Rabu, Februari 28, 2007

Google Friends Newsletter - February 2007

POWER TIP

Search KMLs on Google Earth

KML is the XML file format people use to create overlays to enhance the geographic imagery with a vast array of detailed information. For instance, open up Google Earth, type in a query like [lord of the rings], and the results from the web (in KML files) for your query will appear in a folder below the local results as placemarks. The placemarks are based on the area in your view, so searching for [lord of the rings] while you're viewing South Africa will get you no results - but when you're viewing New Zealand,  the same query will show you top 10 placemarks (green icons) from the region and by clicking on "see more" you can find tons more placemarks. With the latest version, you can search across all of the KML available on the web using either keywords or geographic locations. Our users have created millions of KML files, so start searching today.
http://earth.google.com

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NEW PRODUCTS & UPDATES

Open sign-up for Gmail

No more waiting for an invitation: You can now sign up for your own Gmail account. Sign-ups are open worldwide in more than 40 languages. Now everyone can get the benefits of Gmail: fast and accurate search, a ton of free storage, chatting within Gmail, and access from your mobile phone. You can still invite your friends, but now you can also just tell them to visit the Gmail homepage. Don't miss the 4-part Gmail Theatre video, featuring our engineers and a cast of puppets, now playing on YouTube.
http://www.gmail.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YUugB4IUl4

North America Updates on Google Maps

We're often freshening up the map data available on Google Maps. This month, we've added building footprints for the urban cores of 38 U.S. cities, giving Google Maps a better sense of scale, providing extra visual detail and enabling you to navigate using buildings as landmarks. For example, search for [empire state building] and zoom in all the way to get to the heart of New York City. We've also added transit information for 8 major U.S. cities (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.), as well as nationwide Amtrak coverage.
http://maps.google.com

Share videos on orkut

A new feature of orkut makes it easier to share funny and memorable videos. Instead of sending video links via instant message or emailing them to your friends and family, from orkut you can add video links from YouTube or Google Video to your video playlist to share with anyone who visits your profile. And if you find videos that you like on your friend's profile, all you have to do is click the "Add to my
favorites" button to make them appear on your playlist.
http://www.orkut.com

Google Maps on Windows Mobile(tm) devices

Those of you with Windows Mobile(tm) devices can now search for local businesses and get real-time traffic reports using Google Maps. This edition also includes some custom features: contacts integration, GPS support, draggable maps, and tap and hold menus. And since Google Maps for mobile is available on more than 300 phone models, chances are good everyone can download the application and always know where they are when they're on the go.
http://www.google.com/gmm

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MISCELLANY

+Tell us your Google story+
We admit it: we love learning about all the things people use Google to do. Such as ... how to find a lost tortoise. Here's a story we got from Jim Lyness:  "After Christmas, my son Sam wanted a turtle. We bought a Russian Tortoise instead, and named him Rocky. Well, one day, we let Rocky out for a stroll around the house. We could not find him that night, and into the following day. After the boys went to school, my wife Susan and I were stumped. Did Rocky get out the front door? Susan googled [how to find a Russian Tortoise] and bang -- we had a game plan. Russian Tortoises like warm, dark spaces. We started in the boys' bedroom, again. We pulled the bunk bed back and there was Rocky at the head of the bed. Case solved. When we tell friends and family about googling How to Find a Russian Tortoise, they bust a gut in laughter! "

If you have a story about how Google search has made an impact on something on your world, we'd love to hear it. Use either of the links
below - either submit your tale through a web form or upload your story on video to YouTube. (If you shoot video, be sure to tag it
"google testimonial" when you upload it.)

Web form: http://www.google.com/contact/success.html
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/my_videos_upload

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The top of the atmosphere

Click image to enlarge.

Atmospheric gases scatter blue wavelengths of visible light more than other wavelengths, giving the Earth’s visible edge a blue halo. At higher and higher altitudes, the atmosphere becomes so thin that it essentially ceases to exist. Gradually, the atmospheric halo fades into the blackness of space. This astronaut photograph captured on July 20, 2006, shows a nearly translucent moon emerging from behind the halo.


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Isnin, Februari 12, 2007

Finance Ministry to handle sale of Jaring

Finance Ministry to handle sale of Jaring
THE Finance Ministry will handle the sale of Jaring, the country's first Internet service provider, and not its parent Mimos Bhd, a state-owned research agency, an industry source said.

The handover of Jaring was effected on December 31 last year. Mimos' board endorsed the move at a meeting last week.

"It is likely that the Government will hold on to Jaring for a while longer before a suitable purchaser is identified," the source said.

It is learnt that although a government- linked company was on the verge of acquiring Jaring last year, the deal did not go through.

Mimos is said to have received between six and seven offers for Jaring. The selling price, however, is still not known.

Business Times reported in December last year that bidders included Datuk Ramli Abbas, a former chief executive officer of Celcom (M) Bhd, a mobile phone company and NasionCom Holdings Bhd, a firm that is building a network in the Klang Valley to offer high-speed Internet services.


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Ahad, Februari 11, 2007

Modal cerita lucah

Modal cerita lucah:
KUALA LUMPUR: Dengan hanya bermodalkan 50 sen, seseorang pelajar boleh ‘mentelaah’ senaskhah majalah mini mengandungi pelbagai cerita berunsur lucah di kedai buku kaki lima sehingga habis dan berpeluang memilikinya dengan hanya membayar RM3.50 hingga RM8.

Pelbagai majalah lucah mini yang digelar ‘komik’ kini dijual secara terbuka di kedai kaki lima dengan memaparkan gambar wanita seksi dalam posisi mengghairahkan pada kulitnya bagi menarik perhatian golongan remaja, termasuk pelajar.

Penerbitan majalah bersaiz poket itu dipercayai antara taktik kotor syarikat penerbit buku tidak bertanggungjawab bagi mengaut keuntungan tanpa mengambil kira sensitiviti masyarakat dan kesan jangka panjang terhadap golongan muda.

Sekilas pandang, majalah itu kelihatan seakan-akan majalah motivasi yang kononnya mampu memberi pengajaran dan teladan berguna, selain didakwa mengandungi pedoman hidup kepada pembaca supaya tidak terdedah kepada masalah sosial mahupun kehidupan seks bebas.

Malah, penerbit sengaja menetapkan harga yang mampu dibeli golongan remaja, iaitu tidak sampai RM10 senaskhah bagi melariskan jualannya, manakala pekedai pula seolah-olah bersubahat apabila membenarkan pelajar membaca majalah berkenaan dengan hanya membayar 50 sen.

Dengan kewujudan bahan bacaan sebegini, ia bukan saja memberi dorongan negatif secara langsung terhadap golongan muda yang dipengaruhi sikap ingin tahu yang tinggi, malah mencetuskan pengaruh tidak sihat terhadap minat membaca.

Ia sepatutnya disekat bagi mengurangkan punca masalah sosial yang kini di tahap membimbangkan selain mencemarkan industri penerbitan bahan cetak.

Seorang peniaga yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Hasnah berkata, majalah berkenaan adalah antara buku yang paling laris di kedainya berbanding majalah berbentuk ilmiah.

“Kebanyakan yang datang membeli majalah ini golongan remaja termasuk pelajar. Ada juga antara mereka yang datang membaca di kedai beramai-ramai.

“Bagaimanapun, untuk bacaan di kedai, mereka perlu bayar 50 sen bagi setiap judul yang dipilih,” katanya.

Menurut Hasnah, dia turut mengklasifikasikan majalah berkenaan sebagai komik kerana bersaiz sama.

“Saiz majalah ini sama dengan komik, jadi ia memudahkan penyusunan bahan bacaan di kedai selain mudah dikenal pasti pengunjung,” katanya.

Timbalan Menteri Keselamatan Dalam Negeri, Datuk Fu Ah Kiow, ketika dihubungi berkata, penerbitan dan penjualan bahan bacaan sedemikian dilarang sama sekali kerana menyalahi Akta Mesin Cetak dan Penerbitan 1984.

“Sekiranya mereka (penerbit buku) didapati bersalah, pihak kementerian akan mengeluarkan amaran dan merampas bahan bacaan terbabit sebelum permit mereka digantung atau dibatalkan terus.

“Setakat ini kita mengenakan syarat kepada syarikat penerbitan supaya menyerahkan naskhah contoh bahan bacaan terbitan mereka untuk disemak. Jadi tidak wujud kebocoran pada sistem pemantauan, malah ia dijalankan secara tersusun.

“Majalah atau bahan terbitan dari luar negara pula akan melalui semakan terperinci di pintu masuk negara ini,” katanya.

Menurut Fu, lebih sejuta tajuk terbitan dari luar negara melalui semakan kementeriannya dan hanya sebahagian kecil disekat selepas dikesan mengandungi gambar dan artikel berunsur lucah.

Bagaimanapun, beliau tidak menolak kemungkinan wujud kegiatan menyalahgunakan nombor siri penerbitan dan permit penerbitan yang dikeluarkan kementerian itu.

“Mungkin ada syarikat penerbitan yang mengambil kesempatan menerbitkan buku atau majalah berlainan tapi menggunakan nombor siri sama bagi mengelakkan kegiatan mereka diketahui pihak berkuasa.

“Dalam kes sebegini, kita akan menjalankan siasatan bagi mendapatkan bukti sahih sebelum sebarang tindakan dan amaran dikeluarkan,” katanya.
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Peugeot 207 SW Outdoor






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Ahad, Februari 04, 2007