iblog

Rushda: A photograph taken on Mars by a Nasa spacecraft has sparked much excitement and many debates across the internet, as the photo appears to show a figure similar to that of a man striding across the surface of the red planet. This a new craze to hit net users, many of whom now believe that this is essential proof that there is conscious life on Mars. The photograph taken by spacecraft Spirit in 2004 can be seen here. As you can see, there is a tiny peculiar shape in the left of the image which looks almost human. Whilst most would say that this is just a coincidental angle on an ordinary rock, others believe that this is something more incredible. Initially when the photographs were viewed after the mission, many were disappointed that there was nothing unusual in them, and only now have they discovered something that may be not so mundane. What is particularly interesting and amusing is the number and variety of the theories posted online from excited space fans (who may, or may not, have been watching too much science-fiction). Bloggers have said everything from the figure being a conventional alien to the Virgin Mary, or even a mermaid. And the list doesn't stop there. Garden gnome and Bigfoot are also on the list amongst others. The most popular opinion is that the figure resembles the Little Mermaid statue in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Funnily enough, if we think about it properly, all the hype surrounds a centimetre of something blurry which is identical to all the rocks around it in everything but its shape (which, too, isn't very detailed). As Badastronomy.com said,

"A man? It's a tiny rock only a few inches high. It's only a few feet from the rover!"

I guess it's up to everyone to make their own mind up now. Personally, I think we're all just desperate to hear some good old cosmic goss' but like others I'm unconvinced that such a small image is anything more than a funny-shaped rock.

Rushda: Thousands of shoppers have crowded British shops early today in order to grab bargains in the end of year sales. With big brands making big cuts in prices, it seems that everyone would rather turn up outside shops in the early hours of the morning instead of traditionally celebrating Boxing Day with the family. Indeed, this year has been a record year as many shops have claimed that sales queues more than doubled from last year. The huge queues started shortly after 4am this morning, focussing on Oxford Street in London. It is claimed that up to £1000 a minute was being spent at some shops today. The prices, naturally, were very attractive with stores such as Birmingham's Selfridges offering up to 75% reduction in price of goods. In the Oxford Street branch, over 9,000 customers walked in in the first hour of sales in the morning, and it is estimated that "500,000 shoppers ventured into London's West End" today. The sale chaos wasn't restricted to London, as Essex's Lakeside shopping centre was also packed with thousands of shoppers, the quantity being a third higher than last year. It is thus clear that this year marks a record in sales and that the perks of Christmas are far from ending for shopowners. As Richard Dodd, from the British Retail Consortium, said:

"Today is much busier than Boxing Day last year as more stores have started their post-Christmas sales early, rather than waiting till tomorrow. It's clear that retailers are going to have to offer bumper sales to tempt customers in, because finances are under strain this year. A lot of customers are reluctant to spend and there are worries about how their finances are going to stand up."

What I don't understand myself is why people go through all the bother to brave the crowds and spend hours sifting through items by hands so early after Christmas. In my experience online sales are much better because you can do it all from the comfort of your own room in half the time! Thankfully, other people have had this good sense too, as statistics show that "3.6 million people spent part of their Christmas Day searching for good deals via the internet".

Rushda: It was strange enough when public figures such as Tony Blair and Oprah got their own YouTube channel but this is probably a whole new kettle of fish - the Queen on YouTube? No one would have ever expected it but she's here in all her 81 years of glory on her very own new channel. Her channel, which is naturally called The Royal Channel, will air the Queen's Christmas day message together with other interesting footage about the monarchy. The launch of the channel also "marks the 50th anniversary of the Queen's first televised festive address in 1957". The palace is hoping that the channel will help the monarchy connect to young people who often miss out on the Queen's yearly speech. The speech will be aired at 1500 GMT on Christmas Day. The Queen has always admitted that some changes must be made in order to adapt to modern times. For example, back on her first television address in 1957 she said:

"I very much hope that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct. That it is possible for some of you to see me today is just another example of the speed at which things are changing all around us."

A spokesperson from the palace said upon launching the channel that the Queen still wants to remain in touch with the times:

"She has always been aware of reaching more people and adapting the communication to suit. This will make the Christmas message more accessible to younger people and those in other countries."

Personally I'm quite impressed with the layout of the channel. Only the royals could have managed to make even a channel on YouTube look elegant and classy! Something tells me, however, that the Queen won't be an active and addicted YouTube member churning out her responses daily in text speak. Unfortunately her appearences will be probably be rare and with little affiliation with the site. However, it is certainly an odd concept that she is "on there", especially considering the amount of abuse and spam the channel will get. Well, good luck to her! Maybe if she does something entertaining on YouTube, even I will tune in on Christmas day!

Rushda: Many girls across the world will be disappointed to hear that one of the world's richest and most eligible bachelors, Google's co-founder Larry Page, is marrying his girlfriend Lucy Southworth on a private island in the Caribbean. Larry Page, who is the joint fifth-richest man in the United States, has an estimated fortune of $18.5bn (£9bn). It is rumoured that he has invited over 600 guests to the wedding. The private 74-acre paradise is called Necker Island, and is owned by Sir Richard Branson who is also Page's best man for the wedding. The couple are said to have been dating for around a year, and it is not known whether or not they are signing a prenuptial agreement. Though Lucy and Larry themselves have not confirmed the event to the media, it is certain that the wedding will be taking place. The 600 guests were told that they only required a valid passport for the weekend as private planes would be provided to take them to the island. Over the past 6 months wedding planners have booked up all the hotels on the neighbouring island of Virgin Gorda in order to ensure there will be enough room for all the guests. As one source has said:

"They rented all of Virgin Gorda. They took over the island.”

Though much of the guest-list is kept a secret, it does contain such high-profile figures as Bill and Hillary Clinton, and other celebrities such as U2 singer Bono.

Kayleigh: The online bookseller Amazon has created a digital bookreader - The Kindle- which can store up to 200 books. Amazon's aim was to create a devicethat could provide its consumers with a wider variety of entertainment, like the Ipod does with music. The device is about about the same size as a standard paperback, weighs around 290g, and offers access to about 90,000 books and 11 daily newspapers. "We've been working on Kindle for more than three years," said Amazon boss Jeff Bezos. "Our top design objective was for Kindle to disappear in your hands -to get out of the way so you can enjoy your reading." Once you have bought a Kindle, however, (which is £195) that doesn't mean you get to read these books for free. Costs range from 75 cents to download a national newspaper and classic books cost around $1.99 each. Best sellers are naturally pricier, and can be downloaded for $9.99, but it is still cheaper than books bought in a store. The device also offers access to online encyclopaedia, Wikipedia, and about 300 blogs. It can also play MP3 music files and has a slot so it can store a memory card which enables it to hold hundreds of books. “We want to make sure everything anyone wants to read is on the Kindle,” said Laura Porco, Amazon’s director of digital text. “We won’t stop until we can offer millions of books.” Although I think this is a good invention, and is good for book lovers, I myself will not be buying one. Why buy a device that costs almost £200 when you can read the books for free online on your laptop?

Kayleigh: The government has launched a social networking site for the over-50s so they can talk directly to the government about issues that concern them. The website, called Generation Xperience, introduces topics into its forums, but also allows members of the public to start forums of their own. The topics the site has welcomed so far are "The internet" and "60 goals for the over 60s." The site also lists local events such as music and dance events, and encourages its audience to join in by visiting the government website Directgov. It also links to other websites that might interest the over-50s such as the Government News Network and Age Concern. The site also intends to have its own groups on other popular social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and Youtube. The site makes it clear that although ministers will take note of the over-50s, they cannot answer their questions directly on the site. Instead, representatives from the Department of Work and Pensions will keep the site running and up to date. Lynne Williams, 50, believes the site is a good idea. She said: "I don't go to council meetings but I can now talk to the government from the comfort of my own home to voice my concerns now, which is great." Personally, I think the website is a good idea, but why don't they create a site for young people. It seems to me that most young people aren't very interested in politics but if the government tried to interact with them using modern technology that young people use, they might get more of a response.

Kayleigh: Students are annoyed as more and more university tutors are starting to use Facebook and MySpace to contact them. Students feel that their private lives are being invaded and want to keep their academic life and social life separate. Research done by The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) showed that universities are trying to connect with students in new ways, and in recent years social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have become very popular with young people. This is the latest move in the technologically-driven world. Tutors recently started presenting lectures as podcasts and started texting students to give them academic advice. Gareth Ruston, 20, Police and Criminal Investigation student at the University of Central Lancashire, thinks there are good and bad points of tutors being able to contact him in different ways. He said: "I like the fact that i can text my tutor if I've forgot to ask something, but I don't want them looking at my Facebook, it's my private space for me and my friends!" But JISCs head of communications, Dr Philip Pothen says the move is a good thing. "Universities need to have this kind of information.They need to know how today's students learn; how they take in information." One tutor who uses Facebook to contact her students is Gilly Salmon, professor of e-learning and learning technologies at Leicester University. She said: "I'm very interested in it as a potential way for students working together remotely rather than having to be in a physical space." I'm not convinced though, I like it when a tutor contacts me through my university email, but I would certainly not want them contacting me through my Facebook or MySpace, in fact, I'd hate them to even see it. Employers are also looking at it now, which just adds to the worry, one friend of mine has completely changed his Facebook and Myspace because of this revelation!

Rushda: At a time when music piracy laws are making everyone feel like a criminal for downloading free music, it is refreshing to see that there are some bands who are on the side of the public, either by offering their music for free or by allowing the listeners to pick the price at which they'd be willing to buy it. This is the case for Rainbows, the much anticipated seventh album from alternative rock group Radiohead. Fans can log on to the band's website and download the album at a price they choose which is anything from nothing to one hundred pounds. In this interesting experiment, Radiohead have refused to reveal to the public what the average amount is that they are receiving for the downloads at this stage. It is certainly clear that there will definitely be many freeloaders untouched by any ethical idea of paying a reasonable amount for it. However, it is also clear from the massive success of Radiohead's previous albums (the last three of which went straight to number one) that Radiohead has a huge fan following who will go to great lengths to show how much the band's music is worth. Not only this, but some are even paying for the music simply because they believe the idea is a good one - regardless of whether they like Radiohead or not! Bryce Edge, one of the managers for Radiohead, says that he trusts the band's fans and knows they will not be let down. He says:

"We're prepared to take a risk and we might come out looking very foolish. But we believe if your music is great, then people will pay for it."

Though I'm no Radiohead fan myself, I do admire this new liberal attitude with their music. Though, of course, it is much of a marketing strategy as it could make people more willing to pay the band, it is still quite a risk and it shows that Radiohead have that much faith in the quality of their music.

Rushda: Facebook's popularity has sky-rocketed over the past few years - from a small site designed for university-based social networking into a huge and indispensable tool for millions worldwide. Now that applications have been introduced, Facebook has become even more versatile than before, with many earning money from their programs. Even better is that now, in a new move to improve Facebook even more, software developers can be given up to £125,000 to develop applications for the site. Currently, there are around 4,000 small programs of varying quality embedded onto profiles on the site, covering everything from dating to music to utilities for your profile. But Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg wants firms and individuals to create even more "innovative and disruptive programs." At the TechCrunch40 conference in San Francisco he recently announced that grants will come out of a $10m pot and be given for great ideas to boost Facebook's popularity further. As the founder says:

"We're doing this at Facebook to support the ecosystem and help it grow. Any application developer can submit their application and a little business proposal to us. If we think the project is good, we will give a grant for somewhere between $25,000 to $250,000."

The only restriction is that companies can't have made any money from their idea previously - Facebook should be the first avenue in which their ideas "get off the ground."

Virgil: Those of you who have tried to set up a fast, free website - whilst also providing it with a catchy domain name - will have heard of Dot TK. Fewer, however, will have heard of the island Tokelau. But revenue generated from Dot TK has been generating 10% of Tokelau's GDP since it began offering such a service in 2001. When people make quick and simple websites - little hompages, or sites to advertise one event - they usually want to do it for free. This means signing up with a free hosting company - which is all well and good, but means that the ultimate internet address used to get to the site will include the company's name, making your site's name a non-central part of the address. For instance, if you sign up with Yahoo'sGeocities, your ultimate address will be www.geocities.com/yourpage, and if you sign up with Lycos-provided service Tripod, your ultimate address will be yourpage.tripod.com. 3 clicks away from this is www.dot.tk, where you can get yourself a much catchier address like www.yourpage.tk. Although the service is free, Dot TK sites come with targeted banner adverts, and these are what generate the island's income. The ".tk" part of the address is called the domain. Whereas the more expensive and definitive ".com" domain refers to websites which are commercial, and the common ".org" domain is used for organisations, Dot TK is what's known as a country-level domain, specific to Tokelau. All these domains are registered through the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) - and whilst it has always been obvious that a Dot Com domain was needed for companies, it took a lot of persuasion to initially allow a domain specific to Tokelau. It was Joost Zuurbier, a Dutch entrepreneur, who presented the case for his investment:

"It was a four year process. They didn't believe the contract or even the island were real and it was only because a member of the board had been to Tokelau in 1978 that they finally agreed it was OK."

Since 2001, millions of mini-website makers have been drawn to the attractive address Dot TK offers, bringing in huge revenue from advertising. With every domain registered, the Dot TK Company donates an undisclosed amount to Tokelau's miniature economy: in 2007 contributing 10%. This has in turn enabled the tiny nation to start using the internet more; back in 2001 there were 12 computers on the island, now there are over 200, including ones in internet cafés. There is broadband internet, and people make phone calls no longer with radios but with Skype. The inhabitants have even been discovering YouTube, MySpace and music downloads. Even better, Tokelau hospitals are now able to receive medical advice from experts overseas.