Internet turns 25: 8 things you should know

Imagining life without Google, Facebook and Twitter is almost impossible today. But, internet itself was a dark reality until 25 years ago. It was on March 12, 1989 that the world wide web (www) was born, thus marking its 25th birth anniversary today. But it was only in the mid-90s that web came into public life and changed the world in so many ways than one could have imagined.
According to web inventor Tim Berners-Lee, it was invented for very different reasons. On its silver jubilee, here’s everything you need to know about the web …

Birth of web

The world wide web (www) was invented by Tim Berners-Lee – a British scientist at CERN – on March 12, 1989. The original idea behind the web was to meet the demand for automatic information-sharing between scientists working at universities and institutes around the world by merging technologies of personal computers, computer networking and hypertext into a powerful and easy-to-use global information system.

The proposal

Tim Berners-Lee teamed up with Belgian systems engineer Robert Cailliau and presented the first proposal for www in 1989. In the following year, on November 12, 1990, the duo published a formal proposal highlighting all the important concepts behind the web.

The proposal described a "hypertext project" called "WorldWideWeb" in which a network of "hypertext documents" could be viewed by “browsers”. A prototype of the software for a basic web system was already being demonstrated. The first examples of this interface were developed on Apple’s NeXT computers.

The first website

European research organization CERN was the birthplace of web or www. The first website at CERN was also the first website in the world. CERN dedicated the website to the “WorldWideWeb project” and it was hosted on Berners-Lee's NeXT computer.
The website had a simple interface and described the basic features of the web, how to access other people's documents and how to set up your own server.

First web server outside Europe

At Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) in California, the first web server out of Europe was installed on December 12, 1991. Then, in 1993, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois launched Mosaic browser, which was easy to run and install on ordinary PCs and Macintosh computers.

Web goes public

It was April 30, 1993 when CERN put the world wide web software in the public domain. To increase its reach, CERN made the next releases available with an open licence along with a basic browser and a library of codes.
By the end of 1994, the web had 10,000 servers - of which 2000 were commercial - and 10 million users.

The line-mode browser

The browser which Berners-Lee had designed on his NeXT computer was far too advanced and complicated for other computers of that time and thus there was a need for a much simpler browser that could work with a wide variety of computers and terminals, some of them rather basic. The line-mode browser was nothing but a compilation of links. No images, no colours, no clicking – it was just content.
The browser was so simple that even a computer with a screen only capable of showing 24 rows of 80 characters could run it. For a modern audience, it was an unimpressive medium.

Tech prediction goes wrong

"Almost all of the many predictions now being made about 1996 hinge on the internet's continuing exponential growth. But I predict the internet will soon go spectacularly supernova, and in 1996 catastrophically collapse." These were the words of Robert Metcalfe, the inventor of the Ethernet and founder of 3Com. His prediction turned out to be far from accurate, as the world wide web continues to not only grow but drive big changes across the globe.

Web is not internet

Many of us confuse the two and believe web and internet are same. However, the truth is that web is not internet.
The internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks. It is a ‘path’ on which the web runs.

5 Celebrity Moms Who Opted for Normal Delivery

       Gisele Bundchen is literally a spokesperson for natural birth. Both, her children were born at home with the                                                                                 help of a midwife.

  Jessica Alba practised yoga breathing techniques as she gave birth to her baby girl naturally. We think it's her                                    dedication to pre-natal yoga that helped her ease through her delivery. 

     Miranda had a beautiful boy with ex-beau, Orlando Bloom in 2011. Yet another supermodel to take the                                                                                     natural birth route. 

  Kate Middleton and Prince William welcomed their little Prince, George, last July. Reportedly, Middleton had an                                                                   almost no-fuss natural birth.

     Demi Moore gave birth to her three daughters with Bruce Willis at home. Yes, all three were natural births.

Want to Boost Brain Power ? Watch Activity videos : Neurologists

NEW YORK: Watching activity videos before carrying simple tasks may boost the brain's plasticity and increase motor skills, shows research. 

Brain plasticity is the brain's ability to flex and adapt, allowing for better learning. 

The brain loses plasticity as it ages. 

"The study lends that even as an adult, your brain is able to better learn skills just by watching the activity take place. With a dramatic increase of videos available through mobile phones, computers, and other newer technology, this topic should be the focus of more research," explained Paolo Preziosa from San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy. 

The results might also contribute to reducing disability and improving quality of those who are impaired or who are undergoing physical rehabilitation. 

The researchers put 36 right-handed healthy adults in 40-minute training sessions five times a week for two weeks. 

Half the group watched videos of a specific task, such as writing with a pen, cutting with scissors or handling coins, then were asked to complete the task themselves. 

The other half watched videos of landscapes and then were asked to complete the same tasks. 

The groups were tested for strength and hand skills and also underwent 3-D MRI brain scans. 

The researchers found that the group who completed the training along with watching the activity videos had 11 times greater improvement of motor skill abilities - mainly in terms of strength - compared to those who watched the landscape videos. 

The detailed study is scheduled to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 66th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia April 26-May 3.

Eat blueberries for healthy love life

Eating a cupfull of blueberries once a day may help spice up your love life, says an expert.

According to nutritionist Dora Walsh, the berries contain proanthocyanidins, a plant chemicals that is believed to keep blood vessels flexible and blood flowing around the body that could work wonders in your romantic life, reports contactmusic.com.

"Blueberries can easily be incorporated into what we eat every week. Blueberries are a great source of the nutrient manganese which helps us get energy from food - all important for Valentine's night.

"Blueberries not only make you feel great, many of my clients eat them for healthy skin and their nutrient content could hold the key to giving our skin a Valentine's glow, which makes us more attractive to the opposite sex," said Walsh.

Blueberries are also packed full of soluble fibre which many people consume to help push excess cholesterol through the digestive system before it can be broken down, and deposited along the walls of the arteries.

Clear arteries are important for a healthy heart.

10 essentials to have before a baby’s birth

Advice for expecting moms on the must-haves to stack up on before the newborn arrives

You've read books on what to expect when you're pregnant from cover to cover, and have decorated the baby room with flourish. But have you made a list of the most essential items you'll need when the baby comes home? Read through this list of the absolute must-haves.

1. Crib
Find a crib with a mattress and crib sheets that are fitted. Look for one that is comfortable and secure enough to hold a bonny baby.

2. Bouncy seat
A bouncy seat is required since you won't be able to put your baby in her crib every time you go over to the kitchen to cook, or the bathroom to the do laundry. Find a simple and regular sized model for the newborn. Bouncy seats are mobile so you can even bring one into the bathroom while taking a shower.

3. Formula
Irrespective of whether you are breastfeeding or bottle-feeding your baby, keep a few cans of milk-based formula handy in the kitchen cabinet for emergencies - like delays getting home from an errand. Before you stock up, though, make sure the brand suits your newborn.

4. Feeding bottles
You don't need many if you are nursing the infant yourself. Otherwise, you will need about 10 bottles a day. This number sounds bloated since you could consider washing and reusing the bottles. However, having a few extras will save you the time taken to wash them frequently. Pick full-size bottles since the baby will grow out of tiny ones pretty soon.

5. Diapers
Decide whether you want to use disposable diapers or cloth. With cloth, have a set of 24 in the beginning. As for disposable diapers, get a pack of newborn size and two packs of size one.

6. New car seat
This one's for car owners, of course. Put the baby car seat at the top of your priority list since hospital staff is usually not allowed to let you drive out without one.

7. Digital thermometer
Since babies can't mouth their unease, it is important to be able to take your newborn's temperature. If you infant's fever gets serious, it could spell trouble. Get a basic digital thermometer that you can use rectally.

8. Breast pump
Using a breast pump to fill bottles takes the pressure off you so your husband - or parents - can feed the child when you are busy. If you are nursing the child, have one ready when you get home from the hospital.

9. Diaper rash cream
Diaper rash is a common problem with most newborns. If you don't have enough time to go to the supermarket, use petroleum jelly.

10. Maxi-pads
This one's for new mothers. Pick up two packages of ultra-absorbent maxi-pads for the post-delivery period. The locia discharge slows down in two or three weeks, so get a box of panty liners too.