Regardless whether it will be affecting your home area or not, you’d have to be living under a rock to have missed the recent weather alerts about this tropical monster known as Irene. Hurricane Irene has already caused damages throughout the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Bahamas as well as the British territories of Turks and Caicos Islands. These damages range from street flooding and power outages to fires and severe property damage.

Having moved passed the southeast states of Florida and the Carolinas, and causing some minor damage along the coast – particularly in the form of fierce waves that injured at least 6 people – the storm has set its course for the Northeastern U.S., and meteorologists anticipate it will reach Canada’s eastern coast as well.

Since Irene first appeared on radars as a potential threat to the East Coast states, 677 North American flights have been cancelled and another 3,691 have been delayed. As it approaches the New York metropolitan area, residents unaccustomed to such severe weather alerts have begun to panic.

If your anxiety is growing with each passing weather update, turn off the television and instead take advantage of the resources provided to you through Best of the Web. Whether you’re seeking advice about essential emergency supplies, or simply need a different format in which to absorb the various hurricane alerts, reports, and warnings, the trusted sites listed in the BOTW Directory will be able to address all your questions and worries regarding the impact of Hurricane Irene.

Still concerned? You can also find contact information for local emergency services in your area from listings on BOTW Local to act as additional reassurance for you during this stormy weekend.

Yesterday Hewlett-Packard announced that it will discontinue its line of products running on webOS, the mobile operating system developed by Palm and introduced in January 2009. There is currently speculation about the primary reason behind this change in plans, though it’s safe to say that a combination of strong competition and limited manufacturer compatibility has effectively killed webOS for the time being.

Despite having plans for integrating webOS with Windows for PCs, as announced in March of this year, HP is withdrawing from the consumer PC and mobile device market and willing to license webOS to other interested companies, though none have come forward yet. WebOS is the third mobile operating system that has been aborted this year, leaving consumers wondering which systems (aside from the three major players: Apple, Google, and Microsoft) will still be available when it’s time for their next smartphone upgrade.

The top four major operating systems remaining on the playing field include Android, Blackberry, iOS, and Windows Phone 7. Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS remain the most dominant forces on the market. Despite Google’s patent war with Apple, Microsoft, and Oracle, Android remains the top choice among smartphone users in the United States. Apple is a close second mainly because it lacks the number of manufacturers behind Android. The fate of Windows Phone 7 OS remains as uncertain as it was in 2010, but Microsoft’s deal with Nokia has led many to anticipate a spike in popularity over the next few years. On the other end of the spectrum, RIM’s Blackberry is falling in popularity, easily outshined by competitors due to a failed tablet attempt as well as public discontent expressed by RIM employees.

These trends may speak volumes about the mobile market in 2012, but there is still room for changes along the way. Consumers can stay informed about the latest mobile market trends by checking out reliable, user-friendly sites granted the BOTW seal of approval in categories of the Web Directory dedicated to operating systems and the mobile gadgets to which they are applied.

After much debate and negotiation, yesterday the Senate approved the Budget Control Act to increase the federal debt ceiling. Avoiding defaulting on our federal debt was a matter of crisis for anyone relying on government assistance programs, so while the increased debt ceiling was a necessary measure, there are serious repercussions accompanying the new law.

One provision of this new budget amendment is to increase Pell grant funding by $17 billion, providing more students with financial need with access to higher education. Those ineligible for financial assistance will be taking out federal loans to cover this semester’s tuition as they normally would. What isn’t normal is the loan repayment process, and how it affects graduates.

Today federal interest subsidized student loans do not accrue interest when the borrower is enrolled, or during the “grace period” – 6 months allotted as a reprieve for recent graduates who need to begin careers and relocate to a permanent residence.

Starting next July, however, graduate and continuing professional students accustomed to relying on federal interest subsidized loans to pay for schooling will have to look elsewhere to fund their education. The new law eliminates interest subsidized financing options for graduate-level students, increasing the debt students have upon completing an advanced degree program. All loan repayment incentives – typically the opportunity to lower interest rates or earn a rebate by making on-time payments consistently – are also terminated under this law.

With the increased debt ceiling and shaky economy, it is likely that U.S. federal loans will now be rated as high risk. This means that in addition to having no “grace period” to get on their feet, students will also undertake higher interest rates on private student loans – interest rates that won’t stop accruing regardless of enrollment status.

Those expecting to immediately continue their education into graduate school might now have cause to re-think their plans. While loan payments are still deferred during enrollment in a degree program, those who take advantage of this deferment may find it difficult to pay off interest in the long run.

The upside to such repercussions is that graduate student interests are in the public spot light for the time being.  Ultimately the debt ceiling agreement requires limitations on federal expenses across the board. Students in all degree levels are now holding their breath to hear whether additional legislation set by the Congress committee formed under this law will affect their loans.

Until that legislation is set on November 23, however, they can work to get informed about and prepared for changes to student loans. That’s where Best of the Web comes in. There are countless sites already listed in the Web Directory that aim to inform students about this issue, and soon the Online Degree Directory will expand to feature comprehensive and up-to-date information about student loans among its array of resources for college students. Be sure to check back here for updates about these landmark changes for students – in the resources provided through the Online Degree Directory.