The Gibson Interview: Jeff Beck

Hot on the heels of a triple-Grammy win and the much-anticipated release of the new CD/DVD/Blu-ray, Rock ’n’ Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul), Jeff Beck is taking his Led Boots back out on the road this year. With dates scheduled for both The Imelda May Band (who accompanied Beck on his Les Paul tribute), and his regular touring band, the guitar god has a full dance card in 2011.
Fortunately, the ever-amiable Beck was kind enough to chat with Gibson.com just as his touring schedule was about to kick into overdrive.

Congratulations on the Grammy wins! I take it you had a good time at the ceremony?

The ceremony is a very long day, but you can’t help but have a good time. You never expect to win any Grammys, so it is always a surprise to hear your name called. The most nerve-wracking part is the acceptance speech, because I am always going to miss out thanking someone. So three more Grammys to add to my collection, thank you very much!


And now, Rock ’n’ Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul) has just been released. What are your memories of those two nights at the Iridium?

It was a crazy few days and I cannot believe the atmosphere in the Iridium and also the people who turned up. I remember we didn’t get too much time to rehearse and that was worrying me the most, especially having the guests join me on stage. The audience seemed to love it and, honestly, I don’t think we could have got a better reaction. Just wish Les had been alive to see it.


How important was it to you, personally, to pay tribute to Les?

Les was an innovator. He created the most incredible sounds and was also my friend. I felt that I wanted to put on a tribute show to him, which I knew he would have appreciated and enjoyed.

It must have been fun making up that set list. You’ve got Les, Hank Marvin, Santo & Johnny… a pretty good excuse to get out the old records.

There are so many songs we could have chosen that, in the end, we had to be strict, otherwise the show would have gone on for hours.


You have some dates coming up with The Imelda May Band. Are you enjoying taking the Rock ’n’ Roll Party on the road?

I think this tour will be a “party” every night. Rock ’n’ roll music is just feel-good and puts a smile on everyone’s face.


Any chance you’ll revisit this material or team up with Imelda’s band in the future?

Who knows what the future holds?


Will any of that material stay in your set as you rejoin your Emotion & Commotion band later this spring? It seems a place like Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium would be perfect for that old timey music.


Well, I have played “How High the Moon” in my set since the 2010 Grammys, so we might keep it in there. The music for Emotion & Commotion seems to fit in anywhere.


Of course, the flip side of it is, you must look forward – at a certain point – to getting back out on the road with that Emotion & Commotion band. Such a killer lineup.


My band and I have had a break since mid-December and I am looking forward to being back on the road with them. Narada [Michael Walden] is a powerhouse with incredible energy, Rhonda [Smith] is phenemonal and I love how she plays and what she gives to every performance, and Jason [Rebello] is great and pushes it on every show. I am looking forward to being back together.


2011 looks to be a pretty busy (potentially exhausting) year for you out on the road. What is it about live performance that keeps luring you back?


Nothing beats a live performance. The audience create the atmosphere and push us to give the best show we can.
Photo credit: John Rahim


http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/jeff-beck-0303-2011/

Top 50 Metal Songs List, Readers Poll Revealed

With today’s announcement of the Top 10 Metal Songs, Gibson.com’s list of the greatest metal songs is complete. Below, you can check out the entire list in order. For more information on each entry, click here for #50-41, #40-31, #30-21, #20-11 and #10-1. Again, we’d like to thank all of the Gibson.com editors and writers who participated and, most importantly, the readers.

On that note, you can scroll down to see the results of the Readers Poll, which included some very interesting choices. Further down the page, you can check out the “repeat offenders” on Gibson.com’s Top 50 Metal Songs, and see which band landed the most songs on the final list.

Gibson.com’s Top 50 Metal Songs of All Time

1. “Master of Puppets,” Metallica
2. “Ace of Spades,” Motörhead
3. “Crazy Train,” Ozzy Osbourne
4. “Iron Man,” Black Sabbath
5. “The Number of the Beast,” Iron Maiden
6. “War Pigs,” Black Sabbath
7. “Paranoid,” Black Sabbath
8. “One,” Metallica
9. “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” Iron Maiden
10. “Breaking the Law,” Judas Priest
11. “Children of the Grave,” Black Sabbath
12. “Welcome to the Jungle,” Guns N’ Roses
13. “Black Sabbath,” Black Sabbath
14. “Hells Bells,” AC/DC
15. “The Trooper,” Iron Maiden
16. “Painkiller,” Judas Priest
17. “Stargazer,” Rainbow
18. “Enter Sandman,” Metallica
19. “Back in Black,” AC/DC
20. “Runnin’ with the Devil,” Van Halen
21. “The Hellion/Electric Eye,” Judas Priest
22. “Run to the Hills,” Iron Maiden
23. “Let it Go,” Def Leppard
24. “Epic,” Faith No More
25. “Hangar 18,” Megadeth
26. “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Iron Maiden
27. “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” Judas Priest
28. “Fear of the Dark,” Iron Maiden
29. “Raining Blood,” Slayer
30. “Walk,” Pantera
31. “Holy Diver,” Dio
32. “Highway to Hell,” AC/DC
33. “Heaven and Hell,” Black Sabbath
34. “Bulls on Parade,” Rage Against the Machine
35. “Fade to Black,” Metallica
36. “Angel of Death,” Slayer
37. “Peace Sells,” Megadeth
38. “Freak on a Leash,” Korn
39. “Them Bones,” Alice in Chains
40. “Cemetery Gates,” Pantera
41. “Detroit Rock City,” KISS
42. “Devil’s Child,” Judas Priest
43. “Run with the Wolf,” Rainbow
44. “Would?,” Alice in Chains
45. “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” Twisted Sister
46. “Hell Bent for Leather,” Judas Priest
47. “Beyond the Realms of Death,” Judas Priest
48. “Bomber,” Motörhead
49. “Unchained,” Van Halen
50. “10,000 Days (Wings, Part II),” Tool

Readers Poll – Top 25 Metal Songs

Although they share some commonalities, the Readers Poll and final list vary a lot from each other. For instance, the readers showed love for old-school hard rockers Mountain (“Never in My Life” at #4) and for newer metal acts such as Slipknot and Lamb of God (at #14 and #11, respectively). They also got the Led out with a couple of Zeppelin classics – “Whole Lotta Love” and “Stairway to Heaven” – that weren’t included on the final list.

1. “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” Iron Maiden
2. “Paranoid,” Black Sabbath
3. “Master of Puppets,” Metallica
4. “Never in My Life,” Mountain
5. “Iron Man,” Black Sabbath
6. “Enter Sandman,” Metallica
7. “One,” Metallica
8. “Black Sabbath,” Black Sabbath
9. “Crazy Train,” Ozzy Osbourne
10. “Ace of Spades,” Motörhead
11. “Laid to Rest,” Lamb of God
12. “The Number of the Beast,” Iron Maiden
13. “Bang Your Head (Metal Health),” Quiet Riot
14. “Psychosocial,” Slipknot
15. “Children of the Grave,” Black Sabbath
16. “Run to the Hills,” Iron Maiden
17. “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Iron Maiden
18. “Stairway to Heaven,” Led Zeppelin
19. “War Pigs,” Black Sabbath
20. “Creek Mary’s Blood,” Nightwish
21. “Whole Lotta Love,” Led Zeppelin
22. “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” Black Sabbath
23. “Mr. Crowley,” Ozzy Osbourne
24. “Peace Sells,” Megadeth
25. “Seek and Destroy,” Metallica

Repeat Offenders

If you were to judge by the amount of entries on the Top 50 Metal Songs of All Time, Judas Priest would be the supreme metal gods for all eternity. Rob Halford and the band beat out fellow metal greats Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Metallica to land a staggering seven songs on the countdown. If you don’t think Priest deserve such an honor, you’ve got another thing comin’.

Judas Priest – 7 (“Breaking the Law,” “Painkiller,” “The Hellion/Electric Eye,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Devil’s Child,” “Hell Bent for Leather” and “Beyond the Realms of Death”)
Iron Maiden – 6 (“The Number of the Beast,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “The Trooper,” “Run to the Hills,” “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and “Fear of the Dark”)
Black Sabbath – 6 (“Iron Man,” “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” “Children of the Grave,” “Black Sabbath” and “Heaven and Hell”)
Metallica – 4 (“Master of Puppets,” “One,” “Enter Sandman” and “Fade to Black”)
AC/DC – 3 (“Hells Bells,” “Back in Black” and “Highway to Hell”)
Pantera – 2 (“Walk” and “Cemetery Gates”)
Slayer – 2 (“Raining Blood” and “Angel of Death”)
Megadeth – 2 (“Hangar 18” and “Peace Sells”)
Rainbow – 2 (“Stargazer” and “Run with the Wolf”)
Alice in Chains – 2 (“Them Bones” and “Would?”)
Van Halen – 2 (“Runnin’ with the Devil” and “Unchained”)
Motörhead – 2 (“Ace of Spades” and “Bomber”)



http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/top-50-metal-0318-2011/

Gene Simmons Saved Ace Frehley from Drowning

Bass player, singer-songwriter, fire-breather, blood-spewer, entrepreneur… you can now add certified lifeguard to the many titles held by the inimitable Gene Simmons of KISS. In a recent interview with Eddie Trunk and Don Jamieson on VH1’s That Metal Show, former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley told the story of how Gene saved him from drowning in a hotel pool.

“I didn’t know Gene was a lifeguard,” Frehley said. “I actually drowned one day at a Holiday Inn. [laughs] I’m serious … this was in the ’70s. I actually drowned. Everyone else was [expletive] up, I was [expletive] up obviously, but everyone else was loaded, and I went under… the next thing you know, I’m drowning. Gene pulls me out of the pool and pumps the water out of me.”
The Space Ace went on to say, “Only later I found out that he was a certified lifeguard when he used to go to college.” No word on whether the heroic Demon’s mammoth mouth muscle assisted in the rescue.

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/N

Metro-North Railroad Purchases Smart Software's SmartForecasts to Improve Service, Reduce Inventory, and Save Money

BELMONT, MA, March 16, 2011 /Computer PR News/ -- Smart Software, Inc., provider of industry-leading demand forecasting, planning, and inventory optimizationsolutions, today announced that Metro-North Railroad (MNR) has purchased Smart's flagship product, SmartForecasts, as part of a company-wide service improvement and inventory reduction program. MNR, the nation's second largest commuter railroad, serves 275,000 passengers each weekday in the New York City metropolitan area, operating 1,193 engines and rail cars over 765 miles of track. It will use SmartForecasts to reduce inventory stocking levels for its 40,000 active service/spare parts, valued at almost $100 million, while improving parts availability in support of daily operations.

A large percentage of MNR's parts inventory experiences "slow-moving", intermittent demand. This sort of demand is especially difficult to forecast, and its presence can lead to expensive purchases of excess safety stock. MNR's inventory stocking challenge is compounded by the need to manage parts availability between two central distribution centers and 13 manned physical storerooms, which oversee a total of 66 virtual inventory sites.

Seeking substantial improvement in its forecasting and inventory planning, MNR issued a Request for Proposals, and ultimately selected SmartForecasts as the best overall solution. "As part of our evaluation process, we asked each of the finalists to forecast MNR's parts consumption, using real MNR data," said Richard Price, Chief Material Officer for MNR. "SmartForecasts substantially exceeded the forecast accuracy of its nearest competitor. This ability, combined with the product's ease of use and the company's demonstrated competence serving the transportation industry, made Smart Software our best choice. We expect that the implementation of SmartForecasts will enable us to significantly improve the availability of critical parts while reducing our inventory and safety stock margins."
SmartForecasts demand planning, forecasting and inventory optimization software offers unique, patented statistical solutions to forecast intermittent demand, a particularly challenging aspect of service parts management, as well as a complete suite of automated forecasting and planning methodologies. By automatically identifying the right method for each part, SmartForecasts can significantly reduce the amount of inventory required to meet a defined level of service.

"Today's economy places a premium on doing more with less," said Charles N. Smart, CEO of Smart Software. "This is especially true of inventory management, particularly among public and quasi-public enterprises like MNR, where budgets are under exceptional scrutiny. We look forward to helping MNR streamline its parts inventory planning, and demonstrating the potential for improvement to its peers nationwide."
About the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Metro-North Railroad
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public benefit corporation chartered by the New York State Legislature in 1965, operates the nation's largest public transportation system. The MTA serves the 14.6 million people living in the 5,000-square-mile area fanning out from New York City through Long Island, southeastern New York State, Connecticut and New Jersey. Metro-North Railroad, one of seven independent agencies within the MTA, is the nation's second largest commuter railroad. Its main lines run northward out of Grand Central Station into suburban New York and Connecticut. West of the Hudson River, Metro-North's lines operate from New Jersey Transit's Hoboken terminal and provide service to Rockland and Orange counties. Founded in 1983, MNR and its 5,920 employees serve 275,000 commuter rail passengers each weekday, operating six rail lines with 120 stations and 1,193 rail cars and engines over 765 miles of track.
About Smart Software, Inc.
Founded in 1984, Smart Software, Inc. is a leader in providing businesses with enterprise-wide demand forecasting, planning and inventory optimization solutions. Smart Software's flagship product, SmartForecasts, has thousands of users worldwide, including customers at mid-market enterprises and Fortune 500 companies. Customers with significant service parts requirements include Montreal Transit, Prevost Parts (Volvo Bus), Motor Coach Industries, Otis Elevator, Disneyland Resorts, General Electric, and Siemens. SmartForecasts gives demand planners the tools to handle sales seasonality, promotions, new and aging products, multi-echelon hierarchies, and intermittently demanded service parts and capital goods items. It also provides inventory managers with accurate estimates of the optimal inventory and safety stock required to meet future orders and achieve desired service levels. Smart Software is headquartered in Belmont, Massachusetts and can be found on the Internet atwww.smartcorp.com.

For more information, please contact Gregory Hartunian at Smart Software at 1-800-762-7899 or gregoryh@smartcorp.com.

SmartForecasts is a registered trademark of Smart Software, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


http://computerprnews.com/computer_articles/2011/03/metronorth-railroad-purchases-smart-softwares-smartforecasts-to-improve-service-reduce-inventory-and-save-money-202251.htm

Free to Enter $100,000 March Madness Bracket From MrSportsbook Launches

LONDON, ENGLAND, March 15, 2011 /Computer PR News/ -- MrSportsbook has teamed up with a leading online sportsbook to launch the MrSportsbook March Madness Bracket Contest which is completely free to enter and carries a $100,000 perfect bracket prize. With further cash and gadget prizes including a prize for the last place finisher there is something for all college basketball fans. The march madness Bracket is free to play at www.mrsportsbookbracket.com.

The bracket is a straight pick-em contest with players simply picking which team will progress through each of the match-ups. Correctly predict all 63 games to win $100,000 in cash. The prizes include:

- Perfect Bracket Prediction: $100,000 cash
- Predicting 60 or more games correctly: $10,000 cash
- Bracket Champion: Apple iPad
- Last Place finisher: Apple iPod

There is also a further incentive for players to share this bracket with their friends as if a player refers one of the four main winners they will also receive a prize. The original referrer will bag a free basketball jersey of their choice whilst their friend picks up their own prize.

The online sportsbook that are sponsoring the event will also be releasing hundreds of free $10 bets to players who sign up. For every 1,000 contestants the sportsbook will release 50 free bets that can be used during March Madness or beyond. 

Now that the teams have been chosen by the NCAA Selection Committee the picks process can now start and entrants to the Bracket will need to make their picks by 11:00 March 17th and before the first game of the tournament.

MrSportsbook and the online sportsbook welcome all contestants from the USA and Canada to take part and try and win the $100,000 perfect bracket prize. More information can be found at www.mrsportsbook.com/march-madness orwww.mrsportsbookbracket.com.


http://computerprnews.com/computer_articles/2011/03/free-to-enter-100000-march-madness-bracket-from-mrsportsbook-launches-201878.htm

New Mac Streaming Video Downloader Supports Thousands of Sites

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, March 13, 2011 /Computer PR News/ -- World's first online video and music recorder for Mac to be Introduced at Macworld 

Applian Technologies and Jaksta Technologies are showcasing Jaksta for Mac at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco from January 27th to the 29th. As a follow-on to Jaksta for Windows, Mac users now have the same freedom to download and convert online streaming audio and video for personal use. It's the first program designed specifically for Macintosh capable of this feat.

Jaksta supports all popular stream formats and protocols, enabling it to capture video from thousands of websites including YouTube and Facebook. Similarly, because of Jaksta's powerful audio-capturing capabilities, customers can download streaming audio from their favorite music and radio sites with ease. In addition to allowing Mac users to save their favorite videos, songs, and radio programs, Jaksta can automatically convert the downloaded files to a variety of devices, such as the iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, PS3, PSP, and Android. Jaksta is exceptionally easy to use; customers simply need to open it and play the music and video they want to record. 

Jaksta is available at http://jaksta.com for $49.95. Alternatively, Mac users can download a free trial mode which provides limited functionality. The trial mode allows users to download up to 50% of any on-demand audio or video clip and up to one minute of any live stream. In order to run properly, Jaksta requires Mac OSX 10.5 or later, as well as an Intel processor.

About Applian Technologies and Jaksta Technologies Pty

Jaksta is a joint venture between Applian Technologies Inc. of the USA and Jaksta Technologies Pty Ltd. of Australia.

Jaksta was written originally for Windows PCs in 2008, and then rewritten as a pure Mac application in 2011. As new streaming protocols and formats are introduced, the developers behind Jaksta are dedicated to keeping these programs at the forefront of technology.


http://computerprnews.com/computer_articles/2011/03/new-mac-streaming-video-downloader-supports-thousands-of-sites-201580.htm

Cybrain Software Solutions Helping Enterprises Get Online Presence

PUNJAB, INDIA, March 13, 2011 /Computer PR News/ -- Online presence has become a crucial thing for every business on the planet. Be it a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer, almost every business needs to maintain its online identity to get successful in this era of cut-throat competition. The credit for this goes to the technological advancements and the internet boom. People all around the world have become so much addicted to virtual world that they look for everything on internet before going to market for actual purchase. This makes the online presence really important. Cybrain Software Solutions offers a complete set of promotional services that help you create your online presence and maintain it. 

The company offers a gamut of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services that help online businesses become more visible in search engines. Companies spend several thousands every year as a part of their marketing budget, just to reach their customers. Search Engine Optimization is an economic yet powerful way of promoting your marketing campaigns in the web world. Revealing his thoughts on the same, Mr. Puneet Verma, CEO, Cybrain Software Solutions said, 

"We offer affordable SEO packages to our worldwide clients that meet their budget and online marketing requirements. Our tailor-made SEO packages ensure search engine visibility within six months of regular optimization work. We give money-back guarantee to our clients that separates us from the crowd."

Headquartered in Mohali, India, the company is providing every type of web solutions including software development, web designing, web development, content writing and SEO. With a long list of satisfied clients, Cybrain Software Solutions has come a long way, improving themselves at every step. 

"I received really good results after Cybrain team did SEO of my website. Just within three months, my website started getting good ranking in search engines. I'm glad to be associated with the company," said Mr. Jain, a client for Search Engine Optimization services.

About Cybrain Software Solutions:

Incepted in 2006, Cybrain Software Solutions is an IS0 9001:2008 certified company providing industry-specific web designing solutions, web development, online marketing and custom software solutions in India. Being a premier IT company, it caters to the needs of global clients in an affordable and efficient way.


http://computerprnews.com/computer_articles/2011/03/cybrain-software-solutions-helping-enterprises-get-online-presence-201574.htm

Time Warner launches TV-viewing app for iPad

(Credit: Time Warner Cable)

Apple iPad owners who subscribe to Time Warner cable now have an app that will let them watch live TV directly on their tablets.

Launched today, the free TWCable TV app streams the live cable TV feed to the iPad via a Wi-Fi connection, meaning people can catch their favorite shows from any room in the house.

An online channel guide lets viewers scroll to see which shows are currently on and which ones are coming up next. Tapping on a particular show then streams it to the iPad. Subscribers will find shows broadcast in high-definition from a variety of cable networks, including A&E, Bravo, Discovery, MSNBC, SyFy, and USA.

"We are tremendously excited about this app, which is the first of many that will allow our customers to harness the power of their tablet-type devices," Time Warner Cable President Rob Marcus said in a statement. "Helping our customers see the content they're paying for on multiple devices makes their Time Warner Cable subscription even more valuable, and they can expect much more from us in this space very soon."

There are a couple of initial limitations. The service works only through Wi-Fi, so users can't watch TV outside the house via the iPad's 3G connection. Customers must also subscribe to Time Warner cable TV and Internet to use the app.

And for now, only around 30 channels are available for live streaming, though Time Warner Cable is promising to add more channels and beef up the app's capabilities. Future enhancements will let subscribers stream shows outside the home via Wi-Fi, set up a DVR to record shows, and use the iPad as a remote to control both live and on-demand shows.

The app is compatible only with the iPad and requires iOS 4.2 or higher.

Looking at other cable carriers, Dish Network subscribers can also download a free app for the iPad and other mobile devices to let them watch live TV and recorded shows. Comcast recently announced plans to launch its own TV-viewing app for the iPad and Android tablets later this year.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20043265-93.html#ixzz1GlGTdjsD


http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20043265-93.html?tag=mncol;title

Google refurbishes chrome logo

Chrome's no-so-shiny new logo

Google gave its browser a new logo yesterday, a design that drops the bubbly 3D look for a flatter, more geometric look.

The new design is no surprise: an all-blue version of the new logo showed up for Chromium, the open-source foundation of Chrome, a week ago.

It's just a cosmetic change, of course, but people often care about such skin-deep matters. That's why the ability to reskin Chrome and Firefox were deemed important features even if they don't do much for loading Web pages faster or enabling new Web applications.

The new logo first surfaced with Chrome 11.0.696.12, a developer-channel release launched yesterday to fix a number of bugs, including one that really annoyed me, a failure to show Web addresses in a pop-up status bar when I hovered over links.

Read more:  http://news.cnet.com/webware/#ixzz1GlF6EXNc


http://news.cnet.com/webware/?tag=hdr;snav

Google Apps: Now for early and late adopters

It's hard to strike the right balance in the technology business between change that's too fast or too slow--in part because different customers prefer different paces. To try to better match those preferences, Google Apps now will come in two varieties.

The "rapid release" track will get new technology into customers' hands as soon as it's passed quality-assurance testing. The "scheduled release" track will issue updates once a week, with at least a week's notice to let administrators learn about the upcoming changes, Google announced today.

The dual-track approach applies to Gmail, Contacts, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Google Sites--the main parts of the Google Apps subscription. New features will be published at Google's new site for what's new at Google Apps.

Google strives to be a company that disrupts existing practices where it thinks disruption is needed. But that can clash ...

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/webware/#ixzz1GlFyWEl7


http://news.cnet.com/webware/?tag=hdr;snav

Apple to delay iPad 2 sales in Japan

Apple will postpone the start of iPad 2 sales in Japan owing to the earthquake and the human tragedy that has followed in its wake.

"We are delaying the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan while the country and our teams focus on recovering from the recent disaster," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said in an e-mail. "Our hearts go out to the people of Japan, including our employees and their families, who have been impacted by this terrible tragedy."

The front door of Apple Japan's Web site expresses the company's deepest sympathies for the victims of the earthquake.

(Credit: Apple)

Sales of the iPad 2 were slated to begin there on March 25, along with 25 other countries around the globe.

In the U.S., the second-generation Apple tablet appears to be a certified hit, with analyst estimates of sales ranging from half a million to as much as 1 million.

The iPad 2 is also getting its share of positive reviews, with many citing increased performance and new features like dual cameras and iMovie software.

Read more:  http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20043655-64.html#ixzz1GlEX7JrQ

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20043655-64.html

U.S. military blocks sites to free space for quake relief

he U.S. military has blocked from its computer network several Web sites popular with military personnel, as it looks to reserve bandwidth for use in quake recovery efforts in Japan, according to a report.

(Credit: USGS)

CNN said U.S. Strategic Command had confirmed that a block had been put into place Monday on the Department of Defense's .mil computer system and that the measure pinpointed 13 Web sites because of how frequently they're accessed.

The sites are: Amazon.com, Doubleclick, eBay, Eyewonder.com, ESPN.com, Googlevideo.com, Ifilm.com, Metacafe, MTV.com, MySpace, Pandora, Streamtheworld.com, and YouTube.

Strategic Command spokesman Rodney Ellison told CNN that these sites accounted for significant bandwidth and that the space needed to be available for military operations.

"This is a response to a time of extreme demand for networks," Ellison told CNN, adding that the block was temporary and could increase or decrease in scope as necessary. "We are trying to make sure we are giving [recovery efforts] as many avenues and as much support as we can," Ellison said.

Japan was, of course, hit by a devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake last week, along with a resulting series of tsunamis. As of this writing, the death toll was nearly 3,400 people, with more than 7,500 missing. Rescue efforts were ongoing, as were efforts to lock down a nuclear power plant damaged during the chaos.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-20043596-92.html#ixzz1GlDAfKy9


http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-20043596-92.html