Morning on the Water

[Photos: FreeWine and Jamoker]

Tech News Roundup

Here is a roundup of tech news for the last few days, as found on Ars Technica:

Video Games
Thursday, Ars Technica reported that Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has predicted "Video gaming will be twice as big as music by 2011". He has a very convincing argument, but the topic remains extremely controversial. Ars Technica concludes that his theory is more applicable to the global market than the U.S. market. Check out the full story.

Wireless Internet
Chicago has decided to forgo implementing a WiFi network. Ars Technica compares this recent development with other large cities that are having WiFi problems. As Ars Technica asks, "Will this be the beginning of the end for municipal WiFi projects?". Read more here.

Will wireless networks replace Ethernet in the near future? 802.11n poses a threat to the long time industry favorite. Find out more here.

Is upgrading from 802.11g to 802.11n worth it? Ars Technica compares three of the most popular 802.11n routers. See the full review.

Digital Rights Management
The Electronic Frontier Foundation rebuked the RIAA lawsuit campaign recently. As quoted from Ars Technica:

"the EFF argues that continued lawsuits against individuals will produce only diminishing returns... In the EFF's view, the problem is a market failure; music lovers are likely to pay out and artists are likely to make enough money if only better alternatives to the current system existed."

More on this story here.

TorrentSpy has blocked all searches by users from the United States. This was brought on by what TorrentSpy calls an "uncertain legal climate in the US regarding user privacy", among other things. Read the full story here.

Finance, Investing, and Money - Articles and Websites

Here are three articles and four websites I have found either interesting, helpful, or both.

Articles
10 Stupid Ways That Smart People Waste Money - This is my favorite of the three articles.

Financial Gravity :: How the Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Poorer - Very interesting read, with many valid points.

20 Investments - Well organized article that explores 20 different investment options.

Websites
Wikinvest - Great free content powered by the Wiki revolution. Check it out!

Yahoo! Finance - My favorite financial website. Vast amounts of quality information and resources, all for free.

The Wall Street Journal Online - The free articles and resources are great. The paid content is even better. Plus, the WSJ is a very credible, world renowned financial media authority.

CNNMoney.com - Another very reliable, well known name in financial media.

Links for the Day

Investment information and tips. Spectacular resource for learning German. Great review of blog alternatives.

• Investopedia
• How to Speak German
• Comparing the top 4 mini-blog options

Link Mania - Google

A compilation of Google related links that I find useful:

Third Parties
Google Guide - Powerful tips and tricks to make searching Google easier.

Eric Schmidt, Web 2.0 vs. Web 3.0 - Google CEO Eric Schmidt comments on the future of Web 2.o and "Web 3.0".

Google's Wikipedia Entry - Answer your curiosities regarding Google. Lots of well referenced information.

Straight From Google
Educational Videos on Google Video (and YouTube) - This one is self explanatory. Free educational videos. Take a minute and look around. A multitude of credible information.

College life, powered by Google - Google tools and applications that are helpful for college students. I think they're good for high school students, too.

Google Internship Information - Want to intern at Google? Look no further. This link has all the information you'll need.

Google Labs - Check out Google's latest products and technologies.

Google Experimental Lab - Ever wonder what new features Google is experimenting with? Wonder no longer. This page shows the new features Google is experimenting with.

Google Maps - Google Maps is a great resource. Need directions? Want to find a new restaurant in an area (or any type of business)?

Google Business Referral Representative - Want to make an easy $10? For the most part, all you have to do is take pictures of local businesses. Act quickly, before someone else in your area beats you to it.

Google Research Papers - Calling all nerds, geeks, and computer science engineers. A look inside the brains of the people behind Google. A plethora of computer science information and ideas.

Google Grants Beta - Great service. Free advertisements for non-profit organizations.

Google.org - Directly from the website:
"Google.org aspires to use the power of information to help people better their lives. We are an experiment in active philanthropy."

"Google.org is the philanthropic arm of Google and is the umbrella which includes the work of the Google Foundation, some of Google's own projects, as well as partnerships and contributions to for-profit and non-profit entities. "

The Relationship Between Suicide and Breast Implants

Researchers at Vanderbilt University’s Ingram Cancer Center recently reported that there is a correlation between suicide and breast implants. It doesn’t surprise me that women with breast implants are more likely to commit suicide than women who don’t have them. To me, it seems obvious that they are mentally weaker than other women.

I assume feeling the need for a breast augmentation is an indicator of low self-confidence in women. Why would a woman want one if she was confident in her breasts? She wouldn’t. Some are probably porn stars and would argue it’s for their job. But, how self-confident is someone whose whole life depends on men looking at them as a sexual object? That has to take its toll.

Surely, women who have their breasts augmented feel something in their life is lacking. Why else would they feel the need to change their breasts? If a woman was confident about her breasts, she wouldn’t feel the need to have them altered. Therefore, I believe that many women who get breast implants are already dealing with a mental issue (that issue being low self-confidence).

So, if my beliefs are correct, people with low self-confidence are more prone to have mental health issues than people with high self-confidence. Or, a deficiency in self-confidence could indicate that mental health issues already exist. Whether the women already have a mental health problem or are more prone to get one in the future, the correlation between breast implants and mental health problems remains.

I’m not saying breast implants are conclusive evidence that someone is going to, or already does, have mental health problems. On the other hand, I don’t think people should ignore the results of studies like this. Simply stated, I merely want people to take note of this and keep it in mind, especially if someone they know wants to have breast implants or already has them.

Photos: [gary.fotu and Lin Pernille Photograhy]
Source: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/register/articles?id=36569

Blue Skies - Part Two (Photos)

[Photos: polifemus, *sean, ishrona]

Blue Skies - Part One (Photos)

[Photos: SpiralZ, m o d e, lukasd2009]

The Fight over Censorship and for Freedom of Speech

The Supreme Court rules in favor of the school over the boy, in the highly publicized "Bong hits 4 Jesus" case. Essentially, the court is saying schools are allowed to restrict speech when it promotes illegal drug use.

Hello, people! Children have constitutional rights, too! Why does everyone believe it's ok to take rights away from people because of their age? If we give them the responsibility when they are young, maybe they'll be better apt at dealing with those responsibilities as adults, due to their prior exposure as children. In my opinion, it is a big shock going from 17 to 18 (in the sense of responsibility). In a matter of a year, you amass tremendous responsibilities. Actually, it changes in a day. There is a huge difference in what you can do when you are 17 years and 364 days old from when you are 18 years old. In the course of a day, you went from barely anything to almost everything (still have to wait to be 21 for alcohol). What justifies this one day difference? I highly doubt that a kid is going to gain any sense of responsibility in a day. Maybe if we started treating children like they were mature and responsible, then they would act like it. The problem starts with the adults and ends with kids. The change needs to start with the adults, too! Then, maybe it will end with the kids.

On another take, the government once again strips more constitutional rights from its citizens. I tend to be more conservative than liberal, but I definitely don't support the Bush administration. The Bush administration keeps getting more ridiculous by the day. Even disregarding the war in Iraq, I still disapprove of our President. His administration is far too secretive and, worse yet, they are continuously stripping us of our constitutional rights. The best example of that would be the Patriot Act. Are we allowed any privacy or freedom of speech anymore?

Link Mania - A compilation of interesting websites and articles

Web 2.0
Twitter is a new way for you and your friends to keep in touch. From the FAQs on Twitter's help page:

What is it?
Twitter is a community of friends and strangers from around the world sending updates about moments in their lives. Friends near or far can use Twitter to remain somewhat close while far away. Curious people can make friends. Bloggers can use it as a mini-blogging tool. Developers can use the API to make Twitter tools of their own. Possibilities are endless!

Self Improvement
Tips on how to not ruin your life.

How to sleep more effectively.

The Fight over Censorship and for Freedom of Speech
Court rules against F.C.C. in case over indecency fines.

Mac Tips
How to set up Gmail with Mac OS X Mail.

Permanently delete files on your Mac.