Reflection on the week 11/16/2008-11/22/2008

1. Peer-to-Peer
2. Windows 7
3. Recession
4. Edison (software)
5. Microsoft
6. Black Monday ( 11/24/2008 )
7. Black Friday
8. Samsung- solid state drives
9. Monty Python
10. Somalia – pirated oil tanker
11. Dubai
12. Personal Thoughts

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1. Peer-to-Peer
   p2p is responsible for ripping off the music industry by 70 billion dollars. This coincidentally is also the amount by which the American auto industry is hoping to get in the bailout from the US government.
2. Windows 7
   The Beta for Windows 7 is rumored to be available sometime next year. A few individuals who attended a developers conference a few weeks ago were fortunate enough to get their hands on the beta for Windows 7.
3. Recession
   Two other nations entered a recession this past week. Germany entered a recession early in the week with Japan entering a recession on Tuesday.
4. Edison (software)
   Edison is a software which works with a PC to become more environmentally friendly. It will idle the computer when not in use. You are able to set a schedule for when to idle the computer and by using this software your energy bill should be cheaper. I have yet to test this software out, but I am eager to see what this program has to offer.
5. Microsoft
   It seems every day Microsoft is in the news. Well last week it was suggested that Microsoft might be making their own anti-virus software. Microsoft wants to make their own anti-virus software but also give it to the public for free. This could potentially lead to a lawsuit from Symantec or McAfee.
6. Black Monday ( 11/24/2008 )
   Calling the upcoming “Black Monday” is misleading since most people think of an economic disturbance. However this Monday is a scheduled date for when a lot of malware is to be spilled into networks. First thing you do on Monday when you get to work is to check to make sure all anti-virus and protection software is up to date before checking emails. Do not click on suspicious emails and be wary of untrusted websites.
7. Black Friday
   Black Friday is referred to the day after Thanksgiving where many Americans hit the shopping malls and stores to take advantage of great deals and sales. Black Friday is called “black” Friday because this is when many companies will go from being in the “red” and rise into the “black”, profit speaking. This year however most companies will not experience a Black Friday since most will still remain profitless for the year. Also regarding Black Friday a few companies have already started their seasonal sales, trying to get a week or two more into their seasonal sale time. Most online merchants have put up deals and bargains early. As for myself I have not started any of my Christmas shopping, which I am not too happy about.
8. Samsung- solid state drives
   Samsung has announced it is making a solid state drive which is 256 GB in capcity. It has been proven that solid state drives are faster in performance, but can be a burden when it comes to updating programs or installing drivers. I believe solid state hard drives are a good technology advancement. I like the idea of moving away from moving parts in computer hardware to a hard drive that requires no moving parts. Not only is the solid state drive faster in performance, but I believe the life of a solid state hard drive is incredibly greater than a moving parts hard drive which is now in most computers.
9. Monty Python
   The best selling material from Monty Python is the Life of Brian, however I only have seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It was announced this past week that Monty Python will be going on YouTube. What will be featured on YouTube related to Monty Python? New and old material will be released on YouTube regarding Monty Python.
10. Somalia – Oil tanker piracy
    This past week pirates have been active in the seas around Somalia. They hijacked at least two oil tankers requesting large amounts of money be paid for the release of the ships. Now cargo ships have been forced around the Southern tip of Africa in order to get to the Atlantic ocean. The insurance costs for shipping agencies has increased due to these events.
11. Dubai
    An exclusive party was held in Dubai in the later part of last week. The estimate on the total cost for the party is around 20 million dollars. 2000 people attended including Michael Jordon who said the even was great. There was a huge fireworks display which was said to be seen from space. There was a champagne reception and a huge feast, Atlantic Lobster being one of the main dishes. Lindsey Lohan attended the event to DJ the rest of the party after a popular Australian singer opened the event.
12. Personal Thoughts
    I am getting excited for Thanksgiving. I will be spending time with family in the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin. The academic semester is racing to a finsih, with only three and half weeks left. Rifle season started for deer hunting in the State of Wisconsin and many have headed to the Northern woods to test their ability against the four legged creatures with white tails. Three of my roommates are participating in the opening weekend of rifle season. Seeing as though I will be out of town next weekend I am not sure if I will be able to post a weekend reflection or not.

Sources: Google News and KenRadio

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