Random picks, unusual digs

My tech blog where I talk about Windows 7, cloud computing and other random thoughts. (http://www.caluste.com)

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 06:20:28 +0800

My tech blog where I talk about Windows 7, cloud computing and other random thoughts. (http://www.caluste.com)

Windows 7, a month later

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:39:19 +0800

I’ve been using Windows 7 for almost more than a month already. While I’ve noticed a couple of annoying glitches, I wouldn’t be too quick to judge it. After all, I’m using Vista hardware drivers for the most part since some of my devices still has to have Windows 7 driver updates.

Look around and you may encounter Chew-WGA, a windows 7 patch that allows you to tinker with the new OS, without the expiration notice. However, I have to warn you that the patch may produce unexpected results, as I have noticed in some of my installations.

During first few weeks of use, I’ve loaded up several productivity apps, and games. The USB game controller that I bought from CDR-king worked flawlessly in Prince of Persia and Street Fighter 4. Older games, on the other hand, brought up a compatibility warning, but played okay nonetheless.

If you want to customize the OS, tweak and optimize, you may want to get your copy of Windows 7 Manager. Stardock Fences works well keeping your desktop clutter in check. Also, Of all the anti-virus protections available online, I find AVG free to work best with Windows 7.

For more Windows 7 tips and guides, check out the following links:

Bumper List of Windows 7 Secrets

50 Windows 7 tips and tricks

Windows 7 and what not

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:56:05 +0800

I just recently got a new desktop with an Intel Core i7 processor. The new rig with a hyperthreading quad core processor screams abuse me right off the bat. What better way to maximize it’s use than to use Microsoft’s new Windows 7.

Windows 7 has got a lot of new features that surprised me. First, whilst I’ve a bit of experience working with windows server 2008, this is to me a cross between server 2008 and vista. Aero peek and Aero shake are two of the features I like best. There is also an add-on that let’s you associate a live ID to your windows credential which I also like.

Virtual PC RC has been redesigned to work seamless with the OS. It offers an XP mode that allows you to run a pre-packaged XP on the VM. I’ve tested with server 2008 web and it works perfectly. Unfortunately, when I tried to run Ubuntu 9.04 server, it produced a segment fault error.

The built in 3D chess is a winner. Most games run perfectly (and IMHO better than XP) under the new OS. However, older games tend to produce compatibility issues and just won’t run.

Overall, Windows 7 is a solid OS that I feel is a more logical upgrade from the aging Windows XP.

Google Chrome OS: 3 reasons it matters, and 4 reasons it's irrelevant

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:51:00 +0800

Google Chrome OS: 3 reasons it matters, and 4 reasons it's irrelevant :

Here’s another take on Google’s Chrome OS. According to Techrepublic, here’s what we already know:
It will run with a Linux kernel as its base
It will boot directly into the Chrome Web browser
It will be aimed primarily at netbooks
It will run on both x86 and ARM processors
It will not be designed to have local storage; all data will be stored in the cloud
Google will not entice developers to build software to run on the Chrome OS; instead, they want them to build Web apps that will run on any standards-based browser
The three most important features will be “speed, simplicity and security,” according to Google
Google will release the software to the open source community before the end of 2009
Announced Chrome OS hardware partners: Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba.
Netbooks running Chrome OS will be available in the second half of 2010

So far, the idea of cloud computing is still being developed as an alternate way of bringing technology to the end users (Software as a Service or SaaS, Platform as a Service or PaaS), but I think Google is making a gamble on whether a lot of people can appreciate this idea.

Microsoft's Azure Platform

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:40:00 +0800

I just registered for Microsoft’s Azure Services and am now waiting for an invite. Let’s see MS’ take on cloud computing.

Awesomeness.

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:48:27 +0800

Awesomeness.

Microsoft responds to Google's operating system | User Support | TechRepublic.com

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:22:48 +0800

Microsoft responds to Google's operating system | User Support | TechRepublic.com:

“While Google’s PC operating system is not due to appear in new computers until the second half of 2010, Microsoft’s cloud operating system will be launched formally this year.”

If you haven’t heard yet, Microsoft will soon offer an online version of MS Office for free. This may be a bold move from Microsoft by meeting the cloud-based computing challenge with Google head-on.

At the end of the day, it’ll be more choices for us users.

Coming Soon: Google Chrome OS

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:59:57 +0800

The news is out fast, like Chrome fast. Google is making an OS. Not your android type of OS, but rather, it’s an old concept that somehow made it to my unexpected list. And Microsoft need not worry. Their upcoming Windows 7 operating system is still safe.

Well, Google is technically NOT making a new OS. Despite whatever they want to call it, Google’s “OS” is simply their Chrome web browser running on a compressed version of the latest linux kernel.

We’ve seen this before. Asus launched the “instant-on” ExpressGate feature in some of their boxes years ago, and it practically does the same thing. Without booting into the full linux OS, a user can already launch a browser, skype or some other pre-programmed app in about 10 seconds after they hit the power button.

Google, and their revolutionary Chrome browser, with all its improvement in memory and process management, is attempting to do the same and continue on to where ExpressGate has failed to go, i.e. beyond web browsing. With ExpressGate, if I just need to check my mail, I would be fine. However, I usually find myself booting past ExpressGate and continuing to the full OS just so I can do other stuff like work on a spreadsheet or access my calendar.

Google’s Chrome OS eliminates that kind of choice. Like the ExpressGate, boot time is expected to be fast. Unlike ExpressGate, you can do a lot more with Google Chrome such that there will be no need to boot into a separate OS.

Google Gears and Google Labs provides a rich desktop experience within the browser. You have the Google docs for your document or spreadsheet requirements, Gmail for email, and a whole other web apps that you run from, you’ve guessed it, the browser.

And like most good software (read: non-microsoft), it will be open-source. Third-party developers are encouraged to develop rich apps that would run inside the Chrome browser. The possibilities are, in a way, interesting.

Some people would probably appreciate the simplicity. It shares a lot of things in common with a similar platform, the Palm OS: simple, fast, lightweight, fully supported by the community, and functional.

However, in this day and age of ultra fast hardware that comes in ultra small sizes, I wonder if a lightweight OS is still a big plus. Yes, Palm OS was big when Windows CE devices would crawl slowly inside mobile devices. Palm OS lost its luster when faster hardware enabled Windows Mobile to perform faster than Palm.

Personally, I want my netbook in the future loaded with solid state disks, 3 gigs of DDR3 ram and the latest dual core atom processors. And so, while you play flash games on your new Google Chrome OS, I, on the other hand, am happy playing Diablo 3 while taking a dump in the toilet.

If you want to know more about Google Chrome, you may want to check out the Google Chrome comic series.

( Image from Google Chrome’s comic book, licensed as Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs )

Windows 8

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:09:00 +0800

While Windows 7 is still in the Release Candidate stage, Microsoft has started developing the next version to come out in the next 3 years.

Those familiar with Windows Server 2008 may see this as the better alternative (and successor) to Windows XP. While the base code is still partly Vista, improvements on the allocation of resources and interface were prominent. Windows 8, on the other hand, looks like a totally different animal.

Below is the reported user concept of Windows 8:

Copenhagen User Experience from Copenhagen Concept on Vimeo.

The new interface looks to be more intuitive, but the seemingly required additional learning curve may be a drawback to some. I have no problem with the existing usability issues of Windows XP, only the stability of the platform and it’s vurnerability to attacks. Personally, I’d rather they keep the existing flow and improve on the other aspects of the OS that would make our computing lives easier.

Version 2.0

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:36:37 +0800

I’ve been doing tech posts at Techrepublic for a while. Before that, I’ve been a regular at experts-exchange. Nothing mattered more then than tech points and bragging rights.

For some reason, Techrepublic took out the Tech Q&A portion of the site. Sure, the questions are still there, intermingled with the forum discussions, but the Techpoints system are gone.

I went next to MSN spaces for my tech solace. The site’s cms was simple and effective, yet it underwent more changes than I am comfortable with. Plus, blogging about open source on a MS blogspace felt kind of weird.

I’ve been blogging here and there, but mostly personal. Recent developments in the blogosphere, and the resurgence of interesting technologies makes me want to go back to writing.

It’s like what they say: If at first you don’t succeed; call it version 1.0

Palm Pre debuts. It's only a matter of time before it gets here.

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:28:54 +0800

Palm Pre debuts. It's only a matter of time before it gets here.:

“Palm’s Pre isn’t going to topple the iPhone this weekend, but the device has a puncher’s chance to be a threat in the smartphone market, according to a bevy of reviews. Palm’s Pre makes its debut for the masses on Saturday.”

Family Portraits

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:50:48 +0800

Family Portraits:

2 sets of family portraits, part of charles’ school requirements. Romina sets up an impromptu studio at our room using table lamps and a nikon d40 camera.

All in a day's work

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:15:11 +0800

Mass update of profile from various social sites. Created new subdomain. Signed-up at Tumblr.

12:14 am. TGIF.