist design with many features to make your web surfing experience an easier one. For example, leveraging its experience as the world's biggest search engine, you can type a query right in the address bar (for both search results and relevant web pages) and includes auto-complete options.

Along with "stealth" privacy options for anonymous browsing, Google Chrome offers handy keyboard shortcuts to speed up surfing, one-click bookmarks (the little star) and quick tabbed browsing with thumbnail previews of most-visited sites.

In July 2009, Google announced it would create a Google Chrome operating system, based on the browser, designed for netbooks. This direct aim at Microsoft will be available in late 2010.

Pros: Clean and fast. Some nice features like shortcuts. Available in 50 languages.

Cons: Lack of add-ons; not all websites/plug-ins are supported. No support for Macs.

Source: Marc Saltzman