Practical Technology

for practical people.

June 20, 2011
by sjvn01
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Brand name Top Level Domains coming

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) board has voted to dramatically increase the number of Internet domain name endings–generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs)–from the current 22, which includes such familiar domains as .com, .org and .net” to a unlimited number of new Top Level Domains in any language or script.” So, beginning in 2012, you can look “forward” to such TLDs as .missamercia, .gameofthrones, or .superbowl.

In a statement, Rod Beckstrom, President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN. Said, “We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind.” Gag me now! Beckstrom also claimed that these “New gTLDs will change the way people find information on the Internet and how businesses plan and structure their online presence. Internet address names will be able to end with almost any word in any language, offering organizations around the world the opportunity to market their brand, products, community or cause in new and innovative ways.”

Oh please. Get over yourselves. The only point in opening the doors to an endless number of gTLDs is to increase the profits for domain name registrars (DNR). For them, this will prove a license to print money. For businesses, who must protect their trademarks it will be a pain-in-the rump and some additional expense. I can already see people getting ready to grab the TLD “.cola” and waiting to charge Coke and Pepsi or the “privilege” of registering “coke.cola” and “pepsi.cola.”

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June 19, 2011
by sjvn01
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Windows’ Endgame. Desktop Linux’s Failure.

“After nearly a decade, Microsoft’s reign as a monopoly is over.” … “The latest real-world data on web usage confirms that Microsoft’s once-dominant position in the world of personal computing is crumbling.” That’s not me, the Linux guy speaking. No, that’s Ed Bott, who’s as much a Windows fan as I am with a Linux fan. Ed’s the one, not me, who’s saying that “if Windows 8 flops on phones and tablets, Microsoft’s future is very dim indeed.”

Desktop Linux’s future isn’t any better. Windows isn’t declining because of Linux’s security or stability benefits. No, as Ed points out, it’s declining because of the rise of mobile computing. Apple’s iPhone and iPad are the ‘villians” in the mystery of who killing Windows. And, they’re also killing off the traditional desktop Linux.

When I say this though I don’t mean that Windows won’t still be on computers in 2021. It will be. What it won’t be though is the dominant computing platform. Unlike Ed, I do think that Microsoft is moving too late to a mobile, tablet-based computing paradigm. Windows 8 will be too little, too late.

Linux, however, is in a funny place. Linux, through Android, is becoming an important operating system for end-users. Most people don’t know it though. If you ask them “Could you use Linux?” If they even know what Linux is, they’ll say “No.” Ask them can they use their phone, they’ll say “Yes, of course.”

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June 17, 2011
by sjvn01
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Five Chromebook concerns for businesses

Make no mistake about it. I like my Samsung Series 5 Chromebook a lot. I think it will become a major challenge to Windows on light-duty business desktops… eventually.

You see right now, as I’m well into week two with my Chromebook, I’m finding holes that need to be filled before I can see many businesses rolling work out on Chromebooks. Mind you, even as it is, I can see people using them for work. I am right now. But, until these problems are fixed Chromebooks aren’t going to be major business desktop players.

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June 15, 2011
by sjvn01
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Linux’s 20th Birthday Party: LinuxCon

Has it really been twenty years? Yes, yes, it has been twenty years since Linus Torvalds announced that he was working on “a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones.” Twenty years of Linux later, The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating Linux’s growth, has announced the program for this year’s LinuxCon North America taking place in Vancouver, B.C. August 17-19, 2011.

According to the Foundation, LinuxCon North America will host the formal celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Linux. Torvalds, himself, who seldom goes out to shows anymore, will be attending and will participate in an interview-style keynote in which he will discuss technical advancements and challenges related to the Linux kernel with kernel developer and maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman.

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June 14, 2011
by sjvn01
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More Google Web Browser goodness: Chrome 12

On the eve of the Chromebooks being released to the public, Google has rolled out the next version of its Chrome Web browser: Chrome 12.

“Wait,” you say, “Didn’t Google just release a new edition of Chrome last month?” Yes, yes they did: Chrome 11 and now they’re back with another one. If you’re a cynic like me, your first thought might have been: “Is there anything new here besides the number? Is there really anything here that demands it be called a major new release?” The answer to those questions is: Yes. Yes, there are sufficient new features in this model for it to be worth given a new number.

The biggest changes have been security improvements. As Ed Bott reported recently, Chrome has had trouble with identifying phishing malware. Now, Chrome has improved its phishing and malware detection so that it does a better job of detecting potential trouble headed your way from the Internet.

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June 13, 2011
by sjvn01
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Strangeloop offers the first Google SPDY Web-site acceleration product

Do you want a really fast Web site? I mean really fast? Then there’s a variety of proxies, Web caching and secure-socket layer (SSL) accelerators you can try. If that’s still not enough, it’s time for you to look into Strangeloop’s implementation of Google’s SPDY into its Site Optimizer product line.

SPDY, pronounced “speedy,”is an experimental replacement protocol for HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol). SPDY works by compressing both the data and HTTP header information n the stream between a Web browsers and Web servers that support it. It also speeds Web sites up by prioritizing data requests. That way the important data, say a video stream, gets priority over JavaScript. In practice, I’ve seen performance boosts of up to 15%.

To do this you need a browser that supports SPDY, like Chrome or a computer that comes with SPDY built in, such as the Samsung Chromebook.

That’s the easy part. The hard part was getting SPDY supported on the Web server side. There’s been some experimental code you could use, but nothing you could really put with confidence on a production site. That’s where Strangeloop comes in.

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