Ubuntu, Now More Popular than Windows XP!

Ubuntu has finally eclipsed Windows XP in terms of popularity. --That is according to the most recent data from Google Trends. See graph below:

You may say that Windows XP is too old that’s why it’s losing its appeal and is going downhill. So how about we will compare Ubuntu with the fresh Windows Vista:

Or with the upcoming Windows 7:

These statistics from Google Trends are another solid proof that Ubuntu is key to Linux mainstream adoption. Let’s just hope that majority of those who searched for “Ubuntu” in Google were actually using Linux or would end up using Linux for good.

Boot Speed War: Xubuntu 9.04 vs. Fedora 10 vs. PCLinuxOS 2009

The freshly released Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope" is said to have significantly improved its boot speed. So I got curious and decided to compare its boot performance to Fedora 10 and PCLinuxOS 2009.

I did the test by installing the three distributions through Parallels Desktop virtual machine utilizing the same configuration on my Mac (Macbook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo). Note that I decided to use Xubuntu to give some variation on desktop environment as we already have GNOME in F10 and KDE in PCLOS 2009.

To measure the boot speed, I started the timer immediately after GRUB, and then stopped it until the desktop has loaded completely.

Now if you are ready for our boot speed war, see the clips below:

Xubuntu 9.04 boots in 54.71 seconds!



PCLinuxOS 2009 boots in 56.01 seconds!



Fedora 10 boots in 69.27 seconds!

Xubuntu 9.04 won, but only by a slim margin against PCLOS 2009. I was surprised to see Fedora 10 as being the slowest to boot among the three.

Additional Info (Key Virtual Machine Configuration):
VM Memory: 512 MB
VM Hard Disk: 8 GB
CPU: 1

Weekly Ten (4-27-2009)

10 Latest News, Blogs, Tips, and Reviews that I find Interesting and Useful:

1. Wolfram|Alpha: Our First Impressions
The hype around Wolfram|Alpha, the next "Google killer" from the makers of Mathematica, has been building over the last few weeks. Today, we were lucky enough to attend a one-hour web demo with Stephen Wolfram, and from what we've seen, it definitely looks like it can live up to the hype - though, because it is so different from traditional search engines, it will definitely not be a "Google killer."
More @ ReadWriteWeb

2. Pirate Bay IP Addresses Assigned to Prosecution Lawyers
The Pirate Bay recently got a new range of IPs and to everyone’s surprise they are now linked to several movie and music industry lawyers involved in the TPB trial. According to the Pirate Bay’s Wikipedia entry the change was due to a hostile takeover, but most people know better.
More @ TorrentFreak

3. Engineering a healthier diet
Back in 2007, the cafes at our Mountain View campus started color-coding menu items according to healthfulness. The healthiest items are colored green ("go ahead, pile it on!"), foods you should portion-control are yellow, and foods you should eat sparingly -- in the words of my favorite recently reformed blue monster, "sometimes foods" -- are red.
More @ Googleblog

4. Exercising to space invaders

More @ HackaDay

5. Great Linux Scripting Hacks From LinuxPlanet
Having some scripting skills opens up a whole new world of creativity and time-saving hacks. In Linux, UNIX, Free/Open/Net/BSD, and other UNIX-type operating systems the command shell and scripting tools are fundamental parts of the operating system.
More @ LinuxToday

6. Building Bridges with the U.S. Intelligence Community
About three weeks before the start of the Russia-Georgia war last August, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a directive entitled “Analytic Outreach”. In it, DNI McConnell authorized members of the 16 agencies that comprise the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) to reach out to people outside the IC, “to explore ideas and alternate perspectives, gain new insights, generate new knowledge, or obtain new information.”
More @ OreillyRadar

7. Microsoft, R.I.P.
I've long thought it funny when Microsoft-fans would tell me how Linux, open-source, the Mac, whatever would never be important because Microsoft products were clearly better. Now, everyone can get on the joke as Microsoft's earnings plummeted in the last quarter by over 30%.
More @ PCWorld.com

8. Samsung I7500 with OLED touchscreen powered by Android, dreams

More @ Engadget

9. Apple reaches 1 billion app mark at rate of 5.5 million per day
The Cupertino, Calif.-based electronics giant confirmed the event shortly before 5PM Eastern time on Thursday, but as of this writing hadn't announced the name of the customer who downloaded the 1 billionth app or the download in question.
More @ AppleInsider

10. Top 10 Life Changing Beatles Performances
The impact of the Beatles has often been noted but cannot be overstated. The “Fab Four” from Liverpool, England, startled the ears and energized the lives of virtually all who heard them. Their arrival triggered the musical revolution of the Sixties, introducing a modern sound and viewpoint that parted ways with the world of the previous decade.
More @ ListVerse

Humor: Famous Geeks Make Babies With Hollywood Celebrities

What if Free Software icon Richard M. Stallman got married with Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie and had a child? What will their baby look like? I know most of you out there are curious so let’s find out with the help of this interesting website called makemebabies.com. –-They have the technology to generate images of future babies by combining photos.

Before you go on, do take note that these are all for fun and should not be taken seriously. Now let’s make babies with some of the famous geeks paired with some of the hottest Hollywood celebrities:

Richard M. Stallman:

With Angelina Jolie...


With Britney...


With Halle Berry...



Bill Gates:

With Angelina Jolie...


With Britney...


With Halle Berry...



Steve Jobs:

With Angelina Jolie...


With Britney...


With Halle Berry...



Linus Torvalds:

With Angelina Jolie...


With Britney...


With Halle Berry...

UPDATE: A fan of Steve Ballmer emailed us and wanted his idol to make babies with Hollywood celebrities too. So let’s give him a chance folks by pairing Ballmer with the beautiful Paris Hilton. Here’s the result:

15 Beautiful Ubuntu GDM Themes

GDM or GNOME Display Manager will easily allow users to fully customize the login screen theme without having to use the command line.

There are tons of ready-made, user-submitted GDM themes available that we can just download and effortlessly install. In celebration of Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope's release, I’ve collected some of the most beautiful GDM themes for Ubuntu enthusiasts to appreciate:

Ubuntu Black

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ubuntu Sky

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Underground Ubuntu

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ubuntu Wood

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ubuntu Leaf

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ubuntu Blue

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ubuntu Metal

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ubuntu Nuovum

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ubuntu V-TEC

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ubuntu 3D

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ubuntu Rust

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Energy Bliss

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ubuntu Professional

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Ubuntu NextG

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Dark Ubuntu Aurora

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Download Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope" Faster

The final and stable version of Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope" is about to be unleashed. So expect another server-clogging release day, as excited Ubuntu enthusiasts from around the world will simultaneously download their favorite Linux distro.

For those of you who want to get Ubuntu 9.04 as quickly as possibly once it is out, I have here some tips on how to avoid congestion and in effect put less amount of strain on Ubuntu servers.

Upgrade:

For those who wish to upgrade, utilize an apt mirror and choose the best server by opening Synaptic Package Manager, and then navigate to open "Software Sources" window. Or, you can go to:

System -> Administration -> Software Sources


Under "Ubuntu Software" tab and inside the "Download from" drop-down menu, select "Other..."

You will then be prompted to choose a download server. Click on "Select Best Server" button and wait until it is finished testing the download servers. Once completed, click on "Choose Server" and close.

In the main Synaptic window, click on reload and wait until it finished downloading the package information from your new mirror.

Now, you can upgrade by simply following the steps posted HERE.

Fresh Install:

For those who want a fresh copy of Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope", I would highly recommend that you download the ISO via torrent. Note that links will be posted on Ubuntu download page. If you have no idea what to do with a torrent file, maybe this will help: How to Use BitTorrent in Linux.

Weekly Ten (4-20-2009)

10 Latest News, Blogs, Tips, and Reviews that I find Interesting and Useful:

1. Boldly Going Nowhere
IT’S a birthright proffered by science and prophesied by “Star Trek,” “Battlestar Galactica” and a thousand other space operas: We’re destined to go to the stars. Our descendants will spread beyond this nondescript solar system and seek adventure and bumpy-headed pals in the stellar realms.
More @ NYTimes.com

2. Wanted: Computer hackers ... to help government
General Dynamics Information Technology put out an ad last month on behalf of the Homeland Security Department seeking someone who could "think like the bad guy." Applicants, it said, must understand hackers' tools and tactics and be able to analyze Internet traffic and identify vulnerabilities in the federal systems.
More @ Tech.Yahoo.com

3. URL Shorteners – the herpes of the web
With the proliferation of social media services the use if URL shorteners has escalated to a point that you can’t turn around without another one popping up. Everyone and their brother it seems whants to be a copycat Web 2.0 service and what easier one to pick that some silly assed URL shortener.
More @ TheInquisitr

4. 3D Printing at home

More @ HackaDay

5. New discoveries turn up in betas of Apple's iPhone 3.0 software
Developer sources familiarizing themselves with betas of Apple's iPhone 3.0 software have uncovered a handful of additional tweaks and improvements to the system in recent weeks, including changes to Safari's window handling, new battery status indicators and notification preferences, as well as the advent of data detectors in certain apps.
More @ AppleInsider

6. Twitter Worm-Writer Gets a Gig
An Oregon-based Web application developer Friday confirmed he has hired the teenager who admitted attacking Twitter with several different worms last weekend.
More @ PCWorld.com

7. Running Ubuntu On Windows XP With Portable Ubuntu
Portable Ubuntu for Windows is an Ubuntu system running as a Windows application. All Ubuntu applications appear as a window on the Windows desktop, and you can even copy&paste between Ubuntu and Windows applications (in both directions).
More @ HowToForge

8. LEGO MP3 player: another brick in your kid's wall of sound

More @ Engadget

9. Tart, Funny, Smart, Insightful, Whiny: Linux Today Reader Comments
One of the best parts of Linux Today is the reader comments. Sometimes they outshine the so-called "professionals." They make me laugh, they make me go "Hmmm, good stuff", and sometimes I'm puzzled why folks even bother to post some things.
More @ LinuxToday

10. 20 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of the 90s
What follows is a selection of the best from the 1990s. On the plus side, at least half of the movies that made the cut were not big-budget blockbusters. And like the 1980s, some of the best sci-fi movies were Japanese anime. Notable and deliberate omissions: Apollo 13 (it’s sci-FACT, not sci-fi); the fun and quirky Being John Malkovich (fantasy, not sci-fi); Total Recall (more dumb than good); and Independence Day.
More @ ListVerse

All We Need is an Open Source Linux-based Voting System

For the first time in history, the Philippine national elections to be held in 2010 will use an automated (electronic) polling system. At this point in time, our lawmakers are debating on the issue of security of the voting machines that will be used in the polls. One Senator even filed a resolution to set aside 100 million pesos (more than $2 million) to anyone who can convincingly hack the new polling system.

In a country filled with dishonest government officials, there’s no doubt that there are people out there who would do anything in order for them to win the election. So to prevent fraud from happening or at least minimize it, I have two simple suggestions:

1. Use Open Source

Utilizing open source software will contribute to a more transparent automated system as anyone with the knowledge can read and review the code and determine if the system is capable enough or find out if it’s being manipulated.

2. Use Linux

We all know how secure an operating system Linux is when compared to the more widely used Windows. So I think one of the best ways to achieve an extra-reliable hard-to-hack automated polling system is simply to use Linux.


To our dear readers, please share with us your views regarding this matter via comment.

I'm Going Home

Our two weeks long rejuvenating vacation is about to end. Our flight to Bohol will be tomorrow, and it’s all business after that. To reminisce the good times we had, I’m posting some of the road trip photos I’ve taken using only the 2 megapixel camera from my iPhone. Enjoy!

One of the many rice fields we passed by


A broken bridge


A lone bridge to Vigan City


Passing a river at dusk


A pretty horse


A beautiful sunset we saw at Baguio City

A nice view from a restaurant in Subic


A kid that looks like my son. Wait, it is my son!

One of the Philippines Leading Retailers to Use Linux-based System

Puregold, one of the leading retailers here in the Philippines is set to deploy a Linux-based point-of-sale system (POS) to cut down operating costs. It has reportedly ordered more than 2,000 licenses of TPLinux software, which will be installed to Puregold’s network of stores.

TPLinux is owned by Wincor Nixdorf, a German corporation that provides retail and retail banking hardware, software, and services. TPLinux has the capability to run on other vendors’ hardware as well as Wincor Nixdorf’s own systems. Puregold is the first Filipino company that will utilize the German firm’s open source-based software.

Puregold is looking to cut overall licensing costs in terms of security while standardizing on an open-source platform, covering both current and future store openings.

In an interview by Lawrence Casiraya of Inquirer.net, Ruel Magat, the company's IT Manager said,

“We wanted to cut the cost of buying anti-virus licenses and save on the cost of the license of (Microsoft) Windows per POS.”

Christian Charlton, Wincor Nixdorf’s Asia Pacific head of retail solutions, added that Puregold also intends to use the open source-based software to boost its customer-related initiatives such as promos and discounts.

In these tough economic times, I hope more and more companies here will follow what Puregold has done and will somewhat realize the true value of open source software.

10 (Latest) Beautiful Plasma Themes for KDE 4 Desktop

Since a lot of you loved our collection of some of the most beautiful Plasma Themes for KDE 4 desktop, we decided to give you more. This time, we compiled the very latest, good-looking plasma themes for all the KDE lovers out there to appreciate and perhaps to download. So without further ado, here they are:

1. Fluffy Bunny

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

2. Tragedy

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

3. Solid

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

4. Silicon 2.0

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

5. Sabre-Toothed Tiger

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

6. Atelier

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

7. Droid

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

8. Raphsody

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

9. Cream

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

10. Aya 2.0

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Top 15 Creative and Hilarious Acronym Expansions of Emacs

We all know that Emacs stands for "Editor MACroS", but several creative people have given the feature-rich text editor some innovative and rather funny definitions. --Here are a few of those that I gathered, and then if you have some, feel free to add yours:

15. Eradication of Memory Accomplished with Complete Simplicity

14. Emacs Manuals Are Cryptic and Surreal

13. Even My Aunt Crashes the System

12. Extensibility and Modifiability Aggravate Confirmed Simpletons

11. Emetic Macros Assault Core and Segmentation

10. Equine Mammals Are Considerably Smaller

9. Exceptionally Mediocre Autocratic Control System

8. Easily Maintained with the Assistance of Chemical Solutions

7. Embarrassed Manual-Writer Accused of Communist Subversion

6. Edwardian Manifestation of All Colonial Sins

5. Every Mode Accelerates Creation of Software

4. Excavating Mayan Architecture Comes Simpler

3. Epileptic MLisp Aggravates Compiler Seizures

2. Elsewhere Maybe All Commands are Simple

1. Every Male Adolescent Craves Sex

Weekly Ten (4-13-2009)

10 Latest News, Blogs, Tips, and Reviews that I find Interesting and Useful:

1. Whitehall to train pro-West Islamic groups to game Google

Whitehall officials will train pro-West Islamic groups to manipulate their Google search ranking in an attempt to drown out extremist voices online, The Register has learned.
More @ TheRegister

2. What the Wolverine Leak Means for the Future of Piracy
Twentieth-Century Fox was the butt of a big prank this April Fool’s Day, when news broke that a copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked onto the net. Movies get leaked habitually, sure, but the circumstances combined to make it feel like a first: It was a DVD-quality copy. Of a massive, big-budget superhero movie.
More @ CoedMagazine

3. Anti-Linux Propaganda du Jour: Windows Owns 96% Of Netbooks
The anti-Linux propaganda du jour, being dutifully parroted by "news" publications everywhere, is that Windows now owns 96% of the netbook market, and that Linux netbooks are returned four times more than windows netbooks.
More @ LinuxToday

4. Portal-ish automated turret

More @ HackaDay

5. Microsoft may clone iPod touch as Zune HD
Based entirely upon a leak of abstract new marketing graphics from Microsoft, bloggers have announced a new generation of music players that will apparently do most of what the iPod touch did when it arrived in 2007.
More @ AppleInsider

6. Six New Mobile Devices Running Open Source
Looking for more Linux and open source apps in your life? Then pick up your phone. Check out the newest smartphones and netbooks announced just last week that the discerning penguin will be craving before the year is out.
More @ LinuxMagazine

7. Sex, Lies, and Software Development
Are there any programming jobs you wouldn't take? Not because the jobs didn't pay enough, had poor benefits, or limited upside -- but because the work itself made you uncomfortable?
More @ CodingHorror

8. Cyberdyne said to be mass producing $4,200 HAL robotic suit

More @ Engadget

9. How to Build a Spy Camera
A simple tutorial on building a hidden spycam out of the old web camera. No technical skills required.
More @ Ugolog.com

10. Tweenbots: Cute Beats Smart
If you wanted to build a robot that could go from one end of Washington Square Park to the other without your help how would you do it? How expensive in time and money would it be? Would you build or buy a navigation system? Construct a sensing system to detect obstacles? Or would you decide to take a different tact and use cute as your primary tool?
More @ OreillyRadar

Subic Escapade

Our two days and one night stay at the beautiful and sunny Subic is over. It was our first time there so naturally we were very excited and had a great time.

Once home to the largest United States naval base in the Pacific, Subic (formally called Subic Bay Freeport Zone) has been transformed into a tax and duty free region. It is now considered as one of the country’s main economic engines with big-time foreign investors coming in. Subic has truly become a self-sufficient tourism, industrial, commercial, and financial area.

Since we were at Subic not to do business but to visit several tourist attractions, let me take you to some of the fun and lovely places that we have been to.

Zoobic Safari
Zoobic Safari offers numerous attractions, and here are some of them:

Just inside the Zoobic Safari (near the entrance), a huge white tiger greeted us.

We are then guided to see different kinds of animals. I’ve seen them all before except for these albino carabaos (buffalos).

The main attraction is the “Tiger Close Encounter”. There you will ride a caged vehicle that goes inside a fenced area where tigers roam freely. It becomes more exhilarating when the tigers are fed.

A tour inside a small museum where one can see well-preserved dead animals and skeletons. The photo above shows a bear who as they say died of a snake bite.

Next up is “Aetas’ Trail”. Indigenous people called aetas treated us with their traditional dance plus a brief tree climbing exhibition.

The last place to visit is Croco Loco. There you can feed the crocodiles (hundreds of them, I guess).

It took us more than two hours to explore the place. This train (sort of) serves as our main way of transportation.

Ocean Adventure
A visit to Ocean Adventure, Southeast Asia's only open-water marine park, was really entertaining. Here’s why:

We have witnessed a pool diving display where professional divers show-off their skills and perform some amazing stunts.

The dolphin show was both enjoyable and educational. We were also given an opportunity to touch and feed the dolphins.

The last show that we’ve seen made everyone appreciate the intelligence and kindness of those funny sea lions.

Ocean Adventure still has a lot to offer, but unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time. For more information, visit their website HERE.

Restaurants
There are plenty of restaurants to choose from at Subic. For dinner, we went to Seafood By the Bay where the freshest sea foods are served. The following day, we went to a scenic restaurant (I forgot the name) for lunch where anyone can also go fishing.


I should add that Subic Bay is also a great scuba diving destination because scattered beneath its waters are Japanese and US military ship wrecks from the World War II. So for the adventurous out there, go and visit Subic.

Bye Bye Baguio City

Our stay in the Summer Capital of the Philippines is over. We are now heading to Subic Bay for some sunshine. I’m going to miss Baguio City for sure mainly because of its pleasant weather and ultra-fresh fruits and vegetables.

Though we didn’t do a lot in our 5-day stay in Baguio, I was pretty happy simply because I get to bond with my family and just relax. With the hassles of work and all, I really cherish those last few days I stayed in that laid-back city.

With my healthy goal still intact, I get to run in Baguio since we were staying in a place with an outdoor track and field oval nearby. I usually ran at around 9 a.m. and though the sun is shining, the temperature remained cool. I wish Bohol has a temperate climate too so that I can jog anytime I want.

For my fellow WiFi-hotspot-seeking-techies, here are some of the places to visit in Baguio City:

Starbucks (SM City)
Seattle’s Best (SM City)
Cordillera Coffee (SM City)
Figaro Coffee Shop(Camp John Hay)
Starbucks (Camp John Hay)
Cafe’ Zola (Session Road)
Half Moon Restaurant (Minesview)
Petron Treats (BGH Store)

I’ve been to Baguio three times already, and I recommend that first-timers should go to these tourist attractions:

* Burnham Park


* Session Road


* Baguio Cathedral


* Camp John Hay


* The Mansion


* Wright Park


* Mines View Park


* Botanical Garden


* Philippine Military Academy


Coming up next, our Subic escapade :-)

Don't Seek Too Much Comfort

An Insight on "Learned Power"

Ideas and Reality

Soul Feeding Time

It's time once again to feed the soul. Our Christian readers out there should know that it's Holy Week so I'll pause for a moment to pray and reflect.

Like I did last year, I'm auto-posting some inspiring videos for the next couple of days. --These videos are taken from past episodes of Preacher in Blue Jeans.

Regular posting will resume most probably on Saturday. See you and peace!


"Work as if you were to live a hundred years, pray as if you were to die tomorrow."

~ Benjamin Franklin

From Geek Mode to Traveler Mode: Road Trip April 2009

As you all know, this is heavily a technology-related site. But since my family decided to go on a road trip for 10 days to visit different places in Luzon, Philippines, I will loosen up and will be switching the subject matter from tech to travel.

Two days ago at around 3.30 a.m., we started our journey in Manila. From there, we drove for 6 hours (with breakfast stop-over) to Our Lady of Manaoag church in Pangasinan. Since it was Sunday, we attended a holy mass there, and as expected saw thousands of devotees flocking to see the image of the miraculous lady.

From Pangasinan (stopped for lunch in San Fernando), we went to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vigan. We arrived at about 3.30 p.m. and checked-in at Aniceto Mansion. –It is a very old house (rather creepy) that is converted into a mini-hotel.

Vigan is the oldest surviving Spanish colonial city in the Philippines. There you will see well-preserved valuable remains of old Spanish architecture. We explored different parts of the city the old-fashioned way via kalesa (horse-driven carriage). Seeing ancient houses, streets, and churches brought that feeling of nostalgia.

Below are the photos I’ve taken using my simple but very handy digital camera, a Sony T9 Cybershot:

An old bell tower just beside St. Augustine Church


A statue of a famous poet during the Spanish era

An old phone inside a museum

There’s also a small zoo/park in Vigan called Baluarte, and it was easily my son’s favorite spot. A wide variety of animals like camels, deers, ostriches, tigers, snakes, different species of birds, and dinosaurs can be seen there.

Up-close and personal with an ostrich

One of the 5 tigers that we saw


A deer as our tour guide


Dinosaurs!

After spending two days and one night in Vigan, we traveled for another 6 hours to Baguio City. We arrived last night and will be here for 5 days to spend the Holy Week. I’m glad I brought my Smart Wireless broadband kit with me because we are staying in a place without internet connection.

We are currently staying in this haunted house

Stay tuned for my next post for quick updates about our next adventure :-)

Weekly Ten (4-06-2009)

10 Latest News, Blogs, Tips, and Reviews that I find Interesting and Useful:

1. ARM: Heretic in the church of Intel, Moore's

For 30 years, the PC industry has treated Moore's Law with religious reverence. Its immutable commandment -- thou shalt double the transistors on circuits every 18 months -- created an enviable business model with consumers spurred to buy new, more powerful PCs every few years.
More @ ComputerWorld

2. 5 years of Gmail
It was five years ago yesterday that Gmail launched by giving out a gig. Back then, a typical webmail account could only store about five megabytes of mail. It's hard to remember what those days were like, considering that today, you can send a single 20 megabyte attachment, four times the size of an entire webmail account from 2004.
More @ Googleblog

3. Mono Again: the Controversy That Won't Quit
Opinions on whether Mono is dangerous, and on whether it should be avoided or accepted fly thick and fast. If you're bored with the whole deal feel free to go read something else, but I suspect that the controversy is going to grow as more Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, ship with Mono applications by default.
More @ LinuxToday

4. s-video from an atari 2600

More @ HackaDay

5. Microsoft's latest ad attacks Mac aesthetics, computing power
Continuing its advertising campaign which seeks to promote generic PCs running Windows as more attractive than Macs, Microsoft's latest spot plays up specifications over aesthetics as opposed to just suggesting that PCs are simply cheaper as the previous spot did. However, it ends up making the opposite point instead.
More @ AppleInsider

6. A great new theme for PCLinuxOS 2009.1
For those who wish a new theme for their PCLinuxOS 2009.1 desktops, a nice one just showed up in repositories. It features a much softer look than the shipped theme and I'll show you the steps to install it.
More @ Tuxmachines

7. Will the Internet Implode?
Sounds like a crazy question, in this era of Facebook, Twitter and a "digital millennial" generation that's grown up never not knowing the Internet.
More @ PCWorld.com

8. Sony says the DSi is for kids, the PSP is for winners

More @ Engadget

9. New Deal Revisionism: Theories Collide
For more than half a century, America’s political leaders — Republican and Democrat — have sought to wrap themselves in the legacy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the man credited with replacing fear with hope and ending the Great Depression.
More @ NYTimes.com

10. Chinese Social Networks ‘Virtually’ Out-Earn Facebook And MySpace: A Market Analysis
Despite China’s massively growing internet market, international giants like Google and Facebook are having trouble making gains with the 300 million Chinese online users. China’s netizens are on average very young – 66.7 % of them are younger than 29 years old and 35.2 % of them are teenagers—with social networking and entertainment applications being the most popular.
More @ TechCrunch

Simple Ways to Conserve/Improve Linux Netbook Battery Power

For frequent travelers who just can’t live without having a computer with them, the netbook has become an essential device as it is extremely portable. However, its portability has sacrificed a few important features. --One of which is battery life.

Netbooks are usually sold with 3-Cell Li-Ion battery that when fully charged can last up to 3 hours on normal usage. But if you are looking for ways to extend your netbook’s battery power further, then you came to the right place. The tips that I’m going to share might sound “common sense” to some of our “computer expert” readers, but for the benefit of the non-experts out there, these could come in handy.

Take note that all of these tips are specifically targeted towards Linux netbook owners, but some may also apply to netbook users who utilize other operating system. So without any more delay, read these simple ways to conserve and improve your netbook’s battery power:

1. Use lightweight desktop environment and applications
Using resource-hungry applications means using more battery power. Try out different lightweight desktop environments, window managers, and desktop applications; or if you know how, ditch your X window session and use the terminal while surfing the web with text-mode browsers, or while checking the mail with a text-based email client.

2. Power management settings must be correctly set
Power management options will let you control some of your hardware activities like when changing sleep and brightness settings. One of the important rules to remember is to always turn the brightness down when on battery power.

3. Disconnect unused USB devices
Connected USB devices like iPods, mouse, or flash drive can quickly drain your battery juice, so it’s better to eject them if they are no longer used.

4. Disconnect unused wireless adapter
If you are just typing a document or editing photos and will not be using the Internet, you should turn off the built-in wireless adapter because it’s just consuming unnecessary battery energy.

5. Install PowerTop
PowerTop is a user-friendly tool that monitors each and every application and tells you which of them are causing your computer to put away more power. It also provides you with tuning suggestions to achieve low battery power consumption.

To those who have brighter ideas than mine on conserving or improving battery power on Linux netbooks, don’t hesitate to share it to us thru comment.

5 Best BSD Distributions

As some of you may know, Linux is not the only Unix-like operating system available. There are other UNIX derivatives, and one of the most popular among them is called BSD. If you have been to Distrowatch, you will see different BSD distributions listed in there.

I have said before that I'm interested in trying BSD distros, but until now I still can't find the time to actually do it. I just did some research about several BSD distributions and read a couple of reviews so if I have the time to finally take the plunge, I'll be prepared.

For my own reference and for those who are also interested to try BSD, I've listed five BSD distros that are considered by many as the best:

FreeBSD
Free BSD is the most widely used of all the BSDs and has been called "the unknown giant among free operating systems." It is utilized in servers, desktop, and embedded hardware. Its latest version is FreeBSD 7 and is loaded with exciting new features and innovations. FreeBSD has its own repository with thousands of easily accessible third-party applications. FreeBSD can also run a majority of Linux binaries without sacrificing performance and without the need for any compatibility layer.

Like most BSD distros, FreeBSD system installation is still in text mode. However, it is well documented and as some say, installing it is as easy as Ubuntu.


OpenBSD
Perhaps the second most popular BSD distro is OpenBSD. It is founded by Theo de Raadt, the equally popular free software developer and advocate. OpenBSD is well known for the developers' insistence on open source code and quality documentation; uncompromising position on software licensing; and focus on security and code correctness. Its strict security philosophy and advanced security features has become its trademark. Its latest stable version is OpenBSD 4.4 with features such as: improved hardware support; new/extended platforms; new tools and functionality; More info can be found HERE.

On lighter note, the current OpenBSD mascot is a pupperfish/porcupinefish called Puffy. It was chosen because of the Blowfish encryption algorithm used in OpenSSH and the strongly defensive image of the porcupinefish with its spikes to deter predators.


NetBSD
NetBSD is one of the major BSD-derived operating systems. With a motto, "Of course it runs on NetBSD," it is known for its portability supporting 50+ hardware platforms. In fact, NetBSD supports more platforms than any single Linux distribution. NetBSD has been ported to a large number of 32- and 64-bit architectures, from VAX minicomputers to Pocket PC PDAs.

Its latest stable version is NetBSD 4.0, which was later updated to version 4.0.1. For more information about NetBSD, you can read the complete and updated user guide HERE.


DragonFly BSD
DragonFly BSD is a fork of FreeBSD 4.8 with a main goal of giving the BSD base an opportunity to grow in an entirely different direction from the one taken in the FreeBSD-5 series. It is known for implementing a Light Weight Kernel Threads (LWKT) and a lightweight ports/messaging system. Being a derivative of FreeBSD, DragonFly has inherited an easy-to-use integrated build system that can rebuild the entire base system from source with only a few commands.

The latest release of DragonFly BSD is version 2.2 with the latest drivers, better pkgsrc support and integration, and a brand new release infrastructure with multiple target options. It can run as a LiveCD, and is available in bare-bones bootable USB disk-key image, CD IS, and DVD ISO (with fully operational X environment). You can learn more about DragonFly BSD or read the installation instructions by visiting HERE.


PC-BSD
PC-BSD is a desktop-oriented OS that is based on FreeBSD. With a graphical installer and a user-friendly KDE desktop environment, PC-BSD makes life a lot easier for beginners. It also provides official binary nVidia and Intel drivers for straightforward hardware acceleration and an optional 3D desktop interface through Compiz Fusion. In addition, its package management system is designed for ease-of-use.

PC-BSD 7 is the latest edition with PC-BSD 7.1 coming real soon. It utilizes KDE 4 desktop, has updated its hardware support and out-of-the-box packages, and offers new methods of installation, including a DVD, USB and Internet/network install. Learn more about PC-BSD by visiting HERE.

If you have tried any BSD distribution, please share with us your experiences via comment.

25 Cool and Geeky BSD Wallpapers

Before, we have shared our collection of high-quality and good-looking Linux wallpapers for all the Linux fans. This time around, let's show some love to each and every BSD zealots out there and provide them some of the finest BSD wallpapers in existence. So without delay, here are the 25 cool and geeky BSD wallpapers:

Bonus:

If you know a link or two to other cool BSD wallpapers, please share it with us via comment.

R.I.P. Microsoft Encarta, Long Live Wikipedia

This is not an April Fools’ Day joke. --Microsoft just officially announced that they will discontinue all Encarta products by the end of the year. They will shutdown all of their Encarta websites worldwide and will stop selling their software, namely Microsoft Student and Encarta Premium encyclopedias.

From the recent announcement, Microsoft explained why Encarta websites and software products are being discontinued:

Encarta has been a popular product around the world for many years. However, the category of traditional encyclopedias and reference material has changed. People today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past. As part of Microsoft’s goal to deliver the most effective and engaging resources for today’s consumer, it has made the decision to exit the Encarta business.

To be honest, I really find Encarta a valuable and rather entertaining tool for learning at the time when there was no Internet. Back then, I find it amusing that a single CD ROM can replace several volumes of encyclopedia. As they say, all good things come to end.

Wikipedia, with more than 2 million entries (in English) compared to 42,000 for Encarta, is certainly the best thing that ever happened to encyclopedia. The website is loaded with updated and comprehensive user-generated content. Best of all, it is free. By the way, you can also read Wikipedia articles offline as I explained before.

To prove just how up-to-date Wikipedia is, you can read some information about Encarta including its termination HERE. ☺

Now that Wikipedia is all alone at the top, I just hope that it will focus more on maintaining the quality rather than the quantity of its content.

If you have something to say regarding Encarta’s death, please share your views to us via comment.