Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational software corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services related to computing. The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975. Microsoft is the world's largest software maker measured by revenues.[4] It is also one of the world's most valuable companies.[5]

Microsoft was established to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems. The company's 1986 initial public offering, and subsequent rise in its share price, created an estimated three billionaires and 12,000 millionaires from Microsoft employees. Since the 1990s, it has increasingly diversified from the operating system market and has made a number of corporate acquisitions. In May 2011, Microsoft acquired Skype Technologies for $8.5 billion in its largest acquisition to date.[6]

As of 2013, Microsoft is market dominant in both the PC operating system and office suite markets (the latter with Microsoft Office). The company also produces a wide range of other software for desktops and servers, and is active in areas including internet search (with Bing), the video game industry (with the Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles), the digital services market (through MSN), and mobile phones (via the Windows Phone OS). In June 2012, Microsoft announced that it would be entering the PC vendor market for the first time, with the launch of the Microsoft Surface tablet computer.

In the 1990s, critics began to contend that Microsoft used monopolistic business practices and anti-competitive strategies including refusal to deal and tying, put unreasonable restrictions in the use of its software, and used misrepresentative marketing tactics; both the U.S. Department of Justice and European Commission found the company in violation of antitrust laws.
1972–83: Founding and company beginnings
Paul Allen and Bill Gates, childhood friends with a passion in computer programming, were seeking to make a successful business utilizing their shared skills. In 1972 they founded their first company named Traf-O-Data, which offered a rudimentary computer that tracked and analyzed automobile traffic data. Allen went on to pursue a degree in computer science at the University of Washington, later dropping out of school to work at Honeywell. Gates began studies at Harvard.[9] The January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics featured Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems's (MITS) Altair 8800 microcomputer. Allen noticed that they could program a BASIC interpreter for the device; after a call from Gates claiming to have a working interpreter, MITS requested a demonstration. Since they didn't actually have one, Allen worked on a simulator for the Altair while Gates developed the interpreter. Although they developed the interpreter on a simulator and not the actual device, the interpreter worked flawlessly when they demonstrated the interpreter to MITS in Albuquerque, New Mexico in March 1975; MITS agreed to distribute it, marketing it as Altair BASIC.[7]:108, 112–114 They officially established Microsoft on April 4, 1975, with Gates as the CEO.[10] Allen came up with the original name of "Micro-Soft," the combination of the words microcomputer and software, as recounted in a 1995 Fortune magazine article. In August 1977 the company formed an agreement with ASCII Magazine in Japan, resulting in its first international office, "ASCII Microsoft".[11] The company moved to a new home in Bellevue, Washington in January 1979.[10]

Microsoft entered the OS business in 1980 with its own version of Unix, called Xenix.[12] However, it was MS-DOS that solidified the company's dominance. After negotiations with Digital Research failed, IBM awarded a contract to Microsoft in November 1980 to provide a version of the CP/M OS, which was set to be used in the upcoming IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC).[13] For this deal, Microsoft purchased a CP/M clone called 86-DOS from Seattle Computer Products, branding it as MS-DOS, which IBM rebranded to PC-DOS. Following the release of the IBM PC in August 1981, Microsoft retained ownership of MS-DOS. Since IBM copyrighted the IBM PC BIOS, other companies had to reverse engineer it in order for non-IBM hardware to run as IBM PC compatibles, but no such restriction applied to the operating systems. Due to various factors, such as MS-DOS's available software selection, Microsoft eventually became the leading PC operating systems vendor.[8][14]:210 The company expanded into new markets with the release of the Microsoft Mouse in 1983, as well as a publishing division named Microsoft Press.[7]:232 Paul Allen resigned from Microsoft in February after developing Hodgkin's disease.[7]:231
1984–94: Windows and Office

While jointly developing a new OS with IBM in 1984, OS/2, Microsoft released Microsoft Windows, a graphical extension for MS-DOS, on November 20, 1985.[7]:242–243, 246 Microsoft moved its headquarters to Redmond on February 26, 1986, and on March 13 the company went public;[15] the ensuing rise in the stock would make an estimated four billionaires and 12,000 millionaires from Microsoft employees.[16] Due to the partnership with IBM, in 1990 the Federal Trade Commission set its eye on Microsoft for possible collusion; it marked the beginning of over a decade of legal clashes with the U.S. Government.[17] Microsoft announced the release of its version of OS/2 to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on April 2, 1987;[7]:243–244 meanwhile, the company was at work on a 32-bit OS, Microsoft Windows NT, using ideas from OS/2; it shipped on July 21, 1993 with a new modular kernel and the Win32 application programming interface (API), making porting from 16-bit (MS-DOS-based) Windows easier. Once Microsoft informed IBM of NT, the OS/2 partnership deteriorated.[18]

In 1990, Microsoft introduced its office suite, Microsoft Office. The software bundled separate office productivity applications, such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.[7]:301 On May 22 Microsoft launched Windows 3.0 with a streamlined user interface graphics and improved protected mode capability for the Intel 386 processor.[19] Both Office and Windows became dominant in their respective areas.[20][21] Novell, a Word competitor from 1984–1986, filed a lawsuit years later claiming that Microsoft left part of its APIs undocumented in order to gain a competitive advantage.[22]

On July 27, 1994, the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division filed a Competitive Impact Statement that said, in part: "Beginning in 1988, and continuing until July 15, 1994, Microsoft induced many OEMs to execute anti-competitive "per processor" licenses. Under a per processor license, an OEM pays Microsoft a royalty for each computer it sells containing a particular microprocessor, whether the OEM sells the computer with a Microsoft operating system or a non-Microsoft operating system. In effect, the royalty payment to Microsoft when no Microsoft product is being used acts as a penalty, or tax, on the OEM's use of a competing PC operating system. Since 1988, Microsoft's use of per processor licenses has increased.

How to Travel With One Bag

In this age of airline fare wars, spiking fuel costs, combined with the horror stories of lost luggage that never made it to the baggage claim, the option of traveling with just one bag is becoming more and more attractive. Unless your trip is highly specialized, or requires carrying certain items, it is possible to travel and even live indefinitely out of one bag. Here's how. 

Choose the right bag. Your choice will evolve as you consider what you need to put in it, but consider:

• Size: The largest that airlines will allow as a carry-on is a good starting point. Consider a bigger bag if you need to carry extra items such as winter clothes, gifts, a computer, or a fancy camera. Go for a smaller one if you want to carry the bag long distances.
• Weight: Some airlines weigh carry-on bags before you board, so try to make sure that most of the weight comes from what's inside, and not from the bag itself. Avoid the need for expensive extra-light materials (such as the ridiculously priced titanium luggage) by choosing a simple tough, floppy nylon bag. Avoid heavy and bulky extending handles and wheels and opt instead for a bag with a strap, or, preferably, much more comfortable and unrestrictive, one with backpack-type straps.
• Storage: Multiple pockets help keep things organized. Pockets accessible from the outside provide convenient access to travel paraphernalia such as an inflatable neck pillow or other sleeping aids and snacks, without unpacking or rummaging through everything else.
• Extra space: Your choice of bag may evolve with your choices for its contents. It should have just a little room for extras, not so much that the carefully packed contents shift around in transit.

Determine which items are really necessary. Ask yourself what you need to function day-to-day, or which items will dramatically improve your traveling experience. At the relevant destination, could any item be feasibly rented, borrowed or bought (and not kept to bring back)? Gather only the absolute essentials. Here's a short list of items that you might need to bring:

• Three changes of clothing (at most). Perhaps more socks, underwear and shirts than pants. (Consider packing synthetic fabrics, which are lighter, fold up smaller, slide past each other readily rather than distorting piles, and dry faster––especially for pants, where any difference in feel is less noticeable.)
• Toiletries, such as a toothbrush, floss, soap, shampoo, razors, and anything else you need for grooming. See below for more information about packing toiletries.
• Medical items that you currently require, such as medication, bandages or eyeglasses.
• Any charge cords or other accessories you need for your phone, laptop, or other electronic items.
• Shoes, if you'll need a pair besides your traveling shoes.
• Empty water container. A bottle will do. A flexible "hydration pack" can expand to hold more and is more convenient to carry when in use, but if the main bag is a backpack, check that the hydration pack can be comfortably carried when full along with it.
• Empty plastic bags. You can put dirty clothes in them until washing to keep them from contaminating the clean ones. They should be clear so they aren't confused with trash and thrown away. Try produce bags.
• Laundry detergent for washing by hand. Put a few scoops of powdered detergent in a plastic sandwich bag if you're going on an airplane. An inexpensive, lightweight, and long-lasting alternative is to carry a bar of laundry soap.
• A portable clothesline (available at any camping or travel goods store).
• A universal sink stopper (a flat rubber disk, available at any hardware store). A rubber ball can be an alternative, but check that it doesn't tend to float and is large enough so as to not risk falling in.

 Pack using the "bundle" method. Wrap clothes around large and/or semi-delicate objects (such as bags of toiletries, pairs of shoes, or electronics), rather than folding or rolling clothes. Stuff underwear and socks into shoes to save space and to prevent crushing shoes. The bundle method saves the most space and also reduces wrinkling.

Petrol bombs thrown at Egyptian protesters

Unknown attackers threw petrol bombs at tents housing protesters outside the Egyptian presidential palace in Cairo on Saturday and fired rubber bullets at security forces, injuring at least 15 people, officials and witnesses said.
Four tents were burnt in the attacks, injuring several protesters. One police officer and six soldiers, deployed to the scene to arrest the attackers, were wounded by rubber bullets, according to the interior ministry. The health ministry said a total of 15 people were injured.
Protesters opposing an Islamist-backed constitution have been camped outside the residence of President Mohamed Morsi for weeks. Around 20 chanted "Down, down Morsi!" and "We will not leave!"
In December, Morsi signed into law the first constitution since the overthrow of veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak in a 2011 revolution.
The text, which Morsi fast-tracked through parliament and a national referendum, was fiercely opposed by many of the liberals, secularists and leftists who had helped to topple Mubarak, and has prompted often violent protests on the streets of Cairo.
A Reuters reporter saw several ambulances driving away from the scene late on Saturday evening, and plumes of black smoke billowed in the air.
"The police and military police have been negotiating with us since yesterday to leave the square," said protester Karim el-Shaer. "Today suddenly and only half an hour after the negotiations failed, we found thugs attacking us and burning our tents under the eyes of the security forces."
Access to rubber bullets and guns is easy in post-revolution Egypt given the lax security and a rise in arms smuggling. The interior ministry said it had launched an investigation.

dancing with the stars results

The Dancing With the Stars results from last night’s first elimination of the season were not at all surprising — not even to the eliminated celebrity. From the moment that Ron Artest (aka Metta World Peace) stepped on to the dance floor, you just knew it was not going to be good.
NBA player Ron Artest and partner Peta Murgatroyd just were not meant to make it past the first week on Dancing With the Stars. Oh, Peta was great and the consumate professional. Ron Artest, however, was like a log with wooden legs. He might ‘dance’ on the basketball court, but in the ballroom he is a dud.
The dancing pair’s cha cha routine scored only a lowly 14 points out of a potential 30 in the Dancing With the Stars results from the judges. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said the routine “was sexy, but wrong for all the technical reasons.” Rob Kardashian and Nancy Grace joined Ron Artest in the bottom three.
Artest, who oficially changed his name to Metta World Peace recently, was the first to admit he “didn’t really put in enough time and effor to go on” in the competition.
“I’m a clown. I think I was maybe having too much fun. But, you know, somebody had to go early and first. Somebody had to go,” he told Access Hollywood. “But I had a blast. The cast is great, all the dancers. I met new people, new personalities. I got a chance to experience a new thing.”
As for his winner prediction, Metta World Peace was ‘amazed’ by former Queer Eye for the Straight Guy star Carson Kressley. “I was happy to see Chaz [Bono] — Chaz did pretty good. He didn’t mess up. And then Nancy [Grace] did awesome, but Carson — he’s the total package.”

Flight 93 History

What Happened That Day
On September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93, bound for San Francisco, was scheduled to depart Newark International at 8:01 a.m. But airport construction and heavy runway traffic forced a wait of 41 minutes.
The plane did not lift off until 8:42 a.m.
News accounts and experts credit the delay as the primary reason why Fight 93 was the only one of that day’s four deadly flights to fail its appalling mission.
By the time Flight 93 was airborne, the other hijacked jets in the tightly planned attacks had already taken off and were closing in on their targets.
American Airlines Flight 11 left Boston at 7:59 and hit the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46. United 175 also lifted off from Boston, at 8:14, and flew into the south tower at 9:02. After taking off from Dulles at 8:20, headed for Los Angeles, American Flight 77 veered off course at 8:55. Fifteen minutes later, the plane turned back. It crashed into the west side of the Pentagon at 9:38. (All times are Eastern.)
The three initial hijackings were detected by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and reported one by one to the Air Force's North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), at 8:43, 8:53 and 9:24. NORAD's order to scramble military jets out of Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts came at 8:46.
The Newark delay was critical. It put Flight 93 on an entirely different – and historic – course.
Once the four terrorists took over their plane, passengers and crew were able to phone friends, family and emergency officials to report the hijacking. During those calls, passengers learned about the horrific events in New York and in Washington. The news had already saturated the airwaves. It was clear that the attacks were coordinated and their plane was part of the plan. The realization motivated passengers and crew to band together and fight.
The courageous men and women aboard Flight 93 hatched a hasty, desperate plan to attack the terrorists and try to prevent them from hitting their selected target, probably the White House or the US Capitol.
The passenger leaders, including Tom Burnett, Mark Bingham, Todd Beamer, Jeremy Glick, and the rest of the passengers and crew, began making final, heartrending calls to say goodbye to loved ones and family. BY 9:58, most cell phone calls had ended. The frantic fight began.
At 10:06, Flight 93 crashed in a field near a wooded area in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in Somerset County, a scant 20 minutes by air from the White House. All 33 passengers and 7 crewmembers were killed. Tragically, the people on board had achieved their goal.
In all, on that dreadful, dreadful morning, only one hour and fifty-three minutes elapsed from the time the first flight was hijacked at 8:13 to the moment Flight 93 crashed.
Later, when the tapes of those indelible farewell calls were released and re-played, all of America and people around the world got to hear, firsthand, the extraordinary bravery and determination of the ordinary civilians who chose to give their lives in order to save the lives of countless others.
Daring, honorable and self-sacrificing, they are true American heroes. The story of Flight 93 is a legacy for us all.

How Did United Flight 93 Crash?

"Eight miles away in New Baltimore, Melanie Hankinson said she found singed papers and other light debris from the crash, including pages from Hemispheres Magazine, United's in-flight magazine. Stoe said authorities initially insisted crash debris could not have traveled over a mountain ridge more than eight miles from the crash.
Comment: Secondary Debris floated miles away on this breeze no wind, not windy enough to active wind chimes? At the time of the crash? Debris found in water fountains? But it did not do that at the Pentagon Crash? Or other similar crashes? Get away from all this, stop banging your head against a wall. Adding a wall fountain to your garden, whether in the form of a water feature or wall fountain, can add the element of water to your backyard. Leading up to Kate Middleton's wedding, You way want to consider a Kate Middleton Ring as an engagement ring or wedding ring.
The NTSB says it is not only plausible, but probable," said [FBI Agent] Crowley.

Important news...
The FBI finally allowed family members to hear the Cockpit Voice Recorder. Unfortunately, no conclusive evidence was heard by anyone. There simply is no evidence at this time that heroes ever got in the cockpit. The story hasn't changed much since the Newsweek article below outlined what the reporters did and didn't read in the transcripts.

The Fact remains that the FBI has never stated heroes were ever in the cockpit. No official ever has. If you find such a statement please email me a link.

I have to ask: Why not release the Flight Data Recorder info? There is nothing horrific on it. There is nothing there that will aid and abed terrorists. There is nothing that will jeopardize a trial. And it's data that usually gets released at some point.

It's simply data about the aircraft as it flew and crashed.

There's only one reason not to release it. Because it shows the plane depressurizing, losing an engine, flipping upside down and crashing in a way that they don't care to explain.

November 27th - The FBI recently provided a partial Cockpit Voice Recorder transcript to 3 Newsweek reporters. It appears to verify things I've been saying for 2 months, like"The Investigators are looking into the possibility that the heroes came very close to the cockpit, it is unclear that they actually reached the cockpit door." Here is what I think about that Newsweek report.

The Flight 93 Story

On the morning of September 11, 2001, al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners in a strategically planned attack against the United States. These terrorists intentionally flew two jet airliners into theWorld Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City and a third aircraft into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into an open field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all passengers, crew members, and terrorists on board. The four aircraft strikes killed nearly 3,000 people, the deadliest attack on American soil by a foreign entity. This is the Flight 93 Story.
It began as just an ordinary day...
Seven crew members assigned to Flight 93 began to prepare for the early morning non-stop flight from Newark, New Jersey to San Francisco, California. Thirty-three passengers were traveling for ordinary reasons. Flight 93 was a Boeing 757, with a capacity of 182 passengers. The terrorists targeted domestic flights that normally had few passengers so they would have less resistance, used the type of aircraft that they had been trained to pilot, were non-stop, coast-to-coast flights with full fuel tanks that would cause the maximum amount of destruction, and were departing at approximately the same time so they could make a coordinated, surprise attack.
The hijackers on September 11, 2001, were terrorists on a suicide mission. This was the first time hijackers used commercial airliners as weapons to destroy symbolic targets, commit mass murder, and spread terror.
On that morning, three of the four hijacked flights departed on schedule. However, Flight 93 was delayed more than 25 minutes due to typically heavy morning traffic. Just four minutes after Flight 93 departed, hijacked Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. At 9:03 a.m., a second hijacked plane, Flight 175, hit the South Tower.
At 9:37 a.m. hijacked Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. The Federal Aviation Administration, at 9:42 a.m. ordered all aircraft to land at the nearest airport at 9:42 a.m. An estimated 4,500 aircraft landed safely without incident. This was the first time such an order had been given in United States aviation history. By that time, though, Flight 93 was not responding to any orders.
"Mayday! Get out of here!"
At about 9:28 a.m., after 46 minutes of routine flight across Pennsylvania, the terrorists on Flight 93 overtook the cockpit, turning the plane southeast on a course directed toward Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. The passengers and crew were forced to the back of the plane and told to be quiet. Using airfones, passengers and crew began making calls to report the hijacking. They soon learned the shocking news about the other hijacked planes and quickly realized that Flight 93 was part of a larger attack on America. This realization led to a vote and a collective decision to fight back.
In just over 30 minutes, this diverse group of people on Flight 93 developed a plan and put it into action. The cockpit voice recorder (reader discretion advised) captured the sounds of their struggle: shouts, screams, calls to action, and sounds of breaking glassware. To stop the uprising, the terrorist piloting the aircraft began to roll it to the left and right, and pitch the nose up and down. In its final moments, the plane turned upside down as it passed over rural Western Pennsylvania. The terrorists remained in control of the plane and chose to crash it rather than risk the passengers and crew regaining control of the aircraft.
At 10:03 a.m., Flight 93 plowed into an empty field at a speed of 563 miles per hour. Upon impact, the 7,000 gallons of jet fuel on board the aircraft exploded, creating a ball of fire that rose higher than the trees.
Quick and determined actions...
The flight data recorder that was recovered from the crash site revealed that the terrorists had reprogrammed the aircraft's autopilot system for a new destination - Washington, D.C. Recovered evidence and responses to interrogations revealed that the terrorists' intended target was most likely the United States Capitol, where the nation's legislators were in session. Flight 93 crashed only 20 minutes flying-time from Washington, D.C.
Because of the quick and determined actions of the passengers and crew, Flight 93 was the only one of the four hijacked aircraft that failed to reach the terrorists' intended target that day. The passengers and crew showed unity, courage, and defiance in the face of adversity.
Today the National Park Service, its volunteers, and its partners work to honor their sacrifice and to try to understand more fully the legacy of Flight 93 and the other events of 9/11.
Download a printable version of the above text.

September 11, 2011 Weekend , Flight 93 (from : nps.gov )

Dedication and Commemoration

The weekend of September 10-11, 2011 will be filled with many ways to honor the story of Flight 93. The Dedication of the memorial on Saturday, September 10 and the 10th Anniversary Commemoration on Sunday, September 11 with be the focal points of the weekend. In addition, events will be spread over the entire weekend. Follow the links below for more detailed information.

All details are subject to change up until the last minute - please check back regularly for updates.

General Information

September 10, 2011
Memorial Dedication

September 11, 2011
10th Anniversary Commemoration

Group Visits

Media

Directions and Maps

Flight 93 National Memorial will be closed to the public on the morning of Monday, September 12, 2011 and reopen at 2 p.m.

 

Contacts:

• Contact for National Park Service: Mike Litterst, 814.893.6322, e-mail us
• Contact for Families of Flight 93: Lisa Linden, Linden Alschuler and Kaplan PR, 212.575.4545, llinden@lakpr.com
• Contact for Fundraising and Capital Campaign: King Laughlin, National Park Foundation, 202.354.6488, klaughlin@nationalparks.org

flight 93 nps.gov

Temporary Memorial - Final Closing

The Flight 93 National Memorial will close at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 9 to  allow for final preparations and setup for the dedication ceremony that will take place the following morning.

A common field one day. A field of honor forever.

On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their lives. Because of the actions of the 40 passengers and crew aboard one of the planes, Flight 93, the attack on the U.S. Capitol was thwarted.

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens (French: Les Canadiens de Montréal) are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The club is officially known as le Club de hockey Canadien.^[2] French nicknames for the team include Les Canadiens (or Le Canadien), Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge, La Sainte-Flanelle,^[3]Le Tricolore, Les Glorieux (or Nos Glorieux), Les Habitants, Le CH and Le Grand Club. In English, the team's main nickname is the Habs, an abbreviation of "Les Habitants". (Note: Even in English, the French spelling, Canadiens, is always used.)
Founded in 1909, the Canadiens are the longest continuously operating professional ice hockey team and the only existing NHL club to predate the founding of the NHL, as well as one of the oldest North American sports franchises. The franchise is one of the "Original Six" teams, a description used for teams that were part of the NHL from 1942 until the 1967 expansion. Following the departure of the rival Quebec Nordiques in 1995, and the relocation of the Montreal Expos to Washington, DC in 2004, the Canadiens remain the sole team of the four major sports leagues of Canada and the United States that is based in the province of Quebec. The team's championship season in 1992–93 marks the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup.^[4]
The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more times than any other franchise. They have won 24 championships, 22 of which occurring since the cup became solely competed for within the NHL in 1927.^[5] On a percentage basis, as of 2010, the franchise has won 25% of all Stanley Cup championships contested after the Challenge Cup era, making it one of the most successful professional sports teams of the traditional four major sports of Canada and the United States.^[6]
Since 1996, the Canadiens have played their home games at the Bell Centre, which was named the Molson Centre until 2003.^[7] Former homes of the team include Jubilee Rink, Montreal Westmount Arena, Mount Royal Arena and the Montreal Forum. The Forum was considered a veritable shrine to hockey fans everywhere,^[8] and housed the team for seven decades and all but their first two Stanley Cup championships.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia