Are you tired of struggling with your computer’s operating system. Do you want to try a program where you do not need to be constantly on the look out for viruses or security attacks? Have you considered giving up your computer because software is becoming too expensive for you to afford? Do not give up, you are not locked into Microsoft Windows, there are alternate operating systems available.

Linux is the open-source alternative to Windows. Linux has been around since the early 1990s and for many people moving to Linux is an easy switch. Linux is considered to be a stable operating system which many businesses choose to run their mission critical computers and websites. Much work has been done to create versions of Linux that can aid people in switching from Windows. Linux is open-source which means many versions of the software are available for free. There is a lot of software available for Linux and many of the documents created are compatible with Microsoft Office. Linux users also see themselves not as customers but as a community. If you decide to switch to Linux and you need assistance or help, you can find someone online who is willing to assist you. No need to contact customer service or pay for expensive in home support.

If your interested in moving to a new computing platform, Apple Macintosh offers an entire line of computers and products for your computing needs. Apple computers are seen as high end computers that will last for several years. Many of the differences between Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows are old and outdated. Mac OS X is a fully fleshed operating system with an community of software developers and users behind the product. You can share files between the two operating systems and network both operating systems together. Mac computers are seen as products used by artistic and creative people. While the high end computing games available for play on Windows computers is not available for the Mac, there is plenty of software to keep everyone happy. If you choose to switch to the Macintosh you will not have the same virus and security concerns that Windows users have but you will need to keep up on security updates as there are security holes in the operating system.

Solaris 10 is a little known operating system that you can replace Windows with. Solaris is based upon the Unix code base. There are two versions of Solaris. Solaris 10 is the professional enterprise level operating system that is designed for companies to use for their servers. Many system administrators see Solaris 10 as an upgrade to Linux. The other version of the software is OpenSolaris. OpenSolaris is the open-source operating system designed for individuals and college students. OpenSolaris is still very rough as the community is still working on the software’s potential. If you missed the early years of LInux and want to be on the ground floor building a new operating system and a new computer community, you may want to consider checking out OpenSolaris. Many of the same features you will find in Linux are available or planned for OpenSolaris. The open source community is working diligently on this operating system so chances are if you try OpenSolaris one month and do not like it, if you return the next month the operating system will look and feel very different and you may like the new version.

If you do decide to move from Microsoft Windows to one of the alternative operating systems available, you may want to try the new software out before you commit your computer hardware fully. Both Linux and Solaris have CD bootable versions of their software available which will allow you to try the software out without erasing anything from your primary hard drive. You also want to take some time to determine if the software you use on a daily basis or an approximate substitute is available for your new operating system. There is nothing more frustrating then switching to a new operating system and discovering that you can not longer use software that helps you run your life.

In the early 1990s there were very few choices in computer operating systems and the alternative at that time were not as robust the alternatives today. Before you start to dismiss one of the alternative operating system with the ideas that they are not interoperable or do not have any software choices, take a second look because you may be surprised on the changes all operating systems have undergone in the last 15 years. You now have choices in your computing and the best part is many of those choices are free or low cost and still have the support and help that any new user needs and desires.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Do you have accounts at every social media website that has been created? Do you spend all your free time reading the latest news or telling people what you are doing at a certain minute? Many people spend more time on social media websites then they do with their own families. If your constantly seeking out information and interacting on social media websites you may be addicted. While there is no “cure” for an internet or social media addiction, you can manage your social media addiction.

Many people find that if they do not manage their addiction to social media, they often end up sleep deprived or with mental and marital problems. Once you find yourself spending more time with your computer and social media sites than you spend on your job or with your family, you need to start managing your addiction. It is hard to control yourself, after all most social media websites allow you to create the media yourself and what is better than seeing materials you create published?

The first step to managing your social media addiction, is to pay attention to what you do online and what you enjoy. There are hundreds of different types of social media websites but which ones do you enjoy using and participating in the most? You may want to make a list of the sites that you spend the most amount of time on and list the reasons your enjoy those sites. Once you have the list of where you spend all your time, start removing websites and social media activities that you do not enjoy. Many sites take content from other sites and repurpose it on their websites, think about it, do you really need to spend your valuable time on these websites? There is no reason for you to be spending time on websites or activities you have no interest in. Stop wasting your internet time on activities that have no value directly to yourself.

As you begin to narrow your social media focus down to the websites and activities you truly enjoy, your probably found that you spent a lot of time in social media activities you did not care for. However, you can not simply replace the activities your no longer taking part in with more time on your favorite sites. The next step in managing your social media addiction is to set a time limit for your activities every day and schedule the time on your calendar. The key to this step is sticking to your plan. The time can not be flexible or you may discover you start to fall back into your old habits.

It is vital when trying to manage a social media addiction that you stop paying attention to how many “friends” you have. Stop following people that you do not care about. There is no need to have thousands of virtual friends. One of the most addictive part of social media websites is finding friends but do you really need to get updates from thousands of different people? Stop becoming friends with everyone who requests you as a friend or everyone who posts. Limit your “friendship” to a small set of people who highlight and create content that really interests you. Once you limit the number of people you are interacting with, you will discover that you are able to do more with your social media sites during the time you allot each day.

One great aspect of social media is that new tools and websites are constantly being created. If you hear others talking about a new website or new tool and you have to stop what you are doing to check the tools out for yourself, you have an addiction. In order to manage your social media addiction, you need to control your desire to stop everything your doing and flock to a new social media website. When you hear about a new tool, stop and think about whether or not this new tool fits with the websites you spend your social media time on. If you think it will make sure you include the tool in the scheduled time you have set aside for social media websites. Keep in mind that many of these tools are very popular for a week or two then disappear, do not waste your time on sites that do not add to your experience or take away from the key sites you have allocated your time to.

Finally, in order to manage your social media addiction, you need to disconnect social media from your cell phone. There is no need to have constant access to your favorite social media. If your in a business meeting or at a family event, keep your cell phone in your pocket and do not access social media websites. Stop posting your life on a webpage and start to share directly with the people around you. Stop this madness and start spending time with the people you care about. Social media is actually not very social, it’s nothing but a website.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Long before Bill Gates began to sell Windows and even longer before Google became the king of the internet, there were people laying the ground work for the computers we have today. Did you know that computers have actually been in existence since the mid 1930’s however these early computers looked and acted nothing like the machines we use today. How did we get from there to now? With the help of a few key scientists and mathematicians who concentrated on the ideas of computing and improving the computers we had.

George Boole is consider by many to be the father of computer science. While his work fell out of fashion after his death in 1864, today the ideas that Boole developed are considered very relevant. George Boole is the creator of Boolean Algebra which is the basis of how all digital computers work. Boole was born in England in 1815, he became a teacher during his teen years and at 20 years old he opened his own school. At 34, Boole moved to Ireland and became the first professor of mathematics at Queen’s College where he remained until his death. Boole concentrated on mathematical research that linked the ideas of logic to algebra instead of philosophy. Boole’s greatest achievement was his use of algerbra to express logical propositions. Boole was considered to be ahead of his time, he wrote many essays in the mid 19th century expresssing his understanding of logic and the relationship to mathematics. You probably know a few Boolean words yourself because we still use his algebra when using internet search engines.

Konrad Zuse was a construction engineer during WWII where he earned the unofficial title of “inventor of the modern computer.” One of the most difficult tasks of doing a large calculation on a slide rule or adding machine is keeping track of the intermediate results and correctly replacing these results later in the process. Zuse wanted to create a process to complete these large calculations easily and he realized that an automatic calculator would do the trick as long as it had a control, memory, and the calculating processor. In 1936, Zuse made the first binary computer called the Z1 unfortunatley this computer was destroyed during World War II but Zuse continued to work on his binary computers creating the Z2, Z3, and Z4 through the 1940s.

John Von Neumann was considered a child prodigy when he was born in Hungry in 1903 and was another mathematician and scientist who has been credited as fundamental to the creation of the computer we use today. Before Von Neumann, most mathematicians used computers to create tables of data that were then applied to abstract mathematical ideas. Von Neumann was interested in applying the processing power of computer to specific mathematical problems instead of creating these abstract ideas. Von Neumann focused on developing the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) computer which was to be the first computer that could store and recall programs. Later in life Von Neumann worked for the IBM company and was responsible for accepting new computer ideas into their research and development program. Von Neumann became one of the most influential people in the computing field as any new ideas for development that were taken to IBM had to pass his approval.

Alan Turing, born 1912 in London studied mathematics at Cambridge University and was greately influenced by the early publications of Von Neumann. Turing worked during World War II on deciphering German code cyphers and is credited as instrumental in cracking the German secret codes. Turing is also credited for designing what many believe to be the first electronic computer. Turing designed the ACE (Automatic Computing Engine) but this machine was never built. Had the ACE been completed it would have been faster and had more memory than any computer created before it. Turing understood the concept that Von Neumann exponded upon with a computers need to store and recall programs. In 1950, Turin invented the Turing Test which is a philiosophical and logical test designed to test for intelligence in computers.

As we progress through the history with computers there is often great controversy about who to credit for specific findings and discoverys. Many scientists worked together to publish papers and create working models of their theories and in some cases this has caused great debate on who to credit for a theory or discovery. While one person may believe that the EDVAC computer bares no resembelance to the computers we use today, there is someone else who directly sites EDVAC as the grandfather of the computers we use today. In general, we need to be aware how the ideas of one person have been built upon by the scientists of the next generation. You may have your favorite historical person fundmental to the creation of the computer and the truth is that without all of the great minds associated with computing we would not have anything at all.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Technology is constantly improving many aspects of our lives. Medical miracles are happening every day thanks to new technological advances, our cars are including more and more technology and our military is working on new weapons. While many weapons currently being created are designed to reduce the danger to individuals such microwave guns which have been developed as a form of non-lethal crowd control. Instead of being shot by a gun and a bullet, new microwave guns can provide a shock which will knock a person out without causing long term harm. While there are many new weapons that are designed to protect the lives of civilians, there are also many weapons that we do need to fear for their destructive power.

Many of these weapons are not limited to research, these dangerous weapons are being used by the military and criminals around the world. One of the most unusual new weapons is the the corner-shot gun. The corner-shot gun is a standard style gun that has the ability to shoot around a corner. This gun was created by two former Israeli Army officers and sponsored by American investors and it is used mainly for crowd control but can be used for warfare as well. The basic design of the corner shot gun is a pistol which is mounted to the front end of the gun. This front end bends at least 60 on a hinge. In order to allow the weapon to be used accurately there is a digital camera and a flashlight attached to the barrel in the location where traditionally a bayonet was installed. The hinge allows the gun to be fired around corners. There are several variations of this gun, the standard model which includes a semi-automatic pistol, a 40mm grenade launcher, an assault rifle, and the Panzerfaust anti-tank gun. All variations are increasingly deadly forms of the standard version.

Technology is also helping to build new and dangerous bombs. One such bomb is the Loitering Attack Missiles. The Loitering Attack Missiles (or LAMs) were developed by Lockheed Martin. These missiles have a turbojet engine, large wings and are designed for missions that will last about 30 minutes. Before launch the missile is programmed with basic mission peramanters. The LAM then flies to the location designated and begins searching for a target. Most of the time these Loitering Attack Missiles are in a searching pattern and providing intelligence of the designated area to the base station, however, once a target is sighted the missile is able to scan, identify, report and isolate the targets encountered. LAMs are also able to break off the search and attack the preassigned target or move to attack another identified target in the area. While the idea behind the ability to search for the exact target is worthy of thought imagine the power behind the ability to choose the intended target for a missile. This is one high tech weapon that we really do need to fear.

Not every weapon that we need to fear is an overtly dangerous weapon that can kill you quickly or stealthily. The “blackout bomb” is a specially designed bomb that is used to attack electrical power infrastructure. This bomb is currently classified by the US Military so many details on how the bomb works and the damage that the bomb causes is unknown at this time but what is known shows this to be a dangerous weapon that we need to plan for. The “blackout bomb” is able to dispense chemically treated carbon graphite filaments that create a web around any electricity producing object in the area. These carbon filament webs then start to short-circuit the electrical power equipment they are attached to. Usually “blackout bombs” are dropped on power plants and electricity switching stations in order to cause the largest disruption to the power grid. While “black out” bombs usually have a low risk of human injury or death, the greater damage is to a cities infrastructure. A “black out” bomb could disrupt the electrical supply of a city and cause more death then a bomb dropped from the sky.

It is understandable that technology would affect weapons and help create many new forms of warfare that we need to watch and be fearful of. As long as people argue and go to war there will be a need to create new weapons. The best way to create new weapons is to include technology and you may be surprised that many times the technology that we use in our homes and our computers was designed and used by the military first. Chances are some of the technology advances and ideas being worked in the these high tech weapons may end up in our homes and our lives sometime in the future.

Popularity: 2% [?]

1. Wearable cameras for people at risk
With increasingly small and innocuous cameras rising on poles on top of buildings everywhere to protect industries, banks and government buildings, ordinary individuals are starting to wear cameras for their own safety. These devices act as a sort of “video microphone”, recording, at the click of a button, the events occurring during a certain length of time. The implications for personal safety are similar to the safety provided to businesses and institutions that have used cameras for protection for decades.

2. Creative Virals
The internet’s huge reach allows anyone to easily access millions of people with their comments or message. Short clips of video spread through the World Wide Web like wildfire. In this way, a message that is sufficiently creative and effective can reach an audience of millions. Moreover, there is no censorship or corporate control on internet content, so the message of viral can be subversive instead of profitable.

3. Submit alternative links to social news sites
Alternative social news websites, since they do not have the means to be distributed by the regular channels available to large media corporations, need active distribution by readers and supporters. The internet, especially peer to peer sharing traffic, provides the ideal, inexpensive medium to circulate alternative news sites.

4. Encourage use of the Internet
The Internet allows very small businesses in impoverished parts of the world to access a global market place with their own locally made products. This allows poor and disadvantages to compete on an equal footing in a global marketplace.

5. Networking
Communication technology and the Internet have given grassroots groups and social advocacy groups unparalleled ability to network and communicate. Previously, individuals and groups in different countries and in different parts of the same country had no way of communicating, sharing information and coordinating action.

6. Teach Something in 5 Minutes on Youtube.
Youtube allows the individual to demonstrate and distribute instructions on just about any operation or technique with only a small webcam and an internet connection. Since it is a mainstream website, the instructional video is assured of maximum exposure and large audience of people with similar interests. Because Youtube brings people both video and audio, exhibitions of even the most physical activities are possible.

7. Email your Senator or Congressman.
The internet is a great equalizer in that it allows messages to be sent without even the cost of postage. Never before have our leaders, our senators and congressmen, been so closely available. E-mail is increasingly taking over the communication formerly carried by postal workers and is therefore being received by institutions with the same regard as paper mail. If more people sent regular messages to their leaders, the public voice would be louder, if not more clear.

8. Fundraising
Technology and the Internet allows Social Justice groups to publicize their cause and fundraise worldwide. Online fundraising is so successful, it is widely considered a ‘boom’ industry with consultants, software, web portals and more to assist groups raise money online. Online fundraising also frees Social Justice groups from restrictions which may come from accepting funding from Government.

9. Leak Corruption to wikileaks
Wikileaks is a whistle blower website. It encourages those individuals in possession of sensitive government or corporate materials to publish these documents anonymously. The site works to protect contributors’ identities while at the same time outing corrupt government or corporate practices and policies. The site was kept as a secret until January of 2007. The credibility of the posted documents is openly debated on the website itself, so there is a wide margin for false or inaccurate postings. The site does, however, have an advisory board to monitor the quality and veracity of the site’s sensitive and often severely critical content.

10. Build a Strong Democracy and Educated electorate.
Providing information technology to rural areas and impoverished communities increases the general education level, and leads to a better informed population which can then participate in civil society.

Popularity: 10% [?]