Sunday, December 11, 2011

Teens and the cruel world of social networking

Social networking really started with teens on MySpace. Since then, it has progressed to the rest of the world. MySpace may be virtually gone, but teens are still hitting up their computers and mobile devices to social network more than ever before.

The world of teen social networking, as we now know, is cruel.

This infographic by our friends at ZoneAlarm breaks down the world of teen social networking as we know it. Click to enlarge.

Teen Networking


Friday, December 9, 2011

4 Silly Animations to Make You Smarter


In some countries, higher education is publicly funded by taxes. In others, the smart or athletically talented can get scholarships and the rest get student loans… but in many cases a university level education is just out of reach. Whether it is distance from a good university, the high cost to attend or a lack of time with other obligations, most people around the world never have the opportunity to receive advanced degrees.

This is where the Open University comes into play. Their mission statement says their aim is to be:

“open to people, places, methods and ideas. We promote educational opportunity and social justice by providing high-quality university education to all who wish to realize their ambitions and fulfill their potential.”

The university has no formal entry requirements, so the education is truly open to all people, even if they have made some educational missteps in the past. While there are still fees associated with study at the university, it is considerably less than that of the vast majority of universities and in some cases, even less than the tuition for community colleges. You can study wherever you want through their distance learning program and only pay for the classes you actually take: because you don’t pay tuition for a whole year of courses if you don’t take a full course load.

One of the most exciting aspects of the program: for those who just want to learn, they have released thousands of hours of content on iTunes, YouTube and OpenLearn. It’s all free and some of it is truly top notch – like the quirky video below about a handful of the biggest and best theories of all time. See the three videos below that, then check out the rest of the library on YouTube. Be careful if you are an information junkie, you could get stuck there for hours.

suzuki new bike -- Bandit 1250S

Bandit 1200S SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions and Weight
Overall length 2,130mm (83.9in)
Overall width 790mm (31.1in)
Overall height 1,235mm (48.6in)
Wheelbase 1,485mm (58.5in)
Ground Clearance 135mm (5.3in)
Seat height Adjustable 810/830mm (31.9/32.7in)
Curb Mass 250kg (551lbs)
Fuel Tank 19.0 litres (5.0 US gallons)

Engine
Engine Type 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC
Engine Displacement 1255 cm3 (cc)
Bore x Stroke 79.0 mm x 64.0 mm
Compression ratio 10.5:1
Transmission 6-speed constant mesh
Suspension
Front Telescopic, coil spring, oil damped
Rear Link type, coil spring, oil damped
Brake
Front Disc, twin
Rear Disc
Tyres Size
Front 120/70ZR17M/C (58W), tubeless
Rear 180/55ZR17M/C (73W), tubeless

suzuki new bike GSX-R1000

GSX-R 1000 SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions and Weight
Overall length 2,045mm (80.5in)
Overall width 720mm (28.3in)
Overall height 1,130mm (44.5in)
Wheelbase 1,405mm (55.3in)
Ground Clearance 130mm (5.1in)
Seat height 810mm (31.9in)
Curb Mass 205kg (452lbs)
Fuel Tank 17.5 litres (4.6 US gallons)

Engine
Engine Type 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC
Engine Displacement 999 cm3 (cc)
Bore x Stroke 74.5 mm x 57.3 mm
Compression ratio 12.8:1
Ignition Type Electronic Ignition (Transistorized)
Transmission 6-speed constant mesh
Suspension
Front Inverted telescopic, coil spring, oil damped
Rear Link type, coil spring, oil damped
Brake
Front Disc, twin
Rear Disc
Tyres Size
Front 120/70ZR17M/C (58W), tubeless
Rear 190/50ZR17M/C (73W), tubeless

The Poor Christians And The Happy Poor

"WAR ON TEBOW" declared Fox News' The Five on Tuesday as the panel of four conservatives and Bob Beckel launched into a discussion of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow and his frequent public declarations of his Christian faith. "What do you think scares the media most?" asked Eric Bolling. "The clean-cut, the conservative, or the Christian aspect of Tim Tebow?" GOP strategist Andrea Tantaros opined that "it's ridiculous to go after Tim Tebow. He can express whatever he wants and it takes a lot of courage to put Bible verses on your face."

The trials of Tebow have been well-covered by the Murdoch network. Yesterday, Fox News' unofficial culture war correspondent Todd Starnes wrote that Tebow "will always be a lightning rod for anti-Christian bigots," and expanded the narrative to declare that "it's become something of a sport to attack Christians in this nation," what with the "reprehensible anti-Christian propaganda" coming from Hollywood and the almost-beyond-parody "War on Christmas." Starnes even went so far as to compare the Tebow situation to Jim Crow.

The position of Fox News is clear: Christians in America are relentlessly persecuted and need Fox News as an advocate. The hitch, of course, is that Christianity remains the overwhelmingly dominant faith not just of the nation at large but also of the people elected to lead it. But the culture war needs to be fought, so insults aimed at a football player, store clerks saying "Happy Holidays," and similarly minor (or imagined) slights are embellished into organized campaigns of anti-Christian persecution.

That in and of itself is disingenuous, but as the network exaggerates the threat to Christianity in America, it simultaneously downplays -- even mocks -- the very real plight facing those whom Christian teachings demand be shown compassion: the poor.

Poverty in the U.S. is on the rise. Incomes are decreasing. According to the Census Bureau, right now there are over 46 million Americans in poverty, more than there have been at any time since they started publishing poverty estimates. Fifteen percent of U.S. households are "food insecure," meaning they lack money to properly feed themselves on a daily basis. They face a host of problems, both quantifiable and not: lack of access to health care, chronic underemployment, disrupted family life, and so on.

But to hear Fox News tell it, the poor don't have it so bad. Earlier this year, the conservative Heritage Foundation released a report on how the ownership of household appliances demonstrates that "most of the persons whom the government defines as 'in poverty' are not poor in any ordinary sense of the term." Seizing on Heritage's laughably superficial assessment of poverty, Bill O'Reilly asked: "How can you be so poor and have all this stuff?"

Fox News' Stuart Varney cast the report as evidence that "poor families in the United States are not what they used to be." After he was skewered by Jon Stewart, Varney responded by saying all he did was tell the "truth about poor people." According to Varney: "The image we have of poor people as starving and living in squalor really is not accurate. Many of them have things, what they lack is the richness of spirit. That's my opinion."

This past July on The Five, Monica Crowley, after ticking off a list of all the appliances poor people own, asked Andrea Tantaros: "What does it tell you about being poor in the United States?" Tantaros replied: "It sounds pretty good to me. I'm trying to make it in Manhattan. I have a microwave and a TV. I guess I'm poor in Obamanation."

When the National Bureau of Economic Research released a study on the extent to which government programs keep millions of Americans from sinking deeper into poverty, Fox Business Network's Charles Payne castigated the poor for not being ashamed of their poverty: "There's no doubt that these are good programs. I think the real narrative here, though, is that people aren't embarrassed by it. People aren't ashamed by it." Payne would later offer this mocking explanation for poverty in America: "After everyone's eaten their Thanksgiving meal, right, go to Wal-Mart at midnight. You're going to see why a lot of people don't have money. They're going to take their welfare checks and bum-rush the security guard, knock him down, and give away all their money."

It's a striking contrast. One day Fox News will defend Christians from the faith-killing scourge of Rhode Island "Holiday Trees," and the next they'll mock those in need for having refrigerators but lacking "spirit." They'll insist on protecting the right to say Christian prayers in public, and attack a poor person for spending all their money at Wal-Mart. It's a clash of faith and politics that does double harm by hyping illusory threats to an empowered majority while obfuscating real problems plaguing the millions of Americans most in need of a little Christian charity.

Top 10 Best HTC Cell Phones 2011

Top 10 Best HTC Cell Phones 2011

To create this best HTC phones list, we just gather the top-rated HTC cell phones (according to various reviews) and sort them based to their compound review score. That said, here's our list for best cell mobile phones by HTC for 2011 (As of November 2011):

#1. The HTC Sensation XE

Description : A top-grade music-oriented Android smartphone, the Sensation XE is the first to have the Beats Audio technology integration complete with customized Beats by Dr. Dre in-ear headphones. It also boasts high-end specifications: 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 8-megapixel camera.

Full Spec :
Weight (ounces)5.33 ounces
Dimensions4.96 x 2.57 x 0.44
Weight grams151 grams
Dimensions mm126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3
Thickness (inches)0.44 inch(es)
* Related: Latest Thin Phones
Width (inches)2.57 inch(es)
Height (inches)4.96 inch(es)
Volume (inches)5.608768 cubic inches
Thickness mm11.3 mm
Width mm65.4 mm
Height mm126.1 mm
Volume (mm)93190.422 cubic mm

2.The HTC Rezound

Description :

Built for high-definition entertainment, the HTC Rezound boasts HD multimedia features, including a 4.3-inch true HD (720p) display, Beats Audio technology with a customized Beats earbuds, 5.1 surround sound, and a full 1080p HD video recorder.

HTC Rezound Features And Specifications:

Weight (ounces)5.78 ounces
Dimensions5.1 x 2.6 x 0.54
Weight grams164 grams
Dimensions mm129 x 65.5 x 13.65
Thickness (inches)0.54 inch(es)
* Related: Latest Thin Phones
Width (inches)2.6 inch(es)
Height (inches)5.1 inch(es)
Volume (inches)7.1604 cubic inches
Thickness mm13.65 mm
Width mm65.5 mm
Height mm129 mm
Volume (mm)115335.675 cubic mm

#3. The HTC Desire S

Description :

This Android smartphone boasts high-end features like a 1GHz processor and 756MB of RAM. It sports an HD video camera and an HDMI connector so you can view photos and videos on an HDTV.

HTC Desire S Features And Specifications & Features:
Weight (ounces)4.59 ounces
Dimensions4.53 x 2.35 x 0.46
Weight grams130 grams
Dimensions mm115 x 59.8 x 11.63
Thickness (inches)0.46 inch(es)
* Related: Latest Thin Phones
Width (inches)2.35 inch(es)
Height (inches)4.53 inch(es)
Volume (inches)4.89693 cubic inches
Thickness mm11.63 mm
Width mm59.8 mm
Height mm115 mm
Volume (mm)79979.51 cubic mm

#4. The HTC Desire HD

HTC Desire HD Features And Full Specifications:

Weight (ounces)5.78 ounces
Dimensions4.84 x 2.68 x 0.46
Weight grams164 grams
Dimensions mm123 x 68 x 11.8
Thickness (inches)0.46 inch(es)
* Related: Latest Thin Phones
Width (inches)2.68 inch(es)
Height (inches)4.84 inch(es)
Volume (inches)5.966752 cubic inches
Thickness mm11.8 mm
Width mm68 mm
Height mm123 mm
Volume (mm)98695.2 cubic mm

#5. The T-Mobile myTouch 4G

Description :

A high-end 4G Android smartphone, the T-Mobile myTouch 4G boasts a 1GHz processor, 768 MB of RAM, and a preinstalled 8GB microSD. It can also be used for video calling with its front facing camera.

T-Mobile myTouch 4G Features And Tech Specs:

Weight (ounces)5.4 ounces
Dimensions4.8 x 2.44 x 0.43
Thickness (inches)0.43 inch(es)
* Related: Latest Thin Phones
Width (inches)2.44 inch(es)
Height (inches)4.8 inch(es)
Volume (inches)5.03616 cubic inches
Thickness mm10.922 mm
Volume (mm)0 cubic mm
UnknownWeight grams, Dimensions mm

#6. The HTC Legend

HTC Legend Features And Full Specifications:

Weight (ounces)4.44 ounces
Weight grams126 grams
Dimensions mm112 x 56.3 x 11.5
Thickness mm11.5 mm
Width mm56.3 mm
Height mm112 mm
Volume (mm)72514.4 cubic mm
UnknownDimensions



#7. The HTC Inspire 4G

Description : This Android smartphone sports a 1 GHz processor, a 4 GB internal memory with a preinstalled 8 GB microSD card, 768 MB of RAM and a 4.3-inch touch screen. It also features an 8-megapixel camera, a 720p HD video recorder, and a very slim design (less than half-inch thick)

Weight (ounces)5.78 ounces
Dimensions4.8 x 2.7 x .46
Weight grams163.9 grams
Dimensions mm122 x 68 x 11.8
Thickness (inches)0.46 inch(es)
* Related: Latest Thin Phones
Width (inches)2.7 inch(es)
Height (inches)4.8 inch(es)
Volume (inches)5.9616 cubic inches
Thickness mm11.8 mm
Width mm68 mm
Height mm122 mm
Volume (mm)97892.8 cubic mm

#8. The HTC EVO Shift 4G

Description :

The HTC EVO Shift is a WiMAX (4G) phone and it boasts a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a 3.6-inch touch screen, 512 MB of RAM, a preinstalled 2 GB microSD card, and a 720p HD camcorder.

HTC EVO Shift 4G Features And Specifications:

Weight (ounces)5.9 ounces
Dimensions4.6 x 2.3 x .6
Weight grams167.3 grams
Thickness (inches)0.6 inch(es)
* Related: Latest Thin Phones
Width (inches)2.3 inch(es)
Height (inches)4.6 inch(es)
Volume (inches)6.348 cubic inches
Thickness mm15.24 mm
Volume (mm)0 cubic mm
UnknownDimensions mm

#9. The HTC Incredible S

Description :

Here is a camera-centric Android smartphone featuring an 8-megapixel camera and an HD video recorder. Other features include a 4-inch Super LCD touchscreen and SRS WOW HD surround sound.

Weight (ounces)4.78 ounces
Dimensions4.72 x 2.52 x 0.46
Weight grams135.5 grams
Dimensions mm120 x 64 x 11.7
Thickness (inches)0.46 inch(es)
* Related: Latest Thin Phones
Width (inches)2.52 inch(es)
Height (inches)4.72 inch(es)
Volume (inches)5.471424 cubic inches
Thickness mm11.7 mm
Width mm64 mm
Height mm120 mm
Volume (mm)89856 cubic mm

#10. The HTC EVO 3D

Description :

As the name suggest, the HTC Evo 3D is an Android smartphone that offers three dimensional viewing experiences. Furthermore, it can capture HD photos and videos with its dual 5-megapixel camera. You can view the 3D pictures and videos on its 4.3-inch 3D touchscreen, or in a 3D HDTV.

Weight (ounces)6.0 ounces
Dimensions4.96 x 2.56 x 0.47
Weight grams170 grams
Thickness (inches)0.47 inch(es)
* Related: Latest Thin Phones
Width (inches)2.56 inch(es)
Height (inches)4.96 inch(es)
Volume (inches)5.967872 cubic inches
Thickness mm11.938 mm
Volume (mm)0 cubic mm
UnknownDimensions mm