Bruce’s Journal

‘One Laptop per Child’ to Switch from Linux to Windows?

June 4, 2008 by Bruce

As posted to our Ubuntu users Meetup forum, by Jay:

One Laptop Per Child may eventually switch from GNU/Linux to Windows

http://truthhappens.redhatmagazine.com/2008/04/23/sigh/

It seems like locking kids minds into proprietary frames still remains a priority for the educators.

So here is… My email correspondence with OLPC just now…

____

To: press@racepointgroup.com

Is it true that OLPC will be switching from a Linux OS to a Windows OS?

If so, you guys are pathetic, and I need to know so I can withdrawal all my support for the OLPC project as soon as possible.

Bruce Wagner

____

From: press@racepointgroup.com

This is not true. OLPC will support both Linux and Windows. Governments have been asking for both.

____

To: press@racepointgroup.com

That is NOT ok.

See http://linux.meetup.com/392/messages/boards/thread/4635205

And http://truthhappens.redhatmagazine.com/2008/04/23/sigh/

It it self-defeating to go down a proprietary closed corporate path like Windows. It is also self-defeating to split your resources in half between two separate development paths. Windows has no future in a program such as OLPC. Your role is EDUCATION, not backing down to special interests and corporate greed.

Don’t cave in to anyone. Stick to FREEDOM — open source free software, not corporate interests — if you hope or expect to get any support from the global community.

Bruce Wagner

____

(also posted in the Ubuntu Forums, here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=818407 )

Free yourself from the closed proprietary ‘Big Brother’ of Microsoft, Apple, etc. Choose Open Source Free Software.

Are you using Ubuntu Linux on your home computer yet? Do you use Google? Did you know that the Google search engine you use every day operates 100% on Linux? Check out Windows vs Ubuntu’s Best Applications and getgnulinux.org and ubuntu.com and wubi-installer.org and Google: Open Source Free Software

What’s so dangerous about the Cult of Scientology? And why You should Care. Click here to find out.

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bruce@brucewagner.com

Posted in Consumer Issues, Free Software, Internet Freedom, Issues, Life, Linux, Open Source, Technology, Ubuntu, Windows, Windows XP, XP | 1 Comment »

Free Yourself from the Proprietary Corporate Greed of ‘Big Brother’: Microsoft, Apple, etc.

May 28, 2008 by Bruce

Always choose the superior Open Source Free Software.

Now, there is an equivalent or superior Free Open Source version of all the best software that exists.

Do you use Ubuntu Linux on your PC and laptop yet?

Google does. Did you know that Google’s search engines are all running 100% on Linux? Not Windows. Not Mac. Only Linux. Does Google know something you don’t know?

You can even install Ubuntu Linux on a Windows computer without changing a thing — all for free. It takes about 2.5 minutes, and is as easy as three clicks, using Wubi — the Windows Ubuntu Installer. Try it here!

Check out each of these links carefully:

(Add the above lines to your email program’s signature too; Help us spread the word!)

______________________

Free yourself from the closed proprietary ‘Big Brother’ of Microsoft, Apple, etc. Choose Open Source Free Software.

What’s so dangerous about the Cult of Scientology? And why You should Care. Click here to find out.

Also, be sure to check out…

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__________________
Bruce Wagner
http://brucewagner.com
bruce@brucewagner.com

Posted in Asus, Consumer Issues, Copyright, Entertainment, Free Software, Google, Intellectual Property, Internet Freedom, Life, Linux, Media, Media Center, Microsoft, Money, Movies, Music, News, Open Source, Personal, Photography, Photos, Random, Technology, Television, Thoughts, Ubuntu, Video, Vista, Windows, Windows Media Center, Windows XP, Writing, XP | No Comments »

Feel Like a Movie Tonight?

May 27, 2008 by Bruce

It’s the best way to find an awesome movie to watch…

I’ve always believed in the Viewers’ Ratings of movies on Yahoo Movies. That’s how I decide if a movie is going to be any good or not.

I don’t even want to know what it’s about. If the VIEWERS rating is high, it will be great.

Warning: Totally ignore the CRITICS Rating. They are almost always Wrong!

Here is…

How to Have an Awesome Movie to Watch Tonight:

THIS is an AWESOME Link: Go to Top Rated Movies of All Time (by VIEWERS): (Bookmark this link!)
Note: If you have Windows, you must have already installed the utorrent program once. If you haven’t yet, just go to utorrent.com and click on Download to install it. It is free, and tiny. This is a one-time thing. (Of course, if you have the superior Ubuntu instead of Windows or Mac, you don’t need to install anything. It’s all built-in. And if you have a Mac, go here to get a bittorrent client instead.)
Go to mininova.org and enter the name of the movie you want. Be sure to check that it is in the proper format that your computer or player can play (or burn to DVD, then play). Click on Download Torrent. As you download the torrent file, select: “Open With: uTorrent”
Buy some popcorn and you’re ready!

That’s it!

You’re done.

Yet Another Reason to NOT buy Vista

May 22, 2008 by Bruce

…as if we needed one.

Microsoft’s Media Center Does Not Record Television Shows from NBC

Microsoft has come out with an astounding admission, courtesy of Greg Sandoval at CNet News:

“Microsoft included technologies in Windows, based on rules set forth by the (Federal Communications Commission),” a Microsoft spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail to CNET News.com. “As part of these regulations, Windows Media Center fully adheres to the flags used by broadcasters and content owners to determine how their content is distributed and consumed.”

(full story)

Free yourself from the closed proprietary ‘Big Brother’ of Microsoft, Apple, etc. Choose Open Source Free Software.

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__________________
Bruce Wagner
http://brucewagner.com
bruce@brucewagner.com

Posted in Consumer Issues, Entertainment, Free Software, Internet Freedom, Life, Linux, Media, Media Center, Microsoft, Movies, Music, News, Open Source, Technology, Television, Ubuntu, Vista, Windows, Windows Media Center, Windows XP, XP | 2 Comments »

Ubuntu Linux is More Than Twice as Fast as Windows XP — Latest Performance Benchmarks

May 22, 2008 by Bruce

Ubuntu is 2.3 times Faster than Windows XP, acording to the latest performance benchmarks.

Free yourself from the closed proprietary ‘Big Brother’ of Microsoft, Apple, etc. Choose Open Source Free Software.

Are you using Ubuntu Linux on your home computer yet? Do you use Google? Did you know that the Google search engine you use every day operates 100% on Linux? There’s no Windows or Mac running the Google company or any of its services. Check out Windows vs Ubuntu’s Best Applications and getgnulinux.org and ubuntu.com and wubi-installer.org and Google: Open Source Free Software

Also, be sure to check out…

Top Stories — the most popular items as of today, top of the sidebar
Bruce’s Stream of Thought — thoughts I haven’t even blogged about yet
Other Topic Categories
Bruce’s Hot Lists
Related Items on this Topic
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Watch our shows…

And don’t forget to…

__________________
Bruce Wagner
http://brucewagner.com
bruce@brucewagner.com

Posted in Consumer Issues, Free Software, Internet Freedom, Linux, Microsoft, Open Source, Technology, Ubuntu, Windows, Windows XP, XP | No Comments »

What’s 7 Inches Long and Rocking the World?

May 21, 2008 by Bruce

eeepc

I have to say…

It looks amazing.

They have finally made a tiny form facter — applicance PC — combined with all the wonderfulness of Ubuntu and the entire open source universe…

It’s awesome!

Click here for a cool interactive demo.

The Asus Eee PC

by Nancy Reyes

Well, my itsy bitsy teeny weenie seven inch Asus Eee PC finally arrived with the relatives visiting for fiesta season. I had bought it in the US six months ago, but it was back-ordered and not delivered on time. So my grandson Luke has been using it in the meanwhile.

I bought this one at Amazon…selling for $360 or so.

This is the one with only a five gig flash drive and a seven inch screen. It also uses Ubuntu, not windows. No problem. I use Ubuntu on my laptop too, and unless you are into gaming, it’s easy to use.

Newer models by ASUS have Windows XP, a larger drive, and even larger screens.

So what are the advantages?

One: It’s small and light. (32 oz–about one kg) Will fit into my purse.

Two: sort of a super palm-pocket: enough room to store a diary, information, email, etc. But it also plays music and lets you talk to your friends using the webcam.

When you turn it on, it boots quickly. Opening page is internet icons. One is to connect to the Internet, and I just programmed that to automatic, and it found the right numbers.

But once you do that, it signs on automatically. Or you can hit the “wireless” icon and it will connect to any nearby signal.

Other icons are fast links to the internet: Google, mail programs, Skype, Wikipedia, Internet Radio, and Google Documents. One click and you’re there.

The Wireless connection doesn’t pick up the signal as well as my laptop: If I surf the net from my bedroom, the signal is only 30% from the router in my son’s office. I can pick that weak signal up on my laptop, but the ASUS won’t. But it works fine sitting outside in the garden.

For web surfing, it uses Firefox, which is as easy as Microsoft explorer and I used it routinely with our Windows computers.

Then if you want to work on the computer, there are lots of nice tabs at the top of the page.

Number two tab says “WORK”.

It includes “Open Office” for word processing, spread sheets, and presentations. It includes a pdf reader, note pad, and a mail program,”accessories” and a dictionary.
I used to use the Microsoft mail program with Outlook at work, but could never figure out how to use it on my laptop, so I can’t tell you about that one. The “accessories” includes a “Personal Information manager” which essentially is the same as Outlook: It has mail, calendar, diary, to do list, etc.

The next tab is “learn”: Except for the periodic table, not something I care about.

Tab 4 is “PLAY”.

There is a mp3 etc. player, a media player, a web cam and a sound recorder. One of these days I’ll play with these, but my grandson Luke said they were neat…

Since there isn’t much disc space for music, one might ask why a media player a movie player? Well, I downloaded an AVI movie to my thumb drive and watched it. Tiny, but it did play.

One can attach a thumb drive (MP3 or flash drive) via the USB port, or one can place a memory card in another slot for more storage. Alas, my palmpocket memory card doesn’t fit.

Finally, it has a nice battery (Worked for three hours). And the case is hard plastic, so it’s rugged for traveling.

So what don’t I like?

I am a sixty word a minute touch typist. The tiny keyboard drives me nuts.

The speakers are too weak to hear in noisy environments.

And the print is small.

But if you travel, want to take a tiny computer that does most basic things, and don’t have a lot of money, it’s something to look into.

For a little more money you can get Windows XP, a larger screen and a larger flash disk. I’d do that if it were my only computer and if I had more money. But as a spare backup computer to travel with, I’m pleased.

Addendum: When my granddaughter saw that ASUS was now selling in the Philippines she wants one…

(source)

Free yourself from the closed proprietary ‘Big Brother’ of Microsoft, Apple, etc. Choose Open Source Free Software.

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Bruce Wagner
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bruce@brucewagner.com

Posted in Asus, Eee PC, Life, Technology | 1 Comment »

Fleet Week NYC 2008: May 21- 28, 2008

May 21, 2008 by Bruce

Thousands of Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen from U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard ships will be in town for Fleet Week New York.

Hosted nearly every year since 1984, Fleet Week New York is the City’s celebration of the sea services. This annual event also provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding Tri-State area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness first hand the latest capabilities of today’s Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Team.

Fleet Week includes dozens of military demonstrations and displays throughout the week, as well as public visitation of many of the participating ships.

Please check the Schedule of Events for more information on events occurring throughout the week, including ship tour hours.

And if you wanna know where to meet the sailors, try the craigslist personals.

Free yourself from the closed proprietary ‘Big Brother’ of Microsoft, Apple, etc. Choose Open Source Free Software.

Also, be sure to check out…

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Bruce’s Stream of Thought — thoughts I haven’t even blogged about yet
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__________________
Bruce Wagner
http://brucewagner.com
bruce@brucewagner.com

Posted in Gay, Life | No Comments »

How to be an Instant Expert on the Topic of your Choice

May 5, 2008 by Bruce

Two Very Cool Ways to Stay Informed

First, if you’re really interested in a certain topic, you can receive email updates of the latest YouTube videos related to your topic of interest. There is a really cool free service called RSSFWD.com that will let you subscribe to any RSS feed via email. (You can later unsubscribe any time you like, with a single click.) That, combined with YouTube’s RSS Feed for a single “tag”, makes a powerful combination.

Here’s how:

Think of the one word that best describes your topic of interest. As an example, if you’re really interested in “iPhone”, or “Oprah”, or “Ubuntu”, or “Obama”, or “juggling”. It doesn’t matter what it is.

Simply replace the word “ubuntu” in the following web address, and go to that address.

For example, if you’re really interested in “Ubuntu”, simply click on this link:

http://rssfwd.com/rssfwd/preview?email=&pre=true&return_to=http%3A%2F%2Frssfwd.com%2F&submit+url=Submit&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Frss%2Ftag%2Fubuntu.rss

If you’re interested in “juggling”, change the word “ubuntu” in the link like this:

http://rssfwd.com/rssfwd/preview?email=&pre=true&return_to=http%3A%2F%2Frssfwd.com%2F&submit+url=Submit&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Frss%2Ftag%2Fjuggling.rss

Do you see the word “juggling” toward the end of that link? Yeah. That’s the word you change to your own topic of interest.

You get the idea.

Now, on the resulting page, just enter your email address. It’s that simple.

Every email update you get will also have a link at the bottom to instantly unsubscribe, if you later change your mind.

The Second tool is not new, but it’s extremely powerful… and often overlooked.

It’s called Google Alerts.

Simply go to http://www.google.com/alerts and enter the word, or words, that describe your topics of most interest.

It’s amazingly powerful.

And addictive.

Enjoy.

Also, be sure to check out…

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__________________
Bruce Wagner
http://brucewagner.com
bruce@brucewagner.com

Posted in Life, Technology | No Comments »

Kiva — Small Loans Alleviate Poverty Worldwide

May 4, 2008 by Bruce

Loans that Change Lives

I just made a loan to someone in the developing world using a revolutionary new website called Kiva.org.

Kiva lets you loan very small amounts of money to the poorest of the working poor all over the planet. Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty worldwide.

You can go to Kiva’s website and lend to someone in the developing world who needs a loan for their business - like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks. Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent - and you get updates letting you know how the entrepreneur is going.

The best part is, when the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back - and Kiva’s loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.

I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Norah Huanca in Bolivia. They still need another $1,750.00 to complete their loan request of $4,950.00 (you can loan as little as $25.00!). Help me get this entrepreneur off the ground by clicking on the link below to make a loan to Norah Huanca too:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=46289

It’s finally easy to actually do something about poverty - using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they’re using it for. And most of all, I know that I’m helping them build a sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.

One of the best parts is: Once that loan is paid back — with interest — I can simply loan it out again to another entrepreneur. That way my money gets put to great use over and over and over again! Imagine what would happen if we ALL did this. There would be no more poverty!

Join me in changing the world - one loan at a time.

Thanks!

_______________________________________

What others are saying about www.Kiva.org:

‘Revolutionising how donors and lenders in the US are connecting with small entrepreneurs in developing countries.’
– BBC

‘If you’ve got 25 bucks, a PC and a PayPal account, you’ve now got the wherewithal to be an international financier.’
– CNN Money

‘Smaller investors can make loans of as little as $25 to specific individual entrepreneurs through a service launched last fall by Kiva.org.’
– The Wall Street Journal

‘An inexpensive feel-good investment opportunity…All loaned funds go directly to the applicants, and most loans are repaid in full.’
– Entrepreneur Magazine

Also, be sure to check out…

Top Stories — the most popular items as of today, top of the sidebar
Bruce’s Stream of Thought — thoughts I haven’t even blogged about yet
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Bruce Wagner
http://brucewagner.com
bruce@brucewagner.com

Posted in Life, Love, Microlending, Money | No Comments »

What’s the Difference between Real Life and The Internet?

May 2, 2008 by Bruce

Dimensions of the One Machine

Today it contains approximately 1.2 billion personal computers, 2.7 billion cell phones, 1.3 billion land phones, 27 million data servers, and 80 million wireless PDAs. The processor chips of all these parts are feeding the computation of the internet/web/telecommunications system. (the technium)

How did we go from — January 1982, when we created… The very first version of the Internet was nothing more than an experimental “TCP/IP Test Network”. (wiki) Here is the map of of that first original “test network” we now call The Internet…

And now, our entire lives have transformed…

Or click here.

And more…

Or click here.

In many ways our lives seem to have BECOME the internet… As demonstrated in the following video, which is based on a true story.

Or click here.

UPDATE: As you can see, YouTube removed this video “due to a copyright claim by Viacom International Inc.” Viacom is really stupid and short-sighted for doing that. The viral spreading of that short video clip would only have resulted in MILLIONS more people watching that episode of South Park when it finally does air. Anyway…

This clip, called “No Internet“, WILL become available again VERY SOON. You can count on it. Someone will upload it again. And as as soon as it is available, you will find it here:

Google Video Search, or
with commercials at the South Park Studios Official Site

The Internet has all but completely replaced our old-fashioned customs of social interchange. With the invention of so-called “Social Networking” sites, we no longer need to go to cocktail parties or singles clubs to meet people. We are automatically introduced to friends of our real-life friends, as well as being able to browse through virtual catalogs of complete strangers who have things in common with us — or at least appear to be physically attractive to us.

Or click here.

As The Internet quickly becomes the world’s number one entertainment media network, it was bound to happen. We have a whole new breed of “stars”. Video Stars who have become globally famous overnight. And are forgotten almost as fast — without ever earning a cent from their fame.

Or click here.

However, as the following video humorously illustrates, the number one use of the Internet is…

Well, let me put it this way.

Try doing a Google search for: US Virgin Islands

What do you get?

Results 1 - 10 of about 218,000,000 for porn

“Pornographer! Pornographer! How can you call me that?!? I don’t even own a pornograph!”

Or click here.

In the future… Imagine what it will be like… when all these little kids, who wear born and grew up in an Internet world, are the adults designing the future…