Haiyah: August 2010

Watch Out! Facebook. Here comes Diaspora

Technorati Tags: Facebook,Social Networking,Diaspora,Anti-facebook,Open Sourced

An alternate social networking site for Facebook users will be launched on 15 September as an open-sourced.

As reported by PCWorld India that "the anti-Facebook project, Diaspora, a "privacy-aware, personally controlled" social network will launch its public alpha version in October this year. Open-source developer release coming in September 15. (Read further : Anti-Facebook Diaspora alpha release in October - PC World)

Open-source projects have become hot news this year when Facebook was forced to simplify the privacy settings, after they were criticized for being too complicated and confusing.

The project was started by three computer science students and a mathematician from New York University. Announced on April 24, 2010, the team already reached their $10,000 goal in 12 days, and the money continues to come in: as of Tuesday afternoon, they had raised $23,676 from 739 backers, as reported by The New York Times on May 11, 2010. (Read further : Four Nerds and a Cry to Arms Against Facebook)

Maxwell Salzberg and Daniel Grippi working with Raphael Sofaer and Ilya Zhitomirskiy are the four talented young nerds and the brains behind the Diaspora which they describe as "the privacy aware, personally controlled, do-it-all distributed open source social network".

Will Diaspora replace Facebook ? "This is not about Facebook. Facebook is not what we are going after. We are going after the idea there are all these centralised services where people are giving up their personal information. We want to put users back in control of what they share. Diaspora is an anti-network. We are not planning on having big servers that store everyone's information. They will all be individually owned and operated so people can really say they have full control over their information" said Max Salzberg as reported by BBC News on May 12, 2010. (Read further : The anti-Facebook)

Meet Leanna, a fourteen year old CEO

Can you imagine become a rich entrepreneur in your tender age ? Of course we can reach that dream with pertinacity and hard working.

Meet Leanna Archer, a teenager from Central Islip, Long Island, New York, U.S.A who already running her own business since the age of nine. Yes, really. She has been running her all-natural hair products business in such a tender age.

And, now, at her age of fourteen, she already become the owner and CEO of a company named Leanna’s Inc. Besides, she is also a teenager success speaker.

In her website (www.leannaarcher.com) she wrote about her goals :

I want to keep on making good NATURAL Hair Products and do more research about hair
I want to be a motivational speaker for young kids to bring up their self esteem by participating in Radio and TV shows, then by going to schools and public places to give speeches
I want to make commercials and have acting roles in Television series and Movies

And her inspirational icons are Dr. Maya Angelou and Miss Oprah Winfrey.

In 2008, Inc.com ranked her at #12 in its ’Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30’ (America's Coolest Young Entrepreneurs). As reported by Inc.com, her company Leanna’s Inc. gained the revenue of $100,000 in 2007 with the amount of employees of 8 persons. (Read further : Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30).

In June 2005, Leanna's Inc. was created and started its business operation in selling hair and body products which consist of a hair dressing, hair dressing with shea butter, hair oil treatment, shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner and many more.

Currently, Leanna's Inc. has a full line of hair products available on the internet, at some Health Food Stores and at some beauty salons.

Read further of her success story from her website : Leanna's Inc.

And read also the related story from The Straits Times : CEO at 14

“The 2010 Inc. 500/500”, the list of 5.000 fastest growing private companies in America

On August 24, 2010, Inc.com, the website for Inc. magazine released its annual survey of “The 2010 Inc. 500/500” which ranked the 5.000 of fastest-growing private companies in America.

The 2010 Inc.500/500 was ranked according to percentage revenue growth from year 2006 through 2009 of the companies that have been founded and generating revenue by June 30, 2006. The qualified companies also have to meet several criteria such as : (1) they had to be based in the U.S, (2) privately held, (3) profit-oriented companies, and (4) independent – not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies – as of December 31, 2009.

Further, the minimum revenue required for 2006 must meet the amount of $80,000; while the minimum for 2009 is $2 million.

Ranked at #1 from the list was Ambit Energy of Dallas with the total revenue $325 million in 2009 and $1.6 million in 2006. Founded in early 2006 at a Potbelly’s restaurant in Addison, Texas by Jere W. Thompson and Chris Chambless, growing to be the finest, most respected retail energy provider in America.

Following, seated at #2 was ModCloth of Pittsburgh with the total revenue $15.6 million in 2009 and $90,169 in 2006. Founded in 2001 by husband and wife team Eric Koger and Susan Gregg Koger, ModCloth is an online clothing, accessories and decor retailer that sells affordable women’s fashions from independent designers.

Ranked at #3 and #4 was two government services companies, Luke & Associates and Lexicon Consulting.

Follow this link to read the full list of The 2010 Inc. 500/500. And compare it with previous year’s list : The 2009 Inc. 500/500

Read also the original story from Inc.com : Thriving amid the turmoil

Fortune : 100 Fastest-Growing Companies, who’s at the top ?

Fortune magazine in its September 6, 2010 issue released the list of “100 Fastest-Growing Companies.”

In compiling the list, Fortune ranked companies based on the last three-year annual revenue growth rate, earning per share (EPS) growth rate, and total return for the period ended June 30, 2010.

The 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list was determined by using the following criteria : (1) a company – domestic or foreign – must be trading on a major U.S. stock exchange, (2) report data in U.S dollars, (3) file quarterly reports with the SEC, (4) have a minimum market capitalization of $250 million and stock price of at least $5 on June 30; and have been trading continuously since June 30, 2007. (5) companies must have revenue and net income of at least $50 million and $10 million respectively for the four quarters ended on or before April 30, and have posted annualized growth in revenue and earnings per share of at least 15% annually over the three years ended on or before April 30.

Amongst the Top 100, Eldorado Gold ranked #1 with the EPS growth of 119%, revenue growth of 47% and total return 46%. The 2nd position was Green Mountain Coffee Roasters with EPS growth 96%, revenue growth 55% and total revenue 64%. While Ebix seated at #3 with EPS growth 72%, revenue growth 51% and total revenue 52%.

Read further the complete list : 100 Fastest-Growing Companies

Finally, here is the new beauty queen of the universe

Finally, a 22 year old contestant of Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete crowned as Miss Universe 2010. Competed amongst the three finalist contestants which were Miss Mexico, Miss Jamaica and Miss Australia, Jimena eventually took the first place, replaced and crowned by the former Miss Universe 2009 Stefanie Fernandez.

Following, Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps was chosen as the first runner-up, and Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell at the third place (2nd runner-up). Of the top five finalists, Miss Ukraine Anna Poslavska seated at the fourth place as the third runner-up and Miss Philippines Venus Raj as the fourth runner-up.

Here is the complete list of the competition :

The Winner (Miss Universe 2010) : Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete
1st Runner-up : Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps
2nd Runner-up : Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell
3rd Runner-up : Miss Ukraine Anna Poslavska
4th Runner-up : Miss Philippines Venus Raj
Miss Congeniality : Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell
Miss Photogenic : Miss Thailand Fonthip Watcharatrakul
Best National Costume : Miss Thailand Fonthip Watcharatrakul

Final countdown to Miss Universe 2010, who will be crowned ?

Miss Universe 2010, the 59th edition of the pageant competition will take place and broadcast live at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada U.S. on August 23, 2010 at 9 p.m ET.

As announced by Donald J. Trump and Paula M.Shugart, President of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO), the "2010 Miss Universe Pageant" competition will be judged by celebrities and experts. The celebrity panel of judges are : Criss Angel, illusionist and mystifier; William Baldwin, actor, producer and writer; Sheila E, world-renowned percussionist and drummer; Tamron Hall, anchor of "MSNBC Live"; Evan Lysacek, 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist and 2009 World Figure Skating Champion; Chazz Palminteri, Oscar nominated actor and director best known for his work in A Bronx Tale; Chynna Phillips, American singer and actress, Jane Seymour, multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner and also Niki Taylor, international supermodel.

The Miss Universe Organization which comprised of The Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants are a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint venture. Utilizing its nationwide grass roots infrastructure, the Miss Universe Organization is committed to increasing HIV/AIDS awareness by focusing on women's health and reproductive issues.

At the end of the final competition, Miss Universe 2009, Stefania Fernandez will crown her successor. During her reign, Fernandez has traveled around the world as an advocate for HIV/AIDS education and awareness. Miss Universe 2010 will continue this mission throughout her reign.

The television event is comprised of 83 contestants who will compete in three categories : swimsuit, evening gown and interview.

At the semi final round, current Miss USA Rima Fakih has been step aside from the competition.

Here is the list of the Top Ten contestants :

Miss Ireland Rozanna Purcell
Miss Albania Angela Martini
Miss Philippines Venus Raj
Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps
Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete
Miss Ukraine Anna Poslavska
Miss Puerto Rico Mariana Paola Vicente
Miss South Africa Nicole Flint
Miss Guatemala Jessica Scheel
Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell

Just tune in for the LIVE broadcast of this event and don’t miss the final round. It will be on air on NBC and Telemundo at 9-11 p.m ET.

The most dangerous celebrities on the internet

Cameron Diaz replaced Jessica Biel as the most dangerous celebrity that people ever search over the internet. It was based on the report of an internet security company McAfee, Inc.

For the fourth year in a row, McAfee already compiled its research to find out the name of celebrities, musicians, politicians, comedian and Hollywood stars with the highest searched over the internet. Within the study report titled 'The McAfee Most Dangerous Celebrities' revealed that movie stars and models are the 'most dangerous' search topics, while politicians like Barack Obama and Sarah Palin are the 'most safe.'

Cybercriminals often use the name of popular celebrities to deceive internet users to visit the website that actually contained malicious software. Anyone that looking for the latest photos or video of famous celebrities will eventually end up with a malware-ridden computer instead of just trendy content.

The research found that 10% of online searching using the name of 'Cameron Diaz' will leads the internet users into the website that contained spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and others malware.

The second most dangerous artist was Julia Roberts, while Jessica Biel ranked at the third place. Following are Gisele Bundchen, Brad Pitt, Adriana Lima, Jennifer Love Hewit and Nicole Kidman.

US President Barack Obama and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin ranked at the bottom of the list, making them the less threatening topics for internet searches.

The Body Paint Photo Shoots, another controversy story of Miss Universe

After her controversial photos as a contestant in a stripping contest sponsored by a Detroit radio station MyFOXDC.com which were published on Mojointhemorning.com, a morning show on Detroit's Channel 955 several times ago, Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih now facing another case, the body paint racy photo shoots.

As published by ABC News on August 13, 2010 titled "Racy Photos Spark Scandal at Miss Universe", it reported that "the Miss Universe Organization is in a world of controversy yet again. New official photos have surfaced featuring many of the contestants topless, covered only in body paint Among the racy ladies who participated in the fleshy photo shoot was a topless Rima Fakih, Miss USA herself." Read the complete story : Racy Photos Spark Scandal at Miss Universe

"Miss Universe Organization Slammed for Contestants' Topless Photo Shoot" was the related story published by FOXNews.com on August 13, 2010.

As reported in the article, "Earlier this year, the Miss USA pageant, which operates under the umbrella of the Miss Universe Organization, drew intense criticism for racy official photos, which featured the 51 hopefuls with smudged eyeliner, lingerie and come-hither expressions. And now, Miss Universe is following suit, with an official photo shoot by photographer Fadil Berisha in Las Vegas, where several of the contestants posed topless and in body paint." Read further : Miss Universe Organization Slammed for Contestants' Topless Photo Shoot

Read another related stories (latest update 18 August 2010) :

Using ‘Stats’ Widget in Blogger

If you're using WordPress as your blogging platform, you must be familiar with the Blog "Stats" Widget.

I love this widget so very much, because it really gives me lots of information of my blog's traffic and visitors. Yes, it's a great tool to monitor and analyze your blog’s visitors traffic. If you're really concern in increasing and optimizing your blog's SEO, I think this is a must have tool.

Formerly, I've searched hundreds of times over the internet, looking for the similar of this WordPress "Stats" widget which might be available for Blogger.

Thank God! Now this awesome "Stats" widget is available in Blogger blogging platform. But until this moment it's merely available in Blogger in draft version.

If you're still new with this Blogger in draft version, here is a little explanation from the Blogger website :

Blogger in draft is a special version of Blogger where we try out new features before releasing them to everyone. Think of it as our sandbox, or laboratory, or just "Blogger + new things." By taking your feedback and looking at what works and what doesn't, we'll be able to make features that much better when releasing them to everyone.

To try the Blogger in draft version, just go to : http://draft.blogger.com/ and log in with your available blogger account. And if you want to stop using it and go back to "normal" Blogger, simply log in to : http://www.blogger.com/ instead. Your blogs and posts are the same regardless of whether you use Blogger in draft version or regular Blogger. The only difference is what you see in the interface. Read more : What is Blogger in draft ?

You'll find this "Stats" menu within the Dashboard of Blogger in draft version.

Zamzar, a free online file conversion tool

If you’ve just got an email from a friend that sent you an image file, but unfortunately it was in the adobe pdf file format. And, now you want to convert it into an image file format such as png or jpeg or maybe bmp. In case you don’t have any appropriate converter software to do such work, don’t worry. You may prefer to do the conversion online with Zamzar.

What is Zamzar ?

Zamzar is a web based application to convert files online. It supports lots of file formats which categorized into five groups – Document, Image, Music, Video and Other formats.

This application is free of charge. However, you can prefer to become a paid member too. For free users, the maximum of file upload is limited to 100 MB of data split between up to 5 different files. But, if you signup for an account you can upload up to 1 GB of files. Not just that, you may also manage your files online that stored into your inbox.

Currently, a free user can only convert a maximum of 5 files in a single session. However, if you signup you can convert up to 20 files at any one time, with lots of file format supported by this application. Check it out by yourself the types of files that supported in here

After you’ve conducted the conversion process, a link to your converted file will be sent to your email and it will be remained in the server up to 24 hours. After that, the file will be deleted from the system. So you better pick up your file within that specified time. A Zamzar account holders do not have such limits.

Try this free online file conversion tool by yourself in here : http://www.zamzar.com/

The most expensive Hollywood Actress this year

Who was the most highly paid Hollywood actress this year ? Megan Fox or Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Aniston maybe ?

Forbes magazine recently released the list of the most highly income Hollywood actress during the last 12 months. And, Sandra Bullock was ranked at the top.

Staring ‘The Proposal’ and ‘The Blind Side’ in 2009 which successfully hit the theaters, Sandra Bullock defeated Reese Witherspoon and Cameron Diaz, who were ranked #2 and #3 respectively.

One of her box office screen, ‘The Proposal’ , a romantic comedy movie which gained the income of US$320 million on an estimated budget of US$40 million. While her another box office movie ‘The Blind Side’ which adapted from the true life story of an American Football player, Michael Oher earned US$310 million on an estimated budget of only US$30 million. The movie rose to No. 1 in its third weekend upon released.

Between her earnings on ‘The Proposal’ and ‘The Blind Side’, Sandra Bullock earned US$56 million during June 2009 until June 2010, top amongst Hollywood’s leading actresses.

Following, Reese Witherspoon occupied the second position of Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actresses. This ‘Legally Blonde’ lady gained US$32 million which contributed from her latest movies : ‘How Do You Know’ and ‘Water for Elephants’. Competing with Reese Witherspoon was Cameron Diaz with her ‘Knight & Day’ also gained US$32 million.

Ranked in the fourth position this year was Jennifer Aniston. This romantic comedy movie star collected US$27 million. She is not just profiting from staring the wide screen movies but also from her famous television serial ‘Friends’.

Taking the fifth position was Sarah Jessica Parker with her sequel of ‘Sex and the City’ which earned US$280 million at the global box office. This year Jessica earned US$25 million.

Read the original story from Forbes : Hollywood's Highest-Paid Actresses

Kindle for PC, read your Kindle eBook without Kindle

Maybe lots of us already know what is Kindle. Yes, Kindle or fully named Amazon Kindle is an e-books reader developed by Amazon.com.

Besides the hardware, Amazon also released the free application for Windows PC called Kindle for PC. No Kindle hardware required to use this software on your PC or Laptop. All you need it just go to the Amazon website and download the software. This software is compatible with Windows 7, Vista and XP.

But unfortunately, currently this application is not available in Indonesia. Which means that you can not download this software within the region of Indonesia.

So, what is the benefit of using this application ?

First of all, if you're Amazon Kindle customer, with this software you may read more than 620,000 Kindle books on your computer. But, Kindle newspapers, magazines and blogs are not currently available for Kindle for PC. Further, you may also gain the ability to access your Kindle books collection even if you don't have your Kindle gadget with you.

Another advantages of this application are : (1) automatically synchronizes your last page read and annotations between devices with Whispersync, (2) create new highlights, notes, and bookmarks and manage those created on your Kindle, (3) full screen reading view, color modes, and brightness controls offer an immersive reading experience.

To install and use this application on your PC or Laptop, you have to meet several requirements, such as : PC with a 500MHz Intel or AMD processor, at least 128MB of RAM, setting your screen resolution to 800x600 or greater even better, Windows XP SP2 or later, and 100MB of available disk space.

Download and try this application in here

If you are a Mac user, you may download Kindle for Mac from this location

Make Up Your Facebook with Cool Emoticons

Want to make up your Facebook appearance looks like this?

Maybe you already know what is SweetIM. They supply free Emoticons, Smiley, Winks, Games and more for MSN, AIM, Yahoo and ICQ Messenger.

But, wait a second. The cool and eye-catching emoticons of SweetIM also work with Facebook. So, from now on, you can spice up your Facebook with cool smileys. Just download the application for free from : SweetIM and installed it into your PC or laptop.