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Linux Hosting vs Windows Hosting

Most web hosting service providers offer two kinds of hosting: Linux hosting and Windows hosting. In general, Linux hosting refers to shared hosting, the most popular hosting service in the industry. In fact, most of the websites are now hosted using Linux hosting due to their affordable price and flexibility. Linux hosting is compatible with PHP and MySQL, which supports scripts such as WordPress, Zen Cart, and phpBB. Windows hosting uses Windows as the servers’ operating system and offers Windows-specific technologies such as ASP, .NET, Microsoft Access, and Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL). Generally speaking, Linux hosting (or shared hosting) is much cheaper than Windows hosting. Why is that? Linux is a free open source system; therefore, web hosting service providers do not need to pay licensing fees for using Linux as their hosting servers’ operating system. Therefore, web hosting providers are able to offer lower prices for this type of web hosting service. Which hosting service should you choose? These two types of hosting offer the same level of proficiency. So the type of hosting service you choose greatly depends on what kind of technologies your website needs. For example, if you would like to start a blog with WordPress, or set up an online forum using phpBB, then Linux hosting will be a great choice for you. However, if your website requires specific Microsoft technologies such as MSSQL, you are required to use Windows hosting.
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Earth’s inner core is ‘superionic’, a state of matter somewhere between solid and liquid

Earth’s inner core is ‘superionic’, a state of matter somewhere between solid and liquid, study suggests core is ‘superionic’, a state of matter somewhere between solid and liquid, study suggests We’ve known for a while that Earth’s deepest depths, its “solid iron” inner core, isn’t made of pure iron — and now scientists say it might not be solid either. Key points: The structure of Earth’s inner core has been a mystery since its discovery in 1936 Physicists originally thought it was solid, but a new study suggests it’s somewhere between solid and liquid Such studies potentially shed light on some, but not all, of our planet’s deepest secrets Simulations by a team of researchers in China suggest our planet’s innards are somewhere between solid and liquid in a “superionic” state. The research has been published in the journal Nature. Yu He, a physicist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-author of the study, said the calculations were “a new starting point to understand the inner core”. This study, and others like it, Dr. He added, might one day help earth scientists solve some fundamental but complex problems, such as when the inner core started to take shape. But the new study can’t completely explain all the inner core’s quirks. Why states of matter matter On the surface of the Earth, we generally deal with three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Take water, for instance. As the ice in a cool drink, water molecules are arranged in a regular, 3D crystal. When that ice melts to become liquid water, those molecules can now move around but are still in close proximity. And like a gas, like the water vapor that gives humid days their oppressive stickiness, those mobile water molecules are free to move far away from each other. But when substances are subjected to intense pressure or heat, they can switch into other, weirder states of matter. Such as superionic matter, which is somewhere between liquid and solid. In superionic water, molecules split apart into oxygen and hydrogen atoms. The oxygen atoms crystallize into a 3D structure — like you’d see in a solid — while hydrogen atoms move freely around, like a liquid. Superionic water ice could make up the bulk of giant icy planets, such as Neptune and Uranus. And some geophysicists think the very center of Earth, its inner core, is superionic too. Instead of water, though, the inner core is made of a metal alloy: mostly iron, a bit of nickel, and a few other much lighter elements, such as hydrogen and carbon, mixed in there too. It’s the iron atoms that form the 3D “solid” structure in a superionic state and the lighter elements that flow around it like liquid. Earthquakes used to probe Earth’s core Earth’s inner core reaches temperatures similar to the surface of the Sun and pressures 3.7 million times what we experience at sea level. Physically digging to the inner core is impossible, and we can’t yet recreate its conditions in the lab. So to get an idea of what the inner core is like, scientists measure how seismic waves, generated by earthquakes, change in speed and direction as they rumble through the center of the planet. This information can tell scientists how dense the inner core’s iron alloy is, as well as its stiffness, said Hrvoje Tkalcic, a geophysicist at the Australian National University who was not involved in the work. “And then we also have mineral physics, geodynamics, and mathematical geophysics trying to work together to figure out what the heck is happening at the center of our planet,” Professor Tkalcic said. Dr. He and his crew used computer simulations to see how seismic waves might travel through an alloy made of iron, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen under immense pressure and heat. They’re not the first to do this: other studies have done similar, albeit with fewer lighter elements included. The new study’s conclusions are in line with what scientists have deduced from earthquakes: that the core is less dense than pure iron, so lighter elements must be mixed in, and it’s relatively soft. But there’s still a mystery Something the new study can’t fully explain is a peculiar but distinct feature of the inner core. The speed at which a seismic wave moves through the inner core depends on its direction through the planet. For instance, a wave traveling between north and south magnetic poles will ripple faster through the inner core than a wave traveling across the globe from the equator to the equator — even if they’re traveling the same distance. It’s a phenomenon called seismic anisotropy, and why it happens, no one’s really sure. Dr. He and colleagues suggest lighter, liquid-like elements are not evenly distributed through the superionic inner core. Instead, they’re concentrated into a flattened sphere around the middle, which puts the brakes on waves passing through. But how exactly how — and why — lighter elements might accumulate that way is not specified. In any case, the middle of the planet definitely requires more scrutiny, Dr. He said. “I think more studies are needed to explain other seismic features, such as seismic anisotropy, in the inner core.” Source: abc.net.au
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Ukrainian widow confronts Russian soldier accused of killing her husband

In the very first days of this invasion, a 62-year-old unarmed civilian was shot dead on a village street outside his Ukrainian home. His name was Oleksandr Shelipov. Three months later and the captured Russian soldier accused of killing him is in Kyiv being tried for a war crime. Standing up in court to confront the 21-year-old defendant on Thursday was Kateryna Shelipova, the widow of the man killed. Did he repent his crime, she asked? The Russian tank commander, Vadim Shishimarin, replied that he admitted his guilt and asked for her forgiveness. “But I understand you won’t be able to forgive me,” he added. Kateryna Shelipova hadn’t finished. “Tell me please, why did you [Russians] come here? To protect us?” she asked, citing Vladimir Putin’s justification for the invasion of Ukraine. “Protect us from whom? Did you protect me from my husband, whom you killed?” The soldier had no answer to that. This landmark trial marks the first time a Russian serviceman has been put on the stand for war crimes since the invasion of Ukraine was launched in February. And perhaps such raw encounters are what such trials are about, at least in part. Forcing a soldier – who ignored all the rules of war – to face up to exactly what he has done and the suffering he has caused. Sgt Shishimarin has pleaded guilty and Ukrainian prosecutors are asking for him to be sentenced to life imprisonment. On Wednesday, Ms. Shelipova told me she actually felt sorry for the soldier, but she could not forgive him for this crime. She heard the shots that killed her husband, then saw Sgt Shishimarin through her gate – holding his weapon. Five minutes later she says she saw her husband’s body: “He was dead with a shot in his head. I started screaming very loudly.” “The loss of my husband is everything to me,” Ms. Shelipova said, adding: “He was my protector.” ‘It killed him’ Recalling the events of 28 February, Vadim Shishimarin said he and a small group of other Russian soldiers had become separated from their unit and hijacked a car in order to return to it. “As we were driving, we saw a man. He was talking on the phone,” the defendant said. He claimed that he hadn’t wanted to fire the fatal shots, that he was following orders – threatened by another soldier if he refused to do as he was told. “He said I would be putting us in danger if I didn’t. I shot him at short range. It killed him,” the 21-year-old tank commander told the court. Interestingly, his defense lawyer – appointed by the state – told me that no Russian official has been in touch with him, including from its defense ministry. There is no Russian embassy in Kyiv these days, so no contact from there either. President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman yesterday told the BBC that the Kremlin has “no information” about this case. All in all, it feels rather like the young soldier has been abandoned to his fate by the commanders who sent him to war and continue to deny that their forces commit crimes here. We also heard from a second Russian soldier who witnessed the killing in February and later surrendered to Ukrainian forces. Ivan Maltsev, another slight and young-looking 21-year-old, told the court how the Russian soldiers spotted Oleksandr Shelipov while they were driving the stolen car. Mr. Maltysev claimed that Vadim Shishimarin was then ordered to shoot the victim because he was on the phone. “Vadim didn’t do it. So the soldier, whose name I don’t know, turned round in the car and shouted that Vadim had to carry out the order, or we would be informed. “At this point, we were almost alongside the civilian and, under pressure, Vadim fired. He fired three or four rounds.” Ukraine has so far identified more than 11,000 possible war crimes committed by Russia. Moscow has denied its troops have targeted civilians, but investigators have been collecting evidence of possible war crimes to bring before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. This trial is Ukraine’s chance to prove, beyond doubt, that a Russian soldier killed a civilian with no regard for the rules of war. Its prosecutors know they are in the spotlight, proceeding so quickly, and in the middle of a war. That is why they are keen to be as transparent and thorough as possible – so that this is not seen as a show trial, but as part of a vital quest for justice. Read more at bbc.com
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How is life insurance sold?

You can buy life insurance either as an “individual” or as part of a “group” plan. Individual Policy When you buy an individual policy, you choose the company, the plan, and the benefits and features that are right for you and your family. You might be able to buy the policy from the same agent or company representative who sells you property and liability insurance for your home, auto or business. And although you won’t qualify for any discounts by buying your life insurance and other insurance from the same representative, working with a single advisor for all your insurance needs can make your financial life simpler. Individual policies are typically sold through insurance agents or brokers. If you buy a policy through an agent or broker, you will pay a commission, also called a “load,” that is built into the premium rate. The commission compensates the agent or broker for the time spent advising you on how much and what type of life insurance to buy, for facilitating the application process, and for any further service that’s needed in future years to keep the policy up-to-date (such as changing beneficiary designations, arranging policy loans or coordinating your financial plans with your lawyer and accountant). There are two other ways to buy individual life insurance. In Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York, you can buy it from a savings bank. Or you can buy a policy directly from an insurance company or from a fee-only financial advisor—what’s known as a “no load” or “low load” policy. Although there is no sales commission on these policies, the company will still have charges built into the premium to cover its marketing expenses, application processing expenses and subsequent services. Finding an insurance company that will sell you a no-load policy isn’t easy; typing in “no load life insurance” on Internet search engines will in many cases lead you to an agent or broker. Group Policy You might have life insurance automatically from your employer; many large companies do this. Your employer also might offer you the chance to buy additional life insurance under a group policy. And you might be eligible to buy life insurance under a group policy from a union or trade association or other group you belong to (such as a college alumni association or an automobile club). Compared to buying an individual life insurance policy, there are several advantages to buying life insurance under a group policy: Group purchase can sometimes offer you a lower rate for a given death benefit either because the employer or other group sponsor subsidizes the premium or because the rates are averages weighted by people younger than you. There are virtually no health qualifications for getting the group coverage. Premium payment is usually by payroll deduction (for employer-based group coverage) or linked with other payments (e.g., credit card bills), lowering the chance of missing a payment. Most employer group plans are term insurance, but if you leave that employer your state may require that you be allowed to convert the policy to a form of whole life insurance with the same insurance company that provides the group life insurance. You would then pay premiums directly to the company and keep the insurance in force. This can be an advantage if you are older, or have experienced deteriorating health, as it gives you the opportunity to qualify for whole life insurance without having a medical exam. Credit Life Insurance Credit cards and lending institutions may offer life insurance to pay off your outstanding loans in the event of your death. This is generally made available in two ways: As part of the loan at no extra charge. In this case the cost of the life insurance is borne by the lender and is included in its interest rate or other finance charges. If you have this type of credit life insurance, you don’t need separate life insurance to pay off that loan if you die. As an option at an extra charge. In this case, you should usually reject the optional coverage, provided that you have some other life insurance (group or individual) that can be designated to pay off the loan if you die. If you’re under age 50 and you don’t have other insurance that could pay off this loan, consider buying individual life insurance for this purpose as the rates will probably be better. At 50 or over (or younger with health issues), if you have no other life insurance for this purpose, the optional credit life insurance is likely to be cheaper than individual life insurance.
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What you need to know about Finland, Sweden and NATO

Finland is on the cusp of joining NATO while Sweden is on the verge of following suit. Here’s what you need to know about how the war in Ukraine pushed the two Nordic states closer to the US-backed alliance, and what comes next. Why haven’t Finland and Sweden already joined NATO? While other Nordic countries like Norway, Denmark, and Iceland were original members of the alliance, Sweden and Finland did not join the pact for historic and geopolitical reasons. Both Finland, which declared independence from Russia in 1917 after the Bolshevik revolution, and Sweden adopted neutral foreign policy stances during the Cold War, refusing to align with the Soviet Union or the United States. For Finland, this proved more difficult, as it shared a massive border with an authoritarian superpower. To keep the peace, Finns adopted a process some call “Finlandization,” in which leaders acceded to Soviet demands from time to time. Both countries’ balancing acts effectively ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. They joined the European Union together in 1995 and gradually aligned their defense policies with the West, while still avoiding joining NATO outright. Each country had different reasons for avoiding signing up for the NATO pact in tandem with the EU. For Finland, it was more geopolitical. The threat to Russia is more tangible thanks to the two countries’ shared 830-mile border. “Finland has been the exposed country, and we’ve been the protected country,” former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in a joint interview alongside former Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb. While an independent nation, Sweden’s geography puts it in the same “strategic environment” as its liberal democratic neighbors, Bildt said. Finland and Sweden have enjoyed a close partnership for decades, with Stockholm viewing its decision to refrain from joining NATO as a way to help keep the heat off Helsinki. Now, however, Sweden is likely to follow Finland’s lead. “We share the idea that close cooperation will benefit both of us,” current Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said at a news conference last month alongside her Finnish counterpart, Sanna Marin. What does NATO membership entail? The reason most countries join NATO is because of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which stipulates that all signatories consider an attack on one an attack against all. Article 5 has been a cornerstone of the alliance since NATO was founded in 1949 as a counterweight to the Soviet Union. The point of the treaty, and Article 5 specifically, was to deter the Soviets from attacking liberal democracies that lacked military strength. Article 5 guarantees that the resources of the whole alliance — including the massive US military – can be used to protect any single member nation, such as smaller countries that would be defenseless without their allies. Iceland, for example, has no standing army. Bildt said he doesn’t see new big military bases being built in either country should they join NATO. He said that joining the alliance would likely mean more joint military training and planning between Finland, Sweden, and NATO’s 30 current members. Swedish and Finnish forces could also participate in other NATO operations around the globe, such as those in the Baltic states, where several bases have multinational troops. “There’s going to be preparations for contingencies as part of deterring any adventures that the Russians might be thinking of,” Bildt said. “The actual change is going to be fairly limited.” Why does Russia loathe NATO? Russian President Vladimir Putin sees the alliance as a bulwark aimed at Russia, despite the fact that it had spent much of the post-Soviet years focusing on issues like terrorism and peacekeeping. Before Putin invaded Ukraine, he made clear his belief that NATO had edged too close to Russia and should be stripped back to its borders of the 1990s, before some countries that either neighbor Russia or were ex-Soviet states joined the military alliance. Ukraine’s desire to join NATO, and its status as a NATO partner — seen as a step to eventual full membership — was one of the numerous grievances Putin cited in an attempt to justify his country’s invasion of its neighbor. The irony is that the war in Ukraine has, effectively, given NATO a new purpose. “Article 5 is back in the game, and people understand that we need NATO because of a potential Russian threat,” Stubb said in an interview with CNN before the invasion. Why the war in Ukraine changed everything Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was the final straw that pushed Sweden and Finland to pull the trigger on NATO membership. If the Kremlin was willing to invade Ukraine, a country with 44 million people, a GDP of about $516 million, and an armed force of 200,000 active troops, what would stop Putin from invading smaller countries like Finland in Sweden? “Everything changed when Russia invaded Ukraine,” Marin said in April. “People’s mindset in Finland, also in Sweden changed and shifted very dramatically.” Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, public support for joining NATO in Finland has leaped from around 30% to nearly 80% in some polls. The majority of Swedes also approve of their country joining the alliance, according to opinion polls there. “Our NATO membership was decided on the 24th of February, at 5 o’clock in the morning, when Putin and Russia attacked Ukraine,” Stubb said. “Finland and Sweden would not have joined without this attack.” Officials in both Sweden and Finland have also expressed frustration that, in the lead-up to the war in Ukraine, Russia attempted to demand security guarantees from NATO that the alliance stop expanding eastward. Such a concession, however, would have effectively given Russia the power to dictate the foreign policies of its neighbors by taking away their ability to choose their own allies and partners. Russia, Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told CNN, wants “real influence in the security choices in Europe.” “They want an influence over the countries in the neighborhood. And that is totally >>Read more
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