Exploring the Grand Canyon on Google Maps

Whether you’re planning an upcoming hike, or want to learn more about the Earth’s geological history, Google Maps can help. Today, we’re releasing panoramic imagery of one of the world’s most spectacular national monuments: the Grand Canyon. These beautiful, interactive images cover more than 75 miles of trails and surrounding roads, making our map of this area even more comprehensive, accurate and easy to use than ever before.



Take a walk down the narrow trails and exposed paths of the Grand Canyon: hike down the famous Bright Angel Trail, gaze out at the mighty Colorado River, and explore scenic overlooks in full 360-degrees. You’ll be happy you’re virtually hiking once you get to the steep inclines of the South Kaibab Trail. And rather than drive a couple hours to see the nearby Meteor Crater, a click of your mouse or tap of your finger will transport you to the rim of this otherworldly site.

The Colorado River, one of the many impressive scenes in the Grand Canyon

This breathtaking imagery collection was made possible with the Trekker. Our team strapped on the Android-operated 40-pound backpacks carrying the 15-lens camera system and wound along the rocky terrain on foot, enduring temperature swings and a few muscle cramps along the way. Together, more than 9,500 panoramas of this masterpiece of nature are now available on Google Maps.


A breathtaking 360-degree view from the famous Bright Angel Trail

So no matter where you are, you don’t have to travel far or wait for warmer weather to explore Grand Canyon National Park. Check out some of our favorite views on our World Wonders site where you can find more information, facts and figures about the Grand Canyon, or in the updated Street View gallery, and happy (virtual) hiking!

Google Science Fair: Looking for the next generation of scientists and engineers to change the world

At age 16, Louis Braille invented an alphabet for the blind. When she was 13, Ada Lovelace became fascinated with math and went on to write the first computer program. And at 18, Alexander Graham Bell started experimenting with sound and went on to invent the telephone. Throughout history many great scientists developed their curiosity for science at an early age and went on to make groundbreaking discoveries that changed the way we live.

Today, we’re launching the third annual Google Science Fair in partnership with CERN, the LEGO Group, National Geographic and Scientific American to find the next generation of scientists and engineers. We’re inviting students ages 13-18 to participate in the largest online science competition and submit their ideas to change the world.



For the past two years, thousands of students from more than 90 countries have submitted research projects that address some of the most challenging problems we face today. Previous winners tackled issues such as the early diagnosis of breast cancer, improving the experience of listening to music for people with hearing loss and cataloguing the ecosystem found in water. This year we hope to once again inspire scientific exploration among young people and receive even more entries for our third competition.

Here’s some key information for this year’s Science Fair:

  • Students can enter the Science Fair in 13 languages.
  • The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2013 at 11:59 pm PDT.
  • In June, we’ll recognize 90 regional finalists (30 from the Americas, 30 from Asia Pacific and 30 from Europe/Middle East/Africa).
  • Judges will then select the top 15 finalists, who will be flown to Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. for our live, final event on September 23, 2013.
  • At the finals, a panel of distinguished international judges consisting of renowned scientists and tech innovators will select top winners in each age category (13-14, 15-16, 17-18). One will be selected as the Grand Prize winner.
Prizes for the 2013 Science Fair include a $50,000 scholarship from Google, a trip to the Galapagos with National Geographic Expeditions, experiences at CERN, Google or the LEGO Group and digital access to the Scientific American archives for the winner’s school for a year. Scientific American will also award a $50,000 Science in Action prize to one project that makes a practical difference by addressing a social, environmental or health issue. We’re also introducing two new prizes for 2013:
  • In August, the public will have the opportunity to get to know our 15 finalists through a series of Google+ Hangouts on Air and will then vote for the Voter's Choice Award—an award selected by the public for the project with the greatest potential to change the world.
  • We also recognize that behind every great student there’s often a great teacher and a supportive school, so this year we’ll award a $10,000 cash grant from Google and an exclusive Google+ Hangout with CERN to the Grand Prize winner’s school.
Lastly, we’ll also be hosting a series of Google+ Hangouts on Air. Taking place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, these Hangouts will feature renowned scientists including inventor Dean Kamen and oceanographic explorer Fabien Cousteau, showcase exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of cutting-edge labs and science facilities, and provide access to judges and the Google Science Fair team. We hope these Google+ Hangouts will help inspire, mentor and support students throughout the competition and beyond.

Visit www.googlesciencefair.com to get started now—your idea might just change the world.



Update July 30: Updated the name of the Voter's Choice Award (previously the Inspired Idea Award).

Mapping creates jobs and drives global economic growth

Twenty years ago, we used paper maps and printed guides to help us navigate the world. Today, the most advanced digital mapping technologies—satellite imagery, GPS devices, location data and of course Google Maps—are much more accessible. This sea change in mapping technology is improving our lives and helping businesses realize untold efficiencies.

The transformation of the maps we use everyday is driven by a growing industry that creates jobs and economic growth globally. To present a clearer picture of the importance of the geo services industry, we commissioned studies from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Oxera. What we found is that maps make a big economic splash around the world.

In summary, the global geo services industry is valued at up to $270 billion per year and pays out $90 billion in wages. In the U.S., it employs more than 500,000 people and is worth $73 billion. The infographic below illustrates some examples of the many benefits of maps, whether it’s improving agriculture irrigation systems or helping emergency response teams save lives.

Click the image for a larger version

1.1 billion hours of travel time saved each year? That’s a lot of time. Also, consider UPS, which uses map technology to optimize delivery routes—saving 5.3 million miles and more than 650,000 gallons of fuel in 2011. And every eight seconds, a user hails a taxi with Hailo, which used maps and GPS to deliver more than 1 million journeys in London alone last year. Finally, Zipcar uses maps to connect more than 760,000 customers to a growing fleet of cars in locations around the world.

Because maps are such an integral part of how we live and do business, the list of examples goes on and on. That’s why it’s important we all understand the need to invest in the geo services industry so it continues to grow and drive the global economy. Investments can come from the public and private sectors in many forms—product innovation, support of open data policies, more geography education programs in schools and more.

We’re proud of the contributions that Google Maps and Earth, the Google Maps APIs and our Enterprise solutions have made to the geo services industry and to making maps more widely available, but there’s a long way to go. To learn more about the impact of the maps industry, see the full reports.

Top Ways to Make Money from Online

Top and popular ways to make money online

Many of us often search How to make money from online over internet To make money from online is not an easy job. It takes time to become successful. There are lots of opportunities to make money from online. Here are the top real ways available for everyone. 




1. Freelancing: Many people get their works done by others through internet. This is called freelancing. For this, you have to sign up in an online marketplace where you have to work. Then you have to complete your profile 100%. For this you need to complete some test. When you will complete the necessary test, your job application quota will increase. Search for projects that you can complete and bid for that. Though it is tough, it is sure to get job one day. The popular and most trusted online marketplaces are:

2. Blogging: You can make money online from your blog. It’s really easy to start a blog. Start blogging in your favorite niche. Before you start blogging, choose your blog’s niche. You should start a blog about what you know more and are experienced. When you have 1000 visitors on your web site, you can earn easily by showing Ads on your web site. Many are earning a lot of money from blogging. If you are new to start a blog, read How to create a free Blog.

3. Get paid to write articles: It’s easy but you need to know English and have creativity in writing. There are many sites over internet where you can make money by writing article for the buyers. Two of the popular sites are EarnForBlog and Payperpost. You can get article writing job from Odesk.com and Freelancer.com. Article length should be  between 300 words to 500 words . Sometimes it can be more.

4. Affiliate Programs: Affiliate marketing or affiliate programs are to promote and sell a renowned product. You can earn a decent sum of money as a commission per sale. This is very easy to start. If you are a blogger you should start with a computer and softwere affiliates. You may work with Amazon Associates. It enables you to advertise its popular worldwide products in your site. You are only to publish and sell products online. For this you must have a website. You can get it for free. Read How to create a Web site

5. Google Adsense: You can try to have a Google Adsense account for your website. It is one of the highest paying Advertising sites of Google. You have to show ads on your web pages. When a visitors clicks on the ads you will be credited. You may try some Adsense revenue sharing sites to get Google Adsense Account. If you cannot have an adsense account, you need not be worried. You can try Adjagat, Bidvertiser, Yllixmedia, Clicksor, Infolinks. Also there are some popular sites.

6. Logo designing: Logo designing is a part of Graphics and web designing. If you know Photoshop and illustrator and have creativity, you can work as a logo designer. There are many sites of logo. You may see those logos and it may be helpful for you. You can also take part in logo designing competition of different sites. The prize money is very high. One of the most popular logo disigning sites is 99designs.com. There are many logo designing jobs available In many online marketplaces like Odesk and Freelance.

7. Sell Your Photo: If you love photography and have a camera, You can make money from online by selling your photo at iStockPhoto. Many want a beautiful photo with good resolution for Graphic designing. You can take photos of different places, birds, rivers, natural scene etc.

8. Sell eBooks and Software: Are you good writer? Then you can write an eBook now and sell it online. You can write books on Computer Tutorials, English Language, Internet related what you are specialized. If you are you software developer, create software and sell it online and make money.

9. SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Do you know what is SEO? It is the process to make any website visible on the first page of Search Engines when one searches any keyword. It has become one of the most important online jobs over internet. Many web site owner hire a SEO expert for their website. It is very interesting, enjoyable but complex task. You can easily learn SEO in a short time.  You can read About SEO.

10. Website Development: Building and developing a web site is called website development. For this you have to learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP and MySQL. Many people get a website created for them by others. You can get this job in Odesk.com, Freelancer.com. So why are you waiting? If you are new go to W3Schools.com. You  also should learn Joomla or Wordpress for it. These are comparatively easy.

There are many other sources to make money from online sources such as internet marketing, forum posting etc. The above are the most popular to make money from home. You have to work hard to succeed to make money from online sources. The most popular sources are freelancing, blogging and internet marketing.

For this you must know English well and be able to write well in English. To learn Basics of English you can visit an useful site OnlineTutorialBD.

Create Professional Blogs for Free

Many of us are now experiencing using internet and the number of internet users is increasing day by day. For many purposes we need a web site for our own. But it requires some programming knowledge to build professional web site and most of us don’t have this knowledge. The article is for those who don’t have any knowledge of creating a web site. If you are willing to create a web site for your own, the article is for you.


For your information, there are two kinds of website. One of them is Web site what you are not able to edit everyday or frequently and the other is Blog.  As you are new here, I suggest you to create a blog website that will help you learn basic knowledge of creating a website. Besides, Blogging is one of the most popular sources of earning from online sources. But many do not know how to create professional blogs. By reading the article, you will have been able to create a professional blog for you. Here you go.....

Step 1: Create a new Gmail Account for your blog. Once you have created a personal Gmail account, go to the https://www.blogger.com/  . Sign in with your new email address and password.

Step 2: Click on the button “Create New Blog” Now, give a Name of your blog in Title, put an address of your site. It will be like “traffic-payout.blogspot.com” and at last choose Simple template. Now click on the orange button “Create Blog”. Now your Blog is fully created. From your Blogger Dashboard, you can create new posts.

Normally Bloggers official templates do not look professional. If you want to get a professional blog, you have to download a professional designed template for your Blog. Then your blog will be more attractive and search engine friendly. You can get a professional template for blogger from Btemplates.com.

If you are ready to install new custom professional looking template. Read How to install template in Blogger.

Google’s approach to government requests for user data

Today, January 28, is Data Privacy Day, when the world recognizes the importance of preserving your online privacy and security.

If it’s like most other days, Google—like many companies that provide online services to users—will receive dozens of letters, faxes and emails from government agencies and courts around the world requesting access to our users’ private account information. Typically this happens in connection with government investigations.

It’s important for law enforcement agencies to pursue illegal activity and keep the public safe. We’re a law-abiding company, and we don’t want our services to be used in harmful ways. But it’s just as important that laws protect you against overly broad requests for your personal information.

To strike this balance, we’re focused on three initiatives that I’d like to share, so you know what Google is doing to protect your privacy and security.

First, for several years we have advocated for updating laws like the U.S. Electronic Communications Privacy Act, so the same protections that apply to your personal documents that you keep in your home also apply to your email and online documents. We’ll continue this effort strongly in 2013 through our membership in the Digital Due Process coalition and other initiatives.

Second, we’ll continue our long-standing strict process for handling these kinds of requests. When government agencies ask for our users’ personal information—like what you provide when you sign up for a Google Account, or the contents of an email—our team does several things:

  • We scrutinize the request carefully to make sure it satisfies the law and our policies. For us to consider complying, it generally must be made in writing, signed by an authorized official of the requesting agency and issued under an appropriate law.
  • We evaluate the scope of the request. If it’s overly broad, we may refuse to provide the information or seek to narrow the request. We do this frequently.
  • We notify users about legal demands when appropriate so that they can contact the entity requesting it or consult a lawyer. Sometimes we can’t, either because we’re legally prohibited (in which case we sometimes seek to lift gag orders or unseal search warrants) or we don’t have their verified contact information.
  • We require that government agencies conducting criminal investigations use a search warrant to compel us to provide a user’s search query information and private content stored in a Google Account—such as Gmail messages, documents, photos and YouTube videos. We believe a warrant is required by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits unreasonable search and seizure and overrides conflicting provisions in ECPA.
And third, we work hard to provide you with information about government requests. Today, for example, we’ve added a new section to our Transparency Report that answers many questions you might have. And last week we released data showing that government requests continue to rise, along with additional details on the U.S. legal processes—such as subpoenas, court orders and warrants—that governments use to compel us to provide this information.

We’re proud of our approach, and we believe it’s the right way to make sure governments can pursue legitimate investigations while we do our best to protect your privacy and security.

Vocabulary Test for HSC 2013 (Practice Sheet)

(1) Unit-1. Lesson-1
Zinnia is a member of a (a) ——- family. She has gone through the letter written by Nazneen (b) ——- in the Rising Sun. She is conscious of Nazneen’s problems. But things are not so (c) ——- in a small family as Nazneen thinks to be. Zinnia knows that (d) ——- can be awfully boring in a nuclear family. Zinnia (e) ——- a private room of her own but (f) ———- she is not happy. Her parents (g) ——- busy all the time with their work. Her only brother, a university student, leaves the house for university and (h) ——- late in the evening. Everybody is too tired to talk when they get back. Even at home they are busy with their personal matters. So, Zinnia (i) ——— lonely and is therefore not happy (j) ——- in a small family.

Ans: (a) nuclear, (b) published, (c) easy, (d) life, (e) owns, (f) still, (g) remain, (h) returns, (i) feels, (j) living


(2)
If you have a (a) ——- map you will find that Kenya is an (b) ——- African country. And its capital is Nairobi. But from the map, you cannot know the social, (c) ——— and political conditions of this country. Nor can you learn about the (d) ——— system and religious customs. But from different other sources such as (e) ——-, books, etc. you can know all these things. You can learn about the age old custom of (f) ——- which is now yielding to the practice of (g) ——-. You can know the various (h) ——- that are taking place in Kenya. You can also know about the urbanization, about the high (i) ——- cost in the capital and the high educational (j) —— in the good schools of Nairobi.

Ans: (a) world, (b) east, (c) economic, (d) social, (e) newspaper, (f) polygamy, (g) monogamy, (h) changes, (i) living, (j) expense.

(3) Unit-1. Lesson-3
A modern Kenyan who left his village (a) ——- ago and settled in the (b) ——, often faces a dilemma. Most often he cannot (c) ——— whether he will do something or not for his family (d) ——- back in the village. As he cannot completely forget or (e) —— his relation with his village, he has to (f) —— his brothers or relatives who are living in the village. In some cases, some modern Kenyans (g) ——- in city (h) ——- two families one in the village and the other in the city. In such cases, they have to (i) ——- both these households and this situation (j) —— a great dilemma for them.

Ans: (a) long, (b) capital, (c) decide, (d) having, (e) give up, (f) help, (g) setting, (h) have, (i) maintain, (j) poses.

(4) Unit-1. Lesson-3
Polygamy, the (a) ——- system of marriage in Kenya, is disappearing day by (b) ——. The main (c) ——- behind this change is that the light of modern (d) ——- is reaching there. That is, with the advent of the (e) ——- world, Kenyan people are becoming (f) ——- of the advantages and (g) ——- of the practice of polygamy. Another cause is the urbanization. From the remote villages, Kenyans are (h) ——- to the cities and realize the changing (i) —— of the whole world. For all these factors, Kenyans now prefer (j) ——- to polygamy.

Ans: (a) traditional, (b) day, (c) reason, (d) society, (e) modern, (f) conscious, (g) disadvantages, (h) rushing/moving, (i) patterns, (j) monogamy

(5) Unit-1. Lesson-5
Mark, relationships, nuclear, socialising, disintegration, associatione, arneconomy, psychology, welfare, facility, important.

The present age is (a) ———— not only by the (b) ———— of the family as an economic and (c) ———— institution but also by its increasing importance as an arrangement for (d) ———— and raising children and for the (e) ——— support of adults. There has been a wide (f) ———- of large kin groups and an intensification of (g) ———— within the (h) ———-family. Moreover, the world is seeing an increasing (i) ———— of women with (j) ———— and out of -home activities.

Ans. (a) marked, (b) importance, (c) welfare, (d) socialising, (e) psychological, (f) disintegration, (g) relationships, (h) nuclear, (i) association, (j) earning

(6) Unit-1. Lesson-5
The family life (a) —— from the beginning of human history. The family of Adam and Eve was the first (b) ——- in history. But in the past, families were (c) —— than they are today. Families were closer to (d) —— other also. Besides, household (e) —— were done by (f) —— and outdoor (g) —— by men. But things are now (h) ——-. Nowadays people are too (i) ——- and have less time for the (j) —— of the family.

Ans: (a) has started, (b) one, (c) larger, (d) each, (e) chores, (f) women, (g) activities, (h) changing, (i) busy, (j) offspring

(7) Unit-1. Lesson-5
Kinship is (a) —— in the sense that (b) —— of relationship is getting loose. (c) ——- families are breaking down. Besides, the effect of industrialization and (d) ——- detoriorates the family bond. Both husband and wife (e) —— outside the house. So they do not (f) ——- much (g) —— for engaging themselves in the house. (h) —— they do not take care (i) —— their offsprings. As a result, family bondage is breaking (j) ———.

Ans: (a) declining, (b) bondage, (c) Extended, (d) urbanisation, (e) work, (f) have, (g) time, (h) Besides, (i) of, (j) off.

The Puck Test

by Guest blogger Mike Allende

Hockey is a winter sport and WSDOT is getting in on the puck action. Well, kind of. While it doesn’t involve goalies, slap shots or penalty boxes, this action may end up helping traffic move more efficiently.


Soon we’ll be giving Sensys Puck road sensors their first Seattle-area tryout when we install them on northbound I-5 near Northgate. It’s a test project pitting the youthful technology of these wireless sensors against the veteran savvy of existing loop detectors embedded in the roadway in a heated matchup to see which performs best in gathering traffic and vehicle information.



Loop detectors only work with good pavement, and funding for pavement preservation is looking grim. We still need to have reliable traffic information, so as an alternative, the plucky pucks may be the answer.
The pucks are compact and solid, just 3 inches tall and 3 inches in diameter, but don’t let their size fool you. There’s plenty of power and versatility packed in those little bodies and they hold up well under pressure, whether it’s a semi-truck or heavy rain.

What can these little guys do? Plenty. They count every car as it goes by, measuring speed, lane occupancy, gaps between vehicles, direction of travel and even vehicle length. This information is valuable in evaluating traffic flow and signal control, and letting drivers know if a road is congested or not on our flow map. That’s some MVP ability.

Inductive loops have similar skills but require pavement that is in good shape in order to work well. Pucks are also easier to handle than the gangly and awkward loops. That means they can get in position quicker, usually just 10 to 15 minutes per puck, leading to a much shorter disruption of traffic. Two loops, on the other hand, take about two hours to install.



To prepare for the puck’s debut, crews bore a circular hole in the pavement, about 4 inches wide and 4 inches deep. We want to put the puck in the best position to be successful, so crews level the holes so that each sensor gets an accurate reading.



After the pucks are in position, they're well protected with a strong epoxy. These guys are valuable and they need to be taken care of. They look sharp and impressive in their black uniforms, but at the same time aren't distracting. They'll fit right in.



The pucks aren’t going to be on their own, though. They team with a local controller, which receives transmissions and crunches data from each individual sensor. The controller can give an overall report about the presence of vehicles, average number of vehicles at any time, average speeds and lane occupancy, among other information. That’s some great teamwork! Loops also work in tandem but have to be hard-wired to a controller device, meaning there are only particular areas they can work without incurring a huge cost.


The pucks often make their appearance overnight to little fanfare, and can even be installed using a brief traffic slowdown rather than lane closures, unlike the loop sensors. They are run by battery and expect to have a long 10-year career. They’re also healthy, and unless the battery dies or there’s an epoxy failure, there shouldn’t be any other maintenance necessary. If maintenance is needed, the pucks can easily be popped out of the pavement, minimizing concrete damage. The health of loops is more questionable, as maintenance is a big issue with these guys. Some loops hold up well over time, others have to retire after 2 or 3 years. Maintenance involves digging up the concrete, dealing with the loop, and replacing the concrete, a much more invasive process. These are huge factors as pavement preservation is vital with increasing traffic. The less the ground has to be dug up, the longer it will last.

So who’s it going to be, the grizzled veteran or the intriguing rookie? The Northgate project costs about $20,000 while a comparable setup with the loops would be about $15,000. The signing bonus is higher for the pucks but add in the costs of maintenance down the road and the potential traffic disruptions and the up-front cost may be worth it. Clearly there are pluses and minuses with both, so the result of this tryout is going to be interesting and exciting to watch!

Add Online Radio to Your Blog or Website

Entertain your visitors with Online Radio



What would it be if your visitors could listen to music on your site? Think it is a great Idea.
In this post, I am going to show a nice tip how to add Online Radio to your website. This is very simple to add. If you are willing to do so, here you go.......



For Blog:

Step 1: Go to your Blog Dashboard and click arrow button. When dropdown menu comes click Layout.

Step 2: Add a Gadget HTML/Javascript where you would like to add it.

Step 3: Past the following code and save.

<script language="JavaScript" type="text/JavaScript" src="http://www.amarputhia.com/widget/bangla_OnliNE_radio.js"></script>

Done.

For Website:

Add the following code where you want to add Online Radio.

<div>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/JavaScript" src="http://www.amarputhia.com/widget/bangla_OnliNE_radio.js"></script>
</div>

Please comment if you enjoy this and have any problem to add it. Good bye till the next post. Stay updated with our posts to like our Facebook fan page OnlineTutorialBD

Looking at tolling I-90

 By guest blogger Michell Mouton

We’re collecting tolls on SR 520 to generate $1 billion in funding to help fund construction of a new SR 520 bridge – but we still need to close a $1.4 billion funding gap to complete SR 520 improvements between the west side of the bridge and I-5.

For years, planning studies and legislative actions have considered I-90 tolling revenue to help fill that gap. And since SR 520 tolls started, we’ve seen I-90 traffic volumes go up 11 percent or about 15,000 more vehicles a day. So the State Legislature has decided that the time has come to start the discussion again. 

We’re studying the possibility of adding tolls on I-90, between Seattle and Bellevue to help address both of the challenges: balance Cross-Lake Washington traffic and generate revenue to fill the SR 520 construction funding gap.

Deciding whether to toll I-90 involves several steps including an environmental assessment (EA) that’s required as part of the National Environmental Protection Policy Act (NEPA). Basically, NEPA is in place to ensure that we understand, document and if necessary, mitigate the effects of I-90 tolling. That’s why it’s important we hear from you as we start this comment period. We want to learn about any project effects - good or bad - because the EA helps inform decision-making around this project.

How can you get involved?
The 30-day public comment period extends from Jan. 22 to midnight Feb. 22. There are many ways to share your feedback:

Go to a public scoping meeting:  Learn more about the project, talk to project team members and comment in person.
The following meetings take place from 4-7 p.m.:
  • Tuesday, Jan. 29 at Mercer Island Community Center, 8236 SE 24th St., Mercer Island.
  • Wednesday, Jan. 30 at Bellevue City Hall, 450 11th Ave. NE, Bellevue.
  • Thursday, Jan. 31 at Yesler Community Center, 917 E. Yesler Way, Seattle.
Go online: All meeting materials are posted on our web page and you can comment online as well: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/tolling/i90/onlinescoping.

Send us an email: You can also submit comments by e-mail at I90EAcomments@wsdot.wa.gov or by writing to Ms. Angela Angove at 999 Third Avenue, Suite 2200, Seattle, WA 98104. Mailed comments must be postmarked by Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2013.

What do I comment about? Ask yourself these questions to help get your ideas flowing:
  • How will I be affected by tolling on I-90? 
  • What should WSDOT consider as they look at the social and environmental influences of tolling I-90?
How much time do I have? Don’t panic if you can’t give us your feedback today or next week. This is a long process.
  • The comment period runs until February 22, 2013
  • More opportunity for public comment will be available at a public hearing in November where we will share the findings of the environmental assessment. The final environmental document is scheduled to be complete in late 2013.




Fireside Hangouts: Join Vice President Biden in a discussion about gun violence

As President Obama and his cabinet begin their second term in the White House, they’re renewing a series of conversations on Google+ with top administration officials. These “Fireside Hangouts," a 21st-century spin on FDR’s famous radio addresses, bring top Administration officials to Google+ to discuss the most important issues in the country, face-to-face-to-face with fellow citizens in a hangout. The next hangout will take place Thursday, January 24 at 1:45 pm ET with Vice President Joe Biden on a topic that’s on everyone’s mind: reducing gun violence.

During his 30-minute hangout, Vice President Biden will discuss the White House policy recommendations on reducing gun violence with participants including Guy Kawasaki, Phil DeFranco and moderator Hari Sreenivasan from PBS NewsHour. If you'd like to suggest a question, just follow the participants on Google+, and look for posts about tomorrow's Hangout. To view the broadcast live, just tune in to the White House's Google+ page or YouTube channel on Thursday afternoon.

The White House will continue to host Hangouts with key members of the President’s cabinet on a range of second term priorities. Follow the White House on Google+ for more information about how you can join the conversation... or an upcoming Hangout.

Transparency Report: What it takes for governments to access personal information

Today we’re releasing new data for the Transparency Report, showing that the steady increase in government requests for our users’ data continued in the second half of 2012, as usage of our services continued to grow. We’ve shared figures like this since 2010 because it’s important for people to understand how government actions affect them.

We’re always looking for ways to make the report even more informative. So for the first time we’re now including a breakdown of the kinds of legal process that government entities in the U.S. use when compelling communications and technology companies to hand over user data. From July through December 2012:

  • 68 percent of the requests Google received from government entities in the U.S. were through subpoenas. These are requests for user-identifying information, issued under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (“ECPA”), and are the easiest to get because they typically don’t involve judges.
  • 22 percent were through ECPA search warrants. These are, generally speaking, orders issued by judges under ECPA, based on a demonstration of “probable cause” to believe that certain information related to a crime is presently in the place to be searched.
  • The remaining 10 percent were mostly court orders issued under ECPA by judges or other processes that are difficult to categorize.


User data requests of all kinds have increased by more than 70 percent since 2009, as you can see in our new visualizations of overall trends. In total, we received 21,389 requests for information about 33,634 users from July through December 2012.


We’ll keep looking for more ways to inform you about government requests and how we handle them. We hope more companies and governments themselves join us in this effort by releasing similar kinds of data.

One last thing: You may have noticed that the latest Transparency Report doesn’t include new data on content removals. That’s because we’ve decided to release those numbers separately going forward. Stay tuned for that data.

Odesk English Basic Skill Test (2013)

U.S. English Basic Skills Test. (2013)

Test ID no: 511

We many work as a freelancer on many online marketplace. In Odesk, We have to complete US English basic Skills Test. I think you are in need of odesk test questions and answers.

Question 1:
Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
Charlotte knew ________the secret investigation _________her past, but she closed her eyes to it and pretended it wasn’t happening.
Answer: a. of, about


Question 2:
Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.
I think Pamela deserves to be punished for her________ stupid and________ behavior.
Answer: b. totally, irresponsible


Question 3:
Which of the following sentences punctuated correctly?
a. Tracy bought three suits; seven scarves; and ten pairs of shoes.
Answer: b. We are expecting a hurricane this afternoon, therefore we have closed the school early.

Question 4:
Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.
While_________ of our relatives live on the __________hill in the county, _________of our friends live in the _________areas of the valley.
Answer: c. many, windiest, most, more, protected

Question 5:
Complete the following sentence by choosing the phrase with the best word order from the options given.
Those who are not wise_____________.
Answer: d. does not need to be necessarily stupid.

Question 6:
Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.
Don’t _________think Larry should call __________wife if ______________is going to be late for dinner?
Answer: a. you, his, he

Question 7:
Rearrange the following words to create most logical and grammatically correct sentence.
days for last has good weather few The been the not
Answer:d. The weather has not been good for the last few days

Question 8:
Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.
Knowing that February was the ___________ month of the year, Cheryl planned her vacation ____________.
Answer: b. shortest, accordingly

Question 9:
Rearrange the following words to create most logical and grammatically correct sentence.
Answer: e. Whenever I can’t spend time with my friend, I always speak to him on the phone.

Question 10:
Read the following question and choose the response that uses the correct corresponding verb tense.
Does Jack wear that furry hat often?
Answer: d. No, he only wears it when his ears are cold.

Question 11:
Which of the following sentence illustrates correct pronoun usage?
a. is those the set of plates the bride wanted, or did she want this set?
d.Whose book is that-his or our?
Answer: e. None of the above

Question 12:
Which of the sentence illustrates proper sentence structure?
a. Everyone knows that a mango is much sweeter to an orange
Answer: d. The queen had hardly finished her speech when the people began to disperse.

Question 13:
Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.
“It may snow tomorrow.” he said.
Answer: d. He said it might snow tomorrow.

Question 14:
Which of the following sentence punctuated correctly?
Answer: d. “Come here.” she said, “and let me get a good look at you.”

Question 15:
Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.
“Sharon must go to the bank today.” said Albert.
Answer: d. Albert said Sharon had to go to the bank today.

Question 16:
Choose the option that correctly changes original sentence from active to passive.
ORIGINAL SENTENCE: That tall man is carrying a lot of lumber.
REWRITTEN SENTENCES: 
Answer: d. A lot of lumber is being carried by that tall man.

Question 17:
Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
I placed my notes__________my desk and referred to them____________ the meeting.
Answer: b. beside, during

Question 18:
Rearrange the following words to create most logical and grammatically correct sentence.
Sleeping likes the . midday Katie until on weekends
Answers: Katie likes sleeping until midday on the weekends.

Question 19:
Choose the series of verbs that best completes  the following sentence.
Everyone ____________too busy cooking and __________ the campsite ____________ the family _________ from the woods.
Answers: d. was, setting up, to notice, watching

Question 20:
Choose the series of verbs that best completes  the following sentence.
I find it very hard to remember ______________ letters that are entrusted to me. In fact, I remember _____________to do so dozens of times!
Answer: d. mailing, forgetting

Question 21:
Choose the series of articles and conjunctions that best completes  the following sentence.
Lilacs ___________ violets are usually purple, I have seen some _________ are white.
Answer: c. and, although, that

Questions 22:
Complete the following sentence by choosing the phrase with the best word order from the options given.
Only after they had an exhaustive study__________ how to adapt the technology to the needs of our company.
Answer: c. they did begin to understand

Question 23:
Which of the following sentence illustrates proper use of comma?
a. Randy wanted to end the meeting, but Amy wanted to prolong it.
e. a and b
answer: f. All of the above

Question 24:
Which of the following sentence does NOT illustrates correct verb and tense usage?
Answer: b. Clarabelle’s mother absolutely hated nicknames and always calls her daughter by her full name.

Question 25:
Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
Victor, who stole ____________ ideas and used them  to make _________ a millionaire, never once offered ______________ a world of thanks.
Answer: d. our, himself, us

Question 26:
Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
______________ is the name of the opera, and ___________ role did you say Maria would play?
Answer: c. What, which

Question 27:
Choose the verbs and phrases that best completes the following sentence.
This dish _____________ too spicy. Why ___________ so pepper?
Answer: e. a and c

Question 28:
Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.
Carol has said, “I am responsible for this project.”
Answer: a. Carol has said that she is responsible for this.

Question 29:
Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
Although Marvin said he had the keys___________ the flower pot, we were unable to find them___________ the dark. In the end, we waited for him at the coffee shop ____________the corner.
Answer: a. under, in. around

Question 30:
Complete the following sentence by choosing the phrase with the best word order from the options given.
The excited children who had run toward the loud _______________.
Answer:d. music, told the others about the ice cream truck outside.

Question 31:
Rearrange the following words to create most logical and grammatically correct sentence.
your company name? of what the is
Answer: c. What is the name of your company?

Question 32:
Which of the following sentences NOT punctuated correctly?
a. All of the apple’s at the grocers were rotten so I bought oranges instead.
Answer: b. “Seven canteens full of water should enough for the hike,” said Tabitha.

Question 33:
Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
After realizing that our hosts hadn’t actually invested _________ to ____________ party. ____________ excused ____________ from the table and slipped out the back door.
Answer: a. us, their, we, ourselves.

Question 34:
Which of the following sentences illustrates the proper use of parallel construction?
Answer: b. We painted the conference room yellow, hung a poster on the wall, and are rearranging the chairs.

Question 35:
Which of the following sentence uses correct pronoun usage?
a. to whom are your employees going to report while you’re gone?
Answer: e. All of the above

Question 36:
Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.
The archeologists were_____________ to discover such a __________ and__________ ____________ artifact at that mostly uncovered site.
Answer: b. amazed, rare, incredibly, beautiful

Question 37:
Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.
“I’m not feeling well,” Agatha said.
Answer: a. Agatha has said that she doesn’t feel well.

(Collected)