Windows X’s Shrine

Do you want to make your Windows XP look like Vista? Check out Vista Transformation Pack by Windows X here.

Microsoft, Netware and other Linux Vendors

What does it mean with the lastest hoolabaloo about Microsoft tying up with Novell?

IMHO, Microsoft has succeed.
What about Linux Distros? Well, if Novell faced an issue (Interesting enough, SUSE was going pretty well), other Linux Distros will surely face a similar issue. If Novell was just interested in getting 300MN$, it would have easily sold of SUSE to someone such as Oracle, Sun or Google (i am sure Oracle would be interested).

What about other large Linux Supporters such as Oracle? Well, Microsoft is trying to kill Linux Completely. In fact, in mid-to-large server segment, Linux is (and was?) first real threat to Microsoft. Solaris achieved a status and is just maintaining it as a leading Unix OS. Mac OS X is still years away from becoming the darling of corporations in running their mail servers and directories (Exchange, Actrive Directory are probably most sold products of Microsoft in server segment). Linux based mail and ldap have become easy to setup and maintain. Companies like oracle had performed sufficient harm to the whole scenario by buying off various small opensource entities such as SleepyCat/Berkley, which were running as backbone of many such Linux based system.

What is this occuring? A reason behind why this may be occuring is partially becausing of IP Laws as well as how the licenses are structured. OpenSource companies have to find a way to make product seperate from the company. Right now buying a company allows the buyer to literally kill the product. It should be structured such a way that product remains alive even after company is purchased by someone else.

What about Patent Laws: US need to something about the law. If someone finds a new way of holding a pencil that will make writing easier, can he patent it? I think with the current law, I can (provided I get the right lawyer to get it worded correctly). Patents were about technology and innovation, but instead they have become a legal battleground. If nothing is done about it, the market will be shrunk.

What does the threat lie now?
What about Other OpenSource based OS? OpenSolaris? Mac X OS? Would Microsoft go behind them too? There are several other opensource operating systems, all of them have a problem now.

What about the 100$ laptop that Media Lab of MIT was building. It was supposed to be running a flavour of linux. Now, if Linux is in danger, then this project is also in the danger. A laptop running Windows Vista will need atleast 800$ of cash, which means no one can afford it any more in 3rd and 4th world countries. So we can forget about educating kids with easily available technology, atleast for 30 years (assuming that patterns expire in 30 years).

Windows XP and Service Pack 3

Mary Jo Foley writes " Windows XP Service Pack (SP 3), which Microsoft officials said in January to expect in the latter half of 2007, now has slipped into 2008" at http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/index.php?p=54&ta.... That is a lot of bad news for Windows Users, but probably good news for Sun and Various Linux vendors. What this is going to do is, force lot of Windows Users to determine if it is good for them to stay on Windows with some of their apps, or move to Vista or other platforms for better management. Just to think, if Sun ties up with Dell to ship Sun Solaris on AMD based Dell boxes or even Intel based Dell boxes.. what could happen?

Free Antivirus?

Are you looking for a free Anti-Virus for your PC? Look no further, there are two simple solutions.

If you are running Windows 2000 or XP, there is Grisoft's Free Antivirus... It may be lacking some of the features and It may be annoying a bit... but it works, and it gets updated regularly. Updated: There is a new version available out there, so if you already downloaded one, be sure to download the updated one now.

If you are running Windows XP, then you have an option of using Google Pack. Follow the link on this page and you could download Norton Antivirus 2005 which is part of Google Pack for free.

Uptime on Windows NT/W2K

I was trying to find out how to find uptime of my W2K laptop (not sure why Microsoft did not provide such utilities bundled with OS itself, or as an option to install). Then I stumbled onto a link, which finally directed me to the Uptime Utility's URL at Microsoft.com. Here it is again for you all to download and get going: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q232243/.

Free WiFi HotSpots and Security concern

Well, if you are dependant on WiFi, then this article is really useful to understand implications of using Freely available WiFi signals. Apart from that, this article also applies to using free WiFi Signals available around your home (unauthorise use of such signal is not legal).

Check out the link at ZDnet.

GE: Laptop with data on 50,000 staffers stolen

Well, Looks like Data Thives have started targeting Corporations too. Companies would have to look at data security outside their organization, apart from their internal organization itself, as almost all the companies have data travelling outside always in one or other form.

Google and Microsoft

Well, Wouldn't you think that Google competes with Microsoft?

Hint: Let me ask you a question. If you need more information on Microsoft, which search engine will you use?



Well, Google does provide a search page configured to search for microsoft specific sites. Difficult to believe? click here. 

Introducing the Triple Boot Mac

Wow, Isn't that cool? Not so.

Dual booting or triple booting OS on one mac is never going to be used in production. Just for Hobby.It would really be wise if Apple would bundle Mac with Linux as an option.

Read more at www.linux-watch.com/new...

meebo.com

A web based messenger? Access to Yahoo, MSN, Google and Everything else (AOL... :) )... Visit meebo....

Read more at www11.meebo.com/

Google Talk

Have you seen new pictures assigned to various contacts added to your google talk? Did you ever wonder, how did such features get added? Look into your \Program Files\Google folder, and you will see several updates Google Talk has downloaded and installed (even without your knowledge). What do you think about it? is it a good way of implementing something?

Read more at www.google.com/talk/

Google Talk and chatting with multiple people

How do I use Google talk to talk to multiple people? I haven't figured it out yet. Did you guys find it out?

Yahoo Widgets

All the while, I used to see the MacOS X widget pictures on Apple's website, I used to feel so sad. Wanted to get one for myself on Windows. Yahoo made it possible. check it out at widgets.yahoo.com.

Just one word of caution. It makes your machine slow.

Firefox 1.5

Firefox 1.5 is a major improvement over previous versions. Finally it has replaced IE as my default brower.

Get it now.

Paint.Net

So, What software do you use to paint the pictures? I started with Paintbrush on Windows 3.1.1, and then designed my own. I have also used GIMP. and I think it was cool. But at the end of the day, it was a port. Not designed for windows.

Check out Paint.NET. It is available at http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/ and it is free. I think it is a cool editor, in spite of Microsoft Technologies, used by it. :)

Wikipedia

Wikipedia has taken shine off my blog. I have started updating articles there, rather then trying to shoot from hip at my blog. Hopefully, it helps someone.


Have you been to wikipedia? Not yet? then click here. Now.

Google Firefox Extensions

Google Firefox Extensions

Google has released FireFox extensions to bind google's functionality to FireFox. If you are glued to Google and FireFox, you need it.

Tired of Windows? Reach for Sky....!

If you are tired and bored with Windows. Reach for SkyOS.


Download your copy from here.

Want to Hack a DVD

Have you been thinking of hacking a copy protected DVD?

Try at your own risk. read more info first at highfidelityreview.com

Check out Unix Shell in a Browser

Check out Unix Shell in a brower. This one is entirely developed in Java Script. http://www.masswerk.at/jsuix/