Daily Techno-Babble

NEW BLOG LOCATION

2006-09-13T15:33:00.000-04:00

I finally decided to get an actual custom blog setup which can be found here! The new site has many more features and will (hopefully) provide me with a more long term delivery platform for my "techno-babble". Once again, the new URL is:

http://www.dailytechnobabble.com

For the time begin, older posts will remain here for those who have already linked to them.

Customize your (virtual) world!

2006-09-06T23:59:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while I run across a web site or resource that is just plain cool. I was on the prowl for a new source of desktop backgrounds (the BMW web site has not posted anything new in a while) and I ran across this site. This great site called Interfacelift.com has tons of high quality backgrounds and icons for both Windows and Mac! Check it out.

Apple Iphone or is it Ichat Mobile or whatever!

2006-09-05T18:18:00.000-04:00

Saw a new story about how the Apple cell phone / smart phone is close to production! Let the speculation begin....opps too late! (See previous posts) I sure hope Apple releases something that is far more than "just" a cell phone meets Ipod. Many of you out there are like me, seeking a digital device that lets us combine a PDA, Ipod and basic cell phone so we can concentrate on more important issues (such as why in God's name to old people leave the blinker on....).

Real Estate Bubble Goes POP!

2006-09-04T11:03:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know...this post has nothing to do with technology...or does it? About six months ago I purchased my first property, a small condo. Initially I was excited about going through the process since most people I had talked to said owning your own home was a rewarding process in itself. Boy did I have a lot to learn. Turns out the process was a total pain in the ass with the biggest headache being the Real Estate broker. Even though a I had retained the services of a buyer's agent I still got run around over prices and since I was not buying something worth millions of dollars I got minimal service from both sides. So, after three months of basically doing my own research I finally found a nice place that fit my criteria. Now, after the initial purchase has passed and I have had some time to settle into my new place I can look back on the process with a bit less emotion but I sill can't even imagine doing it all over again. So what does this rant have to do with technology? Quite a bit....

You see, I was doing some random surfing and ran across this story about how traditional Real Estate brokers are starting to feel threatened by online broker services such as Redfin. GOOD! Bout time they stated to fell the heat! 6% commission? Not anymore, now they will have to start being more "customer focused" or bad things may happen. Just like the music industry, it's now time to make some changes and focus on the future before they get steamrolled by some new technology (like Redfin).

A word about VoIP

2006-08-27T13:26:00.000-04:00

Of course you all have heard the term VOIP floating around the internet (and maybe at the local Best Buy), but do you know what it is? Voice over IP (VoIP) stands to be the de-facto replacement for traditional phone services. Even now, when you make a phone call using your local land line phone that call may be routed right over the internet! If you want to learn more about the details on what you can do with VOIP check out this site. Now for some of my more interesting observations on how VoIP can be a useful tool.

Many businesses pay tons of cash to support traditional phone systems (PBX, etc) and alongside this investment they also spend considerable amounts of money supporting a data network. Common sense tells us that if you could use the data network to support both the data and phone services then you could save considerable amounts of money. This is exactly what many companies are now doing!

VoIP also works for home users who want to lower the cost of long distance (and in some cases local calls) by using an existing high speed data connection to make phone calls. So if you make tons of calls and wish you could save some money or just want to play with some really cool technology then you will want to check out this good resource for further information. Personally, I have used several VoIP services myself such as Skype and Vonage with good results and can see exactly what all the fuss is all about!

Addicted to Information?

2006-08-24T12:37:00.000-04:00

Recently I saw this story about how officials in China have opened up a clinic for those who are "addicted" to the net. Interesting to be sure, the idea that the internet could be just as addicting as a physical drug has been raised many times in the past, to much debate. The validity of this claim I won't dispute here, but I think the larger issue of just how much information we are asked to process in our daily lives is at least partly to blame for the reports of internet addiction. My perspective on this issue leads me to put forth the idea that some who seem to be addicted to the endless supply of information on the net are simply finding the process of filtering what information they are exposed to more difficult than the rest of us. For those who can absorb large amounts of information the rewards are great, so many of us spend a considerable amount of time trying to improve this process. This process in itself is not always a bad thing, but taken to extremes it can lead to addiction-like symptoms and possibly lead to other physiological effects.
Now if you take this whole idea to an extreme you might get something like this. As much as I love my Blackberry I can't imagine my employer forcing me to use it (trust me, they don't need to!).

New Blackberry?

2006-08-24T12:11:00.000-04:00

For those who just love their Blackberry but hate the fact that they don't support all the new nifty features you see on all the latest phones then this new model might just be for you. The RIM Blackberry 8100 "Pearl" has not been announced just yet, but several decent photos have been leaked onto the net along with several short video clips. Features include removable storage and a camera making a powerful combination indeed. Personally, I just love my 8700 but I do miss having a place to store extra junk. Having a built-in camera is not a huge deal to me since I would rather use a more capable digicam for that task. All things considered, this may just be the coolest model RIM has developed and may drive Blackberry into the mainstream.

Iphone sounds so much better than Ichat Mobile

2006-08-02T23:08:00.000-04:00

If you ask me, the latest rumors about an Apple-based phone are starting to really wind up. I ran across this latest "leaked" image which is supposed to show the new phone concept from Apple. The design seems solid if you are just looking for a basic phone with maybe some Itunes and Ichat (sans mini-keyboard) functionality. I personally wish they would develop something that combines the Blackberry level of connectivity with the simplicity of Mac OS X. Hopefully we shall see "something" on Monday when Steve Jobs will conduct the annual developers keynote....and on another note...I have a strong feeling (noting some recent changes at my local Apple retail store might have something to do with this) that Monday may bring a new Imac as well. We shall see.

Space the Budget Hotel Frontier?

2006-08-01T22:05:00.000-04:00

If you have not checked it out yet, take a peek at what Bigelow Aerospace has been up to, you might be surprised...Inflatable hotels in space? Dream....now becomes reality! (see photo ;-)

As many of my friends already know, I am a total space nut. No holds barred, I have always been a true believer in putting people into space. I personally believe that no single achievement of mankind has or ever will be greater than leaving this planet to journey out among the stars. If the human race is going to survive then there is simply no choice but to find other worlds and other opportunities. To think that mankind can stay on this planet indefinitely is naive and foolish on too many levels to count.
That said, back in 2004 I put my own money where my mouth is and flew myself and my father out to see Scaled Composites and SpaceShipOne do what should have been done years before. That year we saw the dawn of a new era in spaceflight, one where anyone can go (provided you want to!) and it won't take the full power of a national government to get you there. Flash forward to today and we are now seeing the first steps breaking new ground with the first commercial space station. Granted this first step is only a "beta test" but from the photos I would say they are off to a great start!

Apple IPhone Sneak Preview

2006-07-30T20:31:00.000-04:00

As with all things Apple, this could very well be completely fake but I do like the basic idea of an ipod-based phone. One can only hope that Apple has the sense to complete the phone concept with integrated email, IM and at least a decent amount memory to back those features up. I personally don't care much about having a phone with a camera but I see how that might be a good feature for the Paris Hilton crowd (just don't get hacked!). Personally, this concept video (scroll down) is for something way more progressive and much more of what I am ultimately yearning for in a portable information management device (yes folks, you read that here first!).

P.S. In case you have not figured it out, the photo above is totally bogus, just a mock-up design by some fan. But sure does look kewl....

Crackberry

2006-07-29T22:42:00.000-04:00

Ok, here is where I have to eat my own words....I got a Blackberry. Back in the day I had dissed the Blackberry as a weak and ultimately useless device only for those email junkies who just HAD to have access to email no matter what the cost. Now that I found myself in the unenviable position of having to be constantly in touch and on the go I bit the bullet and picked one up. Now before you pass judgment on me being a total hypocrite and deserving of a good lashing hear me out on why this "crackberry" is far more useful than even I had anticipated.

First, lets take a closer look at exactly what IS a Blackberry. Quite simply it is nothing fancy, just a 300+ mhz processor and a 320x240 64,000 color screen, at least that's what I got with the 8700c I purchased from Cingular Wireless. No camera. No memory expansion. No complicated stylus-based navigation. Using the scroll wheel was a snap and there are virtually no hoops to jump through to get email up and running. I was also able to get instant messaging up and running in short order for both my Google and AOL accounts. Not bad so far...but this simplicity does have it's price. Although the Blackberry does email and IM like nobody's business, it can't support more complicated applications like the Windows CE devices can. But I hear that issue is slowly being addressed by third party vendors such as Google (the Google Maps app for Blackberry rocks!).

So why do they call these devices "crackberries'? After about a week using my Blackberry....I was completely dependent on it. Once you have all your email accounts setup you start to just use the Blackberry to read and respond to messages. I found myself not checking email at my desk at work during lunch anymore. I simply had no need to, all the messages had already been read on my Blackberry as they came in. Same goes for IM, which worked great even in low signal areas. Voice quality and general reception was fantastic on my 8700c and I even found it possible to write messages while there was no signal knowing they would be sent as soon as the device was back in range of a tower. Combine this functionality with the ability to run cool applications such as Google Maps and Cryptmagic (a password utility) and you get a great tool for those who are always on the go.

My only complaints, lack of memory card support and the Bluetooth support is very basic (does not support using the blackberry as a modem).

Not so super...

2006-07-05T19:39:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post for today about a new energy drink I tried recently. I am sure you have seen all the Superman branded stuff hitting store shelves over the past few weeks thanks to the new movie. Well, guess what I ran across in Walmart...Superman energy drink! So I was thinking, hey...this could be a contender...boy was I wrong. The stuff was HORRIBLE. It tasted like [censored] and landed me in the throne room for over an hour. Nothing super about this drink, unless you need a fast acting laxative.

Can you Digg it?

2006-07-03T23:39:00.000-04:00

I have always been a big fan of slashdot.org and was quite pleased to see digg.com start to catch on. The whole idea of social networking and underground marketing is kinda neat, and really does put power in the hands of those who are out there dealing with the real world. To that end I saw an interesting post on digg a short while ago that really got me excited. The post, which was about someone with a new Apple laptop that died only three weeks after being purchased, is a great example of how information that normally would never see the light of day can suddenly pop up. I can't tell if the person is telling the truth from the post but since it is now getting loads of attention you can bet his problem won't last long. Since I have heard from several other sources that Apple tech support can be a bit on the strict side his story seems very plausible and I hope things work out for him. Just another example of some interesting technology making waves in unexpected ways.

Late Nite Energy Drink Review!

2006-07-02T00:27:00.000-04:00

For all those uber-geek types who just HAVE to be up for those 24 hour+ coding sessions I thought I would do a quick review of some of my favorite energy drinks. Like many of you I usually find myself staring is awe at the huge selection at the local grocery store...Amp, Red Bull, Monster, Rock Star, and tons more. Over the last year or so I have been making a point at trying whatever new flavor or brand hits the shelves just to see if it's any better than my last choice. So, after all this time which ones make the grade? Only three brands seemed to keep me satisfied and coming back for more:

Winner - Monster Energy
This stuff is awesome! Just like the can says, it packs quite a punch (even has a warning to not drink more than three a day on the label) and tastes great. The flavor is smooth, not too fizzy and leaves no aftertaste (even with the diet version). Another strong point with Monster is the fact that I can get it at the local BJ's in bulk! Only downside so far is your burps might not fair too well with the ladies (not that you should be doing that around them anyway!).

2nd Place - Rockstar Energy Drink
Wow, this stuff is great. I personally prefer the diet version, which has a nice sharp edge to the flavor and seems to be just the right amount of energy in the 16 ounce can. If I had to describe the flavor I would say it was somewhat spicy, and finishes nicely. The buzz you get is great, not as hardcore as what you will get from Monster but close. Another nice thing about Rockstar is the buzz does not make me jumpy, just very (and I mean VERY) focused. After only one can I usually can crank through a essay or report in no time. Only real gripe with Rockstar might be that my local stores don't seem to carry enough of it.

Runner Up - Mt Dew AMP Energy Drink
I have to admit it, I love this version of Mt Dew. It's like having Dew but with extra kick. The taste is solid, a slightly more suger-flavored version of the regular Mt Dew taste. The buzz is not nearly as intense as Monster or Rockstar but it can definitely hold it's own against Red Bull or the Sobe drinks. If you love Mt Dew, pick up a can of AMP and give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Well, that's all for now....(at least until the buzz wears off!)

All good things....

2006-06-29T19:09:00.000-04:00

"Microsoft is dying. Windows will lose it's crown as the dominant desktop OS within 5 years." - Robert Rittmuller

There, I said it. I suspect that many who read those words will disagree, but I suspect that there are those who are beginning to suspect I might just be right. Why? Read on!

If you have been following the news lately you might have noticed an interesting trend. Microsoft seems to be generating a significant amount of negative attention from most media outlets, and for good reason. The giant software company has been thrashing around in what seems like a never-ending attempt to find corporate direction. Over the last 10 years all Microsoft knew was how to expand it's core products. If it needed something "innovative" it simply looked outside itself for some small company to buy. Also, it had the deep pockets to lure talent to back up those transactions. I remember back during the boom years, being purchased by Microsoft was considered to be "making it". Wow have times changed, now Microsoft is struggling with several major issues. Together these issues will present an insurmountable challenge over the next five years leading to a vastly different operating system and general software marketplace than we have today.

So what are these challenges? Out of the almost unlimited possibilities I have selected several key challenges that I feel are critical to the developments leading to Microsoft's OS downfall over the next five years.

1. Too big for their britches.
Over the last 10 years Microsoft has grown from a small software company to this 800 pound guerilla that can't get out of it's own way. Innovation came mostly from acquisitions of smaller companies and through imitation, often long after it became obvious that the industry was moving in that direction. Today's computing markets move many times faster than those of 10 years ago, leaving Microsoft with a huge mobility problem in supporting the current implementations of both Windows and Office. Combine this with Microsoft's belief that they "own" the OS market and you have the makings of downward trend.

2. Brain drain.
With Bill Gates heading for the door, and several key engineers also making a run for it (to google no less), I think we can expect to see things begin to gum up even more than we are seeing now. Recent missteps in both product development (Windows Vista delays) and customer support (Windows Genuine Advantage Program) have show how the software giant is starting to falter just when the market in finally in a position to take advantage of these mistakes.

3. Brave new world.
With recent advances in virtualization technology, multi-core processors and most importantly, the introduction of the Linux desktop OS market, Microsoft has to face a battle on several fronts. This is by far the greatest technological threat Microsoft has had to face yet. Until recently Microsoft almost always was the direct beneficiary of whatever new hardware technology that was coming down the development pipeline. Recent advances have focused less on Windows directly, playing more to the general OS marketplace. This industry trend is a strong sign that vendors are worried that Microsoft might not be the only game in town anymore. Over this past year, hardware virtualization has also allowed several non-Microsoft OS platforms to run Windows at a performance point good enough to impress even the most critical business user. This is very important for business who wish to support legacy Windows applications while still having access to recent advances in both Mac OS and Linux (plus many others) operating systems. Virtualization will allow existing Windows users to run their older applications right alongside state-of-the-art, modern (aka legacy-free) software with far less concerns about both security and stability.

4. The foundation is cracked.
One major problem that has plagued Windows for years now has been that it was never designed for today's world. Each new version of Windows has simply been a revamp of the version that came before, adding new features without removing any old ones. This might be good for compatibility, but it has been a disaster for security and OS stability. Windows Vista appears to be a continuation of this trend. Linux and several other OS platforms were developed much more recently and, most importantly, are being developed on a almost constant basis. Both Linux and Mac OS X undergo annual releases and in the case of Linux, sometimes even more frequently than that. This new rapid software development cycle also puts the code out in front of the general public so legacy problems are found and addressed much faster. Another interesting byproduct of this process also seems to be a rapid cycle of what I usually call "code rebirth". This occurs when developers abandon legacy code when it has outlived it's usefulness in favor of leaner, more modern code. Through the "code rebirth" process we get applications that benefit from legacy knowledge (same developers) without the dangers of legacy code itself. Simply put, today's OS and application environment is running circles around the traditional development cycles. This has put Microsoft at a huge disadvantage and will continue to produce problems for the software giant through the next five years.

5. When money can't save you.
Out of all the reasons listed so far this one is the biggest. Why? It's simple. Microsoft has always had deep enough pockets to pull itself out of every hole in the road so far...until now. Enter Google, with bright and highly motivated engineers, and most importantly, pockets too deep for Microsoft to get their hands into. And Google is not the only company that Microsoft can't buy. We now have an entire marketplace full of companies that are valued far above what Microsoft could hope to realistically offer. In addition to the pure money factor we also have an environment where anti-trust issues are all to easy to run into. This situation has Microsoft paralyzed. They simply don't know what to do! For the first time in 10 years they have to face a market where they have no choice but to compete.

So to wrap up this mega-post, I predict that in five years Microsoft will no longer be a "player" in the OS, and maybe even the general software market thanks to both recent technology changes and the rise of OS independent software, and the companies that support it. I am sure there are many more reasons than the those I listed, but I think real change is in the air, and ultimately for Microsoft, all good things (like this post!) must eventually come to an end.

It's a bad thing

2006-06-29T18:59:00.000-04:00

Not much I can say that won't just fan the flames on the latest news regarding internet neutrality laws. Looks like the Senate has shot down the latest attempt to keep the media giants at bay. Like I said in my last post on this topic....if you enjoy having streaming video and services such as iTunes then this is very bad news indeed.

Samsung D807 Mini-Review & Tips

2006-06-25T23:18:00.000-04:00

Last week I decided that I needed the ability to access the Internet on my cell phone and my current phone lacked this function. Yes, I know...not quite the best idea, but I wanted to try out several services such as Google Calendar notifications and this seemed to be the best way to go about it. So, I picked up a brand spanking new Samsung D807 slider cell phone. Since I have only had this phone a few days I will leave a full review for a later date but so far I am quite satisfied with my purchase. One feature I wanted to try out right away was the ability for the phone to function as a modem (in a pinch) for my Macbook Pro. This effort required several small software and settings adjustments that took me several hours to track down. In the interests of sharing the wealth, I will give a quick walkthru here on how I managed to get the modem feature (Edge) working through Bluetooth on a Macintosh notebook using the Cingular Edge network.

Step One: Get the software! Before you can do anything you need the right modem scripts which can be found here. (You need to grab the generic 3G scripts.)

Step Two: Get the details on which settings to program into the Internet Connect software. Just in case the forum post goes away here are the basic settings:

Service Provider: Cingular (optional)
Account Name: WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM
Password: CINGULAR1
Telephone Number: wap.cingular

Step Three: Pair your phone using Bluetooth with your Mac and use the above information when prompted. I selected "Modem" during this process and was prompted for the information automatically. If you want (or you don't get the prompt) you can enter this information (or edit it) through the Network settings under System preferences in the Apple menu.

If all goes well you should be able to make a connection through your phone (works great using the D807!)

Another great tip for anyone using the Samsung D807 would be to download Opera Mini, which I found to be significantly faster than the built-in browser.

Apple iTunes Movie Service

2006-06-20T21:46:00.000-04:00

Not that downloading movies from the iTunes service would be any huge surprise but I wanted to make a few observations regarding the latest rumors about this new service.
Although I have always been a huge fan of downloadable content, and I continue to be a strong supporter of the whole concept of podcasts and TV shows, I have some concerns regarding the same service for full length movies. One aspect of DVD video that I really like is the high quality video and dolby 5.1 surround sound since I usually watch movies on a large format screen. If the current quality of iTunes video is the standard for which these movies will be also distributed then I most likely will only make use of such a service if the movie is simply not available via DVD. I do like the $9.99 price point, but without the "DVD quality" I can't really see this being something I would really get into. The technology is there for DVD quality, as demonstrated by all the DIVX movies one can find on eMule and other such services but it remains to be seen if Apple will use something similar in this new service.

Computer Bugs

2006-06-20T21:33:00.000-04:00

Funny thing happened to me while using my trusty Macbook Pro while enjoying the nice weather we are having here in the Boston area today. I was sitting outside and had my machine on a stone wall (which I was also sitting on) and used it for about 10 minutes or so to check email and catch up on news. Apparently I must have picked up some hitchhikers...Because when I fired up my machine to write a post for this blog back home I observed several small bugs (the kind with little legs) running for their lives once the computer began to heat up. Anyone know owns a Macbook Pro can tell you all about just how hot these machine can get under the right situations....so just imagine how fast these bugs were beating a hasty retreat as things began to heat up! Hmm, new way to eliminate hardware bugs?

Net Neutrality: The Hidden Agenda

2006-06-13T13:32:00.000-04:00

Now here is an issue that should be cast out of the shadows right now. The raging debate on net neutrality has nothing to do with about half of what both news and broadband providers are currently talking about. The basic arguement, that they have the right to charge more (or anything at all) for internet content delivery to end users has very little to do with any monies they may collect through this process. The real deal here is the coming war over major changes in the way we watch/listen/read media. Currently most people watch cable TV in order to get their daily fix of news and other programs. But that's all about to change, and in ways that the cable companies are starting to become very afraid of. You see, people are starting to use high speed broadband connections to download and watch major shows using services that allow you to only view (and pay for) just what you want. Let me make this very clear, THIS IS HUGE. This completely cuts out the cable providers from delivering TV to homes AND gives consumers what they have been asking for, a-la-carte programming, making this a very large threat indeed. The issue is such a hot potato that even opposing media forces are getting into the mix!

So, what's a typical cable company to do....well, what just about every established media company or sector tries when confonted with a major technological shift that threatens an established buisness model, they try to block it. In this case they are attempting to gain the right to restrict what goes through cable modem connections. Make no mistake, this is the first logical step towards blocking or greatly restricting VOD (video on demand) services such as Apple iTunes and many others. Loss of access to this technology would force consumers to continue to pay the inflated cable TV prices , something I think we all would like to avoid.

UPDATE: Caught this on Ars Technica and found it very amusing.

Patch Tuesday Looking Ugly

2006-06-12T12:41:00.000-04:00

It's looking like this Tuesday is going to be quite busy for anyone running Windows XP thanks to a whole crop of updates being released by Microsoft. As usual, there are some critical ones and those who run Exchange might want to take a peek also this time around. Here is the official details from Microsoft regarding the June patches.

News.com also has a good story outlining the impact of several of the changes made in these updates.

UPDATE: Of course those who do not have your Microsoft Genuine Advantage spyware/software running and up to date need not apply, since it will just refuse to download the updates.

UPDATE 2: Now officially released....start your patching!

UPDATE 3: Exploits out, start patching faster!

Less than trusted computing from Microsoft

2006-06-12T00:21:00.000-04:00

One of the more annoying things about computing today is the stupid things software publishers are doing to try to reduce software piracy. This recent news story about Microsoft's latest attempts to thwart people's attempts to use bogus copies of Windows XP is just unreal. I ran across this at work the other day when I noticed that my 3rd party firewall software kept alerting me to a new process which was trying to "call home". After some investigation I learned that it was this new "feature" of Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) software. Every time you boot Windows XP it now calls Microsoft to "check in". I think it's about time people start voicing some outrage over things like this before we spend more time wondering what our legitimately purchased software is doing in the background than we do actually using it.

One quick note: I was able to stop this issue cold by setting my firewall software to always block the outbound request. I have no idea what the long term effect of doing this might be but at least I know it's not calling home anymore!

Microsoft Kittens XP

2006-06-11T23:58:00.000-04:00

If you are like me and have allergies and love cats then you might just find this story on CNN very interesting. Too bad the price is now up to $4000! Not to mention that I will always wonder what the "side effects" might be... (do they turn evil?) They do look cute though, and life without sneezing sounds almost worth it! Another interesting point the story raises:

"Brodie said the cats would be spayed and neutered to prevent breeding with naturally born animals."

Not sure about how well that's going to work out for them, maybe someone should send them a copy of Jurassic Park just in case :-/

Product Review: Parallels Workstation - It's a virtual world!

2006-06-11T23:22:00.000-04:00

One new technology product that has been very high on my radar recently is this new software from a small company called Parallels Workstation. What this software does, put simply, is to allow you to run multiple OS instances at the same time. This ability is by no means a new idea, as VMware and others have been doing this for quite a while now. What's new about Parallels take on this is how smooth the process has become, and how tightly integrated the support for Intel's latest hardware virtualization (buzzword!) is. The speed is impressive, and my own daily use has resulted in no major compatibility issues. My computer of choice right now is a Apple Macbook Pro and I have very quickly become attached to the Mactel (Intel Macs Only) version of this software. I run Windows XP, Fedora Core 5, and even sometimes Solaris 10, all without breaking a sweat (2gb ram helps a bunch!). I can't say enough good things about this package, and the price is just about awesome at only $39 right now.

For those who want to know more about how virtualization can be used, consider these ideas. Lets say you are a developer, you are coding for a new web application but the system administrators are too busy to setup a new development machine for you to play with. No problem, just fire up Parallels and create a new VM for your project, just install the desired OS, configure things for your application, and off you go. One neat trick I use frequently is to create basic installations of my two main OS flavors, Windows XP, and Fedora Core 5. I save these to an external hard drive so when I need to create a new VM I just make a copy of the one I need, saving hours of configuration time! Another common use for virtualization is to create several virtual worlds for server applications on one large machine (which supports virtualization). Commonly referred to as server consolidation, this allows for more effective use of data center resources. If you were to use my trick mentioned above then you could conceivably deploy whole new "servers" for customers in minutes vs. days due to the reduction in the installation times.

My final word: If you have an Intel Mac get it now! (Newer XP machines might also find it useful)

Wow, that was easy...

2006-06-11T01:21:00.000-04:00

So that took about 30 seconds... All I wanted was someplace to drop off my daily techno-rants for those who care to give the nod, and I got this awsome blog tool! Not that this is my regular cup of tea mind you, but something new and exciting for me to explore and since this is my first post I feel somewhat obliged to offer up a simple explination as to what I plan on doing with this blog. Well, simply put I will be offering up my daily observations on all things technology related. This might be product reviews, observations on technology trends or just rants about wasted commute time into work, but I pledge that it will all somehow be technology related and well worth a quick read for those in the know ;-)