Keep Up With Life With Smartphones & the Latest Apps

April 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

People used to read the newspaper to discover what was going on in the world. The world has now turned and the Internet has become the greatest source of information and news. But time didn’t stop there as now mobile devices are sweeping the communication landscape. Information and entertainment can all be obtained while on the move, and if you have any desire to keep up with life you’ll need a smartphone and the latest apps.

The world of apps for smartphones has exploded. No matter the operating platform your device utilizes, there is practically no end to the applications that can keep you informed and entertained. Consider just a few of the latest apps designed to marry your already busy life to the never-ending stream of ever advancing technology.

Android

Android now offers a great twist on an old fashioned concept: “Writepad Stylus.” As the name implies, you need a stylus, but other than that if you prefer the old fashioned way of taking notes this app is ideal. Your screen becomes an electronic notepad. Everything you jot down can be saved or shared as a PDF file. The straightforward simplicity of Writepad truly makes it the latest must-have app.

iOS

On the iOS platform comes the hottest new multiplayer game: “Maze+”. You race against people from around the globe through elaborate 3D mazes. By randomly selecting who your opponents should be and what map will be used, every time you play it is a different and exciting game. The goal is simple enough: be the first through the maze and collect gems stones which you can later convert to money to buy new levels and characters. It’s a-maze-ing!

Windows Phone (WP7)

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 11: A person holds a new Wi...

(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

Imagine not only being able to listen to your favorite talk radio programs on your smartphone, but do so on-demand selecting from over 7,000 programs. “Stitcher” is now available for the Windows Phone platform. This ingenious software combines content according to topic (politics, cooking, doll collecting) and source (BBC, NPR). It then syncs them up so that if you pause a program you can pick right up where you left off later on. It essentially “stitches” together all your favorite stations into a personalized talk radio playlist. In addition it offers you the ability to hear what other programs listeners to your favorite stations enjoy. If you like anything, it can easily be added to you list.

BlackBerry

For the inner nerd, and those who enjoy a great challenge, BlackBerry offers “Celestial Slingshot.”  It is a game based on physics that has you aim your spaceship so that it collides with gems to complete a level. Sound easy? It takes a cool hand and a keen eye to finesse these super sensitive controls. Though difficult you’ll find it impossible to tear yourself away. It also gives you 20 levels with increasing difficulty to pit yourself against. But not to worry, you can purchase upgrades that increase your ship’s abilities. Conquering the galaxy has never been so challengingly fun!

Filed Under: Linux

Microsoft Contributes to New Version of Linux

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Soon the 3.0 Linux kernel will be released. You might be surprised to learn that Microsoft was one of the top 5 contributors to this version — well, specifically K. Y Srinivasan, a Microsoft developer.

Although the contribution might be surprising, the reasons behind it are not. The major contribution by Microsoft was to update drivers for its Hyper-V product, which is similar to the VMware product in allowing for 64-bit virtualization on the computer. Greg Kroah-Hartman, who oversees code staging for Linux, actually threatened to remove the code because Microsoft was not being cooperative and updating it for the new version.

It seems the threat worked and was the motivation that Microsoft needed to work on the code, which will make it possible for Hyper-V to function within the new Linux kernel. Obviously the main reason Microsoft was willing to contribute is to reach its own ends; but users will be grateful for the contribution, especially developers that rely on virtualization to test products and find problems.

Still, it’s kind of poetic to know that because of this contribution, Microsoft is the number one contributor of code for the new 3.0 Linux kernel. It makes you wonder what will happen next. Maybe there are scientists out there who will bioengineer pigs to grow aerodynamic limbs from the sides of their bellies that when used will cause them to lift above the ground. After all, as the saying goes, “When pigs fly . . .” Well, you get the idea.

Filed Under: Linux, Tips, Tricks, & Help Tagged With: , ,

Are Laptops Being Replaced by Tablets?

July 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Behold the iPad in All Its Glory.

Image via Wikipedia

When laptops came out, they were huge. Despite weighing more than 10 lbs in the beginning, having a portable computer that you could take with you when you traveled was a huge deal and revolutionized how we saw the PC. Still, despite advances in technology, laptops are still bulky and can be difficult to take with you whether you’re traveling, walking around campus, or going to and from work.

Then entered the tablet. Unlike previous versions of the tablet PC, which typically were as big as laptops, these new tablets are small, typically 5 to 10 inches. They’re also very light, some being less than a pound. Even the lightest laptop can’t match that. Although many are just large smartphones, they allow users to browse the Internet, check email, write notes, and basically do anything that a laptop can do.

So will they replace laptops? Not likely . . . at least not yet. Although these devices are convenient, and great for times when you really don’t need the full capability of a laptop, most business leaders will still take their laptops with them when they travel.

Still, tablets are sharing some of the work that was exclusively used for laptops previously. You can make video calls, type up notes or an email, and get information from the Web. If the operating systems and applications on these devices improve enough, we might find laptops becoming obsolete in the next 20 years. Would you ever ditch your laptop for a tablet?

Filed Under: Linux, Reviews Tagged With: , ,

Buying Guide for E-Readers

July 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Nook

Image by AMagill via Flickr

Many are interested in having a device for reading e-books, but there are a few things to consider with e-readers. Here are some things to think about.

Display

One of the major things to consider with e-readers is the display. You have three choices: touch screens, e-ink displays, and LCD screens. These are not mutually exclusive, however. The Barnes & Noble Nook has two options: a black and white touch screen with e-ink and a color display that’s an LCD. The Kindle has an e-ink display that’s not a touch screen. E-ink is great because you can read it in direct sunlight — important if you want to read books while at the beach or while at the park with friends.

Battery Life

Another consideration is the battery life. Although the color display of the Color Nook is impressive, its battery life is about 8 hours. On the other hand, the Kindle can last up to a month and the Nook Touch Reader can last up to two months on a single charge. This is because the e-ink display uses up much less battery than the LCD.

Purpose

When choosing an e-reader, you’ll want to think about what you want to use it for. If you’re planning on reading children’s books or magazines and browsing the Internet, having a color display might be worth it. For a device that does more than just display books, the iPad might be the right device for you if the price tag doesn’t put you off. For those looking for an e-reader specifically, devices with an e-ink display are great because they don’t strain your eyes and last a long time.

Filed Under: Linux, Programs Tagged With: , ,

Why use Linux at all?

June 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Official Ubuntu circle with wordmark. Replace ... 

Image via Wikipedia

Unlike Windows or Max OSX, Linux comes in a variety of flavors. There’s Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, Debian GNU, Fedora, Gentoo and more. It is guaranteed to confuse anyone who is looking to get started with Linux. So why use Linux at all, when there are out-of-the-box programs that are easier to use?

It is true that Linux has been related to the world of uber-geekdom. A majority of computer users just want to be able to turn on their computer and start interacting with the user interface. Linux does offer a user interface, but it does not come across as intuitive. This is in direct contrast to Windows and OSX. Then there is the fact that running programs is hit and miss on Linux. Not every program that is written will run on every version of Linux.

So why use Linux at all, much less any of the available versions? No simple answer exists for the average user, as they don’t see the benefit of being able to access their systems beyond files. However, Linux is the grease for those who want to fine tune their computer hardware into running like a well oiled machine.

Linux and its different variations give the user the ability to get down to the level of the hardware. They can communicate directly with the hard drive and find detailed information on files stored there. It is also used on networks, allowing remote users to log in and access accounts with ease. An administrator can log in, fix a problem for a user, and back out without disrupting the user’s experience.

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Freedom Discovered: Linux

May 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
linux on laptop 

Image by kenwood via Flickr

Choice is an uncommon concept within the virtual world. Technology is too often defined by rigid standards, can’t veer from the protocols that have been placed within it. Codes must remain tight; applications must perform as ordered; and users can find themselves without the ability to tailor their platforms to their needs. Systems often instead reflect the desires of their distributors — offering far too many limitations and far too few rewards. It becomes a challenge to create a computer that simply… works.

Linux helps to tame that challenge into a reality, however.

The Linux platform — which was launched in 1991 as a free source operation — allows individuals to forge their own ideas. The utilization of open codes and an ever-evolving kernel ensure that each user has the opportunity to master their own desktops (shaping every element of their computers as they wish). This is a vital part of the Linux philosophy and one shared by no other system.

The freedom of open sources enables each computer to become a testament to its owner’s needs and desires. Applications can be rewritten; programs can be altered (whether subtly or completely); and the platform can become useful instead of merely tolerated. This distinction is rare within the Internet — and it can’t be denied once it’s been experienced.

The advantage of Linux is its flexibility, the way it can be redefined again and again. There is no end to its potential. It is instead reliant purely on individuals and their skills: which makes it without limit or weakness. It can be changed into the perfect tool.

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What is Linux?

December 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Although most people have heard of Linux, perhaps many who are not network administrators do not know exactly what Linux is.

What is Linux?
Like Microsoft Windows or MAC OS, Linux is an operating system. That is, Linux provides an interface that a computer operator uses to interact with the computer. Linux can be found on a variety of computers, mobile phones, and Linux is used as the operating system on ten of the world’s fasted supercomputers. Although there are several commercial Linux packages available to be purchased, Linux can also be found for free under a GNU General Public License.

Linux derives its name from the 1991 book The Linux Kernel written by Linus Torvalds. In addition, the free cost of Linux dates back to the GNU project created by Richard Stallman in 1983 and lends itself to the name GNU/Linux.

Linux is Open Source
A GNU General Public License is basically a free software license. This license allows users to use and modify Linux for both commercial and private use. Perhaps this is one of the biggest strengths for Linux. Since users can use and manipulate the source code for Linux, users of the operating system play a crucial role in the development and improvement of Linux. This improvement process has led to users around the world collaborating to improve the look, feel, and functionality of Linux.

Who Uses Linux?
Although the seeds for Linux were planted in the 1980s, popularity and demand for Linux has been growing steadily over the last several years. Today, Linux is used by several governments such as Russia, India, China, Spain, Portugal, and recently France and Germany has examined adopting Linux. Although MAC OS and Windows dominate the market for operating systems on personal computers, Linux has made strides in increasing distribution in the growing netbook market.

Although Windows and MAC OS dominate the overall market for operating systems, Linux has been making strides to narrow this gap.

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Linux – The New Green?

December 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, every time a new computer is purchased in this country at least one computer becomes obsolete. Most of these obsolete computers end up in landfills. Unfortunately, computers contain heavy metals such as lead and mercury, and these metals end up seeping into the environment. In a recent study the EPA determined that as much as 70 percent of all heavy metals in landfills are the result of electronic waste.

By reducing the number of computers in landfills, Americans can also reduce the amount of heavy metals in the environment. However, the problem with most old computers is that they are obsolete and run slowly on low or outdated RAM. That is where Linux can help.

Most of these obsolete computers run an older version of Windows. The problem is twofold. First, the longer Windows runs on a computer the slower it gets. Next, in general, the way Windows is designed it uses a lot of system resources. In comparison, Linux runs much more quickly and without hogging resources. This makes Linux much better for use in older computers. By installing a Linux operating system on these obsolete computers, churches, community service organizations, nonprofits, and other cash-strapped organizations can find a second life for these unwanted computers.

In addition, a large amount of free software can be found for Linux systems online. This software does not need to be packaged in cardboard boxes, burned onto plastic CDs or have manuals printed on paper. This means that fewer trees or fossil fuels need to be used in creating this intellectual property.

What is certain is that through population and technology growth, Americans are using far more resources at a much quicker rate. By reducing electronic waste in landfills and by using fewer resources such as trees and fossil fuels, Linux users are doing their part to preserve the environment for future generations.

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Everything about Linux Swap Spaces

December 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
RAM (Random Access Memory) is a hardware compo...
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RAM or Random Access Memory is broken down into smaller sections by the Linux operating system. These sections are referred to as pages and through swapping the page of memory is duplicated into a configured hard disk space, which is called swap space, which is needed for the purpose of clearing memory space.

Swapping is required for two prime reasons. The first is when the system is in need of much more memory than what is physically there, the kernel switches the lesser used pages and provides memory to the presently used process or application which requires the memory right away. The second reason is when a considerable quantity of pages is used by any application during the starting stage and never again; the system then swaps these pages out and frees the memory space for further applications or additionally for the disk cache.

Nevertheless, there are negative aspects to swapping also and if measured for memory, the disks are definitely sluggish. There are many times when disproportionate swapping or battering takes place when pages are swapped in and swapped out and back in again. These types of circumstances make the system struggle to get hold of the free memory and retain the running applications all along. Additional RAM in these situations can help resolve the issue.

There are two forms of swap space in Linux: the swap file and the swap partition. The swap file is a singular form of file in the system which exists along with the system and data files and the swap partition is an autonomous part of the hard-disk which is used exclusively for swapping and no other files can exist there.

Running a swap space is an indispensable feature for system administration. With proper planning and appropriate use, swapping can offer many brownie points.

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The Advantages of Linux!

December 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Tux, as originally drawn by Larry Ewing
Image via Wikipedia

If given a choice between Linux and UNIX what would you choose? Would you prefer Linux over UNIX? As we already know, Linux come free of cost and is quite similar to UNIX in terms of being powerful and a real operating system. In addition to having the same features, Linux is also smaller in comparison to the UNIX operating systems and to be honest there are some versions of BSD UNIX like OpenBSD which can be squeezed into a 60MB file system.

There are many profitable UNIX operating systems which require 500MB or more while some versions of Linux like the embedded uCLinux can function on as little as 2MB of file space and with 2MB of RAM. One can even operate Linux with a Floppy disk!

Pragmatically when one wants space for more developmental tools, data and other stuff it could require 500MB or more space and the RAM should be 32-64MB (though if it is more than that, the better it would function) Linux gives you various benefits, the most important of which are multitasking and virtual memory. In multitasking, many tasks can be operated in the background with many devices like the printer; modem and hard drive can be accessible at the same time. The virtual memory feature enables Linux to preserve a part of the hard drive as virtual memory and increases the competence of the computer by maintaining active processes in RAM and putting less used or inactive parts of memory on disk. The virtual memory also makes use of the entire system memory and prevents memory segmentation from occurring.

There are many other utilities that a user gets with Linux. These include Hardware Support, X Window System, In-Built Networking System, Shared Libraries, Compatibility with IEEE POSIX.1 standard, Open Source Code, Documentation, Lower cost than other UNIX systems and UNIX replicas and GNU Software Support.

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