Forensic Scientists (Podcast)

Explore the wonders of forensic scientists as this in depth discussion takes you farther through forensics then you ever have went before. Enjoy! Forensic Scientist (Soccerfan7)

Microsoft's Windows Mobile Doing So Well?

Microsoft first blew there Windows Vista project, and it seems that they have done it once again. Except this time, they did it on the nation's mobile phones. Windows Mobile is not doing so hot in the market. As the article where I found my information states, " Microsoft is getting beat up worse than a mustachioed villain in a Jackie Chan movie." They seemed to be doing fine with this inventive project, when there sole rival came into the picture. Apple, known for there different assorted technology, came up with a new tool to beat Microsoft into the ground. We call this the iPhone. With over 100,000 apps, this new smartphone has the capabilities of doing virtually anything. This includes games, tools, information, humor, and much more. The many people who have obtained this smartphone knows that I am speaking the truth. How does this compete with Microsoft's Windows Mobile? The different apps hold more then Windows Mobile capabilities, sparking eager customers to buy the phone. "Google, Nokia, Research In Motion, Palm and others have opened app stores and begun recruiting developers to compete." Microsoft was the first in this vast market of electronics, with there brilliant PC software. What went wrong this time around? My opinion on the matter is that Apple and Microsoft both have great software, but Apple's idea of appealing to the consumer as much as possible takes the cake. I love when a company takes a challenge and tries to make their product the best. Apple did this and I am quite disappointed in Microsoft. My family and I are loyal Microsoft customers, using Microsoft Excel, Word, and Office for years. "The sad part for Microsoft is that in terms of operating systems, they have a great one, and they had it long before anyone else did." Microsoft is a strong brand, still in my opinion better than Apple, but this project was a disappointment just like Vista was. For now, I will have to stick to using the apps on my iPod Touch. Hopefully in the future, Microsoft comes back strong like they were when the had a monopoly over the electronic dynasty. Good luck Microsoft!

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/11/19/microsoft.windows.mobile/index.html

TV Show "Lost" Connects To Science

Just the other day, I decided to take a break from school work and relax, so I turned on the TV. Surprisingly, there on the television screen was more science. The show "Lost" is about a bunch of people who survive a plane crash and have to survive on an island with limited resources. The episode I was watching was about the survivors trying to blow up a mysterious hatch. They were trying to find what to blow it up with when they stumbled upon a wrecked ship. The ship had crashed into the island because of the weather patterns around the island. The weather's forces are science. Inside they saw skeletons bound in chains, realizing that this once was a slave ship. The chains had rusted and lost their color because of chemical changes, relating to what we learned in class today. As the survivors came upon the end of the ship, they spotted dynamite and decided to use it to blow up the hatch. As they carried it, they held the dangerous explosives with care. Any quick movements or wrong chemical imbalances could explode these ancient peices of dynamite. Sadly, one members of the group died because he did not carefully hold the dynamite. From then on, the survivors wrapped the dynamite in mud to prevent it from exploding. This shows that the mud cooled the explosives from exploding, another chemical change. Finally, the members of the survivoring group went to the hatch and exploded the hatch. What happens next you will have to watch and see. Whether you like it or not, science is there everyday in all of our lives, from exploding dynamite, to rusting, even weather patterns.

Windows 7 Better Than Vista?

Today on October 22nd of 2009, Microsoft released their new computer operating system. The new Windows 7 takes all the problems of Vista, the previous software system, and removes them. Vista caused many problems for people and that led to a development of a new computer operating system they called Windows 7, supposedly better then the not so successful Vista. It is still a wonder if Windows will take on those technical bugs and stop them since this is the first day of release. Thanks to Vista, Microsoft can gain more cash for solving there customers problems and needs. "If consumers like the new Windows 7 operating system, they'll have the much-maligned Windows Vista to thank.", says CNN. "Until Vista, Microsoft was fully thinking on their own and implementing their own ideas and then releasing it." Thankfully before shipping out a new product, they heard their customers problems and they decided to make a change. The product has been given good review so far, but who knows what might happen? Bugs and glitches can take time to show up and that can waste time, money, and electricity, which are all very important in today's economy. Many different changes have been added to the new software like less clutter on the desktop leaving room for more options. "The result is that Windows 7, in many cases, can boot up more quickly and go in and out of sleep in a matter of seconds." All in all Windows 7 seems successful so far.

The new Windows 7 seems to make me uneasy. I predict that some kind of bug will show up one day and prove to be as unreliable as the previous Vista. Microsoft changed their whole design, going for something newer, adding to the risk. I still look forward to buying the software and testing it out to see if my guess was correct. The quote, "Microsoft, too, still has room for improvement," added to my suspensions because it seemed like the company wasn't too sure if they were going to be successful with their new launch. Technically, a company should be confident in their work and hope for the best. You might say that it is just my opinion and you are probably right, but I have a feeling Windows 7 won't be worth all the hype. I wish the Microsoft company good luck with their productivity rates and let us see how things turn out. There past products have been outstanding and have helped many people complete their work, including me type this blog post with Windows Vista. An example of one problem Vista has is that when a family member tried to open a document from a flash-drive, the program did not regester in Vista and the memory on the flash-drive deleted. I hope Windows 7 is better than Vista for the sake of the company, and for myself. Look out for more coverage on the topic on their website-http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/. For now, keep learning fellow bloggers!

Link- http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/22/windows.seven/index.html

Facebook Users Skyrocket

Facebook, the popular online chat engine, is flying in numbers of online users. In July, Facebook reached 250 million users gaining 800,000 users a day! The company, once a small networking site has evolved into a sensational online phenomenon grabbing the attention of millions of people around the world. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says, "We're just getting started on our goal of connecting everyone." If that's the beginning, then where will it end? In my point of view, Facebook is a exceptionally successful company, but they make go a bit overboard with their users. If all of the U.S. population were on Facebook, their would be a power outages and other electrical problems. Thankfully, that probably won't happen because not only Americans use Facebook. About 70% of Facebook users come from outside America. Facebook started out as an portal for college students, but now grows on to many other Americans, most popularly people over the age of 35. Some experts think Facebook has information that can easily be found and can be used against you. Of course Facebook has some problems, but the intricate site is passing right through them. The company is out of the red, but still fighting against it's nemisis, Twitter. My view on this is that I believe Facebook has done an amazing job with their goal and I think they are an insperation to all other Internet sites. Of course, some things I find about Facebook I dislike, like they are taking the time of people and keep them in front of their computer. Still, I believe Facebook is doing a great job with their job. All in all, I find that Facebook has done a great job even if gluing people to their computers is a side-effect.

Link- http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/16/facebook.profit/index.html

October Sky Review

"If you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything." This quote ran through my head as I watched the inspirational movie, October Sky. October Sky is a great movie about Homer Hickam, a young man living in Coalwood, West Virginia. Coalwood is a small mining town where every young child's destiny is to work in the nearby coal mine. Sadly, Homer had to go against his father's wishes of becoming a coal miner to build the rocket of his dreams. This movie shows the story of Homer Hickam and his peers, facing extreme challenges to reach their goals. They were stopped by many roadblocks, but using perseverance and determination to overcome them. Homer's inspiration, Sputnik, was a work of art and inspired people that anything is possible. When Homer started building his rockets, he used extreme care and patience. It took some time for the rocket to be built, but that didn't stop Homer from building them and launching them, striving to win the National Science Fair. This competition would help Homer and his friends gain scholarships to great colleges, and free them from the wrath of the coal mines. With their teacher's help, the boys slowly gain knowledge on the subject of rockets. When the Science Fair came by, Homer taught the crowd how rockets worked and the many interesting facts about rockets such as the different parts. Homer's rocket was somewhat like a military missile. It flew high into the sky and then suddenly because of science, darted towards the ground at tremendous speeds. Because of that, one day the boys were accused of starting a forest fire with their rocket, putting their dreams to a halt. Later, using advanced math and science skills, Homer showed that he didn't start the fire and that he and his fellow rocket builders were not guilty. After overcoming all these obstacles, Homer Hickam and his Rocket Boys came to be the winners of the National Science Fair and successful men. Even though everything seemed happy, all wasn't. Those who had no futures outside of the mines eventually died of lung cancer and other harmful diseases. It was a very hazardous, treacherous job that had to be done in order for the town's success and growth. The miners had no gas masks like we have today and sadly inhaled all the harmful intoxicating gases located in the mines. Also, this movie showed Character Education traits. These traits are Cooperation, Assertion, Respect, and Self Control. Cooperation is showed when Homer works with his peers to build his rocket and rise to fame. Assertion is showed when Homer asserted himself and believed that he could achieve his goals. Respect is shown when Homer shows respect towards his family and takes on the role of a coal miner, to support his family. Self Control is shown when Homer listens to his father's orders of stopping rocket building and not getting mad about it. All in all, the Rocket Boys have inspired many to strive for their goals. October Sky is a great movie and worth watching over and over again.

Patau's Syndrome

http://www.sokka-silverstar.blogspot.com/

This is the link to a peer's blog.

Patau's Syndrome is a very deadly disease. I feel really sad just thinking of the victims of this terrible sickness. The oldest person to have lived with this disease was 33! That's a really young age to die. There are many harmful symptoms such as incomplete eyesight and smelling nerves, deafness,cleft lip and/or palate, a flat face, lowered or malformed ears, extra fingers or toes along with deformed hands and feet, respiratory difficulties and heart defects, and severe organ malformities. I hope that that scientists find a cure for this terrible malformity and that its victims recover.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Phenylketonuria is a very rare but harmful disorder. Phenylketonuria is caused from low levels of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). Discovered in 1934 by Ivar Asbjørn Følling, this disease has many symptoms. Musty odor of skin, hair, and urine are just a few. More serious symptoms include loss of weight, vomiting frequently, constant diarrhea, and skin problems such as eczema. The treatment for these disease is a life-long special reduced protein diet because too much protein in the diet will kill the victim. Sadly, even though there is a way to prevent death, about 27,000 deaths occur a year. Asians and Whites are more vulnerable to this disease. Thankfully, Phenylketonuria is very rare and not many get it. The chances of getting PKU is 1 in 10,000 so its a rare possibility if you get it. With much research, scientists have learned that PKU is a recessive trait, so if one of your parents have the trait, you might become a carrier of the disease. Personally, I find this disease terrible and I wish that no one had it. I feel bad for those who have PKU and I hope they are in treatment. Phenylketonuria is a dangerous disease, but if treated, the patient can have a normal lifestyle.

Science Conclusion

During class, we extracted DNA from plant cells and animals. I got the plant cell while my partner got the animal. My sample was strawberry pulp. In this lab we had to find the DNA in strawberry pulp. First, I took the test tube with strawberry pulp which was filled up to twelve milliliters and added detergent. After the detergent was on top of the strawberry pulp and made sure it wasn’t shook up, then I added enzymes, which were a tan powder. Then, I added salt to the enzymes and detergent, but didn’t mix them up or my experiment would have failed. Finally, I added isopropinol and was done with the experiment. I could see a thin, white strand which was actually DNA at the top of my test tube. I can infer that if I shook up the tube, my result wouldn’t have been so successful. After looking at my partners DNA sample, I could tell that plant cells have more DNA than animals cell.

Global Warming Getting Faster!

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-twentieth century. Now it's getting faster and more ice is melting across the globe. Between 1.5 trillion and 2 trillion tons of ice in Greenland, Antarctica and Alaska have melted at an accelerating rate since 2003. NASA geophysicist Scott Luthcke came up with the losses of ice made enough water to fill the Chesapeake Bay 21 times! Thats a lot of water! "A few degrees of change [in temperature] can increase the amount of mass loss, and that contributes to sea level rise and changes in ocean current," Luthcke said. This is a very serious matter which will no doubt change our future as humans. I think that to stop this from happening faster, we must lower pollution. A good idea to help this cause would be to carpool, ride your bike, or even work from home! I hope that this situation is solved fast because if it isn't it will affect us in many ways. All in all, global warming is getting faster and it is up to us to stop it.

Source- http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/12/16/melting.ice/index.html

Swiss Soldiers Without Guns!?!?

Switzerland, a land famous for the law to store weapons at home, just might lose their special privilege. This could can change many things in Switzerland. All the suicides, robberys, and more would be decreased dramatically. Green lawmaker Josef Lang said, "More than 1.5 million unused weapons were kept in Swiss homes." Switzerland without storing guns at home would be a drastic change to the regular Swiss life. Specialists think security has to be tighter so that we can prevent deaths. I find this matter very serious and strongly oppose the privlage of storing guns at home. All in all, storing guns at home might be banned in Switzerland.

Source- http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/24/switzerland.gun.army.referendum/index.

Tsunami™

NJ Middles School Going Down

     Middle schools in NJ aren't looking good. NJ middle schools students are doing very bad in 

language arts tests and the math tests. 40% of students are failing language arts tests, while 25% are failing math tests. High school students aren't doing bad, even though there average scores dropped slightly. Even fourth graders are doing better. 85% of them passed the tests assigned to them. All in all, NJ middle school students have to step it up or be stepped on.

Source- http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/tough_new_state_tests_spur_hig.html

Volcano Alert!

The volcano, Mount Redoubt in Alaska is a big one! At 10,197 feet tall, it is one big volcano. This volcano is supposed to blow at anytime! On January 23, there was high seismec activity and people think it will blow at any moment. Many residents of Alaska aren't worried about the eruption and think it won't be too major. The last eruption in 1989 only disrupted air traffic. Hopefully, the volcano doesn't harm any people and is not too powerful. So for anyone wanting to go to Alaska, watch out for Mout Redoubt!

Source- http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/01/29/alaska.volcano/index.html

The Future Of Gaming

     Video games are fun, but some people argue that they don't use enough of your brain. Now, those people don't have to worry anymore. The Emotiv EPOC headset might be coming out in a while. It is a specialized headset that requires you to use your mind. Games like The Matrix and Star Trek's Holodeck are possibilities for the EPOC. President and co-founder Tan Le says, "The brain-to-computer interface was undoubtedly the future for video games." In a couple years, you might be using your mind more for entertainment thanks to the EPOC headset!!!

Inauguration Of A New Leader

On the 20th of January, 2009, Barrack Obama became the new president of the USA. He also gave a mighty speech on his plans for the country. As the first African American president, he has pressure. Also, on that same day, Joe Biden became the vice-president. All in all, Obama is the new president of the USA and has many duties to fulfill.
The article, "U.S. celebrates as President Obama vows new era", the writer feels strongly about this event. He thinks good about Obama as our new president. "Barack Obama launched his presidency before an estimated 1.5 million people on the National Mall on Tuesday with somber yet confident tones..." This means the writer thinks that Obama was confident about his new job and his responsibilities. In conclusion, the writer trusts in our new president, Barrack Obama.
The article, "Obama Presidency Marks New Era", the writer feels happy about the new president. He says, "Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope..." This means he believes that Barrack Obama can bring hope to this country. This also means he believes Obama can stop the economic crisis and more! To sum it up, the writer of this article believes that President Obama can save us from disaster.
The Inauguration of our 44th president, Barrack Obama was one to be remembered. He had a whopping crowd of an estimated 1.5 million people and they all loved him. That's because President Obama is going to do so much for our country. I believe that he can stop the Iraq War, the economic crisis and more! He can do it! I strongly feel that Obama can do this because of his hard work, determination, and skill in politics. Also, with his amazing vice-president, Joe Biden, he has more than enough to save our future. I believe in Obama because he will do a great job as the 44th president of the USA!!!

Link for Article #1- http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.inauguration/index.html#cnnSTCText
Link for Article #2- http://news.aol.com/main/inauguration/article/obama-presidency-marks-new-era/310125

Interesting Owls

Owls are great creatures! They eat small rodents like shrews, mice, and moles. Every day, they spit out an owl pellet. Owl pellets are bones and some fur that can't be digested, so the owl spits them out in a pellet. Lucky for us, we got to dissect them! We chose partners and then began. First, we took the pellet out of the foil. We then weighed the pellet and measured it. Next, we began to dissect the pellet. Carefully, we used toothpicks and our own hands to search the pellets for bones. We then tossed out the fur and began cleaning the bones. Then, we sorted out the bones and glued the skeleton of the animals together. Finally, we compared our disoverys with the class. The average number of animals a group got was two. My group got a mole and a shrew! Owls are very interesting creatures and are great animals!