The online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica is a trusted source used by more than 4,755 universities worldwide, including Oxford, Yale and Harvard. The site includes access to all 32 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica, a dictionary, a thesaurus, newspaper and magazine articles and a world atlas. You'll have to work fast though. You can only use this source for free for seven days. After that, you'll need to pay $69.95 a year for full access. Encyclopedia.com is a free online encyclopedia that allows you to search more than 57,000 articles from the Columbia Encyclopedia. Each article contains links to images, as well as magazine and newspaper pieces. Encyclopedia.com also includes other reference works, such as the Oxford Dictionaries and the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Bartleby.com has a great collection of free reference materials, books and verse. Searchable encyclopedias include the Columbia Encyclopedia, the Encyclopedia of World History, the Columbia Gazetteer of North America, and the World Fact Book. Pearson Education's Infoplease provides free access to more than 57,000 articles from the Columbia Encyclopedia (Sixth Edition.) Other references, such as an almanac, dictionaries and a thesaurus make this site a good all around tool for research papers. The free encyclopedia from Questia includes more than 52,000 entries from the Columbia Encyclopedia (Sixth Edition.) There are also loads of supplemental goodies in the reference library, such as full-text books and articles from journals, magazines and newspapers. The LoveToKnow Classic Encyclopedia is a new Internet project that revives the renowned 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. In some circles, this edition is considered to be one of the best encyclopedias ever written. Most entries have been updated with links and new information. Encyclopedia of Life is a relatively new Internet venture. Launched in May of 2007, the site's goal is to document all species of life on Earth. The collaborative and constantly updated encyclopedia is free for everyone to use and perfect for students who are writing research papers on science or biology. The Scholarpedia site is similar in format to Wikipedia, but it is a much better free resource for research papers. All of the entries have been written and approved by an actual scholar, which means you will have no problems when it comes time to cite sources. Featured encyclopedias cover topics like computational neuroscience, dynamical systems, computational intelligence and astrophysics. MSN Encarta is a fantastic online encyclopedia and would rank much higher on this list of you could use it for free. As it is, you must pay $4.95 per month or $29.95 per year for the subscription service that lets you view most encyclopedia entries. Other tools that are available on the site include a thesaurus, homework tools and message boards. Wikipedia is one of the most popular sites in the world, but it is not without its problems. Anybody can write and edit Wikipedia entries. This means that you can't always count on the site for factual information. You also can't cite Wikipedia as a source for most student research papers. Nevertheless, Wikipedia is worth visiting because it is free and it can lead you to more valuable and reliable sources of information.
There are tons of encyclopedia sites online that offer instant access to the information you need to complete your research paper. Here is a list of the best encyclopedia sites to get you started.
1. Encyclopedia Britannica Online
2. Encyclopedia.com
3. Bartleby
4. Infoplease
5. Questia
6. LoveToKnow Classic Encyclopedia
7. Encyclopedia of Life
8. Scholarpedia
9. MSN Encarta
10. Wikipedia
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Top Encyclopedia Sites for Student Research Papers
A Ferrari motorcycle? Only in our 1:12 scale dreams
There are plenty of awe-inspiring Italian motorcycles for us to dream about, but still, a Ferrari motorcycle would surely be a welcome addition to the sportbike ranks. Just what might a superbike designed by Ferrari look like? We can imagine a carbon fiber frame for starters, and surely there would need to be plenty of red bodywork. As a matter of fact, we think that a Ferrari motorcycle would look quite a bit like the scale model you see above. Scale Auto Magazine member andybmw7272 started of his project with a Yamaha kit from Tamiya, but everything has been modified to suit the project. We're sure you'll agree that it was extremely well done, and it gives us something to think about should Maranello ever decide to venture into the two-wheeled market.
10 Tips and Tricks for Private BitTorrent Sites
The first thing to notice when you join a private BitTorrent site is the eye-popping quality of the torrents. Each one is carefully culled, hand-picked through a strict moderation process. However, before you start hammering away on that download link - here are a few things you need to know.
On private torrent sites, everything revolves around ratios. A 1:1 ratio (or 1.0) means that you’ve downloaded exactly the same amount of data as you’ve uploaded. Thus a 0.80 ratio indicates that you’ve uploaded less than you’ve downloaded, which is hurtful to the health of the torrent. Inversely, a 3.0 ratio means you’ve uploaded 3 times more data than you’ve downloaded. Strive to achieve at least a 1.0 ratio - each site will have specific consequences for members who maintain a ratio of less than this. Attain a ratio over 1.0 and the rewards shall follow you into the P2P afterlife.
If you’re brand-new to a private site, it will be difficult in the beginning to acquire a 1.0 ratio. Luckily, users are given a ‘grace’ period to achieve this. Since there are so many more seeds than leechers (a total flip-flop from public BT sites), it becomes harder to upload to others - due to the fact that there are fewer people to share with.
So why go through all the trouble to keep an honest ratio? Because deep down, you’re an upstanding denizen of file-sharing society! Aside from that shameless pat-on-the-back, good ratios offer many perks, including an upgraded account on the tracker (i.e. VIP status), higher download speeds, free “invites” for your friends, and no waiting periods associated with accounts in arrears.
Here are Ten Tips to get your ratio in top-shape as fast as possible:
1. Start out with Smaller Files
Initially, opt for smaller (i.e. under 1 GB) files for downloading. This gives you a greater chance of someone coming along after you and downloading the same torrent (and you’ll be able to upload to them). Obviously a 700MB movie file will be more appealing to other site members than a 30GB ‘Blu-Ray’ rip.
2. Jump on the ‘Newly Released’ torrents
This is a great tip for increasing your ratio in a hurry. Camp out in your favorite private BT site, and refresh the torrent listings frequently. Newly added entries will have many more leechers than seeds, so you’ll be able to share (upload) more data. To maximize this tip, select smaller files - the “TV Episode” category works great for this.
3. Select Files that have a High ‘L’ or upload number
This is important. When selecting torrents, base your initial selections on a high number of leechers (the more, the better). This will ensure you have many avenues to upload to during (and after) the transfer. When starting out on a new private BT site, we would even go so far as to say that you should download torrents that you don’t want - just start grabbing torrents that have lots of leechers. Once your ratio get over the 1:1 (1.0) mark, delete them.
TIP: If one of your seeding torrents remains popular, leave it running in µtorrent permanently. This will always help to boost your upload ratio.
4. Avoid ‘Zero-Leech’ torrents
When you’re new to a private site, steer clear of the ‘zero-leech’ torrents - it is impossible to increase your share ratio when there are no other downloaders. When viewing a list of torrents, look for the “Leecher” column (or just “L”) and avoid anything that has a zero ( “0″ ) in it. After your account ratio has become relatively stable, now is the time to snag whatever you want.
5. Leave some tasks running in uTorrent
After the completed download of a torrent, leave the task running (as a seed) in µtorrent to increase your upload statistics. Don’t delete (or move) the files of a running task! You can, however, extract (unRAR) the files, or copy the files from one place to the next. In the event of a movie/video file - you’ll be able to “burn” or “extract” the *.avi file (or even play it on the PC) without affecting the seeding torrent.
TIP: Always keep a few things running as ’seeds’ in your BT client. If you notice that they aren’t uploading, replace them with newer ones.
6. Go for the ‘Freebie’ downloads
Many private sites will offer “free” torrents that won’t count against your download statistics (thus, your ratio will remain unchanged). Grab these freebies - especially when searching for torrents on a new account.
7. Use ‘Credits’ to purchase…
A popular feature among superior private BitTorrent sites is the addition of a ‘credits’ feature for account holders. Credits can be used to ‘purchase’ VIP status, increased sharing ratios and other perks. Not all sites are the same, but some credits can be acquired just from staying active in their IRC channel, or from just having the torrents available for download in your BT client.
8. Do NOT try to ‘cheat’ the Private Trackers
There are a variety of ratio cheating tips available out there, but don’t be tempted. Trackers are fairly sophisticated and ever-evolving. If you get caught cheating, you won’t even be warned - it’s a permanent ban for you and bye-bye for good.
9. Set a proper Upload Limit
Setting a proper upload limit in the BT client makes all the difference! You’ll want to supply a high enough limit to maximize uploading, but not have it eat into your download bandwidth. The general rule is to set it at 80 - 85% of your upload limit. To figure this out, visit www.speedtest.net and conduct the simple test. Results are shown in kilobits, so divide the result by 1/8 and then multiply that by 0.85. This will give you the proper number in KB/s (KiloBytes).
In µtorrent, go to OPTIONS > Preferences… > Connection and enter your upload rate. Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes. While your in that same ’settings’ page, make sure to use a port number from the good list (e.g. 49152 - 65535).
10. And if all else fails…donate
Most sites allow for monetary contributions to keep up with the server costs. If you enjoy a particular site immensely but cannot seem to be able to approach a decent sharing ratio (due to turning off your computer at night, going to work, or sharing your computer with your kids, wife, husband or siblings), think about donating. In most cases even a not-so-generous gratuity will robustly affect your account status - plus you’ll feel good about helping out the BitTorrent community.
Other Tips - Follow ‘The Rules’
Yeah, we know: you hate rules! That’s why you probably moved out of your parents’ basement. Rules are probably why some turned to P2P.
Nevertheless, rules are an important aspect to private BT sites - they ensure healthy torrents and blazing-fast download speeds for all. Each site will have their “rules” posted - the link is usually not hard to find. Below are some general rules / tips that pertain to any private BitTorrent site:
Use an ‘Accepted’ BitTorrent client
Not all private trackers are the same - and each one has different rules in regards to which BitTorrent client is on the “allowable” list. Most sites recommend µtorrent, but only specific versions (or builds) of it. If you stick with v1.6.1 or the latest version v1.7.7 (recommended), you can’t go wrong with ANY private site (avoid any versions in between these numbers). And do not use BitComet on private trackers.
Proper BitTorrent client configuration:
Many trackers recommend that you disable DHT and Peer Exchange (PEX) in your BT client’s settings. To do this in µtorrent, go to OPTIONS > Preferences… > and select the BitTorrent tab. Remove the three checkmarks that pertain to DHT and PEX (see image below):
Do not ‘Hit & Run’ a Private BT site:
A ‘Hit & Run’ (or H&R) is when someone joins a private tracker, and downloads as much as they can before making off without uploading to a proper ratio. While this practice is frowned upon even on public sites such as mininova.org, it is deplorable to private sites. This can (and sometimes will) lead to your IP address being banned from the site - forever.
Stick within these guidelines for HAPPY Torrenting!
Taproot Develops WalkingHotSpot Software Solution for Seamless Connectivity and Mobility
TapRoot System, a leading smartphone software developer has just unveiled a new software based solution that is able to turn a mobile phone into a Wi-Fi access point, making a mobile hotspot a reality for cellular market. Known as WalkingHotSpot, it is targeted for those mobile internet users that would like to extend broadband access to other network devices anywhere on the move.
There are advantages of technology convergence especially for those that utilizing software solution. First, there is no additional cost or hardware tweak needed to enable it as current cellular network infrastructure are already there and mobile phone penetration in the market is deep. Secondly, no more hassle to do the software configuration in order to enable a typical mobile phone for the same purpose. Just imagine, as long as there is 3G cellular network coverage available, the user will be able to use his mobile phone as an access point, giving chance to other network devices to connect to it simultaneously in secure environment immediately.
The patent-pending solution will able to provide seamless connectivity to anyone that needs to have broadband access on the move. While at this moment it is only compatible with Windows Mobile and Symbian S60 operating systems, there is a plan to enable other operating systems support in the near future. Anyway, TapRoot plans to release this solution to telcos or carriers and consumers will expect to get support from them directly.
UBANTU 8.04 BETA RELEASE
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
CUBICLE SECURITY FOR LAPTOP ELECTRONICS ?
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
SAFARI 3.1 FOR WINDOWS VIOLATES ITS OWN EULA, VULNERABLE TO HACK
Recoiledsnake writes "The new Safari 3.1 for Windows has been hit with two 'highly critical'(as rated by Secunia) vulnerabilities that can result in execution of arbitrary code. The first is due to an improper handling of the buffer for long filenames of files being downloaded, and the second can result in successful spoofing of websites and phishing. This comes close on the heels of criticism of Apple for offering Safari as a update for approximately 500 million users of iTunes on Windows by default, and reports of crashes. There are currently no patches or workarounds available except the advice to stay clear of 'untrusted' sites." Further, Wormfan writes "The latest version of Safari for Windows makes a mockery of end user licensing agreements by only allowing the installation of Safari for Windows on Apple labeled hardware, thereby excluding most Windows PCs."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
PALMA LOUNCHES THE CENTRO(mob) IN INDIA
"The combination of keyboard, touch screen and Palm's trademark ease of use makes Centro intuitive and easy to use for staying in touch," said Olivier Rozay, Palm's regional director for Asia Pacific. "Consumers who are thinking about stepping up to a smartphone will find Centro the perfect first choice – it's rich in features but also comes in a small, cool design."
With a new compact design, Centro is the smallest and lightest Palm phone to date, comes with Palm OS by ACCESS, and offers all the organizer functionalities that Palm offers.
The Centro features a touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard, with key features such as one-touch speakerphone, conference calling and Bluetooth connectivity. It keeps all conversations in a chat-style view, just like Instant Messaging, so users can see the entire conversation unfold. Personal email, such as Gmail and Yahoo!, is simple to access right out of the box, while Microsoft Direct Push Technology gives users access to their corporate email.
In addition to usual smartphone capabilities, Centro is highly customizable with thousands of applications available.
The full keyboard and touch screen provide quick access to online information and allow users to directly feed their personal blogs. Pocket Tunes on Centro lets users "sideload" songs and manage music, audio books and videos easily. Users can also shoot pictures or videos with the built-in digital camera and share them with friends.
The Palm Centro smartphone is available now at a recommended retail price of Rs. 13,990 (inclusive of tax) and will be distributed through Brightstar Telecom India Pvt Ltd., the national distributor.
Centro will be available in IT retail stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Pune and Chandigarh.
