BOUT a year ago, I agreed upon a rule for myself: Read more of the technology sections in Web sites; feeds likewise. Front pages and doorway pages tend to concentrate on celebrities (sports included), sex, and death.

This disposition is a matter of personal preference, of course, but the general advice is for each person to choose feeds that intersect with and correspond to main interests. Good feeds encourage reading. Reading re-enforces knowledge and in the lack of distracting detail, the mind is better stimulated, as well as focused on consistent information.

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Calendaring in the Open Source Horde project

HOWN above is a screenshot of the Web calender which is closely integrated to my mail. As it turns out, as well as speculated years ago, Google are working on their own implementation. Their Web-based software will actually be called CL2 on the face it. Some screenshots are revolving around the Web nowadays. They depict what could potentially kill many other Web-based calendars.

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I am not too happy to have read the following:

Caffeine boosts risk of heart attacks in the genetically susceptible.

People carrying a common variation in a certain gene could be worsening their risk of a heart attack simply by drinking several cups of coffee per day.

Daily count of coffee mugs: 6 so far.

More ‘coffee items’:

• Coffee Leads to Stress
• Mister Coffee
• Coffee Beer
• Concentrated Coffee
• Coffee in a Can

Will such folks ever lie to you???

IVERSION from the truth has been one of Microsoft’s greatest strengths and marketing techniques for decades. Here are the most recent examples, accumulated over the past couple of days alone:

• Microsoft “re-launch” or “unveil” a shiny, brand-new search engine, to reside on a new domain. This hype-driven drivel (e.g. “MSN is twice as good as Google”) sounds better than “we have improved our rusty search engine slightly”, right? Microsoft pulled the same trick a few years back, arguing that MSN had been re-invented to incorporate major innovation (all in vain of course). Such overstated facts are intended to attract curious Web surfer, nothing more. It is an enticement, which is sometimes backed by financial rewards too.
• Arguably, the following was alluded to by Windows advocates: Do not attempt to take Linux Live CD’s for a spin as they can destroy your computer. Such calls for ejection were deterring Windows users from seeing something else and carry on with an installation and progressive platform migration. Fortunately, some ‘penguins’ (not ones with a beak and a tuxedo) have taken matters into their own hands.
• OpenOffice 2 is 10 years behind, according to Mr. Yates of Microsoft. Lo and behold: another FUD campaign which indicates that Microsoft’s revenue suffers. Similar dirty tactics were embraced as means of halting the momentum of Linux servers sales. Merely everyone knows the false and controversial campaign that followed. A Google search for ‘linux’ still puts microsoft.com at the top, owing to a sponsored link paid for by the Dark Forces. Such conflicting search results have led to lawsuits in the recent past. I still await Google’s rectification of such shameful fiascos. Lastly, let us remember paid forum members that advocated Windows.

Microsoft can try hard to conceal their past lies, but a few journalists, observers and professionals will never forget.

Here comes yet another article on the significant new detriment (see more example below), but in an entirely new context.

This latest one comes CNET

In today’s gadget-jammed, sensory-overloaded culture, drawing and keeping a consumer’s attention is more important than ever to businesses.

[...]

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OOGLE has got an illicit mirror, which is known as the infamous Scroogle (appendage of the words “scrape” and “Google”). It also has plenty of legal harvesters, which use Google as the source for some search results (e.g. Webcrawler et al. and Google with traffic gauges such as A9).

Google, however, has yet another mirror, but in a more practical sense of the word. Have a look. The nice little thing is that the user gets re-directed to the site which matches the query, only reversed! (anagram)

Related items: Gizoogle

ANY Linux users are secretly pleased with the current state of Linux adoption, which is rather slow and yet steady. Others are somewhat disappointed that it remains a minority among the ‘operating systems pie’.

Many people out there wish to migrate to Linux, genuinely and wholeheartedly so. This move is often prevented by fear, as well as impulsive attempts to jump onto Linux without that initial and temporary dual-boot ‘cushion’. Sometimes, the former fact, namely the desire for eventual change, makes Linux users victims of others’ envy. Sometimes, the latter is a cause for admiration, for Linux users are falsely collectively believed to be masters of the command line, as well as code wizards of the unknown. It is a fallacy, a misinformation that must be fought. Linux has become very trivial to use and set up. It can be bought pre-installed from large vendors too, with full support.

Meanwhile, many failed migrants remain underpaid yet overworked due to viruses and related issues. The mind boggles: what is it that led wide audiences to believing a Linux user’s life revolves around computers and troubleshooting? Wishful thinking probably. For instance, when things go awry for a Windows user, there is usually a neighbour or a friends to voluntarily help. So, a Linux deficiency is prevalence of skills, not the operating system in its own right.

To borrow another key point, many would whine about hardware support in Linux. Yet, the horses must be put before to carriage. Hardware which was originally bought for Windows need not necessarily be compatible with all platforms. The move to Linux is a worthwhile investment, not an overnight change of pyjamas.