Practical Technology

for practical people.

January 1, 2015
by sjvn01
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5 things to expect from the cloud in 2015

2014 saw big changes in the cloud. In 2015, we’ll see more cloud growth – and challenges – than ever.

In 2014, we saw a lot of things happen with the cloud. OpenStack became the dominant open-source cloud, and Ubuntu became the top operating system on clouds.

Some cloud news was amazing. Microsoft, of all companies, proclaimed its love for Linux. Why? Because 20% of the operating systems on Azure are Linux. If you can’t fight them, join them!

And then there was the news no one saw coming. I mean, in 2014, how many people really knew anything about containers? Then along came Docker and everyone from the usual open-source suspects to Microsoft to VMware was on board.

So, what will 2015 bring us? Well let me dust off my crystal ball and here’s what I see.

5 things to expect from the cloud in 2015. More>

December 16, 2014
by sjvn01
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At Microsoft, quality seems to be job none

I actually had been feeling optimistic about Windows 10. No, really. You can look it up. I mean, I didn’t think Windows 10 was the greatest thing since the advent of the Internet, but it did strike me as a solid replacement for the lamentable Windows 8.

But that was before I got a notice that if I wanted to update my Windows 10 Technical Preview by applying one of December’s security updates, I would have to uninstall Office. What the …

Making matters even weirder, this security update was to fix 14 vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer 11.

Can someone tell me how that makes sense? Anyone?

At Microsoft, quality seems to be job none. More>

December 11, 2014
by sjvn01
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In gadget we trust

“Windows rules!”

“If it’s not a Mac, it’s not worth jack!”

“There is one true operating system, Linux, and Linus Torvalds is its prophet!”

Those of us who hang around tech circles have heard sentiments like these. And we’ve seen the defenders of one OS rise up in flame wars against the acolytes of the competition. Wars of words have erupted between Mac and Windows users, Android and iPhone supporters and, seemingly since the dawn of silicon, EMACS and vi programmers. They usually carry a whiff of nearly religious zealotry.

Sometimes these conversations can be fun to engage in or just listen in on. All too often, though, they turn mean, and civility evaporates. And occasionally they turn even uglier.

In gadget we trust. More>

December 11, 2014
by sjvn01
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Cloud computing: It’s not just a bunch of servers

Some things never change. Some people never learn.

I’m getting tired of this. How many times do I have to explain that cloud computing is not the same thing as just having a bunch of servers or virtual servers?

Yes, I know at a superficial level a traditional data center looks a lot like a cloud data center – but so what? Do you think a Mac looks and feels like a Linux server just because their chips are identical!?

OK, let’s go over the basics one more time.

Cloud computing: It’s not just a bunch of servers. More>