A hard disk drive (HDD; also hard drive, hard disk, or disk drive) is a block-based data storage device used for storing and retrieving digital information using non-volatile memory (retaining its data even when powered off) in a random-access manner (individual blocks of data can be stored or retrieved in any order rather than just sequentially). An HDD consists of one or more rigid ("hard") rapidly rotating discs (platters) coated with magnetic material, with magnetic heads arranged on a moving actuator arm to read and write data to the surfaces.
Introduced by IBM in 1956, HDDs became the dominant secondary storage device for general purpose computers by the early 1960s. Continuously improved, HDDs have maintained this position into the modern era of servers and PCs. More than 200 companies have produced HDD units, though most current units are manufactured by Western Digital, Seagate, and Toshiba. Worldwide revenues for HDDs shipments are expected to reach $38 billion in 2012, up about 19% from $32 billion in 2011.
The primary characteristics of an HDD are its capacity and performance. Capacity is specified in unit prefixes corresponding to powers of 1000: a 1-terabyte (TB) drive has a capacity of 1,000 gigabytes (GB; where 1 gigabyte = 1 billion bytes). Typically, some of an HDD's capacity is unavailable to the user due to use by the file system and the computer operating system, and possibly inbuilt redundancy for error correction and recovery. Performance is specified by the time to move the heads to a file (average access time) plus the time it takes for the file to move under its head (average latency, a function of the physical rotational speed in revolutions per minute) and the speed at which the file is transmitted (data rate).
The two most common form factors for modern HDDs are 3.5-inch in desktop computers and 2.5-inch in laptops. Different sizes are used in specialty devices such as portable media players or in some server hardware. HDDs are connected to systems by standard interface cables such as SATA (Serial ATA), USB or SAS (Serial attached SCSI) cables.
As of 2012, the primary competing technology for secondary storage is flash memory in the form of solid-state drives (SSDs), though HDDs retain an advantage in recording capacity, reliability and price per unit of storage.
Friday, November 9, 2012
World War 1 Begins
On July 28, 1914, one month to the day after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were killed by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, effectively beginning the First World War.
Threatened by Serbian ambition in the tumultuous Balkans region of Europe, Austria-Hungary determined that the proper response to the assassinations was to prepare for a possible military invasion of Serbia. After securing the unconditional support of its powerful ally, Germany, Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with a rigid ultimatum on July 23, 1914, demanding, among other things, that all anti-Austrian propaganda within Serbia be suppressed, and that Austria-Hungary be allowed to conduct its own investigation into the archduke's killing. Though Serbia effectively accepted all of Austria's demands except for one, the Austrian government broke diplomatic relations with the other country on July 25 and went ahead with military preparedness measures. Meanwhile, alerted to the impending crisis, Russia—Serbia's own mighty supporter in the Balkans—began its own initial steps towards military mobilization against Austria.
Threatened by Serbian ambition in the tumultuous Balkans region of Europe, Austria-Hungary determined that the proper response to the assassinations was to prepare for a possible military invasion of Serbia. After securing the unconditional support of its powerful ally, Germany, Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with a rigid ultimatum on July 23, 1914, demanding, among other things, that all anti-Austrian propaganda within Serbia be suppressed, and that Austria-Hungary be allowed to conduct its own investigation into the archduke's killing. Though Serbia effectively accepted all of Austria's demands except for one, the Austrian government broke diplomatic relations with the other country on July 25 and went ahead with military preparedness measures. Meanwhile, alerted to the impending crisis, Russia—Serbia's own mighty supporter in the Balkans—began its own initial steps towards military mobilization against Austria.
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Two bullets fired on a Sarajevo street on a sunny June morning in 1914 set in motion a series of events that shaped the world we live in today. World War One, World War Two, the Cold War and its conclusion all trace their origins to the gunshots that interrupted that summer day.
The victims, Archduke Franz Ferdinand - heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife Sophie, were in the Bosnian city in conjunction with Austrian troop exercises nearby. The couple was returning from an official visit to City Hall. The assassin, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip burned with the fire of Slavic nationalism. He envisioned the death of the Archduke as the key that would unlock the shackles binding his people to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A third party, Serbia, figured prominently in the plot. Independent Serbia provided the guns, ammunition and training that made the assassination possible. The Balkan Region of Europe entered the twentieth century much as she left it: a caldron of seething political intrigue needing only the slightest increase of heat to boil over into open conflict. The shots that day in Sarajevo pushed the caldron to the boiling point and beyond.
Blank Check
After Sarajevo, Count Leopold von Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister, drew up a letter for the Emperor Francis Joseph to sign and send to Wilhelm II to try and convince both of Serbia's responsibility.
On July 6th, Wilhelm II and his Imperial Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, telegrammed Berchtold that Austria-Hungary could rely that Germany would support whatever action was necessary to deal with Serbia -- in effect offering von Berchtold a 'blank check.'
On July 6th, Wilhelm II and his Imperial Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, telegrammed Berchtold that Austria-Hungary could rely that Germany would support whatever action was necessary to deal with Serbia -- in effect offering von Berchtold a 'blank check.'
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Shiba Inu
A small, agile dog that copes very well with mountainous terrain, the Shiba Inu was originally bred for hunting. It is similar in appearance to the Akita, though much smaller in stature. It is one of the few ancient dog breeds still in existence in the world today. Inu is the Japanese word for dog, but the origin of the prefix "Shiba" is less clear. The word shiba means "brushwood" in Japanese, and refers to a type of tree or shrub whose leaves turn red in the fall. This leads some to believe that the Shiba was named with this in mind, either because the dogs were used to hunt in wild shrubs, or because the most common color of the Shiba Inu is a red color similar to that of the shrubs. However, in an old Nagano dialect, the word shiba also had the meaning of "small", thus this might be a reference to the dog's diminutive stature Therefore, the Shiba Inu is sometimes translated as "Little Brushwood Dog".
Kobe stresses patience with offense
By
Ramona Shelburne
By virtue of his standing in NBA history and the five NBA championship rings he can choose to wear on any given night, Kobe Bryant can say things his relatively young, less accomplished coach Mike Brown cannot. Reminded that Jackson's six titles in Chicago gave him more clout when
he first sold the Triangle to the Lakers and Los Angeles than Brown has
now, Bryant laughed and said, "Yeah. The message changes according to
who is giving it. But it's a sequence of options, it's an
equal-opportunity offense, the message is the same thing.
Democrats Deliver String of Stinging Defeats in Senate
By the New York Times
Democrats snatched Republican Senate seats in Indiana and Massachusetts on Tuesday, averted what once were considered likely defeats in Missouri, North Dakota and Montana,
and expanded their control of the Senate, handing Republicans a string
of stinging defeats for the second campaign season in a row. Those Democratic triumphs followed quick wins in Connecticut, Florida,
Ohio and Pennsylvania, all states where Republicans had harbored
ambitions of victory that would propel them to a Senate majority for the
first time since 2006.
Californians Back Taxes to Avoid Education Cuts
By The New York Times
SAN FRANCISCO — California
voters decisively approved a ballot measure that will raise taxes by $6
billion annually over seven years, according to election results on
Wednesday. Voters heeded the pleas of Gov. Jerry Brown, who said the new
revenues were necessary to save the state’s public schools and balance
the budget. Across the country, voters in 38 states considered more than 170 ballot
measures on fiscal, political and social issues that, in many cases,
resonated nationally.
Obama Wins a Clear Victory, but Balance of Power Is Unchanged in Washington
By the New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/us/politics/a-divided-nation-keeps-the-status-quo.html?_r=0
After $6 billion, two dozen presidential primary election days, a pair of national conventions, four general election debates, hundreds of Congressional contests and more television advertisements than anyone would ever want to watch, the two major political parties in America essentially fought to a standstill. For his part, Mr. Obama won a clear victory but less decisively than other re-elected presidents. OBAMA WON.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/us/politics/a-divided-nation-keeps-the-status-quo.html?_r=0
After $6 billion, two dozen presidential primary election days, a pair of national conventions, four general election debates, hundreds of Congressional contests and more television advertisements than anyone would ever want to watch, the two major political parties in America essentially fought to a standstill. For his part, Mr. Obama won a clear victory but less decisively than other re-elected presidents. OBAMA WON.
Brien Taylor sentenced to prison
By ESPN.com news services
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/8603311/ex-new-york-yankees-prospect-brien-taylor-sentenced-prison
Brien Taylor was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday, was the No. 1 overall selection in the 1991 draft and got a then-record $1.55 million signing bonus, but he never threw a pitch in the major leagues. "This is a tragic story -- all too often our professional athletes spiral into criminal activity after an athletic disappointment or injury," Thomas Walker, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, told ESPN in a statement. "I think all of us hope that Mr. Taylor, like many others who have gone down this road, will put their activity behind them and move to a better place in their life." I guess it seems that many professional players think they are invincible when they start making big money.
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