Feeds
8078 items (0 unread) in 54 feeds
Welcome to Mashada Blogs! Read all your favourite blogs in one place.
«
Expand/Collapse
14 items tagged "kompyuta"
-
-
16:30
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
-
-
17:29
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
I’ve played with Edubuntu on the office laptop today and came across this nice suite for kids & boys like me who like to play smart games:
If you have access to kids ;-), think they should learn something about computers and don’t want to buy any extra gadgets/toys, then GCompris may just be what you’re looking for.
“GCompris is an educational software suite comprising of numerous activities for children aged 2 to 10. (…) Currently GCompris offers in excess of 100 activities and more are being developed. GCompris is free software, that means that you can adapt it to your own needs, improve it and, most importantly, share it with children everywhere.”
“In order to promote the use of GNU/Linux, the windows version has a limited number of activities. It is possible to access all the activities for a fee” - which is 20,- EUR. Best option is to use the LiveCD version, or - if you can - try Ubuntu with the Edubuntu add-on package.
Edubuntu has really improved since I’ve first blogged about it in 2005. Nice! My new boss has 3 kids who often play in the office. So I thought about giving them an older laptop with Edubuntu + a mouse and see how far they’ll get with it.
  
-
-
13:25
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
Why do ppl use the calendar on Microsoft (Office) Outlook? - Because it runs on their place of work and syncs with their PDAs.
In my case: I use MS Outlook under WinXP (at home) to sync the address book on my mobile phone (despite of online service as mentioned earlier). I could just as well use an alternative e-mail client, but I am using MS Outlook (under XP, that is).
There’s this colleague of mine who uses an MS Excel sheet to manage his appointments. Needles to say that these sheets are on his computer only and remain there.
We requested him to open up his calendar to the whole team but he hasn’t done so since then.
I am not the one to complain about this because I am also hardly ever using that MS Outlook calendar at work.
screenshot of a calendar @ MS Outlook 2003
The other day an old friend of mine (who happens to work in the same organization) asked me if I’d like to have lunch with him. Now, instead of just accepting my “OK”, he then proceeded and sent me a request for the Outlook calendar. Since we both work at the same company, since we’re both using Outlook to organize our schedules, since he has a company phone that syncs with our MS Exchange server - all of this makes sense (for him).
However - I am not using a company phone. And I do prefer running a paper version of my calendar. If it had to be an electronical version, I would love to have one that:
- syncs with just about any phone / PDA / etc.
- syncs with any corporate IT structure & their regulations (!!!!)
- is an all-in-one solution for private and professional contacts
- has a public and private section
Google Calendar…is it a suitable alternative for my needs?
And: a request for an open synchronisation - is that due to MS Exchange or the inability / unwillingness of our IT dept. to unlock this special mode due to security reasons & co? What is MS Exchange capable of and what kind of services are used? What is required so that users from different organisations can have one tool online that manages their schedules and still syncs with all different systems? Which system doesn’t require one single server but instead just syncs different servers & user data to a global network? Which system (mabye Zimbra?) enables me to sent a request for an appointment to a user that isn’t connected to our MS Exchange server?
-
-
15:52
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
There are those maps out there which are based on statistical data - assumed, accumulated and unproven figures that may indicate a certain trend and/or just show what the situation has been when the data was collected.
When we look at today’s map of Firefox 3 downloads worldwide in just 24 hours (for a world record):
…I really wonder what ppl will say about this in future, and also how many organizations will take THIS as a basis for their future planing on the availability of internet access, the spread of alternative internet browsers (such as the Firefox 3 suite) and what kind of internet-saturation (?) it takes to actively participate in such a call for a world record (read: the request to download FF3 on this particular day was imho promoted through the blogosphere? If so, it could be a nice indicator for the blogosphere).
However - 8,9 million downloads in just one day are just impressive!
-
-
19:25
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
I’ve upgraded the WXGA screen on my HP nx8220 to a much brighter WSXGA+ display. In other words: from a 1280×800 pixel resolution to a stunning 1680×1050px.
As a consequence of this, my blog now looks like this:
before:
after:
I’ve added a black 2px frame to the screenshots so highlight the actual difference in sizes. I am still undecided if this was a good move - am currently working with a 120dpi font instead of the usual 96dpi under WinXP - but then: it gives me the freedom to actually just rescale the screen to a much lower resolution whenever needed.
Unfortunately, each TFT screen only works best at a certain screen resolution, so this one being the 1680×1050px one, I will have to leave it at this high resolution for a serious “screen impression”. 1280×800px have been fine with me though, and I think it makes more sense to add another, 2nd screen (via a docking station) to move messengers & utilities to the side.
The upgrade came in handy as I had the opportunity to strip down a used & broken machine and use all the good parts on my own machine (especially an almost new keyboard, which is awesome).
Also, I am wondering if this will improve any webdesign projects / photo editing I am doing on my machine. Despite of the improved screen resolution, the brightness of all colours is just great. But then - all content appears to be very very small…
[update:] Ok, there you go….switching back to 1280×800px and downgrading to the previous 1,86 GHz CPU (instead of a 2,13 GHz) did the job for me. No more headaches from focussing my eyes on small details on the screen + no more fan noise coming from an over aggressive fan. The weekend is saved…
-
-
17:36
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
I’ve dropped an email to the IT dept. today, suggesting to them the use of Linux Live CDs for conferences.
Why? Well, what’s the scenario?
During an average conference, many different users from different backgrounds approach the guy handling the beamer with their usb flash memory stick. Unfortunately, their USB flash sticks are often infected with malware that may reproduce itself on the host system and consequently infect other usb sticks. Malware scanners in use may also not be that effective and often only fight the symptoms, not their actual causes. Hence, an infected base station is the ideal breeding place for malware.
Using a Live CD based on a Linux distro instead may prevent all this danger as such an alternative operating system isnt affected by such malware. Consequently, if used in the correct way, the simple spreading of malware through automatic infections is limited to a possible minimum.
It’s such a relatively simple method to prevent further infections so I am wondering: why isn’t this a standard procedure in a M$-Windows-dominated IT environment?
(@Apple users: *cough* *cough*….well…u know….*sigh* :-)
-
-
22:27
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
…by (the benchmarking tool) HD Tune, telling me that almost all of my USB flash memory sticks aren’t bootabooool.
Well, apparently they are indeed able to supply any recent computer with a fresh copy of e.g. gOS - a new OS based on Ubuntu 7.10 + featuring lots of Google web apps.
Just plug it in and start your computer with the latest release of [put your favourite OS here] - for inspirations, check out pendrivelinux.com
Reasons for bragging about it this way is that I am still amazed at this tiny 2GB microSD card inside the USB reader (see yellow arrow) and that it actually provides my machine with a very sexy-looking OS within a maximum of 20seconds boot-up time. And all of this at the size of a fingernail! (<== no, not those nails that have at one time been very popular with guys from Nyeri…)
Again, the provision of WinXP rescue kits, portable apps or even complete OS on a USB flash memors stick may just be the right extra income for IT students. Given that not everyone has his own machine, a USB flash drive may just substitute that need for virtual desktops.
Maybe one day we’ll only see ppl using terminal-like stations where all private data is stored on a USB flash stick if not remote on a central server?
-
-
20:17
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
Just a video…
YouTube directvideo link
…and a link. Ok, maybe also another link.
@MB: this + Edubuntu + B’s old laptop => test it with the kids!
-
-
6:45
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
What’s eyeOS?
EyeOS is virtual desktop / operating system accessible through a browser. Or as they describe it on their website:
eyeOS is a new kind of Operating System, where everything resides on a web browser. With eyeOS, you will have your desktop, applications and files always with you, from your home, your college, your office or your neightboor’s house. Just open a web browser, connect to your eyeOS System and access your personal desktop and all your stuff just like you left it last time.
YouTube directvideo link
So I’ve downloaded their latest release and installed it on my webspace. Note: I am still on 1&1 (1und1.de / 1and1.com) due to historic reasons (urgently need to switch to a cheaper host though - any recommendations that really work & are reliable? Uptime on 1&1 has been great in the past but they are just crazy about mySQL dbs and other extras. Automatization / user admin panel is still very nice on their system so any other cheaper service would need to offer a good admin panel as well. thx!) and eyeOS requires php 5 in order to run. 1&1 offers both php 4 and 5, but 4 is the default setting. In order to use php 5 on your 1&1 server, you’ll need to rename all files from .php to .php5 and likewise all links / references / calls to other php files within the install.php & index.php. Did that and it just works fine:
You can test it for yourself on eyeOS.info and I recommend to set your browser to fullscreen view (F11?) in order to fully enjoy the desktop.
So WHY is this interesting?
- It’s a personal, virtual desktop offering some basic progs like word (based on the tinyMCE editor as in WordPress) or a spreadsheet program, but also games, a calculator, etc - basically, everyting that will be developed for it - so there sure is much more to come.
- There are moments when you are on a very restricted computer which doesnt provide much flexibility except for an inet connection. Sure you could use Google Documents or even PortableApps on a USB flash disk (I’ve introduced PortableApps at our office because ppl wanted to use Firefox instead of MSIE 6!!.0 without running into trouble with the IT dept.), but maybe there’s no USB port available and/or you don’t have a Google account?
- It comes with an FTP client. The ftp port 21 is closed @ my place of work, so the only way to use ftp is by using a) an unsecured wifi connection (ftp is plain text anyways) or b) using such a remote ftp client.
- It is platform independent! Access your eyeOS desktop via WinOS, MacOS, LinuxOS - any browser with JavaScript will do! Doesnt work via the Symbian S60 V3 browser (based on the Safari core) and OperaMini though.
- You may want to access all your data in a customizable environment without worrying about carrying USB flash memory around.
- Would this work on a server and low-cost terminals connected that just have a browser? => @ University - could be an interesting idea for local networks, if not already realized (haven’t combed through their wiki actually, these are just my impressions so far).
- There’s no additional software needed! No need for special client software except for a working browser.
Imho, eyeOS is a very interesting alternative to….to what? To a virtual machine in the network via VMWARE or a remote VNC connection? Maybe. I think it rather indicates that the future is all about “being connected” = networked computers and that data will then be stored on a main server somewhere, accessible from anywhere in the world. Storing devices such as CDs, DVDs, USB flash disk are the best indicator to see how everything quickly changes from long-time archives to fast-and-forget memory. Following this line of thinking, the question of illegal downloades could one day just be solved as all multimedia files could remain on a central repository and usage (you dont need to physically”posses” data on your hard drive - you just want to use it, right?) would be paid for. Sure there would be ways to crack or bypass that but that’s just another question.
As for now, as broadband / fast inet connection isn’t available everywhere in the world, I tend to regard this only from a local area network perspective. Has this already been implemented at a local university? => Skunkworks Kenya / Kenyatta University?
I like eyeOS because it doesn’t require much to work. It’s simple, it’s efficient, it wins.
-
-
19:31
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
Two different persons approached me earlier last week, telling me about their plans of buying a new laptop. Knowing that they’ll be fine with a simple, stationary system (= forget about battery runtime) and a good cost/performance ratio, I told both of them to go for an ACER 5220 / 80 GB HDD / 1GB RAM + WinXPP for something around EUR 500,-.
I took this opportunity to also inform myself about current models and trends and came to the conclusion that I am just (still) VERY HAPPY with my HP (Compaq) nx8220. I’ve seen a lot of other equipment in the past and also lots of crippled corp. IT gadgets and then I always come back to my beloved nx8220 and think: Ahh, well done, JKE, it was a good deal back then. :-)
Really, I don’t care about fast CPUs or the latest gfx board if the machine does not provide a decent battery runtime under normal conditions and, most importantly, has a matt display, a real keyboard, an internal microphone, a lowered trackpad (see Sony VAIOs - horrible) and enough USB ports on each side.
So why not this dead cheap HP 530 running on Linux? Because it has its USB ports on the left side. Now imagine fixing your USB mouse to that port, pulling the cable once around the back of the machine to the right side. Or headset sockets: nice for fixing a headset - but given the (stationary) Celeron CPU, most users will keep this machine at home and may want to connect it to their stereo system. A cable in front just sucks. My colleagues in Mali are using such a HP 530 and again, I wonder how it performs under the heat…
Been standing in front of an MacBook Air ad tonight, explaining my Indian colleague the disadvantages of such a notebook and I would never go for it. He’s into Apple products big times (is there any secret or subliminal Apple advertisment in Google Talk or Orkut?? :-) but me, mimi I could nevaaaaa go for an Apple computer. (I’ve grown up on an Atari 1040 STF which should still exist somewhere in Nairobi so I’ve paid my dues to the UI on that platform…). I wonder why Apple assumes that most customers who are able to cough up enough pesa for a MacBook Air are also those who are frequent flyers and will be in such situations when this gadget actually plays out its advantages (light weight, energy consumption, data exchange limited to network connections, illuminated keyboard).
If my nx8220 dies one day, I’ll hopefully manage to buy another HP or, if they eventually switch the Strg and Fn key positions, maybe also an IBM/Lenovo thingy. But then, I’d prolly fix it and buy spare parts from eBay…
@M: are you still on that Toshiba?
@MB: what about your FSC Amilo - working again?
@CG: wie geht es Deinem DELL und wie oft nutzt Du Dein ThinkPad?
@Zed & CK: kommt mir jetzt nicht mit dem Apple! :-)
(vielleicht sollte man mich mal 1 Woche lang mit einem Apple PC einsperren, damit ich für das OS mehr Sympathien entwickeln kann…)
-
-
9:37
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
I was just going through my blogroll (which btw urgently needs to be cleaned up and /or reorganized - yes, mzeecedric, blogroll still valid in times of web 2.0?) when I came across the following two videos which I would like to share with you:
1. Bluetooth headset “sniffing”
YouTube directvideo link
[via]
2. security analysis of a voting machine
-
-
14:55
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
I am currently looking for a suitable Content Management System (CMS) for a website which is able to create an offline version of all pages to be run directly from a CD or DVD.
The only working solution I can currently think of is something where you’d have a (virtual) local server running which then provides the dynamics for an attached database, but I was hoping that maybe someone out there knows a better solution, maybe something where a script creates static versions of each page and then copies them into a folder (~ cron job every night).
Joomla? Drupal? Typo3? Anyone?
Any help is appreciated! Thx.
-
-
21:57
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
Some of you may remember my blog post from March 2007 about fake USB sticks: A friend of mine had gone to China on a business trip and bought two 8 GB sticks for EUR 11,- each, only to realize at home that he had actually acquired two 16 MB sticks. The problem is that you can only verify the real capacity of such sticks by writing data on them and then reading it back to the computer. Obviously, this best works with an empty stick.
Back then I even mentioned some progs that may verify if a USB flash memory stick is faulty or not. Germany’s c’t (Computer & Technik) magazine has now come up an alternative programme that works just fine and does a great job:
 (screenshot of H2testw - and yes, that’s my desktop wallpaper :-)
It is available in German and English, free of charge, small (zipped ~ 220 kb) and “writes data in chunks of 1 megabyte”. H2testw.exe doesn’t also require an installation, so you may want to add it to you selection of useful tools on a usb flash memory stick (i do that + i have a folder designed for such purposes which contains also other goodies such as a free virus scanner + recent update packages that kill popular threats). It took this useful tool about 15 minutes to write and 3 minutes to read back data on my (freshly formatted) 2 GB stick.
I am mentioning it here because I know a lot of ppl are aware of faulty sticks but don’t know how to check them with the right software (there are some nasty “freeware” tools out there that do more harm than good). Also, since this nice little prog also fits on the smallest stick (hey, the above mentioned 16 MB sticks are still available, i heard :-), you may want to take it to the dealer and test it right there before purchase.
AOB: What happened to the Raila virus, btw?
-
-
12:00
From: Kikuyumoja's realm
Read This Entry & More At Kikuyumoja's realm
Just a short note on a news item about an adapted version of Edubuntu 7.04 being deployed to schools in Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M.).
The interesting part is that these 20.000 PCs (7.000 already shipped) will be equipped with (X300) Thin Clients by NComputing, which allow 7-8 users on each machine at the same time.
I’ve posted it here because Daudi’s comment the other day over at Erik’s Realm reminded me of this “sharing perspective” - which I think will be one of the reasons why any real multi-user OS will eventually win the game. As for the Linux vs. Windows debate: I personally don’t care which system is used, as long as it’s secure enough (viruses = kill productivity), provides a good usability and won’t be affected by power cuts.
Related to this owner-user-question, I wonder how many average users every mobile phone has in a country like Kenya (given that a phone may only be used by one person at a time and that different profiles depend on the SIM in gsm phones).
|
|
