Stanley Park : Monuments and memories

More than 50 memorials dot Vancouver’s Stanley park. But once you leave the park, will you remember even one?

By Stephen Osborne

In the beginning

A year after Vancouver became a municipality in 1886, the first city council petitioned the federal government to lease 400 hectares of land to the city to be used as a park. Originally a forest of old growth trees that was home to Musqueam and Squamish First Nations, it was then a marine base for the Royal Navy. The British government  handed over the largely logged forest land, and on September 27, 1888, Stanley park was officially opened. Since then, the park has undergone immense changes. In 1937, construction began on the lions gate bridge, which linked the park to north and west Vancouver a year later. And though it took more than 60 years to build, the 8.85 kilometre long  paved seawall that skirts the park was finally completed in 1980. Stanley park is now the third largest city owned park in north America (behind Chapultepec park in Mexico city and the golden gate national recreation area in San Fransisco) and hosts more than eight million visitors each year.

Apple introduces 13-inch MacBook Pro

 

Today who is not familiar with Apple products? If there is, it means that people miss the news about the technology. Apple is not a fruit but computer technology, the work of Steve jobs and Steve Wozniak. This year Apple launched the iPhone 5, Apple announced that it has sold over five million of its new iPhone 5 just three days after launch on September 21, and more than 100 million iOS devices have been updated with iOS 6, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. iPhone 5 is available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and the UK, and will be available in 22 more countries on September 28 and more than 100 countries by the end of the year.

After the successful launch of the iPhone 5, Apple today introduced a new version of its popular 13-inch MacBook Pro, featuring a stunning Retina display, long 7 hour battery life is impressive for any notebook. But for high performance notebook with an ultra high resolution display, top of the line processor and graphics and superslim design. It’s absolutely remarkable, the built in battery gives you up to 1000 full charge and discharge cycles and up to 30 days of instant on standby time, next with a dual core Intel corei5 or Intel corei7 processor, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with retina display lets you take your most performances hungry apps on the road, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with retina display also featuring Intel HD graphics 4000, perfect for both everyday tasks and graphics intensive creative apps and all flash storage in a compact design. At a mere 0.75 inches and 3.57 pounds, the remarkably portable 13-incehs MacBook Pro. Its available today through the apple online store and apple retail stores, starting at $1,699 (U.S). so what are you waiting for?

The best comic book store you should visited

comic is fun reading material, reading comic we can imagine that we want to be a superhero, this is a dream of a child. where can we buy comic? surely we can come to the bookstore to buy it but sometimes the comic book store does not provide the entire edition or incomplete. so how to find a store that is complete with the entire issue of the comic? If you comic geek,my advice and not have to think long you can go to Midtown comic. why midtown comic? comic is very complete and you can all day in this store to select and search for your favorite comic. It’s not just about comics! Midtown Comics offers a vast selection of comic book related action figures, statues, movies, books, collectibles, t-shirts & apparel and so much more.

Midtown Comics opened its first shop in 1997, and has become the leading comic book retailer in the U.S., with its online store as well as at three landmark NYC locations: Times Square, Grand Central and Downtown. The hottest titles are all here: DC The New 52, Batman, Green Lantern, Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Flash, Fear Itself, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Hellboy, Spider-Man, X-Men, Superman, Fantastic Four, Wonder Woman, Animal Man, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Wolverine, Ultimate Comics and more. Midtown offers the best independent, or alternative, comics selection as well, including Persepolis, Maus, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Scott Pilgrim, Love and Rockets and so many more. If you are outside of America, just like the midtown say “The best online comic book subscription service is also found at Midtown's online store, with no deposit and no commitment”. So what are you waiting for?

Passwords is easier to steal than ever

Companies rely on passwords to protect sensitive info from hackers. But unfortunately, passwords often aren't given the attention they deserve, leaving data barely more secure than it would be with no password at all. Here are some of the worst mistakes users make:

Keeping it simple - A recent analysis of stolen passwords revealed that too many users come up with passwords with fewer than six characters, only use lower-case letters, or choose a name, dictionary word or consecutive numbers (like '12345?).

Using the same password over and over again - For many users, if one of their passwords is stolen, not only is all of their personal data at risk, but so is any company protected by the same password.

Not using the full keyboard - Using numbers as well as letters can make a password a lot stronger. But few users take the next step and incorporate special characters such as!@#$%.

Writing the password down - As we wrote about recently, an alleged Russian spy recently learned that a strong password does no good when it's written down and attached to the user's computer.

Staying logged in - Users may have strong passwords committed to memory and not written down anywhere - but then give prying eyes easy access to sensitive data by staying logged in to databases and applications when they get up from their desks. As companies that have been hit by inside hackers know, you can't always trust everyone you work with.

Companies often try to use password policies to keep those mistakes from hampering security. But policies must be done right in order to have an effect. Here are some common password policy mistakes IT departments make:

Going overboard - Requiring users to have a new and extremely complex password every 30 days may only encourage folks to ignore the rules or keep passwords written down.

Getting lax - Some companies require strong passwords for users for their initial log-ins, but then get lax on other levels of security. That gives potential hackers only one tough password to crack, rather than several.

Not staying updated - Password policies don't always get looked at and revised very often. So even companies with good password policies might not be including all necessary systems.

How to increase your tablet's battery life

Tablets such as the iPad and the Motorola Xoom may be on their way to replacing conventional computers. A 2011 Nielsen survey found that 35 percent of desktop computer owners and 33 percent of laptop owners reduced their PC use or stopped using them altogether after they purchased a tablet. Unfortunately, as your tablet becomes your go-to device, you must wrestle with the same problem laptop and mobile-phone owners have faced for years: extending battery life while getting the most out of the device. While tablets are relatively new, the batteries inside haven’t changed a whole lot since the mid-1990s.

Improving the power consumption of a tablet is much like improving that of a mobile phone or laptop or even conserving energy at home: turn off what you don’t use, minimize the usage of features you do need and look for hidden features draining your battery. Here some step you can do it.

Instruction.
1. Reduce your screen’s brightness. This single step greatly improves your battery life. The screen is the largest power draw on a tablet. Dim your screen as much as you can handle without causing eyestrain. Some tasks, such as photo editing, may require full brightness, but reducing it for ordinary reading will pay off in extra uptime.

 2. Shorten the screen timeout interval. This feature called the Auto-Lock Interval on an iPad blacks out the screen when the tablet’s not in use. While you may have to touch the screen at regular intervals to keep the tablet awake while you read, you’ll extend your battery life significantly if you use the tablet frequently for short tasks like checking email or sending SMS messages. If you don't mind fiddling with settings, you can turn off the timeout when you're settling in for some reading, and then change it back afterwards.

3. Reduce or eliminate application updates, pings and syncs. For example, social media applications such as TweetDeck and Apple’s Ping update constantly by default, even when you’re not using them. Set applications to update manually whenever possible and you’ll conserve power even when your tablet is “asleep.” Likewise, Apple recommends turning off “push notifications” and email “push” settings on your iPad to conserve power.

4. Disable Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS when they aren’t needed. Even when these services aren’t in use, they continue to search for connections and remain “powered up.” Some tablets offer a widget to quickly enable or disable these antennas when you’re not using them. If your tablet also uses 3G or 4G wireless service, disable it when you’re using Wi-Fi, or use "airplane mode" if you're photo editing or watching a downloaded movie.

 5. Keep an eye on the applications that run in the background. Some, such as games, should be shut down when you’re done with them. Others, such as GPS-enabled apps, might use more power than you expect while they’re in the background, because they’re also accessing your GPS antenna. Kill or quit any apps you don’t need.

6. If your tablet has an Organic Light Emitting Diode screen, a dark-colored wallpaper will reduce the screen’s power draw. Unfortunately, this method won't work with LCD screens, which are illuminated by a static backlight.

Tablets vs. Laptops on Campus

If you're looking for something to take with you from class to class on campus, the choice between a laptop or a tablet is hardly a simple one. Laptops have the advantage in terms of functionality, but tablets are lighter, cheaper and let's be honest a lot sexier. If you already have a computer to serve as your educational base station at home or in your dorm, your options are more open. But if you don't, you should probably choose a laptop. Laptops are better for multitasking, writing papers and using spreadsheets, and they have more options for the different ways you can get your work done.

1.Prices and Quality

If your budget is limited and you already have a desktop PC, a tablet may be the better way to go. Even a higher-priced tablet like the Apple iPad is going to give you better value than a laptop in the same price range. If you do decide to buy an inexpensive laptop, it's vital that you understand it's limitations. Reviews for different models vary, regardless of the manufacturer. Generally, you'll find most complaints about inexpensive netbooks revolve around freezing, slow multitasking and crashing.

2. Typing

If you're a touch-typist, nothing will beat a full-sized keyboard. If you have to look at the keys to type, the difference between a regular keyboard and that on a tablet may not be very noticeable. Keep in mind as well that you can get wireless keyboards for a tablet, most of which are about the same size as that on a netbook.

3.Taking Notes

If you're deciding whether to use a laptop or a notebook for taking notes in class, two deciding factors are portability and functionality. A laptop with a full-sized keyboard is not as compact as a tablet. A netbook is roughly the same size as a large tablet, but doesn't give you the full-sized keyboard. Two points in favor of tablets in this regard are keyboard cases and note-taking apps. Peripheral manufacturers Belkin and Kensington both offer tablet cases that come with a Bluetooth keyboard, essentially turning a tablet into a laptop for about $100. You can set it on a table or adjust the angle to perch it on your lap. With a stylus and a note-taking app, you can write your notes on the tablet and store them for future reference. It may take a bit of practice to get used to the feel of a stylus on a touchscreen, but it shouldn't take too long.

4. E-Books

Colleges and universities across the country have started embracing e-books. This is great news if you have a tablet, but not quite as good if you rely on a laptop. With a tablet or e-book reader you can curl up in a chair, read in bed, or even on the bus rather comfortably. Reading on a laptop is not quite as comfortable in these situations. Laptops can overheat when you nestle them against pillows. Balancing an open laptop on a crowded, moving bus may be good fodder for a sitcom premise, but not so good for your laptop. However, when it comes to copying a quoted passage from an e-book into a paper you're writing, while also researching biographical information about the author and viewing his birth city on a map, laptops do have an advantage bringing the topic to multitasking.

5. Multitasking

Not a lot of tablets that are capable of true multitasking at the moment, but that's changing fast. The Samsung Galaxy 10.1, released in 2012, can display two windows simultaneously. Other tablets, like the third-generation iPad, for example, can keep one app active while you switch to another. You can copy and paste from one app to another, but you can't see more than one app at a time. If your tablet doesn't let you multitask, using it for writing papers using online sources or e-books will quickly become frustrating.