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7226

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by 40hz on July 27, 2011, 06:48 AM »

@tsaint -

7227

Living Room / Re: Android tablets to rival iPad

« Last post by 40hz on July 26, 2011, 01:18 PM »

I'm actually holding out for HP's webOS and TouchPad.

Primarily because of what they're doing to make life as easy and profitable as possible for developers. They have understandable and sane developer's licensing, good software tools, support for OpenSource partnering, and a very fair (70% to developer) revenue sharing schedule. Details here.

Best of all, just about anybody who wants in can do so easily - and for free. Compare that to what you need to go through (and put up with) to be an iOS developer.

Maybe 1984 wasn't "just like 1984."



But 2011 could well be if Apple has anything to say about it.

7228

General Software Discussion / Re: Google Apps vs. MS Office 365: Your Choice

« Last post by 40hz on July 26, 2011, 12:45 PM »

Having tried both services, I think Microsoft's offering has the best chance of success at this point.

That being said, there's still several issues that need to be addressed before I'd say "greenlight" on Microsoft's cloud initiative.

Security is, and will be, an ongoing concern. Just because something hasn't been hacked doesn't mean it won't be hacked in the future. And that applies to both cloud services and privately held server farms. It's a little too early to make a judgment call, but I think these cloud services will be at least as secure as the average businesses servers are. Actually, when I look at the relatively poor state of security I've seen with many SMB client's networks, out-of-the-box security will likely be better with cloud services. Security is the biggest single objection I'm seeing in businesses that are considering cloud solutions. Part of it is a perception issue - but there's also very legitimate and real security concerns about these services as they're currently set up.

Cloud is cloud - which means it's heavily dependent on your Internet connection and its quality of service. So the success of cloud solution deployments will be a double-edged sword. I expect most "business class" on-ramp connection's QoS to be acceptable initially - then get bad as more and more companies pile on - then get good again as major ISPs and Telcos accept cloud services here to stay and upgrade their infrastructure to accommodate them. (Remember what happened with AOL when it first got really popular?) Right now this is the weakest link in the chain and the biggest potential source of grief once "cloud" catches on.

All this aside, there are some huge advantages to going with cloud for many SMBs - once it's working, the worries about security are  addressed, and there are assurances you can get adequate bandwidth and QoS for your connection into it. But you can read all about that in the sales literature and on the provider's websites so I won't recap it here.



Gonna be "fun" no matter what you choose. And a rocky road no matter what.

This is definitely a technology where you don't want to be an "early adopter" unless you absolutely have to.

--------
Note: For the record - 40hz is a Microsoft Partner. This allows him to be better informed about Microsoft than he would otherwise be were he not. But this relationship does not "buy" his opinions. Nor does being a MS Partner influence his recommendations to clients (or friends) about any technology, service, or software. He often recommends and implements FOSS solutions for his clients whenever they make sense or save money. So there!

7229

Living Room / Re: Downloadsquad shutting down - Another one bites the dust

« Last post by 40hz on July 26, 2011, 05:29 AM »

Browserscene hasn't been updated in over a month.. anyone has any clues to what had happened?

• http://www.browserscene.com/

-lanux128 (July 25, 2011, 11:00 PM)

I did a little web crawling. But didn't find any relevant news or info. So I emailed Lee Mathews directly and asked what's up. Hopefully I'll hear back from him.

I'll post if I do.

7230

Living Room / Re: AWOL

« Last post by 40hz on July 25, 2011, 02:56 AM »

It's great to see you back here. 

7231

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Digital Painting/texture creation software bundle

« Last post by 40hz on July 24, 2011, 01:08 PM »

Looks like it really is legit. Amazing. A real bargain!

This from Pixarra:

Hello,

Yes this is a valid offer and Pixarra is taking part in this bundled offer with a slightly older version of TwistedBrush Pro Studio. The version of TwistedBrush Pro Studio included with the package is 16.28. The very latest version of TwistedBrush is 18.07. However, this is still a fantastic offer and once licensed for TwistedBrush you can move up to the latest version at the upgrade priced directly with us.

Let me know if you other questions.

Best Regards,

Ken Carlino
Pixarra

7232

General Software Discussion / Re: Any Software that would record the Activity in a PC !

« Last post by 40hz on July 24, 2011, 12:25 PM »

Set up a separate user account for your friends with limited privileges.
It won't prevent every problem guests can cause. But it will prevent most of them. 

7233

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Digital Painting/texture creation software bundle

« Last post by 40hz on July 24, 2011, 09:56 AM »

^Well that makes more sense. Offering older versions of priducts at a steep discount with no eligibility for upgrade pricing is a fairly common offer. 

7234

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Digital Painting/texture creation software bundle

« Last post by 40hz on July 23, 2011, 11:13 PM »

Yeah. Something feels a little shaky. Oddly enough it's that "4% to charity" that really strikes me as strange. Almost feels like window dressing although I may be just getting a little too cynical.

I suppose one thing you could try is to contact some of the allegedly participating software publishers (with the link) and ask them if they can confirm the legitimacy this offer.

If it's on the level it's a really good deal. But it does sound almost too good.

------------
Update:

I sent a quick email to a few of the companies listed asking them to confirm if they're in on this offer. I'll post when/if I hear back from them.

7235

Developer's Corner / Re: Google Go

« Last post by 40hz on July 23, 2011, 10:44 PM »

"Old-guard" college professors! Jeez...

-40hz (July 23, 2011, 08:26 AM)

Sounds like a profoundly unhappy person. You'd think that a normal person would appreciate the creativity and thought put into that.

-Renegade (July 23, 2011, 09:45 PM)

Dunno. Seemed like a pretty happy guy. Quite pleased with himself actually...

But what can you expect from somebody who went back to this era of computer geekhood:



White shirt, skinny black necktie, pocket-protector (for staff), MontBlanc fountain pen (for managers)...his idea of daring was not wearing a tie to work. He was the classic "computer person" if ever there was one. I'd swear they based the stereotype on him.

He also wore his hair in a truly demonic 50's era flat-top:

  (this is not him BTW although this guy could pass as his twin)

when the norm for hair was more like this...

  (this is not us either)

But he actually wasn't a bad guy. Damn good instructor. Knew his stuff inside out - and could actually teach it. (That's a pretty rare talent based on my experience at college.)

It's just he had absolutely no sense of humor when it came to programming. I guess it was something that was very important to him.

I was saddened when I read of his passing away some years ago.

7236

Developer's Corner / Re: Google Go

« Last post by 40hz on July 23, 2011, 08:26 AM »

I really wish people would stop screwing around and being complete friggin' idiots developing new languages that nobody wants or needs.

-Renegade (July 23, 2011, 07:21 AM)

What? And deprive our Renegade of so many ranting opportunities?

(Kidding! )



-------

Love that link BTW.  

When I was in college I took a CS language course where we had to design and build a simple interpreter for our own computer language. (Note: I discovered the real challenge is getting the parser right.) My language was called TWIT. (That's What I Thought). Most of the system responses were slangy "laid back" expressions which were intended to be amusing.

My professor (formerly of SperryRand) was not amused. Despite the fact it worked, I still got a C+. (Lowest grade I ever got in my entire academic career. Bummer!) His note under the grade said: You would have gotten an B+ or maybe an A- had you taken my assignment more seriously!!!

"Old-guard" college professors! Jeez...

Used to think it was just an academic exercise since we "pros" all knew that interpreters were for babies. Real serious production code was COMPILED! Or so I thought until people started doing things like Perl, pHp, and Python - and started making some serious money off them.

Hindsight's always 20-20 right?

Onward!

7237

Living Room / Re: Yet Another Help-Me-Build-a-New-Computer Thread

« Last post by 40hz on July 23, 2011, 07:19 AM »

Actually, that was a smart move. The onboard GPU+i7 combo is a decent choice. I've seen similar systems in action and the graphics were (to my eyes) quite nice.

You can always throw in a separate video card later on if you want more - if additional $$$ becomes available. In the meantime, the primary goal of getting something good, within the budget, (and more importantly) now has been achieved.

Keep us posted and maybe put up a picture or two?

7238

Developer's Corner / Re: Google Go

« Last post by 40hz on July 23, 2011, 07:11 AM »

Ok, Go is now 'real' according to Heise Online's H-Open website (link here)

Now everyone can use Google's Go language on the company's App Engine cloud platform as the company has announced that the Go runtime, which has been in development since it was announced at Google I/O, is now generally available. Developers who have been creating Go-based applications can publish them using the latest version of the App Engine SDK.

Looks like Google is quite serious about this project after all. 

7239

General Software Discussion / Another one 'bytes' the dust

« Last post by 40hz on July 22, 2011, 04:27 PM »

Here's a bit of bad (or good depending on who you talk to) news being reported over at the Phoronix website:

Oracle Just Bought Out Ksplice
Posted by Michael Larabel on July 21, 2011

Oracle's latest acquisition is that of Ksplice Inc, the company behind the software to apply updates to the Linux kernel in real-time without requiring a system reboot or other downtime. "Never Reboot Linux For Security Updates," as Ksplice says.

Ksplice works on an unmodified stock Linux kernel and functions by examining a unified diff and the original Linux kernel source code, then analyzing that compared to the running kernel to be able to update the areas of the kernel where the security update resides. Processes are automatically turned off while loading the new kernel code into system memory and then automatically resumed afterwards. Ksplice is mainly targeted for enterprise environments where downtime must be at a minimum and security updates are critical.

Up to now, Ksplice has been offered for free to Ubuntu and Fedora users while a product subscription is required for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, etc. Oracle is looking to use Ksplice to bolster its Oracle Linux operating system and to make Oracle Ksplice part of their Oracle Linux Premier Support program.

Link to full article here.


This is the letter Oracle sent out to its customers (emphasis added):

Dear Oracle Customer,

On July 21, 2011, Oracle announced that it has acquired Ksplice, Inc., the creator of innovative zero downtime update technology for Linux. The transaction has closed. Ksplice's management and its highly-regarded team of engineers bring significant domain expertise to Oracle.

Ksplice was founded in 2008 and since the launch of the Ksplice service in 2010, the customer base has grown to over 700 companies. Today, organizations across many industries including High Tech, Public Sector, Utilities, and Media and Entertainment continue to use Ksplice for its unique ability to apply software updates without rebooting. Ksplice Uptrack is a subscription service that lets customers apply kernel updates without rebooting.

The combination of Ksplice technology and Oracle Linux Premier Support is expected to be the only enterprise Linux provider that can offer zero downtime updates, and Oracle plans to make the Ksplice technology a standard feature of Oracle Linux Premier Support. Customers are also expected to be able to introduce and remove diagnostic patches without business disruption and make Oracle Linux easier to manage and more secure, Ksplice technology is expected to improve the uptime of Oracle Linux based environments.

Oracle Linux Premier Support Customers:
As the feature is made available, Oracle Linux premier support customers will get immediate access at no additional cost to their subscription.

Oracle Linux Basic or Network Support Customers:
By upgrading to Oracle Linux premier support you will gain immediate access when the feature is made available.

Oracle does not plan to support the use of Ksplice technology with Red Hat Enterprise Linux or SUSE Enterprise Linux. The Oracle Linux Premier Support subscription applies to Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel.

To learn more about the proposed combination of Oracle and Ksplice, please visit oracle.com/ksplice.

We appreciate your continued support.

Sincerely,

Wim Coekaerts
Senior Vice President
Oracle Linux and Virtualization


This document is for informational purposes only and may not be incorporated into a contract or agreement.

Oracle is currently reviewing the existing Ksplice product roadmap and will be providing guidance to customers in accordance with Oracle's standard product communication policies. Any resulting features and timing of release of such features as determined by Oracle's review of Ksplice's product roadmap are at the sole discretion of Oracle.

All product roadmap information, whether communicated by Ksplice or by Oracle, does not represent a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in making a purchasing decision. It is intended for information purposes only, and may not be incorporated into any contract.

Expect to see this wunderutility pulled from general distribution very shortly.

Also be interesting to see if the USTPO grants either of the two pending patent applications Ksplice Inc. (Oracle now!) filed (1,2) for the methodology used by their product.

I can see the trolls salivating already...

7240

Living Room / Re: Why Are Hackers Becoming So Angry?

« Last post by 40hz on July 22, 2011, 03:57 PM »

It is, in reality, the people that are angry.

-Stoic Joker (July 22, 2011, 11:33 AM)

I think Stoic hits on an important point here.

One of the reasons why enforcement actions are having so little impact (at least so far) is because there is a lot of popular support for many of Anonymous' activities.

I think it's particularly telling when so many otherwise law-abiding people aren't moved to absolute outrage by most of these "hacking" and media "piracy" behaviors. Or at least not as much as those in power might wish.

I've been told the only differences between a traitor, a rebel, and a revolutionary are:

• who you asked
• whether or not they were successful
• and the amount of popular support they received regardless of the outcome

I think a clear message is being sent. The people are getting fed up with paid-for government 'representatives' passing industry-drafted laws rather than representing the interests of the people who elected them. So even though most people would not normally condone the activities of movements like Anonymous, many of their pranks (and that's really what they are since their chief intent is to embarrass rather than bring about direct change) still bring a smile to the lips of people who would otherwise condemn such behaviors.

And that's a dangerous thing if you're in power. Because it's only one small step away from the general public deciding that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" - even if they don't completely condone the actions of so-called hackers and pirates.

Anonymous is a symptom of a much large problem. It is not the problem itself...

To borrow a phrase attributed to Rasputin: Let those with wit to understand this - understand this.

7241

Living Room / Re: Why Are Hackers Becoming So Angry?

« Last post by 40hz on July 22, 2011, 08:01 AM »

Whenever people come to the realization that they are being denied due process and equal protection under the same laws they are ordered to obey, their only recourse is to either reform the system they live under - or rebel against it.

Since much of our current legal system is bought and paid for by special interests, it has become difficult (bordering on impossible) for the system to reform itself through the mechanisms that were instituted for it to do so.

As a result, people are seeking champions - and taking the law into their own hands.

This should come as no surprise to anybody in the Unites States, least of all its leaders. Because there's a historic precedent for it here. It's something every school child learns:

...Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Some of these government officials and sworn officers of the court (see below) need a refresher course.  

 

7242

Living Room / Re: Yet Another Help-Me-Build-a-New-Computer Thread

« Last post by 40hz on July 21, 2011, 05:06 PM »

Maximum had a build you might want to take a look at:

How to Build a Kick-Ass Gaming Rig for Under $700

This might not be quite as heavy-duty as you're looking for. But the selections and rationales were quite interesting to read.

Personally, I would definitely spend the small amount extra and opt for an i5-2500 CPU over an i3. I'd also get an ATX rather than a mini-ATX mobo for better expansion options.

For RAM I favor Crucial Memory over all the other memory merchants. Never once had hassles with their products. Good tech support and advice. And they do stand behind what they sell. Viking and Patriot are also good choices.

I'll chime in a bit more as the discussion develops.

 

7243

Living Room / Re: FBI Arrests 12 in 'anonymous' raids

« Last post by 40hz on July 21, 2011, 04:50 PM »

High heels?

-40hz (July 21, 2011, 02:29 PM)

40, I'm ashamed of you ... they go with the FBI jacket (founder of the FBI was a rumored cross dresser...)

-Stoic Joker (July 21, 2011, 03:59 PM)

<*headsmack*> Yes, I do seem to recall hearing that now that I think about it.

So in keeping with the Fawkes/V theme, all I can say is:



 

7244

Living Room / Re: FBI Arrests 12 in 'anonymous' raids

« Last post by 40hz on July 21, 2011, 02:29 PM »

High heels?

7245

General Software Discussion / Re: How necessary is the UAC in Windows 7?

« Last post by 40hz on July 21, 2011, 10:18 AM »

I don't see any compelling reason to install an XP VM.  I might add that I'd like to keep this computer as lean as possible (a challenge, since I'm a software nut   ).

-cyberdiva (July 21, 2011, 08:41 AM)

Maybe not an XP VM just for Dreamweaver. But you might want to consider installing something like the more versatile VirtualBox if you're a software nut. Why settle for just one OS when you can have several? That would allow you to set up virtually any host environment you want to test any software that catches your fancy. And without running the risk of screwing up your machine. Just let the clock toll midnight, so to speak, and your snazzy VM turns back into a pumpkin. No harm done - no matter what.

Lots to like.  

7246

Living Room / Re: "We're Alive" - Online Radio Show Drama

« Last post by 40hz on July 21, 2011, 09:56 AM »

Quick addenda to Pioneer One: be sure to check out the blog. They have some interesting things to say about the show and how it gets put together. Excellent resource for anyone interested in the process of developing a series like this. Even more valuable for anyone who wants to follow in their footsteps with a fan-sourced creative effort of their own.

Considering the generally dismal programming coming out of TV Land, I strongly suspect this approach to doing an independent series is going to become The Way anything that's worth watching gets made in the not too distant future.
 

7247

Living Room / Re: FBI Arrests 12 in 'anonymous' raids

« Last post by 40hz on July 21, 2011, 06:46 AM »

But when it happens here the antidisestablishmentarians come out in force and start harrumphing about why lines can't get toed.

-Stoic Joker (July 20, 2011, 05:14 PM)

Wow! Used in a real SENTENCE~! 

-Renegade (July 20, 2011, 10:32 PM)

Oh yeah! Stoic can be scary like that at times...

7248

Living Room / Re: FBI Arrests 12 in 'anonymous' raids

« Last post by 40hz on July 21, 2011, 06:25 AM »

I would like to add a third rule to the above:

#3 Hardware/infrastructure -- Don't ever use your own.

-Renegade (July 20, 2011, 10:32 PM)

Really. That's what things like swap meet laptops, wifite, and all the other aircrack tools are for.

These guys are supposed to be 1337 haX0rs?  

7249

Living Room / Re: FBI Arrests 12 in 'anonymous' raids

« Last post by 40hz on July 20, 2011, 03:48 PM »

How's that song go? Four dead in O-hi-o...

-Stoic Joker (July 20, 2011, 03:18 PM)

For me it was more like:

I heat up
I cool down
Something gets in my way I go around it
Don't let life get me down
Gonna take it the way that I found it...

You say that life is a circle
But that ain't the way that I found it
Oh...Gonna move in a straight line
Keeping my feet firmly on the ground

I heat up
I cool down
I got words in my head so I sing them
Don't let life get me down
I can't hold onto the blues - so I play them

(with thx to Ms. Kiki Dee)

7250

Living Room / Re: FBI Arrests 12 in 'anonymous' raids

« Last post by 40hz on July 20, 2011, 03:38 PM »

I do still enjoy ranting at odd angles. The constant hype these days just gets to me.

-Stoic Joker (July 20, 2011, 03:18 PM)

Me too. We should start a club...