Free download Conficker worm/Downadup worm removal tool

Tuesday, March 31, 2009



Free download Conficker worm/Downadup worm removal tool.

If your are already tried to look and search for the removal tool for Conficker worm/Downadup worm a.k.a. April Fool's Day virus, now here are the useful security tools I found just click here.

Before you leave have a look in the illustration on how the Conficker worm/Downadup worm works.

Illustration on how the Conficker worm/Downadup worm works

New security tool for Conficker worm/DownAdUP detection



New security tool to detect Conficker worm also known as DownAdUP. The detection tool have been developed by the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).

"While tools have existed for individual users, this is the only free tool -- and the most comprehensive one -- available for enterprises like federal and state government and private sector networks to determine the extent to which their systems are infected by this worm," said US-CERT director Mischel Kwon.

"Our experts at US-CERT are working around the clock to increase our capabilities to address the cyber risk to our nation's critical networks and systems, both from this threat and all others," he added.

The worm is suspected to have infected millions of computers running the Windows operating system and Windows maker Microsoft has offered a $250,000 bounty for those responsible for the worm.

US-CERT recommended that Windows users apply Microsoft security patch MS08-067 to help provide protection against the worm.

The patch is designed to prevent an attacker from remotely taking control of an infected computer system and installing additional malicious software.

Malware could be triggered to steal data, generate spam attacks or turn control of infected computers over to hackers amassing "zombie" machines into "botnet" armies.

The worm is programmed to modify itself on Wednesday, April Fool's Day, according to computer security specialists.

Conficker had been programmed to reach out to 250 websites daily to download commands from its masters, they said, but on Wednesday it will begin connecting with 50,000 websites daily for instructions.

The hackers behind the worm have yet to give it any specific orders.

"That's the interesting thing. The only thing the worm is being asked to do is to ask for further instructions," Steve Trilling, vice president of security firm Symantec, told the CBS program "60 Minutes" in a story aired on Sunday.


Microsoft will shut down Encarta encyclopedia online



No more Encarta encyclopedia online as the gigantic Microsoft plans to close its the online encyclopedia, which competes in an arena dominated by communally-crafted free Internet reference source Wikipedia.

The US software colossus said that on October 31 it will turn off all its Encarta websites everywhere except in Japan, with that service to be terminated on the last day of December.

"The category of traditional encyclopedias and reference material has changed," Microsoft said in an online message at its Encarta website on Monday.

"People today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past."

Encarta was launched in 1993 as competition for traditional reference books such as those offered by Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encarta was originally available for purchase as a multimedia computer resource in DVD-ROM or CD-ROM formats and eventually became available online on a subscription basis.

Encarta's popularity faded after the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation launched Wikipedia online in 2001.

While Wikipedia lets users continually update or refine entries, improvements suggested to Encarta must pass muster with editors before eventually being incorporated into the data base.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

DFA computers was hack by cyber spies

Monday, March 30, 2009


The computer network of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has been infiltrated by a cyber spy network based mainly in China, Canadian researchers said on Saturday.

The Philippines is one of the 103 countries where classified documents from government and private organizations, including the computers of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan exiles, have been hacked into, according to the Information Warfare Monitor (IWM).

IWM is composed of researchers from Ottawa-based think tank SecDev Group and University of Toronto’s Munk Center for International Studies.

The Canadian researchers detected a cyber espionage network involving more than 1,295 compromised computers from the ministries of foreign affairs of the Philippines, Iran, Bangladesh, Latvia, Indonesia, Brunei, Barbados and Bhutan.

The researchers also discovered hacked systems in the embassies of India, South Korea, Indonesia, Romania, Cyprus, Malta, Thailand, Taiwan, Portugal, Germany and Pakistan.

Asked about the China-based spy network that infiltrated the DFA’s computer system, Philippine National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said: “I haven’t received any official report on that. But I will check if it’s true and what particular computer system was compromised.”

The DFA, for its part, said it was looking into the cyber-espionage exposé, adding that it was doing all it can to protect its information technology software and networks.

Malicious software

Once the hackers infiltrate the systems, they gain control using malicious software or malware, which they install in the compromised computers, and send and receive data from them, the IWM researchers said.

In a report titled “Tracking ‘GhostNet’: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network” to be released online on Sunday, the researchers said the system was being controlled from computers based almost exclusively in China, but that they could not say conclusively that the Chinese government was involved.

Calls to China’s foreign ministry and industry and information ministry went unanswered on Sunday. The Chinese Embassy in Toronto did not immediately return calls for comment on Saturday.

The researchers had been asked by the office of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader whom China regularly denounces, to examine its computers for signs of malware.

Real-time evidence

IMW’s sleuthing opened a window into a broader operation that, in less than two years, has infiltrated more than a thousand computers in over 100 countries, including the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan exile centers in India, Brussels, London and New York.

“We uncovered real-time evidence of malware that had penetrated Tibetan computer systems, extracting sensitive documents from the private office of the Dalai Lama,” IMW investigator Greg Walton said.

The Dalai Lama fled over the Himalaya mountains into exile 50 years ago when China quashed an uprising in Tibet, placing the kingdom under its direct rule for the first time. The spiritual leader and the Tibetan government in exile are based in Dharmsala, India.

Students For a Free Tibet activist Bhutila Karpoche said her organization’s computers had been hacked into numerous times over the past four or five years, and particularly in the past year.

Viruses

Karpoche said she often got e-mail that contained viruses that crashed the group’s computers.

The IMW researchers said they believed that in addition to the spying on the Dalai Lama, the system, which they called GhostNet, was focused on the governments of South Asian and Southeast Asian countries.

Intelligence analysts said many governments, including those of China, Russia and the United States, and other parties were using sophisticated computer programs to covertly gather information.

The newly reported spying operation is by far the largest to come to light in terms of countries affected.

Whaling information

The malware is remarkable both for its sweep—in computer jargon, it has not been merely “phishing” for random consumers’ information, but “whaling” for particular important targets—and for its Big Brother-style capacities.

It can, for example, turn on the camera and audio-recording functions of an infected computer, enabling monitors to see and hear what goes on in a room.

The electronic spy game has had at least some real-world impact, according to the IMW researchers.

For example, they said, after an e-mail invitation was sent by the Dalai Lama’s office to a foreign diplomat, the Chinese government made a call to the diplomat discouraging a visit.

Transcripts

And a woman working for a group making Internet contacts between Tibetan exiles and Chinese citizens was stopped by Chinese intelligence officers on her way back to Tibet, shown transcripts of her online conversations and warned to stop her political activities.

Two researchers at Cambridge University in Britain who worked on the part of the investigation related to the Tibetans were also releasing their own report on Sunday.

In an online abstract for “The Snooping Dragon: Social Malware Surveillance of the Tibetan Movement,” Shishir Nagaraja and Ross Anderson wrote that while malware attacks were not new, these attacks should be noted for their ability to collect “actionable intelligence for use by the police and security services of a repressive state, with potentially fatal consequences for those exposed.”

They said prevention against such attacks would be difficult since traditional defense against social malware in government agencies involved expensive and intrusive measures that ranged from mandatory access controls to tedious operational security procedures.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Prison Break Season 4 Episode 17: The Mother Lode Resumes



You can now watch Prison Break Season 4 Episode 17: The Mother Lode on April 17, Friday as its near season ends.

Prison Break Season 4 Episode 17:  The Mother Lode Resumes

Prison Break S04E17 "The Mother Lode" : Michael and Sarah learn the dangers of hitchhiking as they make their way to Miami, and Lincoln meets with Christina who informs him of her plans to take over the Company. Meanwhile, Pad Man feels the heat from an new enemy, and T-Bag and Self’s search for Scylla leads to an unexpected discover.



Prison Break near ending series after season 4



Prison Break fans, there's really no easy way to say this so we'll just take a very direct approach: Prison Break is coming to an end...soon; Fox today announced the series will be ending at the conclusion of this season.

Prison Break near ending series after season 4

The news probably isn't a huge shock to anyone who has been following the series recently. Late last year, speculators thought the show would be coming to an end when Fox tacked on a few extra hours to this year's production schedule. And with heavy promotion for Fringe, 24, and Lie to Me in full swing, it isn't hard to see who the odd man out is.

Prison Break is currently on a little vacation, as Fox beefs up its midseason schedule with the aforementioned trio and a little program called American Idol. However, Fox did schedule a return for the final episodes of Prison Break--they begin their run April 17.

According to TVGuide.com, Fox president Kevin Reilly explained, "[Prison Break] got to a point where a lot of the stories had been told," which is a kind way to say the show was running on fumes creatively. At least six hours of the drama are left to go, with the possibility of a few more hours added as Reilly said he wants the program to "finish strong."

Before fans organize a save-the-show campaign complete with an assault of freshly shaven hair and teabags, consider this: Prison Break was originally conceived as a one-season show or mini-series, but instead was stretched out to four full seasons. That's some glass-is-half-full thinking right there.


source: tv.com


About Wentworth Miller Biography




Wentworth Miller Short Biography


Recent Role:
Michael Scofield on Prison Break

Gender:
Male

Birthday:
6-2-1972

Birthplace:
Chipping Norton, Oxford, England

Birth Name:
Wentworth Miller III


London born-Brooklyn raised Miller is part African-American, Jamaican, English, German, French, Dutch, Syrian, and Lebanese. He graduated Quaker Valley Senior High School in Leetsdale, PA (Just outside Pittsburgh) in 1990 and went on to Princeton, where he traveled the world with the school's a capella group. After graduating Princeton with a degree in English literature, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the background of the entertainment industry, and later acting.



His acting career started with guest spots on TV, including roles in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Popular," and "ER," and a starring role in the ABC miniseries "Dinotopia." His first film role was in "The Human Stain," playing a young Anthony Hopkins. After that he landed supporting roles in "Underworld," "Stealth," "Joan of Arcadia," "Ghost Whisperer," and two Mariah Carey videos.


Miller was cast in "Prison Break" because his signature look and acting made him the perfect fit for the character, and later, the breakout star of the 2005 TV season.

source: tv.com

Beware of Conficker C virus come April Fool's Day



Conficker first bubbled up in late 2008 and began making headlines in January as known infections topped 9 million computers. Now in its third variant, Conficker C, the worm has grown incredibly complicated, powerful, and virulent... though no one is quite sure exactly what it will do when D-Day arrives.

Thanks in part to a quarter-million-dollar bounty on the head of the writer of the worm, offered by Microsoft, security researchers are aggressively digging into the worm's code as they attempt to engineer a cure or find the writer before the deadline. What's known so far is that on April 1, all infected computers will come under the control of a master machine located somewhere across the web, at which point anything's possible. Will the zombie machines become denial of service attack pawns, steal personal information, wipe hard drives, or simply manifest more traditional malware pop-ups and extortion-like come-ons designed to sell you phony security software? No one knows.

Conficker is clever in the way it hides its tracks because it uses an enormous number of URLs to communicate with HQ. The first version of Conficker used just 250 addresses each day -- which security researchers and ICANN simply bought and/or disabled -- but Conficker C will up the ante to 50,000 addresses a day when it goes active, a number which simply can't be tracked and disabled by hand.

At this point, you should be extra vigilant about protecting your PC: Patch Windows completely through Windows Update and update your anti-malware software as well. Make sure your antivirus software is actually running too, as Conficker may have disabled it.

Microsoft also offers a free online safety scan here, which should be able to detect all Conficker versions.


source: tech.yahoo.com


See also:
How to stop Conficker virus from spreading?
Top most worst computer viruses of all time.

PC company cut cost



Leaving PCs on overnight costs companies $2.8B a year

Even during an economic meltdown, when companies are scrambling to cut costs, businesses are wasting billions of dollars by leaving their PCs on at night.

U.S. organizations squander $2.8 billion a year to power unused machines, emitting about 20 million tons of carbon dioxide — roughly the equivalent of 4 million cars — according to a report to be released Wednesday.

About half of 108 million office PCs in the USA are not properly shut down at night, says the 2009 PC Energy Report, produced by 1E, an energy-management software company, and the non-profit Alliance to Save Energy. The report analyzed workplace PC power consumption in the USA, United Kingdom and Germany.

Wastefulness does not just affect a company's bottom line, it creates environmental concerns, the report says. If the world's 1 billion PCs were powered down just one night, it would save enough energy to light the Empire State Building — inside and out — for over 30 years, it says.

"Workers do not feel responsible for electricity bills at work, and some companies insist PCs remain on at night so they can be patched with software updates," says 1E CEO Sumir Karayi. He says 63% of employees surveyed said their companies should take more steps to save PC power.

"It is scary how much energy is wasted," says Michael Murphy, senior manager of global environmental affairs at Dell, a business partner and customer of 1E. It has used 1E software to efficiently manage its 50,000 PCs globally, saving about $1.8 million a year.

Simply shutting down PCs at night can save a company with 10,000 PCs over $260,000 a year and 1,871 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the report says.

"PCs can be a tremendous drain on electricity," says Doug Washburn, an analyst at Forrester Research. "During a nine-hour workday, it isn't always in use because of lunch, meetings and other things."

source: usatoday.com

April Fool's Day computer worm - Conficker Cabal

Friday, March 27, 2009


A computer-science detective story is playing out on the Internet as security experts try to hunt down a worm called Conficker Cabal and prevent it from damaging millions of computers on April Fool's Day.

The anti-worm researchers have banded together in a group they call the Conficker Cabal. Members are searching for the malicious software program's author and for ways to do damage control if he or she can't be stopped.

They're motivated in part by a $250,000 bounty from Microsoft and also by what seems to be a sort of Dick Tracy ethic.

"We love catching bad guys," said Alvin Estevez, CEO of Enigma Software Group, which is one of many companies trying to crack Conficker. "We're like former hackers who like to catch other hackers. To us, we get almost a feather in our cap to be able to knock out that worm. We slap each other five when we're killing those infections."

The malicious program already is thought to have infected between 5 million and 10 million computers.

Those infections haven't spawned many symptoms, but on April 1 a master computer is scheduled to gain control of these zombie machines, said Don DeBolt, director of threat research for CA, a New York-based IT and software company.

What happens on April Fool's Day is anyone's guess.

The program could delete all of the files on a person's computer, use zombie PCs -- those controlled by a master -- to overwhelm and shut down Web sites or monitor a person's keyboard strokes to collect private information like passwords or bank account information, experts said.

More likely, though, said DeBolt, the virus may try to get computer users to buy fake software or spend money on other phony products.

Experts said computer hackers largely have moved away from showboating and causing random trouble. They now usually try to make money off their viral programs.

DeBolt said Conficker C imbeds itself deep in the computer where it is difficult to track. The program, for instance, stops Windows from conducting automatic updates that could prevent the malware from causing damage.

The program's code is also written to evolve over time and its author appears to be making updates to thwart some of the Conficker Cabal's attempts to neuter the worm.

"It is very much a cat and mouse game," DeBolt said.

It's unclear who wrote the program, but members of the Cabal are looking for clues.

First, they know that some recent malware programs have come from Eastern European countries outside the jurisdiction of the European Union, said Patrick Morganelli, senior vice president of technology for Enigma Software.

Worm program authors often hide in those countries to stay out of sight from law enforcement, he said.

In a way, the Conficker Cabal is also looking for the program author's fingerprints. DeBolt said security researchers are looking through old malware programs to see if their programming styles are similar to that of Conficker C.

The prospects for catching the program's author are not good, Morganelli said.

"Unless they open their mouth, they'll never be found," he said.

So, the most effective counter-assault simply may be damage control.

One quick way to see if your computer has been infected is to see if you have gotten automatic updates from Windows in March. If so, your computer likely is fine, DeBolt said.

Microsoft released a statement saying the company "is actively working with the industry to mitigate the spread of the worm."

Users who haven't gotten the latest Windows updates should go to http://safety.live.com if they fear they're infected, the company's statement says.

DeBolt said people who use other antivirus software should check to make sure they've received the latest updates, which also could have been disabled by Conficker C.

The first version of Conficker -- strain A -- was released in late 2008.

That version used 250 Web addresses -- generated daily by the system -- as the means of communication between the master computer and its zombies.

The end goal of the first line was to sell computer users fake antivirus software, said Morganelli.

Computer security experts largely patched that problem by working with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to disable or buy the problematic URLs, he said.

That process-of-elimination approach isn't likely to be effective with Conficker strain C, Morganelli said. The new version will generate 50,000 URLs per day instead of just 250 when it becomes active, DeBolt said.

The first iteration of Conficker is thought to have grown out of a free function for security programs created by Dr. Ronald Rivest, a computer science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"Any technology can be used for good or evil, and this is just an example of that," Rivest said.

Many viruses have taken pieces of benevolent programs and used them for ill. But overall the "open source" environment online promotes computer security far more than it enables hackers, DeBolt said.

"I don't blame the open-source community at all" for virus attacks, he said.

CA said it recently found a piece of code in Conficker C that says the worm will become active on April 1. Previous versions of the malicious software launched on specific dates noted in the program code, so the April Fool's Day launch date is not likely to be a trick, DeBolt said.
"The best minds in the industry are working on this to protect customers," he said. "We're trying to reduce the impact of the April 1 date as best we can. But we know ,this malware will continue to evolve."



source: cnn.com

Woman made history in PNPA graduation class of 2009



A woman made a another history in the 30th Commencement Exercises of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA). Roan Marie Bascugin, 22, native of Alfonso,Cavite, graduated valedictorian of the PNPA "Kaisang-Bisig" Class of 2009.

Bascugin is the second female topnotcher in the police academy following Police Superintendent Analiza Pama of PNPA “Magilas” Class of 2000 and the first female valedictorian since the Bachelor of Science in Public Safety became a four-year course.

In her valedictory speech Bascugin said,"Gender should never be a hindrance to what you want to achieve," She was the only woman who made it to the top 10.

Bascugin said she drew inspiration from the President as believed that “women can occupy top positions.”

“There is no special treatment for women here. It’s the same weight of rifle, same number of push-ups, same rounds of jogging (as with the men), that’s why it’s surprising for a woman to top an institution where men are predominant,” Trumata said.

Bascugin who earned an average of 91 percent said it was a matter of balancing time for academics and the trainings. She added that it has always been her goal to “finish whatever she has started.”

Roan Marie Bascugin, who will be conferred with the rank of Inspector, which is equivalent to a lieutenant rank in the military.

Of the 304 graduating cadets, 266 will be joining the PNP; 25, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology; and 13, the Bureau of Fire Protection.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net


Actress Gina Pareño is Best Supporting Actress winner

Wednesday, March 25, 2009


Actress Gina Pareño was called as Best Supporting Actress winner for her work in “Serbis,” in the 3rd Asian Film Awards at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. The 3rd Asian Film Awards is the region's equivalent to Oscars awards.

“Serbis” director Dante Mendoza, a nominee for Best Director, went up the stage to accept Pareño’s trophy, scriptwriter Senedy Que recalled in an e-mail to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. As Dante began to speak, Que wrote, Gina was suddenly sighted running toward the stage.

“I’m sorry, I was in the ladies room,” were the actress’ first words, delivered breathlessly, from the podium, Jazel Virtusio of the Animation Council of the Philippines said in a text message.

Disarmed, the audience laughed, and then applauded, both Virtusio and Que related.

“Gina explained that the restroom was very far from the hall,” Virtusio said. “And then she proceeded to deliver what would be the night’s longest acceptance speech, sharing her victory with costar Jaclyn Jose, who was also nominated.”

“Serbis” tells the story of a family who operates and lives in a run-down movie house where prostitutes ply their trade.

This is the second international recognition for Pareño’s performance in “Serbis.”

She was named Best Actress last year at the 6th Pacific Meridian Film Festival in Vladivostok, Russia, where Mendoza won Best Director. The movie itself was the country’s entry in the main competition section of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

Prior to “Serbis,” Pareño won Best Actress trophies for Jeffrey Jeturian’s 2006 film “Kubrador” at the Osian’s-Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema in New Delhi, the International Festival of Independent Film in Brussels and the Amiens International Film Fest in France.

source: showbizandstyle.inquirer.net

Pacquiao honor Solar Sports exclusive rights

Tuesday, March 24, 2009


Boxing icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao honors Solar Sports exclusive rights to broadcast Pacquiao-Hatton fight this coming 2nd May.

Solar Sports legal counsel Atty. Joseph Sagandoy Jr., through CS/9, has appeared to make an announcement regarding the issue between Manny Pacquiao’s decision in nullifying his existing contract with Solar Sports for ABS-CBN in airing his May 3 fight with Ricky Hatton.

Atty. Joseph’s statement reads, “The past few days created confusion over the broadcast rights to the succeeding bouts of Manny Pacquiao. A number of releases on newspapers, on the web, on the radio, and on national television have misled the public as to which Philippine media network will carry the next Pacquiao fight.

“Under a licensed agreement dated May 7, 2007, Manny Pacquiao and MP Promotion for valuable consideration, granted to Solar Entertainment the exclusive rights of all bouts of Manny Pacquiao from May 7, 2007 to May 6, 2011.

“Manny Pacquiao’s attempt to recede the license agreement without any factual or legal basis is ill-advised. All third parties are warned against any unlawful interference with the license agreement. Solar shall avail of all its legal remedies to the fullest extent against any undue breach of or unlawful interference with the license agreement.”

In an endnote to assure the public that Solar Sports is the sole broadcaster of Pacquiao’s upcoming fights, he said, “Solar wishes to assure the public that the right to broadcast the upcoming Pacquiao-Hatton match scheduled this May 3 remain with Solar Entertainment.”

source: pep.ph

Filipinos’ Passion for Fashion in US



The historic Bryant Park was transformed into one giant tent, to celebrate Fashion Week where the Spring/Summer 2009 collections of famous designers were presented. Where all the fashion shows and some after-parties are held. This is also where industry insiders, designers and buyers meet and match.

“It is a very tough industry, it is so hard to get in,” Grace Edwards, a Filipina designer told the Asian Journal. “This is an opportunity for businesses and buyers to take a look at next year’s trends and for a week, they will be looking at a horde of designs so your collection must really stand out.”

Among this year’s designers whose collection gets showcased in a fashion event is Monique Lhuillier.

Lhuillier is known for her exquisite bridal gowns but through the years she has also designed ready to wear clothes, which are as elegant and timeless as her gowns. Her designs have also graced numerous red carpet events and editorial spreads in fashion magazines.

Already, there’s a long line of celebrities who have donned her design during their wedding days. The list includes, among others, the singer Pink who wore an ivory and black gown during her wedding day; Lost’s Emilie de Ravin who had a lacey long gown; Private Practice lead star Kate Walsh who wore a custom-made gown for her Ojai wedding; TV host Ali Landry; singer Natalie Imbruglia; Kevin Costner’s wife Christine Baumgartner, and Britney Spears during her infamous wedding to Kevin Federline.

According to reports, Lhuillier’s spring collection at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week showed her ability to pull off more relaxed looks.

“She offered outfits in billowy chiffon, feminine organza and, surprisingly, denim. A pleated cocktail dress with embroidered Aztec cap sleeves elevated denim to a whole new category. There also was a chambray jacquard cocktail dress with a crisscross pleated halter top that was lovely,” the Associated Press said.

"This season I used dry crisp fabrics, straw-braiding techniques, basket patterns and wave prints," the designer wrote in her notes to the crowd at her show.

Today, Monique Lhuillier is considered one of the leading innovative fashion houses in terms of design, quality and brand image. The Monique Lhuillier boutique, in the heart of Beverly Hills, offers world-class service and a wide selection of her latest Ready-to-Wear and Bridal collections as well as some custom offerings.

Her designs have been showcased though various Fashion Week shows and for spring/summer 2009, Lhuillier explained that it is all about the skin this time.

"Evening is about layers of sheer fabrics giving the illusion of seeing lots of skin. Billowing shirts, draped bodices and weightless volumes accented with copper and bronze beading," Lhuillier said.

Her famous designs have been featured on such fashion forward television shows as Sex and the City and Will & Grace, and is a favorite among many noteworthy celebrities. Her Ready-To-Wear collection has been worn by megastars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Connelly, Janet Jackson, Debra Messing, Angelina Jolie, Sharon Stone, Mariah Carey, Sarah Michelle Geller, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Marg Helgenberger, Amber Tamblyn, Elisha Cuthbert, Jorja Fox, Holly Hunter, Tiffany Thiessen and Jamie Lynn Sigler.

Compared with Lhuillier, Grace Edwards is a novice. She’s not a household name. Not yet, at least.

At the young age of 50, Edwards is trying her best to make it in this cutthroat world of fashion. She has been fortified by time, experience and the numerous challenges that she had to face along the way.

Edwards and her husband moved to New York in 2000, shortly after the death of Jack, their middle child who succumbed to severe asthma attack. He was only 23.

A couple of years later, Edwards worked at Henri Bendel, an affluent retail store where she believes she began to realize that she had a passion for fashion. “I was looking at the stuff that we were selling there and noticed the prices. I told myself, ‘I can do this,’” she related.

Three years later, she launched her own line: Grade Edwards, Inc., a clothing design company focusing on haute couture.

Her ascent to fame and her struggles are all documented through Start Up 2, an online reality series that featured three small business owners and produced by AOL Small Business and Entrepreneur.com.

Andy Arcangel

Andy Arcangel and his partner Dino Lomboy run Arcangel Men’s Wear in the hip East Village area of Manhattan.

Arcangel’s passion for fashion came at a young age, when he still had no idea what fashion was. Growing up in a middle class family in Sta. Mesa, Manila, Arcangel witnessed his mother create their own curtains, table covers and blankets.

“I used to watch her and I remember being wide-eyed in amazement about how raw materials could turn into such beautiful finished adornments for the house. That was how my love of fashion and fabrics started,” Arcangel said in previous interviews.

He moved to the New York in 1997 and this ignited his passion for design. He enrolled in fashion courses at the Fashion Institute in New York City and soon earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City.

During last week’s fashion week events, Arcangel showcased his own summer 2009 collection with a runway show at a loft in Chelsea.

“This collection is inspired by summer in Mexico,” Arcangel said before the show started. His collection can best be described as eclectic. Some pieces had floral and psychedelic designs while others were just bursting with colors. Most were fun going-out clothes that have been a trademark of the label for eight years now.

This is the fourth fashion show that Arcangel has staged in time for the Fashion Week.

source: www.asianjournal.com



Pres. Arroyo signed baselines bill

Thursday, March 12, 2009



President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has signed into law Republic Act 9522 or the baselines bill, which will define the country's territorial waters, Malacañang said.

Arroyo signed on Tuesday the measure, which treats the disputed Spratlys Islands and Scarborough Shoal, as a "regime of islands" under the Republic of the Philippines, despite the strong protest lodged by China, one of several claimants, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Wednesday.

Beijing said the provision on the “regime of islands” violated its sovereignty.

Ermita said with the signing of the baselines bill, "We are sending the message to the whole world that we are affirming our national sovereignty. We are affirming our national interest."

Ermita said Manila was asserting its sovereignty "because it was the right thing to do."

"Whatever problems we may have, whatever action will have to be contested, will have to be done with the code of conduct agreed upon with ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] and China," he added.

Ermita was referring to the code of conduct signed by claimant countries to the Spratlys – the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei.

Taiwan is also claiming the Spratlys, but was not a signatory to the code.

Ermita said the baselines law enabled the country to comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

source: globalnation.inquirer.net

For Sale E-jeeps

Tuesday, March 10, 2009


Priced at Php. 625,000, the electric-powered passenger jeeps are now available for commercial use. Powered by an electric motor with 12 six-volt lead acid batteries, an e-jeep can carry 14 passengers and run 40 to 60 kilometers per hour.

Electric-powered jeepneys are cheaper than diesel-fed ones which now cost at least P700,000.

With this E-jeeps on the street would benefit each Filipino as it would be the answer for mass transport which uses a clean and renewable source of energy.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has finally agreed to issue plate numbers to the e-jeepneys which can now be sold to interested public transport cooperatives and jeepney operators.

This development and production of the electric vehicles were primarily funded by GRIPP and the Dutch group Stichting Doen as part of their “Climate-Friendly Cities” project.

The LTO decided to allow the e-jeeps to operate commercially after GRIPP and Stiching Doen were able to assemble the vehicles locally with the help of Philippine Utility Vehicles Inc. (PhUV), a local group of car parts manufacturers.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net





Digital Signage PLDT Unveil



Another innovation that improve the commercials in the Philippines. Like we have seen in television or movie from other highly industrialize country. Last week, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Company unveiled their high-tech digital signage service called SweetSpots.

Here's a complete content from INQUIRER.net about the high-tech digital signage "SweetSpots".

The service is similar to a traditional digital signage but instead of rotating advertisement, the content is delivered through an LCD monitor via the Internet. The LCD monitors come in 32-, 40- 46-inch sizes.

A digital signage currently shows one type of rotating advertisement. The SweetSpots, on the other hand, show up to four different advertisements simultaneously.

The LCD screens are hooked up to the Internet using PLDT’s wireless Internet service WeRoam or a cable-based PLDT BizDSL.

Updating of content on the SweetSpots is done from a central location managed by PLDT.

PLDT said the service targets traditional advertisers. The LCD monitors can be deployed in just about any commercial areas such as hotels, restaurants, resorts, hospitals and malls.

Residential areas are also potential targets, PLDT said.

Nerisse Ramos, head of PLDT Corporate Business Group, said the service can deliver dynamic and more compelling advertisements that would appeal to a bigger market.

Users of the service can also deliver more than just advertisement but also consumer-related content such as news.

However, Ramos said the business would not compete with traditional advertising areas, particularly print and broadcast media.

“It will be a complementary technology wherein content from media can also be delivered through SweetSpots locations,” she said.



What are the difference between Filipinas from other races?



The difference between Filipinas from other races may classified below:

1. Filipina girls are famous of their beauty.

2. Filipina girls are most likely favored because of their disposition and personality.

3. Filipinas are loving,understanding,caring, patient and composed.

4. Filipina women cares for the “family first before anything else.”

5. Filipinas are excellent home buddy and keeper.

6. Filipino women are faithful.

7. Filipinas are religious.

content from: Beautiful Filipinas


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