Missile defense system flunks test

Missile defense system flunks test

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A test of the U.S. missile defense system failed Mondaywhen an interceptor missile did not launch from its island base in the Pacific Ocean, the military said. It was the second failure in months for the experimental
program.

On Monday's test, the interceptor missile was to target a mock ICBM fired from Kodiak Island, Alaska. The target missile launched at 1:22 a.m. Monday EST (0622GMT) without any problems, but the interceptor did not launch. The previous test, on December 15, failed under almost identical circumstances. The target missile launched, but the interceptor did not. Then military officials started to blamed that the failure on fault-tolerance software that was oversensitive to small errors in the flow of data between the missile and a flight computer. Before the December 15 launch, it had been two years since a test. The program had gone five for eight in previous attempts to intercept a target. There hasn't been no test date announced yet because I think they are still trying to fix the problem and is unclear how continued test failures would affect two experimental interceptor bases in Alaska and California. So its going to be a while for the next test date asign.

Experts: 'Phishing' more sophisticated

Experts"'Phishing' more sophisticated

"Scam artists posed as banks and other legitimate businesses in thousands of phishing attacks last year, sending out millions of "spam" e-mails with subject lines like "account update needed" that pointed to fraudulent Web sites."

For the last past year alot of legitimate businesses in thousands of phishing attacks on sending out millions of "spam" e-mails with subject lines like. Now theses attacks are now increasingly using worms and spywarw to divert consumers to fraudulent sites without their knowledge and thats what experts say. Phishing attacks have reached 57 million U.S. adults and compromised at least 122 well-known brands so far, according to several estimates. At the end of 2004 almost half of these attacks contained some sort of spyware attack. Internet users who type in "www.bankofamerica.com" could be directed to a look-alike site run by identity thieves. So you have to be careful what site you go on because you never know it may be spyware attack on you computer. Theses people are really tough crack and are typically run by businesses rather than home users, but hackers can find a way in by posing as a company's tech-support department and asking new employees for their passwords so be careful you give your password to because they might be a thieve and make sure you know the person really well to give your password to them.

Largest passenger jet unveiled

Largest passenger jet unveiled

"The world's biggest-ever passenger plane is unveiled at a glittering ceremony in southwest France, attended by the leaders of France, Germany, Britain and Spain and 5,000 VIP guests."

The Airbus A380, has been introduced to the world near the southern French city of Toulouse, in the presence of four European leaders and 5,000 invited guests. The A380 was made by the European company called Airbus. It was revealed as a presentation and it was presented in the southwestern city of Toulouse. The French said the A380 is a veritable liner of the skies and he said the plane debut was for all of us a motion and pride. So this is going to be a great adventure for travlers and is great success for Europe and is a great accomplishment for the Airbus workers. This new aiecraft is a type of event that will only happen once in a generation. Although the new plane has taken air yet but its scheduled to take its first test flight in March 13. The first commercial flight is expected to take place in March next year. So this a great thing for passangers and the plane ride will be more comfotable and more smothing ride for alot of passangers. So they should be thankful for that.

Gadgets get couch potatoes moving

Gadgets get couch potatoes moving

"LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- Consumer electronics companies commonly cater to couch potatoes by pitching bigger television sets, more mesmerizing video games and remote controls that can even place online orders for pizza."

But a small cadre of entrepreneurs at the world's largest technology exposition hope their gizmos make you work up a sweat.Company executives insist that exergaming or exertainment the marriage of physical exercise and video gaming is becoming a hot new device, and they are saying this will help the nation to fit instead of being an overweight country.The four day international Concumer Electronic show and cardio show ended on Sunday and also it was the first ever cardio playzone for fitness. A lot of people enjoyed the machines. I think they are trying to make working more fun for people I think its waste of money. You should just go to a local gym and work and its cheaper and don't have to pay $800 for a machine that will brake down. So stick doing sit ups or using reguler work out machines.

GPS hide-and-seek

GPS hide-and-seek

"An increasingly popular game of grown-up hide-and-seek is leading adventurers around the country on high-tech hunts for hidden treasures."

It's called geocaching, and all you need to play is a portable Global Positioning System, access to the Internet and a sense of adventure. Players enter coordinates in longitude and latitude from a Web site into their GPS, and the hunt is on. Geocachers follow the navigation signal and a list of clues that take them through cemeteries, caves, forests and even historic homesteads. At the end of hunt is a treasure -- some kind of trinket or toy -- stashed in an airtight container, although sometimes there is only a logbook for players to sign.It sounds easy but it isn't easy. It sounds pretty cool but to it a little to high tech for me. With's wrong playing hide snd seek the old fashion way. But people this days want everything to be technology and you have to rich to afford all this latest technology invented today. I bet you that Global Positioning system that you need to get so you play this game cost a lot of money and you have access to the internet. So I think it's not worth to by that thing because I rahter stick to the old fanhsion way of hide and seek.

Apple to sell $99 iPod, $499 Mac

Apple to sell $99 iPod,$499 Mac

" Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, unveiling the new products at the MacWorld exposition, said the Mini Mac computers, without monitor, mouse and keyboard, will go on sale Jan. 22. The 40-gigabyte Mac will cost $499, and the 80-gigabyte model would cost $599. "

They created a much smaller iPod that is smaller than a pack of gum and it has a 512 megabyte of memory, that holds about 120 songs and this iPod is much more affoldable then the regular iPod it only cost $99 compare $299.The larger one holds 1 gigabyte, or about 240 songs, and costs $299.The new iPod falls into a category of music players that use "flash memory," drives like those found in digital cameras and some portable media players, rather than the hard drives used in current iPods.But if don"t got a computer and you are not access to the internet you should not get the new iPod because its a waist of your money, so just stick to a portable FM/AM CD player. Also you could get a mini mac for $499. It Weights less than 3 pounds and its under 2 inches tall, the mini mac connects to televisions as well as PC monitors. I think its a preety good price if you think about it.

Year of innovations, challenges

Year of innovations, challenges



"Google, digital music, wireless technologies and blogs all boomed in 2004. But there were also plenty of battles, such as efforts to fight human and computer viruses and reel in online ID theft."


Comments: Personal technology lived up to its name more than ever, with miniature devices that seamlessly delivered high-quality audio and visual content. However, the banes of Internet users everywhere -- spam, computer viruses and spy programs -- made surfing the Web much more aggravating and confusing.Apple's iTunes claimed to have sold more than 100 million songs by 2004, even as a host of other competitors sprang up to offer alternatives to peer-to-peer file sharing.SpaceShipOne became the first private spacecraft to leave the Earth's atmosphere carrying a passenger-size payload and return, making the flight three times to win the $10 million Anasari X Prize and become a beacon for space tourism. So 2004 was the best year for technology and science.

Covert groups behind bulk of bootlegs

Convert groups behind bulk of bootlegs

"Instead, computer users dish out praise or criticism on the caliber of video
and sound achieved by online groups whose sole mission is to make available
unauthorized copies of Hollywood films within a day or two of a movie's debut,
if not before."

For these online bootleggers, who authorities say represent the top of a distribution pyramid for pirated movies, software and music, it's all about the bragging rights for being first to copy a hot title or releasing the best-quality movie. These online bootleggers get there movies on a private site and they score even more points if they do it before the release date. The group name of these members that are getting these bootleg movies are known as the warez groups and they sell there movies on the internet and people but it from them. The two most popular movies that are being copied right and are still in theaters and they are Ocean 12 and Blade Trinity. In 2002 U.S. department officals convicted alot of bootleggers and the people that bought the movies from the warez got arrested to.