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Topics - zridling [ switch to compact view ]

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126
The Register to the rescue with a guide to picking a Linux distro:

One of the common complaints about Linux is that there are too many different editions (or “distributions”) to choose from, and only a hardcore nerd can tell them apart.... Well, it's true, but you can safely ignore 99 per cent of them. Welcome to The Register's guaranteed impartiality-free guide. Tomorrow, we'll tell you how to get them, burn them and set them up to dual-boot with Windows and on Wednesday there will be a guide to tweaking your new setup and getting it ready for use.

__________________________
My fav, of course:
OpenSuSE-Red.png
though the Register trashes it.

127
General Software Discussion / OpenOffice at the crossroads
« on: June 21, 2010, 10:39 AM »
Developer Michael Meeks takes a look at the myriad licenses and bad code among the various versions of OpenOffice floating around.

openoffice200-7234852c47cbb723.png

Meeks contends that Novell and IBM have done admirable jobs at making things better, with Sun (now Oracle) controlling the copyrights, developers will only go so far to improve it. Interesting backstory to say the least on why OpenOffice isn't doing better than it is.

OpenOffice.org is a flagship for free and open source software, released under free software licenses and achieving downloads in the hundreds of millions. OO.o is a success by most measurements, but there have long been murmurings of discontent among developers resulting in complaints of "non-responsiveness and lack of leadership" on the project. The argument is not that the project is a failure, but that OpenOffice.org could be so much more, given a less top down approach to project management and a looser rein on developers' ability to get involved.

The code of OpenOffice.org is released under free software licenses but the copyright for all internal and third party contributions are assigned to Oracle/Sun, and the OpenOffice development team within Oracle/Sun dictates the rate of progress.... The most vocal critic of the process has been Novell employee and long time GNOME and OO.o developer, Michael Meeks. Meeks argues that copyright assignment discourages external contributions, and that over zealous control of the project inhibits developer initiative.... Meeks has long contended that OpenOffice.org has failed to attract and keep individual and corporate developers due to "a half-hearted open-source strategy that is not truly 'Open'" and lacks transparency. This has inhibited the potential of OO.o to be "even greater" than it already is.

128
Dan Gillmore says enough is enough and he's checking out of Steve Jobs' pleasure prison:

I realize that I won't persuade the many people who prefer to live in gated communities, believing they can leave any time they wish. But switching costs will only get higher over time for those who choose to live in the Apple ecosystem.

mac-to-linux.jpg

That leaves, for practical purposes, Linux, which is freely available and not controlled by any one company. Linux is anything but a walled garden. It's almost nothing but choice, with all the good and bad that comes with it. Linux comes in all kinds of flavors. Volunteers around the world, who value freedom of choice and the ability to modify what they use, have created an ecosystem of their own -- software based on the concept that you, not Steve Jobs or Steve Ballmer, should have control over what you own.

129
Engadget has a photo gallery of the latest Droid phone. If this stuff keeps up, I might have to spring for one of these in the next few years, or months.

motoroladroidx17.jpg

And I don't talk on the phone! I just use my basic cellphone to call a business and ask their hours, and that's about it. I better rethink this.

130
It's really the massive installed user base of MS Office. To a lesser extent, you might say Google Docs or Zoho, which some businesses are switching to the software for its lower costs and fewer administrative, deployment, and licensing hassles. Odd thing is, if Microsoft beefed up Office Live, it would be a boon for SOHO users.

Microsoft-Office-2010.jpg

That said, if you're an MS Office 2007 user, will you be upgrading to the 2010 (twenty-ten!) version? And if so, which features are compelling enough to do so?

131
What made Total Recall so special was how, for a Hollywood blockbuster, the film was so very smart and at the same time so gratuitous and graphic in all the most offensive ways—F-bombs and body counts earned the film, as the legend goes, an initial X rating. But that's only one reason to love Total Recall, which went on to inspire a TV series, the film Minority Report and a possible remake planned for 2011.

http://scifiwire.com...ns-we-still-love.php

total_recall_skeleton.jpg

The link is complete with film clips and tons of links. I love it. The movie is so bad I can't help but watch it. But then, I'll watch almost any sci-fi movie twice. However, since I can't find DC Cab (1983) on any cable channel, I ordered the cheap DVD. It's not sci-fi, it's just 80s goofy, and I can't get enough.

132
Here's today's anti-Apple story ending by Appsfire founder Ouriel Ohayon, who effectively accuses Apple of not approving its latest update because Apple wants to keep discoverability to itself:

appsfire-letter.png

more...

___________________________
Well at least we know where developers stand with Apple (under their feet). Still, I really don't want AOL, Microsoft, Apple, Google, AT&T, or [name your corporation] controlling access. I'm thinking back to that 1984 Macintosh commercial and what a lie it is now. I'm sure if Steve Jobs watched the commercial now, he'd say: "Whatever."

133
linux-kernel261_big02.jpg

Amanda McPherson, marketing and developer programs VP at the Linux Foundation recently released a paper, Estimating the Total Development Cost of a Linux Distribution, in which she estimated that it would cost $1.4 billion for a company to build the Linux kernel from scratch today, and $10.8 billion to build an entire Linux distribution similar to Fedora 9.

Will we ever see another new OS in the next 25 years?
___________________________________
http://eftu.co.cc/co...ee-what-value-linux/

134
Google's Chrome browser is updated to its Stable 5 version and there are some welcome changes for Linux and Mac users.

googlechrome50stable.png

  • Tabs have more flexibility -- dragging to the desktop automatically opens the site in the new window, or you can drag it back to the original window without interruption.
  • Bookmarks are managed in a humane and sane way now with a simple file manager/folder view.
  • You can synchronize both bookmarks and browser preferences across multiple PCs.
  • And of course, it gets even faster, which is great considering I had to downgrade my ISP service recently.

For Linux users, refresh your Google repository (http://dl.google.com...ux/rpm/stable/x86_64) or download here. (If you're on another platform, I'm sure your browser will point you correctly from here. With all the available comparable extensions, I've left Firefox behind for now.

135
Developer's Corner / How to get rejected from the App Store
« on: June 04, 2010, 09:16 AM »
Neil McAllister thinks he's figured out how.

appstore2010.jpg

It seems as if a week doesn't pass without a new story of some app being rejected from Apple's iPhone App Store. Should developers really be surprised? Steve Jobs never wanted third-party developers tinkering with his platform in the first place -- he thought Safari-based Web apps would be enough. Little wonder, then, that when Apple launched the App Store in 2008, it was under strict conditions.

Still, it'd be nice for Apple to make those conditions clear. Apple has been tinkering with the language of its iPhone SDK license agreement lately, but that hasn't done much to clarify the rules -- unless you're Adobe. For everyone else, the App Store's requirements seem as vague and capricious as ever.

So let's try to tally the score. There's no guarantee that anyone's app will be accepted, but as near as I can tell, here are a few things you can do to get you booted off the App Store
....



136
steve-jobs-by-dylanroscover.jpg

What a difference a decade makes... well sort of, if you believe Apple's funny-money accounting methods. Microsoft stockholders are calling for Steve Ballmer to be replaced as the U.S. Justice Department investigates Apple. Anyone else sick of hearing about ipad, itouch, ipod till ipuke?

137
Or this Guardian article on Steve Jobs could be titled: First Class arrogant control freak or brilliant visionary?

Predictably, his argument for freedom is a list of "freedom from...."

starwars-pope8.jpg
(pic not related)

Oy. My own feelings were expertly stolen and posted here. I'm off to watch something slightly less annoying, like another Match.com ad!

138
Developer's Corner / 11 Best Programming Authors
« on: May 11, 2010, 05:10 PM »
David Intersimone over at ComputerWorld lays out his best authors (with links) from a programmer's perspective based on:

  • Their body of written and presented work - books, articles and presentations
  • Their contributions to programming's state-of-the-art
  • Specific books that "stand the test of time"
  • Their involvement in our craft and industry
  • If I'll read anything they publish
  • The person (many that I've met and some I wish I could meet).

They include:
  • Kent Beck
  • Jon Bentley
  • Grady Booch, Ivar Jacobson and Jim Rumbaugh
  • Frederick P. Brooks, Jr.
  • Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister
  • Edsger W. Dijkstra
  • Martin Fowler
  • Watts S. Humphrey
  • Donald E. Knuth
  • Bjarne Stroustrup
  • Peter Coad and Ed Yourdon

139
Living Room / In the "What the Hell?" department...
« on: April 29, 2010, 07:59 AM »
video_games_pin.jpg

The Boy Scouts now have a merit badge for video gaming. Baden Powell is crying in his grave.

Add your own outrage if the emotion hits.

140
MarcMaiffret_270x403.png
_____________________________________
Surprisingly frank.

141
General Software Discussion / Windows 8 Requests
« on: April 02, 2010, 01:39 AM »
Windows8_Logo.jpg

It might get noticed by someone, and it's never too early in the beta stage to ask for your most requested change or improvement in the next version of Windows.

Mine? End sudden forced reboots by Windows Update's autoupdates.

142
via rob weir:

document-freedom-odf.jpg

Today is Document Freedom Day.  In the five years since Open Document Format (ODF) first was approved in OASIS we have certainly made progress, but there is still work remaining to be done.  How will we know when we have arrived?  At what point can we declare victory and say “Free at last”?  I think that when we  can agree that all of the following statements are true, then at that point we have achieved the substantial benefits of document freedom.

  • I can create documents on the platform of my choice, using the software of my choice.
  • I can migrate to another editing environment (application or operating system) without losing high-fidelity access to my existing documents.
  • I can send my documents to anyone and know that they can read them without requiring the purchase of new software.
  • I can receive documents from anyone and know that I can read them without requiring the purchase of new software.
  • I have confidence that the documents I create today can be read and understood, 10, 25 or 50 years from now.
  • Programmers can write and distribute software that reads and writes documents without paying royalties to anyone.
  • I have confidence that the document format standard is being evolved in a way that guarantees the above rights equally for all users and vendors.

143
Tim O'Reilly talks about the State of the Internet Operating System in a must-read post.

connected-world111.jpg

"Ask yourself for a moment, what is the operating system of a Google or Bing search? What is the operating system of a mobile phone call? What is the operating system of maps and directions on your phone? What is the operating system of a tweet?

"On a standalone computer, operating systems like Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux manage the machine's resources, making it possible for applications to focus on the job they do for the user. But many of the activities that are most important to us today take place in a mysterious space between individual machines. Most people take for granted that these things just work, and complain when the daily miracle of instantaneous communications and access to information breaks down for even a moment.

"But whichever technique is being used, the application is relying on network-available facilities, not just features of your phone itself. And increasingly, it's hard to claim that all of these intertwined features are simply an application, even when they are provided by a single company, like Google. Keep following the plot. What mobile app (other than casual games) exists solely on the phone? Virtually every application is a network application, relying on remote services to perform its function.

"Where is the "operating system" in all this? Clearly, it is still evolving. Applications use a hodgepodge of services from multiple different providers to get the information they need.

"But how different is this from PC application development in the early 1980s, when every application provider wrote their own device drivers to support the hodgepodge of disks, ports, keyboards, and screens that comprised the still emerging personal computer ecosystem? Along came Microsoft with an offer that was difficult to refuse: We'll manage the drivers; all application developers have to do is write software that uses the Win32 APIs, and all of the complexity will be abstracted away.

"It was. Few developers write device drivers any more.  That is left to device manufacturers, with all the messiness hidden by "operating system vendors" who manage the updates and often provide generic APIs for entire classes of device. Those vendors who took on the pain of managing complexity ended up with a powerful lock-in. They created the context in which applications have worked ever since.

"This is the crux of my argument about the internet operating system. We are once again approaching the point at which the Faustian bargain will be made: simply use our facilities, and the complexity will go away. And much as happened during the 1980s, there is more than one company making that promise."

144
MG Siegler writes: it’s now a question of when Apple will pass Microsoft in value, not if. Looks like the iPad will put it over the top. Turns out that [for now] gadgets, not software is where the cash is.

apple-ipad-tablet-ebook-420x0.jpg

Because of it's proprietary/DRM nature, cost, and the fact that it doesn't yet mow the yard, I still won't be getting one until the desktop is outlawed.
______________________________________
PS: Isn't it time Apple paid Microsoft that $150mn lifeline of cash it threw its way back in the mid-90s?

145
Living Room / Facebook 'linked to rise in syphilis'
« on: March 24, 2010, 10:28 PM »
"A Facebook spokesman said: users should "take precautions" and be careful when meeting up with anyone they have met online."
http://www.telegraph...ise-in-syphilis.html



Who knew that banging just anyone wouldn't be totally safe?  :P (picture unrelated; I just liked it)

146
Living Room / 50 Places Linux is Running That You Might Not Expect
« on: March 24, 2010, 02:39 AM »
Far from being a fringe OS, here are 50 Places Linux is Running That You Might Not Expect divided by categories.

Amazoncom.jpg

147
hreula.jpg

Even if you never use Windows nor want to, Dell will not enable your legal Microsoft refund of Win7.

"By using the software, you accept these terms," it reads. "If you do not accept them, do not use the software. Instead, return it to the retailer for a refund or credit." UK-based school teacher Adam Drake recently tried the same Windows rejection trick. But his effort to secure a refund was in turn rejected by Dell. According to a company support rep, Drake was not entitled to a refund because his copy of Windows 7 was included with his machine for free. "The one that was charged to you is just for shipping and handling so that means you got the Windows 7 for free," the rep says. Presumably, the rep is mistaking Drake's copy of Windows 7 - which came preloaded on his system - with the Windows 7 upgrade kit that OEMs provided with Windows XP system around the time of the new OS's launch last fall. Drake made multiple efforts to convince her that the OS actually costs money and that he was indeed entitled to a refund.
__________________________
Ah, yes. This is the reason I don't buy commercial vendor systems. Even if I'm honest and agree not to use the software, I still have to pay as though I will use it. Go figure.

148
Living Room / 35 Beautiful Photography Websites
« on: March 16, 2010, 11:45 PM »
Smashing Magazine posted an incredible list of 35 Beautiful Photography Websites.

photosites36.jpg

I'll add that one of my favs for large photojournalism is the Boston Globe's Big Picture site. The web may be bad for print newspapers, but it's been a boon for photography.

149
Living Room / Society Doesn't Know How To Deal with Abundance
« on: March 11, 2010, 11:47 PM »
via techdirt:
imageskeep-to-right.jpg

Abundance breaks more things than scarcity does. Society knows how to react to scarcity.

[Critics] claim that content creators and the like shouldn't even try to shift over to the new models while the old models still have some life in them or while the new models aren't really well proven. There's this belief that they can hang onto the old, and gradually add some elements of the new, and then eventually make the jump. But, what Shirky points out more eloquently than I ever could, is that much of the new stuff is really incompatible and very much in conflict with the old. If giving away your content increases new opportunities, how do you square that with an old business model that was built entirely around the scarcity of content?

No one doubts that this is difficult, and at times requires a big leap of faith. But there's no question that there are many things today that are abundant, where they used to be scarce. And that presents a huge challenge. Yet, time and time again, we've seen that when something becomes abundant it is not a bad thing -- but an opportunity to do something even larger. It's just that it's incredibly difficult to do that if you're still hanging on to the old ways.

____________________
Clay Shirky makes some good points on key issues concerning content "creators" using an analog/20th Century business model: their last best hope is to expand copyright to the point of making as many things illegal as possible, criminalizing common behaviors. There's too much content, too much freedom online, and too many people creating content for them to make money in their old analog economic models.

150
Sarah Perez reports on Apple's claims against Flash and compares the two. She also gets to the crux of the matter here:

flash-vs-html5-apple.png

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