Financial Crisis Boon To Money Management Websites 0 comments

Balancing Cheque books and relying on paper bank statements is so last century. Over the past two years, websites such as Mint, Buxter, Geezeo And Wesabe are wooing uers with powerful online money management tools and the promise of access to their financial information from anywhere in the world. And its working.
New User signups have tripled for industry leader Mint.com since the financial crisis hit the United States of America in September, with 40000 people joining in the last week alone.
Geezeo had 20000 visitors a month back in May 2008 today, they are averaging 1500000.And they are by no means alone.Most users find the website's ability to aggregate credit card statements, checking account balances, and other financial data into a simple interface appealing.
Most of the websites also offer the ability to send text message to users warning about unusual spending or upcoming bill payments.Some even offer support for Apple's iPhone, giving users mobile access to their information.

Google Against Internet Traffic Chokers 0 comments

Google has begun offering tools to expose internet services providers (ISPs) that choke traffic or shift users into show lanes while allowing others to zip along at high speeds.The online search and advertising king is unabashed champion of net neutrality in which all internet traffic is treated equally instead of letting service providers give preferential treatment to privileged clients.
Google worked with New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute, the PlanetLab Consortium, and Academic researches to create an online Measurement Lab (M-Lab) that researchers can use to detect internet traffic manipulation.
M-Lab went online for last month with three diagnostic tools running on computer servers near Google headquarters in Mountain View, California.The Tools can help users diagnose commong problems that might impair their broadband speed.ISPs such as Comcast have sparked controversy by clandestinely throtting some traffic such as peer-to-peer file sharing.
ISPs argue that such measures are necessary to manage growing congestion on the internet highway.Google has been among those advocating against fettering online traffic, saying that doing so stifles internet innovations and growth.More Diagnostic tools will be added and results made public.

Bugatti Veyron – world’s fastest super car for billionaires 0 comments

Many people have to admit that their mind is boggling, once a super sports car got past them. This extremely gorgeous super car is priced at ˆ1.1 million which is quiet impressive taking into consideration the financial crisis. But it does worth looking at it, and many genuine connoisseurs will like it. The Buggati brand is one of the famous sport cars, and this innovative curved miracle appears to a really eye-catching model.

Developed by its chief designer Hartmut Warkuss with Jozef Kaban being responsible for its exterior design, this super car has a ferocious power with its maximum speed of more than 400 km per hour. It is a matchless super car in terms of speed. Thanks to its powerful engine with its 8.0 liter 1001 hp w16 engine, top speed of 253mph is not a problem. Being a limited model, there are only 300 hundred such extra luxury super cars on the roads. Bugatti Veyron measures 175.7 inches in length, 78.7 inches in width while its height amounts to 47.4 inches.

Its gross weight is 4850 lbs. while curb weight is 4162 lbs. Bugatti Veyron has just two seats, many super cars tend to have, but it is worth sitting in it. 5.5 seconds are enough to make it drive 100, miles per hour or 2.8 seconds for 60 miles per hour, so it starts moving very quickly. Bugatti boats its luggage capacity which equals to 3.5 cubic feet while its cargo capacity is 4 cubic feet. With maximum horsepower of 6000 rounds per minute, many sports car lovers will be speechless. Being a 16-cylinder four wheel drive car, it is a real masterpiece.

Fanciful FanSee – Stay cool with this freezing tool 0 comments

Whether you are constantly hot or just want to keep your writing table updated you can simply use this interesting gadget. Named the Fan See, it represents a fanciful fan with its helpful ability to show you accurate ambient temperature. It is up to you, where to use it and it is ready to be standing almost everywhere. It is not necessary to look for you thermometer as you have this pretty nice innovation working for you.

Everybody cool your body! Yes, this is something you may easily tell anyone visiting your home or office as this the Fan See oscillating fan will give you both comfort and relaxation. The Fan See is fitted with 12 light emitting diodes as well as a thermometer placed on the fan’s blade. Temperature is digitally displayed while fan’s blades are in operation. Using an effect called “persistence of vision”, it shows the temperature in mid-air.

The Fan See fan is also useful as you should not necessarily stand up while being willing to know the temperature at night. The temperature display is easily visible from whenever you are in the room so it keeps you informed on a daily basis. It is a useful plug-and-play device, but if it is supposed to be your granny’s gift, there is a special tutorial. The Fan See measures a foot in height with 9 inch diameter fan face.

This compact Fan See fan seems to come only with Fahrenheit units. It can also be oscillating optionally. The lights to be seen on its display appear to be bright, also making it more clearly visible. Fan usage can be also fun as “DEGREES” letters are moving around its face once in a while. It is about to be available for .99. Other features also include:

- 12 "H x 7.4"W x 7.4"D.
- Temperature gauge placed on fan blade.
- 120 V AC standard power.
- 2 speeds.
- Osculating on/off switch.
- High luminosity LED digital temperature display.

Budget to include stimulus aid for schools, on faith 0 comments

State lawmakers might have to pass a budget this year without knowing whether they will receive nearly $900 million in federal money for schools.

Lawmakers learned Thursday that it might be two weeks before the scheduled end of the legislative session on May 1 before they can apply for the federal stimulus money, giving budget writers another obstacle as they try to scrape together an estimated $18 billion for next school year.

Congress has agreed to withhold money from states that cut school budgets, leaving Florida and several other states in limbo.

Gov. Charlie Crist acknowledged that he was "anxious" for the issue to be settled but said lawmakers, who have included $865 million in stimulus money for next year's school budget, could approve a spending plan with the hope that the money would eventually arrive.

"I think that they can," Crist said. "I think they can plan to be optimistic and incorporate those funds for education.

"Every indicator we've gotten so far seems to be in line with the fact that we probably will get it. I'm just anxious for that to actually happen."

Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, said his chamber would vote on the budget in anticipation of the federal money.

"And then if we have to make any adjustments those last 24 hours, it would be awfully difficult," Atwater said.

The final month will likely be dominated by negotiations over the budget, which has dropped by 10 percent since lawmakers approved spending $72 billion in 2007.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Education released an application for all 50 states to apply for education money in the stimulus package approved by Congress on Feb. 8. But Florida also must apply for a waiver from the stipulation that withholds school money.

The Department of Education released the waiver application, but not a "guidance document" that explains the paperwork.

The waiver shows that Florida will have to prove that the percentage of the state budget spent on K-12 schools - instead of the actual dollar amount - has not dropped in recent years. State officials believe they can meet that requirement.

"We're wanting to make sure we've got that guidance well understood to make sure that we do everything properly and don't end up slowing our chances down," said Crist's stimulus czar, Don Winstead.

There have been plenty of signs that Florida will eventually receive the education money.

Politically, White House officials have indicated they will help the state after Crist became one of the few national Republican figures to support President Obama's stimulus plan.

"Let's just say we want to help," Education Secretary Arne Duncan told reporters in Miami in March.

Officials in the state House and Senate say that because no real money is needed until July 1, the start of the state's fiscal year, lawmakers could approve a budget and leave the state capital without an ironclad approval from the feds.

But if the waiver application were denied in that scenario, lawmakers probably would have to return to Tallahassee for a special session.

"It looks good with what we've got so far," Winstead said. "But we're just waiting for that last finality."

Alternative G20 summit cancelled 0 comments

University of East London shuts down for duration of G20 talks and cancels alternative summit

The university that suspended a professor for inciting criminal action at this week's G20 summit has cancelled plans to host an "alternative G20 summit" and is to close its doors for the duration of the talks.

Prof Chris Knight, an expert in anthropology at the University of East London for 20 years, was suspended last week for "inciting criminal action, specifically violence against policemen and women and damage to banking institutions" in a newspaper interview he gave last week.

The university said campus buildings and libraries would be closed from 9pm tonight until the end of Thursday, reopening on Friday, to avoid any disruption arising from the summit.

A spokesman said: "We're just a few hundred metres from the ExCel centre [where the summit is being held] so will be affected by transport and other disruptions. Because of our duty of care to students and staff, we decided it would be safest to close the university for the duration."

The alternative summit that was scheduled for Wednesday evening has also been cancelled, because the university feared it had become linked to direct action protests.

The University and College Union said the event had been cancelled at the last minute because the university had withdrawn its backing to host it at UEL's Docklands campus.

A UCU official at UEL said: "The union had invited a number of academics, writers, trade unionists and activists to spark real debate around global justice – discussions unlikely to take place at the main G20 event just down the road at the ExCel centre.

"We wanted to provide a forum for debate about world crisis, hunger and conflict – and how we can tackle them in the interests of the majority of people.

"As academics proud of the radical and critical tradition held by many staff at UEL, we intended this to be an event of which the whole institution could be proud. UEL management has now refused access to its facilities."

A spokesperson for the university said: "The alternative G20 summit was originally proposed as an academic forum for discussion and debate around global justice, and the University of East London would have been proud to support such an event. However, in recent days, the event has been linked to possible direct action protests against the G20 summit, which have been widely publicised in the media.

"As a university, we have a duty of care, and our primary responsibility is to maintain a safe and secure campus environment for staff, students and visitors. Following discussions on Friday with UCU representatives, it was agreed that the potential scale of the event and associated risks had become unmanageable, and we would be unable to accommodate safely an event of this nature."