The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 19, 2006, Page 14, Image 14
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Page 14 JL m " -JL. T , ,1„ ^ ^ JL_ Wednesday, April 19,2006
I
Feeling lucky: Popular search
engine continues climb
m jHp
Jeremy Turnage
THE GAMECOCK
One of the world’s most
well-known search engines
is quickly becoming one of
the world’s most inventive
technology companies,
according to a business
experts.
Google was recently
announced as the no. 2 most
innovative company behind
Apple on Business Week’s
Top 100 Most Innovative
Companies list.
So why is Google popping
up on everyone’s radar
these days when it comes to
original technology?
Google is not just a search
engine — it is also the
brand name for software.
The company has released
several computer programs
over the last few years, and
expansion
to all aspects of
the computer experience
appears to be its current
business model.
Of the many services
offered by Google, Gmail
is probably the most
recognizable. When
released on April 1, 2004,
many, thought the venture
to be a cleverly designed
April Fool’s joke. After all,
who would be crazy enough
to give 1GB worth of e-mail
storage space for free? But
it was not a joke after all, G
and Gmail soon became one Ci
of the most popular e-mail
services. Gmail operates ir
on an invitation-only basis, G
meaning only current Gmail ir
users can give their friends tl
the opportunity to join the a]
service. Other free e-mail o
providers soon began to cl
feel the heat of Gmail, and a:
many increased space quotas G
in an attempt to keep users a
from switching. e:
Google also saw an II
opportunity in the world T.
tstant messaging clients,
oogle Talk was released
i August of 2005. While
le client didn’t provide
1 of the bells and whistles
: most instant messaging
ients, such as file transfers
id a complex designs,
oogle Talk provided
simple messaging
cperience with voice over
3 capabilities. Google
alk’s future features some
interesting changes. In
December of 2005, Google
announced a 5 percent
acquisition of AOL, giving
Google Talk the chance
to work together with the
AIM service. In future
versions of the software,
Google Talk users will be
able to communicate with
AIM users. File transfer
capabilities are also expected
to be added. In February of
2006, Google announced
complete integration of
Google Talk with Gmail,
allowing Gmail users the
ability to start instant
messaging conversations
with Google Talk users and
vice-versa.
Maps and directions Web
sites have been popular for
years. Not only do they help
us get where we want to go,
they also show us the true
size of our towns. Google
Maps is standard fare when
it comes to a map/directions
Web site, but what truly
takes it to the next level is
its integration with another
one of Google’s major
programs: Google Earth.
Google Earth takes
map viewing to an entire
different level. The program
GOOGLE • 15
Special to THE GAMECOCK
oogle co-founders Larry Page, left, and Sergy Brin created one of the world’s most popular search engines. The
>mpany is ranked No. 2 on Business Week’s Top 100 Most Innovative Companies list, second only to Apple.
Second chances at school, success
Nontraditional students balance a full class
schedule with work, other responsibilities
Debbie Helley 1
THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETT 1
(
COLORADO SPRINGS,
Colo. — Thirty-four-year
old Adria Lopour is living <
a dream. >
And she has a prominent i
role in it. '
So does her employer,
Hewlett-Packard Co., where
she manages 26 software
support engineers.
Rounding out the cast is
Regis University’s School for
Professional Studies, where
she’s earning a master’s of
business administration
focusing on international
business.
“I realized I needed a
degree to help expand my
career,” Lopour said. “This
MBA will give me portable
skills.”
Lopour has been able
to keep her full-time job,
attend college and maintain
a busy life that includes
two daughters and various
activities, because her
employer and her school
lave made it less of a hassle
or her to achieve her
Iream.
“The hours are convenient
md the classroom is full
if experienced adults in a
:areer or making a career
:hange,” Lopour said. “It’s
iefinitely been worth it.”
Postsecondary schools
lave learned that catering
:o working adults attracts
i growing market segment
■ nontraditional students,
lefined as ages 25 to 64,
vho want a degree for
•easons that include earning
nore money, advancing
irofessioftally, experiencing
lersonal growth or finishing
i path they started years
igo.
Students 2 5 years of
ige and older constitute
nearly half of the new
ind returning student
population, according
to The Association for
Nontraditional Students in
Higher Education. And the
number of students aged
35 and older in degree
granting institutions has
soared from about 823,000
in 1970 to an estimated 2.9
million in 2001, according
to the National Center for
Education Statistics.
The desire to make a
lifestyle change is often a
motivating factor for going
back to school.
“I’ve wanted to do this
for some time, but waited
for my children to grow
up and leave home,” said
Connie Baker, a 46-year
old who will complete
an associate’s degree in
business administration
this fall at Pikes Peak
Community College in
Colorado Springs, Colo.
“I want to improve
my marketability and my
income status,” she said.
“The classes are expanding
SCHOOL • IS
mg
Jerilee Bennett / Knight Ridder Tribune
Adria Lopour, a 34-year-old college student, poses on March 20, 2006, at her office
in Colorado Springs, Colo. Lopour is working on her MBA in International Business
while she is managing software engineers at Hewlett-Packard.
Antonio Perez I Knight Ridder Tribune
Nelson Taruc of Oak Park, III., said it’s possible that the
inventor came up with the Twinkie in his home.
Owner makes sweet discovery
House in Illinois
used to be owned by
creator ofTwinkies
John Biemer
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
OAK PARK, III. — There
are bad surprises when
you buy an older house,
like finding mice in the
basement or ghosts in the
attic. And there are good
surprises, like discovering
a stack of cash under the
floorboards.
Then there’s this:
discovering a previous
owner invented the
Twinkie.
That turned out to be
a pretty sweet revelation
for Nelson Taruc, who
moved into the otherwise
ordinary-looking Oak
Park, 111., bungalow last
year and has a soft spot for
the spongy, yellow, moist,
tubular, cream-filled snack
cakes.
Lo and behold — the
suburb, famous for high
culture icons Frank
Lloyd Wright and Ernest
Hemingway, also was home
to “Mr. Twinkie,” James
Dewar.
Now the question for the
new homeowner is: what to
do about it?
“It’s conceivable he
thought up the idea of the
Twinkie in this house,”
said Taruc, 32, a graphic
artist for WGN who helps
design the weather page
for the Chicago Tribune.
“I was kind of surprised
the former owners didn’t
mention it because it is sort
of a weird selling point. I
don’t know if they knew.”
Besides planning to hand
out Twinkies to trick-or
treaters at Halloween, he
isn’t sure how to make the
most of this.
Taruc, who divulged
that he indulges in the
150-calorie treat “when
I can get away with it,”
has looked into collecting
memorabilia and adorning
a guest bedroom with all
TIllinKIC • IS
It’s our final $ }
Wednesday issue of The
Gamecock for Spring
2006. Know what
that means? No more
student profiles until
next year. So, with the
semester coming to a
close, we found it only
fitting to let you see the
man behind the curtain
who has been bringing
you the student profiles
every Wednesday.
So here he is. ^
Hello, my name is
Jaren Hayes
First-year business 0
and German student
WHAT IS SOMETHING
INTERESTING ABOUT
YOUR HOMETOWN?
We have the Beacon Drive
In, and we are right next to
Greenville.”
If you could be a superhero,
what would your name be
and what powers would you
have?
“I would be ATM Man and I
would be able to pull money
out of my own mouth.”
What is your favorite hobby
and why?
“I really like to play tennis
and study infomercials. The
world would be a better
place if more people listened
to Ron Popeil.”
IF YOU HAD A MILLION
DOLLARS, WHAT WOULD YOU
BUY?
“A place at the beach, and
HELLO • IS