Friday, November 24, 2006

Microsoft brings television and movies to the Xbox 360

Citizens of the Microsoft gaming world can now experience television and movies like never before. On its first year anniversary, Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 is set to redefine entertainment as we know it.

Microsoft's efforts at convergence have certainly come a long way with the announcement that the Xbox Live Marketplace will now provide loyalists with the option to own full length TV shows and rent downloadable movies over broadband, from a consortium of industry leaders that includes Warner Bros Home Entertainment, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), CBS, Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc., Paramount Pictures and MTV Networks. Plans to add new content for download every week are on the anvil.


The Xbox 360 has been breaking records since its launch last November. 6 million units of the platform were sold by the end of September 2006, granting the Xbox 360, the distinct honor of being the fastest console to reach 5 million units sold. The Xbox 360 is expected to be made available in 37 countries by the end of the year sales are expected to cross the 10 million threshold.

Harper announces national cancer strategy

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Friday the formation of a national agency to co-ordinate the fight against cancer, a long-awaited strategy that many involved in the battle say will help iron out inequities in prevention and care that currently face patients in different parts of country.

Ottawa has dedicated $260 million over five years to the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, fulfilling a promise Harper made during the last federal election campaign.

Fall in global oil supply not expected before 2030

The world's oil supply won't begin to run out for at least another 24 years, contrary to some theories that suggest production has already peaked and supply is now in a terminal decline, a prominent U.S. energy consulting group says.

Cambridge Energy Research Associates estimates remaining global supply at 3.74 trillion barrels, compared with 1.2 trillion estimated by "peak oil" theorists. Peter Jackson, CERA's director of oil industry activity, doesn't dispute that oil will run out, but says the peak won't occur before 2030. He said the peak won't be followed by a sharp decline but by an "undulating plateau," in which production rises and falls for decades before entering permanent decline.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Quote of today

When it is a question of money, everyone is of the same religion. - Voltaire

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Canada woos mine partners from China

From The Globe and Mail

In a renewed effort to woo Chinese mining money. Canada is handling out stacks of detailed geological maps and data sheets to anyone who wanders past its booth at the annual China mining conference in Beijing.

The maps - giving the precise locations of everything from copper and gold finds to uranium and zinc deposits - were quickly snapped up by the scores of Chinese mining executives who crowded around the Canadian booth yesterday.

It was a clear signal that the new Conservative government in Ottawa is throwing open its doors to Chinese miners, despite the political furor over a failed Chinese corporate bid to acquire Noranda Inc. in 2004.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

China and India Emphasize Cooperation

China and India declared today that there was room in Asia for the two emerging economic giants to coexist in a cooperative rather than competitive relationship. At the start of a visit that was heavier on symbolism than on substantive new agreements, President Hu Jintao of China and his Indian host, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, unveiled a 10-point plan that aims to double bilateral trade to $40 billion by 2010. They also pledged “cooperation” in the field of civilian nuclear energy -- potentially marking an end to decades of nuclear rivalry and suspicion.


Despite the emphasis on collaboration, there was no sign of a significant breakthrough in any of the key areas of conflict, including border disputes, bilateral relations with Pakistan and the United States and tension over Tibet. Nor was there any progress on the creation of a free trade agreement.

Wikipedia offline in China

China's easing of a ban on the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia appears to have been short-lived. Users reported Friday that the site was unavailable in several parts of China, barely a week after it suddenly became accessible.


It wasn't immediately clear if user-contributed encyclopedia was unreachable due to technical glitches or because government censors had blocked the site again. The Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Information Industry did not immediately respond when contacted for comment Friday.


Beijing first blocked access to the English and Chinese versions of Wikipedia in October last year, apparently out of concern about entries touching on Tibet, Taiwan and other sensitive topics. China's communist government has waged a battle to control the anarchic Internet and filter the information Chinese can get. Police employ an array of measures, from sophisticated filters and detection software that hunts for sensitive words to having officers monitor Web traffic.


As a result, surfing the Web in China is a very different experience from that in much of the world. Because almost anyone can add to and edit listings in Wikipedia, the site is famously freewheeling, addressing sensitive topics that pose a challenge to Beijing's control.

Calif. court says bloggers can't be sued

The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that bloggers and participants in Internet bulletin board groups cannot be sued for posting defamatory statements made by others.


In deciding a case closely watched by free speech groups, the court said a federal law gives immunity from libel suits not only to Internet service providers, like AOL, but also to bloggers and other users of their services.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Ottawa to block CRTC plans on VoIP

The Haper government will announce today its intention to rewrite the CRTC's key ruling on Internet-based telephone services, a highly unusual move that could mark a big step toward a more open and consumer-friendly sector. Industry Minister Maxime Bernier will say in a speech in Toronto that the Conservative government will again block the CRTC's repeated efforts to regulate phone services that run over the Internet. The move increases the odds that digitally based telephone services will become even more common in the near future, which could be a boon for consumers.

On investment risk

A prudent investor's best safeguard against risk is not retreat, but diversification

- David Harding, Windo Capital

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Hubble Telescope Makes New Discovery

The Hubble Space Telescope has shown that a mysterious form of energy first conceived by Albert Einstein, then rejected by the famous physicist as his "greatest blunder," appears to have been fueling the expansion of the universe for most of its history.

This so-called "dark energy" has been pushing the universe outward for at least 9 billion years, astronomers said Thursday.

The idea of dark energy was first proposed by Einstein as a means of explaining how the universe could resist collapsing under the pull of gravity. But then Edwin Hubble _ the astronomer for whom the NASA telescope is named _ demonstrated in 1929 that the universe is expanding, not a constant size. That led to the big-bang theory, and Einstein tossed his notion on science's scrap heap

There it languished until 1998, when astronomers who were using supernova explosions to gauge the expansion of the universe made a shocking observation. It appeared that older supernovae, whose light had traveled a greater distance across space to reach the Hubble telescope, were receding from Earth more slowly than simple big-bang theory would predict. Nearby supernovae were receding more quickly than expected. That could only be true if some mysterious force were causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate over time.

Cosmologists dubbed the force "dark energy," and ever since they've been trying to figure out what it is.

U.S. Concerned about Rising China

By ANNE GEARAN, The Associated Press, Friday, November 17, 2006

HANOI, Vietnam -- The United States has some concerns about a rising China, including a military expansion that may be excessive, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday.

Beijing has spent heavily in recent years on adding submarines, missiles, fighter planes and other high-tech weapons to its arsenal and extending the reach of the 2.3 million-member People's Liberation Army, the world's largest fighting force.

Its reported military budget rose more than 14 percent this year to $35.3 billion, but outside estimates of China's true spending are up to three times that level.

Beijing insists its multibillion-dollar buildup is defensive, but it has alarmed some Asian neighbors and U.S. military planners who see China as a potential threat to U.S. military pre-eminence in the Pacific.

U.S. concerns are manageable within a relationship she described as strong overall, Rice said. She visited China last month to shore up United Nations sanctions against China's ally, North Korea, and she credited Beijing with cooperation in opposing the North's nuclear development.

Bush and Rice were both meeting with their Chinese counterparts during this weekend's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

The first brand logo that can be seen from space

The goateed visage of Colonel Harland Sanders has long been one of North America's best-known corporate icons. Yesterday(Nov. 14, 2006), however, he became the most visible logo on Earth.

In a publicity stunt to kick off a global marketing campaign, KFC Corp. has painstakingly constructed a one-hectare likeness of the Colonel in Rachel, Nev., making him the first brand that can be seen from outer space.

The 65,000-piece mosaic, situated, appropriately, in a patch of desert known as the UFO capital of the world, introduces an updated look for the fried-chicken chain's deceased founder and former pitchman: the southern gentleman's white suit has been scrapped in favor of a chef's red-and-white striped apron.

"If there ate extraterrestrials in outer space, KFC wants to become their restaurant of choice," said Gregg Dedrick, president of KFC.

Friday, November 17, 2006

Human rights or business?

A meeting between PM Mr. Harper and Chinese President Hu Jingtao during APEC was canceled by China, who originally requested the meeting. China's Decision comes amid a cooling in the bilateral relationship as Canada takes an increasingly harder line on China's human rights record. Recently, some of Canadian businesses have expressed concern to the PM' Office about the lack of engagement with China, the emerging economic giant.

The problem for Canada is how to find such a way that we can encourage improvement in democracy and human rights in that country while at the same time do not let our economic interests are unduly jeopardized.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Female officer of the China PLA

womanofficer
womanofficer,
originally uploaded by zwzhang.
Can you believe it? She is a colonel.

Monday, November 13, 2006

How to review you investment portfolio (Part 2)

Form Investor Insights by TD Waterhouse

Performance

  1. Are my targets realistic?
  2. Are returns adequate? Even if they hit your targets, you need to make sure returns are sufficient to fund your future plans. If your portfolio isn't growing quickly enough to meet goals such as retirement, it may be time to make changes. Pay attention to longer-term performance, rather than short-term. Short-term volatility in your portfolio means little when you have a long-term horizon.
  3. How is my portfolio performing compared with markets? Compare percentage returns with appropriate financial market indexes.
  4. Am I within my risk tolerance? Taking on more risk is a way to increase potential returns, particularly through growth investments such as stocks. But it also increase your potential for losses. Know how much risk you're willing to take and check regularly to see whether your current risk level is acceptable.
  5. Am I taking full advantage of my RSP? One of the best ways to reduce taxes is by making the maximum allowable contribution to your RSP every year.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

How to review you investment portfolio (Part 1)

From Investor Insight by TD Waterhouse:

Financial markets change, and so do you. That's why it's always a good idea to review your investment portfolio regularly...

Your investment objectives

  1. Are my goals reasonable? You can't meet impossible financial goals.
  2. How quickly must my money grow? Look at how far you've come, and how far you have to go. Adjust your performance objectives if necessary. But keep them real and within your risk tolerance.
  3. Am I investing enough?
  4. Has my live changed? Has anything vital changed in your life that calls for an adjustment of your financial objectives or investment strategy? What about major developments, such as marriage or divorce, the birth of a child, or a change on employment?

Asset allocation

  1. Is my portfolio adequately diversified? Do your investments include cash, fixed income, and equity investments in a mix that is suitable for current market conditions and your risk tolerance?
  2. Do I need to rebalance? If certain investments have appreciated in value, they may now represent a disproportionate amount of your portfolio. It may be time to lock in profits and reinvest in more attractively priced securities.
  3. Should I change my focus? Generally speaking, the older you are, the greater the need to be aware of the risk and potential of loss of capital. After all your time to replenish lost capital diminishes as the years pass...
  4. Is my portfolio tax-efficient? Properly allocating investments among your Retirement Savings Plan(RSP) and non-registered investments can reduce income tax. Consider holding interest-generation investments, such as bonds and bond mutual funds, insider a RSP, where the income generated is tax-deferred. Equity investments may be more suitable outside your retirement plan because the dividends and capital gains they generate receive favorable tax treatment.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

The start of air forces

From Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing by Tom Clancy

In August 1914, a British aviator patrolling the skies above Mons, in Belgium, spotted the advance of von Kluck's German army toward the British Expeditionary Force. Interviewed for TV five decades later, the pilot recalled the reaction of senior officers when he reported the news...they didn't believe him. Pilots soon took cameras with them to give proof of their sightings to skeptical general officers whose vision was limited to the view from the ground.

Before long, both sides were flying reconnaissance missions, and hostile aviators were firing pistols at one another. Then machine guns. And soon after that, aircraft were designed as aerial killers - the first fighters. They were delicated, unstable constructs of wood and wire, usually underpowered by inefficient engines. But they could fly. And the learning curve was steep back then. One day, someone asked, "if you can hang one engine on an airframe, why not two, or even more? If you can see to shoot, you can see to drop a weapon, can't you?" Thus began the age of the bomber.

It was the Germans at Verdun, in the bitter weather of February 1916, who first made actual the concept we now call airpower - the systematic application of tactical aircraft to control a battlefield (the definition will change and develop). The objective was to seal off the battlefield form French aviation, denying the enemy the ranging eyes needed to see behind the German trench lines; and as it turned out, the plan didn't work terribly well. Still, others saw what the Germans tried, and recognized that it could be made to work. By the end of the war, aircraft were attacking infantry on the ground. And for the first time soldiers knew what field mice had long understood: The target of an aerial predator feels as much psychological burden as physical danger.

Between the wars, a handful of visionary officers in Britain, Italy, German, Japan, Russia, and the United Sates grappled with the theory of airpower...and with its practical applications in the next, inevitable war. The most famous of these, the Italian Guilo Douhet, proposed the first great "philosophy" of airpower: Bomber and attack aircraft can reach far into the enemy's rear to attack the factories that make the weapons and the railroads and roads and bridges that transport them to the fighting front. It was Douhet's view that airpower alone - without armies or navies - could bring victory in war. In other words, if you smash enough factories, railroad, roads, and bridges, you'll bring your enemy to the point where he will lie down and wave the white flag.

Douhet was too optimistic. An air force is remarkable not only for what it can do, but for what it cannot. The unchanging truth of warfare if that only infantry can conquer an enemy - infantry is people, and only people can occupy and hold ground. Tanks can roll across ground. Artillery can punish and neutralize ground. And airpower - where is at the heart longer-range artillery - can punish and neutralize over long distances. But only people can take up residency there.

Yet airpower can have a powerful effect...

Thursday, November 9, 2006

Change my blog name

Ok, that is true, I cannot write. But I can copy and paste. As developers, we spend much more time before a computer than any other people. Undoubtly, we will find some thing that we would like to save for later and share with friends.
That is what I will do with this blog: Find good, useful stuffs, and paste them here.

Now here comes the first:
A used-to-be US soldier in Tikrit Iraq wrote about his feeling on the Memorial Day. If you would like to learn how a real soldier feels and thinks during this war, you could go to his blog. There are also links to his budy's blogs.

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

What should I blog and how

Today I spent the whole morning to complete the template of this blog, since I just like a simple, clean look. At first those new tags are little scary, but after looked at them last night carefully through the XML file, I know I can do it!

Now, sitting in my home office, looking at the home page, I started to wondering what topics should I write and how should I do it.

What to talk about (Or more simply use this for what)?

  1. There is only one thing for sure that I will drop some C#/C++ code here from time to time. As a developer, I do need a place to keep some important code pieces, how-to and so on for my later reference. It would also be a good thing to share these stuffs with other developers.
  2. What else I will drop here, I do not have a idea!

What language should I use?

It is true that Chinese should be the language for me to write this blog. But living in North America, would this be a good chance for me to improve my English?

Test Windows Live Writer

I just downloaded the Windows Live Writer, and want to give it a test. In fact my first try failed due to a problem between WLW and Blogger Beta. Somehow, I found a workaround, and now I am trying it. If you see this post, that means it worked. Well, at least for a simple post.

Update of our status

Last year is a very busy one for both my wife and I. Moving from St. Louis to Toronto, settling down here, and finding jobs. It was so busy for me that I totally stopped any blogging at all.

Now after having been working for HSA as a Leader Software Engineer for almost a year, every thing looks just fine for us. And I think I could find some spare time to work on my blog again. My friends are welcomed to visit here from time to time, so you guys can get some updates on us. Thank you all.

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Test a new blog at Wordpress.com

Just play around for a little while at my test blog at Wordpress.com. The great, well-known blog platform application: Wordpress, is one of the best blog application out there today. Howerver, I believe the service provided by Wordpress.com is not stable. At least currently, I will stay with Blogspot.