6 Best Free Sites To Download Youtube Videos

Youtube – one of the most largest and popular video sharing site in the internet world. There are millions of people use Youtube to watch and upload their favorite videos. Youtube is recently upgraded the quality of videos to High Quality also called as HD video. There is community of mostly every genre ranging from movies, TV shows, how-to tutorials, music vidoes, interview tips and much more. According to a study, the estimated daily of per user is more than 20 mins.

Most of the time, you probably watch the video and forget about that. But, there are some videos that really are so useful that you want to download for the future purpose. For the same purpose, there are few sites that allow you to download Youtube videos.

These websites are very simple and convenient to use. All you have to do is copy the youtube video url, paste into the website and download the button to simply keep the video for the future purpose. Some of these websites allows you to save a bookmarklet on your browser tab to download a video with a single click.

Keepvid

Zamzar

Savevid

Keep-Tube

Videodownloadx

Clipnabber

Read more...

ESPN boss defends preferential treatment of the Heat

by Tim Griffin

Since ESPN broadcast LeBron James’ infamous “The Decision” made-for-television spectacle earlier this summer, many journalism analysts have wondered about the expansive coverage of  the superstar player and his team by the network.
Those charges became louder after the network’s website started “The Heat Index,” a special page that includes coverage by two beat writers and other columnists that far transcends anything given to any other NBA team.

During ABC college football broadcasts last week, the bottom-screen scroll at one point included only the Heat — and the point totals of its top players — among its NBA scores. ESPN did that regularly during the preseason, leading a good explanation for the backlash against the team among fans throughout the league.
But ESPN president George Bodenheimer defended his network’s blanket Heat coverage to the Miami Herald.
“It’s a story that transcends the NBA,” Bodenheimer told the Herald. “There’s tremendous interest in the team. Fans want news and information on the Heat.”
Whatever.
It’s comments like those that are making many fans across North America feel like they are having the Heat rammed down their throats — much like the network’s overkill coverage of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in baseball.
Am I wrong on this? Or does Spurs Nation really feel like we’re getting too much Heat too soon in this season?

Read more...

Texas High School Star Scores 56 To Honor Teammate

The basketball legend of Chris Paul really began in 2002, when as a high school senior, Paul scored 61 points in one game to honor his grandfather, who had been killed just days beforehand. After he’d scored his 61st point, Paul missed a free throw on purpose to stay at that number for the 61 years Nathanial Jones lived.

Sheldon McClellan, a senior at Bellaire (Texas) High School who is ranked the 35th-best player in his class by Scout.com, made headlines similar to CP3 earlier this week when he honored a fallen former teammate with an emotional scoring explosion of his own.
McClellan scored 56 points in Bellaire’s season opener on Tuesday, dedicating the performance to Tobi Oyedeji, a former Bellaire star who died in an auto accident last May before he got a chance to attend Texas A&M University.

A 6-5 guard who is committed to Texas, McClellan talked about his performance on High School Hoop. Click the link to read the article.

Read more...

Architecture & Engineering Trivias "Millionaire Style"

Inspired by the "Cash Cab" post, I looked for more trivias. This set of 15 questions is a mixture of greatest engineering achievements of the 20th century and architecture 101. Just imagine, you are one of the contestants in the popular game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" but with no 50/50 or lifelines. Now, take a seat and test your general knowledge.

Question 1:
The Baroque period of architecture is characterized by vivid colours, luxurious materials and elaborate surface textures. Which of these buildings is an example of typical Baroque architecture?

A. The Royal Scottish Academy
B. Lincoln Memorial
C. Solitude Palace
D. St Peter’s Basilica


Question 2:
When a client complained that the roof in his building leaks, this famous architect who had designed the building replied: ‘That’s how you can tell it’s a roof’. Another work of his was the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

A. Frank Owen Gehry
B. Frank Lloyd Wright
C. Michael Graves
D. Aldo Rossi


Question 3:
This invention by Karl Benz in 1886 revolutionized the world of transportation and soon became the main means of transport globally.

A. Airplane
B. Automobile
C. Ship
D. Train


Question 4:
Sharply pointed spires, stained glass and pointed arches are typical for this architecture style. It is mainly associated with cathedrals and other religious buildings.

A. Gothic
B. Rococo
C. Neo-Grec
D. Art Nouveau


Question 5:
There are seven tall buildings in Moscow, regarded as typical examples of Stalinist Architecture. What are these similarly designed buildings referred to?

A. ‘Stalin’s Seven Wonders’
B. ‘Stalin’s Seven Sisters’
C. ‘Stalin’s Seven Brothers’
D. ‘Stalin’s Seven Giants’


Question 6:
The groundbreaking design of this building was created by Danish architect, Jorn Utzon. It is located by the sea, and its roof resembles white sails.

A. La Scala
B. Carnegie Hall
C. Metropolitan Opera
D. Sydney Opera House


Question 7:
The construction of this famous building was completed on November 1st, 1800. It was designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban, who was inspired by the Leinster House in Dublin.

A. Williams Tower
B. The White House
C. The Chrysler Building
D. Federal Hall


Question 8:
This invention was first used in 1969 at UCLA as a means of communication between engineers and scientists associated with academics or government. It was not available for public use until the 1990’s.

A. E-mails
B. The Telephone
C. Two-Way Radio
D. The Internet


Question 9:
The invention of the internal combustion engine greatly increased the demand for which natural resource?

A. Coal
B. Petroleum
C. Natural gas
D. Water


Question 10:
The first use of air conditioning for personnel comfort was in 1902, in which New York City building?

A. Metropolitan Life Tower
B. Empire State Building
C. Woolworth Building
D. New York Stock Exchange


Question 11:
This architectural term, which refers to a free-standing bell-tower, comes from Italian and means 'a high bell tower'.

A. Triforium
B. Campanile
C. Mensole
D. Cellula


Question 12:
In 1908, this city became the first in the United States to institute chlorination of its water. Prior to this the death rate due to water born diseases, such as typhoid fever and cholera, were extremely high.

A. Boston, Massachusetts
B. Chicago, Illinois
C. Jersey City, New Jersey
D. New York City, New York


Question 13:
This Spanish architect designed La Sagrada Familia, one of the most famous buildings in Barcelona.

A. Antonio Gaudi
B. Mario Botta
C. Carlo Scarpa
D. Alvar Aalto


Question 14:
In 1895, this German physicist invented the use of electromagnetic radiation to take images of bones and organs inside the human body, which later led to the invention of the X-Ray Machine.

A. Paul Lauterbur
B. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen
C. Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield
D. Peter Mansfield


Question 15:
In 1955, Borax III became the first nuclear power plant to utilize nuclear fission to supply an entire town with electricity. Which town was that?

A. Owego, New York
B. Avila Beach, California
C. Arco, Idaho
D. Hahnville, Louisiana

ANSWERS:

1. St Peter’s Basilica. The dome of St Peter's Basilica was designed by Michelangelo.

2. Frank Lloyd Wright. Among Frank Lloyd Wright’s most notable projects are the Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Price Tower in Oklahoma. He is also famous for developing the prairie style of architecture in Chicago.

3. Automobile. Karl Benz is credited with the invention of the modern automobile, powered by a gasoline engine.

4. Gothic. Gothic architecture flourished from the 12th century onward. Some of the examples of Gothic architecture are Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and The Teutonic Knights Castle of Malborg.

5. ‘Stalin’s Seven Sisters’. Stalinist architecture is a term used to characterize the period from 1933-1955. The seven tall buildings were built in 1950s.

6. The Sydney Opera House is surrounded by water on three sides. It was intended to look like a giant sailing ship.

7. The White House. During the War of 1812 the British burnt the President’s House. It was rebuilt in 1819 and was painted white to hide the fire-blackened walls. That is how it came to be called the White House.

8. The Internet. The first TCP/IP wide area network started operating by January 1, 1983. In 1995 the network was opened to commercial interests.

9. Petroleum. Prior to this invention the main use of refined petroleum (crude oil) was for kerosene used in oil lamps.

10. New York Stock Exchange. Engineer Alfred Wolff designed the central cooling system for the building. This first air conditioner only controlled temperature. Later in 1902 Willis Carrier, invented the first electric air conditioner, which controlled both temperature and humidity.

11. Campanile. The most famous campaniles are the Leaning Tower of Pisa and St Mark’s Campanile in Venice.

12. Jersey City, New Jersey. This was the start of the municipal water treatment. Since then water treatment methods have improved further to supply homes with clean safe water.

13. Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926) was born in Catalonia, Spain. His major works include Casa Mila, Casa Baltto and Casa Vicenc.

14. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen The X-ray machine was one of the first medical equipments used to diagnose conditions of the human body. It sparked a revolution in medical diagnostic tools and led to the invention of CAT Scan and MRI.

15. Arco, Idaho.The discovery of nuclear fission resulted in a new and powerful source of energy. Borax III supplied the town of Arco, Idaho with 2 hours of electricity.

Read more...

Civil Engineering “Cash Cab”

By Carol A. Metzner
President, The Metzner Group, LLC and
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com

One of my favorite television viewing pleasures is Discovery Channel’s CASH CAB. Host Ben Bailey asks passengers in a New York taxi to answer trivia questions on their way to their destination. Those passengers have a chance to win money for each correct answer. Sorry, we won’t be offering cash rewards to our readers BUT do take a break and try to answer some civil engineering trivia questions! If interested, we can do future civil engineering trivia contests. Send me questions and answers that you think can “stump the chumps!” BIG shout out to Jason Vaughn PE who was great to contribute a majority of questions and answers for our test. Let us know how you do! Ready, set, go…

QUESTIONS

1. What famous engineer has the most U.S. patents and how many?

2. Who is “the father of Soil Mechanics?”

3. Name one of the two engineers elected U.S. President?

4. When water flows through a full pipe, the water is fastest in what part of the pipe? The top, middle, bottom, or all the same?

5. What caused the Tacoman Narrows suspension bridge collapse in 1940?

6. Why do golf balls have dimples?

7. What is the longest natural bridge?

8. Why don’t railways use suspension bridges?

9. What was the world’s worst accidental oil spill?

10. What is the longest street in the world?

ANSWERS

1. Thomas Edison – 1,093

2. Karl Terzaghi

3. Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter

4. Middle. The edge of a pipe has friction. The friction slows down the water in contact with it. Therefore, the middle is the fastest.

5. The wind.

6. The dimples reduce drag and allow the ball to travel farther than a smooth ball.

7. Rainbow Bridge, tucked away among the rugged, isolated canyons at the base of Navajo Mountain, Utah, USA. It is a natural wonder. From its base to the top of the arch, it reaches 88,4 m (290 ft) – nearly the height of the Statue of Liberty – and spans 83,8 m (275 ft) across the river. The top of the arch is 12,8 m (42 ft) thick and 10 m (33 ft) wide.

8. Suspension bridges are too flexible.

9. Supertankers Atlantic Empress and Aegean Captain collided off Trinidad and Tobago on July 1979; 90 million gallons of oil ended up in the Caribbean.

10. Toronto’s Yonge Street is listed as 1,178 miles (1,896 km) in length — roughly the distance from San Diego, California, to Seattle, Washington.

Read more...

Filipina student wins chance to appear on 'Glee'

REDWOOD City - Another Filipino is set to make a mark in Fox’s hit TV series, “Glee.”

Mapua University student Hazel Faith de la Cruz won the Jack TV and ETC’s Glee Off to Hollywood contest. De la Cruz was flown to Los Angeles last week where she taped her scene for the show.

According to the contest’s official rules, the participants are required to produce a creative material of why they deserve to win the grand prize. In her entry video, De la Cruz said that the show helped her develop her self-confidence.

Cast members of Glee announced her victory on a video. De la Cruz joins other Filipino cast members, international singing sensation Charice and half-Filipino half-Irish actor Darren Criss who made his “Glee” debut last week as “Blaine”.

Details on the show's appearance of de la Cruz have not yet been released. - ABS-CBNNews

Read more...

Goodbye Firefox, Chrome and Safari – here comes RockMelt!

Forget Firefox, chrome or safari; rising from the ashes of Netscape, Marc Andreessen is backing a brand new web browser called RockMelt, which is set out to revolutionize all browsers. It’s all about connections and social media, bringing together all your online profiles, making sharing your content that much easier and bringing together all of your favorite websites. Basically it’s set out to bring everything together, turn your web browser into something that can do more than just navigate the web – bridging the gap between the cloud and computers. It’s already got me interested.

What does RockMelt offer over others?
RockMelt is all about bringing everything together. Not recreating the web, but rather making everything accessible in one easy package. Here’s what you should expect from this new browser:

• Real time updates built directly into the web browser – news, sport etc.
• Web applications that can be opened and run directly through the web browser.
• Direct access to social media, facebook, twitter, email, messenger – all built internally.
• Dynamic homepages that support the content that you want, Live streams, updates etc.

A new way to browse:
Rockmelt’s method of navigation will eventually take over the way you navigate the web. The whole browser is built socially. The sides of the browser show who else is online with you and provides a direct layer of communication. No more need of accessing facebook directly, you can do it all from within the browser. Got an rss feed reader? You won’t need it much longer because Rockmelt can do that all itself. This browser really is the cloud, tying in even web apps to your browsing experience, something to love about this new web browser.

What to expect from this baby web browser:
I seriously can imagine this web browser becoming the cloud. It ties in everything, including web apps. It’s built on the chromium project so I picture more than just ‘plug-in’s’ coming out of this; people will soon be developing whole applications to go with the browser. Best of luck to this new project – because I’m already loving it.

If you want to try out the software, barely even in alpha stage, you can head over to the rockmelt website and apply for an invitation. You will need to sign in with Facebook though, invitations take a few days. -Peter J

Read more...

Using social networking to drive innovation in engineering

The Enterprise Channel

Read more...

Manny Pacquiao vs Antonio Margarito (News & Video)

News Around The World

• Manila Bulletin - Pacquiao's 8th world championship title is first in boxing history
• New York Times - Win by Pacquiao Pits Speed Over Size
• Washington Post - Manny Pacquiao vs Antonio Margarito results, highlights and analysis
• Dallas News - Little big man: Pacquiao throws 1,069 punches in dominating decision over Margarito
• CNN - Pacquiao wins eighth different belt after Margarito destruction
• Sydney Morning Herald - Pacquiao's mother suffers panic attack
• The Canadian Press - Pacquiao may not need Mayweather after another dominating win over Margarito
• Agence France Press - Pacquiao's trainer issues challenge to Mayweather 
• JewishJournal.com - Manny Pacquiao is A Superstar, A Hero and My New Celebrity Crush

ESPN - Antonio Margarito has fracture to face

Antonio Margarito, the Mexican super welterweight beaten badly by Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night, suffered a fractured orbital bone to his face and was expected to stay in the hospital for observation through at least Sunday night, an executive with Margarito's promotions company said.

Margarito, who lost in a lopsided, 12-round decision, was taken directly to the hospital via ambulance after the fight to have cuts to his face examined. That is when the injury to his eye socket was discovered, Top Rank executive Carl Moretti told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in an e-mail Sunday.

Margarito skipped the postfight news conference at the request of the fight doctor and people in his camp, unusual for a fight of this magnitude.

Legendary Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach was critical of the late-round decision-making of Margarito's corner, saying they should have forced a stoppage.

"There was no way I was gong to quit. I'm a Mexican, we fight until the end," Margarito said.

Pacquiao, giving away both pounds and inches, won the WBC super welterweight belt to extend his record with a title in an eighth weight class -- two more than Oscar De La Hoya's six.

"He's a very tough guy," Roach said of Margarito. "I was surprised how tough he was. He has the worst corner. They probably ruined his career by not stopping the fight."

Pacquiao turned Margarito into a bloody and nearly blind fighter with a dizzying array of punches, dominating from the opening rounds on at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The beating was so thorough that the congressman from the Philippines turned to referee Laurence Cole several times in the 11th round, imploring him to stop the fight. It went on, though, even though Margarito had no chance to win.

"I can't believe that I beat someone this big and this strong," Pacquiao said. "It's hard. I really do my best to win the fight."

Pacquiao moved up in weight yet again to take on Margarito, a natural welterweight with a reputation for ruggedness in the ring. And rugged he was, though he took a beating all night long at the hands of a faster and seemingly more powerful opponent.

Pacquiao won every round on one scorecard, 120-108, and was ahead 119-109 and 118-110 on the other two. The Associated Press had it a 120-108 shutout.

Watch The Fight:
Video 1


Video 2


Video 3


Video 4


Video 5


Video 6


Video 7


Video 8


Video 9


Video 10



Download Links:

HBO PPV, Xvid, 1.59GB
Megaupload Part1
Megaupload Part2
password: sweetboxing
Join with HJSplit

HBO PPV, HD-source DVD, 3.2GB
Fileserve Part1
Fileserve Part2
Fileserve Part3
Fileserve Part4
Fileserve Part5
Fileserve Part6
Fileserve Part7
Fileserve Part8
Fileserve Part9


Pinoy Tabloid - "Congressman Nambugbog Ng Mexicano; Amerikano Makukulong"
Makati Social - "Bars Now Serving Bloody Margarita"
Mexico Today - "Tijuana Tornado Just Became Tijuana Tostado"

Read more...

Chinese workers build 15-story hotel in just six days

As the United States and China battle over the finer points of currency manipulation at the G-20 summit, American negotiators may want to take note of this startling testimonial to the productivity of Chinese workers: A construction crew in the south-central Chinese city of Changsha has completed a 15-story hotel in just six days. If nothing else, this remarkable achievement will stoke further complaints from American economic pundits that China's economy is far more accomplished than ours in tending to such basics as construction.

Meanwhile, it's easy to imagine the disorientation of Changsha residents who'd gone away, or who just hadn't recently ventured into the downtown neighborhood of the new Ark Hotel: "Honey, I don't remember a hotel there, do you?"

The work crew erected the hotel -- a soundproofed, thermal-insulated structure reportedly built to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake -- with all prefabricated materials. In other words, a crew of off-site factory workers built the sections, and their on-site counterparts arranged them on the foundation for the Ark project.

Despite the frenetic pace of construction, no workers were injured -- and thanks to the prefab nature of the process, the builders wasted very few construction materials. Below is a time-lapse video that shows the hotel being built from the ground up in less than a week:



Yahoo!News

Read more...

Gadgets Are Hot and More Are at Hand

The iPhone “is almost contagious,” says Todd Sutton, project controls manager at Zachry Construction Corp. “One person gets it on the jobsite, and then everyone has them.”

A new MoGo Talk XD case (top), which comes with a built-in headset keeper, makes them even sweeter. Infectious adoption also applies to the iPad, Sutton says. Employees see how much work colleagues get done with them and buy their own. Developers at Motion Computing, whose tablet options include bar-code and RFID readers, say the Apple device popularity is good for tablet computing, because it introduces more people to the form, and many will go on to more powerful machines. In the wings is Golden-i, a heads-up-display and voice-activated, remote-access computer controller from Kopin Corp., is expected to hit the market soon.

source: enr.com

Read more...

Study: iPad Users (And Would-Be Users) More Likely to Ditch Cable TV

by Ariel Schwartz

The Internet hasn't killed cable TV (yet). Nor has Google TV. But the iPad might. A study from the Diffusion Group (TDG) claims that iPad users and intenders--that is, people who plan to buy iPads in the next few months--are more likely than regular adult broadband users to downgrade or cancel their pay TV services.

We already know cable TV is losing massive numbers of subscribers to the Internet, while the networks are fighting off an upstart rival that lets you watch live TV on your iPad. Just how bad is this for TV providers?

According to the study, a third of iPad owners are "likely" to cancel their pay TV service sometime in the next six months, and 12.9% are "highly likely" to cancel their service. In comparison, 13.5% of iPad intenders and 9.6% of average adult broadband users are likely to cancel their service. It gets even worse when the possibility of downgrading comes into play: A whopping 35.5% of iPad owners and 29.5% of intenders are to varying degrees likely to downgrade their pay TV service, compared to 20.7% of regular broadband users. For some perspective, Apple sold 4.19 million iPads last quarter.

Cable TV networks are caught between a rock and an iPad, in effect. They could try to offer subscriptions on the tablet--many of us would love to see an HBO app--but that might cause a further collapse in their cable audience. Alternatively, networks and content creators might expand their online offerings (a la Lost and Heroes) in an attempt to increase viewership. It's hard to say at this point which tactic will work--but we have a sneaking suspicion that cutting iPad user access to high-quality content won't be the best tactic in the long run.

Read more...

Tech Tour: Kimberlina Solar Power Plant

A Power Engineering guided technical tour of Areva Solar's linear Fresnel solar power plant in California.

Read more...

WTC Construction Update, October 2010

World Trade Center Construction Update, October 2010
New York, October 22, 2010

Memorial and Museum
-More than 40,000 cubic yards of concrete poured
-Steel erection is 99% completed

4 World Trade Center
-Concrete poured to the 4th floor
-Framed deck up to the 6th floor
-Installed steel up to the 7th floor

3 World Trade Center
-200 cubic yards of concrete to be poured in footings this month

2 World Trade Center
-1540 cubic yards of concrete to be poured in footings this month

1 World Trade Center
-Installed steel to the 38th floor
-Concrete poured up to the 32nd floor

source: wtc.com

Read more...

Comic Of The Day

Read more...

Misuse of labels: On the definitions of "mobile" and "computer"

by Sam Abuelsamid (tuaw.com)

In the world of corporate communications, a big part of delivering a message involves defining the terms of the discussion. Over the past few weeks, both Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have been caught up in this action while discussing the mobile space. During the most recent Apple quarterly earnings call, Jobs tried to redefine what an open platform is when comparing iOS to Android. Zuckerberg raised eyebrows last week when he declared that the slim and lightweight iPad was a computer, not a mobile device.

The problem is that while people like to categorize stuff for easy black-and-white comparisons, we live in a universe of color. Applying one label to a device (or person or action) does not necessarily preclude other labels from also being true at the same time. For example, when Zuckerberg said that the iPad was not mobile, he later clarified that he meant that it wasn't a phone, which was the main topic of discussion at the Facebook event. The iPad is obviously both mobile and a computer, but it isn't a phone. Similarly, an iPod touch is not a phone, but it is mobile; it also has many properties of a computer, though most people wouldn't call it that. The Barnes & Noble Nook Color is clearly an e-book reader by design, despite its lack of an e-ink screen.

So how do we get around this conundrum? We need to stop insisting on easily digested sound bites and call out anyone who tries to inappropriately apply labels in an attempt to misdirect the conversation. Describe what something does and doesn't do, and let people decide for themselves if it is the best choice for them.

Read more...

AutoCAD WS now available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch

View, edit, and share your DWG™ files from anywhere, with anyone.

AutoCAD® WS mobile app enables you to view and work with AutoCAD drawings directly on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Using the touch and gesture interface of your iPad or iPhone you can accurately view, annotate, and revise drawings on the spot. Change the way you work in the field or on the road by reducing the need to carry around over-sized paper drawings.



AutoCAD WS Mobile is a perfect solution for taking your drawings out on the job site.

Access from Anywhere, Anytime.
The AutoCAD WS mobile app for Apple® iPhone™, iPod™, and iPad™ lets you view, edit, and share your AutoCAD drawings on the go using a mobile or tablet device. Take your designs with you wherever you go - on the way to a meeting, on the factory floor or the job site without being tied to a
desktop application.

Edit and Interact
The AutoCAD WS mobile app delivers smart vector DWG data to your device, enabling you to accurately select, annotate and interact with AutoCAD drawings. An intuitive touch and gesture interface makes it easy for both AutoCAD and non AutoCAD professionals to work on and stay connected to their designs from anywhere.

Sharing made easy
Share drawings with others for viewing or editing in a Web browser or mobile device. If other people are editing a drawing simultaneously with you, you'll see their edits in real time. Upload and download AutoCAD drawings from your mobile device to a PC or Mac using the AutoCAD WS web application.

Get AutoCAD WS in iTunes FREE

Read more...

Tech Tour Video: Coal-Fired Power Plant

A Power Engineering technical tour of the modernization project at Duke Energy's 760 MW Cliffside Power Plant.

Read more...

The Socialite Network: UK's Queen joins Facebook

LONDON (AP) – Queen Elizabeth II is now on Facebook - but she's not going to be your friend.

Britain's queen has launched a series of official pages offering the website's 500 million users daily updates on her engagements, the royal household said Sunday.

The 84-year-old British monarch will be featured in videos, photos and news items on the site, which will be available starting Monday, alongside other members of the country's royal family, including Princes William and Harry.

Users will be able leave messages or comments for Buckingham Palace on the site and find details of royal events close to their homes.

However, because the pages will be corporate - and not a personal account - people won't be able to request to become friends with the queen.

A royal official said the queen had personally approved the plan, but acknowledged she has not actually used the site herself.

"The decision went right up to the queen," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to discuss the plan. "If you are going to have an online presence in 2010, you just have to be on Facebook."

The Facebook page is the queen's latest social media venture - the royal family already have an account on the Flickr photography website, joined Twitter in 2009 and set up a video channel on YouTube in 2007.

Buckingham Palace set up its own website in 1997, which now allows people to apply for palace jobs online, track the royal family via Google Maps or read details in a section devoted to the queen's prized corgi dogs.

Her Facebook site will include Britain's court circular, the official daily record of the royal family's engagements. It lists all royal diary appointments from the previous day and was created by George III in 1803, reportedly after he became frustrated with inaccurate newspaper reports.

Read more...

Nuclear power reactor shut down after transformer failure

Published: Nov 8, 2010

Entergy Corp. shut its 1,020 MW Indian Point 2 nuclear reactor in New York after a transformer explosion, according to a report from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The blast did not cause any injuries or release of radiation.

It was unclear whether the entire transformer would have to be replaced. The plant is currently in “cold” shutdown, meaning it will take longer for the unit to send power to the grid.

Another transformer failed at the plant in 2007, according to the NRC.

Indian Point 3 was not affected and is operating at full capacity.

Power-Gen Worldwide

Read more...