Computer mouse inventor Doug Engelbart dies at 88

The inventor of the computer mouse, Doug Engelbart, has died aged 88. Engelbart developed the tool in the 1960s as a wooden shell covering two metal wheels, patenting it long before the mouse's widespread use. He also worked on early incarnations of email, word processing and video teleconferences at a California research institute.The state's Computer History Museum was notified of his death by his daughter, Christina, in an email. Her father had been in poor health and died peacefully on Tuesday night in his sleep, she said.Doug Engelbart was born on 30 January 1925 in Portland, Oregon, to a radio repairman father and a housewife mother.

'Mother of all demos'

He studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University and served as a radar technician during World War II. He then worked at Nasa's predecessor, Naca, as an electrical engineer, but soon left to pursue a doctorate at University of California, Berkeley. His interest in how computers could be used to aid human cognition eventually led him to Stanford Research Institute (SRI) and then his own laboratory, the Augmentation Research Center. His laboratory helped develop ARPANet, the government research network that led to the internet. Engelbart's ideas were way ahead of their time in an era when computers took up entire rooms and data was fed into the hulking machines on punch cards. At a now legendary presentation that became known as the "mother of all demos" in San Francisco in 1968, he made the first public demonstration of the mouse. At the same event, he held the first video teleconference and explained his theory of text-based links, which would form the architecture of the internet. He did not make much money from the mouse because its patent ran out in 1987, before the device became widely used. SRI licensed the technology in 1983 for $40,000 (£26,000) to Apple. At least one billion computer mouses have been sold.  Engelbart had considered other designs for his most famous invention, including a device that could be fixed underneath a table and operated by the knee. He was said to have been driven by the belief that computers could be used to augment human intellect. Engelbart was awarded the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT prize in 1997 and the National Medal of Technology for "creating the foundations of personal computing" in 2000. Since 2005, he had been a fellow at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. He is survived by his second wife, Karen O'Leary Engelbart, and four children.

New Year’s at Chion-in Temple in Kyoto

In Japan, the culture of the stream between neighbors barely happened. One of the biggest reasons is that "Perhaps the neighbors have not done cleaning (house)!"

Do not clean up the house when the new year, for the Japanese, is the attitude of disrespect to the Creator.

 

In Kyoto, there are temples Chi-on, is the temple of Buddhism Jodo bukkyō (Holy Land), each new year always held a gigantic sounding bell attraction by the monks, and has become a well-known attractions of the new year in Japan. Giant bell weighs 70 tons, with a diameter of 2.8 meters, and 3 meters high.
 Before the sounding of the bell, the monks first cleanse the bell, and that's when the momentum awaited the pilgrims who usually crowded throng. The monks do cleaning large bell with a long handled broom made ​​of bamboo, while pronounce verses from Buddhist scriptures. 
 
Japanese people in celebrating the new year, good housekeeping, as well as enterprises, basically assume clean-up event as a celebration of the most weighted. So if a walk in Japan, not difficult to find utterance happy new year as below:

It's settled will the event clean-up your home?

Recently fixed.

I also recently completed home, this time could spend a day with a good road!

Of course. Happy New Year yes.

shinnen akemashite o-medetō-gozaimasu = Happiness to you on the dawn of a New Year

The establishment of the Legendary History of Vespa

Vespa history began more than a century ago, precisely 1884. Piaggio company was founded in Genoa, Italy in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio. Business Rinaldo began ship equipment. But at the end of the century, Piaggio was also producing rail train, Wagon Train, Truck body, engine and train. In World War I, the company manufactures and Naval Aircraft. In 1917 Piaggio bought a new plant in Pisa, and four years later Rinaldo took over a small plant in Pontedera in the Tuscany region of Italy.
 
The factory in Pontedera which became centers of production aircraft and their components (propeller, engine and aircraft) During World War II, the Pontedera factory making aircraft engines P108 for two passengers and a bomber version.

At the end of World War II, Piaggio factory bombed by allied aircraft. After the war, Enrico Piaggio Piaggio took over from his father (Rinaldo Piaggio). At that time the Italian economy is suffering, Enrico decided to design a cheap means of transportation.
Enrico company decided to focus attention on issues that people need personal Mobility Italia. Then join the Corradino D'Ascanio, talented aviation engineers who design, conceptualize and Modern His first Piaggio fly helicopters.
 
D'Ascanio made ​​the design simple, economical, comfortable and elegant. D'Ascanio dreamed of a revolutionary new vehicle. By taking a picture of the aircraft technology, he imagined a vehicle built with a "monocoque" or uni body steel chassis.

Tyres front forks like landing a plane where it is easy for replacement tires. The result is a design that is inspired from the aircraft to date different from the other vehicle.

Then in 1945, the construction of an alternative is found. Originally was a concept motorcycle iron framed with rounded curves like a tunnel. Surprisingly, it turns staternya parts designed using bomb components and wheels taken from aircraft wheels.

In order to optimize the shape and the security of its users, the manufacturer at that time was regarded as an attempt to'' pavement'' design board feet on the front cover. The project is directly led by Corradino d'Ascanio. Therefore, patents soon be their pocket.


As a result, there appeared first MP5 series motor products. These vehicles are technologically simple, but has a very interesting shape, like an animal stinger (bees / wasps) because of the shape skeleton.

However, because of the security cover like a surfboard, a number of workers at the Piaggio factory would even say as a motor Paperino. Please remember, Paperino is cynical satire to figure Donald Duck (duck). So, d'Ascanio was reasonable to fix the rotary model.

D'ascanio only takes a few days to re-conceptualize the shape and design of the vehicle was named MP6 prototype. When Enrico Piaggio saw protototip MP6, he accidentally called out "Sambra Una Vespa" (looks like a wasp). Finally, from the call by accident, it was decided the vehicle is called 'Vespa' (wasps in Indonesian).
In April 1946, this MP6 prototype began mass-produced in the Piaggio factory in Pontedera, Italy. At the end of 1949, 35,000 units have been in production and in 10 years has been producing 1 million units and in mid-1950. During the 1960's and 1970's Vespa became the symbol of revolutionary idea at the time.

Subsequent developments, this product apparently hit by the market of France, Britain, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, and India - in addition to the domestic market of these products sell like hotcakes. In addition, India also produces the same type and shape by taking the machine Bajaj.

Your options are Bajaj and Bajaj Super Deluxe. A number of parties then filed a joint application to create a Vespa. Then in 1950 comes the 125 cc Vespa made ​​in Germany.

At that time, many other countries are trying to make similar products, but it turns out they were not at all able to compete with Piaggio. Among the competitors is Lambretta, Heinkel, Zundapp and NSU. For the people of Indonesia, Lambretta products and Zundapp, was popular in the 1960's.

Inquired had inquired, bigotry against Vespa apparently arising from the features of the basic form of this motor is always maintained at each subsequent product. Even when they do'' revolution'' spelled out in the form of new products, the Vespa 150 GS, distinctiveness voluptuous ass still feels attached.
Product 150 GS - at that time known as Vespamore and almost always appear in every movie of the 1960s - indeed steering and headlights start to be made together. But, on the whole much less shape ass, really still rounded.

And the story continues today with a new generation of Vespa models, offering Vespa ET2, Vespa ET4, Vespa Granturismo and the Vespa PX150. Vespa is not just a scooter but one of the Icon of the people of Italy.

    

The origins of the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)

The spring festival or lunar new year is the year-end holidays in the Chinese calendar, commonly called the "new year". A celebration of the traditional feast of the most festive and solemn among the Chinese people. Prior to January 1 (Chinese calendar) there is a ceremony of prayer, a memorial to those who died and other ceremonies: in the feast there angpao giving to children, friendship antarfamili and friends and other celebrations, after a mid-day feast was Capgomeh party lanterns at night, and after the party passed the night Capgomeh lanterns filled with decorative lanterns all over the city, the feast of the new spring festival actually considered expired.History of the spring festival is very long, its origin comes from prayer ceremonies commemorate ancestors and praying to god when the new year during the Yin and Shang Dynasties. And about various mythology too many.

The myth of the "Year" Animals

There is an ancient legend that tells of the origin of the tradition of Chinese New Year celebrations in China, here's the story:
Once upon a time there was an evil monster that has a long head and sharp horn. Monster called Nian is very fierce, she dwells bottom of the ocean, but every new year he appeared to land to attack the villagers and livestock swallowing. Therefore each before the new year, the entire village was always hiding behind the mountains to avoid this Nian monster attacks.

On New Year's Eve in a year, the people in the countryside were bolster and guide parents of small children to go to the mountains to avoid the catastrophe, and from outside the country came a beggar grandfather, his hand holding a cane, looks old but healthy, full of vitality and enthusiasm is outstanding.

People compatriot was busy packing, there is a busy guiding cattle herding sheep, seems a hasty atmosphere and scary. And at such times, there is no one who concentrates attention to the grandfather beggar.

Just a kindly grandmother at the east end of the village that gives food to a beggar's grandfather, as well as recommend him to immediately go to the mountains to avoid. The old man said: "Grandma, if you allow me to stay overnight in your home, I will definitely repel the monster.


The grandmother thought that his grandfather was joking, then continue to persuade his grandfather to immediately go to the mountain, but grandpa beggar shook his head would not go away. The grandmother was helpless, would not want to leave his house and yourself to go to the mountains to escape the disaster.

At midnight, a monster "Nian" broke into the village. He was found at the east end of the house of the grandmother, the door plastered with large red paper, and in the house illuminated with candle lights are very bright. Monster glanced angrily to her grandmother's house, and immediately lunged to her grandmother's house, shouting angrily. When nearing the entrance, suddenly heard the sound of explosions firecrackers in the inner room, and her whole body shaking chills, and did not dare to approach again. 

Apparently, the monster is afraid of red, light a fire and an explosion. And in that moment, the door was wide open, in the house seemed an old man whose body was wrapped in a red robe. I was so shocked monster "Nian" turned and scuttled.
On the second day is January 1, people who returned from the camps were very surprised to see the village in a state of safety and security. At that time my grandmother realized what had happened, and told him about his grandfather's promise to the people of beggars compatriot.

People flocked to compatriot grandmother's house, and it looks just patches of red paper on the door Grandma's house, in the yard there is a pile of firecrackers that survives still explosive, and some red candles in the house with the rest of the light still burning.

The old man is actually the Gods who came to help villagers expel these nian monster. They also found three tools used to drive the old man Nian.

People who compatriot merry rollicking new clothes and hats, visited the homes of family and friends congratulate greetings and celebrate peacefully and safely passed that day. Thus, everyone has to know how to safely dissipate the animal named "Year" in the new year.

Since then, every celebration of the Chinese New Year they put red cloth, set off firecrackers and lanterns lit all night, waiting for the New Year, keep up late and waiting for the turn of the year. January 1 morning, still had to visit the family home and friends to congratulate the new years. This tradition is more and more widely spread, and a traditional feast of the most solemn of Chinese people.

Starting from that, these customs eventually spread out and become a traditional celebration of the majestic Chinese people in welcoming the "passing of Nian" (in Chinese, nian mean years)  

The Chinese always associate the time period from 23 days to up to 30 in 12 twelve lunar months of the year just before the Day of the Lunar New Year as a "small Nian".

Every Chinese family is required to clean up the environment in which they live to welcome the new year. Besides cleaning the environment, every Chinese family making various dishes welcome Lunar made ​​from chicken, duck, fish and beef / pork, as well as sweets and fruits. Not to forget also the parents buy new clothes for their children and prepare Angpao gifts while visiting relatives and family.

When New Year's Eve arrived, the whole family gathered together. In the northern region of China, every family has a tradition of eating apple dumplings, which in Chinese language was called Jiao, same pronunciation with the word in Chinese, so the apple dumplings as a symbol of togetherness and family happiness. Jiao also significant addition coming new year. Region of southern China, people love to eat sweets New Year cake (made from sticky rice flour), which symbolizes the sweetness of life and make progress in the New Year (in Chinese language the word "cake" and "making progress" has the same pronunciation word Gao) Towards 12 o'clock at night, each family will set off firecrackers. 

The first day of the Lunar New Year, Chinese people use new clothes and congratulate older people. Children who say the new year older, will get Angpao money. While the second and third day, they were visiting friends and relatives nearby.
During the time of the celebration of Chinese New Year, in general, the streets crowded trade area with families shopping for Chinese Lunar purposes. In some places abroad are usually held various entertainment events such as the welcome the Lunar New Year and the Dragon Lion Dance performances, flower markets and temple fairs.

After the 15th day of the first month in the Lunar calendar, is a time of the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of Lunar New Year celebrations. (xinsheng.net)