Jump Off The Ladder

Who knows how old the internet is? How it started? The difference between an Ethernet cable and a modem? The origins of smilies? we’re going to give you a high-speed (think mega-broadband…) download on the web’s need-to-know facts.

The early history of the internet

The internet began with the concentrated development of computers in the 1950s, but it first began to take form in MIT in the 1960s, where J.C.R. Licklider was exploring the potential for military and scientific information sharing – he took this idea to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The first ‘shared packet’ was between a computer in UCLA and one in MIT in 1965 over dial-up telephone lines. DARPA and its team then developed ARPANET – one of the world’s first global information sharing packages and the prototypical internet, which was brought online in 1969.

As the ARPANET initiative grew and extended across the US, local network solutions also cropped up – giving us Ethernet, a wired-access portal to a local area network, which then plugged in to the national grid. Initially it was a simple way to communicate two-way online – move files one way or another, usually via email, or send quick messages.

Then, in the 1980s as ‘sites’ developed, libraries such as those at MacGill University began to attempt to catalogue the internet; from this pages, sites and information became recordable and – most importantly – searchable.

Eventually, with the development of graphical browser software (starting with Mosaic in 1993), the internet in the 1990s developed from a governmental and academic exchange system to something more like what we use and see today.

The internet now: a few fun facts

In 2012, over 97% of the world’s telecommunications are conducted over the internet; a third of the world’s population (over 2.2 billion) is online and growing.

But did you know that 80% of all images on the internet are of naked women, and a third of all searches are for pornography?

Or that of the 247 billion emails sent everyday, 81% of them are spam?

That the first smiley was credited to Kevin Mackenzie in 1979, though it didn’t look much like a face?

In a traditionally male sport like stock car racing, a woman really stands out. Danica Patrick made her Sprint Cup Series debut in the Daytona 500 on the 26^th of February. It’s the first time a woman has raced in the 500, or in stock car’s top tour, since Shawna Robinson in 2002. But how do the boys feel about racing against a woman?

“She’s very, very dedicated,” fellow racer and Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said, “It’s not just to racing, she’s really dedicated to NASCAR. It’s crazy, but I think she wants it more than anybody out here when you talk to her. It’s 100 percent ‘how can she get better.’ It’s 100 percent ‘how she can make the sport grow.’ I think that’s awesome for her.

“She’s very grounded. She’s just normal. For all the followers she has, for all the fans, she’s just down-to-Earth. And I think that’s really, really cool. It’s easy to talk to her, you know? She’s going to be good for our sport.”

With the rave reviews from her fellow racers, it is no wonder Patrick feels right at home in NASCAR. The only complaint she has so far is that everything she does, on or off the racetrack, is called sexy.

“I’m just kind of curious at other people’s breakdown of why when people refer to women they tend to refer to pretty athletes or any woman as sexy,” Patrick said. “Pretty women are sexy instead of just like accomplished, strong, beautiful women. Usually it’s sexy said instead. Why is that? Why is it when people think of a pretty girl, they think of the word sex? It’s just in there. It’s not for me to figure out. I’m just asking the question this time.

“I’m flattered to be considered as being sexy but in certain situations and environments it adds a negative feel for me.”

But she won’t traditional gender roles slow her down. As she’ll tell you, once helmets go on, gender goes out the window. And Patrick wouldn’t have it any other way. She’ll win fans by her racing, not the shape of her body.

This year’s Daytona 500 was no piece of cake either. With a rain delay that had them hours behind schedule, a horrific crash that tore up some of the track, and many accidents, the night could have ended in disaster. Instead, the drivers made the best out of a difficult situation.

First, the Daytona 500 was postponed to Monday night for the first time in its 54 years. Rain upset attempts to run it Sunday at all, or again at the intended midday Monday time.

Then the crashes common to the race erupted, but at a faster-than-normal speed. Then there was the shocking instance with the safety equipment. Racer Montoya’s car had a parts failure shortly after a pit stop, and he spun and crashed into a jet dryer truck, igniting an alarming fireball. Montoya climbed from his destroyed and flaming car just in time as jet fuel pouring across the track caught fire.

“It burned the helmet and everything,” he said. “It’s not where you want to finish the Daytona 500.”

The race was stopped for more than two hours as track officials first put out the fire, then gauged the damage caused and worked to repair the track surface.

Once the racers were back on the road, they found themselves in more trouble just two laps in. Racer Elliott Sadler tapped Jimmie Johnson and sent his car smashing into the outer wall. As the pack of drivers barreling down on him tried to dodge his car, several began spiraling across the track before David Ragan slammed into Johnson’s Chevrolet. Danica Patrick was caught up in the crash, as were fellow racers Bayne and Kurt Busch.

Despite the fact that she returned to the race, Danica did not finish as well as she’d hoped. She was disappointed by the setback, but vows to try again next season.

Elizabeth’s Bio:

Liz’s hope that many more people can live out that dream through reading her articles and thoughts about the good AND the bad of the online dating scene through top dating sites. Get in touch with her at: liznelson17 “@ “gmail.com.

If you have a bad sense of direction or just like to get to places in a hurry, a GPS is a great tool to have in your vehicle. Specifically this is an automotive GPS. But what about if you’re the outdoors type and could benefit from a GPS in your outside activities such as hiking, boating, fishing, climbing or camping to name a few?

Or maybe you participate in a relatively new phenomenon called geocaching which is basically a treasure hunt using a GPS! Millions of people worldwide already take part so it just might be a growing sport/activity that becomes more well known as time goes on.

If you’re unaware, there are also handheld GPS devices that are available that are made for the outdoor activities mentioned above and are more suitable to use than an automotive GPS. You can use handheld GPS reviews to learn more about these portable GPS units in case you happen to take part in some of these endeavors and want to be sure you can find your way around and not get lost especially when you’re in an area you aren’t familiar with.

Further to this, handheld GPS products offer a number of features that car GPS products don’t inluding sunlight readability, durability, waterproofing and extra sensitivity to make them more likely to pick up a signal in remoate areas.

Check out Handheld GPS Reviews Headquarters to learn more.

Most people that are in the market for a new car go shopping for one during the day. This makes perfect sense since they’ll want to examine the car’s interior and exterior with care before making a purchase. The only problem with shopping during the day is they are not going to be able to examine the headlights properly. This will need to be done at night.

Many new car owners decide to buy aftermarket headlights once they have broken in their new car for a few weeks. Today’s after market headlights give you better visibility for night driving and are almost essential for foggy conditions. With the vast assortment of headlights available, you’ll have a lot to choose from.

Headlights are one of the main safety features of any vehicle. They light your way into the night and offer special lighting features for fog. If you’re like most people, you probably took some time to analyze the safety features of your new vehicle before purchasing it and may have made comparisons between different vehicle models. Headlights, unfortunately, are not often taken into consideration when the models are compared.

While there is no doubt that the cars being manufactured recently are safer than they have ever been, most don’t have the headlights you need for travelling as safely as possible. Replacing your built-in headlights with new and improved models is something that should be done to every vehicle.

Aftermarket headlights should also be added to your vehicle once every few years. Imagine the beating your lights are getting by travelling down the roads on a daily basis. They are constantly being bombarded with insects, rocks and other debris from the roads and they become scratched over time. This will definitely hinder your visibility, especially your night driving.

Aftermarket headlights are also available that will enhance the look of your car, SUV or truck. They can add a distinctive flair to your vehicle that makes it stand above all others. When you need your car to project a unique flair, the headlights you choose will make all the difference in the world.

In general terms, women pay less for auto insurance than their male counterparts. Statistically women are better drivers than men based on factors such as the following.

1. Men tend to take part in riskier behavior while driving than women do.

2. Men tend to drink and drive more frequently than women do.

3. Men are more likely to speed than women drivers.

4. Men tend to drive more on average than women do.

5. Accidents that men cause tend to cause more damage, resulting in larger repair costs and increased premiums as a result.

Even young women tend to be safer drivers than young men based on the above-mentioend criteria. At the end of the day, insurance is about measuring risk and people are insured based on the perceived risk that they statistically pose to the insurer. In that regard, women pay less for car insurance than similarly aged male drivers with similar driving records.

You can find cheap car insurance for women the same way you locate cheap and reasonably-priced home insurance or other insurance plans you might require: shop around and compare apples to apples. The more options you’re aware of, the more likely you’ll be to make the best purchase decision that meets your budget and insurance needs.

You can also save money by pooling all your insurance policies (home, auto, liability, contents, etc) with the same insurer. That way you’ll generally qualify for multo policy discounts.

Take advantage of where you live. If you live in a sparesely populated area or rural area with less traffic, you’ll tend to pay less for insurance than people who live in larger, busier urban areas. While you won’t necessarily move to an area just to achieve lower auto insurance rates, at least knowing this factor can help you achieve auto insurance savings.

Finally, check with your employer or any associations you belong to to take advantage of any discounts that they may offer. Often larger employers, trade associations, and other groups can offer you discounted auto insurance policies through their sheer buying power.

Surprisingly, most bikes that get stolen aren’t locked at the time of the theft. While it’s not surprising that unlocked bikes get stolen most frequently – as if you could make it any easier for a potential thief to steal your bicycle – but perhaps the surprising part is that so many people don’t even bother making an effort to protect their bike. In many cases, I’m sure the bike in question is probably an old beater that the owner simply feels isn’t worth locking up but in other cases, I suspect the bike is pretty decent and the owner simply doesn’t think that they’ll be the victim of theft. You can take a few precautions to decrease the chance your bike ever gets stolen and most notably, locking it with at least one (preferably two) locks is a good start. By adding a second type of lock, you’re not only making it harder to steal, you’re decreasing the chance that a potential thief will even bother trying to steal your bike. The best bike lock is one that will enable you to lock up all your wheels and the frame to a non-moveable object like a bike rack or wall and will make a potential thief at least think twice about whether they should spend the time and effort to try and take your bike instead of going onto the next bike. Only locking your bike in well-lit and ideally well-trafficked and public areas that have security cameras in the vicinity are also great rules of thumb. Again, you’re trying to decrease the chance that a potential thief will regard your bike as an easy target. If your bike is worth

If you’ve ever heard of memory foam, you might be wondering what it is especially if you’ve read about various products that are sold that are referred to as memory foam. It’s not exactly as it sounds. Some people think that memory foam means that it’s a type of foam that remembers your body shape permanently after you’ve sat in it or rested your head in it, in the case of a memory foam pillow. Memory foam is simply a type of foam that temporarily contours to your body shape and can offer a number of health benefits as a result. There are plenty of memory foam products available and among the popular ones are memory foam mattresses, pillows, slippers, face cradles, leg pillows, slippers, cushions and travel pillows among others. Memory foam can be used for a number of different applications as you can see from the wide range of products offered and can help to alleviate back, neck and shoulder pain in addition to other physical ailments that you might be experiencing. Memory foam was originally developed by NASA to use in their space shuttle program to help their astronauts feel more comfortable while on their flights and over time, new applications have been designed and created for consumers to use in their own personal lives and for their own personal benefit. Be sure to check out Best Memory Foam Mattress HQ for more information on memory foam products.

Finding places for stock photos shouldn’t be hard, but free ones? That can get a little more complex. After all, who gives away products, even ones like photos? Well, here are five sites that are giving them away, for free, no strings attached.

1.     Morgue File

A morgue file is defined as, “a place to keep post production materials for use of reference, an inactive job file”, MorgueFile is the first place to go for your free photo needs. Their search is so easy to use. The only thing you have to remember is that the artists are posting the pictures to the site, so you’ll have to think like an artist. There is a wide array of photos to choose from. The front page is worth a glance also, as new photos are featured there. All the photos are free for public use.

2. Unprofound

This website is interesting because it sorts photos by color rather than subject. It has a search engine, but the website says it’s, “a half-assed search engine, but it’s not very complex. So keep it simple there”. If you are looking for a specific color for your blog rather than a specific subject, this is the site to visit.

 3.     EveryStockPhoto

The photos on this site are license-specific, so you have to look at the licensing terms before downloading them. However, you also are able to rate, tag, collect, and comment on the photos. That means that the more you use it, the more it will become tailored to your tastes and desires.

4.     Stock.xchng

At Stock.xchng there are over 30,000 photographers contributing over 350,000 stock photos. With that many photos, you’re guaranteed to find whatever you are looking for. One thing that’s a little different is that you must create a username and password to be able to use the photos.

5.     ImageBase

This website is easy to get around on because everything is separated into different sections on the first page. It has a search box if you are looking for something specific, though, so don’t fret. The site also has high resolution pictures (1600 x 1200 or 3072 x 2048), which makes it a great site to look at for a larger photo.

Photos are a great way to add interest and color to your blog or website. They don’t have to break the bank. Try one of these five free photo sites today and bring color back into your website.

Mary Edwards is one of the contributors and editors for best dating sites. She is passionate about thought leadership writing, regularly contributes to various career, social media, public relations, branding, and parenting and online dating community. She can be reached at edwardsmary936 AT gmail.com.

Amongst the host of user experience enhancing features that are on offer at Flirt.com, one in particular which demanded our attention was the ‘Talk Live’ service. ‘Talk Live’ is a tool provided to Flirt.com members that facilitates live one to one telephone chat between members that is completely safe, secure and does not reveal the contact details of either user. Obviously this feature can only be so beneficial if it is not easy for members to access and use, it is very simple however. Users simply select a profile that they wish to talk with and click the ‘Talk Live’ button which can be found next to their profile picture. At the same time the user inputs their contact number and then a request is send to the intended recipient. A ‘Talk Live’ request is then issued to the selected profile and the chat commences immediately, but only if the member is currently on your friends list, if they are not, the member must choose to accept or decline the request first.

We think the ‘Talk Live’ feature is a huge step in adding another dimension to online dating; bringing members closer together and allowing them to get to know each other a bit better before committing to a real life date. What makes it different to a normal phone call you might ask? As members can easily just send each other their mobile numbers can’t they? As no details are disclosed to the other member, it’s completely safe and secure. So if things don’t go as well as you might have hoped and you’d like to cut communication, you are free from the worry that comes with knowing that someone has your personal contact number and could call or text you whenever they want.

Take a look at Flirt.com yourself and see what you think.

Having to replace your windshield is typically something that is done due to a major crack, breakage or other form of damage to your vehicle’s auto glass. Typically small glass chips and other minor damage to the front windshield can be repaired but any sort of damage to the rear windshield usually means a full windshield replacement. It can be a costly option but most comprehensive insurance policies cover the cost. Still, it pays to know your options and to get a good price – along with quality service of course – just in case your insurance doesn’t cover any or part of the cost. With a new windshield costing around $200 to start with, the cost isn’t cheap especially if some or all of it is coming out of your pocket. Windshield replacement cost does depend on your vehicle type, model, age of vehicle and other factors. As usual you might find a better deal by shopping around and you might also find money saving coupons online to help in this regard. Also, remember to check for extras like warranty and other perks that various auto glass companies might offer that can help to increase the value you get.