Top 10 List | Top Ten Lists

The world has become such a close knit family because of the internet. The reason we are so close to each other on the planet now is because we have some great websites to tell us about the world. The other reason is that we can touch each other in the web sphere through social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Some websites have become so much a part of our lives that their names are now accepted as established words in the English language as parts of our daily speech.  Such an example is at the top of the list:-

1. Google

It is common for us to say when we want to search for some topic, ‘Let’s Google it.’ Google is the top web site in the world because this is the site everyone thinks of immediately on having to search for something on the internet. Google.com is the world’s most used site for searches and receives millions of search requests daily making it the most visited site in the world. Google is such an important part of the web that webmasters are constantly looking for ways to improve their ranking on this search engine.

2. Facebook

Facebook is the number one social networking site with more than 600 million registered members but it is still behind Google in the world listings of most visited web sites. Facebook was created by Mark Zuckerberg with the help of his college mates at Harvard. The popularity of the site stems from the ability to log and check on friends’ pages and to post important events of your own life on your own page. This way friends and colleagues keep in touch all over the world and reply with postings on individual ‘walls.’ Mark  Zuckerberg is the protagonist in ‘The Social Network’ an Oscar winning movie.

3. YouTube

YouTube is a very popular web site used by users to watch and upload personal videos. Today it is a major video sharing site and is ranked number three in the world listing because of its serving of more than two billion videos a day for the general public. It is also screening movies of big Hollywood giants like MGM and CBS. The original founders were Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Javed Karim. Today the company is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

4. Yahoo

Yahoo is a web portal and search engine which is very popular because of the many services it offers, including Yahoo Mail. It was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo. Despite many attempts by Microsoft Corporation, Yahoo has retained its independence.  Yahoo has a world wide presence including China. The Yahoo management has faced flak from the press of the world for giving into Chinese censor regulations. The charge is that one of the pillars of freedom of the press and information and entertainment dissemination is giving into a country notorious for human rights violations.

5. Blogger.com

Blogger.com or blogspot is a very popular  as a blog publishing site. It was launched by Pyra Labs in 1999 but now is owned by Google. Google operates Blogger through its sub domain of blogspot.com.  The Blogger logo with a white B on an orange background is very eye catching and  has become a good international brand. People interested in writing their journals and poems use this web side to update their writings on quaintly named individual pages some of which are popular and well read and attract advertising through AdSense a Google subsidiary generation profit from advertisements.

There is no lingering doubt that information and communication technology has taken center stage in the present age. Industries, businesses, schools and government are continually automating their processes as a way of bettering service delivery, keeping edge over competitors and enhancing customer care. As such, to be competitive in the current society, computer literacy is the key. Having recognized the need by a majority to get the best training in computer science, the article seeks to highlight some of the top ten colleges offering computer science in the world.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Coming in at number one is Carnegie Mellon University. Over the years, it has continued to stay ahead of other institutions. This is greatly due to the teaching fraternity that has been empowered by the university which in turn has done the same for its students. In terms of IT infrastructure, no other college comes close to what Carnegie has. To get more information on courses, fee structure and scholarship opportunities, contact the college on:

Carnegie Mellon University

5000 Forbes Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-268-8186

my.cmu.edu

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

At number two is Massachusetts Institute of Technology or popularly referred to as MIT. What makes it one of the best in the world? For starters, the college has its own customized operating system that is utilized by both the teaching staff and students to get access to resources online. There are numerous computer laboratories that are well equipped with some of the latest technologies. In addition, the college is fully wired with Wi-Fi a feat that most colleges is yet to match. To get more information on the modules offered at the institute, contact them on:

MIT

77 Massachusetts Ave.

Cambridge, MA 02139

617-253-1000

mit.edu

3. Stanford University

At number three is Stanford University. Unknown to a majority of persons is that Google and Yahoo were both founded in this university. Situated in San Francisco, the university is best known for its desire to empower its student’s technology wise. One of the traditions that is characterized with the university is online access. To get more information on courses offered at Stanford University, you can contact them on:

Stanford University

Montag Hall

355 Galvez St.

Stanford. CA 94305

650-723-2091

admission.stanford.edu

4. University of California at Berkeley

University of California is best known for its innovation as well as liberal arts and is known for its prowess at producing some world class musicians. Nonetheless, the university has equipped itself with some of the latest computer technology infrastructure and offers advanced courses in computer science other than arts. Over the past year, it was ranked as one of the best places to attain a degree course in computer science. More information on courses offered at the campus can be obtained on:

University of California-Berkeley: Office of Undergraduate Admissions

110 Sproul Hall #5800

Berkeley, CA 94720-5800

510-642-6000

students.berkeley.edu/admissions

5. Cornell University

At number five is Cornell University. It is difficult to come a cross an institution that has been ranked several time by market leading corporate organizations such as World Report and US News. It is increasingly being preferred as a leading choice by most international students. To get more information on courses offered at the university you can contact them on:

Cornell University

410 Thurston Ave.

Ithaca, NY 14850

607-255-5241

admissions.cornell.edu

Anybody who has a computer has one of these media players- how can one work on a PC without listening to music? The following are the ten best out of the lot.

1. iTunes

You can download this media player on the internet or load it onto your computer with the CD that comes along with your iPod. You can play both media and video files with great ease. The library can accommodate thousands of songs and your computer will not freeze up.

2. VLC Media Player

The VLC media player is very popular because sometimes movies cannot be played on players like Winamp or Windows Media Player. This is when the VLC media player becomes useful- it can play any movie in the world! People say that if you even put a photograph on it, it will start playing it!

3. Windows Media Player

This media player is definitely the oldest and was doing well even before anybody had heard of MP3 players and therefore, iTunes. However, try not to use it if you have a choice- it does not play certain songs if it is not in a particular format and will sometimes destroy the quality of your songs.

4. Nero Media Player

Nero is a software that is used to burn CDs and as far as its media playing facilities are concerned, it is pretty decent. It will not tarnish the quality of the video or the song. You can also create libraries and listen to one song after the other- a feature that is not supported by VLC Media Player.

5. Winamp

Winamp is as old as Windows Media Player and is pretty reliable because you can create folders of your favorite songs and add it onto the player. Users can also the change the skin as and when their moods change. However, if you want to watch videos, you are better off using VLC.

2009 is appearing to be a great year for PC gamers. Some real-time strategy games are also expected to be released this year. Also being developed for release are some unique sounding multiplayer games.

1. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2

Dawn of War 2 is set to combine features such as non-linear single-player campaign and co-operative multiplayer. The game is sure to give StarCraft 2 a run for its money as is shown by the superb visuals that are being shown in the Dawn of War 2 trailers.

2. StarCraft 2

This is the sequel to the award winning strategy game released almost a decade ago. The original StarCraft game is also a social phenomenon in the country of South Korea. It was announced recently that Starcraft 4 would be split up into 3 parts with the first game entitled Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty expected to be released sometime this year. You can anticipate the same addictive game play with great new graphics engine and cinematic pre-rendered cut scenes.

3. Rage

RAGE is an action game set in post apocalyptic landscape jam packed with shooting and driving created by John Carmack and the rest of the Doom crew.

4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is another multiplatform title. If you liked the original Call of Duty you are sure to enjoy the sequel which stays true to the strengths of its predecessor. Created by Infinity Ward, Call of Duty places gamers in epic battlefield scenarios, featuring scores of soldiers and incredible special effects. In the game, players journey through 24 devastating missions through three Allied forces – U.S., British and Russian, all fighting together to defeat the German-led Axis war machine.

5. Aliens: Colonial Marines

Colonial Marines will enable the player to give orders to team mates or even control them. Colonial Marines will feature a no HUD. The players should rely on their wits and make use of the motion tracker to know where the nasty xenomorphs are coming from. Both cooperative and competitive multiplayer are set to be included, the former having has particularly excited.