Saturday, July 29, 2006
"Bringing hope to the poor, hungry, and abused in the Philippines."
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Monday, July 24, 2006
Hey... that's Typhoon Kaemi about to blow through Taiwan. It's "only" Category 1", so we're more likely to be waseh away than blown away...stay tuned! -- Chuck
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Sunday, July 23, 2006
Having just returned to our apartment here in Taichung, Taiwan a few day ago, it struck me me that many of you "out there' have no idea what it is like where we live. Others of you have visted here before and stayed in our home, but you don't know about our latest acquisition�a convenience store beneath our apartment! And is IS convenient�maybe two convenient! Molly & I have had to learn not to use it for Coke and goodies, just for "necessitites, like milk and other good stuff like that. Anyway, we like our convenience store! Much cleaner, brighter and convenient than the dark, dingy, smelly cafe that it replaced. (BTW: That's our venerable Sentra parked in front of the Nikomart.) -- Chuck 
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Saturday, July 22, 2006
"OpenDNS (http://www.opendns.com/) makes the Internet experience safer, faster and smarter for you and everyone using your network." Ya gotta try this! I'm using it and it REALLY speeds up the internet — even if you already have broadband.
AND, once you get it set up (You all have "techie" friends to help you do that, right?) you'll see the image below if you mistakenly go to a site that is trying to "phish" for your personal information.
It's a win-win deal, and it's FREE--with no software to set up! -- Chuck
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K@W Special Report July 20, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
This edition of The K@W newsletter contained many articles which I thought might be of interest to my "techie" friends out there...
Chuck
From: Knowledge at Wharton [mailto:knowledge@wharton.upenn.edu]
Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 7:52 AM
To: chuckzmail@johnstonz.net
Subject: K@W Special Report July 20, 2006
 | ||||||
| Special Section Special Section
What's the Future of Desktop Software -- and How Will It Affect Your Privacy? Twenty years ago, the personal computer began to revolutionize the way we work and play. In recent years, though, the Internet has been the primary source of technological innovation, offering us everything from online auctions to networked research libraries. As web-based applications encroach on the desktop's turf and a myriad of smart "devices" perform increasingly computer-like functions, will traditional desktop software begin to fade away? According to panelists at the recent Supernova 2006 conference in San Francisco, it's clear that these technological changes will introduce new challenges for programmers and users alike. Chief among these: balancing the requirement of making an individual's personal information available everywhere while remaining securely under his or her control. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1523.cfm Kevin Lynch on Adobe's Plans for a New Generation of Software Having completed the acquisition of Macromedia in December 2005, Adobe Systems now controls two of the de facto standards for electronic content -- the Portable Document Format (PDF) and the Flash SWF format. With its forthcoming technology, code-named "Apollo," Adobe hopes to lay the foundation for an entirely new category of software applications that provide the same cross-platform capabilities of a web browser, but with a richer set of features -- putting the company on a collision course with competitors like Microsoft. At the recent Supernova 2006 conference, Knowledge@Wharton met with Kevin Lynch, Adobe's chief software architect and senior vice president of its Platform Business Unit, to discuss the company's vision for the future of software applications on the web, the desktop, and mobile handheld devices. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1524.cfm The Rise of the 'Videonet' A couple of years ago, only a handful of Internet sites existed for publishing videos uploaded by users. Today there are more than 225 such sites, providing the infrastructure to deliver videos created by amateurs and professionals alike. What's next? Are we seeing the dawn of a new medium, a "videonet" that will redefine the media landscape? At the recent Supernova 2006 conference co-hosted by Wharton in San Francisco, a panel of video entrepreneurs and industry experts predicted that virtually every organization marketing to consumers -- from TV stations and sports teams to soft drink and detergent makers -- will rapidly develop a video presence on the Internet. And it may not stop there. If video publishing grows at rate similar to that of websites and blogs in recent years, what does it mean for traditional broadcasters, businesses, and users alike? http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1525.cfm Tantek Çelik and Rohit Khare: The Progress and the Promise of Microformats 'Microformats' are simple extensions to standard HTML tags that can allow software to add website-listed events to a personal datebook, aggregate content from different web pages into a comprehensive calendar, or let people "mash up" the content in new ways such as adding events to online maps or other web pages. The microformats movement was officially launched with the unveiling of the Microformats.org website one year ago at Supernova 2005. Since then, tens of millions of website entities have incorporated microformatting. At Supernova 2006, Knowledge@Wharton spoke with two of the leading evangelists for microformats -- Tantek Çelik, chief technical officer of Technorati, and Rohit Khare, director of CommerceNet Labs -- on how microformats have progressed over the past year and the issues the movement faces going forward. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1526.cfm _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
Help Spread Knowledge Do you know people who might be interested in these research studies and more? If you do, please forward this e-mail message to them. The Knowledge@Wharton Newsletter is a free service of the Wharton School (http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/) of the University of Pennsylvania. Its companion web site, Knowledge@Wharton, includes full details of the stories listed here. To read these stories, go to http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/ To read Universia-Knowledge@Wharton, our Spanish/Portuguese Partnership http://www.wharton.universia.net To read the Chinese Version of Knowledge@Wharton http://www.knowledgeatwharton.com.cn To comment on these stories, go to: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/feedback.cfm To unsubscribe from this newsletter, visit: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/unsubscribe.cfm Sponsorship Inquiries Write | ||||||
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"What's Qunu? Qunu is a next-generation expertise matching service. We use instant messaging to connect -- in real time -- people who have software or tech-related questions with experts who are passionate and willing to help. (Screenshots
How's it different to other ask-an-expert services? It's different to the ones you've seen because with Qunu you don't have to wait around for your answer. You can ask the expert directly and get your answer immediately. What's more, you can ask follow-up questions, again, in real time.
Also, if you're an expert in something and want to provide help to others, Qunu requests come in through your existing IM client software (finally!), so there's no need to monitor forums or websites anymore."
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Sounds like a good deal. I still have room to back up my files locally, but the time when I run out of space is not far away...how about you? -- Chuck -- " You can back up any or all of the files on your PC, and it�s still only $5 a month. What do I have to do to back up? After you download Carbonite you can manually select which files and folders to back up, or Carbonite can select for you. Your files are then doubly-encrypted and automatically uploaded to our secure Internet servers. You�ll never have to remember to schedule a backup. Any time you modify a file or create a new one, detects these changes and automatically updates your backup within 24 hours.
What happens when I need to restore files? If you accidentally delete a file or folder, you can restore it with just a few clicks. If your computer crashes and you lose everything, simply reinstall Carbonite on your new or repaired computer. Carbonite will automatically go into �Recover Mode� to help you retrieve your lost files.
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Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Draw online...by yourself or with an online friend. Save your "artwork" or send it to someone. Pretty cool!
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This is a hoot! Upload a picture of yourself (head shot) and run the online face recognition app to see how you resemble�in my case, Charles Bronson...or Michael Moore! -- Chuck
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Thursday, July 13, 2006
Q. Do I need to go to church since I can find fellowship online?A. What a great question! I've often wondered what the apostle Paul would think of our Internet-driven world populated by blogs, chat rooms, and instant messaging. Imagine his letters to the various New Testament churches. Instead of the "letter to the church at Ephesus," he might have written "the multiple e-mails to the church at Ephesus." And rather than wait to address a problem when he was able to visit, Paul could have sent an instant message.
Read on....
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Wednesday, July 12, 2006
"July 11, 2006 will bring a close to Extended Support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Me as part of the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy. Microsoft will retire public and technical support, including security updates, by this date."
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Tuesday, July 11, 2006
"When you unplug the AC power from a Microsoft Windows XP-based portable computer, the battery may drain more quickly than you expect. Therefore, the operating system may shut down prematurely."
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I recently read at Broadband Reports.com (http://www.dslreports.com) that Skype is now providing ONE YEAR of FREE PC to landline (the phone in your home) calling for USA domestic calling. I can't check this out because I am back in Taiwan, but it surley seems worth looking into! -- Chuck
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Monday, July 10, 2006
I'd forgotten this Ray Stevens song...most of you probably never heard of it! -- Chuck
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"Heh, heh, heh--a little like the Wittenburg Door, but maybe better..." (Our son-in-law, Jimmmy Clay)
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Good news from Iraq: retired Iraqi general says record number of Muslims turning to Christ
Retired Iraqi General Gave his Heart to Christ - Says Name of Jesus is Praised in Saddam's Old Throne Room
Michael Ireland/TN (Jul 2, 2006)
"Sada concluded the evening with a heart-felt message of thanks to the American people for liberating his country and said all peace-loving people should 'kneel down and thank the [American] mothers and fathers who have sacrificed their sons and daughters for the sake of freedom in Iraq.' He asked for patience as Iraq's fledgling democracy builds a foundation and finds its way. But he also said there is far more good news in Iraq today than is being reported by the national news media."
Retired Iraqi General Georges Sada says record number of Iraqi's are turning to Christ -- so says New York Times bestselling author, Joel C. Rosenberg.
In a recent article, Rosenberg said: "Sada and I first met by phone in March when I interviewed him for EPICENTER, the non-fiction book I'm writing about the future of the Middle East. Intrigued by his remarkable personal story, I invited him to come to Washington to share his experiences and perspective with our congregation. It was an extraordinary evening."
Rosenberg also says Sada described in detail how Saddam moved stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction to Syria in the summer of 2002, a story that is now being closely analyzed by the CIA, DIA and Congressional intelligence committees.
"He received an emotional ovation when he described how he refused to execute U.S. and British prisoners of war in 1991, despite direct orders by Qusay Hussein, Saddam's son. That move led to his dismissal from the military in February 1991, though -- thank God -- not to his own execution," Rosenberg writes.
Rosenberg continues; "Just as moving were the stories Sada shared about what God is doing in Iraq today. Such stories are rarely told in the American press, though the Washington Times, to their credit, covered Sada's visit, and ran an excellent front-page story on May 23, 2006.
According to an article in ASSIST News, Rosenberg adds: "Sada told me that some 5,000 Iraqis have publicly identified themselves as new followers of Christ since Iraq was liberated, and that an estimated eight out of ten Iraqi believers say they converted because Jesus appeared to them in dreams or visions."
Rosenberg writes that in a new and very positive development, Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of Kurdistan Regional Government in Irbil, has vowed to protect the ancient Assyrian Christian community there as well as new believers from persecution and violence.
"I would rather see a Muslim become a Christian than a radical Muslim," Barzani told them, an absolutely remarkable statement by a Muslim leader in a land wracked by sectarian violence.
Rosenberg says that one of the things he found most inspiring, was when Sada said that Saddam Hussein's throne room, in his main palace in Baghdad, had been turned into an Evangelical church, after the war.
"Once Saddam used that room to order thousands of people to be executed, but now the name of Jesus Christ -- the King of kings and the Lord of lords -- is praised there instead. Sada also said tens of thousands of Bibles were being printed in Iraq. Thousands more are being shipped into Iraq, and Christian programming is now available to Iraqis on satellite television," Rosenberg says.
Rosenberg says Sada, a former air force fighter pilot who once served as a senior military advisor to Saddam Hussein, became the chief spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi during the interim government, just after the war. Now he serves as a senior national security advisor to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and has been helping redesign the new Iraqi military, along with his efforts to strengthen the Christian church in Iraq.
According to Rosenberg Sada's recent best-selling book, Saddam's Secrets: How an Iraqi General Defied and Survived Saddam Hussein, is "an absolutely fascinating description of how Sada became a follower of Christ, rose through the ranks of the Iraqi Air Force, ended up working so closely with Saddam, and now works for peace and reconciliation in the name of Jesus."
Rosenberg concludes: "Sada concluded the evening with a heart-felt message of thanks to the American people for liberating his country and said all peace-loving people should 'kneel down and thank the [American] mothers and fathers who have sacrificed their sons and daughters for the sake of freedom in Iraq.' He asked for patience as Iraq's fledgling democracy builds a foundation and finds its way. But he also said there is far more good news in Iraq today than is being reported by the national news media."
Why is he taking such risks to share the good news? Rosenberg asked Sada. "There is an Arab proverb which says, 'Don't be a mute satan,'" he told him. "If you know the truth, you have an obligation to tell everyone."
More...
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s06060123.htm
