YouTube - Adding Google Friend Connect To Sample Website

There has been a lot of buzz around Google's Friend Connect beta that allows for the union of many social networking sites on your specific site. This ability sounds interesting but may be a bit difficult to rationalize :-). Being the visual person that I am -- I found this video that demonstrates the feature and its benefits to various types of users.

Enjoy.

YouTube - Adding Google Friend Connect To Sample Website

-ZB

.:: Microsoft presents :: The Ultimate Steal ::.

Until May 16th -- Get Microsoft Office Ultimate @ a 91% discount (that's right, no type-o there) PROVIDED, you have a .EDU email account {you might have access if you are part of your school's alumni as well ;-) }. Seems to be US only though...

.:: Microsoft presents :: The Ultimate Steal ::.

-ZB

BetaNews | Id Software announces the coming of Doom 4

For all your FPS fans :-) It seems that DOOM IV is in the pipeline! Get your trigger fingers ready!!

BetaNews | Id Software announces the coming of Doom 4

-ZB

First look: OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta a big step forward

A OpenOffice 3 Beta is available for download. I'm pretty stoked about this release. It will add support for the Office 2007 file format. This will allow me to have better interoperability with the largest commercial office product in the world :-)

First look: OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta a big step forward

-ZB

Files on a home computer that are compressed by using NTFS compression may not be backed up correctly by Windows Home Server

For those of you who went out and got a Windows Home Server -- there has been a long standing (and controversial) bug concerning the backup of certain files on user's computers. This bug has taken months to fix and has been a sore point for many users. It seems the fix is finally available -- you do have to install it on each PC manually -- this is a true shame since it should have been something that the server itself controls to update it's clients... I would have appreciated having the server Autoupdate itself via Microsoft and then have the WHS update its clients as they check in. This would have been the right architecture to adopt. I know, I know, it's a home product, not an enterprise product... Still -- Home networks are mimicking enterprise networks these days...

Files on a home computer that are compressed by using NTFS compression may not be backed up correctly by Windows Home Server

-ZB

The heron has landed: a review of Ubuntu 8.04: Page 1

Ars Technica always has very good reviews of product. Here is a good review of Hardy Heron (Ubuntu 8.04).

The heron has landed: a review of Ubuntu 8.04

-ZB

Criterion Collection coming to Blu-ray in October - Engadget

For all of your hard core movie buffs -- the Criterion Collection has a very good reputation for putting out excellent quality versions of classic (debatable) movies. Now that the HD format wars are over -- they are announcing the release of some Blu-ray content! W00T!

Criterion Collection coming to Blu-ray in October

-ZB

Create Your Own Smart Bookmarks in Firefox 3

Very detailed article on using Smart Bookmarks in the upcoming Firefox 3. Looks like a powerful tool! I like it.

Create Your Own Smart Bookmarks in Firefox 3

-ZB

PC World - 18 Features Windows Should Have (but Doesn't)

Good article showing all sorts of useful (subjective) features that exist (or have existed for a while) in other OSes (Mac OS, Linux, PC-BSD, etc) that don't exist natively in Windows. Wow -- that's a fragmented sentence...

PC World - 18 Features Windows Should Have (but Doesn't)

-ZB

The 20 saltiest foods in America exposed - Diet and nutrition - MSNBC.com

This is scary stuff... salt certainly makes food taste better and often accentuates their natural flavors but it can and does wreak havoc on your body (kidneys especially). Check out this list of the most salted food in America!

The 20 saltiest foods in America exposed - Diet and nutrition - MSNBC.com

-ZB

Crapware: Superior Alternatives to Crappy Windows Software

A good list of alternative apps to the common characters... I'm using most of them :-)
Pearls of wisdom can also be found in the user comments (along with the usual noise).

Crapware: Superior Alternatives to Crappy Windows Software

-ZB

The Mac in business: it's easier than you think | InfoWorld | News | 2008-04-21 | By Galen Gruman

Another story about Macs gaining market share in the "non-creative" enterprise (ie not web / graphic designer companies).

The Mac in business: it's easier than you think

-ZB

The Great Ubuntu-Girlfriend Experiment « Content Consumer

Many Geeks have done the "Girlfriend experiment" with Linux. I know I have... many end with a similar result -- "Please put windows back on my system". Not for any MAJOR issue -- on many occasions it's just a matter of comfort. This is a very well put together article with explicit tests (and results) from a "girlfriend test" using the new Hardy Heron (Ubuntu 8.04).

The article itself is great but what amazed me more was the amount of feedback the author received (189 at the time of this posting) and the level of detail of said feedback.

Worth a look!

The Great Ubuntu-Girlfriend Experiment « Content Consumer

-ZB

Five important security apps for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows: Page 1

If you are reading my blog, chances are you know your way around a personal computer (whether a Windows, Linux or Mac). Here's a great review of some key applications you should have on your respective platform.

Some of these are open source and / or may have ports on the Windows side so don't limit yourself to reading your "OS du jour"...

Five important security apps for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows

-ZB

The Heron has landed: Ubuntu 8.04 officially released

It's hhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeee


Ubuntu 8.04 - Hardy Heron -- has flapped its wings and landed on servers around the world. I upgraded my main system yesterday. The update went flawlessly over the network. The system is as responsive (if not a bit more responsive actually but it's too early to tell). I did experience a bit of a VERY annoying hiccup. When I use the number pad (in a spreadsheet for example) -- the second I press a number key, I get logged out of the system... This is NOT good. I'll be looking on the forums for an answer for this one!

Apart from that one incident, I'm very pleased with the new OS.

Update: The fix for the annoying number pad issue I was having is to disable the "mouse control in keypad" under "Mouse Tabs" in the "Keyboard Prefs" -- happy Zombie, happy

The Heron has landed: Ubuntu 8.04 officially released

-ZB

Vous Pensez – The geekiest pants… ever?

I wonder if ThinkGeek will pick this up at some point? Gives you a good reason to touch your private areas ;)

Vous Pensez – The geekiest pants… ever?

-ZB

Linux examined: Ubuntu Hardy Heron

A decent article describing the virtues of Ubuntu as a Desktop for noobs :-)

Linux examined: Ubuntu Hardy Heron

-ZB

Fat, fatter, fattest: Microsoft’s kings of bloat | InfoWorld

This is a must read by all IT professionals. There has always been a sense that Microsoft was getting more and more "bloaty" with each release and that upgrading your hardware to run the latest release of Windows or Office was a necessity in order to achieve the same or better level of performance. This study compared each generation of Windows / Office vs the state of the art PC at the time and compared the performance and footprint. Conclusion -- Microsoft is getting fatter and fatter and essentially annihilating any speed bumps achieved from better hardware (RAM, CPU, BUS etc). Worth a read!

Fat, fatter, fattest: Microsoft’s kings of bloat

-ZB

Sternlab.:BodyTechnologyInterfaces

OK, uhm so, uhm... this is some strange stuff... It's like gloves or a hat (toque) that fits your body part and your electronics... just take a look -- odd.

Sternlab.:BodyTechnologyInterfaces

-ZB

The Ten Most Beautiful Computers

Not surprisingly, Apple has 2 of the 10 spots :-) I don't see a Cray anywhere though... oh well :-) I feel old looking at this article. I've personally used quite a few of these computers...

The Ten Most Beautiful Computers

-ZB