Computer Tips -Tech Info

Month: August 2005

  • List of Open Source software Packages

    The following is long, but likely not complete.

    This is a list of open-source software packages: (more…)

  • New version of Site manager software released Campsite

    According to the Newsforge article, Campsite 2.3 is “the most advanced open-source system for news publishing on the web.” It’s PHP based and more information can be found at the campware website.

  • New competition for Google Adsense in blogs

    This article details an announcement from Yahoo about a new advertising network for small and medium size web publishers. The article compares the service lightly to Googles adsense (more details from Yahoo I’m sure to follow.) Also it mentions that in the 2nd quarter of 2005, Google brought in $630 million in “syndicated search revenue” which is a broad category including adsense.

  • Google News feeds politics and free speech

    One of the topics I plan to steer clear of most of the time here is politics. I don’t want this site (essentially for my business), to be engulfed with national political, conservative, liberal, etc… debates. It doesn’t fit with the structure I have in mind. However, at the intersection of political debate and technology there is room to touch on the topic. I’ve found an article which brings Google News into this mix.
    (more…)

  • Shuttle astronaut pulls gap filler out in spacewalk

    I waited until I could find a news article with a pretty picture, this wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, as this space walk should have allowed for some excellent views of the shuttle and the earth behind it. The astronaut successfully pulled out the “gap fillers” that were protruding from the underbelly. There was concern that the friction caused by these on re-entry would cause overheating.

    (more…)

  • 3GB USB bootable Micro Hard drive with Ubuntu Linux

    Just found a reference to this product at barrapunto.com. It’s a 3GB microdrive in a “big usb cracker”kind of form factor. (Not solid state, it does have moving parts I understand.) It comes with Ubuntu linux preinstalled with Office suite/web browser, all the trimings. It will boot on PC’s that support booting from USB. Of course any changes are saved to the micro drive itself, and no touches are made to the computer systems internal drive. It’s about 35 grams, the size of a square lighter and is selling for 135 Euros.
    (more…)

  • Criminal Charges against users of software that infringes on Intellectual Property?

    According to cnet news. A new proposed EU law could allow criminal charges and jail time for the bosses of businesses that run software that infringes on someones Intellictual Property. SCO in the last couple of years has brought civil charges against businesses using linux claiming that linux violates their (SCO’s) IP. (Something which as of yet has not been proven.) A law like this could put doubts in peoples minds about using Open Source software (as the article is titled…. “EU Plan could put open sourcers in court”).
    (more…)

  • Google cache revealing critical personal infromation

    A while back I did an article on using Google search in some slightly more advanced ways, as well as a link to a site of specific Google searches. I’ve come across something in the Handlers diary at Incidents.org that is worth knowing about. The entry in question details that apparently someone made a BIG order for internet services that prompted the business to do a bit of research on the buyer. They found in Google’s cache a LOT of information – name, address, phone number, date of birth, credit card type, cc number, CCV2 #, credit card expiration, Social Security Number, bank pin number, account number, routing number, phone number, paypal email and password, drivers license number and state issued.
    (more…)

  • Mozilla foundation reorganization

    There is news out of the Mozilla foundation today that they are reorganizing. The Mozilla Corporation will be a “taxable subsidiary” and will be responsible for marketing, distribution and product development, serving the goals of it’s non-profit, public benefit goals of the parent organization.

  • Microsoft launches start page test to compete with Google’s start page

    When I first saw the MSN search page I had to smirk. It reminded me much of the Google search page. It was a nice “clean” layout, take away the blue background and the similarities would be greater. Of course my first thought was. “OK they’re copying google.” or at least their style. Next
    (more…)