KDE 4.0 Screenshots | The Coding Studio Linux & Unix Screenshots | Linux & Unix Distro Screenshots | Screenshots of Linux & Unix

KDE 4 was released on Jan 1th -- reviews will start trickling in any time now... some mixed initial reactions are already out:

Ars
OSNews

Screen shots are here:
KDE 4.0 Screenshots | The Coding Studio Linux & Unix Screenshots | Linux & Unix Distro Screenshots | Screenshots of Linux & Unix

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Study: Telecommuting makes work worse for non-telecommuters

Interesting study on telecommuting where they look at the people left in the office and the effect of telecommuters on this demographic. The results are interesting....

Study: Telecommuting makes work worse for non-telecommuters

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DIY Macro Lens Made From Binoculars Video

Save yourself some dough :-) get some cheap binoculars and build your own Macro lens! :-)

DIY Macro Lens Made From Binoculars Video

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"iPod Tax" smacked down in Canada

It seems that Canada's equivalent to the RIAA has pulled the notion of an "iPod Tax" in Canada. They figured that the way the tax was setup {and it would have been expensive for the user 75+$ more when you buy a large MP3 player {>30GB}} -- it would allow or at least condone P2P file sharing. In other words, if you paid the tax, you could do what ever (non-commercial) you wanted to with the music. I'm sure there will be another battle -- this is not over yet.

"iPod Tax" smacked down in Canada

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Macworld.Ars: Rumors ad infinitum

Macworld rumors abound! An ultra-light solid-state notebook (Newton anyone?) seems to be the big rumor. We'll see if it pans out... New software update for the iPhone / Touch -- I saw some of the new features in an episode of GeekBrief... mostly eye candy (which I like).

Macworld.Ars: Rumors ad infinitum

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The Old New Thing : How does the calculator percent key work?

Explaining the mysterious percent calculation in CALC.EXE (and your cheap-o) Staples {That was easy} calculator. I feel mildly enlightened.

The Old New Thing : How does the calculator percent key work?

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Sun's Goal: No In-House Data Centers by 2015 - Data Center Knowledge

Talk about going green... Sun would like to have zero Data Centers by 2015. They have already decreased the number of servers they run substantially but will continue to reduce aggressively. They will need to outsource (or OutHost as they call it) some data center functionality but good on them for taking this approach. Focus will also be made to offer SaaS (Software as a Service) to reduce costs -- another clever initiative.

Sun's Goal: No In-House Data Centers by 2015 - Data Center Knowledge

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Screenshots | Ubuntu Tweak

Some Ubuntu users get confused on where to make certain changes. Well, the Ubuntu forums are fantastic for much of these questions but I stumbled on a tool called "Ubuntu Tweak" that seems to group many of these FAQ-type configuration questions into a nicely presented GUI. Think of it as TweakUI for Ubuntu. I have not yet used it but the feedback looks positive.

Screenshots | Ubuntu Tweak

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Ubuntu Hardy Heron Alpha 3 | Ubuntu

For those of you with a "hardy" appetite -- you might want to take a look at the recent Alpha from Ubuntu... It has an updated kernel, Xorg 7.3 and a beta of Firefox 3.

Ubuntu Hardy Heron Alpha 3 | Ubuntu

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AOL Money & Finance Beta

I've been a long time fan of Yahoo finance and to a certain extent, Google finance but this new beta offering from AOL looks really slick and is very informative. It is jacked up with all the Web 2.0 you can think of and provides a great deal of information at a glance. Worth taking a look and track some stocks... On the other hand, given the volatility in the market these days... maybe you don't :-)

AOL Money & Finance Beta

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Revealed: USB 3.0 jacks and sockets | Reg Hardware

A view of USB 3.0 -- 10x as fast as today's USB 2 xfer rates! That's about 4.7gb/s -- nice! Looks like it will be backwards compatible as well so your investment in a USB fan for your notebook won't go to waste (oh, and your external USB HDDs too ;)).

Revealed: USB 3.0 jacks and sockets | Reg Hardware

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Penguinistas hack Android onto real hardware

Looks like Google's cell phone OS (Aka Android) has been hacked to run on real hardware (as opposed to the emulation software provided in the SDK). Looks like this project might become reality quicker than most Google project (with beta cycles lasting years :-)).

Penguinistas hack Android onto real hardware

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Neowin.net - Market Share 2007: Mac OS gains 3.15%, Vista grabs 10.48%

Interesting metrics on OS market share from Net Applications

Neowin.net - Market Share 2007: Mac OS gains 3.15%, Vista grabs 10.48%:

Windows XP - 76.91%
Windows Vista - 10.48%
Mac OS - 7.30%
Windows 2000 - 2.66%
Windows 98 - 0.70%
Linux - 0.63%"

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Canada's labels slam proposed digital 'tax' - Yahoo! Canada News

A progressive view on paying for music. This is Canada we're talking about here so of course it's yet another tax... Just what we need... That being said, it's an idea that will stimulate some discussion -- flat tax on all ISP customers (5$/mo) and you have access to all of the music you want...

Canada's labels slam proposed digital 'tax' - Yahoo! Canada News

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Bill Gates’ last day at Microsoft (video) - istartedsomething

Well, one thing is for certain -- Bill Gates came make fun of himself. This is a funny video with a TON of celebrity cameo appearances. Worth a look :-)

Bill Gates’ last day at Microsoft (video) - istartedsomething

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Exclusive: Mozilla Secretly Launches A Viral Campaign For Firefox

This is funny -- viral video to promote Firefox. It ha a real "We are the world" feel to it. I cracked up when I saw the "Chocolate Rain" guy. Just what I needed on the 1st day back to work!

Exclusive: Mozilla Secretly Launches A Viral Campaign For Firefox

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Geek To Live: Power replacements for built-in Windows utilities

Another great post from LifeHacker -- Power Tools for Windows Users...

Geek To Live: Power replacements for built-in Windows utilities

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Best Of 2007: Twenty Top 10's of 2007

Lifehacker is a GREAT source for all sort of gems... Here is a round up of their best Top 10 lists of the year!

Best Of 2007: Twenty Top 10's of 2007

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PC World's Techlog PCWorld.com Year-End Stats: IE7, Firefox, Vista, Mac

Great stats on visitors to PC World's web sites...

PC World's Techlog PCWorld.com Year-End Stats: IE7, Firefox, Vista, Mac

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Ho-ho-horrible: album sales plunge 20 percent this Christmas

Interesting article on the demise of the CD... as a side effect, it will also ring in the demise of the "album" as we know it... The masses will pick up DRM-free music but will be very selective on their purchases. So getting the latest Alice Cooper "album" will be a thing of the past -- you might just pick up one or two tracks (the ones that hit the radio or the satellite broadcast).

Ho-ho-horrible: album sales plunge 20 percent this Christmas

Disclosure: I'm a HUGE Alice Cooper fan ;-)

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AOL Pulls Plug on Netscape Web Browser- Columbian.com

Netscape is dead. It's been a long time coming. I don't think Netscape ever recovered from Microsoft's onslaught early in the browser wars. But Netscape's little cousin Firefox is kicking butt and taking names ;-). Let's all have a moment of net-silence as this early trend setter of the World Wide Web retires into darkness...



Now go get Firefox!!!

AOL Pulls Plug on Netscape Web Browser- Columbian.com

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Pope's exorcist squads will wage war on Satan | the Daily Mail

The Pope believes in the Devil :-) And wants to crush him like a worm with prayer. It seems that the youth of today are corrupted by the internet and rock music... "The night time is the right time, the night time is the right time" (Adam Sandler reference). It's comments like these that are turning people away from the church -- at least IMHO...

Pope's exorcist squads will wage war on Satan | the Daily Mail

The Vatican is particularly concerned that young people are being exposed to the influence of Satanic sects through rock music and the Internet.

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21 ways to use old coffee grounds - Green Daily

Go green in '08 :-) I've heard of using old grounds as fertilizer but there are a lot of interesting ideas here...

21 ways to use old coffee grounds - Green Daily

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Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

Wishing you all the very best in 2008! Happy New Year Everyone!!!

This is a great time to reflect on the year that was... take some time -- go back and look at the photos you've taken this year. Look at your busy calendar and see what you've accomplished! What would you have liked to accomplish? Are these goals still within reach? Make a plan and take some action!

All the best from my family to yours!


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Analyzing the svchost processes

Useful tip on how to discover what the mysterious "svchost" processes are in your Windows System...

Analyzing the svchost processes

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Feature: Lifehacker's 2007 Guide to Free Software and Webapps

Excellent list of software (PC and Web-based)... 'tis the season for lists... :-)

Feature: Lifehacker's 2007 Guide to Free Software and Webapps

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German ship fights climate change with high-tech kite | Reuters

Gas prices are too high -- tankers are now using sails... well, kites :-) Wind Power Rocks!

German ship fights climate change with high-tech kite | Reuters

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BetaNews | Free remote PC access for iPhone and iPod Touch

This is not really limited to the iPhone / iPod Touch... basically use Orb to provide streaming content from your home, pop open a port on your fw and stream your content vis Safari. :-)

BetaNews | Free remote PC access for iPhone and iPod Touch

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The Transistor's Birthday - Forbes.com

We owe most of the evolution in terms of PCs, iPods and anything IT to the Transistor. Originally crafted to replace the tube amplifier -- the transistor has been a key instrument in the increase of processing power as well as the miniaturization of technologies.

The Transistor's Birthday - Forbes.com

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Northern Lights energy source discovered - CNN.com

The Auroras Borealis (Northern Lights) are a sight to see. It seems that scientists have finally discovered (or verified the hypothesis) that the lights are created from charged particles flowing from the sun to the earth over magnetic fields.... interesting read!

Northern Lights energy source discovered - CNN.com

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Jamie Oliver to battle Mario Batali on Iron Chef America - Slashfood

Jamie Oliver to battle Mario Batali on Iron Chef America - Slashfood

Should be a good battle :-). My bet is on Mario... I wonder what the secret ingredient would be? I would love for it to be vegemite *evil grin*. All that remains to be said is: "Allez Cuisine!"

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The Associated Press: Netherlands Adopts Open-Source Software

The adoption of OSS (Open Source Software) seems to be a growing trend in European countries and municipalities. Looks like the Netherlands is the next to take the plunge.

The Associated Press: Netherlands Adopts Open-Source Software

The numerous European towns and cities, notably Munich, Germany, and Vienna, Austria, using open-source systems remain a tiny slice of the overall software market.

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Hospital software vendor McKesson uses Linux to heal IT budgets

Linux in hospitals to save money on back-end mainframes. Sounds like a great idea... here it is in practice:

Hospital software vendor McKesson uses Linux to heal IT budgets

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The World Series of Linux: Round 1 - Software - IT Channel News by CRN and VARBusiness

You often see Linux pitted against Windows but you rarely see Linux vs Linux. You hear a lot of "religious" distro fanatics blasting each other but you don't often get a side by side comparison. This is part 1 of X? This time looking at the Debian-based offerings...

The World Series of Linux: Round 1 - Software - IT Channel News by CRN and VARBusiness

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Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories - A Simple and Cheap Dark-Detecting LED Circuit

Interesting weekend project -- make a night light with an LED and a Photoresistor :-) NICE!

Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories - A Simple and Cheap Dark-Detecting LED Circuit

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Official Google Mobile Blog: Picasa Redefined for your iPhone

I tested this out this morning -- Picasaweb looks amazing on the iPod Touch :-) The more I play with this thing, the more I find it amazing... I recently picked up a iHome H6 and replaced my clunky Radio Shack alarm clock. Now I wake up to my favorite music or podcast... just amazing!

Official Google Mobile Blog: Picasa Redefined for your iPhone

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Divx 6 Pro for free

Get it while it's hot... this is a limited time offer... you do need to provide an email address to get the serial number (sn).

Divx 6 Pro for free

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Apple Announces Hit Television Programming Now Available on the iTunes Store in Canada

Confirmed -- Apple has finally made TV channels available in the Canadian iTunes store. Now if they can actually get good content in there, I'd be happier. It's a start!

Apple Announces Hit Television Programming Now Available on the iTunes Store in Canada

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Hey, HP laptop owners: click here to get hijacked | The Register

If you own an HP laptop -- stop surfin' the web (or run Linux ;)). Stupid programming error in an pre-bundled HP designed DLL opens up the PC to attack... surf with caution young Jedi.

Hey, HP laptop owners: click here to get hijacked | The Register

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"w00t" crowned word of year by U.S. dictionary - Yahoo! News UK

W00T -- :-) My spell check should be OK with that now ;-)
The impact of the internet on our language is in full effect ROTFLMAO ;)

"w00t" crowned word of year by U.S. dictionary - Yahoo! News UK

Official Merriam-Webster link: W00t

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100 Bill Origami IPhone Stand: The $100 iPhone/iPod Touch Stand Made from a Piece of Paper

Origami stand for the iPhone/iPod Touch... feel free to use a 1$ bill -- unless you want to use a C-note ;-)

100 Bill Origami IPhone Stand: The $100 iPhone/iPod Touch Stand Made from a Piece of Paper

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Michael Geist - Canadian DMCA Introduction Delayed

Looks like Canada's jump into bed with the record industry has been postponed... for how long? That remains to be seen...

Michael Geist - Canadian DMCA Introduction Delayed

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Top 10 Scientific Discoveries - 50 Top 10 Lists of 2007 - TIME

Top 10 Scientific Discoveries - 50 Top 10 Lists of 2007 - TIME

Worth a skim :-)

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Download details: The 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 1 (SP1)

Weighing in at 220MB --- OFFICE 2007 SP1.

Get 'em while their hot!

Download details: The 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 1 (SP1)
Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1)
Microsoft Office Project 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1)


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Household: Folding t-shirts fast

I first saw this method of shirt folding over a year ago... I've been using it ever since. The video can seem a bit confusing but once you've got the hang of it -- it's pretty amazing. I find my shirts are folded much "thinner" and it's great for a small suitcase. Try it -- you might like it... if nothing else, it makes for a great party trick!

Household: Folding t-shirts fast

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Canadian copyright reformer: we'll deal with consumer concerns later

The Canadian Federal Government is looking to put forward a bill that would allow the CRIA (like the RIAA) to sue fans that download music like in the litigious US and A (for all of your Borat fans).

Canadian copyright reformer: we'll deal with consumer concerns later

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What's new in Blade Runner: The Final Cut?

Blade Runner is one of my favorite movies... I'm anxious to see this remastered work finally released. There have been rumors and chatter about this for over a decade and it looks like it's finally going to happen! W00t!

What's new in Blade Runner: The Final Cut?

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The iPod Touch - OSNews.com

Great review of the iPod Touch. I *heart* my iPod Touch -- this things kicks butt! I've hacked mine to get the 3rd party applications that I feel it is missing (a notepad like app is key for me). I would give the iPod Touch a 9/10 and a 10/10 if it had some extra applications (supposedly in Feb).

The iPod Touch - OSNews.com

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» Microsoft to deliver Office 2007 SP1 early | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com

Office 2007 SP1 expected tomorrow (Dec 11th, 2007). I guess this is going to be one big-ass patch Tuesday. I wonder what this SP will weigh in at? Any bets? 200MB? 300MB, 400MB?

» Microsoft to deliver Office 2007 SP1 early | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com

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Stay At Home Servers

LOL -- more details on Microsoft's mock-advertisement for Windows Home Server. This time it's a children's book entitled: "Mommy, Why is there a server in the house? -- Helping your child understand the stay-at-home server". Very well done and too funny!

Stay At Home Servers

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Hell's Kitchen gets game treatment - Joystiq

Is this Gordon Ramsey's "jump the shark moment"? A video game based on his "Hell's Kitchen" quasi-reality TV show... I don't know if this one will even make it to market... maybe I'm just daft with the pallet of an old sow...

Hell's Kitchen gets game treatment - Joystiq

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Feature: The 20 Best iPod Utilities

A nice set of apps to compliment your iPod . I use a few of these to convert Video to a iPod Touch compatible format.

Feature: The 20 Best iPod Utilities

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Linux.com :: All about Linux swap space

Good article on the Linux swap partition (or file)... concept applies to Windows and Mac as well. Good for people new to PCs and want to go a bit lower than the surface.

Linux.com :: All about Linux swap space

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Linux.com :: All about Linux swap space

Good article on the Linux swap partition (or file)... concept applies to Windows and Mac as well. Good for people new to PCs and want to go a bit lower than the surface.

Linux.com :: All about Linux swap space

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Canadian songwriters propose monetizing P2P in Canada

Thinking outside the box... the Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC) is proposing a monthly 5$ "tax" be imposed on every ISP subscriber in Canada for the "Right to Equitable Remuneration for Music File Sharing" -- with out motive for financial gain. To me, this is a license to pirate at a cost of 60$ a year.

It's an interesting view -- though I don't know if the Canadian (or other) record associate would go for it...

Canadian songwriters propose monetizing P2P in Canada


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Mozilla expands in China, inks agreement with Baidu

Baidu is equivalent to China's Google (good if you owned both stocks this year :-)). Looks like Mozilla had inked a sweet deal to include Baidu in Firefox's search bar...

Mozilla expands in China, inks agreement with Baidu

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Microsoft Watch - Vista - What Went Wrong with Windows Vista?

A very well written article on the top 10 challenges that Vista must face. I am particularly fond of the statement similar to: from "wow" to "whoa where's my stuff" to depict the drastic change in many UI components.

Microsoft Watch - Vista - What Went Wrong with Windows Vista?

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Windows Vista Users Hit With 'Purple Screen Of Death' -- Windows Vista -- InformationWeek

Nice -- Microsoft is getting stylish with its crash screens. Welcome to the purple screen of death!

Windows Vista Users Hit With 'Purple Screen Of Death' -- Windows Vista -- InformationWeek

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Top 10 Craziest Star Wars Tattoos - The Force in the Flesh

Pure coolness :-)

Top 10 Craziest Star Wars Tattoos - The Force in the Flesh

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5min - How to Properly Use a Kitchen Knife - Video

Want to chop like a chef? Use this technique :-)

5min - How to Properly Use a Kitchen Knife - Video

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The Fastest Way to Tie a Tie - How to Tie a Tie in less than 10 Seconds - The World's Biggest Show & Tell - life, diy

I really like these cool ways of doing common things differently. Look on Youtube or Google for the "ninja t-shirt folding". :-)

The Fastest Way to Tie a Tie - How to Tie a Tie in less than 10 Seconds - The World's Biggest Show & Tell - life, diy

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SiliconValley.com - Gibson shows new guitar with self-tuning robotics technology

I saw a video of this... pretty cool... must override for the grunge sound :-)

SiliconValley.com - Gibson shows new guitar with self-tuning robotics technology

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David Seah - Compact Calendar

For those of you that like paper-based calendars -- this is a cute one. Allows you to have a full-year small wallet-type of calendar in your pocket.

David Seah - Compact Calendar

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FileForum | Ubuntu 8.04 Alpha 1

Looks like Alpha 1 of Ubuntu 8.04 is available for test... I wouldn't put it on a production box but enjoy!

FileForum | Ubuntu

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First dot com .com ever in the world. symbolics.com cmu.edu purdue.edu rice.edu ucla.edu think.com css.gov mitre.org

Ever wonder which domains were at the forefront of the Internet wave? The wait is over :-)

First dot com .com ever in the world. symbolics.com cmu.edu purdue.edu rice.edu ucla.edu think.com css.gov mitre.org

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Microsoft wireless keyboards crypto cracked | The Register

Wow - these wireless keyboard / mouse combos are all the rage... think of all the information you can capture :-)

Microsoft wireless keyboards crypto cracked | The Register

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Canada steps up criminal background checks at border - Cleveland Metro News – The Latest Breaking News, Photos and Stories from The Plain Dealer

Ouch -- this is a bit harsh. I didn't realize that the Canadian border patrol was so strict... I've always had issues getting into the US from Canada but never the inverse... To quote Jim Carey:

"The man with the rubber glove was surprisingly gentle"

Canada steps up criminal background checks at border - Cleveland Metro News – The Latest Breaking News, Photos and Stories from The Plain Dealer

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The 10 Most Irritatingly Impossible Old-School Video Games | Cracked.com

Talk about nostalgia... Check out these old-school games... the pictures themselves bring back tons of memories (not all good). Many an hour was spent button mashing at these games or trying to time the jump or "fire" just right... makes my eyes misty really... Where are my MAME ROMS?

The 10 Most Irritatingly Impossible Old-School Video Games | Cracked.com

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Microsoft Report on IE Security Draws Mozilla Rebuttal

Mozilla's reply back to Microsoft that "IE is less vulnerable than Firefox". Frankly, it's laughable that Microsoft can publish such rubbish (I like that British word). Microsoft is notorious for 'hiding' patches / fixes and sneaking them into other updates like service packs. They hide behind their opacity and point at Mozilla's transparency as though it was a flaw... As the author states:

"It's something you'd expect from maybe an undergrad," he said. "It's very disappointing to see somebody in a senior security position come out and say that because an organization is more transparent about their bugs and fixing them, they're somehow less secure."

Microsoft Report on IE Security Draws Mozilla Rebuttal

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Tis the season for pomander balls - Slashfood

For me, nothing says the holidays like electronics... uhm I mean the smell of old traditions filling the house. No not Granddad's pull my finger tradition -- silly! The smells of food! My Grandmother often makes "pomander balls" (I didn't know WHAT they were called until I read this post :-)). Basically they are oranges with whole cloves poked into them... I tell you, this magical combination will make the house smell wonderful! Give it a shot -- start a tradition of your own!

Tis the season for pomander balls - Slashfood

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dayofbirth.co.uk

Cute site that lets you find out what happened on they day of your birthday, anniversary etc... Handy if you want to make a personalized card for a spouse, relative or friend...

dayofbirth.co.uk

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Master Your DSLR Camera, Part 2: Manual Mode and More

I suggested part 1 of this "Master your DSLR Camera" series a while back... Well, here is part 2. Many of us are self-professed amateur photographers and we've never taken courses or self-studied photography. Personally, I've done both -- I've rolled my own film and have spent my fair share of time in a real (as opposed to digital) dark room. This tutorial is a good refresher and a good overview of some of the SLR basics (digital or otherwise). Worth the Read! Get a clickin'!!!

Master Your DSLR Camera, Part 2: Manual Mode and More

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Stay At Home Servers

Microsoft is putting together a humoristic advertising campaign to promote its Windows Home Server product. Incidentally, I run this server at home and it's really nice... works very well to keep backups and for VPN over SSL access! Only 1 video here at the time of writing but I suspect there will be many more...

Stay At Home Servers

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n-blue | WL Messenger 9.0 Beta build 9.0.1407.1107

Some early screenshots of Windows Live Messenger 9... some pretty cool features slated: IM spam blocker, sign in from multiple PCs, custom sounds per contact... looking fw to it. They really need spell check and tabbed IM. Getting MessengerPlus! is fine but there's no reason not to have it IN the actual product.

n-blue | WL Messenger 9.0 Beta build 9.0.1407.1107

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BetaNews | TiVo launches in Canada, but without HD

What the Fuddleduddle (reference to Trudeau) TiVo! Canadians are not second class citizens... News flash -- the Loonie is worth more than the Greenback :-)

I guess TiVo has a surplus of non-HD PVRs and wants to dump them north of the border... hmm no thanks. Bell, Rogers and I'm certain that Shaw also provide PVR capabilities so keep your silly boxes - we don't need or want them...

BetaNews | TiVo launches in Canada, but without HD

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Monday Inspiration: User Experience Of The Future | Design Showcase, Monday Inspiration | Smashing Magazine

We've all heard of the multi-touch interface of the iPhone and Microsoft Surface. Here are some more examples of really nice looking interfaces that provide amazing End User Experiences:

Monday Inspiration: User Experience Of The Future | Design Showcase, Monday Inspiration | Smashing Magazine

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Top ten terrible tech products - Crave at CNET.co.uk

Blasts from the past such as the Apple puck mouse :-) Number 10 is Vista... ouch.

I've been posting lots of negative Vista articles here lately... Vista is a good OS -- I firmly believe it is an improvement on XP from a security perspective. The problem I have is that it is very bloated and bulky. The graphical 'improvements' are really not significant - especially when you consider the hardware required to enable the Aero Glass interface...

Top ten terrible tech products - Crave at CNET.co.uk

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Windows XP outshines Vista in benchmarking test - ZDNet UK

Wow -- this is a bit of arrogance from MSFT's side -- "The world wasn't 100 percent ready for Windows Vista". So it's the World's fault that the vastly bloated OS cripples even modern hardware...

Anyhow -- bottom line on this good article is that XP SP3 is twice as fast as Vista (with or without SP1).

Windows XP outshines Vista in benchmarking test - ZDNet UK

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mediabistro.com: FishbowlNY

BAM -- you're outta here...

Seems Emeril Lagasse has parted ways with the Food Network... I guess they couldn't pay him what the toothpaste companies were paying him. I still don't get the correlation between him and toothpaste (garlic breath maybe?)...

mediabistro.com: FishbowlNY

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Google Plans Service to Store Users' Data - WSJ.com

The topic of "GDrive" or Google Drive has been around for years. A place where users can store all (yeah right) their data in the "Google Cloud" of mass storage. There have been many companies that have tried this model in the past -- many have failed but some have survived (Xdrive).

Some clever folks have even devised a way to map unused storage from your gmail account into your Windows OS so that it appears as a separate drive. I've used this method for backups of my resume etc... and it works quite well.

The pricing model (or advertising model in this case) remains to be shared with the public but you can stand assured that Google will make something that will be free (and adequate for most) and will have an up-sell component to it (ex Picassa storage). Will it be ad-driven? That remains to be seen...

Google Plans Service to Store Users' Data - WSJ.com

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Web Traffic Snarls Sites on Black Friday

Happy Cyber Monday!

It seems that many people bucked the trend of lining up at Wal-Mart at 4AM to get a deal and decided to sip their coffees and eat left-over Turkey while shopping on-line last Friday. Black Friday seemed to have been a success at some of the brick and mortar shops as well as the online stores (like Victoria Secret - I wonder if the buyers were mostly male or female - I digress)...

It seems that today -- Cyber Monday -- will be a day where MANY people will be doing some shopping online -- nearly 1/3 of the US population in fact... and MANY will do so at work! Wait, listen, can you hear productivity declining as the clicks increase at Victoria's Secret? How do you explain that picture of the woman in panties on your screen to your boss?

Web Traffic Snarls Sites on Black Friday

"National Retail Federation on Sunday predicted that Monday will show a sharp increase, with '72 million consumers planning to shop online from home or at work tomorrow, up from 60.7 million in 2006 and 59.0 million in 2005.' The NRF survey found that 31.9 percent of adults will shop on Cyber Monday, up 17.3 percent over last year."

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Desktop Linux on the rise, Linux Foundation reports

The annual desktop Linux survey doesn't officially come out until next week but this preview is very interesting... on many fronts: The number of people who took the time to respond to the survey has doubled (to 20K), the level of confidence in the Linux environment and the biggest gripe over hardware support is no longer Wi-Fi :-) it's now printers... This last point is quite a milestone!

Great read -- looking forward to the full analysis.

Desktop Linux on the rise, Linux Foundation reports

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Skype encryption stumps German police - Yahoo! News

I found this a strange article... The German police don't seem interested in deciphering certain calls... If it was the US police, they'd be raiding Skype headquarters! Maybe it's the conspiracy theorist in me but this sounds like the setup of a honeypot... Any bad-guy reading this would naturally flock to Skype to "do their business" - I suspect the German police know how to unscramble the Skype and are looking for some "quick wins".

Skype encryption stumps German police - Yahoo! News

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Black Friday deal roundup - Engadget

Geeky tech roundup! Buy soon and buy often!

Black Friday deal roundup - Engadget

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Black Friday retail coverage -- straight from my laptop to you - BloggingStocks

Happy Black Friday! ...

Here are some deals you might be interested in while you line up at various stores today to save some moulah...

Black Friday retail coverage -- straight from my laptop to you - BloggingStocks

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» Memory test - Firefox 2.0.0.9 vs Firefox 3.0 b 1 | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com

Many of us are huge fans of Firefox... One issue that has plagued us for as long as I can remember is that our precious fox likes to eat RAM. The more pages you open he more it eats (naturally) but it doesn't seem to give much back when you're done (and keep the browser open). Here's a link so some promising results for Firefox 3.0 b1:

» Memory test - Firefox 2.0.0.9 vs Firefox 3.0 b 1 | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com

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YouTube could kill internet by 2010 News - PC Advisor

Good post about our growing and seemingly insatiable appetite for bandwidth. Teens and adults alike are contributing to the YouTube generation. This is obviously good for the geeks among us -- ISPs will need to increase bandwidth and capacity to give us bigger, faster and better connections (but at what cost?).

Companies such as Level 3 Communications (LVLT) should profit (for a change) over the next few years as this trend continues to manifest itself.

YouTube could kill internet by 2010 News - PC Advisor

Disclosure: Long LVLT

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Sysinternals Suite

If you're an IT geek that runs Windows -- you know about Sysinternals (if not, shame on your -- get learnin'). The tools are now available as a "suite" -- simply a ZIP that has the lot of tools in it. Pick it up -- it's amazing how much use you'll get out of it!

Sysinternals Suite

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First look at Firefox 3.0b1: fast, stable, and full of new features

As always -- Ars Technica provides a comprehensive review -- this time of Firefox 3.0 b1. I need to load this up on my Linux box -- it sounds VERY promising... I seriously don't know why people still use IE on Windows...

First look at Firefox 3.0b1: fast, stable, and full of new features

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Canadian report finds P2P might sell more CDs, CRIA sponsors objection

Goes to show how strong the lobbyists are... The government does a survey -- the industry doesn't like the results so they pull people from around the world to try and debunk it. Face it folks -- digital media is here to stay and you've got to give a little to get a little.

Canadian report finds P2P might sell more CDs, CRIA sponsors objection

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Port 25 : Technical Analysis: Recovering Data from Windows systems by using Linux

Pick up the PDF in this article -- gives a step by step to recover data from an unresponsive Windows PC (applies to any PC really).

Port 25 : Technical Analysis: Recovering Data from Windows systems by using Linux

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Catch a Glimpse of Firefox 3's Sleek, Sexy New Digs | Compiler from Wired.com

Beta 1 of Firefox 3 was released today -- it does not have the expected face lift yet. Here is a little preview of some of the aesthetics to expect in the next release of Firefox.

Catch a Glimpse of Firefox 3's Sleek, Sexy New Digs | Compiler from Wired.com

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BetaNews | Microsoft misjudges demand for new Zunes

Ooops -- MSFT thought they would sell much more flash-based Zunes... Seems the shelves are "well" stocked if you're interested.

BetaNews | Microsoft misjudges demand for new Zunes

Disclosure: I heart my iPod Touch

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Microsoft struggling to convince about Vista - Computerworld UK - The Voice of IT Management

90% of IT pros have concerns around migrating to Vista. There is always some resistance to change but this is a bit extreme!

Microsoft struggling to convince about Vista - Computerworld UK - The Voice of IT Management

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Visual Studio 2008

To all of your Windows bit pushers -- Microsoft has just released Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5. The express editions are also available.

Visual Studio 2008

Happy coding!

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Master Your DSLR Camera, Part 1: Program Mode

So you've taken the plunge and you've dropped some serious coin for a DSLR (or maybe you have a point and shoot) and want to learn more about the theory of taking good pics. This is a really good article that explains some of the features (in this case on a Nikon but the theory is the same for all cameras) available in "Program" mode. Runs through concepts on: Flash, ISO and White Balance.

I'm looking forward to the next part in this series!

Master Your DSLR Camera, Part 1: Program Mode

Get shootin'!

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How to Shoot in Direct Sunlight

11 Good tips on how to shoot when the light source is behind your subject.

How to Shoot in Direct Sunlight

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How-To: Find files on your computer with find | Debian/Ubuntu Tips & Tricks

Finding files in *nix has often been intimidating to those afraid of the CLI (Command Line Interface). This is a user-friendly view with examples on some of the basics that will get you going in exploring his powerful command.

How-To: Find files on your computer with find | Debian/Ubuntu Tips & Tricks

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Canonical to Provide Optimized Ubuntu OS Layer for VMware Virtual Appliances | Ubuntu

This is a cool offering from Canonical (commercial sponsor of Ubuntu). JeOS is a light-weight edition of Ubuntu that would be very handy to use in a virtualized ecosystem.

Canonical to Provide Optimized Ubuntu OS Layer for VMware Virtual Appliances | Ubuntu

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Microsoft Watch - Vista - IT Pros: If Not Vista, Maybe Macintosh

I'm posting this because I think the general sentiment expressed is more important that the title. I don't think corporations will drop Windows in favor of Mac (though I think the consumer could). Interesting stats in the article... take a look

Microsoft Watch - Vista - IT Pros: If Not Vista, Maybe Macintosh

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