Sunday, March 25, 2012

Origin of the Name of Famous IT Industries


  • Adobe : This came from name of the river Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of founder John Warnock.
  • Apple Computers : It was the favorite fruit of founder Steve Jobs. He was three months late in filing a name for the business, and he threatened to call his company Apple Computers if the other colleagues did not suggest a better name by 5 O'clock.
  • CISCO : It is not an acronym as popularly believed. It is short for San Francisco.
  • Compaq : This name was formed by using COMp, for computer, and PAQ to denote a small integral object.
  • Corel : The name was derived from the founder's name Dr. Michael Cowpland. It stands for Cowpland Research Laboratory.
  • Google : The name started as a joke boasting about the amount of information the search-engine would be able to search. It was originally named 'Googol', a word for the number represented by 1 followed by 1 00 zeros. After founders - Stanford graduate students Sergey Brin and Larry Page presented their project to an angel investor, they received a cheque made out to 'Google'
  • Hotmail : Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service, he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for hotmail as it included the letters "html" - the programming language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective uppercasing.
  • Hewlett Packard : Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whether the company they founded would be called Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett.
  • Intel : Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore wanted to name their new company 'Moore Noyce' but that was already trademarked by a hotel chain so they had to settle for an acronym of INTegrated ELectronics.
  • Lotus (Notes) : Mitch Kapor got the name for his company from 'The Lotus Position' or 'Padmasana'. Kapor used to be a teacher of Transcendental Meditation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
  • Mercedes : This was actually the financier's daughter's name. 
  • Microsoft : Coined by Bill Gates to represent the company that was devoted to MICROcomputer SOFTware. Originally christened Micro-Soft, the '-' was removed later on.
  • Motorola : Founder Paul Galvin came up with this name when his company started manufacturing radios for cars. The popular radio company at the time was called Victrola.
  • ORACLE : Larry Ellison and Bob Oats were working on a consulting project for the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). The code name for the project was called Oracle (the CIA saw this as the system to give answers to all questions or something such). The project was designed to help use the newly written SQL code by IBM. The project eventually was terminated but Larry and Bob decided to finish what they started and bring it to the world. They kept the name Oracle and created the RDBMS engine. Later they kept the same name for the company.
  • Sony : It originated from the Latin word 'sonus' meaning sound, and 'sonny' a slang used by Americans to refer to a bright youngster.
  • SUN : Founded by 4 Stanford University buddies, SUN is the acronym for Stanford University Network. Andreas Bechtolsheim built a microcomputer; Vinod Khosla recruited him and Scott McNealy to manufacture computers based on it, and Bill Joy to develop a UNIX-based OS for the computer.
  • Yahoo : The word was invented by Jonathan Swift and used in his book 'Gulliver's Travels'. It represents a person who is repulsive in appearance and action and is barely human. Yahoo! Founders Jerry Yang and David Filo selected the name because they considered themselves yahoos.

Why does slicing an Onion make Eyes Burn?



Like all other plants, onions are also made of cells; but the onion cells contain sulfur elements.
  
When we slice the onions, the cells break and release the sulfur vapors. Sulfur has a bad odor, and when these vapors mix with the moisture of our eyes a chemical reaction takes place which produces molecules such as ethylsufine which make your eyes burn.

The eyes then produce tears to wash and dilute the chemicals – in other words the tears are a natural reaction of the body so that the offensive chemicals can be washed away.

As long as we keep on slicing the onions, more and more cells will break which will produce more sulfur vapors, and hence more and more tears!

To prevent the tears, try cutting the onions in a bowl of water. The water helps dissolve the sulfur elements, so that they do not reach your eyes and this prevents the tears from flowing.

What is Your Film Festival?



Question : What is Your Film Festival?

Answer :Your Film Festival is a global competition to find the world's best storytellers, connect them with a global audience, and provide one deserving entrant with a truly career-changing opportunity. To participate, just submit a 15-minute, story-driven video of any format, style and genre. Your entry could be a short film, web-series episode, TV pilot, or something else -- as long as it’s story-driven. 

After submissions are whittled down to 50 semi-finalists, audiences from around the world will cast their votes, choosing 10 finalists. The finalists will travel to Italy, where their work will be screened at the 2012 Venice Film Festival, and a grand prize winner will be chosen by a world-class jury of industry professionals, and rewarded with a $500,000 production grant to work with Your Film Festival Limited (or its designee) to create a brand new work for the world to see.


Question : Why should I submit to Your Film Festival?

Answer : The Internet has revolutionized how people consume stories. It’s free. It’s accessible. And it’s global. You’re no longer bound by cinema screens and distribution deals. You are an independent creative and you’ve got a story to tell. Your Film Festival is where independent and aspiring creators like you get to do more than just showcase raw talent. You get the chance to blow people away with it. And if your work wins at Venice, you’ll be working with a world class team dedicated to bringing your next creative vision to life.

Question : Is there an entry fee?

Answer : No! There are no entry fees for entering Your Film Festival.

Question : Will this affect my work's ability to get into other festivals and awards?

Answer : Many festivals allow submissions that have been previously distributed online. In fact, there are some prestigious festivals that actually source some of their selections from the internet. If you’re interested in submitting your work to another festival, just be sure to read their Terms and Conditions for any possible restrictions.

Question : What is Your Film Festival Limited?

Answer : Your Film Festival Limited is a subsidiary of Scott Free Films Limited which was formed in 1995 and is the world class film and television production vehicle of acclaimed film directors, brothers Ridley Scott and Tony Scott. Recently Scott Free has produced several highly acclaimed features including the international hits Robin Hood, The A-Team, and Unstoppable; the indie films Cyrus and Welcome to the Rileys; and the documentary Life in a Day, directed by Kevin Macdonald, a film which tells the story of a single day on earth as seen through the eyes of thousands of YouTube users across the world.

Question : What is the timeline?

Answer :

Events
Start - End
Open Call for Entries
2/2/2012 - 3/31/2012
Voting Period
6/1/2012 - 7/13/2012
Finalists Announced
8/1/2012
Venice Film Festival
September 1-3, 2012
Grand Prize Winner Announced
9/3/2012

Question : Do I need a YouTube account to participate?

Answer : Yes, you’ll need a YouTube account in order to submit your video. Once you create an account, you’ll also be asked to sign up for the YouTube Partner Program. The YouTube Partner Program enables you to share ad revenue from your videos. Enrollment in the YouTube Partner Program is not a requirement for entry. If you’re just interested in watching the semi-finalist videos, you don’t need an account.

Question : How long can my work be?

Answer : It can be up to 15 minutes long.

Question : What formats and genres do you accept?

Answer : Any format, style and genre is welcome, so long as it's story-driven. It can be a short film, the first episode of a web series, or whatever else qualifies as a story-driven video. Fiction narratives and non-fiction documentaries are welcome.

Question : Who can participate? How old do I have to be?

Answer : You must be at least 18 years of age and above the age of majority in your country.

Question : Can I submit more than one entry?

Answer : Absolutely. You are welcome to submit as many entries as you like, so long as they are all story-driven and were not publicly shown or distributed before January 1, 2010.

Question : What language must my film be in?

Answer : You can submit your video in any language. If your video contains dialogue in a language that is not listed below, you must provide English captions or subtitles for that dialogue :

•  English
•  Spanish
•  Portuguese
•  German
•  Russian
•  Italian
•  Japanese
•  French

In the case that your entry is not in one of the above languages, and does not already contain English captions and subtitles, you can use YouTube's captioning and translation tools.

Question : What rights do I need?

Answer : You must have rights in and to all contributions to and material in your entry, including for example any trademarks, logos, names, likenesses, previously existing material and musical material that appears in your entry, the contributions of all writers, cast and crew and any locations appearing in your entry. These rights must be cleared worldwide for non-exclusive online/internet (including internet television), in-flight and film festival exploitation through at least December 31, 2013. If you have granted any of these rights on an exclusive basis to a distributor, broadcaster or other third party in any territory your entry is not eligible. 

If selected as a semi-finalist or alternate, you may be required by to provide copies of these clearances. These sample forms are intended primarily for reference and in most cases are meant to clear the relevant material or contribution for use in all media (rather than just those media required for this competition). Even if you intend to use any of these sample clearance forms, they will probably require customization by you or your professional advisers. You are solely responsible for ensuring you have obtained all necessary clearances and for obtaining your own professional advice on the terms of such clearances.

Question : Am I granting YouTube an exclusive right to my entry?

Answer : Not at all!

Question : Are there any rules for what I can not submit?

Answer : Your entry must be story-driven and abide by the YouTube Terms of Service. It also can not have been publicly exhibited or distributed prior to January 1, 2010. Beyond that, it’s entirely up to you.

Question : My video has already been featured in other film festivals or contests. Can I still enter?

Answer : You bet you can. Again, as long as the video was not publicly played before January 1, 2010, it is eligible for Your Film Festival.

Question : Can I use music?

Answer : Absolutely! But remember, whenever you include someone else’s work (like music) as part of your video, you must possess all of the appropriate rights and licenses. For the purposes of Your Film Festival, this includes online/internet (including internet television), in-flight and film festival rights. Remember, if any music appears in your entry, even if it’s in the background, you must clear it. If you are using any recording, you must also clear that separately. Music clearance can be complex, time-consuming, and expensive (particularly for any pre-existing music and/or recording which you intend to license), so make sure you leave plenty of time to obtain clearances and seek professional advice if you are unsure about how to do so. Again, if selected as a semi-finalist or alternate, you may be required to provide copies of these rights and clearances.

Question : What are the best specifications for uploading my footage to YouTube?

Answer : YouTube accepts most digital video formats. However, for optimal playback, we suggest that you use the compressions.

Question : Does my entry need to be publicly viewable?

Answer : No, not at all. You may upload your entry as either public or unlisted. Unlisted means that only people who know the link to the video can view it, and the video will not appear in any of YouTube's public spaces (such as search results, your channel, or the Browse page). 
Your entry is only required to be publicly viewable if it is selected as a semi-finalist.

Question : Will my submission be viewable on the channel after I submit it?


Answer : Only the 50 semi-finalists, as selected by Scott Free and their curation team, will be available for viewing on the Your Film Festival channel. Semi-finalists will be divided evenly across 5 global regions: North America, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and Asia and Australia. Only the semi-finalist films will be viewable on the competition website.

Question : When will I know if I am selected as a semi-finalist?

Answer : Semi-finalists and alternates will begin to be notified on or about April 16, 2012.

Question : What will my video be judged on?

Answer : For the purposes of determining semi-finalists, entries will be judged on:

•  Storytelling
•  Creativity and Originality
•  Screenplay and Actor(s) Performances
•  Technical Execution : Camera/Sound/Lighting/Editing
•  Overall Impression

Question : How many semi-finalists are there?

Answer : There are intended to be 50 semi-finalists.

Question : Where will the semi-finalist videos be available for viewing?

Answer : The semi-finalist videos will appear on the Your Film Festival channel and on YouTube, on any device or platform in which YouTube is available, including desktop, mobile devices, and internet enabled televisions. They will also appear on Emirates Airlines in-flight entertainment systems (ICE) and at the 2012 Venice Film Festival.

Question : How does voting work?

Answer : Only the 50 semi-finalists, as selected by Your Film Festival Limited and their curation team, will be available for viewing on the Your Film Festival channel. Semi-finalists will be spread across 5 global regions: North America, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and Asia and Australia. Only the semi-finalist films will be viewable on the competition website.

Question : What happens if I’m selected as a finalist?

Answer : You’ll receive a trip, courtesy of Emirates Airlines, to the 2012 Venice Film Festival where your video will be screened as a part of the opening days of the Festival. You’ll also have a spotlight shined on you as a storyteller, with videos about your inspiration and storytelling journey featured on the Your Film Festival channel. Additionally, Your Film Festival Limited will reserve the right to approach you about a potential development deal for future projects. Finally, you’ll be asked to prepare a concept for what you would do, if awarded the grand prize production.

Question : How does the grand prize selection work?

Answer : A grand prize jury of industry professionals, including Ridley Scott, will judge the 10 finalist films on the following criteria :

•  Storytelling
•  Creativity and Originality
•  Screenplay and Actor(s) Performances
•  Technical Execution: Camera/Sound/Lighting/Editing
•  Overall Impression
•  The quality of their Grand Prize concept
•  The jury will then choose a winner, who will be announced at a Your Film Festival ceremony, streamed live from Venice in September 2012


Question : What happens if I win the grand prize?

Answer : If you are awarded the Grand Prize at Venice, you'll receive a $500,000 USD production grant to work with Ridley Scott's award-winning producers at Scott Free to create a new original work intended for distribution on YouTube. You'll work with Your Film Festival Limited (or its designee) to develop your concept shortly after the 2012 Venice Film Festival, and then you'll be off to write your script. 

Friday, March 9, 2012

How to Write E-Book?



E-books are the best way to provide almost all sorts of information to target audience online. These days, e-books have become very popular online. Millions of people across the globe are enjoying the benefits of e-book.

Writing e-books have also become a popular source of earning. Many people have taken it as a career and are earning well. If you would like to write an e-book, here are some directions to help you. These tips will help you write some superb e-books.

1. Reason to Write :

Your motto to write an e-book will suggest whether it is going to be a success written down the reason that motivates you to write an e-book. This will give you motivation to keep going when the time gets tough.

2. Opt for a Subject :

This is really easy. When it comes to writing e-book, there are several topics to choose from. Try to spend some time to find a subject that interests you. Make sure that you have certain amount of knowledge about the subject that you have chosen. The more you know about a subject, the better you would be able to write.

3. Choose a Title :

Once you have opted for a subject to write an e-book on, the next step is to choose your title. Try to write down a few ones prior to deciding the one you would be using. The title should provide a crystal clear idea of what contains in your e-book. Try to find out a catchy title but at the same time, this title should go well with the subject.

4. Target Audience :

The overall style of writing and the content would entirely depend on your target audience. It is important to decide your target audience. Some of the major factors you need to focus on are age, social background and education. For instance, you cannot write about ‘Diaspora theme’ for people who have not had much of education in their life. They would not be able to grasp technical words.


5. Thesis Statement :

Your e-book is not complete without a thesis statement. If you are not aware of what it is, you can visit some of the sources that can help you provide details on the topic. A thesis statement can be explained as a sentence or two that are written to display the reason you have composed the e-book and what you expect to write about in the book.


6. Document :

Once you have created a foundation all you need to do is to start writing. Now, you need to choose the format and layout of your document. This should also include headings, chapters and introductions.

7. Format :

Choosing a specific e-book format is a personal choice. You may opt for executable (.exe) file or a portable document format file (.pdf). .exe files are complied only after using an e-book complier. .pdf files can be created via using Adobe Acrobat.


Becoming an e-book writer is can prove to be an excellent source of earning money for you. In case, you are already an article writer it will be quite easy for you to become an e-book writer.

How to Write Essay



Most of us have been writing essays right from our childhood. Some of us may have really liked this, some would do it just because it is a part of our curriculum and others would just hate it. Regardless of what people think about essay writing, it is definitely fun at some point or the other. It depends on the kind of topic you choose.

If you want to write essays in a professional manner, you need to keep some rules in mind. These are rules that need to be followed when defining the body of an essay, the introduction, different paragraphs and closing. Most essays can range from five paragraphs and the others may go on and on to twenty pages or more depending on the requirement of the topic. An essay needs to be true to the topic. It must provide clear explanation on your point of view. A good essay writer will always make his essay look clear, informative and elucidate the points.

Here are some steps to follow when writing an essay :

A. Contest :

There are certain parameters of an essay that needs to be perfectly defined by you. These include the format of the title page and the length. Remember that an essay will not reach up to the mark if it fails to follow rules.

B. Settle for A Topic :

Usually a topic is decided by the writer. In case, it is not, try to opt for something that holds your interest. You need to have a passion for the subject you have chosen for essay writing.


C. Thesis Statement :

This is very important for essay writing. It is a statement that focuses on what you are trying to explain. Make sure that your thesis statement has it all. It should be impressive and packed with a punch!


D. Research on Information :

No matter how much knowledge you have about a specific subject, it is always good to have a clear view on what you are trying to explain. Try to collect a lot of information from various sources and then initiate the project. Do not ignore the points you do not agree with. Try to know more about them prior to reaching a final conclusion.

E. Plan :

This step starts with having a detailed look into whatever information you have gathered. Organize these according to your requirements and eliminate the one that needs to be ruled out according to you.

F. Body :

Focus on writing the body of the essay first. Each point you add need to be espoused with evidences, instances and arguments. Avoid ‘I statements’.


G. Summary :

This is to conclude your essay. You need to provide a compendium to each point and at last a final summary where you would be just putting everything that you have already said, in a nutshell.


H. Three R :

Read, revise and review are vital once your essay has seen the light of accomplishment. Read your piece of work again and again, revise for any point that you missed out on or added by mistake and finally get it reviewed for any spelling or grammatical errors. Also make sure that you make more than one person read your essay and get some remarks on it.

If essay writing is your hobby, you can earn a lot by making it a profession. Even if you have been an English article writer or native English writer, you can think of starting a career as an essay writer.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Ten Writing Categories on SAT Test



As you study for the SAT, one of the main areas you will want to focus on is the Writing portion of the test. Review this article as part of your SAT test prep as it covers the 10 Writing categories you want to know cold by test day.

The multiple-choice Writing section consists of 49 questions.

There are 25 “Correct the Sentence” Questions that require you to edit and repair sentences.

There are 18 “Identifying Sentence Error” Questions that (shockingly enough) require you to identify errors (but not correct them.)

There are 6 “Correct the Paragraph” Questions that require you read and edit a paragraph.

On the majority of tests, at least 42 if not all 43 of the Correct the Sentence and Identifying Sentence Error questions can be labeled as one of the 10 categories we will discuss here. So, if you learn these categories well, you can dominate the multiple-choice writing on the SAT.
 1.  Subject Errors :
 Subject errors are QUITE common on the SAT. We will cover specific subject errors in another post, but generally speaking they will consist of things such as me versus I; its versus their; singular versus plural; when to use “one”‘; ambiguous pronouns, etc

2. Verb Errors :

Verb errors are also quite common on the SAT and test you on number (singular versus plural), tense (present versus past versus past-perfect), etc

3. Transition Errors :

Transition errors test your ability to properly link two clauses. You will encounter three main types of transition errors :

A. Run-On Sentences: Run-on sentences are sentences in which two independent clauses are linked together with improper punctuation. Basically, two complete sentences are connected by a comma rather than a period.

Example : Mark is the worst tutor in the United States, all of his students do horribly on the SAT.

While this is factually correct, it is grammatically incorrect because it has two complete sentences connected with a comma. They should be connected by a semi-colon or “and” should be added before “all”.

B. Fragments : Sentence fragments tend to consist of a group of words that do not form a complete sentence. In the majority of cases they are either lacking a verb or are missing the final portion of the sentence.

Example : Mark, the worst tutor in the United States, and all of his students do horribly on the SAT.

Again, factually correct, but grammatically incorrect because it is missing a verb. It should be Mark is the worst tutor…

C. Illogical Links : Transition errors of this kind involve two clauses that are not linked logically. The word used to link the two clauses does not make logical sense.

Example : Mark is the worst tutor in the United States, and all of his students do incredibly well on the SAT.

That’s just weird. If Mark is the worst tutor in the US, why would his students do well on the SAT? You would need to change and to but.

4. Modifier Errors :

There are two main types of modifier errors :

A. Adjectives vs Adverbs : You are expected to know when to use an adjective and when to use an adverb.

Adjective: Used to modify a noun.

He is a quick runner.

Adverb: Used to modify a verb or adjective.

He runs quickly.

He is incredibly lucky.

B. Dangling Modifiers : A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that is not clearly or logically related to the word or words it modifies

Example : Walking along the pier, an alligator crept out of the water as we watched.

As written here, the alligator was walking along the pier. But, in truth it was the people who were walking along the pier. So it should instead be something along the lines of: Walking along the pier, we watched as an alligator crept out of the water.

5. Parallelism Errors :

Parallelism errors are pretty common on the SAT. Generally speaking, when listing a bunch of things, they should be in the same form.

Example : In my spare time I enjoy running, eating, and to cry.

Ignoring the fact that I like to cry in my spare time, it’s important to note that the verbs should all be in the same form: running, eating, and crying.

In addition, there are certain phrases that require parallel form such as not only . . . but also . . .

Example : Mark was not only annoying but also disgusting.

The words that follow the not only must be in the same form as the words that follow the but also. In this case they are adjectives.

6. Idiom Errors :

Idiom errors, along with comparison errors, are among the hardest you will encounter on test day. Errors of idiomatic expression test usage of prepositions.

Example : Mark has a tendency of teaching his students incorrect information about the SAT.

The phrase tendency of teaching should instead be tendency to teach.

7. Comparison Errors :

There are two main types of comparison errors :

A. Number : You are expected to know what words to use when comparing two things and what words to use when comparing three or more things.
Two - Three or More
between - among
more - most
less - least
great-er- great-est

B. Illogical comparisons : These are tricky because they test you on your literal interpretation of text.
Example : Greek people eat more feta and tomatoes than Turkish people.

What is meant here: Greeks eat a lot of feta and tomatoes, Turks do not.

What is actually being said: Greeks are cannibals and eat Turkish people. Granted they eat more feta and tomatoes than Turkish flesh, but they eat Turkish flesh.

How to fix it: Greek people eat more feta and tomatoes than do Turkish people.

The illogical comparison errors are tricky and we will cover these in more detail in a later post.

8. Diction Errors :

These do not show up very often, but they are tricky when they do because you simply may not notice them if your guard is down. Diction errors occur when they use the wrong word.

For example, they’d say effect instead of affect. Or they might say perspective benefits instead of prospective benefits.

9. Redundancy Errors :

These errors occur when they have added in extra words that are not needed. A very common example you might encounter on test day involves the phrase “the reason is because”:

Example : The reason I was late is because I was in traffic.

Once you say the phrase “the reason” you do not need to say “because”. You can either just say :

The reason I was late is that I was in trafficOrI was late because I was in traffic.

10. “Weird” sounding No Errors :

This final category describes the sentences that are written correctly but sound “weird” to you ear. These weird sounding no-error questions tend to occur on the hardest questions in the section, which makes perfect sense logically.

Questions 9 – 11 and 25 – 29 in the 35-question multiple-choice section and questions 11 – 14 of the 14-question multiple-choice section are the hardest questions.

If one of those questions is going to have No Error then it better sound “weird” or else everyone would be able to tell that there is no error. If everyone can tell it is no error, then what is it doing among the hardest questions in the section?

So, when a question sounds “weird” to you but not necessarily “wrong,” you should consider where you are in the section and ask yourself if the phrasing that sounds off to you is “wrong” or perhaps just non-standard diction that you are not used to hearing

Learn these categories well and as you do your practice SAT exams, try to place each writing multiple-choice question into one of these 10 categories.

As you do more and more practice questions, you will reach a point where you can categorize a question before you have even finished reading the question and your score will shoot up into the 700s.
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