Geography of the Planet
http://www.planetgeography.com
It is basically developed and maintained to act as a support website for geography textbook; this website is evolved to serve as a useful resource for geography students. You can not only learn about the book and its authors, but can also access some useful web links and wallpapers. And of course if you have the textbook, then you can access almost all the features of the website.
World at hand
http://www.micro.magnet.fsu.edu/
IF you think science websites usually features loads of text, then this website will excite you definitely, because it basically features photo galleries. These galleries mostly show the world under the microscope, so you can see all that is normally not visible around you. There are cross sections of tissues, cells and a variety of such minute stuff which you thought you could only observe under a microscope.
Picture perfect
http://www.microscopix.co.uk/
Consider this website as an extension of the above. It has loads of photographs, larger in quite a number of times. The interesting thing here is that the website is more readable and less technical than the previous one. So if you’re simply a beginner in the subject, you can at least understand by viewing.
Voyage inside brain
http://www.pfizer.com/brain/
This is yet another interesting and interactive website which is dedicated to the world inside our heads, specifically our brains. You can take a whole virtual tour of your brain complete with illustrations. There is a section for teachers as well, where they can learn how to enhance their science classes on the same topic. There are various projects and activities and a free download as well.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Webwatch
All things scientific
http://www.scienceagogo.com/index.shtml
Whether you are a student of any science subject or not, it really doesn’t when it comes to website as it is both for novices as well as experts. You can read the latest news related to science and can participate in some very interesting discussions on the forums. The most interesting section of this website is “Sci Shop” where you can browse through lots of crazy scientific stuff, even if you have no intention of buying it.
http://www.scienceagogo.com/index.shtml
Whether you are a student of any science subject or not, it really doesn’t when it comes to website as it is both for novices as well as experts. You can read the latest news related to science and can participate in some very interesting discussions on the forums. The most interesting section of this website is “Sci Shop” where you can browse through lots of crazy scientific stuff, even if you have no intention of buying it.
Going nuclear
http://www.chemcases.com/nuclear/
This website would definitely be of great help to science teachers who want to introduce the topic of nuclear energy in their chemistry classes. The content here is in the format of a lesson plan with clear objectives set out for a couple of classes. The topics under discussion include the origin of nuclear energy, its usage in modern weapons and the long-term effects of radiation.
Creating media from scratch
http://www.celtx.com/overview.html
If huge and complicated software scare you away from creating your movie masterpieces and animations, then this website may help you out. Featured here is software which can help you perform a variety of functions so that you can make the perfect video or animations. Read more about what this software does, take a look at the screenshots and if it appeals to you, head over to the download section.
Textbooks galore
http://us.geocities.com/alex_stef/mylist.html
In case you cannot get enough of mathematics in your daily life, this website will make sure you do. It basically hosts web links to a wide variety of websites all over the internet which have free mathematics textbooks and lectures. All you need to do is point, click and download. Links are categorised into general mathematics, algebra, geometry and others.
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Latest on the block
MOST people who use the internet frequently are also heavy users of Instant Messaging (IM) services – this isn’t a fact, just an opinion. And even though the past couple of years have seen an increase in the number of people switching to Google Talk or sticking to Yahoo! Messenger, the fact remains that MSN Messenger still rules the roost.
This has probably more to do with the fact that MSN Messenger has been around for a long time. Besides, it is a real hassle to switch to a different messenger when all your contacts are on MSN only. Over the years, the MSN Messenger has been the victim of many a forwarded email as well as myths which are circulated around the internet without anyone ever bothering to verify them.
There was this one email some years ago, and is still being circulated, which warned readers that if they didn’t “verify” that they were actively using Hotmail by forwarding the email in question to a specific number of contacts, their account would be deleted. Consequently, they would not be able to access MSN Messenger either. People fervently proceeded to forward that email to almost everyone they knew. Not surprisingly, it turned out to be a hoax.
Hoaxes pertaining to MSN Messenger have become the order of the day. The very latest of such hoaxes plays on the very basic instinct of internet users to know who’s blocking them. One can never understand what it is with people and their desire to know whose contact list they are on and who has severed all ties with them by removing them from it. However, the fact remains that such curiosity is characteristic of IM users – whether they are in Pakistan or live in a foreign land.
It all started when mysterious automated messages started appearing sent by a contact on one’s list. All these messages said was: “Did you know you can find out who blocked you on MSN? Check it out, it’s free.” Now what is all this about finding out who blocked you (simply known as the Block Checker), one may wonder, and what does it do? Well, its precise functions cannot be traced to its original website because it has long since disappeared – probably the creators didn’t bother paying for the domain name. However, its long-term effects continue to linger.
Here, one thing needs to be categorically stated. Irrespective of what that so-called software claimed, there is literally no way to know who is blocking you on MSN Messenger and who isn’t. If you are that desperate to find out, simply get a mutual contact to check if a certain person is online. If so, then check if s/he is online in your list. If not, then you’ll know you are blocked.
Another way to discover the same thing is to use the privacy tab (Tools>Options>Privacy). Among the various functions that you can perform on this option, you can also check who has added you to their list of contacts. If the person you are looking for is not on that list, it is safe to assume that s/he has removed you from their list of contacts – hence, you are effectively blocked.
These are, to date, the only two legitimate ways of finding out who has blocked you and who hasn’t. Block checkers are of no earthly use. But then, one may ask, what are they doing on the internet and why are they so popular? The answer to the latter, of course, is that they are popular simply because internet users are not only curious, they are highly sceptical as well. If someone on their list doesn’t come online for a very long time, they begin to wonder if they have been blocked. Of course, there are people who couldn’t care less, but the number of times the Block Checker was downloaded proves that such sceptical beings do exist, even if we don’t know them personally.
Block Checkers basically play on this instinct. You go to their website and you download them – but the question then arises: what are those who created these checkers in the first place getting out of it? It’s quite simple. These Block Checkers are simply spyware in disguise. I never downloaded it so I don’t quite know if anyone managed to find out who’s blocking them. However, simply type “block checkers are spyware” in Google and analyse the search results which come up.
The results are many and most of them point to computer-related troubleshooting forums, in which participants are fervently asking what to do about these checkers since they have installed numerous spyware on their computers. Plus, the suspicious software that they do install keeps on advertising these Block Checkers to everyone on their MSN’s list of contacts.
More specifically, the Block Checker actually belongs to the AdClicker advertising program. This means that once it is downloaded and installed on your PC, it can easily collect your browsing habits; that is, the websites you frequently visit and can send this information back to the parent website. And since you are required to enter your email address to operate this software, the result is a huge increase in your spam email. Moreover, it will also result in annoying pop-up advertisements.
This Block Checker was actually also supporting other IMs as well, including Yahoo! Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger. If you dig further, you will discover that these Block Checkers actually constitute a new kind of spam which is overtaking the Internet. This is called Spam over Instant Messengers (SPIM). This is a pertinent term considering that spamming is what the software/spyware in question basically does. SPIM has been in existence for a number of years but it is only now with these sophisticated software coming on the scene, that people fail to recognise them for what they are and instead, fall for them.
However, this is not to say that parent companies of IMs are sitting idle. Microsoft has come up with a security (read privacy) update for MSN Messengers which ensures that these Block Checkers can no longer work. Maybe this is why the parent website of a Block Checker has disappeared from the scene. Its remnants are on other websites though, thus it is best to exercise caution.
In the end, it all comes down to precaution. If a software sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you see any software making tall claims and advertising itself through your list of contacts, without their knowledge, it should be enough to raise your eye brows. In such a scenario, it is best to Google the term and see what it turns up. In nine out of 10 cases, you will find out the truth behind such software in seconds. Be a little sceptical at the right time and you’ll save yourself from falling for these spyware.
This has probably more to do with the fact that MSN Messenger has been around for a long time. Besides, it is a real hassle to switch to a different messenger when all your contacts are on MSN only. Over the years, the MSN Messenger has been the victim of many a forwarded email as well as myths which are circulated around the internet without anyone ever bothering to verify them.
There was this one email some years ago, and is still being circulated, which warned readers that if they didn’t “verify” that they were actively using Hotmail by forwarding the email in question to a specific number of contacts, their account would be deleted. Consequently, they would not be able to access MSN Messenger either. People fervently proceeded to forward that email to almost everyone they knew. Not surprisingly, it turned out to be a hoax.
Hoaxes pertaining to MSN Messenger have become the order of the day. The very latest of such hoaxes plays on the very basic instinct of internet users to know who’s blocking them. One can never understand what it is with people and their desire to know whose contact list they are on and who has severed all ties with them by removing them from it. However, the fact remains that such curiosity is characteristic of IM users – whether they are in Pakistan or live in a foreign land.
It all started when mysterious automated messages started appearing sent by a contact on one’s list. All these messages said was: “Did you know you can find out who blocked you on MSN? Check it out, it’s free.” Now what is all this about finding out who blocked you (simply known as the Block Checker), one may wonder, and what does it do? Well, its precise functions cannot be traced to its original website because it has long since disappeared – probably the creators didn’t bother paying for the domain name. However, its long-term effects continue to linger.
Here, one thing needs to be categorically stated. Irrespective of what that so-called software claimed, there is literally no way to know who is blocking you on MSN Messenger and who isn’t. If you are that desperate to find out, simply get a mutual contact to check if a certain person is online. If so, then check if s/he is online in your list. If not, then you’ll know you are blocked.
Another way to discover the same thing is to use the privacy tab (Tools>Options>Privacy). Among the various functions that you can perform on this option, you can also check who has added you to their list of contacts. If the person you are looking for is not on that list, it is safe to assume that s/he has removed you from their list of contacts – hence, you are effectively blocked.
These are, to date, the only two legitimate ways of finding out who has blocked you and who hasn’t. Block checkers are of no earthly use. But then, one may ask, what are they doing on the internet and why are they so popular? The answer to the latter, of course, is that they are popular simply because internet users are not only curious, they are highly sceptical as well. If someone on their list doesn’t come online for a very long time, they begin to wonder if they have been blocked. Of course, there are people who couldn’t care less, but the number of times the Block Checker was downloaded proves that such sceptical beings do exist, even if we don’t know them personally.
Block Checkers basically play on this instinct. You go to their website and you download them – but the question then arises: what are those who created these checkers in the first place getting out of it? It’s quite simple. These Block Checkers are simply spyware in disguise. I never downloaded it so I don’t quite know if anyone managed to find out who’s blocking them. However, simply type “block checkers are spyware” in Google and analyse the search results which come up.
The results are many and most of them point to computer-related troubleshooting forums, in which participants are fervently asking what to do about these checkers since they have installed numerous spyware on their computers. Plus, the suspicious software that they do install keeps on advertising these Block Checkers to everyone on their MSN’s list of contacts.
More specifically, the Block Checker actually belongs to the AdClicker advertising program. This means that once it is downloaded and installed on your PC, it can easily collect your browsing habits; that is, the websites you frequently visit and can send this information back to the parent website. And since you are required to enter your email address to operate this software, the result is a huge increase in your spam email. Moreover, it will also result in annoying pop-up advertisements.
This Block Checker was actually also supporting other IMs as well, including Yahoo! Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger. If you dig further, you will discover that these Block Checkers actually constitute a new kind of spam which is overtaking the Internet. This is called Spam over Instant Messengers (SPIM). This is a pertinent term considering that spamming is what the software/spyware in question basically does. SPIM has been in existence for a number of years but it is only now with these sophisticated software coming on the scene, that people fail to recognise them for what they are and instead, fall for them.
However, this is not to say that parent companies of IMs are sitting idle. Microsoft has come up with a security (read privacy) update for MSN Messengers which ensures that these Block Checkers can no longer work. Maybe this is why the parent website of a Block Checker has disappeared from the scene. Its remnants are on other websites though, thus it is best to exercise caution.
In the end, it all comes down to precaution. If a software sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you see any software making tall claims and advertising itself through your list of contacts, without their knowledge, it should be enough to raise your eye brows. In such a scenario, it is best to Google the term and see what it turns up. In nine out of 10 cases, you will find out the truth behind such software in seconds. Be a little sceptical at the right time and you’ll save yourself from falling for these spyware.
Webwatch
Hardware vs intelligence
http://www.transhumanist.com/volume1/moravec.htm
Artificial intelligence is one branch of information technology that can never fail to fascinate. A detailed paper featured on this website is also based on the same theme, with its emphasis on the fact that technologies for artificial intelligence will become more accessible and affordable by 2020. It also delves deep into what this technology really is and how it complements the functions of the human brain.
http://www.transhumanist.com/volume1/moravec.htm
Artificial intelligence is one branch of information technology that can never fail to fascinate. A detailed paper featured on this website is also based on the same theme, with its emphasis on the fact that technologies for artificial intelligence will become more accessible and affordable by 2020. It also delves deep into what this technology really is and how it complements the functions of the human brain.
Through the looking glass
http://www.longbets.org/predictions
There are plenty of people who love to make wild predictions about what science and technology will be able to do in the future. This website can easily be fit into same category. It contains a variety of such predictions with evidence to boot. So when you read that by 2040, 40 per cent of Americans who hit 65 will live to be a 100 years old, you will also discover why demographic data supports this claim.
Cellular
http://www.biochemweb.org/cell_cycle.shtml
Whether you are a student of biology or that of advanced biochemistry, this website will definitely help you out if you need both basic and advanced information on human cells. Apart from the definition and various parts of cells, this website also goes into the tiniest details of all the processes taking place inside them and that of cell division. You can also go through various researches that have taken place on cells as well.
Short circuit
http://www.interq.or.jp/japan/se-inoue/e_menu.htm
If you are an engineering student, this website will prove to be an absolute haven. Featured here are details of a variety of circuits related to electronics and how you can use certain software to make these circuits yourself. There is also a collection of data sheets which you can easily download and three-dimensional photographs.
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