Practical Technology

for practical people.

March 7, 2009
by sjvn01
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Security Certification for Linux job-hunters

Need another arrow in your Linux job-hunting quiver? Then you might want to check out the LPI (Linux Professional Institute), the Linux certification organization has launched its new “Security” exam elective for its top-level LPIC-3 certification program.

The LPI has been working on this security certification option since March 2008. To obtain this certification, roughly equivalent to the RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer) or the NCLE (Novell Certified Linux Engineer), a Linux administrator must have already obtained the LPIC-1 and LPIC-2 certifications. In addition, he or she must pass the enterprise-level core certification exam (LPI-301) and a ‘Mixed Environment’ elective (LPI-302). The ‘Security’ elective (LPI-303) is another, potentially valuable mixed Linux and security certification option.

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March 6, 2009
by sjvn01
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Google CEO hints Google/Linux netbooks may be coming

People have been speculating about Google getting into the desktop business ever since Good OS, an Ubuntu-based Linux built around online Google applications showed up in 2007. Then, the rumor-mill really got churning when it was shown that Google mobile operating system, Android, would work just fine as a desktop operating system. Just because something can be done, though, doesn’t mean a company actually going to do it though. On March 3rd, though, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said, What’s particularly interesting about netbooks is the price point. Eventually, it will make sense for operators and so forth to subsidize the use of netbooks so they can make services revenue and advertising revenue on the consumption. That’s another new model that’s coming.”

Making money from online advertising. Hmm… Now what company, with a name that starts with ‘G’ and ends with ‘e,’ do we know that’s the absolute tip-top at making money from online advertising? Could it be Google!? I think so.

The idea of selling netbooks cheaply with a service contract is already being tried. Dell and AT&T offered a Dell Mini 9 for $99 with an AT&T Data Connect contract. I have no doubt you’ll see similar mobile phone like discount netbook pricing from other PC companies and telecoms soon. Look for these offers to start showing up everywhere later this year or early next year, as high-speed WiMAX networking starts to come into its own.

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March 5, 2009
by sjvn01
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Linux companies sign Microsoft patent protection pacts

In Microsoft vs. TomTom, Microsoft is suing TomTom in part because the guys from Redmond claim that TomTom’s use of Linux in its navigation devices has violated three of its file-system related patents. One reason why Microsoft feels it can do this is that it already has patent cross licensing agreements covering these patents with other Linux-using companies.

I dug this up during an e-mail discussion with Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft’s corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of intellectual property and licensing, Gutierrez said, “We have a history of licensing the patents in this case through patent cross licensing agreements with other leaders in the car navigation space, including Kenwood, Alpine and Pioneer, and through our FAT LFN (File Allocation Table/Long File Name) patent licensing program, where we have 18 licensees to date.” This is being done under Microsoft’s FAT LFN File System Licensing Program.

When asked specifically if “there are companies using Linux and open-source software, which have signed FAT patent cross-licensing agreements, such as the ones, which TomTom has refused to agree to?” Gutierrez replied, “Yes, other companies have signed FAT patent licenses, both in the context of patent cross licensing agreements and other licensing arrangements.”

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March 4, 2009
by sjvn01
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Kindle for iPhone — the killer e-book app

It seems like everyone is excited by Amazon.com Inc.’s new Kindle 2 e-book reader. Unfortunately — especially in these less-than-prosperous times — there’s one little problem: the $359 price tag.

Well, if you’re the owner of an Apple iPod Touch or iPhone, you now have an alternative: Amazon.com’s free application, called Kindle for iPhone, which now lets you buy and read Kindle e-books on your iPhone or Touch. And you know what? It works great!

What is it? Once you download this petite application from Apple’s App Store, you can use it to buy and read Kindle e-books on your iDevice even if you don’t own a Kindle. (If you have a Kindle, the new app also lets you use your iPhone or Touch to read e-books you’ve already purchased for your Kindle — perhaps for times when you want to travel light.) I’ll doubtlessly buy a Kindle someday, but in today’s market, being able to read new e-books on my 16GB iPod Touch works just fine for me.

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March 4, 2009
by sjvn01
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Windows gaming on Linux & Macs made easy

Sure, it’s handy being able to run Internet Explorer or Microsoft Office on Linux or the Mac thanks to WINE and Crossover Linux and Mac, but you know what’s even cooler? Running WoW (World of Warcraft) or Guild Wars on them.

That’s why I’m really pleased to see that CrossOver, the company behind WINE, the programs that lets you run Windows programs on Linux and Mac OS, has just released new editions of CrossOver Games for Mac and Linux, version 7.2.0.

At first, you might think, “Are they kidding, you can’ run seriously run a demanding Windows game on Linux or the Mac?” You’d be wrong.

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March 3, 2009
by sjvn01
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Twitterfall — the best Twitter client ever

Twitter is the place to go for idle Internet chatter — for example, what could be more fun than following a Congressional representative who twitters about President Obama’s speech in real time?

However, the native Twitter Web interface is a model of bare functionality. If you want more features — and many people do — then you need a Twitter client. The best I’ve found to date is Twitterfall.

What is it? Twitterfall is a Web-based client for Twitter that adds all the search and trend-tracking bells and whistles that a news addict could ever want. Because it’s a purely Web-based service, unlike the Adobe AIR-based Twhirl or the Mac/iPhone’s Twitterrific, you can run it on any PC or device that can run a full-powered Web browser.

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