tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85204412024-03-13T16:53:24.638+04:00GeorgeHopkin.comWritings, comments and observations of journalist George Hopkin.Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-53788403753319920252007-09-05T02:42:00.000+04:002007-09-05T02:45:36.154+04:00We've movedSee you here - <a href="http://www.georgehopkin.com">http://www.georgehopkin.com</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1145369010059432952006-04-18T17:55:00.000+04:002006-04-18T18:03:30.106+04:00The online brand of youI was chatting to a high-profile Dubai media professional the other day and his name popped into my head while I was carrying out some web work later that day.<br /><br />As I often do, I checked the availability of his name as a dot com domain. (For example: georgehopkin.com for George Hopkin). The geek in me insists I do this quite often for people I meet!<br /><br />The media professional in question has a reasonably rare surname but very common first name, so I was surprised to find that 'hisname.com' was available. I mentioned this in passing to him, but he wasn't impressed.<br /><br />"What do I need that for?" he asked. "I don't write poetry and I'm not that big a fan of any pop bands."<br /><br />The implication being that 'yourname.com' is only good for angst-ridden teenagers who want to put their dreary diaries online for friends and family to read (or not).<br /><br />But think about it: your name is your own personal brand. People are 'Googling' you all the time, believe me, and if you want to retain control over the information found when they carry out this search, storing it at 'yourname.com' is a terrific idea.<br /><br />Those who are members of online business networks such as Ryze.com and openBC.com are already convinced of the benefits of putting their information 'out there'. And take a look at the runaway success of MySpace.com - the next generation of kids will never know a time when having personal info online felt a bit creepy.<br /><br />And that dreary online diary for the benefit of friends and family? Well, that sounds very much like a blog, and blogs have evolved into a fantastic (and cheap) marketing and communications tool for CEOs. So even if you don't feel like blogging about pop bands and poetry, you can still put a blog to good business use.<br /><br />It won't stop there either. Personal podcasts (essentially audio diaries) are growing in popularity and video is also creeping into the mix. To see this in action take a look at YouTube.com (which I predict will get snapped up by a major player like Google in the near future).<br /><br />So consider checking if 'yourname.com' is available. If it is, consider securing it - don't forget there are almost certainly other people out there with the same name, so if you don't do it, someone else will! <br /><br />And if it is available and you do secure it, a blog (call it an 'online journal' if the word blog makes you wince) might help find you your next big business contact, contract or job.<br /><br />The Dubai media professional was right about one thing, though. We can all probably do without hearing more bad poetry.<br /><br />Some useful links:<br /><br />Check if yourname.com is available: <a href="http://www.register.com">http://www.register.com</a><br />Start a blog: <a href="http://www.blogger.com">http://www.blogger.com</a><br />"Broadcast yourself": <a href="http://www.youtube.com">http://www.youtube.com</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Media" rel="tag" target="_blank">Media</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1141335590778334402006-03-03T01:36:00.000+04:002006-03-03T01:41:59.996+04:00NASA mission detects significant Antarctic ice mass loss<img src="http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/graphics/placeholder.jpg" Vspace="8" Hspace="8"><br /><br /><i>Scientists were able to conduct the first-ever gravity survey of the entire Antarctic ice sheet using data from the joint NASA/German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). This comprehensive study found the ice sheet's mass has decreased significantly from 2002 to 2005. <br /><br />Isabella Velicogna and John Wahr, both from the University of Colorado, Boulder, conducted the study. They demonstrated for the first time that Antarctica's ice sheet lost a significant amount of mass since the launch of GRACE in 2002. The estimated mass loss was enough to raise global sea level about 1.2 millimeters (0.05 inches) during the survey period; about 13 percent of the overall observed sea level rise for the same period. The researchers found Antarctica's ice sheet decreased by 152 (plus or minus 80) cubic kilometers of ice annually between April 2002 and August 2005. <br /><br />That is about how much water the United States consumes in three months (a cubic kilometer is one trillion liters; approximately 264 billion gallons of water). This represents a change of about 0.4 millimeters (.016 inches) per year to global sea level rise. Most of the mass loss came from the West Antarctic ice sheet. <br /><br />"Antarctica is Earth's largest reservoir of fresh water," Velicogna said. "The GRACE mission is unique in its ability to measure mass changes directly for entire ice sheets and can determine how Earth's mass distribution changes over time. Because ice sheets are a large source of uncertainties in projections of sea level change, this represents a very important step toward more accurate prediction, and has important societal and economic impacts. As more GRACE data become available, it will become feasible to search for longer-term changes in the rate of Antarctic mass loss," she said. </i><br /><br /><br />Source: NASA <a href="http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1140265172378037542006-02-18T16:12:00.000+04:002006-02-18T16:21:22.306+04:00UAE joins the space raceThis is just round the corner from me (kind of), so I'll be keeping tabs on this. And it's tagged 'Odd' until we see some form of honest-to-goodness work on this project.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.spaceadventures.com/dyn/photos/347_large.jpg" width = "380" Vspace="8" Hspace="8"><br /><br /><i> Space Adventures, Ltd., the world's leading space experiences company, announced today its plans to develop a commercial spaceport in Ras Al-Khaimah (the UAE), with plans to expand globally. Other potential spaceport locations include Asia, specifically Singapore, and North America. <br /><br />The total estimated cost of the global spaceport development project is at least $265 million (USD) and will be funded by various parties, along with shared investments by Space Adventures and the government of Ras Al-Khaimah. <br /><br />The company, which organized orbital flights for all of the world's private space explorers, also announces that His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi of Ras Al-Khaimah, along with the UAE Department of Civilian Aviation, have granted clearance to operate suborbital spaceflights in their air space.<br /><br />The UAE spaceport, planned to be located less than an hour drive from Dubai, already has commitments for $30 million (USD).</i><br /><br />Source: Space Adventures <a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/media/releases/2006-02/347" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1140264429623925862006-02-18T16:00:00.000+04:002006-02-18T16:07:09.633+04:00Hear this, young yobs<img src="http://www.itn.co.uk/news/story243378.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8"><i>A gadget emitting a high pitched noise that can only be heard by youngsters is being used in the fight against surly teenagers.</i><br /><br />Source: ITN <a href="http://www.itn.co.uk/news/britain_299142.html" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1132939138298015472005-11-25T21:16:00.000+04:002005-11-25T21:18:58.310+04:00Google stepping out into the 'real world'<i><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41049000/jpg/_41049414_google203body.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">Google may already be dominant on the web but now it is stretching its wings to the physical world as well. Google Space, at Terminal One of London's Heathrow airport, will allow people to log onto the net and check e-mail while they wait for flights.</i><br /><br />Source: BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4463634.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Media" rel="tag" target="_blank">Media</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Internet" rel="tag" target="_blank">Internet</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1131592938694944002005-11-10T07:19:00.000+04:002005-11-10T07:23:51.706+04:00Asteroid collision: Bruce Willis out of a job<i><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40999000/jpg/_40999298_gravtug_2_203.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">Two Nasa astronauts say they have devised a plan to stop an asteroid potentially colliding with Earth. The US spacemen Edward Lu and Stanley Love propose sending up a huge rocket to "tow" away any such objects. Their vehicle would simply hover over the asteroid and use gravity as a "towline" to move it out of danger.</i><br /><br />Source: BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4420762.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1129884857816285802005-10-21T12:51:00.000+04:002005-10-21T12:54:17.823+04:00Whale-eating zombie sea worms from the deep<img src="http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/sci_nat_enl_1129650873/img/laun.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8"><i>A new species of marine worm that lives off whale bones on the sea floor has been described by scientists.<br /><br />The creature was found on a minke carcass in relatively shallow water close to Tjarno Marine Laboratory on the Swedish coast.<br /><br />Such "zombie worms", as they are often called, are known from the deep waters of the Pacific but their presence in the North Sea is a major surprise.</i><br /><br />Source: BBC. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4354286.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1129718081587233052005-10-19T14:32:00.000+04:002005-10-19T14:34:41.593+04:00WiFi-n-Fries<i><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40922000/jpg/_40922578_nintendo203.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">Nintendo has joined forces with McDonald's to offer free wireless internet access in the US for its DS handheld games console. The service means McDonald's customers will be able to play selected DS titles against other gamers around the globe.</i><br /><br />Source: BBC. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4353480.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Internet" rel="tag" target="_blank">Internet</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1129120740773967722005-10-12T16:36:00.000+04:002005-10-12T16:39:43.093+04:00Velociraptor - just a big sweety, really<i><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40898000/jpg/_40898590_manning_203_manning.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">The Velociraptor dinosaur made famous by the Hollywood movie Jurassic Park may not have been quite the super-efficient killer we all thought.</i><br /><br />Source: BBC [<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4332272.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a>]<br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1129031757563997822005-10-11T15:50:00.000+04:002005-10-11T15:55:57.566+04:00You dirty rat<i><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41117000/jpg/_41117191_gerbil.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">People who keep rodents as pets should take care not to catch salmonella, experts advise. The American Centers for Disease Control has reports of 28 people, including seven young children, who have caught strains of the bacteria carried by pet rats, mice and hamsters.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4522637.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1128857700472203982005-10-09T13:30:00.000+04:002005-10-09T15:37:03.450+04:00Robot cars are up to the Challenge<img src="http://sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/10/09/ba_robot_race__cadd116.jpg" width="400"><br /><br /><i>Three driverless robotic vehicles led by Stanford University on Saturday crossed the finish line of a $2 million Pentagon-sponsored robot race across the rugged Mojave Desert...As Stanford's Volkswagen robot dubbed Stanley crossed the finish line, a group of Stanford students erupted into cheers and carried their team leader, Sebastian Thrun, on their shoulders. "The impossible has been achieved," said Thrun, throwing his cap into the crowd.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/10/08/state/n144441D60.DTL" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1128760476507668152005-10-08T12:30:00.000+04:002005-10-08T12:34:37.453+04:00Robot fish in London<i><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40878000/jpg/_40878406_robofish_hu_203.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">The world's first autonomous robotic fish are the latest attraction at the London Aquarium. Biologically inspired by the common carp, the new designs can avoid objects and swim around a specially designed tank entirely of their own accord.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4313266.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1128691750506648612005-10-07T17:27:00.000+04:002005-10-07T17:29:10.510+04:00"Typical American" doesn't exisit?<i>The passionate Italian, the conscientious German, the in-your-face American -- all common stereotypes with little basis in reality, according to a new survey measuring the accuracy of national character stereotypes from 49 cultures around the world.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/10/06/hscout528372.html" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Media" rel="tag" target="_blank">Media</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1128669115936884912005-10-07T11:09:00.000+04:002005-10-07T11:13:20.093+04:00Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Well, yes, it's a plane, actually.<i><img src="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/images/content/135580main_05-63_330.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">With the graceful flight of hawks and eagles in mind, NASA aerospace engineer Michael Allen hand-launched a lightweight motorized model sailplane over the Southern California desert recently, hoping it would catch plumes of rising air called thermals.<br /><br />It did just that, not once but numerous times - without human intervention - during a series of research flights at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, validating his premise that using thermal lift could significantly extend the range and endurance of small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) without a corresponding increase in fuel requirements.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/NewsReleases/2005/05-63.html" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1128586907440188692005-10-06T12:10:00.002+04:002005-10-06T12:21:47.446+04:00Alien Vs. Predator for realThis is a movie in the making:<br /><br /><i><img src="http://www.thetandd.com/content/articles/2005/10/05/news/doc43449297b726f374357591.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">Alligators have clashed with nonnative pythons before in the Everglades. But when a 13-foot python tried to swallow a 6-foot gator recently, the result wasn't pretty. The snake apparently bit off too much gator — and ruptured from the girth of its prey. The python was found with the gator's hindquarters protruding from its midsection. Its stomach still surrounded the alligator's head, shoulders, and forelimbs.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2005/10/05/news/doc43449297b726f374357591.txt" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1128511194795295572005-10-05T15:07:00.000+04:002005-10-05T15:19:54.826+04:00Grand Prix rocket racingIf you enjoyed the pod racing scene in Star Wars or have spent an hour or five lost in WipeOut on the Playstations 1 and 2, how cool does <i>this</i> sound:<br /><br /><i><img src="http://www.rocketracingleague.com/press_images/Artist%20flyby%20large.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">Peter Diamandis, the man behind the $10m X-Prize for suborbital space travel, has brought forward his new initiative: the Rocket Racing League. The RRL will see Grand Prix-style races between rocket planes, flown by top pilots through a "3D trackway" just 5,000ft (1,500m) above the ground. The first "X-Racers" will be built for the series, but it is hoped new teams will soon enter with novel designs.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4307538.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />Official site is <a href="http://www.rocketracingleague.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1128245800867342972005-10-02T13:28:00.000+04:002005-10-02T13:36:40.870+04:00Today San Francisco, tomorrow the world, and the Solar System the day after that<i><img src="http://www.google.com/intl/en/logos/Logo_60wht.gif" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">...they don't come more cosmically successful than Google, a company whose workforce is ballooning by hundreds of workers per month and which recently raised more than $4 billion for new projects by selling shares in the company. It announced Wednesday it was to build a research complex at NASA's Research Center and collaborate with the space agency's scientists.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/34804main_NASA_TV_HOMETN.jpg" align="left" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">However, before we consider the possibility of Google conquering the entire galaxy...<i>A representative from the search engine colossus explained NASA and Google have done little more than ink a "memorandum of understanding," committing the two parties to work together in a range of areas including IT solutions, data management and nanotechnology.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.forbes.com/technology/ebusiness/2005/09/29/google-nasa-search-cx_cn_0929autofacescan01.html" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Media" rel="tag" target="_blank">Media</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Internet" rel="tag" target="_blank">Internet</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1128245195468001602005-10-02T13:18:00.000+04:002005-10-02T13:27:31.720+04:00"It wasn't me, honest."<img src="http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/Page%2013%20Computer.jpg"><br /><i>Many organisations are turning a blind eye to the risks posed by PCs left unattended but logged in to networks, says a new analysis from Gartner. The main risk is that confidential information could be accessed and changed as a means of carrying out fraud, but the tendency of employees to send bogus or prank e-mails is also noted. The latter can have potentially serious legal consequences. </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?NewsID=4490&inkc=0" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Internet" rel="tag" target="_blank">Internet</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1128244652124355812005-10-02T13:14:00.000+04:002005-10-02T13:17:32.130+04:00Google to unwire San Francisco<i><img src="http://www.google.com/intl/en/logos/Logo_60wht.gif" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">Google Inc. has offered to blanket San Francisco with free wireless Internet access at no cost to the city, placing a marquee name behind Mayor Gavin Newsom's effort to get all residents online whether they are at home, in a park or in a cafe. The offer by the popular Mountain View search engine was one of more than a dozen competing bids received by the city before its deadline Friday. Officials will review the submissions and decide which, if any, of the candidates gets the green light to build the so called Wi-Fi service, which would be free or inexpensive for users. </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/10/01/MNGG9F16KG1.DTL" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Media" rel="tag" target="_blank">Media</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Internet" rel="tag" target="_blank">Internet</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1128167167152565072005-10-01T15:43:00.000+04:002005-10-01T15:46:08.016+04:00Now it's killer bats?<i><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40852000/jpg/_40852452_greaterhorseshoebat203.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">The likely source of the respiratory disease Sars is the horseshoe bat, a new study suggests. Researchers found a virus closely related to the Sars coronavirus in bats from three regions of China.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4291386.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1128064125775439582005-09-30T11:06:00.000+04:002005-09-30T11:08:45.783+04:00Flu pandemic "could kill up to 150 million people"<i><img src="http://www.adb.org/BirdFlu/img/bird_flu.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">A leading United Nations official has warned there could be a new influenza outbreak at any time which could kill up to 150 million people.<br />Dr David Nabarro said the influenza pandemic was likely to be caused by a mutation of the virus that is currently causing bird flu in Asia.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4292426.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1127968895888305622005-09-29T08:37:00.000+04:002005-09-29T08:41:35.890+04:00Goodbye North Pole?If you're planning a trip to the Arctic ice cap, try not too leave it too long:<br /><br /><i><img src="http://eobglossary.gsfc.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/nsidc_sea_ice_2005_tn.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">The Arctic ice cap is on track to disappear within a century, according to a study published yesterday. The satellite survey by the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC), and the space agency Nasa reveals that for the fourth consecutive year there has been "a stunning reduction" in Arctic sea ice at the end of the northern summer, placing species such as polar bears at risk.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/09/29/warct29.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/09/29/ixnewstop.html" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1127968472025738042005-09-29T08:32:00.000+04:002005-09-29T08:34:32.033+04:00The $100 laptop<i><img src="http://blogs.zdnet.com/images/notebook100.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">As a part of what he says is his life's most important work, MIT Media Labs director Nicholas Negroponte is on course to deliver a $100 laptop to the people who need it most: the world's children.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/index.php?p=1935" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Media" rel="tag" target="_blank">Media</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Internet" rel="tag" target="_blank">Internet</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8520441.post-1127916355769014412005-09-28T18:03:00.000+04:002005-09-28T18:05:55.770+04:00"Mythical" monster caught on film<i><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40847000/jpg/_40847252_squid_kubodera_203.jpg" align="right" Vspace="8" Hspace="8">A live, adult giant squid has been caught on camera in the wild for the very first time. Japanese researchers took pictures of the elusive creature hunting 900m down, enveloping its prey by coiling its tentacles into a ball.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4288772.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">More here.</a><br /><br />[+] Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Hopkin" rel="tag" target="_blank">George Hopkin</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Odd" rel="tag" target="_blank">Odd</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Science" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pop+Culture" rel="tag" target="_blank">Pop culture</a>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186298079727994309noreply@blogger.com0