Wantok of http://ittoktok.blogspot.com/ has a very good posting today for all you Wantoks out there who want some free IT books.
He recommends three sites that are worth having a look at:
Please note that some of the books can only be read online, while others can be downloaded in PDF format.
His Excellency Mr Chris Moraitis Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea
24 January 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But
Ugandan coach Ebrahim Mohamed was delighted with his side’s performance after it managed to hold off a determined
“I am very, very happy that we got a victory on the opening day and it will be tough challenging in the rest of the week,” said Ebrahim.
“I am sure we will only get better and better as the week goes on.”
Uganda, after winning the toss, made a solid start to its innings, with Arthur Kyobe (50) and Roger Mukasa (38) putting on a steady stand of 65 for the opening wicket.
The pick of the Afghan bowlers was Samiullah Shenwari (3-32), although the usually reliable Hamid Hassan and Mohammad Nabi on the receiving end of some brutal hitting, including 17 off one Nabi over.
But a brilliant 121-run partnership from Rais Ahmadzai (78) and Samiullah Shenwari (52), who combined some excellent hitting with some good placement, putting it within touching distance of a famous victory, until the fall of some late wickets left it 14 runs short of the target.
“We started off well and had a difficult middle period where we gave them too many easy singles which started to build the pressure on us. The more dot balls we bowled the more pressure there was on us at the end,” added the Ugandan coach.
“I am very sad for myself as I thought we were going to win this match at one stage,” said Rais Ahmadzai.
“But we have not lost the tournament and I believe that we can still recover.”
Five wickets for
And PNG coach Martin Gleeson was pleased by the performance of his side and the manner in which it achieved its victory.
“It was not as easy a win as the scoreboard suggests. It may have looked easy but we had to work pretty hard in getting our wickets and to get ourselves back in the game,” said Gleeson.
“We wanted to get off to a good start and for our skipper to lead the way in the bowling was excellent.”
Cayman Islands, who were inserted into bat after losing the toss, had made a steady start, with Ainsley Hall (30) and Ramon Sealy (17) adding 43 for the opening wicket before Willie Gavera took the opening wicket.
Even at 81-2, the
In reply,
“We are here to play the best cricket we can and Vani plays an attractive style of cricket. I also have to point out that the running between the wickets was outstanding and that gave us a brilliant start,” added Gleeson.
An excellent wicket-keeping display from James Atkinson was the foundation of Hong Kong’s 7-wicket triumph over
Atkinson claimed six dismissals as
And Hong Kong reached its target with relative ease with Zain Abbas (34 not out) playing a vital innings, although
“It was really important to get off to a good start in this tournament,” said Atkinson, who won the Man of the Match Award.
“It is pleasing to get six dismissals, but it is more important that we got the wickets and recorded a victory.”
In Sunday’s fixtures,
AFP, WELLINGTON
Saturday, Jan 24, 2009
The ancestors of today's Polynesians originated in Taiwan around 5,200 years ago, spreading into the Philippines and eastward into the Pacific, according to a study of the region's languages that backs up the findings of other similar studies, the Taipei Times reports.
Scientists at Auckland University used computers to analyze the vocabulary of 400 Austronesian languages from Southeast Asia and the Pacific as part of their research into how the Pacific was settled.
The Austronesian language family is one of the largest in the world, including 1,200 languages spread across the Pacific region, professor Russell Gray said yesterday.
"By studying the basic vocabulary from these languages, such as words for animals, simple verbs, colors and numbers, we can trace how these languages evolved," Gray said.
"The relationships between these languages give us a detailed history of Pacific settlement," Gray said.
The results, published in the latest issue of the journal Science, show how migration from Taiwan paused for long periods.
Before entering the Philippines, the Austronesians paused in Southeast Asia for around a thousand years and then spread across the region from the Philippines to Polynesia in less than a thousand years.
After settling in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, the Austronesians stopped for another thousand years before spreading further into Polynesia and eventually reaching New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island.
New Zealand was believed to have been settled by the Maori about 700 to 800 years ago.
Research fellow Simon Greenhill said that the stages of the expansion could be linked with new technology, such as better voyaging canoes.
"Using these new technologies, the Austronesians and Polynesians were able to rapidly spread through the Pacific in one of the greatest human migrations ever," he said.
Other archeological and DNA research has supported the theory that Polynesians are linked to Taiwan's Aborigines.
The pilot who safely landed a jet in New York's Hudson River has received a hero's welcome in his hometown of Danville, California, BBC reports.
As thousands of people waved US flags and cheered loudly, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger said he and his crew were only doing their jobs.
Officials honoured his family with a ceremony on Danville's town green and presented him with a medal.
He is credited with saving the lives of all 155 passengers earlier this month.
But the celebrated captain gave credit to his crew.
'Miracle' on water
"Circumstance determined that it was this experienced crew that was scheduled to fly that particular flight on that particular day," he told the 3,000 or so people gathered to welcome him home in the San Francisco suburb.
"But I know I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you we were simply doing the job we were trained to do."
Mr Sullenberger's brief comments were his first since he safely landed the US Airways Airbus A320 on the icy river on 15 January, in what New York Gov David Paterson called "a miracle on the Hudson."
The former US Air Force pilot and air safety consultant was the last to leave the ditched airliner after ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew.
Wife's tribute
Mr Sullenberger's wife, Lorraine, said through tears that she was not surprised by her husband's heroism.
"I have always known him to be an exemplary pilot. I knew what the outcome would be that day because I knew my husband," she said.
"But mostly for me, he's the man that makes my cup of tea every morning," she added.
Mr Sullenberger, 57, was also given the keys to Danville and made an honorary Danville police officer.
His first full comments are expected in an interview with Katie Couric on the CBS show 60 Minutes, scheduled to air on 8 February.
By Ian Hardy
North American Technology Correspondent
It took only a few seconds for Barack Obama to go from ordinary citizen to the most powerful man in the world - the 44th President of the
Many believe that his understanding and use of social networking tools to reach voters gave him a distinct advantage over other candidates.
He is well known as a fan of technology. He is an avid Blackberry user, the first president to air his weekly address via video websites and the first to have an official portrait taken with a digital camera.
So
Eric Schmidt, boss of Google said: "During the Bush presidency there was not a lot of focus on technology.
"It was not an administration that particularly focused on science, science policy, and investment in research and development. They focused on other issues.
"We've got a new president now, who has got a completely different agenda."
He said the change would have "a big impact globally on
Open network
There's no doubt that President Obama has a long hi-tech 'To Do' list. It was published on his campaign website and top of the list was net neutrality.
He is against allowing broadband suppliers to prioritise network traffic and charging a fee to websites and services for doing so because, as he said: "Once providers start to privilege some applications or websites over others then smaller voices get squeezed out and we all lose".
He said: "The internet is perhaps the most open network in history and we have to keep it that way."
With competition among ISPs almost non-existent in the
As he put it: "It is unacceptable that the
"Here in the country that invented the internet, every child should get the chance to go online."
He will also be the first
But that is just the beginning as far as
Jason Goldman, co-founder of micro-blogging site Twitter, said: "In terms of things like municipal wi-fi, even in populated areas, it is difficult to get free and easy access. If you look at the places that are further out it is difficult to get access.
"It is kind of ironic considering that
Science now
One of Obama's longer term presidential promises is a concentration on maths and science in schools from a young age.
Some believe that is absolutely crucial for
Intel chairman Craig Barrett said: "The big companies are great at creating the next generation of products.
"But the ideas for the future really come out of our tier one research universities: the MITs, the Stanfords, the Caltechs.
"The administration through its attitude towards funding basic research can accelerate the creation of those ideas."
President Obama has already said that this year the economy may get a lot worse, but for some people they believe that this is an ideal opportunity for the technology industry as a whole to re-evaluate its main goals.
In other words it's not just about making millions of dollars any more.
Biz Stone, the co-founder of Twitter said: "There is this sense that you are supposed to be doing more than just creating great products or a great company.
"There's some obligation to take a crack at some global issues.
"You don't have to solve them, you just have to make sure that they're part of the fabric of your company, that you have people in your company that are thinking 'Why else are we here besides working on this product. What else can we do? What else can we participate in?'"
