America's Top Pop Culture Obsessions

>> From Yahoo News Entertainment

Teen star Miley Cyrus, pop diva Madonna, "The Dark Knight," hi-tech gadgets and Barack Obama were among America's top pop culture obsessions that turned into possessions in 2008, according to online market place eBay.

"When someone or something excites the American public, you immediately see a surge of related listings pop up on eBay," said Karen Bard, eBay's pop culture expert.

Cyrus, the 16-year-old star of Disney's "Hannah Montana" TV show, beat teen rivals like the Jonas Brothers and the cast of "High School Musical" hands down in terms of items sold on eBay, the Web site said in a survey of hot items in 2008.

Some 223,139 "Hannah Montana" related-items, ranging from buttons, to clothes and posters, exchanged hands on the Web site during the year.


Britney Spears, emerging from another year of personal woes, proved popular with eBay buyers with 32,966 items sold.

But Spears was overshadowed by "Material Girl" Madonna, who turned 50 this year and also divorced second husband Guy Ritchie after months of rumors. Madonna memorabilia, albums and posters saw sales of 96,511 items.




In a historic presidential election year, Barack Obama was the clear front-runner on eBay as well as with U.S. voters, winning the November election and to become the first U.S. black president. The Web site saw an active trade in Obama posters, coins, action figures and even the odd lunchbox that led to sales of 111,546 Obama-related items.

Months of Obama-fever outstripped sales of Sarah Palin items (20,712) after the Alaska governor was named Republican vice-presidential candidate in September, sparking a rush in buyers for look-alike wigs, Palin's trademark glasses, autographed photos and even thong underwear.




Fans went batty for "The Dark Knight," the latest Batman movie, with 60,484 related items sold -- 18 times more than those of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

Olympic gold medal swimming champion Michael Phelps broke records in the pool and sparked a buying fever online that saw 13,350 Phelps-related items sold on eBay, the world's largest online marketplace.





But the hottest of all the pop culture trends was the Nintendo Wii, which saw a whopping 2.05 million related items including accessories and games sold on eBay, outstripping the Microsoft Xbox 360 (1.29 million items), Apple's new iPod Touch (281,361) and the iPhone 3G (212,837).

The data was based on eBay listings that included key words in the listing title across all categories from Jan 1-Oct 15, 2008.

Get 'Em Before They're Gone Gadgets

By Forbes.com

Jittery manufacturers can be a boon for consumers. Mark-downs are likely, so expect big-screen HDTVs on many gift lists this holiday season. But there are some smaller gadgets that the people on your list will be hoping to see all tied up with red ribbon. Here's the word from the street.

Netbooks
Yes, we still need big honking laptop computers. But more popular this season will be the lightweight — and lower-priced — "netbooks." Prices start at $350. Acer and Asus has some of the snappiest models, but almost every manufacturer has an offering now in this category. Apple is still the holdout, but give Steve Jobs another year or so: He has hinted that he's watching how the category develops.

Flat-Screen Televisions
In February, the U.S. will shut off the old analog television signals — an event that will likely nudge more consumers to go digital. (Check out our full list of value televisions here.) One big-value seller: the sets from Vizio. The Vizio VO32L, for example, isn't packed with unnecessary features or luxury options; it's just a great, 720p high-definition television with an affordable $649 price tag.

Wii Fun and Games
The Wii is still expected to be the game console in hottest demand this holiday season; last year, stores were short on supply. (We advise buying ahead of the final mad holiday dash to the cash register.) Online sites have even emerged to help you find available players, including Nintendo Shopper. "Wii Fit" will continue to be a big seller, but music games should enjoy some popularity as well. "Guitar Hero World Tour," slated to debut on Oct. 26, will cost you $189.99 with a drum kit and other peripherals; pare down to just the game for the PS2 or Wii and you're out a mere $49.99. "Rock Band 2" ($59.99) came out in September and is getting strong marks. "Wii Music" ($50) has received more tentative reviews but may prove a worthwhile addition to the Wii collection of casual-gaming treats.

Global Positioning System Devices
Forget about that stack of dog-eared maps in your glovebox. GPS devices were a big seller last holiday season, and anyone who didn't get one last year will want one this year. There's a big range of prices and capabilities. Of notable interest is the Garmin 760 ($340.50). But for the cash-strapped the more modest — in price and abilities — TomTom 3-to-5-inch Portable Navigator ($180) would do just fine.

All Things Apple
Go ahead — count how many Apple devices you already have in your home. If the ratio is less than one device per person, figure that you'll be stopping in an Apple store during this holiday season for music devices, phones and computers. If you're stuck for stocking stuffers, there are always those little iPod "socks."


Camcorders
If moving pictures are more your speed, you can have your pick of camcorders, from upscale and precious to the stocking-stuffer category. On the high end, the Canon VIXIA HF100 flash-memory high-definition camcorder has received good marks. If you're counting dollars, you can't go wrong with a FlipCam, a big seller last year. And with good reason: The Flip Video Mino delivers remarkably good footage for a camera you can literally drop into a shirt pocket. Best of all are the designs: They're cuter than an iPod ($179.99).

XM and Sirius Radio
Even if you have GPS, you're not done pimping out your car yet. The Pioneer GEX-INNO2BK Portable XM Satellite Radio with MP3 capability ($139.99) can pivot between playing MP3 songs and XM radio. It's also portable, so you don't have to worry about leaving it alone at night.



Cameras
It wouldn't be a holiday without adding a camera to your shopping lists. Digital cameras have improved dramatically in the past few years. Want something you can stuff into a pocket? The Canon Powershot SD1100 IS ($159) comes in five colors. For serious shutterflies, there's the Canon EOS 50D. Your budget won't thank you though; it has a price tag of $1,399.99.

Digital Picture Frames
Once you have all those pictures, you need a place to show them off. Digital picture frames let you run through a collection of snaps, and there are plenty of options. Take a peek at lesser-known maker ViewSonic's DPX804WH ($159), which has a topnotch display, or, at the higher end, Kodak's EasyShare series (such as the W820 at $219.95), which connects neatly with your wi-fi network.

Video Storage
Blu-ray digital-storage systems were also hot at the end of last year, though sales of standalone Blu-ray players have cooled somewhat since last January. To get the best value for your money, buy a Sony Playstation 3 ($399.99), which can play your Blu-ray discs. Of course, just about any consumer electronics maker would be happy to sell you a standalone version.

Yahoo To Cut 1,400 Jobs

NEW YORK (AFP) - - Yahoo announced plans on Tuesday to lay off at least 10 percent of its workforce, some 1,400 employees, as the weak economy cut deeply into third-quarter profits at the struggling Web company.

Yahoo said net profit for the third-quarter of the year was 54 million dollars, or four cents per share, down from 151 million dollars and 11 cents per share during the same period of 2007.

It said revenues were 1.78 billion dollars in the third-quarter, an increase of only one percent over the 1.76 billion dollars in the same period last year.

Yahoo has been losing ground on the Internet to companies such as Google, MySpace and Facebook and the economic slowdown has hurt the firm particularly hard as advertisers cut back on spending.

"An increasingly challenging economic climate and softening advertising demand contributed to revenues this quarter coming in at the low end of our outlook range," said Yahoo chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen.

"While we are disappointed with our results, we're pleased that we continue to benefit from the aggressive cost management efforts we have pursued during the year," he said in a statement.

"We have the balance sheet strength, liquidity, and free cash flow we need to continue to make progress on our core strategies as we address this slowdown," Jorgensen added.

The Sunnyvale, California-based Internet company said it would carry out its second round of layoffs this year in a bid to cut costs.

"Yahoo expects to reduce its global workforce by at least 10 percent during the fourth quarter of 2008," the company said, reducing its annual expenses by some 400 million dollars.

Yahoo, which had 14,300 employees at the end of June, already announced in January that it would be cutting more than 1,000 jobs this year. The announcement Tuesday is for a second round of cuts.

In a bid to reverse its fortunes, Yahoo has rolled out several new products and entered into an advertising tie-up with Google but the deal has yet to receive a green light from US Justice Department anti-trust regulators.

Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said Tuesday that Google and Yahoo had extended their talks with the Department of Justice regulators examining their proposed search advertising deal.

The Department of Justice had been expected to announce on Wednesday whether they would give the green light to the tie-up between Google and Yahoo, respectively number one and number two in the Internet ad market.

Yahoo is hoping to earn hundreds of millions of dollars from the deal with Google in the first year alone.

Yahoo's share price has shed more than 40 percent over the past three months but it gained more than seven percent to 12.58 dollars in after-hours trading on Monday after the cost-cutting moves were announced.

Yahoo's management earlier this year rejected a 33-dollar-a-share takeover bid for the company from US software giant Microsoft, earning the ire of some shareholders.

Taken from Entertainment and Lifestyle Yahoo News

First Test of Chrome, Google's New Browser

Google Chrome is an open source web browser developed by Google. It builds on components from other open source software, including WebKit and Mozilla. The name is derived from the graphical user interface frame, or "chrome", of web browsers. The open source project behind Google Chrome is known as Chromium.

A beta version for Microsoft Windows was released on 2 September 2008 in 43 languages. Mac OS X and Linux versions are under development and will follow the Windows version.

Aimed at wresting dominance of the browser market from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. The move takes the Google-Microsoft rivalry to a whole new level. If Google succeeds, it will be a big deal, with major ramifications for the future of the Web.

The Top 10 Weirdest Keyboards Ever

Keyboards come in many shapes - from the simplest computer grey $9.99 standard 102-key keyboard to variants that seem to come straight out of a Star Trek episode.

Here's our Top 10 list of the weirdest keyboards ever:

10. Roll-up keyboard
This keyboard has the same measurements as a standard 102-key keyboard, but there's a big difference. You can roll this one up and put it in your pocket. Nice.

9. The wrist keyboard
This one might be useful if you're in the need to type stuff while doing practical work in tough climates - but if you would wear this keyboard at the office, you might be considered a bit geeky.

8. Maltron 3D Ergonomic Keyboard
Things are starting to get a bit more weird, ey? Getting used to this keyboard isn't something you'll do in 10 minutes or so - it will take a while for sure. But if you have medical problems with your hands, this might be a good choice since it's a very ergonomic keyboard. It looks very weird though!

7. The SafeType keyboard
Just take a look at this one. Do you understand how to use it? The idea is that your hands and arms shall be in a more relaxed position while working with the SafeType compared to a traditional keyboard.

6. Virtual Laser Keyboard
Wow, it's heating up, don't you agree? This is more cool than weird though. This laser gadget projects a virtual keyboard on a table or other suitable material, and then interpret your finger movement and pass them on to your PDA or whatever you have it connected to. Cool.

5. The Frogpad
The frogpad is a tiny, tiny keyboard - or it would be more suitable to call it a keypad actually. The manufacturer say that you can get up to 40 words per minute if you practice between 6 to 10 hours with it. Any idea why they are calling it a frogpad?

4. The Twiddler 2
What do you say about the Twiddler 2? It looks to be quite painful to use, or what do you think? According to the testimonials at their site, it will take you 'a weekend' to learn typing 30 words per minute, so the frogpad wins that round.

3. The Orbitouch
This one could be a leftover from Area 51, or a prop from the set of any science fiction movie. Wonder how it works? Here's what the manufacturer say: "The orbiTouch creates a keystroke when you slide the two domes into one of their eight respective positions. You type the different characters by sliding the domes to create letters and numbers. The orbiTouch also has an integrated mouse, so moving the domes gives you full mouse and keyboard capability!" The target group for this keyboard is of course people who have limited or no motion in their fingers or hands, and that's a very good thing - but anyway, it's a weird keyboard.

2. The Datahand
This product is aimed for people who get pain in their hands from typing with a traditional keyboard - and that's a good thing. It's still looks like a very strange keyboard. Everytime I see this one I think of the movie Predator with Arnold Schwarzenegger, don't know why. I love this one - the keyboard, not the movie.

1. The Tidy Tippist
Isn't this one lovely? The keyboard is hidden inside a decorative, washable tablecloth. The electronic is woven into a fabric, which finds itself between layers of water resistant felt as sandwich material. The soft felt surface makes it a pleasure for fingers to tip - a cosy keyboard. Awesome!

Taken from www.wonderfulinfo.com

Computer Science World

A common misconception is that computer science is equivalent to programming. This has led to several complaints by fellow students that they're not learning anything useful in their cs class. Computer science deals with algorithms, their implementation, speed, and feasibility, as well as with any other theoretical aspect of computer operation. Programming itself is more of an afterthought. Not that it's not important, but it is not the focus. Read more at Computer Science at everything2.com write ups.

More informations:

Computer science is a field of study with the following objectives:

1. Development of mathematical theories of computation.
2. Construction of physical systems that perform computations.
3. Applications of computational theory and systems to real-world problems.

All three objectives are equally important. In fact, the three objectives are deeply interdependent.

The first objective gives structure to the field -- a road map if you will. Without a formal foundation to guide us, computer science will be nothing more than the application of trial and error, heuristics, folklore, and voodoo. These theories help us understand why certain approaches work, gives us guarantees they will, and helps us predict new approaches. Fields like algorithm design, numerical analysis, computability theory, and logic are examples of these theories.

The second objective gives the means for computer science to be useful. Computer hardware and software, in their physically realized form, make the theory useful and the applications possible. Abstractions and simplifying assumptions inherent in theory give way to concrete detail and complexity of reality. 'Implementation details,' often brushed over by theorists, are carefully considered and fleshed out. Studies of computer architecture, programming language design, operating system design, and software engineering concentrate on this objective.

The third objective gives purpose to computer science. This is the 'why' of computer science. This is what allows computer science to have an impact in the real world. Additionally, applications often drive the development of systems and theories. Computer animation, electronic commerce, and computational physics are examples of these applications.

Remember: computer science = { computation } × { theories, systems, applications }