:::: What Do I Want to Learn More About PC? ::::

Well, I still have some questions that I missed to ask in the class. The 1^st one is how to remove underline from the words when we made a link by html. I have seen many web sites that don’t have underlines on links. I think it is easy to notice where links are if they have them, but sometime it is stylish without underline. Next, I want to know how to make various kinds of tables. In the class, we learned only one table, but I am sure there is more! I think tables are very useful and helpful when we organize or see things on web pages. The other thing that I want to learn is, I already wrote this before though, how to fix computers when it is broken. For example, my father is crazy about computers and there are seven desktops and laptops in my house. He studied how to make computers from scratch and also how to fix them when they have difficult problems. I don’t really want to be like my father, but I want to be able to fix my desktops and laptops when I need to.

:::: Viral Video is... ::::

The phrase “viral video” is used to describe email-forwarded or word-of-mouth propelled video clip contents that gains widespread popularity through the process of Internet sharing. They are often humorous in nature (some people say that they are much funnier than comedies and manzai that are on TV!).
The proliferation of camera phones is making consumers to take many video shots by using them these days. They can buy cheap video editing and publishing tools, such as FORscene (an integrated internet video platform, covering non linear editing and publishing for broadcast, web and mobile), and consumers can edit videos on their mobile phones, and videos are distributed virtually by e-mails and between phones by Bluetooth. These videos are usually not for comercial but for enjoying viewing with friends or family.

:::: Computers in the Future ::::

First of all, computers will not disappear in the future (I promise!). Probably no body wonders about it. What else can I say is maybe the same ideas as others would say. Computers will be smaller, handier, and more common among all people. People will be able to have high-speed Internet and other useful options. I guess small computer chips will also be common. Maybe those little chips will be put into human beings’ brains and help them to think more effectively. I think even nature can be made by computers. The second sun will be created by computers that are made by the best scientists in the world in the future. Well, I tried to think about future that is without computers, but I could not do that because I knew it won’t be real...

:::: Recent Computer News ::::

Early Holiday Gifts from Microsoft!!
Microsoft Corp. announced low-cost program to upgrades to Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office release with the purchase of a new Windows Vista Capable personal computer. According to MikeSievert, corporate vice president of Windows Client Marketing at Microsoft, the Express Upgrade to Windows Vista and Office Technology Guarantee programs will make their customers shop a new PC with confidence, and they will have a great experience with Windows XP-based PCs today, and even one when Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office release become available.

Hacker Unlocks Apple Music Download Protection!!!
Jon Lech Johansen, a 22-year-old Norway native who lives in San Francisco, cracked Apple's FairPlay copy-protection technology. Monique Farantzon, managing director at DoubleTwist, said that Jon basically reverse-engineer FairPlay, and it allows other computers to offer content for the iPod. Apple allows only music that were bought from iTune online store to work on Apple products, but music from other online store are not available for iPods. However, his new technology could change Apple's domination. Johansen's achievement could help companies such as Microsoft Corp., Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., which have all announced plans over the past few months for musiownload services combined with new devices to challenge Apple.

:::: Network Neutrality ::::

Network Neutrality, or Net Neutrality, is the leading rule which makes the Internet open and free.
It makes sure every user can accesses the content or uses the programs and devices that they want to. Then, with Network Neutrality, moving data is the only thing that the network has to do. It stops the companies that use the wires from distinguishing against content by source or ownership.
Network Neutrality helps economic innovation, democratic participation on the Internet. And it also made the Internet an outstanding environment for open communications, public participation and free speech.
But, there are some companies that don’t like Network Neutrality. The biggest telephone and cable companies want to be “Internet gatekeepers” that decide which web sites are good or not to access. They want to tell that their own search engines or other services are better.

:::: Three Web Sites ::::

[ Hot Topic ]

http://www.hottopic.com

This is the first web site that I introduce to you! When I was in the states, my host sister often took me to the shop that is called Hot Topic. The shop was a totally new world to me, but I loved it. It had many CDs of my favorite bands, some hot clothes, and other cool things. This is the web site of the shop and you can buy things on this page!

[ MySpace ]

http://www.myspace.com

Ok, this one is one of the biggest web sites that you can meet many people around the world. I have an account on this site and have over 60 friends from the States, Australia, and so on! (I mainly have American friends because I still keep in touch with people who were my classmates.) This site is so neat. You can put your blog, pix, comments, and music you like. Once you get into it, you would not be able to get out of it!!

[ Homestar Runner]

http://www.homestarrunner.com

This is the FUNNIEST web site ever!!! There are cartoons and games that are presented by many characters such as StrongBad, StrongMad, Poopsmith, and Marzipan. There are many characters but there are only two people who are making voices for them. My favorite cartoon is "dragon" on "sb emails." Check it!!!

:::: Computer Gifts to My Family ::::

Wireless Internet for free! USB Memory sticks that have more memory!! And iPod that never break!!! ...wait a second. these are what I want.
Well, well, well. I would like to give one of the newest mice to my nanny because she has the worst mouse in the world. It is a mouse that have a small ball in it, and it doesn’t work well even I clean inside! So, I think she needs a Bluetooth or IR mouse.
To my mother, I would like to give software that contains various kinds of pictures for background of desktop. She likes to set pictures of flowers as background, so I think it would be a good present for her birthday that is in this month.
In my father’s case, I have no idea. He is a computer-otaku like my computer teacher, so he gets everything he needs for his computers. In my house, there are four desktop computers and one laptop and he uses all of them. How crazy! So, I really have no idea what he wants!

:::: Social Engineering ::::

Social engineering is the mean to pump personal or confidential information in psychological ways. It is also called social work, social hacking, or social cracking. This is originally a computer term, and aiming at getting passwords and enter other computers illegally without giving any damages to them.

Examples of methods;
1. Pretend as system manager and ask passwords.
2. Flicker displays or keyboards when one operates machines (ATM etc.)
3. Steal the paper that passwords are written.

Not only passwords, these methods are used by stealing credit card numbers or making people put money in bank accounts by pretending one of family members (Ore-Ore Swindle) these days.
These ways are also used to pump private information. For example, these people call one’s house pretending as an old classmate and ask one’s or others’ current addresses or telephone numbers, or pretending as home-delivery and ask addresses saying “I don’t know the exact address.” (By the way, I think this is so stupid ;-p)

:::: What I Wanna Learn About PC ::::

I don’t have any big problems when I use computers to write and send e-mails and surf the net. Writing essays and listening to music by using computers are not hard to me. Then, what I wanna learn about computer to take advantages of them is to master computer hacking skills ....j/k :-p umm, what do I wanna learn... well, I want to learn how to fix computers when they are broken. You know, sometimes screens become what I call “blue screen” and no command works, or there can be many errors come up and I can do nothing about them. I know a little about Norton Internet Security but I cannot use it perfectly. So, I want to know how to find what is problem and how to fix it. Oh yeah, and how to use Excel and Power Point too!

:::: Computers and My Life ::::

I don’t exactly remember when I first touched computers because it was so long time ago. However, I remember that the first thing I did with computers was a computer game that is called “Block de Pon.” It was such a simple game; all I had to do was to hit balls aiming blocks to break them.

When I was a junior high school student, I started leaning how to use MS Word and Excel at school. I’ve already forgotten how to use Excel, but I have used MS Word a lot to write essays. Since then, I started use computers much more than before. I got my own e-mail address, and made friends thru the Internet. I became to check news and information on the Internet. From then on, I knew fun to use computers.

I have used computers for a long time and am familiar to them, but what I do with computers have not really changed. I use MS Word to write essays, contact with friends with e-mails, listen to music with iTunes, and surf the Net looking for information I need.

Yep, this is pretty much about my history with them! Umm, what is next assignment....