SOPA Causes National Cyber Outrage
Imagine a world with no YouTube, Wikipedia, or eBay…
With the new SOPA bill, that world may become a reality.
SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is a new bill passed into congress by Lamar Smith (R-TX) and others on October 26th, 2011. With SOPA, there will be many restrictions on how we can use the internet. The question everybody is asking is: what is it?
SOPA’s goal is to add more enforcement to the intellectual property (copyright) of a person (or persons). To put it into a clearer context, let’s say someone uploaded a video to YouTube containing music from a band or singer. With SOPA, that person would be facing legal trouble for using that music group’s song without permission. If someone repeatedly did this, he/she could face a heavy fine and/or a maximum of five years in prison.
SOPA goes to show how reliant we have become on the internet. If SOPA passes, the internet we know and love will never be the same. New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte is a co-sponsor of SOPA as of January 17th. Also, the author of the Protect-IP Act (a different act which has basically the same guidelines except it was proposed to Senate, not House) is actually Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy.
On January 18th, many popular websites blacked out in protest of SOPA and PIPA (Protect-IP). These sites include Wikipedia, Craigslist, Reddit, XKCD, and WordPress. A new rule was recently removed from SOPA saying that your DNS (Domain Name Service, such as Comcast, Verizon, and Time-Warner) can’t block SOPA-violating websites that are under investigation. PIPA is scheduled to be voted on January 24th. SOPA has left the Internet in a state of unrest and, unless it fails to pass House, will continue to for a while.
If you have any questions, contact FRMS news for more details on SOPA and PIPA.
By Marco van Gemeren
With the new SOPA bill, that world may become a reality.
SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is a new bill passed into congress by Lamar Smith (R-TX) and others on October 26th, 2011. With SOPA, there will be many restrictions on how we can use the internet. The question everybody is asking is: what is it?
SOPA’s goal is to add more enforcement to the intellectual property (copyright) of a person (or persons). To put it into a clearer context, let’s say someone uploaded a video to YouTube containing music from a band or singer. With SOPA, that person would be facing legal trouble for using that music group’s song without permission. If someone repeatedly did this, he/she could face a heavy fine and/or a maximum of five years in prison.
SOPA goes to show how reliant we have become on the internet. If SOPA passes, the internet we know and love will never be the same. New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte is a co-sponsor of SOPA as of January 17th. Also, the author of the Protect-IP Act (a different act which has basically the same guidelines except it was proposed to Senate, not House) is actually Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy.
On January 18th, many popular websites blacked out in protest of SOPA and PIPA (Protect-IP). These sites include Wikipedia, Craigslist, Reddit, XKCD, and WordPress. A new rule was recently removed from SOPA saying that your DNS (Domain Name Service, such as Comcast, Verizon, and Time-Warner) can’t block SOPA-violating websites that are under investigation. PIPA is scheduled to be voted on January 24th. SOPA has left the Internet in a state of unrest and, unless it fails to pass House, will continue to for a while.
If you have any questions, contact FRMS news for more details on SOPA and PIPA.
By Marco van Gemeren
Windows 8 Momentum Builds
Since the release and smash hit of Windows 7 in 2009, many people have been waiting with anticipation for the next version: Windows 8. It will have to be amazing if it hopes to break the record set by others: there are over 1.3 BILLION copies of Windows sold ever. That's almost as much as the population of Europe, North America, AND South America. More copies of Windows sell, per year, than ALL the iPhones, iPads, Android phones, Android tablets, Macs, Linux computers, Kindle Fires, and other smartphones combined.
Obviously, there is a high bar for Windows 8.
So Microsoft set out to completely redesign Windows in order to make it easier to use, faster, and prettier. They split it into two different modes: Metro and Desktop.
Metro is a new design that looks like this:
Obviously, there is a high bar for Windows 8.
So Microsoft set out to completely redesign Windows in order to make it easier to use, faster, and prettier. They split it into two different modes: Metro and Desktop.
Metro is a new design that looks like this:
You can flick around with your finger if you have a touchscreen, and with your mouse if you don't. Live tiles, like the Picstream app, the Stocks app, the News app, several games, and many others update, showing little snippets of information you can find out more about if you tap on the app. With Metro, you can buy or get apps for free, use new features like live tiles, and play touchscreen-friendly games.
But some don't like the Metro look. Thankfully, the old Desktop look is there for them as well. It looks like this:
But some don't like the Metro look. Thankfully, the old Desktop look is there for them as well. It looks like this:
It's almost exactly the same, leaving just the good parts in. The only visible changes above are the Developer Preview watermark on the bottom right {extra special bonus points if you saw it before I said something} and the Metro-looking Start button, which you can change to the old look.
In the words of Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft: "If you love Metro, you won't ever have to see the Desktop. If you love the Desktop, you won't ever have to see Metro. If you love both, you'll see both."
In addition to these obvious changes, there are many non-obvious ones. For instance, Microsoft's allowing open-source apps to be sold in the Windows Store, unlike Apple. Microsoft's added a built-in antivirus so you don't need to buy one yourself - they would usually cost about a hundred bucks; now you get the best one for free. And Windows 8's hardware requirements are lower than Windows 7: that means that if you had a computer that ran Windows 7 slow, it will run Windows 8 fast. If you had a computer that could't even run Windows 8, it now may be able to.
Obviously, Windows 8 will be a huge success. But what apps will run on it, how will the Search function work, and what are some good Metro games?
We'll all find that out when it comes to Beta.
By Owen Versteeg
In the words of Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft: "If you love Metro, you won't ever have to see the Desktop. If you love the Desktop, you won't ever have to see Metro. If you love both, you'll see both."
In addition to these obvious changes, there are many non-obvious ones. For instance, Microsoft's allowing open-source apps to be sold in the Windows Store, unlike Apple. Microsoft's added a built-in antivirus so you don't need to buy one yourself - they would usually cost about a hundred bucks; now you get the best one for free. And Windows 8's hardware requirements are lower than Windows 7: that means that if you had a computer that ran Windows 7 slow, it will run Windows 8 fast. If you had a computer that could't even run Windows 8, it now may be able to.
Obviously, Windows 8 will be a huge success. But what apps will run on it, how will the Search function work, and what are some good Metro games?
We'll all find that out when it comes to Beta.
By Owen Versteeg
UVAC Does Well In Regional Swim Meet
The Upper Valley Aquatic Club took part in a swim meet on the weekend of January 7th and 8th. This meet was held at the YMCA pool in Goffstown, New Hampshire, a suburb Manchester, NH. This meet was titled the Manchester YMCA Tiger Sharks Distance Meet.
The meet consisted of 4 teams, one of which was the Manchester Tiger Sharks. UVAC did well in the meet, although the result of the meet is unclear. Many swimmers from UVAC participated in this meet. Some are from RMS, some from Hartford High and Hartford Middle School, and some from the Bernice A. Ray School. Here are some times and places of those swimmers.
The first swimmer is in 8th grade at RMS, and also happens to be the author of this article: Jacob McCoy. Jake swam the 200 Backstroke and the 200 Freestyle. In the Freestyle, he placed 2nd in his heat, and 14th in the entire event. His time was 2:25.65, and he took off 5 seconds from his previous time. In the 200 Backstroke, Jake placed 4th in his heat, and 11th in the entire event. His time was 2:53.44, and it was his first time swimming it.
The second swimmer is in 7th grade at RMS, and his name is Kristian Hansen. Kristian swam the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Free, 100 Back, 1650 Free, 100 Fly, 100 Breast, 100 Free, and 500 Free. In that same order, Kristian placed 2nd, 6th, 1st, 2nd, 11th, 2nd, 2nd, 1st, and 3rd. Again in that same order, his times were 2:40.91, 5:39.57, 2:17.62, 1:17.64, 19:46.22, 1:17.11, 1:29.12, 1:03.60, and 5:51.94.
The 3rd and final swimmer at RMS is in 6th grade and his name is Atticus Kangas. He swam the 200 IM, 200 Free, 100 Back, 1650 Free, 100 Fly, 100 Breast, 100 Free, and 500 Free. In that order, he placed 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 21st, 3rd, 4th, 3rd, and 8th. Again in that same order, his times were 2:46.77, 2:25.19, 1:20.30, 21:58.31, 1:19.87, 1:33.35, 1:06.75, 6:23.92.
Other swimmers include Erik Hansen, who is in 5th grade at the Ray School, Tarun Manthena, who is a Freshman at Harford High School, Solomon Manthena, who is an 8th grader at Harford Middle School, and many others throughout the community. Please congratulate the mentioned swimmers if given the chance, and remeber, all places mentioned are out of the entire event, not that swimmer's heat. The exception is Jake McCoy, whose heat and event placements were mentioned. Isabella Hansen, the sister of Erik and Kristian Hansen, was not able to attend the meet either days due 9 hour play practices on the weekend of the swim meet.
By Jake McCoy
The meet consisted of 4 teams, one of which was the Manchester Tiger Sharks. UVAC did well in the meet, although the result of the meet is unclear. Many swimmers from UVAC participated in this meet. Some are from RMS, some from Hartford High and Hartford Middle School, and some from the Bernice A. Ray School. Here are some times and places of those swimmers.
The first swimmer is in 8th grade at RMS, and also happens to be the author of this article: Jacob McCoy. Jake swam the 200 Backstroke and the 200 Freestyle. In the Freestyle, he placed 2nd in his heat, and 14th in the entire event. His time was 2:25.65, and he took off 5 seconds from his previous time. In the 200 Backstroke, Jake placed 4th in his heat, and 11th in the entire event. His time was 2:53.44, and it was his first time swimming it.
The second swimmer is in 7th grade at RMS, and his name is Kristian Hansen. Kristian swam the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Free, 100 Back, 1650 Free, 100 Fly, 100 Breast, 100 Free, and 500 Free. In that same order, Kristian placed 2nd, 6th, 1st, 2nd, 11th, 2nd, 2nd, 1st, and 3rd. Again in that same order, his times were 2:40.91, 5:39.57, 2:17.62, 1:17.64, 19:46.22, 1:17.11, 1:29.12, 1:03.60, and 5:51.94.
The 3rd and final swimmer at RMS is in 6th grade and his name is Atticus Kangas. He swam the 200 IM, 200 Free, 100 Back, 1650 Free, 100 Fly, 100 Breast, 100 Free, and 500 Free. In that order, he placed 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 21st, 3rd, 4th, 3rd, and 8th. Again in that same order, his times were 2:46.77, 2:25.19, 1:20.30, 21:58.31, 1:19.87, 1:33.35, 1:06.75, 6:23.92.
Other swimmers include Erik Hansen, who is in 5th grade at the Ray School, Tarun Manthena, who is a Freshman at Harford High School, Solomon Manthena, who is an 8th grader at Harford Middle School, and many others throughout the community. Please congratulate the mentioned swimmers if given the chance, and remeber, all places mentioned are out of the entire event, not that swimmer's heat. The exception is Jake McCoy, whose heat and event placements were mentioned. Isabella Hansen, the sister of Erik and Kristian Hansen, was not able to attend the meet either days due 9 hour play practices on the weekend of the swim meet.
By Jake McCoy