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Showing posts from November, 2007

What's up with Google?

We are all familiar with the default search engine of the computing world. We have used it at least once if you happen to be stuck or lost in the world of the internet. Then... It offered us an email service with 4 gigabyte storage. I can access it through my email client using POP and through my mobile phone if I want to. I'll get back to this point later. Then... Google bought YouTube. YouTube is the video posting web site of the world. Period. Google Earth came to map the world and let us geographically pin our photos and videos just as we would on a map on the board. Then it offered Office productivity softwares in the web. These applications are not downloaded to your hard drives but are accessible in any computer, whatever the operating system, as long as it is connected to the internet. These applications live and work with you in your browsers. In my personal computing, I also use Picasa and Google reader. I have waited for a service like Picasa because when you
Despite the controversy over the increase in the fees internet radio will be paying, I am glad to see visible signs that internet radio continue to flourish and hold its own. The technology to broadcast in the internet has never been more simple and cheap. Most internet radio are kept by hobbyist and dedicated enthusiasts. Rhythmbox is prepared to play music from Live365 stations. Just go to the Live365 web site and pick your station. Rhythmbox will play the content by default. The next time you want to listen to the particular station in Live365, just open Rhythmbox. No need to open the browser. There are however dedicated browser only internet radio like AccuRadio - www.accuradio.com. I hear they are offering AccuHolidays stations. Good for the Yuletide season. I also like their cross-platform policy. You can play their music in IE, firefox and Opera. I don't understand why certain people would want to stick to only IE or only Windows media player. It's dumb.
Since I downloaded Ubuntu 7.10 gutsy gibbon last October 18 it has delighted me with its fine integration. I like the update to firefox with its add-on manager. I can say that this is the firefox that conviced me that there are much better applications out there than any put out by Microsoft especially compared with Internet explorer. Unlike the firefox version used in windows, the Ubuntu version is simple and lightweight. The necessity of keeping the windows version more secure added to its bloat. Security should have been an OS issue and not a browser issue. Most malware and hackers attack the browser application but if the operating system itself is secure then the issue is contained. The latest version of Ubuntu uses Apparmor to address the issue of application security. Ubuntu gives me all the time to work on my work rather than being the provider of additional worries. Internet surfing is safer therefore I can get back to writing, research and getting my music and informat