Thursday, May 30, 2013

Bill Gates’ 11 Things You Didn’t and Won’t Learn in School

Bill Gates’ 11 Things You Didn’t and Won’t Learn in School


Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a high school about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept sets them up for failure in the real world. Bill Gates, founder of the software company Microsoft Rule 1: Life is not fair – get used to it! Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself. Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone until you earn both. Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. Rule 5:
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity. Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault; so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them. Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room. Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you "FIND YOURSELF". Do that on your own time. Rule 10: Television and video games are NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Financial Times Hacked By 'Syria Group'

Its website and tweets are compromised in a Syria-linked attack - just hours after a top Twitter executive visits the FT newsroom.

The website and Twitter account of the Financial Times have been hacked, apparently by activists who support the Syrian government.
The Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility for the attack, in which the hackers published messages in support of President Bashar al Assad and posted a link to a YouTube video.
"Syrian Electronic Army Was Here," the group boasted on one of the Financial Times' Twitter feeds.
A statement from the FT press office said: "Various FT blogs and social media accounts have been compromised by hackers and we are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible."
Uploaded on May 15, the video claims to show members of the Nusra Front rebel group purportedly executing blindfolded members of the Syrian army. It has not been independently verified.
The hacking attack comes after an internal memo reportedly asked FT staff not to click on suspicious emails and warned of a phishing attack.
Phishing describes the practice of sending harmless-looking emails to trick users into revealing passwords or other sensitive information.
Last month, the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) said it
was behind a hacking attack on the Associated Press which saw a bogus tweet say there had been explosions at the White House.
The tweet caused US financial markets to temporarily lose $136bn (£88bn).
The BBC, CBS and al Jazeera - among other news outlets - have also had their Twitter accounts hacked, leading to calls for the site to beef up its security.
Technology experts believe a two-stage security process, instead of just a password system, would make such attacks more difficult.
Ironically the US-based general counsel and head of trust and safety for Twitter, Alex Macgillivray, visited the FT's London newsroom just hours before the external attack commenced.
Mr Macgillivray posted a message thanking the FT for the visit - at about the same time the newspaper's tech blogs were attacked by the SEA hackers.
On Thursday Mr Macgillivray visited the London staff of Twitter UK, days after he addressed European headquarters staff in Dublin.
Mr Macgillivray's visit to the British Isles comes just days after Sky News revealed one of the two UK companies he was a director of, TweetDeck Ltd, was forcibly dissolved by Companies House after repeated failures to file accounts for 2011.

World Cup 2014 To Use Bomb-Detecting Robots

World Cup 2014 To Use Bomb-Detecting Robots

Battle-tested robots have become the latest addition to Brazil's tough security line-up for next year's World Cup.
The govenment has bought a fleet of iRobot 510 Packbots - usually used to neutralise roadside bombs and to inspect buildings and people for traces of explosives. The $7.2m (£4.74m) order will allow police to deal safely with any threats from a distance.
iRobot 510 PackBot It is also the same robot that examined the car allegedly hijacked by the Boston Marathon bombings suspects.
Able to climb stairs and submersible in a metre of water, the robot is remote-controlled and features multiple high-resolution cameras.
The World Cup starts in June 2014 and the Brazilian authorities are determined to have a robust show of security and set a precedent for the Olympics, held two years later.
Cities such as Rio de Janeiro have long had a problem with violent drug gangs operating in the city's favelas, or shanty towns.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are
now being spent on extra equipment, with police also set to wear face-scanning glasses.
The high-tech specs can scan 400 faces a second at a distance of 45 metres - ideal for plucking out potential hooligans at a football match.
They analyse 46,000 points on a person’s face and compare them against a criminal database.
Brazil's next major security challenge before the World Cup is the visit of Pope Francis. He is visiting the country in July for World Youth Day - his first foreign trip as Pontiff.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Top 10 Computer Tricks Every Geek Should Know

Top 10 Computer Tricks Every Geek Should Know



We've talked before about the things every computer user should know how to do, but we geeks are special: we want to go above and beyond, to explore every nook and cranny of our system and make everything easier. Here are ten ways to do just that.
Read more...


Throw Out Your Resume Walks You Through a Modern Application Process

 

Throw Out Your Resume Walks You Through a Modern Application Process



While we don't recommend throwing out your traditional paper resume just yet, if you want to work at a startup or a company with similar workplace philosophies then the job application strategies of yore won't serve you well. Throw Out Your Resume offers a simple guide to help you unlearn the old methods and replace them with new ones that will help you land a job somewhere a bit more exciting than a corporate cube farm.
Read more...




Rooney requests United exit


Rooney transfer request confirmed

  Outgoing Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson insisted Wayne Rooney won't be sold even though the forward handed in a transfer request after becoming ''frustrated'' at being substituted in recent matches.
The English star didn't dress for Ferguson's final home game as manager, a 2-1 win over Swansea in the Premier League on Sunday. Rooney watched the game from an executive box with his family.
''I don't think Wayne Rooney was keen to play, simply because he's asked for a transfer,'' Ferguson said after the match. ''He wants to think it through in his mind, which is a good
idea. We are not going to let him go but he is a little bit frustrated at being taken off once or twice in the last few weeks.''

Rooney came onto the field after the final whistle, shook Ferguson's hands and joined in the celebrations during the presentation ceremony for United's 13th Premier League title.


East African Community (EAC) remain too small and too fragmented to fully ut...

East African Community (EAC) remain too small and too fragmented to fully utilise


DESPITE possessing massive potential in natural resources, individual states within the East African Community (EAC) remain too small and too fragmented to fully utilise these resources in the global arena, without being exploited by larger and more developed economies. The hope of citizens as such lies in an East African Federation and, further down the line, a fully-integrated African state.  The scramble for East Africa is on. According to a US geological survey the region is sitting on US$9 trillion-worth of oil and gas. Whether this figure also includes the potentially resource-rich Horn of Africa – Somalia and Ethiopia in particular –
is not stated clearly. But East Africa certainly has caught the world's attention, and every major global player now wants a piece of the action. Consequently, we as citizens of East Africa are
faced with critical policy choices, which can make or break us.   The case for economic integration For the better part of the period after independence, East Africa has operated as small, "independent", balkanized states that have been inward, rather than outward, looking. Only a tiny fraction of the populace realized how detrimental this mode of operation was for the region as a whole. In a globalized economy, huge economic blocs are better placed to productively participate in economic activity that improves the living standards of their citizens. As small balkanized states, a self-imposed ceiling ensures a vicious scramble amongst the moneyed elite for a piece of a very small cake. In this scenario, social mobility is next to impossible as the poor fall victim to a system that does not create decent jobs – and in effect only rotates the meagre resources available to those who already have!   A tiny balkanized country of 40 million people like Kenya simply cannot compete on any level with a relatively socially-cohesive country of 300 million people like the US… So, broadly speaking, our hopes and dreams of a better future for our children lies in an East African Federation and, further
down the line, a fully-integrated African state!   The magic bullet for economic development is in creating economies of scale. Mass production and mass consumption are the drivers of economic growth. No state within East Africa – and, arguably, in the Horn of Africa has the numbers to go it alone. In fact across the whole of Africa, only Nigeria can boast of the kind of numbers needed to grow and sustain economic activity on a large scale – and even Nigeria is dwarfed by the larger emerging economies like China, India and Russia.  So, as suspicious as we are of each other, the fact is that Africans can only rise together. It is important to note that it is in the interest of the West and Asia for us to remain divided because they will retain a massive bargaining power over us. Africa is resource rich and if we worked together, we could form a price fixing cartel like OPEC for all our resources, in the process extracting a bigger portion of value from the global economic system.With bigger markets, harmonized laws and tax regimes our businesses will no longer have to participate in a race-to-the-bottom by engaging in mafia style territorial business where the winner takes all. A larger base of consumers will also be able to support all kinds of industries and ventures.   The role of banks I also see the role of African banks as development institutions. Speculation and risk averse loan provisions will not create jobs worth speaking of, so our banks have to be incentivized to make more loans to the productive sectors of our society, while government can help facilitate this by offering guarantees. But banks must also act responsibly and carry out due diligence while also deepening their efforts to provide technical as well as financial support to the economy. The only reason for banks to exist is to facilitate economic growth. We are sitting on a massive opportunity, the possibility of pulling millions of Africans out of poverty but the work starts with changing our perspective of who we are and our place in the world.


Fertility rates influenced by economics more than other factors

Fertility rates influenced by economics more than other factors


The world population could top 8 billion in the year 2023 if current growth rates remain constant, according to United Nations figures. However, if global fertility rates slow more quickly than expected, there could be up to half a billion fewer mouths to feed on Earth in 2023. Based on a


recent study by a University of Missouri anthropologist, economic changes have the greatest impact on reducing family size, and thus slowing population growth, compared to other factors. Understanding the causes of declining birth rates may lead to improved policies designed to influence fertility and result in reduced competition for food, water, land and wealth. "Improvements in economic development, such as higher educational attainment, increasing employment in the formal labor market, and the shift away from agriculture, seem to have a doubly-powerful effect because they not only raise individuals' standards of living, but also correlate to declining fertility rates, according to the results of...........
our study," said Mary Shenk, assistant professor of anthropology in MU's College of Arts and Science. "Another important finding of our study was
that intervention programs that made changes that really affected individuals achieved the best results. For example, although advertising campaigns encouraging lower fertility may reach a wider audience for less money, face-to-face intervention campaigns providing health services or access to contraception provide better results and are thus a better use of resources." In their research, Shenk and her colleagues used data collected since 1966 from approximately 250,000 people in rural Bangladesh, along with detailed interviews of nearly 800 women from the region. Sixty-four factors related to family size were considered and organized according to three possible explanations for declines in fertility rates: Risk and mortality - Parents have fewer children when they have more hope that children will survive into adulthood, according to this explanation. Economic and investment - This explanation suggests that rising costs of children and higher payoffs to investing in self and children reduce fertility with the shift to a market economy. Cultural transmission - This explanation holds that social perceptions of the value of children, ideal family size and acceptance of contraception influence fertility rates. Shenk's team used specially designed data collection and statistical methods to discern that "economic and investment" factors most clearly correlated to lower fertility. However, Shenk noted that the three possible explanations were interwoven. Although economic factors were significantly more influential, other phenomena such as mortality rates and health interventions also affect fertility decline in Bangladesh. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. "Few studies have compared those three possible explanations for fertility declines to determine which had the strongest effect," said Shenk. "Population growth rates have fallen globally, starting in 18th century Western Europe, but the exact cause was intensely debated because there are so many different explanations in the literature. Our study created a framework by which different explanations could be explicitly compared. Population data from any region could be analyzed using these methods to help researchers, government officials, health workers and others understand the key drivers of demographic change in that region."  


New science policy in pipeline

New science policy in pipeline


The government is preparing a new science, technology and innovation (STI) policy, whose formulation will  involve players from different sectors, the minister for Communication, Science and Technology, Prof Makame Mbarawa

Microsoft warns of new Trojan hijacking Facebook accounts


Microsoft has issued a warning that a new piece of malware masquerading as a Google Chrome extension and Firefox add-on is making the rounds, threatening to hijack Facebook accounts
First detected in Brazil, Trojan:JS/Febipos.A, the malware attempts to keep itself update, just like normal, legitimate browser extensions, Microsoft noted in a security bulletin late Friday.
Once downloaded, the Trojan monitors whether the infected computer is logged into a Facebook account and attempts to download a config file that will includes a list of commands for the browser extension. The malware can then perform a variety of Facebook actions, including liking a page, sharing, posting, joining a group, and chatting with the account holder's friends.
Some variants of the malware include commands to post provocative messages written in Portuguese that contain links to other Facebook pages. The number of likes and shares on one such page grew while malware experts at Microsoft were.......
analyzing the Trojan, suggesting that the infections are continuing to occur.
Microsoft did not indicate how the malware installs itself or how many infections might have occurred. 



Tuesday, May 7, 2013

NASA's asteroid lasso mission said to halt Apocalypse scenario

NASA's asteroid lasso mission said to halt Apocalypse scenario


Speaking at the Human to Mars Summit, NASA's top administrator, Charles Bolden, pledges to work to "prevent an asteroid from colliding with devastating force into our planet." [Read more]



Microsoft sells more than 100M Windows 8 licenses in 6 months


Microsoft sells more than 100M Windows 8 licenses in 6 months


The sales milestone is on par with the number of Windows 7 licenses sold in its first six months on the market. [Read more]



Sunday, May 5, 2013

Boeing Aircraft Sets Hypersonic Flight Record

Boeing Aircraft Sets Hypersonic Flight Record


An experimental unmanned aircraft flies for three-and-a-half minutes at five times the speed of sound.

In this Wednesday, May 1, 2013 photo released by the U.S. Air Force, the X-51A Waverider, carried under the wing of a B-52H Stratofortress bomber, prepares to launch for its fourth and final flight over the Pacific Ocean. The X-51A, an experimental, unmanned aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force, went hypersonic during a test off the Southern California coast, traveling at more than 3,000 mph, the Air Force said Friday. The Air Force has spent $300 million studying scramjet technology that it hopes can be used to deliver strikes around the globe within minutes. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force, Bobbi Zapka)

Solar Plane Completes First Leg Of US Flight

 


Solar Impulse, which is powered by 12,000 cells, can fly by day or night power and is on its first US cross-continent journey.


20,000 apply for 1200 new govt jobs


20,000 apply for 1200 new govt jobs


By Henry Mwangonde The Citizen Correspondent Dar es Salaam. A total of 20,763 applicants have sent their applications for jobs in the government through the public service secretariat in the President's Office. Deputy secretary of the secretariat Lucas Mrumapili said his office was in the process of going through the applications. He noted that the names of selected candidates would soon be posted on the government's website for interviews starting May 13, this year Mrumapili said vacancies advertised in English which had 185 posts included the National Audit Office (NAO), Mzumbe University (MU) and Local Government Training Institute (LGTI). Others are the National chemists office (GCLA), Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI),Tanzania Food and Drugs Agency (TFDA) and Tanzania Food and Nutrition Commission (TFNC). Candidates are also interested in working for the Tanzania Forest Research Institute (TAFORI),Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWILI) and Tanzania Education Authority(TEA). An overwhelming majority want to work in education at both Arusha Teachers College and Mbeya University of Science and Technology (Must) and at the College of Business Education (CBE). A portion of the 185 job openings are at the Tanzania Industrial Research and Development Organisation(TIRDO) and at the severely underserviced Office of the Attorney General(AG). Vacancies advertised in kiswahili, which had 949 posts, were from the offices of permanent secretaries in different ministries, regional commissioners and local administration at district level.


New TRA website set to improve services


By Saumu Mwalimu The Citizen Reporter Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has re-launched its website to facilitate customer service and improve timely tax payments. The new-look website contains features that allow the taxman to interact with customers online. Speaking with The Citizen on Saturday, TRA director general Harry Kitilya said the idea to make the changes were due to the fact that the former website was based on the internal matters. He said the new one, however, will be mostly based on the customer's and stakeholder's relations. "The website that was formerly in place was officially used internally, mainly by the staff, but we thought of making it easily accessible to customers." He went on: "We wanted them to be able to ask and get responses in 24 hours. We expect to offer instant responses to our customers through the newly-reconstructed website." This will enhance our efficiency in tax collection as well as improve the national income significantly," closed Mr Kitilya. TRA plans to collect Sh8 trillion in the current financial year and Sh9.88 trillion from tax revenue in the next budget estimates.


Thursday, May 2, 2013

JK unveils plan to recruit teachers

 


The EAC has agreed to allow free movement of labour among the five Partner States - Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, according to the Head of StateBy Brandy NelsonThe Citizen CorrespondentMbeya. President Jakaya Kikwete said on Tuesday that there was a need to provide employment to teachers from other East African Community (EAC) countries in an effort to curb the shortage of teachers in the country.President Kikwete said that the move would reduce the shortage of science teachers and improve the education sector.      He was responding to owners and managers of private schools and colleges in the country who complained about the cumbersome procedures, including paying US$1500 as annual fee for employing a foreign teacher in the country.The Head of State said that the EAC countries (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burudindi) had agreed on, among other issues, to allow movement of labour among the Partner States."Every country will be required to list down employment opportunities that are open to foreigners and those which are not," he said. He added: "We will resolve this matter of high tax for working permits because we have already agreed that every country will make it clear."He said that Tanzania needed English Language, science and mathematics teachers and that the government was doing everything in its capacity to make sure the matter was resolved as soon as possible.According to President Kikwete, Tanzania has a shortage of at least 26,000 teachers for science subjects and that local universities produce only 2,200 teachers with degrees and diplomas every year."We are going to review the procedures for providing working permits to foreigners so that we can be able to source more competent teachers from abroad," he said.

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