PostgreSQL: Signs of Maturity
Over the past few years, PostgreSQL has caught my attention for spatial processing features, suggestions of enterprise level performance plus features and other virtues. But I have stayed away because PostgreSQL installations were problematic and the Administration features suspect. Well in the past 3 years that has changed substantially – and I have the proof […]
Google Translations II: See It Here!
I have been following the Google Translations API rather closely with remarks already in this blog. But recently Google made Translations for Web pages so easy to do it seemed worth while to try it out.The screen capture to the left can be seen in the upper right corner of this blog.Go ahead and try […]
The Old Lady Sings
Many people have written off magazines and newspaper publishers as ante-diluvian and Waiting for Godot. Watch it. There is more to publishing on the Web than the technology – it also call for great editorial skills and a feel for good stories or story telling – a business that newspapers and magazines have been in […]
FHTML – Fluid HTML
The problem with Flash is that its coding was already tough with ActionScript, it is now doubly tough to code especially for designers using ActionScript 3. But that is the price you have to pay to to get a more secure, robust and much speedier Flash 10… or so says the Adobe Flash evangelists. The […]
Google Translations
Google is making its Translation Service available for free as part of its Google API: Paris Le Monde newspaper Hamburg’s Die Zeit newspaper Buenos Aires Chronicle Sydney Australia’s Morning Herald As it turns out the Google automated translations are a little loose. But in the next few weeks I shall show the code to do […]
Microsoft: Just Not Good Enough?
Back in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s Microsoft engineers and developers prided themselves on being on the right side of “Just Good Enough” while delivering its new features and software to market faster and with more glitz than any other vendor. The rest is business history. Perhaps this “Just Good Enough” mantra emerged from […]
What is a better Web Browser?
I thought the answer to the question would be obvious – not so as the people at Slate point out. This would help explain why Internet Explorer 8 has managed to maintain market share despite being the worst browser for features, standards compliance and performance. So what does Google do – create Chrome Frame – […]
Google Shakes the Web Again: Sidewiki
Google is up to its innovation tricks, proving once again that it is master of Web 2.0 Interface Innovations with Sidewiki – a post-a-comment on any Web page system [and its a Wiki no less]. Google once again is proving that it is taking Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, Twitter and the Web 2.0 horde seriously. Facebook […]
More on Google’s Chrome OS
Google promised a beta release of its Chrome OS before 2010. Google’s Android OS is just starting to appear for some netbooks and with mixed reviews so far. the OS has already garnered a number of unofficial blogs, here is a typical one , that appear to be trlling mightily for more than tidbits of […]
Improving Google Mail
I have been waiting patiently for Google Mail to support embedded images in emails for 5 years. But now that Gmail has transitioned from beta to full time Google app – I have given up. I have switched my client to Mozilla Thunderbird – and what a relief! And the transition was so easy as […]
Software Rot : PHP Change Example
One my favorite references for PHP over the past 5-7 years has been PHP Functions – Essential Reference by Greant et alia. It is still available on Amazon.com and I refer to its MySQL functions from time to time. But of late I am having ever more problems. There is no coverage of PDO, OB, […]
Apple Announcements Fade Fast
Apple’s announcements today just did not have sustaining interest– especially given the buildup. First return to the presentation stage by Steve Jobs. Yes, the on stage presence of Steve Jobs to a long standing ovation was impressive. There were price reductions, selected video+voice recording+pedometer add-ons plus memory enhancments to half a dozen iPod models. There […]
JavaScript Frameworks in Action
One of the problems with the host of good JavaScript Frameworks available is the sheer richness of offerings . During the course of the Summer I have started to test some of the frameworks to determine a)which are robust enough for use with other JavaScript Frameworks+widgets and b)which offer any styling and development advantages. In […]
IT Corral Shootout: Apple versus Microsoft
Just as Apple’s Snow Leopard hits the streets I just saw the Microsoft attack ad material – Apple 13.3″ MacBook 2Ghz procesor, 160GB Drive for $1200. $1200 when Walmart is offering on its website for $348 an Acer Aspire 11.6″ Netbook : Operating System: Genuine Windows XP Home Edition Processor: Intel Atom Processor Z520 [much […]
IT Corral Shootout: Apple Snow Leopard
Foghorn T. Leghorn has always been one of my favorite cartoon characters, as much for his Down-South voice as well as for his pithy observations – “I say I say – I keep tellin you and you keep duckin” . I am tellin you there is going to be a Shootout of Major ComeFlagourNation in […]
Fall Bench Pressings
With the Shootout at the IT Corral set to go off this Fall, the Apple and PC vendors have started with their back to school sniper shots. Apple has Snow Leopard out a head of schedule and Speed is the Apple motto: Above is an example, Apple is trumpeting the Speed of Mac/OSx 10.5 Snow […]
SilverLight Barely Allows for a Moon
MoonLight, the Linux version of Microsoft’s Silverlight is well named – it is a distinctly lesser Light in comparison to the original SilverLight. This is the classic Microsoft approach to cross platform development of Windows programs: 1)Do not guarantee and do it yourself, have others do so [Novell]; 2)Delay the start-up so the cross platform […]
Why HTML 5 is Vital to Cloud Computing
Tim Oreilly of OReilly Books has written a piece on the bet that Google is making on HTML5. This is a good introduction a)to some of the key features of HTML5 and b)where they stand in terms of implementation by the key players in the browser and smartphone community. Here are some of those key […]
Google Finance II
Google has been putting together some of the finest tools for manipulating and displaying stock results. I suspect they will be giving Yahoo Finance and MSNBC’s Money a run for their … ahem, Money. The newest Google Finance Jewel is the Stock Screener: Try it out and be sure to add your own screening criteria […]
Liquida Widgets
For the past few months I have been working on a blog widget … it was just about ready when I got an attack of appendicitis. Just before resuming the project I found the Liquida Post Widget [its Live!, click on it]: Liquida READ ALL Damn! this widget is really good – and ready to […]
ShootOut at the IT Corral
The Big Fall ShootOut at the IT Corral Listen up folks, specially you Stock Investors looking for Big Gains – they is going to be a big and bloody ShootOut at the IT Corral this Fall. And them thar Whipper Snappers are in such a fowl mood this BloodBath may continue write to the Winter. […]
Simple: Google’s Basic
I could not believe what I saw on the code.google.com site – Simple, a Google version of Basic, really VB/VBA, for the Google Android OS. So it appears the battle between Google Android versus Google Chrome OS may well be a real brouhaha. But even more important is the fact that Google Android for the […]
Gaming Widgets and the Change in the RAIA Race
Get the <a href=”http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/bubbles-game” mce_href=”http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/bubbles-game”>Bubbles</a> widget and many other <a href=”http://www.widgetbox.com/” mce_href=”http://www.widgetbox.com/”>great free widgets</a> at <a href=”http://www.widgetbox.com” mce_href=”http://www.widgetbox.com”>Widgetbox</a>! The following game widget can be found here. What is interesting is that it is available in 3 formats: 1)JavaScript – as used just above here 2)Flash – which can embed on just about any website 3)MySpace […]
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Microsoft
We have titled this note a la Steve Ballmer mode [you know “developers, Developers, DEVELOPERS”] as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer pledged allegiance to Microsoft’s developers. I suspect that ordinary Windows users, including most businesses, wish that Steve had made an equivalent pledge to Windows users. Nope – instead he delivered Vista which is slower, more […]
Time for Naked Shorts of Apple?
It is your last chance to do naked shorts of Apple – for two reasons. First, the SEC is working hard to eliminate naked shorts from market trading. Second, Apple will be vulnerable as its stock is skyrocketing towards Fall when the great PC/Laptop/Netbook/Smartphone conflagaration will unfold. But I suspect that after the correction by […]
A Tale of Two Mobile Apps SDK Strategies
I have been absolutely astounded by the spectacular rise in the number of Apps for the iPhone. From 2008’s launch date’s 40 apps to 5000 apps three months later and now more than 50,000 apps as of the turn of Summer 2009. Last time I saw this type of programming support and take-off was with […]
“Most IT pros not planning on Windows 7 rollout”
“Most IT pros not planning on Windows 7 rollout” is the headline of an article at the IT scoop site, theRegister. The story is based on a survey done of 1100 business users by Scriptlogix. This survey goes counter to what Microsoft has been saying about users reactions to Windows 7. A number of factors […]
Cost of the iPhone 3GS
If this Indian website is right, Apple has certainly taken the gloves off in its fight for smartphone market share. The basic facts: Bill of materials = $172.46 Manufacturing cost = $6.50 Total cost before distribution = $178.96 AT+T Price of iPhone 3GS 16GB version = $199 32GB version = $299 So if the Tech2 […]
Return of the Vapors: Corrected
Update: just 3 days after this story was written Bing was alive and available with few hiccups. The analysis and reviews on Bing have been fairly complimentary: Bing takes nearly 3% market share from Google One of many positive reviews from diverse quarters But perhaps most important of all, Microsoft has Google’s attention now that […]
Opera Browser: More Stunning Innovations
eWeek’s Jim Rapoza and I agree mostly on browser performance but share a common admiration for the Opera browser. We both credit Opera for a large amount of the innovation being done in the world of browsers. Think gestures, CSS adoption, tabs, SVG support, Carousel, fast+simple dowload thru install – Opera has consistently lead in […]
Developers, Developers, Developers
Give the NYTimes David Pogue full credit – he was one of the first pundits to recognize the value of the iPhone’s API and apps creation capabilities. Listen to what he said a year ago: “It’s no big secret that the big tech news next week will be the July 11 release of the new […]
Microsoft: Developers Dream ?
eWeek has published under Darryl Taft’s signature a homage and effusive homily to Microsoft as the developer’s “heaven” or dream organization to collaborate and work with. It should be an embarrassment. The 20 page online slideshow looks like a PowerPoint presentation direct from Redmond’s PR headquarters. The thesis is that Redmond has been in the […]
OS Wars Are on Again
I have been tracking the wave of smartphones as being the the true delivery agents of Information at Your Fingertips. Talk about missing the obvious implications. And right next door the Browser monopoly situation is collapsing. Well so too the client OS monopoly. No no no – its is not a full frontal assault from […]
Apple’s Triple Hitter
Apple showed Monday at its developers conference that it has become conscious of its weakest link in the New Economy – a flock of new competitors. The enemy is not just Microsoft but Google with the Android Netbook and Mobile Phones, Amazon with the Kindle and Cloud Computing; Palm with the Pre and WebOS; and […]
What Is Philippe Kahn Upto?
Philippe Kahn was the founder of Borland software – the developers that “prospered through the help of Redmond” in the 1908’s and 1990’s. He is involved now with a company called FullPower which is involved in motion recognition software+hardware engine. This engine can be embedded in Netbooks, mobile phones, games and other specialized devices. This […]
Microsoft Linux
Linguists and English teachers would identify “Microsoft Linux” as an oxymoron. No, oxymoron is not a phantasmagoric cross between an oxe and a moron …. well maybe it is. The classic definition is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms like Microsoft and Linux. And the amazing phenomenon is that I am […]
Taiwan Take Lead in PC+Gaming Innovation
The E3 and Ciomputex shows just eneded this past week in Taiwan .. and major innovations in games, screen technology and computing software and hardware were introduced here. In this era of globalisation, Taiwan with the help and heft of mainland Chinese electronic factories has become a major power in the merging of PC, mobile […]
Touch Screens Rising or Going Awry ?
This blog is on record as saying that the first vendor that delivered a laptop with a fast and efficient touch screen laptop, they would a)have my dollars faster than a speeding bullet and b)probably gain significant market-share especially within the business community. So HP has delivered its HP SmartTouch machines and yet no money […]
The Empire Strikes Back: Project Natal
Wouldn’t you know, just a day after someone had the temerity to proclaim Google as the new King of Software, the Redmond Empire Strikes Back with what appears to be a most impressive announcement in gaming hardware and software. Microsoft’s Project Natal is a hands free game controller (does this help explain all those gaming-themed […]
Science Buffs Rejoice
This party has been saying for a long time that Google and Wikipedia as models for how inteligent search should be done … well they leave a lot to be desired. Enter Wolfram Alpha. Yes, the makers of Mathematica have created a new search engine that is “computationaly smart”. Or as Wolfram phrases it – […]
Google Wave:Update
The following is the details about Google Wave, Google’s very ambitious (open source?)effort to takehold of the social networking movement– it is derived from the fairly ample information (but no accessible demos except by permisso) on the Google Wave API pages plus a Business Week overview. Here is the schematic: The key idea with […]
Windows 7 Performance versus Windows XP
All sorts of Windows 7 benchmarks are beginning to show up – and it appears, if ZDnet is to be believed, Windows 7 is a barn burner relative to Windows XP. Finally, the performance that was missing in Vista is to be rectified by Windows 7. In every one of 31 tests Windows 7, in […]
NetBooks Action!
This blog has been saying that Netbooks and Smartphones is where all the most vigorous innovation and action is taking place in computing today . Need I say various Androids, Blackberries, iPhones and Palm Pre to sustain my position for Smartphones. But in the case of Netbooks it has been a case of take my word for […]
Google Android Taking Off
In a previous posting, I described the Tipping Point that Apple and microsoft are going through due to the huge success of Netbooks on the computing scene. The argument was that two factors – 1)the rise of non-MacOS nor Windows OS would be a factor both vendors would have to contend with and 2)the rise […]
Kindle DX : Jeff Bezos’ Tablet PC???
Its just 3 short months since the launch of Kindle 2 and for $130 more here is what you get for the Kindle DX over the smaller Kindle 2: 1)Bigger screen which is nearly double the size. From Kindle 2’s 42 sq inches viewing to Kindle DX 75 sq.inch screen; 2)More than double the storage […]
Windows 7 Short Sightings
Frank Ohlhorst at Ziff Davis Enterprise has written a size up of Windows 7 for ChannelInsider (Is Microsoft Windows 7 the Obama of the OS World?) that is a bit short sighted about the depth of the problems with Windows 7’s predecessor Microsoft Vista – and therefore he tends to over-rate Windows 7. Here are two quotes […]
Apple Media Tablet
Despite denials from Steve Jobs and interim CEO Tim Cook, Apple appears to be working on a Netbook-like, so called Media Tablet. This may be a 10inch touchscreen tablet without a keyboard. The Seeking Alpha reviewers are raving and already talking $300 price for Apple stock. Now our companion blog has already written extensively on […]
Linux Comment II
Here is another comment on Linux and the Netbook scene . It is inspired by the article – Is Linux dead in the netbook water? over at Dani Web. Again some very good observations in the DaniWeb article prompted this reply. Hi – I think you have essentially defined the problem and opportunity for Linux. […]
Linux Comments
Keir Thomas at Infoworld has raised the question of inward-looking and brittleness to criticism in the Linux Community. The article is titled Why Linux Needs Critics – and comments on the spirit and civility of Linux supporters across their various sites, blogs and forums. I added this largely supporting comment: Keir – I am writer […]
Will Linux Remain the Desktop Whimp?
Linux UIs are pro-status The question of why Linux is a whimp against Windows Vista even when several Linux distributions has already been raised in this blog here. Then the IT and Linux blogosphere was searched for a better answer to why Linux whimps even when several Linux versions best Vista in 16 of 18 […]