News Article Monday: 30/03/15

World's oldest person dies at 117 in Japan

The world's oldest person, a Japanese woman, died Wednesday, a few weeks after celebrating her 117th birthday.

Misao Okawa died of heart failure and stopped breathing as her grandson and nursing home workers stood by her side, praising her for achieving a long, healthy life, said Tomohiro Okada, an official at her Osaka nursing home.

"She went so peacefully, as if she had just fallen asleep," Okada said. "We miss her a lot."

Okawa, born in Osaka on March 5, 1898, was recognized as the world's oldest person by Guinness World Records in 2013.

Album Cover Comparison: Kanye West

“The College Dropout” (2004)

This album is Kanye’s 2^nd studio album; it shows a more humble and not yet main stream Kanye, the bear in the centre of the cover seems dejected this costume can be identified with the album in many ways. The name “The College Dropout” refers to when he dropped out of the American Academy of Art in 1997 that he gained a scholarship to after high school. The bear that he is dressed out is the mascot of the school and it’s possible that his weary looking posture can be attributed to his possibly conflicted feelings about leaving the school, the gold framing can perhaps be used to represent how his time there was a cherished memory that he looks back on fondly but also perhaps with a little regret.

Overall the Album cover is a far cry from the image that the modern Kanye represents, the album as a whole has a whole different feel to what he is about now.

   “Watch The Throne” (2011)

   

This is Kanye’s 7^th Studio album and is vastly different from what he represented in 2004, at this point Kanye is an internationally recognised artist, both for his music and his antics off the stage. And this album cover represents this well. It is somewhat simplistic. The deeper meaning of it is harder to decipher. Compared to the more nuanced album in 2004 this album has a much more pop vibe and is less a focus on the lyrics but more on the beats. The gold shows what his life is like now, glitz and glamour.

This album shows the change in Kanye, from a gifted lyricist to someone who is known more for his large ego and off stage antics. The album cover is simplistic but shows what he is trying to represent which is his wealth and power.  

News Article Monday: 23/03/2015

Costa Rica goes 75 days powering itself using only renewable energy

Costa Rica has achieved a clean energy milestone by using 100 per cent renewable energy for a record 75 days in a row.

The feat was achieved thanks to heavy rainfall, which powered four hydroelectric plants in the first three months of the year, the state-run Costa Rican Electricity Institute said.

No fossil fuels have been burnt to generate electricity since December 2014, in the state which is renowned for its clean energy policies.

While Costa Rica is a small country, with a popular of about 4.8 million people, it has made great strides in its use of renewable energy.

Video Game Industry

When was it started?

The history of video games goes as far back as the early 1950s, when academics began designing simple games, simulations, and artificial intelligence programs as part of their computer science research. Video gaming would not reach mainstream popularity until the 1970s and 1980s, when arcade video games, gaming consoles and home computer games were introduced to the general public. Since then, video gaming has become a popular form of entertainment and a part of modern culture in most parts of the world. As of 2015, there are eight generations of video game consoles.

Who? Where?

It is popularly believed to have been pioneered by Ralph Baer a German Born American who was an Engineer and inventor also. He is known as “The father of Video Games” Thanks to his many contributions to the industry throughout the latter half of the 20^th century. In the 1960s he came up with the idea of playing games through a television screen. Following many prototypes he eventually created the first home gaming system the “Magnavox Odyssey”.

How big is it?

From a 2008 article we can see According to the third annual Game Developer Census by Game Developer Research, which covers North American game companies, the games industry employed 44,806 people in 2009. This is an increase of 406 jobs over the 2008 estimate (44,400). Other key points include.

Key Milestones in the industry

- First computer games (1940–1970)

- Ralph Baer and the birth of home consoles (1966)

- Early arcade video games (1971–1977)

- Golden age of arcade video games (1978–1986)

- Early online gaming (1980s)

- Handheld LCD games (1979)

- Video game crash (1983)

- Transition to 3D (1992)

News article: Monday 16/03/15

Vladimir Putin missing: Russian President appears in public for first time in 10 days

Russian president Vladimir Putin had been missing for over a week, some speculate it is due to an illness and not wanting to appear weak on live television, or to avoid an incident similar to Bush and the Japanese prime minister. Others claim he is healing from more plastic surgery as previously there has been evidence that Putin has had work done during his time in office. 

Whatever the case may behe in public for the first time in 10 days to meet with the President of Kyrgyzstan.

A smiling Mr Putin did not address the issue while answering questions from reporters summoned for the occasion, saying only: "It would be boring without gossip."

News Article: Monday 08/03/15

Baby Found Alive, Mother Dead 13 Hours After Utah Car Crash

A baby was found alive but in critical condition inside a wrecked car in Utah Saturday, 13 hours after the car the child was in plunged into a river, police said. The child's mother was found dead in the car when an fisherman discovered the crashed vehicle at around 12:20 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

News Article: Monday 02/03/15

FCC approves net neutrality rules, reclassifies broadband as a utility

What is Net Neutrality and why is it important?

The basic principle of Net Neutrality is that access to all websites and web services should be equal and that anyone can start their own website/service and make it accessible to anyone with internet access, just like any other website/service.

Without Net Neutrality, your Internet Service Provider (e.g. BT) could arbitrarily block whatever websites it didn't want you to access (e.g. perhaps blocking you from accessing competitors' websites). It could also mean your service provider purposefully degrades access to certain websites or services and/or forces you to pay extra to access certain websites or services (imagine paying an extra £5 a month to your service provider just because you want to access Facebook).

In the UK, this is not as big of a problem because there is (for the most part) much more competition because the BT network is opened up through a wholesale program which allows third-party providers to access the network and provide their own differentiated/custom internet services (to some extent).

In the US, however, there isn't really competition like this. Many homes have only one broadband internet service provider to choose from (e.g. their local telephone company) and some people are lucky enough to have two providers (e.g. telephone and cable company) or in very rare cases three providers (e.g. telephone, cable and independent fiber company). Basically, there is hardly any competition which means that if one service provider starts violating the principles of Net Neutrality, many customers are completely powerless (since they have such a limited or perhaps no alternative selection for ISPs).

Award Ceremonies

Awards ceremonies are made to applaud the achievements of people in select categories, it is also good for the industry as awards may help boost actors careers or make money off product placements such as wearing a certain designer’s clothes or showing off a certain product.

The Oscars

 Are annual American awards ceremonies honouring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, nicknamed an Oscar. The awards were first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; they are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The awards ceremony was first televised in 1953 and is now seen live in more than 200 countries. The Oscars is also the oldest entertainment awards ceremony. It is also widely considered to be the most prestigious Film awards ceremony in the world.

The Emmys

An Emmy Award recognizes excellence in the television industry. Because Emmy Awards are given in various sectors of the American television industry, they are presented in different annual ceremonies held throughout the year. The two events that receive the most media coverage are the Primetime Emmys and the Daytime Emmys, which recognize outstanding work in American primetime and daytime entertainment programming, respectively. Other notable Emmy Award ceremonies are those honouring national sports programming, national news and documentary shows, national business and financial reporting, and technological and engineering achievements in television. Regional Emmy Awards are also presented throughout the country at various times through the year, recognizing excellence in local and statewide television. In addition, International Emmys are awarded for excellence in TV programming produced and initially aired outside the United States.

The Grammys

A Grammy Award, is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and the presentation of those awards that have a more popular interest.

The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959, to honor the musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958. Following the 2011 ceremony, NARAS overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012. The 57th Grammy Awards was held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.