Blog Action Day ‘08 – Poverty October 15, 2008
Posted by CLibra in Articles, Technology.1 comment so far
It’s shocking how there is an obvious divide in technology across the world today – In this room (technology wise), I have two modern computers (XP Desktop, Mac Laptop), a Canon printer & digital camera, an alarm clock, an iPod dock, an old iPod Nano, a cheap webcam, and a Samsung phone. Compare it with those who only just have enough money to get from day to day, let alone enjoy the full benefits of the technology we take from granted these days.
What are we, the people above the Brandt line, doing to help those in developing countries, technology wise? Most people have heard of the ‘One Laptop per Child’ project, an initiative to help provide cheap laptops as an educational aid – we can directly help this project by paying for laptops for these children, or buying one for yourself, in which the proceeds to straight to the fund.
[http://laptop.org/]
A slightly different route is set up by Digital Links International, which recycles people’s old computers, giving them new uses in countries which are less fortunate than ourselves. Data is securely wiped from the computer using MoD standard specialist software, 100% of the computer is used (no landfill quota), and the donater can track where their old computer is being used in the world.
[http://www.digital-links.org/]
Today is Blog Action Day, a day set up to unite bloggers around the world with a single good cause. This year, it’s poverty, and I hope that people can take small steps in the technology they use to combat poverty around the world.
Twitter’s wide open May 6, 2008
Posted by CLibra in Articles, Internet, Technology, Theoretical, Twitter, Web 2.0.1 comment so far
Sorry, can’t see the photos, not got MySpace.
Google Talk? Can’t chat there, I use AIM!
Ever heard Phrases like these?
Not with Twitter!
Think about it. Twitter is an open data platform.
It’s easily accessible via the web where anybody can see it.
It publishes universal RSS feeds, which people can subscribe to or do cool stuff with.
And then there’s SMS support. Bi-directional SMS usage, all over the world.
The API then opens more doors.
There are all sorts of programs and plugins for it. Email, IM, anything you can think of is now using Twitter.
More web apps should use open standards. It makes life easier for everyone.
IMAP as a file distributor? April 10, 2008
Posted by CLibra in Internet, Notes, Server, Technology, Uncategorized.add a comment
BitTorrent works as a fast, effective, and cross platform file distribution protocol. It’s become one of the standards now for sending large files quickly.
However, I was thinking about IMAP, and realised how it has the potential to do something like BitTorrent.
I mean, as long as each recipient has a specified IMAP account configured, a single email with attachment needs to be sent that account, and the file can reach millions. It could work as a distribution protocol.
I’m not suggesting that IMAP will take over BitTorrent in that respect, but it’s interesting to realise how something as simple as an email can synchronise files between many people, easily.
HowTo: PhotoCast without .Mac April 6, 2008
Posted by CLibra in Creations, Google, HowTo, Images, Software, Technology, Web 2.0.add a comment
Got some Holiday snaps? Wanna share photos without email? How about accessing photos on more than one computer?
Then PhotoCasting is for you.
PhotoCasting is a bit like a PodCast, only that instead of Audio files, Images are sent.
To view them, you just need an RSS reader (IE & FireFox both work fine), or if you’re using a Mac, iPhoto can organise your subscribed PhotoCast in many ways.
So how do we do this, without shelling out a .Mac subscription? Our good friend Google of Course!
You will need –
- Collection of photos
- Internet connection, Broadband recommended
- A Google Account
- Picasa Uploader (Mac) or Picasa (PC)
This guide is for PC users, but is essentially the same for the Mac.
Assuming you’ve already got your photo library into Picasa/iPhoto, let’s start.
- Highlight the photos you want to include in your PhotoCast. Click the Web Album button.
- Log in with your Google Account if prompted. From here, you can chose to create a new Album or Upload to an existing one, as well as other settings. Each Album will become a PhotoCast, so sort them however you like.
- Click OK, and wait. Depending on the amount of photos, it could take a long time.
- When that’s done, go to http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/home and navigate to your album. Scroll down to the bottom right hand corner, and click the little link labelled RSS. Distribute this link however, it’s your PhotoCast.
That’s all there is to it! One drawback, however, is that you manually have to add new photos to the PhotoCast, but the subscribers receive them automatically, and the maximum size of each PhotoCast is 500 photos.
The Deep Web – Really that good? March 23, 2008
Posted by CLibra in Internet, Technology, Theoretical, Uncategorized.add a comment
The Deep Web exists as the part of the net that isn’t normally indexed by search engines, such as databases, dynamically generated pages, information inside multimedia (such as text in a video) etc.
And while many ways exist to search it, I can’t find many practical uses for it myself.
Sure, it yields a hell of a lot of information, but not what I want. I have more luck searching the “shallow” web.
What are the most useful things found by the Deep Web? Realistically, I wouldn’t need to search a US Government database, so what can I do with the Deep Web?
Bullied into IE March 17, 2008
Posted by CLibra in Internet, Microsoft, Technology, Windows.1 comment so far
A while ago I switched to FireFox for two reasons; Google Browser Sync, and the (now obsolete) YouTube HD plugin. I’ve not looked back since, and used FireFox every day.
However, I also love Windows Live Messenger, and I’ve noticed something not quite right.
If I navigate to a web-based part of Messenger – whether it be Hotmail, Spaces, Support etc – It opens in Internet Explorer, regardless of the fact that FireFox is my default browser.
This isn’t on, Microsoft! Let us use whichever browser we want!
Proposed Idea: Google Online Sync March 10, 2008
Posted by CLibra in Code, Creations, Gmail, Google, Internet, Server, Software, Technology, Web 2.0.1 comment so far
Google Browser Sync is a gem. Google has the power and means to expand it, making it a complete sync system.
- Google desktop indexes files, right?
So save the index online (possibly to the users GMail account) and sync specified parts of the index. If a file is requested – providing the ‘master’ computer is switched on and connected, it should be able to transfer over. - In addition to the above, there should be a way to sync settings from one computer to another. This could cause a little hiccough on a Windows & Mac infrastructure, but it doesn’t need to be perfect.
- GMail iMap can be used to sync other email accounts, applying labels and rules to keep it out of regular GMail. Contacts can also be sent to GMail to be stored for syncing.
- iCal and Outlook could both be synchronised via Google Calendar. Notes could possibly be exported and converted to Google Notebook.
- Browser sync could be expanded to include FireFox extensions and settings. Once again, these could be stored by Gmail.
A lot more things could be done. Essentially, you just need to store files using GMail, or text-based items using Google Docs. If anybody wants to work on this idea, feel free, just post in the comments when you’re done. Failing that, I hope Google reads this!
HowTo: Extending Outlook Express: Online and Beyond January 20, 2008
Posted by CLibra in Gmail, HowTo, Internet, Server, Software, Technology, Tools, Windows.1 comment so far
I can’t seem to let go of Outlook Express, I’ve always used it, and it’s always worked fine.
As technology progressed, so did my needs, and Outlook Express wasn’t fulfilling them.
Being the persistent guy I am, I found ways.
Grabbing my Mail Anywhere: iMap for Gmail
This one made my day, my week, my month, and even my year.
Having iMap in Outlook Express with Gmail really helped.
[http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=75725]
I don’t need a newsreader: NNTP://RSS
I’ve blogged about this one before, how to set up a News Server specifically for RSS feeds and read them in Outlook Express.
[http://clibra.wordpress.com/2007/08/25/howto-read-rss-feeds-in-outlook-express/]
The classic forum: USENET
USENET is an amazing repository of message groups and information.
What’s better, it doubles as a File Sharing medium.
[http://howto.wired.com/wiredhowtos/index.cgi?page_name=share_files_on_usenet;action=display;category=Play]
Not an Exchange Server: Plaxo
Plaxo, the bridge between Outlook Express and an Exchange server. What cool stuff does it do?
Sync your contacts between all the places you need them, online or offline.
Use an online calendar? Sync that too, put a calendar in Outlook Express.
Update all your contact details easily, receive updates from your contacts.
Hook up feeds from other social sites with “Pulse”, send infamous E-Cards.
Store your to-do list and notes securely online.
[http://www.plaxo.com]
Teh leetness: Securing Mail
You might need to send an encrypted email sometime, or digitally sign it to prove your identity.
Nexodyne has a free service which gives you a secure Digital Certificate to do just that.
[http://iridium.is-a-geek.com/DigitalID/]
My thoughts on Remote Disk January 16, 2008
Posted by CLibra in Apple, Mobile, Network, Software, Technology, Theoretical.1 comment so far
The ‘ooh’s and ‘ahh’s of the MacBook Air’s size may be very well, but I’m more interested in it’s Remote Disk feature. A laptop with no optical drive seems sub-standard to me, I’d rather compromise the size instead of the function.
So, to use Remote Disk, I presume you have to be on the same wireless network as the other computer; that rules out non-WiFi situations, and to be honest, is it that secure on public networks? How fast will a CD or DVD run over WiFi? What functions do you lose – burning? erasing?
Another problem that strikes me is that the software for the host machine lies on the Leopard disk; would you, honestly, carry the disk with you wherever you go? For simplicity’s sake, I would probably copy the install files onto a flash drive or the laptop’s hard disk, I would never carry the OS around with me.
Did a disk drive really need to be omitted? Personally I think that remote disk is glorified network sharing (of the disk drive in this case), and it should be as a compliment to an optical drive, not as a replacement.
Internet TV made simple January 11, 2008
Posted by CLibra in Clippings, Internet, Software, Technology, Video, Websites.3 comments
Internet TV never interested me until a couple of months ago. I wanted a solution that showed both ‘real’ TV channels and User-created content & uploads. After digging around for a while, I found nothing. It was only when a friend sent me a link to a video that I managed to find it.
You can stream and download (also in iPod compatible formats) the above, and you can search Veoh’s expansive gallery of videos as well as the most popular video sharing networks. Videos can be added from the PC, as well as RSS video feeds and Bittorrent (be careful) downloads, and VeohTV can be hooked up to a television for a true media centre experience. Peercasting technology ensures speedy viewing, and when you are away from your computer you can watch videos & channels in a browser, or get the video downloaded to your home PC automatically.
Check it out, you can broadcast your own online channel as well.
[http://www.veoh.com]
