Beta
Beta (UK /ˈbiːtə/ or US /ˈbeɪtə/; uppercase Β, lowercase β, or cursive ϐ; Ancient Greek: βῆτα bḗta or Modern Greek: βήτα víta) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In Ancient Greek, beta represented the voiced bilabial plosive /b/. In Modern Greek, it represents the voiced labiodental fricative /v/. Letters that arose from beta include the Roman letter ⟨B⟩ and the Cyrillic letters ⟨Б⟩ and ⟨В⟩.
Name
Like the names of most other Greek letters, the name of beta was adopted from the acrophonic name of the corresponding letter in Phoenician, which was the common Semitic word *bayt ('house'). In Greek, the name was βῆτα bêta, pronounced [bɛ̂ːta] in Ancient Greek. It is spelled βήτα in modern monotonic orthography, and pronounced [ˈvita]. In US English, the name is pronounced /ˈbeɪtə/, while in British English it is pronounced /ˈbiːtə/.
History
The letter beta was derived from the Phoenician letter beth 
.
The letter Β had the largest number of highly divergent local forms. Besides the standard form (either rounded or pointed, 
), there were forms as varied as 
(Gortyn), 
and 
(Thera), 
(Argos), 
(Melos), 
(Corinth), 
(Megara, Byzantium), 
(Cyclades).
Software release life cycle
A software release life cycle is the sum of the stages of development and maturity for a piece of computer software: ranging from its initial development to its eventual release, and including updated versions of the released version to help improve software or fix bugs still present in the software.
History
Usage of the "alpha/beta" test terminology originated at IBM. As long ago as the 1950s (and probably earlier), IBM used similar terminology for their hardware development. "A" test was the verification of a new product before public announcement. "B" test was the verification before releasing the product to be manufactured. "C" test was the final test before general availability of the product. As software became a significant part of IBM's offerings, the alpha test terminology was used to denote the pre-announcement test and beta test was used to show product readiness for general availability. Martin Belsky, a manager on some of IBM's earlier software projects claimed to have invented the terminology. IBM dropped the alpha/beta terminology during the 1960s, but by then it had received fairly wide notice. The usage of "beta test" to refer to testing done by customers was not done in IBM. Rather, IBM used the term "field test".
Beta (motorcycle manufacturer)
Beta is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer, specialising in off-road motorcycles. Beta are best known for their popular trials bikes. In 2005, they launched a range of enduro motorcycles using KTM engines. In 2010 they launched the new RR series, with a new engine made in-house. Beta motorcycles have been used by world trials champions such as Jordi Tarrés, Dougie Lampkin and Albert Cabestany.
History
Beta has its origins in 1904 as a bicycle manufacturing company named "Società Giuseppe Bianchi", originally based in Florence. The company started making motorcycles in 1948. The name Beta comes from the initials of Enzo Bianchi and Arrigo Tosi, who ran the company at that time. Focusing on two-stroke bikes through the 1950s and 1960s, the company started focusing development and production to off-road motorcycles in the 1970s.
Trials models
Beta have produced motorcycles for observed trials since the early 1980s and are now one of the leading manufacturers. Unlike the Trail and Enduro models, the trials bike have used Beta's own engines.
Unspeakable
Unspeakable may refer to:
Unspeakable (album)
Unspeakable is a 2004 album by American jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, his 22nd album overall and his 17th to be released on the Elektra Nonesuch label.
After several often languorous albums emphasizing country, folk and blues music, Unspeakable was something of a new direction for Frisell, emphasizing R&B/funk rhythms, extensive sampling from unusual vinyl records, and some of Frisell's most dissonant guitar work in years. The album features performances by a core band of Frisell, Hal Willner on sampler and turntables, bassist Tony Scherr, drummer Kenny Wollesen, and percussionist Don Alias. Scherr plays second guitar on one song, and on another the band is joined keyboardist Adam Dorn. Several songs feature a horn section (Steven Bernstein, Briggan Krauss, and Curtis Fowlkes) and/or a small string section (Jenny Scheinman, Eyvind Kang, and Hank Roberts).
Unspeakable won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2005.
Reception
The Allmusic review by Sean Westergaard awarded the album 4.5 stars stating "It's all quite accessible, but fans with delicate ears may be put off by some of the noisier moments on the album, like the keyboard sound on "Stringbean" or the guitar solo on "Old Sugar Bear." Other fans will be delighted to hear such a glorious din on a Bill Frisell record again. After so much of a similar thing, it's just great to hear Frisell being pushed in a new direction (and quite a fun one, at that). Recommended. ".
John Paskievich
John Paskievich (born 1948) is a Ukrainian-Canadian documentary filmmaker and photographer from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Paskievich's 2006 National Film Board of Canada documentary Unspeakable explores stuttering. Paskievich himself stutters and he narrates and participates in the film, which won a special jury prize at the 2006 Whistler Film Festival.
His other directorial credits include My Mother’s Village, in which Paskievich delves into the experience of other Ukrainian-Canadians, The Gypsies of Svinia, If Only I Were an Indian and the Genie Award-winning short film Ted Baryluk's Grocery.
Born in Austria, Paskievich emigrated to Canada at the age of five. He studied at the University of Winnipeg and Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto. An accomplished stills photographer as well as filmmaker, his photographs have been exhibited at prestigious galleries and museums across Canada.
His photographs have also been published in four books: A Place Not Our Own, Waiting for the Ice Cream Man... A Prison Journal, Urban Indians and A Voiceless Song.
Podcasts:
