A school bus driver who drugged and then sexually abused children over a six-year period is jailed. School bus driver abused children

Twelve months ago, scavengers swarmed to Devon in search of plunder. Who has the booty they took away? Riches from the sea

Hieronim Kostka

On a discussion board recently, someone asked me what I thought about Second LIfe and was a bit surprised when I responded that I thought it was interesting, but that it didn’t really have staying power because of some fundamental architectural flaws in its design. Based on his response, I thought it would be interesting for me to post my message here too and solicit input from the general blogosphere on SL, virtual worlds and the challenges and opportunities of massively multiplayer online communities.

My initial comment in the discussion was thus:

“My take: Second Life is an evolutionary step, but unto itself is definitely overhyped. We will get interesting virtual worlds in the next few years that will offer opportunities for businesses, but SL is faddish and already seems to have “come and gone” with the popular press, bloggers, etc. The problem is that the network and computer software can’t keep up with the demands of a true 3D environment where everything has to be downloaded on demand. Compare it to something like World of Warcraft, another huge 3d virtual world, but one where the avatars are custom and the landscape is created using a very small number of shapes and textures, and you’ll see that SL is far inferior as a user experience.”

I then expanded on my thoughts quite a bit.

Why I don’t think that Second Life has staying power

Apple today introduced iLife ?08, the most significant upgrade ever to Apple?s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring a major new version of iPhoto and a completely reinvented iMovie. iPhoto ?08 automatically organizes photo libraries into Events that let users more easily manage their growing photo collections, and iMovie ?08 introduces an entirely new way for users to quickly make movies and share them online. Both iPhoto and iMovie integrate seamlessly with the new .Mac Web Gallery, Apple?s new service for .Mac members to instantly create and host stunning online websites for their photos and videos. Apple Introduces iLife ?08.

Harvard Medical School researchers have identified cancer stem cells for melanoma that both trigger the initial tumor and drive its later growth.The discovery may help lead to better treatments against the cancer. The cancer stem cells pump out chemicals from cancer cells, helping the tumor resist chemotherapy. (Source: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19726395.200-rogue-stem-cells-hold-clue-to-melanoma-growth.html) Rogue stem cells hold clue to melanoma growth (preview)

VMware, which makes virtualization software — as if everyone knows what that is — has been soaring in its first day as a publicly traded stock.

VMware IPO Blowing the Doors Down

Architect Philip Johnson (1906 ? 2005) exerted tremendous influence as a key figure in modernism, MOMA?s first director of architecture, a major art collector and donor, and the designer of American landmarks including New York?s AT&T and Seagram buildings. Now his iconic private residence, the Glass House, is opening to the public for the first time ? and design pros worldwide are queuing up to tour a property many have studied for their entire careers. Philip Johnson: A Glass House Opens

50 Cent erupted Thursday night after his collaboration with Robin Thicke surfaced online in song and video form. 50 Cent Erupts After Song, Video With Robin Thicke Leak: Source

The BBC’s Spanish-language Web site has embarked on a content initiative to explore the impact of Spanish on American culture, with an eye on expanding online offerings with news and information aimed at U.S. Hispanics.BBC Online Explores Impact of Spanish on America, Plans Launch of U.S. Hispanic-Targeted Content (Marketing Y Medios)

IBM is assigning staff from its Australian and Asian offices to help man its Business Centre in the 3D online world of Second Life.IBM expands virtual world presence (Sydney Morning Herald)

A collaborative team of scientists reported findings today demonstrating the presence of Marburg virus RNA genome and antibodies in a common species of African fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus).Scientists detect presence of marburg virus in african fruit bats (EurekAlert!)

In the world of digital type, it is very easy for a designer or compositor with no regard for letters to squish them into cattle trains and ship them to slaughter.

Don’t alter the widths or shapes or letters without cause

FileMaker today announced the immediate availability of FileMaker Pro 9, a major new version of the company?s award-winning database application for Windows and Mac OS X. Offering more than 30 ease-of-use breakthroughs ? including live connections to SQL data and an innovative PHP site assistant ? FileMaker Pro 9 makes it easier to create, automate, and share databases, as well as to generate reports. With versions designed for end users and database developers, the new product line consists of FileMaker Pro 9, FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced, FileMaker Server 9, and FileMaker Server 9 Advanced. FileMaker Introduces FileMaker Pro 9

iWork ?08 provides ?a solid deal for anyone needing an affordable office suite for the Mac,? according to Elsa Wenzel (cnet.com). She praises the new writing and layout tools in Pages ?08, including the contextual Format Bar, Change Tracking, automatic list formatting, and the abundance of page templates. Wenzel points out that ?Keynote ?08 adds some smart features that PowerPoint lacks. It?s also a breeze to figure out from the get-go.? And she notes that ?Numbers reveals ease-of-use novelties that competitive tools don?t provide,? concluding that ?the majority of users who rely upon spreadsheets as one-size-fits-all tools for household and light office work should be pleased to have a new option for Macs.? iWork ?08 a ?strong Mac productivity package and a pleasure to use,? says CNET

Here is your opportunity to learn copywriting. If you’ve visited this website before, you’ll know that I’m Meredith Eisenberg and I have helped many online business owners increase their search engine traffic, sales and media exposure through my copywriting services.Learn Copywriting - Build a Better Online Presence

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