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Techno Page - By Harendra Alwis Happy Birthday
Dear Internet Some, however,
consider the Internet's age to be a more mature 33. On Sept. 2,
1969, two computers at the University of California, Los Angeles,
linked by a 15-foot cable, sent data back and forth, showing that
the Internet could work. Sure, the protocol didn't permit non-ARPANET
computers to join in, the way private corporate networks can today.
But it affirmed
packet switching, the idea that data could be chopped into small
packets and reassembled at the destination, giving the Internet
its versatility. Microsoft
Windows Version 6.0 The leak is
similar to what happened during the alpha stages of Windows XP,
codenamed Whistler at the time. Microsoft has tried to play down
the leak, saying the build is likely to undergo many revisions before
officially entering the public domain. Information
about the leaked Longhorn build cropped up late last month when
screenshots posted to Windows enthusiast site Neowin.net purported
to showcase the next-generation operating system. The build,
which other commentators believe to be an in-development Windows
XP update, has had a slight interface makeover from Windows XP and
includes a very rough new Visual Style, dubbed "Plex".
It has a Longhorn sidebar that uses extensible markup language (XML)
to display customizable tiles such as a clock, virtual desktop manager
and Internet search. The Start Menu can also be docked within the
sidebar. Microsoft has
replaced the standard Display Properties dialogue with an XML-based
configuration panel that uses a new API framework codenamed Avalon.
The new operating system identifies itself as Windows Version 6.0,
a long way from Windows XP's 5.1 handle. A spokeswoman
for Microsoft said it was "unfortunate that sometimes these
things make their way onto the Internet". She could neither
confirm nor deny that the screenshots displayed on www.neowin.net
were leaked from current development work. But she said it was unlikely
that user interfaces in development versions would be seen in the
final release. Longhorn is
expected to be in the shops early in 2005. Be alert,
be very alert We have repeatedly
talked about Internet cookies. When you sign into your email account,
your browser leaves a cookie in a temporary folder that logs your
activities. These cookies may also be left in a number of servers
en-route from the server you logged on, to your PC. The content
of these cookies may vary, but they might contain sensitive data
about you and the services you use. When you log-off,
these cookies are deleted and the trail of information is wiped
out. This is why it is important that you 'log-off' before you close
your browser, because failing to do so may leave sensitive data
that could potentially jeopardize your online security if found
by an unauthorized person. So next time you check your mail, make
a point to sign out of your email account before you leave your
desk. Does that sound like a new-year resolution anyone? About Fractals... - From a
review of Benoit B. Mandelbrot's book "The Fractal Geometry
of Nature" Those who hear
fractal music for the first time find it hard to describe... otherworldly,
bizarre, fantastic. It's part of a fractal universe - full of startling
sights and sounds. It raised goose
pimples. It made hair stand on end. A little "Organized Chaos,"
aired on a British radio station one morning unleashed a torrent
of calls from listeners. They wanted to know more about the very
peculiar three minutes of music they had just heard. For many, it
was a startling experience. One listener who heard it while he was
driving almost crashed his car. These fantastical
fractal pictures, and the math that drives them, have inspired a
rapidly growing group of composers, programmers and hobbyists. The
images' squiggles and psychedelic blobs bewitch not only with their
stunning beauty but also with extraordinarily complex shapes that
emerge from simple one-line equations. Perhaps the most famous of
these, the Mandelbrot equation, is named after the mathematician
Benoit Mandelbrot, who in 1975 coined the term "fractal"
from the Latin "fractus," meaning to break. Nowadays, the
mathematics behind fractals is better known as chaos. It's not the
kind of chaos most of us would describe in our lives. Instead, these
equations are used to describe phenomena that are not exactly random
but not quite predictable: the weather, the stock market, the shapes
into which trees grow. What is the
sound of chaos? It's never the same. An unsettling mix of the familiar
and the new, the music's complexity hints at jazz and the avant-garde.
The music keeps listeners on their toes - as soon as they think
they have identified a tune and know what to expect, the music takes
a startling turn. On the surface,
putting chaos to music is simple. Assign each note in a scale to
a unique number - "do", "re" and "mi",
for example, might be given the numbers 1, 2, and 3. When the answer
to a fractal equation equals 2, you play the note "re".
The nature of the equations are such that every time you solve one,
you get a new number and play a new note. What you get
can be very complex. But there's something about fractal music that
can grab listeners by the ears. "One lady called saying she
had never understood or been interested in music - nothing she had
ever heard in her life had been interesting," says Thompson.
"She said
that when she heard my music she suddenly understood why people
listen to music." Perhaps it is because fractal music strikes
the perfect balance between predictability and randomness, between
repetition and surprise, between the familiar and the strange. Perhaps
it's simply because there's something familiar in the sound of chaos. Musical
promises for a new year Having notched
up the 2002 Christmas No. 1 - Sound Of The Underground - Girls Aloud
extend the winning streak for a third consecutive week. The girls won the battle over their rivals - One True Voice. The group's song Sacred Trust/After You're Gone dropped short of No. 1 at Christmas losing out to the Girls Aloud. This week, One True Voice fell two places - to the No. 5 position. Holding steady
at the No. 2 spot is the Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum) by Cheeky Girls,
while gaining ground is the rap star Eminem. His song, Lose Yourself
moved up two places to No. 3 this week. Avril Lavigne
has one of the better or more classy songs in the UK Top 20. Her
single, Sk8er Boi, fell just one notch to No. 9. It is a good performance
for the 18-year-old Canadian because at this time of the year, it's
all those seasonal and love songs that take the honours. Avril's current
hit is taken from her album, Let Go. A few months ago, the debut
release from the album Complicated also performed well in the top
20 singles chart. Meanwhile,
looking back at the year ending, best selling singles for 2002 placed
Pop Idol champ of 2001 Will Young at the helm with Anything Is Possible/Evergreen. The runner-up
in the competition, Gareth Gates coincidentally had his hit, Unchained
Melody at No. 2. Will Young
was placed at No. 16 with the song Light My Fire. Young's songs
gave him a total of 65 weeks on the chart. Gates also
had a second huge best selling song called Anyone Of Us (Stupid
Mistake) at No. 6. He had a total of 56 weeks on the chart. The late King
of rock'n'roll - Elvis Presley secured a place at No. 4 with remixer
JXL as they shared credit for A Little Less Conversation. That was
the surprise hit of the year. The track is featured on Presley's
30 No. 1 Hits album. Rap fans can
take comfort in Nelly's Dilemma getting a placing at No. 5 with
just seven weeks on the chart. Kelly Rowland's vocals did a lot
of good for Dilemma. Infact, it was the reason for the song's huge
popularity. It appealed to all age groups as well. As the stars
and fans recover and hopefully bring life into the scene by next
week, it is understood that rapper Eminem has made his New Year
resolution public. He has vowed
to give up drugs and get back into shape. His constant round of
parties, studio work, touring, drug use and family disputes placed
considerable strain on the rapper's health. Now with domestic
disputes on the mend, the star has remained focused on his work.
In 2002, Eminem earned around $300,000,000 in sales from two albums
and the movie role in 8 Mile. Christina Aguilera
has been asked to tone down her image by the producers of a children's
TV show. The request
was made after she caused a controversy when she last appeared on
the same show. On that occasion, Christina wore just a bikini top,
a cowboy hat and a tiny pair of knickers. Reports suggest
that Aguilera has decided to fall in line. So there will not be
problems this time round. Foxy Brown
got into trouble with the law in Jamaica recently while leaving
from the country's international airport. She is reported
to have assaulted a police officer who requested her to undergo
a body search. Brown had refused the request and thereafter punched
the police officer in the stomach. Foxy Brown was arrested and bailed
at £400. She is expected to appear in court in Kingston on
July 28 or face arrest. Brown says she was trying to catch a flight in time for the New Year and that was the reason why she refused the body search. UK - Best selling
singles 2002 Tw Lw |
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