Second Life (SL) is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab that launched on June 23, 2003 and is accessible via the Internet. A free client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars. Residents can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property and services with one another, or travel throughout the world, which residents refer to as the grid. Second Life is for people aged 18 and over, while Teen Second Life is for people aged 13 to 17.
Built into the software is a three dimensional modeling tool based around simple geometric shapes that allows a resident to build virtual objects. This can be used in combination with the Linden Scripting language which can be used to add functionality to objects. More complex three dimensional Sculpted prims (colloquially known as sculptures), textures for clothing or other objects, and animations and gestures can be created using external software. The Second Life Terms of Service ensure that users retain copyright for any content they create, and the server and client provide simple digital rights management functions.
In 1999,Philip Rosedale (known as Philip Linden inworld) formed Linden Lab. His initial focus was on the development of hardware that would enable computer users to be fully immersed in a virtual world experience. In its earliest form, the company struggled to produce a commercial version of the hardware, known as "The Rig", which was realized in prototype form as a clunky steel contraption with several computer monitors that users could wear on their shoulders. That vision soon morphed into the software application Linden World, in which users could participate in task based games and socialization in a three dimensional online environment. That effort would eventually transform into the better known, user centered Second Life.Although he was familiar with the metavers of Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash, Rosedale has said that his vision of virtual worlds predates that book, and that he conducted some early virtual world experiments during his college years at the University of California San Diego, where he studied physics.
On December 11, 2007, Cory Ondrejka, who helped program Second Life, was forced to resign as chief technology officer .
In January 2008, residents (including bots used to simulate traffic for better search rankings) spent a total of 28,274,505 hours "in world", and, on average, 38,000 residents were logged in at any particular moment. The maximum concurrency (number of avatars inworld) recorded is 88,200 in the 1st qtr. 2009
On March 14, 2008, Rosedale announced plans to step down from his position as Linden Lab CEO and to become chairman of Linden Lab's board of directors. Rosedale announced Mark Kingdon as the new CEO effective May 15, 2008.
In September 2008, just over 15 million accounts were registered, although there are no reliable figures for actual long term consistent usage.
In 2008, Second Life was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for advancing the development of online sites with user-generated content. Rosedale accepted the award.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
VoIP Usage
VoIP technologies and implementations
Voice over IP has been implemented in various ways using both proprietary and open protocols and standards. Examples of technologies used to implement Voice over Internet Protocol include:
* H.323
* IMS
* SIP
* RTP
A notable proprietary implementation is the Skype network. Other examples of specific implementations and a comparison between them are available in comparison of VoIP.
Skype Trojan malware can secretly record VoIP calls
Security researchers have spotted attack code published on the web that could allow hackers to secretly record
audio and video sent over the Skype VoIP service. The Trojan malware called Skype.Peskyspy records Skype
calls and stores them as an mp3 file for later transmission.
The Trojan injects a dll component into a Skype process and then hooks the "send" and "recv" APIs in Skype to
the Trojan's own custom functions, according to web security firm Sophos.
"This allows the Trojan to extract and save the audio and video data and send it back to the attacker," wrote
SophosLabs researcher Richard Cohen on the company's blog.
Although Skype secures the data while it's being transmitted between callers, the Trojan can intercept the data at
the sender or receiver end.
"In this case, you yourself can be secured to the hilt, but if the person you're talking to on Skype has a Trojan
installed then it's still going to steal the words right out of your mouth," Cohen wrote.
The Trojan was discovered by a major internet security firm, which reported that the Trojan is being spread via
email links and social engineering attacks in spam emails and messages, according to the Tech Herald.
ADNFCR-1765-ID-19337585-ADNFCR
The must-have headset
Custom-built to work with Skype – at a price you can afford.
All subscriptions include voicemail so you'll never miss a call and an online number discount. To call mobiles and landlines that are not covered in your subscription simply buy some Skype Credit.
Voice over IP has been implemented in various ways using both proprietary and open protocols and standards. Examples of technologies used to implement Voice over Internet Protocol include:
* H.323
* IMS
* SIP
* RTP
A notable proprietary implementation is the Skype network. Other examples of specific implementations and a comparison between them are available in comparison of VoIP.
Skype Trojan malware can secretly record VoIP calls
Security researchers have spotted attack code published on the web that could allow hackers to secretly record
audio and video sent over the Skype VoIP service. The Trojan malware called Skype.Peskyspy records Skype
calls and stores them as an mp3 file for later transmission.
The Trojan injects a dll component into a Skype process and then hooks the "send" and "recv" APIs in Skype to
the Trojan's own custom functions, according to web security firm Sophos.
"This allows the Trojan to extract and save the audio and video data and send it back to the attacker," wrote
SophosLabs researcher Richard Cohen on the company's blog.
Although Skype secures the data while it's being transmitted between callers, the Trojan can intercept the data at
the sender or receiver end.
"In this case, you yourself can be secured to the hilt, but if the person you're talking to on Skype has a Trojan
installed then it's still going to steal the words right out of your mouth," Cohen wrote.
The Trojan was discovered by a major internet security firm, which reported that the Trojan is being spread via
email links and social engineering attacks in spam emails and messages, according to the Tech Herald.
ADNFCR-1765-ID-19337585-ADNFCR
The must-have headset
Custom-built to work with Skype – at a price you can afford.
All subscriptions include voicemail so you'll never miss a call and an online number discount. To call mobiles and landlines that are not covered in your subscription simply buy some Skype Credit.
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographic information program that was originally called Earth Viewer, and was created by Keyhole,inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004. It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite Imagery, aerial photography and GSI 3D. It is available under three different licenses:
: Google Earth, a free version with limited functionality; Google Earth Plus (discontinued), which included additional features; and Google Earth Pro ($495 per year), which is intended for commercial use.
The product, re-released as Google Earth in 2005, is currently available for use on personal computers running windows 2000 and above, Mac OSX 10.3.9 and above, Linux Kernel: 2.4 or later (released on June 12, 2006), and FreeBSD. Google Earth is also available as a browser plugin (released on June 2, 2008) for Firefox3, Safari3,IE6 and IE7. It was also made available on the iPhone OS on October 27, 2008, as a free download from the App Store. In addition to releasing an updated Keyhole based client, Google also added the imagery from the Earth database to their web based mapping software. The release of Google Earth in June 2005 to the public caused a more than tenfold increase in media coverage on virtual globes between 2005 and 2006,driving public interest in geospatial technologies and applications.
Google Earth displays satellite images of varying resolution of the Earth's surface, allowing users to visually see things like cities and houses looking perpendicularly down or at an oblique angle, with perspective (see also bird's eye view). The degree of resolution available is based somewhat on the points of interest and popularity, but most land (except for some islands) is covered in at least 15 meters of resolution. Melbourne, Victoria, Las Vegas, Nevada; and cambridge, Cambridgeshire include examples of the highest resolution, at 15 cm (6 inches). Google Earth allows users to search for addresses for some countries, enter coordinates, or simply use the mouse to browse to a location.
Google Earth has the capability to show 3D buildings and structures (such as bridges), which consist of users' submissions using SketchUp, a 3D modeling program. In prior versions of Google Earth (before Version 4), 3D buildings were limited to a few cities, and had poorer rendering with no textures. Many buildings and structures from around the world now have detailed 3D structures; including (but not limited to) those in the United States, Canada, Ireland, India, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Pakistan and the cities, Amsterdam and Alexandria. In August 2007, Hamburg became the first city entirely shown in 3D, including textures such as facades. The Irish town of Westport was added to Google Earth in 3D on January 16, 2008. Flight simulator
: Google Earth, a free version with limited functionality; Google Earth Plus (discontinued), which included additional features; and Google Earth Pro ($495 per year), which is intended for commercial use.
The product, re-released as Google Earth in 2005, is currently available for use on personal computers running windows 2000 and above, Mac OSX 10.3.9 and above, Linux Kernel: 2.4 or later (released on June 12, 2006), and FreeBSD. Google Earth is also available as a browser plugin (released on June 2, 2008) for Firefox3, Safari3,IE6 and IE7. It was also made available on the iPhone OS on October 27, 2008, as a free download from the App Store. In addition to releasing an updated Keyhole based client, Google also added the imagery from the Earth database to their web based mapping software. The release of Google Earth in June 2005 to the public caused a more than tenfold increase in media coverage on virtual globes between 2005 and 2006,driving public interest in geospatial technologies and applications.
Google Earth displays satellite images of varying resolution of the Earth's surface, allowing users to visually see things like cities and houses looking perpendicularly down or at an oblique angle, with perspective (see also bird's eye view). The degree of resolution available is based somewhat on the points of interest and popularity, but most land (except for some islands) is covered in at least 15 meters of resolution. Melbourne, Victoria, Las Vegas, Nevada; and cambridge, Cambridgeshire include examples of the highest resolution, at 15 cm (6 inches). Google Earth allows users to search for addresses for some countries, enter coordinates, or simply use the mouse to browse to a location.
Google Earth has the capability to show 3D buildings and structures (such as bridges), which consist of users' submissions using SketchUp, a 3D modeling program. In prior versions of Google Earth (before Version 4), 3D buildings were limited to a few cities, and had poorer rendering with no textures. Many buildings and structures from around the world now have detailed 3D structures; including (but not limited to) those in the United States, Canada, Ireland, India, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Pakistan and the cities, Amsterdam and Alexandria. In August 2007, Hamburg became the first city entirely shown in 3D, including textures such as facades. The Irish town of Westport was added to Google Earth in 3D on January 16, 2008. Flight simulator
WebQuest
What is a WebQuest ?
A stereotypical “WebQuest” sees a team of students accessing Web sites in order to produce a technology-enhanced group product.
A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. The model was developed by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University in February, 1995 with early input from SDSU/Pacific Bell Fellow Tom March, the Educational Technology staff at San Diego Unified School District, and waves of participants each summer at the Teach the Teachers Consortium. Since those beginning days, tens of thousands of teachers have embraced WebQuests as a way to make good use of the internet while engaging their students in the kinds of thinking that the 21st century requires. The model has spread around the world, with special enthusiasm in Brazil, Spain, China, Australia and Holland
A stereotypical “WebQuest” sees a team of students accessing Web sites in order to produce a technology-enhanced group product.
A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. The model was developed by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University in February, 1995 with early input from SDSU/Pacific Bell Fellow Tom March, the Educational Technology staff at San Diego Unified School District, and waves of participants each summer at the Teach the Teachers Consortium. Since those beginning days, tens of thousands of teachers have embraced WebQuests as a way to make good use of the internet while engaging their students in the kinds of thinking that the 21st century requires. The model has spread around the world, with special enthusiasm in Brazil, Spain, China, Australia and Holland
Quest Garden
QuestGarden is an online authoring tool, community and hosting service that is designed to make it easier and quicker to create a high quality WebQuest. No knowledge of web editing or uploading is required. Prompts, guides and examples are provided for each step of the process. Images, worksheets and other documents can easily be attached or embedded in the WebQuest, and users have complete control over the appearance of the final lesson.
QuestGarden is modeled after a community garden with all the resources needed to bring great WebQuests to life. Users are encouraged to comment on each others' work, to share links and images, and to build new WebQuests on existing ones. Rather than starting from scratch, users will soon be able to bring a WebQuest written by another member of the community into their workspace, modify the content or appearance to suit their needs, and use it with their own students. Attribution to the first author is maintained, and authors are notified when another member of the community makes an improved or modified version of their work. Powerpoint slides and a webcast about QuestGarden can be seen.
QuestGarden takes a little time to become familiar with, and we don't expect you to subscribe right away to something unknown. You can register for a free 30-day trial and get most of the benefits of QuestGarden at no cost to you. This makes it possible for teacher education programs or workshop leaders to introduce you to the site without adding a financial commitment
QuestGarden is modeled after a community garden with all the resources needed to bring great WebQuests to life. Users are encouraged to comment on each others' work, to share links and images, and to build new WebQuests on existing ones. Rather than starting from scratch, users will soon be able to bring a WebQuest written by another member of the community into their workspace, modify the content or appearance to suit their needs, and use it with their own students. Attribution to the first author is maintained, and authors are notified when another member of the community makes an improved or modified version of their work. Powerpoint slides and a webcast about QuestGarden can be seen.
QuestGarden takes a little time to become familiar with, and we don't expect you to subscribe right away to something unknown. You can register for a free 30-day trial and get most of the benefits of QuestGarden at no cost to you. This makes it possible for teacher education programs or workshop leaders to introduce you to the site without adding a financial commitment
Wikipedia
Wiki
A wiki is a website that uses wiki software, allowing the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked Web pages, using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG editor, within the browser. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites,to power community websites, and for note taking. The collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia is one of the best-known wikis. Wikis are used in business to provide internet and knowledge management systems. Ward Cunningham, the developer of the first wiki software, WikiWikiWeb, originally described it as "the simplest online database that could possibly work."
Wikipedia began as a complementary project for Nupedia, a free online English- Language encyclopedia project whose articles were written by experts and reviewed under a formal process. Nupedia was founded on March 9, 2000, under the ownership of Bomis, Inc, a web portal company. Its main figures were Jimmy Wales, Bomis CEO, and Larry Sanger, editor-in chief for Nupedia and later Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation and the Wikimedia chapters
Wikipedia is hosted and funded by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization which also operates Wikipedia-related projects such as Wikibooks. The Wikimedia chapters, local associations of Wikipedia users, also participate in the promotion, the development, and the funding of the project.
Wikipedia has also spawned several sister projects, which are also run by the Wikimedia Foundation. The first, "In Memoriam: September 11 Wiki", created in October 2002, detailed the September 11 attacks; this project was closed in October 2006. Wiktionary, a dictionary project, was launched in December 2002; Wikiquote, a collection of quotations, a week after Wikimedia launched, and Wikibooks, a collection of collaboratively written free books. Wikimedia has since started a number of other projects, including Wikiversity, a project for the creation of free learning materials and the provision of online learning activities. None of these sister projects, however, has come to meet the success of Wikipedia.
Some subsets of Wikipedia's information have been developed, often with additional.When writing articles here:
- Use easy words and shorter sentences. This lets people who know little English read them.
- Write good pages. The best encyclopedia pages have useful, well written information.
- Use the pages to learn and teach. These pages can help people learn English. You can also use them to make a new Wikipedia to help other people.
- Simple does not mean little. Writing in Simple English means that simple words are used. It does not mean readers want simple information. Articles do not have to be short to be simple; expand articles, include a lot of information, but use basic vocabulary.
- Be bold! Your article does not have to be perfect, because other editors will fix it and make it better. And most importantly, do not be afraid to start and make articles better yourself.
About Wikipedia
This is the front page of the Simple English Wikipedia. Wikipedias are places where people work together to write encyclopedias in different languages. We use simple English words and grammar here. The Simple English Wikipedia is for everyone! That includes children and adults who are learning English.
There are 55,542 articles on the Simple English Wikipedia. All of the pages are free to use.
Google Calenda
Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a free time-management web application offered by Google. It became available on April 13, 2006, and exited the beta stage in July 2009. While users are not required to have a Gmail account, they are required to have a free Google Account in order to use the software.7 reasons to use Google Calendar
Organizing your schedule shouldn't be a burden. With Google Calendar, it's easy to keep track of life's important events all in one place.
1. Share your schedule
Let your co-workers, family, and friends see your calendar, and view schedules that others have shared with you. When you know when everyone is free or busy, scheduling is a snap.
2. Get your calendar on the go
With two-way syncing to your mobile phone's built-in calendar or a mobile version of Google Calendar that's made for the small screen, you can access your calendar while you're away from your desk.
3. Never forget another event again
Customizable reminders help you stay on schedule. You can choose to be notified by email or get a text message sent right to your mobile phone.
4. Send invitations and track RSVPs
Invite the people to events on your calendar. Guests can RSVP to your events by email or via Google Calendar.5. Sync with your desktop applications
Access your calendar however and whenever you want by syncing events with Microsoft, Microsoft Outlook, Apple iCal and Mozilla Sunbird.
6. Work offline
Know where you're supposed to be even when you don't have internet access. With offline access, you can view a read-only version of your calendar no matter where you are.
7. All this is free?
Yep.
In addition to offline access to Gmail while you're traveling or without a strong internet connection, you can now see your Google Calendar events when you're disconnected. Offline Calendar lets you view your existing schedule and events, but not edit them, so you don't have to print out calendars the night before a trip. This feature has been available to businesses and schools using Google Apps for about a month; we're now turning it on for everyone.Like Gmail, the offline feature of Calendar uses Gears, an open source browser extension that adds offline functionality directly to the browser.
To enable offline Calendar access, sign in to Google Calender and look for the "Offline Beta" link in the upper right-hand corner of your account, next to your user name. We've released this early and are still ironing out some kinks, so if you encounter any issues, be sure to let us know. If you access Calendar through the Premier or Education Editions of Google Apps, your domain administrator will first have to elect to turn on new features from the Domain Settings page of the Google Apps control panel.
There are multiple ways to see your calendar when you're away from your desk — in addition to offline mode, we offer two-way sync for iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile and Blackberry devices. So wherever you go, Google Calendar can be there with you.
Social Network Service
A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services.
Social networking has encouraged new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people.
While it could be said that email and websites have most of the essential elements of social network services, the idea of proprietary encapsulated services has gained popular uptake recently.
The main types of social networking services are those which contain category divisions (such as former school-year or classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages) and a recommendation system linked to trust. Popular methods now combine many of these, with Facebook widely used worldwide; MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn being the most widely used in North America; Nexopia (mostly in Canada); Bebo, Hi5, StudiVZ (mostly in Germany), Decayenne, Tagged, XING;, Badoo and Skyrock in parts of Europe; Orkut and Hi5 in South America and Central America;and Friendster, Mixi, Multiply, Orkut, Wretch, Xiaonei and Cyworld in Asia and the Pacific Islands.
There have been some attempts to standardize these services to avoid the need to duplicate entries of friends and interests (see the FOAF standard and the Open source Inititative, but this has led to some concerns about privacy.
Google Sites
http://sites.google.com [Main Sites]
The site can perform like other easy accessing blogs.
We can upload word files, photos, videos and powerpoints.
http://sites.google.com/site/g4919675/
http://sites.google.com/site/mayjudith69/
http://sites.google.com/site/buildingfishfarmsgroup/
The site can perform like other easy accessing blogs.
We can upload word files, photos, videos and powerpoints.
http://sites.google.com/site/g4919675/
http://sites.google.com/site/mayjudith69/
http://sites.google.com/site/buildingfishfarmsgroup/
Friday, September 4, 2009
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