DPUIC Blog

Third version of Apple I-phone

2009-06-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

THE GOOD
The iPhone 3GS finally adds common cell phone features like multimedia messaging, video recording, and voice dialing. It runs faster; its promised battery life is longer; and the multimedia quality continues to shine.

THE BAD
The iPhone 3GS' call quality shows no improvements and the 3G signal reception remains uneven. We still don't get Flash Lite, USB transfer and storage, or multitasking.

THE BOTTOM LINE
The iPhone 3GS doesn't make the same grand leap that the iPhone 3G made from the first-generation model, but the latest Apple handset is still a compelling upgrade for some users. The iPhone 3GS is faster and we appreciate the new features and extended battery life, but call quality and 3G reception still need improvement.

NASA had launch the next rocket

2009-06-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

The agency's Constellation project aims to replace the retiring space shuttle with Ares I, which will fly the Orion crew capsule to near-Earth orbit, and Ares V to carry a rocket and lunar lander. But to do this, NASA needs tens of billions of extra dollars over the next decade (New Scientist, 25 April, p 6).

Ares I has also been beset by technical problems and its advocates now find themselves struggling to defend it against rival spacecraft. What were fringe alternatives a few months ago are now being seriously considered.

Representatives argued for their concepts (see graphic) last week in Washington DC at the first public meeting of an expert committee tasked by the White House to recommend future spacecraft and mission options for NASA (New Scientist, 16 May, p 7).

An emissary from a group of rebel NASA engineers promoted a family of rockets called Jupiter. Executives from several aerospace companies pushed for various commercially built rockets. Even the NASA space shuttle manager, John Shannon, suggested an alternative, the Heavy Launch Vehicle, in which space shuttle rockets boost a light Apollo-like capsule to orbit.

All the rockets have enough muscle to take a crew capsule to the International Space Station, which is in low-Earth orbit, but only a few can handle more distant missions. The most powerful are the largest of the Jupiter group and the Heavy Launch Vehicle, each of which could provide the lift needed for moon missions. The Jupiter rocket could even bring Mars within reach, its backers claim.

NASA's current plan involves developing both Ares I and its more powerful companion, Ares V. The two rockets would rendezvous in low-Earth orbit, transferring a crew capsule from Ares I to a rocket and a lunar lander carried by Ares V. These then combine and fly to the moon, leaving the Ares rockets behind.

However, many now doubt that Congress will be willing to fund more than one new rocket, so if the agency continues with Ares I, it may be the only rocket it gets. The committee will report at the end of August.

Chinese Economic Structure

2009-06-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Beginning in the late 1978, China Economy has been moving to a more market oriented economy. China decollectivized agriculture, yielding tremendous gains in production. Driven by a sharp rise in the procurement price paid for crops and what amounted to the semi-privatization of agriculture, the share of agricultural output in total GDP rose from 30% in 1980 to 33% three years later. However, after that the share of agriculture has fallen fairly steadily, and by 2002 it accounted for only 15.4% of GDP. Thus , even with these improvements, agriculture accounts for only 20% of the nation's gross national product.
At present, more than half of the population depends on agriculture for living. However agriculture's contribution to GDP has remained low.
Significantly large share of industrial production in GDP, characterized the Chinese economy, much before the start of economic reforms there.
ROLE OF STATE vs MARKET
Until 1978, industrial output was dominated by large state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Gradually, the share of state-owned and state-holding enterprises in gross industrial output value had shrunk; in 2002 it was around 41%. However, state-owned companies, controlled by economic ministries in Beijing (Capital of China), represented only 16% of industrial output. State-holding enterprises may control large numbers of state firms, and are not 100% state-owned.

The changes in economic policy, including decentralization of control and the creation of "special economic zones" to attract foreign investment, led to considerable industrial growth, especially in light industries that produce consumer goods.

Micheal Jackson

2009-06-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the "King of Pop" and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday. He was 50.

Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented home in Holmby Hills. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at his home for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors continued to work on him.

"It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known," his brother Jermaine said. Police said they were investigating, standard procedure in high-profile cases.

Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

His 1982 album "Thriller" — which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" — is the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide.

At the time of his death, Jackson was rehearsing hard for what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July 13.

As word of his death spread, MTV switched its programming to play videos from Jackson's heyday. Radio stations began playing marathons of his hits. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital. In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.

"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend had sent him. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."

The public first knew him as a boy in the late 1960s, when he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the singing group he formed with his four older brothers out of Gary, Ind. Among their No. 1 hits were "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "I'll Be There."

He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his backward-gliding moonwalk, his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched singing, punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks, as was his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.

"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced "Thriller." "He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He united two of music's biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie, and Jackson's death immediately evoked comparisons to that of Presley himself, who died at age 42 in 1977.

As years went by, Jackson became an increasingly freakish figure — a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grown-up life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He often wore a germ mask while traveling, kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions, and surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, a storybook playland filled with toys, rides and animals. The tabloids dubbed him "Wacko Jacko."

"It seemed to me that his internal essence was at war with the norms of the world. It's as if he was trying to defy gravity," said Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s. He called Jackson a "disciple of P.T. Barnum" and said the star appeared fragile at the time but was "much more cunning and shrewd about the industry than anyone knew."

Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.

In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.

The case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV documentary, he acknowledged sharing his bed with children, a practice he described as sweet and not at all sexual.

Despite the acquittal, the lurid allegations that came out in court took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.

Jackson was 4 years old when he began singing with his brothers — Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie and Tito — in the Jackson 5. After his early success with bubblegum soul, he struck out on his own, generating innovative, explosive, unstoppable music.

The album "Thriller" alone mixed the dark, serpentine bass and drums and synthesizer approach of "Billie Jean," the grinding Eddie Van Halen solo on "Beat It," and the hiccups and falsettos on "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."

The peak may have come in 1983, when Motown celebrated its 25th anniversary with an all-star televised concert and Jackson moonwalked off with the show, joining his brothers for a medley of old hits and then leaving them behind with a pointing, crouching, high-kicking, splay-footed, crotch-grabbing run through "Billie Jean."

The audience stood and roared. Jackson raised his fist.

By then he had cemented his place in pop culture. He got the plum Scarecrow role in the 1978 movie musical "The Wiz," a pop-R&B version of "The Wizard of Oz," that starred Diana Ross as Dorothy.

During production of a 1984 Pepsi commercial, Jackson's scalp sustains burns when an explosion sets his hair on fire.

He had strong follow-up albums with 1987's "Bad" and 1991's "Dangerous," but his career began to collapse in 1993 after he was accused of molesting a boy who often stayed at his home. The singer denied any wrongdoing, reached a settlement with the boy's family, reported to be $20 million, and criminal charges were never filed.

Jackson's expressed anger over the allegations on the 1995 album "HIStory," which sold more than 2.4 million copies, but by then, the popularity of Jackson's music was clearly waning, even as public fascination with his increasingly erratic behavior was growing.

Cardiac arrest is an abnormal heart rhythm that stops the heart from pumping blood to the body. It can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems.

Billboard magazine editorial director Bill Werde said Jackson's star power was unmatched. "The world just lost the biggest pop star in history, no matter how you cut it," Werde said. "He's literally the king of pop."

Jackson's 13 No. 1 one hits on the Billboard charts put him behind only Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Mariah Carey, Werde said.

"He was on the eve of potentially redeeming his career a little bit," he said. "People might have started to think of him again in a different light."

Cambodia in the past

2009-06-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

oSmoSe

2009-06-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Who we are
Linking community-based conservation, ecotourism & environmental education
Osmose, a not-for-profit association, has implemented a pilot conservation and development project in 3 floating villages of the Prek Toal area, Tonle Sap Lake. The site is critical for the survival of several species of endangered waterbirds. The project aims to link preservation of waterbird colonies to the sustainable development of local communities. In addition to saving seven bird species from extinction, over 130 families benefit from our project.
In essence, our program is an environmental awareness endeavour combining short-term priorities (saving the bird colonies from extinction), long-term ownership building (environmental education) and economic incentives (direct and indirect benefits to target groups).
What we do
Through a jointly managed program with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Osmose has developed an integrated approach through three types of programmes:Conservation: close protection of waterbird colonies by a local conservation team employing 25 villagers, half of them being former bird collectorsEducation: indoor and outdoor environmental classes for over 1,100 children, instilling care and appreciation for their natural environmentEcotourism: organisation of guided tours to the bird sanctuary and floating villages for small groups aiming to provide alternative income-generating activities for villagersIn addition, we have developed a floating gardens project to assist 54 families in growing products for both consumption and sale. We also support the revival of local knowledge of water hyacinth weaving, which the community sells as handicrafts. This has helped to improve the livelihoods of 24 village women and to reduce the spread of water hyacinth on the lake. We also provide health and schooling assistance to the poorest families.
What you can experience
Take a tour on the great Tonle Sap Lake to see Prek Toal Wildlife Sanctuary and the endangered bird species of Cambodia. This includes tours of the floating villages and other points of interest such as crocodile farm, pagoda and observation of fishing techniques.Visit the Osmose office in Siem Reap to learn more about what we do.Purchase publications, posters or village handicrafts woven from water hyacinth and support a valuable project.

Undergraduate Orientation Day 2009

2009-06-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

This year’s undergraduate orientation saw the arrival of lots of new faces. The picture above displays some of new and current students, including our new undergraduate student committee. The picture was taken by one of our students, IBIT 3rd year, Wiraphon Kruechant ‘Boy’.
Our international college is a truly international environment with students of a wide range of nationalities. Our students are from a diverse set of countries including; Africa, America, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, China, Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam and, of course, Thailand! Come and experience global diversity at DPUIC.