What is ....?

What is RSS?

2005-06-29T15:29:00.000-03:00

RSS or Real Simple Syndication is a format used for syndicating news and content of news-like sites like yahoo, wired.com, blogs, etc. RSS has evolved and is currently used for any kind of information that can be broken down with a common data pattern. Using RSS, we can now monitor news, blogs, job listings, personals, and classifieds. Many sites and blogs offer feeds, which you can identify by a small button that says either RSS or XML. However, if you click one of these links, you will most likely get a page full of code in your browser. To properly read this feed, you will need an RSS reader or aggregator. Click here to get an RSS reader. To learn more about RSS, click on the links below

Webreference

Wikipedia

RSS Reader

What is GPS?

2005-06-27T09:38:00.000-03:00

GPS (Global Positioning System) is a satellite based network which consists of 24 satellites orbiting Earth. These satellites have been placed by the U.S. Department of Defense and just like the internet, GPS was originally intended for military use, but was made available to civilians. These satellites orbit the Earth twice a day and transmit signals to Earth. GPS data is used as navigation aid for planes, ships and cars and is commonly bundled into PDA’s, phones and computers. The GPS system is divided into 3 components – space, control and user.
The 'Space segment' consists of the satellites orbiting Earth about 12,000 miles above us. They travel at speeds of about 7000 miles per hour.
The 'Control segment' consists of the tracking stations all over the world. These stations measure and compute signals from the satellites.
The 'User segment' consists of the GPS receivers and users.
To learn more about GPS, click on the links below

Global Positioning System

Global Positioning System Overview

How GPS Receivers Work

What is VoIP?

2005-06-24T09:09:00.000-03:00

VoIP (Voice over IP) is the method of sending voice conversations over the internet. VoIP converts analog signals from a phone into a digital format, sends it over the internet and then converts it back to analog at the other end. There are 2 ways you can place a call using VoIP. The first method is to use software like ‘Skype’ and call any number from your computer using a headset. The second method of using VoIP is to use a phone that has an adapter which is connected to a broadband connection. The advantage that VoIP has over traditional phone calls is that it is cheaper to use VoIP. The reason that traditional long distance calls are expensive is due to the fact that if you were calling someone from Canada to Australia, your telephone company would have to use the infrastructure of other phone companies which are on route to Australia to complete your call. On the other hand, with VoIP, you are using an existing infrastructure, which is the internet, to make the call. Below are some links on VoIP if you want to learn more.

How VoIP Works

Voice over IP

CNET

Get upto Speed:VoIP

What is 'Phishing'?

2005-06-22T11:16:00.000-03:00

Phishing is the method of sending out fake emails written to appear as if they have been sent by banks or other companies like eBay, with the intent of getting the recipient to reveal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, account IDs, ATM PINs or credit card details. Typically, phishing attacks will direct the recipient to a web page which will look exactly like the target organization’s webpage and have the same colors and logos. I once got an email which took me to a page that looked like an eBay webpage and asked me for my username and password. I figured it was a fake by looking at the web address on the browser address bar. It did not look anything like an eBay address although they did use the word eBay in the address just to throw people off guard. Be very careful about entering details on a page that is linked from an email. If you want to learn more about Phishing, click on the links below.

Wikipedia

How to Spot A Phishing Scam

Webopedia

What is Podcasting?

2005-06-16T10:20:00.000-03:00

Blogs helped create a writer out of you, now Podcasts will help create a DJ or RJ out of you. Podcasting is the new ‘in-thing’ to do and I suggest you jump on this bandwagon as soon as you can. Here is a simple ‘how it works’, you can go to any podcasting website, download podcasts as an MP3 onto your computer or MP3 player and listen to it whenever you get the time or create an MP3 and upload it to these podcast websites and your audience can download them.
Frankly, I have not tried this concept myself but I am going to give myself a shot of this once I get home today. It sounds really interesting and this would be a nice way to hear the latest music without the pains of advertisements (I believe most of the podcasts do not have advertisements yet).
Now that I have whet your appetite, to learn more about podcasting, click on the links below

How stuff works: Podcasting

Wikipidea: Podcasting

Podcasts: New Twist on Net Audio

The freshest podcasts in the known universe

Podcast.Net

A directory of cool stuff for the podcasting community

Howard Stern, if you are reading this, here is a great opportunity for you to get one over the FCC.