Darren Straight’s Blog

Space Adventures the company that blasted the first space tourists into orbit is now offering future clients the chance to do space walks, but not without an extra cost of $15m (£8m) that of which is on top of the $20m cost of the flight.

Private space explorers will get to have about 1.5 hour accompanied extra-vehicular-activity (EVA) outside the International Space Station (ISS) along with an lengthened stay on the ISS from 10 days to between 16 and 18 but this would require additional training.

Via: BBC News

Happy Birthday goes to MSN/Windows Live Messenger today as it’s now official 7 years old, so let the party begin, and let’s sing the birthday song:

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday
Dear Windows Live Messenger
Happy Birthday to you

make a wish!

Also before you leave the party, don’t forget to download some fantastic messenger birthday winks, backgrounds, emoticons, and dynamic display pictures from 3H | Kiwee (American Greetings Interactive) | Quebles (Mobile Money)

What has everybody else done to celebrate it’s Birthday?

London will be hosting the UK’s first “masturbate-a-thon” in August in which hundreds of men and women are expected to pleasure themselves for charity.

The sponsored event will take place on August 5 at Clerkenwell Road, London and will feature soft lighting, softer furnishings, relaxing music and solo booths.

The money raised will go to the Terrence Higgins Trust and sexual and reproductive health agency Marie Stopes International.

The Marie Stopes International says the day aims “to act as a public education device to increase the use of self pleasure as a strategy for safer sex.”

Via: A Welsh View

According to Mary Jo Foley from Microsoft-Watch, Microsoft is set to announce a number of new healthcare products and initiatives on July 26 during a press event in Washington, D.C. But Microsoft officials have declined to specify exactly what Peter Neupert, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Health Solutions, will unveil at next week’s event.

However it is thought that that Microsoft may be ready to revile plans of a Windows Live Healthcare service, the existence of which has been the subject of rumors for the past few months.

And while Google executives have been for the past few months dropping hints of a Google healthcare Service, as of yet nothings has surfaced and when questioned about it their reply is that they are just experimenting and have no service for immediate release.

So could this mean that if a Windows Live Healthcare if unveiled it could possible beat Google to the Healthcare line of services? After all MSN does already own a MSN Health and Fitness portal which could possibly be replaced by Windows Live Healthcare.

I would love to know what you think so please leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Microsoft has now officially announced for the first time ever that they are working on a new portable media device called Zune.

In an exclusive first interview with Billboard, Chris Stephenson, Microsoft’s new GM of marketing for MSN Entertainment Business, says the company will later this year launch Zune, the umbrella brand for what he says is “a family of hardware and software products” targeting various digital entertainment services.

The first implementation of this will be the portable music player and digital music service, in what is the company’s strongest effort yet to rein in Apple Computer’s iTunes/iPod juggernaut, currently responsible for about 70% of the digital music market and 75% of the portable digital music player market.

But can Microsoft really get into the portable digital music player market now, or is it too late for them? Also could this cause any lawsuits like the lawsuit of Creative Labs against Apple?

Via: Zune Insider Blog

Hurray I have now got the results for my academic year of 2005/2006 on the Foundation Degree in Information Technology, I had already got the results for last year’s academic year of 2004/2005 so to finally get my results for this final academic year of 2005/2006 is great news, well at least for me anyway.

The results are as follows:

D = Distinction / M = Merit / P = Pass / F = Fail

First year / 2004-2005
Intro to Computer Architecture M61
Visual Programming Tools D72
Information Systems and Tools M64
Systems Analysis and Design M60
Object Orientated Programming M69
Multimedia on the Web D74
Organisations and IS Requirements P55

Second Year / 2005 - 2006
Database Design and Development P58
Networks M66
Web Programming D71
Operating Systems M62
Intranet Implementation D73
IT Management M61
Intranet Project M68

Giving me an overall result of a Fail, haha just kidding, I got a Merit! *does a little dance to celebrate his accomplishment*

However as I’ve previously mentioned it doesn’t stop here, as I intend to go back to uni/college starting from the 4th of September so I can top up my Foundation Degree/Higher National Diploma into a full Bachelors of Science Degree in Information Technology, it will be hard and I know I’ll have to cut back on some current activities I do so I get the study I need but hey I’m up for it, believe in yourself and you can accomplish near enough anything!

According to Superbrands Ltd, Microsoft has been publically voted as the most popular consumer brand in the UK for 2006, here are the first 10 on the list to see the rest download the Excel Chart here.

1 Microsoft
2 BBC
3 BRITISH AIRWAYS
4 Mercedes-Benz
5 PORSCHE
6 Marks & Spencer
7 Google
8 Heinz
9 DURACELL
10 Sony

The World Jump Day Hoax by Torsten Lauschmann is now over, did anybody actually Jump? Did you see anybody else Jump? Did you take any Photos?

Let me know!

Ohh and before I forget, you can download here a song from memmen & technik called Jumping is Great which was made for the World Jump Day.

Just got sent my reminder for tomorrows World Jump Day.

————————————————————–
>>>> WORLD JUMP DAY REMINDER >>>> http://www.worldjumpday.org/
————————————————————–

————————————————————–
20 JULY 2006
Only days to the historical WORLD JUMP DAY!
You have asked to be notified one day prior to the event.
————————————————————–
Send your images and videos of your jump and get the chance
to win a special WORLD JUMP DAY T-shirt!
 
For information about uploading, emailing or sending your
images/videos a special page will be available on the WORLD
JUMP DAY website shortly after the jump has occurred.

Please be sure to begin jumping at the calculated time of
11.39.13 GMT on 20 JULY 2006. The duration of the jump
should be no less than 2 Minutes. Timing is very critical
in this experiment. We thank you for your help.

Have a good Jump!
Your WORLD JUMP DAY Team
www.worldjumpday.org
————————————————————–

Want to try out Windows Live Mail M7 Early?

Well now’s your chance because Windows Live Mail Server Bay 101 has already updated from M6 to M7 so why not take Windows Live Mail M7 for a test drive now before it rolls out onto other server bays.

1. Login to Windows Live Mail.
2. Load up http://by101w.bay101.mail.live.com/.
3. Enjoy Windows Live Mail M7.

Via: LiveSide.net