%20 Time 5-6-08 May 11, 2008
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First, I would like to apologize for the week-before-last-week’s unfornate “Blank Post” as you read this new post, you will see that past it there is a blank post titled “%20 Time 4-22-08.” This was supposed to be the Ubuntu 8.04 review but for some unknown reason, the post failed to show. To make things worse, I lost my draft due to my computer crashing. I hope to redo the original post again in the near future. Thank you everyone and I apologize again for the inconvenience.
For today’s %20 time, I would like to show off the already anticipated new version of Ubuntu. You might say “Wait, wasn’t it already releady released some time ago?” well… it isn’t Hardy Heron. Instead, it is the newest version of Ubuntu that is due out on October! Yes, some of you may say “Already?! We’ve just gone through one version about 2 weeks ago and people are already talking about the next one?!” yeah… it seems pretty desperate of them at first but when you think about it, it’s actually pretty exciting. Just look at one of many news and news blogs are stating about the future October release of Ubuntu codenamed “Intrepid Ibex” already!
“With the release of Ubuntu Hardy Heron now behind us most eyes are turned to October when Intrepid Ibex, or Ubuntu Linux 8.10, will make its debut. While Hardy Heron was designed to be stable enough to be a long-term support release, Intrepid Ibex promises to be packed with more exciting features.”
Although Intrepid Ibex isn’t due out until October, there is already people stating this that it won’t be a great successor to its younger brother “Hardy Heron.” All I can say is I wonder how they’ll top this one with Hardy Heron — if it acutally does.
%20 time 4-22-08 April 27, 2008
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%20 Time 4/15/08 April 20, 2008
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Now, since the latest version of Ubuntu (Ubuntu version 8.04 Hardy Heron) is making its debut in about 4 days, I thought to myself “How would I use this version on an actual decent computer without jeopardizing mine or the school’s hardware?” I asked my teacher once again about what she suggests me to do. Then after that, she told me about making a live CD, or burning an ISO image of the version onto a CD. She said this would make Ubuntu the most usable as possible at this point.
Burning an ISO image onto a CD just means that you’re making that certain distribution usable in CD form. To put it in simple words, it’s like starting up Windows simply through a CD. Now honestly, this was kind of new to me (the whole ISO idea in general) but my teacher didn’t disappoint and luckily provided me a link to a really good step-by-step tutorial through del.icio.us.
Okay. first off, I didn’t really know what distribution I was going to use to test this out (because 8.04 hasn’t officially been released yet.) So I thought to myself “Why not just use the Beta version of Ubuntu 8.04?” And I actually ended up using that throughout the tutorial. I hope that doesn’t make such a difference on making the ISO work.
Okay. first off, I had to download some programs for this certain tutorial to actually happen for me. The programs go as follow according to the tutorial:
“BitTorrent (download link): BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer download application with several advantages (for both you and the Ubuntu community at large) over a straight download through the web browser:
- BitTorrent downloads pieces of a file from other users’ computers, easing up the load on Ubuntu servers—this kind of download consideration is particularly important the first few days after a new release. Do unto others and all that.
- BitTorrent downloads also can be stopped and resumed, unlike regular web browser downloads. This may come in handy to you, seeing as how the ISO files for Ubuntu are often around 700 MB in size.
- BitTorrent is more likely to leave you with an uncorrupted download. You don’t want to spend all that time downloading a 700 MB file only to find out, after two or three hours of waiting, that the file is no good to you.
WinMD5Sum (download link): Even though BitTorrent is very likely to leave you with an intact and uncorrupted ISO, it doesn’t hurt to double-check the integrity of the file after download, and that’s what WinMD5Sum does—it compares the the file on your computer to the original file and lets you know if they’re an exact match or not.
InfraRecorder (download link): InfraRecorder is an open source CD burning application. As I said before, you can very well use Nero or Roxio if you have those installed already, but vanilla Windows does not come with the ability to burn ISO disk images properly, so I’m using as an example a cost-free and open source CD burning application that can help anyone burn the ISO image, not just those who have previously purchased special CD-burning software.”
Personally, for the BitTorrent part, I suggest a great alternative program called uTorrent (I’m extemely similiar with BitTorrent and its various clients out there.) You can say uTorrent is like the “Ubuntu” of bittorrent clients. (Humor intended.)
As you start this tutorial, please click on the hyperlinked word “tutorial” above to follow the on-screen instructions. According to my attempt, it didn’t finish all that well; so until I figure out what I did wrong, please follow the tutorial before me. Thank you and here are some pictures (in order as possible) of my attempts on making this work:
I’ll make a revised version along with my review next week. Thank you!
%20 Time 4/1/08 April 14, 2008
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(First, I’d like to apologize for not making this post on the correct week. You see, we just had spring break here in our high school. It ended up being a little out of whack when my parents decided to go on vacation and forcing me to tag along. I finally arrived last night near midnight. I apologize for the inconvenience.)
For this week’s special %20 time, I am concluding the OLPC test run. But before doing that. I’d just like to thank my teacher, Ms. Wagner, for lending me her OLPC machine for this test run. Without her, this and the last posts wouldn’t of been possible.
I’d like to recap a little about what happened the past week. We first introduced the OLPC and it’s purpose. We pointed out that instead of the laptop actually being called OLPC (after its organization) it is actually “codenamed” or just simply called the “XO Laptop.” We also pointed out about the chairman of the organization Nicholas Negroponte and his purpose of creating this organization (Which, for the people that are new here, is to create a $100 laptop that can be affordable around the world — even in 3rd world countries.)
I’d also like to give a proper review on the machine itself prior to showing off pictures. First off, like every other laptop, there’s going to be many ups and downs. In XO’s case, the laptop brings alot mixed reactions to me. First off, the laptop does bring an amazing array of features for such a cheaply priced laptop. Many such things include what one would find in a Windows 98/2000 and then some. Another given is the fact that its a laptop in general. The lowest-end laptops nowadays start for a whopping $400. To think that the XO laptop is on its way to $100 now is simply amazing. I would really call it the child’s laptop of tomorrow instead of the childs laptop of today. Also, the fact that this is Web 2.0 - Etiquette ready/friendly is amazing. To think this can brind a whole new level of amount of people actually following the proper web 2.0 etiquette in the years to come is astonishing even to me. This laptop can actually bring a socialized cyber paradise soon. Now for the cons I have towards the machine sound more selfish rather than a flaw. First, I think at least putting more flash memory wouldn’t be so much of a price difference. I just don’t see 1gb last for just about anyone. Also, the specs in general aren’t ones to awe at, either. Also, when I see the specs, I start thinking “Did this really add up to $100…?” Maybe it’s the fact that I’m used to alot more nowadays that it makes me feel bad about those specs. The wifi is really great though, no complains about that. Also, the limitation the put to only open a certain amount of windows kind of annoys me (again, I’m used to alot more.) So this wouldn’t be a good machine for me. One more complaint I have is that the touchpad is kind of weird and makes this lag when moving it. It does the same with a mouse.
Overall, I think this is an average machine. I like the idea, price, wifi and such. I just don’t like it’s limitations and capacities. I’d give this a 7/10
20% time 3-25-08 March 31, 2008
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Finally, the long awaited %20 time that my peers have been waiting for has finally come! This %20 time includes two things: me and a laptop called OLPC (One Laptop Per Child.) I was given this little buddy to test it out. And since it was Linux based, it made sense create a review for it here. This will be my review of the new OLPC laptop for this week’s special %20 time. Enjoy!
Official name: XO laptop
This nice little “$100 dollar” laptop is being manufactured by a company called Quanta Computers. You can store up to 1GB using the laptop’s 1GB flash memory with 256MB Ram built-in. The laptop’s Operating System is made and based off of Fedora by RedHat. The processor is Geode LX700@0.8 W + 5536 made by AMD. On the networking side, It has a powerful 802.11 B/G/S wireless LAN card built inside just for it. It also has USB ports and an SD media slot port. Extras that this laptop has is a built-in camera and Microphone.
Now I hope you’ve read one of my post a while back about this certain laptop.The las post was about the brains behind the company; the owner and CEO himself, Nicholas Negroponte. His great speech gave the whole audience faith in how we can change 3rd world poverty. And today, he and his company are doing that exact same thing; changing the world little by little.
Now on to the review. Overall the system itself was really fun any easy to use. Sometimes I would end up being confused about its interactivity at times. I also had trouble with some things such as the touchpad not coorperating with me at times. And then the unusual connecting the mouse to the XO and the XO not keeping up with the mouse when I do the drag motion. There were a small series of unusual things happening with the laptop but none to deem this great and fun laptop a failure and not worth your pretty penny you spent for it. In fact, the whole concept of the laptop is to give people a chance in experiencing technology like we do today. This isn’t your great Macbook or your Dell GX(insert model number here) but it sure looks great for that price.
Now the main menu. The menu is, obviously, the first thing you get into. All I can say is that they made this interface so clean and easy, and I mean, easy to use. I’ve never seen such a Linux-based OS to look so nice yet easy to use. They also made it look like a mac-style dock underneath all of that except with the zoom feature. Everything is there, and clean while it’s at it. Mind I say that the ring there is the number of apps you currently have out. I assume that after that ring fills up, you’re going to need to quit a program before you open another. Downside.
20% time 3-18-08 March 23, 2008
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I continue my search on seeking interesting posts about Linux via Google Alerts this week. To my surprise, I find out that a new version of the famous eye candy distribution named Ubuntu is releasing its new version. It is version 8.04 “Hardy Heron.”
Original image: ‘Ubuntu Wallpaper Plain‘ http://www.flickr.com/photos/34754790@N00/4021443 by: Andrew Mason
With Fedora’s update late last year comes a new competitor trying to win their users back. A Wired bogger broke the news on Friday that the famous Linux Distribution has released a beta for its new version over the weekend. This new version of Ubuntu will bring “Pulse Audio support” (According to Wikipedia, Pulse Audio is a cross platform network sound server) and a number of improvements to its predecessor Gutsy Gibbon (Honestly, Gutsy Gibbon still needed improvements?)
Hardy Heron is coming out later next month. For now, lets take a look on the newest feature in this brand new version of Ubuntu.
Wubi
According to Ubuntu, this is the only newest feature other than Sound Pulse, that pretty much spotlights the new version a a whole. This new feature called Wubi allows users to install and uninstall Ubuntu like any other Windows application. You can now simply work with Ubuntu with a CD or pretty much like software. This will require a ISO based extractor like Power ISO to install Wubi. This dual-boot application for windows reminds me of Mac OSX’s backwards compatibility toward Mac OS 9.
I think this is a giant step towards Ubuntu’s never ending success to the francise. This now allows people that have been afraid to install the OS onto their main computers (like me) and gives them a chance to install it like an application. Ubuntu has outdone themselves again!
It does not require a dedicated partition, nor does it affect the existing bootloader, yet users can experience a dual-boot setup almost identical to a full installation. Wubi works with a physical CD or in stand-alone mode, by downloading an appropriate ISO to install from. It can be found on the root of the CD as Wubi.exe. A full installation within a dedicated partition is still recommended, but Wubi is a great way to try Ubuntu for a few days and weeks before committing dedicated disk resources.
As soon as this version comes out on April 28, 2008. I will write a complete review of the new version on the week of April 28-May 4, 2008
Next week: An awesome review of OLPC! Till next time!
Mulitouch Computing March 21, 2008
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Now lately I know we've seen a big shift in computing. Over the past few months, you've seen such new devices such as the iPhone and iPod Touch having multi touch, or touch-friendly, features. Today, this multi touch technology is having a big impact on computers we see today. We will start seeing a big shift to multi touch computing soon in the not-so-distant future.
Back in 2006, A research scientist called Jeff Han introduced his multi touch sensing technology in a convention called TED Talks in San Francisco, CA (See the video above.) In the demonstration, he introduced his first interface-free touch driven screen. He showed off many of the features the multi touch screen is capable of such as heat sensor, being able to touch the screen with all ten fingers etc. Ted Talks later released this on their site and it quickly became acknowledged all around the web.
Jeff Han's interest in multi touch programming didn't stop there. He founded a company called Perceptive Pixel (which still exists today.) The company's main focus is developing multi touch screens. Now, they distribute their multi touch screens to organizations such as the military. Perceptive Pixel is also playing a big part in new upcoming technology being made by Microsoft.
Microsoft's new and upcoming technology called "Microsoft Surface" w
20% time 3-11-08 March 17, 2008
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Over the course of last week, I’ve been taking advantage of my recently subscribed Google alerts. I of course subscribed to obtain Linux-related alerts. The alerts I’ve been reading so far are really interesting. I found a specific post in which I took a lot of interest in when I read it. It had to do with the technology of cars possibly working with Linux. The original post by Linuxinsider can be found here.
“In the 1980s, auto manufacturers began using simple computers called the “engine control unit,” or ECU, to monitor and regulate such things as fuel mixture and spark plug timing. Since then, a cottage industry has developed around hardware and software to bypass, tinker with or replace this system. A significant chunk of the players in this space use open source software, which cuts down on costs and improves the development process.”
The whole post talks about the chronology of automotive in relation to technology over the years and how open source technology may play a key role in slashing high prices towards cars today and in the future. According to the post, it also states that there actually is an open-source automotive industry out there; small but growing. Just knowing that there is such a thing for cars today simply amazes me. There possibly can’t be anything bad at all about the thought of an “open source” car.
The reason why Linux never became too big in the auto industry is that car manufactures have instead decided to take on their own proprietary parts (which is obviously much better for them in more ways than one.) and make more money off the people by making them come back and buy another one from them in the proprietary price. Another reason to why they didn’t let Linux go automotive is because they feared the risk of it failing faster than if they were to provide their own proprietary parts.
Now I may not have the most knowledge to mechanics and other such automotive related knowledge but thanks to my dad’s talk about car parts that, like the post tells us, the ECU or computer is considered the brain of the whole car and is a vital part for a car to run. This certain part costs a fortune if you wish to replace a damaged one; we’re talking about an average of $2,000 for only a used one. And, for like all other parts, the brand of the car plays a big part in the price range too.
Now in the end of the post, they talk about the future of Linux and how countries such as China and Korea are going to start developing this open source plan. My only question (and closing statement) of the week is, when exactly would we expect this to become real and if it’ll make a *Huge* difference in the price of automobiles in the coming future? Thanks again Linuxinsider for the post.
Original image: ‘The ‘open source’ car‘ http://www.flickr.com/photos/55769303@N00/207374149 by: javic
20% Time 3-4-08 March 10, 2008
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Today as promised I said I would be doing a little bit of tweaking around with a Linux distribution this week (which, to my surprise, actually did.) I finally started using my first linux linux distribution which is Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy Eft. I wasn’t planning on using a relatively old one but take what you can get. I will see what I can do on trying to obtain a copy of Ubuntu 7 Gutsy Gibbon.
First off, I noticed this one didn’t have Coldfusion/beryl installed in it. I was mainly plainning to play around with the oh so entertaining desktop interface (courtesy of Beryl) but instead tried to get my way around finding the prefences and trying to connect to the internet. Unforunately, due to such a mishap, I couldn’t send out some screenshots I was planning to upload via the linux installed computer. I’ve learned pretty much the basics by reading around in the help section. I’ve learned how to add applications to my sidebars which is finally how I got my way around the prefences option. Lastly, I found out how to install applicaitons to it. I wish play around with it more in the coming week.
Next week: more experimenting eith Edgy Eft or possibly even Gutsy Gibbon (if i’m lucky enough to find a computer to work it on.)
20% Time 2-19-08 February 25, 2008
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I’ve been looking through the popularity between Linux Distributions (or Linux’s long line of Operating Systems.) And to much of my research, according to Linux Online there are about 220 well known Linux distributions. This is an amazing amount of Linux distributions, especially the fact that this probably isn’t all the distributions that can be found around the internet. The thing is, there are only a hand full of distributions that are acknowledged enough to be popular to the consumer’s eye.
After enough research checking the amount of distributions available, I asked myself “I wonder how many of these have enough reputation to be acknowledged by the people.” I looked around the interned and found an unofficial poll from Physics Forums. It isn’t very big but the poll goes as follows:
As you can see, the top four distributions are Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo, and OpenSUSE. Although the poll is fairly small, the poll already looks one-sided with the top 2. Ubuntu and Red Hat’s Fedora are the two main distributions that are acknowledged well. To me, this isn’t really a surprise because I’ve seen Red Hat around as being more than just a distribution. It also, powers the well-known OLPC as its open-source Operating System. Also, the Ubuntu Operating system being the top distribution doesn’t surprise me either because of its popular eye-candy thanks to Beryl and coldfusion. It is also deemed the easiest to install. To me, I see Ubuntu as “Windows Vista” and see Fedora as “Windows XP.” Wait… that doesn’t sound as good as I wanted it to sound like… Ahem. Anyway, I’ll leave it at that. That’s all; until next week!
Next week: I will try to see if I can start using a linux distribution. If I do, I will go over the installation process all next week. See you!
