Sunday, March 30, 2008

BIOS

What is BIOS?

BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System. It is a program which functions to configure computer hardware. BIOS program is kept in a BIOS chip.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Tongue-Twister

What is a tongue-twister?

According to Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, a tongue-twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly. Tongue-twisters may rely on similar but distinct phonemes (e.g., s [s] and sh [ʃ]), unfamiliar constructs in loanwords, or other features of a language.

The hardest tongue-twister in the English language (according to Guinness World Records) is supposedly The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.


Below is an example of a long tongue-twister:
Betty Botter bought a bit of butter.
The butter Betty Botter bought was a bit bitter
And made her batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter
Makes batter better.
So Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter,
Making Betty Botter's bitter batter better.

If you want to know more examples of tongue-twisters, just visit Let's Learn English.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Snap Bomb

Blog advertising means that an individual or a company advertise his/her products through blogs. This is very popular now and this blog marketing seems to be very effective in achieving marketing goals.

One of the types of blog advertising is a review program. In this program, advertisers who want to build a buzz ask bloggers to write posts about their products, services, or websites. In order that this program can run well, a broker is needed. As one of the brokers in this kind of business, SnapBomb does its function in connecting advertisers who want to have their products reviewed and bloggers who want to get paid by writing posts in their blog. So, all parties can get advantage from it!

Friday, March 14, 2008

My Computer is Not Stable. Why?

Sometimes the computer that we use restarts or turns off by itself. If this problem happens to your computer, there are some possibilities: first, your computer is too hot. To overcome this problem, install an additional fan inside the case of the CPU. This fan can function to make the CPU cooler. Second, the quality of the power supply in your computer is not good. Try to use a power supply with the output power of at least 400 Watts. The higher the power is, the better it will be. Third, the system files of your computer are corrupt. Try to reinstall your operating system to make your computer fresh again. Fourth, the problem can also be caused by a virus. Try to update your antivirus and scan your computer regularly. But remember! Installing an antivirus program does not always guarantee that your computer is free from viruses. Some viruses cannot be detected.

Source: Communication & Information Technology

Monday, March 10, 2008

Daniel Defoe

Daniel Defoe was born in London in 1660. After many years of studying for the ministry, Daniel decided that a religious life did not suit him. He chose, instead, to become a merchant.

He traveled widely and built up a successful business. During this period, he married and started raising a family.

But in 1692 his business failed, leaving the 32-year-old Defoe heavily in debt, with a wife and six children to support. Since he had always been interested in politics, he tried making his living by writing political articles for newspapers. These articles often criticized the king and the ruling party. As a result, Defoe spent many years in and out of prison.

Since his political writings had brought only troubles and increasing debts, Defoe turned to fiction writing. His first novel written in 1719 when Defoe was nearly sixty years old, was to become one of the best known adventure stories in the world. That novel was Robinson Crusoe--a story which still thrills readers today, more than two hundred fifty years later.

Robinson Crusoe brought Defoe great success and helped him pay back part of his debts. He continued writing novels such as Moll Flanders, Colonel Jack, and two other Robinson Crusoe stories, but his creditors always seemed to be one step behind him.

During his last years, Defoe was a sick, lonely old man, hunted by his creditors and abandoned by his ungrateful children. He died in 1731 at the age of 71, as alone and frightened as his hero, Robinson, had been during his 28 years on a deserted island.

Taken from: Catatan Henson

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Language

What is language?

According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, USA, 1981, language is a systematic means of communicating ideas or feeling by the use of conventionalized signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meanings.