Mountain Surfing

"Full pc game downloads" and "free downloadable pc games" and "illegal download pc games" are some of the highest searches online. The real question is whether you can actually download full versions through free sites and what the pros and cons are.

There are real drawbacks that avid PC gamers face when they go to free sites. Unfortunately, when you usually start your download not only will you actually download parts of the game but also adware, spyware and harmful viruses. While there is no upfront price involved to do this there is a massive price to your computer. What happens after these viruses and spyware find themselves on your pc is that they start corrupting your Windows registry, your hard drive and your files.

The end result?

Your computer slows down completely - which makes it virtually impossible to download anything anyway.

Your computer loses files which you'll never get back - which again makes it impossible to play games.

It completely crashes - which means you need to spend $100s or even $1000s either restoring it or buying a new one altogether.

But that's not all.

You then use massive amounts of your bandwidth and internet allowance to download what you believe are FULL versions only to find out that they are either trial copies, corrupted files or pirated versions which then infect the other programs on your site - and cause all the problems that I've already listed.

I know because this happened to me - and my "free" downloads ended up costing me $786.99!

That kind of freaked me out so I went on the rampage to find how to do it. I'm now completely "worry free" when downloading online - and you can be too!

For a tiny one time fee you can actually legally download games, TV shows, movies, mp3s, videos, software, wii media, psp games and virtually everything you'll ever need. These downloads not only are legal but they are safe - no adware, spyware, or harmful viruses that cause the problems I mentioned above!

Not only that but there are millions of items to choose from. Not only can you find the hottest products but also those rare to find old pc games that you and your family members may have grown up with.

Chad is a self-confessed hard-core game fanatic. Join Chad and millions of other PC gamers online right now and start your full pc game downloads and every risk free downloadable pc game imaginable. Click here to get started in as little as 3 minutes!

AP - Members of the Nation of Islam, the New Black Panthers and the NAACP on Saturday promised protests to bring more attention to the killing of an east Texas man whose death recalls, for some, a notorious decade-old hate crime.

I get a chuckle at some of the marketers I know. They pour thousands of dollars into these fancy websites without any way of knowing how to promote them. The fanciest website in the world is absolutely worthless if nobody sees it. And nobody is going to see it if you don't promote it actively. This is without a doubt the most basic fundamental of Internet marketing. Promotion is the name of the game. Okay, great, but how? Well, in this article, I'm going to share with you a few cheap and effective ways of promoting your product or service that work wonders.

Content makes the world go round. Think about anything at all that you've looked for online. Ultimately, your search brought you to an article of some kind. Maybe it was a review of the product. Maybe it was some data on the problem. Ultimately, these articles helped you to make a decision on your next purchase. Well, I've been writing articles for the purpose of marketing for years. Are they effective? They account for about 67% of my monthly income. That's how effective they are. Writing articles and submitting them to article directories like this one or to your own blog is a great way to market your products and services.

Another great marketing strategy is forum participation. The reason for this is simple. People who hang out at forums do so because they are looking for answers to their problems. There are forums for all kinds of problems from health to earning money to video games. Each one of these has the potential to be profitable if used correctly. Simply contribute to the discussions and establish yourself as an authority on the subject. After all, you are an authority, right? Then behave like one and you'll be making sales before you know it. Just one rule...don't spam forums. Spamming will get you kicked out quick.

Finally, there's video marketing. The Internet is evolving daily and video is one of the biggest things today. Just go to YouTube if you think I'm kidding and look at some of the views that these videos are getting. A well made video in a niche with rabid buyers can bring you tons of traffic to your site. And you don't have to spend a lot of money to create these videos either. With tools like CamStudio, which is free, you can make excellent videos that will more than get the job done.

Bottom line is this. Without promoting your site, you're not going to get traffic. I've given you three great ways that won't cost you any money at all. So take advantage of them.

Promotion IS the name of the game.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Tired of busting your behind for peanuts online? Go to my web site and find out how I earn a monthly income that exceeds 5 figures and how I can help YOU do the same. Get your free report at http://www.mysecretarticles.com/report.html

The gaming concept has undergone drastic changes. The video games have become more demanding among the avid players. These game consoles have come up as an innovative multimedia device which is backed with features and functions. This electronic multimedia computer device enables the users to play games in a more exciting way. It is very interactive and highly entertaining modern widget with a remarkable entry in gaming world.

A game console is a form of interactive and innovative multimedia device which is used for entertainment. It lets users to play video games from their personal computer. It has many exciting functions that are especially designed keeping avid players in the mind. This console has some special images and sounds features which can be displayed on a audio video system like television. The game console is mostly controlled and manipulated by using a controller. The controller is directly connected to console.

These multimedia games are mostly available in a disc. The users have to insert the disc into the console, to play their favourite games. The latest console offers users to play and download games directly to the console through the Internet. On other hand, earlier the consoles used to come with a fixed number of built-in games. The users require some devices like memory card, game media and a console core unit to input information and to manipulate objects on screen. Some of the best game consoles in the market are Nintendo Wii, Sony PS 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360. These devices are available in both portable and stand-alone version.

Nintendo Wii

The Wii is the cheapest of all the latest games consoles. This game console comes from the home of Nintento and it is the fifth home video home game console which comes in the row. It is a direct successor to the Nintendo Game Cube. This console is targeted towards Xbox 360 from Microsoft and PlayStation 3 from Sony. The attractive features of the game console are Wii Remote and wireless controller. It can be used as a handheld pointing device, as it detects acceleration in three dimensions. Another sunning feature is the WiiConnect24, it has the ability to receive messages and updates through the Internet in standby mode. In comparison to the XBox 360 and PlayStation , 3 the controller for the Wii looks more like a TV remote control rather than a games console.

Microsoft Xbox 360

The Xbox360 from the house of Microsoft is the latest gaming console. It is packed with loads of exciting features and functions. It is a perfect entertainment device that offers great online and offline gaming features. All the games in the Xbox 360 are built on high resolution and the Xbox 360 emulator helps the users to play all the favourite games.

The Xbox has a user friendly dashboard interface which enables the users to easily navigate through the options using the user-friendly remote control. It is adorned with digital multimedia capabilities which help the users to play all their favourite movies and listen to the most popular tracks.

Sony PlayStation 3

The Sony PS 3 offers amazing and hi-end gaming experience. It is third gaming console launched by Sony Entertainment. This console is powered by real-time 3D computer graphics which are enhanced by the processor. This console is available in 20 GB and 60 GB and carries features like multiple flash card readers. One can enjoy hi-tech entertainment features and high definition multimedia interface.

One can store essential files such a music, video and images in the 60GB removable hard disk. With the built-in Blu-ray disc player, the users can enjoy hi-end entertainment like games and movies.

All the console offers advanced features and functions. Therefore, the game console comparison is must before opting for one.

Stephen George is expert author of Games Products industry. Who writes on Latest Games, Game Consoles.

AP - It's been eight years since the re-count of the 2000 Florida election, but Jim Dobyns is still living with chads. One waited for him when he went to clean the top of the microwave. He found another by the coffee table. And when he was petting his cat recently he plucked one of the manila-colored flakes from its fur.

Is your Xbox 360 freezing up? Before you resort to the infamous towel trick to attempt to fix your broken Xbox 360, please take a moment to inform yourself. The Xbox 360 towel trick is only meant as a temporary fix that does nothing to permanently fix the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 towel trick is dangerous! Very few people have had lasting success with this method and you can actually end up causing further damage to your system. I also do not advocate that you blindly follow some random forum poster's advice the next time you notice your Xbox 360 freeze.

Other things to consider before you tinker with your Xbox:

• Opening your 360 voids your warranty
• Sending your Xbox to Microsoft for repairs usually costs $140 if your warranty is out of date
• the towel trick will only further damage your Xbox 360 as time goes on

Why does the Xbox 360 freeze up in the first place?

The Xbox 360 freezes because of a design flaw. They made the cooling unit too small to properly cool the motherboard, causing the entire system to freeze up on even seemingly simple tasks. This can be very aggravating since this is entirely the fault of the design team and nothing to do with the consumer. Hot air just gets recycled around and around in the console, and as a result, it can't help but overheat. Ignoring the problem is just about the worst thing you can do (aside from using the towel trick), and the freezing will only become more frequent. The enjoyment of playing a game is completely zapped away by these unexpected freezes that happen at pivotal moments in the game.

There are several guides in existence as well that promise to show you how to fix your Xbox 360. It is a shame that most of these guides promote unsafe methods that could potentially ruin your Xbox forever.

However, of all the guides that have been written, there are some that provide true content. The highest ranked so far is called Xbox 360 Fixed. It has a fully illustrated guide as well as a 47 minute step-by-step video walkthrough. If you are looking to fix your Xbox 360 permanently and safely, I highly suggest you read the product review of Xbox360 Fixed:

Xbox 360 Fixed Review

Jirnik is an avid gamer who enjoys playing Halo 3 in his spare moments between classes. He also repairs and collects gaming consoles, including the Xbox 360.

AP - A two-month offensive by Pakistani forces has driven militants from a stronghold through which Taliban and al-Qaida fighters had poured into neighboring Afghanistan to attack U.S. troops, the army said Saturday.

X-Men Legends is based on the 1963 comic book, "The Uncanny X- Men." A tale about a group of mutants led by Professor Charles Xavier, the world's most powerful mutant with mental abilities, learning how to deal with society's hatred toward them. The X-Men compose the following members with their codenames: Storm, Jean Gray (the only one who doesn't go by a codename, go figure), Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Colossus, and Iceman (just to name a few). Xavier formed the X-Men to fight threats to mankind, to teach the X-Men how to control their powers for good, and to one day hopefully live peacefully side by side with society.

Plot and Gameplay: 4.5 out of 5.0

X-Men Legends (XML) was masterfully crafted by a group of former Marvel comic writers called 'Man of Action.' The story centers around Alison Crestmere who possesses the mutant ability to control lava even changing her human form to a flaming version of herself. Hence, she earns the name of 'Magma'.

Magma is thrusted into the limelight after the grotesque, obese mutant called the Blob of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (the antagonist mutant team who is lead by the immensely powerful Magneto) kidnap Magma. Why would Magneto need this girl? Immediately, the player is controlling Wolverine hot on the trail of the Blob and to find out why Magneto desires this particular mutant.

XML is a fan boy's dream comes true as you finally get to control the X-Men in a Role Playing Game (RPG) fashion instead of the individual most gamers are used to playing them.

The game requires a player to go through various linear missions in order to solve Magneto's plot from the Artic to the Sewers (yes, those who are use to RPG know that no RPG would be complete without a trip to sewers, right? Thanks, JadesFire.). There are times where an X-Man will go off on a solo mission. So the freedom is not there to explore without limitations compared to RPG's like the Final Fantasy Series or Morrow wind.

XML strategically tucks away puzzle elements in the game forcing the player to make use of a X-Man's powers needed to continue on their quest. Unfortunately, the developers hold players by the hand displaying a large 'X' over areas that can be affected by a character's powers. If a player has the wrong X-Man, backtracking is allowed and Xtraction points can be used to change team members.

Graphics/Visual Presentation: 4.25 out of 5.0

Activision, during the earlier stages of XML, had made a smart move to leave the traditional bit images for the X-Men for cell shading technology. This brilliant move makes the player feel as if they are turning the pages of a virtual comic book. Each character is detailed just enough to tell them apart. Enemies and bosses are not very impressionable in appearance (not on par as DOOM 3) yet well done over all. The lighting effects are good quality when a player unleashes Cyclops' eye beam or Jean Grey's Psychic Scream. The environments are destructible which makes interesting eye candy when a player utilizes an X-Man's power on walls, generators, chairs, etc. The developers were cautious to include some detail (such as Blob's massive footprints in the street when Wolverine is on his trail) yet not to the point of overkill. There are some clipping issues (graphics that melt into another by mistake) yet these are easily overlooked. The cell shading cut scenes are slightly embarrassing (The X-Men look like puppets in this environment. Think "Thunderbirds" from the old television show series). Fortunately, the developers redeem themselves by adding more detailed cut scenes that will astound you in their cinematic feel.

Sound Quality: 4.75 out of 5.0

XML's biggest strength is the voice acting for the X-Men (the only exception is Cyclops whose dialogue in battle sounds like a bratty, smart aleck teenager than the rugged leader of the X-Men). Fans of the series will get goose bumps as Patrick Stewart breathes life into Professor Xavier's lines and the witty comments of Wolverine will cause chuckles for sure. Foley artists did a superb job in producing punching and kick sounds, explosions, and sounds for the X-Men's powers. While the music is not powerful orchestral pieces (personally, this would have made the gaming experience much more rousing), sleepy music selections are sadly the norm. The music can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. Music rushes in when enemies are near (a great way to warn the player of impeding danger) and can be soft music that loops over and over with no direction.

Violence: 4.75 out of 5.0

A RPG would be hard to do without conflict and battle and XML does not pander to over the top violence crowd.

[SPOILER AHEAD]

The only blood visible in the game is when the X-Men infiltrate a military base and discover that General Kincaid is experimenting with humans and Sentinels (the blood is on the surgery floors). X-Men and enemies beat each other without any visual consequences even when Wolverine uses his claws on a foe. Powers as well do not cause any visual damage to ally or foe alike.

Language: 4.25 out of 5.0

Unfortunately, there are some parts that I cited as concern for me as a Christian. Nightcrawler, in the comics and in the game, professes to be a believer in God. He comments when he levels up: "My God, I am invincible!" or "I can beat the devil himself." These comments bothered me in light of such Scripture as Exodus 20:7 ("Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain") and Proverbs 16:18 ("Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall"). Cyclops, surprisingly, tells his brother Havok to 'go to hell.'

Sexual Content: 4.75 out of 5.0

Psylocke, an X-Man, dresses in tight leather pants that reveal the suggestive outline of a thong when she fights. There is an option to change her costume to a more conservative one.

Spiritual Content: 4.50 out of 5.0

Magneto's power hunger makes him think that all mutants are like gods. Magneto, in thirst for revenge against humans, created his own line from Genesis and the creation story by stating that: 'on the eight day, I looked down on creation and said, 'Let there be darkness.'" Nightcrawler, unashamedly, mentions God in a positive light in regards to his faith.

[SPOILER AHEAD]

X-Men also have to go to the Astral Plane to save Professor Xavier whose mind and assumedly soul is trapped in this dimension. This can be looked as touching the New Age or Eastern philosophies.

Value: 4.0 out of 5.0

As a RPG, XML soars in the action, gameplay, and storytelling departments. When a player finishes the game though, XML crashes and burns on replay value. Once a player has completed the game, there is not much left to do. A player cannot go back with high level up X-Men to play the game a second time around (I peaked my team between levels 35-37). The Danger Room offers unlocked characters as well as multiplayer or player vs. player matches. A player can view all concept art, cinematic, and load screens. Other than the Danger Room, the excitement level wanes rather quickly.

Christian Rating: 4.25 out of 5.0

Positive: The X-Men truly teaches about teamwork and how each member cares about each other. As a player goes through the storyline, a true sense of unity is felt as the story unfolds about each X-Man's life and what they struggle with. Sacrifice and harmony is seen through their actions, a far cry from most games on the market today.

Negative: X-Men's theme of evolution is present as an explanation for their powers as a result of man getting better over time. However, the Bible is contrary to these beliefs. As a Christian, true power only comes from God Almighty (Ps. 62:11) and without Him; we are nothing (John 15:5). God alone is the Creator of mankind and any other 'power' outside of Him is definitively questionable (Ec. 12:1). The Astral Plane is the realm where only psychics can go in the X-Men Universe. This can be likening to the spirit realm where even Saul tried to contact the dead by the witch of Endor (1 Sam. 28).

Overall Outlook/Score: 4.50 out of 5.0

X-Men Legends, although not a perfect RPG, is a quantum leap in the right direction for the franchise. The premise of teamwork, sacrifice, and unity are great pillars holding the story together as well as good vs. evil. This premise is a great reminder of the need to be selfless in this day and age. Christian parents would be wise to remind their children about the murky view of evolution from the prism of creationism, where true power comes from, and the 'Astral Plane' in view of Scriptures. After the agonizing shoddiness of Activision's failed "X-Men: Next Dimension" (a fighting game), X-Men Legends gives a much needed jolt to the possible dying hopes of fans desiring a solid X-Men game. This is a game I could honestly recommend for one's library without shame.

Review supplied by Christian Spotlight's Guide to GamesTM, a ministry of Eden Communications. Copyright Eden CommunicationsTM, a ministry of Films for Christ

Griffin J. Lilly Jr is sensi and pen warrior of Samurai Freelancing. From his humble beginnings as a frustrated English major to a breakout rising star on the writing market, you can count on him delivering for you the very best your project desires. You may contact him if you want to hire his service, and more important, he is a sucker for Japanese seafood buffets and tempura.

E! Online - The FBI has joined the search for Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, who has been missing since yesterday's shooting deaths of her brother, Jason Hudson, 29, and mother, Darnell Donerson, 57.

What is World of Warcraft gold? It happens to be the most expensive form of currency in the sphere of World of Warcraft. To many persons who are trying to make a life in Azeroth by means of their endeavors the World of Warcraft gold happens to be real and a very useful form of currency. What has brought the entire concept to this level? It is the idea of gold farming. This process is quite easy. For which it is not necessary to envy the players in the World of Warcraft who can identify gold at anywhere.

Keep in mind that 1 Gold piece is equal to 100 Silver pieces or 10,000 Copper pieces. The majority of the good items are auctioned at prices anywhere from 1 Gold coin to 10+ Gold coins. For all these reasons more and more people are talking of the World of Warcraft gold secrets. Now what are these secrets? It is said that each and every person has his own stratagem to find out the gold. They differ from one another but there are common methods also. Well, it will be better if you can go through the following ways, dubbed by many as secrets.

To many one of the easy ways to make a good amount of gold is to grind on humanoids. No matter what is the level of the humanoids all drop clot. There is no doubt that the quality of the cloth gets better if the humanoid is high level. Apart from this, professions are also a commendable way of getting hold of money. There are hunters, warlocks and mages also who can gather some extra amounts of money. Never forget that you can find the better hides only if the mob appears to be high level.

Nevertheless there are also other opinions. To a great number of melee classes enchanting/disenchanting and mining are highly proficient ways to make money. Well, this is not all since with the passage of years more and more ways of secrets are coming to the fore. Do you know that in the recent days another secondary profession with a great has arrived? It is fishing and is learnt to pay off very well when it remains high enough. However, fishing as a tactic is hardly ever used by the characters. The reason is the longer period of time to take to level. There are always some people who do spend a lot of fortune and energy in this way to start making money. But if you have the patience surely you can make a good fate with a lot of gold. It can be made in the auction house. The first and foremost reason is you will be counted among the very few who are in the positions of acquiring the exceptional drops needed by others.

In this way there is the presence of a lot of world of warcraft gold secrets. But the success depends on the mode of exploitation of them.

The success will belong to him ultimately who remains present, calculative and swift.

Once you have learned the secrets to get gold in World of Warcraft, you will never have to farm for hours or even buy gold. With World of Warcraft Gold Secrets you will no longer need to waste either time or cash to get what you want. Click here to find out more!

AP - Scrambling to win the West, Democrat Barack Obama mocked John McCain on Saturday for aggressively trying to distance himself from President Bush. McCain touted his Western ties and warned that Obama is a tax-and-spend threat to the nation.

When you are new to the game of Age of Conan, you may feel a little bit overwhelmed simply because the combat system is unique and original, and there are a myriad of quests to complete. Here are some tips, tricks and secrets that will help get you started in the game. Armed with the right information, there is no reason why you cannot get started right even when you are new to the game.

1 - As soon as you have control over your brand new character, you should turn around and swim down into the water toward a large reef. Just in front of this reef is a secret chest that is often overlooked, despite more often than not containing a magical ring. This magical ring will immediately boost your fire resistance level by 0.5%.

2 - Rather than going for the girl that waits in front of you, turn left and follow around the beach. There are some alligators here that you can practice killing, which is an excellent way for you to get a hang of the combat system before it really matters.

3 - Now you should loop around on the right, where you will find some alligators and some rogues. There is an alligator boss that drops human body parts, so pick this up when it happens. You may also find a magic ring in a chest that this alligator boss is guarding, so make sure to pick that up as well.

4 - Now rescue the pretty girl, and then go left to fight a weapon-dropping mini boss. He guards a chest that will net you another magical ring, which means additional protection that you will definitely benefit from.

5 - Now you should go for the White Sands Mausoleum key, which is attainable through the blacksmith who is responsible for breaking your chains. He will also give you a weapon. To get these items from him, you just need to pick some metal up from the docks and bring it to him in order to make the trade.

6 - When you finally arrive in Old Tarantia, you should swim underneath the boat there in order to locate a hidden under water treasure chest which is located on one end of the boat. Here you should find some stamina points along with level 20 health, which means this is definitely a chest worth attaining.

While many players like to avoid walkthroughs and other game guides, having some of these neat tips under your belt when you get started is a great way to make sure you start on the right track. The Age of Conan game is not impossible, though it is sometimes difficult to get started.

Ben is an avid Age of Conan gamer and frequently writes about AoC tips strategy and guides. Visit his website at http://www.aocriches.com to dominate your server today.

AP - Members of the Nation of Islam, the New Black Panthers and the NAACP on Saturday promised protests to bring more attention to the killing of an east Texas man whose death recalls, for some, a notorious decade-old hate crime.

On this Christmas, shopping of Video game consoles is on high priority among children, avid gamers and tech-savvy game players. In the video gaming market, there are 3 big producers namely Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony, who are competing to win over millions of game players with their gaming consoles. The user experiences a passionate attachment in the games while playing on consoles like Sony Playstation 3, Xbox360 and Nintendo Wii.

A video game console is an electronic device embedded with powerful hardware, software and services which integrates high-definition video, DVD movie playback, digital music, photos and online connectivity. It can be said that Video game consoles are interactive entertainment devices that control the video display signals of the monitor.

The target of gaming consoles are not on the entertainment as with that big players in the market are also offering infotainment. For instance Xbox 360 from the well renowned house of Microsoft provides high definition that empowers Power PC-based CPU with 3 symmetrical cores and graphic processor with 10MB of embedded DRAM. Apart from that, it offers users to click life-like pictures with built-in digital camera. Adding more onto its entertainment wing, one can watch DVD movies, play music on CD or MP3. Users who are looking for attractive features like Remote, Wireless Controller and Connect24 can avail Nintendo Game Cube, which is a technically advanced version of Nintendo Wii.

Hence, with these features, Wii has succeeded in marking the sales in the market, since its launch.

Marking its place, Playstation 3 or PS3 from the house of Sony Computer Entertainment, offers new gaming experience in digital infotainment world. The gadget's attractive feature includes next-gen primary storage media with 256Mb of RD RAM, 256MB of 700MHz GDDR VRAM, Blue-ray Disc supporting DVDs, CDs, HDDs and it is capable of playing back content from the disc at bit rate of multiplex 48 Mbps. With a wide variety of choice in video game consoles providers, the user can shop from the online shopping portals at the best bargain.

Video Game Console, Nintendo Wii, Xbox Elite 120Gb Console

It can be easily said today that you can live a normal life in front of a computer with internet connection. You can communicate with people, buy almost everything from online stores and actually get a job that you can work from home through internet. We can safely say that the internet today is growing into a parallel world kind of deal. In the World Wide Web, we see many things that are alike to our life in the off-line world. There are communities of people, auction houses, stores, and companies that are made directly for the on-line world which eventually affects both on and off line world.

In online communities, you are given an account to represent yourself and to befriend others by linking yourself with other accounts. People write posts and upload pictures to express themselves and communicate with others like the off-line community. You can go visit auction house websites such as ebay or go to an online store website such as amazon and shop in front of your desk. You can even book and plan a whole trip from an online website. Though it seems like the internet is convenient with methods to do everything on it, some people say it is hard for others who doesn't know the website address and ultimately, it would be useless since there are not that many ways to advertise online websites to others, but I say otherwise.

Like the off-line community, people from the online community send links for websites of online stores, websites, and companies that they really like and discuss about them. How their product or programs were really helpful and how the other was more convenient, kind of like those talks over coffee table of how they got a better deal on a certain product than the other guy and thus advertising for their company. There are banners of advertisement on major websites like the billboards on the major freeways we ride on. There are online marketing websites that does directory advertising, and optimize some search engines so that it is easier to search for a certain product or a website through a search engine.

There are many other ways to advertise a website; Brochures and TV/radio commercials with website addresses for people to go to, website addresses on the box of the product to find more information, website address on a movie poster, on a T-shirt, and some people even use spam emails to advertise online. There are countless ways to advertise your online store, both on and offline. Many different ways of advertising are being developed everyday by the people who realize the power of online marketing. As internet is growing into a parallel world, it is becoming more like our world in a sense that it is being used as another method of making money. It is being too commercialized. Though it is a unique medium, like the TV, where both entertainment and commercialization co-exist, we should take caution while utilizing this medium.

Fred Jones
Legal Marketing

AP - Scrambling to win the West, Democrat Barack Obama mocked John McCain on Saturday for aggressively trying to distance himself from President Bush. McCain touted his Western ties and warned that Obama is a tax-and-spend threat to the nation.

Console Gaming companies are still doing well in sales thanks to demand, but for how much longer will they be a viable sector of the growing video game industry? Some analysts predict that with online video games growing so rapidly, that the all in one console games could be on their way out. Not so fast say many manufacturers of console games, rather they believe they are evolving with these new venues. Console gaming plus, online interaction with online gaming communities is where it's at says one executive from a popular console game manufacturing company.

Indeed, why can't you have the best of both worlds? Sure the older console games end up in the free box at the garage sales or flea markets but not the new stuff, which has more interaction and the latest graphics and speed. Online gaming has some distinct advantages, in that it has increased inflows of venture capital, the latest talent and new advertising revenue streams of major brand names looking to make a connection with the primarily younger gaming demographic.

So the question on many minds of those who follow this sector seems to be; are all-in-one Console Games out and if so is this just the evolution of Gaming Technology, which is causing its extinction? "The older games are definitely out and have lost significant ground to the online gaming communities and the XBox," stated a gentleman from the Online Think Tank recently. Interactive consoles that can hook up to online gaming communities and be used as self-contained gaming consoles will always be a favored method for the online gaming gamer.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

We all have special recollections from our childhoods of special times spent with our families - making forts, cooking together, playing board games. Some memories are quirky, some silly, and some sentimental. Although those moments are long past, the memories linger. And now that we're parents ourselves, we want to create the same kinds of memories for our kids.

Unfortunately, the easy and carefree days we remember from our own youth seem to have transformed into busy and chaotic ones for our children. Not only do kids today seem to be involved in more after-school activities like sports and music, even when everybody does happen to be home at the same time, the lure of the television, video games, iPods and computer command our attention. Needless to say, attempting to create special memories like the ones we had as kids seems futile.

But all hope is not lost! The world may indeed be faster-paced than it used to be, but the age of technology actually provides many fresh and exciting opportunities for memory-making moments. Maybe one of the following ideas will appeal to you and your kids:

1. Capture the Moment. Break out that digital camera and start snapping. Be silly, make faces or be serious. Once you've finished your photo session, upload the pictures to your computer and create a photo album, slideshow, or other inventive keepsake to look at time and time again.

2. Movie Making Moments. My kids love making movies with our video recorder and I have to say they do a great job behind and in front of the camera. Assign each person a role - writer, director, actors - or make every aspect a group effort. If you come up with something to really be proud of, why not post it on You-Tube or God-Tube to showcase your movie making talents to the world?

3. Let the games begin! So maybe monopoly just doesn't do it for your kids but a competitive game of Guitar Hero gets their adrenaline pumping. Show your kids you've still "got it" by jamming to those rock songs you used to love. Be sure to sing along, too - admit it...you still know every word to Joan Jett's, "I Love Rock 'n Roll."

No Guitar Hero? Any video game will do. To make it fair, go to the video store and rent a game no one has played before. Who will emerge the champion?

4. Have a Dance-Off. Pop in the latest CD and put on your dancing shoes. Show your kids the old style and let them demonstrate a move or two for you. Better yet, try your hand (make that, feet) at Dance, Dance Revolution. An added bonus - you'll be getting in shape while making those memories! See who can go the longest without collapsing on the couch.

5. Family Movie Night. Remember how much you looked forward to the Disney Sunday Night Movie? Now, with so many DVD options, movie night can be any night of the week. Don't forget to load up on popcorn, candy and soda of your choice. Hey - at least all that sugar and caffeine will keep you awake! Consider setting aside one movie night per month. Afterward, discuss your thoughts over old-fashioned ice cream sundaes. (Not everything has to include electronic devices.)

So the age of technology offers many opportunities for memory-making moments. Just remember, when it comes to family fun, one thing will never change. It's not so much what you do that counts, but only that you're doing it together.

Access any Christian Story and Bible Studies at FaithReaders. Have Safe Christian Chat at BestChristianForums and every post helps a needy child...

Video games are getting closer and closer to becoming accepted as art. The debate, then, needs to switch to discuss what it is in an academic sense. Games should be considered a form of literature like novels and films. I think the reasoning is fairly obvious. Though there are major differences between the three the similarities are what count here. Games, like novels and films, rely on varying degrees of plot and narrative to make a point. The entertainment is very often facilitated by story in these mediums.

Games are written and coded, further bridging more traditional forms of literature. Video games, like films, require a combination of story and construction. Virtual worlds may not require physically demanding labor, but they are definitely built and not written. Video games are a wonderment in so many different way, they certainly deserve the praise that other forms get.

Like novels and films, time is a required investment in order to get the full effect that is offered. Gaming is not a passive or casual hobby even though the casual gaming market is growing and the industry is responding to that. But even as simple games are becoming more popular on cell phones and mobile devices, the core gaming audience is still very much smitten with very long and involved games.

The epic games that we all love are literature, and in time I think we will all be discussing them as such. The world of academia is going to have to cope with and accept yet another new medium.

More intelligent video game ramblings at http://www.GamingWithFire.com

AP - Joe Biden's performance as Barack Obama's running mate has been pretty predictable - even when unpredictable.

In the good old days, back when the Internet had about 10 users and the web was a far off vision, PCs were called Home Computers and anyone could learn to write computer games. Three of us set up in business to write and sell our own games for the ZX Spectrum (Aka Timex/Sinclair) and Commodore 64. We didnt sell many games but we were saved by getting into the game conversion business. A publisher would release a hit on the Commodore 64 and wed write the Timex, Amstrad, MSX, CBM 16 etc versions. It took about 3 months for one person to produce a game.

That was 20 years ago and things have changed a lot since then. The games industry is now a massive multi billion dollar business and development teams can number 50 or more. My first game had me as programmer, artist, and beep designer (well it wasnt proper sound!). I did everything. Back then games were written in assembler and you had to learn 6502 and Z80. Nowadays with a few exceptions games are written in C and C++. The days of back room programmers arent entirely gone- there is also retro remake and indie scene, e.g. http://retrospec.sgn.net/ but unless you have an exceptionally brilliant idea, you are not likely to get into the mainstream game business as a one man outfit writing Blockbuster PC games.

Its not all bad news though- if you can program to a very good standard and have learnt some of the techniques- eg 3d maths, artificial intelligence (ai), and can produce demos of your code then you may be able to get a job in the market. There are plenty of books and websites that will guide you through the intricacies of DirectX and before long youll be a guru on vertex shaders etc. Sign up on games development sites like http://gamasutra.com/ (it's free) and look for jobs. You will have to be good to get a job and prepared to work long, in some case very long hours. It is quite a tough business when a game is under development, youll live breathe and eat it for 18 months-two years. And you probably wont work 9-5 all the time.

There are however other ways to get into the games business and I dont mean console development. There are other genres of games that are much easier to get into.

1. MUD Multi-user dungeons. These have been around for 30 years and were the precursor to the MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games) that now exist. These are still popular and you can find the source code to several of these. I dont know if any make money- most people are now used to playing them for free. Look here: http://www.ability.org.uk/mud.html

2. Internet/Web based games. There are hundreds of these around. A good starting point is the vast directory at http://www.mpogd.com/ . These range from free to monthly subscriptions. Anyone can set up their own website and games using any web technology- e.g. Perl, PHP, Java.

3. Play By Mail. This has now largely but not entirely moved into the Internet/Web Games area. Flagship magazine is a good source of information their website is http://flagshipmagazine.com/

4. Flash Games. Flash development is a skill in itself, though programming in ActionScript (which is JavaScript under a different name) is not that hard. There is a definite career path available through programming Flash games and there are plenty of books to teach you to write games in Flash. Flashkit website http://www.flashkit.com/index.shtml is a good starting point online.

5. Mobile Phone and PDA games. This has become a big growth area recently and is likely to continue its growth as phones get more powerful. Its also one of the easiest to get into though not all phones are the same. All you need to know is how to write Java games running on the J2ME (Java 2 Mobile Edition) platform. Unlike the console world, Software Development Kits (SDKS) are available for free from mobile phone manufacturers. E.g. http://www.forum.nokia.com/main.html and the best IDEs for J2ME development (Netbeans and Eclipse) are available free. Expect to see MMORPG (Mobile Multiplayer Online Role Play Games) before too long.

Much of this can be done part time in your evenings/weekends but be careful that you dont let it take over your life and also that your employer doesnt have any claim on software that you develop. Some employers have clauses that let them claim anything you develop. There are ways round this, often involving a wife or loved one who can be assigned ownership but take legal advice if in any doubt.

If you are learning to program games, dont neglect the power of the web. Sourceforge.net is home to thousands of open source projects and many of those are games. Also game source for commercial games Quake I, II and III has been released by ID and can be found here http://www.idsoftware.com/business/techdownloads/

These are GPLd so you wouldnt be able to write games based on them and sell them without giving away the source code but you could write Mods. Several game modders have released very popular Mods free and have managed to get into the industry because of their quality. There are many games projects where you can sign up and program- this is an excellent way to learn new skills and make friends.

David Bolton is a software developer with an extensive past programming games. He co-founded Choice Software in Carrickfergus, N. Ireland between 1984 and 1987 and won an award for his original computer wargame Johnny Reb II (published by Lothlorien). He designed and programmed the Postal game Quest, which has also won awards and is still played (postally and online) 15 years after it was first developed. He worked for 12 months as game designer at Microprose (Manchester) in 1992. He is currently designing a large multiplayer role-play game, but it's not due out until 2006.

E! Online - The FBI has joined the search for Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, who has been missing since yesterday's shooting deaths of her brother, Jason Hudson, 29, and mother, Darnell Donerson, 57.

In this article we will take a closer look at this popular and rapidly growing form of online entertainment and discuss exactly what defines online skill games as well as the vast choice of such gaming options available to you today.

Skill games online require you to pit your wits against other human beings or against a sophisticated software program that will replace the human user. Most of these games can be enjoyed for free but there are an ever increasing number of online gamers worldwide who choose to challenge one another for cash prizes.

The main difference between online skill games and more traditional gambling pastimes is that the outcome of a skill game is based on players' ability and performance, with any elements of luck either eliminated or greatly reduced. This is critical, in order to be legal and avoid falling under anti-gambling statutes.

So what are some of the different types of skill games that you can play?

You will find an incredible choice of games as you begin to delve through the multitude of skill gaming websites at your disposal.

The games are generally simple with just a few rules to learn, are often enjoyable and highly addictive. These games offer something to suit all tastes and include the following popular examples:

Board games like draughts and backgammon; Sports games like pool, golf and basketball; Puzzle games like jigsaws and word games; Arcade style games such as shooting games.

The skill games online arena is growing at a faster rate than any other web market today. In fact, this entertainment sector is actually growing four times faster than the rate of overall internet growth and experts predict the market to grow from $5.2 billion USD in 2007 to $13 billion by the year 2011.

This example will highlight just how much this industry sector has developed and how it now carries enormous mass market appeal. In June 2006, 7.6 million British people (28% of the UK online population) visited the online games sector, with the average visitor playing games for an hour and a half at a time.

The online skill games market has been identified as the next step in the evolution of entertainment online and people of all ages, from all over the world, are currently playing in their millions. Some of the larger game networks have hundreds of thousands of players playing these games at any one time.

With this industry growing at such a rapid rate, the choice of games and the quality of sites available has never been so good. So get on the internet today and lose yourself in hours of online fun.

Gavin Evans is a full time internet marketer living in the market town of Cowbridge in South Wales, UK. Gavin is also a leading associate for the brand new global skill games business, uVme. To find out more about the worldwide Online Skill Games sector visit => http://www.uvme-online-games.net

E! Online - Authorities have arrested a suspect in the shooting deaths of Jennifer Hudson's brother, Jason Hudson, 29, and mother, Darnell Donerson, 57.

Attention all with an interest in a Quantum Mechanical Interpretation of the Bible. For the First Time in human history: We are Pleased to announce that just such a Thing is NOW Available!!!

This revolutionary standard of enlightened understanding is closer than you might have guessed. It stands apart from all others by integrating quantum dynamics with traditional church vocabulary as well as common language. You will not be given the exact mathematics but you will be given the opportunity to put the pieces together for yourself. You will discover a vast storehouse of Wisdom and Spiritual Technology and learn how to become a New Generation Thinker. This radical new standard leaves no room for deception unless that is what you desire.

What is this new Spiritual Technology you may be wondering? Well, let us say that it is like a coin that has two sides to it, but there is also a ridge that runs along the edge that represents all that is within the coin. The two faces of this coin are the Bible and Your Personal Consciousness. Our Technology is the interface between these two sides, which makes them both one and the same. See how that works??? Pretty simple huh?

So just how does the Bible and Personal Consciousness relate, you may be asking? It is only fair to warn you; that if you continue reading you might want to expect personal consciousness to become obsolete or continue to struggle with the Truth. If you are still with us, then prepare to jettison your preconceived ideas, because here we go.

According to our Spiritual Technology the Bible is all about your relationship with God as a personal identity so long as you remain outside the New Covenant. Under the New Covenant there is no relationship because it a Covenant of ONE being Unified. This brings us face to face with the dichotomy of relative and absolute. If you are thinking at this point, holy crap now we've gone and went overboard, you are exactly right and you had better get used to it, because on the other side of where everyone else is hoping to go, is where we like to get started!!! So anyhow the dichotomy of relative and absolute may seem incomprehensible, but it is actually quite simple really, it goes like this.

Relative cannot be absolute without losing its relativity and the Absolute cannot be relative and remain Absolute. That is the problem, it's like turning left and right at the same time, it would seem you have to choose. However we have found that at the point of Absolution is the interface between the two and once you are absolved then you will understand our Spiritual Technology.

Until you receive absolution, you will be wondering what we are talking about. Once you find the interface between relative and absolute, then we can conclude this whole subject by referring you to the NOWWAY.

To See for yourself where All Things are Possible go to
http://www.newreformationnow.com
The Only Place for Your Face in Cyberspace.

E! Online - UPDATE: Jennifer Hudson's publicist, Lisa Kasteler, has issued this statement:

When youre getting involved with a game like World of Warcraft, the importance of making gold and setting yourself up for success is paramount. Unfortunately, one of the most important things you can do is also one of the most boring at times. Constantly farming and killing monsters or searching for items throughout the countryside are not the most entertaining ways to enjoy your video gaming time. So, many people have taken to producing and selling and others to buying gold as a real world commodity. Unfortunately, its not all good times with buying and selling gold offline. There are both real world and game world consequences for doing so.

The Gold Farmers

The gold farmers, as theyre called in the game world, are often working in foreign countries on a full time basis, building up characters and their gold stash for resale on websites and up until recently on eBay. Theyll work 24-hours a day, every day of the week building gold stashes to be resold. Gold farmers can be anyone though and if youre considering farming or buying farmed gold, the risks are plentiful.

Why Buy Gold?

Buying gold with real world money for a virtual world may seem counterintuitive to most people, but its not completely baseless. There are numerous reasons why someone might turn to a website and their credit card to get ahead in game. First off, the entire game is made up of the gathering of items and gold.

There is ridiculously high demand for rare and epic items and no one quite has enough time to build up the bank to buy them. So, with so many players in the game and so much demand for items in a limited space, players can charge as much gold as they want. For those that would rather enjoy the game and not spend their time farming gold, it might seem easier to simply buy 100 gold offline and use it to buy what you need in gold.

The Risks

Blizzard doesnt like some things in their games. One of the main things they dislike and is highlighted in numerous places throughout their Terms of Service is the real world buying of gold from offline vendors. So, they reserve the right (and often use it) to delete the account of anyone caught doing so. Hours of your life go into building up your account. It has both time and money invested into it and if you get your account deleted, youre losing a lot of your game life. Youll need to buy a new one. Not only that, but youre giving your credit card number away to an unknown entity who will supposedly deliver gold to you in game. Identity theft is a major risk.

Most of all, youre risking the compromise of the entire game by buying gold from farmers that destroy the economy by overharvesting. Throughout the game world you might notice mass extinction and a dearth of items. This is because of the characters who are only online to build up their gold stash and resell it elsewhere.

Did you know it takes the average player 20 days to get an epic mount? Can you afford to wait that long? Discover how do it in 4 days, without using any illegal cheats or hacks. Read more about
World of Warcraft gold tips at http://www.thewarcraftguide.com.

The massive fantasy universe of World of Warcraft offers you endless hours of entertainment, sucking you in from the very beginning and causing you to come back again and again to enjoy this fantastically original game. With 8.5 million subscribers around the world, WoW (World of Warcraft) is becoming increasingly popular.

Most people, when they start, are totally blown away by the sheer potential of the game. There is so much to do and enjoy, that it can be a little overwhelming at first. Especially since Blizzard (the developers) are constantly adding new features and upgrades.

Not only that, but it can also take some time to build your chosen character up to a considerable level where you can enjoy the more interesting adventures, and also enjoy some power and wealth. Once you learn how to play the game, you could feel as if you would be keen to also jump into a veteran account and enjoy the game at a higher level.

Well, you can do just that, by purchasing advanced characters and accounts online. All you need to do is research what kind of character you would like : do you prefer to work alone? Or a team? What is your playing style? Do you prefer magic, or bashing and beating your way through? Character races, factions, crafts and trades will all contribute to these factors. So, some research before you purchase is really recommended. Especially if you're a beginner, it's important that you make sure you're making a purchase you're going to enjoy!

If you're looking at doing this, there are a few things you should take into account about the retailer you're thinking of purchasing from. Firstly, are they reputable? If not, move on. You're only going to find yourself disappointed through them. Secondly, do they have a helpline? This is actually very important. Occasionally when you purchase advanced characters some glitches can occur with accounts etc. If the retailer you're purchasing from has no help desk or any form of human on the other side, you're bound to be disappointed at some stage.

Thirdly, guarantees. If these glitches occur, even later, you need to know that you're guaranteed to get what you want. What also occasionally happens is that after a character is sold, the original account holder might want it back at a later stage. Without some guarantees, this can turn into a very unhappy situation. The retailer you're purchasing from must be able to provide guarantees to prevent this sort of thing becoming a problem.

So, if you're thinking of purchasing a veteran character and jumping right into the world of Averoth with your new masses of power, wealth and skill; also getting to enjoy the more higher, exciting and glamorous adventures, just make sure you're purchasing from a reputable account retailer who is able to match all of the above. Otherwise, you could be disappointed. It's time to increase your fun levels in World of Warcraft (yes, it can get even more fun) and this is a sure-fire way to do just that!

Check out www.gamepal.com, a leading and trusted account retailer for World of Warcraft as well as many other MMORPG's.

Get your very own high power World of Warcraft character while supplies last. http://www.gamepal.com will take you directly to the most current list of available World of Warcraft character accounts. http://www.GamePal.com is the leading and most trusted online MMO account retailer for World of Warcraft, EverQuest, City of Heroes, and more.

AP - Gov. Sarah Palin's signature accomplishment - a contract to build a 1,715-mile pipeline to bring natural gas from Alaska to the Lower 48 - emerged from a flawed bidding process that narrowed the field to a company with ties to her administration, an Associated Press investigation shows.

The latest and the advanced game consoles are on high demand these days. This is particularly because the expectations of the people are reaching sky limits as innovations in this arena are also quite tremendous. In order, to stay updated with the recent market trends a gamer always clamors to own high-end gadgets to ensure unlimited gaming experience. Moreover, there are numerous manufacturers in this arena which always develops feature-rich widgets to offer ultimate gaming experience to the players. However, the three most preferred gaming gadgets among the gamers all over the world are Sony PlayStation 3 by Sony, Nintendo Wii by Nintendo and Xbox 360 by Microsoft.

These game consoles are enhanced with advanced hardware, software and services which have the potential to support DVD movie playback, photos, high-definition videos and music tracks without any hassles. As a matter of fact, these gadgets are popularly known as interactive entertainment gadgets as they come with the capability to support videos too and that also without any hassles.

What is more these feature-rich game consoles are designed not only to offer entertainment but also permits the users to access valuable information without any hassles. For instance, the Xbox 360 from the Microsoft has been enriched with various high-tech options that one can easily enhance his or her gaming strategies and skills. In this gaming system you can even enjoy DVD movies of latest music tracks without any hassles. Moreover, this gadget has been enriched with high-end but user-friendly features hat even a layman can also easily operate it. Now, to get a better insight of the Nintendo Wii we can say that these interactive gaming console has been adorned with several smart features such as wireless controller, remote and accessing internet whenever and wherever.

In fact, all these interactive gaming gadgets are designed in such a manner that even the grown ups find it interesting to play games in them. Furthermore, the audio and the video features of these gadgets make the games even more exciting and thrilling. As such, to get the best gaming console for all your requirements you can search the online stores at ease. In these stores you can easily compare the features and specifications of these gadgets to ensure that you are getting the best return for your hard earned money.

Game Consoles, Online Games

AP - Authorities were called to the home of former New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, where police said a 47-year-old man was taken to the hospital and treated for an accidental overdose of sleeping pills early Friday morning.

It's been 40 years since Mr. McGuire pulled Benjamin Braddock aside at his graduation party and said, "I just want to say one word to you. Just one word ... Are you listening? ... Plastics. There's a great future in plastics."

The future is still in plastics, but today Mr. McGuire would probably whisper, "bioplastics." Based on increases in the price of crude oil, from which most plastics are derived, and consumer interest in just about anything "green," the timing is ideal for a surge in this next generation of plastics. The European Bioplastics trade group predicted annual capacity would more than triple to 1.5 million tons by 2011. BCC Research forecasts the global market for biodegradable polymers to grow at a compound average growth rate of more than 17 percent through 2012. Even so, bioplastics will encompass a small niche of the overall plastic market, which is forecast to reach 500 billion pounds globally by 2010.

The Case for Bioplastics

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, only 6 percent of the plastic made in the United States was recycled in 2005. (That compares to a 50 percent recycling rate for paper, 37 percent for metals, and 22 percent for glass.) The plastic that lands in landfills has a life measured in thousands of years. Because most bioplastics are produced from agriculturally based renewable resources, under the right conditions they are biodegradable and compostable. The environment-friendly aspect of bio-based plastics appeals to companies looking for non-toxic containers that do not leach questionable chemicals, and that return to nature harmlessly after being disposed.

In addition, U.S. consumers get over 100 billion polyethylene carrier bags each year, but only 1.2 percent are recycled. Reusablebags.com estimates up to 1 trillion plastic bags are given out to consumers worldwide. It may be less expensive for retailers to hand out a paper or a polyethylene bag, but the environmental cost of bioplastic bags is less in terms of disposal. Consumers like the lightweight plastic bags and tend to find other uses for them before eventually throwing them away. Very few people bring them back to the store, which explains the miniscule recycling rate. Replacing polyethylene bags with bioplastic would be environmentally safer.

Banned in San Francisco-and Even in China

In San Francisco, petroleum-based bags are banned from supermarkets and drug stores. Other communities both in the U.S. and internationally have taken note and are either initiating fees or outright bans on petroleum-based plastic shopping bags. In January, China's State Council banned the production of plastic bags, and beginning June 1, shops, supermarkets, and sales outlets nationwide are barred from handing them out.

In Ireland, government officials passed a tax on plastic shopping bags back in 2002. When customers started getting hit with the 33 cent fee on each and every plastic shopping bag, usage switched within a matter of weeks to reusable cloth bags or backpacks. Consumer behavior was changed and carrying a plastic shopping bag was akin to wearing fur or smoking in a crowded room; in a matter of a few years the behavior became socially unacceptable.

California has also banned chemicals called phthalates, found in soft plastics, from toys and baby products. Research into Bisphenol-A (BpA), used to make polycarbonates, shows that the compound mimics the human hormone estrogen and has been found to stimulate certain types of cancer, cause genetic damage, and leach out of plastic bottles into food and beverages.

Safer alternatives are starting to appear. Bioplastics are showing up in not only food packaging but in the automotive industry, medical devices, as hardware for the computer and electronics industry, on-the-go disposables (cups, plates, cutlery), and in toys.

Engineering Bioplastics for Expanded Uses

Typically thought of as coming from corn, bioplastics can and are being produced from other plant-based feedstocks such as potatoes, sugar beets, sugar cane, cassava, wheat, tapioca, and oils from soybeans. Companies have produced hybrid bioplastic products that incorporate a blend of plant starch with conventional polymers that help manufacturers reduce their dependence on nonrenewable resources and add features such as heat resistance or durability to their products but they cannot claim to be fully biodegradable or compostable.

As the technology continues to evolve, bioplastics will be engineered with the heat-resistance and strength needed for wider use. For example, Metabolix, a Massachusetts company, has developed a biodegradable polymer called Mirel made from bacteria, corn, and air that is able to withstand boiling water.

Innovative companies will be looking at their raw materials, have their finger on the pulse of what is driving consumer demand, and will be assessing the possible health risks of conventional plastics. They will also be keeping an eye out for new technologies or feedstock materials that will help solve some of the early challenges associated with bioplastics as they move from niche industry to the mainstream. Take Cereplast for example. The company now makes 15 grades of resins in its Compostables line, including a heat-resistant product CP-TH-6000 that can withstand heat up to 155p F. It also has a hybrid resin that is heat resistant up to 250p. To meet the demands for bioplastics Cereplast announced that it is building a new manufacturing facility in Indiana. It will have a half-billion pound capacity when fully operational in 2010.

Completing the Bio-Cycle

In the future, bioplastic products might be recycled into biodiesel. Researchers at Polytechnic University in New York have developed a fuel-latent plastic that is tougher and more durable than standard polyethylene. After use, the product can be placed in a simple converter where enzymes break it down into biodiesel suitable for home heating fuel. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded the university's researchers $2.34 million to advance the technology and transfer it to industry. The military has shown interest in their discovery for use on the battlefield where it could generate its own fuel and dispose of waste at the same time.

Any company planning to jump on the bioplastic bandwagon by either producing the resin or converting products to a plant-based alternative needs to stay abreast of what is happening in the biofuels arena, too. Bioplastics might be the darlings of the bio-based products industry right now, but it will compete for resources with biofuel producers for limited resources. That could result in higher feedstock prices, which could adversely impact the economics of both industries. In addition, while bioplastics are perceived as environmentally friendly, environmental groups are raising questions about diverting food crop resources to industrial uses. Certain feedstocks, such as corn, are more heavily dependent on agrochemicals and water than others and environmentalists are concerned excess or irresponsible use could impact our environment. They also worry that millions of acres of savannah and rainforest will be lost to make way for bio-crops. This complicated environmental equation could alter the dynamics dramatically.

Reuters - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, renowned for colorful insults of world leaders, called U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin a confused "beauty queen" on Friday after she said he was a dictator.

On the surface, many of the sites offering you the ability to download PSP games appear to be legit. They've got the nice graphics, the normal 'disclaimers', they even have privacy policies! I mean, how much more legal could that be? There are a few who you can trust, but for the most part, if you make a pick the wrong place you could get fined thousands of dollars!

Well, the reality is vastly different. And here's why: most of the sites where you download PSP games are not letting you do it legally. The games, movies and TV shows they offer are all pirated. Now I'm not one to point a finger at downloaders. I've done it, you've done it, we've all done it! However, would you pay for the privilege of getting hacked stuff?

How To Avoid Fines When You Download PSP Games: Do Your Homework

Think about it for a second, if you're paying to get games, they have your personal info! What do you think happens when Sony steps in and shuts one of these sites down?

Yea, they know all about you. And if you just purchased a "Life Time Membership" to a PSP Hack site, how much of that cash do you think you'll get back?

How To Avoid Fines When You Download PSP Games: 100,000,000 Games?

This one should be obvious. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.

My rule is to always shy away from the sites offering more games than the entire collection of Sony gaming systems could support. Seriously. How dumb do they think we are!? And if they really do have 100 Million games what kind of crap are they trying to pass off, and where are they finding them? Last I checked, it wasn't that fun to wander through some off topic RPG where the dialog is in Russian.

How To Avoid Fines When You Download PSP Games: Why Do You Want My Email?

This one has it's good and bad side, but when you're dealing with a site that's offering 100% illegal content for a fee I'm not so sure I can trust their anti SPAM and privacy policy.

So the bottom line is pretty simple: Use your best judgment when choosing a site to download PSP Games. There are a few out there who will cut you a fair deal, but the massive majority... not so much. Watch yourself out there!

Jonny Andrews (aka: GeckoKid) is a video PSP enthusiast who took it upon himself to uncover the truth about what happens when you Download PSP Games. He has spent the money and beat up the customer service reps so you don't have to! Check out his free information page where you will find undercover reports, tips, reviews and price lists for the safest and highest quality places to Download your PSP Games.

AP - Asian and European leaders said Saturday they have reached a broad consensus on ways to deal with the global financial meltdown and will present their views at a crisis summit next month in Washington.

Often people assume that playing computer games or video games is a very anti social activity, and is a solo activity which isolates an individual from the real world, cuts them off from other people and then allows them to sit on their own in a small dark room hitting keys over and over again in order to mindlessly destroy anything that moves on their screen. In fact, nothing could be very much further from the truth, and in fact those people who play computer games on their own, completely cut off from interaction with other people in any way are such a minority group it may prove hard to find anyone to actually put in to it.

Quite apart from not being a solo activity, recent research has found that over 66% of people who play computer or video games do so with their friends, either sat with them advising, or actually with a second handset competing in the same game. 30% of gamers play with their brothers or sisters and a quarter of all gamers play with either their parents or their partners. This completely goes against the argument that most people lay on their own, and shows that the majority of people play as a social game, in various combinations and ways.

Even taking in to account that there may be 20% to 30% of people who do play games without someone else being physically with them, it is still not possible to generalise isolation by suggesting that these people are cut off from any kind of social interaction. Many games these days are what is referred to as multi player, meaning that more than one person can play the game at the same time, and with a very wide number of the most popular video games being online too, this means that all players will be competing against and taking part with other real people, rather than the computer. In fact, many of these online multiplayer games have relatively little input from the computer, and far more input from the people playing the game against each other.

One of the main requirements of many of these multiplayer online games is that people group together and try to work out strategies and tactics to overcome certain obstacles, opponents and challenges. This will require great teamwork, very in depth discussions involving roles and group work, and will require people to work together as individuals and as a team. As a result, many players become part of a more stable and permanent group which means that there are people known to each other ready to take on challenges without having to start all over each time analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. These groups can become social groups, meeting outside of the game, and there are many examples where people who have met through these groups have gone on to develop meaningful friendships and relationships beyond the game.

Video games are most certainly not isolating - for many, they open doors to friendships that the real world may never have offered.

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AP - Seven Puget Sound killer whales are missing and presumed dead in what could be the biggest decline among the sound's orcas in nearly a decade, say scientists who carefully track the endangered animals.

There are a number of ways to protect your CD from being copied. Most of them depend on breaking conformity with the CD and DVD standards. In this article we will discuss the use of dummy files and illegal sectors, although there are other methods of protecting CDs.

Dummy files

For the most part CD-ROMs use an ISO9660-filesystem to arrange the existing space into files and folders. The majority of times it is used underneath a further sophisticated filesystem like Joliet to get round a few limitations, but the ISO9660-filesystem is at all times there. The most fundamental approach for a distinguishing characteristic is to deliberately fake a little information inside the filesystem. Early production of software copied every file one at a time from the original medium and re-created a new filesystem on the target medium, losing the faked information.

Illegal sectors

The top-level data structure of a CD-Rom is called a sector and it is the only one that is available to software (counting the OS). Every sector contains 2048 byte of user-data and 304 bytes of structural details (for a MODE1 CD-ROM). Along with other things the structural details consist of

1. the sector number, signifying the sector's absolute and relative logical location

2. an error detection code (EDC), a checksum to detect read-errors

3. an error correction code (ECC), specially crafted entropy encoding of the user-data
Using the EDC and ECC-field, the drive can spot and fix read-errors.

Deliberately crafting sectors with improper EDC/ECC fields at some stage in manufacturing provides a distinguishing feature used by copy protections. The protection's software tries to read those sectors, awaiting read-errors. Since early versions of end-user software and hardware were not capable of generating sectors with illegal structural details, this characteristic could not be re-generated with such software and hardware. The disc is a copy if the sectors forming the distinguishing attribute have become readable.

This approach does not give protection anymore as current software and hardware are capable of reproducing raw sectors. Another interesting new technology on cd copy protection can be found here. http://www.dvdreplication.co.nz/dvdcopyprotection.htm

An adaptation of this approach uses large areas of unreadable sectors with tiny islands of readable ones in between. For the most part software trying to reproduce protected media will miss intervals of sectors once confronted with unreadable ones, expecting them all to be bad.

DVDreplication.co.nz is a leading media replication company for both the dvd and the cd. Information on cd copy protection and the process of replicating dvds can be found at http://www.dvdreplication.co.nz

The gaming industry has been exploding in the recent years as games are not only enjoyed by the young generation. The adults are in on it too. Thanks to the computers, being one of the main contributors to this gaming phenomenon, the gaming industry has been very busy with the race of who is going to come up with the more appealing game to take over the market.

The popularity of computer and video games, as a whole, has been increasing steadily. The average age of the video game player is now 29, belying the myth that video games are largely a diversion for teenagers.

Outstandingly, computer games are becoming more and more popular and widely accepted by all generations. In the recent years especially, the so called "console gaming" has swept the world.

The end of 2005, and 2006 saw the next generation of console gaming in the form of continuing advances in processor technology, graphics technology, design innovation, and even platform specific gaming community infrastructure.

Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are all participating in this "technology race". The second generation Microsoft offering, the Xbox 360, is powered by a multi-core CPU. The PlayStation 3 is powered by cell processor technology. And the Nintendo Revolution allows the gamer to interact with the game via a wireless motion sensing controller.

Nowadays, some of the most popular are computer games, or sometimes called pc games, online games, consoles games, handheld games, and even believe it or not, mobile phone games.

Computer games are often more powerful than console games because of early market releases of their external architecture and graphics cards. They are played on the personal computer with standard computer interface devices such as the keyboard and mouse, or additional peripherals, such as joysticks.

Online gaming originally began with PC games, but has over time expanded to include most modern consoles. It is now a key feature of modern games, with the inclusion of Internet connectivity in consoles such as the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and also in mobile phones.

Console games are specialized computers specifically designed to play games of a certain format. The player usually interacts with the game through a controller, and video and sound are typically delivered to the player via a television, although most modern consoles support additional outputs, such as surround sound setups.

Handheld games are played on handheld game consoles, such as the Nintendo Gameboy, Nintendo DS, and Sony PSP. Because they are designed to be played on the go, they are usually small enough to fit into an average pocket (the virtual boy is an exception to this). Due to their small size, handheld consoles have reduced processing power compared to larger consoles, meaning that games are shorter and until the release of the DS, were limited to 2D only.

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Being able to download Xbox games is not an entirely new concept. However the competition within Xbox download services market is ever increasing. It is worth doing your research prior to choosing your choice of xbox download games and services.

The Xbox (and Xbox 360) gaming consoles are some of the biggest things ever to hit the gaming market. With an Xbox, you can play great games with the best graphics that Microsoft and a range of game developers have to offer. Indeed, Xbox with the built in Hard Disk and online capabilities can definitely change the way gaming consoles are defined. With a unique and a wide library of games, gaming entertainment is definitely not the same as gaming eras on the 70's, 80's and even 90's.

The Xbox platform offers tons of games and with the number of game publisher cuurently signed to produce Xbox title, this number is only going to grow. If you want to enjoy gaming with your family and friends, Xbox is definitely the gaming console of your choice given the enormous selection of games and game genres you can play within.

However, with all the benefits and immersible gaming features that Xbox offers, you have to consider that the games available for Xbox are quite expensive. Particularly when you buy multiple titles! This is where being able to download xbox games online really help save gamers some serious cash in the long term.

There are multiple services available, and with all download services it is a good idea to do your initial homework. Generally the best services have a monthly signup fee and then it is simply a matter of having to download xbox games and transfer each to CD or DVD for immediate playback.

For a complete guide for Xbox Services check out: xbox game downloads
For further console downloads visit: Maximum Game Downloads

AP - Jerry Lewis made an anti-gay slur on Australian television similar to one he apologized for using on his annual telethon a year ago.