This is a grammar error that I see committed by some writers these days: mixing singular subjects with plural verbs and pronouns.
As a technical writer you would normally never say "He enter their password." But increasingly, in order not to commit a gender bias, I see documents that contain sentences like "the user should enter their password before gaining access to their account."
I'm fully aware why the English grammar is bent in that manner and I, a man who considers himself a sincere feminist, totally agree with the motivation behind such trespassing. I have no argument whatsoever with the rationale behind such a rather modern innovation.
But I still can't help wincing every time I see such egregious violation of one of the most basic principles of the English language. Since rationality and consistency are at the core of technical communications as a discipline, I don't think I'll ever be able to make my peace with such a clearly-wrong practice.
Moreover, it's not like there are no alternatives to the terrible practice. There are actually not one but TWO solutions to the dilemma.
1) SOLUTION 1: Replace the singular subject with a plural subject, and make the necessary adjustments in the predicate too.
Example: "The users should enter their passwords before gaining access to their accounts."
2) SOLUTION 2: Eliminate all pronouns from the sentence.
Example: "The user should enter the password before gaining access to the account," or "The users should enter passwords before gaining access to the accounts."
I don't understand why we technical writers should continue to violate such a basic grammar rule when two alternatives are available to say what we want to say without sounding stilted and awkward.
If you are interested to read more about what technical writing is all about and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
How to Become a Medical and Technical Writer
The field of medical writing procures tremendous job opportunities to the individuals hailing from varied fields such as literature, journalism or pharmaceuticals. There are however various institutions that offer technical training and certificates to the aspirants in various countries, some of which are listed below,
Institutions 1) Enroll in AMWA or American Medical Writer's Association
2) Delaware Valley: Thomas Jefferson University, Drexel University, University of the Sciences, and others offer programs and courses in scientific medical writing.
Apart from these institutions there are other novel ways to initiate a career in medical writing and these tools are listed below,
Journals There are plenty of science journals that are published on the internet or cyberspace; you can search on Google.com a particular field that interests you. However mere degree in scientific arena is not good enough but a deep passion for writing and comprehending the big picture after analyzing the smaller version on the paper is required, scientific journals will only aid in broadening your horizons and the way you can impress upon your thoughts on the actual consumers and the medical enterprises and organizations either to heir you or employ you as a medical writer.
Books In the contemporary age where electronic media has over shadowed manuscripts medical writing requires a lot of investigation via the internet or though regular manuscripts. The regular books available in the market have a greater impact on learning when compared to information on the web but that's just a skeptical analysis and may vary from individual to individual taste some of the books which might aid you in to initiating as a medical writer are jotted below,
1) AMA Manual of Style; 10th edition. JAMA and Archives Journal, Oxford University Press, 2007 2) Medical English Usage and Abusage. Edith Schwager 3) Mathematics into Type. Ellen Swanson
Alan is a freelance medical writer. As he acquired the skills over a period of years working in industry, he decided to take the plunge and enter the field of medical writing on a full time basis.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Warre
Institutions 1) Enroll in AMWA or American Medical Writer's Association
2) Delaware Valley: Thomas Jefferson University, Drexel University, University of the Sciences, and others offer programs and courses in scientific medical writing.
Apart from these institutions there are other novel ways to initiate a career in medical writing and these tools are listed below,
Journals There are plenty of science journals that are published on the internet or cyberspace; you can search on Google.com a particular field that interests you. However mere degree in scientific arena is not good enough but a deep passion for writing and comprehending the big picture after analyzing the smaller version on the paper is required, scientific journals will only aid in broadening your horizons and the way you can impress upon your thoughts on the actual consumers and the medical enterprises and organizations either to heir you or employ you as a medical writer.
Books In the contemporary age where electronic media has over shadowed manuscripts medical writing requires a lot of investigation via the internet or though regular manuscripts. The regular books available in the market have a greater impact on learning when compared to information on the web but that's just a skeptical analysis and may vary from individual to individual taste some of the books which might aid you in to initiating as a medical writer are jotted below,
1) AMA Manual of Style; 10th edition. JAMA and Archives Journal, Oxford University Press, 2007 2) Medical English Usage and Abusage. Edith Schwager 3) Mathematics into Type. Ellen Swanson
Alan is a freelance medical writer. As he acquired the skills over a period of years working in industry, he decided to take the plunge and enter the field of medical writing on a full time basis.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Warre
Technical Writing - How Not to Violate the English Grammar While Trying to Be Gender-Sensitive
This is a grammar error that I see committed by some writers these days: mixing singular subjects with plural verbs and pronouns.
As a technical writer you would normally never say "He enter their password." But increasingly, in order not to commit a gender bias, I see documents that contain sentences like "the user should enter their password before gaining access to their account."
I'm fully aware why the English grammar is bent in that manner and I, a man who considers himself a sincere feminist, totally agree with the motivation behind such trespassing. I have no argument whatsoever with the rationale behind such a rather modern innovation.
But I still can't help wincing every time I see such egregious violation of one of the most basic principles of the English language. Since rationality and consistency are at the core of technical communications as a discipline, I don't think I'll ever be able to make my peace with such a clearly-wrong practice.
Moreover, it's not like there are no alternatives to the terrible practice. There are actually not one but TWO solutions to the dilemma.
1) SOLUTION 1: Replace the singular subject with a plural subject, and make the necessary adjustments in the predicate too.
Example: "The users should enter their passwords before gaining access to their accounts."
2) SOLUTION 2: Eliminate all pronouns from the sentence.
Example: "The user should enter the password before gaining access to the account," or "The users should enter passwords before gaining access to the accounts."
I don't understand why we technical writers should continue to violate such a basic grammar rule when two alternatives are available to say what we want to say without sounding stilted and awkward.
If you are interested to read more about what technical writing is all about and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
As a technical writer you would normally never say "He enter their password." But increasingly, in order not to commit a gender bias, I see documents that contain sentences like "the user should enter their password before gaining access to their account."
I'm fully aware why the English grammar is bent in that manner and I, a man who considers himself a sincere feminist, totally agree with the motivation behind such trespassing. I have no argument whatsoever with the rationale behind such a rather modern innovation.
But I still can't help wincing every time I see such egregious violation of one of the most basic principles of the English language. Since rationality and consistency are at the core of technical communications as a discipline, I don't think I'll ever be able to make my peace with such a clearly-wrong practice.
Moreover, it's not like there are no alternatives to the terrible practice. There are actually not one but TWO solutions to the dilemma.
1) SOLUTION 1: Replace the singular subject with a plural subject, and make the necessary adjustments in the predicate too.
Example: "The users should enter their passwords before gaining access to their accounts."
2) SOLUTION 2: Eliminate all pronouns from the sentence.
Example: "The user should enter the password before gaining access to the account," or "The users should enter passwords before gaining access to the accounts."
I don't understand why we technical writers should continue to violate such a basic grammar rule when two alternatives are available to say what we want to say without sounding stilted and awkward.
If you are interested to read more about what technical writing is all about and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
3 Levels and 3 Profiles of Technical Writing
If you are wondering what levels one can expect to reach in a technical writing career, here are 3 profiles just to give you a rough idea.
Please don't forget that this is just an approximate picture and does not mean that you have to go through each level in exactly the same manner.
You may perhaps start off from the Intermediate level if you are bringing with you a strong background in software skills and job experience.
Or who knows, you might reach a senior level within just 5 years? That's certainly possible too.
Individual cases always vary. But I believe what follows is still a useful general picture in terms of presenting you an overall survey of the technical writing landscape and providing some general benchmarks. They are not based on any scientific study but on my personal experience of over 10 years as a technical writer.
Please let me know if you'd have any questions about these career profiles.
Profile 1: Junior-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: 0-5 years
Job skills:
Writing interface documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, help files.
No supervisory or management skills.
Optional: graphic and illustration skills.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
Optional: FrameMaker (Unstructured)
Optional: Photoshop
Optional: Illustrator
Optional: Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Optional: Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Profile 2: Intermediate-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: 5-10 years
Job skills:
Writing and editing interface and procedural documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, system configuration guides, help files.
Single-sourcing and structured authoring.
Graphic, illustration, print-page and web design skills.
Assisting projects as lead-writer and supervising one or more junior writers.
Optional: simple document and web site localization and translation skills.
Optional: publishing articles in popular professional periodicals like STC's Intercom.
Optional: serving as a Juror in professional technical communication competitions.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
Photoshop
Illustrator
Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Optional: Advanced version and content management software (Agile, etc.)
Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding
Profile 3: Senior-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: Over 10 years
Job skills:
Writing and editing interface and procedural documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, system configuration guides, help files, API guides.
Single-sourcing and structured authoring including DITA structuring and database publishing.
Graphic, illustration, print-page and web design skills.
Leading projects as lead-writer and supervising one or more junior and senior writers.
Advanced print and online documentation project localization skills.
Publishing articles in peer-reviewed professional periodicals like STC's Technical Communication.
Optional: serving as a Lead Juror in professional technical communication competitions.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
Photoshop
Illustrator
Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Optional: Advanced version and content management software (Agile, etc.)
Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding
Optional: XML Editor (FrameMaker, Arbortext, Oxygen, etc.)
Optional: Database Publishing editor (TEX, PatternStream, etc.)
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Please don't forget that this is just an approximate picture and does not mean that you have to go through each level in exactly the same manner.
You may perhaps start off from the Intermediate level if you are bringing with you a strong background in software skills and job experience.
Or who knows, you might reach a senior level within just 5 years? That's certainly possible too.
Individual cases always vary. But I believe what follows is still a useful general picture in terms of presenting you an overall survey of the technical writing landscape and providing some general benchmarks. They are not based on any scientific study but on my personal experience of over 10 years as a technical writer.
Please let me know if you'd have any questions about these career profiles.
Profile 1: Junior-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: 0-5 years
Job skills:
Writing interface documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, help files.
No supervisory or management skills.
Optional: graphic and illustration skills.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
Optional: FrameMaker (Unstructured)
Optional: Photoshop
Optional: Illustrator
Optional: Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Optional: Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Profile 2: Intermediate-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: 5-10 years
Job skills:
Writing and editing interface and procedural documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, system configuration guides, help files.
Single-sourcing and structured authoring.
Graphic, illustration, print-page and web design skills.
Assisting projects as lead-writer and supervising one or more junior writers.
Optional: simple document and web site localization and translation skills.
Optional: publishing articles in popular professional periodicals like STC's Intercom.
Optional: serving as a Juror in professional technical communication competitions.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
Photoshop
Illustrator
Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Optional: Advanced version and content management software (Agile, etc.)
Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding
Profile 3: Senior-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: Over 10 years
Job skills:
Writing and editing interface and procedural documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, system configuration guides, help files, API guides.
Single-sourcing and structured authoring including DITA structuring and database publishing.
Graphic, illustration, print-page and web design skills.
Leading projects as lead-writer and supervising one or more junior and senior writers.
Advanced print and online documentation project localization skills.
Publishing articles in peer-reviewed professional periodicals like STC's Technical Communication.
Optional: serving as a Lead Juror in professional technical communication competitions.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
Photoshop
Illustrator
Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Optional: Advanced version and content management software (Agile, etc.)
Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding
Optional: XML Editor (FrameMaker, Arbortext, Oxygen, etc.)
Optional: Database Publishing editor (TEX, PatternStream, etc.)
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Why Technical Writing Jobs Are Among the Best Writing Options in an Economic Depression
I think technical writing is one of the best writing niches in an economic depression. The reason is simple. Think of all the things people quit doing in an economic depression. First of all, they stop buying and shopping. That takes a chunk out of the incomes of copy writers in general because when people start to save their money, there is less to do for most copy writers since main purpose of commercial copy is to sell something.
SIDEBAR: That actually may work well for the top echelon elite copy writers with well-established track records since, in an environment that does that forgive any mistakes, the employers would not like to take any chances with rookie writers. The business owners and direct marketers would play safe and hire only the "proven entities." Thus, veteran copy writers may actually see an increase in their incomes. But during a recession a great majority of average copy writers may see a drop either in their business volume or the rates they are charging.
Same goes with journalism. At this writing, print journalism is in a deep decline. There are almost no daily newspapers in the United States that are turning a profit simply because people, especially the generation under thirty, are not purchasing and reading newspapers. Especially not when the average weekday edition sells for 50 or 75 cents these days and jumps all the way up to $5 for weekend editions! People don't have that kind of money to spare in a recession for an item that you throw away within 24 hours.
And when it comes to online journalism, the alternatives are so many, it's again hard to make upfront money as an online journalist in this new environment where every blog is a potential source of free news and commentary.
But technical writing has less (what the economists would call) "demand elasticity" in economic depressions simply because people still need to learn how to operate systems, how to take medication, what to do with their lives, health, property, and money. And it is a technical writer's privilege to describe how a savings account works, the advantages of a new training program that one can take while the economy gets better, or how a new time-saving productivity software should be configured properly. Main purpose of technical writing is to instruct, explain, and tutor. And the need for that will never diminish in times good or bad.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
SIDEBAR: That actually may work well for the top echelon elite copy writers with well-established track records since, in an environment that does that forgive any mistakes, the employers would not like to take any chances with rookie writers. The business owners and direct marketers would play safe and hire only the "proven entities." Thus, veteran copy writers may actually see an increase in their incomes. But during a recession a great majority of average copy writers may see a drop either in their business volume or the rates they are charging.
Same goes with journalism. At this writing, print journalism is in a deep decline. There are almost no daily newspapers in the United States that are turning a profit simply because people, especially the generation under thirty, are not purchasing and reading newspapers. Especially not when the average weekday edition sells for 50 or 75 cents these days and jumps all the way up to $5 for weekend editions! People don't have that kind of money to spare in a recession for an item that you throw away within 24 hours.
And when it comes to online journalism, the alternatives are so many, it's again hard to make upfront money as an online journalist in this new environment where every blog is a potential source of free news and commentary.
But technical writing has less (what the economists would call) "demand elasticity" in economic depressions simply because people still need to learn how to operate systems, how to take medication, what to do with their lives, health, property, and money. And it is a technical writer's privilege to describe how a savings account works, the advantages of a new training program that one can take while the economy gets better, or how a new time-saving productivity software should be configured properly. Main purpose of technical writing is to instruct, explain, and tutor. And the need for that will never diminish in times good or bad.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
7 Productivity Tips to Use Webinar Successfully As a Tool in Your Technical Writing Job
Technical writers should use every productivity tool available to them to gather and present information, and facilitate the review process. A webinar, the two-way live video and audio "Web Seminar" broadcast, is one such tool.
Here are 7 ways how you, as a technical writer, can maximize the productivity of your webinar:
1) Distribute the agenda of the webinar to all participants in advance. In addition to the time, URL, and password of the webinar, also send your participants any supporting materials that they need to familiarize themselves with before the event. Studies show that when participants know what is expected of them and are well informed about the reference materials, they contribute at a much higher level. For example, if this is a document review session, makes sure everybody gets the draft document in question at least a few days before the webinar.
2) Have an alternative ready for those members who for one reason or another cannot establish a regular audio connection. A toll-free 800 number, for example, that carries the audio of the presentation could save the day.
3) Make sure that the video connection is "firewall-friendly" and it can be reached from behind your corporate firewall.
4) If you are going to use the session to gather information from Subject Matter Experts, make sure you have all your questions written well ahead of the session. A webinar is not the time to come up with last-minute questions on your feet.
5) Provide a way for your participant to make comments and ask questions both publicly and also in private, through one-on-one messaging.
6) Prefer a webinar host that can record the proceedings and deliver the video of the presentation. That way you can use the video as a documentation training tool and distribute it to selected others who couldn't make it to the webinar.
7) Survey and polling functionality is also very useful to get an overall feedback from your participants and improve your presentation the next time you hold a webinar.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Here are 7 ways how you, as a technical writer, can maximize the productivity of your webinar:
1) Distribute the agenda of the webinar to all participants in advance. In addition to the time, URL, and password of the webinar, also send your participants any supporting materials that they need to familiarize themselves with before the event. Studies show that when participants know what is expected of them and are well informed about the reference materials, they contribute at a much higher level. For example, if this is a document review session, makes sure everybody gets the draft document in question at least a few days before the webinar.
2) Have an alternative ready for those members who for one reason or another cannot establish a regular audio connection. A toll-free 800 number, for example, that carries the audio of the presentation could save the day.
3) Make sure that the video connection is "firewall-friendly" and it can be reached from behind your corporate firewall.
4) If you are going to use the session to gather information from Subject Matter Experts, make sure you have all your questions written well ahead of the session. A webinar is not the time to come up with last-minute questions on your feet.
5) Provide a way for your participant to make comments and ask questions both publicly and also in private, through one-on-one messaging.
6) Prefer a webinar host that can record the proceedings and deliver the video of the presentation. That way you can use the video as a documentation training tool and distribute it to selected others who couldn't make it to the webinar.
7) Survey and polling functionality is also very useful to get an overall feedback from your participants and improve your presentation the next time you hold a webinar.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Technical Communication - 7 Low-Tech Technical Writing Jobs That Pay Well
You do not need to be a computer engineer or a scientist with Ph.D. to become a top-notch technical writer. There are many low-tech writing niches that you can prosper in even if you are not too comfortable with hi-tech subject matters. Here are seven such opportunities available to all technical writers:
1) Grant Proposal writing. There are a lot of non-profit organizations out there looking for writers to prepare and submit a grant proposal on their behalf. The same goes for for-profit corporations that need writers to prepare the necessary documentation to satisfy the conditions stated in a RFP (Request For Proposal) document and win commercial bids.
2) Resume and cover letter writing. Resumes and cover letters are "evergreen" writing gigs since they are needed all the time. But especially in times of economic hardship and recession, a good resume becomes more important than ever. Learn how to write great resumes and cover letters and you'll never be without a job.
3) Quality Control Plan (QCP) writing. This is a document submitted by a defense contractor trying to win a defense-related bid. You can learn how to write one within a day and make good money freelancing for defense vendors and contractors.
4) Tests and Quizzes. There are many tutoring companies, SAT and other exam-prep book publishers who need technical writers come up with all kinds of exam questions, tests and quizzes. Pick up one such book you like, find its publisher, and send a query to the editor.
5) Policy and Procedure writing. Policy and Procedure manuals are needed by all kinds of civic, religious, and military organizations, corporate Human Resources departments, and non-profits in general. You gather and compile the rules, policies and procedures so the managers know what to do when something goes wrong.
6) Case studies. A case study defines a problem for an organization, describes the alternative methods tried to resolve the issue, and then defines one solution that worked the best, with Before and After figures. Many mid- and large-size organizations have such case studies written both for their internal training and marketing purposes. This is a lucrative field that overlaps with writing White Papers.
7) Game rule writing. Video and board games is a $12 billion industry and growing. Every game must have its own file or booklet of rules and technical writers write them. If you can write clear directions on how to play a game, what constitutes a "win" or a "loss," what are the things that are allowed and not allowed, and express it in a language that can be understood by an average reader with only high school education, you might have a job with a game company.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
1) Grant Proposal writing. There are a lot of non-profit organizations out there looking for writers to prepare and submit a grant proposal on their behalf. The same goes for for-profit corporations that need writers to prepare the necessary documentation to satisfy the conditions stated in a RFP (Request For Proposal) document and win commercial bids.
2) Resume and cover letter writing. Resumes and cover letters are "evergreen" writing gigs since they are needed all the time. But especially in times of economic hardship and recession, a good resume becomes more important than ever. Learn how to write great resumes and cover letters and you'll never be without a job.
3) Quality Control Plan (QCP) writing. This is a document submitted by a defense contractor trying to win a defense-related bid. You can learn how to write one within a day and make good money freelancing for defense vendors and contractors.
4) Tests and Quizzes. There are many tutoring companies, SAT and other exam-prep book publishers who need technical writers come up with all kinds of exam questions, tests and quizzes. Pick up one such book you like, find its publisher, and send a query to the editor.
5) Policy and Procedure writing. Policy and Procedure manuals are needed by all kinds of civic, religious, and military organizations, corporate Human Resources departments, and non-profits in general. You gather and compile the rules, policies and procedures so the managers know what to do when something goes wrong.
6) Case studies. A case study defines a problem for an organization, describes the alternative methods tried to resolve the issue, and then defines one solution that worked the best, with Before and After figures. Many mid- and large-size organizations have such case studies written both for their internal training and marketing purposes. This is a lucrative field that overlaps with writing White Papers.
7) Game rule writing. Video and board games is a $12 billion industry and growing. Every game must have its own file or booklet of rules and technical writers write them. If you can write clear directions on how to play a game, what constitutes a "win" or a "loss," what are the things that are allowed and not allowed, and express it in a language that can be understood by an average reader with only high school education, you might have a job with a game company.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Technical Communication - 3 College-Level Technical Writing Jobs That Pay Well
Some technical writing jobs require that you have a science background or that you are familiar with finance and banking terminology and know how the financial markets work. Here are three such well-paying writing opportunities for technical communicators with a college background.
1) Defense industry writing. Due to the recent political developments and wars, defense
expenditures have went through the roof within the last decade. And all defense companies need technical writers, some with top-secret security clearances, to document their products and services. If you specialize in this niche, you won't have too much difficulty in finding and holding a full-time writing job with good pay.
2) Financial writing. Even when the global financial markets collapse, there is still a great need to explain to the average taxpayers how to invest or not to invest their money, how to save, which alternative money management methods they should adopt, how to set up their retirement accounts and insurance plans, which financial products they should purchase and which ones they should avoid. And those are all information tasks that are handled by technical writers. If you combine your finance knowledge with copy writing skills and get into the highly-competitive Financial Newsletter writing niche, your income may rise even more rapidly.
3) Medical and Regulatory writing. This is one writing niche where the employers have more cash than they know what to do with it. Pharmaceutical companies, especially, are always solvent and they regularly need top-notch science-savvy technical writers to generate their regulatory documents. Without securing the approval of regulatory agencies no drugs can be marketed to the general public. Thus the work that medical writers do can be of vital importance for a drug company and that's why medical writers are among the best paid hi-tech technical writers.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
1) Defense industry writing. Due to the recent political developments and wars, defense
expenditures have went through the roof within the last decade. And all defense companies need technical writers, some with top-secret security clearances, to document their products and services. If you specialize in this niche, you won't have too much difficulty in finding and holding a full-time writing job with good pay.
2) Financial writing. Even when the global financial markets collapse, there is still a great need to explain to the average taxpayers how to invest or not to invest their money, how to save, which alternative money management methods they should adopt, how to set up their retirement accounts and insurance plans, which financial products they should purchase and which ones they should avoid. And those are all information tasks that are handled by technical writers. If you combine your finance knowledge with copy writing skills and get into the highly-competitive Financial Newsletter writing niche, your income may rise even more rapidly.
3) Medical and Regulatory writing. This is one writing niche where the employers have more cash than they know what to do with it. Pharmaceutical companies, especially, are always solvent and they regularly need top-notch science-savvy technical writers to generate their regulatory documents. Without securing the approval of regulatory agencies no drugs can be marketed to the general public. Thus the work that medical writers do can be of vital importance for a drug company and that's why medical writers are among the best paid hi-tech technical writers.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Technical Writing - How to Avoid Exaggeration and "Fine Writing" As a Technical Writer
Technical writing fails when it tries to become "fine writing" or "creative writing." Why? Because one of the main tools of "fine writing" is attributing human-like qualities to non-human actors and agents. That's a definite taboo in technical documentation.
For example you commit that error every time you write a sentence like "When the system becomes aware of a user selection, it switches channels."
"Awareness" is an attribute of organic (human, animal, or perhaps even plant) consciousness. Machines and computer systems are not "aware" of anything the way we humans are aware of things.
A better sentence would be: "When the system detects a user selection, it switches channels." Here there is no claim that the "system" is "alive" with "consciousness."
The same "fine writing" error is committed when a technical writer uses adjectives, superlatives, and draws an exaggerated picture of technical states and processes.
For example, in a novel, it may be commensurate with "poetic license" to talk about a "gorgeous pomegranate-colored red pilot light" turning on when the user pushes the OFF button. But in a technical document such an exaggerated description comes across a ridiculous.
A better description would be a "red pilot light is turned on when the user pushes the OFF button." It's simple, correct, and effective.
Again: "When you hear an awful sound coming from the B module, it's time to change the oil." The adjective "awful" does not belong in technical writing since it's meaning is subjective and can change from one person to another. A technical document needs to be as objective as possible to eliminate any variation in application.
A better sentence would be: "When you hear a high-pitched sound coming from the B module, it's time to change the oil."
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
For example you commit that error every time you write a sentence like "When the system becomes aware of a user selection, it switches channels."
"Awareness" is an attribute of organic (human, animal, or perhaps even plant) consciousness. Machines and computer systems are not "aware" of anything the way we humans are aware of things.
A better sentence would be: "When the system detects a user selection, it switches channels." Here there is no claim that the "system" is "alive" with "consciousness."
The same "fine writing" error is committed when a technical writer uses adjectives, superlatives, and draws an exaggerated picture of technical states and processes.
For example, in a novel, it may be commensurate with "poetic license" to talk about a "gorgeous pomegranate-colored red pilot light" turning on when the user pushes the OFF button. But in a technical document such an exaggerated description comes across a ridiculous.
A better description would be a "red pilot light is turned on when the user pushes the OFF button." It's simple, correct, and effective.
Again: "When you hear an awful sound coming from the B module, it's time to change the oil." The adjective "awful" does not belong in technical writing since it's meaning is subjective and can change from one person to another. A technical document needs to be as objective as possible to eliminate any variation in application.
A better sentence would be: "When you hear a high-pitched sound coming from the B module, it's time to change the oil."
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Technical Writing - How to Write Objectively and Avoid the Qualifier "Very" as a Technical Writer
Technical writing needs to be objective. When different people read a technical description, they should be able to perform identical tasks and obtain identical results.
And for that to happen, the words you use must not be open to wide-raging interpretations.
One of the ways to accomplish that is to eliminate the qualifier "very" from your vocabulary for once and all since the exact meaning of "very" differs greatly from one person to another.
For example, what is the difference in meaning between "the network shutdown" and "the network really shut down"? Nothing. So why should you use it?
Similarly, a "very thin" motherboard is actually one that could be just plain "thin" and it's hard to tell the difference unless the "thinness" is measured. That's why to talk about a "0.2 inch thin motherboard" is much better than to call it "very thin" and leave it at that.
Here are some other qualifiers to avoid in a technical document:
"inexhaustible, "unprecedented," "incalculable," "stupendous," "sizable," "nice," "easy," "hard," "awful," etc.
Another important rule in objective writing is to watch the way you address your audience and refer to the subject of your sentences.
For example, if in the beginning of the page you use the second person singular pronoun (as in "You have to enter your ID and Password to have access to the Card database") do not switch to the "user" language just a few sentences later (as in "The User must enter his code to have access to the Operation Room").
Such switches between subject references confuses the readers. Just select one voice and stick with it throughout your technical document.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com
You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
And for that to happen, the words you use must not be open to wide-raging interpretations.
One of the ways to accomplish that is to eliminate the qualifier "very" from your vocabulary for once and all since the exact meaning of "very" differs greatly from one person to another.
For example, what is the difference in meaning between "the network shutdown" and "the network really shut down"? Nothing. So why should you use it?
Similarly, a "very thin" motherboard is actually one that could be just plain "thin" and it's hard to tell the difference unless the "thinness" is measured. That's why to talk about a "0.2 inch thin motherboard" is much better than to call it "very thin" and leave it at that.
Here are some other qualifiers to avoid in a technical document:
"inexhaustible, "unprecedented," "incalculable," "stupendous," "sizable," "nice," "easy," "hard," "awful," etc.
Another important rule in objective writing is to watch the way you address your audience and refer to the subject of your sentences.
For example, if in the beginning of the page you use the second person singular pronoun (as in "You have to enter your ID and Password to have access to the Card database") do not switch to the "user" language just a few sentences later (as in "The User must enter his code to have access to the Operation Room").
Such switches between subject references confuses the readers. Just select one voice and stick with it throughout your technical document.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com
You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Technical Writing - What is "Variance" and How Can a Technical Writer Eliminate it in Documents?
"Variance" is an important term in statistics and plays a crucial role in technical documentation as well. Without getting too technical about it: "variance" denotes the way the values of a set of elements vary around a central mean value.
Imagine you weighing a hundred marbles. Let's say the arithmetic-mean weight of an "average" marble is 10 ounces. But some weigh 10.1 ounces, some 9.8, some others 9.5 and 11.3, etc. You get the picture.
The "average degree" to which any given marble differs from that central value of "10 ounces" is called "variance" and is closely related to the statistical concept of "standard deviation." In short, "variance" is a measure of the extent to which the individual elements of a set are identical. "Zero variance" means all elements in a group are exactly alike.
In manufacturing, "zero variance" is a highly coveted but impossible goal because it means there are no manufacturing defects.
In technical documentation "zero variance" is equally desirable in this sense: there should be no syntax, vocabulary and style "variations" in your manuals. Why? Because a technical text that varies in syntax, vocabulary and style from page to page confuses the readers and fails to instill confidence.
You should have "zero variance" in your vocabulary. If you have used the term "LAN" on the first page, you should not switch to "local network" on page 10.
If you have used a Figure Caption AFTER Figure 1, you should not use it BEFORE Figures 2, 3 and 4.
If you have used "Arial 14 Points" for Header 1 on page 1, the Header 1 on page 56 should not have "Times New Roman 18 Points" font.
If the First Page template in Chapter 1 has a 1.5 inch left margin, every Chapter First Page should also have a 1.5 inch left margin.
You should aim for "zero variance" in your icons, table formatting, bullets, they way you use active and passive voice, and other style elements. "Zero variance" is one of the important features that make technical writing predictable, trustworthy and easy to follow. That should be a goal in every technical documentation project you tackle.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Imagine you weighing a hundred marbles. Let's say the arithmetic-mean weight of an "average" marble is 10 ounces. But some weigh 10.1 ounces, some 9.8, some others 9.5 and 11.3, etc. You get the picture.
The "average degree" to which any given marble differs from that central value of "10 ounces" is called "variance" and is closely related to the statistical concept of "standard deviation." In short, "variance" is a measure of the extent to which the individual elements of a set are identical. "Zero variance" means all elements in a group are exactly alike.
In manufacturing, "zero variance" is a highly coveted but impossible goal because it means there are no manufacturing defects.
In technical documentation "zero variance" is equally desirable in this sense: there should be no syntax, vocabulary and style "variations" in your manuals. Why? Because a technical text that varies in syntax, vocabulary and style from page to page confuses the readers and fails to instill confidence.
You should have "zero variance" in your vocabulary. If you have used the term "LAN" on the first page, you should not switch to "local network" on page 10.
If you have used a Figure Caption AFTER Figure 1, you should not use it BEFORE Figures 2, 3 and 4.
If you have used "Arial 14 Points" for Header 1 on page 1, the Header 1 on page 56 should not have "Times New Roman 18 Points" font.
If the First Page template in Chapter 1 has a 1.5 inch left margin, every Chapter First Page should also have a 1.5 inch left margin.
You should aim for "zero variance" in your icons, table formatting, bullets, they way you use active and passive voice, and other style elements. "Zero variance" is one of the important features that make technical writing predictable, trustworthy and easy to follow. That should be a goal in every technical documentation project you tackle.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
2 Features That Technical Writing Shares With Copywriting and 2 Others That it Does Not
Technical writing is different from copywriting but then there are things shared by both as well.
For example:
1) Both types of writing need to be SPECIFIC. Here are examples to both:
Bad (not specific) copywriting: "Buy this Book and Make Money!"
Good (specific) copywriting: "Buy this Book and Make $3,785 within the next 14 days!"
Bad (not specific) technical writing: "Turn up the voltage regulator knob."
Good (specific) technical writing: "Turn the voltage regulator knob clockwise for two notches."
2) Both types of writing need to be USEFUL.
Bad (not useful) copywriting: "Real estate investment is a good choice."
Good (useful) copywriting: "With ProInvest software you can track all your real estate investments and get alert emails when your annual ROI falls below ten percent."
Bad (not useful) technical writing: "Assemble your Communication Kit before using it."
Good (useful) technical writing: "Assemble your Communication Kit by warming up your solder iron at least 5 minutes in advance and using all the parts in Module K BEFORE unpacking Module R. Skip Module RR altogether if you've bought the Global Navigator Model."
However, here are the 2 differences between the two:1) Copywriting needs to argue a UNIQUE benefit that cannot be found anywhere else. Technical writing, as long as it is correct, does not need to have any claims to uniqueness.
Bad (not unique) copywriting: "Let's show you how you can advertise by using Google AdSense."
Good (unique) copywriting: "This is the only course available which shows how you can use Google AdSense by auto-customizing the ads according to the profile of incoming traffic." [This claim is just a fictitious example provided for illustration purposes.]
Good (not unique) technical writing: "Enter your User ID and Password into the Login field."
Good (unique) technical writing: "Enter your User ID and Password into the Login field on the upper left corner of Cardio-Synthesizer's Master Configuration screen."
2) Copywriting needs to have a sense of URGENCY in order to SELL products. Technical writing should never try to sell anything and should never push the user towards any consumer behavior.
Bad (not urgent) copywriting: "Buy MegaChef Tomato Chopper."
Good (urgent) copywriting: "Buy MegaChef Tomato Chopper TODAY and not only we'll take 30% off the selling price but we'll also include a 3-piece Knife Set for you as a bonus. Limited quantities available ONLY TODAY!"
Bad (urgent) technical writing: "Check the System Status IMMEDIATELY and Connect Wire A to Wire B right away NOW!"
Good (not urgent) technical writing: "Check the System Status and make sure it is in GREEN state BEFORE you connect Wire A to Wire B since the Central Processor may burn if the System Status is not in GREEN."
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
For example:
1) Both types of writing need to be SPECIFIC. Here are examples to both:
Bad (not specific) copywriting: "Buy this Book and Make Money!"
Good (specific) copywriting: "Buy this Book and Make $3,785 within the next 14 days!"
Bad (not specific) technical writing: "Turn up the voltage regulator knob."
Good (specific) technical writing: "Turn the voltage regulator knob clockwise for two notches."
2) Both types of writing need to be USEFUL.
Bad (not useful) copywriting: "Real estate investment is a good choice."
Good (useful) copywriting: "With ProInvest software you can track all your real estate investments and get alert emails when your annual ROI falls below ten percent."
Bad (not useful) technical writing: "Assemble your Communication Kit before using it."
Good (useful) technical writing: "Assemble your Communication Kit by warming up your solder iron at least 5 minutes in advance and using all the parts in Module K BEFORE unpacking Module R. Skip Module RR altogether if you've bought the Global Navigator Model."
However, here are the 2 differences between the two:1) Copywriting needs to argue a UNIQUE benefit that cannot be found anywhere else. Technical writing, as long as it is correct, does not need to have any claims to uniqueness.
Bad (not unique) copywriting: "Let's show you how you can advertise by using Google AdSense."
Good (unique) copywriting: "This is the only course available which shows how you can use Google AdSense by auto-customizing the ads according to the profile of incoming traffic." [This claim is just a fictitious example provided for illustration purposes.]
Good (not unique) technical writing: "Enter your User ID and Password into the Login field."
Good (unique) technical writing: "Enter your User ID and Password into the Login field on the upper left corner of Cardio-Synthesizer's Master Configuration screen."
2) Copywriting needs to have a sense of URGENCY in order to SELL products. Technical writing should never try to sell anything and should never push the user towards any consumer behavior.
Bad (not urgent) copywriting: "Buy MegaChef Tomato Chopper."
Good (urgent) copywriting: "Buy MegaChef Tomato Chopper TODAY and not only we'll take 30% off the selling price but we'll also include a 3-piece Knife Set for you as a bonus. Limited quantities available ONLY TODAY!"
Bad (urgent) technical writing: "Check the System Status IMMEDIATELY and Connect Wire A to Wire B right away NOW!"
Good (not urgent) technical writing: "Check the System Status and make sure it is in GREEN state BEFORE you connect Wire A to Wire B since the Central Processor may burn if the System Status is not in GREEN."
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Forget the iSlider Keyboard, Howsabout the iPhone iClamshell?!
Last time Gizmodo gave us their version of an iPhone iSlider form factor. We. Didn’t. Want. It. Now they’re back with a compromise: a modular iPhone that could accept, among other things, a snap-on keyboard iClamshell.
Eh. Still doesn’t strike us as something elegant enough for Apple to consider releasing, though as a 3rd party accessory (if they can get both SDK and dock licensing in order), it would likely make many people happy. (Still not us, though, we loves the multi-touch and truly, deeply, strongly believe the era of on-device hardware keyboards is over).
It’s your opinions that matter most, however, so let us know if this is something you’d like to see, first party or third, and what form you’d most like to see it in.
by rene ritchie
Review: Element Liquid Case for iPhone and iPhone 3G (And First Give Away!)
It was not long ago that Rene introduced all of you to yet another TiPb giveaway. Element Case was kind enough to provide TiPb with THREE amazing custom made cases for our faithful readers to win. Today we bring you a full review of those cases, and details on how to enter to win the very first one of them. Read on for both the review, and the contest, after the break!
I will admit I am not the biggest fan of hard cases for any of my iPhones. Usually a simple drop would send a case flying in two pieces with the iPhone following. Now I’m not sure about you, but that is not my idea of protection.
Enter the Liquid Case from Element Case. Four nickel-plated screws bolt your iPhone into its acrylic body armor and then a plastic shield snaps into place with the help of four magnets. With this case your iPhone or iPhone 3G is securely held in place and protected very well. So if that accidental drop does happen, rest assured your iPhone will be protected and come away scratch free.
Now you may be saying to yourself $99 for a case is just crazy. Well you do get what you pay for my friends. Every single Element Case is custom built and hand-assembled right here in the USA. They are injection molded from the finest clear Impact-Acrylic and PolyCarbonate polymers.
Each case is custom painted with up to 7 layers of House of Kolor paint, which is not only excellent paint but also provides a top notch appearance as well. Graphics are then laser engraved into the flip-lid and backplate of every case, providing a customized look for the iPhone and iPhone 3G. The Liquid case gives you three choices of color: black, grey and white. You also get a free extra lid with your purchase.
You will have your choice of 22 different graphics for your lid and and eight different colors. This means you will have little issue coming away with a very unique case. An don’t forget for a extra $25 gets you a custom engraving Hence the super cool TiPb logos on the cases we are giving away.
Daily Use
This case has the iPhone gamer in mind (or simply someone who wants the best protection available). The extra size may not be to everyones liking, but one of the nice things about it revolves around it’s main purpose, gaming. It fits very nicely in the hands especially while playing a game. One of Dieter’s biggest gripes while holding the iPhone 3G in landscape mode was that your hand would cover up the speaker blocking the sound! Well worry about that issue no more gamers.
This case has the iPhone gamer in mind (or simply someone who wants the best protection available). The extra size may not be to everyones liking, but one of the nice things about it revolves around it’s main purpose, gaming. It fits very nicely in the hands especially while playing a game. One of Dieter’s biggest gripes while holding the iPhone 3G in landscape mode was that your hand would cover up the speaker blocking the sound! Well worry about that issue no more gamers.
There is no doubt that dropping your iPhone with this case on will save your investment from any harm. You even have the option of putting the lid on to cover the screen while not in use.
Although some may find it a hassle to have to remove it every time you need to access the phone it is nice to be able to give it that added protection while not in use.
Everything is easily accessible while the case is on the phone. From the 3.5 headset jack, power, volume, ring/vibrate switch, and charging port. The Element Liquid Case has you covered.
Conclusion
I have to say, I really do like this case. The many options can make for a unique look and it offers excellent protection. I am not aware of another case out there that enables you to have this much control over customization. From colors to designs, the possibilities are endless. The price is steep and it may not be for everyone but if you are into gaming and want the protection, it really is worth checking out.
I have to say, I really do like this case. The many options can make for a unique look and it offers excellent protection. I am not aware of another case out there that enables you to have this much control over customization. From colors to designs, the possibilities are endless. The price is steep and it may not be for everyone but if you are into gaming and want the protection, it really is worth checking out.
Pros
Top notch all around protection
Great for gaming
Feels great in your hand
Looks cool
Very high build quality
Cons
Starting at $99 it is a bit expensive
The 4 screws make it a hassle to put your iPhone in the case or remove it.
The size it adds to the phone may turn some people off.
by Jeremy Sikora
Pole Dancing Robot
By Casey LynnContributing Writer,
This robotic DJ and pole dancer were created by sculptor/designer Giles Walker. These guys, and more of his work, are being shown at MUTATE BRITAIN exhibition in London.
He says of the exotic dancing robot, “I wondered if it was possible to literally make a CCTV camera sexy using simple mechanics…and by using the imagery of a pole dancer question the roles played in voyerism. Could this pile of old windscreen wipers and odd pieces of metal become something sexual….”
This robotic DJ and pole dancer were created by sculptor/designer Giles Walker. These guys, and more of his work, are being shown at MUTATE BRITAIN exhibition in London.
He says of the exotic dancing robot, “I wondered if it was possible to literally make a CCTV camera sexy using simple mechanics…and by using the imagery of a pole dancer question the roles played in voyerism. Could this pile of old windscreen wipers and odd pieces of metal become something sexual….”
20+ iPhone Apps Heavily Discounted to Celebrate New Year
Few iPhone app developers
have come together and are offering their iPhone apps at heavily discounted prices on the App Store to celebrate the coming new year.
The iPhone applications
will be discounted for at least 48 hours from Dec 31st, 2008 to Jan 1st, 2009.
The list of 25 iPhone apps (and growing) that are being offered for heavy discounts on the App Store are mentioned below:
ScribBall — $0.99 (was $3.99)
Car Care — $1.99 (was $4.99)
DuckDuckDuck — Free (was $0.99)
Mouse House — $0.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial History — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial Movies — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Pop Culture — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial Science — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial Sports — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial Technology
— $1.99 (was $4.99)
BlackBeard’s Assault — $0.99 (was $1.99)
Pinch ‘n Pop — $0.99 (was $3.99)
Burnball — $0.99 (was $1.99)
Kana — $1.99 (was $2.99)
Tilt It! — $0.99 (was $1.99)
Sneezies — $0.99 (was $2.99)
Hexy — $0.99 (was $1.99)
Smiles Drop — $1.99 (was $2.99)
HearPlanet — $1.99 (was $3.99)
Mobile Fotos — $0.99 (was $2.99)
Alphabetic — $0.99 (was $1.99)
Imangi — $1.99 (was $2.99)
Word Squares — $0.99 (was $1.99)
WristPop Coin Toss — Free (was $0.99)
One of my favorite iPhone games, Frenzic - a fast-paced Puzzle game which I had reviewed is also available for a $1.99 (was $4.99).
So if you find any of them interesting then don't miss out on this oppurtunity and buy them at their discounted prices.
Wish you all a Happy New Year!!!
have come together and are offering their iPhone apps at heavily discounted prices on the App Store to celebrate the coming new year.
The iPhone applications
will be discounted for at least 48 hours from Dec 31st, 2008 to Jan 1st, 2009.
The list of 25 iPhone apps (and growing) that are being offered for heavy discounts on the App Store are mentioned below:
ScribBall — $0.99 (was $3.99)
Car Care — $1.99 (was $4.99)
DuckDuckDuck — Free (was $0.99)
Mouse House — $0.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial History — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial Movies — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Pop Culture — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial Science — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial Sports — $1.99 (was $4.99)
Trivial Technology
— $1.99 (was $4.99)
BlackBeard’s Assault — $0.99 (was $1.99)
Pinch ‘n Pop — $0.99 (was $3.99)
Burnball — $0.99 (was $1.99)
Kana — $1.99 (was $2.99)
Tilt It! — $0.99 (was $1.99)
Sneezies — $0.99 (was $2.99)
Hexy — $0.99 (was $1.99)
Smiles Drop — $1.99 (was $2.99)
HearPlanet — $1.99 (was $3.99)
Mobile Fotos — $0.99 (was $2.99)
Alphabetic — $0.99 (was $1.99)
Imangi — $1.99 (was $2.99)
Word Squares — $0.99 (was $1.99)
WristPop Coin Toss — Free (was $0.99)
One of my favorite iPhone games, Frenzic - a fast-paced Puzzle game which I had reviewed is also available for a $1.99 (was $4.99).
So if you find any of them interesting then don't miss out on this oppurtunity and buy them at their discounted prices.
Wish you all a Happy New Year!!!
World's First Software Method to Unlock iPhone 3G Released [Updated]
iPhone Dev Team have finally released their much awaited software method to unlock iPhone 3G.
Its also the world's first software solution to unlock iPhone 3G and it supports all firmwares including baseband firmware 02.28.00 which they had earlier indicated might not be supported.
Update:
The dev team has released an updated version of their yellowsn0w application (v0.9.4) to unlock iPhone 3G.
The dev team had released PwnageTool 2.2.1, QuickPwn 2.2 for Mac & QuickPwn 2.2 for Windows which can jailbreak 1st gen iPhone and iPhone 3G and unlock 1st gen iPhone running iPhone firmware 2.2 which was released by Apple on Nov 21.
They have just released the world's first and their much awaited software method to unlock iPhone 3G code named yellowsn0w for free.
To unlock iPhone 3G, the dev team has provided the following information:
Basics
The unlock about to be released is only for the iPhone 3G. The iPhone 2G is already unlockable via BootNeuter (as installed by PwnageTool and QuickPwn).
This unlock works exclusively with baseband 02.28.00. This baseband is provided by the latest firmware update (2.2) from Apple. You’ll need to upgrade to this release using iTunes and then use QuickPwn to activate etc. There are plenty of tutorials about this on iclarified, bigboss, and other established tutorial sites. Because it works on 02.28.00, it is available to everyone on the planet. This means we don’t need to unnecessarily expose holes in earlier basebands, which is an important concern.
The application is a small daemon that is launched on boot. It injects the payload at boot and also whenever there is a baseband reset. You won’t notice anything about it other than that your third-party sim now works. It’s a small program and unobtrusive. There is no GUI (this is by design).
You can add the application using the sources outlined below (coming soon). There are Cydia and Installer sources available, so use whichever you are comfortable using.
yellowsn0w is completely removable through Cydia, the command line, and iTunes.Details
There is a known issue with SIM cards that have STK (SIM Toolkit) application menus. These menus are usually items such as “top up” “get credit” etc.
These menu items confuse the application sometimes. Removing and reinserting the SIM once after reboot (give it about 10 secs after you see the slide to unlock widget) fixes this issue. We’re working on a better fix.
For those of you using SIM cards without STK menus, the application has some optional arguments that will make the unlock much faster for you. So either experiment on your own (use “yellowsn0w -h” for usage) or wait for a customization writeup.
After you install yellowsn0w via Cydia, you should return to the Cydia main menu then reboot your iPhone with the 3rd party SIM installed. Wait for the slide to unlock screen, then wait 10 or 15 secs more. If you don’t see your carrier name pop up, then remove your SIM, reinsert it, and wait 10 secs more. This is the step we’ll be working on eliminating next.
Other details
The application is version 0.9. This is considered beta software, and you use it at your own risk (you know the score). We guarantee that it’s not perfect and will require tweaking. Welcome to the cutting edge. (It’s a good thing these are just temporary RAM patches!)
The application is released on a non-commerical basis. Please do not accept pirates and scummy ripoffs of this software. We license this software for single use and in a non-commerical environment (meaning you can’t charge for it). The techniques and methods used are not to be used by third party companies.
Before you start hacking your iPhone, it's a good idea to backup your iPhone.
yellowsn0w is available via Cydia which gets installed when you unlock your iPhone using QuickPwn 2.2 for Mac or QuickPwn 2.2 for Windows. QuickPwn which is a GUI based tool and quite easy to use.
You can follow these instructions:
Launch Cydia from your iPhone's home screen.
Tap the Manage tab and then Sources.
Tap Edit on the top right corner of the screen.
Then tap Add to enter the resource URL http://apt9.yellowsn0w.com (for Cydia) which will install the yellowsn0w source.
Tap on the installed yellowsn0w source, and tap Install on the top right corner, this will install the yellowsn0w application which should unlock your iPhone 3G.
As mentioned by the dev team above those users with SIMs that have apps and other menus on them will need to do that extra step. You will know if you fall in this "extra step" category if your carrier doesn’t show up within about 10 seconds of the slide to unlock screen.
iPhone users in this category will need to pull and reinsert the SIM once after rebooting their iPhone to engage the unlock. The dev team is working on resolving the issue to avoid the extra step.
Please do remember that hacking your iPhone could void its warranty so please proceed with caution.
I just tried the above steps (and even removing and reinserting the SIM) on my iPhone 3G but it didn't seem to have worked for me.
Update 1:
The dev team has just updated their blog that they will be yellowsn0w 0.9.1. Here is what they have to say:
It uses a much longer delay to let your SIM card initialize. If you have problems with 0.9.0, try this one and wait a full minute after you seem homescreen, then reinsert sim card. We need both success and failure reports to tune this across the world, so please be patient (but please also report result!)
If you are in the U.S. and are trying this with T-Mobile, you must turn off the 3G switch in Settings. Also if you are good with the command line, you can make it much easier by adding the line-q right after the /usr/bin/yellowsn0w line in /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.iphone-dev.yellowsn0w.plist (that’s and advanced tip, hopefully someone will make a boosprefs type of tool for it)
Update 2:
The dev team has just released yellowsn0w 0.9.1 and I was able to successfully unlock my iPhone 3G which had failed when I tried the first time with yellowsn0w 0.9. If you have added yellowsn0w 0.9 then the update will be available in Cydia, simply upgrade to 0.9.1. If this is the first time then adding the resource will install yellowsn0w 0.9.1 resource. Please remember to follow the instructions mentioned below carefully:
Removing and reinserting the SIM once after reboot (give it about 60 seconds (with v0.9.1) after you see the slide to unlock widget) fixes this issue. We’re working on a better fix.
For those of you using SIM cards without STK menus, the application has some optional arguments that will make the unlock much faster for you. So either experiment on your own (use “yellowsn0w -h” for usage) or wait for a customization writeup.
After you install yellowsn0w via Cydia, you should return to the Cydia main menu then reboot your iPhone with the 3rd party SIM installed. Wait for the slide to unlock screen, then wait 10 or 15 secs more. If you don’t see your carrier name pop up, then remove your SIM, reinsert it, and wait 60 secs more.
Here are some more updates from the dev team:
If you are in the U.S. and are trying this with T-Mobile, you must turn off the 3G switch in Settings. Also if you are good with the command line, you can make it much easier by adding the line-q right after the /usr/bin/yellowsn0w line in /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.iphone-dev.yellowsn0w.plist (that’s and advanced tip, hopefully someone will make a boosprefs type of tool for it)
No PIN support yet. Remember how we said this was beta? Well we’re still working out the flow for SIMs with PINs enabled. Please disable any PIN you may have on that SIM before trying yellowsn0w, for now..
The dev team are just brilliant to quickly release a fix to resolve the issue some folks were facing. They are working to eliminate some of the extra steps. I would strongly recommend you to follow the Dev team's blog for more detailed instructions and in case you want to report any issue.
Update 43:
If you try to unlock iPhone 3G running anything other than baseband 02.28.00 then dev team's unlocking solution will not work, it detects the wrong version and quits, so check your modem firmware setting in Settings->General->About.
Update 4 (Jan 2nd, 2009):
Folks at Hackint0sh have published a guide with some useful tips to unlock iPhone 3G. It has helped readers Ricki and maikel to unlock their iPhone 3Gs successfully. Thanks Ricki for the tip.
Update 5:
The dev team has released an updated version of their yellowsn0w application (v0.9.4) to unlock iPhone 3G. Some folks were able to successfully unlock their iPhone 3G. If you have already unlocked your iPhone 3G, I would recommend you to avoid upgrading to the new version as it did not work as smoothly when I tried.
However, if you had tried unlocking your iPhone 3G with the older version and it did not work, you can try upgrading to the new version of yellowsn0w via Cydia.
Also checkout this guide over at Hackint0sh, it has some useful tips to unlock iPhone 3G. I was able to successfully unlock my iPhone 3G (again) with the latest version of yellowsn0w by following it.
Its also the world's first software solution to unlock iPhone 3G and it supports all firmwares including baseband firmware 02.28.00 which they had earlier indicated might not be supported.
Update:
The dev team has released an updated version of their yellowsn0w application (v0.9.4) to unlock iPhone 3G.
The dev team had released PwnageTool 2.2.1, QuickPwn 2.2 for Mac & QuickPwn 2.2 for Windows which can jailbreak 1st gen iPhone and iPhone 3G and unlock 1st gen iPhone running iPhone firmware 2.2 which was released by Apple on Nov 21.
They have just released the world's first and their much awaited software method to unlock iPhone 3G code named yellowsn0w for free.
To unlock iPhone 3G, the dev team has provided the following information:
Basics
The unlock about to be released is only for the iPhone 3G. The iPhone 2G is already unlockable via BootNeuter (as installed by PwnageTool and QuickPwn).
This unlock works exclusively with baseband 02.28.00. This baseband is provided by the latest firmware update (2.2) from Apple. You’ll need to upgrade to this release using iTunes and then use QuickPwn to activate etc. There are plenty of tutorials about this on iclarified, bigboss, and other established tutorial sites. Because it works on 02.28.00, it is available to everyone on the planet. This means we don’t need to unnecessarily expose holes in earlier basebands, which is an important concern.
The application is a small daemon that is launched on boot. It injects the payload at boot and also whenever there is a baseband reset. You won’t notice anything about it other than that your third-party sim now works. It’s a small program and unobtrusive. There is no GUI (this is by design).
You can add the application using the sources outlined below (coming soon). There are Cydia and Installer sources available, so use whichever you are comfortable using.
yellowsn0w is completely removable through Cydia, the command line, and iTunes.Details
There is a known issue with SIM cards that have STK (SIM Toolkit) application menus. These menus are usually items such as “top up” “get credit” etc.
These menu items confuse the application sometimes. Removing and reinserting the SIM once after reboot (give it about 10 secs after you see the slide to unlock widget) fixes this issue. We’re working on a better fix.
For those of you using SIM cards without STK menus, the application has some optional arguments that will make the unlock much faster for you. So either experiment on your own (use “yellowsn0w -h” for usage) or wait for a customization writeup.
After you install yellowsn0w via Cydia, you should return to the Cydia main menu then reboot your iPhone with the 3rd party SIM installed. Wait for the slide to unlock screen, then wait 10 or 15 secs more. If you don’t see your carrier name pop up, then remove your SIM, reinsert it, and wait 10 secs more. This is the step we’ll be working on eliminating next.
Other details
The application is version 0.9. This is considered beta software, and you use it at your own risk (you know the score). We guarantee that it’s not perfect and will require tweaking. Welcome to the cutting edge. (It’s a good thing these are just temporary RAM patches!)
The application is released on a non-commerical basis. Please do not accept pirates and scummy ripoffs of this software. We license this software for single use and in a non-commerical environment (meaning you can’t charge for it). The techniques and methods used are not to be used by third party companies.
Before you start hacking your iPhone, it's a good idea to backup your iPhone.
yellowsn0w is available via Cydia which gets installed when you unlock your iPhone using QuickPwn 2.2 for Mac or QuickPwn 2.2 for Windows. QuickPwn which is a GUI based tool and quite easy to use.
You can follow these instructions:
Launch Cydia from your iPhone's home screen.
Tap the Manage tab and then Sources.
Tap Edit on the top right corner of the screen.
Then tap Add to enter the resource URL http://apt9.yellowsn0w.com (for Cydia) which will install the yellowsn0w source.
Tap on the installed yellowsn0w source, and tap Install on the top right corner, this will install the yellowsn0w application which should unlock your iPhone 3G.
As mentioned by the dev team above those users with SIMs that have apps and other menus on them will need to do that extra step. You will know if you fall in this "extra step" category if your carrier doesn’t show up within about 10 seconds of the slide to unlock screen.
iPhone users in this category will need to pull and reinsert the SIM once after rebooting their iPhone to engage the unlock. The dev team is working on resolving the issue to avoid the extra step.
Please do remember that hacking your iPhone could void its warranty so please proceed with caution.
I just tried the above steps (and even removing and reinserting the SIM) on my iPhone 3G but it didn't seem to have worked for me.
Update 1:
The dev team has just updated their blog that they will be yellowsn0w 0.9.1. Here is what they have to say:
It uses a much longer delay to let your SIM card initialize. If you have problems with 0.9.0, try this one and wait a full minute after you seem homescreen, then reinsert sim card. We need both success and failure reports to tune this across the world, so please be patient (but please also report result!)
If you are in the U.S. and are trying this with T-Mobile, you must turn off the 3G switch in Settings. Also if you are good with the command line, you can make it much easier by adding the line
Update 2:
The dev team has just released yellowsn0w 0.9.1 and I was able to successfully unlock my iPhone 3G which had failed when I tried the first time with yellowsn0w 0.9. If you have added yellowsn0w 0.9 then the update will be available in Cydia, simply upgrade to 0.9.1. If this is the first time then adding the resource will install yellowsn0w 0.9.1 resource. Please remember to follow the instructions mentioned below carefully:
Removing and reinserting the SIM once after reboot (give it about 60 seconds (with v0.9.1) after you see the slide to unlock widget) fixes this issue. We’re working on a better fix.
For those of you using SIM cards without STK menus, the application has some optional arguments that will make the unlock much faster for you. So either experiment on your own (use “yellowsn0w -h” for usage) or wait for a customization writeup.
After you install yellowsn0w via Cydia, you should return to the Cydia main menu then reboot your iPhone with the 3rd party SIM installed. Wait for the slide to unlock screen, then wait 10 or 15 secs more. If you don’t see your carrier name pop up, then remove your SIM, reinsert it, and wait 60 secs more.
Here are some more updates from the dev team:
If you are in the U.S. and are trying this with T-Mobile, you must turn off the 3G switch in Settings. Also if you are good with the command line, you can make it much easier by adding the line
No PIN support yet. Remember how we said this was beta? Well we’re still working out the flow for SIMs with PINs enabled. Please disable any PIN you may have on that SIM before trying yellowsn0w, for now..
The dev team are just brilliant to quickly release a fix to resolve the issue some folks were facing. They are working to eliminate some of the extra steps. I would strongly recommend you to follow the Dev team's blog for more detailed instructions and in case you want to report any issue.
Update 43:
If you try to unlock iPhone 3G running anything other than baseband 02.28.00 then dev team's unlocking solution will not work, it detects the wrong version and quits, so check your modem firmware setting in Settings->General->About.
Update 4 (Jan 2nd, 2009):
Folks at Hackint0sh have published a guide with some useful tips to unlock iPhone 3G. It has helped readers Ricki and maikel to unlock their iPhone 3Gs successfully. Thanks Ricki for the tip.
Update 5:
The dev team has released an updated version of their yellowsn0w application (v0.9.4) to unlock iPhone 3G. Some folks were able to successfully unlock their iPhone 3G. If you have already unlocked your iPhone 3G, I would recommend you to avoid upgrading to the new version as it did not work as smoothly when I tried.
However, if you had tried unlocking your iPhone 3G with the older version and it did not work, you can try upgrading to the new version of yellowsn0w via Cydia.
Also checkout this guide over at Hackint0sh, it has some useful tips to unlock iPhone 3G. I was able to successfully unlock my iPhone 3G (again) with the latest version of yellowsn0w by following it.
Google Mobile App: Google Reveals Hidden “Bells and Whistles” Menu [Easter Egg]
Google had released the new version of their Google Mobile app for the iPhone with Voice Search back in November. Google had admitted that they are using undocumented APIs in order to use the iPhone’s proximity sensor to prompt a verbal search.
Google has just revealed that they had also added a hidden “Bells and Whistles” menu along with the update.
Tapping on this menu reveals the extra options such as an option to change the apps color to anything you want, the option to have the app’s default sound replaced by monkey or chicken noises, an option to see live waveform show up as you talk and the option to open links in the app itself.
Google has just revealed that they had also added a hidden “Bells and Whistles” menu along with the update.
It takes quite a bit of effort to find the hidden menu, the extra options are hidden below the preferences on the Settings tab. You need to keep swiping your finger upwards (quite a lot) to see the “Bells and Whistles” menu.
Tapping on this menu reveals the extra options such as an option to change the apps color to anything you want, the option to have the app’s default sound replaced by monkey or chicken noises, an option to see live waveform show up as you talk and the option to open links in the app itself.
Step-by-Step Guide to Jailbreak iPhone 3G using QuickPwn (Windows)
The iPhone Dev team released their much awaited software solution to unlock iPhone 3G couple of days back.
However to install their yellowsn0w application to unlock iPhone 3G, you need to first jailbreak iPhone 3G.
So here is a step-by-step guide to jailbreak iPhone 3G using QuickPwn for Windows users, on the same lines as the step-by-step guide to jailbreak iPhone 3G using QuickPwn for Mac users.
Some important points to note before we start:
Hacking your iPhone 3G could void its warranty.
Since one of the important requirements to unlock iPhone 3G is to upgrade to iPhone firmware 2.2 (as it exclusivley works with baseband firmware
02.28.00 which comes bundled with firmware 2.2), you need to be aware that iPhone firmware 2.2 breaks Turbo SIM (in case you are using it) - the hardware method to unlock iPhone 3G so if Dev team's software method which is still in beta does not work you might not be able to use your iPhone 3G.
This guide is to jailbreak iPhone 3G running iPhone firmware 2.2.
This guide is for Windows users, Mac users can refer to this step-by-step guide to jailbreak iPhone 3G using QuickPwn (Mac).
Preparatory steps before jailbreaking your iPhone 3G.
Please take a backup of your iPhone, refer to this post for more details.
Since Dev team's unlocking solution works exclusively with baseband firmware 02.28.00, you will need to upgrade your iPhone 3G to iPhone firmware 2.2 without preserving its baseband. You can check your firmware and modem firmware(baseband) versions via Settings->General->About and look for Version and Modem Firmware.
Please ensure that you have upgraded iTunes
to iTunes 8.0.2.
Please download QuickPwn for Windows from this link and unzip its contents in a folder.
Please download firmware 2.2 for iPhone 3G using this link.
If your iPhone 3G firmware Version is 2.2 (5677) and Modem Firmware is 02.28.00 then you are ready to jailbreak your iPhone 3G, you can skip directly to "Jailbreak iPhone 3G using QuickPwn" below. If you want to update your iPhone 3G to firmware 2.2 then you can follow these steps.
Update your iPhone 3G to iPhone Firmware 2.2:
1. Connect your iPhone 3G to your computer via USB cable and launch iTunes and select your iPhone.
2. Hold the SHIFT key
and click the “Restore” button. iTunes will launch a file dialog for you to select the firmware file. Locate the iPhone1,2_2.2_5G77_Restore.ipsw file for firmware 2.2 that you have downloaded in step 5 of the preparatory steps and click “Open”.
3. iTunes will then restore your iPhone with firmware 2.2 which takes sometime, please wait for the process to complete.
Once your iPhone 3G is updated to iPhone firmware 2.2, you are ready to use the QuickPwn tool to jailbreak it.
Jailbreak iPhone 3G using QuickPwn:
1. Launch QuickPwn from the unzipped folder to start jailbreaking your iPhone 3G.
2. Please ensure that your iPhone 3G is connected to your computer. QuickPwn will automatically detect it and enable the blue arrow button, click it to continue.
3. In the next screen, click browse and select the iPhone firmware 2.2 that you had downloaded in step 5 of the preparatory steps and click Open.
4.QuickPwn will check if the firmware file selected is the same as the one installed on your iPhone 3G, if valid it will enable the blue arrow button, click it to continue.
5. In the next screen, you will be prompted to install Cydia, Installer (both are preselected) and if you would like to Replace the Boot Logos. Install both Cydia and Installer as you will need it to install Dev team's unlock yellowsn0w application and also to install jailbreak apps
6. QuickPwn will again prompt you to ensure that your iPhone 3G is connected to your computer via USB, click the blue arrow button to continue.
7. QuickPwn will now automatically put your iPhone into recovery mode. Once its in recovery mode you will be prompted to: Hold the Home button for 5 seconds, Hold the Home and Power buttons for 10 seconds, then release the Power button and continuing holding the Home button until your iPhone is in DFU mode.
8.Its important that you follow the instructions carefully, if it does not work and get an error message then try again, once your iPhone 3G is in DFU mode QuickPwn will start the jailbreaking process.
9.QuickPwn will inform you as soon as the jailbreaking process is successfully completed.
10.After your iPhone 3G reboots, it will be jailbroken and will have Cydia and Installer apps installed and visible on your iPhone's home screen.
www.iphonehacks.com
Feature: Guy Builds One-Wheeled, Self-Balancing Skateboard
This one-wheeled contraption has the body of a skateboard and so much more. Its specially designed balancing system makes for an interesting ride. Continue reading to see more
Thanks to a built-in gyroscope, the board is able to detect when it's tipping -- triggers the motor to keep things balanced. It's powered by lead-acid batteries
that can deliver large current in small bursts, mounted to a laser-cut chassis.
that can deliver large current in small bursts, mounted to a laser-cut chassis.
Can the US make coal the new oil?
Last week, DARPA issued researchers with a plea for help: help us make liquid coal economical and environmentally sound.It's easy to see the logic here - the US Department of Defense guzzles its way through 300,000 barrels of liquid fuel a day, relying on foreign oil to meet that need.
The US has an estimated 275 billion tons of coal reserves. Convert that coal to liquid fuel and - hey presto - you could sever the dependency on foreign oil .The technology even exists - the Nazis were producing liquid coal using indirect synthesis via the Fischer-Tropsch process in the 1940s. But that in itself is revealing - this isn't a very economical process, and was perhaps only viable in Nazi Germany as a last resort when oil resources dried up.A Google search for 'liquid coal' offers little comfort.
Coming in at number 3 is "Liquid Coal is a Bad Deal for Global Warming", while at number 6 is "Why Liquid Coal Is Not a Viable Option to Move America Beyond Oil".The US Air Force itself would tend to agree: on 5 August they appear to be on the verge of abandoning their own attempts at converting liquid to coal. Time will tell if DARPA succeeds where the US Air Force has failed.Colin Barras, online technology reporter
The US has an estimated 275 billion tons of coal reserves. Convert that coal to liquid fuel and - hey presto - you could sever the dependency on foreign oil .The technology even exists - the Nazis were producing liquid coal using indirect synthesis via the Fischer-Tropsch process in the 1940s. But that in itself is revealing - this isn't a very economical process, and was perhaps only viable in Nazi Germany as a last resort when oil resources dried up.A Google search for 'liquid coal' offers little comfort.
Coming in at number 3 is "Liquid Coal is a Bad Deal for Global Warming", while at number 6 is "Why Liquid Coal Is Not a Viable Option to Move America Beyond Oil".The US Air Force itself would tend to agree: on 5 August they appear to be on the verge of abandoning their own attempts at converting liquid to coal. Time will tell if DARPA succeeds where the US Air Force has failed.Colin Barras, online technology reporter
Apple's latest DRM will restrict your wardrobe
You've heard, of course, of digital rights management - used to control how you play, copy or otherwise use media files like music.
Now Apple wants to apply that concept to your sporting wardrobe. In US patent application 2008/0218310, the company details a way to stop us using unauthorised training shoes with the in-sole sensors it sells as part of the Nike + iPod kit. The shoe sensors work as pedometers, sending the data to your iPod as you run.Apple's patent explains that "some people have taken it upon themselves to remove the sensor from the special pocket of the Nike shoe and place it in inappropriate locations - shoelaces, for example - or place it on non-Nike shoes".They seem to consider this beyond the pale.
The patent details a way of "pairing a sensor and an authorised garment", such as "running shoes, shirts or slacks".
Companies like Nike could authorise their garments by burying an RFID chip inside it. That chip is required to activate the sensor. No longer will you be able to use the sensor you paid for with any shoe of your choosing.Apple's idea sounds mean-minded to me.
What do you think?The company has previous form, though. Last year they tried to patent a system that would prevent you from recharging a music player if you ever use it with unauthorised software.Paul Marks, New Scientist technology correspondent
Now Apple wants to apply that concept to your sporting wardrobe. In US patent application 2008/0218310, the company details a way to stop us using unauthorised training shoes with the in-sole sensors it sells as part of the Nike + iPod kit. The shoe sensors work as pedometers, sending the data to your iPod as you run.Apple's patent explains that "some people have taken it upon themselves to remove the sensor from the special pocket of the Nike shoe and place it in inappropriate locations - shoelaces, for example - or place it on non-Nike shoes".They seem to consider this beyond the pale.
The patent details a way of "pairing a sensor and an authorised garment", such as "running shoes, shirts or slacks".
Companies like Nike could authorise their garments by burying an RFID chip inside it. That chip is required to activate the sensor. No longer will you be able to use the sensor you paid for with any shoe of your choosing.Apple's idea sounds mean-minded to me.
What do you think?The company has previous form, though. Last year they tried to patent a system that would prevent you from recharging a music player if you ever use it with unauthorised software.Paul Marks, New Scientist technology correspondent
How to measure a website's IQ?
The creator of the world wide web, Tim Berners-Lee, has made an odd request: for a kind of rating system to help people distinguish sites that can be trusted to tell the truth, and those that can't.
Berners-Lee was speaking at the launch of the World Wide Web Foundation, which aims to ensure that everyone in the world benefits as the web evolves.In his speech he referred to the way fears that the LHC could destroy the world spread like wildfire online.
As the BBC puts it, he explained that "there needed to be new systems that would give websites a label for trustworthiness once they had been proved reliable sources."He went on to say that he didn't think "a simple number like an IQ rating" is a good idea:
"I'd be interested in different organisations labelling websites in different ways". Whatever process is used to hand out the labels, it sounds like a bad idea to me.Berners-Lee himself directed us towards some of the its biggest problems:
"On the web the thinking of cults can spread very rapidly and suddenly a cult which was 12 people who had some deep personal issues suddenly find a formula which is very believable...A sort of conspiracy theory of sorts and which you can imagine spreading to thousands of people and being deeply damaging."There are plenty of arguments online already about whether Scientology is a cult.
I find it unlikely anyone will be keen to step in and label sites on either side as not to be trusted. Others might reasonably argue that all religions - whether established or not - should come with a warning message.As for wading in to put a stop to conspiracy theories, I can't image anything their proponents could benefit from more.Berners-Lee also mentioned the system would help people find out the real science behind, for example, the LHC's risks.
You might think handing out rating for sites about science would be easier, with publishers of peer-reviewed science, for example, receiving a top rating without problems.But there will be papers in the archives of any journal that have been entirely superseded. And a whole lot more that present results that are valid, but can be misleading to some readers.
Web licences to ensure that people only read sites they can handle are the next logical step.Fortunately it's much more likely that the whole idea will quietly be forgotten, which will at least prevent Berners-Lee receiving one of the first "potentially misleading" badges for thinking it up in the first place.
Let's hope the World Wide Web Foundation and its laudable goals have a rosier future.Tom Simonite, online technology editor
Berners-Lee was speaking at the launch of the World Wide Web Foundation, which aims to ensure that everyone in the world benefits as the web evolves.In his speech he referred to the way fears that the LHC could destroy the world spread like wildfire online.
As the BBC puts it, he explained that "there needed to be new systems that would give websites a label for trustworthiness once they had been proved reliable sources."He went on to say that he didn't think "a simple number like an IQ rating" is a good idea:
"I'd be interested in different organisations labelling websites in different ways". Whatever process is used to hand out the labels, it sounds like a bad idea to me.Berners-Lee himself directed us towards some of the its biggest problems:
"On the web the thinking of cults can spread very rapidly and suddenly a cult which was 12 people who had some deep personal issues suddenly find a formula which is very believable...A sort of conspiracy theory of sorts and which you can imagine spreading to thousands of people and being deeply damaging."There are plenty of arguments online already about whether Scientology is a cult.
I find it unlikely anyone will be keen to step in and label sites on either side as not to be trusted. Others might reasonably argue that all religions - whether established or not - should come with a warning message.As for wading in to put a stop to conspiracy theories, I can't image anything their proponents could benefit from more.Berners-Lee also mentioned the system would help people find out the real science behind, for example, the LHC's risks.
You might think handing out rating for sites about science would be easier, with publishers of peer-reviewed science, for example, receiving a top rating without problems.But there will be papers in the archives of any journal that have been entirely superseded. And a whole lot more that present results that are valid, but can be misleading to some readers.
Web licences to ensure that people only read sites they can handle are the next logical step.Fortunately it's much more likely that the whole idea will quietly be forgotten, which will at least prevent Berners-Lee receiving one of the first "potentially misleading" badges for thinking it up in the first place.
Let's hope the World Wide Web Foundation and its laudable goals have a rosier future.Tom Simonite, online technology editor
Grape-seed extract kills laboratory leukemia cells
An extract from grape seeds forces laboratory leukemia cells to commit cell suicide, according to researchers from the University of Kentucky. They found that within 24 hours, 76 percent of leukemia cells had died after being exposed to the extract.
The investigators, who report their findings in the January 1, 2009, issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, also teased apart the cell signaling pathway associated with use of grape seed extract that led to cell death, or apoptosis. They found that the extract activates JNK, a protein that regulates the apoptotic pathway.
While grape seed extract has shown activity in a number of laboratory cancer cell lines, including skin, breast, colon, lung, stomach and prostate cancers, no one had tested the extract in hematological cancers nor had the precise mechanism for activity been revealed.
"These results could have implications for the incorporation of agents such as grape seed extract into prevention or treatment of hematological malignancies and possibly other cancers," said the study's lead author, Xianglin Shi, Ph.D., professor in the Graduate Center for Toxicology at the University of Kentucky.
"What everyone seeks is an agent that has an effect on cancer cells but leaves normal cells alone, and this shows that grape seed extract fits into this category," he said.
Shi adds, however, that the research is not far enough along to suggest that people should eat grapes, grape seeds, or grape skin in excess to stave off cancer. "This is very promising research, but it is too early to say this is chemo-protective."
Hematological cancers – leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma – accounted for an estimated 118,310 new cancer cases and almost 54,000 deaths in 2006, ranking these cancers as the fourth leading cause of cancer incidence and death in the U.S.
Given that epidemiological evidence shows that eating vegetables and fruits helps prevent cancer development, Shi and his colleagues have been studying chemicals known as proanthocyanidins in fruits that contribute to this effect. Shi has found that apple peel extract contains these flavonoids, which have antioxidant activity, and which cause apoptosis in several cancer cell lines but not in normal cells. Based on those studies, and findings from other researchers that grape seed extract reduces breast tumors in rats and skin tumors in mice, they looked at the effect of the compound in leukemia cells.
Using a commercially available grape seed extract, Shi exposed leukemia cells to the extract in different doses and found the marked effect in causing apoptosis in these cells at one of the higher doses.
They also discovered that the extract does not affect normal cells, although they don't know why.
The researchers then used pharmacologic and genetic approaches to determine how the extract induced apoptosis. They found that the extract strongly activated the JNK pathway, which then led to up-regulation of Cip/p21, which controls the cell cycle.
They checked this finding by using an agent that inhibited JNK, and found that the extract was ineffective. Using a genetic approach – silencing the JNK gene – also disarmed grape seed extract's lethal attack in leukemia cells.
"This is a natural compound that appears to have relatively important properties," Shi said.
http://www.aacr.org/
The investigators, who report their findings in the January 1, 2009, issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, also teased apart the cell signaling pathway associated with use of grape seed extract that led to cell death, or apoptosis. They found that the extract activates JNK, a protein that regulates the apoptotic pathway.
While grape seed extract has shown activity in a number of laboratory cancer cell lines, including skin, breast, colon, lung, stomach and prostate cancers, no one had tested the extract in hematological cancers nor had the precise mechanism for activity been revealed.
"These results could have implications for the incorporation of agents such as grape seed extract into prevention or treatment of hematological malignancies and possibly other cancers," said the study's lead author, Xianglin Shi, Ph.D., professor in the Graduate Center for Toxicology at the University of Kentucky.
"What everyone seeks is an agent that has an effect on cancer cells but leaves normal cells alone, and this shows that grape seed extract fits into this category," he said.
Shi adds, however, that the research is not far enough along to suggest that people should eat grapes, grape seeds, or grape skin in excess to stave off cancer. "This is very promising research, but it is too early to say this is chemo-protective."
Hematological cancers – leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma – accounted for an estimated 118,310 new cancer cases and almost 54,000 deaths in 2006, ranking these cancers as the fourth leading cause of cancer incidence and death in the U.S.
Given that epidemiological evidence shows that eating vegetables and fruits helps prevent cancer development, Shi and his colleagues have been studying chemicals known as proanthocyanidins in fruits that contribute to this effect. Shi has found that apple peel extract contains these flavonoids, which have antioxidant activity, and which cause apoptosis in several cancer cell lines but not in normal cells. Based on those studies, and findings from other researchers that grape seed extract reduces breast tumors in rats and skin tumors in mice, they looked at the effect of the compound in leukemia cells.
Using a commercially available grape seed extract, Shi exposed leukemia cells to the extract in different doses and found the marked effect in causing apoptosis in these cells at one of the higher doses.
They also discovered that the extract does not affect normal cells, although they don't know why.
The researchers then used pharmacologic and genetic approaches to determine how the extract induced apoptosis. They found that the extract strongly activated the JNK pathway, which then led to up-regulation of Cip/p21, which controls the cell cycle.
They checked this finding by using an agent that inhibited JNK, and found that the extract was ineffective. Using a genetic approach – silencing the JNK gene – also disarmed grape seed extract's lethal attack in leukemia cells.
"This is a natural compound that appears to have relatively important properties," Shi said.
http://www.aacr.org/
Cold age caused by comets, according to...diamonds?
Reuters reports that tiny nanodiamonds found throughout North America show that a "swarm of comets" hit the earth 13,000 years ago, starting a cold age that killed off mammoths and saber-toothed tigers.
Tiny diamonds sprinkled across North America suggest a "swarm" of comets hit the Earth around 13,000 years ago, kicking up enough disruption to send the planet into a cold spell and drive mammoths and other creatures into extinction, scientists reported on Friday.
...
They are buried at a level that corresponds to the beginning 12,900 years ago of the Younger Dryas, a 1,300-year-long cold spell during which North American mammoths, saber-toothed cats, camels and giant sloths became extinct.
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE5013YZ20090102
Tiny diamonds sprinkled across North America suggest a "swarm" of comets hit the Earth around 13,000 years ago, kicking up enough disruption to send the planet into a cold spell and drive mammoths and other creatures into extinction, scientists reported on Friday.
...
They are buried at a level that corresponds to the beginning 12,900 years ago of the Younger Dryas, a 1,300-year-long cold spell during which North American mammoths, saber-toothed cats, camels and giant sloths became extinct.
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE5013YZ20090102
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