Best Sports Updates on the Internet

March 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Millions of sports fans across America use the internet to stay informed on sports. Your favorite teams website is a decent source of information but offers little perspective outside of trying to draw fans to the arena. Local news papers generally do at least a fair job of covering local teams but what about when you want to know what is going on nationally. Here are a few sites to bookmark to keep on top of the latest breaking sports news.

1.) ESPN.com- The worldwide leader in sports does not shirk responsibility when it comes to up to the minute sports news. The site offers breaking news on developments in any of the major sports. The site also has subset areas on professional hockey, baseball, basketball, and football as well as college sports. ESPN has an impressive list of staff writers well respected in the industry and bringing you the latest.

2.) CBS Sports- Another excellent site to research your favorite pro teams and players. Their player update section not only allows you to see what the columnists and contributors have to say about a particular player but you get contributions from the fans as well. Player updates are linked off of near full sentences allowing you to see what’s wrong with a player without having to click on the link.

3.) Yahoo sports- Yahoo is fast emerging as a leader in sports news. They already have the most popular fantasy sports games on the web and their users demand they supply them with up to date information about the players in those games. You can click on different areas which offer you the latest rumors involving players as well as possible motives of a team come the trade deadline.

Of course, there are many great places to get sports news on the internet. These are just a few of the sites available to keep you abreast on the latest in sports.

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Thales Alenia Space Sits Out of Satellite Contest

December 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Thales Alenia Space : satellite meteo
Image by pm12dindin via Flickr

In the business world, it’s usually a smart idea to take advantage of a good thing while it lasts. That’s one reason why many are surprised that Thales Alenia Space will not be entering the bidding war for the manufacturing of the Turksat 4A and 4B, which are the latest telecommunications satellites in development with Turkey’s Turksat. Most of the previous spacecraft developed by Turksat went on to manufacturing at Thales Alenia Space.

With the most commonly used manufacturer out of the picture, other companies are jumping at the chance to win the bid, and Turksat has reported it has received the best-and-final offers from all bidders hoping to get in on the deal. Companies that have turned in bids include Japan-based Mitsubishi Electric Corp, the United States’ Lockheed Martin Space Systems, and the United States’ Orbital Science.

As of the end of October 2010, Turksat was already over due to announce the winner of the bid, which could push its plans to have the new satellite telecommunication devices in place by 2012. The companies vying for the bid will have to wait and see whether the delay affects Turksat’s timetable.

Orbital Sciences is a company based in Dulles, VA. It has worked with Thales Alenia Space in the past, but the manufacturing project would be the first time the company has won on its own, should Turksat pick them. Orbital will also be competing head-on with Astrium, which has partnered with the Indian Space Research Organization, for small telecommunications satellites. Astrium’s product hasn’t raised much interest in the market yet.

If Lockheed Martin secures the project, it would be one step toward the company’s plan to increase its profile in the commercial satellite market. The company has not announced contingency plans connected to this yet, but may should they fail to get the project.

In a bidding war with no answer, the only thing certain is that it won’t be Thales Alenia Space.

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High-Speed Internet Infrastructure May Impact West Virginia’s Future Economy

December 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

When West Virginia received $126 million from a federal grant to build a high-speed Internet infrastructure, it decided to use the funds to extend the current telephone lines. However, this plan has come under attack by Citynet, a local telephone service provider. The company has created a website and is taking out ads to try to rally the residents of the state to pay attention to this issue.

According to Jim Martin, the CEO of Citynet, the state’s decision regarding the high-speed Internet infrastructure may cripple the state for years to come. His belief is that West Virginia needs to use the funds to build a middle-mile solution capable of delivering high-speed connectivity rather than relying on an outdated model.

From the moment Citynet learned about the state’s plan, it has been lobbying for changes. Martin has called the state and asked it to suspend using the grant; however, the state has not responded to the request. Citynet hopes the citizens will join with him to ensure the state uses the funds in a way that better incorporates the government’s plan for them.

Martin backs his support for a middle-mile solution by highlighting the benefits to Internet service, which include better quality, faster connection speeds, and higher capacity at a reduce rate. As a company awarded for bringing Internet solutions to areas with limited connectivity, Citynet may be in the best position to lead this fight.

The state was to use the grant, provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to improve the Internet structure for over 700,000 households and 110,000 businesses. In its application for the grant, the state indicated it would be building a middle-mile infrastructure, which is exactly what Citynet hopes the state will do. However, the state amended it plan to focus on a “last-mile” program, which would benefit a publicly traded phone company, Frontier Communications, hoping to capture most of the business from the endeavor.

Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Is the Internet the New Fighting Ground for the Tea Party?

December 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Participants of the tea party have never really been ones to publicly announce their identities, though they will often join together to protest. While they rarely happen to congregate at shipping yards these days, the tea party is alive and well and thriving in its ambiguity, in part because of the Internet.

While some people view this collective group of protestors as a rag-tag ensemble, others view it as a sign of unrest. But who or what is this group? Where is it located? What does it stand for? In a recent study, only 647 Tea Party organizations out of 2,300 had legitimate contact information. Still, as a whole this group is connected through its common party. No, this isn’t Republican or Democratic. It is a mass-media party, governed by the Internet.

Overall, the goal of the Tea Party seems to be to spread unrest among the population regarding the current political figure. While Obama has recently been under attack, it’s important to remember that the Tea Party acts the way it does regardless of who holds the presidential office. It also appears that the Tea Party isn’t even sure who its own members are. Some will point to organizations like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce while other will target an individual.

If the Tea Party wants to harness the power of the Internet, it is going to have to do a better job of uniting its members. This doesn’t mean that people will have to provide their phone numbers, physical addresses, or real names, but it does mean the party will need to determine a common goal for the organization. It needs to set an agenda and wage its war based on that rather than on whimsy. If the Tea Party manages to do this, it may succeed in doing what other organizations have failed to do since the onset of the Republicans and Democrats. It may become the next political party.

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Networks East Selected to Expand North Carolina High Speed Internet Network

December 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Waikīkī Sand Villa Hotel #426
Image by Nemo’s great uncle via Flickr

When you hear that a company receives millions of dollars of stimulus funds, you might think most of it is going to go into the company’s own pockets. But that may not be the case for Networks East, a local North Carolina business that is going to be working to improve high speed Internet access throughout the state. The company will be using $58 million to install the equipment to expand the coverage area for the company so that more people in North Carolina will have access to high speed Internet through satellite.

Currently, a large majority of residents in the state only have access to the Internet via dial-up connections. This negatively affects their ability to use the Internet to its full capacity. The company plans to target underserved areas and defines this as areas where Internet speeds are 768 kilobits per second or slower.

In order to qualify for the grant, the company had to offer customers a one-year price guarantee for the rate. For $39.99 for the first month, the company will install the equipment necessary for a household to tap into the high speed Internet network. The company plans to offer the service until the grant money runs out; however, it anticipates that the funds will be able to help all areas of the state.

Most of the areas that will classify as underserved are rural communities, and many feel the new system will be a boon for the communities. As La Grange’s economic development director, Mark Pope believes having a higher speed Internet connection will help rural residents be more attractive to employers. Some rural residents think it will also help them find newer job opportunities faster.

Regardless of how residents plan to use the connection speed, many think appreciate the grant and the boost in local technology.

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Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Google’s Lack of Internet Privacy Riles British Parliament

November 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Image representing Google as depicted in Crunc...
Image via CrunchBase

People love new apps, and as soon as one pops up, they typically download it as fast as possible just to give it a try. Many new programs are fun, while others are tools. Regardless of where you classify Google’s Street Views, there’s one thing almost everybody agrees on. The program has a fatal glitch that violates an individual’s right to privacy.

Many in the U.S. are familiar with this debate, especially as Obama formed a new subcommittee to tackle the difficult issue. In the U.S. the matter hinges on the rights of the manufacturer or website versus the rights of the individuals. This may not be the case in Britain, where the parliament is meeting to consider an Internet bill that will protect its citizens.

The issue with Google’s Street Views occurred when the program accidentally started collecting information it should have left alone. A glitch in the program allowed it to collect data from personal Wi-Fi devices in people’s homes, transporting private information along with its street views.

With the current realization of just how easy it can be to violate a person’s privacy using the Internet, the parliament will need to determine how to handle the situation. Some propose creating a society to oversee Internet Privacy, thereby taking the burden away from parliament to issue a state action for every issue. This society would work in a similar fashion to the British Law Society. Others believe self-regulation would be a mistake as it allows too much room for error. After all, once information gets out on the Internet, it can be impossible to recover.

Case in point, Google’s little glitch resulted in email accounts, passwords, and URLs stored on unencrypted Wi-Fi devices. Imagine all that information in the hands of cyber criminals rather than a website company. That’s not a pleasant thought.

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The Benefits of Wireless Internet

October 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Bigpond Satellite internet dish.
Image via Wikipedia

As of 2010, the world is a technological planet full of people that rely on the internet to connect with others all over the globe for both their personal and business needs. Not only does the internet help us perform basic functions and job tasks, but it now also helps us get from point A to point B with GPS, play online video games a host of other things as well. Thus, we need the internet to be fast. Wireless internet service does just that.

At first, dial-up internet service was great because it was the only thing we knew. However, times have changed, and thankfully, so has our internet services. We now have the option to get internet through satellite, DSL, cable and also through wireless internet too. Out of the previous four options, wireless internet has some great benefits that the others don’t offer.

Affordability: For the service you are getting, wireless internet is the best option to go with as it costs a lot less than satellite internet. When you compare it to DSL and cable, wireless internet connections have the ability to bring in more information at a faster speed. Usually with DSL, and sometimes even through cable internet providers, you have to pay more for faster broadband speeds.

Speed: Wireless internet service has the ability to provide users with extremely fast service. In fact, wireless internet can bring close to 2 megabytes of data within a second! This is a major deal for those that use the internet for business purposes such as video conferences. It’s also a much needed feature for online gamers as well.

Mobility: The most obvious benefit of wireless internet service is the fact that it allows you to move around and still access it. Some people don’t see the need to be mobile while online, but it is actually a really nice feature to have. It gives you the freedom to take your computer to any room in the house, or even out on the patio!

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Filed Under: Internet, Satellite, Wireless Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Economic Stimulus for High Speed Internet Continues to Raise Flags

October 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment
United States President Barack Obama signs int...
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When the government gets involved in funding, it always draws close attention to the task at hand. Take the stimulus relieve the government issued to bail out financial institutions during the housing collapse from 2007 to 2009. While many companies took the money and used it in accordance to the government’s plan, others took the money and hosted massive parties to reward their CEOs and other top-of-the-line staff members.

Many looked at the bailout as a joke because the government decided to help the financial institutions that made loans using shady documentation and credit checks rather than helping the people who wound up losing their homes because of the collapse. Now another stimulus program is raising flags and people are lining up to pick a side. Under the new stimulus, rural communities can apply for funding to upgrade Internet equipment in order to bring smaller communities up to speed with their broadband connections.

The reasoning behind the stimulus plan is that higher connection speeds will improve employment and allow rural citizens the chance to apply for jobs they may not otherwise get. In truth, some companies are using the funds exactly as planned. A North Carolina company is planning to use the funds to employ more local workers who will install new equipment to qualifying individuals as a way to bring high speed Internet to the rural communities. Overall, the state is happy with the government’s choice, and it seems like people are excited about the opportunity.

On the other side, you have state like West Virginia where residents are not happy with the current situation. Rather than spending the funds to put in a new Internet network, the state is using the funds to upgrade out-of-date equipment. Many expected that the state would install new equipment.

While the bottom of line of stimulus programs is to boost the economy and help citizens, it’s rarely as easy as handing over money.

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Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

What to do on a Cruise

September 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment
cheap cruises is to open up the concept that anybody can walk across the gang plank (how you get on and off a ship the easy way), and start to see a little more of the world than they would have otherwise. While some cruises are in the ocean, some others involve traveling down lakes. And whether you go up north and watch arctic critters frolicking on ice bergs, or down to places where it never gets anywhere below “pretty hot,” you have some serious scenery options to choose from.

But of course, not everybody who goes on a cruise is interested in just “looking at stuff” the whole time. After all, one of the great joys of the Internet is that you can pretty much look at anything you want (so long as it’s legal to look at where you are). Most people do not go on a vacation to look at things, but to actually do things. And there are a whole bunch of different options aboard just about every cruise ship ever built, whether you are a social butterfly or just like to enjoy some quiet alone time.

If you are the contemplative sort, you can sit beneath an umbrella and take in a good book. Or you can sit in the hot tub and feel the bubbles beat your muscles into submission. If you have to move, most cruise ships have a gym on board, so you can work up a good sweat in between other interesting ways to break up a sweat. Most ships feature a night club, where you can dance the night away and maybe meet someone interesting — or you can always hit the casino, and hope your luck is good tonight.

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Enjoy a Bargain?

August 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Money (reais)
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Who does not enjoy a good bargain? How about a number of bargains from over a hundred categories and thousands of products to choose from? If only such a place existed. Well, one actually does. After some sifting through any number of websites and portals promising relevant links and useful information, I happened across dailydeals.com. At first glance, it is so not sensory overload, you might wonder if the deals it purports are actually current. And they are.

There is actually a calendar on the top right corner, indicative of the site’s name, that is centered upon offering the latest deals from any number of categories, name brands, and online stores. It includes links to the best advertised deals of the day posted by sites like Amazon, Buy.com, eBay and JR. Click on a link, and it takes you to that site’s special discounts page.

The emergence of dailydeals.com and other sites like it is a liberating reminder that the days of coupon books and digging through the yellow pages for special offers are over. In no time, most people will be browsing through their cell phones for a store’s coupon page, show it to the clerk and be granted a particular discount. Border’s advertises their coupons via email to members. I have actually shopped there using a coupon I accessed through my phone.

Of course, the other alternative of the high-tech superhighway is to simply order the discounted item(s) online, and in most cases be granted the advertised discount as well as tax-free savings. There are, of course, the shipping costs – but should the airline and courier industries switch to cleaner energy and cost of private transportation continue to increase, it may pay-off in more ways than one to save the gas money and order via the internet.

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