5/30/10

After another failure, BP scrambles to stem leak

Now, BP hopes to saw through a pipe leading out from the well and cap it with a funnel-like device using the same remotely guided undersea robots that have failed in other tries to stop the gusher. Even that effort won't end the disaster — BP officials have only pledged it will capture a majority of the oil. None of the remaining options would stop the flow entirely or capture all the crude before it reaches the Gulf's waters.

Video courtesy of ABC News. For more visit ABC News.com

Engineers will use remotely guided undersea robots to try to lower a cap onto the leak after cutting off part of a busted pipe leading out from the well. The funnel-like device is similar to a huge containment box that failed before when it became clogged with icelike slush. Dudley said officials learned a lot from that failure and will pump warm water through the pipes to prevent the ice problems.

The spill is the worst in U.S. history — exceeding even the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster — and has dumped between 18 million and 40 million gallons into the Gulf, according to government estimates. The leak began after the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in April, killing 11 people.

5/28/10

Worst oil spill in U.S. history - Deepwater Horizon Oil spill and it's effect on wildlife in Barataria Bay Louisiana

Deepwater Horizon Oil spill.  Oil soaked Pelican on Island in Barataria Bay coast of Louisiana 5 23 2010
President Barack Obama and LaFourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph show small amounts of oil washed up as "tar balls" during a tour of areas impacted by the Gulf Coast oil spill,Friday, May 28, 2010, in Port Fourchon, La. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)
BP kept pumping heavy mud into its blown-out well beneath the Gulf of Mexico on Friday May 28, 2010, but the company's chief executive cautioned it will be two more days before anyone knows if the latest fix attempt will end the uncontrolled flow of crude that has already become the worst oil spill in U.S. history.


The top kill is oil and gas giant BP PLC's latest untested bid to end the spill that has, by the most conservative estimate, surpassed the Exxon Valdez disaster by gushing more than 18 million gallons into the Gulf.

5/25/10

Don't Panic - Facebook Exodus


Wake up. Take a shower. Get a coffee. Check Facebook. The average daily routine of most hipster wannabies around the world is pretty tragic, it has to be said. Social network is a worldwide phenomenon. It seems we’re all addicted to hyping ourselves and voyeuristically consuming the minuatea of our friends, acquaintances and more of than not complete strangers’ lives. There's been a heated debate about facebook not being so perfect for sometime. Finally, some guys have done something about it and have announced May 31 as International Quit Facebook Day.

5/22/10

Come Juneteenth
JUNETEENTH WORLD WIDE CELEBRATION

        140TH - 15OTH
ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN
            1865-2015



The year 2005 marked the 140th year anniversary of Juneteenth. All across the United States, and beyond, celebrations commemorated this historical event of 1865 in Galveston, Texas. There, on June 19th, when word of the emancipation proclamation finally reached the enslaved, a new and uncertain way of life began. Today, more than 142 years since, African Americans have elevated this celebration, publicly and privately to one of the most important of the year.
The 140th year anniversary celebrations across the U.S. marked a significant milestone in American history. Juneteenth serves symbolically, and in reality, as a reference point from which to measure and appreciate the progress and contributions made by African Americans to this society.
And, with even more excitement, anticipation and world wide participation, the 150th anniversary campaign is underway.
The campaign, centers around assessment, education, dialogue, acknowledgement and celebration of African American progress since 1865. We invite and encourage everyone to join with us in the planning, development and celebration of this historic campaign.
Beyond freedom for one's self, Juneteenth celebrates freedom for all, worldwide. Juneteenth promotes unity and builds self-esteem through reflection, education, and through acknowledgement of achievements. Today, people of all races, nationalities and ethnicities join together to support and participate in Juneteenth celebrations - a true testament to humanity.




If you or your organization celebrates Juneteenth, register here.
Join the National Juneteenth Register and become part of the world wide Juneteenth community database. As the number of celebrations continue to grow, it is important that we document and quantify the impact of Juneteenth celebrations across the country. It's quick and easy - and best of all it's free!Just select your registration type and click on the link which will take you to the appropriate form.






SELECT REGISTRATION TYPE
Individual Registration
Juneteenth Organization
Business / Corporation


5/20/10

Advertise your business, service, products, or site on Ubuntugeek.com






Dear Friends

Currently we have an Advertising opportunities with Ubuntugeek.com and if any one is interested please contact us using our contact form
Advertise your business, service, products, or site
Currently we are open to the following ad formats
1) Text links
2) Banner ads with different sizes including images

Facebook, mobile carriers offer free access to site | Reuters


Facebook has teamed up with 50 wireless operators to offer cellphone users a stripped-down version of the social networking site that can be accessed without incurring data charges.

The new site, dubbed facebook.com, is a text-only version of Facebook's flagship Internet site and is specially designed for mobile phones with limited bandwidth Internet connections.

The new site will be available beginning on Tuesday in 40 different countries, including Brazil, India, Indonesia and Turkey from a variety of carriers.

The new site comes as the world's largest Internet social network continues to grow its base and looks for ways to increase the amount of time Web surfers spend using its service.

At the company's annual developer's conference last month, Facebook introduced new technology that allows third-party Web sites to integrate Facebook features directly.

Roughly one quarter of Facebook's 400 million users access the site on mobile devices, according to the company.

But Facebook wants to make the service more accessible to cell phone users who do not own high-end smartphones such as Apple Inc's iPhone, or phones based on Google Inc's Android software.

Among the carriers partnering with Facebook are Reliance and Videocon in India (with Tata Docomo coming soon), T-Mobile in Hungary and Vodafone in Greece.

Customers of the participating wireless operators will be able to access the new Facebook site without paying any wireless data charges, Facebook said.

The facebook site offers the same capabilities as Facebook's standard website, allowing members to view their news feed, comment on posts and send messages.

But facebook will not feature any photos or videos -- Web surfers can link to view photos and videos, although they will be charged standard wireless data fees by their carriers at that point.

In addition to many so-called emerging economies in which facebook will be offered, the site will be available in the United Kingdom, Finland and Hong Kong, among other places.

5/18/10

Interactive Virtual Event | June 22 2010


Embedded Wireless Devices: An Interactive Executive Summit


Over the past year there’s been increasing focus on what many consider the next big growth area in wireless – non-traditional devices designed with built-in wireless connectivity. There are many conditions that have converged to make the time right for embedded devices – 3G networks are prolific, operators can deliver both voice and data over the same infrastructure, and wireless module prices have declined as volumes have grown.

While this new area is exciting because of its vast potential, there are still technical hurdles to overcome. Because these devices must connect to the mobile network, device makers (netbook OEMs, e-reader makers, digital camera manufacturers and navigation device OEMs, etc,) must decide which technology to embed (CDMA, GSM, WiFi or a combination) and carriers must be able to quickly test and provision these devices for their networks.


Embedded Wireless Devices is accessible anywhere there's a working Internet connection and phone line. You can access the event from your desk, home office, cubicle—it's up to you.  It Offers all of the benefits of a live event...without the hassle of having to travel. You don't even need to leave your office.







5/14/10

An iPad Made really made of Gold

"The Web site for luxury gadget maker Stuart Hughes is at it again. This time it's a 22ct gold-plated iPad which has 53 sparkling gems over the Apple logo. It's listed at a mere �129,995 ($192,041).It works just like an $829 iPad. The Web site for luxury gadget maker Stuart Hughes is at it again 

5/11/10

Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx is here


Social networking integration
Lucid gets a nice social Networks Integration with “Social From The Start” initiative powered by open source project Gwibber.
Cloud Sync & Ubuntu One
Ubuntu One brings a commercial cloud synchronization service to the Ubuntu desktop. Major parts being mobile synchronization (iPhone, Android, others) and a New Music store (iTunes Alternative) whih wors with popular Ubuntu player: Rythmbox.
Apart from what is said, there are lots of bug fixes and even some nitty-gritty stuff like inbuilt support for iPhone Sync on Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx is available for Download at http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download.

5/10/10

Web 3.0 The Semantic Web

http://vimeo.com/11529540

Semantic Web For DummiesA story about the Semantic Web

Interviews with:
Tim Berners-Lee
Clay Shirky
Chris Dixon
David Weinberger
Nova Spivack
Jason Shellen
Lee Feigenbaum
John Hebeler
Alon Halevy
David Karger
Abraham Bernstein

A social networking call to arms


Google’s potential role in creating a serious Facebook alternative, given its experience individualizing its Apps products for educational and business domains. There was an important takeaway from an educational perspective, though: Facebook is no longer even worth considering for use in education other than for publicity and outbound communications that need to reach a wide audience. The privacy concerns simply overwhelm any potential benefits of social learning. It’s time for an alternative and it’s time that we demand that social media not only meet our needs but meet their own potential in personal, business, and educational markets.
Sure, I think that Google will probably end up providing us with exactly such a service, tied into its Apps/Docs model. However, when it comes down to it, I don’t care who provides me with an alternative to Facebook. I care about a fairly limited set of requirements:
  • It needs to be ubiquitous. Students need to be using it anyway, making it natural for them to interact with teachers and peers, both in and out of school. Students will not tend to check “yet another site” and it should be fluid and seamless for them to extend learning outside of the confines of the school day and a physical building.
  • It needs to be secure. Even the perception of a lack of security will kill adoption. Look at the UC Davis GMail pilot, the failure of which wasgleefully covered by ZDNet’s own Zack Whittaker. The arguments cited by UC Davis struck me as nothing more than anti-cloud FUD, but Google’s Buzz missteps were enough (among other Google privacy concerns) to let naysayers torpedo the project.
  • It needs to be robust. Facebook is everything from a video repository to a photo album to an RSS feed for people. The new tool doesn’t need to have Farmville (in fact, it damn well better not have it), but the platform has to be well-integrated and sticky: users should not need to look elsewhere for the tools and services they need (aside from following the external links provided by peers and instructors). ePals is on the right track with this one with their Learning Space platform. By integrating Office Web Apps, solid groupware, blogging utilities, etc., students can go to one place for all of their Education 2.0 needs. The focus on K-12 education means that ePals doesn’t satisfy my first requirement above, but the stickiness and security are both there. There’s something to be learned here, folks.

If Facebook is useless to teachers and increasingly problematic for students, parents, and practically everyone else on the planet, then it’s time to move on. It’s also time for a bit of irony. Why don’t you join a small group on Facebook called “I’m Actively Seeking a Facebook Replacement.” I did. The next great platform is out there. Maybe it will be Ning, although I’m not really feeling it.
But whether it’s Ning, or some incarnation of SharePoint from Microsoft, or Google’s Buzz 2.0 (no, that doesn’t really exist, but the name seems apt, doesn’t it?), it’s time for a social media platform to emerge, displace Facebook, and finally provide the social media tools that schools, businesses, and consumers need to take interaction and collaboration to the next level. Join the Facebook group and help us find something better. Bask in the irony for a bit, if it helps, follow Jason Perlow’s advicewhile we continue our search for alternatives, and be ready to jump ship when it appears.

5/8/10

Ubuntu Download | Wubi

Download Ubuntu Windows Installer


    Ubuntu Download-Wubi



     

     Run the downloaded file
      After the file is downloaded, you have to open it to run the installer. You will find the detailed instructions below. If you need further help, the various support options are listed at the bottom of this page.

      If you are using Internet Explorer, you'll be asked wither to run or save the file. Choose Run to launch the installer.











      Most other browsers, like Firefox, will only ask you to save the file. Click Save and then double-click the downloaded file to launch the installer.








      Install Ubuntu


        If a security message like this appears, click Continue to proceed with the installation.








        To install Ubuntu, all you need to do is choose your username and password. Please note that you have to insert your password twice to make sure you typed it correctly.

        After choosing your password, click Install. The files will be downloaded and installed automatically.





        Wait until Ubuntu is downloaded and installed. Please note that the whole process can take a while - downloaded file size is 700MB











        When the installation is complete you will be prompted to restart your computer. Click Finish to restart.













        After your computer restarts, choose Ubuntu from the boot menu.




        5/5/10

        Mashable Twitter Guide

        Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

        Ayrstone Productivity, LLC

        Each AyrMesh Hub creates an Internet network up to a half-mile - throughout a very large house, out on the porch, through the yard, in and around outbuildings, and reaching nearby pasture and fields. Broadcasting the maximum wattage allowed by federal law, the AyrMesh Hub outblasts typical Wi-Fi access points with approximately 40 times the wireless power! Designed for the countryside, the weatherproof Ayrstone AyrMesh Hub mounts indoors or outdoors and provides years of trouble-free Wi-Fi service.

        Ayrstone-Productivity

        Looking for even more Wi-Fi coverage? AyrMesh is a meshing Wi-Fi system, so additional AyrMesh Hubs boost your Wi-Fi signal and connect both wired (Ethernet) devices and wireless components to your network. Start with one AyrMesh Hub connected to your Broadband Internet source. Then add more AyrMesh Hubs to push the signal further -- a half-mile each -- and provide Wi-Fi Internet access across your homestead, estate or farm. Just mount additional AyrMesh Hubs within the half-mile radius of each Hub closest to your Internet connection, daisy-chain fashion, and plug them into a power outlet. With Hub positioning and the benefit of meshing technology, your Wi-Fi Internet connection extends up to 2 miles.